Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240714

Of military might from china as it celebrates 70 years of communist rule. Even the Emergency Services struggle as torrential rain sweeps across large parts of england and wales. And at 11 30, we will be taking another look at the papers with susie boniface, columnist for the daily mirror, and Katherine Forster from the sunday times. Good evening. After ten weeks in office, tomorrow borisjohnson will offer the eu his plan for brexit. Number ten insists it is the governments final offer, and that the uk will leave the eu at the end of the month, despite a law passed in parliament to prevent him doing so without a deal. A major Sticking Point so far has been resolving the issue of the border between ireland and Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister has told the bbc his plan will have to include some customs checks on the island of ireland after brexit. With more, here is our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg. Her report contains flashing images. When is a crisis an opportunity . Right now, Boris Johnson seems to believe. Prime minister, in the last few weeks, you have lost major votes in the commons. Yes, yes. Youve chucked some mps out of your own party. The highest court in the land has found you broke the law and gave the wrong advice to the queen. How do you think this is going . Well, i think its going about as well as can be expected, if not slightly better. Really . Yeah, because this was always going to be a really difficult time. What weve got, basically, is a situation in which the people voted for leaving the eu. And yes, there are many people in all sorts of positions who dont think that was the right way to go. And i am tasked with getting it over the line, getting brexit done by 31 october. And i think we always knew that, as we came up to that deadline, things would get choppy. And, if only we could all come together, get brexit over the line, i think that fevers would cool, tempers would come down, and it would be a great thing. So that is what im trying to do. But you are suggesting people ought to come together, when transparently, you have been trying to create this idea of them and us. The truth is, theres no way of getting brexit done without, as it were, displeasing people who dont want brexit to get done. Under the proposals that youre about to take to brussels, there would be extra checks on the island of ireland. How and where . Yeah. Well, i mean, if the eu is going to insist on customs checks as we come out, as it is, then we will have to accept that reality. And there will have to be a system for customs checks away from the border. Now, we think that those checks can be absolutely minimal and nonintrusive, and wont involve new infrastructure. Isnt this just you putting forward similar proposals to what had been suggested and turned down so many times before . Well, lets see where we get to, and as you know, weve made some very constructive and far reaching proposals. If there isnt a deal, whose fault will it be . Well, i dont want to get into a blame game, but i think the uk has really moved a long, long way. You really believe that what youre about to put on the table could win the eu round . You really believe that . I absolutely do, yes. And i would urge you, laura, to keep hope alive, and not to. Prime minister, this is not about people feeling hopeful. This is about whether or not the government can come up with a deal with the European Union to protect the economy, to protect peoples jobs and livelihoods. Yes. This is not about telling people to cheer up. This couldnt be more serious. No, but its also a question of getting brexit done by october 31, and doing it in a way that protects the unity and integrity of the united kingdom. And were entitled to protect our Customs Union and were entitled to exit as a sovereign state. So, with Great Respect to all those who are currently anxious about it, particularly in ireland, we do think that our proposals are good and creative. But i accept also, laura, that, you know, there may be hard yards ahead. There are nerves here in manchester about what might come next. Yet the Prime Minister largely has the tory crowd on side. Yesterday you denied that you touched a woman inappropriately at a lunch. She said you did. Is she lying . Look, i dont want to minimise the importance of this issue, or peoples concerns about this kind of thing, but in this case, it is simply not true. So she is lying. Look, im not going to go into whatever. When people make these kinds of allegations, they must always be taken very, very seriously, but in this case, it is not true. Do you worry about what female voters think of you . Yes, of course. Of course, and i think that these are important issues. When i was running in london, we had an administration that was very largely women led, and i was very proud of that. Is the job harder than you thought it might be . Its a wonderfuljob. Yes, its a hardjob, but i think that every day we are making progress. He cannot just bounce his way through this. Boing, boing, boing. The Prime Ministers behaviour and brexit plans are under pressure. I wish you all the very best. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, manchester. Whatever the details are of the Prime Ministers proposed deal, a key issue will be the border between Northern Ireland and ireland. How that border is managed has long been the central challenge of the brexit negotiations. Our ireland correspondent emma vardy looks at some of the issues. How does the border work now . Well, thats easy. It doesnt look like a border at all, just a bump in the tarmac. And its an open border because the rules on either side are the same. So there are cars and lorries passing here all the time, without the need to stop for any checks. But it wasnt always like this, though. During the 30 years of conflict here, the border had militarised checkpoints which often came under attack. And, because a large part of the population believe that the island of ireland as a whole should be one country, ending the violence meant removing any physical sign of a border at all. What might the border look like in the future . Thats the key question that has been holding up brexit and causing uncertainty for thousands of businesses here, north and south. Anything entering the eu has to meet its rules, so after brexit, goods will have to be checked somewhere. But the idea of customs posts are hated by many people who want the border to continue to look and feel invisible, as it is today. The Prime Minister, though, believes technology could help, such as using gps to track goods. But the eu doesnt believe that technology is quite ready yet. Are there any solutions . Well, heres one idea when it comes to farming and food. These cows in Northern Ireland well, they could all be treated as irish cows, following the same food standards and regulations across the island of ireland. That would mean no need for checks on beef products crossing the irish border. But this kind of idea doesnt work for all products. So another option is moving that irish border into the irish sea, having the whole island of ireland following the same eu rules and regulations across all products. But this would be deeply unpopular with unionists, who dont want to see any differences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain when it comes to doing business. Emma vardy reporting there. And Laura Kuenssberg has more on the brexit proposals that will be presented tomorrow. Weve had lots of moments in this long running saga that have felt like they might be a game changer, 01 like they might be a game changer, or have felt like they are genuine milestones in what has been a long and tangled process. And tomorrow is going to be one of them. Because the relatively new Prime Minister will be putting on the table the deal that he hopes to achieve with the eu. And he will also make clear that, in his view, it is either this new deal or no deal. And i expect that as a slogan from downing street that as a slogan from downing street that we will probably, in these fraught weeks ahead, here again and again and again. And theres no question this is a very different of proposals than the one theresa may agreed with the eu all that time ago 110w. Agreed with the eu all that time ago now. But as i understand it, what the government will put on the table in the morning is, as far as senior sources in government believe, it is possible for them to go inside the political situation, the framework that they have set themselves. That does not mean for one second that it is going to work, but this is the path they intend to take, and if it doesnt work, no deal is something, absolutely, that this Prime Minister contemplates. Our europe editor katya adler is in brussels and has more on how the eu might react to borisjohnsons proposals. The Prime Minister has long said now he wants to be in the backstop bin the backstop, and the era has said, fine, come with us with legally operable solutions and they are poised now to receive those proposals. The mood is not optimistic here. Eu leaders worry tonight that this could be the calm before the storm, because they said to the Prime Minister any alternative to the backstop has to preserve the status quo on the island of ireland, to protect Northern Ireland peace process, they say, as well as the single market. So no customs checks, no customs posts, no promises of the use of technologies that havent been or tested. And yet that is exactly the direction of travel that eu leaders fear the Prime Minister is going on. And if he is, then big political decisions lie ahead for all of the leaders. For Boris Johnson, decisions lie ahead for all of the leaders. For borisjohnson, despite the rhetoric, does he want a brexit deal enough to use these proposals asa deal enough to use these proposals as a starting point in negotiations, rather than a take it or leave it, and do eu leaders want to brexit deal enough to compromise their principles . In brussels, that is definitely not the sense here right at the moment. First, of course, we need to see the Prime Ministers proposals in black and white. The duchess of sussex has begun legal action against the mail on sunday over a claim it unlawfully published one of her private letters. In a statement, prince harry referred to what he called relentless propaganda against his wife, and said he wasnt prepared to see her victimised by the press as his mother was. The duke and duchess are on the last leg of their tour of southern africa. Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell has more details from johannesburg. It is remarkably outspoken. It is nothing less than a stinging attack on the british tabloid media. Now, at the centre of this legal case is at the centre of this legal case is a letter written by the duchess to her estranged father, thomas, at his home in mexico, portions of which we re home in mexico, portions of which were quoted in the mail on sunday earlier this year. In his statements, the duke says that his wife has become one of the latest victims of the british tabloid media. He refers to a Ruthless Campaign that has escalated over the past year. He talks about the double standards of this specific press pack, which has vilified her almost daily for the past nine months. He says that this amounts to bullying. And then he says this. My greatest fear is of history repeating itself. Now, i understand that both the queen and the prince of wales have been informed of this legal action. Both the duke and duchess clearly feel very strongly about this. They feel very strongly about this. They feel that they have no option now but to take one of the countrys most powerful Newspaper Groups to court. In a statement a short time ago, the mail on sunday has said that it stands by its story, and that it stands by its story, and that it stands by its story, and that it will be defending this case vigorously. Britain has called for restraint amid escalating violence in hong kong, after a teenage protestor was shot in the chest by a Police Officer and left in a Critical Condition. The foreign secretary, dominic raab, condemned the use of live ammunition as disproportionate. It is the worst violence in the last four months of protests against china, which is today celebrating 70 years of communist rule. So how did it all start . In 1997 hong kong, which had been governed by britain, was handed back to china, but on the condition that hong kong would retain some self government, independent courts and its own flag the so called one country, two systems rule. But this year, protests were sparked over a proposed law making it easier to extradite suspects from hong kong to china. Demonstrators fear that beijing is trying to re establish control over the peninsula and bring it under chinese authority. Today, china has celebrated the 70th anniversary of communist rule with a huge display of military might. We will hear from John Sudworth in beijing in a moment. But first, Rupert Wingfield hayes reports from hong kong. A very violent day here in hong kong. Police say 180 people have been arrested today, the largest number of only one day in this four months of protest. And they say also that they used six live rounds in the protest, and for the first time one of those rounds was fired directly at one of the protesters. Viewers might find some of the images in my report disturbing. Extraordinary. Communist rule has also brought chaos, famine. And recently the mass incarceration of muslims in camps that china called schools. All of these issues are heavily censored. Translation if the Party Controls everything, society is it up. The best way of celebration would be to review history and learn from it. Even beijings parade was for invited guests only, with the public kept at a distance. Hong kongs chief executive carrie lam was there, elevating chinas transition from impoverished neighbour to dominant power. It is an extraordinary high octane tribute to this countrys rise to prosperity. There is a narrative still under tight political control. Im having to report on the parade from outside the corden, one of a number of journalists denied access it seems because of official complaints about oui because of official complaints about our reporting. In stark contrast to the chaos in hong kong, beijing partied into the night. The gulf between the two cities and the two systems as wide as ever. This is now a city returning to normal. The roadblocks have been lifted and the ta nks roadblocks have been lifted and the tanks and missiles have gone. There can be little doubt that the authorities will have viewed the parade as a huge success. You nations have experienced as the mulcher with a period in history does make the mulcher was, as this one has over the past seven decades, and the feeling of National Pride by many will have been entirely genuine stop and yet. As an authoritarian society, the appearance of strength can mask underlying insecurities. The parade took place on the road behind me here, on the north side of tiananmen square, where 30 years ago hundreds of pro democracy student demonstrators were gunned down. Today china is a country facing another crisis of legitimacy with another crisis of legitimacy with another young generation in hong kong. The big question is whether this time once again as it escalates, this will be a country that fails to find a political solution or any kind of resolution. Sorry about the loss of some of ruperts report there from hong kong. Much more on that story though, of course, including live updates from the team on the bbc news website. Lets take a look at the latest headlines now. Boris johnson will submit his plans for a brexit deal to brussels tomorrow. Hell tell the eu its his final offer. The worst violence in hong kong so far as a protestor is left in a Critical Condition after being shot in the chest. The duchess of sussex sues the mail on sunday prince harry says he