for israeli hostages. presidentjoe biden had said a pause in fighting could begin as soon as monday. the talks will try to reach a ceasefire agreement that can be implemented before the start of ramadan, on the 10th of march. the draft framework would include a 40—day pause in all military operations. reports suggest 400 palestinian prisoners which israel says are serving sentences for �*terror—related crimes�* could be exchanged for forty female and elderly israeli hostages. under the proposed ceasefire, hospitals in gaza would be repaired, while 500 aid trucks would enter gaza each day. but the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has vowed to go ahead with an assault on gaza's southernmost city, rafah, regardless of any agreement. 0ur middle east correspondent yolande knell sent the latest from jerusalem. the scramble to survive. hungry crowds gathering on the beachfront in gaza city after hearing aid lorries were heading there, loaded with flour. translation: there is no food for my children, no bread, - we have been eating leaves of trees, eating the food of this donkey. my leg is broken and i still came forflour. after nearly six months of a brutal war, gazans fear the world has forgotten them. translation: look at us - through the eyes of mercy, people. for the sake of islam, show the starvation. they are carrying a martyr on a donkey cart. we don't have value any more. we don't have any value. nobody is looking at us. but international negotiators are pushing for at least a pause in the fighting. 0n the campaign trail, in the jarring setting of an ice cream parlour, president biden was upbeat when asked when a new ceasefire in gaza might come. well, i hope by the beginning of the weekend. i mean, the end of the weekend. my national security adviser tells me we are close. we're close. it's not done yet. my hope is by next monday we will have a ceasefire. 0n the ground, though, the war rages on. israel's military releasing pictures of some of its latest strikes against hamas. since the deadly october 7th attacks, it said its aim is to destroy the islamist group. today, qatar, a key mediator with hamas, says there has been no breakthrough yet in talks on a new ceasefire deal that would see israeli hostages being released. the main sticking point is that israel will only agree to a truce, while hamas is demanding a complete end to the war. now, as the humanitarian crisis worsens, jordan is resorting to airdrops over gaza. this was its biggest so far, including some british aid. experts say more effective deliveries are desperately needed to reach some 2 million people. but that will require fighting to stop. i spoke earlier with behnam ben taleblu earlier, we spoke to our diplomatic correspondent on the possibility of a ceasefire deal. lintiii correspondent on the possibility of a ceasefire deal.— a ceasefire deal. until that deal is done, a ceasefire deal. until that deal is done. anything — a ceasefire deal. until that deal is done, anything and _ a ceasefire deal. until that deal is done, anything and everything - a ceasefire deal. until that deal is| done, anything and everything can change. clearly, judging byjoe biden�*s comments yesterday, there is a feeling in washington that this is something that is doable and it is clear thatjoe biden wants this in place before the beginning of ramadan, which is in about ten days' time. so he is definitely trying to apply pressure to make this happen, to force people into doing this deal. that does not mean that it has all been sorted out. because clearly there are many, many differences that have to be resolved. and i would highlightjust a couple. 0ne would highlightjust a couple. one is that hamas want to see all gazans displaced from the northern part of the gaza strip, from gaza city, allowed to return during the ceasefire. israel has yet to commit to that because israel is still conducting military activities and wants to be able to conduct military activities in the future, throughout the gaza strip. so that's one problem. the other, which is a major sticking point, is the ratio between the number is israeli hostages released, there are 134 being held in gaza, and the number of palestinian prisoners released from israeli jails in return. and who those prisoners are, to what extent are they guilty of terrorist offences, as the israeli government would see it? so all of those things are still being negotiated. the other thing, are still being negotiated. the otherthing, i are still being negotiated. the other thing, i think, are still being negotiated. the otherthing, ithink, to are still being negotiated. the other thing, i think, to remember is that while for israel, clearly the top priority of any ceasefire is to get the hostages out, for hamas, it's about ending the war once and for all. and that, israel so far has not indicated it is willing to do. paul adams reporting from jerusalem. today on the bbc we have special coverage taking a look at the life of gazans as the war nears the five month mark. we have a special live page on the bbc news website as people in gaza share with us how their lives have changed. you can find that, of