A spokesman for the uk Prime Minister rishi sunak says comments allegedly made by major conservative donor frank hester about the mp diane abbott were racist and wrong, but he was rightly apologised for the offence caused. The Guardian Newspaper claims frank esther said miss abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot frank hester. He has admitted he was rude about her in a private meeting five years ago but insisted his comments had nothing to do about her gender or skin colour. Miss abbott has reported him to the parliamentary liaison Investigations Team which was set up after the murder of another mp, jo cox, in 2016. She said, to and frightening. She said the comments were worrying and frightening. Chris mason has the story. Diane abbott is a political pioneer. First elected nearly a0 years ago, she was the first black woman mp. Whatever else happens after this, i think nobody can take this moment away from the black community. What did happen after that is she rose to bejeremy corbyn� s Shadow Home Secretary after being subjected to year after year of abuse, which multiplied in the era of social media. Now, the guardian reports that frank hester, a multimillionaire donor to the conservative party, said this in 2019. The bbc has not independently verified that mr hester, seen here on the right with David Cameron in 2016, said this, but he is not denying it. A statement claimed. Rubbish, said this cabinet minister, kemi badenoch. The comments as reported were racist, she said, adding that there should be forgiveness where there is contrition. A Cabinet Colleague had a rather different take. The Critical Point here is i dont think what he was saying was a gender based or race based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate, he has apologised and i think we need to move on from that. Diane abbott said the reported remarks from mr hester were worrying, frightening, alarming. Her friend Lady Chakrabarti agreed. Im anxious and upset on her behalf. I think shes incredibly brave shes braver than i am and shes one of the bravest people i know. But i think we also reflect on where our politics is. Nearly a quarter of the way into the 21st century, this is not where i thought we would be. I think weve taken a step backwards. This is frank hester. He built up a Computer Company from scratch in leeds, designing software for the health service. He once trained to be a priest and has an 0be for services to the nhs. He donated £10 million to the conservatives last year but tonight hes at the centre of a growing storm of anger and condemnation. They� re clearly racist and theyre clearly sexist, and i think diane abbott was right to point out the call to violence, even in a flippant way, is really inappropriate. So they were really stupid remarks. I dont know that they were said, because i havent had independent corroboration. Diane abbott has now reported frank hester� s alleged comments to the police. That was chris mason, our political editor. Live now to our political correspondent, hannah miller. Earlier on we had a whole load of ministers during the immediate rounds, refusing to say the word racist or racism, and yet now, at 6pm in the evening or thereabouts, the premise or came out with those words. , ,. , the premise or came out with those words. ,. ,. , words. Yeah, it has been a real shift in the words. Yeah, it has been a real shift in the last words. Yeah, it has been a real shift in the last halfhour words. Yeah, it has been a real shift in the last halfhour so i shift in the last half hour so from downing street, as you say can after a day of refusing to use the word racist. Now coming out and saying that. In the last half hour they released a Statement Saying that the comments allegedly made by frank hester were racist and wrong. He has now rightly apologised for the offence caused and where remorse is shown, it should be accepted. The Prime Minister is clear there is no place for racism in public life and is the first British AsianPrime Minister leaving one of the most ethnically diverse cabinets in our history, the uk is a living proof of that fact. There is no suggestion, though, in that statement that he will be giving the donations back, and i suspect that that is where the focus will now really shift. 0pposition parties have been calling for that money to be given back all day and that is the kind of question that remains unanswered by the statement that we have just received. I dont imagine it is a question that will die down any time soon. As for diane abbott, as you heard there, she has reported the alleged remarks to police, to a unit called the parliamentary liaison and investigation team, over specifically the alleged comments that she should be shot of that is a unit at the met police that was set p unit at the met police that was set up after the murder ofjo cox, and mp, in 2016. They are understood to be assessing what is alleged to have happened here and we would expect an update in due course on that, but this is a row that has certainly moved on in the last half hour with that statement from downing street, but not one that is likely to suddenly disappear. But not one that is likely to suddenl disa ear. ~ suddenly disappear. Hannah, thank ou. Lets speak to nicola rollock, professor of Social Policy and race at Kings College london. And also author of the book the racial code. It is good to have you on The World Today. Let me get your reaction first of all to what youve been hearing the last 12 hours. Goad been hearing the last 12 hours. Good evenina. Been hearing the last 12 hours. Good evening. Actually been hearing the last 12 hours. Good evening. Actually the been hearing the last 12 hours. 