Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Ten 20240713

Also on the bbc news at ten tonight more than 70 people have died afterfire tore through a train in pakistan its thought it started after a gas cannister exploded as passengers cooked breakfast. The body of the british backpacker Amelia Bambridge has been found at sea near a cambodian island a week after the 21 year old went missing. And england coach eddiejones names an Unchanged Team for saturdays World Cup Final against south africa. And coming up on sportsday on bbc news craig levein has been sacked as manager of hearts, with only goal difference keeping the club off the bottom of the scottish premiership table. Good evening. President trump has waded into the general election just hours after labour launched its campaign with an extraordinary attack onjeremy corbyn, breaking all conventions. The us president said mr corbyn would be bad for the country and would take the country into such bad places. Meanwhile he heaped praise on borisjohnson and called him a fa ntastic man. He was speaking to the Brexit Party Leader nigel farage during an interview for lbc. Tonightjeremy corbyn has hit back, accusing the president of trying to interfere in the election. Heres our north america editorjon sopel. The us president and nigel farage are close. We madejune the 23rd our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment the Brexit Party Leader has spoken at rallies. Mr nigel farage . And today, the us president returned the favour and appeared on mr farages radio show. And he waded into the british general election with alacrity, in breach of all normal tradition. His first target was the opposition leader, jeremy corbyn. Corbyn would be so bad for your country. Hed be so bad, hed take you in such a bad way. Mr corbyn tweeted this in response. Donald trump is trying to interfere in britains election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected. It was trump who said injune, the nhs is on the table, and he knows if labour wins, us corporations will not get their hands on it. Our nhs is not for sale. In the interview, the president also seemed to advocate a Johnson Farage marriage. I have great relationships with many of the leaders, including boris. Hes a fantastic man and i think hes the exact right guy for the times, i know that you and him will end up doing something that could be terrific if you and he get together as, you know, an unstoppable force. Three and a half years ago, brexiteers were incensed when barack obama came to london at David Camerons request to argue why britain should vote to remain in the European Union. Our focus is in negotiating with a big block of the European Union to get a trade agreement done. And the uk is going to be in the back of the queue. But that sparked a backlash, and may well have been counter productive. For all the proclaimed closeness between the president and Prime Minister, the real test of us uk relations will come with the negotiation of a post brexit trade deal, and here the president had another little grenade to toss. He warned that the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by mrjohnson and eu leaders might, under certain circumstances, make a trade deal with america impossible. This is a president who takes the view norms are there to be shattered and unmistakably this is a breach of the norms of behaviour. It is clear who donald trump was hoping to help and who he was hoping to harm with this interview, but as barack obama found out three and a half years ago, there can be unintended consequences, and these things can easily backfire. Studio jon sopel, thank you. Well, the uk was supposed to leave the eu tonight instead were heading into six weeks of Election Campaigning, with a new brexit deadline at the end of january. Jeremy corbyn launched labours campaign this morning and vowed to transform britain and take on what he called the establishment elite. Our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg reports. Cheering a roar of welcome for their hero. Who, second time round, reckons he has a chance to be a champion, not just the challenger. In this election taking place because we have not yet left the eu. Today is 31st of october, the day that borisjohnson promised we would leave the eu. But he has failed, and that failure is his alone. If they won, labour would hold another referendum and maybe leave, maybe stay. So they want to campaign on more familiar ground. Despite his denials, the nhs is up for grabs by us corporations in a one sided trump trade sell out. Its not for sale cheering the tories are adamant they do not have plans to trade away the health service. That wont stop this, though. Crowd chant not for sale the labour leader knows he might be onto something. Manna from heaven in a room like this. Your pitch to the public today is very similar to in 2017. Why do you think, two years on, you might secure a majority with the same message . Weve had two years of this government, weve had now three tory Prime Ministers since i became leader of the labour party. Were very well prepared for this Election Campaign and are going to go out there and do it. Jeremy corbyn the campaigner is back, but its not about the energy of the home crowd its whether labour can translate this momentum