this is bbc news. i'm geeta guru—murthy. the headlines at 8pm — interest rates up again to 1.25%, the highest in more than a decade. boris johnson's former ethics adviser says he resigned last night because the prime minister put him in an "impossible and odious" position over an issue he believed would amount to a deliberate breach of the ministerial code. an independent investigation into allegations of mistreatment in british gymnastics finds that physical and emotional abuse was "systemic" during a 12—year period up to 2020. it's just a monumental failure on their part. which were protected by their part. which were protected by the national governing body of our sport. we should not to be fighting for something that they had the means to do in the first place and chose not to.

the bravery of the athletes coming forward has to be also a deliverer of change. their stories have been heard, and action now must be taken to accept that the failures of the past are being publicly recognised. the third hearing on last year's attack on the us capitol is taking place in washington. witnesses have been describing how former president trump put pressure the vice president, mike pence, to overturn the election results. hot and getting even hotter — britain's heatwave is expected to peak tomorrow with temperatures of 3a degrees celsius. the bank of england has raised interest rates to their highest level for 13 years as it tries to dampen down the rapidly rising cost of living.

they've risen from 1% to 1.25%, the fifth increase in a row as it tries to curb inflation. but inflation, the rate at which prices go up, is still on the rise. it is currently at a ao—year high of 9%, and there are warnings it could top 11% later this year. and if that wasn't difficult enough already, on top of all that, the latest figures show the economy is forecast to shrink by 0.3% in the current quarter. here's our economics editor faisal islam. on the outskirts of doncaster, a hotel, a successful business, grappling with energy, food prices and wages going up at the same time that household income is being squeezed, and now a relentless run of interest rate rises, too.

we've got a mortgage, you know, on the hotel the bank of england have put the rates up, we get an e—mail — going up. i fail to see how hitting a business with higher rates of interest, which gets passed on — itjust adds on to all the other costs. it's just a perfect storm. it's carnage. it's almost like they're trying to temper a consumer boom, but do you see much sign of a consumer boom? there's no consumer boom to temper. outside the bank of england, things seems bright, but inside, the bank's job is somewhat less sunny — to bring down the rampant rises in prices, or at least stop them for lasting for years rather than months and that means making the cost of borrowing for households and businesses more expensive, slowing the economy. so, today, the base rate, which is the foundation of costs of credit cards, loans and mortgages, was lifted again to a 13—year high of 1.25%. but as you can see from the chart, even at these post—financial crisis highs, it's still a rather low rate of interest by historic standards.

and this is why rates are going up, because inflation, already at a ao—year high of 9%, isn'tjust heading for double digits. now the bank thinks it could hit 11% in autumn as energy prices and sterling's fall push inflation yet higher. of course, where it is very difficult is the balance between bringing inflation down and tipping the economy into recession. i think it's quite possible that we will see a period of contracting output. so off target is the rise in inflation that governor andrew bailey has had to write a letter of explanation to the chancellor. it's notjust on this road in peterlee in county durham where people are looking for explanations, too. i would say that every single area is going to struggle. _ so, even the more... the better off areas - around the local villages, they're still going to struggle as much as everyone else is. | it's not just one - category of person. and can you see people cutting

back on spending less? i think they're going to have to. the evidence from here on the ground and increasingly across the economy raises a fundamental question about how many rises from andrew bailey, or anyone at the bank of england, are now required. the crushing effect of the cost—of—living crisis is already slowing the economy down markedly. with the bank saying the economy saying the economy is shrinking right now, the decisions over interest rates are fraught. the everyday decisions of households and businesses up and down the country even more so. faisal islam, bbc news. joining me now is lydia prieg, the head of economics at the think tank new economics foundation, which focuses on social, economic and enviromental issues. thanks very much forjoining us. do you think that this rate rise was the right move or should actually have gone up further? the the right move or should actually have gone up further?— the right move or should actually have gone up further? the bank is treadin: a have gone up further? the bank is treading a very — have gone up further? the bank is treading a very careful— have gone up further? the bank is treading a very careful line - have gone up further? the bank is. treading a very careful line between trying to rein in inflation as much as it can given that a lot of the inflation is imported and it has no control over, yet trying to do so in

