a bbc investigation finds mcdonald's failed to stop the exploitation of nine men who'd been trafficked to the uk and forced to work in a branch of the burger chain. the trial of marine le pen, the leader of france 5 far—right national rally, accoused of misuing european parliamentary funds, begins in paris. and the bbc releases its report into bullying allegations on strictly come dancing. we'll bring you the details. hello and welcome to verified live. let's start in the middle east with the region on a knife edge. benjamin netanyahu has warned iranians that its country is moving closer to the abyss. in a video, addressed to what he called the noble persian people, he said

their moment of freedom would come a lot sooner than people think. more on that in a moment. on lebanon, israel's defence minister said they were ready to use forces from air, sea and land to achieve its objectives against hezbollah to ensure people who'd evacuated their homes in northern israel, were safe to return. he told the troops, "you are part of this effort." hezbollah�*s deputy leader has insisted that the group is ready if israel decides to invade lebanon. in a defiant speech, he said the battle against israel will continue. there have been more israeli attacks today. hamas says the leader of its operations in lebanon has been killed by an airstrike. another palestinian group said three of its leaders were killed in a strike on an apartment block near central beirut. we will have more on all those developments in a moment, but first to a news conference that has just started with some of the families of the hostages are still being held.- the families of the hostages are still being held. ahead of the delegation, _ are still being held. ahead of the delegation, the - are still being held. ahead of the delegation, the families l the delegation, the families received a personal message

from king charles and queen camilla. their majesty is said that they continue to keep them and all hostage families in their thoughts, and offer their prayers for strength and enduring is during such an incredibly difficult and agonising time. we thank the king and queen for that message. the families today have had private meetings with the prime minister, the foreign secretary and the qatari ambassador to the uk as well as foreign office officials, including his excellency the director of the gaza hostages team at the foreign office. they have attended a memorial event at downing street hosted by the prime minister and attended by the deputy prime minister, the foreign secretary and attorney general as well as dignitaries. you will hear from four people today. stephen brisley, brotherand four people today. stephen brisley, brother and uncle of hostages, all british citizens who were murdered in october.

steve is the brother—in—law of ellie who is a hostage. you will hear from the daughter of hannah perry, a hostage who was released, and sister of a british citizen who was murdered whilst in captivity, and roy popplewell, a british citizen murdered in his home on the 7th of october. you will hear from a british citizen and daughter of a hostage released by hamas. and sharon, brother of a hostage murdered in captivity. i will now hand over to the families, who will speak to the families, who will speak to a few minutes each and then open up to questions. please remember that family members

are not political commentators and are not here to speak about the political situation in the middle east. and also please remember that english is not everybody�*s first language. and one final bit of housekeeping is that photographs will be available from number 10 we understand of the morning's events after this. i hand over an hour to steve. lam i am steve. my sister leanne and _ i am steve. my sister leanne and two — i am steve. my sister leanne and two nieces were murdered by hamas— and two nieces were murdered by hamas terrorists in their home on october the 7th. leanne's husband _ on october the 7th. leanne's husband and his brother were taken — husband and his brother were taken hostage. both remain in captivity— taken hostage. both remain in captivity today. ellie is as far as _ captivity today. ellie is as far as we _ captivity today. ellie is as far as we know alive in captivity. people ask me howl am, _ captivity. people ask me howl am. how— captivity. people ask me howl am, how i'm bearing up. honestly, i'm tired. so tired.

every— honestly, i'm tired. so tired. every day— honestly, i'm tired. so tired. every day without them home safe _ every day without them home safe is — every day without them home safe is an _ every day without them home safe is an added weight to my shoulders, every day that passes _ shoulders, every day that passes feels like the horrors to which_ passes feels like the horrors to which leanne and my nieces were _ to which leanne and my nieces were subjected to has been forgotten by the public. but their— forgotten by the public. but their innocence has been forgotten, that they have been forgotten. people often say to me that — forgotten. people often say to me that they can't imagine what i'm going — me that they can't imagine what i'm going through, and they can't — i'm going through, and they can't but— i'm going through, and they can't. but they can try. but i wonder_ can't. but they can try. but i wonder if_ can't. but they can try. but i wonder if people do try, because the new cycle moves on. public— because the new cycle moves on. public shock dissipates. it seems _ public shock dissipates. it seems impossible to me that they— seems impossible to me that they have forgotten the cold—blooded, brutal murders of a dentat— cold—blooded, brutal murders of a dental nurse and her two teenage _ a dental nurse and her two teenage daughters, all three of whom _ teenage daughters, all three of whom were british citizens. let me say— whom were british citizens. let me say that again. all three of whom — me say that again. all three of whom were british citizens. i sometimes wonder if it was resonate _ sometimes wonder if it was resonate with the public more if i were —