course, on the bbc website or you can go to the bbc news app. and our population correspondence stephanie hegarty is following the story from the newsroom. following the story from the newsroom-— following the story from the newsroom. ~ . , ., ., newsroom. we had been following --eole newsroom. we had been following peeple from _ newsroom. we had been following pe0ple from all— newsroom. we had been following people from all over _ newsroom. we had been following people from all over gaza, - newsroom. we had been following| people from all over gaza, medics, newsroom. we had been following i people from all over gaza, medics, a tech engineer, and this man was displaced after having to leave the north of gaza, he called us from a busy market, like this one in ruffell, where he is finding, as are all of our contributors, that prices are astronomical. —— this market in rafah. here's an example of how prices have increased since the beginning of the war. frozen meat up 175%, x 567%, and sugar almost 2000% more than it was before the war. he was trying to buy something different because his family have been eating the same canned food, tuna, vegetables, chickpeas, for almost five months now, so he was trying to buy some frozen chicken today but couldn't get it, it was too expensive. lots of the people we are in touch with were struggling were having issues with phone lines and internet connection, but we did hearfrom this mother of and internet connection, but we did hear from this mother of two, and internet connection, but we did hearfrom this mother of two, and nurse. she is in the centre of gaza, and they had a very difficult night last night. there was a lot of bonding, and she struggles to keep her two young children distracted and entertained as the bombing is going on. —— there is a lot of bombing. she sent us this picture from two days before the war. she also lost her mother and sister, they were killed in november, so she has to do a lot of this on her own. this is a picture she sent of the bags the family have packed in case they have to flee in a hurry. you can keep up with her story as well as lots of others that we are hearing from all over the gaza strip on our live page. the german chancellor 0laf scholz has ruled out deploying european or nato ground troops in ukraine a day after the french president emmanuel macron said the idea couldn't be ruled out. mr scholz said there'd been no change to the agreed position that no european country or nato member state would send soldiers to ukraine. that position�*s been echoed by a number of individual european states — including hungary, spain and the uk. and the kremlin has warned this action would �*not be in the interests' of the west. i've been speaking to our correspondentjess parker. yes, so elections, the german chancellor, i think seemed quite eager to comment on this today, —— 0laf scholz, the german chancellor. he talked to reporters and also sent out a tweet, even in english, to say that no troops from europe or nato would be going to ukraine, and that's the established position. but it's one that emmanuel macron made remarks on last night that has raised eyebrows, and actually cause, i'd say, some alarm here in germany, it's certainly prominent in the news bulletins. he's been meeting with other eu leaders talking about support for ukraine, which of course principally focuses, from an eu perspective, on economic support, but also nations provide military aid as well. in fact, german is the one that provides most military aid in europe, and emmanuel macron weather, started talking about the possibility of sending trips to ukraine, let's listen to his comments. is no comments. translation: is no consensus _ comments. translation: is no consensus send _ comments. translation: is no consensus send ground - comments. translation: is no consensus send ground troops i comments. translation: is no| consensus send ground troops in comments. translation: is no . consensus send ground troops in an official, _ consensus send ground troops in an official, endorsed and sanctioned manner, — official, endorsed and sanctioned manner, but in dynamic terms nothing should _ manner, but in dynamic terms nothing should he _ manner, but in dynamic terms nothing should be ruled out. we will do whatever— should be ruled out. we will do whatever it takes to ensure that russia _ whatever it takes to ensure that russia cannot win this war. so he is saying _ russia cannot win this war. so he is saying he _ russia cannot win this war. so he is saying he could not rule it russia cannot win this war. so he is saying he could not rule i- saying he could not rule it out,, it isn't a french _ saying he could not rule it out,, it isn't a french proposal _ saying he could not rule it out,, it isn't a french proposal of - saying he could not rule it out,, it isn't a french proposal of any - isn't a french proposal of any sorts. but as you were reflecting there, it isn'tjust 0laf scholz who's been quick to say it won't happen. there have also been comments from madrid to that effect, from italy as well, from hungary, though that would not be a surprise, given prime minister viktor 0rban's prior positions on the war in ukraine and the russian invasion of ukraine. it is a slightly unfortunate mismatch in terms of communication, particularly between france and germany, europe segre two biggest powers, i do sense a bit of irritation here in berlin that emmanuel macron has made those remarks because as i mentioned before, germany's ukraine's biggest backer, behind the united states, france lags behind that, so one diplomat i was speaking to earlier felt that emmanuel macron was talking tough without actually supplying as many weapons as countries like germany, was grandstanding. we countries like germany, was grandstanding.