the false guise of an arrest. the chair of the inquiry into his conduct and background, says without a radical overhaul of police vetting and recruitment, there's "nothing to stop another couzens operating in plain sight." june kelly reports. he was a predatory sex offender in a police uniform. a criminal with state—sanctioned powers. wayne couzens should never have been allowed to become a police officer, and continualflawed vetting meant he was able to stay in his role despite a series of red flags. these are among the stark conclusions of today's inquiry report into couzens. it examined his career, his behaviour and the way he was vetted. the metropolitan police service told the inquiry in 2022 that it still have recruited him if provided with the same information. i found this astonishing. now is the time for change. without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another wayne couzens operating in plain sight. the report described how in 2004 and 2008, kent police turned down couzens�*s application to join, but allowed him to work as a special constable. in 2011, another force, the civil nuclear constabulary, took him on as a full—time officer — despite a recommendation that he shouldn't get through the vetting because of his heavy debts. in 2018, he successfully applied to join the metropolitan police. here, the report found the vetting was flawed. and indecent exposure allegation was one of the concerns about him which was on the system, but appear to be missed. there are no words i can use that can adequately express to the everard familyjust how sorry we are across the whole of policing. i was left aghast at the catalogue of missed opportunities, errors, red flags, to stop wayne couzens. the report describes how wayne couzens used his police powers to falsely arrest sarah everard on a street in clapham in south london during the covid lockdown in 2021. here, showing sarah his warrant card and accusing her of breaching lockdown rules. couzens then drove sarah 80 miles to kent, where he raped and strangled her. a week after sarah's disappearance, wayne couzens was arrested. described as a man of diverse and deviant sexual interests, he allegedly committed a very serious sexual assault against a child barely in her teens before hejoined the police. at a mcdonald's drive—through in the days before he abducted sarah, he indecently exposed himself to staff more than once. he's also alleged to have possessed indecent images of children. the coming days will see the third anniversary of sarah everard's death. in the report, herfamily welcome its recommendations. they say the loss of sarah pervades every part of their lives. june kelly, bbc news. maggie blyth is deputy chief constable and deputy chief executive of the college of policing. she was also the national police lead for violence against women and girls at the npcc until last year. she said what followed sarah's murder, was a watershed moment for policing and also for society. there hasn't been a moment since i took my role that i haven't focused on this and the need for policing to improve in how it responds to violence against women and girls. this is a significant it's an endemic issue for all of us that must be treated with the utmost seriousness. so firstly, first and foremost, this is about understanding these crimes have to be treated as a national threat, an epidemic and a national threat on the same level as counter—terrorism and serious and organised crime. and we have mobilised policing to put violence against women and girls on that same level. we've set national standards over the last two years and we've reinforced to our officers on the front line the need to focus on investigations that are related to crimes against women and girls. but you only need to look at the statistics to see how far we still have to go. i'm joined now by the group the gemini projects, which is a survivor lead an initiative which works to end sexual violence. thanks very much forjoining us here on bbc news. i'm going to begin by asking you your reaction to the findings, but it is important to tell our viewers why you became involved in this campaign work and that is because your cousin had reported being raped at 16 by man who was later convicted of sexual offences against other women. so let's talk about this inquiry today. are you pleased with the findings? thank you so much for — pleased with the findings? thank you so much for having _ pleased with the findings? thank you so much for having me _ pleased with the findings? thank you so much for having me and, - pleased with the findings? thank you so much for having me and, yes, - so much for having me and, yes, having also lost somebody i loved following a string of police failings to investigate a serial child sex offender not within the police but within the community, i have some frame to imagine how the everard family must be feeling today. response to what's been announced so far, a national scandal, but we feared the tip of the iceberg. apathy compromises allegations were ignored over a period of 20 years. the reality is that i don't think many people who themselves have tried to report about harassment or abuse to the police but that that's a community perpetrator where a perpetrator within the police. it's going to be at all shocked by any of what has been announced today. it is a relief to see is that the case is getting this issue for public scrutiny that we so desperately need to affect change. we so desperately need to affect chance. ~ . , change. wheat where it listening there to someone _ change. wheat where it listening there to someone from - change. wheat where it listening there to someone from a - change. wheat where it listening there to someone from a police l there to someone from a police group. he talked about sexual violence towards women as an epidemic that