Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20180113

Les dennis said she was a funny, lovely friend. And click is in las vegas to report on the worlds biggest tech show. Thats in half an hour here on bbc news. Good morning, and welcome to bbc news. Good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news. The African Union has demanded an apology from President Trump after he reportedly used a vulgar and disparaging term to describe nations on the continent. It was apparently made during an Oval Office Meeting on immigration with members of congress. The union, which represents 55 african countries, expressed its shock, dismay and outrage and said the Trump Administration misunderstood africans. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes reports. It has been an extraordinary week, even by Donald Trumps standards. It ended with a medical, a routine checkup that all president s undergo, and word from mr trumps doctor is that the commander in chief is in excellent health. The past two days have seen the president mired in controversy. As donald trump arrives in florida to spend the weekend at his golf resort, the International Community is still seething over his alleged use of crude language to describe african countries. As the African Union we were quite appalled and infuriated, outraged, by the comments. And for a country like the united states, which is a valued partner for the africans, this is quite a shock. From the United Nations in geneva came the stiffest of rebukes. These are shocking and shameful comments from the president of the united states. Im sorry but theres no other word one can use but racist. You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents. The allegation has gone unanswered by the president. He had an opportunity at this ceremony in celebration of Martin Luther king. But it was awkward. After signing a proclamation in honour of the civil rights leader, mr trump dodged the most uncomfortable of questions. Mr president , are you a racist . The president left without responding. Hed earlier tweeted that he used tough language in a meeting with senators but not the derogatory language attributed to him. Peter bowes, bbc news. Meanwhile, a speech by the mayor of london, sadiq khan, has been disrupted by protesters shouting support for brexit and President Trump. Mr khans address to the Fabian Society in london was suspended for several minutes while the demonstrators were taken out of the building by police. Yesterday mr khan welcomed Donald Trumps decision to cancel his visit to the uk, saying hed got the message that londoners didnt agree with his policies or actions. Iran has said the us has crossed a red line by imposing sanctions on the head of itsjudiciary and vowed to retaliate. Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani is among 1a individuals and bodies targeted. Iran also rejected any changes to its nuclear deal with world powers. President trump has warned that hell re impose sanctions on iran in less than four months, a move that would undermine the agreement under which tehran curbed its Nuclear Programme. Here with me is the iranian writer, broadcaster, and journalist amir taheri. Let me ask you first of all, how worried do you think senior figures in the American Administration are about iran at the moment . They are worried because iran has a great cook role in the stability of the middle east. The Islamic Republic is holding 36 hostages including americans and british and dual nationals and so on and unless the arabian problem as a whole is solved, you cannot settle the middle east at all. The obama approach appeared to be to say we would isolate the question of the Nuclear Programme and deal with that and only with that, and that way we will get a deal. The approach of this administration seems to be more all encompassing. Is there actually a realistic prospect of forcing iran back to the negotiating table to talk about some of these other things such as human rights and the Missile Programme . think there is. Unless you have a holistic approach the problem will not be solved because the country cannot behave in different ways on different issues. You cannot be the tough guy in one section of the soft quy tough guy in one section of the soft guy in another section. It is good for iran as well to see what problems it has with the outside world and settle them. There are human rights and missiles and interventions in syria and yemen and iraq and bahrain and similar. There is support for terrorist groups. There are 23 terrorist groups financed by iran and iran doesnt recognise them as terrorists and calls on holy warriors or whatever andi calls on holy warriors or whatever and i think iran will be forced, because the nuclear deal has not done much for iran either. It has been like an aspirin, it does not cure the disease. Iran must come back as a nation state and it can do so back as a nation state and it can do so only under pressure. There are many within the Iranian Regime that wa nt many within the Iranian Regime that want that because as long as iran has a problem with itself, it will have a problem with everyone else as well. We saw only on thursday the european signatories of the Iran Nuclear Deal meeting with the foreign minister in brussels and saying that we stand. Behind the steel and we believe iran has honoured the terms and we wanted to continue. Are any of the european powers, do you think, willing to perhapsjoin president powers, do you think, willing to perhaps join President Trump and the Trump Administration in putting more direct pressure on iran . There will be no choice. They are cooperating with america enough. Why doesnt the British Government allow the Iranian Embassy in london to open a bank account . That is not the fault of President Trump. I know everything under the sun is the fault of President Trump but not this one why dont the germans renew the export guarantees that they have had for more than 50 years for iran . It has nothing to do with trump. They know that they have problems with iran and they know that unless iran stops being available for exporting revolution and its problems will not be solved. How much do think the protest we saw in iran in the last couple of weeks is reflecting frustration from a lot of iranians that what they thought they