microsoft says it has detected and thwarted a series of cyberattacks from china, russia and iran, which have targeted november's us presidential election. amongst those responsible are the group accused of hacking the 2016 us presidential election. all three countries have previously denied allegations of cyber—espionage. thousands of migrants are spending a second night sleeping out in the open, on the greek island of lesbos after a fire destroyed their makeshift camp. authorities are investigating whether tuesday night's fires were started deliberately after covid—19 tests led to the isolation of 35 refugees the uk says it will not withdraw controversial legislation that the european commission has urged it to scrap. commission has urged the eu is now threatening to take legal action over the new brexit bill, which includes a re—write on issues concerning northern ireland.

now on bbc news... the acclaimed british actor dame diana rigg has died at the age of 82. in 2016 she spoke to hardtalk s stephen sackur about her long and varied career in film, theatre and television. here s another chance to see that interview. welcome to hardtalk. i stephen sackur. my guest today is a great british actress whose body of work represents a paradox. in the public mind dame diana rigg will forever be linked with performances which were almost a sideshow in her long career. i'm thinking of her role in the avengers and as a bond girl. both attracted huge attention but it's in the theatre that she's won critical acclaim and a host of awards. now she has an iconic role in the hit series game of thrones. so how has it been dealing with the fickleness and

unpredictability of an acting life? dame diana rigg welcome to hardtalk. thank you. i want to ask you a pretty basic question because your approach to acting today, pretty similar to the way it's always been or has a change pretty radically over the years? i think it's more or less the same. i did ask a friend of mine who's known me for 50 years, because i'm surrounded by, you know when you're working with younger people of the waves of ambition coming across to you.

i asked this friend of mine, was i ambitious? he said no, you always grateful. and i think thatjust about sums up my career. i suppose the difference is having done so much over such a long period you, i'm imagining, feel much more confident about who you are and where you are going and what you've already achieved. i wonder if that makes a difference. yes it does. of course it does. i mean, i've always loved working. i don't live to work. i've always had a life beside my work. so i've had a balanced life. because i do look back now at my age, you tend to, and i've always had a pretty full personal life as well as, thank goodness i've been so lucky with my professional life. well, already getting a feeling you love what you do. you must. when you started you had to put bread on the table you know

that was yourjob. and now you do it simply because you choose to because it's fun. yes. but also, i simply don't understand people who decry what they do. actors you know, talk about we are children really at heart or we are half formed or really living out fantasies on the stage. it's very belittling to a profession which actually goes back to 640 bc. one of the tropes is that actors are people sort of deeply insecure and in search of an identity. because that's why they're drawn to a job where they can play other people all the time. i take exception to that. i mean not great exception, i just think they're foolish when they speak like that. because i think if you do justice to the acting, you have to have a profound knowledge of the human

condition. and a real self. because what happens when you accept a part is you have to measure the distance between yourself and that part. and you have to fill it. fill it with truth. sarah sitton said i look upona part truth. sarah sitton said i look upon a part to see if it is in nature. and if it is than i know it can be played. so you have to turn that written page into nature. on that basis, are there many parts that you've turned out? because you just didn't believe in them? no. i've generally thought, oh if i don't believe in this then it's a bill of challenge. really? i've got to make it believable. and actually talking about belief, it's one of the most moving things about again, our profession being in the theatre is that people come to believe.

they lend you their belief. they lend you their belief. they don't come cynically, they wa nt to they don't come cynically, they want to believe. and this is great, great gift that they give us. you've talked about the theatre and we will talk a lot more about the theatre. but i wonder in the here and now we've backward through the delete not your career. if here and now too many people is all about a role you have found in one of the biggest tv series of oui’ one of the biggest tv series of our age that is game of thrones. it's full of young sort of, starlit actors but it also has a rather wonderful pa rt also has a rather wonderful part for you. how did it feel getting involved in something that's become such a current cult? i wasn't aware that i was getting involved in something so getting involved in something so huge. i really had no idea. however i was deeply grateful to get the part. and to get such a good part, too. to get the part. and to get such a good part, toolj to get the part. and to get such a good part, too. i really enjoy doing it. your part i

think she is called lady, alina terrell. she is something of a harridan. 0h terrell. she is something of a harridan. oh yes. she's also pretty evil. i'm good and evil. let's see how good at evil you are. a little taste of this evil lady. we have a clip let's look at it on screen. you came to doran because you needed our help. what is your name accident or bar of? look like an angry little boy. don't presume to tell me what i need. forgive my sister come out what she lacks in diplomacy... to shut up deer. anything from you? know, good. let the grown women speak. it's a fantastic little clip because it gives a real sense of your strength and meanness. yeah, but it also down to the scriptwriters. thank you for them for a good scene. well, it's interesting

