that a ground offensive will be launched in rafah if hamas does not release all hostages by march 10. it is the first time israel has warned when its troops might enter gaza's southernmost city, where an estimated 1.3 million civlians are sheltering. earlier, the world health organization said gaza's nasser hospital has ceased to function following an israeli raid. israel defense forces troops entered the hospital on thursday, saying intelligence indicated that hostages taken by hamas were being held there. the who said it hadn't been allowed to enter the site. in a post on x, formerly twitter, the director—general of the world health organization tedros ghebreyesus said: our diplomatic correspondent paul adams is injerusalem and says facilities at nasser

hospital are close to collapse. the situation in nasser hospital the largest hospital in the southern part of the gaza street, remains extremely precarious. it's unclear exactly what's going on there. the israeli military has been there since the early hours of thursday morning. they are arresting members of staff who they believe are connected with hamas. they've discovered some arms that have been hidden away in the hospital. and they're also looking for evidence that hostages may have been held in the hospital at one point or another. they say that, while doing that, they are doing their best to try and keep the hospital functioning, bringing in diesel and oxygen and helping to repair a generator. the head of the who, and gaza's health ministry, have both said that the hospital is essentially not functioning anymore. we've heard reports from inside the hospital suggesting that as many as 11 people may have died as a result of interruptions to power and oxygen. so i think, at the very

least, what we can say is that the situation in nasser hospital is really, really difficult, and perhaps close to collapse. further south, in rafah, a city waits for the expected israeli military operation there. and today, they got a bit of a clue as to when that might happen, because benny gantz — a member of benjamin netanyahu's war cabinet — said that if israeli hostages are not released by the beginning of ramadan — that's in precisely three weeks — then the israeli assault on rafah would begin. that's three weeks in which 1.3 million civilians have to be moved out of the way, because the white house has demanded that that should happen before any israeli military assault. and right now, there are no signs of a plan in place for that mass evacuation. meanwhile, israel has condemned brazil's president, lula da silva, after he accused israel of committing genocide

in gaza and compared its actions to the holocaust. he was speaking at the african union summit in addis ababa. translation: what is happening in the gaza strip _ with the palestinian people has no parallel in history. in fact, it did exist when hitler decided to kill the jews. israel has strongly criticised his comments. prime minister benjamin netanyahu called them "shameful and grave," and a little earlier this evening said the israel defense forces were going to lengths to prevent civilian deaths. today, the president of brazil — by comparing israel's war in gaza against hamas, a genocidal terrorist organisation, to the holocaust — president da silva has demonised thejewish state like the most virilous anti—semite. he should be ashamed of himself. for more on the situation in gaza and the next stage of israel's military operation, i spoke with gina abercrombie—winstanley,

a former diplomat and president of the middle east policy council. the situation is growing daily. we have had calls for hamas to return the remaining hostages. what does it mean for the civilians and medical workers on the ground who may have to leave rafah? it on the ground who may have to leave rafah?— leave rafah? it is a dire situation _ leave rafah? it is a dire situation as _ leave rafah? it is a dire situation as we - leave rafah? it is a dire situation as we are - leave rafah? it is a dire - situation as we are observing from abroad. we have information about the hospital fading, certainly gazans have been going from place to place as israelis have been pursuing hamas. so there are challenges with whether they can get into egypt, if that comes to pass and egyptians have been very clear they do not want to see palestinians pushed out of the gaza strip and displace on a permanent fashion so it is unlikely that egypt will take a great number. there have been

palestinians who have tried to move towards central and northern gaza as additional pressure happens on rafah but the humanitarian situation is something that is unconscionable and we are all seeing it. unconscionable and we are all seeing it— seeing it. you speak of the challenges _ seeing it. you speak of the challenges of _ seeing it. you speak of the challenges of getting - seeing it. you speak of the challenges of getting into l challenges of getting into egypt. with more than a million palestinians seeking refuge, is the rafah evacuation possible? no, there is no want to believe that and that is why we have had from governments around the world, including the president of the united states, calling on the israelis to keep humanitarian concerns uppermost, so that they cannot begin with this assault on rafah without a clear and understandable plan in place to protect the civilians and that has not yet happened. israel

