Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240713

We will not allow this to continue and one way or another we must proceed straight to an election. In other news, the driver of the lorry in essex, in which 39 people died, appears in court charged with their manslaughter. The death of a british teenager has changed the way social media firms deal with harmful posts, according to the head of instagram. Campaigners call on the government to extend how long women can store their frozen eggs, saying the 10 year limit breaches human rights. And at 11 30 well be taking an in depth look at the papers with our reviewers, ros altmann, former pensions minister, and mihir bose, writer and broadcaster. Stay with us for that. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. The Prime Minister, who said last month that hed rather die in a ditch than ask for another brexit delay, has written to the European Council president , accepting a three month extension to the brexit process. Its the formal confirmation that mrjohnsons pledge to take britain out of the eu by this thursday cant be delivered. The Prime Minister has again called for an early general election. He said this parliament had become dysfunctional. But his plan for an election on december 12th was rejected by the house of commons tonight. Another attempt is expected tomorrow. Labour says it will not agree to an election unless a no deal brexit is completely ruled out. This report from our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg, contains flash photography. Throw your hands up if you like. Very short and efficient and constructive meeting and im happy that the decision has been taken. Short and efficient . Not how anyone could describe the brexit process. Reporter is this extension too long . Full of missteps and stumbles. Be careful, be careful, take care. But the meeting in brussels to give the uk another three month delay was exactly that. The Prime Minister says the pause was imposed on the government against its will and, writing to the eu council, he says. Despite borisjohnsons rush, he has broken his brexit deadline and has promised to leave by halloween. Instead, this afternoon, tried to push the mps to the ballot box. There is a widespread view that this parliament has run its course. And that is because i simply do not believe that this house is capable of delivering on the priorities of the people, whether that means brexit or anything else. Technically, this sessions only been going a couple of weeks but the current cast have been in place since 2017. There is nothing comfortable about this for labour. They wont agree a contest yet. He will avoid his responsibilities, break his promises to dodge scrutiny. And, today, he wants an election and his bill well, not with our endorsement. There is a message to the people of scotland. The snp and the lib dems, though, were not ready to back the Prime Minister tonight but tomorrow when he will need only to win by one might be a different story. We will not vote with the government tonight but make no mistake, the Scottish National party are ready to give people back their say. The way forward now is to have an election but to do so responsibly, not letting the Prime Minister force through his bad brexit deal. There are doubts, though, about an election, even in tory ranks and among their natural allies. We are not wreckers. We do not want to see the United Kingdom ungovernable. But the one thing we are not prepared to do is to see the United Kingdom divided. Division clear the lobby ultimately, the Prime Minister was miles off what he needed. The ayes to the right, 299. The noes to the left, 70. But, just when one vote has gone, along comes another round here. Number 10 will ask mps again tomorrow to back an election on december the 12th. But theyll vow this time to ditch any effort to get their brexit deal through parliament. With that gone, the opposition parties may be more enthusiastic but suspicions of borisjohnsons motives are all around tonight. But tomorrow this parliament to might call time on an era of short tempers and long debates and move swiftly into a Ferocious Campaign of short days and long election nights. Laura kuenssberg reporting there. Well hear more analysis from her shortly. But first, our europe editor katya adler is in brussels with the reaction to the days developments there. If we think back to when theresa may was Prime Minister, at the time, eu leaders hope that if you got parliament involved, it could help solve the uk brexit question. At other times a second referendum or even a general election, definitely when they had been renegotiating of the deal of late, eu leaders could bring the brexit issue to a conclusion. The Prime Minister promised he could look where we are 110w. Promised he could look where we are now. They have been so many cold storms that when the Prime Minister, in his letter to the eu today, asked them that he would accept a new extension, please make it clear that this would be the last brexit delay. This is not something the eu leaders are this is not something the eu leaders a re really this is not something the eu leaders are really prepared to do. What happens if it comes to a general election and improves inconclusive and it comes to exit. What