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tv   Inside Out East  BBC News  February 22, 2020 12:30am-1:01am GMT

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this is bbc news, the headlines: there's been a growing number of coronavirus infections outside china, notably in the middle east. there's been a sudden spike in cases in italy, linked to a bar. the head of the world health organization has warned that the window of opportunity to contain the virus is narrowing. the frontrunner for the democratic party's presidential nomination, bernie sanders, has told russia to stay out of american elections. earlier president trump dismissed as a hoax reports of warnings by us intelligence that moscow was helping mrsanders‘ campaign — in an effort to get mr trump re—elected. a tentative seven—day reduction in hostilities has come into effect in afghanistan, after an agreement between american and taliban negotiators.
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now on bbc news, inside out: east. hello and welcome to inside out. we talk to the women left debilitated by surgical mesh implants. i know that i'll never get my life back. the open university leading the way with space travel. we can support long—term space exploration missions and perhaps use the moon as a sort of pit stop for missions on the way to mars. and a chef taking on a world record breaking challenge. and it's a bit spicy. the stories that matter closer to home. that's tonight's inside out. welcome to the programme.
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now, in the next few weeks, an independent review will be published into the health problems suffered by some women who've had mesh implants after childbirth. at the moment, this routine surgery has been temporarily suspended. well, julie ranger talks to some of the women who've had major health problems as a consequence of this surgery. mesh has completely ruined my life, completely ruined my life. more than 100,000 women have had surgery to treat problems affecting their bladder. 0ften after childbirth. the surgery involves a plastic mesh, which looks a bit like a net fruit bag. and while the surgery can be successful, others aren't so lucky and have been left with chronic pain. lisa woodrow from norfolk used to be a sales and marketing executive, and at the peak of her career she had surgery, which at the time she thought was the best solution to her condition after giving birth. but it turned out to be the worst decision she's ever made in her life.
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i had it implanted in 2012 after having two bad births with my children. i'd started to suffer a slight incontinence and then when i went to get that investigated, found out i'd got prolapse. and the surgeon suggested that i have this operation to cure this. i mean, i was told at the time this was the gold standard. so once the mesh was in, what complications did you get and when did they start? they started immediately after i'd had it, got this niggling pain and i was struggling sitting properly. as a joke at that point. i couldn't walk without shaking. no, i couldn't. from there, we jump forward to may 2015 and i ended up coming out of hospital in a wheelchair. she is now taking 19 tablets every dayjust to stem the pain.
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were you on any of these before you had the mesh? no, i wasn't. they are mainly painkilling drugs. but i do now obviously have an depressant. but i do now obviously have an anti—depressa nt. lisa is not the only person whose life is now ruined. natalie from norfolk has been suffering for 11 years after having the mesh implant. she ran successful hairdressing businesses and even won a national award for being an entrepreneur. these are some scans i had done privately to see what was going on with my mesh. i think quite a few of us ladies have had these done and you can just see there's a piece here showing up on the scan, in the pelvic area. so you say a piece? yeah. is it no longer in one? no, it seems to be broken up. and then these again can attach to any organ or cut through any organ as well. but one of them that is still
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actually just about intact, but it's actually twisting, which is what's causing the pain a lot in my groin. and that could snap at any time. this is what happened to natalie and thousands of women like her. i've suffered really bad groin pains. 0bviously now at the moment, it's affected my hip. continuously still wetting myself. i now have to use a catheter which is painful. her problems are so severe she wants it gone. she is one of hundreds who are opting for surgery. i just want it out. if i have to have a bag, so be it. you know, i'm 52. it's not what i want. but if it cures me and i'm free from as much pain as possible and knowing i'm not in any danger with this mesh inside me, i just want it done.
