Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240713

Good morning and welcome to bbc news. At least 15 people have died, after a passenger plane crashed in kazakhstan. The bek air flight had just taken off from the countrys biggest city, almaty, and was travelling to the capital, nur sultan, when it crashed into a building. 60 others were injured in the crash. 98 people were onboard the flight, including five crew. With me is the independents travel editor, simon calder. Simon, first off, reaction from the Aviation Industry to this crash . Great sadness at another tragedy. This is the third jet Passenger Airline to crush this year after very sadly, the loss of the boeing 737 max in which 157 people died and the superjet 737 max in which 157 people died and the super jet which 737 max in which 157 people died and the superjet which crashed at moscow in may with the loss of 41 lives. Of course, the Aviation Community wants to know what has gone wrong and the investigators will already be at the scene of the accident which took place at kazakhstans Main International airport. What is air travel like in kazakhstan, have there been concerns travelling within the country . There certainly have. It is a vast country, 12 times the size of the uk. Bek air, the airline involved, was set up in the 1990s when many countries in the former soviet union where establishing independent airlines. In terms of safety concerns, the International Civil Aviation Authority which regulates airlines around the world, had concerns this decade. Three years ago it said it was satisfied with the conditions and the European Union removed the Kazakhstan Airlines from the list of airlines that shouldnt be allowed to fly within europe. This excludes the National Flag within europe. This excludes the nationalflag carrier, air within europe. This excludes the National Flag carrier, air astana, which is regarded as having high safety sta nda rds. Which is regarded as having high safety standards. But the Us State Department Still Believes that any airlines, apart from air astana, are too dangerous for its diplomats to fly in and they actually say they will not be permitted to fly within kaza khsta n will not be permitted to fly within kazakhstan on airlines such as bek air. Has that got something to do with the fleet, because i believe they were the fokker 100 yet . Yes, built in the netherlands in the 20th century. This one was 23 years old and the only aircraft type bek air flies. Nothing wrong with flying old aircraft, i recently flew on one in the canadian arctic which was 45 yea rs old the canadian arctic which was 45 years old and British Airways has some aircraft which are 27 years old. As long as they are well maintained and well flown, their age is not significant and it is valid for low Cost Airlines to start using older aircraft which are cheaper to lease. Bek air has ordered some more modern aircraft. I understand we are hearing the number that died in that crash has now been revised to 12, but in terms of hearing from the airline itself, what have they said . They have said absolutely nothing publicly that i am aware of. Their website is still exactly the same as it was yesterday. The entire fleet has been grounded, i understand. This was the first flight of the day from the main city in kazakhstan, almaty to the capital, no sultan. The other flights have been grounded today and the airport is still operating normally. 0perators will be looking at a whole range of things, it was very cold, the temperature was well below zero so they will be looking at the possible build up of ice on the wings which can cause mechanical problems and also pilot error as well. Very quickly, remarkable they were so many survivors . The aircraft was in flight many survivors . The aircraft was in flight for less than one minute and it is extraordinary we have seen so many people apparently surviving. 0f course, some of them are badly injured, unfortunately. It is a reminder that most aircraft accidents, and we see very few these days, are survivable. Simon calder, thank you. Lets get the latest from our moscow correspondent, sarah rainsford. Hello, sarah, please update us on what you are hearing . The latest we are getting here are the extraordinary accounts of the people who have survived this crash. A couple of people have been telling their story to local media and describing how they managed to walk away from the wreckage of this plane. 