hello, i'm samantha simmonds. the war in gaza is now into its second year. according to the hamas—run health ministry, more than 42,000 people have been killed and 95,000 injured. several people have been documenting their lives for the bbc world service from the first days of the war in gaza for a documentary — life and death in gaza. khalid is a physiotherapist with five children and aya a recent law graduate. aya and her family were living in northern gaza, but they're under pressure to move south. explosions.

khalid is also in the north with his five children, but the israeli army are urging people to leave.

it is three months into the war, and khalid and his family are still staying in their home injabalia, in northern gaza. explosion. aya and herfamily have had to move again, this time to the city of rafah, in the south of gaza, where a million displaced people have relocated.

despite all the dangers, khalid stays in northern gaza and has started to try and rebuild his house.

you can watch the full documentary: life and death in gaza on bbc world service youtube or on bbc iplayer if you're in the uk. this film forms part of a group of programmes marking one year on from october 7th and the israel—gaza war. 0ther programming includes the bbc storyville documentary, surviving october 7th: we will dance again. let's speak to maha yahya, who's director at the carnegie middle east center. welcome to you, thank you for being with us. let's start with the israeli operations in gaza. 0ne the israeli operations in gaza. one year on. at what point do you think israel will say they have defeated ham ask? when will that come, what will they have to have achieved to consider hamas no longer a threat? ., ., ., ., ~ threat? that morning and thank ou for threat? that morning and thank you for having _ threat? that morning and thank you for having me. _ threat? that morning and thank you for having me. that - threat? that morning and thank you for having me. that is - threat? that morning and thank you for having me. that is the l you for having me. that is the $1 million question, may be1

billion. it is very clear the israeli government has had a constantly moving target of goals and shifting goalposts constantly. initially it was to get rid of hamas. they said they don't get rid of a movement like hamas by military force, you can degrade their military capacities but you cannot get rid of them is an organisation. it was to rescue the hostages. now they have come out clearly and said the hostages are no longer a priority, which is quite shocking. these people rightfully need to go back home. so it is not clear when this will end. the operation is now back in the north are even more horrific than what has happened before. two days ago, we saw state palestinians being burned alive while they were tethered to hospital beds. so it is... honestly, we don't know when this horror show is going to end and we can start

talking about an actual day after. there is also... it's a mr stein above. all discussions about the day after are talking about the day after are talking about the day after are talking about the continued displacement of palestinians. gaza has been made to wasteland and there is no end point. israel says that they have more than 100 hostages still in gaza. they need to release them. they are also continuing to fire rockets into israel, aren't they? to what extent are they to be held accountable and also given that they are proxies of iran, what is their influence here?— proxies of iran, what is their influence here? two things. i thinkthis _ influence here? two things. i think this conflict _ influence here? two things. i think this conflict did - influence here? two things. i think this conflict did not - think this conflict did not start on the 7th of october so we need to put it in the larger context. it does notjustify in any shape or form what happened on october the 7th but we need to look at it in the bigger

context. the whole idea of getting the hostages back, of course they need to be brought back, as i already said. hamas was ready to sign a ceasefire as of may. they signed on to the deal that was put on the table by president biden at the time. , . . ., , table by president biden at the time. , ., , ., ., time. israel contest that and say hamas — time. israel contest that and say hamas moved _ time. israel contest that and say hamas moved the - time. israel contest that and - say hamas moved the goalposts? this is what the israelis are saying but what the americans are saying, what everyone else is saying and what we had seen from leaks from reports, various reports, is it is the israeli government that constantly moves the goalposts. the last issue they brought up was control of the corridor which is being contested by the egyptians. it threatens the camp david accords. there are lots of issues in that sense that the israeli government has

