Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240713

The billionaire businessman elon musk is cleared of defaming a british cave explorer after calling him pedo guy on social media. And coming up in sport. Its fight night. Can anthonyjoshua win back his world titles from andy ruinunior in saudi arabia later. And at half past 11 in dateline london. Well be discussing this weeks nato summit and Donald Trumps visit to the uk. Borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn have gone head to head in a tv debate for the final time before the general election next week. They put forward competing visions on brexit, the nhs, and the economy, and attacked each others plans but neither scored a knockout blow. More than four Million Viewers watched the debate on tv last night. Our political correspondent, nick eardley, was there. With just a few days until the country goes to the polls, one of the last big chances to persuade voters. How would we be better off from the brexit deal or a future labout deal, compared to what we already have as a member of the eu . Can you guarantee that it will happen next year . On brexit, they attacked each other. What i have not heard from the leader of the labour party, is this deal that he thinks he can get in three months time, who is going to negotiate it . Who is going to secure this deal . The news came out of whats happening with Northern Ireland. For people who did not hear the news, what are you claiming the documents show . They show quite clearly that there are going to be charges, there are going to be customs checks, there are going to be restrictions on trade between britain and Northern Ireland. What the document also says is that Northern Ireland is part of the customs territory of the uk. All his political life he has campaigned to break up that union and actually supported for four decades the ira in their campaign violently to destroy it. How about the Prime Minister showing a degree of honesty and so it is a question of openness on all of this. He says you have supported people who are opposed to the union your whole life, you dont even believe. What i have done is always wanted to see a Peace Process in Northern Ireland and that is exactly what we have got and thank you to the Labour Government that negotiated it. Labour wants voters to think about a lot more than brexit next week, though. It costs a lot to train as a nurse but the starting salaries are low. How would you deal with the shortage of nurses and ensure the nhs can retain them . Mr corbyn again questioned claims made by the conservatives. Announced there was going to be 40 new hospitals. A week later that became 20. A bit later on, it became six new hospitals. He seems to have a problem with the figures about Hospital Building in britain. We have a very clear agenda, which is to upgrade 20 hospitals, to build a0 new ones. It is perfectly true that the cash allocation for the whole hospital build is for six initially, but we are putting in the seed funding now. Both parties have faced questions on how they will pay for all their promises and, with the question of trust so high on the agenda. What punishment do you think is appropriate for elected politicians who lie during political campaigns . They should be made to go on their knees. Down through the chamber of the house of commons, scourging themselves with copies of their offending documents which claim to prove one thing and actually prove something quite different. Jeremy corbyn . When people paint slogans on the side of a bus that are totally unsustainable, perhaps it is time that we do have an independent monitoring of what goes on. Actually, if you look at the numbers we put on the side of the bus, look at the gross figure we pay to the eu, the number is going up. With polls suggesting the tories are ahead, that may suit mrjohnson more than mr corbyn. But, with just a few days left in the campaign, nothing is certain. Nick eardley, bbc news, maidstone. The internet message forum, reddit, says it believes a leak of sensitive uk us trade documents, seized on by labour during the election, is linked to a Russian Campaign to influence voters. The dossier, which runs to several hundred pages, has been used byJeremy Corbyn to claim that the nhs would be on the table during us trade talks something denied by the conservatives. Labour says the release of the documents was in the Public Interest and neither the uk nor us governments have denied their authenticity. There are calls for an independent review into the shocking failures that allowed a serial rapist to be released from jail by accident, allowing him to carry out a series of attacks on women and children. Joseph mccann was released earlier this year after an error by the Probation Service. His 11 victims over a two week period included a pensioner and an 11 year old boy. John mcmanus has more. Joseph mccann captured on cctv in a petrol station. The assistant behind the counter has no idea that the customer opposite him is a sadistic criminal. Outside in mccanns car, sits a woman too terrified to attempt to escape. He has already assaulted her after kidnapping her, after she left this club. A