This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. A month after the devastating blast in beirut, rescuers continue to dig for possible survivors as a minutes silence is held for the victims. Controversial former australian Prime Minister tony abbott is appointed as a trade adviser to the uk despite critics describing him as a homophobe, misoygynist and Climate Change denier. I dont agree with those sentiments at all, but i dont agree with everybody who serves the government in an unpaid capacity on hundreds of boards across the country. And i cant be expected to do so. Quarantine confusion in the uk as scotland and wales impose new restrictions, but no change for passengers arriving in england
and Northern Ireland. Barcelona superstar lionel messi agrees to stay at the club, days after insisting he wanted to leave, he says he doesnt want to drag the spanish club into court. Months massive explosion, after a scanner suggested someone could still be alive in the wreckage. Earlier the city held a minutes silence for the victims of the blast which devastated the port area of the city exactly month ago. Orla guerin has sent this report from beirut. Probing for signs of life,
deep in the rubble. Hidden from view, sensitive scanning equipment, in the hands of a Specialist Rescue Team from chile. On thursday morning, they picked up what seemed to be breath sounds. And for two days, they have been searching. Painstaking work, much of it done by hand, clawing away at a ruling by hand, clawing away at a ruin that could collapse any second. The dust and debris being sucked out to clear a pathway to the second floor, the focus of the search. The work is continuing here hour after hour. They are trying to lift away the rubble with extreme care. And they are still trying to work their way down through about five layers of concrete. Some local people have been here right through the night, unwilling to leave, hoping that today of all days a survivor might be found. The lebanese film maker Nadine Labacki was one of them. She came here straightaway. You want to believe in a miracle. Ijust wanted to come. It was an instinctive reaction to just come and see. I think we are all holding onto the small ray of light after everything that has happened to us. This was the signal to call for complete silence, so rescuers could scan again for signs of life. But late this afternoon, they could no longer detect any breathing. Hopes of a miracle were fading as lebanon approached 18 06pm local time, the moment of the blast a month ago. Church bells tolled near beirut port to honour the dead. Some stood in silence, remembering the lost friends and colleagues. Others stood with ropes in their hands, a noose for the entire earlier i spoke to tamara sarde, a freelance journalist and photographer, about the rescue mission in beirut. She explained how it was progressing. They have been digging for the past 36 hours nonstop. Since they got the first signal around lipm. The rescue team where laterjoined by others from lebanon and theyve been underground for 36 hours under an incredible thing happening with a lot of tension and stress but also a lot of excitement anyway because that is still that glimmer of hope. Obviously we will keep people
updated as the rescue or potential rescue may develop at this time, but there was a minute silence today as well. I wonder what people in beirut are telling you about how they feel a month on from this disaster. Obviously today was a lot of grief for the one month anniversary, but there is also a lot of anger since the blast, there has been little or no response from the government, no responsibility, the grief anger and frustration as well. Is there a sense a month later that the political situation in lebanon may be changing . That has been often discussed as being some of the reasons behind this disaster. Imean. Changing might be a big word. We have a new Prime Minister, but people are reluctant to call it a change because they think it doesnt really matter. It is the same names that we keep having, the same political leaders we keep having over and over. Change might be a bit ambitious of a word to say right now. Theres obviously a lot of people who are homeless, people who still have damaged homes as well. What is happening to those people . Where are they going to live and get the amenities that they need . For the past month, it is incredible to see the volunteers who have been on the ground, either the first few days cleaning out homes and the streets, or raising funds and initiatives and even offering their own homes, so everything that has been happening the past month has been great. The government offered no shelter or a response, no monetary damage for the welfare homes. Its been a lot of solidarity
from people but we didnt want to reach that point. We didnt want to have the be in the situation. Everything has been Community Led so far. The former australian Prime Minister tony abbott has been appointed as a trade adviser to the uk government. It comes after days of pressure to re think the plan, over allegations of misogyny and homophobia. The bbcs Political Correspondent ben wright has more. Tony abbott recently flew into the uk to meet ministers and face flak about his possible appointment as a trade adviser here. But, today, borisjohnson trumpeted mr abbotts credentials. This is a guy that was elected by the people of the great liberal democratic nation of australia and youve been to australia, its an amazing country, its a freedom loving country, its a liberal country. There you go, i think that speaks for itself. Yes, ive had some discussions with members of the british government. The confirmation of mr abbotts appointment as an unpaid trade adviser comes after he was given a rough ride by a committee of mps earlier this week. In 2012, you said that men are, by physiology or temperament, more adapted than women to exercise authority or to issue command. Look, im not sure that i ever did say that. Tony abbott is from the right of australias raucous politics. Ditch the witch a Climate Change sceptic, who spoke at this