has not yet happened. israel has been _ has not yet happened. israel has been facing _ has not yet happened. israel has been facing mounting i has been facing mounting criticism in recent weeks and the latest from brazil's president. what does it say about world diplomacy in negotiating this conflict, is there a real possibility of a diplomatic solution? there alwa s diplomatic solution? there always is. _ diplomatic solution? there always is, as _ diplomatic solution? there always is, as long - diplomatic solution? there always is, as long as - diplomatic solution? there always is, as long as the l always is, as long as the sides, the united states, qatar and egypt another part of the region are talking, there is a possibility for a diplomatic solution. the israelis have been clear now, saying march ten is the outside of the deadline. that gives another two, two and a half weeks of opportunity for ongoing negotiations. us officials, whether it is the head of the cia, senator burns, engaged in these discussions, i going to be pushing hard and pushing for a solution for a negotiation that successfully ameliorate this pressure on rafah. we have to keep in mind that there are

millions of civilians in place and in dangerand millions of civilians in place and in danger and the world is not ignoring that and the israeli government to its cost would ignore that. they have their names, they have to get their names, they have to get their hostages out, but we have to keep in mind the millions of civilians that are in danger. madame ambassador, how much suede does the us have here? we have all suede does the us have here? - have all heard that the relationship between president biden and prime minister netanyahu has been strained in recent days. it is a deep pity and a clear picture of how the israeli intended to eradicate hamas from the beginning so far has failed. when you move from a president who said clearly, and abiding, we stand with israel, to the point where the

president of the united states is saying the israeli actions are over—the—top, that it is too much, that they have to pause, that we need a ceasefire, that is where we are between the united states and israel. that is sad. they are our ally and the us government will do its best to work with them, to find a solution so that they can move forward for their security but absolutely israeli life is important but palestinian life is equally important and that is a message that the us is giving israel at this time. that the us is giving israel at this time-— that the us is giving israel at this time. ., ~ . this time. thank you so much for sharing — this time. thank you so much for sharing your _ this time. thank you so much for sharing your perspective l for sharing your perspective and expertise. last november the bbc reported on the case of a young woman and her disabled brother, tala and yazid, in rafah. they were trying to escape but were repeatedly turned away at the border along with their mother and siblings. our special correspondent fergal keeen has been following the family's story. and a warning, you may find it distressing.

we came back to no electricity, no food for today. explosions she's been a constant, caring voice from within the siege. and one more day closer to my brother running out of medications and we're still here. explosions tala abu nahla's daily life a relentless struggle, to care for her disabled brother yazeed. three times they tried to escape rafah. like last november, when our cameraman first met them at the border. we are trying to do anything that we can to survive, because we just... i simply don't want to die at 24. they didn't get out of gaza then. drone flies overhead back home, amid the constant noise of drones overhead, tala tried to comfort yazeed. sirens wail and then, just a few days ago,

we had news from cairo. they'd escaped to the safety of a flat in the egyptian capital. tala described the moment they left. i can't hear drones anymore. and i can't see... i can't... i'm sorry. i won't be hearing any bombings or any air strikes. and that felt really surreal. but normality — even being able to boil a kettle for tea — has brought uncomfortable feelings. this is one of the hardest feelings to talk about. tala carries the memory of the people she left behind. every time i have food to eat or i don't have to go

running for water. but knowing that everything is available, it makes me feel even guilty to think about everyone in gaza, the 1.2 million people who are displaced in rafah right now. but they had to leave. yazeed's medication had run out, worsening his condition. he would have a seizure every time he heard bombing. and it gets really scary, like, his body and his... his mind is not being able to understand everything that's going on. tala knows a world beyond gaza. she studied in the us, lived with an american family. she won a fellowship for young leaders funded by the state department. but always coming home to yazeed, here together in 2021. will she return to gaza?

