Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Ten 20240713

OfJeffrey Epsteins accusers has said he wants Prince Andrew to testify as a witness in the us court cases. He knows what happened. I know what happened. And theres only one of us telling the truth, and i know thats me. And the island states suffering the brunt of Climate Change. We report on the International Conference thats meant to agree big changes. And coming up on sportsday on bbc news. Barcelona and argentina forward lionel messi has won the ballon dor for a record sixth time. Us midfielder Megan Rapinoe took the womens award. Good evening. Three days after the attack on london bridge, vigils have been held for the victims, 23 year old saskia jones and 25 year old jack merritt. Theyd both been helping to run a programme for educating offenders when one of those attending, usman khan, attacked people with a knife. Mr merritts father has criticised some of the response to the attack, including political pledges to review the Early Release of convicted terrorists. He said his son had given his everything to fight against an agenda of hate. The Prime Minister borisjohnson and the labour Leaderjeremy Corbyn were among those attending a vigil near london bridge, as our special correspondent lucy manning reports. In the city where recently jack merritt and saskia jones had proudly held their degree certificates, hundreds stood silent. His girlfriend, his mum and dad, held on to each other as they were surrounded by support. This was what cambridge had meant to them. And this is what they meant to their friends and family. Jack merritts girlfriend, leanne, leaving flowers. In the city of london, minutes from where they died, the noise of political arguments quietened. We come together this morning with condolences, but also in a spirit of defiance to say that london will never be cowed or intimidated by terrorism. Prion bain was speaking at the Prison Education event on friday. He had spent the day before with jack merritt at a high securityjail. Had spent the day before with jack merritt at a high security jail. He was inspiring. He had a bright light in his eyes, and he was a young kid, but he was a cambridge grad, so he could have been anywhere, done anything with his education. He ran down when he heard shouting in the building. It felt like a war zone, it felt like total chaos, but these guys stepped up in the moment and did what few would do and put their own lives in harms way. Professor bain said jack was brave in confronting the attacker. He was brave in his own regard. He was the first line of defence, he was the first person to confront him at the door. I saw people die. I saw things that i have to live with. The first witness to see this from inside the building praised those who fought back. Many of the folks in that space would not be here today if it were not for these guys who did time in prison. And instead of running away, more details about the bravery of the event staff, who ran after the attacker, including a Maintenance Man called andy. When the knife goes through his chest and the killer opened the door, he pauses for a moment and he is reluctant to spill all this out onto the pavement where members of the public are going to be facing the same problems, but he makes the right choice. The door is opened and out the terrorist falls. Like Jack Merritt Saskia Jones was trying to play her part in improving peoples lives. She was a lovely, lovely woman. She made me laugh, she called me on things, lots of people are scared of me. She wasnt. She was fearless, she was a warrior. She was going to change the world, maybe she will. But their morning is done at intensely political time. The politicians have come to pay their respects, but Jack Merritts father has been clear he doesnt want his sons death to be politicised. He doesnt want this to mean politicians bringing in tougher sentencing. Tonight Jack Merritts father said his son would if he could comment on his death be seething that it was being used to perpetuate an agenda of hate. Feel his passion, he said, never give up his fight. Lucy manning, bbc news. Bbc news has learned that the attacker had been under investigation by the Security Service mi5 since his release from prison last year but given one of the lowest priorities. He had been convicted of a terrorism offence in 2012. As part of his release conditions, he was obliged to take part in the governments desistance and Disengagement Programme which aims to rehabilitate those involved in terrorism. Questions are now being asked about the role of prison and the probation services, and how effective de radicalisation programmes can be as our Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford explains. Usman khan, radicalised as a teenager by the notorious extremist Anjem Choudary before being convicted of plotting terrorism. He spent eight years in prison and another year being closely supervised by police and probation. But despite all those years and still being under supervision, he came to london on friday and killed two young people. How did the system fail . Former governor ian atchison wrote a report for the government on how to deal with terrorist prisoners which he feels wasnt properly implemented. He