0ne away from the wreckage of this plane. One man, a businessman, flying to the countrys capital nur sultan, for business meetings, he was sitting in the 15th row of the plane just over the wing. If you look at the wreckage, the front part of the plane in front of the wing was the most badly destroyed as the plane ploughed into the building just the young beyond the perimeter of the airport. This man says just after take the play began to rock from side to side, he said it was like a boat. There was a bang as well and then the plane began plummeting to the ground. He said it was extremely fast and then it crash landed. He managed to climb out to the window and has described how other passengers were helping people off the plane. Extraordinary really, that so many people were able to survive. Key to that was the plane wasnt very high when it crashed, but also there was no fire on impact. Those in the back section of the plane, many of them do appear to have managed to make it to safety. Do we know anything about the conditions at the time . The weather conditions . It is winter in kazakhstan, extremely cold, but that is normalfor kazakhstan, extremely cold, but that is normal for kazakhstan, kazakhstan, extremely cold, but that is normalfor kazakhstan, they kazakhstan, extremely cold, but that is normal for kazakhstan, they deal with it all the time. We understand it was foggy, said the weather conditions will be one of the things the investigation looks into. The official information suggests they will be looking at pilot error and possible technical problems with the aircraft, which is standard in Something Like this. Certainly, the president of kazakhstan has announced a day of mourning. There are Big Questions over what has happened. The airport authorities have released this list of 60 passengers who have received medical help and we believe, a couple of dozen people, potentially have walked away from this almost entirely unscathed. 0k, sarah ra i nsfo rd , entirely unscathed. 0k, sarah rainsford, thank you very much indeed. Tributes are being paid to a british man and his two children who drowned in a Hotel Swimming Pool in spain. Gabriel diya, who was 52, died along with his nine year old daughter comfort and 16 year old son praise emmanuel on christmas eve. The London Church where mr diya was a pastor say their prayers are with the family. Sean dilley reports. More than 72 hours on and police are trying to understand how three members of the same family drowned in this pool in one of spains most popular tourist destinations. Its thought nine year old comfort got into trouble in the water and then her father and 16 year old brother tried to rescue her. Gabriel diya was a pastor at this church in south london. 0n was a pastor at this church in south london. On their Facebook Page they have said that macro underneath, hundreds of comments have been left. In the family neighbourhood, shock and sadness. I am still trying to get it into my head, this has really happened to them. It is shocking, shocking. Drowning, especially, they we nt shocking. Drowning, especially, they went for a holiday. The foreign 0ffice went for a holiday. The Foreign Office is continuing to support a british woman, believed to be the childrens mother. In the meantime, the Spanish Police said they found nothing wrong with the pool, which has since reopened. 0ur reporter emily unia is at the church in South East London where gabriel diya was a pastor. Emily, what has the church said . The church has put the statement on its Facebook Page offering its condolences to the family, the parish, associates and friends of gabriel diya. They said he passed away in a tragic family accident while on holiday in spain. There are hundreds of comments and it gives you a sense of how well loved and respected the family were. We have been speaking to neighbours and they are saddened and shocked to hear the news. I understand mr diyas daughter, nine year old comfort went toa daughter, nine year old comfort went to a local primary school. It will bea to a local primary school. It will be a sad start to 2020 for all of the children at that school. Spanish police say they investigated the bill, its pump and filtration system, they could not find anything wrong with it. They did find co mforts wrong with it. They did find comforts swimming hat in the pump, but they dont know any more about how this happened, they said all three people by drowning. The company that runs a result say they are cooperating fully with the spanish authorities and this investigation is continuing. Emily, thank you very much. The government has announced that from april thousands of nhs patients, visitors and staff will benefit from free parking at hospitals in england. Most visitors to hospitals in scotland, wales and Northern Ireland are already exempt from charges. 0ur health correspondent, dominic hughes, has been looking at who will be affected by the changes. The government has announced that from april thousands of nhs patients, visitors and staff will benefit from free parking at hospitals in england. Paying for parking at hospitals has been a long running source of complaint from any nhs patients and their visitors. During the election campaign, the conservative manifesto promised free hospital parking for specific groups so, from april, all 206 hospital trusts in england will be expected to provide free parking for those described as being in the greatest need. This will include. Blue badge holders. Frequent visitors to outpatient clinics. Parents of Sick Children staying overnight. And stuff working nightshifts. But there have been some concerns from nhs managers who fear trusts may lose out financially. We will be looking for assurances that the costs of these measures will be fully covered because, otherwise, there is a risk that funding intended to run Front Line Services could be diverted into running carparks. Hospitals make a lot of money out of parking fees. The conservative manifesto promised £78 million to help trusts make the changes. The department of health and social care says the plans will be fully funded but the exact cost has yet to be calculated. Dominic hughes, bbc news. Adam brimelow is the spokesman for nhs providers, which represents trusts in england. He says minsters should ensure the changes are fully funded, funded, so trusts dont lose out financially. 