a way that does not do really deep economic harm and push us into a recession, which was obviously already likely. in my personal opinion, i would wish to england to be a bit more cautious as this is the fifth consecutive rate rise we have had since december, so while each individual rate rise is perhaps not a huge deal, collectively we have seen an increase of nearly i.25% have seen an increase of nearly 1.25% over a six—month period which is quite a lot. and it takes a long time, possibly up to his much is two years to the full effects of these interest rate rises to filter through the economy. so the bank of england is putting the brakes on an economy that is already slowly due to the cost of so it's running a bit of a gamble. it’s to the cost of so it's running a bit of a gamble-— of a gamble. it's a complex balancing — of a gamble. it's a complex balancing act. _ of a gamble. it's a complex balancing act. will - of a gamble. it's a complex balancing act. will it - of a gamble. it's a complex balancing act. will it do - of a gamble. it's a complex - balancing act. will it do anything to curb inflation, which is already forecast to go up to around 11% by

autumn are the end of the year? yeah, well, certainly nobody thinks it's going to do much to curb inflation significantly. the bank of england itself as it says is expecting inflation of over 11% in the autumn. the bank of england is concerned about parts of inflation that are domestic. it's particularly worried about wage rises and could pay rises start fuelling inflation themselves. i personally think that concern is overblown because if used about the effects of bonuses enjoyed by a few sectors like finance, real wages are actually falling and actually having the following at quite a dramatic rate. so, for me, that concern is overblown and the biggest factors here are the important ones, and obviously we can all appreciate they are unfortunately not going away anytime soon. if unfortunately not going away anytime soon. , ., , .

unfortunately not going away anytime soon. , ., ,, soon. if people are guessing about this combination _ soon. if people are guessing about this combination of _ soon. if people are guessing about this combination of perhaps - this combination of perhaps increased bank loan rates, car loan rates, mortgage rates, eventually whenever their mortgage switches, plus inflation, that people continue to spend less than what is the long—term impact of that on the economy, onjobs? long-term impact of that on the economy, onjobs?— long-term impact of that on the economy, onjobs? economy, on “obs? yes, so people undoubtedly— economy, onjobs? yes, so people undoubtedly will _ economy, onjobs? yes, so people undoubtedly will have _ economy, onjobs? yes, so people undoubtedly will have to _ economy, onjobs? yes, so people undoubtedly will have to start - undoubtedly will have to start to spend less and actually the bank of england is kind of banking on that. if you have got inflation that is caused by massive supply—side problems and you've got demand that is normal, then that tactic they are try to pursue is actually to kind of brain to consumer demand, so supply and enter back and killed her. but that obviously by definition means slowing the economy and the bank of england is forecasting that unemployment is, whilst it will stay low for the immediate future until the cost of living crisis really starts to play out and kick in, it is a dissipating inflation so

unemployment is going to increase quite a bit over the next three years to around 5.5%, and that's even without a recession which of course a bank of england has pointed out it is not actually predicting but lots people fear.— out it is not actually predicting but lots people fear. lydia, thank ou ve but lots people fear. lydia, thank you very much — but lots people fear. lydia, thank you very much indeed. _ but lots people fear. lydia, thank you very much indeed. thank- but lots people fear. lydia, thank| you very much indeed. thank you. and we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30pm and 11:30pm this evening in the papers. our guestsjoining me tonight arejoe mayes, the uk reporterfor bloomberg, and the broadcaster penny smith. lord geidt, the man who resigned as the prime minister's ethics adviser last night, says he was put in "an impossible and odious position" shortly before he quit. in his resignation letter, lord geidt made it clear that he had been on the verge of standing down over the downing street lockdown parties and the way the prime minister had dealt with the issue, but he says he finally resigned over a separate matter. he is the second ethics adviser to resign in two years. our deputy political editor

vicki young reports. he's walked out of his job, and today, we got a partial explanation. lord geidt had previously talked about his frustration being borisjohnson's adviser on ethics. the final straw, though, was a disagreement over a trade issue. in his resignation letter to the prime minister, lord geidt said he was asked... he added that it would make a mockery of the rules on standards, saying... this is likely to be a reference to ministers wanting to extend tariffs on steel imports, a move that could break international trade rules. this isn't the first time borisjohnson has lost his adviser on standards.

