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lifeline for several asian countries can be saved. ♪ hello and welcome to world news america. israeli defense forces say they have found the body of a hostage in the gaza strip. yehudit weiss was one of the people abducted by hamas during attacks on october 7, taken from her home near the border between israeli and gaza. weiss was a 65-year-old cancer patient whose husband was murdered by hamas in the october 7 attacks. she was reportedly found in a building adjacent to the al-shifa hospital. israeli forces have been carrying out what they call targeted activity within the hospital. telecom firms say phone and

internet services are not working due to a lack of fuel and says all fuel supporting their generators has run out. earlier i spoke to the bbc's nick beak. nick, thanks so much for joining us. we have reports from the i.d.f. that they've discovered the body of a female hostage weiss near the israeli hospital. >> yes, they're trying to retrieve the hostages and as part of this they say this evening at the al-shifa hospital they've recovered the body of judith weiss, the 65-year-old. we're told her body was found in a structure near the al-shifa hospital. she's been identified. her family have been told and

the israelis say that their operations at al-shifa continue but they're saying tonight that the hostage body has been found. >> israel has also been given an update on the military operation in and around the hospital. what can you tell us about that? >> it's really difficult to independently verify what's been going on today. the israelis have said they've been carrying out a discreet operation at al-shifa, the military hospital in gaza, moving from one ward to another ward. another painted a different picture. hex israeli shooters were shooting everywhere, that bulldozers had been brought in, that one wall of a building had been partially destroyed and also the head doctor at the al-shifa hospital said they had no oxygen, really struggling for power and they still had about

500 patients there. he said people were cryingut for aid and to be able to leave. >> across gaza all the while, the humanitarian crisis is very much widespread. what's the latest in terms of the communication problems? >> it's been really difficult communicating today. for example, we're trying to get through three doctors we've been speaking to in the last few days at the al-shifa hospital. we haven't been able to do that today. that could well be an isolated case but probably a widespread problem at the total because the two main telecom companies who operate in gaza have said they've basically run out of fuel so they're not able to power their general raters. this is something of real concern for people in gaza and the people that monitor tell come -- telecom use say it's

dropped off a cliff. so really difficult to communicate from outside and for people in gaza with each other. >> thank you so much for joining us. the head of gaza's largest hospital, al-shifa, says israeli soldiers are still inside and that the hospital has run out of water and oxygen for the more than 600 patients treated there. israel has allowed the bbc to go inside the hospital as it comes under growing pressure to prove that hamas has a major command center underneither the hospital. israel's troops first entered the hospital earlier this week and one witness told the bbc soldiers are everywhere shooting in all directionings. our middle east correspondent lucy williamson was taken to the hospital by israeli defense forces and she sent this report. >> we're inside the gaza strip

with the israeli army. they're taking us to gaza city and to the al-shifa hospital, which over the last few days of intense fighting has emerged as the epicenter of this conflict. tonight they're offering us a first glimpse of what they found inside. growing pressure over the humanitarian cost of the military operation. driving into gaza city now, it's clear what it took to take control of this area. whole neighborhoods have been completely shattered. columns of tanks moving through the streets here. the area around shifa is still very tension. we're taken into the hospital in darkness, using a light-sensitive camera to film. we have our lights off so it's quite hard to see. they used bulldozers to punch

through here. still being told to keep our lights off. >> inside the hospital, we're shepherded straight to the m.r.i. department by israeli special forces. we're not allowed to talk to any doctors here. they've described the situation as catastrophic. now in control of the hospital, israel is under pressure to prove hamas is there. >> the standard issue that hamas uses, located here. we have been searching for underground infrastructure, tunnels, etc., have not found one yet here but we are searching the entire perimeter and immediate surroundings. >> favor looking for evidence of this being a hamas base, a place where hamas planned attacks and they say that among the things they've uncovered are grenades, personal protective equipment,

some of it with the hamas mill tommy brigade insignia. you can see them hidden here. >> the army also showed us laptops they say caned recent files on the hostages and evidence hamas had been at the hospital within weeks or days. it seems event at this point neither hamas nor hostages are here in any number. >> i think had we taken them completely by surprise. we would have seen mountains of evidence of hamasa abuse at the hospital. >> tonight a hamas leader in lebanon denied the weapons found in al-shifa belonged to the group. the battle for al-shifa hospital is now the eye of israel's military offensive and gaza's human crisis. "bbc news," gagsa.