resonate with the public more if i were to highlight the fact that— if i were to highlight the fact that the _ if i were to highlight the fact that the family dog was also shot— that the family dog was also shot and bled out under the dining — shot and bled out under the dining table where blood stains show _ dining table where blood stains show she — dining table where blood stains show she had dragged herself to die. would that resonate more deeply— die. would that resonate more deeply than three british citizens being shot dead in the hallway— citizens being shot dead in the hallway outside their bedrooms, being _ hallway outside their bedrooms, being found days later, still slumped to wear their lifeless bodies — slumped to wear their lifeless bodies drop to the floor? would that resonate more deeply than my brother—in—law being dragged from _ my brother—in—law being dragged from his— my brother—in—law being dragged from his home, barefoot and in his pyjamas, perhaps not knowing whether his family was alive _ knowing whether his family was alive or— knowing whether his family was alive or dead? 51 weeks have passed — alive or dead? 51 weeks have passed since the attack. 51 weeks _ passed since the attack. 51 weeks since my family was torn apart, _ weeks since my family was torn apart, 51— weeks since my family was torn apart, 51 weeks since he was taken — apart, 51 weeks since he was taken. that is more than a football season, more than an academic— football season, more than an academic year. we have cycle to all four— academic year. we have cycle to all four seasons, changed governments. all of these things— governments. all of these things while the hostages have been _ things while the hostages have been held underground in tunnels, tied up, in cells, in

cages, — tunnels, tied up, in cells, in cages, in— tunnels, tied up, in cells, in cages, in filth, malnourished, injured. — cages, in filth, malnourished, injured, sick and some tortured. and some murdered. people — tortured. and some murdered. people forget that october the 7th was — people forget that october the 7th was not an act of war. it was — 7th was not an act of war. it was an— 7th was not an act of war. it was an act— 7th was not an act of war. it was an act of terrorism. the indiscriminate killing and kidnapping of civilians, 39 different nationalities, jews, hindus. _ different nationalities, jews, hindus, christians and buddhists. this was not about politics— buddhists. this was not about politics or— buddhists. this was not about politics or nations. this was about— politics or nations. this was about savagery and evil, and the hostages are innocents. so icail— the hostages are innocents. so icaii upon _ the hostages are innocents. so i call upon all governments, upon — i call upon all governments, upon my— i call upon all governments, upon my government, to do better, — upon my government, to do better, to — upon my government, to do better, to do more to bring them — better, to do more to bring them home. good afternoon, everyone. i am

the sister of roy popplewell, a british citizen, who was murdered just outside his house on october the 7th. my mum was 79 of the time, and to my brother was 51 and was taken hostage and held in the tunnels together for 49 days until my mum was released on november the 24th. when she was released, she could tell us of how he was doing. she described how he was doing. she described how little food she was given. and the conditions that they were being held at. we kept praying and fighting for the release of nadav and all the

hostages. in may, hamas released a video, i'm sure many of you saw it, with my brother saying who he was with a big black eye. hamas then claimed my brother was no longer alive. and on the 3rd ofjune, it has been confirmed by israel that nadav had died several months earlier. he survived five months in the tunnels before he was murdered with five other hostages, and their bodies were found in august and we were able to bring him home and bury him and roy together where they both lived. so a month ago i

stood in front of my brothers�* graves, one next to the other, and i said my final goodbyes. my and i said my final goodbyes. my mum, whojust and i said my final goodbyes. my mum, who just turned 80, lost both her sons, and she is now dealing not only with the loss but also the trauma of being held captive, being kidnapped from her home on a quiet shabbat morning, she was dragged outside to the living room in her nightwear. hamas sent me two pictures from her whatsapp to mine showing my mum in her nightwear sitting in the living room next to my brother. and then they were taken, and the third picture was published on my mum�*s facebook story by

hamas so that the world could see what was happening to them. and ever since we ferry to nadav, i made the choice to keep fighting for the release of all the hostages because i think that that is what my brother would want me to do and i am doing this on behalf of him in behalf of my 80 years old mum who can�*t because she is going through a rehabilitation process at the moment are dealing with everything. so i am here pleading for everyone not to forget what happened to us on october the 7th, not to forget 101 hostages still in gaza. not to forget the horrors and the torture that they are going through, and the conditions that they are being held at, and i�*m here to call for the