0ur concern is that if these measures are not fully funded, funding intended to run Front Line Services could be diverted into running car parks. Firefighters in australia are bracing themselves for another heatwave as they continue to tackle raging bush fires. Temperatures of over 40 degrees are forecast in several states. There are more than 100 fires still burning across New South Wales, southern australia and victoria. 0ur correspondent phil mercer is in Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. Hes been telling me more about the potential impact of the heatwave. The Blue Mountains is one of the most bushfire prone regions in the world. This is Mount Victoria and the air here is thick with smoke and this horrible haze is being blown in from the ruined castle bushfire. It has been burning for weeks and is one of about 70 burning across the state of New South Wales and half of those are in control. In recent days, conditions have been mild allowing firefighters to try and get the upper hand. But a heat wave is coming to much of the fire ground. Dangerous days here in New South Wales are likely to be monday and tuesday of next week. Tourists from around australia and around the world come here to see the Three Sisters a very famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains. They come despite the smoke and they come despite the smoke and they come despite a high fire danger. Wherever you look in this region there is evidence of the bushfires in the distance. Smoke is rising into the sky and the authorities fear that more dangerous days lie ahead. Phil mercer, bbc news at echo point in the Blue Mountains. The National Trust says that theres been an increase in wildlife migrating to the uk because of Climate Change. Its also warning that some of the countrys native species were harmed by the varied weather during 2019. Butterflies from the mediterranean were seen along the south coast of england, but water voles and seabirds suffered because of heavy rainfall in the north. Fiona lamdin is at the ebworth estate in gloucestershire. It is not all bad news, fiona . Now the fog has lifted we can see where we are, 600 acres of beech trees and some of them are 400 years old. They are being affected, as much as the wildlife is by the mixed weather. The start was very warm and it has been a wet, tail end to the year. A mixture for the habitats. We have been to the other side of the country to cambridgeshire to wicken fen to see how they are faring there. Are they mallards . Yes. This is thought to be the oldest nature reserve in the uk. Back in the day we would get one or two individuals, now into the thousands. Over the last two decades they have doubled the size of the reserve which is home to 9820 species. But how have they done this . Turn the valve on and let the water in. By flooding the fields. Probably the most important is the fact that in re wetting the soil, that locks the carbon that is already in the soil, it locks it back into the soil and prevents it disappearing into the atmosphere. That is the biggest benefit from from turning farmlands to flood plains, they have reduced gas emissions here by 80 . We are as hands off as possible by introducing animals and putting water back into the landscape which had been drained. It allows Mother Nature to ta ke drained. It allows Mother Nature to take its course and the wildlife comes back with it as well. What they are doing here, seems to be working. If you go to the left, you can see a pair with their heads down feeding. This year saw the first pairof feeding. This year saw the first pair of breeding cranes here in a century. This mosaic of wildlife landscapes, is now one of the most prolific and diverse nature reserves in the country. 45 miles from stroud, it flows into bristol into the river severn. Just coming over to the ranger, can me the Bigger Picture across the uk, not just the Bigger Picture across the uk, notjust in gloucestershire and stroud, but what is going across the uk with the changeable weather . We have had some very high temperatures this year and a heatwave injuly. We have had some severe cold weather as well. We have had some ups and downs her species have had to adapt to the extremities. Some of the migrant species, which have been flying across to this country, some insects, like the painted lady butterfly. You have seen loads of them here . Yes, every year they do a Big Butterfly count and they counted half a million of the species. It is the largest number seen in a decade. It shows there have been some changes. We have also