31/07/2014 BBC News at Six

Israel says it won't stop its attacks on Gaza until all

the tunnels built by Palestinian militants are destroyed.

Despite growing international condemnation, Israel says the

offensive will last for another few days. In Gaza, residents say they

are facing a precipice, with 400,000 people facing leaving their homes.

militants are destroyed. A sharp fall in profits for British

Gas - the mild winter's to blame. Gatwick's baggage problems -

now extra staff are drafted in to deal with long delays at

the height of the holiday season. And England's first Test win

in almost a year as they overwhelm India in the

Third Test in Southampton. A Palestinian flag raised above the

town hall in Tower Hamlets brings condemnation of the local Mayor.

And could ankle tags checking how much offenders drink cut crime?

Good evening and welcome to the BBC's News at Six.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned that

his country's armed forces will continue to destroy tunnels used

by Palestinian militants, with or without a ceasefire.

Mr Netanyahu has also praised the performance of the

Israel Defence Forces, despite strong international criticism

of the civilian deaths in Gaza. The Gaza conflict began 24 days ago.

It's now the longest war in Gaza in recent times.

The Israel Defence Forces say they are just days away

from destroying all of the 32 tunnels built by Hamas that they

have identified and 59,000 army reservists have now been mobilised.

Our World Affairs Correspondent Orla Guerin has been speaking to

This is footage that Israel is keen to share, an air strike in Gaza are

being aborted because children are spotted. But the UN says most of

those killed by Israel are innocent civilians. From the outside, it

looks like a regular plane... Today, we met one of the pilots that flies

over Gaza every day, identifying targets. We cannot show his face.

The aircraft used for these missions have cameras mounted underneath and

fly at up to 35,000 feet. Gaza is a very densely populated area... He

shows us, in a simulator, his birds eye view of the terrain. This is a

crowded area, people have nowhere to go, in many cases they have no

transport or means of escape, and you are attacking hospitals where

the wounded are being treated. Well, at the moment, we are doing

everything possible to ensure the security and safety of both our

civilians and, as much as possible, the Palestinian civilians. We have

offered medical aid and we have offered a field hospital. Wouldn't

it be better for you to stop bombing the civilians, rather than offering

their medical aid later? Israel has always opted for a double magic

solution. Some people might ask how you sleep at night? I sleep very

well at night because I know what we are doing is saving lives. The way I

see it. Saving Israeli lives? No, no, I know how many attacks I have

called off, and I'm talking about numerous attacks. I know as a fact

that I have saved dozens of lives. But the lives lost in Gaza are

causing growing international pressure on Israel. The message from

the Prime Minister today, the offensive will continue.

TRANSLATION: So far we have neutralised dozens of terror tunnels

and we are determined to complete this mission, with or without a

cease-fire. That is why I will not accept any proposal that will not

enable the IDF to complete this important task for the safety of the

people of Israel. Near the Gaza border, close to the front line,

soldiers rest and regroup. An extra 16,000 reserve lists have been

called up. This teacher has two sons fighting in Gaza, and is going to

join them. This is our life. Nobody chooses it. We have to do it because

of the situation. We hope that it will be the end of the story very

soon. The army says it will finish destroying the attack tunnels within

days. But a senior Israeli official has told the BBC there is no

stopwatch for this operation. The international community is pleading

for a cease-fire, but Israel is not ruling out a much broader offensive

if Hamas attacks don't stop. The choice ahead now for Israel is

withdraw or hit much harder. The UN has tonight warned that

the population of Gaza is facing a precipice and has called upon

the international community to address the extreme situation.

A UN official in the region has said his staff cannot cope.

