Transcripts For BBCNEWS Signed 20240907

Are put in to bat on an overcast first morning of the third test against sri lanka. They already hold an unassailable 2 0 series lead. Good afternoon, and welcome to the Bbc News at one. The Prison Population in england and wales has hit a record high for the second week in a row. The latest figures show there are now more than 88,500 inmates. Thats a rise of almost 1,200 in five weeks. Around half of those are cases linked to this summers riots. In a few days� time, the governments temporary early Release Scheme will begin, and some offenders will be able to leave jail at an earlier point in their sentences. Lets speak now to our Uk Correspondent daniel sandford. Daniel, what are these high numbers doing to the Prison System . Last week, i was sitting here talking to your audience about the Prison Population hitting an all time high. This week its even higher, and essentially what happened is on the 30th Ofjuly when the rioting Started this summer, the Prison Population has been rising week after week after week, going up by almost 1205 weeks, just under half of those cases are linked to the summer riots. It is putting a lot of stress on an already very stressed Prison System. This week the bbc was filming in Pentonville Prison In London to witness the problem is that this is causing. Assaults on staff, distressed prisoners, people being held for months ahead of their trials, Gang Wars Outside Of Prison is spilling to inside. This is what the former Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick had to say about the Prison System in england and wales at the moment. ,. , system in england and wales at the moment. ,. , moment. The few prisons i have been into more recently, moment. The few prisons i have been into more recently, for moment. The few prisons i have been into more recently, for the moment. The few prisons i have been into more recently, for the first into more recently, for the first time into more recently, for the first time i into more recently, for the first time i have into more recently, for the first time i have felt i needed to be concerned about my own Security And Safety concerned about my own Security And Safety i concerned about my own Security And Safety. I think that just concerned about my own Security And Safety. I think thatjust brings home safety. I think thatjust brings home that for staff working in these places. Home that for staff working in these places. We home that for staff working in these places, we know are salt levels on staff have places, we know are salt levels on staff have gone through the roof. Prisons staff have gone through the roof. Prisons are not just chaotic and ineffective, they are frightening places ineffective, they are frightening places too and that is not acceptable either for the staff who work there or for the prisoners held there work there or for the prisoners held there. 0 work there or for the prisoners held there. ,. ,. , there. On tuesday the government will be releasing there. On tuesday the government will be releasing up there. On tuesday the government will be releasing up to there. On tuesday the government will be releasing up to 2000 will be releasing up to 2000 prisoners early at the 40 stage of their Prison Sentence instead of the 50 stage. For example, if someone had beenjailed forfour 50 stage. For example, if someone had been jailed for four years, 50 stage. For example, if someone had beenjailed forfour years, they will come out at one year eight months instead of two years. That was announced before this summers riots, designed to give the Prison System some Breathing Space, but that Breathing Space will be considerably less now. Ministers have even been looking at the possibility of sending prisons prisoners to be held in estonia although there are no plans to announce that plan at the moment. Daniel, thank you. And you can see more of that Special Report inside Pentonville Prison later in the programme. As we were hearing there, the riots in england and Northern Ireland just over a month ago were a key factor in the rise of the Prison Population to that record high. In the past half an hour, a nine yearjail sentence, the biggest so far, has been handed out following disorder at an Asylum Hotel in rotherham. Jess lane reports. Rioters Starting fires and forcing their way into this Holiday Inn express last month. Get back Police Officers were attacked and injured in the violence at the hotel in manvers, near rotherham, which had been housing more than 200 asylum seekers. Today, 27 year old Thomas Birley from rotherham has been sent to prison after pleading guilty to arson with intent to endanger to prison for nine years after pleading guilty to arson with intent to endanger life, Violent Disorder, and possession of an offensive weapon. The court was shown in this video of him wearing a hood and mask, and a fire in this bin which was later pushed through the door. He was also accused of Throwing Items at the police and squaring up to officers with riot shields. This is the second sentencing in three days following the disorder which took place at the hotel in rotherham. Craden mckenzie from barnsley was sent to prison for three years. The Unemployed Labourer was one of the first people to enter the Holiday Inn. This video was shown in court of mckenzie walking through the hotel as terrified staff hid in the kitchen. Missiles the court Heard Mckenzie was also in a crowd attacking a group of Riot Police with Fire Extinguishers and other weapons, and it and other weapons, amid shouts of, Burn It Down nearly five weeks after the violent scenes in rotherham and around the country, people who were involved are still being told they will be found and punished. Jessica lane, Bbc News. 0ur North of England Correspondent Danny savage is at Sheffield Crown Court where Thomas Birley was sentenced. Danny, we saw him pushing the lighted bin towards the hotel and this is one of the most serious cases in the riots. What has the judge had to say this morning . Yes. Judge had to say this morning . Yes, it was the most judge had to say this morning . Yes, it was the most serious judge had to say this morning . 1913 it was the most serious incident. When many people think back to the unrest over the summer, the pictures from outside that holiday express are those that spring to mind for many people. He was the latest person to be sentenced, but as the judge said today, it was by far the most serious one of its kind to come from that case. The judge spoke for over half an Hour Sentencing Thomas Birley this afternoon. He said. He went on to describe the feelings of people inside the hotel at the time. He said. And after that, he went on to say that Thomas Birley was encouraged by malicious and ignorant posts on social media, that he followed racist accounts, and he was sent in him sentencing him on the basis of it being a racist incident. He was jailed for nine years, the longest sentence handed down for any civil unrest we have heard about in the last couple of months. It was extended for five years as well, he will be on licence five years once he comes out, so effectively a 1k year sentence. He comes out, so effectively a 14 year sentence. He comes out, so effectively a 14 year sentence. And suspended Labour Councillor rickyjones has pleaded not guilty to a charge of encouraging Violent Disorder in connection with comments made at a London Counter protest. He appeared at snaresbrook Crown Court via Video Link this morning. Video had emerged online of mrjones appearing to tell a crowd in walthamstow in North London that far right demonstrators should have their throats cut. The home secretary, yvette cooper, is chairing a meeting to look at ways of tackling criminal gangs who smuggle people across the channel. 