few days later, he abducts another woman near this tube station in london, then, not long after, a third woman. Terrible in itself, but instead of being free to terrorise them, mccann should have been behind bars. In 2008, he was jailed for an aggravated burglary at the home of an 85 year old man. In 2017, he was freed on licence. The same year, he was arrested for new offences and should have been recalled to prison, but was not. A year later, he was sentenced for his new crimes and should have gone before the parole board before he was considered safe to be freed. Instead, at the start of this year, he was mistakenly let out and free to go on to attack 11 women and children. Yesterday, he was convicted of 37 offences, including kidnap and rape. Now, richard burgon, labours shadowjustice secretary, has called for an investigation, saying the public must have full confidence in the justice system. He wants an independent review into what labour calls shocking failures and deep government cuts. The Probation Service has apologised, with one officer being demoted and another sacked. But that is little comfort to mccanns victims. John mcmanus, bbc news. Earlier i spoke to philip wheatley, a former director general of the National Offender management service. This is now her majestys prison and Probation Service. He told me that he couldnt understand what went wrong in this case on the part of probation. Its quite clear that he should have been recalled as soon as he was arrested and charged with burglary. That would be the normal thing with a prisoner who was on an indeterminate sentence, on licence, subject to fairly stringent conditions, which were built into his release. It is incomprehensible for me that he wasnt recalled by the Probation Service at that stage, let alone at the stage when he was convicted of the offence later on when the trial took place and the judge who commented on the trial seem to comment on the basis that he expected recall to happen but it still didnt happen. That is, frankly, beyond belief. And what i cant understand, it isnt clear to me, how a Probation Service failed to do that and what were the precise things that went wrong . Obviously, there were individuals who were responsible but the degree of churn and alteration to the way that probation works that was taking place during 2015, 2016, and still playing out in 2017, may have played a part in it. As also may shortages of staff, which have recently been reported on by the probation chief inspector and are still occurring in the south east of england. Its feared a giant bushfire thats burning out of control near sydney may take weeks to put out. In recent days several fires have combined to form what Emergency Services are calling a mega blaze on a belt of land about an hours drive north of the city. Since october, australian bushfires have killed six people and destroyed more than 700 homes. Earlier, our sydney correspondent said the city is being surrounded by the fires. Well, the fringes of australias biggest city certainly have been menaced by fires to the north, to the south and also to the west. A couple of weeks ago we had a bushfire in a suburb of sydney just half an hours drive north of the harbour bridge. This huge bushfire that has sent a horrible blanket of smoke once again over sydney is burning about an hours drive to the north west of sydney. It is the combination of five large fires that have come together to conspire to create a mega blaze, a beast of a fire that is bigger in area than the size of sydney is self. It has a fire front of a0 miles. It is huge in scale, it is very intense and Authorities Say it may well burn for many, many weeks. Officials have also told us that it may only be extinguished by very heavy rain. Now, the forecast for the australian summer is for more dry and very warm weather, so heavy rain is not on the forecast, not on the outlook. So this fire could burn indefinitely into next year. There are more than 100 blazes burning across the state of new south wales. To the north, in the state of queensland, the situation there is pretty perilous too. About 45 blazes raging in queensland. So the authorities over the course of today, saturday, have been taking advantage of more benign conditions to try to strengthen containment lines. But there is a fear, there is an expectation, that heatwave conditions will return to the fire zone early next week. So australias brutal fire season looks set to continue. At least 280 people have been killed and two Million People are having to cope with unusually heavy rainfall and flooding in eastern africa, according to the un. In somalia warnings have been issued as cyclonic storm pawan nears the coast and in kenya its reported that at least 100 people are dead and more than 30,000 have been displaced. A woman whod alleged shed been raped in northern india has died in hospital after being set on fire. She was attacked earlier this week as she was on her way to court. Five men, including her alleged rapist, have been arrested. Ajury in california has acquitted the tech entrepreneur and tesla founder, elon musk, of defaming a british caver who he called pedo guy on