13rr c evening. Actually the entire situation is atrocious. It is a bore and. Abhorrent. The alleged comments from frank hester are racist and misogynistic and most concerning of all they condone violence against an individual, and in this case, a black woman. It should not have taken our Prime Minister, and ijust heard the news this evening, but this long to make a very clear statement about the fact of racism. This throws up the question of how black people, especially like women, are treated in this country. It is not only within the realms of politics but beyond that. Where do you thing we are in terms of Race Relations in this country . We you thing we are in terms of Race Relations in this country . Relations in this country . We are regressing. Relations in this country . We are regressing. And relations in this country . We are regressing, and it relations in this country . We are regressing, and it is relations in this country . We are regressing, and it is workable i regressing, and it is workable to have to say, but we are regressing. What we really need is strong and unequivocal Political Leadership and it comes to these issues it is unfortunate to say. I fear delays like but we saw today to call out these alleged comments from frank hester give the impression that the uk, and indeed our politicians, are taking a light touch approach to issues of race and racism, and let me say this. These comments have been reported just a few weeks, not even two full weeks, following the publication of the review, and a year this month following the publication of the review by baroness casey. Both of which examine issues of misogynist misogyny, in terms of culture, and violence against women, so these comments are of concern, yes, because of the concerns expressed by mps, the increased concerns expressed by mps about their safety, but also because we are in a climate where we should all collectively be championing and campaigning against any violence that is perpetuated by any violence that is perpetuated by any individual, not least against women and girls. And in terms of the final point which i really must underscore, the lack of political confidence, courage and leadership on these issues is really increasing racial divisions in this society. Its dreadful. Racial divisions in this society. Its dreadful. , its dreadful. Professor, it is good to net its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you on its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you on the its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you on the programme. Its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you on the programme. I l its dreadful. Professor, it is good to get you on the programme. I thank you once again for taking the time to speak to us on The World Today. Thank you. The uk government has demanded answers from the Israeli Government after a report by the bbc showing medical staff in gaza being mistreated. Medical staff have told the bbc they were detained, beaten and prevented from carrying out vital duties after a raid at their hospital last month. Theyve said that some detainees were stripped, kept in Stress Positions for several hours or had muzzled dogs set upon them. Israel said it occupied the Nasser Hospital site believing it was used by hamas and that severalfreed israeli hostages have said they were held there. You might find some parts of this report by wyre davies distressing. Not for the first time in this war, Israeli Soldiers have been filmed standing over stripped and kneeling detainees in gaza. But these are medical staff, detained after the israeli army overran the Nasser Hospital in khan younis. Most of them are still held captive. For weeks, the medics had witnessed israels military advance closing in around their hospital. The fighting in khan younis was fierce. Thousands of people whod sought refuge in the grounds fled under gunfire. What should have been a place of safety was completely the opposite. 0ne nurse was shot inside a Hospital Operating Theatre through a window. Another person shot at the main entrance. The hospital was under siege. On february the 15th, after giving warnings, israeli tanks overran the hospital. There were chaotic scenes as troops took control. Patients whod been unable to evacuate were moved by medics from collapsing wards. Israel says it found hamas weapons, also medication which they say supports accounts from israeli hostages that they were held there. In the idf� s own footage, you can see that Hospital Patients had their hands zip tied, detained outside in their beds and wheelchairs. This was when troops also detained the medical personnel, more than 50 of them forced to leave their posts and remove their surgical clothing. Israel says it did so in case there were concealed weapons, and that among the 200 arrested at nasser were terrorists posing as medics. Dr Amira Assouli had remained at nasser throughout the siege, before the israeli incursion, risking her own neck to save lives, as people were shot inside the grounds. She later witnessed what happened to her fellow doctors. Translation it was tough for us to see how the doctors, who had bravely stayed at the hospital despite the dangers, were stripped and beaten. Their hands were tied behind them and they were left in the sun for hours. His hand broken in captivity, dr ahmed sabha is one of the very few medics to have since been released. He