Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20240714

On the 31st october if no deal is agreed, despite the law passed by mps. Also tonight the lib dem leader rules out going into coalition with borisjohnson orJeremy Corbyn after an election. The parents of Ceara Thacker, who took her own life at university, say they should have been told shed attempted suicide months earlier. America releases new evidence it says proves iran was behind the attacks which wiped out nearly half saudis oil production. And why ld plans to open a new supermarket somewhere in the uk every three weeks. Coming up in sportsday later in the hour on bbc news. The European Team are on a high after winning back the solheim cup. But how will the womens game benefit . Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. Its been another day of political drama. Boris johnson has been in luxembourg for his first talks as pm with the president of the European Commission jean claude juncker. The Prime Minister told the bbc that he was optimistic a deal could be done and that the eu had had a bellyfull of brexit. The latter was borne out by an extraordinary News Conference this afternoon. Noisy protestors meant mrjohnson decided not to attend, the luxembourg Prime Minister decided to go ahead anyway and laid into the uk for causing the brexit crisis and said the campaign to leave the eu, led by mrjohnson, had just been lies. Our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg was there. On the way but to what . Air miles cannot be exchanged for a deal with the european union. As borisjohnson heads of to see one of the european deal makers. Heads of to see one of the european dealmakers. You should not be getting your hopes up today. Today is not going to be a breakthrough day. And prepared also for a risky departure. Not getting a dealfar from a million to one these days. It is already september and you are moving into number ten injuly. You could have done this weeks ago. Weve had many conversations with oui weve had many conversations with our friends weve had many conversations with ourfriends and weve had many conversations with our friends and partners and they have moved a long way since august. Having been accused of hardly trying commit the Prime Minister is visibly now making an effort towards a deal. But racing through the next backstreets does not mean that we are speeding towards agreement. We think we can satisfy the European Commission and ourfriends on the key points integrity of the single market, ensuring there are no checks at the border in Northern Ireland, i think ithinka i think a deal is that to be done. But clearly if we cannot get movement on that crucial issue of whether the eu can continue to control the uk we will not be able to get back to the house of commons, the way. Youre just articulating the way. Youre just articulating the same problem, can you foresee a solution for example where in some areas of Northern Ireland would follow eu rules and the rest of the uk would not. We want to see a solution where the decision is taken by the uk. What is the solution you are proposing, more power to stormont . These are some of the ideas being talked about. This is all doable with energy and goodwill. There a germ of an idea. Butjust the germ of an idea. There is a lot of inking going on. However many hands he can shake in the 45 days before were due to leave both sides have tangled four months practical conundrums. We are cautious, cautiously optimistic. And at home a new contradiction. We are working ha rd new contradiction. We are working hard and had a good productive exchange. Has there been a total breakthrough . I would exchange. Has there been a total breakthrough . Iwould not exchange. Has there been a total breakthrough . I would not say so. My more optimistic than i was when we took off this morning, i would say a little bit but not much. And have changed the law to try to stop you taking uk out without a deal in october. How do you propose to get round that because you keep saying you have no intention of delaying. will uphold the constitution and obey the law but we will come out on october the 31st. Well how . We will come out on october the 31st, it is vital that people understand that the uk will not extend. We will not go on remaining in the eu beyond october the 31st, what on earth is the point. But that means youre looking a way around the law . Does are your words, what we will do is come out on a the 31st, deal or no deal and staying in beyond october the 31st is completely crackers. You really think you want to the kind of Prime Minister that is looking at ways of sneaking around the law to keep to your political promise . These are all your words. But how would you do it, challenge it in court, take parliament to court . Our First Priority just to court, take parliament to court . Our First Priorityjust to look on the bright side for a second is to come out with a deal. And that is what our friends out with a deal. And that is what ourfriends and out with a deal. And that is what our friends and partners out with a deal. And that is what ourfriends and partners in out with a deal. And that is what our friends and partners in the out with a deal. And that is what ourfriends and partners in the eu would like as well. I think they have had a bellyful of all this