Coming up, the hidden condition affecting thousands of women across the uk. Mps launch an inquiry into the devastating impact of endometriosis. I really wish it was a painful period and i only had to cope with it once a month, but we live with pain every single day. And champions Manchester City suffer a shock home defeat against wolves, leaving them eight points behind liverpool in the title race. Good morning, and welcome to the bbc news at 9 00am. The american businesswoman at the centre of a storm over her association with borisjohnson, has refused to say whether she had a relationship with him while he was mayor of london. Jennifer arcuri is at the centre of a row over whether the now Prime Minister failed to declare a conflict of interest. Hes been accused of including her on trade missions and helping her company to receive grants because of their relationship, accusations which he has denied. Speaking on itvs good morning britain, ms arcuri refused to say whether they had an affair but insisted that he never ever gave me any favouritism. The nature of your relationship is actually a matter of public interest. But its not. Its not. Categorically, boris had nothing to do with all my other achievements. Literally someone has written down every single thing ive done in london and found a way to drive it back to boris. Its absolute crap. Thats why im not answering this question. Jennifer, we are going to. We are going to take a short break and, listen, i respect your right, you can answer every question anywhere you see fit. But just for the record, youre not it . I am not answering. Thats my record. 0k, well take a short. You wont miss use my words like everyone else . No. Thank you. We will use your words coming out of your own mouth. Live on television. Thats the benefit. There can be no distorting them. Everyone can hear what they can hear. And obviously you can shut down all that speculation by saying simply, its not true. I never had any intimate relationship with borisjohnson. You could do that. Youve chosen not to. I respect that. It is also alleged that Jennifer Arcuris Company Received several thousand dollars in sponsorship grants due to herfriendship with mrjohnson something which they both deny. Heres ms arcuris response to those allegations. Its really categorically no ones business what private life we had or didnt have. And categorically, more important, boris never, ever gave me favouritism. Never once did i ask him for a favour. Never once did he write a letter of recommendation for me. He didnt know about my asking to go to trips. He only knew me as an extremely passionate entrepreneur on the tech scene. Jennifer, he did write a letter of recommendation for you when you applied to run tech city, didnt he . You have already talked about that. No he didnt, no he didnt. What was it that he did . Not at all, fake news. But just for the record, youre not denying it . Im not answering. Thats my record. 0k, well take a short. Do not misuse my words like everyone else. Tom copley is a labour member of the Greater London assembly, and sits on the assemblys Oversight Committee. That currently hoping to talk to borisjohnson that currently hoping to talk to Boris Johnson about these issues. That currently hoping to talk to borisjohnson about these issues. I know you watched the interview with Jennifer Cory this morning. Do you feel any clear at this point . dont think we learned very much at all from the interview. She was asked repeatedly whether or not she had an affair with borisjohnson and refused to answer. Its worth reminding ourselves why this is an important. Whether they had an affair, its not a matterfor us. Frankly i would rather know us little about borisjohnsons private life as possible. The issue is whether he used his position to benefit a close personalfriend. As far as we benefit a close personalfriend. As faras we are benefit a close personalfriend. As far as we are aware its alleged he overruled city hall officers who said she did not meet the threshold to come and trade delegations she went on. Thats a question that needs to be answered. She attempted to deal with those questions by saying that even though she didnt meet the letter of those rules, because her work was that she was delivering very timely work of growing public importance, i dont remember the exact language, we could find it, but she implied she met the spirit of the rules if not the letter. So why did Boris Johnson then overruled city hall officials. They clearly felt she did not meet the threshold to go on these trips. One thing we have learned from that, she also mentioned some other delegations she meant on without borisjohnson delegations she meant on without Boris Johnson and we delegations she meant on without borisjohnson and we need to find out whether or not these were also paid for by city hall and some of the propriety around that as well. Lets look at what happens next. You are the Oversight Committee for the Greater London authority that has given borisjohnson 14 days to come back with written answers. I understand that expires on wednesday of this week. Have you had those a nswe is of this week. Have you had those a nswe rs yet . Of this week. Have you had those answers yet . No, we have not yet had answers yet . No, we have not yet had a response from borisjohnson. I believe he has indicated he will respond but the issue is, what is the content of that response. If we are not satisfied with his answers oi are not satisfied with his answers or if he fails to respond we have the power to formally summon him because he is the former mayor of london for stop it would be a criminal offence if we were to summon him and he didnt appear before us. To press you on that, conservative party chairmanjames cleverly says he doesnt feel it is unlawful of the Prime Minister should he choose not to appear. Im afraid james is wrong about