happens if the new brexit deal comes to parliament and mps rejected. The main focus of eu leaders has been to avoid a damaging no deal brexit. They want to keep in their back pocket, the possibility of another brexit extension if need be to avoid another no deal scenario even if the idea of a brexit delay really does not make the eu happy. Well, our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg is in the houses of parliament and has been telling us whether the Prime Ministers attempt to get a pre christmas election might succeed tomorrow, after it failed this evening. The chances are good for downing street in terms of getting what they so street in terms of getting what they so desire, the idea to get the clarity, of getting to the country ina way clarity, of getting to the country in a way they hope will account for them but just the in a way they hope will account for them butjust the chances are better than they have been for Boris Johnson in terms of getting to the ballot box, it does not mean whatsoever that this will be a slam dunk. Remember, he has tried before and failed, and tried twice again and failed, and tried twice again and failed, and tried twice again and failed again. It seems the lead dams and the snp are pretty much on board. Lib dams. But pretty much is very important. They will be waiting to see what the terms of the vote the Prime Minister wants to have tomorrow are an do not underestimate what other mps might try to get in there and amend and change what has been put forward in front of them. Certainly, it seems things could be stacking up for the Prime Minister but it does not mean he will reach this goal in 2a hours time. It seems though, the parliament has been inching towards this moment for many weeks now and it could be we are now in the final strides. Its understood that the government has suspended 0peration yellowhammer the name given to Contingency Planning for a no deal brexit. It comes after this morning the European Union agreed to grant a flexible three month extension to brexit. A lorry driver has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of 39 people who were found dead in a container in essex last week. Maurice robinson is accused of being part of a Global Network of people smugglers. Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited the scene were the bodies were found and left flowers in memory of those who died. Our Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford reports. The Prime Minister and the chief constable remembering the 39 people who died in the refrigerated trailer at a simple ceremony in grays, in essex today. In the book of condolence, Boris Johnson wrote that the whole world had been shocked by the tragedy and said the government would do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to justice. A message the chief constable repeated. We will continue to try to bring justice for these families to bring these people, put them in front of the court to answer for their crimes, wherever they might be. At chelmsford magistrates, in front of the worlds press, the first person to be accused was in court. 25 year old Maurice Robinson, of craigavon in northern ireland, appeared by video link from grays police station. The list of charges he faces includes 39 of manslaughter. He is accused of killing an unknown person one, because no victim has been identified yet, through to an unknown person 39. He is also accused of people trafficking over an 11 month period. At the end, districtjudge timothy king told Maurice Robinson that he would be remaining in custody until his next Court Appearance at the old bailey in london on the 25th of november. The home secretary, secretary priti patel mps were warned this would be a long investigation. The organised criminals who drive this practice are dynamic, they are unscru pable and they are highly adaptable. But failing to confront them comes with a terrible, terrible human cost. We must be ruthless now in our response. The cargo in the refrigerated trailer that became a death trap was officially registered as cookies. The man suspected of driving it to zeebrugge was detained in dublin on saturday, and is currently being held on unrelated charges. Detectives believe he used this blue cab, which has now been seized by irish police. Daniel sandford, bbc news. In vietnam, the families of people who may been among the victims in the lorry container are urging british investigators to identify the dead as soon as possible. 0ur correspondent, jonathan head, is in the district of yen thanh, where many of those who died are believed to have come from, and has spoken to some of the families still waiting for news. In a vietnamese front room, a family enduring an agonising wait. Its ten days since they last heard from their 26 year old son. A month ago i heard him talking of a business idea with a friend, says his father. But he never asked for money, so i didnt think he was going overseas. He called us several times after arriving in germany, explained his uncle. But not in the past ten days. They began to hear news that something had gone terribly wrong. Then the police came, asking for samples of fingernails and hair. The awful possibility that he was inside the container is beginning to hit home for this family. His