i don't know how long is it going to take, but i would want to be a part of rebuilding it and healing it. i don't think... i think everyone who leaves gaza, gaza still does not leave them. the cairo sky is safe, but it's not the sky of home. fergal keane, bbc news, jerusalem. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at a major story we are following in the uk. a woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder, after three children were found dead at a house in bristol. the 42—year—old suspect is in police custody at a hospital. our reporter danjohnson has more. we know the police were called here shortly after midnight by someone who was concerned about the welfare of these children. they found three children dead at a semi—detached property just further up

this quiet residential street. and a 42—year—old woman was arrested. because there had been previous police involvement, we're told within the last few weeks, the independent office for police conduct has been involved. there has been a referral by avon and somerset police, which will now investigate what the level of that interaction was and whether there's anything further to be investigated there. police say the deaths are an isolated incident, and there is no further risk to people in the community. you're live with bbc news. to russia now, where at least 150 people have been sentenced to shortjail terms, after attending commemoration events for alexei navalny. more than 400 mourners have been arrested across russia for paying tribute to president putin's most prominent political opponent, who died suddenly in

an arcticjail on friday. navalny�*s team believes the opposition leader was murdered, but that's been rejected by russia's foreign ministry. his family has accused authorities of trying to cover their tracks by refusing to hand over his body. mr navalny�*s death has sparked international condemnation, with memorials and vigils held in a number of countries. the us and british ambassadors to moscow have laid flowers, too. our eastern europe correspondent, sarah rainsford, has this report. ever since the death of alexei navalny, russians have been leaving tributes, pausing to remember a man who dared to stand up to vladimir putin and who has died in prison for his politics. this woman describes navalny as a hero. she says he fought for russia to be free, a democracy, she says, not a dictatorship. screaming

they are strong words in a country that does this when people come to lay flowers. since alexei navalny died, several hundred people have been arrested across the country. the kremlin doesn't want sorrow turning into anger and into mass protest. so in moscow, one memorial has now been fenced off, access restricted. and up in saint petersburg, men clear away the flowers so the scale of support for navalny isn't obvious. but each time, there are more people and fresh tributes. these are the last—known images of navalny on a video link from prison to a court. his cheerfulness is an act of defiance in itself. he died the next day. we still don't know the cause. his mother travelled to the arctic region to get her son's body and to find answers. so far, she has neither. navalny�*s team

are accusing the authorities of hiding something. they have reason for suspicion. three years ago, the politician was poisoned with a nerve agent. the risk of returning to russia after that were always clear. and that's true for others who've spoken out too, like vladimir kara—murza, also poisoned and then arrested for condemning the war on ukraine. his wife says the death of alexei navalny underlines the immense cost of dissent. i was horrified, but not surprised because the use of political assassination as a method of dealing with opponents has been there for, well, for the entire rule of vladimir putin. navalny was putin's loudest challenger. his sudden death leaves many questions unanswered and it leaves a family and followers to grieve. this evening, his wife posted a single image —

the caption just says, "i love you." police in papua new guinea say at least 64 people have been killed in a massacre in the country's highland region. the men were ambushed in enga province, in what police say is a major escalation of violence between tribes. a police superintendent says the latest attack is among the deadliest seen in the province, which was put under lockdown last year after a series of retaliatory attacks. communal violence in papua new guinea is often caused by disputes over land, natural resources and other grievances. an influx of illegal guns has also helped fuel increasingly deadly clashes. here in the us, republican candidates vying for president are focusing on south carolina in the run—up to a state primary. former us president donald trump is leading the race by a wide margin. he's expected to win

the republican nomination, despite his mounting legal troubles. and each victory he notches in a state primary brings him closer to a general election rematch with presidentjoe biden in november. his last rival standing is former south carolina governor nikki haley. according to latest polling averages from the hill, mr trump is leading by nearly 35 points in south carolina, with haley lagging far behind. but in recent weeks she's sharpened her attacks on mr trump by questioning his mental fitness and reminding voters of his looming court cases. while answering a question on abc news' this week about whether she would support mr trump if he became the party's nominee, this is what haley had to say. the last thing on my mind is who i'm going to support. the only thing on my mind is how we going to make sure we correct what is happening in america we bring this country back together, allow it to heal and

