Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240711

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Celebrations after rangers win the Scottish Premiership for first time in ten years. And coming up, � the travel show� , looks back at some of its top european adventures. Nazanin zaghari ratcliffe, the british iranian woman detained in iran on spying charges, has been released from house arrest, after completing her five year sentence, raising hopes of her return to britain. She still faces another potential charge, and herfamily say she remains in harms way, and fear her ordeal may not yet be over. Our correspondent, caroline hawley, reports. A rare glimpse into whats keeping this family together. Its still quite a messy house. But theres no such thing as an online cuddle. For six year old gabriela, an image on a mobile phone cant replace the touch of her mother. Gabrielas been counting down the days till the end of her mums sentence. This morning, nazanin� s ankle tag that the family have had to rent from the iranian authorities, has been taken off. She used her freedom to visit her grandmother, but she still doesnt have her british passport and shes not free to fly home. This was the moment five years ago when nazanin was arrested by irans revolutionary guards at tehran airport. Her holiday with her parents was over, and she was heading back to london. Since then, shes endured eight months of solitary confinement, blindfolded interrogations and many false promises of release. And now, another court case hangs over her. Her husband says shes been held over financial debt that britain owes iran. I think if im honest, the point i make to the government is if we get to this point and shes not out, then shes a hostage. You know what they want, theyve been talking a long time. We want our money back, we want the debt, it hasnt been settled. And here we are at the end of nazanin� s prison sentence, which was unfair in the first place, but its illegal under british law, its illegal under iranian law, illegal under international. Every kind of law you want. We have to face the facts that needs to be sorted. Right now, i dont have an answer as to what well get home. Weve just gone past what was the worst threshold. The worst Case Scenario we imagined for a long time was her full sentence, and here we are at the end of five years, and its not the end. I can reassure. But the Bigger Picture of when will this be over, gabriela asked me that. When is mummy coming home . And i have to say i dont know, im not sure. Whats the first thing youre going to do with mummy when she comes back . First thing youre going to do together . Go to the toy shop. But nazanin isnt coming home yet. Shes still, richard says, a pawn in a game of international chess. The foreign secretary dominic raab says iran is putting the family through an intolerable ordeal. Her mp says its mental torture. For how much longer will they have to endure this agony of separation . I love you, baby. Say goodbye to mummy. Love you bye bye love you. Caroline hawley told us more about todays developments. I think what has happened today really shows the arbitrary nature of how the authorities are dealing with her. It is the horrific Roller Coaster that the family have gone through, almost rolled into one day. So first she had the ankle tag removed, she is overjoyed, she gets in a car and goes to visit her elderly grandparents, she can now go for coffee in a cafe, the Simple Pleasures she has not been able to enjoy in five years of captivity. And then she hears that she has got a new Court Hearing hanging over her, that is due to take place a week today and her Sister In Law has told us there will be more sleepless nights. There is really a sense that the iranian authorities are toying with her. This has never been about the law. It has been about politics and here you have an ordinary family just caught in the middle of all of that, caught between hope and despair. Im joined now by kate allen director of Amnesty International uk. Thank you forjoining us here. I had a look at your twitter feed and you said that you will be springing into action if mezzanine is not released. What can an organisation like yours do to facilitate things . What can an organisation like yours do to facilitate things . Do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the things do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the things we do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the things we have do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the things we have done do to facilitate things . Nazanin. One of the things we have done as| do to facilitate things . Nazanin. | one of the things we have done as a movement that stands up for human rights is ensure that our members are part of this and we have 160,000 people signing a petition aimed at the Iranian Embassy so we will keep our pressure up as a movement on the Iranian Embassy on on the British Government to do more and to stand alongside nazanin, richard and gabrielle at this time and show that we are there with them and we will continue to campaign. It is cruel beyond belief what the iranian authorities are doing. It is extremely cruel. Hearing just the sheer tiredness and exhaustion and richards voice and seeing his face richards voice and seeing