>> you can go to our live page at bbc.com/news when you can find the latest headlines and updates and all of the news from israel and gaza. also social media at "bbc news" on the virus platforms. china and the united states say they've made progress after their first in-person meeting in more than a year. president xi and president biden met on the sidelines at the economic forum this week. 29 asia pacific countries have met annually to discuss trade across the region. the u.s. is hosting this year's forum in san francisco. xi jinping described china's relationship with the u.s. as the most important in the world bu tensions remain between the two with president biden saying

on wednesday that he still considers xi a dictator. at the summit on thursday, president biden told business leaders where the u.s. relationship with china stands. >> our relationship has always been candid and constructive. i again emphasized with president xi that the quiet does not seek contact and yesterday we called for communication channels. >> we can go to san francisco and speak to my colleague. talk us through what's been happening at the summit there today. >> we saw that big speech from president biden to apec delegates, mostly c.e.o.'s in the room. delivering a message of economic strength but again talking aut that meeting with perspective xi jinping of hein china on wednesday saying that it was a

constructive conversation but it wasn't kumbaya, has he put pit. there were differences but they were able to agree on some things like artificial intelligence, fentanyl, for example. he reiterated the message that he believes a steebable relationship between the world's two biggest economies is necessary and good for everybody, including business. he's received some criticism here in the u.s., of course, for not selling his message of economics plan very well. he said the u.s. economy is performing very well but that he understands that not everyone may be feeling good about their place in it. that might have been a particularly domestic message. >> beyond the u.s.-china relationship, what's been happeng at the summit there? >> we have seen delegations from around the world meeting here from all of the apec economies,

looking for ways to advance trade and their gentle on a number of topics, including the u.s. delegation. secretary of state blinken has been meeting with various countries. kunce like the philippines, japan, and south korea. this is about strengthen relationships politically and economically. this is seen as very important for the u.s.'s own economic success. we'll see how much that u.s.-china relatnship and the tension between those kunce might continue to affect the region and where those agreements go, and we'll see if those are actual implemented. >> there were no great expectations about tangible outcomes from this meeting but what are the takeaways? >> i think the biggest is that

the u.s. and china were able to sit down a the table, able to talk about the fact that they didn't have lines of communication and that other economies from around the world were looking at this and seeing a positive sign. the fact that these two leaders were able to establish a baseline of communication. at a time when for elections in taiwan coming up, elections in the u.s. coming up. likely those topics could flare again. the fact they were able to talk about these issues is seen by everyone here we've spoken to, important going forward. >> thank you very much for that. well, a little earlier i spoke to u.s. congressman about the significance of that xi-biden meeting. congressman, thanks for joining us on "bbc news." president xi and president biden

have been speaking about u.s.-china competition not veering into conflict. president biden saying it's not all kumbaya but it is straight edward. do you think relations will have improved following this meeting? >> i think they're on the path to stabilizing and i think that's the most we could hope for right now. the expectations for this meeting were pretty low. so long as there's no spy balloon traversing the united states apology this meeting, i think we'll have exceeded expectations at this moment. >> was it surprising to you that president biden spoke about president xi as a dictator? >> no, it's true. we want to have these type of

dialogues continue. i was happy to see the military to military communications channel opening as well as steps to cooperate closer on reducing fentanyl shipments into mexico and the u.s. >> in relationship is not just high-level international relations. it does have the potential to impact people's everyday lives as much as that deal. how impactful do you think that will be? >> we'll have to see. cheryl xi jinping in the past -- cheryl xi jinping in the past has said various things. they didn't alway follow-through on what he said. actions speed louder than words so we need to see a reduction in the shipment of chemicals necessary of creating fentanyl piles that are killing our country in one year, 77,000 americans died of synthetic open

pridie overdoses, mostly fentanyl. so this is of great concern to my constituents and all americans. >> what do you think trust levels are like between the two leaders now? >> it's a good question. i think trust comes when you have actions following words or action matching words. we need to see some confidence-building actions that keep up with the talk that was occurring yesterday. i did like the fact that xi jinping was pandering, so to speak in saying he was drink -- going to send more pandas to the quiet. but we need to see military to military channels open. action on fend nil and i would -- fentanyl and i would like to see action on two other

subjects that didn't get reported on. actions on human rights abusings. and also less economic aggression in the form of the incessant cyberhas beening -- hacking. intellectual property theft, spying and so forth. >> the other thing that was reported on is cooperation relating to climate change. what did you make of that? >> again, i'm hopeful. one of the different climate packets that the chinese haven't signed on to quiet yet is the meth that i know reduction pact. if they sign on to that, that will be a good step towards the summit coming up here shortly. i want to see them take greater steps to lower the use of coal fired power plants. unfortunately they are expanding