had dragonflies, some rare dragonflies appearing on shows, particularly on the southern coast. What about seals and who else is done well . Other animals and species, seals have done well, particularly in the land in pembrokeshire. We have had some seal pup pembrokeshire. We have had some seal pup numbers. And across the other side on the east coast, they have done well. High mortality rate, but they are doing good numbers. There are some losers, not all species are thriving with this unpredictable weather . You think of Climate Change and these extremities we are getting, we have had some wet days with high intensity rainfall. In the farne islands, the puffin has suffered along with other sea birds, from some very wet days injune. Chicks are the most vulnerable and suffer from some heavy rainfall. They were flooded out so they were high mortality rates. You have had huge amounts of flooding in 2007, but you have turned it into a positive, tell me more about that and what will thrive here as a result . Some of the measures we have been doing, along with others in this area, is natural flood management by putting in areas where we can slow the flow of water coming down. Although they look quite small, in high intensity rainfall these little streams contribute to massive water flow into stroud down the road. We have been putting in leaky dams. Who does that attract . We are getting less soil moving downstream so we we are getting less soil moving downstream so we are we are getting less soil moving downstream so we are getting white clawed crayfish and otters are moving their way up from stroud five miles away to the streams as well. So there are some positives . Absolutely. We are making sure our native species have the best possible conditions to survive. Sadly, i havent seen any otters this morning but we have seen deer, pheasant and the first thing this morning when we arrive, we heard and caught a glimpse of an owl. Wonderful. Fiona, thank you so much. We are going to catch up with the sport and ben is on duty. No ducts in the cricket but it has been a testing start for britain in south africa. Stuart broad bowled south africa. Stuart broad bowled south africa out on 284. Rory burns was given out, first ball of inges reply, was retrieved on review. Dominic sibley only made four runs. Joe denly has just been dropped and england are currently 27 2 in the 12th over. In melbourne, australia on top of the second test against new zealand. Bowled out for 467 on day two. New zealand skipper played a shot he would rather forget as their side close on 44. The australians winning the first of the two test series. Juergen klopp says liverpool are not talking about the premier league title even though they are 13 points clear after a 4 0 win over leicester. No team has been this far ahead at this stage of the season and not won the premier league. Music, lights and hype, this was lesters big night. A chance to look liverpool in the eyes to keep them their side of the horizon. It is so difficult to watch them all. One marauding read always escapes. It was Roberto Firmino and on saturday he scored the winner in the Club World Cup final. That experience of glory and what it takes, is now ingrained in this liverpool squad. They knew they needed a second, he was the chance. Handball and a penalty. We can watch it from James Milners point of view but it is harder to understand his calm. It settled the match and much more. Then it was about showing off. Roberto firmino place in the third and Trent Alexander arnold from west derby, liverpool scored the fourth. Pa rt derby, liverpool scored the fourth. Part of a team of european and world clu b part of a team of european and World Club Champions and have just taken a major step in ruling england also. Nobody knows how many problems leicester could cause, but we concentrated and did a lot of things really good. Especially then you score the goals, which is absolutely nice. Yes, a very important day. Important, to say the least. Manchester city play this evening and they caught the reds last season. But the nature of this win begs the question, is this the night liverpool moved out of sight . Patrick geary, bbc news. Chelsea are in fourth place. They are as close to liverpool at the top as they are to liverpool at the top as they are to norwich at the bottom. This well taken first half strike sent chelsea to the second Straight Defeat in the league. First time that has happened since 2011. Mikel artetas first game as arsenal manager had a 1 0 when but not enough to move them into the top. Carlo ancelotti saw his side beat burnley ten macro in his first game. Calvert lewin with the winner ten minutes from time in what was described as a special day. Mason greenwood scored the pick of the goals as Manchester United came from behind to beat newcastle 4 1. All reaction to the premier League Football can be found on the bbc sport website. Celtic are not quite running away with it in scotland. Like liverpool are. But they have maintained their advantage at the top of the premiership and five points clear of rangers after beating st mirren 2 1. Callu m rangers