his face and gabriella, this cannot continue like this, so we absolutely urged the British Government to stand by this family and to talk with them about what is next. Its this family and to talk with them about what is next. This family and to talk with them about what is next. Its been widely re orted about what is next. Its been widely reported nazanin about what is next. Its been widely reported nazanin has about what is next. Its been widely reported nazanin has denied about what is next. Its been widely reported nazanin has denied all about what is next. Its been widely reported nazanin has denied all the charges and internationally is more or less agreed they are baseless charges and in terms of the motive of what has been taking place, what do you understand by the . It is really difficult do you understand by the . It is really difficult to do you understand by the . It 3 really difficult to tell. We know there are other dual nationals, not just the uk, but us, canada, sweden, austria, this is something the iranian authorities are engaging in quite widely, so there may be a range of issues here but what has happened, nazanin, the acquisitions against there, they are ridiculous. She was trying to bring down the iranian government for heaven sake and they had a child which was no fairy trends. A trial. No fair standards. She was held in confinement. She has been on a hunger strike. Confinement. She has been on a hungerstrike. She confinement. She has been on a hunger strike. She hasnt seen her daughter. We are in a situation where the treatment of her is deeply shocking. It is cruel at it is degrading. And this has to stop and we do need the uk government to be alongside richard now and discuss what they can do next on this particular case. What they can do next on this particular case. What they can do next on this articular case. 1,. ,. , particular case. Boris johnson today said we are particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing all particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing all we particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing all we can particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing all we can to particular case. Boris johnson today said we are doing all we can to help with the release. What do they actually need to do to get her freed . If actually need to do to get her freed . ,. ,. , �. , freed . If they are dont all they can now greater freed . If they are dont all they can now greater because freed . If they are dont all they can now greater because this i freed . If they are dont all they can now greater because this isj freed . If they are dont all they can now greater because this is not always been the case. If they are doing all they can doubt that is great. It is important they are alongside them. In the past, there have been requests by richard and mezzanine that the embassy visits Nazanin At Home and accompany her to court. And nazanin. Those are some of the conversations that need to take place now and then needs to be an absolute guarantee that the British Government will stick by this family for however long it takes but also to put the pressure on and continue to keep it on because what we have seen today is just so cruel, to be released within literally to have some as yet undefined charges hanging over you in a Court Hearing next sunday. It is just is unconscionable. I will in a Court Hearing next sunday. It isjust is unconscionable. I will be interested to isjust is unconscionable. I will be interested to hear isjust is unconscionable. I will be interested to hear what isjust is unconscionable. I will be interested to hear what you isjust is unconscionable. I will be j interested to hear what you make isjust is unconscionable. I will be i interested to hear what you make of what is going to happen a week to date when she goes back to court. Very quickly, you said you want a guarantee from the uk government to continue applying pressure. The only problem is i think we have learned that the British Public in the international community, has learned that this high level politics. It is about a lot that this high level politics. It is about a lot of that this high level politics. It 3 about a lot of things. But that pressure and that alongside the family is absolutely essential. Do ou family is absolutely essential. Do you think that the British Government should pay up . That is what the iranian government wants. Im not absolutely sure that if the issue. The difficulty with the iranian authorities is that you can be dealing with the ministry or Foreign Affairs or the revolutionary guard and the courts, there isnt one single voice that comes out of the iranians so all of those issues need to be considered. In the uk government needs to make sure that it stays with this family and i dont know what will happen, nobody yet i think he knows what will happen in Court Next Sunday but we do need to prepare for that we need to make sure that richard and marco to make sure that richard and marco to fill the arms of the uk government around them every moment of every day. Richard and nazanin. Of every day. Richard and nazanin of every day. Richard and nazanin. , ~. , ~ ten million pupils in england begin going back to schools and colleges tomorrow, in the first stage of lockdown easing. Theyll