been putting on the table and postponing the return of the hostages. at the end of this conflict, there is no military entered this conflict. there is going to be a diplomatic solution one way or the other but this current government is not showing any indication that it has an interest in a diplomatic solution. and israel would say _ diplomatic solution. and israel would say hamas, _ diplomatic solution. and israel would say hamas, a _ diplomatic solution. and israel would say hamas, a terrorist l would say hamas, a terrorist organisation, do not operate in good faith and would not agree to release hostages who were alive... , ., , to release hostages who were alive... , .,, ., , alive... they released the ones before. what _ alive... they released the ones before. what about _ alive... they released the ones before. what about the - alive... they released the ones before. what about the role - alive... they released the ones before. what about the role of| before. what about the role of iran, before. what about the role of iran. they _ before. what about the role of iran, they have _ before. what about the role of iran, they have proxies - before. what about the role of iran, they have proxies all - iran, they have proxies all over the region and we are waiting to see what israel's response will be to their massive barrage of missiles into israel a few weeks ago. what is your analysis of their end game here and how long they will fund and give some kind of support to these proxies? i mean, for iran, these proxies

are its first line of defence, so to speak. it will continue to fund them to the extent that it can and that it well. their role until now, iran was taken by surprise with the october the 7th attack, based on all of the 7th attack, based on all of the reports that have come out from american intelligence and others. they were not happy with what happened on october the 7th and since then, they've been relatively subdued in their responses to israeli attacks. i mean, israel hit the consulate in damascus, there has been tit—for—tat and a gradual escalation. they have remained quote on quote relatively muted in their response, given the scale of israel's attacks against both its partners and proxies in lebanon and syria and in yemen. so it has a role to play, it has a seat at the table but there has to be a diplomatic

discussion. there is no end to the fighting, that has now also spilled over to lebanon in a very horrific manner. we are seeing entire parts of south lebanon, the southern suburbs being turned into a wasteland. the level of destruction is much worse than 2006 and nothing justifies this, sorry. nothing justifies it. ok, nothing justifies this, sorry. nothingjustifies it. ok, maha yahya, thank you. the mother of a woman who died after coming into contact with a perfume bottle containing the nerve agent novichok will give evidence at a public inquiry today. caroline sturgess�* daughter dawn died in 2018 after spraying herself with a contaminated bottle that had been discarded. on monday, the inquiry heard that she was an innocent victim in the crossfire of an assassination attempt. let's speak to our correspondent duncan kennedy who's in salisbury. welcome to you. full remind us to the background of all this.

good morning, samantha. this was an incident that took place six years ago now in march 2018, when first of all that russian man and his daughter were poisoned by novichok, having had it smeared on the front door. they collapsed about 100 yards from where i am standing and then four months later, we don't know how or why, dawn sturgess came into contact with this another truck after her boyfriend picked up a bottle containing it. dawn sturgess bottle containing it. dawn stu rgess fell ill bottle containing it. dawn sturgess fell ill herself and she went on to die just a few days later. what we are getting this money was her mother is going to going to give evidence in the building behind me to the public inquiry that has been set up to give a family portrait. to in a sense humanised dawn because all we have of dawn sterger so far are some photographs released by the family and the police. we don't know much about her at all. we know she was 44 and a mother of three children but

her mother caroline is expected to give us a proper portrait of her, tell us about her childhood and tell us what grief and devastation her death caused to her family and perhaps lay out her hopes for what she hopes the public inquiry will achieve. to ask the question, whether in any way possible that dawn might have survived this novichok attack and how did you come into contact with it in the first place? after that, we will hear from another quite interesting character in this whole story, the deputy chief constable of wiltshire, paul mills. i say he is interesting because the attack on the russians took place on sunday the 4th russians took place on sunday the 11th of march 2018. he took up the 11th of march 2018. he took up hisjob on monday the the 11th of march 2018. he took up his job on monday the 5th of march 2018. so his in tray was full the moment he stepped into that office. he became the overall commander of the operation, in charge of strategy and in charge of 26 separate agencies to give you an idea of the scope of this investigation and he will give

his evidence when caroline sturgess has finished giving hers. , u, sturgess has finished giving hers. , u, , sturgess has finished giving hers. , , ., ., hers. duncan kennedy, for now, thank yom _ thank you. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

