live from london. this is bbc news. the israeli army says it is carrying out a raid on part of gaza's largest hospital, al—shifa. hamas is accused of using the site as a command centre. the uk supreme court will rule later on whether the government's flagship plan to send some asylum seekers to rwanda is lawful. and the puteketeke bird wins new zealand's annual bird of the century poll with record votes after a campaign by us—based comedian, john oliver. hello, i'm marc ashdown. we start the programme with a developing situation at gaza's largest hospital. the israeli military has said it is carrying out an operation against hamas at the al—shifa hospital. israel says it conceals

an underground command centre used by hamas — which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the united kingdom, united states and several other countries. it's a claim doctors there deny. meanwhile, in the us, the white house and the pentagon say they now have intelligence that hamas and palestinian islamic jihad are operating from tunnels below hospitals, including al—shifa, and that they are also storing weapons there. it's the first time they have backed up israel's claims to this extent. despite its new intelligence, the us says hospitals and patients must be protected. the israeli military said its actions at al—shifa are "precise and targeted". the gaza strip has been under siege by the israel defence forces since hamas launched its attacks in israel on october 7. our correspondent in gaza, rushdi abualouf, has spoken to an eyewitness

at the hospital. i made another contact with someone inside the hospital and he said he saw six tanks inside the hospital, on he said he saw six tanks inside the hospital, on the he said he saw six tanks inside the hospital, on the -rounds the hospital, on the grounds and 100 israeli commanders stormed the main emergency department. he said someone was speaking in arabic shouting don't move don't move and then after four days of seeding the hospital, advancing from all around and cutting access the bbc was told by two eyewitnesses inside that is really soldiers are five buildings of the hospital. 0ne buildings of the hospital. one of the witnesses told the bbc that over a hundred israeli commanders were entering the main emergency department room and shouting in arabic to not

move. there was some shooting around and they fired a smoke bomb in the outskirts of the hospital and they started to move inside. my colleague caitriona perry spoke to tsach saar, the deputy consul general of israel in new york, and asked him about the operation at the hospital. it means that we are doing everything we can to dismantle the capabilities of hamas. hamas is a terrorist organisation who embedded its fighters and capabilities and weapons in and under al—shifa hospital and by the way it's not the only hospital where they did it and we are doing everything we can to dismantle this capability and make sure that we can also free the hostages. 0k, and what does that mean, everything you can, in the specific instance of the al—shifa hospital tonight? what does everything we can mean?

everything we can means that we take the weapons, that we dismantle it, neutralise their fighters, their terrorists, while making sure we minimise the collateral damage, the loss of innocent civilian lives. this is what it means. that's israeli ground forces in the hospital, as we heard from our eyewitness there, as you say, neutralising, which in lay person speak means killing. did israel make efforts to evacuate the hospital in advance? of course, we take every measure that is possible. what were those, sorry, it's important to get to the specifics here. just exactly what efforts did israel take to evacuate that hospital, we are told there were thousands of innocent civilians sheltering there. i'll repeat what i said. this is a very difficult,

almost impossible mission to make sure that we dismantle their capabilities while they are patients there and innocent people. crosstalk. how did you evacuate them, please explain to us. and facilitating platforms for patients and people, innocent people that are in the hospital to make sure that they leave safely, but unfortunately hamas uses their own people as human shields, preventing them from leaving these hospitals because they know that they protect them by their presence there and that's why i'm saying this is a very difficultjob and a very difficult mission, but believe me, we're doing everything that is possible. but in recent days, just today as well we have had reports of israeli tanks surrounding the hospital, we've heard staff members say anyone who tried to leave was shot. that people could not leave. again, i am asking you exactly

what those efforts were to evacuate people, if tanks are surrounding the hospital, if there are soldiers in there, how did you get people out, how many people did you manage to get out? the israeli tanks are surrounding hospital, not only fighting the hamas terrorists that are hiding within the hospital, but also facilitating routes for innocent people and patients that are hospitalised in this hospital to evacuate and to leave the hospital so we can complete the mission, and again, the mission is to make sure that we dismantle and neutralise the terrorists but are there that are hiding there and there is a great infrastructure, terrorist infrastructure, their command centres, this is what they've been doing for the last 16 years, building a huge infrastructure under this hospital and again this is not the only place where they did it, they did in other hospitals and mosques and schools and this is a very difficult task as i said to dismantle it, but the tanks, the israeli tanks that are there are not only,