sir alex allan, a friend of lord geidt�*s, resigned from the same post 18 months ago. i just felt really upset that christopher geidt, who is a very honourable man, had been put in a position where he felt he had no option but to resign. i've known him for many years, and he's a dedicated public servant, a man with lots of integrity, and he wouldn't have taken this decision lightly. i mean, it's very sad that it's come to this. lord geidt has been dragged into comments and rulings on mrjohnson's personal behaviour, including the funding of a lavish flat refurbishment and covid law—breaking in downing street. ministers say this issue is different. i think it's very important to reaffirm that this appears to be a decision connected to a very specific tasking that the prime minister asked lord geidt to undertake in regard to support for british industry that is not connected in any way to a personal ethics issue. in his reply to lord geidt, the prime minister defended his approach.

to lose one adviser on ethics may be i seen to be unfortunate, but to lose i two shows that there is something really rotten at the heart - of downing street. you know, we don't need a new ethics adviser. - what we need is - a new prime minister. borisjohnson will soon need to find his third ethics adviser, someone willing to take on a role that's brought many challenges. in tonight's bbc newsnight, nicholas watt got a reaction to lord geidt�*s resignation from cabinet minister jacob rees—mogg. lord geidt has resigned over an issue relating to protecting the british steel industry. i think everyone in this country wants to make sure that we have a competitive steel industry which is not subject to dumping from other countries. this is really important.

there are laws in place that have provided for that. the prime minister is backing british industry, and he's right to be doing so. and the prime minister breaking the law to do that, that's clearly what's sort of broken the back here? the prime minister's not breaking the law. the prime minister is following the law. he's going against the trade remedies authority recommendation, isn't he? there is a question as to whether the trade remedies authority has to be followed or not, and that is why no parliament has decided in the past that it doesn't have to. and parliament has the right to make a law because parliament is our lawmaking body. and the sovereign authority of parliament is one of the reasons we left the european union, so i think the prime minister is acting within the law to defend an essential british industry. now, who could be opposed to that? but there's quite a background to this, isn't there? he's not happy... well, we can speak now to susan hawley, who's the executive director of the charity spoltlight on corruption.

what is your reaction to the fact that lord geidt has resigned? goad that lord geidt has resigned? good evenina. that lord geidt has resigned? good evening- this— that lord geidt has resigned? good evening. this was _ that lord geidt has resigned? good evening. this was obviously an absolute — evening. this was obviously an absolute final straw for lord geidt but his_ absolute final straw for lord geidt but his resignation really also shows— but his resignation really also shows how and has exposed how the system _ shows how and has exposed how the system for _ shows how and has exposed how the system for overseeing ministers is not working. it is not really have public _ not working. it is not really have public support and it desperately needs_ public support and it desperately needs reform was of so as you mentioned it, we have had to ethics advisers _ mentioned it, we have had to ethics advisers resigned. last week we had the anti—corruption champion at resigned — the anti—corruption champion at resigned and the danger here is the uk starts _ resigned and the danger here is the uk starts a — resigned and the danger here is the uk starts a little bit like a laughing stock frankly and it could cause _ laughing stock frankly and it could cause real— laughing stock frankly and it could cause real long—lasting damage to our democracy. we have a situation where 60% of the british public don't _ where 60% of the british public don't think of the government is acting _ don't think of the government is acting with integrity, so it's really— acting with integrity, so it's really problematic. so what we need is a major— really problematic. so what we need is a major reset of standards and it's not— is a major reset of standards and it's notjust — is a major reset of standards and it's notjust about lord geidt's

