Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240714

The fifa womens world cup kicked off last night, with hosts france easing to a dominant 4 0 win over south korea. And coming up on bbc news click gets in the drivers seat as it looks at the tech behind formula e. Thats at 3 30. Good afternoon. One of the candidates for the leadership of the conservative party, michael gove, says he deeply regrets taking cocaine more than 20 years ago. He told the daily mail that he had taken the drug at several social events while working as a journalist. He said it was a mistake but he didnt believe it should disqualify him from becoming prime minister. Peter saull reports. Michael gove has put himself out there like ten of his colleagues. I confirm that i am putting my name forward to be prime minister. But he is now facing up to his past, admitting taking cocaine more than two decades ago. In his confession to the daily mail today, he says. One of the other would be leaders has some sympathy. I think michael set out that he made a mistake a long time ago, people willjudge it as it is, but i do believe in a Second Chance society generally and its up for colleagues and members to decide, but i dont see it barring him from the race. And michael gove is not alone other candidates have admitted taking drugs themselves. The International Development secretary rory stewart apologised for smoking opium at a wedding in iran 15 years ago. The jetsetting foreign secretaryjeremy hunt has also learnt his lesson, telling the times he drank a cannabis infused drink while backpacking in india. And then theres borisjohnson, who has faced questions in the past about claims he took cocaine while he was a student. I tried to, but unsuccessfully, a long time ago. Three years later, he said it was simply untrue he had taken cocaine. Equally fresh faced, this is michael gove in the late 1990s. Little did he know that 20 years hence, he would be a candidate for prime minister. Fast forward to now and with plenty of support among mps, he is considered a frontrunner but if he makes it to the final two, will the tory membership conservative by name and often conservative by nature find it hard to forgive his past misdemeanours . 0ur political reporter, peter saull, explained why mr gove may have decided to talk about his past. As you saw there, this has become a feature for conservative leadership contest, the International Development secretary rory stewart talking about a wedding he was out in iran 15 years ago in which he was past a pipe, an opium pipe, and felt that he had to smoke it out of politeness. Others have made similar admissions of prior use of drugs. Dominic raab, for example, has said he smoked cannabis while at university. You saw the clip from Boris Johnson as well when he was asked back in 2005 so this is a question politicians are often asked, how did they behave when they were younger, perhaps in a former life as politicians . I think the message from michael gove today is, judge me on my record as a politician in parliament because remember politicians have past lives and they were people before politicians. In terms of how he is handling that and his reaction, how is it being received and perceived . The key question is how it goes down among the tory faithful in the country. Michael gove is a very popular figure within the conservative party in westminster. He is considered one of the favourites to get through to the final two. The rounds of whittling it down to the final contenders will begin on thursday. He has a lot of support within the Parliamentary Party and ticks quite a lot of boxes for his colleagues. Hes got a wealth of experience in the cabinet and he is also a brexiteer which is a key criteria for a lot of people but the clue is in the name as far as the conservative membership is concerned, they are conservative, they are largely older in terms of demographic so they may take a more dim view and some of his conservative colleagues in westminster to some of his past misdemeanours. A lot of people are saying, fine, it happened when you were younger, but these are high profile figures. What sort of message with this be sending out to the public who may well turn around and say, we have to face much harsher consequences . Its a very serious issue, michael gove admits today is very serious and he would be serious about tackling drug misuse as prime minister. Cressida dick, the metropolitan police commissioner, has made the point that middle class drug users should take greater responsibility for their taking of cocaine, given the problems that exist down the supply chain in terms of violence. The county lines networks that we see up and down the country at the moment, which are an increasing problem, say nothing of the origins of these drugs. Sometimes in south america and the violence that is to that, and so all of the leadership contenders need to take this very, very seriously but i think the way it has been treated by senior politicians is, at least he is being honest and we can perhaps move on and look at some of the policies which is what really matters because ultimately, the person who wins will become the next prime minister. This is a big week coming up, it really kicks off this week, so is there the feeling out there that there are going to be more revelations such as these coming up . It is such a wide, open field. 11 candidates have put themselves forward, it may be that some drop over the next 2a to 48 hours and others join the race. Theyve got until five oclock on monday to get their nominations in, but given there is so many of them, its a really competitive race and there will be quite a lot of mudslinging as we move through the process of the next couple of weeks, particularly when we get to the final two. Its going to take a fortnight for the Parliamentary Party to whittle them down to two final contenders and then it will take a month of hustings up and down the country where the two contenders will be put in front of conservative members and it could potentially get quite acrimonious if those two individuals are fighting to get that top job so i think we may well see more revelations over the coming weeks. The us President Donald Trump says the us and mexico have reached a deal on illegal migration. The american president had threatened to impose tariffs on all mexican imports from the start