And suggested mr netanyahu risked making his country a pariah. Republicans have already hit back at his words. Schumer is one of americas highest ranking jewish politicians and a close ally of President Biden. Heres some of what he had to say in the senate. The fourth major obstacle to peace is israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, who has all too frequently bowed to the demands of extremists like ministers smotrich and ben gvir and the settlers in the west bank. The State Department has responded to Chuck Schumer� s comments, stressing they are not a reflection of President Bidens position. Obviously, congress is an independent branch of government. I think the government of israel understands quite well how the Us Government works. They interact frequently, notjust with members of the executive branch, but with members of congress, including senator schumer, who has travelled to israel a number of times over the years. And im sure they fully understand that he speaks for himself. Hes obviously someone we are in close contact with, but not a statement from the executive branch. Mr Netanyahus Likud party has responded to senator schumer, saying � israel is not a banana republic� , but a � proud democracy� that elected its Prime Minister. It comes as israel has announced plans to push ahead with an offensive against hamas in rafah city. The Israeli Military wants to move people out of rafah and into what they� re calling humanitarian islands in the middle of the gaza strip. It� s not clear yet what these islands will actually look like, or how they� ll operate. Benjamin netanyahu says he won� t bow to international pressure. Translation there are International Pressures l to prevent us from Entering Rafah and completing the work as Prime Minister of israel. I push away these pressures. We have been doing this successfully for five months already. This is record time in the history of israel� s wars. I will continue to push away the pressures. We will enter rafah. Earlier i spoke to our correspondent will vernon in washington. Well, washington has been very clear in its position on rafah. The us does not support an Israeli Military offensive in that Southern Gaza city without proper planning to protect civilians. And there� s been an increasing note of frustration, progressively more critical comments coming from President Biden and other us officials over israel in recent weeks and months. President biden recently said that he thought that the Israeli Military offensive in gaza was over the top. And just in the last the course of the last week or so, the us has begun dropping aid in by Air Into Gaza and also beginning a mission to construct a temporary pier to bring more humanitarian aid in by sea. Those steps, i think, aiming to push the israelis into letting more humanitarian aid into gaza. This is something the us has been calling for for many months now. But Many Democrats want the Biden Administration to go even further than that, to put more pressure on the israelis, perhaps by attaching conditions to the supply of military aid or by withholding it altogether to ensure that the israelis comply with international law, take further steps to protect civilians and to allow more humanitarian aid into gaza. The israelis, of course, deny all allegations of any violations of international law. So how significant then are Chuck Schumer� s comments about leadership in israel, particularly pointing to Benjamin Netanyahu being an obstruction for peace . Well, steve, ithink it� s difficult to overstate just how electrifying these comments were. These could be a watermark in us israeli relations. Chuck schumer, this is a man who is the highest ranking jewish politician in the us. Over the course of the last 50 years, mr schumer has been a great friend of israel in washington. So for him to make comments like these and we heard them there, didn� t we . Netanyahu� s lost his way. His coalition no longer fits the needs of israel. New elections are necessary. I mean, really critical stuff. And i think this is a sign, again, of the growing frustration in the corridors of power here in washington at the high death toll in gaza, and with the israeli authorities� apparent unwillingness to listen to us pleas to let more aid into gaza and to comply with international law. But in terms of the reaction to mr schumer� s words, Many Democrats were absolutely delighted when he said this speech. Some of them, of course, are very unhappy with the situation in gaza and unhappy with the Biden Administration� s stance on israel and its support for the israeli government. One democratic senator apparently got up and hugged Chuck Schumer after he made this speech. But in terms of the republicans, they are, of course, traditionally the more pro israel party here in the us, many of them not happy at all at these words. The leader of the republicans in the senate, mitch mcconnell, he called this mr schumer� s speech grotesque and hypocritical, and he suggested it amounted to foreign interference in the internal affairs of a democratic ally. And that was a sentiment we heard repeated by many others, including, of course, the israelis themselves. That was a reporter in washington are watching the developments in the senate. For more analysis on this complex story, you can head to our newly revamped website. Polls are now open in the far east of russia for the president ial election, which will stretch over three days. The result is not in doubt critics say the poll is neither free norfair and it� s designed