real— it's notjust about lord geidt's real because the bottom line is his role is _ real because the bottom line is his role is not — real because the bottom line is his role is not truly independent. but it's across — role is not truly independent. but it's across the whole board. seven months _ it's across the whole board. seven months ago, we had a major set of recommendations from the committee on standards in public life, and the government has consequently said we will deal— government has consequently said we will deal with these shortly, in due time _ will deal with these shortly, in due time. when we are still waiting for any of— time. when we are still waiting for any of these recommendations be properly— any of these recommendations be properly put in place. now some of them _ properly put in place. now some of them were — properly put in place. now some of them were put in place in lord guide -- lord— them were put in place in lord guide —— lord geidt's robe the chair of the committee said this was very low level of— the committee said this was very low level of ambition and it was not really— level of ambition and it was not really the — level of ambition and it was not really the full recommendations that they made. so we need much greater independence from this role because it cannot _ independence from this role because it cannot be right that ministers have _ it cannot be right that ministers have less — it cannot be right that ministers have less oversight over them than anyone _ have less oversight over them than anyone else in public life in this country. — anyone else in public life in this country, let's face it. and anyone else in public life in this country, let's face it.— anyone else in public life in this country, let's face it. and yet it's difficult to see _ country, let's face it. and yet it's difficult to see how _ country, let's face it. and yet it's difficult to see how you - country, let's face it. and yet it's difficult to see how you end - country, let's face it. and yet it's i difficult to see how you end up with a system where the prime minister is not always going to be the final arbiter. does any other country have arbiter. does any other country have a system of scrutiny where a team of

mps or ministers could take out the prime minister or the president apart from an election with the public votes? i apart from an election with the public votes?— apart from an election with the ublic votes? ~ ., , ., ., public votes? i think what you have in other countries, _ public votes? i think what you have in other countries, and _ public votes? i think what you have in other countries, and we - public votes? i think what you have in other countries, and we see - in other countries, and we see different— in other countries, and we see different systems in different countries, but the issue is ultimately that in this country the prime _ ultimately that in this country the prime minister is the judge and gibber— prime minister is the judge and gibber of— prime minister is the judge and gibber of his own behaviour and his ministers— gibber of his own behaviour and his ministers behaviour. and of the majority— ministers behaviour. and of the majority of the british public don't think— majority of the british public don't think that's right. they think why should _ think that's right. they think why should the police have independent complaints commission, but politicians have no independent oversight. and the committee on standards— oversight. and the committee on standards in public life has laid out some — standards in public life has laid out some really, really clear recommendations. so let's get a new independent adviser but let's put it out to— independent adviser but let's put it out to a _ independent adviser but let's put it out to a job advert, not just the prime _ out to a job advert, not just the prime minister's decision. and out to a job advert, notjust the prime minister's decision. and it seems as though _ prime minister's decision. and it seems as though number - prime minister's decision. and it seems as though number ten i prime minister's decision. and it. seems as though number ten might prime minister's decision. fific it seems as though number ten might not appoint another ethics adviser. they

are going to review the role, how it works whether you need one, we are hearing. do we need one? is a relatively recent thing and we don't have a written constitution as there are a lot of blurred lines here. well, it's not that recent. we've had the — well, it's not that recent. we've had the role of independent adviser since _ had the role of independent adviser since 2006, so that is 16 years. so, the bottom — since 2006, so that is 16 years. so, the bottom line is we do need it. i think the — the bottom line is we do need it. i think the events of the last few years have shown how desperately we need it _ years have shown how desperately we need it and _ years have shown how desperately we need it. and we need it to be as lord _ need it. and we need it to be as lord evans— need it. and we need it to be as lord evans who is chair the committee on standards has said tonight, — committee on standards has said tonight, we needed to stronger and not weaker. so we need an independent appointment process, should _ independent appointment process, should not be the promise orjust -et should not be the promise orjust get to— should not be the promise orjust get to choose who that adviser is. there _ get to choose who that adviser is. there should be parliamentary oversight of that selection process, and ultimately we need this role to be truly independent. so that the adviser— be truly independent. so that the adviser can actually enter two investigations and not get the go—ahead from the prime minister

