joining me on my panel tonight are professor carwynjones, former first minister of wales and leader of welsh labour — and frank sesno, former cnn correspondent, anchor, and washington bureau chief. first... the latest headlines. the deputy head of hamas has said the armed group will only be strengthened after the killing of its leader, yahya sinwar, by israel. khalil al—hayya said the hostages still held by hamas in gaza wouldn't be freed until israel ended its offensive and withdrew. simon cowell has paid tribute to one direction star liam payne, saying he is heartbroken.

the singer's death died on wednesday when he fell from the balcony of the third—floor hotel room where he had been staying in buenos aires, argentina. president biden has said there's no consensus among some of ukraine's main allies about allowing kyiv to use western weapons to attack targets deep inside russia. he was speaking after talks in berlin with the leaders of germany, britain and france. south korea's spy agency has revealed satellite pictures which it says confirm that north korea soldiers have been sent to support russia's invasion of ukraine. seoul said 1500 special forces troops had already arrived in russia's far east for training. hamas has reacted with defiance to the death of its leader yahya sinwar, saying it will only strengthen the group's resolve. a senior hamas member also said no hostages will be freed until israel withdraws

its forces from gaza. hamas said each time its leader is killed, it becomes stronger and more popular. and iran, which sponsors hamas, claims sinwar�*s death will inspire resistance. but world leaders including us presidentjoe biden have said the killing of sinwar could represent a turning point in the conflict, and a fresh opportunity for ceasefire talks. lets it show you a video that has just been released lets it show you a video that hasjust been released by lets it show you a video that has just been released by the israeli military. it shows what the israelis say is one of their tanks attacking the building that the hamas leader yahya sinwar was in. on thursday the army released another video, that showed an israeli drone tracking sinwar filming him slumped in a chair

covered in dust and as the drone hovered nearby it showed him throwing a stick at it in an apparent act of desperate defiance. not long afterwards, according to the israeli military tank shell was fired into the building. our international editor jeremy bowen is injerusalem — and has been looking at whether yahya sinwar�*s death could change the direction of the war. i think there is potentially an opportunity there because he was a very dominant figure on the hlas side and now he is gone so potentially there is more flexibility. however, it is only an opportunity if the parties concerned want to take it. now, khalilal—hayya who was his number two, he was based in doha in qatar, i went to interview miss couple of weeks ago, he did a speech today and he said very defiantly that the hostages won't return until the aggression and our people in gazais aggression and our people in

gaza is stopped. and full withdrawal from gaza is stopped. and full withdrawalfrom it gaza is stopped. and full withdrawal from it and gaza is stopped. and full withdrawalfrom it and release our heroes, the prisoners, from the occupation jails. our heroes, the prisoners, from the occupationjails. in his speech that he made last night, prime minister netanyahu said that if hamas wanted to give up hostages then the people who handed them in it would be allowed to leave the gaza strip, they would be allowed to live, that would simply be it. as you can see, there is seemingly anyway, a great big golfer between the two sides, as big as ever.— as big as ever. let's talk to our panel... _ professor carwyn jones former first minister of wales and leader of welsh labour frank sesno former cnn correspondent, anchor, and washington bureau chief franc, the us presidentjoe biden and the white house seem a little bit optimistic that this death could amount to some sort of turning point in the war in gaza, what is your analysis?—

war in gaza, what is your anal sis? g . ., i, , , analysis? my analysis is the turnin: analysis? my analysis is the turning point, _ analysis? my analysis is the turning point, if— analysis? my analysis is the turning point, if there - analysis? my analysis is the turning point, if there is - analysis? my analysis is the turning point, if there is a l turning point, if there is a turning point, if there is a turning point, if there is a turning point is a long way away, there's an awful hand they are going to have to navigate through and it's principally going to be dictated by president netanyahu. there is a very important sense however that the if the israelis feel that they have sufficiently decapitated hamas, if there is an sense that hamas is weakened to the point that they are essentially less effective, the reality on the ground, the battlefield itself, is fundamentally altered. there is so much to go through, there is so much to go through, there is so much to go through, there is so much that depends on netanyahu himself. he said the campaign continues and they won't stop until hamas is defeated and destroyed. that will take, unfortunately, a lot more time and a lot more death and destruction. i also think there is something else to the biden statement which is very interesting. whether this is wishful thinking orjust political reality, this administration has been desperately caught in a vice over the war in gaza and in the