a bbc investigation has found that the practice of incinerating much of the uk's household rubbish is as polluting as burning coal. almost half of all household waste now goes into industrial incinerators and recycling rates have stagnated. let's speak to our climate correspondent, matt mcgrath. welcome to you. these are staggering findings, aren't they? staggering findings, aren't the ? ~ , , ., they? absolutely. it is a rather foggy _ they? absolutely. it is a rather foggy morning i they? absolutely. it is a rather foggy morning in | they? absolutely. it is a - rather foggy morning in south london. i am standing outside the beddington lane waste facility which i hope you can see in the background. as you are saying, energy from waste has become the main way we deal with rubbish across the uk, burning half of our waste. the premise sounds good, you can get rid of waste and make

energy, electricity as a result but our investigation shows essentially, burning waste is the same as burning coal, its impact on the climate and electricity made an incinerator like this is essentially five times more carbon intense than electricity on the national grid. the main reason for all this is of course we are burning and throwing away more plastic than ever before. that is made from fossil fuels which are carbon intense and that is where the problem is coming from. how is it impacting on local communities around the country? here in london, i am with a local councillor. nick, you have been elected twice in opposition to this incinerator here. what is the problem with it? , ., , , ., , here. what is the problem with it? , , it? the problem is, as you can see, it it? the problem is, as you can see. it is _ it? the problem is, as you can see. it is a _ it? the problem is, as you can see, it is a magnet _ it? the problem is, as you can see, it is a magnet for- it? the problem is, as you can see, it is a magnet for vast - see, it is a magnet for vast amounts _ see, it is a magnet for vast amounts of traffic. it brings in waste _ amounts of traffic. it brings in waste from miles around and it disrupts— in waste from miles around and it disrupts people's lives and at the — it disrupts people's lives and at the same time, it produces something in the region of

380,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide _ 380,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. plus nitrous oxide — dioxide a year. plus nitrous oxide and _ dioxide a year. plus nitrous oxide and particulates, so it drags— oxide and particulates, so it drags down the air quality. in fact, — drags down the air quality. in fact, there is a school some 700 — fact, there is a school some 700 metres from the incinerator and it's— 700 metres from the incinerator and it's got no filtration equipment at all. so those chiidren— equipment at all. so those children are subjected to the fumes — children are subjected to the fumes from the incinerator. the com an fumes from the incinerator. the company that— fumes from the incinerator. the company that run _ fumes from the incinerator. iia: company that run the fumes from the incinerator. tia: company that run the facilities here would say they are within permitted limits, they are strictly monitored by the environment agency, there are no connections to health impacts from what they do and they are providing jobs and giving a boost to the economy locally? giving a boost to the economy locall ? ~ ., ., locally? the world health organization _ locally? the world health organization would - locally? the world health i organization would disagree with— organization would disagree with them because the levels for acceptable pollution in this— for acceptable pollution in this country are double what the world, the who approve. so really. _ the world, the who approve. so really, there is no justification for citing these

plants— justification for citing these plants next to where people live and _ plants next to where people live and where children play. thousands of people are affected here and the idea that all the — affected here and the idea that all the plastic which is burned here — all the plastic which is burned here which runs into millions of tonnes, _ here which runs into millions of tonnes, all the toxic pollutants somehow disappear into the — pollutants somehow disappear into the atmosphere is completely false.- into the atmosphere is completely false. ok, nick matte , completely false. ok, nick mattey, thank— completely false. ok, nick mattey, thank you. - completely false. ok, nick mattey, thank you. these l mattey, thank you. these facilities are being built. there are dozens more being planned across the uk and i imagine some of the arguments you have heard here from nick will continue to be made. back to you. will continue to be made. back to ou. . .. will continue to be made. back to ou. ., ~' you can watch more on this story in the nightmare next door available on iplayer from 6pm this evening. tomorow, we'll be looking into this issue more — looking at where these giant furnaces are built and how the companies that run them operate. here in the uk... a labour mp is seeking stricter controls on smartphones for children.

