this is bbc news. the headlines at midday: dame tessa jowell has died at the age of 70. the former labour cabinet minister was diagnosed with a brain tumour last may — she recently spoke in the house of lords while campaigning for better cancer treatments. what gives a life meaning? it is not only how it is lived, but how it draws to a close. i hope that this debate will give hope to other cancer patients, like me. tributes have been paid to dame tessa jowell, who was a significant figure in the last labour government. former prime minister tony blair said she will be remembered by many for her political talent, as well as her support and friendship. she did everything with the same passion, determination, humility and charm, she was a unique politician, but it was a really dear friend. one person has been killed

and four others wounded in a knife attack in paris — authorities are treating it as a terror incident. france's prime minister says the country will stand firm against attacks. translation: france is determined not to yield in anyway to the threats issued by attackers. our responsibility firm and clear. that's like our response will be. indonesian police say a mother and father and their children carried out the three church bombings that killed at least eleven people. also in the next hour: israel lifts the trophy at this year's eurovision song contest. singer netta takes top points with her song ‘toy‘ — a song inspired by the me too movement — but a stage invader during the uk's performance causes drama at the lisbon event. and it's official — a picture of the queen's formal consent for prince harry's marriage to meghan markle has been released ahead of the ceremony next saturday. and at 12:30, click looks at an exhibition of designs that could shape the way we live our lives in the future.

that's in 30 minutes. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the former labour cabinet minister tessa jowell has died at the age of 70. she'd been diagnosed with brain cancer in may 2017. dame tessa was a leading figure in the government of tony blair, serving as minister for culture and sport. she was also a driving force behind london's successful bid to host the olympics in 2012. the prime minister has paid tribute to tessa jowell. over a photograph of the two of them together, she said: the labour leaderjeremy corbyn has also paid tribute:

leila nathoo looks back on her career. and the games of the 30th olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of london! the words they wanted to hear. london had won the contest to host the 2012 olympics and it was tessa jowell who championed the bid from the start. i am tessa jowell, olympic minister. she went on to oversee preparations for the games and laid the foundations for the capital's

greatest sporting event. tessa jowell was first elected to parliament in 1992 in the south london seat of dulwich, after spending time as a social worker and councillor. she was then one ofjust 60 female mps in the commons. a new labour stalwart, tessa jowell was a popular figure in all circles, but was one of tony blair's strongest supporters. after spells of public health and then education minister, she joined the cabinet in 2001 as culture secretary, overseeing the relaxation of gambling and licensing laws and persuading her colleagues to back the olympic pitch. you do deny you took a bribe? absolutely, absolutely. she married the lawyer david mills, but they separated in 2006 after controversy over his business dealings. she was cleared of any breach of the ministerial code and they later reconciled. tessa jowell continued to serve on the labour front bench under gordon brown and after the party lost power in 2010.

she left the commons in 2015 and stood to be labour's candidate for london mayor, though she lost out to sadiq khan. not long after entering the house of lords, ladyjowell revealed she's had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. she later gave a moving speech to peers about her condition. in the end, what gives a life meaning is not only how it is lived, but how it draws to a close. i hope that this debate will give hope to other cancer patients like me, so that we can live well together with cancer, notjust dying of it, all of us for longer. thank you. applause.

marson tessa was a unique politician in my experience. she never held a one of the really big government departments, the treasury foreign office, but her impact on politics was enormous. everything she clutched, she turned to gold in some way. whether it was advancing equal pay for women, starting sure start for children and our country, bringing the limits to britain. —— everything she touched. she did everything she touched. she did everything with the same passion,

determination and charm, said it was a unique politician but a really dear friend. everybody who was a friend of hers knew that they could rely on her, whatever their circumstances, whatever happened, she would always be there for them. she was a close friend of yours, how did that developers back i read that you want said she would throw herself under a boss for you. my day she was incredibly loyal. but that‘ did not mean to say that she would not be frank honesty she disagreed with me. he was one of those people whose integrity you could trust. she was never going to be playing games, she was the state with you. when it came down to it, there were many times when i was under pressure as prime minister, she was there for me. she would support me and work for me has banged up for me. even when it was difficult and unpopular to do so. that was i think white apart from all her achievement, one of the reasons why she evoked such