their mission is not only to fight to be hamas terrorists that are there but also facilitating routes, for people... inaudible. innocent people to evacuate. i'll ask the question again, how many people did you manage to evacuate? we have seen so many reports of innocent civilians sheltering there as we've mentioned but also sick children, sick babies, tiny newborn babies without incubators, if you tried everything you could to evacuate people, how many people did you manage to evacuate? the battle is ongoing and unlike hamas i would not mention figures that i cannot 100% make sure that i am correct. so i don't have specific figures, but the israeli, the idf is doing everything possible and i repeat according

to international law we're doing everything that is possible to make sure that we minimise civilian casualties and minimise the collateral damage because loss of innocent lives is a tragedy. the bbc also spoke to dr barbara zind, a colorado paediatrician who was working with the palestine child ren�*s relief fund. she was one of hundreds of foreign nationals allowed through the rafah border crossing into egypt, and is familiar with the al—shifa neo—natal unit. here she is explaining what she witnessed and the risks for the babies there today. for the newborns that i know, i know the neonatal unit which is probably a few blocks away from the surgical unit, they had to carry them over to the surgical area and put them in an operating room and just bundle them in towels to keep them as warm as they could, but there is problems with getting formula or nutrition to the babies, oxygen

if they need it is not available, there no electricity, so those babies, i know there were 46 over the weekend, i don't know how many are alive now but it is severe risk of dying. a neonatologist at al—shifa who is currently or had to relocate to mid gaza is really fearing for the lives of all of those babies. well, more than half of gaza's hospitals are now non—functional according to the world health organization. and more than 1000 babies are being born every week in gaza on average. 0ur correspondent yogita limaye, who can't get into gaza, has been working with a freelance journalist, majdi fathi, who lives there — and has used his footage to tell the story of the mothers struggling to find a safe place to give birth. baby crying born in a precarious world, this little boy is one day old, still to be named. his parents fled bombings in gaza city.

under the stress of war, he has been born prematurely and needs help to breathe. in the next bed, a four—day—old girl, who's critical. there's been no time to name her either, and they're running out of medicines which could treat her. incubators are still on at the al—aqsa hospital in central gaza, but the fighting is drawing closer. this is hassan, named by hospital staff. both his parents were killed in bombings. he was found cradled in his mother's arms. it's a painful time in gaza. it's excruciating for new mothers. four days ago, keifaia al asser�*s baby girl was born. she was heavily pregnant when she was forced to flee her home. translation: i've had

to run more than once, j walking under the constant threat of being bombed. i saw people's bodies being ripped apart. i faced extreme exhaustion and was scared for my baby's life. at hospital, i got no painkillers while giving birth. asma has walked with her three children for more than 15 miles. she's pregnant. this is refuge, in a hospital compound. "my children sleep on the sheet, i sleep on the ground," she says. "so many women suffered miscarriages due to the terrifying sound of the explosions. i was scared i'd lose my baby. sometimes, ifelt like i couldn't feel my baby move," she says. "i had to carry my child and our bags. my children have been

exposed to such horrors. dead bodies, cars bombed, with people inside." this is what she now faces, along with hundreds of thousands. people who had homes and jobs, boys and girls who had a childhood, struggling for a few drops of water. yogita limaye, bbc news, jerusalem. here in the uk, it's a crucial day for rishi sunak, as well as his new cabinet. the supreme court will rule later today on whether the government's flagship plan to send some asylum seekers to rwanda is lawful. since 2021, more than 20,000 people a year have been arriving in britain on small boats to claim asylum. so it's a judgement that will be watched closed around the world, as well as here in the uk.

the new home secretary has barely got through the door of his office but james cleverly faces the real threat that within 48 hours of his arrival the centrepiece of his department's illegal migration policy will be in tatters. i had a good conversation with the prime minister who made it very clear that he wants us to deliver on our promises to stop the boats. deliver on our promises to stop the boate— the boats. with the prime minister _ the boats. with the prime minister 's _ the boats. with the prime minister 's demand - the boats. with the prime minister 's demand still . minister �*s demand still ringing in his ears, civil servants will have briefed him on his narrowing options should today's supreme courtjudgement today's supreme court judgement be today's supreme courtjudgement be that sending asylum seekers to rwanda is unlawful. the government believes that by swiftly relocating cross—channel arrivals to east africa, the business model of the people smuggling gangs will be fatally damaged. 615 arrived on the kent coast on sunday alone. , ., , ., , ., alone. there is a serious and pressing _ alone. there is a serious and pressing need _ alone. there is a serious and pressing need to _ alone. there is a serious and pressing need to take - alone. there is a serious and l pressing need to take effective steps that will act as a

