Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC Newsroom Live 20240713 : vimarsa

Old friends do. He has selectively lea ked old friends do. He has selectively leaked it. Ithought old friends do. He has selectively leaked it. I thought he was a friend. Six people die in a shooting in the czech city of ostrava the gunman fled the scene and then fatally shot himself the chief executive of fashion retailer, ted baker, steps down following warnings over the companys profits myanmar is called to a un court to answer charges of genocide against its rohingya minority Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi will defend her government. Tributes are paid to the man who inspired the ice bucket challenge who has died at the age of 3a it was a Viral Campaign that raised more than 150 Million Pounds for charity. Good morning. Welcome to bbc newsroom live. New zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said there are questions which must be asked after the volcanic eruption on white island. Up to 14 people are feared dead six confirmed fatalities and eight people missing on the Island Police say they are also likely to have died. Officers earlier announced that a criminal investigation would be opened, but later revised this, saying it was too early to comment. White island is new zealands most active volcano. Its in the bay of plenty around 30 miles off the coast of the north island. From there, our correspondent Shaimaa Khalil reports. The Prime Minister on the site of where those who were affected by the devastation were first taken, praising those who jumped straight into helping. They worked tirelessly in the most devastating circumstances. Many of them had not yet rested or slept. The toll that the impact of this extraordinary tragedy has had on them was obvious. Police are now launching an investigation into the deaths and injuries after the eruption on white island. We know too there will be bigger questions in relation to this event. These questions must be asked, and they must be answered. One of the paramedics who helped move the injured into safety described the scene. It was like like, ive seen the chernobyl miniseries. There wasjust everything wasjust blanketed in ash. It was quite an overwhelming feeling. The police and the army have tried to launch a drone for surveillance on the island, but were unable to do so because of windy conditions. The situation there remains quite unstable, with officials saying that there is a 50 chance of a smaller size or a similar eruption happening within the next 2a hours. But even a small eruption can have devastating effects. The focus is now mainly on helping the families of those who have died, and giving the injured the care they need, but more questions will be asked about why they were allowed on such a volatile place. Shaimaa khalil, bbc news, whakatane. Well, eye witness accounts continue to come in to help give a clearer picture of what happened. Earlier, the bbc spoke to geoff hopkins, who was on a boat that left the island just before the eruption he said there was no warning of what was about to happen. There was nothing. It was silent. There was no tremor, no shaking. There was nothing to really say other than the visual thing that we could see of the huge plume of steam and ash that was rising into the air. We were probably only 200 metres off the shore line. The ash cloud then decided to envelope the entire island. We all got inside the cabin and there were about 30 people on the boat. And we immediately headed back to where we had left, which is where the other boat was still anchored. The crew knew that we were going to need to rescue people. At that stage, you could not see the island. It was completely covered in ash. Yes, very eerie. The tour party that were on the boat, there was a silence amongst people as we headed back. A few people were in tears. There was shock. We knew there were people still on the island. When we arrived back to where the other boat had been anchored, the ash started to clear. We could see there were people on the beach, there were some people in the water. Everything was covered just in a perfect layer of grey ash. We could see the wrecked helicopter up on the island. Immediately, the crew of the boat launched inflatables and started picking up the injured. We didnt know what we were dealing with until the first one started coming on, and as they came on, they were horrific burns. And everyone we took 23 people off the island before we started heading back to mainland every single one of them were badly, badly burned. And earlier our reporter Danny Vincent whos on the north island gave this update. Night has now fallen in this corner of new zealand. The community is now beginning to attempt to come to grips with the tragedy which took place in this region just yesterday. Now, the Prime Minister has said there are many questions that still need to be answered. This is a community which is attempting to mourn but also there are some frustrations from some members of the community earlier today, police said they were going to launch a criminal investigation. They later backtracked and said it is no longer going to be a criminal investigation, simply an ordinary investigation to try to gain some clarity over what has happened here. Now, many people were very surprised by the expression of a criminal investigation. They felt it was way too early to have that type of discussion because people here wanted to take time and mourn the people they have lost and they also wanted to get a sense of what happens next because behind me, where white island, the volcano which violently erupted, where it