were getting out of the nuclear deal, in other words the lifting of sanctions, and suddenly the economy would open up again hasnt actually happened, or at least not yet. Tier it hasnt happened. Iran has been cheated as well. It is a deal of losers. Everyone has lost. Barack 0bama wanted to bury the whole thing under a fudge and have his legacy but the problem is not solved. There is no deal and no one has signed it. No one has committed to it. There is a United Nations Security Council resolution that iran has neglected and the best thing is to roll back to the negotiating table and put all of the problems together and seek a Global Solution to the uranium problem. Irani and problem. Nottingham Railway Station has partly reopened this morning following yesterdays major fire, which police say is now being treated as arson. Ten fire crews tackled flames coming from the stations roof as smoke filled the foyer causing a full evacuation. East Midlands Trains says repairs are likely to take months rather than weeks. Historic listed sections of the building have survived. The bbc understands that there are high level meetings about carillion taking place this weekend to discuss the troubled company. The liberal democrat leader, sir vince cable, has said the government should not bail out the Construction Company carillion, after fears its close to collapse. The group employs about 20 thousand people in the uk and is one of the governments key contractors. Its run up £1. 5 billion of debt, and is discussing a rescue plan with investors. Sir vince said that taxpayers should not foot the bill. It has 43,000 employees, 20,000 in the uk and many more thousands who work as subcontractors so a massive industry that has taken on a large amount of contracts. It has been losing money i think because of bad decisions made in the middle east and now the government has a very big dilemma. It cannot allow the whole of the supply chain to collapse, and it cannot allow these contracts to be unfulfilled, but at the same time it cannot possiblyjust bail out the company because then you have a position where the private sector is allowed to privatise profits but then the government nationalises the losses, the problem we have with the banks, so they cannotjust bail it out. They have to force the shareholders and creditors and the big banks to take losses so the government can take responsibility for taking the contracts forward and making sure they are delivered. That was vince cable talking to breakfast a little earlier. 0ur Political Correspondent emma vardy is here with the latest. First of all, to help us get some sense of how significant this company is, what sort of things does it do for the Public Sector, for government . It is pretty huge. It is the uks second largest Construction Company and plays a big role in delivering services to the Public Sector so it manages around 900 schools and maintains around 50,000 homes for the ministry of defence, manages highways and prisons as well. It would create an enormous headache for the government if this High Profile Company was to go bust. It really seems like the future of carillion is now hanging in the balance. There have been talks with minister this week. There were reports that carillion had turned down a bailout rescue option but carillion later denied that. The government is keeping pretty tight lipped about what any contingency plans are. We understand some of the prisons contracts are due to be moved back in house but things are hanging in the balance. There is talk of high level meetings during the course of the weekend. How serious a potential problem is this if the government if the company were to go under . Certain sections of the work it does would have to be renationalised, as we are seeing with prisons contracts. The rail operations could be taken back on by National Rail but the problem to this is that there are hundreds and thousands of subcontractors that actually rely on paying their bills because of the work they get for carillion said the report effects could be enormous. Politically this would also be bad news for the government because it would come in for a lot of criticism, as is already happening. It has carried on awarding contracts to carillion comparatively recently. Yes, vince cable is called that reckless and it carries on the whole debate that handing contracts to the private sector and that is something labour are likely to weigh in on. Dentists have accused the government of not doing enough to tackle tooth decay in children in england. New figures indicate there were nearly 43,000 operations to remove childrens teeth last year, a i7 increase on four years ago. Ministers say a new tax on sugary drinks from april will help to reduce the number of extractions, but the British Dental Association says england provides a second Class Service compared to scotland and wales. 0ur Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes reports. Tooth decay in children is distressing, painful and avoidable. Dentists say sugary snacks and drinks are the biggest cause. British children drink more soft drinks than anywhere else in europe and the number of multiple extractions which have to take place in hospital under a general anaesthetic is continuing to grow. Figures compiled by the local Government Association show there were nearly 43,000 multiple to the extractions among under 18s in england last year. Thats around 170 every day of the working week. 0verall, theres been an increase of i7 injust four years. Dentists say children in england are suffering and are being offered a second rate service when compared to scotland and wales. We have seen in scotland and in wales that they have got National Programmes to try and prevent this and they have actually got reasonably good results out of it. The government has not put any money into a National Prevention programme for england and thats the reason why we are seeing so many children being put under general anaesthetic. The department of health in england says the introduction of attacks on sugary drinks is part of its plan to reduce the number of extractions and that more than half of all children have seen a dentist in the last year. And, with proper oral hygiene, good brushing and avoiding high sugar snacks and drinks, thousands of children could be saved from