release of all the hostages and to bring them home now. i am a british citizen, i lived in the — i am a british citizen, i lived in the uk _ i am a british citizen, i lived in the uk for most of my life. iant— in the uk for most of my life. i am the _ in the uk for most of my life. i am the daughter of two who were — i am the daughter of two who were taken hostage from the kibbutz — were taken hostage from the kibbutz on the 7th of october. i kibbutz on the 7th of october. i was — kibbutz on the 7th of october. i was a — kibbutz on the 7th of october. i was a classmate, and my mum was in _ i was a classmate, and my mum was in gaza _ i was a classmate, and my mum was in gaza 40 metres underground and when she came back, _ underground and when she came back, she — underground and when she came back, she called... studio: we are going to come away from that news conference as those families of british citizens still being held hostage talk to the media, talking about how tired they were having to deal with this month after month, the

distress, the anger, and the messages from all of them urging both the public and the government not to forget and to ensure and try and up their efforts in terms of getting the hostages home. we are going to come away from that and return to the situation in the middle east in a moment, butjust in washington in the last few seconds, president biden has just started talking to journalists about the hurricane, the storm that has hit the us, so let�*s cross and listen to the us president. we are listen to the us president. - are keeping in our prayers all the lives lost, particular those who are wondering, is my mother, father, son, daughter alive, particular those without water, food and communications. homes and businesses were washed away in an instant. we are not leaving until thejob is done. i also want you to know i�*m committed to travelling to the impacted areas as soon as possible, but i�*ve been told that it would be disruptive if

i did it right now. we will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response needed to deal with this crisis. my first responsibility is to send all the help needed to those impacted areas and we expect to be there later this week. i am to my team are in constant contact with the governors and the head of fema who is on the ground now. there have been reports of over 100 dead, in consequence of the storm, and there are reports of 600 people unaccounted for because they can�*t be contacted. god willing they�*re alive, but there is no way to contact them, again because of the lack of cell phone coverage. i have directed my team to provide every available resource as fast as possible to the communities to rescue, recoverand

possible to the communities to rescue, recover and begin rebuilding. in addition, that includes the federal communications division and communications division and communications capability, the national guard and the department of defence which can use all the resources to rescue, clear debris and provide life—saving supplies. just over 3600 personnel are deployed, and that is increasing by the day. in north carolina, south carolina, georgia, tennessee and alabama i have approved additional requests for disaster declarations to provide financial assistance directly to survivors. fema and the small businesses will help

those who had their businesses destroyed and washed away, and teams have been working side by side with local officials and partners in treacherous conditions to find those who are missing. they will not rest until everyone is accounted for. i want to thank all the first responders and everyone who has been working around the clock. one of the brave teams that have volunteered to be there is the county fire department, set to travel all the way from california to help, but on their way they were in a terrible car accident in louisiana. we pray for their full recovery, but it was a bad accident. we know there is more to do and we will continue to send resources, including food, water, communications and life—saving equipment. we will be there, as i said before, and i mean it, as long as it takes to finish thisjob. i mean it, as long as it takes to finish this job. let me close with this. as president i have seen first hand the toll

that disasters like this take on families and communities. i have been on the ground in many disastrous areas since i have been president. i have heard stories of how it feels to be left with nothing, not even knowing where you might be back on track. i am there to tell survivors that we will be there with you as long as it takes and i urge everyone in their communities to listen to local officials and follow all safety instructions. take this seriously, please, be safe. your nation has your back on the biden harris administration will be here until the job the biden harris administration will be here until thejob is done. god bless you all, and i�*m thinking of those who are still wondering where your loved ones are. thank you. sane

will you be asking for a special dispensation for the people in the south—east? that is my expectation, yes. it is really devastating. ilttui’iilil is my expectation, yes. it is really devastating.- is my expectation, yes. it is really devastating. will you be askinu really devastating. will you be asking congress _ really devastating. will you be asking congress to _ really devastating. will you be asking congress to come - really devastating. will you be asking congress to come back| asking congress to come back for a — asking congress to come back for a special session? that asking congress to come back for a special session?- for a special session? that is something — for a special session? that is something we _ for a special session? that is something we may _ for a special session? that is something we may have - for a special session? that is something we may have to i something we may have to request, but no decision has been made. i have told the governor of north carolina, expect to be down there by wednesday or thursday when it is clear for me to go. you wednesday or thursday when it is clearfor me to go. you go to travel with me know it is an entourage, and this can be disruptive. entourage, and this can be disruntive-_ entourage, and this can be disrutive. . i. , . disruptive. are you expecting president _ disruptive. are you expecting president trump _ disruptive. are you expecting president trump to _ disruptive. are you expecting president trump to be - disruptive. are you expecting president trump to be down | president trump to be down there — president trump to be down there today? | president trump to be down there today?— president trump to be down there today? i don't have any idea on that. _ there today? i don't have any idea on that. i _ there today? i don't have any idea on that. i am _ there today? i don't have any idea on that. i am going - there today? i don't have any idea on that. i am going to i idea on that. i am going to stick with this subject, but go

