That he is not in a life threatening situation. In slovakia we won two elections, the president ial one in october and we had parliamentary elections, so our government has pretty stabile and strong support in the public but after what he did in the political arena, his presence in slovakia, we think the opposition uses false narratives often and in International Politics about our government, they speak of false narratives that we want to leave the european union, that we want to join the cooperation with russia. And all these false narratives. And, of course, people from the other side who lost in the elections sometimes believe these narratives, and they can become a little bit, lets say, upset. The attack took place in the central town of handlova. Our correspondent bethany bell is in the capital bratislava with more on the suspect, and how the attack played out. This was the moment a european leader was shot. Gunshots. As he greeted members of the public in front of a local community centre. Robert fico was shot in the stomach and in the arm. His Security Team half dragged, half carried him to his car. A few metres away, amidst the chaos, Security Officials push a man to the ground. The suspect is believed to be in his 70s. Witnesses say he shot at the Prime Minister several times. Translation i heard three shots. It was quick, one by one, like if you throw firecrackers on the ground. I saw a scratch on the Prime Ministers head and then he fell next to the barrier. Its a nightmare. The 59 year old was flown by helicopter to hospital, where he had emergency surgery. Officials said his condition was critical. A few hours later, a sombre president addressed the nation. Translation i am shocked, we are all shocked by the terrible and vicious attack on Prime Minister robert fico. A physical attack on the Prime Minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy. Hateful rhetoric, which we can see in society leads, to hateful actions. Please, stop it. Robert fico, seen here before the attack, is regarded as a divisive figure a populist whos accused of being authoritarian and too close to russia. The attack has been widely condemned by all sides in slovakia. Translation the attack on the Prime Minister is Terrible Uncivilised and brutal, pure evil. I this should provoke just one reaction i unite all society against evil, hate and violence. The suspect is now in police custody, the authorities are searching for a motive. Bethany bell, bbc news, bratislava. Us President Biden reportedly plans to press ahead with a billion dollar tranche of military aid to israel just a week after suspending a shipment of bombs over concerns about israels offensive in rafah. Israeli tanks are reportedly pushing deeper into the city, as the idf says its targeting four hamas battalions. The Hamas Run Health Ministry says the number of palestinians killed since october 7 is at least 35,233. And it says 82 palestinians were killed on tuesday, in the largest single day toll in weeks. Gazas hospitals have warned of � catastrophe due to dwindling supplies of fuel for Power Generators and ambulances. Meanwhile, theres been a rare public sign of Division Within neta nyahus war cabinet. Israels Defence Minister, yoav gallant, has voiced open frustration at the Governmentss Failure to address the question of a post war plan for gaza and urged the Prime Minister to rule out plans to take over civilian and military rule in the region. From jerusalem, heres our Diplomatic Correspondent paul adams. For days, the israeli papers have been full of reports suggesting that there are misgivings in the defence establishment over the lack of a plan for what governance for gaza in the days after the war. Those misgivings came bursting out into the open today with the Defence Minister yoav gallant saying about his efforts to try to get the government to focus on this had simply been in vain. And that indecision was leading israel down a dangerous path towards a kind of long term military and civilian rule in gaza, something he said would not be good for the country. And he urged the Prime Minister, benjamin netanyahu, to put into this indecision and to declare publicly that israel does not intend to rule gaza indefinitely. That was an extremely public rebuke, essentially, to the Prime Minister, accusing him of indecision. Benyamin netanyahu hit back on social media saying that he was going going to swap hamas stan for palas stan, a reference to the Palestinian Authority that rules in the west bank. Thats the most public row at the heart of the Israeli Government that we have seen since this war began. In the meantime efforts to try and improve the provision of aid to the gaza strip are going to take a little notch up in the coming days because a Pontoon Bridge which the American Military has been putting together along with a floating platform thats going to set out several kilometres off the coast of gaza is all now ready and being towed to the coast of gaza where it should be in action within the coming days. A british Ship Carrying Aid in the form of Plastic Sheeting and Temporary Shelter Equipment is on its way from cyprus and could be among the first pallets of aid to be delivered