— countries like germany, was curandstandin. ~ ., ~ countries like germany, was curandstandin. ~ . ~ ., grandstanding. we were marking that second anniversary _ grandstanding. we were marking that second anniversary of _ grandstanding. we were marking that second anniversary of russia's - second anniversary of russia's invasion, zelensky says he still needs more military hardware to continue ukraine's fight? certainly. and of course _ continue ukraine's fight? certainly. and of course there _ continue ukraine's fight? certainly. and of course there is _ continue ukraine's fight? certainly. and of course there is debate - continue ukraine's fight? certainly. j and of course there is debate going on in europe at the moment, or discussion, about what europe needs to do to ramp up arms manufacturing, notjust for ukraine but of course there is pressure on nato countries, members of the military alliance, to reach that 2% of spending gdp target, if they haven't already. actually, here in germany, they are set to reach that this year for the first time since the 1990s. so germany has been on quite a journey in that regard. and a lot of people, of course, looking to the us elections later this year. there nursing nursing, frankly, about a potential frump re—election —— nursing nursing, frankly, about a potentialfrump re—election —— there are nerves in europe about what that could mean for the nato military alliance, but i spoke to the boss of germany's biggest arms manufacturer here who said it would take about ten years for europe to probably be able to defend itself and to providing support in terms of military aid, so a wide recognition by many european leaders that more needs to be done but there's more to go. needs to be done but there's more to .o_ ., ~' needs to be done but there's more to to. ., " needs to be done but there's more to co. . ~ i. ., needs to be done but there's more to the prince of wales, prince william, has cancelled an official engagement — because of a "personal matter". he was due to be at a memorial service for his godfather, the late king constantine of greece at windsor castle. earlier i spoke to the bbc�*s royal correspondent sean coughlan, who had the latest. the service went ahead, but without prince william, it would have been a surprise, he was due to be a central figure in the service, he was due to do everything in his name was still in the order of service, but as you mentioned, at very short notice we heard that because of a personal matter he was not going to be able to make it. we don't know, really, what personal matter stopped him coming along, what that actually means. but we know that the noise, the mood music from the palace is reassuring and they have said that there is no cause for alarm and this is not a matter of undue concern. they also said that his wife, the princess of wales, is continuing to do well. she is recovering after abdominal surgery which took place earlier this year. but i think because there had been so many royal health stories and worries about royal health, with the king's cancer foremost in mind, that people are rather sensitive to this. but his absence so far has been described by the palace is something that should not be a cause of undue concern. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's ta ke let's take a look at some other stories making the news. the covered don't like cough inquiry has resumed command will focus on the welsh government —— the covid inquiry has resumed. the uk government is considering a tax on vaping electric�*s budget. the treasury believes it could raise £500 million per year. yeah attacks on vaping in next week's budget. last month ministers announced plans to ban disposable vapes. the owners of a pub which was known as the one kissed in britain before it was destroyed by fire and damnation have been ordered to rebuild it in its originalform —— the wonkies in britain. 