that. I had that interview. James and i served on the assembly together for four and served on the assembly together for fourand a served on the assembly together for four and a half years. But he is wrong on that, i think its section 61 of the Greater London authority act. It is an offence for him not to appear. He can claim a reasonable excuse. He can, but it has to be reasonable. He cant just excuse. He can, but it has to be reasonable. He cantjust decide he hasnt got time. We are in a brexit crisis. But then it would be tested in the courts. I know borisjohnson has form for being knocked back by the courts but it would become a legal matter. The Prime Minister has said that all of these matters were dealt with entirely properly. Do you not trust his word on that . dealt with entirely properly. Do you not trust his word on that . I dont think anyone will trust Boris Johnson. He has a history of dishonesty. He was sacked twice for lying. He once conspired to have a journalist beaten up. This is not a man whose word i would take on trust anytime. He is obviously not here to a nswer anytime. He is obviously not here to answer those allegations but we can agree that not everyone would take the same view as you on that. On the question of the actual heart of the matter, everybody seems very focused on whether they actually had intimate relations, as in a sexual affair. But in fact the wording of the code of conduct seems to suggest family orfriends. The code of conduct seems to suggest family or friends. They had a friendship, so does that make it already a problem, whether they had already a problem, whether they had a sexual relationship or not . |j would say a politician using their position to influence or benefit a friend would be a very serious matter as well. All of these things should be above board, they should all be declared, which is why we have a register of interests and why we signed a code of conduct. Tom copley, thank you for coming in. Our assistant political editor, norman smith, is in westminsterfor us. Is always at this time of the morning. Im sure you will have watched the Jennifer Arcuri interview. Politically, where does it leave us . I think it still leaves us it leave us . I think it still leaves us with a big question hanging out there. BecauseJennifer Arcuri couldnt and cant really answer it. The question is, did borisjohnson use his influence or seek to intervene in any way to help her secure grants oi intervene in any way to help her secure grants or to go on trade delegations. And although she says she never asked for sponsorship, she didnt intervene on her behalf, she cant really know. What we did learn is that she was most certainly a very close friend. She says they had a close bond, and we learnt mr johnson stopped by her office and flat in shoreditch between five and ten times over a two year period on his way home from city hall to his home in islington, on his own, of an evening. So they clearly had a close friendship. Why that matters is because if there is any suggestion 01 because if there is any suggestion or proof, more importantly, that mr johnson did intervene on her behalf, then he would have had to declare it in the code of conduct, that she was a friend. Thats the missing part of the jigsaw. We dont quite know whether Boris Johnson did the jigsaw. We dont quite know whether borisjohnson did seek to use his office in any way to lean on city officials or to lean on london and partners, the organisation responsible for promoting london, to get her on those trade trips and also get her the grants. We do know that he went to speak at a number of events she organised, three events, i think. And we know borisjohnson was on three of the trade trips she was on three of the trade trips she was on. That raises the question of whether in any case he should have declared that she was a close friend. So i suspect there will be a lot of headlines about her refusal to deny they had a relationship, but in terms of the politics, the big question is still to be answered, i think, which is, did in any way borisjohnson intervene think, which is, did in any way Boris Johnson intervene on think, which is, did in any way borisjohnson intervene on her behalf because of their relationship. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has other pressing matters. We are in the last week, if you listen to voices in europe, of the possibility of the government securing a deal in order to be out by october 31. Can you run us through how the week ahead looks from these political angles . The week ahead, if things had gone according to plan from number tens point of view, the two sets of negotiators would be and what they call the tunnel, which basically means in negotiating lockdown and going through the nitty gritty of Prime Ministers proposed deal outlined at the tory party conference. That is not happening because the eu do not think its the basis for a deal. The Prime Minister had also hoped to be in direct face to face talks with key figures like Angela Merkel and the french president. That also is not happening because they dont think there is enough there to warrant such meetings. We now know the eu have in effect said, you have until friday to redraw your package, give us friday to redraw your package, give us something to talk about, otherwise it is game over and there is nothing we can put before the eu summit the following thursday and friday. So we really are getting towards a make or break moment in the whole brexit process. All the signs are the British Government is not in the mood to significantly red raft its not in the mood to significantly redraft its proposals. Likewise the eu seems in little mood to shift. So you get the sense we are moving pretty remorselessly to a clash with parliament between borisjohnson and no deal. Norman, thank you as always. Pressure is growing on american authorities to return a diplomats wife who police want to question about a fatal traffic accident. 