to gaza. Joining me live is aaron david miller, a seniorfellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Us State Department official. Gallant openly criticizing netanyahu for not having a strategy for the day after in gaza. How unusual is this and what consequences would that have for gallant . Very. And i think that it could be the beginning of a trend among Israeli Military officials. Current officials and even those who are just out of government to begin to publicise their discontent and on significance to the Prime Ministers refusal to engage or to tether the Military Tactics to tether the Military Tactics to a political strategy. Gallant and netanyahu no love lost there. Netanyahu fired gallant and then re hired them in March Of 2023 in response, to gallant� s public criticism of the then judicial overhaul and the negative impact it was having on israeli security. So i think that Israeli Defence force and i think that this has been building for quite some time. And the reality is that military power is only an instrument. Its an instrument designed to achieve a political set of objectives. And in gaza, the Prime Minister, for political reasons, to keep his coalition intact. Forget implementing hes failed to even discuss. Implementing hes failed to even discuss. Implementing hes failed to even discuss. Yeah, thats what i wanted to even discuss. Yeah, thats what i wanted to ask even discuss. Yeah, thats what i wanted to ask you. Even discuss. Yeah, thats what i wanted to ask you. The i wanted to ask you. The content of this critique does Benyamin Netanyahu and his government are they engaging on what the enpoint of this war could look like, and what governance in gaza could look like on day one . Like on day one . They have lans, like on day one . They have plans. But like on day one . They have plans, but i like on day one . They have plans, but i think like on day one . They have plans, but i think that like on day one . They have i plans, but i think that theyre tethered to a gal far, plans, but i think that theyre tethered to a galfar, far galaxy far, far away rather than the realities back here on planet earth. Theres going to be no governing authority in palestine that is legitimised. And the Prime Minister wants to rely on local elements, neighbourhood councils. But a lot of that is influenced by hamas. And hamas is going to survive this with a capacity to intimidate or coopt whatever doesnt have legitimacy. So the Prime Minister doesnt want to engage on this. Two of his coalition partners, ben givr and smotric, threatened to leave if the Palestinian Authority is involved or if netanyahu moves in a direction of a establishment of a palestinian state. This could be the beginning of a tendency to push for political change. But in the it would have to involve resignations. Chief of staff would have to resign, the head would have to resign with the public protests and still might not be able to shape the four orfive might not be able to shape the four or five seats that you need from the coal bring down the government. I need from the coal bring down the government. Need from the coal bring down the government. I also wanted to ask you the government. I also wanted to ask you about the government. I also wanted to ask you about what the government. I also wanted to ask you about what were i to ask you about what were seeing here in the us. The white house announcing last weekjoe biden, the president , saying that they would suspend certain Weapons Shipments to israel. A warning really to not go through with an operation in rafah. At the same time, were seeing these reports from media here that the white house has announced that biden is sending 1 billion of weapons to israel. So where is the white houses strategy right now . The strate houses strategy right now . The strategy is houses strategy right now . The strategy is to houses strategy right now . Tia strategy is to try to houses strategy right now . Ti2 strategy is to try to extricate the administration from this war, probably via an israeli hamas negotiation to return hostages and create a six week ceasefire. That has not borne fruit. But the reality is that this president is under tremendous pressure within his own party. Hes also, as weve seen, in response to spending one shipment one shipment against the backdrop of 14 billion recently appropriated for the israelis, International Security supplement and another 830 million, 730 million of weapons and now a 1 billion package which has been in the work for quite some time. This is not a president that wants to go to war, figuratively, with Benyamin Netanyahu. And hes carefully, i think, scripting this pause of one shipment. D0 scripting this pause of one shipment scripting this pause of one shiment. , ~. , shipment. Do you think that that is appealing shipment. Do you think that that is appealing to shipment. Do you think that that is appealing to a shipment. Do you think that that is appealing to a base | that is appealing to a base here in the us . I that is appealing to a base here in the us . That is appealing to a base here in the us . I dont think that it will. Here in the us . I dont think that it will. Do here in the us . I dont think that it will. Do you here in the us . I dont think that it will. Do you think here in the us . I dont think| that it will. Do you think that that it will. Do you think that that is politically that it will. Do you think that that is politically strategic i that is politically strategic forjoe biden . 