tv BBC News BBC News April 1, 2018 1:00pm-1:30pm BST
quote
this is bbc news. the headlines: labour must stamp out anti—semitism and rebuild relations with the jewish community, according to its new nec member, the comedian eddie izzard. it comes as labour distances itself from some pro—jeremy corbyn facebook groups featuring anti—semitic and abusive comments. heavyweight boxer anthony joshua beats new zealand'sjoseph parker with a unanimous win to add the wbo title to all his others. if i was retiring on this high, iwould be, like, yes, iam the man, but i have got to defend my throne again in a few months, so i am balanced and we are still hustling. pope francis calls for ‘reconciliation‘ in the middle east, singling out the conflict in yemen during his easter message to the world. (00v) the royal air force has been marking its centenary with a series of events across the country. and the travel show heads
1:00 pm
1:01 pm
1:02 pm
christine shawcroft, who has acknowledged that she became a distraction, but in a statement online, eddie izzard has said it is an important time for labour, and it must stamp out completely the stain of anti—semitism from what he says isa of anti—semitism from what he says is a minority of members. he says it has no place in the party and he hopes people can unite around the platform of hope thatjeremy corbyn has built. it has been a very difficult week for labour. more allegations of anti—semitism in the sunday times today, with comments from a facebook set up to support jeremy corbyn. but labour say they are not connected to the party in any way. some say the leadership has not gone far enough and others say the problem has been exaggerated. earlier, the crossbench peer lord carlile told me that the labour leadership needs to take action. lam afraid i am afraid i think it demonstrates
1:03 pm
thatjeremy i am afraid i think it demonstrates that jeremy corbyn is i am afraid i think it demonstrates thatjeremy corbyn is not i am afraid i think it demonstrates that jeremy corbyn is not to i am afraid i think it demonstrates thatjeremy corbyn is not to be trusted as a leader or potential leader of this country. there are much better people available. and the labour party is in trouble because of his weakness in dealing with this matter and that ofjohn mcdonnell. and this is notjust about anti—semitism, it is about racism of all kinds. it isjust u na cce pta ble racism of all kinds. it isjust unacceptable in whatever political party it appears in. the same would apply to any other party. this is not an attempt to destabilise jeremy corbyn, save where he deserves to be destabilised. ceremonies are being held today to mark exactly 100 years since the raf became the world's first independent air force. it was formed by the merger of the army's royal flying corps and the royal naval air service. between them they had fewer than 200 aircraft at the start of the first world war. a number of events are being held across the country. with me is aviation historian, paul beaver, who's an honorary group captain, for 601 squadron of the raf. the significance of today, how would
1:04 pm
you put this into context?” the significance of today, how would you put this into context? i think this is a really significant day, not only the world's first air force but an not only the world's first air force butan airforce not only the world's first air force but an air force that has over the yea rs but an air force that has over the years managed to get together the technologies and move forward. we are looking at 100 years, so let's look at the next 100 years. we are looking at cyber, we are looking at space, the royal air force has its own satellite, and that has always been its hallmark. it has been able to get the latest technology and find the people. in terms of their people, it is significant because it has never had a problem with people's background, diversity, it has always been part of the message. so it is a real pleasure to wear this uniform, because i am very proud to be part of that huge family of people. 100 years ago, aviation
1:05 pm
itself was relatively young. if you look back 110 years ago, the committee for the imperial, the committee for the imperial, the committee for the defence of the empire was basically saying, look, aeroplanes don't have a role. the army didn't want one, the navy wa nted army didn't want one, the navy wanted to macro. two years later winston churchill gets involved and he says, i can see where this technology can go. churchill was never a technologist but he could understand the potential. we started the second world war with very few aircraft. by the end of the end of the first world war in 1918, there we re the first world war in 1918, there were 2000 aircraft. and then it was cut again. it was nearly stillborn in the sense that the navy and the army almost wanted to take their money back. and then the second
1:06 pm
world war, it made it a national institution. that is what impact has been striking about this afternoon's events so far. aircraft being used in the battle of britain, most notably the spitfire and the hurricane, the amount of development, the speed of technological development is extraordinary. speed is actually the criteria for that. in 1916, 100 mph was a very fast aeroplane, by 1931, a pilot had gone faster than 400 mph. by the battle of britain, 500 mph. by the battle of britain, 500 mph was the norm. by the end of the war, 600 mph was the norm. you can use any measure but it is about
1:07 pm
rapid development and embracing it. finding the right people. inspiring them to do the work. and that is what is so fantastic about the whole organisation. and notjust the work in the cockpit but all the other work as well. compared to the spear tip, which the pilots and other aircrew, weapon system operators and so aircrew, weapon system operators and so on, aircrew, weapon system operators and so on, you aircrew, weapon system operators and so on, you have also got the ground crew, if traffic, the lodges solutions and the royal engineers, and behind them you have got an even biggerforce than and behind them you have got an even bigger force than the royal air force, which is the air cadets. there are 40,000 air cadets in britain. it is an amazing anything. you could actually say you have got the people who train with the royal air force and share common standards. we have a really good
1:08 pm
ability in the united kingdom for this third i mention. and the fourth by mention, which will be space and cyber. thank you very much for the moment. robert hall is at stow maries great war aerodrome in essex. where better to be on such a milestone day for the raf than europe's largest surviving intact first world war aerodrome. during the first world war, squadrons flew from here to protect london from the german zeppelin is, those huge airships that launched bombing raids. it really was in the front line. and then ditch stayed in the front line afterwards. first of all, life aboard these aircraft, for the men, what would it have been like? who do mental and very cold. you can see from the cockpit here is what it
1:09 pm
would have been like. there are no home comforts in here. when they we re home comforts in here. when they were flying long sorties in these, taking photographs or looking for any action, it would have been a rather uncomfortable ordeal. although men in the trenches for life in the air was wonderful, actually, it was pretty tough going. talk to me a little about, the aircraft looks very fragile. it is fabric, wood and wire, but is that deceiving? it is very deceptive because when you look at the construction of it, it is incredibly strong. what they have done is put together manufacturers of furniture, people who make pianos, who were experts in this kind of frame, making sure that the struts work tension at the right tension to enable the airframe to be incredibly strong. they have a cloth. it is
1:10 pm
incredibly strong and agile. so there was flexibility in the frame, but the actual structure itself was incredibly tough. and the evolution during the four years was quick. enormous. we had gone from a very flimsy aircraft at the start of the first world war to really rather robust bomber aircraft by the end of the war, 1918. the royal air force had some fantastic bomber aircraft, long—range bombers, and they were able to carry bombs with a bomb bay. and the eventual decision wasn't an easy one, was it? the army and navy had their own mini airforces and they didn't really want that sudan. there was real opposition throughout the first world war ii and independent airarm. even the first world war ii and independent air arm. even those who came on board were initially against
1:11 pm
the idea of it. there were some key players who took part in that decision. henderson is one of them, who was arguably the father of the royal flying corps. a south african politician who went on to prime minister of south africa. they were instrumental in realising the need foran instrumental in realising the need for an independent instrumental in realising the need foran independent air instrumental in realising the need for an independent air arm. instrumental in realising the need for an independent air armli instrumental in realising the need for an independent air arm. i want to scoot across and talk to somebody from today's raf. you are going to be presiding over the ceremony in a short time. it is a multifaceted day—to—day because it is about remembering but so much more. we will have 100 air cadets here today, raising the raf's standards, as they would have done. but we are going to celebrate as well. we have got a variety of events around the year. 0n the 10th ofjuly, up to 100 aircraft flying over buckingham palace. and we want to inspire a generation. these eight cadets will
1:12 pm
write a new chapter for the raf. we have just been hearing write a new chapter for the raf. we havejust been hearing in write a new chapter for the raf. we have just been hearing in the studio about the technology. is this still... we are so far away from this now. we take a variety of people throughout the uk, through great training we turn them into fantastic people to use and export the technology. if we take this 100 years ago for what it was, 100 mph, now we have stealth bombers and typhoons that exploit the capability of our people. you have a parade to command so i will leave you be. thank you very much indeed. that flag ceremony is due to take place injust about flag ceremony is due to take place injustaboutan flag ceremony is due to take place injust about an hour flag ceremony is due to take place in just about an hour from now. flag ceremony is due to take place injust about an hourfrom now. we will bring that to you on bbc news once those pictures are available. pope francis has used his easter message to call for dialogue on the korean
1:13 pm
