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 part of its efforts to make a reusable craft for taking people to the moon. The Starship Rocket broke up as it headed back to earth but that hasn� t stopped the company to declare the mission a success. Our science correspondent pallab ghosh reports. New objectives that� ll eventually get us to that glorious, rapid, reusable future. Twice before, starship blew up just minutes after launch. Was this going to be third time lucky . So far, so good. We are feeling the rumble. We are seeing 33 out of 33 raptor engines ignited. And now the critical part, where it blew up before the successful separation of the upper and lower sections. Ok, we got a starship on its way to space and a booster on the way back to the gulf. Oh, man, i need a moment to pick myjaw up from the floor because these views are just stunning. And here� s a view of the lower section falling back to earth. But then, communication is lost. And acquisition of signal, we� ll see if we can get some other video. But back in space, it� s all going fine, and the upper section begins reentry into the earth� s atmosphere. This is where the earth� s atmosphere is doing the work to slow us down. Its heat shield red hot, until its signal is lost. Again, this is the furthest and fastest that starship has ever flown. But overall, it� s been a good day for the flight team. Looks like success today. They haven� t managed to bring the booster back, but that� s, i think, a readily solvable problem with a few more trials. And it looks like the Starship Activities in orbit have gone very well. Things keep going wrong because spacex is testing brand new technologies, but each time, they get a little bit further. Starship is absolutely enormous. It� s 120 metres tall that� s nearly 400 feet. The rocket has two main parts. At the bottom is the super heavy booster, which is incredibly powerful with its 33 engines. On top is a spacecraft, which can carry cargo or a crew of an astonishing 100 people. And what makes it really special is that in theory, both parts are reusable. The eventual aim is to build a spacecraft able to send astronauts back to the moon. And maybe one day take them to mars. Pallab ghosh, bbc news. Let� s take a look at some other stories in the headlines. Only 60 migrants have died after trying to reach europe from olivia after their overloaded engine broke down and drifted at sea for several days. Survivors see the engine cut out three days into their crossing of the mediterranean, leaving them stranded without food or water. 25 people were rescued. Denmark announced plans to Military Constriction for women in the first time and increase the Standard Service time. The plan will roll out in 2026, making the Third European nation along with norway and sweden to require women to serve in the armed forces. France was a low House Parliament has approved a bill designed to make it less attractive for people to buy what is known as a fast fashion. The measures, which need to be approved by the centre before they become law, including taxes on low cost item particularly from china. From 1920s starlets, to the supermodels of the 90s, the fashion bible, British Vogue has seen it all. Now, the magazine has a new boss, chioma nadi, replacing edward enninful, to be become the first ever black woman to sit in the editor� s chair. Noor nanji has been to meet her. Style, famous faces, outlandish outfits. For decades, vogue and its editors have informed us of the biggest fashion trends. Now the british magazine has a new woman in charge determined to make her mark. Yeah, his show was one of the best. You� re the first woman of colour to hold this post. What does that mean to you . It� s obviously an incredible honour. And i think, thinking about the sort of younger baby chioma, thinking about what she might have thought and i know how meaningful it is for, for younger people to see someone like me, who looks like me, in a position like this. My first childhood memories is just fixating on a pair of shiny shoes, these Patent Leather shoes, when i was a kid. And ijust remember getting my dad to buy them because my mum wouldn� t. And ifeel that getting dressed is one of the mostjoyful things i get to do every day and i like to bring a sense of colour and joy and optimism. Chioma spent the last 14 years working at vogue in new york before returning to london, where she grew up. The thing i brought to american vogue was a sense of british style and that eccentricity and that sense of Cherry Picking from different things. And i think leaving the uk made Me Realisejust how much of a london girl i was. I really love this cover image. For her debut issue, nnadi chose to feature the singer fka twigs a nod to her early days as a musicjournalist. That colour was all over the runways this season. The Magazine Circulation has remained steady over recent years, but it does still face challenges. Vogue