Crispin blunt is suspended by the Conservative Party after he was arrested in connection with an allegation of rape and possession of controlled substances. Live from our studio in singapore this is bbc news. Its newsday. Welcome to the programme. In the united states, police are hunting a gunman, suspected of a Mass Shooting which has left 18 people dead and 13 injured americas deadliest this year. Several towns in the Northwestern State of maine are in lockdown tonight, as Police Search for robert card, an army reservist, with known Mental Health issues. They say hes armed and dangerous. The shooting happened in a barand Bowling Alley in the city of lewiston. Lets get the latest from our correspondentjohn sudworth. Roads are empty, doors bolted shut. With the urgent manhunt still under way, the shelter in place warning now covers a wide area. The shooting began around 7 00 on wednesday evening, first at a Bowling Alley, then a bar, as once again ordinary, Everyday America is torn apart by a Mass Shooting. Just a normal night of bowling and out of nowhere, he just came in and there was a loud pop. I just went down the lane and i slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up in the machine and was on top of the machine for about ten minutes until the cops got there. Hundreds of officers, including weapons and explosive experts, are involved in the search. The police have released these images of the suspect, ao year old Us Army Reservist robert card, holding what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Based on our investigation, we believe this is someone that should not be approached. Maine is a largely rural state and a place once seen as relatively unscathed by the scourge of gun violence. That sense of security has now been shattered. This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does, no state, no people. No words can truly or. Fully measure the grief of many people today. This shooting will once again put americas gun control laws in the spotlight. The man the police are looking for is reported to have a history of Mental Health issues and of threatening to carry out a shooting. President biden has ordered flags to be flown at half mast in honour of the victims, while once again urging his republican opponents to help ban assault weapons. Amid the grief, us politics seems stuck on repeat. John sudworth, bbc news, maine. Todayis today is a dark day for the state of today is a dark day for the state of maine. Today is a dark day for the state of maine. As today is a dark day for the state of maine. As was today is a dark day for the state of maine. As was said, our hearts are heavy with grief. This heinous attack, which has robbed the lives of at least 18 mainers in injured so many more is the worst Mass Shooting that the state of maine has ever experienced. Today, i looked out my window in washington and i saw that the flags had been lowered and i realised that it had been done to honour the victims of this horrific attack. Im grateful for the leadership of Lewiston Police chief and for the bravery of the hundreds of state, local and federal Law Enforcement officers who are leading the search for the killer. Im also very grateful for all of the hospital employees who came back to work to take care of the victims and for our First Responders whose bravery was so evident. Bravery was so evident. More now from bravery was so evident. More now from our bravery was so evident. More now from our correspondent l bravery was so evident. More l now from our correspondent on what the police have been saying about their search. Its saying about their search. Its been nearly saying about their search. Its been nearly 24 hours since the shooting been nearly 24 hours since the shooting happened here in lewiston. You want to be able to make lewiston. You want to be able to make it lewiston. You want to be able to make it out behind me but im on to make it out behind me but im on the to make it out behind me but im on the road and just further im on the road and just further down is the bar, one of the locations where the Shooting Unfolded Last Night ust Shooting Unfolded Last Night just before 7pm eastern time, it started just before 7pm eastern time, it started off in a Bowling Alley it started off in a Bowling Alley which is about four miles from alley which is about four miles from here. And ever since that shooting. From here. And ever since that shooting, Robert Deckard has been shooting, Robert Deckard has been on shooting, Robert Deckard has been on the run, and people are still searching for him, canada also still searching for him, canada also because maine does border with canada, so the Canadian Border with canada, so the Canadian BorderServices Agency has also issued Border Services agency has also issued an Border Services agency has also issued an alert saying that the suspect issued an alert saying that the suspect is armed and dangerous. There suspect is armed and dangerous. There is suspect is armed and dangerous. There is a suspect is armed and dangerous. There is a lockdown in place. So weve there is a lockdown in place. So weve been driving around. It so weve been driving around. It feels so weve been driving around. It feels a so weve been driving around. It feels a bit during covid where it feels a bit during covid where it it feels a bit during covid where it was