this is bbc news. the headlines at 2pm... police investigate after a series of acid attacks in east london — five people are targeted injust 90 minutes. one teenager's been arrested. the hearing into the case of baby charlie gard continues today. yesterday, an american doctor said a trial therapy could give him a chance of improvement. the parents feel unable to speak to the police and media at the moment but we are hoping for positive outcome any court and for little charlie. "nothing will ever separate us" — at the end of donald trump's trip to france, president macron says his visit is a sign of friendship across the ages. and in the next hour it's the eye in the sky at a fraction of the price. two police forces become the first in the uk to a launch a specialised drone unit. and it's men's semifinals day at wimbledon, where roger federer continues his campaign for a record eighth title. good afternoon and

welcome to bbc news. a teenager has been arrested after acid was thrown in people's faces in five different attacks across east london last night. the metropolitan police say the series of attacks — carried out by two men on a moped — took place in the space of just 90 minutes. they say one of the victims has suffered life—changing injuries and called the acts completely barbaric. let's take a look at where and when the attacks took place: at 22:25 on thursday evening on hackney road, a 32—year—old man on a moped was left with facial injuries after a moped, with two male riders, pulled up alongside him and attacked him. at 22:49, a man was reported to have

had a corrosive substance thrown in his face by two men on a moped in islington. a short while later at 23:05, a corrosive substance was reported to have been thrown in the face of a person by two men on a moped in shoreditch high street. the victim has been taken to hospital, although police said the injuries were not believed to be life—threatening or life—changing. then at 23:18, police received reports of a robbery in cazenove road, stoke newington, where a corrosive substance had been thrown. officers attended and found a man suffering from facial injuries that have been described as life—changing. and later at 23:37, a man on a moped was in traffic on chatsworth road, clapton, when two men on a moped pulled up alongside him and sprayed liquid in his face, before stealing his vehicle. the victim was taken to an east london hospital. this report from our correspondent dan johnson contains

some flashing images. late last night on the streets of east london. police treat the latest man to become a victim of a wave of acid attacks. liquid was sprayed into his face by crewe men only moped. i heard a scream that was not normal, it was a petrified screen, two ties. there were five attacks in just over one hour in the same part of east london. police have said they are linked and a teenager is being questioned. the metropolitan police commissioner said she recognises the growing concern. police commissioner said she recognises the growing concernlj police commissioner said she recognises the growing concern. i do not want people to think this is happening all over london of the time, it is not, but we are concerned because the numbers are

rising. we will arrest people, we will enforce the law as we can and we are working closely with the home office to see if any changes to the law are required. acid attacks in england have doubled since 2012. this woman and her cousin were targeted after celebrating her 21st birthday in east london. acid was thrown through the window of their car. in our faces and all over me and a lot of it went on her. within seconds, my cousin started to scream. her eyes were blistered, her face started melting. my face started melting. michael started to burn. my shorts started sticking to me, there was smoke coming out of the seats. there are calls for tighter restrictions on the sale of acid and the government has said it will address this type of attack. this is something we have been concerned about the nehwal for some time, we have been working closely with our colleagues in law enforcement to get a better picture of actually what is happening, as

you quite rightly say, it is happening in pockets of the country. moped crime is also on the increase, especially in london. delivery drivers say they face a growing threat. some attackers are armed with knives, others are using acid, everyday items used to commit robbery but also devastating injuries. dan johnson, bbc robbery but also devastating injuries. danjohnson, bbc news, east london. our correspondent dan johnson is in hackney. how are local people reacting to what has been happening? there is a lot of concern amongst local people because this appears to be a growing problem. this was the scene of the worst attack last night, we understand a man had just pulled up at the lights on his moped when two others build up alongside him and thatis others build up alongside him and that is when the liquid was sprayed into his face, effectively blinding him, so that they could attempt to rob them. they tried to steal his moped. it appears that there is the

pattern with these attacks, delivery drivers were targeted late last night and we know that two of the companies that employ careers to deliver food across london delivery and uber eight deliver food across london delivery and ubereightare deliver food across london delivery and uber eight are both involved supporting the police with their investigation and they have appealed for any information that can help to put together a picture of exactly what happened across east london and crucially who may have been behind. one teenager is in custody being questioned by the police and obviously, they are keen to get hold of anyone else who may have been involved, they believe at least two young men were involved in the series of attacks. so, concern for locals here, they have said that moped crime has been getting worse for quite a while here. i havejust bought one local resident who has told me how a whatsapp group has been set up so that people in a area can message one another when they see groups of people on moped out and about, warning them to be careful not to get phones snatched ought to be robbed. but this has been taken to another level, throwing acid in someone's face has