right around the country. Ive already been out campaigning, and its really positive on the doorstep. If were going to have a chance, its got to be now. Did you just ask me that . I dont believe it just in case you were wondering what borisjohnson wants to talk about, he spent the halloween he hadnt hoped for in class in suffolk. Then trumpeting the governments plans for building new hospitals in cambridge. Thats it. I definitely squirted some in their. I definitely squirted some in there. But having to explain why he is asking us to go to the polls at all. This parliament isjust not going to vote brexit through, and so, the only thing we can really do now is go to our people, go to the country, and say, come on, lets get this thing done. We have an oven ready deal lets put it in the microwave. The lib dems tried to take their stock brexit message around parliament square. Protesters were more concerned about stopping them. We want a Bright Future for this country and in order to do that, we have to stop brexit. And with the remain bonus we get, invest in Public Services and have an economy that is growing. This is an election where you cant say, they are all the same. The result could mark a dramatic junction for the country. The westminster system is broken. And that is why the people of scotland need the choice of independence. Halloween is obviously very big here. The parties are all somewhat spooked, with good reason. The doorstep might look familiar but this is an uncertain time, an uncertain campaign and a very uncertain result. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. Sojeremy corbyn says labour will put forward what he called a radical and exciting plan for real change. Our deputy Political Editor, john pienaar, looks at what labours key campaign pledges could mean for you. What does it mean for me at work . Jeremy corbyns offered real change, and his plans for rights and rewards for people in work certainly offer that. Take pay. Under labour, over time, they would be negotiated separately, sector by sector, nationwide. A much bigger role for trade unions, which would be recognised by law. But some say that some companies cant afford to pay as much as others. You would risk pricing people out of work. On staff ownership, more people would own a sta ke ownership, more people would own a stake in their company under labour. Io stake in their company under labour. 10 of shares in companies with more than 250 staff. With that daycare, oi than 250 staff. With that daycare, or maybe put bosses of growing their workforce . Or maybe put bosses of growing their workforce . Or if you own a stake in your company, would you work harder, maybe push up profits . Other big changes, 32 hour working week over ten years. Sceptics say if you cut working hours people end up paid less. Are labour going to re nationalise everything . Less. Are labour going to re nationalise everything . I less. Are labour going to renationalise everything . A corbyn government would renationalise, meaning the state owns it, on a huge scale. Male, rail, water, energy. There hasnt been a labour plan so far reaching and radical in nearly 40 far reaching and radical in nearly a0 yea rs far reaching and radical in nearly a0 years mail. Critics like the cbi say the cost would be eye watering, nearly £200 billion. Labour say that is over the top and fanciful, and anyway that the profits could go towards paying off interest on the money borrowed to buy the assets. What about schools and hospitals . We are still waiting for detailed costing, but more cash for detailed costing, but more cash for schools and hospitals is on offer. The party is in something of a bidding war with borisjohnson who is making rival promises to end austerity and invest in our services. What labour mean by for the many, not the few . Jeremy corbyn wa nt to the many, not the few . Jeremy corbyn want to build what he calls a fairer country, with higher taxes on corporations, the rich and the better off. Labour would target those he describes as dodgy landlords, greedy bosses and polluters. It is a long list. He is promising stronger rights for te na nts promising stronger rights for tenants and for workers. The big arguments whether higher taxes that make the big argument is about whether higher taxes punish success. Labour says reward is for those who can labour says reward is for those who ca n afford labour says reward is for those who can afford it, and anyway most people wouldnt have to pay any more. Big question in this election comes down to who voters trust. Boris johnsons comes down to who voters trust. Borisjohnsons personal ratings in the polls are low compared to past leaders but nowjeremy corbyns are far worse, worse than any labour leader in decades. That could change and whether it does will have a big impact on the outcome of what could be the most important general election weve seen. Lets go live to westminster, and our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg. What does labour make of this attack from donald trump . Well, it sounds terrible forjeremy corbyn, strong attack on them from who is meant to be the leader of the western world but so often these days politics is upside down. Think about this for a if the second. Labour party in 2019 going after voters who