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and it was these horror stories that lisa feels she was not told about. she says the risks were not laid out for her to make an informed decision. its remit is to make a real difference, leading to positive changes that will reduce the risk of tragic events in the future. but it's not yet known if the government will act on its findings. and even so, for some like lisa, they don't have much faith in the review. if i'm honest, i'm not optimistic. i feel that it's gone on far too long. i'm not convinced 100% that the government are behind us. if it is banned forever, then hyperpressives may offer a solution to some women. in the meantime, lisa, who's had the mesh removed, has noticed some improvements, but she's still nowhere
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near to having her old life back. i'm disabled, basically. i use my stick for getting around the house generally. i have days where my pain levels, if i can't cope, i spend in bed. my partner couldn't cope so i lost my relationship. i lost my house and i lost myjob. as for natalie, she's still waiting for her operation. she's told us that her condition has worsened and she may have to use a wheelchair. i know that i'll never get my life back. never. they've took that from me and lots of us as well. i just want it all back. there are currently more than 800 women taking legal action against the nhs and the makers
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of vaginal mesh implants. and those carrying out the independent review say they owe it to those affected not to rush things and to get the recommendations in their report right. and we should have that out by the end of march. now if there's something you think we should be looking into, you can always get in touch with me. i'm on twitter. or you can send me an email. you're watching inside out for the east of england here on bbc one. coming up: a huge amount of ingredients going into a very tasty world record breaking attempt. if we want to send humans further into space, we've got to find out ways of how they're going to live off the land when they get there. well, believe it or not, moon dust could be a vital source of drinking water, rocket fuel and bricks to build homes. one of the places leading the way in finding out how is the open university
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in milton keynes. here's our science correspondent, richard westcott. all right, now we're reading you loud and clearfrom becker, and we can begin to assemble. one of the first things neil armstrong did after stepping onto the moon was collect some soil. from next to the lunar lander. as you get close to it, it's almost like a powder. 50 years later, here it is at the open university in milton keynes. so that's quite a piece of history, isn't it? i'm holding there. we have to account for every milligram and record it, but then we have to send it back because nasa need to make sure that all of their samples are accounted for because they can't be sold. these are priceless samples. in fact, the ou has been testing
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apollo moon rock for decades. incredible as it sounds, in their latest experiment, phd student hannah sargent is turning lunar dust into water. to show us how, she's using nasa's replica soil because the real stuff is so precious. in five years‘ time, thanks to a collaboration between the european space agency and the russians, her experiment could be happening at the south pole of the moon. it's one of the coldest places in our solar system. they'll be heating moon rocks to five times the temperature of your oven so the oxygen inside reacts with hydrogen they've brought along, making h20. why do you want to make water out of moon rock? yes. water is one of the most critical resources we need for space exploration, not just for the life—support needs of humans, but also to make rocket fuel, hydrogen and oxygen. it is propellant. so if we can produce that on the surface of the moon,
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we can support long—term space exploration missions and produce the rocket propellant. we need to perhaps use the moon as a sort of pit stop for missions on the way to mars. if we're honest, a lot of people would be surprised the open university is doing this kind of work with lunar missions and nasa and the european space agency and so on. yes, the open university actually has a really long heritage of working in space exploration. ijust don't think it's as well known. elsewhere on the campus, an unusual sight. scientists pushing a moon rover down the road. slow over the speed bump. this is love me, a prototype of a lightweight, relatively low cost rover that could one day be driving around the lunar poles, although for now they're having to improvise a bit. the ou isn't making the rover, but dr simon sheridan and his team are building a key piece
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of equipment on board. put simply, it sniffs gases to find water. and it's called a mass spectrometer. here's how it works. first, a drill goes ten to 20 centimeters into the ground. it's like an upside down coffee cup with some nasty teeth on the bottom. and then when it's embedded, there's a central heat rod, which we turn up. and that sort of puts a thermal heat wave for about 4—500 degrees centigrade into the into the regulator. and any water that's in ice form without volatiles. and any water that's in ice form will volatiles. and it will go up the spout into the mass spectrometer, which is this thing on the top here. for years, scientists lost interest in the moon, assuming it was a barren ball of rock. then around a decade ago, something very exciting happened. nasa shot a disused rocket stage at 5,500 miles an hour into a dark crater at the lunar south pole,
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a place the sun never shines. amongst the debris spewed out was water ice, crystals stored in a deep freeze, possibly leftover from when the moon formed or dumped there by comets or asteroids. we know there is water on the moon, so all the evidence is pointing there could be quite a lot. we have returned samples. we have meteorites and they all show they contain water. and from orbital data, there's a lot of areas that are showing evidence of water as well. we just don't know how much there is there. so it could be a very, very thin layer of water ice or it could be a big, big depth of it. so an instrument like the mass spectrometer on the drill on the rover would actually quantify how much is actually there. modern space science is so tricky and so pricey it relies on collaboration. which is why i've made the trip from milton keynes
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to cologne in germany, where the european space agency tests its astronauts and entertains big kids who are visiting. sadly, i am not training to be an astronaut, but if i was, this is where i would do it. it's an exact replica of the european lab that's currently orbiting the earth on the international space station. and this is where the astronauts go to bed. at night. in a nearby lab, another 0.u scientist, professor mahesh annand, is catching up with german colleagues because they're working on the same problem — how to build houses on the moon. so what you see here is the lunar simulant we are using for our experiments and we are putting that inside of the solar oven. we come with the solar beam and we go over that layer by layer, line by line.
