thank you forjoining us. we begin in the middle east, with his been more intense fighting. in rate on lebanonnorth, 21 people were killed and eight others injured on what is continue to be an israeli air strike. it would be the first time israel had targeted the northern regions of the war escalated following the october the 7th attacks. the military has been targeting the armed group hezbollah in the south, carrying out thousands of strikes.

israel is fighting on at least two fronts further to the north in lebanon, and after that, has below report —— hezbollah. four israeli personnel were killed. israel has continued attacking israel has continued attacking various points in lebanon various points in lebanon in the village of aitou, in the village of aitou, a christian village a christian village in the northeast. in the northeast. the israelis said they've the israelis said they've discovered large hezbollah discovered large hezbollah tunnels, heavily equipped tunnels, heavily equipped in the south of lebanon in the south of lebanon and dozens of rockets and dozens of rockets are still being fired are still being fired into israel by hezbollah into israel by hezbollah from lebanon. so, no end in sight from lebanon. so, no end in sight in the world theatre in the world theatre between hezbollah and israel between hezbollah and israel and no end in sight and no end in sight of a peace agreement in gaza. of a peace agreement in gaza. it still remains unclear how it still remains unclear how israel will respond to that israel will respond to that attack. the washington post attack. the washington post reported that israeli prime reported that israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu minister benjamin netanyahu told the might and told the might and administration he is willing to administration he is willing to strike military targets. strike military targets. i asked general marks worked up i asked general marks worked up

about this and he about this and he gave me his thoughts —— mark schwartz.

i think that could be a possibility. i could see how the us would enter into that type of situation, given the concern of unlimited approach. tens of thousands of people are effectively cut off with no access in gaza. the health ministry claims at least 60 people have been killed by israeli forces in the last two days, with attacks on the al—aqsa hospital and the nuseirat cap. strike on foods and centre injabalia killed ten

israel is not allowing internationaljournalists from media organizations, including the bbc, independent access to gaza. however, there is a team of freelance journalists filming for the bbc there. our special correspondent fergal keane sent this report on the last 2a hours in gaza — and a warning, it contains upsetting images. people are burning. the israeli strike set the refugee tents on fire. helpless to stop the flames spreading. gas canisters exploding. a figure enveloped by the inferno. too distressing to show here, but all of it witnessed by the refugees. translation: it was i around 1am and we were sleeping in our tent. i have eight daughters. we woke up to the fire over our heads. our daughters are all burned and our sons are injured.

israel says it targeted a hamas command centre next next door to the hospital. the eu's top diplomat said violations of international law, disregard for civilian casualties, wouldn't make israel safer. this 11—year—old, carried by a relative, was wounded along with her mother, father and six other family members. we first met her eight months ago, when she was seeking food for her family. a confident child then, but terrified of the bombing. last night, the bombing came to her. small wounds on her body. to her spirit, the wounds that last.

the dozens of casualties in central and northern gaza are being treated in hospitals already under huge strain. among them, al—ahli hospital, run by the anglican church. a senior british cleric said he is alarmed by the escalating violence. i met him injerusalem. i'm terrified by where they are at the moment. i mean, the level of suffering is unprecedented. we don't know what the ultimate aim is for the civilian population. you know, what are they supposed to do? where are they supposed to go? in gaza, no safety. not in hospital grounds or un schools. a grandmother mourning 18—month—old yamam. "i'm the one who raised you, yamam," she says. "i'm the one who raised you."

to the north, the children killed by a strike in the al—shati camp. among the casualties, boys who were playing marbles at the time. wael naim was grieving his 14—year—old son, rami. translation: he wasn't holding a weapon or anything else - unless children's toys have become a threat to them. that's something else. in this place, childhood vanishes fast. fergal keane, bbc news, jerusalem. israel denies carrying out a plan to civilians out of jabalia without speaking to the bbc, idf spokesperson peter lerner defended the latest

strikes. it was to launch another attack against — it was to launch another attack against israel specifically from _ against israel specifically from the areas ofjabalia, so we are — from the areas ofjabalia, so we are currently in the effort of dismantling and preventing them — of dismantling and preventing them from regrouping, and is happening in northern gaza. it's where we are cooperating. it's where we are cooperating. i will_ it's where we are cooperating. i will say, _ it's where we are cooperating. i will say, we will continue to operate _ i will say, we will continue to operate anywhere we need to in order_ operate anywhere we need to in order to — operate anywhere we need to in order to protect israeli lives. as we — order to protect israeli lives. as we heard, one of the targets was a hospital where displaced people or children. nick urgently has been looking into some of the video that has been emerging —— nick eardley. israel says four soldiers were killed in an army base in the north. in lebanon, the health ministry says... in gaza, there been a number of deadly strikes. rememberthat strikes. remember that international journalists