of next week unless action was taken to stem the flow of people crossing the border illegally. Heres our washington correspondent, chris buckler. The problems at this border have been the source of deep divisions between the us and mexico. The surge of migrants trying to cross into the United States here led President Trump to threaten tariffs on the huge amount of trade that also comes across from the mexican side. With just days to go, the tariffs have been avoided, much to mexicos relief. Translation an agreement has been reached between the governments of mexico and the United States, with which, as you surely already know, tariffs will not be implemented on monday. On twitter, President Trump said the tariffs were indefinitely suspended. And that mexico had agreed to take strong measures to stem the tide of migration through mexico to americas southern border. In the last week the Mexican Government has made a point of showing it is doing more to try to deterrent groups from making their way from central america. It has promised to deploy thousands of members of its National Guard to mexicos southern border with guatemala as part of a crackdown on smuggling and Human Trafficking that america has been pushing for. But it will concern those fleeing countries in an attempt to claim asylum. There had been three days of talks at the white house while donald trump was in europe, but the agreement was not signed off until he returned to washington. The president has long promised his supporters that he would address concerns about illegal immigration. He will see this as a significant step forward, and by saying that he is indefinitely suspending tariffs, President Trump may be warning that he is threatening them again if he does not see the number of migrants fall. A 16 year old boy has been arrested over a homophobic attack against two lesbians in london. Melania gimoanat, and her partner chris were passengers on a night bus when a group began harassing them and asking them to kiss. Four other males aged between 15 and 18 are being questioned on suspicion of robbery and aggravated grievous bodily harm. Health officials are investigating the deaths of three hospital patients in manchester and liverpool, following an outbreak of listeria, which has been linked to pre packed sandwiches. Three other people are seriously ill. Production at the factory where the sandwiches were made has been stopped. Public Health England says the risk to the public is low. We hope there will be no more cases. One of the problems with his particular infection is the long incubation period. It can be three or four weeks. In terms of the numbers, we are just watching. The queens official birthday has been marked by the annual trooping the colour ceremony. The duchess of sussex joined the parade in an open top carriage, her first public appearance since the birth of her son four weeks ago. Sarah campbell reports. It is one of the biggest events on the royal calendar, and always one to attract crowds to the mall. This year, many were hoping for a glimpse of the duchess of sussex and they were not disappointed. Sitting alongside her husband, prince harry, with her sister in law, prince catherine, the duchess of cambridge and the duchess of cornwall, this was her first public appearance since the birth of her baby archie, on the 6th of may. The queen celebrated her 93rd birthday in april. Trooping the colour has marked the monikers official birthday for more than 200 years. After a week honouring the sacrifices made by the military on the beaches of normandy, today, more than 1,000 members of the armed forces honoured the queen, their commander in chief. It was a proud moment for all those taking part, watched on by invited guests, including the prime minister, theresa may. After the ceremony, back to buckingham palace, and what is perhaps the worlds most famous balcony, the crowd surging forward to get the best view. Not in attendance as expected was prince philip, who turns 98 on monday. Making his first balcony appearance was prince williams youngest son, prince louis, making sure, along with his siblings, this is one for the royal family photo album. The actor Olivia Colman, and tv adventurer bear grylls, are among the famous names recognised in the queens birthday honours list. Theyjoin hundreds of members of the public who receive awards for the contribution to their community. Lizo mzimbas report contains some flash photography. Academy award winner Olivia Colman says she is thrilled to have been made a commander of the order of the British Empire for services to drama. Now is the winter of our discontent. Simon Russell Beale has received a knighthood for his acting work. In the world of music, performer and actor alfie boe becomes an obe for services to music and charity. While the grammy and brit nominated performer m i. A becomes an mbe. But of course, the majority of the honours have gone to people who arent in the public eye. For work in their communities across the country. People like nimco ali, who has become an obe for her work campaigning against female genital mutilation. I spoke out because i was hurt that 20 years after i was subjected to fgm, girls in the uk were still at risk. And now we have a decade to make sure we save the most vulnerable girls on the planet. 15 Foster Carers have been made mbes, including gordon and brenda potter, who have looked after hundreds of children. Something we have enjoyed doing for so long has actually won us this award. I would hate never to have done it. I am very proud of the award, but im glad i have done it. And Liverpool Street cleaner Tommy Mcardle receives a British Empire medalfor services to the community. He is just one of hundreds being recognised for the work that they do that benefits so many others. Lets talk to one of those whos received an honour today Nature Documentary maker alistair fothergill, who has received an obe. He was behind the series the blue planet in 2001, planet earth in 2006 and frozen planet in 2011. He joins me from bath via webcam. Congratulations, how are you feeling . Thank you very much, its an honour. What major work in nature documentaries what made you work . Asa documentaries what made you work . As a young boy i was passionate about wildlife and the bbc ran a competition in memory of a cameraman who died on everest and i got involved in that