really shocked people because that is not just really shocked people because that is notjust stealing their property and committing robbery, it is meeting people, as the police budget, with life changing injuries, potentially people having been blinded. that debate about the sale of acid is something that will no doubt grow over the coming days. mps we re doubt grow over the coming days. mps were due to address this issue next week, some have called for tougher restrictions on the sale of these products, but the reality is that this will be a challenge because most of these are household cleaning products that are freely available. dan, thank you very much indeed. dan johnson, reporting from hackney. the hearing into the case of the terminally ill baby charlie gard is resuming at the high court. yesterday the court heard from an american doctor who said an experimental treatment could benefit the 11—month—old who suffers from a rare genetic brain condition. he's currently on life support at great ormond street hospital. doctors there say he should be

allowed to die with dignity. charlie's parents walked out of the high court yesterday, but they have just what in today. that is correct, this is the second day of the case into little charlie gard. the pa rents into little charlie gard. the parents arrived earlier, we heard from the spokesman of the family who said a few words on the steps outside the high court year. you said that the parents were too upset to talk at the moment, which is understandable, and he also touched on what we heard in court yesterday from thejudge that on what we heard in court yesterday from the judge that some medical staff at great ormond street hospital had been threatened and what the family spokesperson said was that the family are clearly com pletely was that the family are clearly completely against this type of behaviour and that the parents have said if people want to support them, they can either donate money or hold peaceful protests, but not outside of great ormond street hospital. the hearing has resumed this afternoon, the parents are in court. what we

expect to hear later on this afternoon is water that american doctor who was invited by the judge yesterday, whether he will come over to the duty to assess charlie himself. that invitation was put to himself. that invitation was put to him yesterday, he said he would love to come over, so we need you more about that. and also, they have been talking about multidisciplinary meetings between the parents and great ormond street hospital, so that they can talk about things that do not have to take place during court time. so, those are the two main areas that we are going to hear from this afternoon. helena, thank you very much indeed. president trump has attended the annual bastille day military parade in paris, as guest of honour. the parade also marks 100 years since the americans entered the first world war, and a contingent of us soldiers were among those who marched down the champs—elysees. at the end of his visit to france, president trump said the relationship between the two countries is stronger than ever. hugh schofield reports from paris.

the french air force display team opened the military parade as it always does, followed this year by six american f—16s. this is america year at bastille day, and it was americans, too, who led the march passed down the champs—elysees. 200 us troops, the first contingent in uniforms of world war i. it's exactly 100 years since american soldiers came to france and tipped the balance of the first war, the start of a military alliance that has a new relevance today. watching from the plast de le concorde, president trump, the guest of honour, enjoying the second day of emmanuel macron's parisien campaign of charm. with all the panoply, the military hardware, the display of raw power and organisation, bastille day is an occasion that shows off france, the old nation,

at its very best. it's hard not to see some of that rubbing off on donald trump. security on this, the first anniversary of the nice attack, was tighter than ever. and among the crowd, quite a few americans, all of them, whatever their political affiliation, glad to see their president alongside his french host. i didn't vote for president trump, but he is our president. and we're proud to have him here. the us is an ally of theirs. i know sometimes you don't think so, but france is there for us, and we're here for them. i can't stand trump, i think he's horrible. but he ought to listen to what macron has to say. and he never should have backed out of the paris accord. at the end, the presidents and their wives bid their adieus, with a display of affection that was lengthy and tactile. the french leader wanted to use this trip to become america's go to guy in europe.

from what we saw today, he may well have succeeded. hugh schofield, bbc news, paris. the home secretary amber rudd has launched a new strategy to tackle illicit drug use, after what the home office called a "dramatic" increase in the number of deaths from drugs in england and wales in the past five years. the strategy focuses on helping addicts to recover, and makes clear there'll be no legal changes to decriminalise the use of drugs. here's our home affairs correspondent danny shaw. enforcing the law on drugs. police raids against dealers have been the traditional way of clamping down on the drugs trade. it's estimated to cost the uk £10.7 billion a year. and the new government drug strategy says that approach will continue, along with renewed efforts to get people off drugs. that's what they do at the the harbour centre in london — support people affected by drugs, and help them rebuild their lives. the home secretary amber rudd visited the centre this week. she says her drugs strategy

will focus on recovery. people who are recovering from drugs often need help with housing, they need help with employment, they might have mental health difficulties and in this strategy we've acknowledged that, we've embraced that, i've set out clear expectations for local authorities about working with recovery to make sure that these additional elements are supplied. the 2017 drug strategy is the first for seven years. it says there should be treatment tailored to the needs of drug users. a new national recovery champion will help co—ordinate services. and there will be measures to deal with new drug threats, including substances intended to enhance the experience of having sex, known as chemsex drugs. pa rt part of the problem is that the issue about drugs is dealt with in the home office but not in the