ahead. stick with this sub'ect, but go ahead. �* stick with this sub'ect, but go ahead. . , ., stick with this sub'ect, but go ahead. �* ,, ., ., ahead. are you aware with the movements into _ ahead. are you aware with the movements into lebanon - ahead. are you aware with the - movements into lebanon because yotr're _ movements into lebanon because you're uncomfortable with them stopping — you're uncomfortable with them stopping. we should a ceasefire now, _ stopping. we should a ceasefire now, thank you.— now, thank you. present biden takin: now, thank you. present biden taking question _ now, thank you. present biden taking question there, - now, thank you. present biden taking question there, saying l taking question there, saying again there should be a ceasefire in terms of the situation on the border with lebanon, but those were the comments about what he described as a historic storm, we have never seen anything like this, he said, talking about storms that have caused so much devastation across north carolina and five other states, 116 dead so far. he talked about 600 other people being unaccounted for, and he said god willing we will find them alive, but there are so many communication problems there at the moment. there has been a disaster declaration, there are federal funds being sent, and he said we will not leave in terms of a us presence until thejob is done, and he said twice that he will travel

to the regions as soon as possible, but he didn�*t want to provide a distraction at the moment, so he was waiting perhaps until wednesday or thursday to actually go down to north carolina and to some of those affected states. those are some of the comments from present biden there. the time is 20 past four. let me ta ke take you back to the middle east and show you the live pictures from beirut, because there you see the smoke still smouldering some of some of those recent attacks that we�*ve seen, with israel launching more attacks overnight and today. hezbollah launching some rockets into israel, but of course we have seen the head of hezbollah killed in that massive strike on friday, and of course the prescribed group targeted over the last two weeks in different operations from the israelis, so let�*s

talk about where hezbollah currently is, let�*s talk to an expert, a senior analyst on jihad and modern conflict at the international crisis group. thank you for being hit with some thanks for patiently waiting whilst we were first at a news conference and then listening president biden. in terms of what we�*ve seen in lebanon and hezbollah, it is a decapitation strategy that has been brutally played out. what is your analysis of where the group currently is?— is your analysis of where the group currently is? exactly, it is an unprecedented - is an unprecedented decapitation, but when usually we speak about their decapitation, we speak about killing one leader, but for the past ten days, israel has systematically killed all the group, so this brings doubt for the future of the group, how can the group continue to organise itself, can it reconstitute itself to fight

right now to face israeli bombing and an incursion? all of this is really in question after what happened for the past ten days.— after what happened for the past ten days. and what is your best guess _ past ten days. and what is your best guess in — past ten days. and what is your best guess in terms _ past ten days. and what is your best guess in terms of - past ten days. and what is your best guess in terms of some i past ten days. and what is your best guess in terms of some of| best guess in terms of some of those important questions about their capacity to fight or even communicate with each other. how compromised is all of that in terms of their weapons dumps as well, some have been destroyed, somewhere hidden, but potentially those leaders who knew where those dance—wear have been killed, so what is their capacity to fight back if there is a ground incursion? their capacity to fight back without a ground incursion is quite limited. many of the long—range missiles have been targeted. i think they have more ability to potentially resist, because ultimately they still maintain all of their soldiers on the ground, organised themselves with clear

contingency plans, so they can continue on these contingency plans and potentially face israeli tanks and infantry, but theissue israeli tanks and infantry, but the issue will be what is next. can they coordinate with one another? can they communicate? can they trust the technology that they use internally for communication? all of that will be very difficult and will pose a bunch of questions that can be difficult to fight the israelis if they do invade lebanon. israelis if they do invade lebanon-— israelis if they do invade lebanon. ., . , . lebanon. on friday netanyahu was talking — lebanon. on friday netanyahu was talking to _ lebanon. on friday netanyahu was talking to lebanese - lebanon. on friday netanyahu| was talking to lebanese people so that you have to get out of the death group, what he calls hezbollah. what are the chances realistically of decoupling lebanon from hezbollah and all of its influence?— of its influence? lebanon is divided as _ of its influence? lebanon is divided as a _ of its influence? lebanon is divided as a country. - of its influence? lebanon is divided as a country. many| divided as a country. many citizens of lebanon oppose the