after beating st mirren 2 1. Callum mcgregor got the first reacting fastest to the rebound. Jamie forrest scored his 14th of the season doubling their advantage. A couple of big welsh derbies in pro 14. The scarlets thrashed the 0spreys 44 0 and Steffan Evans with a couple of tries for the home side. 0spreys are bottom of the pro 14 conference and without a win since mid october. But they from the cricket, england 272 but they from the cricket, england 27 2 reply to south africa 284. That is everything from the bbc sport centre, more after 10am. Thank you. Having to leave a child in hospital is tough for any parent particularly at this time of year. To ease the strain, a third of neo natal units in the uk have signed up to a new mobile phone app which allows nurses to provide family members with regular updates, throughout the day and night. Katherine da costa reports. Hey, mr its hard being a new mother. Youve got all the hormones, but then having them in this unit as well, it is even more difficult. Victorias triplets were born nine weeks early at the Princess Anne hospital in southampton. While eli and leo were able to go home five weeks later, little 0scar spent an extra month in the neonatal unit. The first time i met them they were all in incubators, obviously covered in tubes and wires and they were so tiny and looked so fragile. Its hard. Everybody else gets to take their babies home, and ours have to stay here and you have to leave them every day, and thats really difficult. The unit is one of more than 60 in the country using a trusted nhs app, allowing staff to capture precious moments and sending regular updates to parents. Weve always felt that that moment, where the family have to leave us for whatever reason and there are lots of reasons that might happen that thats a wrench for families. We do what we can to prepare them for that, but to soften the blow by sending them videos, sending them photos and little messages, its really lovely for us to do. I remember getting the first photo and i was up at 3 00 in the morning expressing. You are awake all the time and you are looking at your phone and then an email comes through and you get this lovely picture and it usually has a message saying, hi, mummy, hi, daddy, having a lovely evening. You have to leave your babies and you feel so guilty leaving them. And to know that theyre in such safe hands, and with people who care enough to take a picture and send it to you to make you feel good, is amazing. Hospital Charities Fund the app, so its free for parents to use. Over the last two years, more than 5,000 families have benefited. Vcreate is a really secure application for nurses. They can create videos very quickly and very easily, but be very confident that theyre in control, that theyre only going to be sending it to the right person. So there are lots of controls within the system that ensure that that happens. Its hoped the app will be available in nearly half of the uks neonatal units by early next year, putting more parents like victoria and derek in the picture. A zoo in the us got a special Christmas Present this year , when a critically endangered black rhino was born on christmas eve. The male calf arrived at the Potter Park Zoo in michigan, to 12 year old mother, doppsee. It is the first time a black rhino has been born there in the zoos100 year history. They have yet to give the calf a name, but have said he is nursing well and the public will be able to see him in the new year. Now its time for a look at the weather with matt. I wash out for boxing day . It was a bit, conditions are looking a bit drier. Rain continues across much of scotland as we finish the morning into the afternoon. Arriving in 0rkney and shetland after a dry start here. Try moments throughout the day but rain is never too far away. Head further south, the day but rain is never too far away. Head furthersouth, murky start and cool start across Western Areas but many parts of england and wales predominantly dry. The dam feeling the air and temperatures in eastern parts, single figures. 12 in the west and lighter winds for england and wales today but strong winds to the north and western scotland. Could see severe Gale Force Winds at times. This evening, more rain to come in Northern Ireland that spreading across scotla nd ireland that spreading across scotland overnight and a wet spell for the far north of england. Later in the night, most places will be dry in varying amounts of cloud. That will stop temperatures dropping away much tonight and if we go into the weekend, turning milder and the good news is, it is turning dry as well. More later. Hello. This is bbc news with lukwesa burak. The headlines at least 12 people have been killed, after a plane crashed in kazakhstan but there are 60 survivors, including children. Tributes are paid to a father and his two children, who drowned in a Hotel Swimming Pool in spain on christmas eve. Free hospital parking in england for some patients and visitors from april but questions over how it will be funded. The parents separated from their premature babies and the hospital app thats helping them