stuff. They have if this was anything to go by. Number ten wanted to ta ke anything to go by. Number ten wanted to take questions from reporters inside because of a small group of pro eu protesters making a big noise but the luxembourg leader went outside anyway, angry about the situation but savouring this moment . So now it is on mrjohnson, he holds the future of uk citizens and every eu citizen living in the uk is in his hands. It is his responsibility. Since youve been in office it seems some of the things you have done, you seem to think conventions and rules do not apply to you. Oh, really . If you talk about having a queens speech i think that was the right thing to do. We need a queens speech. And by the way all this mumbojumbo about speech. And by the way all this mumbo jumbo about how parliament is being deprived of the opportunity to scrutinise brexit, what a load of claptrap. Scrutinise brexit, what a load of cla ptrap. Parliament i scrutinise brexit, what a load of claptrap. Parliament i think has lost about four or five days and i think actually what the people of our country want is a little less of this gloom. One person very gloomy about what has happened is your old colleague David Cameron and he says the leave campaign that you led light and you behaved appallingly. have the highest regard for him, he andi have the highest regard for him, he and i worked together for many years and i worked together for many years andi and i worked together for many years and i think he has a legacy of turning the economy around and he can be proud of that. That is my view on david and what he has got to say. He has been pretty brutal about you. Another tory Prime Minister his fate will be decided by our relationship with the eu. The tides are short and the volume going up as the clock ticks down. Lets speak to our europe editor katya adler in brussels. The eu meetings we see on the news are normally polite and diplomatic but the luxembourg Prime Minister anything but, why the change in town . I think what you have there is a change in tone in public but really not in private. From the luxembourg Prime Minister today that was spilling over into the Public Domain of the kind of level frustration that i regularly hear about when i talk in off the record conversations with european politicians and diplomats. Number one, frustration that more than three years after a referendum on eu membership uk is a country, the mps are still divided about what kind of brexit we want or whether we want brexit we want or whether we want brexit at all and that makes the eu feel that they can perform somersaults in negotiations and make compromises and still not be sure the result would pass through parliament. Also frustration from the luxembourg Prime Minister today, eu leaders hate always being seen as the villains when it comes to brexit by so many high profile uk politicians and journalists as well. They say is the process goes on and on that they are facing problems as well, this uncertainty is very costly for european businesses as well. And eu governments are having to spend millions on preparing for a possible no deal brexit. Does this mean that the eu has just had possible no deal brexit. Does this mean that the eu hasjust had it possible no deal brexit. Does this mean that the eu has just had it and will not engage any more with the johnson government, it does not mean that and that is why it is so rare to hearan that and that is why it is so rare to hear an outburst like this from eu leaders because they decided as long as there is a help of a brexit deal it is worth their while to engage. So they say that they are waiting and watching and hoping for concrete proposals now to come from the uk government but insist they have not yet received them. The liberal democrat leader, jo swinson, says her party would not go into coalition with borisjohnson orJeremy Corbyn. Speaking in bournemouth where the lib dems are holding their annual conference she also denies that her party is being anti democratic in saying it would cancel brexit without another referendum if it won a majority in parliament. Our chief Political Correspondent vicki young sent this report which contains some flash photography. Liberal democrat conference isnt everybodys idea of fun. Its a real pleasure. But this year some new recruits are throwing themselves into the whole experience. Smile six former labour and conservative mps have defected to the lib dems because of brexit. And there might be more to come. After some difficult times, activists are feeling optimistic. Yesterday, the party agreed to revoke article 50, cancelling brexit altogether if it wins a general election. Leaderjo swinson denies she is ignoring the referendum result. I think that its about being straightforward and honest. I totally accept that lots of people wont agree with it. But i do think you have to stand up for what you think is right. Do you spend much time talking to people who voted for brexit, or are you not just in a remain bubble . I get out and about and speak to people on the doorsteps, campaigning around the country, which ive done through the local elections, through the european elections. Do you hear their anger . Theyre angry, a lot of them. I do, i do, and i have those conversations. There is a democratic issue here, isnt there, and you