make it stronger. i'm not thinking about who i'm going to support... you have already said it. we're going to have a female president of the united states, it will be either be me or kamala harris and if donald trump is the nominee for the republican party, he will not win. earlier i spoke to washington post political reporter, amber phillips for more on the south carolina primary. i remember a moment in the gas primary where candidates are asked to raise their hand if they promised to support donald trump if he became the eventual nominee even if he was a convicted criminal. nikki haley raised her hand, why has she changed her tune?— raised her hand, why has she changed her tune? because she's realisina changed her tune? because she's realising she _ changed her tune? because she's realising she is _ changed her tune? because she's realising she is a _ changed her tune? because she's realising she is a month - changed her tune? because she's realising she is a month away, i realising she is a month away, maybe weeks away of being out of this race and she is trying a similar strategy to what she has been trying this whole time, which is not to upset donald trump supporters but still tried to win over people

who really do not like donald trump. and of course, as you pointed out, she has started leaning more for the people who do not like donald trump, sharpening her attacks against him. so many republicans think it is way too little too late. that was going to be my question, whether this is going to be an effective strategy. this late in the game.- to be an effective strategy. this late in the game. no. i mean, this late in the game. no. i mean. we _ this late in the game. no. i mean. we do _ this late in the game. no. i mean, we do not _ this late in the game. no. i mean, we do not want - this late in the game. no. i mean, we do not want to i this late in the game. no. i - mean, we do not want to predict anything. this is an especially volatile nomination, even though donald trump is leading, anything can happen with all his legal troubles and his age and i think that is why nikki haley is still in the race. but she is behind the whole state by 30 points or more. if she gets within five percentage points of donald trump on saturday it would be a miracle. and the problem is one

illustrated to me is that nikki haleyjust never gave anti— trump voters are home to go to because she was wishy—washy about donald trump. she still to this day is says she likes him as a person and that she voted for him twice but vote for me. she had not given anti— trump voters a home and now she is trying to butt end of the fourth quarter of the football game if you well and it is too late. ,, , ., , game if you well and it is too late. ,, , ., ., late. she is the last arrival standing — late. she is the last arrival standing challenging - late. she is the last arrival. standing challenging donald trump. if she cannot win in south carolina can she went anyway? it south carolina can she went an a ? ., , , anyway? it would be very difficult. _ anyway? it would be very difficult. nikki _ anyway? it would be very difficult. nikki haley - anyway? it would be very difficult. nikki haley said| anyway? it would be very - difficult. nikki haley said the day after south carolina she is flying to michigan, the next primary state but in early march we have super tuesday where more than a dozen states worth 900 delegates, which is a good chunk of what you need to win the nomination, are up in

one day and as another republican strategist told me earlier, if she does not win a state in super tuesday, she has to drop out. christopher nolan's film, oppenheimer, has had a great night at the baftas, winning seven awards. poor things was not far behind, taking home five awards. our culture editor katie razzel was there. how many movie stars can you fit into a photo opportunity? bafta had the brits and americans embracing and the irish out in force. for one night only, london was a who's who of the movie world, with the president of bafta, the prince of wales, attending his most high—profile royal engagement since his wife's operation and the king's cancer diagnosis. this red carpet is heaving with the kind of star power only the biggest night of the british film calendar can deliver — a night to celebrate talent on screen and behind the camera here in britain and across the world. applause

it is no exaggeration to say this room has in it the greatest actors in the world. inside the royal festival hall, master of ceremonies david tennant got down to business. right, let's give out some baftas! a night of laughter, but also emotion, particularly when da'vine joy randolph picked up best supporting actress for playing mary lamb, a bereaved mother and school cook in the holdovers. there have been countless marys throughout history who have never got a chance to wear a beautiful gown and stand on the stage here in london. best actress went to emma stone for poor things. the frankenstein—style fantasy walked away with five awards in all. i reallyjust want to thank my mum cos she's the best person i know in the whole world and she inspires me every single day. and stone beat, amongst others, margot robbie — barbie, the biggest—grossing movie of the year, was entirely snubbed at the baftas. bradley cooper's maestro and martin scorsese's killers of the flower moon