twitter. Vernon unsworth who helped rescue 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in thailand last year had been seeking almost £150 million in damages. Dave lee has more. Elon musk entered court on friday for the fourth and now final day of this trial. What has surely been the most intense, not to mention expensive examination ever of a single tweet. How many of you . That tweet, sent in july 2018, came in the midst of the miraculous rescue of 12 thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave. Vernon unsworth, a british man who lived nearby, was instrumental in advising that effort. Elon musk also travelled to the region with a specially designed mini submarine. In a tv interview, mr unsworth called it a pr stunt, prompting mr musk to snap back, using the phrase pedo guy. He later deleted the tweet, but Vernon Unsworth sued him for defamation, arguing he had wrongly been accused of paedophilia. Elon musk was described in court as a billionaire bully, a man who dropped a nuclear bomb into the life of Vernon Unsworth. But the jury saw it differently. They said the tweet was an insult but not an accusation a view which could set a precedent when it comes to libel cases involving social media. This verdict sends a signal, and one signal only, that you can make any accusation you want to, as vile as it may be, as damaging at it may be, as untrue as it may be, and someone can get away with it. The only thing im going to say is the jury got this right, and we dont have any further comment at this time. How is mr musk with the decision . Everyone is well. Thank you all. Ultimately, mr unsworths lawyers were unable to prove that his life had been sufficiently negatively impacted. Indeed, in the days after the tweet, the defence argued mr unsworth was the focus of celebration and praise, not suspicion. It means that while ill judged tweets may have cost mr musk millions of dollars in the past, that was not to be the case this time. I accept the jury verdict, take it on the chin and move on. Dave lee, bbc news. Theyre calling it europes first eco mosque a purpose built centre in the uk that will cater for thousands of muslim worshipers. Shabnam mahmood from the bbc asian newtork reports from cambridge. Ten years of planning at a cost of over £20 million. The new Cambridge Central mosque has officially opened its doors for the citys 6,000 muslim worshippers. It provides a modern place to worship, designed by the team who created the london eye. This mosque is said to be the first eco friendly mosque in the whole of europe. It boasts a zero carbon footprint, by generating its own electricity and harvesting the rainwater. The project to build the mosque was funded by more than 10,000 donations, both local and international. Among them, cash from charities in turkey. Hundreds of people were at the inauguration, including the founder and patron of the mosque, yusuf islam, formerly known as singer cat stevens. He welcomed president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of turkey, who was in the uk for natos 70th anniversary. The president didnt say much as he arrived. Mr president , how does it feel to be here . With the crime that he is committing. But the leaders presence wasnt warmly received by everyone. Dozens gathered in the city centre to show their anger at president erdogans military action against kurds in syria. The decision was defended by trustees from the mosque. We wanted this space to remain for the community, at most. The thing that was very different when we presented to the turkish authorities and president erdogan, he said, this is what the british people want, cambridge muslims want. We will support it. The gardens and cafe are spaces for the whole community, and notjust muslims. It is hoped the mosque will bring people together. Shabnam mahmood, bbc news, cambridge. The headlines on bbc news. Angry exchanges over brexit and the nhs as borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn squared up for the last tv debate before thursdays general election. Calls for an independent review after a serial rapist is found guilty of kidnapping and multiple rapes after being released from prison by mistake. Warnings that a mega bushfire near sydney thats burning out of control could take weeks to put out. British heavywight boxer anthonyjoshua fights this evening as he attempts to win back his world titles from andy ruiz. Joshua suffered a shock defeat to ruiz and lost his undefeated status when the two fought injune. The rematch will take place in saudi arabia with four world title belts on the line. The same fourjoshua lost to ruiz. The fight is a shot at redemption forjoshua, with former world heavyweight mike tyson saying tongihts fight will either make him a better individual, a betterfighter, or it might just destroy him. Earlier, i spoke to the former wbc fly weight World Champion charlie edwards. Hes a boxer himself and a friend of anthonyjoshua. I was with him before he got out, in camp, when he was out in marbella. We were there and chatting, and he seemed hungrier than ever, and he was really determined to get his belt back. And how do you think he might be preparing for this