strikes. remember that internationaljournalists don't have free assets, so we've been looking at open source materially — mainly videos and images we can verify online to build a picture. this map shows gaza and some of the strikes we've seen over the weekend. this is nuseirat camp, where the un was preparing to administer polio vaccines. the hamas—run health ministry in gaza says 22 people were killed here with dozens more injured. we've not used all the footage we found because it's so graphic. this is jabalia refugee camp, where ten people have been reported dead after the strike. the israel defense forces say they told people to leave the area and accused hamas of preventing someone from doing so. this one here is al—shati, where five killed children were killed by a plane. its focus on al—aqsa hospital. —— were killed while playing. it shows temporary structures around the hospital

likely to be tents. there's a lot of graphic footage we aren't using, including videos showing a person seemingly trapped in the fire and burning alive. here's what we can show. you can see if i on the grounds of the hospital. this was posted on x. here's a second video showing the aftermath. you can see the extent of the damage. many tents appear to be set on fire. you can also see the charred remains of a couple of cars. the hamas—run health ministry says four are dead and many more reported injured. the israel defence fortis says attempts were made with the central target. conflict has been reading for more than a year now, and still deadly attacks are happening on a regular basis. north carolina authorities arrested a man after threats

against federal emergency management agency crews in the state. the man was arrested after alleged being seen with an assault rifle and making a comment about possibly harming fema employees working on recovery efforts. aid groups have been working since the hurricane hit north carolina over two weeks ago. fema says those crews will now work from a fixed location instead of going door to door as they have done in the past. the taliban morality ministry out to law afghanistan's taliban morality ministry vowed to enforce a law banning media from publishing images of all living things on monday. before the recent law, taliban officials in kandahar were banned from taking photos and videos of living things, but the law did not include news media. the new law also includes an order for outlets not to mock or humiliate islam. the morality police say they will gradually enforce the law. in an exclusive interview with the bbc world service, the president of spain's canary islands says a migrant route to the islands from west africa

is fast becoming the world's deadliest, and described it as a "bloodbath". the number of migrants using the atlantic route has reached an all—time high. it's now one of the main gateways to reach europe after stricter security measures were introduced on the mediterranean sea between north africa and southern europe. bbc africa eye has gained unprecedented access to the migrants prepared to take the dangerous crossing. efrem gebraib has this report — and there are scenes some viewers may find upsetting. the atlantic ocean hides the souls of thousands of migrants who did not make it. their lives sank along with their hopes of reaching europe, turning the sea into a mass grave. overcrowded in a traditional fishing boat, these men are also chasing their dream. but to survive, it is a colossaljourney. from senegal, it's more than 1,000km across one of the most treacherous seas in the world. the strong currents,

the tall waves, the relentless wind, the dark nights where all you can feel, smell and hear around you is water. with just a few bottles and a handful of biscuits, they will spend days at sea. it's a tragedy unfolding in real time. nearly all migrants are sub—saharan africans. many flee poverty, but also conflict and climate change. more than 30,800 have made it by boat to the canaries — double the number from the same period last year. in an exclusive interview with the bbc, the president of the canary islands�* government, fernando clavijo, warned that what awaits them on the other side is an overwhelmed system at breaking point. translation: among | the consequences is that more people will die. we won't be able to assist migrants as they deserve. there will also be more

tension and concern among the local population. the sharp rise in arrivals has fuelled a fierce national debate in spain over how to tackle irregular migration. as the crisis escalates in the islands, so does the number of migrants losing their lives en route. the united nations migration agency says 807 people have died or disappeared so far in 2024 — an increase of 76% compared to the same period last year. but the lack of reliable data on the atlantic route means the real number is far higher. the bbc witnessed the deadly nature of the journey when a boat with migrants arrived in el hierro, the smallest of the canary islands. translation: one person has died. i yes. - oh, man. another one who. might not make it. he's in a bad way over there. he was soaked in water. that's horrible. from the canary islands, the regional government

