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tv   BBC News at Six  BBC News  July 30, 2021 6:00pm-6:31pm BST

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more than 1,300 people died of drug—related causes last year alone — it's the worst drug figures in europe. why is this still happening? why is this being allowed to continue? why are these numbers up, death figures up again? will be asking why the number of deaths keeps on rising. also tonight... —— we will be asking. cheering gold for beth shriever, silver for kye whyte, as together they make history winning britain's first ever medals in bmx. i gave it absolutely everything i had then, and i was rewarded. oh, my god, it's amazing. pregnant women are urged to have the covid vaccine as the number of mothers to be in hospital with the virus rises — hundreds of thousands remain unvaccinated. england's cricket star ben stokes is taking an immediate breakfrom the sport to prioritise his mental
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well—being. it's confirmed that human remains found in the pyrenees are those of the missing british hiker esther dingley. and warming up for tonight's first night of the proms, as the royal albert hall welcomes back a full audience with no social distancing. and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel: more from the tokyo games, as bryony page wins bronze for team gb in the women's trampolining final. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, has said she's determined to make changes that will save lives — after the country reported a record number of deaths from drug misuse for the seventh year running.
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more than 1,300 people died of drug misuse in scotland last year alone. almost two thirds of all drug—related deaths were of people aged between 35 and 5a. scotland's drug—death rate continues to be more than three and a half times that for the uk as a whole. it means scotland continues to have by far the highest drug death rate recorded by any country in europe. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports on scotland's drugs crisis. it would've been angela maclachlan�*s birthday this week. angela had one of the most contagious laughs, smiles, big blue eyes, and everybody loved her. but, like too many others in scotland, her life lost to drugs. do you miss her? every day.
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because you feel robbed. angela's sister, who is a local counsellor, works helping others deal with addiction in the town of irvine. she says over recent years, there has been no let up in the numbers dying. we have had wave after wave. it's like a tsunami coming to us. how much of it can we take? waves of deaths? waves of deaths. when you hear it every single day, you are consoling families every single day. that's not where i want to be. the scale of scotland's problem with drugs has been recognised for some time, but these latest figures are another grim milestone, showing the number of drug—related deaths here rising for the second year in a row. —— the seventh year in a row. the first minister made a very honest acknowledgement that we have not done enough in the past that is either big enough or quick enough to tackle the scale of the challenge we face, but we are now determined going forward to invest more in life—saving services. and there are new initiatives,
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including this trial, where police in some areas, including here in glasgow, have started carrying naloxone, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. the early indications are very positive. 23 times we've used it, 21 times when using it we were able to help save someone's life. there's no doubt that that's very positive. the scale of scotland's drugs crisis is staggering. there were about 50 but there are only about ten of us left or something. the scottish government has committed a quarter of a billion pounds to addressing the emergency, but this recovering addict who is now a community worker says that money must trickle down. there's always noise, there's always, oh, there is money being invested, we are going to invest in policy, but policy doesn't do nothing. we need to invest in the community.
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we already know these people, we know the problems they have. in glasgow this afternoon, a vigil for those who lost their lives. their families and friends gathered around a provocative symbol they hope will focus minds on the crisis. they say they are no longerjust calling for change, but demanding it. the scottish government says it is getting more people into treatment and they want to ensure anyone can access the services no matter where they live, but make no mistake they are under a lot of pressure here. opposition parties say snp cuts to rehab and other services in recent years have played a big part in the upward trend in drug—related deaths. nicola sturgeon today said she knows what is needed is not words but action to prevent people dying, and she said that is what the scottish government is determined to deliver. studio: lorna, thank you. now, it's been another bumper day for team gb at the tokyo olympics, with six more medals added to the tally overnight. but it was two bmx bikers who stole the show today.