now today . I think hes just going to stay cool, calm and collected. He cant overthink too much. He has been boxing a very long time. He cant let ruiz get into his head too much from the last performance. Me, personally, knew aj wasnt the same as he normally is in fights, especially by looking at him on the outside, in the ring walk and everything like that. So, i think he isjust going to stay relaxed, keep the team around him, and he is just going to be focused, and go in and enjoy it. The main thing is to enjoy it when you are in there. So, what do you think did go wrong last time around, and how will he change what he does today . I think it could have just been a whole load of things, like with all the opponent changing very last minute, and being very focused on someone else, and then ruiz coming late. And he has probablyjust took him a bit for granted at the time, and he didnt realise what ruiz was actually capable of. And now, he knows what hes capable of, so this time, hes going to be fully focused, and he is going to be really, really super focused, in fact, and he is going to be in there to prove a point. And some are saying that this is the career defining moment, because if anthonyjoshua doesnt win tonight, then, you know, its game over, potentially, for his whole career. I dont think it is game over if he doesnt win. Ruiz is a great fighter, and its for aj to win the unified belts back again. So, its top of the top of the game. It is for the british fans. The british fans have been giving him a lot of stick since the last time, and he wants to go out there and prove a point, so i believe he is going to do it, and i really do hope so, too. Charlie edwards there, a friend of anthonyjoshua. Just eight days on from last fridays fatal knife attack on London Bridge local residents and Business Owners are trying to re establish a sense of normality. On what is usually the busiest weekend of the year for shoppers in the area, Victoria Hollins has been to find out how people are feeling. As out how people are feeling. We remember a week. This as we remember a week ago today at this hour. Minutes silence for the victims of londons most recent atrocity. Southwark cathedral has witnessed two of attacks in less than two years. Two and a half years ago when we had the first attack in the area. I think people are feeling on edge, people arent sleeping and we are trying to give some care for those people. A book of condolence pays tribute inside the cathedral to those killed and injured in the attack. Two victims died and three others were seriously injured. They have all now been released from hospital. Floral tributes still a reminder here of what happened. But much here appears unchanged. From the traffic to the crowd, London Bridge feels very much to have got back to normal. The traders over at Borough Market are preparing for one of the busiest weekends of the year. But everyone you speak to just want to look to the weeks ahead. The area around Borough Market was evacuated last week for a far shorter time than following the attack in 2017. But this is a crucial time for traders. People who work and live here are confident they will recover. From 20171 havent seen that from having gone through that from having gone through that and seen the inquest the community is very resilient. We have a lwa ys community is very resilient. We have always been a community that is for always been a community that is for a united, regardless of the situation, in the good times as well as the bad times. Last week was terrible but again we bounced back la st terrible but again we bounced back last saturday, the traders were out in force at seven oclock in the morning piling the stalls high and the customers came out to support us. The customers came out to support us. This man doesnt want the area defined by the attack. We always come together and the following day it was one of my busiest days of the year. People came down, it was so nice to see so many old faces, yeah. People here still have a lot of questions they want answered but while the investigation continues, they will draw on recent experience to help the area recover. Victoria hollins, bbc news. Sport, and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, heres olly foster. Anthonyjoshua faces andy ruiz tonight, that is a rematch of their heavy heavyweight bass that Anthony Joshua lost sensationally earlier in the air. Earlier i spoke to the boxing brighter and broadcaster steve bunce. I asked him what is at sta ke for steve bunce. I asked him what is at stake forjoshua if he leaves again. It might very well be all over for joshuaif it might very well be all over for joshua if there is any repeat of the mayhem, the violence and the lunacy and the unexpected craziness of that glorious night, during the first at Madison Square garden. Cool me a full, i see a differentjoshua this time. He is £10 lighter but his head is packed with revenge. His head is packed with tactics. He will box differently and hopefully the british boxing and josh were the result will be different. Steve bunce is going to be alongside mike costello. Commentary on five live. All the commentary from eight