after whether they like it or not. susan. — after whether they like it or not. susan, thank you very much indeed. thank you. sport, and for a full round—up from the bbc sport centre, here's tulsen. good evening. rory mcilroy made a strong start on day one of the us open at brookline to join newcomer englishman callum tarren, sweden's david lingmerth and americanjoel dahmen in the lead. one of the first players to finish was tarren. he is playing his first season on the pga tour and appearing in just his second us open. he finished on 3—under par, as did mcilroy, who arrived in massachusetts full of confidence after winning a second successive canadian open on the pga tour on sunday. he shot 67, too. last year's winner and world number twojon rahm is i—under along with open champion collin morikawa. britain's ryan peniston is through to the quarterfinals at queen's. he beat argentina's francisco cerundolo in three sets. peniston got into the

tournament on a wild card. joe wilson reports. when ryan peniston says he feels lucky to be here, he doesn'tjust mean queen's. it applies to his life. after all, as a small child, he overcame a rare form of cancer. but what a tennis opportunity. remember this is his first tournament on the main tour, and here he was in the white shirt running rings around a higher—ranked opponent. francisco cerundolo from argentina may not have much on grass, but he knows the dimensions of the court. he kept missing them. first set to the man from essex. the world number 46 would surely improve in the second set. he had to. and he did. breaking peniston's serve in the third game. peniston had prepared words of encouragement, but now he would have to try to win

this match the hard way. he lost the second set 6—4. cerundolo seemed to be getting stronger by the minute, more emphatic by the point. a break down, peniston summoned extra power to his serve, and the crowd urged him to extend the match. he broke back and he found more. this was british interest persevering. this was ryan peniston with another victory keep the magic going. joe wilson, bbc news. i took a lot of confidence from the last match ofjust came out guns blazing. and then the second set did not go to plan and he kept fighting and francisco is a great player. and just managed to fight him in the third set and got over the line and a pretty happy about it. the defending champion matteo berrettini is also through to the quarterfinals, but he was pushed all the way by denis kudla. the italian lost the first set before coming through in three, and he'll now face another american,

tommy paul. the favourite kyprios, ridden by ryan moore, won the gold cup at royal ascot to deny stradivarius a record—equalling fourth victory. it was an exciting finish with frankie dettori taking stradivarius wide, but they couldn't close the gap and ended up third with mojo star second. and that's now an eighth gold cup win for irish trainer aidan o'brien. stef reid has retired from athletics at the age of 37. she won three paralympic medals over a career spanning 12 years. she took home long jump faa silver medals for great britain at london 2012 and rio four years later. her last major triumph was in london for the 2017 ipc world championships. anglin are playing belgium and the women's football and it is currently goalless at around 20 minutes. and i'm sure you are listening to this

on bbc radio 5 live. the lid has been lifted on the world of british gymnastics, and what's come to light is shocking. allegations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse involving many gymnasts from olympians to children at local gym clubs. the whyte review has taken two years to complete. it heard from from 400 people involved in the sport who have revealed a culture of fear in which the welfare of gymnasts was ignored in the pursuit of success. british gymnastics has apologised to the athletes affected and praised the bravery of those who spoke up. our sports correspondent natalie pirks reports. for the last two years, british gymnasts have been telling us of a sport where they say mistreatment was the norm. i would absolutely describe it as a culture of abuse. where weight was heavily controlled. how would you feel if you were 21 years old being given ultimately a baby plate to eat off of? and where hard training often meant

ignoring painful injuries. i was told to carry - on as if i nothing happened and i couldn't carry on, - it was up to me to ring my dad to pick me up to take me - to the hospital where they told me i'd broke my foot in four places. today, campaigners saw what they knew for a long time. jennifer is one of 44 gymnast currently suing the governing body. it is a betrayal of gymnasts in the uk in the amount of emotional, physical and sexual abuse going on in the period covered so hopefully this not being on paper will lead to the changing to happen.