are being anti democratic. Well, i dont accept that because we have a parliamentary democracy. There was a referendum. People voted to leave and the governments gone away to negotiate that and a deal was put before parliament. Parliament rejected that, including by the way, many mps who voted to leave. The lib dems want voters to be in no doubt that theyre against brexit but some think the new policy shift could harm the partys chances in its former strongholds. I fear that actually taking the extremist position of going for revoke of article 50 actually is counter productive if were trying to keep some of our leave incline, or leave, having voted leave supporters in many constituencies, places like cornwall, the south west of england. If were going to keep them on board its going to be much more difficult for us. But jo swinson is focused on victory. She says in such a volatile political times anything could happen and shes aiming to be Prime Minister. She rejects any suggestion that shed prop up another party. Im not going to support borisjohnson or Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister because theyre not up to the job. Our country deserves better. And in an Election Campaign the country will have the chance to choose a better future. So if we got to the stage of another hung parliament, you would not support either of them to be Prime Minister . Absolutely. Theyre not up to it. The lib dems strategy depends on the next election being all about brexit. As borisjohnson tries to attract brexiteers, jo swinson will be going all out to appeal to those who voted remain. She is certainly aiming high. But there arent many people who think she will be the next Prime Minister. She has come up with a bold plan but no one can be sure whether it will get them to their preferred destination. Vicki young, bbc news, bournemouth. Two former paratroopers have won their case for racial harassment against the british army. Hani gue seen here and his colleague nkululeko zulu said theyd been harassed for years. The tribunaljudge said that grafitti displayed in the barracks was unquestionably related to race. Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale is outside the ministry of defence how damaging is this for the army . It is damaging, the army presents itself as inclusive and want to attract more black and asian recruits. They make up to 7 of the armed forces at the moment. The tribunal was out here reject some of the allegations that nkululeko zulu made but it finds that they were targeted with racist graffiti in their barracks in colchester in 2018 just before they left the army and the tribunal says that more should be done by the army to prevent that incident. The response from the mod, they say that they take all allegations of racism extremely seriously. That said an internal review inside the mod earlier this year found that there were a disproportionate number of complaints coming from ethnic minority within the armed forces and asa minority within the armed forces and as a result the mod now says that they have improved the complaints procedure and they are improving diversity training. This suggests that it diversity training. This suggests thatitis diversity training. This suggests that it is not an isolated incident. As for nkululeko zulu and hani gue there are now seeking compensation. Jonathan at the mod, thank you. The father of a student who took her own life while studying at the university of liverpool has told an inquest that the family were not told about her previous Suicide Attempt three months earlier. 19 year old Ceara Thacker was discovered in her halls of residence in may last year. From liverpool our education editor Branwen Jeffreys sent this report. Ceara loved musicals and reading. But anxiety and depression led her to self harm. A Sexual Assault made things worse. But her dad thought at university ceara was coping better. She had a lot to look forward to. She was basically as happy as i have heard her the day before. When you look back and think, did i not see anything . I absolutely did not see anything. Just weeks after she got to liverpool, ceara was quietly struggling. She went to a e for help. And was told to contact the university and a gp. In february last year, ceara took an overdose. At the hospital, she said she wasnt sleeping, not taking her medication. Crucial information that was meant to be passed on to her gp. But it was a busy shift and the nurse forgot. The university was not told and neither were her parents. Just a few months later, ceara was found dead in her room. Angry is not the right word. I am a bit in denial, almost, that human beings would not tell other human beings that their child is in trouble. What i cant understand is why nobody would pick up the phone and say, excuse me, your daughter is struggling at university. And you believe it would have made a crucial difference . I do believe it would have made an absolute difference. I do believe she would be here today if we had been told. Students have a legal right to data privacy. Now some universities get consent to contact family. Liverpool University Said it was deeply saddened by cearas death, and is working closely with the nhs. Branwen jeffreys, bbc news. If youve been affected by any of the issues in that report, you can go online to bbc. Co. Uk actionline, or