says the number of prisoners is relatively small. Theres only 221 of them. We have to get in there and start challenging and measuring if or how they can change. If they refuse to change, or if theyre demonstrating that they are pulling the wool over authorities eyes by pretending they re changed, they re still dangerous and in my view they should be kept in prison indefinitely. After being convicted in 2012, khan did several counterterrorism courses while in prison, though some people question their effectiveness. On release last year, he had to do further de radicalisation, whats called the desistence and Disengagement Programme. He wore a gps tag and had severe restrictions on where he could go and who he could see, and although his behaviour seemed good, he was also still an active person of interest for mi5. Victims campaigner Harry Fletcher has been told that khan had been allowed to travel once before last week, but last time hed been accompanied by a police escort. Then he was invited by the institute to be a student at the course held last friday. He applied for permission to go and it was granted, but this time he travelled alone without an escort. So usman khan was viewed as safe enough to come here to the event at fishmongers hall. But he wasnt safe at all. Hed duped everyone and he came on a mission to kill. The father of jack merritt, one of those khan murdered, has said he would be livid at his death being used to call for tougher sentences. But the Prime Minister, who did just that, immediately defended his stance. Ive campaigned against Early Release and longer sentences for many years. It was in my manifesto in 2012 when i was mayor of london. I said it in august and it is in the queens speech. We have to understand that no government can prevent every attack. No one would believe any political leader who said that they could. The inquiries as to how khans murderous intent was missed are already under way, and a check on 7a terrorist terrorism prisoners recently released has resulted in two of them being returned to prison. Daniel sandford, bbc news, london bridge. With me in the studio, our home editor mark easton. If someone asked you what went wrong, what would your a nswer you what went wrong, what would your answer be . It has become clear that major errors ofjudgment answer be . It has become clear that major errors of judgment were answer be . It has become clear that major errors ofjudgment were made by those who had responsibility for ensuring that the public were properly protected from a man considered so dangerous that actually he was on the highest level of Public Protection controls. But as weve heard, he was allowed to travel to london alone. Public protection arrangements are led by multi Agency Boards involving the police, the Prison Service, the probation service, and there has been a 70 increase in the numbers managed under that system since 2010. But when it comes to police, for instance, a committee of mps recently warned budget cuts would lead to dire consequences for public safety. Another Parliamentary Committee warned the Prison Service is in the depths of an enduring crisis, and a parliamentary report said years of underfunding and botched reforms had left probation ina botched reforms had left probation in a mess. Did those pressures make it more likely that poor decisions would be made . Politicians across the spectrum are already promising that they would increase money for the police and otherjustice measures if elected, but now the whole approach to managing the risk of this very dangerous group of radicalised individuals is, as weve heard, under review, and one must assume i think that there will be new protocols and new safeguards introduced. Mark, thanks very much again. Mark easton, our home editor. An investigation by bbc panorama has discovered that lawyers for five ofJeffrey Epsteins accusers the convicted sex offender have made a request for Prince Andrew to give evidence in their court cases. The five women allege that the prince witnessed how epstein and his guests behaved at a number of his homes as Darragh Macintyre reports. The allegations raised by virginia guthrie wont go away. The lawyer says he wants Prince Andrew to testify as a witness in their court cases. The women say the prince witnessed howjeffrey cases. The women say the prince witnessed how Jeffrey Epstein cases. The women say the prince witnessed howJeffrey Epstein and his guests behaved at the accuseds home. A subpoena could be served on Prince Andrew if he returns to the united states. It means that the next time Prince Andrew visits the states, he faces being ordered to give evidence, whether he likes it 01 give evidence, whether he likes it or not. With respect to Prince Andrew, i think he needs to come clean, andl andrew, i think he needs to come clean, and i think the facts need to be real. Prince andrew says that he did not see, witness or suspect any suspicious behaviour during his visits to mr epsteins homes in florida, new york and the caribbean, and he says he is willing to help any appropriate Law Enforcement agency with their investigations if required. Virginia giuffre, who says she was trafficked to london by Jeffrey Epstein to have six with Prince Andrew told