18th century pub was a popular attraction with visitors who came to see the distinctively including. —— distinctively including. —— distinctive leaning building. you're live with bbc news. the former chief of the post office, henry staunton, said he is a victim of a smear henry staunton, said he is a victim ofa smear campaign. henry staunton, said he is a victim of a smear campaign. he said he thought moore could be done to speed up thought moore could be done to speed up compensation to subpostmasters who had been wrongly prosecuted after their computer system made it look as though money was missing from their branches when it wasn't. here is some of what mr staunton had to say. here is some of what mr staunton had to sa . ~ ., here is some of what mr staunton had tosa . . here is some of what mr staunton had tosa. . ., , to say. what happened to these poor postmasters — to say. what happened to these poor postmasters and _ to say. what happened to these poor postmasters and their _ to say. what happened to these poor postmasters and their families - to say. what happened to these poor postmasters and their families is - to say. what happened to these poor postmasters and their families is a l postmasters and their families is a tragedy and scandal. they have been failed time and again by a whole host of british institutions who were supposed to be there to protect the citizen and ensure fair play. we all know that dots like we all know that there was an action all round by thejudicial system, that there was an action all round by the judicial system, the government, whitehall and particularly inside the post office, until the itv drama mr bates vs the post office and there was a rocket then put under things. the secretary of state, senior civil service and post office officials are asking us to believe that everything was going swimmingly all along, when it's damn well wasn't. , ,, ., ., , , .,~ well wasn't. henry staunton speaking there. that hearing _ well wasn't. henry staunton speaking there. that hearing also _ well wasn't. henry staunton speaking there. that hearing also heard - well wasn't. henry staunton speaking there. that hearing also heard from l there. that hearing also heard from three former subpostmasters, including alan bates, who is the founder of the justice for subpostmasters alliance group and was the focus of that itv series, mr bates vs the post office. mr bates pushed the government to speed up compensation at not enough progress has been made. we compensation at not enough progress has been made-— compensation at not enough progress has been made. we keep coming back to this time after _ has been made. we keep coming back to this time after time _ has been made. we keep coming back to this time after time after _ has been made. we keep coming back to this time after time after time. - to this time after time after time. pay people. there's a lot of distractions, a lot of other things brought— distractions, a lot of other things brought up and thrown up over time, but brought up and thrown up over time, hutiust_ brought up and thrown up over time, hutiust get— brought up and thrown up over time, butjust get on brought up and thrown up over time, but just get on and pay people. everyone — but just get on and pay people. everyone keeps referring to the scheme, — everyone keeps referring to the scheme, understandably, as a compensation scheme, but it's not, it is financial — compensation scheme, but it's not, it is financial redress. this is money— it is financial redress. this is money these people are actually owed, _ money these people are actually owed, and they have been owed it for years _ owed, and they have been owed it for years. compensation sounds like it's something. — years. compensation sounds like it's something, a benefit at the whim of government and all the rest of it. let's _ government and all the rest of it. let's get — government and all the rest of it. let's get it— government and all the rest of it. let's get it right and really push forward — let's get it right and really push forward on that aspect of it. our business forward on that aspect of it. oi" business correspondent was watching mr staunton's evident�*s. irate business correspondent was watching mr staunton's evident's._ mr staunton's evident's. we have heard some _ mr staunton's evident's. we have heard some truly _ mr staunton's evident's. we have heard some truly remarkable - heard some truly remarkable testimony from henry staunton today, so extraordinary that at times the mps questioning him were almost lost for words. mps questioning him were almost lost forwords. but mps questioning him were almost lost for words. but the most remarkable thing that he said was in respect of an investigation that had been carried out into him personally, and he said, well, the investigation actually amounted to about four lines in an 80 page dossier compiled by the head of hr as part of a complaint against the chief executive, nick read, and he said that this dossier and the process of dealing with it was taking a serious toll on nick read and was affecting his, in henry staunton's bar's, emotional and mental health, and that he had tried to look at a way of narrowing down this focus and looking at the keatings and it as a way of lightening that load, and he said this was what was being described as an attempt to suppress a whistle—blowing investigation. he said that for times nick read told him he was considering resigning, both of the dossier himself and of how much he was paid —— four times. an hour earlier nick read was asked if he had considered resigning, he looked taken aback and said no. 0ne looked taken aback and said no. one of the mps listening said, it sounds like the post office is a