deterrent.— steps that will act as a deterrent. ., ., , deterrent. the government wants the sunreme _ deterrent. the government wants the supreme court _ deterrent. the government wants the supreme courtjustices - deterrent. the government wants the supreme courtjustices to - the supreme courtjustices to overturn the appeal court conclusion that genuine refugees sent to rwanda might end up in the country from which they fled, breaching their human rights under the european convention. this lawyer represents asylum seekers who originally challenged the lawfulness of the rwanda policy. the supreme court will be _ the rwanda policy. the supreme court will be considering - court will be considering whether rwanda is a safe third country and will consider a wealth of evidence including from the unhcr about fundamental deficiencies in the asylum system of what wonder. if the government wins ministers open the flights will take off for christmas. ii ministers open the flights will take off for christmas.- take off for christmas. if they lose it is thought _ take off for christmas. if they lose it is thought the - take off for christmas. if they lose it is thought the home i lose it is thought the home office will seek a new treaty with the rwandan government to take account of the concerns of the supreme courtjustices. but there are some in the conservative party who argue the real problem is the uk's commitment to the european convention on human rights. as foreign secretary, mr cleverly said he was not convinced the

uk needed to leave the convention as home secretary will he still think the same leader this morning? mark easton, bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. nhs england is promising cervical cancer will be eliminated by 2040 thanks to improved rates of vaccination and screening. currently, around 2,600 women a year in england are diagnosed with cervical cancer. along with breast cancer, this is one of the most common cancers in women under 44. sir keir starmer will attempt to put labour's position on the israel—hamas conflict to a vote on wednesday, in a bid to maintain party unity. so far, dozens of labour mps have defied their leader to call for a ceasefire and 19 members of the frontbench have also publicly diverged from their party's

official position. the welsh rugby union says to be "truly sorry" after an independent review found that some aspects of its culture were sexist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic and not properly challenged. some employees described the environment as toxic, you're live with bbc news. fears continue to mount of a possible volcanic eruption in iceland. there was an immediate evacuation issued on tuesday after residents were allowed back into the town of grindavik in small numbers to retrieve belongings. authorities later said the area around the town was evacuated after sulphur dioxide was detected, sparking fears of a nearby opening in the ground. our correspondentjessica parker was one of the evacuees and she has the latest.

the long road, a town on the edge of the mechanic island. those who have had to leave hope for a chance to briefly return. we get permission to go when, inside it is a ghost town that has been violently ripped apart. there is no time to waste for residence, it is great and go. how does it feel having to pack up all your belongings like this? terrible. gettinu belongings like this? terrible. getting things _ belongings like this? terrible. getting things for my - belongings like this? terrible. getting things for my kids - belongings like this? terrible. getting things for my kids and getting out of here.— getting things for my kids and getting out of here. they have five minutes _ getting out of here. they have five minutes to _ getting out of here. they have five minutes to decide - getting out of here. they have five minutes to decide what i getting out of here. they have five minutes to decide what to say. further earthquakes or possible eruption. you think the town could be destroyed? yes. already half of it is destroyed. the next few hours or days will tell us what is going to happen. suddenly we

are told we — going to happen. suddenly we are told we have _ going to happen. suddenly we are told we have got - going to happen. suddenly we are told we have got to - going to happen. suddenly we are told we have got to go. i are told we have got to go. evacuation. there was a bit of a commotion and told the whole area was being evacuated, extreme of cards, those in grindavik left, everybody seems to be packing up. it was alarm magma maybe nearing the service nearby for the best case scenario is this magma just erupts on a nice area of the segment and does not threaten infrastructure. the segment and does not threaten infrastructure.— infrastructure. the worst-case scenario is _ infrastructure. the worst-case scenario is grindavik _ infrastructure. the worst-case scenario is grindavik will- infrastructure. the worst-case scenario is grindavik will be i scenario is grindavik will be affected directly from this potential eruption. the reason earthquakes — potential eruption. the reason earthquakes are _ potential eruption. the reason earthquakes are beyond i potential eruption. the reason earthquakes are beyond whatl earthquakes are beyond what anybody is used to. the wrench of having to leave your home your own words. —— beyond words. us presidentjoe biden is in san francisco to host the asia—pacific economic

cooperation summit, also known as apec. the summit focuses on free trade and sustainable development, bringing together 21 countries, which together account for 60% of the world economy. but a lot of attention is on today's meeting between president biden and chinese president xi jinping. it's president xi's first visit to the us since 2017. president biden arrived in northern california earlier and was greeted by the state's governor gavin newsom. we'll have more on the apec summit later for you in the programme. mcdonald's has fired 18 workers after the bbc spoke to more than 100 staff, current and recent who made allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and racism at the restaurant chain. the company has now received more than 400 complaints from employees sincejuly, after a bbc investigation found that workers as young as 17 were being groped and harassed almost routinely.

