Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240713

An independent scotland is within touching distance. Strong winds cause travel delays and power cuts across large parts of southern england and south wales. Police urge people not to make unnecessary journeys. And talking movies counts down to the oscars and felicityjones discusses her film the aeronauts. Thats in half an hour, here on bbc news. Good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. South africa have ended englands dream of lifting the Rugby World Cup with an overwhelming victory at the final injapan. The springboks delivered a brilliant and relentless attacking game winning by 32 points to 12. For england theres bitter disappointment. For South Africans its a triumphant moment for a sport thats come to represent huge change in their nation. Its the third time theyve won the compeition. Millions of rugby fans were watching in england, south africa and around the world, as the springboks claimed their third world cup title. Rupert Wingfield Hayes reports. As the final whistle blew in yokohama, half a world away in johannesburg, the streets erupted in celebration. The people of the rainbow nation dancing and singing together. The South African fans who had made the long trip to japan, it was also a moment of pure ecstasy. How does it feel . Amazing amazing did you come herejust for this . Yes we love it and we love the people. Amazing huge disappointment here for england tonight but what a night for south africa and what a night for south africa and what a night for south africa and what a night forjapan which has hosted this amazing world cup and now has thousands of new rugby fans. These young japanese fans looked almost as excited as their new South African friends. Before the world cup, they told me they had never watched a by told me they had never watched a rugby match. Why do you like south africa . Because they have an amazing team, that is why we love them. In yokohama and back in england, the faces of the fans said it all. The nations rugby team had come so close, even defeating the all blacks but today they were systematically beaten. From the start we didnt look like we were going to win it. am gutted. South africa played really well. I was disappointed that england didnt win. Tonight has been a huge victory for rugby in south africa. Many new rugby fans created. Earlier i spoke to our correspondent in johannesburg, milton nkosi, for a sense of the atmosphere there. They will be celebrating well into the night because they understand that it the night because they understand thatitis the night because they understand that it is notjust about the sport but it brings the nation together, especially after the nightmare of apartheid. Iam nowjoined by one especially after the nightmare of apartheid. I am nowjoined by one of the supporters that has been watching here on the big screen. How are you feeling following this Rugby World Cup victory for the springboks . Super excited. Given the fa ct springboks . Super excited. Given the fact that from the last world cup we won we had a lot thats changed for us asa won we had a lot thats changed for us as a country and a nation. A great job, us as a country and a nation. A greatjob, siya our new captain, well done. It has exceeded our expectations. This has brought us closer so i am really excited and i really care. Closer so i am really excited and i really ca re. I closer so i am really excited and i really care. I am more optimistic than anything else, given that we won and were champions again. Yes, south africa as i said, there are a lot of underlying deeper issues that i feel like are sorted out, you know . People think that it is just a by know . People think that it is just a rugby match but for us it is a lot more. You heard it there yourself, it is not just more. You heard it there yourself, it is notjust a rugby match, remember that this history. Today was the 50th time that siya was wearing the springboks journey and his father made his first trip abroad ever. So much history than just the scoreboard. I was very struck by something he said in an interview of not having a Television Set when they last won in 2007. With the transformation, they cannot be anything more symbolic than having a captain like siya . Exactly, south africa is still trying to get out of the chains of apartheid. It is still a long way from sorting out the legacy of racial segregation but there are small glimmers of hope and see your kolisi is one example. He didnt even have a Television Set at home when the springboks won in france he had to go and watch that final in a local tavern. Siya kolisi. It is remarkable that today he lifts this trophy as the captain of the springboks so the nation is coming together because of this. Unemployment this week was announced to be at its highest in ii unemployment this week was announced to be at its highest in 11 years at nearly 30 , we have seen xenophobic attacks here in recent weeks so people are feeling a little bit lighter because of this Rugby World Cup victory. The days other main news now, and the government has suspended fracking in england for the forseeable future. The ban comes after a Technical Report said it was not possible to predict the probability or size of severe earth tremors caused by the extraction of shale gas from the ground. Labour, the liberal democrats and the green party have called for the ban to be made permanent. Our Business Correspondent Katie Prescott reports. Its been one of the most controversial issues of the last decade. Fracking, the process of getting gas from rocks using pressurised water and chemicals. But the resulting earthquakes and disruption have infuriated