wont see his wife victimised by the press as his mother was. Four romanian men and a woman have been sentenced to a total of 27 years and four months after breaking into around 400 homes in the West Midlands, and stealing £850,000 in jewellery and cash. Police suspect theyve committed more offences and the valuables could be worth millions of pounds. Police only caught the gang after one of them was discovered to have a very small footprint. Sian lloyd has more. Draped in cars, 28 year old lorena spero was even photographed wearing some of the jewellery she helped dispose of, stolen from homes across the West Midlands by a group led by her husband, catalan is a hurry. This Security Camera footage shows him clambering up bedsheets. The group often entered and exited houses the upstairs windows to avoid groundfloor alarm systems. David and norma richardsons home was one of the last to be burgled before the game was caught. I think i just i couldnt accept it, i couldnt take it in. I didnt realise someone had been there and taken everything stopped when we started looking, everything was gone. Just some of the items yet to be reunited with their rightful owners, found at a house rented by the gang and describe as an aladdins cave of stolen jewellery. They evaded ca ptu re stolen jewellery. They evaded capture three years until a footprint left by the hurry trip them up. We noticed from the start of this series, whoever committed these offences had very small feed. There footprint was consistent, the same trainer, the same pattern, about size five. When Police Stopped his carfor a separate about size five. When Police Stopped his car for a separate offence, they found his footprints matched. Lead them to other gang members. Today theyve been sentenced to a total of just over 27 years in prison. Sian lloyd, bbc news, Birmingham Crown court. Lets take a brief look at some of todays other news up to 60 of Police Officers could be equipped with taser stun guns as part of a new government scheme. The £10 million plan could see 10,000 more officers given access to the kit. The move was unveiled at the conservative Party Conference by the home secretary priti patel. A senior mp has been sent home from the conservative Party Conference in manchester after an altercation. Sir Geoffrey Clifton brown, mp for the cotswolds, clashed with staff as he tried to enter a room with his fiancee without the relevant pass. Hes apologised unreservedly. Vatican police have seized documents and Electronic Devices from departments within the vatican as part of an investigation into suspected financial irregularities. One of the departments, the secretariat of state, is the most powerful within the holy see and the Administrative Centre of the worldwide catholic church. Torrential rain has swept across large parts of england and wales today, causing floods, closing roads and forcing people to leave their homes. Landslides blocked the railway line between carlisle and newcastle. A Major Incident was declared on the isle of man from where danjohnson sent this report. All the cars behind it are going, as well. Theyre used to bearing the brunt of the weather here. But in laxey, this well, this was something else. Oh, some sandbags, there. Thats actually the Civil Defence van that is supposed to be laying sandbags. Talk about optimism in the face of adversity. Even rescue teams struggled as the river raged after hours of rain, so a coastguard helicopter came lift residents to safety, as schools were closed and people were warned to get out or head upstairs. After the deluge, the damage was clear. You can see from the debris in the riverjust how forceful the water was and you can see the destruction it caused. Cars have been ruined and homes too, and if you look on the wall you can see the tide mark, that is how high the water got. This was the front room. Some homes were under three, four or even five feet. The next thing the door came in and so i was trying to push the door. The kids were upstairs screaming, i managed to get the dog and cats upstairs, as well. It was just horrendous. It was literally happening within five minutes. There was nothing you could do. At one stage there were 50 Flood Warnings across england, and although the storm surge wasnt as bad as feared, in cumbria, landslides blocked railway lines, and after a month of record rain, carlisle was one of many places where roads were tricky. In leicestershire, rivers swelled, leaving cars submerged. Back on the island, theres much more clearing up to do. And theres disbelief here at the speed, intensity and destruction of this devastating flash flood. Dan johnson, bbc news, in laxey on the isle of man. One of britains rarest mammals is once again living in the forest of dean in gloucestershire. Pine martens, which are about the size of a cat, were hunted to extinction there a 100 years ago. Now 18 have been relocated from scotland. Sally challoner reports. This is the moment the wild pine martens were released from their secret holding pen into the forest of dean. Transported the 200 odd miles from scotland last month, its hope theyll establish, breed, and spread here. So when they come down from scotland, you put them in here for a few days, they are going to climatise to their surroundings, and when they are ready to go, and we are happy that they are safe and