and decided that the best way to stay with animals was to make wildlife films. How are you hoping to use this award and make a difference Going Forward . The series i make involve Large Production teams of 25 or 30 people. Camera men and women all around the world and i think this award reflects their work. More recently with a series like our planet which we did for netflix, we are trying to talk to conservation issues talk about conservation issues and explain to people how urgent it is that we need to do things if we are going to preserve the Natural World. Has been difficult to make that move towards that harder message and still ensure that the audience watch and are not scared off . Good question, the balance is very, very important. In planet earth, we filmed Snow Leopards for the very first time and i think it is still a great role to show people nature. Many people live in cities and dont have access to the Natural World and just showing them celebrating it is important enough but increasingly i think we have to tell the reality of what is happening. It has changed enormously in my lifetime and we have to reflect that in the documentaries we are making. What was the turning point for you . You must have some standout moments which took you by surprise but also, i suppose, pointed out to you that you do need to change the narrative. Full stop i spent a lot of my working life in the polar regions, the arctic and antarctic, and in south georgia, a Beautiful Island in the south atlantic. Ive literally seen the glaciers retreat back up the mountains. Ive worked a lot with polar bears in the arctic and every year the Arctic Sea Ice is melting earlier in the summer, you can really see it and that is reducing the hunting period for the polar bears so that is definitely happening, weve seen it in our lifetimes and we need to report it. This area of work of Film Production ta kes a this area of work of Film Production takes a lot of patience. What are your plans for the future . The series takes four or five years to make. We are presently producing two more for the bbc and another series for netflix. Im excited that we are working on a series about British Wildlife to really celebrate about the extraordinary but threatened wildlife we have in the uk but that will take two or three years to complete. Conservation and the planet, right now, the youth have a lot to say in this. How is it that you make these films and ensure that you make these films and ensure that you empower the Younger Generation . I think one of the wonderful things about wildlife films is that they appear attractive to every age group. They sell all around the world, to hundreds of countries, and there is no doubt that the 16 to 30 year old audience are particularly keen on wildlife films. It is their planet, they are inheriting it and the messages we have for them are very, very important. Again, huge congratulations to yourself and, as you pointed out, the team that work with you as well. Thank you. Thank you very much. The headlines on bbc news michael gove one of the front runners for the conservative leadership says his past cocaine use more than 20 years ago should not be held against him in his bid to become prime minister. Us President Donald Trump lifts the threat of tariffs on imports from mexico after its government promises to curb illegal immigration. Health officials launch an investigation into the deaths of three hospital patients in manchester and liverpool who ate pre packed sandwiches linked to an outbreak of listeria. New noise cameras are to be be on used on britains roads to detect excessively loud vehicles. Theyre aimed at catching so called boy racers revving their engines in quiet communities. Our Business Correspondent katy austin has more. People who live in the hampshire countryside are fed up of hearing things like this. Bikes roar. We have had readings over 100 decibels. Jonathan chairs a group that has campaigned for years for action against people who cause a racket with illegally modified exhausts. You dont live in a village with a main road going through it without expecting some noise. However, it is the anti social times that the noise is made, particularly in the summer months, when the windows of houses are open because it is too hot to sleep otherwise. Cars and motorbikes already have to meet strict noise level requirements before they are allowed on the road, and they shouldnt be modified to make them noisier. The police already enforce the existing rules where they can, but the government is looking at using new technology to crack down on excessively noisy vehicles. It says acoustic cameras would probably work a bit like speed cameras. The noise from the vehicle would be picked up by a microphone. If it picked up noise above a certain level, yet to be decided, it would trigger one 01 more cameras to capture a Registration Number and other images. An alert would be sent prompting a fine to be issued. This technology could provide an alternative to make sure those communities are protected against excessive noise, that people acting illegally are prosecuted, it is a simple and easy way of doing it. Why are you not simply giving the police more money or powers to tackle it themselves . Its about using Smart Technology to find different ways for the police to enforce the law. We asked some bikers in hampshire what they thought. I like the sound of a bike exhaust, but i also get irritated by excessive noise from bikes. Bikes are noisy, and that is part of the thrill of it. I know it can cause people some concern, but personally i try to keep to the law, keep to the speed limit, and dont cause too much noise. Campaigners like jonathan would like to see more evidence about exactly how a noise camera would work. Im not convinced. Well have to wait and see what the results of tests and trials by Hampshire Police in this case, if they are prepared to do that, then we would be interested to know how they get on. The government will now develop its noise camera idea and decide where to trial them. Trials will include deciding exactly how loud vehicle would have to be to earn its owner a fine. The head of the International Monetary fund has warned that the worlds Financial System could be significantly disrupted by giant technology firms. Christine lagarde said the Financial Systems payment and settlement arrangements