complete and utter shambles, and henry staunton did not disagree with that. and they asked, maybe it is time for the post office to be moved away from its ownership by the government to a different model, and henry staunton said yes, he supported the demutualisation model. but on the whole, he said this should be all about the postmasters, they are the ones who have really suffered in this, and this is meant to be a hearing into the compensation, but this is a huge so some extraordinary and took things in a total unexpected direction. the and took things in a total unexpected direction. the bbc has issued an apology _ unexpected direction. the bbc has issued an apology for _ unexpected direction. the bbc has issued an apology for the - unexpected direction. the bbc has issued an apology for the way - unexpected direction. the bbc has issued an apology for the way it. issued an apology for the way it handled a complaint about news presenter hugh edwards. ——about the news presenter huw edwards. allegations about his behaviour were made in may 2023, but did not reach senior managers untiljuly. the bbc says the complaint was not escalated quickly enough and it has now changed its processes. one of russia's best—known human rights campaigners, 0leg 0rlov, has beenjailed for two—and—a—half years by a court in moscow. mr 0rlov, who is seventy, was found guilty of repeatedly discrediting the russian army. he was initially fined at a trial last year, but prosecutors demanded a stiffer penalty. mr 0rlov played a leading role in the nobel prize—winning group, memorial, which was shut down by the russian authorities. two years ago, he complained in a newspaper article that president vladmir putin had led the country into fascism. 0ur russia editor steve rosenberg sent this report. the mood is sombre, i have to say, some of his supporters are still milling about. a short while ago he was found guilty of repeatedly discrediting the russian armed forces through some of his public criticism of the war in ukraine. he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. at the that would make that moment, court officials handcuffed him, put him into the cage that was a dog in that room, and he was let out into the corridor by the police. and as you mention, and the last year he was on trial for the same charges, he was convicted then, but a slightly different result, he was fined and he walked free. had complained. they thought that was too lenient. —— prosecutors had complained. a retrial was ordered which has this result, he is now going to prison. yesterday in court, he gave a closing statement and said he gave a closing statement and said he regretted nothing, he didn't regret what he had written, what he had said. and he said that russia was... was falling deeper and deeper into darkness. he painted a very bleak picture of what was happening here and the crackdown on dissent. he knew, i think, that this retrial would end with him going to prison. the question was the length of the prison sentence. prosecutors had demanded yesterday two years and 11 months, when the judge announced the sentence to it was two years and six months. a fugitive member of germany's far—left red army faction has been arrested in berlin. daniela klette had evaded arrest for more than thirty years. she is wanted for armed robbey and attempted murder. the anti—capitalist group — also known as the baader—meinhof gang — is accused of more than thirty murders committed between the 1970s and early 1990s. 0ur berlin correspondent, damien mcguinness sent this report. this is 65—year—old daniela klette, and she is part of what is often called abroad the baader—meinhof gang, former radical left wing militants that terrorised germany really throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties. and she's dubbed here in germany, part of a group of the baader—meinhof pensioners, because for decades now german police have been looking for her. she's been on the run, she's been living underground with two other thought accomplices. and she's managed to fund her underground lifestyle with a number of quite spectacular robberies, including on supermarkets, most of them in western germany. and that's really why this arrest has taken place in the first instance. but she's known primarily because of her membership of this radical militant group, which was obviously very well known throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties in germany. they disbanded in 1999 and then the following few years, right through to the mid 2000s, she is accused with two other men of carrying out these attacks, some of which, some of these robberies, she managed to earn, it's alleged up to 100,000 euros. so it's an interesting case because there are lots and lots and lots of different allegations. but i think the broader story is it's really a sign, again, of the authorities clamping down on extremism, which generally speaking, we talk about far right extremism. but in this case, it's really the radical left that's in the target of the officials here in germany today. the spiralling cost of living in nigeria, africa's largest economy, has prompted a two—day strike by trade unions. inflation is at almost 30% while the local currency, is rapidly depreciating. 