peninsula and peace in syria. thousands of people gathered in st peter's square in rome in bright sunshine to hear him speak from the balcony of the adjacent basilica. he said the power of the christian message gave hope to the deprived, including migrants and refugees who were so often rejected by what he called today's culture of waste. his blessing included a call for peace across the world. translation: today we implore fruits of peace upon the entire world. beginning with the beloved and long—suffering land of syria, whose people are worn down by an a p pa re ntly people are worn down by an apparently endless war. this easter, made the light of the risen christ illuminate the consciences of all
1:14 pm
political and military leaders so that a swift end may be brought to the carnage in course. that humanitarian law may be respected and that provisions be made to facilitate access to the aid so urgently needed by our brothers and sisters, while also ensuring fitting conditions for the return of the displaced. the pope began his address to an audience of thousands from the balcony of st peters basilica. translation: dear brothers and sisters, happy easter. jesus is risen from the dead. this message resounds in the church and the world over, along with the
1:15 pm
singing of the hallelujah. jesus is lord, the father has raised him, and he lives forever in our midst. hallelujah. the headlines on bbc news: comedian eddie izzard joins labour's ruling committee after a senior party official is forced to resign. labour denies having any official links to facebook groups forjeremy corbyn supporters where anti—semitic comments have been posted. pope francis has called for ‘reconciliation' in the middle east, singling out the conflict in yemen during his easter message to the world. the bishop of salisbury, in his easter sunday sermon, has said the city has been violated by the poisoning of sergei and yulia skripal. he spoke of the sense of anxiety, confusion and anger in the city, as people struggled to understand what had happened to sergei and yulia skripal. 0ur correspondent simonjones is in salisbury for us now. the bishop said that this had been
1:16 pm
an act of violation. he said that during part of a traditional easter service, but it was very much reflecting on the events of the past four weeks. he said it had been a strange time for the city, people had been left with many, many questions. he spoke of the conflict that appears to be growing between britain and russia, saying the escalation of that with the expulsion of diplomats was adding to a sense of fear among people in the city. he talked of fostering improved links with churches in russia and he also spoke of the need for people to come together and during his sermon he said salisbury had very much been thrust into the international spotlight. there has been anxiety, puzzlement and anger, but people in this
1:17 pm
community of salisbury are resilient. many military live here, as do the people who work at porton down. but we are only beginning to get back to normal. i asked the bishop what the solution to this conflict might be but he said that was a matter for the conflict might be but he said that was a matterfor the politicians. he said the role of the church was to try to foster understanding and ove rco m e try to foster understanding and overcome fear. interestingly, the congregation today numbered around a thousand, which i'm told is 200 up on the same time last year, which is a sign perhaps of the resilience that people in salisbury wanted to show, but during the past four weeks, we are also told that visitor numbers to the cathedral have dropped by around 30%, which shows some sign of anxiety, and that
1:18 pm
people from further afield are perhaps staying away. in terms of international developments, we have had the defence secretary, gavin williamson, criticising russia, saying they had unleashed a tidal wave of lies following the chemical attack here. we have also had russia publishing another list of questions it says needs to be answered by the british government. 0r questions again about the condition of yulia skripal. despite the messages from the cathedral, there is no signs of tension is ratcheting down to any degree. britain's largest teaching union is warning that a growing number of children with special needs are being left without suitable school places. last year, more than 4,000 children with the most severe needs were not offered places. the union has accused the government of "starving" local councils of funding. but the department of education insists that local authorities now have more money for every pupil,
1:19 pm
in every school. 0ur education correspondent marc ashdown reports. britain's largest teaching union is warning that a growing like all schools, here in south gloucestershire, the aim is to offer every child a place in the classroom alongside their peers. but the reality is a growing number of the most vulnerable pupils seem to be disappearing from the system. government figures obtained by the national education union show that in 2016, 1700 children in england with special educational needs or a disability didn't have a school place. but, last year, that figure more than doubled. more than 4000 send children are now without a place. can you imagine the torment that a parent goes through, a parent of a child with special needs, where we aren't educating them at all? those increases in numbers are something the government needs to look at really seriously. and there needs to be a huge cash injection into the special needs, high needs, budget immediately. local authorities are allocated money to spend on children with high needs. recent figures suggest there was a £400 million shortfall
1:20 pm