josh macallister says children need stronger protections in place up to the age of16, including a ban on phones in schools. his private members bill has won the backing of education unions, parent campaigners and the current childrens commissioner for england. here's our education editor, branwen jeffreys. sienna, phone. handing phones over to be locked away for the school day. this secondary in widnes is phone—free from this term. for the year 11s, it's been a big mental shift. i used to be dead het up about how i looked around people, how everything perceived me. i don't have it on me so i don't know what's happening with it, what's going on. i basically don't need it. so it's basically taken my anxiety away from me. i always wanted to have my phone on me just to make sure, whereas now i see it more as a tool instead of something that i'm dependent on. it is a locked room, yes, so there's only a couple of people who have a key. the head teacher told me mental health is improving. there's less sharing of harmful comments or content. a lot of our girls have said that they no longer feel like they're being held hostage by phone, and that they also feel not compelled to go and check what's been going on in a group chat.

they're having more meaningful conversations. they feel better in themselves, they've already reported that, and in addition to that, they're more focussed within lessons. all secondary schools have policies on how pupils use smartphones. for many of them, it's not seen, not heard. but now schools are going further with more moving to being completely smartphone free. now, an mp is calling for a legal ban in all schools in england, and strict controls on when teenagers can consent to data sharing. it's having a massive effect on kids' mental health, on their sleep and on their education. and around the world, governments are taking action on this, and i think it's time in the uk that we have the debate here as well. some parent campaigners are backing stricter controls. rebecca won't give her ten—year—old daughter a smartphone, worried some platforms are addictive. i think that because it's been

calibrated specifically to keep the feed up, it's, you know, it's a never ending parade of things that they like, isn't it? which is, i think, very, very much impacting how these kids are learning. schools are tightening up. parents set their own boundaries. the tech companies point to protections online, with the pressure for smartphone restrictions stepping up. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. one of the biggest film stars of all time, al pacino, has been delivering larger—than—life performances since the 19705, including his most famous roles in the godfather, scarface and heat. now, at the age of 84, after becoming a father for a fourth time last year, he 5 written his first ever autobiography. to los angeles to meet him. you're my older brother, and i love you. the godfather made

al pacino a star. but don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. say hello to my little friend. with scarface, he created a cult hero. sir, you're out of order. out of order? i'll show you out of order! and playing a blind veteran in scent of a woman finally won him his oscar after eight nominations. now, for the first time, al pacino has written down his own story — from growing up in new york to the present day here in los angeles, where he's lived for a quarter of a century to be near his children. and last year, he became a dad again. great meeting you. grrrreat meeting you! we met up with him near where he lives in beverly hills. yeah, i'm just going to tie my shoelaces. al pacino. yes. the autobiography deals a lot with family — and fatherhood, obviously — and you became a father again last year. how have you reacted to that?

well, its extraordinary! i've reacted to it as many ways as you could possibly react to it. it was... it's wonderful. you know, i have this little person. everything he does is interesting to me, you know? so we...we talk, i play the harmonica with him, and we have made this kind of contact, so it's fun. at 83, did you have any reservations about the age? well, i'd want to be around for this child — of course i did. but things happen and i hope i am — i hope i stay healthy and he knows who his dad is. however, al pacino had a near—death experience in 2020, when he fell ill during the pandemic. when i opened my eyes, there were five paramedics in my living room! there were two doctors who looked like spacemen, and there was an ambulance in front of my house. there was something. then there was nothing. not... no fall, no anything. there was just nothing. which was, in retrospect,

was sort of frightening. there was no white tunnels? no white tunnels, no — nothing. it's like shakespeare says in "to be or not to be". no more. there's no sequel. no sequel! no. exactly. let's talk about the godfather. yes. finally. laughter. just wasn't enough time, michael. wasn't enough time. we'll get there, pop. i was in it. how did that happen? i was lucky because francis coppola saw me on stage. but once you were in the role of the godfather... yeah. ..they wanted rid of you. how close did you come to being sacked from the godfather? when your director talks to you and says, you know, "i had a lot of faith in you, man. what's happening? you're not delivering." they wanted a leading man in that role — someone who was, uh, took the reins. but pacino was saved when, the next day, they filmed what would become one