because on hardtalk i've interviewed quite a number of actors over the years who bemoaned the birth of great parts for women as they get older and progress through careers. have you experience that or is that not your experience? i have truly been lucky. i really have. and i think, and a sense, i've sort of developed and become a better actors as i've grown older. do you think it's because some actors, female actors are too picky? again, it's become something of a cliche almost. and i quote you won brilliant actress scott thomas who says i know all the stories of older women not getting jobs in film can be so very boring but it is it's a disaster. while i think she's talking about film. is that different? i think it is different. and i can't comment because my film career is pretty well negligible. i've

done the odd film but i'm not famous forfilm, done the odd film but i'm not famous for film, my film work. well, we will get to from work because there is one of particular role that you play that has gone down in history because it was a bond movie and everybody remembers bond movies. i don't want to get there just yet. i want to stick with, ina there just yet. i want to stick with, in a sense the way in which game of thrones mirrors something you did earlier in your career which was a another cult tv series and that is the avengers. very different errors, different styles but there is something actually quite similar about the way both captured the spirit of an age. would you agree? yes, i think so. she, emma peel, i do hate the name. i did talk about cliche. anyway, emma peel was way ahead of her time. and the reason for that was that originally it was to fellows. it was patrick mcneely and another actor whose name

escapes me. and he dropped out blackman took over and they didn't change the script. so it was a part written for a man that ended up being played by women. a lot of people said my god this is revolutionary it was a really proper strong and equal part for a woman. that's right. and it wasn't supposed to be for a woman. exactly and that's how it happened. and you took over. you were very young, you paid your dues in theatre, provincial theatre as well as doing shakespeare. suddenly you're plucked out of all that and told you were going to have this really rather glamourous pa rt this really rather glamourous part ina this really rather glamourous part in a new tv show. i left, i was with the royal shakespeare company for five yea rs shakespeare company for five years and i sort of work my way out. two play leads. and i laughed because i sensed i had to broaden myself. —— left. i didn't want to be just a shakespearean actress. the

world of television was there a sort of beckoning and away. and i was incredibly lucky to get in addition and to get the part. for those on the planet we don't remember the avengers and that sort of 60s sort of style that is encapsulated, let's have a look at a clip of emma peel, super sleuth in the avengers and in a very particular get up. let's have a look. give me the gun. back up. give me the gun. its compelling stuff. i mean, obviously i'm not going to mess with you in the studio given what i've seen. how do you feel

about watching that now? because if anybody mentioned your namei because if anybody mentioned your name i think the first imagers conjured out our of the catsuit and of emma peel. do you like that or is that actually quite frustrating? no i'm very grateful. the only frustrating part about it was the suit was, oh god it was uncomfortable. and it took me a good half hour to go to the lavatory and getting out of that thing. peeling it off. i am very grateful to it. and really, it suddenly projected me beyond years of work in the theatre. yeah. i mean, that is frustrating in a way for somebody who loves theatre so much. that you can cut through and reach a massive audience with only two years as it was. 0n with only two years as it was. on that show in a way that many yea rs of on that show in a way that many years of classical theatre couldn't do for you.

absolutely, yeah. and i went back. i think it was after the second year, i went back to stratford to do i2th night. to say look, hey i can put bums on seats. in fact i was doing the two together. i was filming the avengers and doing i2th night. just one thing about that that intrigues me because there have been all sorts of different a nalyses been all sorts of different analyses of what emma peel represented. and a lot of it is seen represented. and a lot of it is seen through a sort of feminist prism. some feminization was fantastic, she was revolutionary because she was a strong, independent, phenomenally capable woman who was an equal partner with a man. and others have said oh yeah but how terrible that this sort of independent woman had to be put in high heels and a catsuit and look so very glam. you know, men didn't have to go through all that. well, do they wa nt through all that. well, do they want hairy legs? you can't... of course it was. if you're playing the lead in a television series and that sort

of series, white not present glamour at the same time as self—sufficiency? i don't see any problem with that. as a very successful actor in your 20s, 30s getting more and more successful, would you say you had feminist instincts? i've a lwa ys had feminist instincts? i've always had feminist instincts where parity of salary is concerned. i think an awful lot of it is... it's a issue today. it isa of it is... it's a issue today. it is a huge issue. lots of lots of campaigns of women actors... while we watch the tennis players fight their fight, ask terraces are co nsta ntly fight, ask terraces are constantly fighting in america about it. i mean katherine hepburn kicked it all off. many many years ago. and it's absolutely ridiculous. is it true... absolutely ridiculous. is it true. . . the absolutely ridiculous. is it true... the chasm between men and women. is it true that you discovered on the set of the avengers that male cameramen we re avengers that male cameramen were earning more than you?