the report lays bare of a culture where apps —— athletes lived in fear. it said the tyranny of scales was coach let an even though british gymnastics had the finances to do so, there was a collective failure to focus on well—being and welfare. the details in the review are at times horrific. it describes how one child was physically forced into splits until they thought their legs would snap and others were strapped to the bars for hours as punishment and some regularly deprived of water or access to a toilet. it and some regularly deprived of water or access to a toilet.— or access to a toilet. it was not aood or access to a toilet. it was not good reading- _ or access to a toilet. it was not good reading. it _ or access to a toilet. it was not good reading. it was _ or access to a toilet. it was not good reading. it was very - or access to a toilet. it was not i good reading. it was very difficult to read — good reading. it was very difficult to read. sport has been very important _ to read. sport has been very important to me in my life in deceit the gymnast had poor treatment and the gymnast had poor treatment and the failures of my organisation, i was able — the failures of my organisation, i was able to speak to some of the gymnast — was able to speak to some of the gymnast this morning to say sorry to them and _ gymnast this morning to say sorry to them and i_ gymnast this morning to say sorry to them and i wholeheartedly apologise. the report _ them and i wholeheartedly apologise. the report goes back to 2008. before then, only three gymnastics metals

have been one of the olympics was up in the last four olympic games, though, with more than £38 million from you case for a loan, britain has "4, but at what cost? to give except now that sports are prioritised metals over welfare and have uk score and for england and complicit that? we have uk score and for england and complicit that?— have uk score and for england and complicit that? we do not accept the notion that there _ complicit that? we do not accept the notion that there has _ complicit that? we do not accept the notion that there has been _ complicit that? we do not accept the notion that there has been a - notion that there has been a priority— notion that there has been a priority across _ notion that there has been a priority across the _ notion that there has been a priority across the system i notion that there has been al priority across the system for metals over— priority across the system for metals over other _ priority across the system for metals over other things. - priority across the system for l metals over other things. what priority across the system for. metals over other things. what i accept _ metals over other things. what i accept is — metals over other things. what i accept is that _ metals over other things. what i accept is that the _ metals over other things. what i accept is that the experiences i metals over other things. what i accept is that the experiences ofj accept is that the experiences of the gymnasts _ accept is that the experiences of the gymnasts that _ accept is that the experiences of the gymnasts that have - accept is that the experiences of the gymnasts that have come i accept is that the experiences of- the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing. — the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and _ the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and one _ the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and one case - the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and one case of- the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and one case of abusej are harrowing, and one case of abuse is one _ are harrowing, and one case of abuse is one too— are harrowing, and one case of abuse is one too many _ are harrowing, and one case of abuse is one too many-— is one too many. gymnasts are used to de in: is one too many. gymnasts are used to defying gravity. — is one too many. gymnasts are used to defying gravity, defined _ is one too many. gymnasts are used to defying gravity, defined the - to defying gravity, defined the aduu to defying gravity, defined the adult agreement to protect it was not something they ever wanted to do. all eyes will now be on whether british gymnast natchez can really deliver the change to sport so needs.

new figures show the health service in england is still under intense pressure as the country recovers from the pandemic. the number of people waiting for a routine operation climbed to nearly 6.5 million in may. that's one in every nine people in england and the highest since records began in 2007. but the nhs says there are signs of progress with a fall in the number of people waiting more than two years. in a&e, 73% of people were seen within four hours. that is up slightly on last month, but below the 95% target. ambulances in england took an average of a0 minutes last month to respond to emergency calls such as strokes or heart attacks. that's better than the previous month, but still more than twice the target of 18 minutes. our health editor hugh pym has more. ken, who was 9a and in good health for his age, died after waiting more than five hours for an ambulance. he'd fallen in the night, and the bbc has seen transcripts of his 999 calls. the words are spoken by actors.