should be taken as seriously as other national threats. do you think that the conversation has now shifted since the death of sarah everard in a positive way? what more needs to be added to that conversation. i what more needs to be added to that conversation-— conversation. i think the conversation _ conversation. i think the conversation has - conversation. i think the conversation has shifted j conversation. i think the i conversation has shifted in conversation. i think the - conversation has shifted in terms conversation. i think the _ conversation has shifted in terms of public awareness and that is vital, because what we are going to need to see meaningful accountability and meaningful change is significant public pressure. we have seen view after review, case after case, survivor after survivor, failed, cases collapsing. the time to trust the police to the police to police themselves is over. you know, i think what has been announced today really shows that those in vetting and investigation generally, these issues are systemic and they are not restricted to the metropolitan police. they are national in nature and they mean that serial abusers are not being held to account, especially within the police but also in society as a whole. the perpetrator is now behind bars, but the officers who failed to investigate each one of his historic crimes are probably still in post and potentially still making those kind ofjudgment calls on a daily basis. this is exactly why the gemini project is campaigning and asking everyone to support our campaign which is being considered in parliament as an amendment to the criminaljustice bail and is named in memory of my cousin who died at the age of 19 following failings. the amendment will make the kinds of failures highlighted today a misconduct issue. so if an officer repeatedly shows that they cannot do their job, repeatedly shows that they cannot do theirjob, they can lose theirjob. i think it will mean, essentially, that survivors who have failed in the way that my cousin was failed, in the way that unfortunately, i mean, you know, the context here of a society in which police are bringing charges in less than 2% of rape cases is profoundly relative. it shows that we need this level of individual accountability, and we need to put this narrative around a few rotten apples to one side and see serious meaningful independent oversight and accountability for the way the police are just failing time and time again to properly take rape and time again to properly take rape and serious sexual offences and investigate them thoroughly. thank ou ve investigate them thoroughly. thank you very much _ investigate them thoroughly. thank you very much for _ investigate them thoroughly. thank you very much for sharing _ investigate them thoroughly. thank you very much for sharing your - you very much for sharing your thoughts on today's story, and also sharing what happened to your cousin and how it you are calling for changes in your cousin's memory. more than 100 palestinians have been killed while waiting for food aid in gaza city. these are images from that attack in the south west of the city. a large number of people were gathered waiting for food aid when the incident happened — a journalist told the bbc that israeli tanks opened fire on the crowd. the israeli military issued these aerial pictures of the incident. it says dozens of gazans were "crushed and trampled" as they surrounded the aid trucks. separately, an israeli source confirmed its troops had fired after feeling threatened by crowds near the aid point. here's a statement from the israeli prime minister's office. the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people. ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people. fire on the crowd. the israeli military released these aerial pictures. it says dozens of gazans were �*crushed and trampled' this is the account of a palestinian who was there. after they stopped shooting, we went back to get our aid. by the time i got flour and some canned goods and took it down from the truck, they shot at us. they shot me and the truck driver left and ran over my leg. i lost my nerves. if you want to get us aid this way, then you might as well not bring anything. what has already happened to us is more than enough. we went to get flour for children. we have been eating animal feed for two months and even that ran out. what are we supposed to do? where are we supposed to go? a short time ago, presidentjoe biden was asked by reporters about the incident. we are checking that out right now. we are checking that out right now. we are checking that out right now. we are confirming what happened. i don't have an answer yet. 0ur middle east correspondent paul adams told me what he has learnt about the incident. this was a convoy driving into gaza city at _ this was a convoy driving into gaza city at 4am — this was a convoy driving into gaza city at 4am in the dark. it had just passed _ city at 4am in the dark. it had just passed an — city at 4am in the dark. it had just passed an israeli checkpoint when crowds _ passed an israeli checkpoint when crowds began to descend on the truck _ crowds began to descend on the truck it — crowds began to descend on the truck. it seems that we have seen already— truck. it seems that we have seen already many times before, remember that the _ already many times before, remember that the situation in the northern part of— that the situation in the northern part of the — that the situation in the northern part of the gaza strip is by far the worst _ part of the gaza strip is by far the worst. people are utterly desperate. any trucks— worst. people are utterly desperate. any trucks that arrived there with aid, and — any trucks that arrived there with aid, and very few do, immediately -et aid, and very few do, immediately get mobbed. this