be tested regularly, initially in school and then at home with facemasks now expected to be worn in classrooms as well as communal areas. Our education editor, branwen jeffreys, reports. Nervous but willing teenagers lining up for tests. Seat 09, please. The first of Three Lateral Flow Tests in school, then they get kits to do them at home. At first, if youve never done the test before, of course youre going to feel nervous, but the moment the swab goes in your mouth, you realise this isnt as bad as everyone has made it out to be, and then all the nerves just fade away. Once it goes up your nose, its a very weird feeling, but i guess youll get used to it eventually. So, you wipe the tonsils both sides, then up the nose as far as you can bear and twizzle it around. And then its into the solution, and the results should be back within 30 minutes. But how reliable are these fast tests . Experts say fewer than one in 1,000 give a false positive, so will they be followed by a pcr lab test . We recommend people do pcrs if they test at home, and thats for the families, for example, with Primary School children who will be testing themselves at home rather than in school. And also, when the children start to test themselves at home, we will be recommending confirmed tests for those individuals then. But will teenagers do it twice a week at home . Its voluntary, but might help get things back to normal. Hopefully, with a little bit of support from us and reminding them, etc, and reminding them that if we do this and we catch anybody with the virus early, it means they dont need to go home for ten days of isolation. I think thatll be a real incentive to both the students and the parents who wont want to home educate again. Schools reopening is a calculated risk. It may well increase the rate of infection. Thats why masks in classrooms are also being advised. We saw from Wearing Masks in communal areas that it wasnt compulsory. But it was strongly advised. We saw that between september and december, and it worked very, very well. We recognise were asking people to go a little bit above and beyond, but its just one of the many measures. As these desks fill up, the worry is helping kids catch up. Theres tutoring as part of a £1. 7 billion fund, but Research Today shows other ideas, like longer school days or shorter holidays, arent always popular with parents. Branwen jeffreys, bbc news. The latest stage of the Coronavirus Vaccine roll out has reached 56 to 59 year olds in england, with everyone in this age band, being contacted with the offer of booking a jab. Across the uk, the aim is to reach all over 50s, by the middle of april. Our health correspondent, Dominic Hughes reports. The Vaccine Programme is moving into the next stage. At 56, the prime minister, touring a Vaccination Centre this morning, is one of those in the next Group Eligible for a jab. Ive got to get mine in a couple of weeks, actually. The vaccine roll out is proving to be pivotal to our return to normality. Im focusing on rolling out the vaccine, making sure that we get it into as many arms as possible, and using that extraordinary vaccine roll out programme to deliver a cautious but we hope irreversible road map to freedom. That is what i am focusing on. The pace at which vaccinations have been carried out at centres like this one in manchester, as well as thousands of gp surgeries, community settings, pharmacies and hospitals, has been extraordinary. By the middle of april, everyone over the age of 50, thats 32 Million People, will have been offered theirfirstjab. And the plan is that by the end ofjuly everyone over the age of 18, thats another 21 Million People, will also have been offered a vaccination. One of the keys to a successful vaccine roll out is making sure as many people as possible take up the jab, so efforts are under way to make sure no one is missed. So what were trying to do is keep going through the priority cohorts, but keep looping back over the initial cohorts as well for different reasons. Some people will have said no and then change their minds. Some people might have moved or gone from being in hospital to out of hospital, or a range of other reasons why they have not been picked up. But even as the vaccine offers hope of some brighter days to come, there are warnings about what might still lie ahead. I think we have to prepare for a hard winter. Not only with coronavirus but weve | had a year of almost no respiratoryj viruses of any other type, i and that means potentially the Population Immunity to that is less, and so we could see surges in flu, we could see surges and other respiratory viruses and other respiratory pathogens. As the Vaccination Programme moves forward, nhs Officials Say enthusiasm seems to be only growing. Yesterday was reported to be the busiest day ever for people booking appointments. But while the vaccine remains the key to easing a lockdown, the restrictions we have all been living with will be with us for some months to come. Dominic hughes, bbc news. The government has not updated all the latest Coronavirus Data yet today, but what we have shows 5,177 new infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period. Had their first dose of one of the three approved covid 19 vaccines, in the latest 2a hour period. Taking the overall number of people whove had their firstjab to 22. 