So far 1,400 Palestinians have died in the conflict and 58 Israelis,

all but two of them soldiers. The UN estimates that 425,000

Palestinians, a quarter of Gaza's population, have

been displaced by the fighting. Our International correspondent,

Ian Pannell reports now on the plight of some

of those who have left their homes. A rescue mission to a small town on

the southern fringes of Gaza. A front line between Israelis and

militants. Every time the Red Cross has tried to get in, they have been

shot at. But this week, both sides agreed to a brief cease-fire. We are

just here to escort some ambulances from the Palestinian red Crescent

Society, in to rescue some wounded people. In this town, that has been

isolated due to the fighting for the past few days. What is the

situation, as far as you are aware? We don't know. It's on the border,

it is very tense. The Israelis refuse to let us in. But the team

was it is very tense. The Israelis

refuse to let us in. But given the all clear. The town has been cut off

by Israeli troops. Many have died and the few that could not escape

are trapped. The truce was brief. Unable to stay any longer, the Red

Cross pulled out. They recovered a handful of bodies and three elderly

residents, hiding in the town. This woman is 95. Her family didn't know

she was alive until two hours ago. They had fled the fighting, but she

was too old to run out at night, so she spent five days living with a

neighbour. An 84-year-old, barely to stand, he also couldn't escape. I

cannot describe my feelings. It's horrible. We are living in fear, for

five days. We couldn't contact him for five days, knowing that he can

barely walk alone to the toilet, or to make a sandwich for himself. Our

life was a nightmare until now. We found him again today, lying on the

floor of a classroom that he shares with 70 others. Don't tell me life

here is better, he says. I want to go home. I was born there, God

willing, I'll die there. He was supposed to stay in hospital

longer, but they didn't have space because of so many wounded. Before

this conflict started, there were 17,000 people being housed by the

UN. Today, that figure has gone up to 220,000. The organisation says it

is overwhelmed and reaching breaking point. In this school alone, there

are now 5000 people living and taking shelter here. But, after

yesterday's attack on another school, the UN says nowhere is safe

any more. With so many people now on the move, Gaza is starting to feel

near breaking point. So with both sides as entrenched

as ever, how can this war be brought to an end?

And what can the international community do to help?

Here's our Diplomatic Correspondent, James Robbins.

After 24 days of increasingly intense fighting, the outside world

may be pleading for an end to this conflict.

James Robbins. but neither side is looking

for an end - at least not yet. The fundamental enmity

between the two sides and the great divide remains.

Israel says it means to finish the job of disarming Hamas,

destroying its rockets and all its tunnels, while Hamas

insists it won't accept a ceasefire until Israel commits to lifting

the eight year blockade of Gaza. For now,

the outside world seems almost powerless to stop the fighting.

Seen from the United States, how does this conflict look? Good

morning! Overwhelmingly, Americans back Israel. Israel calls of

reservists is, and made a new vowel from Benton Netanyahu. The United

States remains Israel's most important ally, and public opinion

is squarely behind their action. There has never been a more

important time to send a message to the world and Israel about this

relationship, about what it means to us, and how committed we are.

Behind-the-scenes, relations between the leaders are now particularly

strained. President Obama has been highly critical of Israel's killing

of civilians. But America continues to resupply Israel with weapons for

the fight. An arms embargo on Israel is unthinkable in Washington. So,

can the United Nations stop the killing? The UN has led the moral

outrage, condemning attacks on children sheltering in schools in

Gaza. The Security Council has been in session, as the UN's top

representative inside Gaza appealed for help and others called on Israel

to change tactics. I would say that they appear to be defying,

deliberate defiance of obligations that international law imposes on

Israel. But the UN's key powers can't agree on any action to change

what is happening on the ground. So, what chance a cease-fire delivered

by leaders in the Middle East itself? Hamas looks increasingly

isolated in the region. Egypt has been trying to broker a durable

truce, but is now an enemy of Hamas since President Sese overthrew the

Muslim brotherhood. Hamas has lost much of its support from Syria and

Iran and its remaining ally, Qatar, hasn't persuaded Hamas too soft on

its demands. So the grim reality is that a divided world, however

appalled by the images of suffering in this conflict, lacks the

collective will to stop it. You can find much more on our website, with

lots of extra background to the conflict.

There's been a sharp fall in half-year profits at British Gas,

largely because of the mild winter. The UK's biggest domestic energy

supplier saw its profits drop by 26% in the first half

of this year to ?265 million. Profits at its parent company,

Centrica, were also down, although it still made more than ?1

billion in profit. Here's our Industry Correspondent,

John Moylan. Basking in the sun. It's been a

glorious summer. But it was a mild winter as well. So we've all been

using less energy. According to the outgoing boss of Britain's biggest

energy supplier, that has caused British Gas profits to fall. On the

British Gas side, because of the very warm weather, average

consumption for gas customers was down 24%. That means that bills,

when you combine it with a price reduction at the beginning of the

year and the fact we're not going to increase prices later in the year,

means that bills this year will be down some ?90, or 7%. Ronnie Robson,

a British Gas customer, says he used less energy last winter, but it

didn't stop him trying to keep his bills as low as possible. It was eat

or heat. I cut down with the light bulbs, energy-saving light bulbs. I

switched things off, try to save pennies here, pennies there. Every

penny counts. British Gas expects its profit per household to be ?51

this year. That is down on 2013. But the energy regulator has estimated

margins at ?106 for a large supplier, prompting a row in an

industry already facing a major competition probe. Consumers will be

confused about what is going on, with profits down yet the forecast

for profits being up. We need to see this investigation from the

competition authority to get to the bottom of what is going on with

energy prices. Centrica's boss says it needs to make reasonable profits

to help pay for major projects like this. Sam Laidlaw's successor will

face the same scrutiny over profits and prices. But he will also be

running a business that is investing billions, not least in this huge

North Sea platform and the construction in Hartlepool, that

will provide gas for Britain for decades to come. But that's for the

future. For now, the row over how much the industry is really making

from all of us continues to burn. attacks on Gaza until all of the

tunnels are destroyed. Another gold winning medal performance by Claudia

Fragapane at the Commonwealth Games. On BBC London, Help to Buy is doing

little to help Londoners get a foot on the property ladder. And could

David Weir win his first Commonwealth Games medal in Glasgow?