group not simply because of what happened with israel but also what happened with syria, so in terms of popular support, it is really difficult for the group at the moment, because that can potentially wake its own embeddedness and the support that it received from the shared community. at the same time it is still a part of society and an institution, and they are not going to disappear from one to the other. we have to leave it _ from one to the other. we have to leave it there, _ from one to the other. we have to leave it there, but _ from one to the other. we have to leave it there, but really - to leave it there, but really interesting analysis, thank you very much. let�*s return to those live pictures in beirut. i was telling you a short while ago what the washington post was reporting, the reuters news agency reporting that israel has apparently told the american administration that they will start eminently a ground incursion, but the latest that we are hearing from them is that the operation would be smaller than israel�*s

2006 war against hezbollah, and the focus would be on security for the border communities, that�*s according to those latest unidentified us officials talking to the washington post. so we were keep an eye on that story. it is clearly moving, so we will have more from lebanon here on the programme in the next hour. don�*t go away. the business news is next. hello. it�*s another wet day with low pressure firmly in charge, bringing some quite windy weather conditions as well for some of us. we�*ve still got some problems with flooding as well, and no wonder why — this month has been extraordinary in terms of rainfall. south newington, we�*ve had over four times the average rainfall and not far off double the previous september rainfall record. it has been exceptionally wet and we still have a number of flood warnings in force. a couple of clusters, really, one down towards the south—west and another cluster of warnings in the midlands.

the one bit of good news i have for you today is although there is more rain in the forecast, the heaviest rain isn�*t going to be affecting these areas and so we should start to see modest improvements i think in terms of the number of flood warnings, starting to come down. but that said, further north across northern england, we are looking at some heavy rain here. we could see around 60—80mm of rain and it has been quite a wet month so far, so we could start to see some flooding issues build in across northern england as we go on through the rest of today and overnight tonight. then our area of low pressure works out into the north sea. it strengthens a bit and so could bring us gusts of wind into the 50 miles an hour across east anglia, with more outbreaks of rain on the way here. across the north and west of the uk, though, it�*s a case of the weather slowly becoming a little bit quieter through the course of the night. tuesday�*s forecast, then, more wet and windy weather for east anglia and south east england. otherwise, should see a fair

bit of sunshine coming through across northern and western areas of the uk. a drier kind of day. in the sunshine, temperatures running a little bit above average in edinburgh, 13 is average for october, 14 in london is a little bit below par. so give ortake, we�*re around about the average. for wednesday and into thursday as well, high pressure then starts to take over. now, we could still have the dribs and drabs of this weather system affecting the far south—east of england, still bringing some windy and rather cool weather conditions into east anglia and the south—east. but otherwise, with that area of high pressure building in, could be some mist and fog patches to start the day, but otherwise a drier spell of weather with more in the way of sunshine. and this sunnier, drier spell of weather looks like it�*s going to hang around for the rest of this week, but into the weekend it turns wetter again and some of the rain could turn out to be pretty heavy this weekend.

the coming storm — global business braces for the first port strike on the us east coast in almost 50 years. and running out of road — carmakers aston martin and stellantis issue profit warnings, triggering a tumble in their share prices. welcome to business today. i�*m ben thompson. we begin in the us — where port workers

across the east coast are set to walk out on strike tomorrow — causing huge disruption to the world�*s biggest economy and to global supply chains. the action announced on sunday by the port workers�* union could shut down 36 ports — which handle half the goods imported into the us via container. according to analysts asjp morgan— to cost to the us economy could be $5 billion a day. shipping rates are already soaring ahead of the crucial festive shopping season. joining me now is our north america business correspondent, ritika gupta. that is the issue isn�*t it? we are seeing the effects already. people are worried about the impact and the shipping rates have gone up. impact and the shipping rates have gone un— have gone up. you are quite riuht. have gone up. you are quite riht. it have gone up. you are quite right. it could _ have gone up. you are quite right. it could be _ have gone up. you are quite right. it could be $5 - have gone up. you are quite right. it could be $5 billion l right. it could be $5 billion in terms of the cost to the economy per day, 6% of gdp, according tojpmorgan analyst, according to jpmorgan analyst, and according tojpmorgan analyst, and a lot of the stuff flows through the ports, shoes,