is calling for swift actions that also involve africa. translation: we call for international policy| to include more cooperation and development in the continent to stop this bloodbath at sea, so the atlantic stops being a cemetery for hopes and dreams. as the weather conditions improve in the atlantic, the canary islands' government fears the worst is yet to come, and people smugglers will attempt to take more people on the journey. but for the thousands of young west africans risking it all, it seems no risk is too great to bear to reach europe. efrem gebreab, bbc news. you can see bbc africa eye's full documentary on the bbc iplayer. if you're not in the uk, you can watch on the bbc africa youtube channel. search for dark waters: africa's deadliest migration route. this is bbc news. now to some

of the headlines. thejury heard a phone called me to the police made by the daughter of a ten—year—old girl confessed to killing her. herfather, her stepmother and uncle are all charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. they deny the charges. the government has held a major conference on investment opportunities in the uk as a vote of confidence in the country. ministers say almost 38,000 jobs are likely to be created by projects worth about £63 billion that have been announced by companies during the event and in the run—up to the event and in the run—up to the talks. local authorities across the uk responsible for public services are planning additional cuts. bbc found they are making around £3 billion worth of savings as financial year alone, worth of savings as financial yearalone, but worth of savings as financial year alone, but there will still be a total shortfall of more than five and a half billion pounds by the year

2026. more on those stories on the our website. you're watching bbc news. india and canada have expelled each other�*s topped armed after justin trudeau accused india of homicide and other acts on canadian soil. the canadian prime minister address the evidence that indian agents were directly involved in the killing of a sick separatist leader —— sikh separatist leader. they have clear and compelling evidence that indian government agencies have engaged in and have two new to engage in activities pose a significant threat to public safety. this includes clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting south asian canadians and involvement in over a dozen writing acts, including murder.

this is unacceptable. the former minister in delhi described this as preposterous. last year, india curve visa for ottawa and threatened further actions. they ina in a statement, the defense department said, "this military pressure operation is irresponsible, disproportionate and destabilising." the drills saw beijing's forces practice and the island. beijing launched the exercise after accusing taiwan's newly elected president of promoting the island's independence. mr lai says it is not necessary because taiwan is sovereign. i

spoke to a consultant for doublethink lab, who researched what they call malign chinese influence, and i asked him what he made of us comments calling the chinese operations disproportional. i agree. we have full coverage on cctv seven, from all the property outlets, from the outset of the exercise. this means everything is preplanned, they are exercising, coordinating what they're going to do in real operation. 50. to do in real operation. so, lookin: to do in real operation. so, looking at— to do in real operation. so, looking at what _ to do in real operation. so, looking at what china - to do in real operation. so, looking at what china said about it, it said the provocation came from taiwan. but if you look at how it responded, a year ago, this would have been a massive news event. instead, it has ended.

what does that tell us about the state of cross regulations vizela this tells us basically china basically has what it wanted, but there is something to be aware of. especially the involvement of the coastguard, this particular exercises, 17 vessels. previous exercises include some coastguard ships, but never to this extent. public inquiries begun into the poisoning of a british woman in 2013, blamed on two russian agents who used the nerve agent novichok to try to murder the former spy... the death of dawn sturgess was blamed on two russian agents who used the nerve agent to try to murder the former spy sergei skripal and his daughter. dawn sturgess was inadvertently exposed to the novichok when it was found in a discarded perfume bottle.

duncan kennedy reports. it's been six years since caroline and stan sturgess lost their daughter dawn. today, they came to the inquiry to find answers. in the ornate surroundings of salisbury�*s guildhall, the chair of the public inquiry started with an expression of sympathy. we should begin by assuring them of our understanding, so far as we are able, and of our sympathy. today, the inquiry released a series of unseen photos, including these ones of dawn the day before she became ill. the inquiry heard she'd unwittingly sprayed the deadly nerve agent novichok on her wrist from a perfume—like bottle her boyfriend had found. the real possibility emerged that she'd been caught, an innocent victim, in the crossfire of an illegal and outrageous international assassination attempt. the real target lived here on the outskirts of salisbury, which became a massive crime scene. the inquiry released these photos of sergei skripal and his daughter yulia on the day they were poisoned with novichok, four months before dawn sturgess.

for the first time, we see them slumped on a bench as they became seriously ill. and in another first today, we heard the views of sergei skripal himself. it came in the form of a written statement in which mr skripal, who once worked for russian military intelligence, said he never thought that the russian regime would try to murder him. he went on to say... he was a close and a clear- and obvious target of an attack from mr putin and his henchmen. russia has always denied sending these two agents to kill sergei skripal. the inquiry will spend six weeks examining every piece of evidence. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in salisbury.