also walked away with nothing. the zone of interest. instead, a british film in german about the holocaust triumphed. the zone of interest picked up three awards, including outstanding british film and film not in english. cillian murphy... acclaimed director christopher nolan has never won a bafta. his film about the father of the atomic bomb now has seven. cillian murphy as best actor, robert downeer, best supporting actor, and nolan himself, best director. this is an incredible honour, being back home, getting this from bafta, in the festival hall, where my mum and dad used to drag me to make me have some culture. michaelj fox, diagnosed with parkinson's disease 30 years ago, got a standing ovation. it can change your day, it can change your outlook, it can sometimes even change your life. in a surprise appearance, he handed out the biggest award, best film. oppenheimer. oppenheimer�*s night to celebrate, a night that mayjust be

repeated at the oscars in three weeks. katie razzall, bbc news. stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. sunday started the day on quite a wet note for large areas of england, but it was tibenham in norfolk that was the wettest place in the country with 31mm of rain. once that cleared, most of the uk had some decent spells of sunshine and it was an exceptionally mild day. the highest temperature, in hampshire's gosport, was 17 degrees celsius. that's 8 degrees celsius above average for this time of the year. it'll stay pretty mild as well as we go through the next few hours. a band of rain crosses scotland and northern ireland. the rain heavy for a time, but it won't last very long. eventually, we'll start to see that rain encroaching

in across parts of northern england and wales as we start off monday morning. a mild and frost—free start to the day, temperatures typically around 7 or 8 degrees. now, through the rest of monday, this band of rain reaches east anglia, southeast england, but very weak. just an odd patch of rain left over and a stripe of cloud. further northwestwards, a ridge of high pressure follows. so for most of the uk, again, we're looking at some fairly lengthy spells of sunshine, a few showers for western scotland. it'll turn a bit cloudier in northern ireland, but i suspect the clouds going to be quite high through the afternoon, so still staying dry and bright. now, for the middle part of the week, we've got further weather systems coming in off the atlantic, so it will be quite wet and windy at times. tuesday, the wettest weather through the morning will be across scotland and northern ireland. again, a weather front here bringing some fairly heavy rain, but again, not lasting too long. the weather front moves its way southwards and eastwards while weakening, with a mixture of sunshine and showers following to scotland and northern ireland through the afternoon, so that's probably why we'll see some of the best of the sunshine. there'll be some bright weather, though, for central and eastern england and it will be another very mild day. it then turns a lot windier through wednesday, gusts of wind reaching 50 or 60mph

for northern scotland. quite windy for wales and western england, some heavy rain here as well. over the hills of wales and western england, we could see around 50—odd millimetres of rain, and that will be enough to bring some renewed concerns that we could see some further localised surface water flooding. it stays mild again, but the mild weather won't last much longer because we swap those mild southwesterly winds for cooler northwesterly winds through thursday and into friday, and that will really drop the temperatures back close to average for the time of year. so, thursday, some wet weather moves its way eastwards. quite a windy day. as the rain clears, we'll see lots of showers moving in, and in the colder air, some of those showers will start to fall as snow across the hills in the north, particularly above 300 metres elevation, although you could see a bit of sleet or hail lower down.

voiceover: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. new york is the ultimate american melting pot, the focus of so many immigrant dreams, but right now, immigration is a hugely contentious political issue in the united states, which makes it a great theme for my guest today — bassem youssef, a comedian who made his name in egypt, who now makes his home in the united states.

he's an arab—american who wants his fellow citizens to think hard about the most sensitive of topics. what could possibly go wrong? bassem youssef. yes?! they laugh. that's a great start. yes. it's very hard — hardtalk. it is a great pleasure to welcome you to this show — hardtalk. i'm very, very pleased to be here. thank you so much for having me. i want to begin just reflecting on the move you made from homeland, egypt, to the united states. about ten years ago, just less, you became a migrant.

but i'm just wondering about one particular aspect of the move — your sense of humour.