panorama that she was introduced to him by the princes long standing friend Ghislaine Maxwell. She says that after a visit to a nightclub, Ghislaine Maxwell instructed her to have six with the prince. In court documents, Ghislaine Maxwell says all Virginia Giuffres allegations are lies. People on the inside are coming up with these ridiculous excuses, like the photo was doctored. Im calling bs on this, because that is what it is. He knows what happened. I know what happened. And there is only one of us telling the truth, and i know thats me. People who say that theyre not telling the truth, they point inconsistencies in your tail. How do you account for those . You are left with a foggy memory sometimes, you really are. So i might be wrong on dates, absolutely. I might be wrong on places even sometimes. But one thing that i can tell you is you never forget the face of someone who has heaved over you. For his part, the duke of york emphatically denies any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Giuffre, and says any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation. Darragh macintyre, bbc news. 0ur royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell is here. Where does this request leave the prince, and what do you think the likely response will be . We have heard andrew on the newsnight interview and we have heard Virginia Roberts or Virginia Giuffre as she is now, she said tonight only one of us is now, she said tonight only one of us is telling the truth and in a sense we all now have a chance having heard from both of them to decide for ourselves which of them seems more plausible and more credible. She has repeated her well established allegations and we have heard also andrews categoric and absolute denials of any impropriety. The significant new detail is that five of the women who we re detail is that five of the women who were Jeffrey Epsteins detail is that five of the women who wereJeffrey Epsteins victims now wa nt wereJeffrey Epsteins victims now want through their lawyer to ask andy questions and for him to give evidence in court. To ask andrew. When he said of course if required he will cooperate with us Law Enforcement agencies, when he stepped back from public work, but there is a opaqueness as to whether he will cooperate with this request for sworn depositions for the lawyers of the women. What is not clear, i think, lawyers of the women. What is not clear, ithink, is lawyers of the women. What is not clear, i think, is the extent to which this story is going to go on. There is a lot of mileage in this left. What is clear, though, is that andrews route back to public life and royal duties remains extremely uncertain. Many thanks. 0ur royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell. In the past few minutes, President Trump has landed in the uk for a summit of nato leaders. Air force one touched down at stansted, and the president is now travelling to the us ambassadors residence in central london. 0ur Diplomatic Correspondent James Robbins is there. What can we expect for the next few days . This meeting is in some ways celebrate tree, to mark natos 70th anniversary year. Many of the alliances leaders think there is plenty to celebrate, the fact the alliance was able to face down the soviet threat throughout the cold war yea rs soviet threat throughout the cold war years but nato has its detractors, not least President Trump himself who is now in britain and will shortly be on his way to the american ambassadors residence. Many european Member States are still not paying their way according to President Trump, for the nato collective defence, the us contribute 70 of the budget, but the president believes the argument is going his way. At the other end of the spectrum, frances president emmanuel macron, no friend of trump, he thinks there has been too much focus on money and too little focus on future threats and he of course has famously called nato strategically brain dead. Those future threats will be a big subject for the next couple of days of talks ahead, not least the threat in space and an attack on satellites crucial to navigation, gps, for instance, and the threat from artificial intelligence, what will that pose . For borisjohnson this is an opportunity in the midst of a general Election Campaign but the Prime Minister will be quite wary of being seen to be too close to donald trump. He is frequent his frequent champion and supporter, because Boris Johnson frequent champion and supporter, because borisjohnson knows too much time will go down badly with some supporters, even if it goes down well with others knows too much friendliness will go down badly with some supporters. Thanks forjoining us. In the final two weeks of Election Campaigning theres greater focus on some of the key swing seats that will determine the outcome of the vote. In 2017 the result in many constituencies was very close. 