It's known as the Dark Net - a shadowy part of the internet,

inaccessible to the vast majority of people.

And increasingly it's being used for the sale of illegal drugs.

In October last year there were just over 18,000 drugs listed for sale

on the Dark Net. But a BBC investigation has

found that the figure has risen to more than 43,000.

The Dark Net has now become so popular with drugs users

in the UK, that a recent survey suggested more than a quarter may

have accessed the sites. Angus Crawford has

this special report. Vacuum packed with a first class

stamp, delivery guaranteed. Sam Vacuum packed with a first class

stamp, delivery guaranteed. gets is cannabis through the post. He used

to buy it from a dealer on the street. Now he simply logs onto the

Dark Net and pays with untraceable bitcoin 's. His words are spoken by

an actor. I bought cannabis every two to three weeks from a street

vendor. Practicality? I don't have to leave my house. I can click a few

buttons and it comes the next day. I don't have to reveal my identity.

Nobody is good to find out who I am. I feel safe using it.

Nobody is good to find out who I am. After months of negotiation, we

prepare -- we persuaded the Dark Net drug dealer in California to talk to

us. He would only do so anonymously and using encrypted e-mail.

Last year, the FBI closed down the best-known drugs market on the Dark

Net. Its founder was arrested. That has not stopped the trade. Dealers

and buyers use special browsers and encryption software. They are

anonymous and hard to trace. Which, for authorities in the US, makes

this the front line. A sorting office in California and lean more

than 1 million letters and parcels each month. Every single one is

x-rayed and inspected. How often are you discovering illegal drugs?

Daily. We are able to find something illicit every day. How much is being

bought on the .net? 75%. What they find here shows it is a truly global

problem. We know there is a trade in illegal drugs from the US to the UK.

Customs officers here says it also goes in the other direction. This is

synthetic methamphetamine and cannabis Pakistan sent by Royal

Mail. Britain's national crime agency says it works closely with

Customs and the Royal Mail and is actively targeting criminals who use

sites on the Dark Net. They think they may be doing something like

online shopping. They are wrong. They are committing crime. They are

working with illegal drugs and fuelling the illegal drugs trade. It

may take some time and they may be difficult to get at but they are not

either of our reach. It seems more people like Sam are now buying their

drugs hidden in the Aron Andersson of the .net. -- hidden in the

anonymity of the Dark Net. Gatwick Airport says it's drafting

in extra staff this weekend to try to reduce baggage delays

for passengers. On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of

people flying into the airport were left waiting for several hours.

Many others had to get on their flight without their bags because

of staff shortages at the baggage handling company, Swissport.

Our Transport Correspondent, Richard Westcott, is at Gatwick now.

Well over a quarter of a million people will be coming through these

doors at Gatwick Airport over the weekend. It is going to be one of

the busiest weekends of the year. A lot of those people will be coming

back from their holiday. The last thing you want is to wait hours for

your bags. That happened last weekend. Airports had to draft in

dozens of helpers to make sure it does not happen again. It is meant

to be relaxing. Your two weeks in the sauna or your city break. But it

all comes unstuck when you have to wait five hours for them to shift

luggage from the plane to the baggage belt. That was the nightmare

for these passengers in Gatwick last weekend. It happened last month as

well. Some fear it will happen again. The airport is about to have

one of its busiest weekends of the year. All passengers care about is

what has been done to make sure this does not happen again. 4/90 5% of

the passengers, we have delivered their bags within 45 minutes. We

expected to be the same this weekend. If it goes off track we

will step in and sure the operation. Gatwick's image has taken a dive.

The airport insists it is not their fault. The problems were down to

Swissport, one of the world's biggest baggage handling firms. It

admits it could not cope last week. It calls it a one-off and says it is

taking on more staff. It is too late for Richard Sargent, a sports man

who was stranded for five hours on Sunday because there was nowhere to

get -- no way to get his wheelchair from the airport. The biggest thing

was the lack of freedom. I was bursting for the toilet after a five

flight. I did not have that freedom to do what a normal human being

would be able to do in that situation, which is get some space.

Holiday airline Monarch recently ended its contract with Swissport.

It is one of the busiest times of the year for this airport. Airlines

promised no more baggage nightmares. Westcott, is at Gatwick now.

Profits at Lloyds Banking Group have fallen by more than 50% in the first

six months of the year, compared with the same period in 2013.The

group says it made a profit of ?863 million between January and June.