mother pleads for the british authorities to be quick. Please help us, and find my son, she says. Most of the victims are thought to come from this part of vietnam. There are many other families here caught in the same misery of not knowing for sure. Its been said that its poverty driving young people to leave here and go overseas, but thats not quite true. Much of vietnam is poor, but here theyve seen just how well you can do after only a few years living in britain. Theyve seen the new houses and the shiny cars, and its that thats inducing the bright and ambitious young people to make thatjourney west. Its a journey this man made more than ten years ago. Cutting open the tarpaulin of a fruit and vegetable lorry, he says, to smuggle himself into britain. His stay was not a success. Recruited to work on a farm growing marijuana, he was arrested, spent seven months in prison, and then deported. Yet even now he says he longs to go back with his family. There is an unexpected bond between britain and this quiet part of rural vietnam. 0ne forged by dreams of better lives, and now, by tragedy. Jonathan head, bbc news, yen thanh, vietnam. The headlines on bbc news borisjohnson says hell continue to push for a general election on the 12th of december after the commons rejected his plan tonight. The driver of the lorry in which 39 people died appears in court charged with their manslaughter. The death of a british teenager has changed the way social media firms deal with harmful posts, according to the head of instagram. The head of instagram has told bbc news that the death of the british teenager Molly Russell has changed the way the social media world deals with posts showing people how to hurt or even kill themselves. Molly was 1a when she took her own life after viewing graphic content on instagram. In an exclusive interview, adam mosseri says the platform will extend its ban on such images to include drawings and cartoons. But he admits harmful content still remains on the platform. You may find some of the material in angus crawfords report upsetting. She went to bed the night before we found her dead the next morning. Talking to america, coast to coast, on breakfast tv, with other parents bereaved by suicide, ian russell has a message about big tech and its duty to protect children. Its not right. Why . Because the kind of graphic material molly saw on instagram, though more difficult to find, is still there. That, and the dark, depressing videos, pictures and even cartoons. Ians campaign, mollys story, forced instagram to change. He simply wants them to keep their promise. Moving forward, actually, were going to change our policy to not allow any graphic of self harm. That is instagram headquarters, and ian russell has said he would love to get inside to meet staff and senior managers. The leadership of the Company Wants to meet him, too, but until the inquest into the death of molly is complete, thats just not legally possible. Im holding you to your words of eight months ago, we will remove graphic images of self harm. It is still there, though. It feels to me like you have failed. We do remove more than twice as much content related to self harm and suicide as we did before we made these changes. We find roughly three quarters of it, that gets taken down proactively, before anybody reports it. But there is very clearly still work to do. This work never ends. That is one side of the picture. I think theres another side which is possibly equally disturbing, the dark, the sad, the depressing, the endlessly, relentlessly miserable material. What we announced in february was content that was graphic images of self harm were no longer allowed. We have expanded that to include images of methods and materials used in self harm. That is a significant step forward. Molly looked up things on the internet. Ians hope . That social media becomes a safer place for all young people, like this group, who lost a friend to suicide. I think its bad when people use it in the wrong way, and use it for cyber bullying, when that is not what its for. Ijust dont really want to be a part of it. I dont want to risk anything. You can do something when you are about 12 on social media and it can ruin your entire life. Its really only bad if you use it in the wrong way. Mollys death, and more specifically, the work that her parents have done in the wake of that tragedy, which. I honestly cant begin to imagine what they have gone through, i have children of my own, but the work that they have done has raised an immense amount of awareness of an important issue, for me personally, and for instagram more broadly, but also for the industry. And it has translated into a lot of concrete changes, changes in policies, changes to what shows up where on instagram, more investment in finding people who might be at risk. And those effects are real and they are important. So her legacy may be to make social media a safer place . Iwould. I would deeply hope so. I would deeply hope so. Absolutely sounds sincere. Ijust hope he delivers. Because every week that that content is still there, and in the uk, there are four more School Age Children who are dying by suicide, for example, it is. There is the pressure of time. There is the pressure of time and the price is the price of