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then we put another layer on top of it. and the end result of that is a brick similar to this one. it's quite a specialist conversation. do we really think that the vesicles that are forming is because of the release of volatiles within the minerals that form it? we've seen an experiment to turn lunar soil into water. this experiment turns the soil into bricks. double—figure values in the south, cold in the north. it's like a giant version of something kids have done for years. they use enormous mirrors to focus the sun into a powerful beam. sunlight is in plentiful supply across large parts of the moon because, unlike germany, there are no clouds to get in the way. luckily, it's not sunny today, otherwise we'd be frying. but you can imagine the sun beaming onto those mirrors there, onto these mirrors here, and then up onto that mirror. getting super hot super quickly. exactly. and then these mirrors are doing a phenomenaljob of concentrating that solar power, solar energy to an extent that
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actually they confuse that simulated moon dust within a fraction of seconds to maybe a few minutes where temperatures can reach in excess of a thousand degrees centigrade. the sun beam's only the width of a coin. it's fusing the moon dust together. they then use the material to 3d print bricks. so this is what it's all about. this could be basically a moon break for a building on the moon. exactly. this is it. the point is to demonstrate that actually you can use the concentrated solar energy to fuse simulated moon dust into something solid, which could then be used to kind of make a brick in a layer by layer pattern. mahesh and his team are looking at using microwave power for the same job to work in areas of the moon that never see the sun. depending upon the location,
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exact location on the moon, it may be that actually solar energy might be more useful than a microwave or vice versa. and this is the neat thing about doing internationally collaborative research that you make progress in no time. the key to future space travel is learning how to live off the land, turning seemingly barren dust into water, oxygen, rocket fuel and houses. so the moon becomes a filling station for trips to mars. you might have thought the open university was just people doing degrees from their bedroom. but when humans are finally living on other worlds, it'll be 0u scientists that helped get them there. so from a challenge in space to a very different type of challenge in the kitchen — it's taken years to get this together. and now a chef who's based in stevenage is preparing a dish of epic proportions — or should that be portions?
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east london on a cold winter's morning. this is the london muslim center. and just for today, the venue of a very special challenge in just a few hours‘ time. this could be the place that boasts a new world record. for this world record breaking attempt, there is going to be a serious amount of ingredients. five kilograms of coriander, six kilograms of garlic. and get this — 190 kilograms of onions. there won't be a dry eye in the house. because in here, a rather handy chef is going to attempt to make an onion bhaji of epic proportions.
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inside the stage, rather, kitchen is set and before the chef and his team arrive, there's an advance party from luton getting the giant fryer with ample oil to boot ready. russell khan is overseeing the installation. russell here with the basket on which is where the barge is going to go ahead. is that something you used to take an engine out of a car? well, similar. yeah, yes, similar. lift something heavy. let's say you guys are doing what you say is safe. is it safe? yes. i mean, we've got everything in place. we've got the fire extinguishers there. we've got the fire blankets there, extraction here. so we're good to go. really? while the gas burners are tested, the cooking team arrive and start unloading the huge amount of ingredients, and they weren't kidding about the onions. these are just some of the pier. 190 kilograms of onions. that is incredible. i would like to give you guys a heads up bathily.
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and the master chef trying to break the world record is 0llie khan. i've been working in this project for the last four, five years, and although i did attempt in 2017, i failed and the reason was, like i said, it was just undercooked by about 15 minutes. but this time i'm here to make sure it's thoroughly cooked. and also the current record is 102kg so i hope i'm planning to do 150—200kg. up up to 200 kilograms? one size onion bhaji, the world's largest. and that will be one not just tending by. cooking is 0li's life. he has his own restaurant in stevenage. and, well, i'll do the bragging for him, has a whole host of awards for making some pretty good curry. 0nly is the vice chair of the bangladesh caterers‘ association.
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he also hosts cookery events, teaching others his culinary secrets. you‘ve always done cooking. how did you get into cooking? well, cooking, basically, my father, my uncle, there‘s a chain of restaurants. when i came to this country in 1989, my father told me that, like, learn how to cook enough. then you will be like a good chef, rather than starting in the front of the house. so i started my career working in the kitchen and my father helped me. and then from there i started. i opened my first curry house at the age of 17 and a half, so that‘s my life. you know? there are a lot of onions to get through. 0li has his teeth chopping as fast as they can and keeping a close eye on proceedings is paulina, a guinness world record official adjudicator. she will be overseeing the record breaking attempt to make sure 0li follows the rules. to break the current record, he needs to break 102.2 kilograms. so that record is currently held in bradford.