shows the positions they were forced to adopt for hours and says they were also tortured. Translation they forced us to kneel down with our eyes blindfolded. There was a pit in the ground, and we thought they would execute us and bury us there. We said our prayers, but they were just intimidating us. Abhorrence israel says any abuse of detainees is against idf orders israel says any abuse of detainees is against idf orders and is strictly prohibited. But crucially, according to the Hospital Manager who dealt with the israelis during the raid, the detention of so many of his staff left his hospital woefully short of doctors. Translation eight doctors and 15 nurses were left treating 250 patients. You can imagine the level of care we could give with no water or electricity in the hospital at that point. During this time, 13 patients and injured people died. The Israeli Army Says it operated within nasser in a precise and focused manner and says it provided equipment enabling it to function and treat patients. But with the war continuing, and with more than a0 medics still detained or missing, the hospital has been closed for weeks. Wyre davies, bbc news. The foreign secretary, lord cameron, was asked in the House Of Lords about this report and he described it as Very Disturbing. These are Very Disturbing pictures and reports that have come out from this hospital and we need to get to the bottom what exactly happened and we need answers from the israelis about that. And when we have those, then itll be easier to comment. The us have also commented on the bbc� s report. Matthew miller, state department spokesperson, was asked about the report during a briefing and whether the us would raise the matter with the Israeli Government. The bbc reported yesterday regarding some medical staff from the Nasser Hospital in khan younis. Theyve interviewed three doctors, or three members of the staff, at that hospital who have given detailed accounts of their detention by israeli authorities. They told the bbc they were humiliated, beaten, doused with cold water, forced to kneel in uncomfortable positions for hours, one was set upon by a dog. Im wondering, is that one of the specific cases you would raise with the Israeli Government . I have only seen the report. I dont know if weve raised it, but i would expect that we would. Its the type of cases that we often raise with them, to seek more information and make clear, as we always have, that any detainees should be treated in strict compliance with International Humanitarian law. Lets just very briefly take you to some live pictures coming into us from bbc news. These are pictures of Port Au Prince in haiti, a huge ongoing story there, protests are currently taking place across haiti against efforts to try and decide the countrys future. This all the back of the event ignition of the Prime Minister ariel henry, who announced he is Stepping Down and that a transitional provincial council would be created the Resignation Of. Gangs currently control 80 of the haitian capital. We spoke to an aid worker earlier in the show, about an hour or so ago, and she told me the situation is absolutely desperate for many people there, especially in terms of food and schooling and fuel as well, so we will try and bring you more on that story later on in the show. Still to come on The World Today a Romanian Court rules social media influence are entertained and his brother can be extradited to the uk on rape and Human Trafficking charges. Surf is up on the river severn. Around the world and across the uk, this is The World Today on bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. The rate of unemployment in the uk rose to 3. 9 in the three months to january. Thats up from 3. 8 from the previous three months. The new Labour Market figures, released by the office for national statistics, also showed that more than a fifth of 16 to 64 year olds in the uk were not actively looking for work. Cambridge University Says its working on a new plan that could drop its current quota for undergraduates coming from state schools. It says it plans to take into account a wider range of factors about a students background, including whether applicants received free school meals. Cambridge has faced criticism for admitting almost half of its students from london and the south east. A tiktok star who used the platform to document her rare type of cancer has died at the age of 22. Leah smith from merseyside suffered from ewings sarcoma, which usually affects children and young people. More than half a Million People followed herjourney on tiktok, which recorded her daily life living with the disease. Youre live with bbc news. Lets return to haiti. Aid agencies say the situation in the capital, Port Au Prince, is desperate, with the city under the control of armed gangs. Gangs have tightened their grip on the streets and control the main roads in and out of the capital, Port Au Prince. The whole region around the capital is under a month long state of emergency, while a curfew has been extended. Some important things to bring you p some important things to bring you up to date with. Kenya has said it will pause its deployment of police officers, who were due to lead an International Security mission in haiti. The United States played down kenyas announcement, saying a Transition Deal will bring a new government as sought by nairobi. Lets speak to wolf pamphile, the founder and executive director of haiti policy house in washington. It is good to talk to you here on The World Today. The situati