really quiet. Businesses are closed, shops are closed. There are some people are closed. There are some people out and about but essentially people have been told to essentially people have been told to stay indoors for their safety told to stay indoors for their safety as told to stay indoors for their safety as the search continues. We wiii safety as the search continues. We will be safety as the search continues. We will be keeping a close eye on develop and stand get you updates as and when they do come in. Switching focus now to the conflict in the middle east. The israeli army carried out its biggest incursion so far into gaza on wednesday night. It was not the start of a Land Invasion instead, israel said the raid was preparation for the next stages of combat against hamas, designated as a Terrorist Organisation by the uk government. It killed 1400 people in attacks in israel earlier this month. Hamas has said that almost 50 of the hostages it took when it launched the attacks have been killed during the israeli air strikes on gaza, although there is no independent verification of this claim. These are pictures showing the extent of destruction in the gaza strip. As you can see, entire blocks of buildings have been destroyed. And these Satellite Images from maxar show the area before october seven. Gives you a sense of the comparison. And this is after you can see the extent of the damage. The Israeli Military released this video, showing tanks and armoured bulldozers, crossing the perimeter fence. An Israeli Defense force spokesman told the bbc that soldiers carried out the tactical raid towards central gaza to prepare the battlefield for future operations. We begin with this report from our international editorjeremy bowen. For hours, we could hear the explosions around ten kilometres away in israel. It was the biggest israeli raid into the gaza strip so far in this war. The army released this video, it said of the battlefield being prepared, presumably for the invasion of gaza that the government says is coming. The soldiers pulled back into israel sometime before dawn. In khan younis in southern gaza, more raids and death in a place where israel told palestinians to go to be safe. We want to live beautiful lives, said this girl, not have rockets hitting our heads. The building fell on our heads. The un says nowhere is safe in gaza and the siege violates the laws of war. Israel has killed thousands of palestinian civilians. Just a few miles away in israel, Sally Partrush lives in one of the Communities Hamas attacked. This is me, this is one of my friends, gil, and he was murdered. Im all the time thinking how they. What they did to them, how they suffered. With so much loss, whole families, she is furious that israels response has been questioned. This time we realise that, after that, its us or them. If it is, as you say, us or them, is it ok to ignore International Humanitarian law . Im tired of it, of what the law, the International Law said. The International Law didnt prevent these murders, these brutal murders. Where was the world . People were happy about it. Along the gaza border, civilian volunteers are bringing home comforts to the troops. The soldiers commanders say theyre ready and that its a waiting game until the War Cabinet Orders them into gaza. The men i spoke to are certain that israels actions since hamas attacked were legal, morallyjustified and vital for the security of their families. Most of the soldiers here were reservists, called out of civilian life. You said youre a social worker. Yes. You must deal with people with trauma. How long will it take israelis to process this national trauma, if ever . Generations. I think something is broken here. We want to protect. We dont want to fight. We dont want to kill. But if we need to do it, so here we are, here we are. Do you want to side with people like you . We are the same, we have the same values of freedom, womens rights, lgbtq rights. Ahead is complex urban warfare. When might depend on the success or failure of talks to free the hostages. Israelis get behind their soldiers, especially at times like this. Almost everybody has been in the military or has a son or a daughter in uniform. Its a different thing when it comes to politicians. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes carefully choreographed appearances, but he avoids his Many Political enemies who say he left israel vulnerable to hamas. Israelis, though, are united in their fight against hamas, but their country faces big challenges, and their leader is under crushing pressure. Jeremy bowen, bbc news, in southern israel. The israeli and Palestinian Ambassadors to the United Nations have made passionate speeches at an Emergency Session of the un General Assembly, vividly describing what their people have gone through in almost three weeks of war. First to speak was Riyad Mansour the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations. Let me address all those who have been these past few days explain why one should not call for a cease fire. How can representatives of states explain how horrible it is that it is that 1,000 israelis were killed and not feel the same outrage when 1,000 palestinians are now killed every day . The israeli ambassador gilad erdan spoke next heres some of what he said. Oui our goal is to completely eradicate hamass