department of health, where it should be being treated. this strategy does nothing to address that. amber rudd's involvement in a new cross—government drug strategy board will give the plans political impetus, but she's set to disappoint people who say drug possession should no longer be a crime. danny shaw, bbc news. a retired television producer has been jailed for 17 years for trying three times to hire a hitman to kill his partner, so he could inherit herfortune. 68—year—old david harris offered two hundred thousand pounds to kill hazel allinson, his partner of 27 years. harris planned to start a new life with his girlfriend, but was caught when what he thought was one of the prospective hitmen, turned out to be an undercover police officer. the headlines on bbc news: there are calls for tighter restrictions on the sale of acid after five people were attacked in

the space of 90 minutes in east london. the hearing of the case of baby charlie gard continues at the high court in london this afternoon. at the end of donald trump's trip to france, president macron has set aside at the sign of friendship the ages. and in sport at wimbledon, sam querrey takes a tight first set against marin cilic in the semifinals. this is now in the second set. stuart broad dismisses her south african opponent on the first day of the second test at trent bridge. england b do four match series 1—0. valtteri bottas is fast this at qualifying in silverstone with team—mate lewis hamilton in second position. i will have the full round—up just after 2:30pm. the funeral has taken place for six—year—old bradley lowery,

who died last friday after suffering from a rare form of cancer. the six—year—old sunderland fan won a legion of supporters across the country, including the footballerjermain defoe, who left training in spain to be at the funeral. the roads leading to the church in county durham were lined with crowds and tributes, as danny savage reports. bradley lowery‘s final journey. the footballing family turned out in their many hundreds to make sure he wasn't alone. people travelled from many miles away to support his family, and reflect how the six—year—old boy had touched their lives. that smile of his was just so contagious. it didn't matter how much pain he was in, he always had that smile. it breaks my heart. we have come from south yorkshire. since last friday, i have collected money for the bradley lowry foundation. i said to my son today,

we need to get up there and show our respects because it has hit everybody. he got some of them, but he never got all his wishes. like he said, i will miss him, and i say me prayers for him each day. bradley had a rare form of cancer. a sunderland fan, his football club did everything they could to make his short life special. but it was his friendship withjermain defoe which was especially touching. they referred to each other as best friends. a super hero's guard of honour saw bradley into the church in his home village of blackhall colliery. there is a growing demand in the area to have a stand at sunderland's stadium of light named after him. his connection and bond he has had withjermain defoe should be permanently remembered and what more fittingly than to have one of the stands named after him? i just think it would be an absolutely great thing and now we have got 50,000 people who also share my idea. the love that bradley lowery‘s community had for the little boy was clear to see here today.

his battle against cancer was made just that little bit more bearable by his sporting heroes, who, in reality, saw him as their hero. danny savage, bbc news, blackhall colliery. two police forces have become the first in the uk to launch a specialised drone unit. officers from devon—and—cornwall and dorset say the remote—controlled machines are helpful in searching for missing people, responding to road crashes, and for crime scene photography. they're also a fraction of the cost of using helicopters, as our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford has been finding out. it's the eye in the sky that comes at a fraction of the price. police drones seemed like a novelty only a few years ago, but devon and cornwall police and dorset police have nowjointly launched britain's first dedicated drone unit, and soon they will have five aerial cameras available 2a hours a day.

it can do exactly the same as a helicopter with their cameras, with the zoom and with the thermal, and it will give us it quicker. if we deal with an incident in penzance, we've got one in the back of a car, we can put the drone out quicker than we can request a helicopter. the unit recorded these extraordinary pictures of a fire in exeter last october, and are doing more and morejobs which previously could only be done with a police helicopter — which costs £800 an hour. put simply, a drone is an incredibly cost—effective way for police to get a completely different perspective on an area they are searching for a missing person, a crime scene, or the scene of a disaster or road traffic accident. and officers are hoping that soon they'll be able to download live pictures from drones direct to the force's main control rooms. i assume the future is if you dealt with a terrorist incident,

like manchester or london, a commander in the future will have a link to see aerial footage, clear photography, clear pictures of the incident as it unfolds to allow that individual to make a clear command decision. drones have already saved lives. these pictures from america show how one, with a thermal imaging camera, was used to track down two missing canoeists. the online retailer amazon has even filed this patented for a futuristic mini drone, perched on a police officer's shoulder which can be voice—activated to help gather evidence. in whatever form, these drones with their flying cameras are about to become an everyday sight in british policing. daniel sandford, bbc news, exeter. easyjet is setting up a new company in austria, to protect its european business after britain leaves the eu. under current european law,