call the bbc action line on 0800 066 066. The time is 6 18pm. Our top story this evening. Borisjohnson is Boris Johnson is in borisjohnson is in luxembourg for brexit talks with jean claude juncker. The eu says it has still not seen any concrete proposals. And still to come why aldi plans to open a new supermarket in the uk every week for the next two years. Coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news, what now for england following their drawn series against australia . Is england following their drawn series against australia . Is joe england following their drawn series against australia . Is joe root the man to win back the ashes in two yea rs man to win back the ashes in two years time . The weapons used in the attacks at the weekend on saudi arabias major Oil Facilities were made in iran a saudi military spokesman has said. Saudi says an investigation into the incident is still going on but iran has denied any involvement. Saudi arabia is the Worlds Biggest Oil exporter, and two sites were hit a Processing Plant and a key oilfield. The attack shut down 5 of global supplies and caused a spike in oil prices this morning with jumps not seen since Saddam Hussein invaded kuwait in the 1990s. Our Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale is here. The attacks over the weekend struck at the heart of saudi arabias economic lifeblood. Air strikes on two of the largest Oil Facilities in the world, knocking out almost half of the countrys production. Iranian backed Houthi Rebels in yemen claimed responsibility. But us officials said satellite images showed a complex and precise assault involving at least 17 missiles and unmanned aircraft, originating from the north or north west, perhaps from pro iranian militias in iraq. Today, irans president was visiting turkey. His spokesman denied any responsibility for the attacks, accusing the us of maximum deceit. But according to saudi commanders, the origin of the weapons was clear. Translation initial findings indicate the weapons used in this terrorist attack are iranian. We will continue our investigations but our findings suggested this attack was not launched from yemen by houthi militias. Whats not clear yet is how the saudis and the us will respond. In a series of tweets, President Trump said the us was locked and loaded, apparently ready to help his ally take on iran. This behaviour is unacceptable. Its unacceptable and they must be held responsible. Make no mistake about it, this was a deliberate attack on the global economy. Tensions in the gulf have been growing for years, largely between iran and saudi arabia. Theyre fighting whats seen as a proxy war in yemen where the Saudi Led Coalition is battling pro iranian Houthi Rebels. And there have been houthi strikes on targets inside saudi territory before. Although few as large as over the weekend. But remember, iran itself has also been blamed for attacks in the region. Earlier in the summer it was accused of attacking oil tankers, and injune it shot down an unmanned us aircraft. Iran, because it has come under pressure, because it has come under renewed sanctions by the us, has tried to push back and has tried to push back by making it more complicated for other exporters of oil in the region. And that could have an impact on the forecourt. Today at one point Oil Prices Rose nearly 20 before falling back later. The biggest rise since the early 1990s. James landale, bbc news. The uks former chief scientist sir david king has said he is scared by the pace of Climate Change and in an interview with the bbc he said extreme weather events such as the melting of ice, hurricanes and wildfires are happening sooner than expected and called for the uk to advance its climate targets by ten yea rs. Advance its climate targets by ten years. Roger harrabin reports. Wildfires are burning across indonesia. Their are smokers choking people in the cities, forests are a flame in brazil too, and also in australia, way ahead of the usual wildfire season. Professor king says we cant prove a link yet with human driven Climate Change but it would be foolish to assume these events we re be foolish to assume these events were not linked. He points to the massive ice melt in the arctic as further evidence of an overheating planet. The ice loss is right at the top of the forecast range. We are seeing extreme weather events just rolling out year after year with massive loss of life. Rising sea levels, rising temperatures, changes in the weather patterns impacting on farmers and everybody. Is this a scary scenario . Of course it is. And how should we react as human beings to this scenario . We have to all pull together and understand the challenges and act to stop it. The summers heatwaves in france are another instance of a freak weather. They broke previous records by an amount but astonished scientists. And then there was hurricane dorian, ambling along at just and then there was hurricane dorian, ambling along atjust two Miles Per Hour instead of the usual 10 15 mph and dumping water along the way. Was this devastation definitely caused by Climate Change . Thats not proven but other scientists are also worried. David king is right to be scared, iam worried. David king is right to be scared, i am scared too. Whether or not it is faster than predicted it is difficult to say. The