2 million and 1. 1 Million People have now had both doses of the vaccine. The headlines on bbc news. Hopes for Nazanin Zaghari ratcliffe, as she is released from house arrest in iran. But a new court case against her is scheduled for next week. Millions of pupils in england prepare to go back to schools and colleges tomorrow the first step in easing the coronavirus lockdown. The queen stresses the importance of staying in touch with friends and family in a message to mark Commonwealth Day, just hours before the duke and duchess of sussexs interview with Oprah Winfrey. The queen has spoken of the importance of staying in touch with family and friends during what she called Testing Times in a message broadcastjust hours before the Us Television interview involving prince harry and meghan markle. She said technology had helped to transcend the divisions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier my colleague shaun ley spoke to Nicholas Witchell the bbc� s royal correspondent. He asked him if the queens message held any clues, as to what she thinks about the sussexs upcoming interview. It sounds as though the queen is trying to send a hidden message to the sussexes. But she really isnt. It looks like its the battle of the broadcast, that the queen in london, the sussexes on the west coast of america, it has been coincidental its turned out like that because the Queens Commonwealth broadcast has been planned for weeks if not months. Its coincidental that its going out today. They found out of course that the sussexes have recorded the Oprah Winfrey interview and they were planning to transmit that in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Thanks to this rather bizarre coincidence, we are getting this alternative image of what royalty is all about. So, the queen and other members of the royalfamily, including the cambridges, in pre recorded messages on bbc one tonight anchored from westminster abbey, but the queen talking about the pandemic. And it is a result of the difficulty the commonwealth has faced that it is necessary to keep in touch with family. It isnt that coded message about the sussexes. Lets have a listen, she talks about reflecting on a time like no other. The Testing Times experienced by so many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy. By being connected to others. The need to maintain greater physical distance or to live and work largely in isolation has, for many people across the commonwealth, been an unusual experience. In our everyday lives, we have had to become more accustomed to communicating. And with new technology. It has been new for some of us. With conversations and common gatherings including Commonwealth Meetings conducted online, enabling people to stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues and counterparts who they have not been able to meet in person. We have found ourselves able to enjoy such communication, as it offers an immediacy that transcends boundaries, helping any sense of distance to disappear. Its always important to mark Commonwealth Day. Shes supported it throughout her reign. I wonder if its frustrating for the house that a lot of the attention inevitably whether tonight or tomorrow, will be about that interview, not about this day. It will be frustrating, but of course, Commonwealth Day normally goes by each year without anybody paying any attention to it. So its actually getting much more attention this year than it normally would. We need to remember it embraces nearly one third of the worlds population, so it is this enormous multiracial organisation which has been absolutely abiding commitment of the queen throughout the decades of her reign. I think part of her will be delighted that it is getting this amount of attention, a special programme on bbc one this evening, but, yes, there will be great frustration. It has been seen as a way of competing broadcasts. Now, we inevitably have to look forward to the sussexes broadcast, the Oprah Winfrey experience, which will be across all programmes tomorrow. What can we expect . Its hard to say. The trailers have given us an indication of what meghan is likely to feel that she wants to share. I think the big question is whether she will get into her perspective as to whether there has been some sort of racial prejudice against her. But we dont know, welljust have to wait and see. In terms of how the palace is feeling, it would wish to give the impression that its going to take all of this in its stride and of course, it will. Its been used to many worst windsor crises and dramas in the past. I think it is absolutely the case that if there is real substance from the duchess of sussex, backed up by evidence as to how the palace could and should have done more to support her, to accommodate her within the royal family, if she can cite that, then without question, the palace, it tried so hard to make this work, it will wish to reflect on any real evidence as to why it didnt. It remains to be seen whether in this interview she is able to produce any such evidence. We shall have to wait and see. On the third and final day of his trip to iraq pope francis has visited some of the areas previously held by the Islamic State group. Christians were among those targeted by is when they seized parts of Northern Iraq in 