1 that is politically strategic forjoe biden . That is politically strategic forjoe biden . ~. ,. , forjoe biden . I think that one mans Floor Forjoe Biden . I think that one mans floor is forjoe biden . I think that one mans floor is another forjoe biden . I think that one mans floor is another mans l mans floor is another mans ceiling. Hes alienating Progressive Democrats and mainstream democrats, but hes also in the process if he pushes too hard against the israelis of losing the votes of conservative democrats, big donors and leaving himself exposed to a Presumptive Republican know who passions himself to be the most pro israeli president in the history of the universe. So i think that biden is trapped in a strategic cul de sac, and right now, again, without an israeli hamas deal, which is the only way out of this, to begin to de escalate Israeli Military activity, free hostages, surge humanitarian assistance and perhaps build on this to break the battlefield dynamic of this war i think that the situation is likely to get worlds before it gets worse. � , get worlds before it gets worse. ~. , worse. Always really interesting worse. Always really interesting to worse. Always really interesting to talk i worse. Always reallyj interesting to talk to worse. Always really i interesting to talk to you. Thank you so much. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky canceled all upcoming foreign trips as troops struggle against russian advancements and shelling near the countrys second largest city of kharkiv, in the northeast. A Military Spokesperson says ukrainian soldiers are under heavy fire. Kyiv has rushed in reinforcements, but the Deteoriorating Battlefield Situation prompted some ukrainian troops to pull back to new positions in the region. Around 8,000 people were evacuated from kharkiv since last week. Our ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse has more. Not your usual traffic jam in Russias Belgorod region, as a Rocket Launcher pulls over to pourfire into neighbouring ukraine, causing panic across the border. What do you need to take . Lets move quicker, lets go, says this police officer. The russians are using new tactics here constant Ground Assaults and relentless air strikes, although not all bombs go off. Now ukrainian troops are withdrawing from some positions near the border. For the first time in 18 months, this war is no longer a grinding stalemate. Russia has momentum, and that is fuelling a sense of diplomatic urgency here in kyiv. A two day visit by americas Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken ended with tributes to ukraines war dead and another 2 billion to arm those still fighting. Were rushing ammunition, armoured vehicles, missiles, air defences, rushing them to get to the front lines, to protect soldiers, to protect civilians. And on air defences, as dmytro said, this is, of course, a top priority. In moscow with his new Defence Minister, a confident sounding Vladimir Putin announced more funding for a war he thinks hes winning. Translation all Enemy Counterattacks were repelled. Our troops are improving in all positions, in all directions, every day. And here are the consequences kherson in the south, like so many cities and towns across ukraine, is becoming increasingly uninhabitable. Nowhere is immune to moscows desire to conquer its neighbour. James waterhouse, bbc news, kyiv. Russian president Vladimir Putin landed in beijing thursday for a two day visit to china to deepenen a � Strategic Partnership between the two countries. In an interview with Chinese State run media, putin said hes prepared to negotiate over the conflict in ukraine. The kremlin says putin and chinese president xijinping will also discuss asia, energy and trade. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some stories making news in the uk. Junior doctors in england have entered talks with the government to try and end a long running dispute over pay. The British Medical Association says itsjunior Doctors Committee entered a new intensive phase of talks with the government, facilitated by an external mediator. The two have been at odds over pay for more than a year. These will be the first substantive talks since december. Junior doctors in wales and Northern Ireland have also been demanding higher pay. The home office announced that its expanding the Rwanda Deportation Scheme to cover failed Asylum Seekers. Under the original plan, only people who had arrived in the uk on or after the first of january 2022 could be deemed eligible to be deported. Failed Asylum Seekers are also eligible for a Voluntary Scheme announced last month. Two men accused of of felling the famous sycamore gap tree near Hadrians Wall in northumberland appeared in court. Daniel graham of carlisle pleaded not guilty while Adam Carruthers from wigton entered no plea. The districtjudge said th