0ur chief Political Correspondent vicki young takes a look at how the parties are doing in the polls and the marginal seats where the election of 2019 could be won and lost. There are ten days to go, and if you are one of the many yet to make up your mind, its time to start thinking about who you might vote for. Lets take a look at the bbcs poll tracker. The trend since august has been a rise for the conservatives, up to an average of 42 . Labour has also climbed since the election was called, now around 31, mainly at the expense of the liberal democrats. The brexit Party Support has collapsed since they announced they wouldnt be standing in conservative seats. There are 650 constituencies in the uk, but the result will be determined by what happens in seats where it was close last time. In 2017 there were 51 ultra marginals, where the winning margin was less than 2 . As you can see, they are dotted all over the country from fermanagh and tyrone, all the way down to st ives. From ceredigion to kensington, and all the way up to fife northeast, where the snp won by just two votes. To win outright the conservatives will be hoping to get back some of the seats they lost last time, like keighley. And if labour is to prevent a conservative majority, it needs to hold places they won last time and take others where it got within a whisker, such as southampton itchen. Labour hopes the brexit party take more votes from the conservatives in places like peterborough, which labour narrowly won in 2017 and held onto injunes by election. The lib dems are aiming for seats they have previously held, like richmond park. And the snp are hoping to recapture many of the 21 seats they lost last time, in places like midlothian. Now, with every election there are some big names at risk. Iain duncan smith could lose to labour in his seat in chingford and woodford green. Dominic raab in esher has a huge majority, but the area voted heavily to remain in the eu and is coming under pressure from the lib dems. The lib dem leaderjo swinson faces her own tough battle with the snp. There are not many senior labour figures at risk, but some, like the veteran mp dennis skinner, are being targeted by the tories. And what about the biggest scalp of all . Borisjohnson has a relatively small majority, but the tories are confident he will hang on. The results of all of these key seats will determine how different the next parliament looks. Vicki young reporting there and youll find full details of who you can vote for where you live on the bbc website bbc. Co. Uk election2019. A 12 year old boy has died and five others have been injured in a hit and run crash near a school in essex. The crash happened near Debden Park High School in loughton this afternoon. For the latest lets join our correspondent tolu adeoye. What is the latest . Police have described this as a truly shocking incident and it was just after three oclock as students were leaving Debden Park High School when this hit and Debden Park High School when this hitand run Debden Park High School when this hit and run happened and we had it confirmed sadly that a 12 year old boy was killed in the incident. Five others also injured, four teenagers and a woman in her 50s, the bbc has spoken to one of the teenagers who was injured and he talked about how a car had revved up and turned round and then deliberately driven into him and his friend. In the last 45 minutes we have heard from essex police and they have confirmed they believe this was deliberate and they say a mode investigation has been launched and they revealed they are trying to find a 51 year old local man who they believe was responsible they say a Murder Investigation has been launched. They say their officers will be working into the night to track down this man. But here there is a family morning and a Community Shock as to how this could have happened today. Thanks very much for the update. Have happened today. Thanks very much for the update. A family in mourning. Government ministers and diplomats from around the world are meeting in madrid for a two week summit cop 25 on how to tackle Climate Change and to try to agree more ambitious cuts in carbon emissions. Leaders of some of the worst affected countries including small island states which are among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels have appealed for help. From madrid our science editor David Shukman reports. Driving rain and powerful winds as the latest typhoon approaches the philippines. With plenty of early warning, families are helped to safety. Its the poorest that are least able to cope, and as Global Temperatures rise, it is likely storms will become even more dangerous in future. The people of the bahamas experienced that for themselves earlier this year. Hurricane dorian caused death and devastation on an unimaginable scale. And developing countries say that because its the richest nations that caused Climate Change, they should now help. It gives me great pleasure to declare open this 25th session. So here in madrid, as the annual un talks on Climate Change get under way, one of the loudest demands is from the countries most vulnerable to those bigger storms. We worry about our livelihoods, we worry about the future generations, we worry about our country. We exist as people. We in the small islands, we exist as people. We have our cultures, our families, our livelihoods and we face extinction. You cant get away from that. And its not a nice thought, its scary. All the time the gases that are heating up the atmosphere are still being pumped out, and in ever greater quantities