experiencing the pain of a rotten tooth. Dominic hughes, bbc news. Joining me now is councillor peter fleming, deputy chair of the local Government Association, who compiled the figures on tooth extractions. Your organisation compiled these figures based on nhs data. Were you surprised by the scale of the extractions that are taking place . It is nothing short of a crisis actually. Under 18 year olds, 43,000 extractions each year, 170 extractions each year, 170 extractions each year, 170 extractions each week. These are under general anaesthetic so it is a Massive Public Health Problem and were putting huge pressure on the nhs. You have some Public Health responsibilities. You can have Advertising Campaigns and encourage people to visit their dentists themselves as adults in the hope it will be passed on to children but in reality is this not down to adult behaviour in allowing children to consume so behaviour in allowing children to consume so much behaviour in allowing children to consume so much Sugary Sweets behaviour in allowing children to consume so much Sugary Sweets and drinks that their teeth rot away . 0ne drinks that their teeth rot away . One of the things we are looking at is that it needs to be incredibly clear so people can make informed choices and people would struggle to visualise what five grams of sugar looks like so we are saying that the government needs to legislate on this and do it on teaspoons. If there are nine teaspoons of sugar in your sugared drink then people can make a informed choice. Is the purpose of the government tax on sugary drinks to do just that, to actually create a disincentive for people to buy them because the price should go up as a result of the tax being added . We are not entirely sure that just a being added . We are not entirely sure thatjust a financial disincentive will work in this case. Young people in this country are the largest consumers of added sugar in the whole of europe. 40 of their daily intake comes from added sugar. 40 i know, it is really worrying. A bad start when it comes to oral hygiene leaves you susceptible for the rest of your life to things that are not connected with your teeth. We were hearing from a paediatric dentist consultant early this morning who said she has had consultations where she has had to make dentures with 14 year olds. She asked another boy how often he brushed his teeth and he said he had only ever brushed his teeth once. Another child did not have a toothbrush. In those circumstances, how far could government use the power it already has in determining and setting the terms of dental contracts and setting the terms of dental co ntra cts to and setting the terms of dental contracts to ensure that dentists are doing much more outreach work amongst those families who are perhaps most vulnerable to this . We have been as local authorities given the Public Health duty. That was given back to councils and we are saying some of that sugar levy should come to councils so we can work with communities and use that partnership, knowing the families, often the families that need their help and education to understand the importance of oral hygiene. This is not necessarily something that government would be particularly good at. Local authorities knowing their communities slightly better than government does from the centre are best placed to spend that money in the way that will have the greatest impact. Thank you very much for coming in. The headlines on bbc news the African Union demands an apology from President Trump for derogatory remarks he reportedly made about the continent. The bbc understands high level government meetings are taking place this weekend about the troubled Construction Company carillion that employs around 20,000 people. The liberal democrats are urging the government not to bailout the company. Dentists are warning of a tooth decay crisis amongst children in england. A record 43,000 operations to remove rotting teeth were carried out last year. Supporters of south africas governing party, the African National congress, have gathered to hear Cyril Ramaphosa give his first major speech since being elected as leader of the party. The South African Deputy President , who was voted as leader last month, has called for unity in the party to bring about social change. Mr ramaphosa began his speech in the last hour, and said the partys new leadership will be dedicated to equality and democracy for south africa. We take this opportunity to reaffirm the ancs commitment to the values and the principles to which so many of our legends dedicated their lives. 0ur organisation belongs to you, the people of south africa. The anc is the parliament of the people of south africa and it is our duty as members of the anc to safeguard and nurture this heritage that we were given by our forebears. The core ideal, that is the reason for the existence of the anc, is the creation of a united, nonracial, nonsexist democratic and prosperous and Equitable Society in our country. As its newly elected leadership we connect ourselves to you, that we shall remain faithful and diligent custodians of this glorious vision and heritage of our people. Cyril ramaphosa. Consumers can no longer be charged extra for paying by credit or debit card under new laws from today. It is hoped the ban will benefit shoppers and holidaymakers who buy goods online or in small stores, but some retailers have already said they will raise overall prices in response to the change. Joe lynam reports. Weve all seen them. The extra little fees added at the very end of the buying process. In percentage terms it may not sound like a lot, but card surcharges add up, until today. Under a new eu directive retailers on or off line can no longer charge customers for paying with a credit or debit card. The treasury says this surcharges cost uk consumers £166 million annually, but some companies, such as concert venues, can still charge a booking or service fee. This is a significant win for consumers. No longer will they be penalised just for paying by credit or debit card. Not all companies will increase prices. We have to wait and see how they react to the law that is being introduced and see whether or not prices go up. If prices do go up consumers can vote with their feet, and shop around and find the best deals for them. Some