has been criticised for being out of touch and for displaying fashion that is unaffordable to most people. What would you say to that . For me, when i open a magazine, that� s really what i want to see. And there is obviously a Fantasy Aspect of fashion, and that� s obviously what drew me in, too, as a young person. And how would your colleagues describe you . Are you sort of a terrifying, Devil Wears Prada type editor, or are you more easygoing . I hope i� m not terrifying. I would say i� m pretty easygoing, but i also have a really strong sense of what i like. Her new chapter starts now as she takes the helm of the industry� s fashion bible. Noor nanji, bbc news. We have some sports news to keep up speed with. When superstar baseball player Shohei Ohtani announced two weeks ago that he� s married, it nearly broke the internet. Being a very private person, all he told the media at the time was that his wife is a normal, japanese woman. Well, the secret is now out revealed by ohtani and his team. They shared on social media a few images of the couple taken ahead of a dodgers trip to seoul. The woman was quickly identified as basketball player mamiko tanaka. She� s 27, stands nearly 6 feet tall and has played for Waseda University and fujitsu red wave injapan� s Women Basketball league. He himself said a foot three, so definitely tall genes in the family about some Sporting Genes are bustling. Six foot three. That� s all from us here on bbc news. Bye bye for now. Hello. Well, the weather has been very mild in the last day or so. In london, temperatures on thursday reached 18. 1 degrees celsius, so spring is definitely in the air. How about friday . I don� t think it� s going to be quite as warm and if anything, a lot of cloud and a good chance of catching some rain. Now, currently, an area of low pressure is crossing us with its Weather Fronts and that spells a lot of rain bearing cloud. And in fact, through the night, it will have been a wet picture across many parts of scotland. Rain also around the Lake District and elsewhere we� ve got showers crossing the uk. Temperatures early in the morning on friday double figures for london and norwich and many of us around 9 10 degrees. A bit colder there in scotland 5 for aberdeen. The forecast, then, for friday, and a lot of cloud first half of the day, very few glimmers of sunshine. Showers possible through the morning and afternoon across england and wales, cracks of thunder likely, but out towards the west and in some other areas as well there� ll be some bright spells. Temperatures well, from Yorkshire Southwards i think we� re still talking about the mid teens, but further north and west, closer to around 10 or 11. And then friday night the skies clear, and into saturday morning with lighter winds, it is going to be a chilly start. So crisp sunshine early on saturday with temperatures in parts of scotland around 3 degrees celsius. I don� t think it� s going to be frosty in the south. So saturday, lots of bright if not sunny weather across many northern and eastern areas. But this Weather Front is approaching its southwesterlies pushing the rain bearing clouds so there will be some damp weather for the south west, for wales, the irish sea and into northern ireland. Temperatures though, around 10 13 degrees. And then for the rest of the weekend, while Weather Fronts keep on crossing the uk, notice that the winds are blowing out of the southwest that� s a mild direction. So if anything, despite all the cloud and the early outbreaks of rain, i think on sunday with that even southerly, i think the temperatures are going to rise. We� re talking around 15 16, maybe even 17 degrees celsius in one or two spots across the east and the southeast. Let� s have a look at the outlook. It is going to be a mixed bag, every weather icon you can possibly imagine. But those temperatures are going to remain on the mild side. Mid teens across the south around, say, 8 13 in the north of the uk. That� s it from me. Bye bye. Who should own us steel . The processor of an American Industrial powerhouse risk driving a wedge between two close allies. Plus, bitcoin has an extraordinary week. We look into what� s driving the rally into what� s driving the rally in the world� s biggest cryptocurrency. Hello and welcome to Asia Business report, i� m steve live. We began in the us, whether these shares of us steel have dropped for a second day of the President Biden came out against the proposed sale of the Domestic Industrial Powerhouse to a japanese steelmaker. This comes ahead of his meeting with japan Prime MinisterFumio Kishida next month. Our Business Correspondence has more from york. President biden is taking a stand against a deal in the making. Us steel, an american company, is said to be brought by nippon steel, a Japanese Company but President Biden says that us steel should stay in the us. The president praised the iconic 123 year old american steel