increasing the risks of damaging impacts, and despite all the scientific warnings that this should stop. Theres been frantic diplomacy on Climate Change over the past quarter of the century, with huge gatherings like this one. But the source of the problem remains unchecked. All the more reason, the head of the un tells me, to help those most in danger. Because whether people like to admit it or not, Climate Change is already a problem today and we are having terrible impact in droughts, in floods, in other kinds of natural. In hurricanes, in countries that are already suffering enormously. The whole issue of how much help to provide and who is to blame for the rise in temperatures has become incredibly contentious among the different teams here and it wont be easy to settle. And another reminder of whats at stake as the negotiations begin severe flooding in kenya in the last few days, amid the fear that without the right global response, there will be much worse to come. David shukman, bbc news in madrid. Thousands of people in the falkirk area in Central Scotland are preparing to spend a second night in very cold temperatures without heating after a major gas Network Failure yesterday. Heaters and portable cookers have been distributed to vulnerable residents and schools and nurseries in the area have been closed. Although work has started to reconnect some homes gas Network Company sng say others may not be reconnected for another two days. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon has been talking to some of those affected. At the start of winter, thousands with no gas, no heating, no hot water. The temperature has risen slightly here but it is still very cold, and all day there has been a constant flow of people here picking up heaters for their homes. Has it been a cold night . Yeah, just a tad weve all been cooped up in the one bed, trying to stay warm. We had candles lighting up the house, trying to heat the place with just the candle flames. There you go. Angeline perry has four children, the youngest is nine months old. Their gas supply was turned off yesterday and they are using portable heaters to warm one room. Were just using the kettle to boil all our water and we do not have any gas on the hob either. How are you coping . Im just trying to think how im going to go through the week and just thinking about night time. During the day, were 0k, we can huddle into one room, butjust trying to plan ahead for the week. But tonight, the good news with the original fault fixed, engineers are now going door to door, starting with the most vulnerable theyre beginning to reconnect customers. We are really sorry this has happened. It is our equipment that has failed but we are getting people back on, were restoring now, and in the next couple of days we should have the majority back on and that is our objective get the supplies restored. So, warmth is on the way, though it could be a couple of days before everyones gas central heating here comes back on. Lorna gordon, bbc news, falkirk. The latest indicators of how the uks Education System performs on the global stage will be published tomorrow. When compared with other nations around the world the uk has regularly been outperformed by one of the smallest countries in europe estonia. So what makes the Education System in the tiny baltic state with a population of less than 2 million so successful . 0ur education editor bra nwen jeffreys has been finding out. It is drop off time at kindergarten. For parents the cost is capped, up to about £80 a month for each child, so almost every child starts coming as a toddler, even though Compulsory School only begins at age seven. It is very important because learning will be so fast, may be asking questions or raising his hand, being brave, and i think the main thing to him is to be socially ready. How important do you think education is to your childrens future . Very important, very important. It is also important to do it in a way that they enjoy it but not forcing them to do something, but do it in a wise way. Teachers lead the learning in every kindergarten. There are no national tests, no scores children. What is expected is to get everyone to a basic standard. I try to get them to know how to read a word with two syllables in it. Well, we actually have children who know how to read sentences, so they are really easy guidelines. The gap between rich and poor kids is small in estonia and this is where the levelling up starts. This estonian language class has children of every ability. Thats normal in basic school from age seven to 16, so theres no setting or streaming. Teachers in estonia are given remarkable freedom in how and what they teach. The inspections dont even come into the classroom and there is relatively little testing. But its that belief in levelling up that is crucial, the head teacher told me. If you are teaching a different level of abilities then you are segregating them and we dont want to segregate any people in the world, like we are doing in the schools. That is my personal opinion. This is one of the main things why estonia is successful. The students tell me there is a culture of striving in this young country. We have to be educated to get on with ourselves and i think every