2014. Today, the pope prayed among ruined churches in mosul, before meeting Iraqi Christians in qaraqosh. And in irbil he celebrated mass in front of an estimated 10,000 people. Our correspondent, mark lowen, is travelling with him and sent this report. From the rubble of war, a messenger of peace. Face to face with the brutality of Islamic State terror in mosul, pope francis came to appeal for unity to rise from its ashes. Beside a Church Destroyed in the fighting, a powerful moment of reflection. Rarely has the hand of healing been needed more than this. He called for persecuted christians to return here and gave a prayerfor the victims. Translation today,. We reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than fratricide. That hope is more powerful than death. That peace, more powerful than war. Then another risk in the trips Finale A Large Public Mass In Irbil in the midst of the pandemic. Its what some had warned against spreading the virus, notjust the word of god. But the papal fans were undeterred. I hope that this visit will bring a lot of peace to this country and to all religions and nationalities to live together in peaceful life. The Short Term Impact of these crowds could well be a spike in infection, but from the warmth of his reception to the potency of his message, this is a trip that could have a long lasting legacy, too, beyond simply the symbolism. That he came at all was, for many iraqis, a miracle. But a defiant pope has made history here, hoping to have given a balm to this injured land. Mark lowen, bbc news, irbil. Earlier, i spoke to to Catherine Pepinster about the popes visit to iraq. Shes a catholic commentator and the former editor of the Tablet Magazine about this historic visit. This pope, pope francis, has spent a large part of his pontificate engaging in dialogue with people east and west. Hes been very concerned about interreligion dialogue. Hes been aware that relations between catholics and muslims took a dip during the previous pontificate of Pope Benedict xvi, and so hes been working towards this. In 2019 in the united arab emirates, he signed a declaration of what was called fraternity with a leading sunni cleric, and now hes gone to iraq and hes engaged with one of the great shia ayatollahs, al sistani. So, this is part of a pattern of dialogue that he wants to develop. But being there now for christians in that part of the world is incredibly important because theyve had so many years of persecution, many of them fled and now there seems the hope, perhaps, that they can rebuild. And in going to iraq, pope francis is asking for protection, for the safety of christians there, but more than that, really. The conversations that he had with al sistani were also about rights, about the importance that christians should have equal rights, should be seen as much as citizens as muslims in that country, and thats something that he continually says about christians in muslim countries. Thats why its so significant, and i think thats what hes trying to get to. He wants people to be reconciled. He talked about the need for forgiveness on the christian side, but he wants that hand of friendship to be there that will also be about actual rights, i think. The reality on the ground is so very different there, isnt it . You can ask and speak to christians to come back. A highly significant part of the world for Roman Catholic christians, and thats why, obviously, the pope is there. So, realistically, what has this trip achieved . I think the fact hes gone there is terribly important to the christians of The Middle East themselves. I think it does give them a boost. Its comforting, it shows that there, hes in solidarity with them. But i think it shows that hes very serious about that dialogue, too, and it seems from the way that al sistani responded to him that he also recognised the importance of the pope going there, that actually being there was very important. And hopefully out of that, there could come some more dialogue and some recognition of the importance of the safety and the rights of those christians in that part of the world. But its going to take a long time, both in terms of that physical rebuilding because theres still so much there thats lying in the rubble, but also the rebuilding of the country, the rebuilding of citizenship and the joining together to develop the possibility of People Living there safely. Football now and rangers are the Scottish Premiership champions for the First Time Since 2011. In doing so they denied celtic a record breaking tenth consecutive title. Despite the covid restrictions, supporters gathered to celebrate. Our Sports Correspondent jane dougall reports. Celebrations began outside when confirmation came from 100 miles away. The wait is over. Rangers is champions of scotland. Celtic could not beat dundee united, Handing Rangers the title. The ibrox side did theirjob yesterday, getting all three points with a 3 0 win. No fans outside, but the rangers players knew where they were. Rangers have assaulted celtic� s attempt to win ten titles in a row. They will lift the trophy here at some point, but it will not be in front of fans and it will be behind closed doors. It has been ten years since rangers last lifted the top tier trophy. Financial turmoil

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