the boss of mcdonalds�* uk told mps that he was determined to root out any such behaviour from the business. our employment correspondent zoe conway reports. mcdonald's does 100% have a problem with sexual harassment. it is just disgusting it isjust disgusting behaviour. i it is just disgusting behaviour.- it is just disgusting behaviour. ., , , behaviour. i would get upset about going _ behaviour. i would get upset about going and _ behaviour. i would get upset about going and cry - behaviour. i would get upset about going and cry a - behaviour. i would get upset about going and cry a lot i about going and cry a lot before _ about going and cry a lot before my— about going and cry a lot before my shift. - about going and cry a lot before my shift. it- about going and cry a lot before my shift.- about going and cry a lot before my shift. it was voices like these _ before my shift. it was voices like these heard _ before my shift. it was voices like these heard during i before my shift. it was voices like these heard during the i like these heard during the months long bbc investigation into mcdonald's that led to the chief executive being summoned to parliament.— to parliament. these testimonies - to parliament. these testimonies are i to parliament. these testimonies are trulyj to parliament. these - testimonies are truly ripping. very hard to listen to. in jul . very hard to listen to. in july. the _ very hard to listen to. in july, the company set up an investigations unit, the ceo revealed had received 400 complaints including of sexual harassment, racism and bullying. he said some cases have gone to the police and 18

staff members have been fired. it sounds like property is more important than protecting workers?— important than protecting workers? ., , ., , , ., workers? that is absolutely not the case. the _ workers? that is absolutely not the case. the most _ workers? that is absolutely not the case. the most important l the case. the most important thing — the case. the most important thing in — the case. the most important thing in our business is our pecule _ thing in our business is our people. our people at the base of mcdonald's. we do everything we can— of mcdonald's. we do everything we can to — of mcdonald's. we do everything we can to look after our pecule _ we can to look after our people-— we can to look after our --eole. , , ., we can to look after our --eole. , , . ., people. employees have told the bbc that when _ people. employees have told the bbc that when allegations i people. employees have told the bbc that when allegations were i bbc that when allegations were made about a manager, rather than discipline them, they were moved to another store. for the first time publicly, the ceo admitted this had been happening. admitted this had been happening-— admitted this had been happening. admitted this had been ha eninu. ., ., ., happening. the manager will not be moved to _ happening. the manager will not be moved to another— happening. the manager will not be moved to another restaurantl be moved to another restaurant to avoid discipline. that will now be dealt with within that particular, in that particular restaurant.— particular, in that particular restaurant. ., , ., restaurant. now be dealt with? not in the _ restaurant. now be dealt with? not in the past? _ restaurant. now be dealt with? not in the past? moving i restaurant. now be dealt with? | not in the past? moving people was something _ not in the past? moving people was something that _ not in the past? moving people was something that used i not in the past? moving people was something that used to i was something that used to occur. , ., ., ., occur. emily and add, to mcdonald's _ occur. emily and add, to mcdonald's x _ occur. emily and add, to mcdonald's x workers i occur. emily and add, to i mcdonald's x workers were in the room as the ceo gave evidence was when i left the room, i got reassured that he would continue to deflect from theissue would continue to deflect from the issue and make himself and

make his whole pr team and mcdonald's the whole look like they are doing something about something when nothing is being done. it something when nothing is being done. , , , , something when nothing is being done. , ,, , , done. it is upsetting this is happening _ done. it is upsetting this is happening on _ done. it is upsetting this is happening on such - done. it is upsetting this is happening on such a i done. it is upsetting this is happening on such a huge| done. it is upsetting this is i happening on such a huge level, that it _ happening on such a huge level, that it has — happening on such a huge level, that it has gone to parliament. mcdonald's teenage workers feel like they are finally being heard. but they have told us they want the company to go further to keep them safe. every year, new zealand conducts an annual poll to vote for the country's bird of the year. and we have a winner — the australasian crested grebe, the puteketeke. the poll is run by a conservation group and this year, there was a record number of votes from nearly 200 countries. so many in fact that it crashed the poll's online verification system and delayed the results for two days. and it's all because of a global campaign for the bird by this guy.