12 migrants died On Tuesday when their small boat came apart off the french coast. Now ministers, the national Crime Agency and the Uk Border force are discussing what more can be done to stop the crossings. Our Home Editor Mark easton reports. The government claims the deaths of 12 migrants in the channeljust off the french coast earlier this week is evidence of both the moral imperative in destroying the smuggling gangs, and also that measures to disrupt the criminal networks are having an impact. The Home Office says it suggests the Business Model of the smugglers is under pressure. More people are being crammed into less seaworthy vessels, with intelligence suggesting the gangs have increased their charges, including demanding payment for children. Almost 22,000 migrants have arrived in britain after attempting to cross the channel this year, more than 7,000 since the election. Having scrapped the previous governments rwanda plan, the Labour Administration is under pressure to prove it has a plan to stop the boats. At a meeting of senior government ministers, Intelligence Agencies and Law Enforcement bodies In London today, the Home Office will say 40 small boats and engines were seized in an operation in bulgaria in recent weeks, that there are currently 70 live investigations, including operations targeting gangs in libya, Romania And Southeast asia. Yes get in there meanwhile, plans to house asylum seekers, Including Small Boat Migrants at raf scampton, a former ministry of Defence Site in lincolnshire, have been scrapped. The Home Office says it would have cost £122 million over three years, and no longer represents value for money. Even the civil servants that came to visit the site in february last year said it was not suitable, so they already knew that. With the investment, the history and the heritage that is here, we couldntjust stand by and let that all get ruined. We had to do something about it. However, critics say the government is not moving quickly enough to deal with the small boats crisis. After promising the rapid recruitment of a Border Security Commander to oversee the response two months ago, Downing Street has now said the appointment will be confirmed in the next few weeks. Todays meeting, styled as a landmark operational summit, is an opportunity to demonstrate some progress in the challenge of destroying the smuggling gangs. Mark easton, Bbc News. The uk will send an additional 650 short range missiles to ukraine, as part of a new £162 million package of aid to help it fight against invading russian forces. President zelensky has urged nato allies to provide long range weapons at a Defence Meeting in germany. He says those arms are needed in order to strike targets inside russia. Pope francis has landed in Papua New Guinea on the second stop of a 12 Day Asia pacific tour. The 87 year old was received by a Military Guard of honour and a Brass Band that played the vatican anthem as he arrived in the capital, port moresby. This summer was the earths warmest on record, according to the European Unions climate monitor, copernicus. Despite the uk having its coolest summer since 2015, much of europe experienced hotter than average temperatures over the last three months. The 22nd Ofjuly was the hottest day on record for average global temperatures. At least 17 children have been killed in a fire at a school in central kenya. The blaze Started in a dormitory building. There are fears the Death Toll could rise further, with more than a dozen other pupils taken to hospital with severe burns. Were joined now by our Africa Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher whos at the scene. Barbara, what more do we know . As barbara, what more do we know . Is you said, 17 barbara, what more do we know . Sis you said, 17 boys dead, 14 injured and possibly the Death Toll to rise. As well as that, many children will be traumatised by the experience which was pretty awful, and we understand that families have been told to bring their children here, told to bring their children here, to the mount kenya hospital, where the International Committee Of The Red Cross will be setting up a Trauma Centre for the children. What they have been through, it was overnight at around 11 oclock at night. The fire Started in The Boys dormitory, 156 boys were sleeping there between the ages of nine and 19. Some tried to escape the fire by crawling under their beds. Firefighters came but were delayed because of muddy roads, and neighbours from around the area also pitched in, so many people in The End were involved in trying to rescue The Boys. But as we said, some of them didnt make it, and families now are still looking for some of those children. They are not entirely clear where the engine might be and not entirely clear whether their children are among the dead because the bodies were burned beyond recognition. Fires in kenyan Boarding Schools are actually fairly common. You have sometimes students Starting them in protest because of heavy workloads or poor living conditions. We dont know if that is what caused this. There will be an investigation into what Started this, but the most immediate concern for the parents is that horrible task of trying to find out exactly what happened to their children, and then mourning their loss and burying them. 2,. Then mourning their loss and burying them. ,. , then mourning their loss and burying them. ~ i. , them. Barbara, thank you. A powerful them. Barbara, thank you. A powerful sedative them. Barbara, thank you. A powerful sedative that l them. Barbara, thank you. I a powerful sedative that has them. Barbara, thank you. A powerful sedative that has such a strong effect on users that it has become known as a Zombie Drug is set to be banned under new rules aimed at tackling the problem of Synthetic Opioids. Its normally used in Vet Surgeries and highly addictive, its just one of more than 20 dangerous substances expected to be re categorised under new legislation. 0ur Correspondent Graham satchell reports. 0n the streets of philadelphia, the Paralysing Effect of the animal sedative xylem zine. It is known as the Zombie Drug for good reason, it lowers the Heart And Breathing rate leaving people seemingly lifeless. Its used in combination with heroin, Fentanyl And Nitazene as a cheap means of stretching out each dose. It has spread rapidly across the states, leading to a significant rise in the number of Drug Overdose deaths. In this Country Weve seen similar images from the use of the synthetic cannabinoid spice, but the use of xylazine is also on the rise here. We now have over 30 deaths reported to the programme. Home we now have over 30 deaths reported to the programme. We now have over 30 deaths reported to the programme. Now we are looking for it, we to the programme. Now we are looking for it. We are to the programme. Now we are looking for it, we are seeing to the programme. Now we are looking for it, we are seeing it to the programme. Now we are looking for it, we are seeing it appearing for it, we are seeing it appearing in many more cases. Now the government is banning the drug, along with 21 other dangerous substances. Xylazine will become a class c drug, resulting in a Prison Sentence of up to 14 years for anyone caught producing or supplying it. Were really clear with our safer Streets Mission that weve got to deal with this kind of problem that we are seeing on some of our streets, and also weve got to make sure that those who are exploiting vulnerable people are held to account. The head of the national Crime Agency has said theres never been a more dangerous time to take drugs, as the number of deaths linked to tranquillisers and Synthetic Opioids continues to rise. Graham satchell, Bbc News. The time is 1. 16pm. Our top story this afternoon. The longest Jail Term so the longestJail Term so far for those involved in this summers riots as Thomas Birley sentenced to nine Years Injail riots as Thomas Birley sentenced to nine years in jail for riots as Thomas Birley sentenced to nine Years Injailfor Arson Riots as Thomas Birley sentenced to nine years in jail for arson at an Asylum Hotel. And a new count of the uks endangered puffins brings good news their numbers are up, despite the threat of bird flu. Coming up on Bbc News, plenty for the Home Crowd at Flushing Meadows to get excited about as american Jessica Pegula makes it through to the final of the Us Open. She will take on Irina Sabalenka in tomorrows final. The Childrens Commissioner for england has called for mandatory Background Checks for private tutors after Bbc News found that more than 90 of them have been convicted of Sex Offences against children over the last 20 years. Currently, theres no legal duty for private tutors to have a criminal records check. 30 of Secondary School Pupils in the uk are thought to have used them. Angus crawford has more. I guess i kind of assumed there was some sort of protection in place. Imagine finding out the man who tutored your daughter for years had also abused her. Do you remember when your daughter told you what had been happening . Very clearly, yes. It was one of those bottom falling out of your world moments that as a parent, you know, you never, ever want to think. You feel like you really failed as a parent in your kind of most basic duty of keeping your child safe. But how do you keep them safe . Private tutors are unregulated. They dont have to undergo any criminal record checks. When you are hiring a tutor, youre hiring a tutor to help your child. Its like this dreadful irony that actually, you know, you can be putting them in the worst danger, you know, of your life. Thats no exaggeration. Look the faces of private tutors convicted of Sex Crimes involving children. Our investigation found 92 over the last two decades across the uk. Men like thomas rogers, a music tutor. And here, conducting a choir, found guilty of abusing two boys aged under 11. Hes never admitted what hes done. Hes been in complete denial, so thats been quite hard. George was one of those boys. Now an adult, hes horrified that even after conviction, rogers was able to carry on giving private music lessons to children. You got the conviction, but then you realised that he could still teach privately. Yeah. And thats. To this day, ijust dont understand. Hes free to go and teach other children. And if people dont have the capabilities to, you know, read the internet or have missed the Story Or Anything like thats happened, they can literally open up a door and send their kid in with someone thats done these horrific crimes. Its just insane. But how can abusers be free to offer tutoring . The answer the law does not demand qualifications or criminal record checks. Parents may have no way of checking. There are now urgent calls for change. Look, i think its deeply concerning. Anyone who is working with a child one to one should really have had their dbs and gone through proper vetting. And it seems to me obvious that if theres one on ones with children and adults, whether thats a music lesson, whether thats some catch up, we need to make sure that that child is safe. What do you think of the system . Its broken. The systems100 broken, and it needs change before theres serious damage done to other children. The system is not fit for purpose. Its not safeguarding children. Its not helping parents. Its appalling, frankly. This whole industry is unregulated, and you have no idea who youre handing your child over to. So when will a child in a tutor� s home get the same protection as in the classroom . At its heart, this is a story about double standards, teachers at its heart, this is a story about double standards, teachers in at its heart, this is a story about double standards, teachers in the classroom as i said in that report have to go through Rigorous Dbs enhanced criminal records checks. Tutors teaching from the comfort of their own home dont have to go through any checks at all. There has been a really interesting and strong reAction after our report first aired on breakfast this morning. He tutors association which represents 50,000 tutors across the uk, says it fully supports calls for there to be mandatory checks. It wants them brought in as soon as possible, just as the Childrens Commissioner for england also said. A former chief crown prostitute, nazir afzal, who helped prosecute some of the rochdale grooming gangs, has posted on x that he thinks this has to change immediately. So it seems like the bull is very firmly now in the Governments Court and the Department For Education sent me a statement saying they were deeply concerned by the findings and also said, our ministers are considering what further Action might be appropriate to protect children from harm across all Outer School out of School Settings including private tutors. Thank you, angus. The green Partys Autumn Conference begins in manchester today. Its the first since their most successful set of General Election results, which saw them win four seats in parliament. 0ur Political Correspondent Harry Farley is there. Cheering. Two months on from their strongest General Election result, the mood in the Green Party is jubilant. Now with four mps, up from just one, they represent both Student Cities like brighton and bristol, and former Tory Strongholds in Herefordshire And East anglia. The party hopes to use its new presence in the commons to challenge labour from the left. The government needs to take bolder Action, to put the investment in that is actually needed, whether that is to address the issues of Safety And Order in our prisons, or whether it is to restore the nhs, which is severely overstretched. What we are arguing is that, yes, the government of course is tackling the chaos that the previous government left, but there are actually choices that could be made that would enable us to invest more in the nhs, in restoring nature and tackling the climate emergency. But there are questions. How to hold onto their new coalition of both former conservative voters and those on the left, how to move from a largely volunteer run body to a more professional political party, and, after they were criticised by economists in the election for suggesting unattainable policies, how to offer credible ideas to build on their election success. In that election campaign, there were doubts from some that the Green Party could achieve those four mps they were aiming for. There is a sense of real Triumph And Excitement here at the Conference Venue this afternoon. In the next few minutes, adrian ramsay, the Co Leader, will deliver his speech. It was due to be a joint speech with Carla Denyer but we are told that she has covid like symptom so he will deliver it on his own. As well as that sense of excitement, theres a sense of underlying tension we came into the conference, there was a protest from a Group Called Greens in exile your views if it is done respectfully but i spoke to one figure in The Party Last Night who said there needs to be a reset on the Partys Stance on a number of issues and that is perhaps one example of the topics, the discussions that are expected to be thrashed out behind the scenes largely over the next few days in manchester. Dame Sarah Storey has won her 19th Paralympic Gold Medal after taking the Cycling Road Race title in paris. It means she extends her record as the most successful british paralympian of all time. Its one of 57 golds up for grabs in the french capital on day nine of the games. 0ur Correspondent Sally Hurst has the latest. The rain has cleared in paris, meaning cycling fans could turn out in all theirfinery, lining up meaning cycling fans could turn out in all their finery, lining up with rivals half her age was 46 year old Dame Sarah Storey. Braced for five laps of the course, 71 kilometres circling the outskirts of the city. Sarah storey was not hanging around, asserting her authority on the race from the Start. Asserting her authority on the race from the Start. Sarah storey on the attack early from the Start. Sarah storey on the attack early on. From the Start. Sarah storey on the attack early on. She from the Start. Sarah storey on the attack early on. She attacked from the Start. Sarah storey on the attack early on. She attacked to attack early on. She attacked to take the lead. Attack early on. She attacked to take the lead. Hot attack early on. She attacked to take the lead. Hot on attack early on. She attacked to take the lead. Hot on her attack early on. She attacked to | take the lead. Hot on her heels, 19 year old Heidi Gaugain of france who was picked to gold by Sarah Storey in the time trial earlier this week. With less than a kilometre to go, Heidi Gaugain made her move. Now it all came down to youth versus experience. I there is the gap. Is it Starting to close . Dame Sarah Storey, giving everything now. She is getting closer. It was all of those years and miles of experience that meant Sarah Storey did not panic when a gap opened up. She calmly and steadily reeled in Heidi Gaugain. There was a glance between a pair, a mutual acknowledgement of respect, before Sarah Storey took it to the line. It is use against experience, Heidi Gaugain comes again, what has Sarah Storey got left . Has she done it . She has 0h, storey got left . Has she done it . She has oh, What Storey got left . Has she done it . She has 0h, Whata Storey got left . Has she done it . She has oh, what a story 19 paralympic Gold Medals. You | she has oh, what a story 19 I Paralympic Gold Medals. You did she has oh, what a story 19 paralympic Gold Medals. You did not doubt her, paralympic Gold Medals. You did not doubt her. Did paralympic Gold Medals. You did not doubt her, did you . Paralympic Gold Medals. You did not doubt her, did you . A paralympic Gold Medals. You did not| doubt her, did you . A congratulatory hu from doubt her, did you . A Congratulatory Hug from her doubt her, did you . A Congratulatory Hug from her Daughter Doubt her, did you . A Congratulatory Hug from her daughter louisa. Doubt her, did you . A Congratulatory Hug from her daughter louisa. Dame J Hug from her daughter louisa. Dame Sarah Storey� s Incredible Story continues. Sally is in paris for us now. The Gold Medals keep on coming, dont they . Now. The Gold Medals keep on coming, dont the . ,. ,. , now. The Gold Medals keep on coming, dont the . ,. , s, s,. , dont they . Yes, another Gold Medal for great britain dont they . Yes, another Gold Medal for great britain from dont they . Yes, another Gold Medal for great britain from this dont they . Yes, another Gold Medal for great britain from this morning. For great britain from this morning to tell you about, then signed a land in the 1500 metres t20, went into the Bell Inside Position but had an incredible final lap to finish streets ahead of his rivals, with a new world record. There was a Silver Medal for wheel Che Athlete Marcus Perrineau Daley in the t 50 to 100 metres. A Silver Medalfor him, a great result on his debut paralympic games. But Disappointment Forjonathan Broom edwards in the highjump, he went in as one of the favourites after getting a Gold Medal in tokyo but finished well outside of the medals and looked so disappointed. It is hardly surprising when you consider he had surgery on a fractured ankle just six weeks before the games began. Some other Gold Medal finals to look forward to this afternoon. In table tennis, will bayley, One Of The Best known faces of the paralympics, perhaps, the strictly star as well, he breezed through his semifinal to reach the Gold Medal final latent later tonight. Reach the Gold Medal final latent latertonight. His reach the Gold Medal final latent later tonight. His Team Mate Rob Davies is currently in Action, although he lost his first game, he is guaranteed a medal. In wheelchair tennis, Alfie Hewett has won everything in the sport apart from paralympic gold. He gets two goes to make that right, he is through to the singles final and the doubles final this afternoon with Gordon Reid which Starts very shortly at roland garros. We will try to hotfoot it over there to watch all of the Action. The national trust says the Puffin Population off the Northumberland Coast has increased, despite the impact of bird flu. Theyre an Endangered Species in europe, and rangers on the Farne Islands havent been able to count them properly because of the virus and the covid outbreak. Now though, a new census suggests their numbers have gone up by 15 . 0ur North of England Correspondent Fiona Trott has the story. Puffins squawk. Theyre precious and they need to be protected. There were about 20 fledged ones on the beach, so there were loads, but they seem to have gone. I mean, im sure theyre around. So Day By day, Metre By metre, the rangers here have been counting them. This one looks very occupied. Theres lots of fresh droppings in there. This ones also occupied. A bit of Eggshell And Feather as well, which is good. And now theres good news. Its gone up by 15 , which means the population is stable. I think all the rangers are super happy, and youre sort of like proud because youve looked after them and done all the work. You must have been so relieved. So relieved, because they are such characters as well. And you do become attached to them, you just do, every single one of them. This is what they were worried about. During the avian flu outbreak, around 10,000 birds perished. 900 of them were puffins, which only lay one egg a year. Little did they know, The Birds quirky behaviour would actually end up protecting some of them. Puffins are clever little creatures. They keep their burrows clean. They self isolate, like we did during lockdown. And rangers think thats one of the reasons why theyve done well despite bird flu. Another reason is that theres been less named storms. If the waters churned up from storms, they cant see the fish, and so it meant they were bringing back more fish, which is successful, so the Islands Ideal for them this year. All life is fragile on these remote islands, and the Puffin Count helps researchers understand whats happening with the wider environment. Puffins, like all seabirds we have here in the Farne Islands, theyre very indicative of the health of our seas, the state of our environment. If Theres Anything wrong with the seas, then the seabirds, theyll be the first to suffer. So its really important that we have an idea ofjust how many we have. The ambition now is to monitor the puffins every single year. Known as the clowns of the sea, these colourful characters entertain us but can teach us so much more. Fiona trott, Bbc News, northumberland. A reminder of our top headline this afternoon. The longest Jail Term the longestJail Term for so far for those involved in the summers rights is Thomas Birley, sentenced to nine Years Injailfor Arson Rights is Thomas Birley, sentenced to nine years in jail for arson at an Asylum Hotel in rotherham. And the hunt for Asian Hornets, as the uks Beekeepers Battle to protect their colonies from a devastating predator. Well have a full forecast in the next half hour, but lets get a quick look at the weather now. Heres chris. Yes, and today i have been getting my abacus out and gradually totting up my abacus out and gradually totting up The Rain for hour by hour and i reckon in farnborough over the last 30 hours, we have recorded 52 millimetres of rain which is not far off a whole months worse here, the monthly average for september being 59 millimetres, and, you know, there is a bit more rain to come across southern england. Another heavy Pulse Working in across Kent And Sussex at the moment. But i dont want to leave you with the impression it is all Doom And Gloom today because for the bulk of the uk, there is some lovely sunshine to be found and some pretty high temperatures. 27 degrees in parts of East Anglia this afternoon and into the North West of englund, 26 in liverpool, well above average for the time of year. Of course, you will get the full forecast for the rest of the day and beyond in about half an hour. As you heard earlier in the programme, the Prison Population in england and wales has reached another record high. It means jails are badly overcrowded, and struggling to cope. Ahead of a new scheme that Starts next week where some inmates will be freed at an earlier point in their sentences to try and bring those numbers down our senior Uk Correspondent Sima Kotecha Has had special access to Pentonville Prison in North London. Alarm blares chaos in hmp pentonville. Shouting threes, fours, get your meds were the only broadcast journalists given access. Its a Code Red. To one of britains most dangerous jails since the current crisis. 0k, come on, folks. And some Prison Officers are so frightened of being targeted on the outside that weve had to blur theirfaces. Hmp Pentonville Staff are overstretched. Another alarm here. And on the verge of breaking point. You worry about, you know, opening the door in the morning and making sure that theyre alive. Anything could happen. Theres been deaths in prison. All right, what have we got coming in this afternoon, then . Each day, more Bus Loads arrive, making this jail one of the most crowded in the country. Most of the inmates are on remand, so theyre waiting for their trial or sentencing. Others are doing time for crimes such as murder, robbery and rape. And anything can happen. Alarm blares has an alarm gone off . Yeah. Lets go and see. Its a Code Red, so. A Code Red alarm involves blood or burns. An inmate has Self Harmed. A moment of apprehension as they assess the situation. Can you talk me through whats happened . Yeah, so weve got a prisoner Whos Self harmed, yeah. Hes made superficial cuts to his arm. Staff say overcrowding is leading to an increase in Self Harm and violence. Banging. Because of Inmates Frustration with being locked up for longer. Across the wing, michaels inside for drug offences. There are some people who simply dont care about prisoners. Theyre like, they broke the law they should be locked up. Shouldnt be a hotel. Mm hm. But you are supposed to be rehabilitated inside. Do you think prison is providing a rehabilitation . No. Its a punishment. Its not a rehabilitation. Its hard to rehabilitate yourself in a place where youve got gang violence, postcode wars, drug violence, money wars. If youve got beef there, violence there, drugs there, people collapsing here, the staff, they are outstretched, theyre trying to do this, this, this and this. But now you want help as well. Moments later, another alarm, the fifth of the day. Yesterday, there were more than 30. So theyve just jumped on the netting. Prison officers are running up the stairs to try and get them down. What the staff are saying is that it can turn really quickly. A quiet moment can become chaotic within a matter of seconds. As one Prison Officer said, its like the flick of a switch. Gang violence is an ongoing threat at pentonville and has had some serious consequences for staff. Shouting. This Prison Officer broke both her wrists while separating two gang members during a fight. It just gets really messy sometimes. And theyre quite small space. Stressful . Stressful, yeah, stressful. Sima kotecha, Bbc News, hmp pentonville. Still to come on todays programme. Well hear from the polar explorer whos taking over as the uks new Chief Scout. First its time to join our colleagues with the news where you are. Welcome along to sportsday, this friday lunchtime. Im adam wild. A quick fire 50 from Ben Duckett gets england off to a solid Start to the third test at the oval. In new york, americanJessica Pegula gives the Home Crowd plenty to cheer as she storms into the Us Open final. Can wales give new manager Craig Bellamy a winning Start as they get their Nations League Campaign under way in cardiff . Good afternoon. Well begin at an overcast 0val, where england have been put into bat on the first morning of the third test against sri lanka. 20 year old Bowlerjosh Hull is ready to make his test debut, but they are all being made to wait as bad light brought an early end to the morning session. Matt graveling has been watching. England were looking to the brightest of periods under the gloomiest of skies. It has been two decades since they won every test played over a summer, but the lads are likely 2 0 diogo. The last time was in 2004 in this man had just been born, Joe Show given is a good debut. It was sri lankan bowling first, invisibility that seemed to confuse the band and the wicketkeeper. The run Started to come, Ben Duckett having back to back boundaries. Is he had his flow, lauren said this. Lawrence out for just five. Coming his flow, lauren said this. Lawrence out forjust five. Coming on, captain 0llie pope, a player supposedly under pressure. What pressure . The first six of the match. While the spotlights were bright, Ben Duckett shone brighter. This was to be the last of the Action. Lack of light finally deemed too much. Players are, much delayed. England 76 1. That early lunch is has become a long lunch. England are 76 1. They will hope to make up any time lost by playing up to 7. 00pm this evening. It is mens Semifinals Day at the Us Open. Britains Jack Draper in the biggest match of his young career, taking on World Number one Jannik Sinnerfor a place in sundays final. The womens final Line Up though is already settled, with World Number two Aryna Sabalenka taking on home favouriteJessica Pegula. The american staged a stunning fightback. Having been a set and a break down at one point, pegula roared back to see off Karolina Muchova in three sets and reach a first Grand Slam final, the sixth seed finally achieving her childhood ambition. Its a childhood dream. Its what i wanted when i was a kid. Its a lot of work, a lot of Hard Work Put in. You couldnt even imagine how much goes into it, so it would mean the world to me, obviously. Im just happy to be in the final but obviously i come here to want to win a title. Waiting for her in tomorrows final will be Aryna Sabalenka, who has made it through for the second year in a row. She beat another american, emma navarro, in straight sets to make it four consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts. Last year was a very tough experience, a very tough Lesson Today in the match i was like, no, no, no, aryna, it is not going to happen again, you have to control your emotions, you have to focus on yourself. There were people supporting me, i was trying to focus on them. Craig bellamy takes charge of his first game as Wales Manager later. His side take on turkey in their opening Nations League Game in cardiff. He says he is determined to enjoy it. Tomos dafydd has more. With the new man at the helm, wales are Starting afresh. The players have been absorbing instructions from Craig Bellamy in long, intense meetings this week. We are promised a change. Im going to enjoy this. This is not going to make me old very quick. Im going to sit back and im going to enjoy this because, you know why . Ive worked hard. And part of my career, if i look back now, i wish i enjoyed it more. He made his wales Debut Againstjamaica in 1998. Throughout 78 appearances, there was no doubting his commitment to his country or his self belief. Commentator he compared himself to juninho. As a player, not short on confidence. As a player, he was sometimes controversial. Now a calmer presence in the dugout and bellamy� s prepared for the emotions of his first game in front of the fans. Guys, you dont pay me to be emotional. You pay me to try and make the best decisions possible on the side and thats the business i have to be in, then, straight away. So, yeah, of course im proud and im fully aware, the moment, its going to obviously catch me, but it has to leave very, very quick. Aaron ramsey retains the captaincy under bellamy, but he hasnt played for wales for almost 12 months. After not featuring in the Euro Play offs, which ultimately ended in failure, rumours of retirement surfaced, but ramsey says stepping away after missing out on Tournament Football was no way to leave the international stage. That was the thing which was, like you said, eating away at me a bit and i felt like there was still, you know, some unfinished business there. Yeah, it never entered my mind about stopping or anything. You know, if anything, it excites me what this team are capable of doing. It was a 1 1 draw the last time these sides met in qualifying for the European Championships and while wales failed to make it to the finals, it was a different story for turkey. Backed by thousands of fans, turkey surprised many at euro 2024 in the summer, going all the way to the quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by the netherlands. As for wales, getting to the World Cup in two years is the ultimate aim and, under a new manager, theres renewed optimism they can achieve it. Elsewhere, scotland are now looking ahead to sundays match against portugal, desperate to salvage something from what has been a hugely disappointing year. It is after they were beaten by a 97th Minute Poland penalty at hampden Last Night. Steve clarkes side had been two down at half time, before drawing level, only to be defeated in the games dying moments. In the games dying moments. 0bviously disappointing to lose a game like that. A game that we shouldnt lose. But if you make errors at this level, you get punished, and we got punished severely for the errors that we made in the game. Everybody is disappointed. We lost a game we shouldnt have lost. Its not picking out individuals, we never do that. Ive never done that, and im not going to Start now. We win as a team, we lose as a team. Well go away, well analyse the game and well speak in camp. A much more positive evening for Northern Ireland. They got their Nations League Campaign under way with a 2 0 victory over luxembourg. They head to bulgaria now for their second match of the competition on sunday evening. I think with every camp and game, we kind of see it, to be honest. We had, i think, six or seven Players Tonight that either Started the game or came into the game who are under 21. I think the average age of the Team Tonight was just over 24, so very young, not a lot of caps, but in saying that, some of the young boys are already approaching 20 caps and they are 20 years of age. So they are getting a lot of exposure at this level, we have to continue giving them that. I think its the only way they will improve and obviously the team will improve, as well. There was a dramatic finish to the Opening Game of the Nfl Season as the defending champions, Kansas City chiefs, were pushed all the way by the baltimore ravens. The ravens thought they had an opportunity to win the game when Quarterback Lamarjackson found isaiah likely in the End Zone for what they thought was a last second touchdown, but the replay showed that likely had stepped Out Of Bounds by the length of a toe, handing the chiefs a 27 20 victory to Start the season. Thank you to the fans. They were great today, as they always are, but what a wild environment down there. It was two heavyweights in a fight, right down to The End. When they say its a game of inches, it might be shorter than that there was a debut for baseball side rochester� s newest recruit. They now have a Bat Dog the Red Wings were facing the Worcester Red sox at home and the Golden Retriever lived up to his name, Called Upon To Go Fetch Bats and bring them back to the dugout. Bruce, had some trouble picking up the bat initially, but ultimately managed to get it in his Mouth Thanks to Catcher Kyle Teel and carry it back where it belongs. Plenty more over on the bbc sport website, including further details of that quite extraordinary 19th Paralympic Gold Medal for Dame Sarah Storey in paris today, one of two golds for paralympics gb this morning. That is all your sport for now. Good afternoon. Winfield has been announced as the new Chief Scout. Super long has been to meet him. Winfield sprung to Life Injamaica when it came to london at the Tender Age of six. Joining the scots put him on the path all the way to the north pole. Now he says it is his chance to give back. North pole. Now he says it is his chance to give back. When i was a kid becoming chance to give back. When i was a kid becoming a chance to give back. When i was a kid becoming a Scot Chance to give back. When i was a kid becoming a scot made chance to give back. When i was a kid becoming a scot made the chance to give back. When i was a L Kid becoming a scot made the world of difference to me. Being scared, anxious kid, so shy could speak to anyone. I walked out of that scorecard feeling ten feet tall. I have been given the ability to believe in myself. My confidence grew. He believe in myself. My confidence crew. , believe in myself. My confidence. Rew, , , believe in myself. My confidence irew, , ,. , believe in myself. My confidence rew. ,,. , grew. He is stepping in to some re bi grew. He is stepping in to some pretty big shoes grew. He is stepping in to some pretty big shoes. At grew. He is stepping in to some pretty big shoes. At 34, grew. He is stepping in to some pretty big shoes. At 34, bear. Grew. He is stepping in to some. Pretty big shoes. At 34, Bear Grylls was the youngest man to take on the role. And i think he was stepping down after 15 years, he said being Chief Scout had been the greatest honour of his life. Scouting has a long history in britain and around the world. It was In London more than A Hundred years ago that Lord Baden Powell was called Chief Scout of the world. The movement has come a long way since with generations learning Life Skills with Volunteer Scout leaders. In 1976 Venture Scouts opened their doors to young women, but it wasnt until 2007 that it became mandatory for all sections to let growth then. Now it is fully inclusive and young people of all backgrounds are actively encouraged to get involved. It is notjust camping and canoeing any more, there are 7,000 scout groups the Country Offering activities from coding to Community Projects to have A Million young people. What they think of their new leader . He seems like a genuine person and his passion for scouting, which is nice to see. I think it would be a greatjob. He was a scout is a job, so he knows the experiences that people go through. I love him. I got to meet last year and he was amazing. He was really inspirational. I think it will be great for the movement. The moto2 scouts is be prepared, but nowadays that is as much about being to ask big questions and listen with open minds as it is about bringing a penknife. The uks national Bee Unit says it is in a race against time to destroy asian Hornets Nest in Kent And Sussex before the new queen is by late september. So far this year then asian Hornets Nests have been found in the South East of england and there is a fear they could spread further. Up there. Its up there. If you stand here, stand here where i am. In the small Kent Village of alkham, an asian hornet� s nest has been discovered. Yeah, its a decent size, that. Around 30 metres up, hundreds of these invasive insects are busy growing their colony. This nest will soon be destroyed. And for the Government Team in charge of doing that, theres an urgency to their work. At this point in the year, the queen is almost certainly one queen in that nest. But as we move into the autumn, more queens will be laid with the intention that those ones would then disperse once they become mature. So is it a bit of a race against time to try and spot these nests and get rid of them before those queens disperse . Yes, it is. Hundreds of miles from kent, on the channel island ofjersey, a war is being waged against the asian hornet. It was first spotted here in 2016. Last year, more than 200 nests were found and lanced with pesticides. On this small island, Theyve Become Experts on this apex predator. The more you understand about them, the more Chance Weve got of managing them and controlling them. We cant eradicate them now. Theyre here. And they need to be controlled. 0ne Nest of Asian Hornets can kill 11kg of insects in a season. They pose a significant threat to Honey Bees and other pollinators. Just take a look at the size of this nest. This would have been home to a colony of around 3000 Asian Hornets, and beekeepers from Kent And Sussex are coming tojersey to learn what they do here, to help them in the South East fight against this invasive species. Tiny blob of glue on the thorax of the hornet. A live hornet will always betray where its nest is. This is tinsel tagging, or streamering, a technique pioneered on the island to help track the asian hornet as it flies home. With the naked eyes, you can probably see that hornet for 200 or 300 metres flying and with binoculars, even further. Whereas before, normally, without a streamer attached like that, youd be lucky to see them go more than 30 or 40 metres before you lose sight of them. Nicky is timing how long it takes for this trimmer to return to its nest. Its quite adept at this . 