0ur west africa correspondent mayeni jones is in nigeria. thousands have gathered on the streets of lagos but also the capital abuja to ask the government to improve the economy. they want the minimum wage to increase but they'll say the price of basic goods have become too expensive average nigerians. —— they also say foot of this crisis started in may last year when the new president at the time announced he would be removing of fuel subsidy. this is important in a country were a lot of food is carried over routes to market, but also are a lot of business rely on petrol generators to function. that meant the price of basic things such as rice, vegetables and oil has skyrocketed. food inflation is that over 35% already this year. many nigerians who had been making good living before this, earning a salary, are unable to make ends meet. protests are meant to continue on wednesday. we've already seen protests in the north of the country, weeks ago. the government is keen to send a message it has got things handled, that these policies are needed for the long term, that the fuel subsidy was not sustainable in a country like nigeria. but many nigerians want to know, what are they going to do right now? regionally we are seeing similar protests in countries like guinea and chad, west africa suffered a lot in the aftermath of both the global pandemic and the war in ukraine, and they are concerned that if the economic woes continue increasing it could destabilise an already fragile region. could destabilise an already fragile reuion. . �* , could destabilise an already fragile reuion. . �*, ., , ., region. that's it for this half houn region. that's it for this half hour- stay _ region. that's it for this half hour. stay with _ region. that's it for this half hour. stay with us. - good afternoon. it was a beautiful start earlier this morning across england and wales, red skies for many ahead of the weather front as the old adage grows, it is introducing a lot more cloud and rain heading for the rest of the afternoon, but the rain is fragmenting as it pushes its way south andy swiss, so they can encode across much of central and southern england —— south at some hazy sunshine here perhaps, the mist and fog having lifted and clear. heavy rain perhaps across wales and into the midlands for a time, thickening cloud here, behind the front some brighter skies, sunny spells in quite a brisk south—westerly wind, possibly gaze across the northern isles, very blustery here. temperatures really quite mild behind the front across the north and west, ten or 11, cooler underneath the cloud rain, seven or eight celsius for the south and east. 0vernight, that fears away, just a few outbreaks of perhaps light, patchy rain and drizzle, the skies for much of england and wales, particularly towards the east, here we could see a touch of frost, may be fog developing. cloudier and milder, also quite breezy, further north and west. here it should stay frost free. in the wednesday, another weather front approaching and that is a warm front which will drag behind it so much milder feeling air, the colder conditions again expected as we head into the latter part of thursday. wednesday we will start of the day with outbreaks of rain across western scotland, moving across north—west england, possibly prepping up for a while, heavy downpours of rain may be across western wales and the far south—west of england by the end of the day. temperatures creeping up into double figures, may 14 for the east of northern ireland. behind that warm front comes another set of cold fronts and that is going to be with us on thursday. initial rain i think across the far south—east of england, possibly heavier downpours across many central and southern areas of england, and in that culture feeling air towards the north and west, things will brighten up north and west, things will brighten up but there could be some wintry showers with snow levels dropping as we head through the day, temperatures starting to drop as we had three thursday and friday for many. it is going to be a caller feeling weekend again and it will stay rather unsettled. goodbye. —— a cool feeling weekend. this is bbc news, the headlines: there are concerns hamas could reject the terms of a ceasefire. german chancellor 0laf scholz rules out sending you groupie and trips to ukraine after the french president left out the possibility —— sending european troops. cancer survival rates in the uk are lagging behind comparable countries according to a study. scientists discover that one of the tiniest fish produces sounds as loud as a pneumatic drill. now time to have a look at the business news. we start here in the uk — where the chancellor — jeremy hunt — is being warned that he shouldn't cut taxes in next week's spring budget if he can't show how he'll pay for them. a leading economic think tank — the institute for fiscal studies— says the case for cutting taxes is "weak." mr hunt is facing pressure from within the conservative party to ease the tax burden — which is on track to hit the highest