local communities and environmental campaigners. They are delighted by todays news. Im absolutely delighted. We knew that a decision was going to come out, last night, at midnight in fact, but we darent hope that it was going to be as good as it is. 0k, it isnt a ban but it is a moratorium and i cant see how the moratorium can be lifted until they can prove that fracking can be done safely. The government had hoped that sites like these would change our energy landscape, providing an abundant home grown source of fuel that would reduce our gas import and cut carbon emissions. But now they have changed their mind, stopping just short of a permanent ban. There is no doubt that extracting more natural gas in the United Kingdom would be very attractive but we have always been clear, we can only do that if it can be done safely. We will follow the science, so in future, should the ability to be certain about seismic events and so on, we will look at it again. But labour says they do not trust the governments u turn and feel it could be an election ploy. Today the regulator says it is not safe because it cant predict how many earthquakes fracking will cause and it says that the impact to local communities is unacceptable. As a result, Companies Must stop their operations. Frackings industry body says, it is fully committed to working with regulators to demonstrate it can operate safely. And that 72 of the uks gas will be imported by 2035 if we dont take advantage of our shale gas. The big question now is whether the industry will be willing to invest any more money here in the hope that the science will one day find in their favour and the regulation could change. Katie prescott, bbc news. Earlier on bbc news we heard from david cox an Energy Analyst and managing director of London Energy consulting. He believes that the dangers of fracking have been overestimated. There is a lot of scaremongering that has been going on about fracking. There is a lot of fracking in the world that is done safely. We need to do the science rather than just politics. Joining me now is Hannah Martin a campaigner for greenpeace uk, whos done a lot of work on fracking. Take us back a little bit, what is involved when we talk about fracking . Essentially it is the process of extracting gas but the methodology is to inject a very high pressure, a combination of chemicals, sand and water into the earth and that fractures the rock. That is where the term fracking comes from and that releases pockets of gas. The process itself is a heavy industrial process, causing noise, airand light heavy industrial process, causing noise, air and Light Pollution and other environmental factors. The report that came out today suggests that it cannot be done safely. This is from the oil and Gas Authority . Exactly. That is why campaigners have been fighting it for so long. As terms in terms of your organisations stance on it, it is more about the process of it . |j think it is clear that we will need a certain amount of gas as we go to a certain amount of gas as we go to a low carbon society. People have been taking to the streets to demand that the government does better and go faster so whilst we acknowledge that we need some gas in that transition we dont need to roll out a new fossil fuel when we should be focusing on renewals and opportunities that a low Carbon Economy could provide. If there is room for natural gas, could a small fracking organisation be a possibility . I think what the victory today shows that from nottingham, to lancashire, to yorkshire is that people dont want it. They are concerned about the environment. The fracking industry has done nothing but lie and push against local peoples. has done nothing but lie and push against local peoples. I imagine what the industry would argue is that it what the industry would argue is thatitis what the industry would argue is that it is new and you cannot always tell the risk and there was a time when the government accepted that and said it is a kind of co ntrolla ble and said it is a kind of controllable risk and one we can mitigate against so it is worth it because of the economic benefits. Mitigate against so it is worth it because of the economic benefitslj think because of the economic benefits. think what is clear is that we are ina time think what is clear is that we are in a time of unprecedented concern about Climate Change so the most important thing for this government and any government that is elected is to show people that they are serious about tackling climate emergency. We are calling on them to invest 5 of public spending over the next few years in tackling Climate Change and fracking plays no pa rt Climate Change and fracking plays no part in that. That is let alone accounting for the environmental risks like earthquakes, tremors, noise, airand light risks like earthquakes, tremors, noise, air and Light Pollution that people are concerned about and for good reason. It works in canada, argentina and the united states, is it just the scale . Argentina and the united states, is itjust the scale . I think it is arguable to say whether it works in those places. There are some campaigners in other places he has said there have been tremors and gas flares and it has caused pollution is in huge areas of the us where it has been taking place, the same in australia, france, upstate new york and there are many places that have and there are many places that have a ban on fracking. What we need in the uk is a plan of how we will meet our zero target and we are way off meeting that. Fracking doesnt have a part in that. This is a moratorium and notan a part in that. This is a moratorium and not an outright ban but given the announcement that