affection in people was that you knew she was not a fairbrother friend. whatever the weather, she was there. always there. times of pressure, she must one who really brought the olympics to london, and she really had to get you and other on—board for that. she really had to get you and other on-board for that. when she first suggested that be bid for the olympics, there was a lot of opposition inside government. i was advised we did not have a chance of winning the bid. i remember sitting in the garden in downing street, one morning, she asked to see me. she just looked at me very directly when i was saying, i don‘t think, i‘m not really sure, it is a good idea? she just said, this is a country that should always have the highest ambition. i cannot guarantee you that we will win this bid, but i can guarantee you that we do have a chance and i will give it everything i‘ve got. this is something that you

as prime minister should support for the country. and she literally convinced me in that conversation, soi convinced me in that conversation, so i went back afterwards and said, 0k, so i went back afterwards and said, ok, we will go with theirs, and the rest is history. she then did not simply work to make the bid successful, which it was, but worked to make the olympics successful in 2012. chris is back to you remember how she felt about that? she was in the shadow cabinet by that time. was she still proud to see it happen? one of the things about tessa was that for her the most important thing was that the limits happened, and that britain was the host of big writerly big games, which it was. for her, the fact she was no log in government did not matter to her. she was still very closely involved with the limitations, and she was somebody who did an immense amount behind the scenes, self when i visited the elliptic sweater, she was talking to the volunteers and the organisers, she was notjust

mixing with the high—profile athletes. she was with all the people that are helping to make the spirit of the game special, notjust the mechanics do that. that was very typical of her, and a time she was ever asked to do anything that involved people, she stood out, because it is a funny thing in politics, but can sometimes have politicians that love the people in inverted commas, but not rashly lined people. as i was someone who adored mixing with people. ——. do not actually like people. she enjoyed it, it, they enjoyed being with her. you say people met a lot, but her eyes are bigger legacy is what you did for health. both before and afterwards. what memories do you have of her in that area? in the area of health, before we got into government and afterwards, she was really the first senior politician

that said that the idea of public health, and otherwise how you improve the nation‘s general health, and prevent illness, was as important as how you cure illness. she really made that her thing within first the opposition of an government. in the last months of her life, she became involved in this big global cancer initiative, and was absolutely typical of her. she literally spent all the hours she was able at the same time as obviously suffering her own illness, to make sure that this initiative got support from the government and other governments, and i can tell you from the people in a global initiative, who were involved with her, they were absolutely amazed by her, they were absolutely amazed by her commitment and her endeavour, and her selflessness, because she knew she was dying. and yet she was prepared to give everything she had in order to help people in the future. she famously said that what

gives life meaning is not how it is led by pam draws to a close. now it has ended, what do you think her legacy will be, and her memory among people? her legacy is going to be obviously the things she achieved in public health, shortcoming start, billy the olympics and making it a success , billy the olympics and making it a success, what she did for cancer in those last months of her life, all of this will be big achievements, but the other legacy i think and hope will be that for the cynicism politics, this is someone who additionally hard to be cynical about. she was a committed public servant. if anyone wants to know what politics can achieve, they couuded what politics can achieve, they colluded her life and how she lived it, and how she ended it. as a testimony to all that is best in politics. how will you remember her

asa politics. how will you remember her as a friend? for me, she was one of my closest and dearest friends. you know... politics is not a very easy environment in which friendships can thrive and survive. but she was my friend throughout my time in politics. in opposition, in government, after i left office. she was always the same. she was always true and loyal and decent and wise. tributes for dame tessa jowell continue to be shared on social media. we can speak now to the 11—time paralympic champion and house of lords peer, baroness tanni grey—thompson. thank you very much forjoining us

on what must be an immensely difficult day for you. share some memories are tessa jowell with us if you would. whatever one said is true, she had a spark and a shine in heart lies. she was very quietly determined, and i remember talking to her when she said that she wanted to her when she said that she wanted to win the right to host the olympic and paralympic games. there were so many people who just said, it is not going to happen, it is paris‘s turn. and tessa just brought this amazing approach, there were so many challenges along the way, and i never saw her do have anything that a huge dignity, respect, but you we do see that steely determination in higher, and somebody said, it is not ourturn, higher, and somebody said, it is not our turn, you wejust higher, and somebody said, it is not our turn, you we just see she would not as jihadists amazing ability... her passion for the paralympics as well. she always taught about the

limits and paralympics, it was not an afterthought. she drove home the point that the two games had to be together. she kept that message giving very strongly, even when she was no longer in government. chris noes she was still concerned about the legacy that 2012 hand. she a lwa ys the legacy that 2012 hand. she always cared passionately about sport. even in the last few months, we saw on the tennis foundation, she : 7: round i 71 round to kind of