the airline is able to freely fly throughout the european economic area. but there is no guarantee it will keep those rights after brexit. it's now planning to set up a new airline, easyjet europe, which will be based in vienna, and operate under an austrian air operator's certificate. it was one of the defining moments of the second world war, civilians in small boats crossing the channel to rescue soldiers trapped at dunkirk. it was heralded as a miracle by winston churchill, and is the subject of a new film by the director christopher nolan. charlie stayt spoke to him and one of the film's stars, sir mark rylance, who said he thinks the spirit of self—sacrifice is still evident today. the enemy tanks have stopped. why? why waste precious tanks when they can pick us off from the air like fish in a barrel. what was the moment for you, as a director, i suppose more important as a human being, that the moment when you thought there is a story about dunkirk,

well—known as it is historically, there is a story that i could tell? i think, for me, it was myself and emma, my producer. we made a trip about 20 years ago on a friend's small boat. he wanted to make the crossing at about the same time of year the evacuation had taken place. it was incredibly rough, felt very difficult, very dangerous, and that was without people dropping bombs on us. we weren't heading into a war zone. we were just going to present—day dunkirk. the call went out. we have to go to dunkirk. ready on the stern line. what are you doing? you know where we're going? into war, george. these recent disasters in manchester and london, the two disasters in london, have made us all so much more aware of civilian involvement and the selflessness and bravery of the civilian rescue services. where are we going? dunkirk. i'm not going back.

there's no hiding from this, son. torpedo! they need to send more ships. you have made some huge films in the past, but making a film about a real—life event, particularly this event, brings with it, i imagine, extra responsibilities in terms of, you know, what you are depicting and whether it is true, and what you are trying to do. how do you handle that? well, you do a lot of research, you do a lot of reading. you try and get it under yourfingers. what i did, i chose fictional characters to guide us through those events, and that freed me up as a film—maker. i wasn't putting words into people's mouths who existed. i wasn't speaking for people who couldn't speak for themselves. last week i did a screening for veterans, people who had actually been there, on the beach. standing in front of that audience, about to show the film,

that was one of the most daunting professional experiences i have had. christopher, thank you very much. thank you. christopher nolan speaking to charlie stayt. a somerset couple have found themselves getting far more attention than they might have anticipated after their attempts to recreate a famous dance scene from the film dirty dancing were caught on camera. sharon price and her fiance andy were hoping for a knockout wedding dance for their marriage next year and thought they would try out the move in advance. safe to say it did not go according to plan. it is one of those moments in film. jennifer grey launching yourself into patrick swayze's hands, lifted above the crowd during a holiday camp talent show. the dance moves

that created cinema history. so, why wouldn't sharon and andy price wants to recreate such an iconic moments during the first and on their wedding day? he isjust patrick swayze, he has got it all, hasn't he? whether you like the fulmar not, the music and it is what makes the film. so we decided to try something. after a couple of drinks ina something. after a couple of drinks in a somerset beer garden, the stage was set for the couple to challenge their and johnny and baby. you took a run—up, didn't you? their and johnny and baby. you took a run-up, didn't you? you had your hands on my hips ready to lift. next thing we knew, we were flat on the floor. i got knocked out. i had to

have a ct scan. like i said, i was ona have a ct scan. like i said, i was on a stretcher and they put me on an ecg as well. now on the mend, the couple have agreed to pull their wedding day performance. we are trying to get over this first!m will go back to normal! a traditional slow one. safer. time for the weather, nick miller has details. hello, a lot of cloud around this afternoon but many places will be dry, which means where you had showers, things will be changing. we will see that the cloud, somehow brea ks will see that the cloud, somehow breaks over in moving through parts of northern ireland and then into western scotland as the afternoon goes on. temperatures, well, high teens to around 20 from most of us, 21, 22in teens to around 20 from most of us, 21, 22 in warmer must bolton south east england. this evening and tonight then, we will take some of

those are big sovereign across the rest of scotland, into parts of england, just increasingly damp with outbreaks of rain and drizzle towards north—western parts of the uk and those temperatures are holding up into double figures for most of us, with increasing cloud. a breezy badgerfor most of us, with increasing cloud. a breezy badger for saturday and sunday, our big sovereign towards the north—west initially, pushing further east, not much at all in southern england, apart from the odds spit or spot, tending to brighten up here. elsewhere, sunny spells coming through as the afternoon continues. would you get the sunshine, it will be quite warm. this is bbc newsroom live. the headlines: the metropolitan police will look again at the law to tackle acid attacks after five people were attacked in london last night by two men on a moped. a 16—year—old boy has been arrested. the parents of the terminally—ill baby charlie gard have arrived at the high court as the hearing into their son's case continues this afternoon.