the government has made today, do you think to all intensive purposes it has killed off this industry in this country . think we need to hold the government to account and see if they keep their promises to the local communities. We have an election. What i want to see is a climate leaders debate, maybe you could hosted on the bbc, where we have leaders really saying what their policies are to meet that target. We are policies are to meet that target. We a re really policies are to meet that target. We are really a way of meeting it at this point and i would like to see ban well into the future and it remains to be seen if this government can deliver that. Lets cross to glasgow where the snp leader Nicola Sturgeon is speaking at a rally on the first weekend of the general election campaign. Lets listen in. That is not the scotland that we want. Down that road is a future where scotland is ripped out of our european family of nations against our will. A future where the uk turns in on itself. A future of a hostile environment for migrants. That is not the scotland we want. There are people here today from every corner of our country but i wa nt to every corner of our country but i want to give me a shout if you are a new scot and you come to this country from elsewhere in europe or the world. Give me a shout. The message to you today is that you are welcome here. The scotland that we seek is welcoming, diverse and inclusive stop no tory is ever going to be allowed to that. And down that borisjohnson to be allowed to that. And down that Boris Johnson pass to be allowed to that. And down that borisjohnson pass lies a future where borisjohnson has his strings pulled by donald trump. Make no mistake, if we accept for our country that future, our National Health service, workers rights, environmental standards, all of that is on the line. That is not the scotla nd is on the line. That is not the scotland that we want. There is, my friends, a much better alternative. That alternative is not a uk Labour Government banned cant even make up its mind that cant even. The days when scotland has to make do with a choice of the lesser of two evils, these days must come to an end. And if you permit me, given that i have been speaking about borisjohnson that i have been speaking about Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, that i have been speaking about borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn, to go off ata borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn, to go off at a bit of borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn, to go off ata bit ofa borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn, to go off at a bit of a tangent. Let me send a message to both of them. Why are you so scared to have real debates in this election . And my message and my challenge is this, i will divide either of you and both of you anytime, anyplace. So stop running scared and come and justify why scotland should not be independent. My friends, the better alternative, the much better alternative, the much better alternative for our country is to ta ke alternative for our country is to take our future into our hands and to become an independent country. A country that invests in our people, that invests in our public services, that invests in our public services, that invests in our public services, that invest in lifting children out of poverty, not in a hard brexit, not in trident weapons of mass destruction on the river clyde. An independent country that is open, thatis independent country that is open, that is welcoming, that is diverse, that is welcoming, that is diverse, that can build a Better Future, that is welcoming, that is diverse, that can build a betterfuture, not just for us here today and this generation of scots but a Better Future for all the generations who come after us. That, my friends, is the prize and that prize is within our touching distance. But we must, we must seize that prize. I said a moment ago that this general election is the most important in our lifetimes. That is the case. We must come out in our numbers and vote in this election. Voted to escape the chaos and the misery and the division of brexit and vote to put scotlands future into scotlands hands. That is the message that must ring out across our country. My ask of you, as i prepare to lead you to an independence referendum next year, is this one. It is so wonderful to see all of you here today, this site gladdens my heart. But over these next few weeks, i know the nights are drawing in, i note the weather is getting colder and wetter and all minds are turning to the christmas festivities but all of us must make sure that over these next few weeks we persuade everyone we know, our family, ourfriends, we persuade everyone we know, our family, our friends, our we persuade everyone we know, our family, ourfriends, our neighbours, our workmates, to come out on december the trials and send the biggest, loudest message to westminster that it is time for scotla nd westminster that it is time for scotland to choose their future and be an independent country. December the 12th. That will be the best of friends and family with our neighbours in europe. That is the scotla nd neighbours in europe. That is the scotland we seek. Let us go out and grab it with both hands. Let others inspire people with the positive message of everything an independent scotla nd message of everything an independent scotland can be and everything the people of scotland have it within themselves to achieve. We are standing here in George Square, or Freedom Square as some have taken to calling it, this city that i am so proud to call my home. In 2014, this city voted yes. But next