19 year old harry dunn died after his motorbike was hit by a car in northamptonshire. The suspect, named as Anne Sacoolas, left the uk despite telling police she did not plan to. Simon jones has more. Harry dunns parents say they have been trapped in a living nightmare since their sons death. He was killed along this road in northamptonshire near the Us Air Force Base that was home to a 42 year old woman being treated as a suspect in the case. The wife of a diplomat, she has left the uk despite telling the police she did not plan to. She is understood to be called Anne Sacoolas, though this has not been confirmed by the police. From mum to mum, knowing or believing that she is a mother, i wouldnt want to think that she put herself on that plane to go home to avoid what shes done, because i couldnt live with myself. The chief constable of northamptonshire police, nick adderley, has now intervened, saying on twitter. My optimism is not high. I said that in the letter that actually i know that is a privilege that can be exercised. I understand the political sensitivity around that in terms of protection for diplomats all around the country, but it wont stop us trying because its the right thing to do. Its an appeal echoed by harry dunns mother. Were not out to get her put behind bars. If thats what the Justice System ends up doing, then we cant stop that but were not out to do that. Were out to try and get some peace for ourselves. The Us State Department says its in close consultation with british officials and any request will be considered carefully but immunity is rarely removed. Its offered its deepest sympathies to harry dunns family. Simon jones, bbc news. The headlines on bbc news. The american businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri refuses to say whether she had an affair with borisjohnson when he was mayor of london. The Prime Minister will call european leaders after a warning by the french president that the eu will decide by the end of the week whether a brexit deal is possible. Pressure increases on the us to return a diplomats wife whos implicated in the death of a teenager in a car crash. And in sport, it was a bad day in the premier league for both manchester sides. Champions city suffered a shock 2 0 defeat at home to wolves. Their second defeat of the season and they are already eight points off leaders liverpool. A bad day for Manchester United who we re a bad day for Manchester United who were beaten 1 0 by newcastle united, and they are now 12th in the league, just two points above relegation places. Great britain finished the world athletics championship with their lowest medals total since 2005. The mens team didnt even their four 2005. The mens team didnt even theirfour by 100 metres relay because they failed to pass on the bat on. More on those stories and about 20 minutes. Its often described as a hidden epidemic one that affects 176 Million People across the world. Endometriosis is a condition that can affect women from their teenage years and causes intense pain. More than 13,000 who suffer from it in the uk have shared their experiences with the bbc they say it has badly affected their education, careers, relationships and Mental Health. Following the research, mps are today launching an inquiry into its impact. Broadcaster emma barnett has been speaking about living with the condition. I was in agony. My periods could be very heavy, they could be lighter, but the one constant theme was how much pain i was in. I mean, it was bone grinding. And yet when i went to see doctors with my mum, they would say, this is whatjust some girls have. You are listening to emma barnett on 5live. As someone who often interviews politicians, i get answers for a living, or i try my very best, i had failed to get answers from doctors and i saw all sorts of doctors over the years. I didnt know until the age of 31 i had endometriosis. Id gone 21 years without diagnosis. Endometriosis is a condition in women where cells that represent like the womb lining, that should leave your body during a period, dont, and instead, they stay within your body and attach themselves to different organs, building up lesions and causing really difficult pain for women. In the largest study of its kind, the bbc has spoken to more than 13,000 women with endometriosis. Nearly all said it had affected their career, sexual relationships and Mental Health. Around half said it impacted their ability to have children. And half said it led to suicidal thoughts. Im going off to meet mum and daughter victoria and jessica who both have endometriosis. I think people just think its a painful period. Oh, shut up, its a painful period, get on with it. I really wish it was a painful period and i only had to cope with it once a month, but we live with pain every single day. Depression is a massive part of endometriosis as well. It has been for us. Ive been on antidepressants since i was 17, which is the same time i was diagnosed. At its worst, how bad has endometriosis affected you . It affects everything. Everything. Ive been so poorly recently, ive been at home, not being able to go to college and even at home, i cant do anything and im exhausted every single day. Has it brought you closer, do you think . This sort of pain solidarity . Yes, because we understand each other. I have really good friends and i can speak to them and say im really struggling today but no one really understands like someone who is going through it, just like you can understand how much pain i am in right now but my friends dont. They dont have to live like this. The same number of people have the condition in this country as type 2 diabetes and we know next to nothing and how to treat it. Its seen to be embarrassing to talk about it. I didnt think id ever come on National