president trump has attended the annual bastille day military parade in paris as guest of honour. the parade marks 100 years since the americans entered the first world war. drugs formerly known as legal highs are to be targeted in a new government strategy after the home office reports a dramatic increase in the number of drug—related deaths in england and wales. time to see what is happening at wimbledon and all the rest of the sport. that is where we will start, the first of the men's semifinals is well under way at the all—england club, but the man that beat andy murray, sam querrey, against marin cilic. our reporter is at the all—england club. he can bring this up all—england club. he can bring this up to date. hello, welcome as you would expect, with two of the

tournament ‘s top three servers, it has been a very tight match indeed. we can have a quick look at the live pictures. the first set went to a tie—break which was won by the american, the 24th seed, sam querrey. the second set has not gone as well, marin cilic applying pressure, a couple of break points, he took one of them he is now 5—3 up and will have the opportunity to serves—mac to level the match. a tight contest out on server —— centre court. to level the match. a tight contest out on server -- centre court. the fa ns out on server -- centre court. the fans favourite roger federer is up and the other semifinal, looking to make an 11th wimbledon final in 15 yea rs. make an 11th wimbledon final in 15 years. incredible. yes, this week has been full of records for roger federer, he played his 100th match here, but no record will mean more to him than an eighth wimbledon title, he would go one ahead of pete sampras should he wind the title here, he will be up against tomas berdych, the 11th seed a little bit later, but he has been trying to shrug off that favourites tag, he

was beaten by berdych as he was a runner—up in 2010 on the beta that final. should be a close contest. although andy murray and johanna konta are both out, still some british interest in ill feet unit. yes, there is, he is plainly semifinal in the men's wheelchair singles, the only british girl left in that competition. he had a very good first set, he is taking on gustavo fernandez, the second seed from argentina, he won the first set 6-4, the from argentina, he won the first set 6—4, the second went to a tie—break, was won in fact agreed by fernandez, it has gone into a decider, the argentinian has held his serve, so thatis argentinian has held his serve, so that is a big mach four alcides ewert, trying to reach the final, he will be back later after that match to play alongside gordon reid defending their men's wheelchair doubles title. thank you. things are fairly evenly balanced between england and south africa

on the first day of the second test at trent bridge. the visitors won the toss and chose to bat and were 56 for! at lunch — dean elgar was the only man to fall — out to james anderson for 6. since the interval opener heino kuhn has been dismissed by stuart broad for 34. a few moments ago south africa were 97—2. england lead the four match series 1—0. the long—term future of the british grand prix at silverstone may be uncertain but the build—up to this year's race is already underway. mercedes driver valtteri bottas has set the fastest time in second practice so far. and team—mate lewis hamilton isjust behind him on the timesheets, although he did come off the track briefly, and may have slightly damaged the underside of his car. the draw‘s been made for the europa league third qualifying round involving both everton and aberdeen. everton will face either ruzomberok from slovakia or the norweigan side brann at goodison park in the first leg. ronald koeman's side were the only english team in the draw

after manchester united secured their place in the champions league by winning the europa league final. scottish premiership side aberdeen will meet either apollon limassol of cyprus or moldovan team zaria balti if they get through their second round tie, playing at home in the first leg. that's all sport for now. i'll have more in the next hour. let's get more now on the government's new drug strategy which will aim to cut the use of illicit drugs such as so—called legal highs. figures from the home office show fewer than one in ten adults now take drugs, but the number of drug—related deaths has risen sharply. with me to discuss the government's drugs strategy, i'm joined from leeds by ian hamilton, lecturer in mental health at the university of york, who has examined the relationship between substance abuse and mental health. and also i'm joined from newcastle by karen tyrell, executive director of external affairs at the drugs

and alcohol charity addaction. what is the connection do you believe between drugs and mental health? quite often what we see with problematic drug use is it is a symptom of a whole range of problems, one of which is mental health. but it is not exclusively mental health. quite often it is to do with a range of social factors including homelessness, family relationship problems, financial problems, etc. quite often we see people using substances as a way of coping or mitigating a range of factors. drug use quite often for problematic drug users is a symptom rather than the cause. the

government's strategy, targeting what we have known as legal highs, it is this the right kind of strategy? from our point of view, we think that this is taking the right sort of approach. it is a very well balanced strategy and it is important to us that the government has recognised that drug use is a health issue and that comes out through the detail we have seen in the strategy today. on balance, we are very pleased with the strategy and we are particularly pleased to see the focus around mental health. 70% of drug and alcohol users also have mental health issues and that is something who seen the services we provide all over the country. is something who seen the services we provide all over the countrym is hard to work out why it is that drug use has gone down but the number of deaths from drugs has gone up. can you make any sense of that