think donald trump is some kind of hero . Or is the labour party actually trying to appeal to people listening and watching at home tonight who think donald trump is a character of many flaws who, frankly, would be better off keeping his nose out of british politics. The answer to this is basically that the labour party is actually pretty pleased with the fa ct actually pretty pleased with the fact donald trump has put himself on the opposite side to them. And i think the comments today from the us president in the west wing are more likely to cause worry in downing street than in labour party ho. Likely to cause worry in downing street than in labour party hq. And a lot of signs this election will be unpredictable, uncertain, as you are saying, and tonight he news of another defection to the liberal democrats . Yes, antoinette sandbach, mpa cheshire, another conservative mp, has announced she isjoining the liberal democrats. She had already gone out of the tory party out of brexit np for cheshire. But for the lib dems, hoping to make a big impact in this campaign, it would ta ke impact in this campaign, it would take their total of existing mps up to 20, and gives them another bounce, another reason to feel cheerful. That sense of alchemy on the campaign trail, bounce and momentum, it is the kind of thing that can make a difference. So the liberal democrats are starting off this Campaign Thinking there is a big opportunity out there for them. Of course we will have to see in six weeks if they think they have really been able to make the most of it, or whether they are too many obstacles in their way. Right by our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg, thank you. Thanks, our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg. Well, the latest brexit delay means that businesses are once again having to readjust their preparations and Contingency Planning for leaving the European Union. Our business editor, simonjack, looks at how companies are dealing with another delay to the brexit deadline. The isle of portland, in dorset for centuries, home of the famous portland stone. Underground, there is deep frustration that, having heeded government calls to prepare for brexit, another date has gone trundling by. Politics is making business at the rock face very difficult. Through the brexit process, we had to guess which parts we think were going to go wrong. Michael poultney stockpiled months worth of Machine Parts from italy and sweden twice. We had to stockpile in march. We felt like they couldnt possibly go for a no deal in october again, but as it got closer to the date, we got frightened, i got really concerned. We then had to stockpile again, and each time it was costing us £150,000. Sales have fallen 20 this year as brexit deadlines weighed heavily on his customers confidence. In ludlow, workers at this luxury bike maker can barely move for the stock theyve piled up ahead of the deadline. Weve got just over double at the moment but its not all in here yet. What, there is more to come . Yeah, there is more to come over the next few days, its in the uk. Its notjust the cash theyve spent on stock, its the time and effort spent preparing for the unknown. Were not international economists, were experts on bicycles, trying to keep listening to the news and work out whats going on and what it means for us. To have been doing that for well over three years now, its just exhausting, yeah. Its hard to think of a time in living memory when business has been so buffeted by politics. Theyve been told to stockpile, to prepare, to brace themselves for a deadline at the end of march, then a deadline at the end of october, theres a new deadline in january next year. And now into the mix, we throw a general election, where businesses wearily pray that they will get some kind of clarity after three and a half years of running their businesses on ever shifting political sands. We wontjust be picking up christmas presents this december, but will a new government deliver the certainty Everyone Wants . I dont think the election is going to provide the clarity were looking for. I think in this situation its going to be ongoing for years and years. Its about time that we were consulted, the british people were consulted, on what needs to happen. I think its probably a good thing if it does give us some form of closure on the situation. However, personally, im probably thinking a second referendum might have been a better choice . In ludlow and in dorset, the brexit period has seemed an eternity. Both businesses are grateful we are not heading over a cliff edge tomorrow, but both are frustrated that, once again, the brexit earth has failed to move as promised. Simon jack, bbc news. More than 50 mps will not be seeking re election on december 12th. Its not unusual for politicians of all parties to decide to stand down what is unusual is some of the reasons they are giving. Some of the 18 women who will be leaving westminster say a growing level of abuse and bullying directed at them and their families, both in person and online, has been a factor in their decision. Heres our special correspondent lucy manning. So, who would want to be an mp . Westminster today, and a ministerial car gets this reception. The abuse and aggression causing some female mps