The fall is being put down to continued PPI compensation

claims and fines for manipulating the interbank lending rate.

The World Health Organisation has announced a ?60 million appeal to

combat the unprecendented outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.

729 people have died since February. Liberia has closed all

of its schools and announced that infected areas will be quarantined.

Sierra Leone has declared a state of emergency.

Around 50 firefighters are tackling a blaze at the Ferrybridge

power station in West Yorkshire. Traffic on the nearby M62 was

brought to a standstill earlier in the afternoon, as smoke drifted

across the carriageway. The coal fired power station is

currently on a summer shutdown, so there has been no loss

of power as a result of the fire. England cricket captain

Alastair Cook says his team played almost the perfect game, after

beating India in the Third Test. England won by 266 runs at

Southampton to level the series at 1-1, with two Tests left to play.

Joe Wilson is at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Remember, English cricket is in the middle of perhaps its biggest

rebuilding operation ever. Six of the 11 players here, for them it was

their first test victory ever. About a week ago a lot of the people

thought the skipper should maybe stand down for his own good. I

wonder if this evening Captain Cook is celebrating somewhere on the

south coast? A car ferry from Southampton to the Isle of Wight,

one an hour. A Test match victory for an England cricket team, one a

year. It has been enough to test anyone's patients. On Thursday

morning the wind was coming. Ninth ball of the day, Sharma was out.

Things were moving. It is an out-of-town ground, not the easiest

to reach. India were unravelling. That was MS Dhoni gone. And

Rutherford Jimmy Anderson. Step forward Mo Moeen Ali. Ravi Didier --

Ravi Jadeja was flummoxed. Kumar could not resist. Eight down. Moilne

Ali was picked mainly for his batting. He took his fifth wicket of

the innings. He had been told by world cricket not to wear wristbands

in support of Gaza. Wrist there, ball in the air. His success was

indisputable. His final act was to win the match for his country, for

his captain. Many would like to see Alistair Cook left alone. All the

criticism Alistair Cook got last week, some of it was harsh. Some of

it was scary at one point. Hopefully you will get the same level this

week but in positive terms. James Anderson, mathematical mother faces

a disciplinary hearing tomorrow over an alleged altercation with Jadeja.

India insist he should be banned. Enjoy the friendly handshakes while

they last. in Southampton.

Australia has come first in the medal table at every

Commonwealth Games since 1990. But now, with just three more days

to go, England are in the lead and on course to bring home

their biggest medal haul since the Edinburgh Games in 1986.

Today England picked up another three gold medals.

From Glasgow, Natalie Pirks reports. As she set off from Glasgow Green,

Emma Pooley knew this would be her last major time trial before

retirement. There was to be no golden goodbye. Beaten into second

place by Linda Villumsen of New Zealand. Alex Dowsett put his anger

at being overlooked for the Tour de France to good use in the men's

race, to take the gold. Geraint Thomas finished with bronze. From

gold on the road to gold on the floor. Gymnastics has been a major

hit at these games thanks in no small part to the success of the

home nations. Today was no different. That was star Max

Whitlock picking up his third goal for England, this time on the floor.

It was gold number 34 Claudia Fragapane. The 16-year-old is just

447 but her performance on the was towering. The pommel horse was

always the most anticipated. Lewis Smith was out to prove he still has

it. He enjoyed his bronze winning performance. It was Daniel Keatings

of Scotland, the European champion, whose near-perfect moves mesmerised

the crowd and captured the marks for gold. In the last few minutes Becky

Downie's performance on the bars meaning and have just won their 42nd

gold medal of the games. From Glasgow, Natalie Pirks reports.

Time for a look at the weather with John Hammond.

A quick look back at July. It was particularly warm and sunny. Not

quite as warm as last July. It has been the eighth warmest month in

succession. A remarkable run of warm months. It may not have felt like it

in Northern Ireland if you are cowering under the storms. Later

this afternoon a packet of heavy downpours through the Midlands.

Heading eastwards as well. Some showers across Scotland. The trend

will be for those showers to fade away. Some will continue,

particularly later. A mild night out West. Through tomorrow, if anything

things will start to go downhill, particularly for the West. The

showers lumped together into more prolonged rain. There will be some

brightness. Also some sharp showers of the South East. Sunshine and

showers for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland. As we going to

tomorrow evening and night, we will see more prolonged and heavy rain

pushing across Wales, western and northern England. On Saturday, bit

of uncertainty. The potential for storms from France into the

south-east. How far West this range extends into Northern Ireland.

Warnings have been issued. Destructive rainfall is possible. In

the sunshine in the south potentially quite warm. Rain heading

north this weekend. Sunshine will follow. It will start to turn very

windy on Sunday, particularly in northern parts of the UK. Not great

news for the closing ceremony. at the weather with John Hammond.

That's all from