the hamas stronghold from the north and south. hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by the uk. us presidentjoe biden says he has asked israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu for a pause in the fighting in gaza. our middle east correspondent yolande knell reports. flares hanging in gaza s night sky are ominous warnings of incoming israeli fire. but, increasingly, the israeli prime minister s being pressed for a pause in fighting. i did ask him for a pause yesterday. this is a key moment. israeli troops are now said to be in the heart of gaza city, closing in on the stronghold of hamas, ministers say. but the destruction in gaza is already immense, with entire neighbourhoods flattened. the civilian death toll is rapidly mounting. the world health organisation says an average of 160 children are killed here every day. nothing justifies the horror being endured by the civilians in gaza. people in gaza are dying in their thousands and those alive are suffering from trau
lines between them, ahead of an election. but first, the king acknowledged the significance of this moment. it is mindful of a legacy of service and devotion to this country set by my beloved mother, the late queen, that i deliver this, the first king s speech in over 70 years. the impact of covid and the war in ukraine have created significant long term challenges for the united kingdom. that is why my government s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long term decisions to change this country for the better. there was an announcement of a bill to issue annual extraction licences for oil and gas, and a focus on crime, including previously announced measures. my government will act to keep communities safe from crime, anti social behaviour, terrorism and illegal migration. a bill will be brought forward to ensure tougher sentences for the most serious offenders and increase the confidence of victims. there was a promise to make it easier for leasehold homeowners to
South of france and corsica fight huge forest fires banned by high temperatures and strong winds. Close to the Tourist Resort of saint tropez, nearly 2000 Fire Fighters have been put into action as dozens of homes are evacuated. And britains adam peaty has broken his own 50 metre breast stroke world record, in the heats of the World Swimming Championships in hungary. Good morning. Its tuesday the 25th ofjuly. Im ben brown. Welcome to bbc Newsroom Live. Builders could be banned from selling new houses as Leasehold Properties in england under proposals put forward by the government today. It comes after it emerged some Housing Developers have been selling the leasehold on to Investment Firms without always telling homeowners, leading to extra costs or rising charges. The government says there is a particular problem in the North West Of England where houses were being sold on leasehold although its not clear why. The communities secretary, sajid javid, has said enough is enough as he set