for us? i don't think anyone can be 100% sure, but what seems to have co nsta nt late 100% sure, but what seems to have constant late it is a range of factors. so you have a variation in the purity of drugs like heroin. whole raft of things can contribute to that including things the strategy mentioned is like an ageing cohort of chalk users but that it fails to mention is the last drugs strategy itself in 2010 which set the scene for moving away from harm reduction to one which set treatment and policy with the aim of providing absence —based treatment. that matters because a lot of the people who have lost their lives through overdosing on drugs is due to not being in treatment. what we need is

a balancing between abstinence and harm reduction, not one of the other. these should be binary options. it should be an amalgam of the two. the strategy fails to mention that. the nuance or inference in the strategy is continuing on this path of an absence —based approach to drug treatment which is worrying. what do you believe the government and the authorities in general and everyone in society should be doing to reduce the use of drugs or the misuse of drugs that we are not doing now? what steps would you like to see taken? the important thing that the strategy talks about his prevention and education and resilience for young people. there is recognition in the strategy that more of that work needs to happen, so more work in schools with young people, more work about broader range of issues

rather than simply looking at drug use in isolation. it is important we look at drug use within the wider context of people's lives around the mental health, the physical health, whether they are properly housed, deprivation. what we have seen with drug—related deaths is that they are highest in the poorest parts of the uk so it is about recognising that an investing in those areas of the country. while the strategy is fantastic in terms of setting a direction of travel, we need to see that translated on the ground so that translated on the ground so that local areas that are having real challenges with drug—related deaths are also able to invest proportionally more in the drug treatment services because services like the ones we run our absolutely important in terms of helping the sick people's lives, and we need to see those invested in an more resource put into those. the fact that drug use is falling, does that

suggest we are winning the war against drugs or drug use, or do you think that is premature to say that? it is premature and simplistic. if you look at long—term is trends around drug use, they go up and down. there is no evidence the war on drugs has contributed to that. as karen is concerned, they are concerned with the subpopulation. it is not the overall use of drugs in the population that the strategy is trying to hone in on, it is people who develop problems. the very quick and brief statement to run the government's continued intention not to decriminalise drug use. that is clear, and i don't think anyone expected that. although overall use is going down, as karen pointed out, there are people who are vulnerable,

and she explained that very clearly. ian mentioned the issue of decriminalisation, which a lot of people including many experts in the field advocate. where do you stand on that? the legal status of substance is not hugely relevant because what we see is that substances, people who are from deprived areas or people with multiple vulnerabilities, those are the people at risk of developing an addiction, whether that is a legal substance like alcohol or an illegal substance like alcohol or an illegal substance like alcohol or an illegal substance like heroin. on balance, we feel decriminalisation is something that should be given more research and we should be thinking about that as an option. good to talk to both of you and get your views on it. thank you very much. tomorrow sees the anniversary of turkey's failed coup,

when mutinous soldiers attacked government buildings in an attempt to seize control. the turkish government is celebrating the defeat of the coup as a victory for democracy with tens of thousands dismissed from theirjobs. our turkey correspondent, mark lowen, reports. turkey's nightmare was unleashed, as the plotters seized the bosphorus bridge. this man tried to reach it, to resist the coup attempt. a tank approached. he lay in its path, between its tracks. miraculously, he got up unhurt. then, a second. he tried to stop it again, but it ran over his arm. today, he bears the scars of the coup. translation: i came here for the sake of god. to gain his blessing. i was not afraid, and i'm nota hero. to be a hero, i would have had to stop the tank.

i wish the coup had never happened. on the 15th ofjuly, rogue soldiers bombed government buildings and seized roads. more than 260 people were killed. the coup attempt failed. the coup soon became the purge, with over 50,000 arrested, accused of ties to the alleged plotter, the cleric fethullah gulen. president erdogan called it a gift from god, to cleanse the virus of gulen followers. critics say all dissent has been crushed — the government hit back that the real crime was the coup itself, not what came afterwards. they're actually saving turkish democracy, turkish rule of law, turkey's future, from a power— hungry criminal network. 140,000 people have been dismissed or suspended. there is now a commission to look at all those cases. you will see, when this episode is over, that turkish

democracy is functioning, that turkishjudiciary has been functioning. gulen followers were in every corner of society. the purge went wide — far too wide, many believe. some have simply disappeared. this woman's husband taught at a gulen—linked university. in may, on his way home, eyewitnesses say masked men bundled him into a car. he hasn't been seen since. translation: i pray he is alive. if they want to prosecute him, do it legally. not by abduction. i don't believe that he backed the coup. i can't raise our children without their father. others are fighting back against dismissals. protests in support of two academics, on hunger strike for four months, calling for theirjobs back. alongside, a human rights monument is now sealed off — a bleak metaphor for

turkey's plight. the wife of one is herself on hunger strike in solidarity — this in a country hoping tojoin the eu. translation: one day, your name is on a list and you are struck off. your life is turned upside down. you're killed off by the system. they are in a critical state. they want to live, but for their demands to be met. i can't think of the alternative. immortalized for generations to come as turkey's rebirth, it's being celebrated here as the legend of the 15th ofjuly. but for others, it's a painful chapter that's still being written. it has been called the world's most deadly migration route. the sea crossing from libya to europe has claimed more than 2,000 lives so far this year as desperate men, women and children crowd onto small boats in the hope of reaching europe. they're put there by people—smugglers who exploit them for huge sums.