capabilities, and we eradicate hamass capabilities, and we will use every minute at our disposal to accomplish this, our disposal to accomplish this, not our disposal to accomplish this, not for revenge, no, not for retaliation, no. But to ensure for retaliation, no. But to ensure that such depravity, such ensure that such depravity, such atrocities never occur again heres more from our correspondent nada tawfik. More than 100 countries are yet to speak, but weve been hearing already from arab delegations and israel on their views on this resolution which has largely humanitarian, calling for a ceasefire, calling for Unhindered Aid Access and the protection of civilians. We first heard from the Palestinian Ambassador, who asks why there wasnt more urgency to act to stop the killing in gaza, and thejordanian foreign minister who spoke on behalf of 22 arab nations, saying the collective punishment was not self defence, that it was a war crime, and he echoed many of the Palestinian Ambassador� s comments, saying that israel had made gaza a perpetual hell on earth. We had from israel because my ambassador to the un who said a Resolution Calling for a ceasefire was not calling for peace. It was time israels hands from eliminating a threat to its citizens. So sharp accusations flying back and forth, reeta. A un diplomat has told the bbc that unless there is a direct condemnation of hamas in this draft that us, some european nations and canada will find it difficult to support, but it will likely pass with a large majority of the General Assembly, which has a very different Power Balance than the security council, and where no countries hold a veto. And that, reeta, is going to come in the next few days. That will certainly send a signal about the weight of world opinion. But whether it has any impact on the ground is something entirely different. Those resolutions in the General Assembly are not legally binding and therefore unlikely to make israel change course. There allowing for the leaders of the European UnionsMember States have called for humanitarian corridors and pauses to allow aid into gaza. In a Statement Issued after hours of talks in brussels they expressed their gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in gaza. While eu leaders have strongly condemned hamas attack theyve struggled to come to a consensus over the israel gaza war. Earlier i spoke with aaron david miller, a seniorfellow at the Carnegie Endowment for international peace, think tank. Hes also a former Us State Department official and adviser on arab israeli negotiations to both republican and democratic administrations. I asked him whether the stepping up of diplomatic efforts from is going to have an impact on how israel goes ahead. I think what is going to affect israeli Decision Making are several constraints. The most important of which is their own indecision now with respect to the ambitious of their objectives. Israeli officials for weeks now have been talking about ending hamass existence in gaza, ensuring that it is no longer sovereign there. With no capacity to govern. The task at hand is a brutal and bloodied one, so its the nature of the objective and then there is ambivalence, i think, objective and then there is ambivalence, ithink, and i think theres been an evolving us position with respect to this great support from a very pro israeli american president , but the americans have been asking very tough questions. They are also adding the issue of hostages. Theyve bought time and space from the israelis to allow negotiations, probably with qatar and egypt, to see whether or not they can get large numbers of hostages released. So i think several factors are conspiring now to clearly delay the operation. Their question is have the americans convinced the israelis that there is a more effective plan b. That to me is the most interesting question of all. ~ ,. The most interesting question ofall. ~ ,. , the most interesting question ofall. ~ , , of all. Writes, israel has said that their of all. Writes, israel has said that their aim of all. Writes, israel has said that their aim is of all. Writes, israel has said that their aim is to of all. Writes, israel has said that their aim is to destroy. That their aim is to destroy hamas and its infrastructure, where are we with those objectives as you absent that make outlined some of them in your opening remarks. We come to three weeks of the war. Are you seeing in terms of progress . You seeing in terms of rouress . ,. , you seeing in terms of rouress . ,. ,. , progress . Israelis in their air strikes probably progress . Israelis in their air strikes probably killed strikes probably killed mid level maybe one senior level hamas commander. It clearly flattened and devastated much of gaza city in an effort to make it easier for their troops to operate there, should there be a massive Ground Campaign with tanks and thousands of israeli soldiers. But i think the issue, frankly, for hamas is much less complicated for the israelis. A hamas has to do is survive this. All hamas has to do when the fighting is over is to demonstrate that it frankly still operates in gaza, and thatis still operates in gaza, and that is the dilemma the israelis have created for themselves. Vicious objectives which may now have to be rethought. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets get you some ne