and making more of them and that greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. >> thank you so much for joining us on "bbc news." >> thank you so much. >> the former british prime minister david cameron visited ukraine, his first as the u.k. foreign secretary. while there he met with you crane's president zelensky. he was appointed earl earlier ts week by the prime minister. he promised to provide military support for, as he said, however long it takes. the u.k. has provided ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid. the bbc's ukraine correspondent is in kyiv with more on lord cameron's visit. >> this was a surprise meeting. david cameron told president zelensky he wanted ukraine to be his first official visit and these are friendly soils, shall

we say, for a british minister. why? the u.k. is see as one of ukraine's staunches alleys and notably the former prime minister burials johnson, who was in -- boris johnson was in -- who was in charge during the russian invasion and supplied endless military aid to ukraine and i think that was why he referenced his successor boris johnson by saying we disagreed on many things but i think the support for ukraine he oversaw was one of the finest things he and his cabinet did. when cameron was prime minister, that was in 2014 when russia embarked on this campaign of aggression against ukraine and the u.k. and other western alleys chose to instead impose sanctions on russia. to condemn the actions of excite when he annexed crimea.

i wonder what he thinks now as the country continues to be on the end of a full-scale inv invasion. nevertheless, it was a warm meeting. mr. ram ron blum belly flew into poland. no press conference so we weren't able to askhem in any questions but i think what president zelensky would have been listening out was the word continuation, which he got. continuing support from the u.k. in terms of moral, economic and above all, he said military support, which ex the u.k. will continue to provide. which will be some crumbs of comfortor ukraine on it bean issue of continued support among some alleys. >> let's -- allies. >> in illinois at least 38 were reportedly injured only thursday when a chicago train hit a

snowplow on the track. 23 were taken to the hospital. seven were employees. an investigation is now un underway. rescue teams are optimistic on the fifth day of searching through rubble for trapped construction workers. a land slide crushed the partially built roadway they were working on sunday. there are fears that the me congress river in asia, which has one of the richest eke other systems in earth is in crisis. it sustains more than 60 million levers. it's undergoing an yawn slate of draining and l.s.u. other effects. there have been a decline of fish stock by 60%.

our correspondent is asking many if the mighty river can live. >> a river once renowned for an abundance of fish but in recent years he and others like him have been acting where are they? >> these past few years there's less and resident water and fewer and few fish. now we have children and every morning i need around $5 to get them to school and these days, nephew income. it's taken four or five days and that's all i get. i have no fish to sell. >> since the 19 90's, some have eyed the mekong as a potentially

powerful energy scours so. china has built 11 dams and dozens more are planned. >> rainfall that typically would fall during the wet season is much lower than normal but at the same time upstream dams are restricting water during that wet season. it's changing the way that the river throws, much for the worse. >> studies suggest river newt rents and fish are now struggling to make it downstream and when they do, they're struggling to survive. elsewhere, the river has other gifts to give. sand, 60 million tons of sand is dredged from the mekong each year to help construct developing southeast asian cities. the equivalent of 950 olympic sized swimming pools.

25-year-old -- was jailed for more than a year for organizing protections to protect the river. >> when i see this, it makes me worry about the mekong's fate and its impact on the cap boldian people as a whole. >> the cap bodian government has long been accused of profiting from plundering the country's natural resources, which it denies. but cam bolda is not alone in its insatiable desire for sand. it is the world's most meanwhiled mineral. the problem here is they are dredging at an already fridge illico system that scientists fear is on the verge of clams. there's a call now for governments in the region to work together. the fuel of the mighty mekong has not yet been stilled but its

existence depends on the willingness of the people its supports and how far they're willing to go to defend it. >> thas it from us for the moment. you can keep up to date on bbc.com/news. thank you for watching world news america. thank you for watching. do take care. bye-bye now. ♪ narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪

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made for streaming. ♪ amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. geoff bennet is away. on the "newshour" tonight -- israeli forces continue to advance and search a major hospital in gaza, and calls for a ceasefire intensify in the united states. we speak to secretary of state antony blinken. >> we are determined to everything we can to ensure that israel does everything it can to minimize harm to men, women, and children, innocent men, women, and children. amna: election workers face threats of violence, amid