as bbc arabic‘s rami ruhayem discovered, they are using very different tactics. the search and rescue charity hands out life jackets. just behind them three men on a speedboat approach. they want to take the engine from the migrants' boat. we are on a ship run by doctors without borders. their mission is to save lives on one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. on this day, they pulled out nearly 1000 migrants from six boats. the smugglers are often close by. the rescue is barely halfway through but we can see just a few metres away, this white speedboat, probably the smugglers, waiting until the boat is empty

so that they can tow it back to libya to use again. it is highly possible but again we have no idea. we are humanitarians, we are not police. it is the same as when we find kalashnikov on the battlefield, we are not disarming the kalashnikov, we arejust there to save lives. as more migrant boats arrived, the italian coast guard showed up in force. throughout the day, the italian coast guard has been moving around, trying to set fire to as many of these smugglers' boat as possible, both rubber boats and wooden boats. the eu say this is the most important thing to do on the central mediterranean, to disrupt the business model of the smugglers, and this is how they do it. but this strategy is now under attack.

last week a report by amnesty international and this week a report from the house of lords both said that the smugglers have adapted their tactics by using boats in poorer condition and putting more people on them. but it is the migrants who are paying with their lives. those who made it known that they are lucky. this year alone, more than 2100 people have drowned off the coast of libya. i took the risk because i knew that it was 50—50, either you survival you die. i believe that god would see me through. soon, they will all disembark in italy. but the tide in italy is turning against them. other eu countries have rejected repeated italian government pleas to open their ports to the rescue ships. for now, european governments remain focused on trying to seal off the central mediterranean route. some news coming into ours in that

way the acid attacks we have been reporting from east london. there has been an arrest already of a 16—year—old male arrested earlier on, but now we're hearing from detectives in hackney investigating these acid attacks that they have made a second arrest made this morning of a 15—year—old boy arrested at an address in stoke newington, and this is on suspicion of previous bodily harm and robbery. a second arrest in the case of those acid attacks, a 16—year—old male and now a second arrest, the 15—year—old boy at an address in stoke newington

on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery. in a moment, a summary of the business news this hour, but first the headlines on bbc news: calls for tighter restrictions on the sale of acid after five people are attacked in east london within the space of 90 minutes. the hearing into the case of baby charlie gard continues at the high court in london this afternoon. at the end of donald trump's trip to france, president macron says his visit is a sign of friendship across the ages. in the business news: visa has said it is considering offering incentives to uk businesses to go cashless after introducing a similar scheme in the us. it selected 50 small companies to receive $10,000 if they gave up cash and only used cards. the companies have to bid by explaining how going cashless would affect them, their staff and customers.

however, the idea has been criticised by consumer groups, who say cash is still vital for many people. train operators handle passenger complaints and delays almost as badly as they did a decade ago, according to research from consumer group which? it also found punctuality levels on britain's railways were at their worst level in ten years. the group said a rail ombudsman is needed quickly to better handle disputes, but industry body the rail delivery group claimed complaints were falling. the british airline easyjet is setting up a new company in austria to protect its european business after britain leaves the eu. the new airline, easyjet europe, will be based in vienna. the company revealed that earlier this year it had applied for a new air operator's certificate in austria. if approved, the licence would allow easyjet to continue flying within and between eu states after brexit, regardless of the outcome of negotiations. the latest figures from the national tourism agency visitbritain shows

tourists are flooding into the uk in record numbers, drawn in by the weak pound. in the first quarter alone, there were 8.3 million visits, up 10%, and spending up by 16% to £41! million compared to january to march last year. many are coming from china, australia, france and the us. and it's showing through in some company results — burberry shares are up 2.5% today after it said sales rose twice as fast as anyone expected in the same period, boosted by sales to chinese tourists. patricia yates is the director of visitbritain. it is because of the cheap pound? the pound makes it very good value at the moment but it was also because people actually want to come to britain. we have got great experiences here, great service and we are offering a warm welcome all across the world. you don't build a