oclock. The ring walks scheduled for 8 45pm. Five premier League Matches this afternoon but one of them is the manchester derby. City are looking to eat into liverpools 11 point lead at the top of the table. Manchester united had a very good when a couple of days ago against spurs. Confidence is a strange thing in football sometimes. You can get performances and results like we had on wednesday night and it boosts it so much and i know our boys will be up for it. 530 we start the game and the players decide who is going to win. The rest, of course it is huge and the quality of the players they have is always there, always have been there. And you have to try to beat them. We tried to speak a little bit with the players. The lunchtime kick off is at goodison park. Everton, who sacked the manager thursday. Duncan ferguson who had been on the Coaching Staff of five years has been put in temperate charge. Im a coach at the moment so i dont think thatis coach at the moment so i dont think that is really something im considering at this moment in time. I think the club will find a real top manager to attract the club. Im also realistic. Semi finals day at the uk snooker championship at the york barbican. Nigel bond had been rolling back the years for the last week. The 55 year old knocked out the World Champion but his quarterfinal against last years runner up was just a match too far for him. He did go to a deciding frame. Alan is now going to play stephen maguire. Three time winner john higgins, he was beaten 63 by the chinese teenager. He had already knocked out the world number four. His opponent now takes on a compatriot. That is going to be the first of the semifinals from york. That is going to be live on bbc one oi that is going to be live on bbc one or you can watch it through the bbc sport website. A little bit later you can have all the build up to the big fightjust outside riyadh. Between anthonyjoshua big fightjust outside riyadh. Between Anthony Joshua and big fightjust outside riyadh. Between anthonyjoshua and andy ruiz. Very shortly you will get the tea m ruiz. Very shortly you will get the team news ahead of everton and chelsea, the first of the five premier League Matches today. Now its time for all your weather with susan powell. Hello, its all downhill from here on in really in terms of our weekends whether, as low pressure roles in through sunday, the wind will strengthen and therell be some heavy rain at times too. Saturday, comparatively quiet, a little of low pressure but already getting eroded in the north west by a weather front moving in, a greyer, wetter afternoon for scotland and Northern Ireland. The worst of the rain here though after dark. But very heavy rain for a time across the north west of scotland and strong winds too, perhaps a bit of brightness further east. It should be essentially dry for england and wales, the best of the sunshine to the south and east. Overnight, a weather front sweeps right the way across the uk, so that is a good couple of hours of heavy rain for all areas. Sky is clear behind that weather front, the wind stays strong, that keeps our overnight temperatures up. And also they feed in a lot of showers to the north and west. And through sunday daytime, its this low that drives our weather. Those winds will continue to increase in the showers willjust get carried further eastwards. Some of them, as you can see, tending to be wintry too across the high ground of scotland and northern england. Some making it through to the east of the pennines, some getting carried across the midlands, perhaps towards the south east even. But always the focused towards the north west of the uk with the heaviest rain. Temperatures still in double figures to the south, a cooler day for north. And then sunday night into monday is when the low does its worst as we get a band of rain digging down on the southern flank of the low, the winds become particularly squally around the irish sea. Gusting 70, 70 five miles an hour, difficult sea conditions, potentially damaging winds. It does look like there could be some disruption, particularly for first thing on monday morning. So worth checking in before you travel. Monday daytime sees things becoming quieter, low falls away eastwards. The isobars open up a little bit. They line up though north to south and thats probably the biggest change for monday, a lighter wind but a chillier one, we move into some arctic air. Showers in the east clearing, a lot of sunshine through the course of the day. A crisp feel to proceedings with temperatures typically around eight or 9 degrees. But then try keeping up with the week ahead, yes, monday is somewhat chilly but fortuesday, milderair with us again, wet and windy. Wednesday, it is drier and brighter with some showers but chillier again. Then it looks like it will get milder by the end of the week. Hello, and welcome to dateline london. Im carrie gracie. This week. Something we didnt expect President Trump defending nato against attack from a european leader. Something we did expect a teenager shaking up a Global Climate change conference. And something where no side dares trust its expectations a british election