rally, mr abbott incurred the wrath of his political opponents for his reported views of women. He wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern australia. He doesnt need a motion in the house of representatives, he needs a mirror. And it is not only labour mps who have spoken out on mr abbott. He is a misogynist, he has a poor record on lgbtq rights and he is no one who should be near our board of trade. But he will be on the group. The government have decided that his experience cutting deals for australia trumps complaints about the mans character. Ben wright, bbc news, westminster. Mike rann is a former labour party premier of South Australia and high commissioner to the uk. He says the appointment of tony abbott has been met with some bemusement. I think the general feeling back in australia is one of bemusement and amusement. A g7 nation like britain with 66 million people, with a very proud history of diplomacy reaches out to australia, cant find someone in their own midst, and reaches to australia to get someone who was turfed out by his own government after two years and then turfed out by his own constituency in one of the safest tory seats in australia. So people are saying, why would they do this when the last thing that tony is known for is diplomacy . And of course, britain and its Free Trade Agreements has got to deal with a whole series of nuanced, complex issues. So why would they pick someone whos known for picking a scrap with everyone rather than negotiating a deal . I think that across the board the political spectrum in australia and in britain, people are baffled by it. Youve got all these issues are going to come up. For instance, the motor industry in britain, my advice to the motor industry, my advice to the motor Industry Union is have a look at this guys track record back when he was Prime Minister. The entire car industry basically closed down because of his actions in terms of neglect. Then also of course, at the centre of an fta agreement, the Free Trade Agreement between the australia and the united kingdom, will be agricultural. Australian farmers want to get into the british market. And that is absolutely at the core of it. So where is tony abbott going to be on that . Is he going to be fighting for british farmers . Who knows. I guess thats what will remain to be seen. After a protracted saga, lionel messi has decided to stay at barcelona. The argentinian forward initially said he wanted to leave after the club were thrashed in the Champions League semifinal but despite staying for another year, messi has lashed out at barcelonas management, accusing them of covering up holes. Speaking a short time ago, the spanish football journalist guillem balgue said the signs that messi would stay became obvious. We had the impression that something had changed after his dad met the president of barcelona. At that point, barcelona gave him the number to buyout, and the other alternative of going to court. From that moment on it became clear in the mind of messi today that he did not want to take barcelona to court. He feels that he is right,
legally he is right, in the spirit of the law and the contract he signed with barcelona was that at the end of the season, if you want to leave, you leave. You leave for free. That is what the contract said. Barcelona are hanging onto the fact he shouldve said that before the 10th of june. He said today that at that point they were in the middle of a season and he had been thinking of leaving and he had been told the president he wanted to leave for the whole year. But the president not take that seriously and push the situation to a point where he wants messi staying when he doesnt really want to. Lionel messi is described as the worlds greatest footballer. What does it say about the state of barcelona . Exactly. That is such a good point. He should stay here. He talks about loving the club. He talks about when he told
the family, and it was always a personal situation. He told the family, he used to be in the same area since he was 13 really with a girlfriend hes had since his teenage years. And they been together both from there with kids that were born in barcelona. He didnt want to change. Hes been here for 20 years. But things have been so badly at barcelona that right now, they are in a negative dynamic that not even he can save. He has hidden the cracks for a long while but theres not much more he can do right now so he is talking about not only the president giving him his word of letting them go by saying the club having project that you dont see where they are going. In the last years of his career he wanted to go somewhere where he can win titles. You need to change. He is shouting that and barcelona are saying sorry, we just have you any contract. Stay with us on bbc
news, still to come confusion in britain over travel quarantine rules as scotland and wales announce one set of rules while england and Northern Ireland set out another. Virgin atlantic is to cut another 1,150 jobs, despite completing a £1. 2 billion rescue deal. It comes four months after the airline slashed more than 3,000 posts todays announcement means its workforce has halved in size since the pandemic began. Heres our correspondent, sarah corker. The core of this business is transatlantic flying. But travel of course between britain and america has been curtailed and the airline said it had to cut costs in order to survive this crisis. That £1. 2 billion rescue deal has ensured its future for the next 18 months and as part of that, creditors have agreed a 20 cut. But Global Travel restrictions and continuing changes to quarantine rules have hit the aviation sector hard and many airlines, airports and tour operators are now restructuring to face this new reality, fewer planes in the sky and passenger demand isnt expected to return to pre virus levels until the end of 2023. This is bbc news, the latest headlines a month after the devastating blast in beirut, rescuers continue to dig for possible survivors as a minutes silence is held for the victims. Controversial former australian Prime Minister tony abbott is appointed as a trade adviser to the uk despite critics describing him as a homophobe, misoygynist and Climate Change denier. Its been a confusing day for british holiday makers in certain countries with uk nations now disagreeing