childrens lives. Lives like Molly Russells, cut short far too soon. Angus crawford, bbc news. If you are affected by that report or emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations which offer advice and support, go online to bbc. Co. Uk actionline or you can call free at any time, to hear recorded information, on 0800 066 066. Officials in the Us Defence Department have confirmed that the remains of the Islamic State group leader, abu bakr al baghdadi, have been disposed of, but they refused to confirm that he was buried at sea. Earlier today, President Trump said al baghdadi had been left dead as a doornail, following the Us Special Forces operation in Northern Syria two days ago. 0ur International Correspondent 0rla guerin has been speaking to one syrian victim of Islamic State and sent this report from the turkish syrian border. I should warn you it contains testimony some viewers may find upsetting. A scar ascaron a scar on the landscape, scorched earth after the us raid. This is where the Islamic State leader met his and, in a tunnel beneath the soil of syria, a country he terrorised. In chicago today, President Trump regaling Police Chiefs with his war stories. 5 dad. Hes dead as a doornail. Laughter. They walked into my office, we kill this lead at a low level, this leader. I said this lead at a low level, this leader. Isaid i have this lead at a low level, this leader. I said i have never heard of him. Isaid leader. I said i have never heard of him. I said i want al baghdadi, thats only one eye know want al baghdadi. Go get him thats only one eye know want albaghdadi. Go get him the us operation to capture or kill al baghdadi was codenamed kayla mueller, in honour of the american aid worker he enslaved and raped. But most victims of is were muslims in the middle east. Like ebrahim, a young activist from raqqa who dad to oppose them, and were slaughtered in 2015. They tried to kill his brother ahmed, who had to go into exile. We rescind today in paris, where hes still getting medical treatment. Reached him. But some traumas may never heal. Translation eye carried ebrahim. His head was separated from his body. And he had 160 stab wounds. I was shot three times, but i dont think theres a worst than the one i had when i carried him in my arms. How do you think he would feel if he was alive today, knowing that al baghdadi is gone . Translation he would have celebrated in the street and shouted, we are still here, and you died. Your state collapsed shouted, we are still here, and you died. Your state collapsed he a lwa ys died. Your state collapsed he always used to say that we would survive and al baghdadi would die. His death was quick. As us forces closed in, he detonated his suicide vest. Is will outlive al baghdadi. And some fear that under new leader could re emerge from the ruins. 0rla guerin, bbc news, on the turkey syria border. The labour mp keith vaz is facing a six month suspension from parliament after he was found to have breached the house of commons code of conduct by expressing a willingness to buy cocaine for others. It follows newspaper allegations published in 2016, that he met two male prostitutes. The mp for leicester east says he has never bought, possessed, dealt with or used illegal drugs. A statement from his office says hes been admitted to hospital. Fertility experts say there is no scientific reason for the 10 year limit on storage of frozen eggs, which is forcing some women to destroy them before they are ready to become parents. Under uk law, only eggs stored for medical reasons and premature infertility can be kept for longer. The regulator says any change would be a matter for parliament. Earlier i spoke to Kylie Baldwin who is part of the group of academics behind the campaign to extend the current limit. I asked how this 10 year limit came to be enshrined in law in the first place . The technology for egg freezing is comparatively quite new compared to some other technologies which have been around for quite some time. And the results having been seen from 999 the results having been seen from egg freezing historically quadro but they are increasing. But it was just a degree, a conservative nurse in the original Decision Making around that law to be careful, because at the time of egg freezing and freezing first being developed there was a lack of understanding and confidence about how rigourous those eggs or gametes in some ways may be in the future when they are defrosted. There has been a lot of evidence to show now come in multiple different countries, that those eggs, sperm, embryos, can be kept for many, many decades with no deterioration in those qualities. It was just deterioration in those qualities. It wasjust an deterioration in those qualities. It was just an early conservative precaution that just was just an early conservative precaution thatjust really isnt necessary. What is the effect of this ten year limit, in your opinion . How much effect is that having on women, what is it forcing them to do . Its terribly damaging for some of the women who have frozen their eggs, and so far as, many thousands of pounds have been spent, tens of thousands of pounds spent, tens of thousands of pounds spent four freezing the eggs for potential future use only to come to is the ten year time limit and having to make rusty decisions about what theyre going to do with those eggs, whether they will see them destroyed or whether they will use donor sperm to conceive rust. They are facing difficult decisions about whether they should try to explore those eggs overseas and it is all very costly for these women, emotional, it is very time consuming for these women. 