activist Greta Thunberg sailed to new york for a Greta Thunberg sailed to new york fora un summit Greta Thunberg sailed to new york for a un summit saying if people arent scared they wont act. But some psychologists say scary language is giving young people eco anxiety. I think the children are picking up the information from social media and from the press and from all the news reports from this summer. Children are frightened because they are seeing the amazon burning and they are seeing hailstorms in spain and seen the arctic burning, so they are picking up arctic burning, so they are picking up on that. How to tell stories about the climate that are Strong Enough to make people act but calm enough to make people act but calm enough so they dont panic . Thats a task. Roger harrabin, bbc news. The Supermarket Chain aldi plans to open a new store in the uk every week on average for the next two years. The pledge comes after a record rise in sales but a sharp fall in profits last year in part, due to investment and price cuts to attract shoppers. Our Business Correspondent emma simpson reports. A new aldi has come to town, and so have the shoppers. This time, ruabon in north wales. Have you switched, then . We switched a long time ago, girl havent we . Really, we have, honestly. And i think if you asked everybody else, they will say the same. Thats why were here. Aldi added another billion pounds in sales last year, fuelled by new stores like this one. And in the middle aisles it is clearly not all about the food. What have you got in your trolley . An ironing board, four plant pots, and two footballs. The middle two aisles, its all you come here for, isnt it . If you say so it is the big established grocers are opening few, if any, news stores. Aldi is opening an average a new supermarket every week. There are now three in this borough, and they are planning another one. But all this investment has taken a big chunk out of its profits. And it has had to cut prices to stay competitive. These days, rivals are piling on the pressure. Grocery retailing has always been challenging and it is no different today. So is this strategy sustainable . The focus is very much on our sales, our customers, and our store numbers. And not on short term profitability. Over the next two years we are going to invest a further £1 billion in the uk. It shows very much our intent, and the fact that our business is extremely sustainable. Around 50 of the population of the uk do not currently shop with us, and we know the main reason for that is they dont have an aldi store nearby. A no deal brexit will not affect aldis plans, he says. But what about prices . What i cannot do is commit that prices will not go up. But i do not think i am alone in the industry on that. What i can commit to and can guarantee is that customers will always pay the lowest grocery prices when they come to aldi. Moving in when a rival has pulled out. It is notjust more stories, aldi is branching, cautiously coming into convenience. Only in london, for now. Smaller shops to reach more city centre customers. Aldi is evolving but can it keep its edge as it pursues all this new space . Emma simpson, bbc news. Time for a look at the weather. Heres ben rich. Nothing too much to trouble us in the forecast, dry and lots of sunshine, that was the case in east yorkshire earlier on but for some today we were plagued by a lot of cloud, guernsey, southern england, south wales had lots of cloud and up into the midlands as well come along this line with a slow moving weather front. It has brought patchy rain at times and some cloudy and damp weather will affect the southern areas in the evening. The cloud will gradually pull away southwards and we will see clear spells through the night. Quite windy across the far north east, gusts of 50 mph or a touch more across shetland. Quite chilly for some spots in Northern England and scotland could get down to two or three degrees, could be a touch of grass frost. Not as chilly in the south because they will still be some cloud to clear away but it should brighten for all of us tomorrow, a dry day with good spells of sunshine. A weather front will try and push on to the west turning the sunshine hazy in north west scotla nd the sunshine hazy in north west scotland into the afternoon. The temperature is about where they are today, 13 20d. Looking ahead to wednesday, for most it is a fine day with plentiful sunshine once any early mist has cleared. Once again the north of scotland are seeing some cloud and outbreaks of rain, a week weather front moving through, 1320d. But the week weather front moving through, 13 20d. But the temperatures will start to climb heading towards the end of the week. High pressure firmly in charge, thats what is bringing in the dry weather but as that high wobbles eastwards, particularly towards the weekend, it will open the door to a south easterly wind and that will bring something warmer in our direction. Temperatures, as we get to saturday, 25 or 26 degrees in the south and even further north in scotla nd south and even further north in scotland we are looking at 20 degrees and a chance of thunderstorms on sunday but that is still a long way off. Thats all from the bbc news at six and on bbc one we canjoin the bbcs 00 29 21,777 4294966103 13 29,430 news teams where you are. Goodbye