tourism industry on a weak pound. you have actually dug down and found out how tourists spending. we know that the taylor's love the chinese visitors and we have seen chinese spend grew up in the first quarter of the year by 27%. americans travel around the country. we have seen spent from america go up 29%. what is particularly important in the first quarter is that the benefits of tourism have stretched right across the nations and regions of this country. that is very often the problem, they stick to london and stonehenge. what evidence do you have they are spending more outside the hotspots than before? we can see from the figures, we can see strong growth in wales, scotland. london is a lwa ys growth in wales, scotland. london is always a star attraction but to encourage people to come and explore more of britain is very much part of

our message to the world. do you get an idea of where people want be investing? what sort of things do we needin investing? what sort of things do we need in terms of facilities or accommodation? we are doing a huge amount on just those sorts of things. we have a really good product, very often it is a question of joining product, very often it is a question ofjoining it up, getting it onto digital and online platforms so overseas operators can book it. we have convention centres and business events, real money driver for britain. we could do with more conference britain. we could do with more co nfe re nce ce ntres britain. we could do with more conference centres around the uk. we saw the facilities, hotel rooms, space, which pushes up prices? yes, we see hotels could often sell much more in peak season. the issue is keeping places open all year round to the assets we have used and

helping industry to up skill because you can employ people and train them who are working year—round. that is something we are very much looking at. our next domestic campaign is looking at focusing on younger visitors travelling outside season just to look at that sort of issue. thank you very much indeed. the sale of government shares in royal bank of scotland in 2015 was value for money despite landing the taxpayer with losses of nearly £2 billion, according to the public spending watchdog. but the report by the national audit office revealed the loss on the sale reached £1.9 billion, a lot higher than previously thought because transactional costs which weren't first included. a racist aianb host has been fined $5,000 by authorities in california after she discriminated against an asian—american guest. tami barker cancelled dyne suh's booking, telling her in a message: "one word says it all. asian." the fine was imposed due to a new agreement between aianb and california's department

of fair employment and housing. and olives could be at the centre of a new trade war. us commerce secretary wilbur ross says he's looking at complaints filed by two us olive—producing firms who allege that they're being unfairly undercut by spanish exporters. the imported olives, they say, should be priced up to 223% higher. but lovers of that quintessential us cocktail, the dry martini, can take heart. the investigation specifically excludes those speciality olives, without which no such drink is complete. let's have a quick look at the markets. if you have been following that share price over the last week, it fell 7%. 78%, i'm sorry. slightly better news but not much better is

the regained some strength, 6%. they have got a long way to go. it isa it is a brightening up picture for many of us this afternoon which means where we have had showers, it will tend to brighten up. we have seen sunshine todayjudging by your weather watcher pictures that have been coming in from north yorkshire and dorset. elsewhere, sunshine coming through. a fair amount of cloud around and already, showers in scotland, northwest england into the midlands. we will see a weather system introducing thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain. brighter and drierfor outbreaks of rain. brighter and drier for the outbreaks of rain. brighter and drierfor the east in outbreaks of rain. brighter and drier for the east in scotland and by this stage across the bulk of england and wales. more of a breeze around meaning for some of us,

cooler than it was yesterday. high teens, 20s celsius, but a few spots threatening 22 celsius. this is the picture at six o'clock. as we go into the evening, outbreaks of rain pushing further across scotland and increasingly damp across the north—west of the uk, breezy, cloud increasing elsewhere which means temperatures are not going down too far overnight. onto the start of the weekend, plenty of cloud around, some outbreaks of rain pushing further east as the day goes on, not much reaching southern england, but the chance of seeing the odd spit and spot around middle of the day. some of us will brighten up into the afternoon. but still too much of northern ireland in the north and west of scotland, outbreaks of rain. a little bit warmer, rather more humid. this is the picture through

saturday evening. outbreaks of rain moving from scotland, northern ireland in the northern england and on sunday, this weather front gradually trundles further south. not much rain left on it. a few showers into the afternoon. a fresh bright prep check the northern england and scotland and northern ireland. further south in england and wales, where you see thicker cloud, a few showers around for a time. looking into the start of next week, this is the picture. mainly dry, warming up the bed, the threat of thundery showers in the south at the beginning of tuesday. this is bbc news. iam ben i am ben brown. the headlines at 3pm... two men have been arrested in connection with a series of acid attacks in east london — five people were targeted injust 90 minutes.

the parents of charlie gard are back in the high court this afternoon to hear new evidence for his possible treatment. connie and chris feel unable to speak to the media at the moment but they are hoping for a positive outcome in court later for charlie. the boss of a yacht firm is found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of a yacht which capsized in the atlantic with the loss of four lives. at the end of donald trump's trip to france, president macron says his visit is a sign of friendship across the ages. and in the next hour, it's the eye in the sky