retailers, such as this Delivery Firm just eat, say they will impose new charges on customers who pay by card. Others may simply raise prices to cover any loss in income. So not all consumers will be better off. I must ask you to leave that lady alone. I must ask you to get lost while your head is still attached to your body. Dont you talk to him like that what are you going to do about it . Tributes have been paid to the comedy actress bella emberg, who has died aged 80. She became a household name in the 1980s on the russ abbot show, playing characters including blunderwoman, the sidekick of hapless superhero cooperman. He has described her as a woman of great warmth and generosity. A number of celebrities and friends of bella emberg have taken to twitter to pay their respects. The author and comedian, michael moran, described her as one of a kind. The actor and songwriter, bobby crush, tweets. Actor and comedian, jon challis, best known as boycie in only fools and horses joins the tributes with a picture of bella as blunderwoman and the caption. And the actor and comedian, bobby davro, tweets. And les dennis, who appeared with bella on the russ abbot show says. 0n the line now barry cryer, a scriptwriter on the russ abbot show. Thank you for being with us this evening. It must be slightly depressing constantly having to pay tribute to old friends who are passed on, but tell us what was special in your view about bella emberg both as a performer and a friend. I have a season ticket for funerals. Your friends drop of the twig as life goes on. She was the most delightful and gentle and funny soul. Ajoy to most delightful and gentle and funny soul. A joy to work with. Peter vincent and i were the script editors and we wrote for the russ abbot show and we saw that she had become typecast. Bella was cast as a large and unattractive woman in a situation and we thought, no, we dont like that, so we started just casting her as a character in a sketch that any actress would play. I think she realised that we were not casting her as a stereotype and so not casting her as a stereotype and so that was good, that was our little thing for bella. She was delightful to work with. She said in an interview she did with the mirror just a few months ago now that she still has the costume blunder woman and every few days she just looks at it and thanks her lucky stars. Some people might ask if that was a stereotype of the fat woman in a glamorous costume, but she took it a lot more seriously. She had the balance in her mind and she thought, 0k, balance in her mind and she thought, ok, i balance in her mind and she thought, 0k, iam balance in her mind and she thought, ok, i am built like balance in her mind and she thought, 0k, iam built like i balance in her mind and she thought, ok, i am built like i am, balance in her mind and she thought, 0k, iam built like i am, and if am remembered for Something Like that then, yes, i can live with that. Underneath, bless her heart, she probably thought, 0k, blunder woman but she was a really good pro and she thought it was good to be remembered for that and that would do. Peter and i were quite obsessed with casting are not in parts like that. It is worth remembering that programmes like the russ abbot show and the lois toulson show, a lot of these others with a lead performer, you also have behind them a kind of small cast, rep company of actors you went back to again and again. She was presumably an important part of that group. Tier i was going to say was like a repertory company, the utterly reliable and solid people you would get in to support your star comedian. She was one of them. You knew once you had booked you were 0k. Apart from the blunder woman character, under any other sketches that stand out for you . am racking my brain for details. There was a hilarious sketch where she was a sidekick of, oh, i cannot believe it myself, russ abbott as nelson. That was just hilarious. Believe it myself, russ abbott as nelson. That wasjust hilarious. In terms of her personal life she said she never married or had kids because she was absolutely committed to the theatre and television and performing ever since she did a Summer Season on the isle of wight which was sadly where she died yesterday. How important was it to her that she was an act of first and foremost, not a comedian . her that she was an act of first and foremost, not a comedian . I keep returning to this point that that is what we regarded her as, not large and funny end of that character woman, we didnt like are being typecast like that. Having said that commie she never gave the impression that she was an obsessive showbiz person, not remotely. She took the job seriously and did it well but she was just completely natural away from that, away from the job. Barry cryer, one of the script editors on the russ abbot show and himself a very experienced comedy actor writer and producer. Thank you very much for sharing your memories of bella emberg, woman who is clearly going to be missed by her many, many fans all around the country. Thank you for being with us on bbc news. Time for the latest weather prospects now, with sarah keith lucas. Hello. An east and west split with the weather today with rain in the west and a drier and cloudier further east. That stays through the weekend. It is mostly cloudy with rain towards the west. It is slow moving. In many areas it will stay pretty wet and windy through the day but the wind will ease. Further east you will stay dry and few bright intervals breaking through the cloud. Temperatures up to seven or eight at the warmest today. This front slowly dies away in the rain fizzles out. The winds will fall lighter overnight as well. With a few clear spells will be colder than last night. Some mist and fog to start sunday and a lot of cloud around still. Many of us having a largely dry day and a few bright intervals on top temperatures of around 49. Goodbye for now. This is bbc news. Our latest headlines the African Union demands an apology from President Trump for reportedly using a vulgar and disparaging term to describe nations on the continent. The union accused the Trump Administration of misunderstanding africans. We were quite appalled and infuriated, outraged by the comments. The bbc understands that high level government meetings about troubled