to stand down is all too visible. Two mps read messages they have received. Die, you stupid bleep and stay off tv. Your face makes me want to vomit. Betraying your constituents makes you an enemy of the people. Its a damn pity traitors dont get hung any more. Culture secretary nicky morgan is going and the abuse and impact on her family are a factor. Ive had a number of people prosecuted for Death Threats and that sort of thing. And funnily enough, an e mail received recently in my office, which a couple of years ago i think we would have reported to the police, we all sort of agreed, oh well, thats not as offensive as others we get. But it has become, definitely, and every day you open the e mail system up and there is more abusive e mails. Anna soubry is hoping to stay on, but the job has left her in tears. This is a form of terrorism. It is winning. We wouldnt accept it in any othersphere. But because we are deemed to be remoaners, mutineers, traitors, all these awful words that are used, its kind of like we deserve it. So far, 18 women are standing down. Although more male mps are leaving, the female ones are younger and have not been in the commons as long. There has been an enormous increase in abusive tweets sent to mps. Figures shared with the bbc show that, injanuary, mps were receiving 32,000 abusive tweets. And by september, that had increased and mps received 87,000 abusive tweets. In the last nine months, in total, mps were on the receiving end of half a million tweets containing abuse. Male mps also get abuse. Luke pollard is refusing to quit because of it. There has been a homophobic flavour to some of the abuse that i have been getting and the vandalism of my office, twice in one week, including homophobic slurs is the latest. Surrender. Betrayal. The Prime Minister has been criticised for his language and a lack of understanding. I have to say, mr speaker, i have never heard such humbug in all my life. Today he said the abuse was deplorable. We should have zero tolerance for that kind of behaviour and we should defend and protect public servants, whoever they are, whether they are politicians or not. This parliament is ending, with some feeling they have been driven out. Lucy manning, bbc news. If you want to find out more about the election ahead, you can do so with our really simple guide to the general election, at bbc. Co. Uk news or on the bbc news app. In other news, a government grant awarded to a businesswoman with close links to borisjohnson has been deemed to have been appropriate after a Civil Service review. Jennifer arcuri received a cyber skills grant worth £100,000 from the government in october last year. She had faced allegations of favouritism over her links with mrjohnson, but those have now been dismissed. The speaker of the house of commons, john bercow, has stepped down from the role after nearly ten years during which he made one particular word in the english language into his catchphrase. Order order very rude. Order hes been a controversial speaker, not least in the last three years since the brexit referendum. Mps spent nearly three hours paying tribute to him today though only a few stayed to the very end to hear his last orders. Order, order. More than 70 people have been killed after a fire swept through a packed train in pakistan. Officials there said it started when a gas cylinder being used by passengers to cook breakfast exploded. Survivors said it took almost 20 minutes for the train to stop and dozens of people jumped as it moved to try to escape the flames. The train was travelling from karachi to rawalpindi. Our correspondent farhat javed reports from southern punjab. You may find some of her report distressing. The flames ripped through three crowded carriages, trapping dozens of passengers who were on their way to a religious gathering. Many of the injured were brought to this hospital in bahawalpur. Some on the train were sleeping when it caught fire. Rubinas husband pushed her out of the window to save her life. But she is critically injured. Translation smoke filled up everywhere and it was hard to breathe but i pushed my wife out of the train and then tried to jump but people fell on me. Dozens have suffered burn injuries and dozens were killed. These are some of the passengers whojumped off the burning train when it was on fire. They are traumatised for horrific scenes they have witnessed, but they are more worried about their loved ones who are still missing. Train accidents are common in pakistan, but this one is said to be one of the worst in the last two decades. The cause of the fire is unclear. Officials blamed a group of passengers who were cooking breakfast on a gas cylinder when it exploded. But some who were there dispute this and blame an electrical fault. Prime minister imran khan has ordered an immediate enquiry but few here believe anyone will be held to account. Farhat javed, bbc news, south punjab. The us house of representatives has stepped up its impeachment investigation into president trump. The democrat controlled chamber has decided that, in future, hearings into the process which could remove him from office will be televised, and evidence given behind closed doors will be published. The white house insists mr trump has done nothing wrong and says the investigation