region. on the one hand, having to stand with the israelis and say the israelis has a right to defend itself and on the other hand having to defend their position to vote is in this country to may make the difference in this campaign, american voters and others who are very very upset with this administration over their continued support for israel. so for biden to say this, it is a sense that maybe there is some hope, some change, there has been tremendous behind—the—scenes diplomacy going on with antony blinken, the secretary of state and others trying to lean on the israelis to open the direction of a ceasefire but to no avail. it is going to be something to watch over the next days and probably weeks to see whether what biden is saying practical as slow—moving as is orjust political wishful thinking. frank, thank you for the moment. carwynjones, what is

your reading because netanyahu has said all along that it is about destroying hamas but decapitating her mass is not quite the same thing, taking out its lead as they have done? there is no real definition of what — there is no real definition of what destroying hamas means, does _ what destroying hamas means, does it— what destroying hamas means, does it mean removing any individual that might be a threat _ individual that might be a threat in the future? in that case, — threat in the future? in that case, many more thousands of people — case, many more thousands of people are going to die. or is it removing the top leadership and removing access to weapons? in which_ and removing access to weapons? in which case, that removes the threat _ in which case, that removes the threat to— in which case, that removes the threat to israel. no one knows the answer to that question and benjamin — the answer to that question and benjamin netanyahu himself knows — benjamin netanyahu himself knows that. the time has come now— knows that. the time has come now for— knows that. the time has come now for pores, to have a ceasefire, many thousands of people — ceasefire, many thousands of people have been killed and marry— people have been killed and many more in gaza and lebanon. now— many more in gaza and lebanon. now seems— many more in gaza and lebanon. now seems to be a good time to see, _ now seems to be a good time to see, yes, — now seems to be a good time to see, yes, i've heard what hamas has had — see, yes, i've heard what hamas has had to— see, yes, i've heard what hamas has had to say but that is the first— has had to say but that is the first negotiating position and try to — first negotiating position and try to get the hostages returned to israel. get peace so that— returned to israel. get peace so that people can start

rebuilding their lives in gaza and — rebuilding their lives in gaza and in— rebuilding their lives in gaza and in southern lebanon. but we don't _ and in southern lebanon. but we don't know. _ and in southern lebanon. but we don't know, the problem is that with this — don't know, the problem is that with this conflict that nobody has any— with this conflict that nobody has any real idea of what they actually — has any real idea of what they actually mean when they explain their— actually mean when they explain their objectives and that, i think. _ their objectives and that, i think. is_ their objectives and that, i think, is the reason why unfortunately this has a long way to go before the conflict is resolve but that doesn't mean _ is resolve but that doesn't mean it— is resolve but that doesn't mean it can't be a ceasefire. there — mean it can't be a ceasefire. there has— mean it can't be a ceasefire. there has cause been a long time for a lot of pressure for a ceasefire from various world leaders but do you think netanyahu feels like he has a free hand at the moment in the sense that militarily has countries on a bit of a role both in gaza and lebanon and also you have the american elections coming up so he feels like no one is really going to stop him or try to dissuade him from his course of action. that he may get donald trump back in the white house who he might think might give him a pretty much a free hand. ihla think might give him a pretty much a free hand.— think might give him a pretty much a free hand. no one has sto ed much a free hand. no one has stepped so — much a free hand. no one has stopped so far. _ much a free hand. no one has stopped so far. he _ much a free hand. no one has stopped so far. he has - much a free hand. no one has stopped so far. he has made. much a free hand. no one has| stopped so far. he has made it very clear through all of his