healthy, we open the gates, and out they go. This is everything a pine marten needs. Its got a den box to sleep in, its got a feeding station, and lots of cover as well to hide away. But it basically helps them get settled in the dean. Habitat loss and over hunting meant pine martens disappeared from these woodlands completely. Our hopes hang on the success of this project. Each of the pine martens has a collar attached to it with a leather strap, which falls off naturally, if it gets caught on anything, they can pull it off. So its really safe, its been used a lot for different mammals, and every night, we go out, and we basically worked out where they are going, where they are establishing territories, where they are denning down, just to keep an eye on them, so we know how they are doing. Pine martens arentjust an iconic native species, theyll also help to control the population of the non native and very destructive grey squirrel. They are damaging our native broad leaf. So you can see here, this young oak that weve planted, this will never become a healthy tree, because its been severely damaged at this early stage in its life. So you hope that the pine martens will predate on the grey squirrels . So evidence from scotland and ireland suggests that the pine martens, almost introduce this climate of fear, so they, the breeding success of the grey squirrels is impacted, and they are also directly predated on by the pine martens too. Its hoped another a0 pine martins will arrive here over the next two years, 100 years since they first disappeared. Sally challoner, bbc points west, in the forest of dean. Right, so we have a look at what the weather has now got in store for us . Hello there. Its been a very wet start to the week. The rainfall events which occurred from monday night into tuesday, and on Tuesday Morning we saw around 7a Flood Warnings across england in one. That number has eased somewhat. In the good news is it looks like the middle part of the week will be dominated by this ridge of High Pressure which will bring a lot of fine and settled whether and in others Flood Warning numbers to drop even further. But it will be a short lived settle spell set to become unsettled by the end of the week. Wednesday starts a very chilly, a touch of frost across northern areas, a crisp sunny morning and it stays right through most of the day. But it will stay windy across the north and east of scotla nd windy across the north and east of scotland and england, some scattered showers. Temperatures that both around 14 15 degrees, generally in the lower teens celsius, noticeably cooler than it has been of late. Wednesday night it stays pretty chilly with clear skies. Winds gradually ease across eastern areas, we will start to see increasing cloud across the south west. Another chilly night but maybe not quite as cold as what we will see on wednesday morning. Still some really chilly spots there across the scottish glands. Lets have a look at whats happening later in the week, we need to look to hurricane lorenzo, which is continuing to wea ken lorenzo, which is continuing to weaken as it moves from the atlantic towards our shores. This system will wea ken towards our shores. This system will weaken as it reaches the cooler areas of our weaken as it reaches the cooler areas of oui seas weaken as it reaches the cooler areas of our seas around the british isles, but it now looks like we have more certainty with it. Its going to arrive across western parts of ireland during the course of thursday to bring some gales and heavy rain here. Now it looks like it was sweeping across the rest of the uk as we had the friday. One thing it will do as well as push those blues, those colder colours northwards and starting to do something much milderfrom the south west. This is how thursdays stepping up at the moment, a dry bright start for many central, northern and eastern areas. There was some cool air here, but it will turn wetter and windier across Western Areas, that rain and wind arriving tomorrow. And gradually the temperatures will be on the rise across the south west, but still another cool one in the north east. Then the remnants of the renzo we can rapidly as it sinks south eastwards during friday, as it moves across england and. So it could be a fairly windy and wet start for Northern Ireland, northern parts of england under on friday morning, but as it outwards, the winds will ease as it outwards, the winds will ease as does the rain with increasing amounts of sunshine. And we will have imported some milder air across the board for friday, 17 18 degrees, higher in the sun. After friday, the remnants of the renzo move on and it looks like we could see another smell of wet and windy weather during the weekend, especially saturday night into sunday. A brief spell of High Pressure, then more wet and windy weather as we move into next monday. This low pressure system looks like it wants to park itself across the north west of the country on tuesday. Judging by that person chart, it is looking slightly u nsettled chart, it is looking slightly unsettled for the weekend and beyond. Low pressure bringing spells of wind and rain, most of that rain affecting northern and Western Areas of the country. Even the south east will see some rain and lengthier drier interludes at times. Thats how it is looking. Bye for now