into allegations he pressed ukraine to investigate one of his rivals is politically motivated. The body of missing backpacker Amelia Bambridge has been found in the sea 30 miles off the coast of cambodia. The 21 year old from west sussex was last seen nearly a week ago at a beach party on the island of koh rong from where nick beake sent this report. This was an Island Living in hope. Locals had started their day pleading to their cambodian spirits to help them find their missing visitor. Hours later, amelia was found but it was the outcome everyone feared. Her body recovered far out at sea. A 21 year old on her first trip abroad alone, who never returned. Her sister wrote on facebook, now we have to get our amelia back home to england so we can lay her beautiful soul to rest and remember the wonderful life she lived. Amelia was one of many british backpackers who come to koh rong. Local officials quickly said they thought shed drowned here. But her family believe she could have been attacked. So earlier her dad had spent another long day in the searing heat looking for his daughter. Theres a couple of fuel tank places over here, but i dont think. He spoke to us just before news of amelias death. Sometimes i think about it, and i start thinking, shes gone, so i start crying to myself, but i try not to think like that. I try to just keep looking. Well, this is the beach where amelia was last seen a week ago. People at the party say that she was laughing, dancing, having a great time. Shed spent two years saving up for this trip to asia, which has ended in the most horrific way, and we may never know what happened in those final moments. The police cant say how amelia ended up in the water. So, for now, this place of beauty holds the saddest of secrets. Nick beake, bbc news, cambodia. An investigation by bbc news arabic has found women and even a child being put up for sale online in kuwait as Domestic Workers. A un expert has described it as an illegal online slave market. The investigation found that instagram, which is owned by facebook, along with apps available on google and apple are being used to trade people without their knowledge or consent. One app user even offered to sell a 16 Year Old Girl to the bbcs undercover team. Jess kelly reports. We have heard of Domestic Workers being sold in kuwait using apps available on google play and the apple app store. We went undercover to try to expose this illegal trade. We found hundreds of women being advertised on facebook owned instagram using dedicated hashtags. Most women had no idea they were being advertised for sale online. We arranged to meet a seller who was advertising a Domestic Worker on the kuwaiti app asale. Her price 2,300 us dollars. He told us he was a policeman and boasted about how he controlled her everyday life. Permits for Domestic Workers are attached to their employer but the apps have created a black market where the permit and the person can effectively be resold. We arranged to meet another seller, advertising a Domestic Worker from africa for 3,800 us dollars. She is trying to sell a child for domestic work, which is illegal. This is the quintessential example of modern slavery. If google, apple, facebook or any other company is promoting apps like these, hosting apps like these, they are promoting an online slave market. Following our investigation, asale has removed its Domestic Worker section and said. Facebook, which owns instagram, told us. But the bbc has found hundreds of women still being advertised on instagram using other hashtags. Both google and apple told the bbc that this type of behaviour has no place on their application stores. Kuwaits government deported the 16 Year Old Girl but has taken no action against the woman who tried to sell her, or the policeman. Jess kelly, bbc news. England head coach eddiejones says his team are ready for their finest hour after naming an Unchanged Team for saturdays rugby World Cup Final against south africa. Our sports news correspondent, andy swiss, is in tokyo where hes met fans who are going to extraordinary lengths to be at the match. Today they were strolling the streets of tokyo, but soon they could have the world at their feet. Englands players relaxed, but ready. Their preparations are almost complete. An Unchanged Team for the final. Hardly surprising after their win over new zealand. And if that was some display well, south africa, watch out. 0h, we can definitely play better. Theres no doubt about it, and the players know that. Yeah, ive been so impressed by the preparation of the players throughout the tournament, particularly this week. There is a steeliness about them but also a nice, relaxed feeling, because they know theyve done the work. But if its been some journey here for the players, well, how about these two fans . Mark and sue farrell drove some 12,000 miles to get here overfour months, from their home in devon all the way to japan. Theyve seen every england game, but tickets to the final . Well, theyre still searching. Hence the hat, yeah. I dont mind making a spectacle of myself, as long as we end up with a ticket. So we are determined to be there. 0h, itd mean everything, really. It would be the complete pinnacle of our trip, really. Its what we want. And this is where they are hoping to be