year, our challenge, our opportunity, is not just to make sure that this city votes yes in even bigger numbers, our challenge and opportunity is to make sure that every part of scotla nd make sure that every part of scotland votes yes to independence. And when that happens, fuelled by your energy and your passion, and let mejust your energy and your passion, and let me just before i finish tell you that your energy and passion fuels me every single day and i am so grateful to each and every one of you for that, but when that happens, when our country north, south, east, west votes for independence together, we can get on with the job it is all about of building that better, more prosperous, fairer, more equal, more outward looking, more equal, more outward looking, more inclusive, more diverse scotla nd more inclusive, more diverse scotland that all of us believe in our hearts as possible. Lets when our hearts as possible. Lets when our independence and the scotland we wa nt to our independence and the scotland we want to see. Thank you. The leader of the snp addressing supporters of independence in George Square in glasgow. 0utside supporters of independence in George Square in glasgow. Outside the square there is a counter demonstration by unionists who want to scotland to remain within the uk. Nicola sturgeon has the awkward problem that she has to get westminsters permission to hold a referendum. Boris johnson has westminsters permission to hold a referendum. Borisjohnson has made clear that if he is Prime Minister he will block it. It is not clear if that would be a different response from Jeremy Corbyn who has said that he is certainly not hostile to the idea if that is what the scottish people want. He certainly wont stand in the way of it if that is their desire but that will be measured in the coming weeks and months. What Nicola Sturgeon is hoping for is a good performance in the westminster election. She would like to see what happened back in 2015 where the collapse of the conservative support in scotland. She believes that brexit is sufficiently unpopular for many scots and they will vote out conservative mps. We will see what the results are in mid december but thatis the results are in mid december but that is her ambition, to make sure those seats arent lost to the conservatives and picked up by labour but that she is able to call a further independence referendum. The labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said there was no greater issue facing the world than Climate Change, as he made a Campaign Speech in swindon. The party is promising to make all new build homes zero carbon within three years, in an effort to curb housing shortage and tackle Climate Change. Mr corbyn also dismissed the governments call to halt fracking as an election stunt. I think it sounds like fracking would come back on the 13th of december if they were elected back into office. We are quite clear, we will end fracking, we think it is unnecessary, we think it is polluted of ground Water Systems and also all the evidence from preston new road in lancashire is that it is actually dangerous and has caused serious earth tremors and that is why cuadrilla have had to halt their fracking kept claiming they were going to go into full production. So you think that this is essentially a little stunt that they are playing . It seems to me like an election stunt. I think it is what is called euphemistically a bit of green wash. The liberal democrat leader jo swinson hasjoined sam gyimah as he launched his campaign to take Londons Kensington seat from labour. Mrgyimah, who is a former conservative minister, reneged his membership while criticising the tories for becoming a hard brexit party. 0ur really simple guide to the election explains the nuts and bolts and allows you to tap or click on key election terms to learn more. Check it out on our website or on the bbc news app. Ferry service out of the port of dover have been suspended due to strong winds causing travel delays and power cuts across large parts of southern england and south wales. 0ur correspondentjon donnison is here with the latest details. How long has the put been shut . The port is open but you will have a long wait because Ferry Services have suspended services a couple of hours ago. P and 0 have said it is still suspended. That is notjust people leaving but people coming in as well. Pretty rough seas. They could be stuck for several hours . They could be. There is still a yellow weather warning, gusts of 100 mph on the isle of wight and still expecting gusts of 50 to 60 mph in this evening. That is having a knock on effect to notjust buildings but rail. Disruption on several trains including thames link, south eastern, south western and a difficult day if you are driving. Not a pleasant day if you are travelling, we should spare a thought for those stuck on those ferries. You hope there is plenty of spare stock on board. Lets look at the weather and see if there is any better news. For many others, the weather has been continuing throughout the day. We will see continued travel disruption into the evening. Gales and heavy rain especially in the southern england but fought northern scotland too. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph up north and 40 to 50 in the south too. Heavy downpours for many areas. The strength of the winds and rain will ease into the night and they could be some misty patches into the morning. Certainly, six to 8 degrees into the morning. Tomorrow will be a much less windy day than today. Still some blustery showers for the north. Sunny drier weather in between that and temperatures between that and temperatures between ten to 14 degrees. Goodbye for now