i don'tjust i don't just want the puteketeke two went, i wanted to when in the huge landslide. i wanted to do what it does to fish innocent lives, eat them alive and buy them back up in a ball of feathers. live now to our correspondent in sydney, phil mercer. morning. it sounds like one competitor here had a bit of an edge. was it a fair fight? competitor here had a bit of an edge. was it a fairfight? i edge. was it a fair fight? i don't think so. if you listen to critics ofjohn oliver's global campaign in new zealand, they like and his interference in this area of the century poll to russia's pelagic meddling in the 2016 us presidential election. john oliver �*s campaign went around the world, yet advertisements in london, paris, mumbai and tokyo. also flew a banner in

brazil and the result was a landslide. the puteketeke received about 290,000 votes, the second—place bird received 13,000 votes. certainlyjohn oliver and his legion of followers around the world have secured a win for a very unusual bird. i secured a win for a very unusual bird.— secured a win for a very unusual bird. . ., ., ~ ., unusual bird. i am looking at it on screen _ unusual bird. i am looking at it on screen here _ unusual bird. i am looking at it on screen here and - unusual bird. i am looking at it on screen here and i i unusual bird. i am looking at i it on screen here and i suppose it on screen here and i suppose it is beautiful or ugly depending on your position. where did the public stand on this bird? ., . this bird? john oliver decided -- described _ this bird? john oliver decided -- described it _ this bird? john oliver decided -- described it as _ this bird? john oliver decided -- described it as a _ this bird? john oliver decided -- described it as a weird i —— described it as a weird puking bird with a colourful mallet. what more can you say? there were people who believed the bird has great parenting skills but this online poll is organised every year by a conservation organisation in new zealand that brings attention to the plight of native birds in new zealand and

we understand there are about 1000 puteketeke left in the wild. serious side to this but it is an event that has had controversy and an alleged one person voted 40,000 times this yearfor the person voted 40,000 times this year for the eastern rock hopping yearfor the eastern rock hopping penguin. back in 2021, this bird competition in new zealand was won by a bat. aha, zealand was won by a bat. a bat? fantastic. thank you very much forjoining us. i imagine this is a very big deal to the people they are. puteketeke a worthy champion it seems. stay with us with a focus on the key meeting between presidentjoe biden and presidentjoe biden and president xijinping, the chinese present. stay with us on bbc news.

hello. although our fairly changeable, unsettled spell of autumn weather continues through the remainder of the week, there will be some windows of drier weather, particularly on wednesday across the southern half of the uk. so bright and breezy, but cloudy and damp with outbreaks of rain at times across northern areas. all down to the fact that we've got a ridge of high pressure building in from the south, but low pressure with a couple of weather fronts drifting, particularly across parts of scotland. so through the day wednesday, then we start with the cloud and the rain for much of central southern scotland, northern ireland too. could even be a little bit of snow across the highest ground, the grampians highland as well. all sunshine, though, works for the northern isles towards caithness and sutherland into aberdeenshire later on in the day. temperatures here around 7 to 9. further south across england and wales should be dry and bright through much of the day. temperatures here 12 or 13 degrees, but we've still got this cloudier zone in between. any of that rain tending to fizzle away overnight into thursday. but the next area of rain

starts to arrive from the southwest early on thursday. it's going to be quite a cold night. it could be a touch of frost, particularly across parts of scotland with the lighter winds and the clearing skies. right, through thursday then, a couple of areas of low pressure, this one bringing some rain to parts of southern england, another one moving into northern ireland, wales as well later in the day. should stay mostly dry for parts of eastern scotland, northeast england too, and temperatures range between around about 8 to 12 for most of us. but we're in that colder air still up towards the northern isles, but there'll be some sunshine. moving through thursday night into friday and the fronts clear away for a time. we've got an area of higher pressure trying to nudge in from the south. so that means friday is probably our driest and brightest day of the week for most places. could be the odd shower around, but the cloud could well increase from the southwest ahead of the next area of low pressure, bringing some rain. so temperatures on friday around 7 to 12 degrees for most of us. still rather cool, turns milder into the weekend, but it turns wetter and windier too.

low pressure moving in, lots of isobars on the map. so, rain, but you can see the orange colours flooding across the uk. that shows that that much milder air is on the way. it's going be quite breezy with the breeze coming in from a southwesterly direction. so the next few days then, we have got some rain around, particularly on thursday, drier as we head into friday for most of us. but then temperatures on the rise, but wet and windy for the weekend. bye— bye.

live from london. this is bbc news. counting down to a meeting between the leaders of the united states and china. we look at what's at stake for the world's two largest economies. cleaning up what's left behind. the nuclear industry in the uk faces an existential question. plus with the number of people identifying as vegan dropping dramatically, what's next for the plant—based food industry? good morning, i'm marc ashdown. world leaders are arriving in san francisco for the ongoing summit of the asia pacific economic co—operation, or apec. but all eyes will be on the us presidentjoe biden and his chinese counterpart, xijinping. they are set to meet

for talks on the sidelines.