to hand Vladimir Putin a fifth term in office. Our russia editor Steve Rosenberg reports from a town just outside moscow. These days, when Vladimir Ovchinnikov paints russia, the result is very dark. From a mountain of skulls and a dictator� s ambition to this russia� s war in ukraine likened to stalin� s terror. The 86 year old artist had taken his anti war message onto the streets, graffitiing stop the war. All these paintings were scrubbed out, and vladimir fined twice for discrediting the russian army. But he continues to speak out against the invasion of ukraine. Translation i believe that this is a crime against the territorial integrity of a neighbouring country. It is a crime. And if i keep silent about it, it is like i am condoning it. Last month, after the death in prison of Opposition Leader alexei navalny, vladimir went into town. On this memorial to victims of political repression, he painted mr navalny� s face. It was quickly erased. But vladimir has created this navalny portrait at home. Translation where is russia heading . Some say we are on our way to more repression, totalitarianism, and to full dictatorship. But there is another picture of russia, one much brighter. The official version. The picture the authorities want russians to see is not of a country that is aggressive abroad and repressive at home, but a russia with a glorious past and a bright future, of heroes and patriots who not only love their country, but also their current president. Instead of dictatorship, it� s devotion to the leader on state tv and an action man president flying high and on course for an election landslide. Mind you, Vladimir Putin faces no serious challenge. His fiercest critics are in exile or in prison, or in alexei navalny� s case, dead. But he is on the ballot. Although, when i caught up with the communist candidate, nikolay kharitonov, he praised putin. Vladimir putin, he said, is consolidating the nation for victory. And back in borovsk, many seem to believe that. I hope putin wins, lyudmila says, although we do have talented leaders who could run the country in an emergency. A putin less russia means an emergency. Now, that is a picture of the kremlin will be more than happy to see painted. Steve rosenberg, bbc news, borovsk. Politicians and Business Leaders in haiti continue to negotiate the make up of a 9 member Transitional Council that will govern the origination after its Prime Minister officially steps down. One of the countries most powerful gang leaders also known as barbecue rejected a proposed deal that excludes anyone who has been convicted, indicted or sanctioned from serving on the council. Gains control most of the abbot Port Au Prince motion arm campaign almost two weeks ago when the calls for the removal of ariel henry. As a situation on the go becomes more volatile, the United Nations is evacuating non essential staff from haiti is setting up an air bridge from the Dominican Republic to deliver aid. The Dominican Republic which shares the island with haiti escalated their security operations. Our correspondent will grant reports from the water. It has been another busy and chaotic day on the border between the Dominican Republic and haiti, a lot of people coming through from the haitian site today because it is markedly in this broader town and people are permitted to go solely to the market and sell or buy goods, bulk items, and then return but not to go into the country properly. Meanwhile, the number of people still being returned over the border, deported back into haiti continues at peace. In the capital Port Au Prince there has been another uptick of violence over the past 2a hours with reports of an attack on the main penitentiary. The politics continues as well with efforts to name the interim council, seven names on that list, none of which will be accepted by the amine Gang Leaderjimmy Cherizier who has lose a threatening language to that he does not see anybody on that he does not see anybody on that list or the council as part of haiti� s future. In the meantime, the ordinary population in haiti are trying to make ends meet, trying to find enough food in the United Nations has announced water it calls on air bridge from this country, the Dominican Republic, into haiti, and that will take some time to organise but there was a real push to get that sorted out sooner rather than later, such as the urgent need in the haitian capital. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Let� s take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. Rishi sunak has ruled out holding a general election on the 2nd of may, which would coincide with local elections. Mr Sea Lake Mrsea lake said mr sea lake said they would not happen on the same day. Earlier this year he had said the vote would be in the second half of 2024 but there had been speculation he might move that up. Ministers have given a new definition of extremism. It would apply to groups that promote an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance. The label will not criminalise them. Advocates and some mps have criticised recent government rhetoric on extremism. The line of one of the world� s biggest Music Festivals has been announced. Do Wytaliba Tops the bill for glastonbury, meaning two female headliners for the first time in history. Thejoint coldplay and shania twain who will perform in the sunday legend spot. You� re live with bbc news. Hundreds of people have been rescued from a scam centre in the philippines that made them pose as lovers online. Police said they raided the