spacecraft has busted florida but for signs of alien life. its destination is europa — a deeply mysterious moon orbiting the distant planet jupiter — with potentially twice as much water as earth. the clipper won't arrive until 2030, but what it finds could change what we know about life in our solar system. here's pallah ghosh. two, one. ignition. and lift—off. up and on its way, on a mission to see if life could exist on another world. unveiling the mysteries of an enormous ocean. the europa clipper spacecraft sets off on a 1.8 billion milejourney. it'll passjupiter and head towards the ice covered moon the spacecraft is named after. europa is almost the same size as our own moon, but that's where the similarity ends. it doesn't have any craters. instead, it has an icy surface because it's so far away from the sun.

and you can see cracks and ridges, which has been caused byjupiter�*s powerful gravity stretching and squashing it. and it's that movement that scientists believe has melted the ice underneath to create a vast, salty ocean, which has got twice as much water than all the earth's oceans combined. and that is what makes europa the most likely place in the solar system to support alien life. these telescope pictures show what seem to be jets of water spurting from europa, more than 100 miles into space. europa clipper is making 50 different flybys around the moon's surface, catching any particles that might have been thrown up into the atmosphere, and then it can do a chemical composition analysis to find out, are there any amino acids? are there any sulphites? those really key building blocks that we know are essential for life here on earth. the results will take us a giant step forward in knowing whether life is possible on this icy world. pallab ghosh, bbc news. orchestra conductors can be

pretty flamboyant with their direction. a new german director doesn't have any of that, but does the perfect rhythm. check this out. that's a three armed robots, making its debut as an orchestral conductor. it guided three sections of the symphony, to harness is unique attributes. stay with us. hello. we've had some big contrasts in the weather throughout monday. across much of scotland, northern ireland, northern england, it's been glorious with plenty of sunshine — a bit of snow here on the tops of the scottish mountains. further south, though, for wales, midlands, east anglia, southern england, we've had extensive cloud, some heavy rain around in the morning, but most of that cleared off. just an odd patch of drizzle left over into the afternoon. but cloud was certainly reluctant to break up. and overnight, this zone of cloudier weather is going to be pushing back northwards across northern england into northern ireland.

with that, there will be some hill fog patches and occasional spits of drizzle. as the cloud works in, well, it will become increasingly mild — temperatures about 9—11 degrees by the end of the night. in parts of scotland, though, cold enough for a nip of frost into the countryside. tomorrow, overall, it's quite a cloudy—looking weather picture and, ok, there might be a few breaks in the clouds to allow some hazy spells of sunshine — probably the best of that across northernmost areas of scotland. temperatures are coming up with a strengthening south to south—easterly wind. we're looking at highs widely15—18 celsius, so it will turn quite mild. and that mild theme is with us for wednesday. the uk finds itself sandwiched between low pressure in the atlantic and an area of high pressure in the baltic area. strong south to south—easterly winds will be bringing very mild weather conditions our way, but these weather fronts ensure its not just going to be mild, it's also going to be very wet. now, heavy outbreaks of rain in the forecast for many areas. it could be that parts of east anglia and south—east england

stay away from the rain, maybe, and temperatures could still reach the low 20s. however, for most of the uk, more typically, temperatures are going to be into the upper teens. it will be wet and quite a windy kind of day. by thursday, that rain will have cleared out into the near continent, and there could be one or two mist and fog patches to start off the day, but a much better chance of seeing at least a bit of sunshine. of seeing at least a few showers popping up into the afternoon, particularly for scotland and northern ireland, maybe an odd one for western parts of england and wales as well. temperatures still on the mild side — 17 in aberdeen, in newcastle and cardiff, we're up to 18 and 19 for london and for norwich respectively. friday, a very windy kind of day, with gales developing across western areas, more heavy rain on the cards. and into the weekend, it stays wet and windy, too, with the heaviest rain and strongest winds in the north—west.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. the us presidential election is upon us. the media landscape is hardly short of images of and words from donald trump.

that is, the real trump. but there is also a fictionalised trump making waves in a newly released film, the apprentice, which portrays his early years in business and his relationship with the ruthless new york lawyer roy cohn. my guest is the film's iranian—born director, ali abbasi. team trump did its best to block the film's release, and the tehran government banned his previous movie set in iran. so is censorship a growing cross—cultural problem? ali abbasi,

welcome to hardtalk. thanks.