yes. and then when i complained and it hit the newspapers i was dubbed inc. credibly mercenary. in those days, i would be now. you are friends with patrick with tb being paid much more than you ? with tb being paid much more than you? i never asked him. we never got there. i didn't want to put him in that situation. it was my fight and i had to fight it by myself. here's another thing that i'm interested in looking back its wonderful looking at the old footage, we talked about name of thrones. and today's young acting stars in game of thrones are plunged into a world of celebrity. and they become magazine fodder and everything else. it was a different era in the mid late 60s when you do the mid late 60s when you do the avengers. i wonder if there was an element of that for you? and how you felt about the celebrity culture that may have come your way. i was completely unprepared for it. completely.

i think nowadays the young are prepared for it because they see it all around them. they read it in the magazines and everything. i know, iwas very naive, very naive. i didn't know idea. and the fan mail was flooding in. i didn't have a secretary. it mounted up, i put it all in the back of my many and drove around with it feeling so guilty. did you like it? that attention. no first of all i didn't have the photographs to send that which was what they were all wanting to stop i didn't know how to set about dealing with fan mail at all. and it took me a good long time to work it all out. i think people get help now in the sense that may be the studios help them all somebody helps them. i just studios help them all somebody helps them. ijust had my mother. you've also said i like this, he said, when you're acting with the game of thrones cast you sometimes look at them and you think, darling hearts of the young ones, darling heart you have no idea what the

rest of your life is going to be like unless you put in a proper apprenticeship. and ifi sound like an old bag banging on like this than that's what i am. yeah. it is true. do you feel that today's generation of successful young actors aren't really sort of putting in the work was mac they are suddenly catapulted into this world of series. and it is one world but it isn't the only world. i think, what i've always believed is the stage gives you longevity. i think the film, the more film will spit you out ata the more film will spit you out at a certain age, television will spit you out at a certain age but theatre never does that. and they really need to step on stage and discover what they true worth is. through the

audience. yeah, fascinating. talking of film, you say film can spit you out as an actor so easily. but there are certain roles that live long in the memory. i think you can lay claim to one of them. with your role in one of the bond movies on her majesties secret service. which is remembered i suppose partly because it was the only bond role played by george lazenby lee also because your female character, the love interest was actually quite different from most bond girls. it was a deeper character, a more human character and actually ended up with a marriage between your character and bond himself. let'sjust see how you played the role alongside bond. no sign of him yet. or someone saying thank you. thank you tracy. you've got sharp eyes and beautiful. ear lobes. what were you doing

sunday? now i have ear lobes. what were you doing sunday? nowl have a new interest in life. with a sportsman how wholesome. just one winter sportsmen. just keep my mind on your driving. there you are tracy d vincenzo i believe your character was called. was that fun because a lot of women who've played in bond as quote, unquote bond girls get pigeonholed. and i wonder whether you felt you did or whether you escape that. no, no, not at all. really not. no not. i'm trying to say i didn't. after it was quite difficult playing along with george. george was difficult. there is no mistake about it. and as a result he was not invited back. but nonetheless, . .. you mean invited back. but nonetheless,... you mean he wasn't up to a? know he was

perfectly good he really, really was. i think i mean i haven't seen... i thought he was, yes he was good. but he was, yes he was good. but he was just so difficult off and demanding and the producers thought enough. you know, film folklore has it that because your relationship with him was quite difficult you ate garlic before the intimate scenes because... that is so silly he accused me of that. did he actually accuse you? yeah, he did. and what happened in fact it was because i had mistakenly had pate, chicken liver pate for lunch. and they put garlic in it. but i didn't mean to. and i'm absolutely certain that prior to that smuggling scene i actually had done everything that actors do, clean your teeth, chew gum and spray it on the kind of stuff. but he thought, because he was paranoid by this time. he thought i done it on purpose. which i hadn't i wouldn't dream

of. i'm so glad we cleared that up. well, i'm glad too because it's lingered for 25 years. let me ask you about confidence and securities and insecurities and the acting profession. you have said over the years that you look back on the roles you played and the life you lead as a younger actor and you wished you had been more confident. yes. and happier in your own skin. yes. actually lack of confidence is a form of self torture. it's ridiculous. and i forget who, it was either 0livier or somebody said it's you're being selfish when you're being selfish when you're worried and worrying about yourself. because acting is giving out and being unconfident is sort of hugging yourself and a bit inward looking. and i sort of, think i