0ne emotional, it is very time consuming for these women. One of the other issues, it is notjust women who have frozen their eggs currently who are expressing difficulties with this ten year time limit, but women considering freezing their legs. Eggs. The current law has the potential to act in quite a perverse way in terms of putting women off freezing their eggs when they are say in their early 30s because of the fear that those eggs would have to be destroyed by the time they reached their early 40s, which is really when they would want to use them the most. So instead women could be put towards freezing those eggs when they are perhaps 37, 38, or even later when the equality has declined, because they need to have enough time within the next ten yea rs enough time within the next ten years to use those eggs. So it is causing them to freeze their eggs as a less optional time. Really creating for clinical practice. Because by freezing their eggs in the late 30s, early 40s, they will be employed requiring fozzy than if they did it in the early 30s. That is why we want to see a change in these regulations. That is Kylie Baldwin, part of a group of academics and campaigners behind that campaign to extend the current ten year limit. Wildfires are continuing to spread across northern california, boosted by strong winds. One of the fires already covers an area of a hundred square miles. Around 200,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes, including many celebrities living an exclusive part of los angeles. Among them is Arnold Schwarzenegger whos had the la premier of his new terminator film postponed because of the fires. The famous getty center is also under threat. 0ur correspondent sophie long is in los angeles with the latest. You will probably be able to see the fire ban behind me. We are quite high up you. There are flames down there. We have been down here for there. We have been down here for the past hour or so and have what does helicopters and planes have been fighting this fire from the air, dropping the red retardant. Just in the distance they you see the trees and the houses, and there is some thicker smoke. That is the 405 freeway behind there, that is the only thing separating muslims from the mountains of bel air and the sprawling city of los angeles beyond. People are very worried about the location of this fire mansions. It is tiny in comparison to other fires burning at the moment, particularly that one in sonoma, the kincade fire are still burning, that started on wednesday, and firefighters are still riding around the clock. Here in los angeles the main priority at the moment to get people out of their homes. There has been an Evacuation Order in place since the early hours of this morning. Most people are heading that advice. Are you listen to some people on the local radio who say, hey, im going to say, think they confided. 0ne los politician said if you are watching the news briefing on television then you are an idiot, you need to get out, it is not safe. And most people understand that. They used to wildfires here. They have had terrible wildfires in the past two yea rs. Terrible wildfires in the past two years. There was any daystreet last years. There was any daystreet last year that killed 86 people. The priority los angeles is to get people out of their homes to safety. 0n people out of their homes to safety. On our people out of their homes to safety. 0n ourway we people out of their homes to safety. On our way we saw people evacuating horses from the dependability and getting the animals to safety. E mail coming in sonoma county, firefighters continue to fight that around the clock. It is now burning 66,000 acres. That is a huge fire. And still they are only a 5 containment. Sophie long in los angeles. Sophie long in los angeles. Now its time for the weather with stav. It was a thoroughly wet start to the weekend for england and wales. It isnt improved as we reached part two of the weekend, certainly into the start of the new working week with colder, dry, sunny conditions moving governmental. We started out alpha monday with a frosty note with mister fog around. 0nce alpha monday with a frosty note with mister fog around. Once that cleared we saw some glorious autumn sunshine beaming down on the douglas autumn colours. The next couple of days we should hold onto this dry and largely sunny feed with the cold weather said to continue. It is all change towards the end of the week as low pressure invaders from the south stop High Pressure has been the dominant factor the last couple of days. It will be again on tuesday, bringing more fine condition throughout the day after a frosty start. A few showers peppering the northern and eastern coasts. And we have an area of low pressure trying to bring more breeze, cloud, outbreaks of rain. Another cold day with temperatures reaching the highs around 9 12 degrees. Some changes