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21—year—old bethany shriever, a teaching assistant who had to crowdfund her way to tokyo, made history as she won gold in the women's race just moments after her team—mate kye whyte won silver in the men's event. our sports correspondent natalie pirks was watching. we're no stranger to british cyclists flying the flag at an olympics, but this time, for the first time, bmx provided the pedal power. beautiful technique! it's a sport of thrills and spills. 0h! the peckham projectile ready to launch himself onto this course. for britain's kye whyte in his first olympics, this race was a study in composure. nailed the start... it's a great start for kye whyte! ..hammer the finish. yes, it's a silver! at the bmx club where his dad was coach, mum was secretary, and older brother a world bronze medallist, the party was in full flow. it means the world. it changed my life,
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changed my family life, ioo%. i know great opportunities are going to come from this. so, yeah, it changes everything. but there wasn't time for british bmx to breathe before beth was off. making the final was a bonus — a medal wasn't truly in her plans. there you go, beth — come on, all the way! there we go! but as the double olympic champion from columbia breathed down her neck, the dream finally became reality. all the way, all the way, all the way! yes! beth shriever, at the first time of asking! on the sidelines, she had her very own hype man. this long course had strained every sinew, and as she collapsed, look who was there to pick her up. good work, beth! good work! kye wasn't the only one — beth had needed crowdfunding to get here after uk sport axed bmx funding after rio. the irony — this was britain's first female gold here. could you have ever dreamed of this moment? to be honest, no.
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i dreamed of coming here, but to get a medal, it's just something else. like i said, it's what everyone, what every athlete, dreams of, but i've worked so hard. i gave it everything i've got, and i've been rewarded with this, which is unbelievable. where's your medal? back home in essex, her proud parents finally caught up with her. hey! there it is! look at that! what this has done for the sport isjust going to be fantastic. more girls will want to do it because they'll see that they can achieve their dreams. you know, hopefully funding won't be an issue any more for girls in sports, particularly for bmx. beth shriever didn't lose a race all day, and that truly dominant performance caps britain's best day in olympic bmx racing history. from no medals to two in five frenetic minutes. from time to time, we all need a lift.
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ah! in the olympics game ofjeopardy, this pair supported each other to an historic double. natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. well, swimmer duncan scott has added yet another medal to his olympic haul, after winning silver in the 200 metre individual medley. he could become the first british olympian to win four medals at a single games when he races again this weekend. but it has been a very different story for britain's rowers — their worst performance since 1996 and the first time team rowers have not won a gold at the olympics since 1980. with more here's our sports editor dan roan. steve is just going to break down. he's breaking down here... for decades, it was team gb�*s banker — britain the leading rowing nation at the last three games, but not any more. victoria thornley in for great britain in five. the latest to miss out on a medal, vicky thornley in the singles sculls. the sixth time a british boat has
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finished fourth here, as the team sank to 14th in a rowing medal table. the british now have got to hold off germany! it is great britain... the men's managed bronze, but it completed the squad's worst olympics for more than a0 years. there's no doubt, we can't escape the fact that the british team haven't performed the way that we have in the last five, six, you know, editions of the olympic games. so, on one level, it's disappointing. i don't think there are many questions to ask of the athletes. i think they have performed out of their skins. this is the first time team gb�*s rowers have not won gold since 1980, despite being the country's best funded sport. and the recriminations have begun. the role of legendary but controversial former head coach, jurgen grobler, who left last year after almost three decades of success, has split the squad. some missing him, others attacking his treatment of athletes. the man in charge now admits britain's at risk of being left behind. i think we've got to make some significant changes to really step up. we've got to look at the analysis of what the other countries
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in the world are doing that we're not doing. we've got a great base and a great model that has given us performances over the years, but everyone else is starting to move forward, and we've got to move forward with them. coming is duncan scott in the red hat! british swimming is another well—funded sport, but it's been going in the right direction. a second gold of the games may have narrowly eluded duncan scott earlier, but his three metals here are more than any british swimmer has managed at an olympics in over a century. the scotsman now among team gb�*s most decorated ever athletes. luke greenbank secured bronze in the 200 metre backstroke, although, when asked, he then questioned whether it was a clean race, after a russian athlete won, with russia still under suspicion following their state—sponsored doping scandal. it's obviously a very difficult situation, not knowing whether. .. ..who you are racing against his clean, but it's something that i think is part of the sport, and, if i'm honest, more needs to be