wasted time not having enough confidence. and is not, you had this wonderful. i guess in the 19905 this wonderful. i guess in the 1990s when you won a host of awards for really huge... that was such a glorious time. i mean, thanks to the director jonathan cantu who my work. one after the other you know my day, hippolytus, mother courage, it was he who put me up courage, it was he who put me up there and he who showed faith in me. and i have nothing but gratitude for that period of my life. because it really was wonderful. and i was very, very lucky. not many actresses get the opportunity to play these parts one after the other. i mean, how it like it was that? well, i don't take it thought is it, it's talent. the great thing that you seem to have done is you've come to a clear understanding that you know, theatre has its ups and

downs and you can get bad reviews and in the end is better to sort of, shrug your shoulders or laugh at them they get deeply wounded by them. yeah, you've got to move on. just move on. have you had lousy reviews that stick in your mind? well, the worst one was when i did on broadway avenue in and eloise and we did a nude scene. keith michelle andi a nude scene. keith michelle and i was that we had sort of,... you mean full on? full on, knickers off. a bit uncomfortable and absolutely horrible and cold. and he was called john simon he was small rather ugly hungarian gentleman who said diana rigg is built like a bright red with insufficient buttresses. try and get over that one. i can't imagine you won't get over that one. how to plate the nude scene afterwards, just horrible. what's beautiful is

you've found the humour in it. so you have collected all these horrible reviews notjust of yourself but many many other great actors as well and you've got this book which has one of the best titles ever of no return on the stone. i mean, it's become quite a thing in itself has an a? yes, it has. the point about bad notices is you, they've got to be funny and mine is. and also to be able to quote them is cathartic. it sort of hobbes the pain to get a laugh at the end of it. do you think some actors are too serious about this? just a bit was up this trait of theirs. just a bit. about themselves as well. there isa about themselves as well. there is a lot of laughter in this profession. a lot. and i think yes, to be too serious is a grave mistake. we are almost out of time. i don't think anybody around the world with the give me and let you tell me

exactly what's happening with game of thrones. i can't. well i don't mean the whole plot but when you go back to film it? this year. in fact a couple of months, i think. this year. in fact a couple of months, ithink. i haven't got the script yet so i don't know it's happening for them do you know if you're going to be killed off? because of so many killings. i know. what they've announced is there going to finish it next year. so it obviously has, it is ending. then you'll find something else. yeah, absolutely. game diana rigg it's been a pleasure. thank you for being on hardtalk. thank you. thank you very much indeed. hello. some warmer weather on the way for many of us to end

the weekend but also some heavy rain over the weekend and parts of scotland. in fact during thursday the rain clouds were gathering in scotland and northern ireland for friday morning. some wet and windy weather on the way. as this area of low pressure drives across the uk. this is how it looks as we start the day straightaway they'll be sitting first thing for the morning and much of the uk starting dry temperatures at their lowest will lear skies in the east and southeast of england some rural spots around five or six degrees. so through friday morning the wet weather will push south across scotland and northern ireland. some of the rain quite heavy, but by the afternoon it's brightening up, a few blustery showers with the sunshine in northern and western scotland. the rain inching into northern england at this into the pennines and into north wales. it's a blustery day wherever you are but particularly through northern england, northern ireland and scotland these are average fees and cost around 40,000

mph or so. south of our rain band is mainly dry parts of eastern england seen a few hazy, sunny spells. high temperatures 20 maybe 21 degrees. friday evening, a very narrow band of rain makes it further slow progress through south of wales and england. behind it's unclear spells and further blustery showers into parts of northern ireland, northern and western scotland. a cooler night in eastern scotland and a milder night across much of england is the area of cloud on this weather front not much rain makes further slow progress southwards. still around on saturday morning for that still capable of producing a few showers or a few spots of rain. don't be surprised if you encounter this. still a few showers in northern island towards northern and western scotland, still quite blustery here. having a dry saturday in many places with broken cloud and sunny spells. temperatures for the most part into the mid to high teens. this area of rain will push in towards northern ireland and scotland as we go through saturday night. particularly in scotland saturday to sunday and especially in the hills

of the west looking very wet. some spots may end up with over 100 mm of rain bringing a risk of flooding. elsewhere on sunday, a surge of sunshine and warmth coming from the south which will continue into monday. that's your forecast. bye— bye.

this is bbc news. i'm rich preston with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. very good to have you with us. microsoft says it's thwarted a series of cyberattacks from china, russia and iran, targeting the us presidential election in november. thousands of migrants are spending a third night sleeping out in the open on the greek island of lesbos. the european union has given the uk until the end of the month to ditch plans to modify the brexit divorce deal or face legal action. at least seven people are dead after a hundred wildfires rip through the us west coast — we report from one fire ground. record high temperatures this last weekend led to this series of fires on the outskirts of

los angeles. they have