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so that hasn't been broken since 2011. once the onions are chopped and in their mixing buckets, 0li takes charge of adding the flavors. when he‘s happy with the consistency of the mixture, it‘s finally time to build the bhaji. the massive fryer is now up to the right temperature, 200 degrees celsius. the winches crank down rapidly. the fat bubbles and spits as this beast of a feast is submerged. fergal mullen is a food hygienist and on hand to check the bhaji is cooked properly. thank you. have you ever done anything like this before? i can honestly say i have not. i have been in environmental health probably nearly 1a years and this is a very unique event. i‘ve never been involved
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in anything like this before. fergal mullen is a food hygienist and on hand to check the bhaji is cooked properly. thank you. have you ever done anything like this before? i can honestly say i have not. i have been in environmental health probably nearly 1a years and this is a very unique event. i‘ve never been involved in anything like this before. so you‘ve got to make sure the middle is cooked. what you use for that. so i have to approach the moment or what me which is calibrated. so we‘ll stick the thermometer in the middle. the meadow. once the cooking process is finished. just to make sure that‘s 75 degrees and above. then it‘s good to go. and then that would that would be a pass as far as you‘re concerned? yes, absolutely. after an hour and a half in the fryer, it looks like it‘s ready. 0k. the moment of truth, they said it‘s the right temperature. the giant onion bhaji is coming out the vat.
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it smells amazing. everyone out! only four people. anticipation builds as it is weighed. could it be a new world record? it gives me great pleasure to be here. for the record attempt of the largest onion bhaji attempted by oh khan. i'm happy to announce that this is a new guinness world record. the total weight is 175.7kg. which means it's a new guinness world record. congratulations. a categoric record breaking win.
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i mean, you must feel amazing. yes. i‘m thrilled, i‘m over the moon. it would not be possible without the team. as you can see, my team‘s working with me and we are representing representing the uk. this is the record for the whole world, a lot of restaurants are closing. because of this stuff. —— because of the staff shortages. so there‘s a lot of the things. so i think that record will also help the industry to rebuild. it‘s been done from the uk again. and anybody, probably anybody would be took up the town for next couple of months of the town, top of the world. the rules also state it all has to be eaten, so it was shared amongst everyone at the london muslim center and the homeless. it‘s not only the world‘s largest bhaji, it‘s pretty darn tasty as well.
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one of the best i‘ve had. and if that‘s the size of the starter, imagine what the main course is like! well, that‘s it for this week. catch up with any the programme on iplayer. i‘ll see you next week. take care. bye— bye. hello there. some of us should see some sunshine this weekend but it‘s looking decidedly
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unsettled again. we‘ll have plenty of showers around and some of these will be heavy. snow across the north of the country and for most of us, particularly today, it‘s going to be very windy, with pretty widespread gales. you can see why. the pressure chart shows lots of isobars on the charts right across the country. a couple of weather fronts working their way south across england and wales, lots of showers packing into the north and west of the uk. so it could start quite grey on saturday with the bands of rain spreading south—east. most of them should clear away by the afternoon and we should see sunshine and showers, most of these showers across western areas, the odd heavy one, and plenty of snow showers across scotland. the winds featuring 40, 50—mile—an—hour gusts quite widely, 60 miles an hour for northern england and northern ireland, up to 70 miles an hour in exposure in the north and west of scotland. heavy snow showers will continue to pile through significant
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accumulations on the hills, and there will be blizzards as well when you factor in the strength of the winds. cold in the north but mild in the south, 10—13 in the afternoon. saturday evening and overnight, we continue with the snow showers in the north. further accumulations on the hills and we see a ripple in that weather front, which will push some rain back northwards to parts of northern ireland. quite a bit into england and wales, especially across western areas. milder in the south, cold in the north with the risk of ice. sunday, this weather front will be slow to clear from england and wales through the day, eventually it will do, so it‘s a slow improvement, quite a wet morning, i think, for many parts of england and wales. slowly, though, the skies will brighten up and cloud will come back across southern counties of england towards the channel. also, sunshine developing on further showers across scotland also begin. these will be wintry over the high ground, as it will be another chilly day in the north, mild across southern counties of england. that brief ridge of high pressure will settle things down for a while later on sunday and early into monday, but it‘s short lived.
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this next deep area of low pressure will hurtle in on monday and bring a spell of severe gales and snow. some snow could be disruptive across the far north of england and the central belt of scotland on the monday morning rush. it will transfer north and revert back. widespread gales and severe gales in the north, further south, a belt of a rain sweeping east across england and wales, with sunshine following on behind, maybe or two showers. temperatures 10—12 in the south, feeling cold in the north.
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welcome to bbc news. i‘m lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: more cases of coronavirus outside china — the world health organization warns of a closing window of opportunity to stop it spreading. us intelligence agencies say russia is meddling in this year‘s presidential election, to help donald trump get re—elected. hello and welcome to bbc news. the world health 0rganisation is warning of a tipping point in the corona virus outbreak. it says that countries must now act quickly to contain the spread of the disease.

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