risk being controlled by a handful of Tech Companies with products based on big data and artificial intelligence. Ms lagarde was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting injapan of g20 finance ministers. Tech firms, very large ones, that will eventually be disruptive in the financial landscape, because they will be using a lot of their ample resources, as well as massive access to data, in order to penetrate a field where there is market share up for grabs. Christine lagarde of the imf. People are being urged to avoid buying fresh or frozen yellowfin tuna sourced from the indian ocean. A report from the conservation group, the blue marine foundation, says the breed is being overfished and pushed to the brink of collapse in the area. The study says that stocks in the pacific remain strong. When finn the police dog was stabbed and seriously hurt while chasing a suspect, the attack could only be treated as criminal damage. Now, after a campaign, a new law comes into force today, giving more protection to Service Animals, and longer, more serious sentences for those who harm them. More than 100 Service Animals are thought to have been wounded since 2012. Pc dave wardell is finns handler. He welcomes the new law but told my colleague shaun ley that this is only the start. When you look at canada, new zealand, australia, most of america, they have specific laws to protect their Service Animals. And if we are going to use these animals, and we should because they are incredible, there is no piece of machinery that can do they do, then it is right that we protect them. And that is what finns law will do. And we are asking the government now to increase the maximum sentences from six months to five years, and if we can do that it really will be incredible. And thats a significant change, because that will apply the board. Yes, that will be for all animals, all Animal Welfare cases. We are calling it finns law part two. More than a0 years after his first Ground Breaking series of books were released, armistead maupins tales of the city is getting a netflix reboot. The series follows a group of san franciscans in the 70s, and features an all star cast of gay and tra nsgender actors playing the roles, something the author says was a priority. The bbcs lgbt correspondent, ben hunte, went to find out more. It is a series that captured peoples hearts. In books, on radios, on tv, 43 years since maupins tales of the city all began, today it is getting a revival from netflix. But it was not always easy. What . yes, this Netflix Series is the fourth tv adaptation. In the 90s channel 4 created a show based on the well loved series of books. It followed a group of san franciscans over several months in the 70s and it caused quite a stir when it aired in america. It was the first time americans had seen two men kissing on broadcast television. It caused an uproar with certain right wing groups, who petitioned congress and they shut it down, essentially. As a leading series for lgbt people, the actors chosen to play the iconic rules were also important to the author. Gay actors playing gay roles, it is a very big topic at the moment. Was that one of the priorities for this . Yes, it was. There is still an idea in hollywood that the big stars cant be gay. I just think that a gay actor can bring Something Special to the role from their own experience. Is it a girl . Murray bartlett who plays michael tolliver, ellen page who plays shona hawkins, you can feel the truth of what they are doing. They bring that to the rule. If a couple of queers walk down the street and nobody knows it, are they still queer . Over four decades since it first started, the series is still helping lgbt people come to terms with themselves. So, we have seen so many generations of people growing up with your books and now with the tv series and now this Netflix Series. What is that like to know you have impacted so many people . Its thrilling. People say, you helped me realise who i was and how to claim my life, you know. How to live my own truth. That i can help people in that way is still thrilling and there are still plenty of people who need to hear it. Tales of the city is available on netflix now. Next years Early May Bank holiday will be moved back by four days to friday the 8th of may to coincide with the 75th anniversary of ve day. A weekend of events is being planned in england, wales and Northern Ireland to mark the end of the Second World War in europe. Scotland is yet to announce whether it will make a similar change. When construction began on the Sagrada Familia cathedral in barcelona 137 years ago, it seems there was one thing the architect forgot planning permission. But now, thats finally been put right, after the citys authorities awarded a building permit. The lack of the document was only discovered three years ago. The committee charged with completing the iconic gaudi designed construction will have to payjust over 5 million for the right to carry on. Now its time for a look at the weather with alina jenkins. It has been a blustery and cool feeling saturday, some showers and longer spells of rain and gusty winds and we keep those going to end the afternoon, touching a0 or four 01 the afternoon, touching a0 or four or five the afternoon, touching a0 or four orfive mph the afternoon, touching a0 or four or five mph across eastern and southern counties of england. Sunshine to end the afternoon, 17 or 18 celsius. Where we have the rain, 12 or13, and 18 celsius. Where we have the rain, 12 or 13, and the rain across Northern England and eastern scotla nd Northern England and eastern scotland will gradually pull away through this evening. Well keep some showers going overnight, chiefly across southern and western scotla nd chiefly across southern and western scotland and Northern Ireland, but for most it is mainly dry and clear sky as the once lighter which could bring mist and for most of us will struggle to stay in double figures. Its a fairly cool night but tomorrow is much more straightforward, sunny spells and showers initially across the western side of the uk which will filter there way further eastwards as the day goes on. Some could see quite a few, others will stay mainly dry and with lighter winds and more sunshine, it should feel a bit warmer tomorrow. Bye bye. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines