Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240913

50,000 catholics In Singapore. An important moment for singapores catholic community. So we are monitoring the live shotin so we are monitoring the live shot In Singapore as the pope is greeted. You are watching bbc news. Next, the war in ukraine. Americas top diplomat, Antony Blinken, is in Poland Today following his trip to kyiv. These are the latest pictures of Mr Blinken arriving in warsaw. He is due to meet senior polish officials to discuss support for ukraine. The Secretary Of State said yesterday he will take back to washington the discussions he and his british counterpart have had with ukrainian officials about the use of long range western weapons for strikes inside russia. Live to our Eastern Europe correspondent, sarah rainsford, who is in warsaw. This is anthony benton, he is in warsaw without his Uk Counterpart, mr lambie. Just talk us through, of Course Poland very much supported the ukraine, what is the messaging we will hear from him today . I think what he is going to hear from his Polish Counterpart and from his Polish Counterpart and from those he has made a care in poland is very much their message he has been getting an kyiv, which is a support for the discussion of the idea of ukraine being able to use long range missiles to strike targets and Launch Sites within russia itself. Of course, that was the focus of this quick visit to kyiv that Antony Blinken and david lambie, his Uk Counterpart did yesterday. There is a sense that the tide is failing to turn, but it has been turning slowly. Ireland is one of the voices that has been pushing for you going to be able to use long range missiles inside russia poland. Saying it is a matter of self defence, to do of Escalation Ukraine were allowed to use Bison Missiles deeper within russia. I think that is the message that poland will be sending to the us Secretary Of State and it is one that he has had in kyiv and he will be taken back to washington to pass on there. There is no decision as yet, some hints that perhaps us and Eu Policy might be shifting but big questions about whether that actually has come so late in the day that it wont change an awful lot in the ground for kyiv but it is sadly in that ukraine is pushing for. And when it comes to the influence of poland, what influence does he have . ,. ,. , he have . How much clout do they have in getting he have . How much clout do they have in getting that he have . How much clout do they have in getting that message have in getting that message across . I have in getting that message across . ~ ,. ,. Across . I think it is a close alliance across . I think it is a close alliance between across . I think it is a close alliance between poland i across . I think it is a close I Alliance between poland and across . I think it is a close alliance between poland and the us and i think it is a voice that the us listens to because of course, pain in� S Role is right on the Front Line with ukraine. Poland is helping to defend europe from the wall, spilling over the Border And Poland knows all too well what the impact could be so i think voices from this region have become amplified in the last couple of years, voices that were warning for a long time about the threat of vladimir Putins Rash and then were vindicated with the full Scale Invasion of ukraine. So the voices matter, the alliance is deep and i think the message will be hurtful that there are other issues upended want to discuss because missiles cross occasionally from russia into russia and there is a discussion here and pressure from ukraine, on whether or not poland should be allowed to shut down those missiles, either in Polish Territory or in ukraine as they head towards poland. So i think that is another thing they will be talking about, a sense here in poland that perhaps poland should be allowed to strike those missiles are not the mountainous guys, but nato very reluctant to do that, talking about the risk of escalation, that word you hear an awful lot in a cautious response of nato and other allies of ukraine when discussing how to deal with russia, how to counter russia in terms of its war in ukraine. Pa, russia in terms of its war in ukraine russia in terms of its war in ukraine. � . ,. Ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act. Ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act really ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act. Really good ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act. Really good to ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act. Really good to get ukraine. A difficult Balancing Act. Really good to get your| act. Really good to get your expertise. Sarah rainsford their life in warsaw and as a when we get more from there, we are expecting comments and Press Statements a little bit later on. Ijust want Press Statements a little bit later on. I just want to take you back live to singapore where the pope Is Greeting Catholics In Singapore. They are in what is described as singapores grandest arena which has hosted the likes of Taylor Swift and madonna. This time they are welcoming Pope Francis himself, where he is going to be celebrating mass with 50,000 people at the National Stadium. And this is a combination of a huge trip that he has been taking, his longest foreign visit of his papacy, given his frail health. My colleague is there for us and we can see the pontiff doing the rounds, grating are meeting the rounds, grating are meeting the children there. Thrilling pictures there. Pictures there. Yes, that is ri. Ht pictures there. Yes, that is right for pictures there. Yes, that is right for stop pictures there. Yes, that is right for Stop It pictures there. Yes, that is right for Stop It is pictures there. Yes, that is right for Stop It is quite pictures there. Yes, that is right for Stop It is quite a i right for Stop It is quite a sight to see. He came into the National Stadium, 50,000 people. Everyone is on their feet. They are watching him on their big screen. He is taking his time going around the stadium, young children, babies coming to see him. People surrounding the pope passing on gifts, rosaries to the people and the children. This National Stadium. There you go, a blessing. That is quite a remarkable sight. So all the eyes are locked on the big screen because he is moving around the National Stadium very slowly. You can see the use and the hours as the key baby gets a moment. When that baby gets a moment. When that baby does go up, it will know that it was in the presence of the pope. Last Summer Pope was In Singapore, it was all the way back in 1986 when Popejohn Paul ii only spent five hours when he passed through singapore. This time, Pope Francis has spent will spend three days In Singapore. Looking around to see the reactions of the crowd as he makes his way around the stadium. Cheers as he gets closer to the congregation. Everyone is very excited to see him, as you can imagine. This is theirfourth stop him, as you can imagine. This is their fourth stop on his four nation tour. He started his trip to the Asia Pacific with a trip to indonesia, the most populous, most populous muslim asian in the world. We have seen more and more images of more babies being brought out to get a bit of a moment with Pope Francis. He really does enjoy spending time with young people. It has been a feature of his trip, he has always been looking out for the less fortunate, the more vulnerable. He has been speaking this morning at the national university Of Singapore, where he wanted to emphasise the importance of family as being the people who have been loved and that is how they learn to love, where the words he used. Now making his way around the sports stadium. After he left indonesia, he then moved on to papua new guinea, another country by the catholics are in the minority. Un went to the One Nation that he visited on this tour that is a majority, 97 catholics in timor Leste Day and people turned out for a catholic him. He arrived Yesterday And Singapore and today it has busiest day. He started off this morning with the president Of Singapore with those remarks that he made at the national university Of Singapore. 0ne that he made at the national university Of Singapore. One of the other messages he wanted to touch on while he was here was that of social cohesion, he wanted to talk about interfaith dialogue, these are themes that singapore also likes to press home to its citizens. Singapore is an incredibly multireligious, multiethnic, multi language society, a plural society, one that welcomes all religions to practice peacefully. Catholics make up about 7 Of Singapores ablation, just under 400,000 people are catholic In Singapore and this stadium holds around 50,000. These tickets were incredibly hard to get and we had to ballot for them so there are a lot of people who would have been disappointed and they are having what policies or around singapore to take on a site that we are all seeing right now. They are having watched parties. Taking the time to shake their hands and send a message of the youth In Singapore. You can hear the choir is behind all this. This is a live choir that you are hearing, 1600 strong in full voice as Pope Francis makes his way around the National Stadium. Way around the national Stadium Way around the National Stadium. W,. , ,. , stadium. Extraordinary scenes there at singapores stadium. Extraordinary scenes there at singapores national i there at singapores National Stadium, where, as steve was saying, 5000 volunteers have been volunteered for these duties, ranging from singing in the choirs, as steve said, over 1000 strong choir there during that mass, which will held by the pope for singapores catholic minority and those little gifts. I am guessing that they are little rosaries that they are little rosaries that they are little rosaries that the pope is imparting to all those children there who are, it is quite a moment when you see that. We will monitor that light annually back with steve and the team. Live and we will be back. So as you watch those images there, the pontiff making his way, charming the crowd and it will be a moment for all of those childrens lives and this will be one for certainly the Family History books. The pontiff In Singapore. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. You are watching bbc news. Lets go back to one of our main stories, that first ever spaceport by nonprofessional astronauts. It has already been delayed a couple of hours by spacex, but is expected to happen in the next 90 minutes or so. The mission is funded by billionaire jared isaacman, who founded Payment Processing Business shift4. Hes joined by his close friend and reitred Airforce Pilot Scott poteet and two spacex engineers Anna Menon and sarah gillis. Theyre testing new astronaut suits that can be worn during launch, landing and on spacewalks. The aim is to make spacesuits that are less tailor made to reduce costs for future human space flight. Unusually, the spacecraft doesnt have an airlock so while Isaacman And Gillis are on their spacewalk, Poteet And Menon will also be in the vaccum of space inside the depressurised craft. Lets speak to Space Scientist dr hina khan. Welcome to bbc news. We have had a bit of a delay on this. Letsjust had a bit of a delay on this. Lets just start with potentially, these delays happen, there is reason for them but we are not 100 sure why that is. But in theory, this is going to happen today . Yes, absolutely. There are lots of reasons for delays. Safety things, making sure that all procedures are followed correctly, making sure all the gauges and everything inside the Craft And Environment is safe for individuals to be able to go out into the environment outside the safety of the capsule. So it is not uncommon and i think it is absently right that they should make sure that everything is 100 secure for the individual to be going out into what is going to be quite a momentous activity in one hour or so. For be quite a momentous activity in one hour or so. In one hour or so. For those not going in one hour or so. For those not going out. In one hour or so. For those not going out, just in one hour or so. For those not going out, just explain l in one hour or so. For those | not going out, just explain to us, because we are discussing this craft, it does not have a space lock, so what does that mean for the two that remained behind . 50 mean for the two that remained behind . ,. , , mean for the two that remained behind . , , behind . So obviously because this is a commercial behind . So obviously because this is a commercial entity this is a commercial entity thatis this is a commercial entity that is doing this, so it is not in the same way as it was when the shuttle is and the Apollo Missions were developed from nasa, that does not make it any less safe or any less exciting. But what it means is that when you open the airlock, you open the hatch to go out in space, it means that inside the capsule, it will also be in a vacuum state. And so the individuals in cyber also need to be in their suits as well and they will need to monitor and they will need to monitor and manage the vitals and the details within that environment. So itjust means that while they are inside the relative safety of the spacecraft, they will experience some different things inside, not quite as extreme as what will be outside but it will still be an environment that they need to manage. I5 environment that they need to manaue. ,. , environment that they need to manaue. , 2 environment that they need to manaue. ,. � ,. , ~. , manage. Is a lets talk about the environment manage. Is a lets talk about the environment on manage. Is a lets talk about the environment on the manage. Is a lets talk about i the environment on the outside for the two that are going out. They are way higher than the international Space Station, just for some kind of contact. These are figures that i really hard to comprehend . These are figures that i really hard to comprehend . Yes, this Vacation Orbit hard to comprehend . Yes, this Vacation Orbit at hard to comprehend . Yes, this Vacation Orbit at around hard to comprehend . Yes, this Vacation Orbit at around 400 i Vacation Orbit at around 400 kilometres and that is an environment where people are inspired to Space Station but they can kind of manage the signs. Here, ithink they can kind of manage the signs. Here, i think they are looking at a range of between 190 and 700 kilometres above the air. So it is slightly different. But the main purpose of this activity is firstly to test this fairly unique seats which have been developed for ultimately, long term space travel. Suits. When we had people going up in spacex medicines, they have been using inside suits. These are new spaces that have been developed for inside the spacecraft. The seats that will be worn today are really to make sure that the individuals are safe outside the compartment. And so there will be a number of tests and activities that they will do to make sure that the suits are fit for purpose but also, they can collect the data that allows them to make modifications as needed and ensure that they survive the longer term missions, to the moon and elsewhere that they were looking to do. Were looking to do. Thank you so much now, if you have ever been to Buckingham Palace here in london you will have seen the Kings Guard wearing the famous bearskins. Well, the price of a single Bearskin Cap has soared to more than £2,000 orjust over 2,500. 0ur royal Correspondent Sean Coughlan reports. The tall Bearskin Caps worn by the Kings Guards are a distinctive sight outside Buckingham Palace and at big ceremonial events like trooping the colour. But Animal Rights Campaigners are saying theres too high a price to pay, notjust in terms of using real fur from black bears, but also because the cost to taxpayers has gone up so much. Each Bearskin Cap now costs more than £2,000. Thats an annual increase of 30 . The figures have been revealed by the Ministry Of Defence in a freedom of Information Request from the campaign group, the people for the ethical treatment of animals. It means more than £1 million has been spent on Bearskin Caps over the past decade, and the animal Rights Group says its an unacceptable waste of taxpayers money. The mod says its open to using an alternative to real fur if a material can be found that is suitably durable and keeps its shape. Its a decision for the military rather than the royals. But Queen Camilla has already revealed that she has made the switch away from buying realfur. Sean coughlan, bbc news. Lets and with images of Pope Francis In Singapore where he continues to meet and greet lots of people ahead of holding a mass in front of 50,000 people. This is the end of his four nation trip. The pope there In Singapore. You are watching bbc news. The Prime Minister is setting out changes to the nhs in england after a damning report revealed the Health Service was in serious trouble. The review, which was commissioned by the government, concluded that people were struggling to get Gp Appointments and Emergency Departments were in a poor state. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say the nhs must reform or die. Well, the surgeon and former labour health minister, Lord Darzi, led that nine Week Review and wrote the review. It also highlights failings in Social Care Which he says has both a profound Human Cost and economic consequences. Sir Keir Starmer is due to speak about the report shortly, which well bring you as soon as it happens. Lets speak to thea stein, whos Chief Executive of the nuffield trust, an independent health thinktank. This is really a damning report but i suppose, not many people surprised by its contents . figs surprised by its contents . As ou surprised by its contents . As you say. Surprised by its contents . Sis you say, people surprised by its contents . Is you say, people who are involved like myself, in looking at the nhs are not surprised but that does not mean that it is any less troubling to see all those facts, figures and statistics in one place laid out so starkly. In one place laid out so starkly in one place laid out so starkl. ,. ~ ,. , starkly. Just talk us through what jumped starkly. Just talk us through what jumped out starkly. Just talk us through whatjumped out to starkly. Just talk us through whatjumped out to you. Starkly. Just talk us through l whatjumped out to you. One thing that i sort of notice quite a lot was that there has been this improvement in terms of the money put into the nhs and the number of staff, but productivity has gone down. Just talk us through that. It just talk us through that. At the just talk us through that. It the same time, without talking too much about what productivity really means, and productivity really means, and productivity can mean the sort of widget to get out of the widget he put in. There are lots of things that impact of the concept of productivity, for example, the building you are working on full stop if you are working on full stop if you are working on full stop if you are working in builder that is old, cold and draughty weather lifts dont work, you may be less capable of doing Yourjob Thatis less capable of Doing Yourjob that is possible. If you could takes five minutes to start in the morning or your computer does not speak to the computer in another part of the health care system, that will make you less productive. It can feel, when you see a topline figure, a suggestion that this is something about nhs staff not working hard enough but when you unpick it and when you look at what is really going on, it is a far more complex picture around a whole range of issues about where the money has gone and how the money is being utilised. That really gives us that more rich picture of what we mean when we talk about activity in the Health Service. And labour are talking about today, three changes, three big ships that need to take place. 0ne ships that need to take place. One of them is a move from analogue to digital. He talks about using more ai and being able to to get more patients free scanners and things like that. He also talked about shift from hospital to the community, getting people out of occupying Hospital Bed and getting them looked after in the committee. That is really key, isnt it, but it is about whether the Community Provision is there. That is a vital thing, isnt it . Is there. That is a vital thin , isnt it . , , thing, isnt it . Yes, Community Services have thing, isnt it . Yes, Community Services have been thing, isnt it . Yes, Community Services have been starved thing, isnt it . Yes, Community Services have been starved of. Services have been starved of resources for many years and when we look at where money has flown, despite many governments making commitments that money would flow into Community Services, lets talk about what that means. That means people like district nurses, people like district nurses, people like health visitors, people like health visitors, people like the physiotherapist thats easy, somebody who helps you after a stroke or a heart attack. The physiotherapist thats easy. It also means gps and all the gps in the gp practice. It is far lower than in countries that are merging more successfully where the nhs with the same demographic pressures, the same growth in older people who have complex health needs. So theyre absolutely right to say that we have to invest in those core services such as district nurses, which have really not only not grown, they have decreased in the last decade. We must see the finances flow there but that is not an overnight fix. Where it does work, look at a country like denmark, you can see a transformation in the way in which Health Services run. The other thing which Health Services run. The other thing that which Health Services run. The other thing that cant be an overnight fix is the third issue that they want to see changing, in terms of prevention rather than having to treat people once they are ill. It is such a broad claim that they are making there. What do you make of that . It is essential what do you make of that . It is essential. There what do you make of that . It is essential. There is what do you make of that . It is essential. There is so what do you make of that . It s essential. There is so much research over so many years and so many reports that demonstrates that the nhs ends up demonstrates that the nhs ends up being the receptacle that deals with failures in other parts of the state, frankly. An example i often use as of the child that ends up in A E with respiratory health problems. Somebody was finding it hard to breathe. Really the reason they are finding it hard to prove its because they are living in a house that is damp, they are living in a house that is poorly insulated and they are cold and they are often hungry. There are failures of housing, those are failures around how councils are funded, they are failures often around the benefit system. These are things that have to be looked at alongside crucial education in early years. That means that the nhs are patchy people up and selling them back into situations where they know they are going to be simply ill again. Are going to be simply ill aaain. ,. , are going to be simply ill aaain. , are going to be simply ill main. ,y , again. Can you stay with us because again. Can you stay with us because i again. Can you stay with us because i just again. Can you stay with us because i just want again. Can you stay with us because i just want to again. Can you stay with us| because i just want to bring again. Can you stay with us i because i just want to bring in because ijust want to bring in our correspondence. Joining me now is our political correspondent, Leila Nathoo and our health correspondent, catherine burns. Just a bit more about the details of what is in this report, catherine. Some of the figures are staggering, £37 billion shortfall for buildings and that sort of thing. You talk through some of the facts from it . ,. , h, from it . Yes, that is something that really from it . Yes, that is something that really set from it . Yes, that is something that really set out from it . Yes, that is something that really set out to from it . Yes, that is something that really set out to me from it . Yes, that is something that really set out to me when l that really set out to me when i got the report yesterday. £37 billion that you are talking about, this is what Lord Darzi said should have been spent on nhs capital, buildings if we had had that, we would have had enough money to build the Gp Practices and hospitals that we had been promised and update the kettles of that is just one of the findings. What Lord Darzi was asked to do, he was asked to diagnose the health of the nhs and he has really spent the nhs and he has really spent the last nine weeks going into some detail. He says, as a nation, we are a society in distress. Thus, the people are getting sicker, that is causing rising demand. Children are sicker than before and waiting longer than adults to get the help. Then if you look at the nhs as a body itself, it has been missing targets on everything since 2015. So we are waiting too long for everything, that whether that is surgery, whether it is this the see our gp, whether it is for a cancer care, sitting in A E. He says long might have been normalised. He describes any as being in an awful state. He says, we lag behind other countries in cancer care. Our Death Rates are higher than in other comparable countries. He saysin other comparable countries. He says in terms of beds, doctors, nurses, we went into the pandemic with fewer out of all of them then other comparable countries. That meant we cattle more Routine Care than any other comparable countries. Cancelled. I5 other comparable countries. Cancelled cancelled. Is a such a Big Issue for cancelled. Is a such a Big Issue for labour. Cancelled. Is a such a big L Issue for labour. Obviously cancelled. Is a such a Big Issue for labour. Obviously a lot of this report is criticising the previous government. The tories are reacting to it saying they did increase the Nhs Budget in the last times, this is so crucial for labour in terms of its core offering, isnt it . Offering, isnt it . There are a few challenges offering, isnt it . There are a few challenges for offering, isnt it . There are a few challenges for labour offering, isnt it . There are a few challenges for labour in l few challenges for labour in terms few challenges for labour in terms of few challenges for labour in terms of what they are facing. They terms of what they are facing. They single out reforms in 2012 under they single out reforms in 2012 under the they single out reforms in 2012 under the then Health Secretary Andrew under the then Health Secretary Andrew lansley, saying they had catastrophic consequences but now they catastrophic consequences but now they are promising a similar now they are promising a similar ten now they are promising a similarten Year Plan now they are promising a similar ten Year Plan and a fundamental shift away from sickness fundamental shift away from sickness to prevention and trying sickness to prevention and trying to sickness to prevention and trying to digitise the nhs. I think trying to digitise the nhs. I think they have a challenge to try to think they have a challenge to try to present how this will be presented. I think they also had presented. I think they also had the presented. I think they also had the challenge of how and when had the challenge of how and when money will be spent. We had wesi when money will be spent. We had west rating talking this morning about in infrastructure, without putting figures infrastructure, without putting figures on how much he would need figures on how much he would need he figures on how much he would need. He has talked about capital need. He has talked about Capital Budget have been rated in the Capital Budget have been rated in the past for day to Day Spending and he wants to put an end that spending and he wants to put an end that cycle. Of course, we will have end that cycle. Of course, we will have to wait to hear for that will have to wait to hear for that. There is an emphasis coming that. There is an emphasis coming from government, they dont coming from government, they dont necessary need more money but they dont necessary need more money but they want to reorient and target but they want to reorient and Target Money at different parts of the Target Money at different parts of the nhs. 0ne Target Money at different parts of the nhs. One of the other thing of the nhs. One of the other thing that stood out for me is the Lack Thing that stood out for me is the lack of focus on social care, the lack of focus on social care, Lord Darzi does point to this care, Lord Darzi does point to this and care, Lord Darzi does point to this and say that 30 of Hospital Beds are taken out by patients Hospital Beds are taken out by patients who need social care instead patients who need social care instead. The Government Isnt choosing instead. The Government Isnt choosing this moment to about its plans choosing this moment to about its plans to social care. It has its plans to social care. It has not its plans to social care. It has not come up with its own plans has not come up with its own plans to has not come up with its own plans to put it in place and i think plans to put it in place and i think it plans to put it in place and i think it will need to be seen in tandem of any planned changes. In tandem of any planned changes in tandem of any planned changes. In tandem of any planned chances,. Changes. Just a reminder, we are waiting changes. Just a reminder, we are waiting to changes. Just a reminder, we are waiting to hear changes. Just a reminder, we are waiting to hear from changes. Just a reminder, we are waiting to hear from the l are waiting to hear from the Prime Minister. Keir starmer is speaking any moment now so we will cross live to that as soon as it happens. Just quickly, as they were saying, were not going to the details soon. I think this is really interesting. He has