0h, nest. Its quite adept at this . Oh, it is. Its quite adept at this . Oh, it is. Its a challenge. Some of the territory is a challenge, as well. Its a challenge. Some of the territory challenge, as well. Cant you see it . Cant you see it . I can now. I can now. Across the island, theyve destroyed across the island, theyve destroyed 123 nests so far this year. 123 nests so far this year. Put it in there. Thats it. Thats it. Back in the uk, ten nests have been found since may. Bee inspectors mark the hornets Bee Inspectors mark the hornets with different colours to help identify them when they return with different colours to help to the bait station. All the nests have been year, you get all the right all the nests have been found in the southeast. Found in the southeast. There she goes. There she goes. The numbers are down on last year, the numbers are down on last year, and the Bee Unit believes it can and the Bee Unit believes it can eradicate the hornet entirely. Eradicate the hornet entirely. Some beekeepers think its already too late. Once its there, it will once its there, it will probably lay in areas that we dont know about. Probably lay in areas if theyre in the local woods, if theyre in the local woods, we dont know theyre there. We dont know theyre there. But then suddenly youll get a boom but then suddenly youll get a boom year, you get all the right conditions and theyre off again. So the horse has bolted. The horse has bolted, yeah. Yeah, the horse has bolted and its its out of the field. Its past the next field and its in the next village. The southeast is seen as the Home Guard protecting the rest of the country from an asian hornet invasion. And those on the Front Line say they need more foot soldiers, more members of the public to help in that fight. Fiona irving, Bbc News. There is a new documentary called The Killer Hornets now there is a new documentary called the iplayer. Nets now bbc iplayer. Sir terryjones was described by his co Star Michael P after he died in 2020. Other patterns are now campaigning for a statue. The interim is £120,000. Now, you listen here hes not the messiah, hes a very naughty boy. Even without a statue, terryjones has left an indelible image in the minds of Monty Python fans. Brians mother in the life of brian, which he also directed, was just one of the unforgettable characters he created. But his comedy Colleagues Sir Michael Palin And Terry gilliam, think that a permanent memorial on the prom in Colwyn Bay would remind everyone of where he came from. His welshness was there to sort of question things, really. I dont think he liked just accepting what the Perfidious English came up with. He said, come on, theres got to be something else. And i realised that was because he was welsh and because he sort of felt he had something to prove. And he was brilliant, really, a real credit to Colwyn Bay and this whole surrounding area. Terryjones returned to Colwyn Bay several times to support the local theatre in the town where his family had their own theatrical links. My grandfather used to run the Colwyn Bay operatic society, and they used to put on showings of Gilbert And Sullivan and performances of Gilbert And Sullivan on the pier, in the theatre on the pier. Alongside the surviving members of the comedy troupe, stars such as Emma Thompson are supporting the python on the prom campaign. Steve coogan has also pledged cash towards the £120,000 target, especially if the sculpture represents one very particular side of terryjones. If you can raise any money, ill throw in a few shekels to help get this thing built. I think its a wonderful thing. I do hope they choose a terry on the. Naked playing the organ. The nude organist, which was such a classic piece of terryjones in the way he sat and the way. And it would be wonderful by the sea here because, you know, its sort of, its. It will create. People will come here just to rub the bare bottom. For good, good. Yeah, good luck. For Terryjoness Son and daughter, whatever the final design, itll be a special way to honour their late father. Its the kind of silly thing that he would have really enjoyed. And the idea of him being in character on the Prom Herejust absolutely would have tickled him. So were really kind of excited to try and get this get finally get the Fundraising Message out there to everybody. To look forward to, and it will feel warm, particularly across northern and western areas of the uk, with temperatures running well above average, 25 in manchester and 26 in liverpool. Parts of East Anglia could get up to a humid 27 celsius. However, if youre stuck in the south of england, its a different story. A lot of cloud and we have had some heavy downpours here through the day today. Still one or two left over into the afternoon, but i think more generally The Rain will turn at least a little bit lighter for a time as you go through the afternoon. But the temperatures here nothing really to write home about. Away from that band of rain, yes, weve got that warm sunshine to look forward to, although there will be some areas of low Cloud And Mist that continue to linger and loiter across parts of Eastern Scotland and eastern england, just keeping the temperatures pegged back here. 0therwise, warm in the sunshine, 26 degrees there in liverpool. Now, overnight tonight, our Weather Fronts will finally Give Up The Ghost across southern counties of england so it will become drier for a time. Well see a return of low clouds and Mist And Fog patches, particularly across Eastern Scotland, eastern england. With that comes the threat of occasional spots of drizzle as well. Itll be quite a humid night. The weekend still dominated by this area of low pressure. The low, if anything, will bring the threat of some heavy showers further northwards. Now for england and wales here, where well see the Lions Share of the showers on saturday. Quite a clump of showers look set to come in through the morning, i think across parts of lincolnshire, yorkshire, maybe into North East England too. So watch out for those. Further southwards, yes, you could see some thunderstorms break out, but i think its across scotland and Northern Ireland that the weather should stay dry with the best of the sunshine and some of the higher temperatures as well. For sunday, showers, perhaps some longer spells of rain still with the same area of low pressure. Again, the majority of the downpours will be focussed across england and wales, leaving scotland and northern Ireland Drier but potentially turning a little bit cloudier. Temperatures here high teens to low 20s. Then into next week a change in Thejet Stream Pattern will bring us some colder air moving down from the north, and with that, an area of low pressure that could bring some quite persistent rain for a time across northern areas. 0therwise, showers with the weather turning a Lot Cooler and fresher for all of us. You are watching Bbc News. The green Party Conference begins in manchester today. It comes after party had its most successful General Election. When in four seats. In the next few minutes, there will be a welcome speech for the green Party Conference. As we wait for that to happen, lets speak to Harry Farley he was in manchester. As we were saying, very successful. Post election and four seats. What difference will that make and what is the general atmosphere at the Party Conference this year . The Atmosphere Conference this year . The atmosphere here conference this year . The atmosphere here is conference this year . Tie atmosphere here is one conference this year . Tte atmosphere here is one of celebration, as i suppose you would expect. I canjust hear the introductions of that celebration getting under way behind me. We are expecting to hear adrian ramsay, one of the Co Leaders of the Green Party to speak to open the conference in the next few minutes. It was meant to be Herjoint Speech with his Co Leader but he