on quarantine rules for those coming back home. As of today, there are different regulations for people returning from portugal and greece depending on whether their final destination is scotland or wales, england and Northern Ireland. Our europe correspondent gavin lee reports from southern portugal. Back to britain from faro airport this morning. Where youre going back to now dictates whether you have to self isolate. Theres been no clarity from the government as to what we were doing. Karen and mick are heading to birmingham. They dont need to quarantine, but they bought early tickets home because they thought they did. Obviously not very happy. We feel as though weve lost two days of our holiday. Its cost us an arm and a leg. Were very disappointed. As more and more british tourists return home, for example, if youre an english traveller flying to cardiff today,
you can then drive back, wont have to self isolate. But if youre welsh and say you land at birmingham today, youll then go back and have to spend the next two weeks in isolation. And this new way of travelling has just become even more complicated. So just how do the uk nations differ on quarantine . If you live in scotland and are returning from portugal, from 4am tomorrow you have to self isolate for 1h days. The same applies if youre coming from anywhere in greece. If youre arriving back in wales from portugal, self isolation starts today, but the Welsh Government only requires you to quarantine if youre coming from specific greek islands. In england and Northern Ireland, there are no quarantine restrictions. Portugal has seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent days, going just above the uks margin of safety of 20 cases per 100,000 people, but the tourist destinations of the algarve arent the problem. So why are politicians taking such different approaches . We look at the data and then we do speak,
but im afraid quite often, coming to slightly different outcomes. Hugs and relief at Glasgow Airport this afternoon as travellers made it back before their isolation deadline. But few are smiling about the decision here. We had to change our flight. Were just disappointed that scotland obviously had to go into quarantine, but england dont. So it seems ridiculous. People are all going to fly into england now and drive up the road, know what i mean . It was a risk. We knew that we were making a risk anyway, so we only lost a day. It is annoying but im just glad we made it home in time. Its estimated that more than 30,000 uk holiday makers have headed out here since the travel corridor opened two weeks ago. Golf and good weather, a magnet for older travellers, the so called silver season. But today there have been notably fewer arrivals than usual. The financial and logistical challenge of taking an unpredictable break here is perhaps too much of a gamble. Portuguese tourism operators have told us that they have cancelled 4000 hotel rooms this week from british holiday makers who booked for autumn holidays because of the uncertainty, and this afternoon, one portugese Government Official has messaged me to say she is flummoxed that there are parts of britain that declared this country a no go and other parts that say that it is safe and there is no other European Countries that have put a blanket quarantine for the country on return. It matters because the british tourists are the backbone of the economy. There are more from the uk than any other country, so their absence hits hard here. Nato says russia has serious questions to answer over the poisoning of the Opposition Leader alexei navalny. And the us has said it has grave concerns about the incident. Mr navalny remains in an induced coma in a hospital in berlin, Frank Gardner reports. Still critically ill, still in a berlin hospital, russias most prominent government critic, alexei navalny, poisoned, say his doctors, with a novichok nerve agent
on a flight across russia. Now nato and the west are demanding answers from moscow. Nato allies agree that russia now has serious questions it must answer. The russian government must fully co operate with the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons on an impartial international investigation. Those responsible for this attack must be held accountable and brought to justice. Here the foreign secretary, dominic raab, called the poisoning utterly deplorable. He is insisting on the full and transparent investigation. The kremlin says it will investigate but it complains it has not been shown any evidence of poisoning. Translation our specialists are carrying out checks, investigative actions. If there is a confirmation of the presence of poisonous substances, there is no doubt an investigation will be launched. We are asking everybody to rely on the facts. There are disturbing echoes here of what happened in salisbury more than two years ago. A novichok nerve agent developed in soviet laboratories was used to poison the former russian kgb defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Britain blamed it on to a Russian Military intelligence officers. Moscow denied responsibility. Then there was alexander litvinenko, another former kgb officer. He died in a London Hospital in 2006, after his assassins slipped radioactive polonium into his tea. Today, his widow says russia cannot be trusted with an investigation. Unfortunately, russia is not a democratic country right now. Its a lot of signs of dictatorship regime. And doing business as a dictatorship regime you have a different approach. And everything what you try to do as you did before, you cant say now is business as usual. All this throws an uncomfortable spotlight on president putin and the kremlin dealership. But mr navalny, who campaigned against corruption and many against corruption had many
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