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done to tackle that. but little detracts from team gb�*s achievements here. with a haul of six medals now, and the prospect of more to come, these have been a breakthrough games for british swimming. after years of struggling to compete with the likes of the united states, they've now established themselves as a real powerhouse in the sport. what lies behind this resurgence, do you think? you know, way back in 2015, peaty won his first world championship. i think the way he does about his business, so professional, you know, it does rub off on people. you know, the coaches as well that the athletes get to work with day in, day out, there are so many that have, you know, constant strive to improve, and i think that means it's so special to a lot of the swimmers. and in the relays this weekend, scott can become the first british olympian to win four medals in a single games — not yet a household name,
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but on the verge of history. dan roan, bbc news, tokyo. elsewhere at the games, bryony page picked up a bronze for team gb in the gymnastic trampolining final, but shock for the women's football team who have been knocked out at the quarter—final stage. here's our sports correspondent, andy swiss. when it comes to the art of bouncing back, well, bryony page is an expert. after winning silver at the last games she spent two years out with an ankle injury, but once again she rose to the occassion. whoa, well done, bryony! a bronze medal, a brilliant result — after such a difficult build—up. i woke up this morning - thinking something was off, and had a little cry with my coach, so i'm really, really happy. - i had really low confidence - at the start of the day so to get a medal, just absolutely over the moon. - meanwhile, britain has two guaranteed medals in the boxing, after pat mccormack and ben whittaker roared into the semis. whittaker, it seems, though, once more than just victory. i want to go back with a gold medal
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and i want to become the mayor of wolverhampton. i want one of those nice chains on my neck, and i'll be calling all the shots. everybody in wolverhampton will have a nice ice grill, and a nice big chain, courtesy of ben whittaker. on the first day of athletics dina asher—smith confirmed her status as a contender in the 100 metres, as she eased into the semifinals. other british hopes, though, are over. in a matter of minutes for lawrence okoye, three no—throws and his discus dream was dashed. the women's football team are also out. after missing a penalty in extra time, they lost their quarterfinal 11—3 to australia. and there was a big shock in the tennis. and he's done it! alexander zverev knocking out wimbledon champion novak djokovic. and for those who wonder whether the olympics mean as much
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to tennis's millionaires, well, his tears till the answer. andy swiss, bbc news. great britain remain sixth in the medal table with six golds and 2a medals in total. meanwhile the olympic games host faces a surge in covid cases, with the country extending a state of emergency in tokyo, and expanding it to new regions. street lights in the capital were switched off to try raise awareness of the situation, yet hundreds came out to watch instead. the prime minister warned infections were spreading at an unprecedented rate. it has been announced that cricket star ben stokes is taking an immediate breakfrom cricket. we are told it is for reasons of mental health. �* ., , ,., ,
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health. the ecb has said he is ste -|n~ health. the ecb has said he is stepping back _ health. the ecb has said he is stepping back to _ health. the ecb has said he is stepping back to prioritise - health. the ecb has said he is - stepping back to prioritise mental well—being and to rest and injured finger. they have offered stokes there. or, process courage and said they would give him as long as he read but this is a really significant loss for england. he is a talismanic figure, both on and off the pitch and it comes after a really testing time for players, this constant bubble environment over the last 16 months or so taking his players —— tickets are on the players but ben stokes has also been dealing with the death of his father. there is an ashes series already in doubt because of the length of time players will spend away from their families and to get the sense that this will drop further scrutiny on the demand on players. further scrutiny on the demand on .la ers. ., ., further scrutiny on the demand on nla ers. ., ., ., ~ further scrutiny on the demand on .la ers. ., ., ., ~' i., the family of a british woman — who went missing in the pyrenees mountain range in november last year say the human remains that were found there are hers. 37—year—old esther dingley was hiking alone on the french—spanish border when she vanished. lucy williamson reports. one last smile captured
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on a mountain peak. a moment of happiness, shared in a message to her boyfriend before esther dingley disappeared from the world. she and her boyfriend, dan, spent the past seven years travelling around europe in a camper van, swapping successful careers forfreedom on the road. the travel blog they ran, charting theirjourney through switzerland, italy, france and spain. esther had been hiking alone near the french—spanish border. on november the 22nd, she sent her last picture from this peak. eight months later, her remains were found here beside a hiking trail. search teams combed the mountain trails for months. last week, one small piece of her bone was found along with animal remains. the first proof that she had died nearby. but with no sign of her equipment or clothing, the story of what happened is still unclear.
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esther�*s family said in a statement today they were distraught. last year, her partner, dan, told the bbc that esther had been a competent trekker and well prepared. esther and i have walked in i do know how many thousand miles together, we get a three month trek. she has done solo treks on her own several times, but she is very competent, very confident. she had all the equipment with her to stay safe. she was doing what she absolutely loved to do. i have never seen her as happy as she has been in the past few weeks. a friend described esther as sensitive, caring and clever, always driven to succeed. a woman who gave up the life she felt was expected for seven amazing years of the life she was meant to have. lucy williamson, bbc news, paris.
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the time is coming up to 20 past six. our top story this evening: drug deaths in scotland reach a new record level — the country has the worst drugs death rate in europe. and coming up: the proms are back and we speak to the musicians preparing to take to the stage. coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel: we hear from the families of bethany shriever and kye whyte as they make history in tokyo, winning britain's first olympic medals in bmx racing. pregnant women are being urged to get the covid jab as soon as possible — as the number of mothers in hospital with the virus rises. estimates based on gp records and public health england data suggest that hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have not had the jab. england's chief midwife says they should do so to protect
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themselves and their babies. our health correspondent catherine burns has the story. at london's chelsea and westminster hospital, an antenatal clinic with a difference. mums to be having vaccines at the same time as routine scans and blood tests. we just thought it was important to have it, to protect me and the baby as well. i was really nervous before i had it done, and then i did a bit of reading and thought actually, this is perfect. kind ofjust want to do - the best thing for my baby. and i was really scared about getting covid. i catching covid during pregnancy puts mother and baby at extra risk, so the chief midwife for england is encouraging anyone who is pregnant to get theirjab. we want mums and babies to be safe, and indeed theirfamilies, and that's why we encourage and urge every pregnant woman in england today to seek some wise counsel, speak to a health professional, and indeed choose to have the vaccine. across london, at king's college hospital, they have about 20 births a day and about two
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of the mums have coded. —— have covid. most women who get covid in pregnancy will sail through and be absolutely fine, but we see a small number of women who come in with severe breathing difficulties, we have to act rapidly, they go on ventilators, have to have an emergency delivery for their baby. and from our point of view, it feels tragic, because these women will now be almost certainly unvaccinated and we know that if they had been vaccinated, it could have been avoided. avoided, because vaccines can make all the difference. since february, 742 pregnant women have been admitted to hospital with covid symptoms. almost all, 738, have not been vaccinated. four have had a single dose, none were double jabbed. initially, pregnant women were told they should only get the vaccine if they had a higher chance of catching covid or had underlying health problems. since april, though, the advice has been clear. you should get vaccinated during pregnancy. even so, the best estimates suggest that in 1910 pregnant women
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are not taking the vaccine. —— nine in ten women. iona's first baby is due in ten weeks. she's struggling to decide whether to get vaccinated or not. she is worried about what would happen if she caught covid but has concerns about the vaccine. because it's so new, i think that's why i'm still hesitating. so i think that's what is keeping me from getting vaccinated. almost 200,000 pregnant women across america and the uk have had at least one dose with no safety issues. meanwhile, though, there are signs that the delta variant is affecting pregnant women more severely. in the first wave, a quarter of pregnant women in hospital with covid had moderate or severe disease. now it is closer to half. catherine burns, bbc news. the number of daily carnivorous cases has fallen slightly. the latest government figures show there were 29,622 new cases
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in the latest 24—hour period. there were on average 28,272 new cases per day in the past seven days. 68 deaths were recorded in the last 2a hours meaning an average of 72 deaths in the past week. the number of people in hospital with covid has risen slightly again — to 5,916. more than 88% of uk adults have now had their firstjab and nearly 72% are now fully vaccinated. our health correspondent catherine burns is with me now. a man has been sentenced for assaulting england's chief medical officer in central london last month. footage, which was shared on social media, showed two men grabbing professor chris whitty, who struggled to free himself. helena wilkinson is at westminster magistrates' court for us this evening. tell us what happened. well, professor _ tell us what happened. well, professor whitty _ tell us what happened. well, professor whitty had - tell us what happened. well, professor whitty had been i tell us what happened. -ii professor whitty had been walking through a park on his way to see the prime minister when he was accosted.
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today lewis hughes, 2a years old and from essex, the court heard that he gripped the professor in a loose headlock after he declined to have a photograph taken. the districtjudge today described hughes as a job, he sentenced him to eight weeks in prison suspended for two years and ordered him to pay compensation of £100 to professor whitty. —— described him as a yob. the court also heard that hughes was unreservedly apologetic for the distress he had caused us to a second man appeared today, 24—year—old jonathan chu, also from essex, he will face a trial in november, he pleaded not guilty to the same charge and also denied obstructing a police officer in the court also heard that professor whitty will be called to give evidence in court. let's take a look at some of today's other news. a group of mps have raised serious concerns afterfinding 56 migrants — including vulnerable children and young people — held in a cramped office in dover.