Centre On Thursday and rescued 383 filipinos, 202 chinese and 73 other foreign nationals. The centre was apparently masquerading as an Online Gambling firm. South east asia has become a hub for scam centres where the scammers themselves are often trapped and forced into criminal activity. For more on this we will speak to the spokesman for the president ial anti organised Crime Commission and led the raid. Thank you for your time today. Can you give us some of the details about how this operation came together and how you found out about this scam . Good morning. We had one person who escaped from the facility and he took refuge in one of the farms nearby City Facility and was made known to us. We rescued him on march the first. From his story, we got a clearer picture of what was transpiring inside the facility. We were able to get an orderfrom a judge facility. We were able to get an order from a judge from a nearby province and we served that warrant in the last few days. We were able to get a request from the elysian embassy about one of the nationals, being held against his will in this particular facility, and we were able to rescue that malaysia. He is one of our complainants against this facility. Of our complainants against this facility. You managed to rescue over this facility. You managed to rescue over 600 this facility. You managed to rescue over 600 people. This facility. You managed to l rescue over 600 people. Were they all working by the scan by choice . I understand many were victims have been scammed themselves. Victims have been scammed themselves. ,. , themselves. Yes, a good number were scammed themselves. Yes, a good number were scammed themselves. Themselves. Yes, a good number were scammed themselves. For. Were scammed themselves. For example, if you had been enticed to come to the philippines to work forjobs other than the what they are actually made to work for. They were enticed to work as a chef, ordinary cook, workers, utility man and so forth. Once they reached this facility, they were forced under the threat of torture and other forms of treatment to scam other individuals on online platforms. It individuals on online platforms. Individuals on online platforms. Individuals on online latforms. ,. ,. , platforms. It is one of the bi est platforms. It is one of the biggest busts platforms. It is one of the biggest busts of platforms. It is one of the biggest busts of this platforms. It is one of the i biggest busts of this nature . Particularly in terms of the size of the facility, yes. In terms of the number of individuals we have arrested and individuals rescue, no, this is not the biggest. The biggest one would be the one we did last may, 2023, that one rescued about 1410 foreign nationals. Here we have less than 700 individuals. Nationals. Here we have less than 700 individuals. That begs the question. Than 700 individuals. That begs the question, are than 700 individuals. That begs the question, are they the question, are they more operations like this out there in the philippines . Operations like this out there in the philippines . Yes. In our latest tally. In the philippines . Yes. In our latest tally, we in the philippines . Yes. In our latest tally, we have in the philippines . Yes. In our latest tally, we have around. Latest tally, we have around 402 illegal sites operating all over this country. We have tried our best to get all of them out, we have tried to get all of them operate against them and unfortunately, as you can imagine, the logistical and financial nightmare it has taken us to be able to operate against all of them. Against all of them. What do ou against all of them. What do you need against all of them. What do you need to against all of them. What do you need to find against all of them. What do you need to find out against all of them. What do you need to find out more i against all of them. What do you need to find out more about these . Did you get lucky with this vietnamese person who was able to escape and blow the whistle on this particular operation . Whistle on this particular oeration . ,. , operation . No, not necessarily. We have been operation . No, not necessarily. We have been building operation . No, not necessarily. We have been building a operation . No, not necessarily. We have been building a case i we have been building a case against this particular operation. In fact, against this particular operation. Infact, last february, another Law Enforcement agency rated this particular facility and unfortunately it did not stick. We have known about this facility since last year. This time around we have been working with other agencies to be able to build a better case against this particular facility, and, of course, by sheer luck we were able to get a live deponents, a live complainer. The airport this operation is led by different agencies, notjust one agency of the government doing this particular operation but rather an interagency effort. An interagency effort. Thank ou so an interagency effort. Thank you so much an interagency effort. Thank you so much for an interagency effort. Thank you so much for your an interagency effort. Thank you so much for your time l an interagency effort. Thank you so much for your time today giving us an invite into this challenge are up against with these Scam Operations operating in the philippines. Thank you so much. The spokesman for the president ial anti organised Crime Commission and he led the raid. Elon musk� s Spacex Company has completed a third test of a rocket in space as