is, it was a surprise to many people we know that it was an active volcano, but simply people were not prepared for this type of tragedy. Two days before the general election, the Shadow Health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has insisted he was joshing around when he told a conservative activist and friend he thought there was no way labour could win and spoke about removing Jeremy Corbyn as party leader in the future. A secretly recorded phone conversation has appeared on the guido fawkes website. Speaking on the bbcs Victoria Derbyshire programme, mr ashworth said his comments about mr corbyn and labours situation being dire had been banter and were not his view. He said hed been winding up someone he thought was his friend. We can speak to our assistant Political Editor norman smith. It was a painful exchange, wasnt it . I think it has the potential to be damaging as well. Jon ashworth is pretty scathing in terms of his assessment of labours prospects at the general election, discounting the general election, discounting the idea that they have any chance of winning and suggesting that in their traditional heartland seats, their traditional heartland seats, the situation is dire. And while they might be doing 0k in some of they might be doing 0k in some of the suburb remain graduate seats, in their northern and Midland Court labour seats, it is a very different story. He says that is labour is seen as having blocked a brexit and also because of a hatred ofJeremy Corbyn. He says voters may dislike borisjohnson but corbyn. He says voters may dislike Boris Johnson but they hate Jeremy Corbyn. And he goes on. Admittedly, he is pressed by his now ex friend, lets be honest, about what happened ifJeremy Corbyn was to win any potential risk to national security. Jon ashworth says in that kind of situation, the machinery of government would step in, the civil service, we step into make sure there was no implications for national security. His friend, the called greg bigger, the conservative activist, chairman the canterbury conservative association, it is in fa ct a conservative association, it is in facta stain, conservative association, it is in fact a stain, he knows what he is doing, willJeremy Corbyn be removed if he loses, he is asked. And jon as hworth says if he loses, he is asked. And jon ashworth says things could move pretty quickly. Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire programme he tried to play it all down, saying he wasjoshing around tried to play it all down, saying he was joshing around with his colleague. Have a listen to how he explained what he said. It was a bit of banter with a tory friend of it was a bit of banter with a tory friend of mine, at least i thought was a friend, a tory activist called greg barker. Having a bit of banter with him. He was saying the tories are going to lose and i was saying, no, youre going to be fine. Josing, as in old friends do. He has only gone and given it all to a website. And i thought he was a friend. Obviously, he is not. Right, well, letsjust tell our audience what that was about. The conservative website guido fawkes has got hold of what they say is a secret recording. It is a phone call of you talking to a conservative supporting friend. I know. Hang on, let mejust tell the audience. In which you appear to say there is no way labour can win, the situation out there for a labour is dire. Yesterday Boris Johnson yesterday borisjohnson was tripped up yesterday borisjohnson was tripped up when he did not respond in a sympathetic manner to the boy on the hospital floor, this sympathetic manner to the boy on the hospitalfloor, this recording touches on labours achilles heel. If the nhs is borisjohnson, the labour partys isJeremy Corbyn. It comes from the mouth of one of those in the shadow cabinet, who is meant to be the forefront of the campaign, making the argument of the threat to the nhs. It adjust to meet the extent that although this has been a very carefully choreographed campaign, both sides have now been buffeted off course by events crashing in. It feels almost like there have been more than normal of those types of events, i do not know if that is true or not. As you say, yesterday was a car crash day for the tories, and labour are focusing on the nhs today. They are. They will try to keep focus on the issue of underfunding of the nhs, pressure on services, but they want to keep the focus on what they say is the state of the nhs, they have published this dossier listing some of the dangers patients face because of the dangers patients face because of underfunding. They pointed to the roof of a hospital being in danger, a problem with the ventilation system in the Morecambe Bay hospital, which means the daily theatres often have to be closed down. They are trying to keep the focus they are. And also talking again about the case of jack. We out from the justice again about the case of jack. We out from thejustice secretary again about the case of jack. We out from the justice secretary this morning, saying it had been one of those unfortunate moments on the campaign trail. And that Matthew Hancock had subsequently apologised. Defending borisjohnsons response. This is what he said this morning. Elections are really difficult things. Things will happen in elections, unpredictable events. I do not think he was forced into it. I think when he looked at it, the reaction was clear and unforced and the apology was forthcoming and full suit. The apology was forthcoming and full sun. I think that response and the response that we have shown in the hours since, some of the action the Health Secretary took, shows that