of the godfather�*s most famous scenes. this is the gun in the toilets of the restaurant scene. they say that francis moved that scene up. he claims he didn't. it seems like that would be the thing to do — get to the meat — because that's what the studio wants to see. and they liked the scene, and that was it. who were they going to replace you with, do you think? could you see anyone lurking around? bob de niro comes to mind! laughter. we went looking for your star on the hollywood walk of fame. oh, i don't have a star. you don't have a star! how can you possibly not?! i don't know, i don't know. it happens. there are a lot of people who have, but there's also a lot of people who don't have a star. if hollywood's committee are watching this interview, would you be quite up for one now? of course! there we go. yeah, sure. come on, al pacino wants his star on the hollywood walk of fame. finally, it's always interesting when you meet someone like you, thinking, right, what am i going to learn about al pacino

from meeting him? your phone cover. can you show this, please, and explain the story? because of all the things in the world that i thought al pacino would have on his phone cover, i was not expecting... ..shrek. who would be expecting shrek? who? that's mine. can you explain why you shrek it? my youngest daughter said, "can i have your phone, dad? i'vejust got to..." so i gave her my phone and she came back and she had this on it. she said, "it's shrek, dad!" i said, "shrek? wow. 0k, babe, i'll hold on to it." it's been a real pleasure. my pleasure. it was great talking to you. and this, you can't get over — i know, i know. someday — one day — i'll take it off. but i don't know how. al pacino chatting through all things, including mobile phone covers. stay with us, time for

a check on the weather now. hello again. we have been talking about the temperature a lot and over the next few days, turning milder than it has been. you can see this illustrated on the emmas chart where we have the yellows and ambers, notjust today, ambers, not just today, especially ambers, notjust today, especially tomorrow but even as we go through the next few days. that does not mean it will be bone dry, it will be wet and windy. today, it's a breezy day, mostly dry but there is a lot of cloud around and that has been producing some drizzle. the cloud should break as we go into the afternoon for some of us and it will brighten up but the lion's share of the sunshine today will be across the north of scotland. then we had some rain coming in across the south—west later in the afternoon. temperatures 12 to 19 north to south. so, talking of later on in the day, you can see how we start off with all this cloud. the rain comes in from the south—west, pushing steadily

north—eastwards. again, breezy with exposure in particular and some of the rain will be heavy and thundery, especially for the south. but again, it will be a mild night. we start on that note tomorrow. a lot of rain around. it is trying to edge northwards and eastwards, its passage being blocked by high pressure in the near continent. but as it slowly moves towards the east, behind it, it will brighten up a little bit but there will still be some showers and dependent on how much sunshine we get in the south—eastern corner, there could be highs of 20 or 21 but regardless, it will be mild, evenin regardless, it will be mild, even in the rain. so as we head through thursday, again, a lot of dry weather abound after the wood rain clears and into the weekend we have more wet and windy conditions coming our way. so the rain clears early doors. that leaves us with a lot of dry weather, a fair bit of sunshine but a peppering of showers in the north and also in the west. temperatures 13-19 . in the west. temperatures 13—19. again, another windy

day with exposure. into friday and friday sees a lot of dry weather to start the day. it will be windy especially in the west. gale across the far north—west. you can see some showers and then some heavier rain pushes in from the west as well. temperatures ranging from 12 in lerwick to 16 in hull and 17 in london.

live from london, this is bbc news. in the next few minutes, the mother of a woman who was killed by the nerve agent novichok in salisbury will give evidence at a public inquiry. we'll bring that you here on bbc news. speaking to the bbc, prime minister sir keir starmer refuses to rule out raising national insurance contributions for employers. israel says it will make decisions based on its own national interest, after a us media report

suggested prime minister netanyahu opted against attacks on iranian nuclear sites. welcome — you're watching bbc news — i'm karin giannone. a public inquiry in salisbury examining the 2018 poisoning of dawn sturgess is about to hear evidence from her mother. dawn's death was blamed on two russian agents after she came into contact with the nerve agent novichok. it had been hidden inside a designer perfume bottle. the inquiry is examining the circumstances leading to her death. russia denies any involvement and has described the inquiry as a "circus" today's hearing has started, but we're receiving it on a 10 minute delay, so we'll bring it to you shortly. in the meantime, we want to

play you an interview of