in funding last year which, unions say, has led to dozens of councils asking for permission from the government to raid their wider schools budget to meet costs. well done. for schools already struggling with tight budgets, it's an added pressure. it would be really sad for me if i ever got to the point where i said we don't want to take children with additional needs for financial reasons. i suspect there are schools and trusts who are looking really closely at the level of needs that a child comes in with and the amount of funding that will be attached to that and making very difficult decisions. mehreen is a special needs teacher in south london. she's worried about the longer—term impact on the lives of vulnerable children. the danger for our children is that they disappear from society. that we are... that they will come to a school to a certain extent, they won't be then able to access the wider community they live in. the department for education says it's investing a further £270 million over the next two years
1:21 pm
to ensure every child has the best opportunities, regardless of their needs. marc ashdown, bbc news. a man's been arrested after a nine—year—old boy from northern ireland died in hospitalfollowing a hit and run in tenerife on thursday. the boy was leaving a shopping centre with his family when the collision happened. he died in hospital on friday. it's believed a car that was involved was found abandoned a few miles from the scene. the foreign office says it is providing assistance to the family. the governor of the russian region where more than 60 people were killed in a fire at a shopping centre last sunday has resigned. aman tuleyev says one of his own relatives died in the disaster. the fire prompted protests by residents who accused the authorities of corruption and failing to enforce fire safety rules. reports from syria say a deal has been reached to evacuate critically injured people from douma, the last rebel—held town in eastern ghouta.
1:22 pm
the syrian army's general command said the whole of eastern ghouta, with the exception of douma, was now under the army's control. lebo diseko reports. this is what is left in much of eastern ghouta, the last few civilians on the streets along with government troops. the suburbs outside damascus a shadow of their former selves. 0n the horizon, douma, the last rebel enclave standing in eastern ghouta. if the government takes it, this whole area will be back in president assad's control. for weeks, there have been evacuations across the area with thousands of civilians and rebel fighters being allowed to leave. now russia says a deal has been made to get people safely out of douma. but forced displacement is what the rebels have called it. they say they've made no such deal. they accuse president assad
1:23 pm
of trying to change the demographics in this area in his favour. for the families ripped apart by the fighting in the area, the hope is that at least they can be reunited. translation: my hope is that my sons, who are in ghouta, get out and to bring my children together, so we all live together. for those who don't leave, syria's army has threatened a full—scale military offensive. and as the war here goes into its eighth year, it is difficult to know how much more people can take. lebo diseko, bbc news. fees charged for children's funerals by local authorities in england are to be scrapped. the change comes after a campaign by the mp carolyn harris, who needed a loan to bury her eight—year—old son after he was killed in a car accident. the costs will now be met by a new £10 million fund being set up by the government.
1:24 pm
the change brings england into line with wales, which scrapped the fees last year. tougher penalties for littering come into force in england today. 0n—the—spot fines will increase from £80 to up to £150. authorities can also use the penalties to target vehicles owners if it is possible to prove rubbish has been thrown from their car. jessica parker reports. hitting litter louts where it hurts — their pockets. 0n—the—spot fines are nearly doubling, with the maximum penalty now set at £150. littering is of course bad for the environment. it's not good for the taxpayer either. the government says keeping the country's streets clean cost local councils nearly £700 million last year. that is money which could be much better spent on other services. we want to encourage people to litter less, but also to recycle more and make sure that they work with their communities so that councils can invest their council tax in services that truly matter. it is also going to be easier
1:25 pm
to tackle littering from vehicles. previously officers had to identify exactly who threw litter from a car. now councils across england will only need to prove that rubbish has been dropped from a vehicle in order to fine the owner, even if it was discarded by somebody else. cracking down on culprits is, it seems, a popular idea. well, there's too much litter around. it's a mess. i think it's dangerous, throwing it out of a car anyway, because of the cars behind you. and just in general, walking around, it's awful sometimes. fines and punishments drive behaviour, so yeah, ultimately i think it is a good thing if we want cleaner streets. adding fines is one thing, what about enforcement? currently, the average council only issues ten littering fines per week. if we are going to take advantage of the new legislation, the potential revenues they can generate, this figure really needs to be increased. but ministers are
1:26 pm
66 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
BBC News Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on