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they've written to the home secretary, priti patel, describing the conditions as "wholly inappropriate". the home office says it takes migrants' welfare extremely seriously and is working to process them as quickly and safely as possible. an 18—year—old student who worked at the year 2024 and has admitted stealing lan and high vizjackets to allow ticketless fans to get into when the stadium. he made £4500 selling the stolen goods. campaigners have won a legal battle to stop highways england putting the main road past stonehenge, the a303, inside a two—mile long tunnel. the high court ruled that the transport secretary, grant shapps, didn't properly consider the risk of harm to the world heritage site. it's likely the project will now be frozen while ministers consider their next steps. tonight is the first night of the proms at the royal albert hall — one of the highlights
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of the cultural calendar. and for the first time since 2019 audiences will be back, though only allowed inif they have proof of a negative covid test or double jab. people will also be encouraged to wear masks. more than 2000 musicians from 30 orchestras will play every day over the next six weeks as live music returns on a scale not seen in the uk since the start of the pandemic. mark savage reports. music plays the royal albert hall, as finnish maestro dalia stasevska prepares to welcome back a full audience for the first time in two years. tonight, she conducts the bbc symphony orchestra, who will remain socially distanced on a specially extended stage. and how strict are they? we have a guy with a ruler! what's it like to be back? we have been waiting over a year to have a full audience, and i think that we are all emotional,
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and we are going to play really our hearts out with this concert. singing and what's the moment of the concert that you are most looking forward to? just to hear the people clapping and the whole ritual just to start, the silence and the waiting, when the first notes start to play. # rule, britannia # britannia rules the waves... # last year's proms ended on a controversial note for dalia after the bbc announced and then reversed a decision not to sing the lyrics of patriotic songs rule britannia and land of hope and glory. i have kind of moved forward from all of that, and what i really want to say is that i'm extremely proud that the whole last night actually came together at all. and there were some false reports that it had been your decision. well, media has its own way
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of telling stories, and we have our own way to tell a story, it's through the music. singing and the first piece played at this year's proms tells a story of its own. vaughan williams' serenade to music, it was chosen because we really wanted to celebrate music, and really, the whole night is about new beginnings, celebrating together. and when it's all over, how are you going to feel? i think that after the journey that we have made from, during this one and a half years, and that we finish the concert and that we have the audiences there, i think it will feel like a great victory. classical music, dalia says, has a healing quality, something that's never been as important as now. mark savage, bbc news.
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the met office has issued weather warnings and flood warnings as storm evert moves east across britain. it has already caused damage and disruption in the south—west of england. the the isles of scilly were badly affected — some gusts reached up to 75 miles an hour. falmouth coastguard said it responded to more than 20 incidents off the islands. back on the mainland, campsites were badly affected — these campers had to hold on tight in polzeath. this was the scene at a site 30 miles away in perranporth. holiday—makers had to sleep in their cars. time for a look at the weather, here's helen willetts. a good british summer! a good british summer! a little, yes! oursummer a good british summer! a little, yes! our summer storm certainly has whipped up some strong winds, in excess of 75 mph in the south—west but it has been pretty blustery, as the stronger twins moved eastwards. this is the storm, it has also given quite a soaking in
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the last couple of hours, over 30 millimetres of rain falling in parts of lincolnshire. you can see flashes of lincolnshire. you can see flashes of lightning here as well. it is a double whammy. it will move into the north sea as we go through the night, so once the storms have rumbled themselves out, will be left with some cloud in patchy rain in eastern areas, showers elsewhere easing, the wind easing. not a cold night, with all the cloud to start with. but the breeze changes direction tomorrow by that stage it will be a breeze rather than the severe gales we have had today. we come right the way down from the north—south ticket will feel a bit cool for the time of year. but there will be some sunshine and a scattering of showers. it doesn't look as windy tomorrow, it should be addressed, we should have some centring, particularly warm in the sunshine in the south but you can see this weather front moving south, the focus from heavier showers into the focus from heavier showers into the afternoon again, north—eastern areas and actuallyjust about anywhere in england and wales could see those downpours. but it does
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look drier for

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