was a convoy of anywhere — get mobbed. this was a convoy of anywhere between 18—30 trucks. it had passed through the checkpoint, the israeli _ had passed through the checkpoint, the israeli checkpoint. and at some point, _ the israeli checkpoint. and at some point, while — the israeli checkpoint. and at some point, while the crowds were swarming onto the trucks, some of those _ swarming onto the trucks, some of those people approached to within around _ those people approached to within around 70 — those people approached to within around 70 metres of the israeli checkpoint. the soldiers there felt that they — checkpoint. the soldiers there felt that they were in some danger, they fired shots _ that they were in some danger, they fired shots in the air and then at the crowd — fired shots in the air and then at the crowd. it's what an israeli mititary— the crowd. it's what an israeli military spokesperson said was an limited _ military spokesperson said was an limited response. the impression we -et limited response. the impression we get after— limited response. the impression we get after listening to the idf and hearing — get after listening to the idf and hearing from an eyewitness, palestinian eyewitness who is there, was that— palestinian eyewitness who is there, was that other panic ensued. in the pictures— was that other panic ensued. in the pictures that had been released by the idf_ pictures that had been released by the idf this morning shot from the air at— the idf this morning shot from the air at night — the idf this morning shot from the air at night. while absolutely covered _ air at night. while absolutely covered in people trying to retrieve aid. covered in people trying to retrieve aid with _ covered in people trying to retrieve aid. with thousands of people surrounding them. it seems a significant number of people were run over — let me show you a graph now that compares the war in gaza to the first year of the war in ukraine, and the first six weeks of the 2003 war in iraq. you can see the number of people killed per day, per size of population is far higher in gaza than it is in either of those. bbc verified's merlyn thomas has this analysis on the numbers of people killed. we've been covering this war from the very beginning, tracking the damage across gaza, from the israeli offensive following the hamas attacks on israel on the 7th of october. now, at the start of the war, the gaza strip was one of the most densely populated places on earth. it was home to over 2 million people. and today, the hamas—run health ministry has announced that since the start of the war, more than 30,000 palestinians have been killed in gaza. now, several experts we've spoken to have said that the number of dead could actually be much higher than this. and that's because many hospitals in gaza where deaths are recorded are no longer operating. now, let's take a bit of a closer look at this. look at this graph — it's a breakdown of who exactly has been killed. and as you can see from this, the majority of those killed have been women and children. and how does this compare with previous conflicts in gaza? well, this chart shows deaths in 2008, and you can see that more men were killed than women and children. and it's a similar picture in the second war in 2014. now, have a look at this chart which shows the current war. now, the bars here for women and children show the deaths in red and purple and they're significantly higher than the one for men. keep in mind, this war has been going on for months, whereas the others lasted for weeks. so the death toll here is much higher. now, israel has questioned the death toll, but it hasn't provided its own figures on how many civilians in gaza have been killed. so how are these casualty figures counted? well, counting the dead in any war zone is a challenge. and experts told the bbc that the real scale of those killed since then is likely to be significantly higher than 30,000. now, the figures only include bodies counted in hospitals like this one. so those buried under rubble aren't included in this tally. and the world health organization's regional emergency director, richard brennan, has previously said he considers these casualty figures to be trustworthy. now, since the beginning of the war, the israeli army has said it takes precautionary measures in order to avoid damage to the civilian population. israel also says that hamas uses gaza's civilian population as human shields. now, nearly five months into the war, this latest death toll will intensify the pressure to pause the fighting. staying with that story, a development now, one of our lead story is this hour where we are saying that the hamas run health ministry says that more than 100 palestinians were killed as they waited for aid in northern gaza. well, we are now hearing that the un security council is going to meet on thursday to discuss the deadly a distribution incident. reportsjust coming from the afp news agency, the un security council will meet on thursday to discuss that, so at some point later today. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. connor chapman who murdered 26—year—old elle edwards in a shooting outside a pub in wirral on christmas eve 2022 has had a challenge against his 48 year mimimum term life sentence rejected by a court of appeal. seniorjudges concluded the sentence was �*severe but not connor chapman who murdered 26—year—old elle edwards in a shooting outside a pub in wirral on christmas eve 2022 has had a challenge against his 48 year mimimum term life sentence rejected by a court of appeal. seniorjudges concluded the sentence was �*severe but not manifestly excessive'. ——the father of a teenage boy who murdered brianna ghey has been jailed for 15 months after pleading guilty to sex offences. kyle ratcliffe, aged 36, admitted two offences of exposure and one count of taking an indecent photo of a child. his son eddie ratcliffe was convicted alongside scarlettjenkinson of murdering 16—year—old brianna in a park in culcheth, cheshire last year administrators for the cosmetics and skincare chain of stores, the body shop, say 116 outlets will stay open in the uk. but they are closing 75 shops over the next six weeks and will cut about 500 jobs, as part of a restructuring programme. you're live with bbc news. russian president vladimir putin has given his annual state of the nation address, two weeks before russia's presidential election. in the speech, he claimed russia is gaining territory in what he insisted was a defensive operation in ukraine. he thanked the members of the armed forces fighting in ukraine and their families at home. but he didn't mention what it might take for russia to end its military action in ukraine. and neither did he touch on what's been happening to his political rivals including the opposition figure, alexei navalny, who died in a siberian prison this month. but mr putin warned that any deployment of western troops in ukraine would have "tragic" consequences. the comments appear to respond to french president macron, who this week did not rule out sending western soldiers to ukraine. here's some of what president putin said. translation: they are talking about sendin: nato translation: they are talking about sending nato military _ translation: they are talking about sending nato military contentions - translation: they are talking about sending nato military contentions to i sending nato military contentions to ukraine, but we can recall what happened to those who use to send their contingents to our country. the consequences for these potential insured areas will be much more tragic now. they need to finally understand that we too have weapons, and they know that, we have just mentioned, we too have weapons that can strike targets on their territory. and everything that they are thinking of now, everything that they used to threaten us in the world that all of this is a real threat of nuclear weapons being used which spell destruction of civilisation. i spoke to our correspondent from bbc russian, 0lga ivshina, about what president putin said. it's nothing new, he behaved and quite usual fashion. it's nothing new, he behaved and quite usualfashion. he it's nothing new, he behaved and quite usual fashion. he contradicted himself in a number of points, for example exhausted comparing it to what he says was a successful exhaustion to release new weapons and will produce in the next few months and years, it seems that he is more than happy which might have never existed if he hasn't invaded ukraine. secondly i remember the most was the fact that he said that russia now has a new generation of commanders who care about the troops very much, and this comes after 2023, which has become known as the year of meat grinders and survive all of those fights many russian commanders were sending wave after wave to the well—equipped ukrainian positions. they were sending poorly equipped russian soldiers as always the reality in the world in which putin lives doesn't easily come together. the prince of wales has carried out his first public engagement, since unexpectedly pulling out of a memorial service this week. he's now appeared at a synagogue in central london — where he met members of thejewish community. antisemitism has no place in society. you've heard that from me. i've said that before, and i'll say it again. i'm hearing what you're all... how you talk about it and your life experiences. both catherine and i are extremely concerned about the rise of anti—semitism that you guys have talked about so eloquently this morning. and i'm just so sorry all of you here have had to experience that. let's speak to christine ross, royal expert and co—host of us weekly�*s �*royally us' podcast. this comes a week after we heard prince william call for an end to the fighting in gaza where he said too many people had been killed in the conflict. would you say that he's making more political interventions now?- he's making more political interventions now? , , . ., , interventions now? this is certainly the cause that _ interventions now? this is certainly the cause that total— interventions now? this is certainly the cause that total is _ interventions now? this is certainly the cause that total is the - interventions now? this is certainly the cause that total is the line - the cause that total is the line the closest to what we have seen prince william and the causes he's discussed publicly, and the causes he supported are promoted, this particular conflict in gaza is definitely the most politically close he and the princess of wales are being extremely careful to sort of toe that line. they are really pressing that this is about providing humanitarian aid, this is about the terrible human cost is what he spoken about and really emphasising that their concern and the support they hope to get his for the support they hope to get his for the citizens who are caught in the crossfire, not necessarily the political sides of the issue, but a humanitarian crisis, that is what they are seeing. i humanitarian crisis, that is what they are seeing.