we we re Health Secretary took, shows that we were taking this matter incredibly seriously, as we would with any matter relating to our National Health service. Harold macmillan famously once said what he feared most was events, dear, boy, events. Iam most was events, dear, boy, events. I am expecting Jeremy Corbyn and borisjohnson agree with him. I am expecting Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson agree with him. Yes. Thank you very much, norman. And as weve been hearing, borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn are concentrating on what they regard as vote winning issues for their parties with less than 48 hours to go before the polls open in the general election. The Prime Minister will say that only a majority conservative government can break the brexit deadlock, and warn of what he calls the clear and present danger of a Hung Parliament, while the labour leader will set out his plans for the nhs. Danjohnson is on the campaign trail with Jeremy Corbyn today, where the Opposition Leader has been speaking to supporters in nelson, lancashire. This perhaps shows there is confidence and ambition aboutJeremy Corbyns campaign because this is a conservative held seats that labour lost in 2010, when they are hopeful of regaining in this election. This morning he has emphasised he has m essa 9 es morning he has emphasised he has messages about the nhs, an issue labour thinks they are strong and trusted. He also talked about climate change, investing in Public Services. There is a large vocal, passionate cook crowd here. We have not seen the same sizes of crowds that we saw in 2017, that tells us something about the nature of a wet and windy Election Campaign being forced in december. There are some detractors here too. One man said he voted labour all his life but could not support a communist. It is Jeremy Corbyns challenge to expenses but he could bring the country together with a policy on brexit. From here, he will go to other rallies across the north west targeting other key seats he needs to win if he is to stand any chance of getting into downing street. And alex forsyth is following Boris Johnson following borisjohnson for us this morning, where he is campaigning in what is happening this morning after yesterday . It was a pretty terrible day for the conservative party yesterday. I think the focus today will be about trying to get the campaign back on track, focusing on brexit. We are just leaving where we we re brexit. We are just leaving where we were overnight in gloucestershire to head up to staffordshire where the Prime Minister will appear later this afternoon. The message she has got is about warning about the risks of gridlock, the risks of further stalemate if that is not a conservative majority, doing what has been a tory tactic which is targeting the leave areas in the midlands and the north with their brexit message, warning against a Jeremy Corbyn Led Coalition in government, which he said would lead to further dither and delay. There will be more of that from the Prime Minister today. Alongside that, there is the sense they want to betray this is not a done deal in this election. There could be just a view seats between getting a majority are not. I think what the message is trying to be as if you do not get out and vote, what comes next could be very uncertain. Labour are still pushing their key message of the nhs. They will trying to avoid that on the conservative campaign trail day yesterday. It was a difficult day that has been part ofa a difficult day that has been part of a controlled campaign. It is looking misty as you head out onto the roads there. Tell us more about the roads there. Tell us more about the constituencies that will be targeted in the dying days and hours of this campaign. They are trying to do something that the conservatives have not achieved before, when around labour voters, people who have never voted conservative. They are hoping in this campaign particular, the brexit issue has thrown out the tribal loyalties and people might switch their vote in a way they have not done in the past. That is way beyond the brexit message, we have heard a lot about a broader offer. He is promising. We are losing our line to alex, u nfortu nately, are losing our line to alex, unfortunately, she heads off on the road with the conservatives for the last two days of the Election Campaign. We will keep you up to date with what is happening with all of the partys operations today and on the days ahead. The headlines on bbc news. Up to 1a people are now feared to have died after the volcanic eruption in new zealand. The countrys Prime Minister says questions must be asked. In a crucial day of campaigning, borisjohnson warns of a Hung Parliament if voters dont support the conservatives. Labour promises a relentless focus on the nhs if they win. The Shadow Health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, insists he was joshing around when telling a friend there was no way labour could win the election in a secretly recorded phone conversation. Arsenals winless streak is finally over they came from behind to beat west ham 3 1, thats their first win in 10 games and their first, under stand in manager, freddie yun berg. Liverpool need a point at salzburg tonight or theyre likely to be out of the Champions League at the group stage, just six months after they won the trophy. The head of the Us Anti Doping Agency is among those criticising the four year ban given to russia Travis Tygart says allowing russian athletes to compete as neutrals wont change anything. Ill be back with more on those stories later on. We can get the latest from our