public statements and military actions that he is focused on one thing, which is the military victory. what does it mean to actually defeat her mass? i think as has been pointed including by the israeli defence ministers, destroying her mass completely may be an impossible task. it very much looks like netanyahu does have a free hand but he does have a free hand but he does have a broad rush here. there is something else that he has not dynamic that is to retaliate against iran for the missile attacks that took long ago. —— that took place not long ago. i don't think the israelis are finished yet, they are clearly not making any apologies to anybody. they have resisted international pressure and this could be a remarkable moment and there is some substantial upside if netanyahu substantial upside if neta nyahu and substantial upside if netanyahu and the israeli government is interested, whether it is down

the line, normalising relations with saudi arabia and really fundamentally transforming politics and the diplomacy of middle east. that is all out there but it is a question of whether is he interested and willing. he certainly is able if he would like.— willing. he certainly is able if he would like. frank, thank ou for if he would like. frank, thank you for that _ if he would like. frank, thank you for that. and _ if he would like. frank, thank you for that. and carwyn - if he would like. frank, thankl you for that. and carwyn jones you for that. and carwynjones as well. plenty more that we will be discussing with you in the course of the next hour or so. forthe the course of the next hour or so. for the moment, you're watching bbc news, to stay with us.

with less than twenty days to go to the us presidential election, today the state of michigan is in the spotlight —— with both donald trump and kamala harris hosting events in that particular battleground state kamala harris is in grand rapids for a rally before travelling to oakland county for more campaigning. while donald trump will take part in a roundtable discussion

also in oakland county. and he'll hold a ralley in detroit, this evening.and there are plenty of good reasons to be in michigan which has picked the winning presidential candidate in the last two elections. but there are challenges facing both candidates. michigan has the us�*s largest proportion of arab—americans and is the birthplace of the uncommitted movement, a protest campaign which wants a ceasefire in the middle east and has declined to endorse harris. well, donald trump had some harsh words to say about the state's biggest city, detroit. the whole country is going to be like, you want to know the truth, it will be like detroit, our whole country will end up being like detroit if she becomes president, you will have a bet on your hands. she destroyed san francisco, she destroyed san francisco, she destroyed california and we are not going to let her do that this country. we are not going

to let it happen. us vice president kamala harris is holding a rally in the swing state of michigan. she told supporters that she wants to bring the country together the american people want a president who works for all the people — president who works for all the people. and that has been the story— people. and that has been the story of— people. and that has been the story of my entire career. in my career— story of my entire career. in my career i_ story of my entire career. in my career i have only had one client. — my career i have only had one client. the _ my career i have only had one client, the people. the people. as a _ client, the people. the people. as a young courtroom prosecutor, i protected women and children, as attorney geherat_ and children, as attorney general california i fought for students and their returns. as vice _ students and their returns. as vice president i have stood up for workers and seniors and as president— for workers and seniors and as president i_ for workers and seniors and as president i will stand up for all americans. kamala harris there. and with election day less than three weeks away, we're keeping track of the polls for harris has held a small lead over trump in the national averages since she entered the

race and she remains ahead. while national polls are a useful guide, they can't necessarily predict the election result itself — because that is likely to depend on a handful of battleground states — where potentially either candidate could win — states like michigan. let's speak to our senior north america correspondent gary o'donoghue in grand rapids, michigan. just bring us the latest then on of the harris campaign and what more she has to do because some people suggesting that maybe her campaign has stalled a little bit in the last few days. a little bit in the last few da s. �* , , , days. it's interesting, they are spending _ days. it's interesting, they are spending ben, - days. it's interesting, they are spending ben, very- days. it's interesting, they. are spending ben, very vast amounts of money in places like michigan here and pennsylvania and wisconsin. the places we call the blue wall, these miss midwestern industrial states

which vote on block effectively, those