— they are seeing. i guess the question — they are seeing. i guess the question is _ they are seeing. i guess the question is how _ they are seeing. i guess the question is how unusual- they are seeing. i guess the question is how unusual is l they are seeing. i guess the | question is how unusual is it they are seeing. i guess the - question is how unusual is it for members of the royal family to comment and what ever way, which is not on the major conflict, but also one that does provoke very different reactions. taste one that does provoke very different reactions. ~ ., ., , ,., , one that does provoke very different reactions. ~ ., ., , , , reactions. we have absolutely seen more and more _ reactions. we have absolutely seen more and more political— more and more political conversations in the last decade for members of the royal family across the board. king charles has been extremely active in climate change conversations, which isn't a political issue in the uk but around the world, particularly in the united states and its tail a political conversation. this however is the most severe and something they feel very strongly about and is polarising, and i think prince william has taken a bit of a race care and is really trying to stress that his concern is about the terrible human cost, the humanitarian crisis and getting aid and humanitarian support to those in gaza. it's an interesting issue for him to undertake, but it sort of an ongoing conversation he and 2018 had a very successful diplomatic visit to palestine and israel where he met with prime minister netanyahu and had some really positive conversations about peace in the region. conversations about peace in the re . ion. �* conversations about peace in the reuion. �* ,., conversations about peace in the reuion. �* , ., region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of— region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of time. _ region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of time. i _ region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of time. i thank— region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of time. i thank you - region. ok, i'm so sorry, we have run out of time. i thank you very i run out of time. i thank you very much forjoining us. i will be back after a short break. do state with us here on bbc news. hello there. well, the weather has been particularly grey and wet today across eastern areas of england. you might recognise this weather watcher picture, which shows the uk's tallest building, the shard, in london — or at least the bottom half of it, the top half sticking out into the cloud and the rain. now, the rain has been caused by this slow—moving weather front that really dragged its heels. but further northwest, we did manage something a bit brighter — although we did have some strong winds bringing some large waves to lerwick harbour, in shetland. 0vernight tonight, those winds will fall light in scotland and northern england. with cooler spells here, we'll probably see some frost developing in the countryside. at the same time, a band of rain will start to encroach in wales and southwest england — the rain itself could be heavy enough to cause some localised surface—water flooding, given how wet the weather has been over recent weeks. for friday the low pressure is here to stay, and this occlusion brings with it the risk of some hill snow. now we are talking about the risk just across the high ground — 200 metres or above — with the main threat across north wales, the peaks, the pennines, and the high ground in northern ireland. the amount of snow we get will vary a lot from place to place — some places not getting very much, others could see five centimetres or more, bringing some localised disruption to high—level routes. but at lower elevations — which of course, is where the vast majority of us live — we're looking atjust cold outbreaks of rain. temperatures really struggling underneath that band of rain, probably 2—3 celsius for large parts of the day. otherwise we should get up to around 8—9. but there'll be plenty of showers around for wales, the midlands, east anglia, and southern counties of england, as well. now, heading into the weekend's by the prospects, well, we continue to have the same area of low pressure withers, albeit it's weakening and drifting northwards through the course of the weekend. now, on saturday, it's a day of sunshine and showers. sunny spells may well be quite limited, but showers will be widespread — some of them will have hail and thunder mixed in, and it'll still be cold enough for a bit of snow over the tops of the scottish mountains and the hills in northern england — but really quite high up, so i'm not really expecting any weather impacts from that. it will continue to be quite cold — temperatures around 6—0 celsius, so those temperatures below average. by sunday, most of the showers will be across the northern half of the uk. in the south. something a bit drier for wales, the midlands, east anglia, and southern england — but even here, you could see an odd passing shower. temperatures continue to run a bit below average for the time of year — highs between 8—10 celsius. that's your latest weather, bye for now. this is bbc news, the headlines... it was a murder that shocked britain — sarah everard, killed by an off duty police officer. now an inquiry finds he should never have been able to join the force. the have been able to join the force. un security count meet the un security council says it will meet later to discuss the deadly incident in northern gaza where more than 100 people were killed whilst they surrounded an aid convoy. we look at the debate on assisted dying in the uk, as the implications of possible new laws are considered. sport and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre. hello from the bbc sport centre. the career of former manchester united midfielder paul pogba could be over, after he was banned for four years for a doping offence. the france international tested positive for testosterone in a drugs test after a match for his current clubjuventus. pogba intends to appeal. in a statement, he said, "i am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything i have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me". 0ur correspondent katie gornall has the background to the case. this all started back in august, at the beginning of the italian football season when paul pogba was