an ambulance finally got to ken's house but he was unconscious and he died later that afternoon in hospital. south western ambulance trust later offered sincere condolences to his family and said delays handing over patients to busy hospitals meant it was taking too long to get to other patients. gloucestershire hospitals trust said health systems were under intense pressure with unrelenting demand. he was looking for the ambulance that never came. ken's sonjerry told my colleague jim reed he wants to know whether he might have survived if paramedics had got there quicker. he was on his own, and he knew he was on his own. and he must have felt abandoned, you know? you know, alone on his bedroom floor.

that's most troubling part of it for me. it's emerged today that a patient died after waiting more than two hours in the back of an ambulance at one of england's busiest a&e departments, leicester royal infirmary. the hospital said the patient unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest and their thoughts were with the family. handover delays are, of course, part of a wider picture, reflecting the huge strain on hospitals and social care. the emergency department is full because the hospital's full, and the hospital's full because staff are not able to discharge patients who would otherwise be ready to, either back to their own home or to social care or other community services because they, in turn, are full, and we've seen real pressures in social care over the last few years that have meant that we've got less social care available than we had in the past. nhs england said thousands of patients were spending more time in hospital than needed. the department of health said extra funding had been allocated to ambulance services, but a health

safety watchdog has called for an immediate strategic national response to address patient safety issues. hugh pym, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with elizabeth rizzini. hello there. warm, dry, plenty of sunshine again today across england and wales. cloudier and cooler for the north and the west. and it's for scotland and northern ireland where our approaching weather front overnight tonight will give us persistent heavy rain and some strong gusty winds for a time as well. uncomfortable for sleeping for many. further south, it will start to feel rather muggy. lows of around 15—16 degrees celsius into tomorrow morning. and then tomorrow, our cold front sinks southwards. it's a weakening feature, so that rain quite light and patchy by the time it reaches northern england through the afternoon. sunny spells and some fresher air digging in behind. but, of course, it's all about the heat tomorrow. across england and wales, those temperatures are really building. 32, maybe 33 degrees celsius likely for london and east anglia. watch out for quite a lot of low cloud towards south—western england, for coastal areas and possibly

for south wales as well. along with all that sunshine, very high pollen levels. the heat won't last. there'll be a thundery breakdown over the weekend. hello this is bbc news. the headlines... interest rates and began to one and a quarter percent, the highest in more than a decade. borisjohnson's from her ethics adviser says he resigned last night because the prime minister put him in an impossible and odious position over an issue he believed would match up to a deliberate breach of the ministerial code. independent investigation to british gymnastics finds that physical and emotional abuse was systemic during a 12 year period up to 2020. last year's attack on the us capitol is taking

place in washington, witnesses explain how former presidentjohn puts pressure on the vice president, mike pence, to overturn the election results. hot and getting even hotter, britton's heatwave expected to peak tomorrow at temperatures of 3a sunak celsius. russia's foreign minister, sergei lavrov, has told the bbc that russia did not invade ukraine and he repeated the kremlin's line that there is no war, just a "special military operation." mr lavrov, who's been at vladamir putin's side for almost two decades, criticised the uk for its policy towards russia, telling our russia editor steve rosenberg that it would be an understatement to say russia's relations with the uk are "bad". it was the first time sergei lavrov had agreed to meet since moscow launched its offensive in ukraine. russia's government has created a parallel reality. invasion, what invasion? we did not invade ukraine.

we declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the west that dragging ukraine into nato was a criminal act. russia's special operation has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths in ukraine. moscow claims it's protecting russian speakers and fighting nazis. i quoted a un report about a ukrainian village where russian soldiers had forced hundreds of people including 7a children to spend a month in a basement with no toilet, no water. ten people have died. is that fighting nazis i asked? unfortunately it's a great pity

but international diplomats including the un high commissioner for human rights, the un secretary—general, and other un representatives, are being put under pressure by the west. and very often they are being used to amplify fake news spread by the west. so you're saying that the russia is squeaky clean? no, russia is not squeaky clean. russia is what it is. and we are not ashamed of showing who we are. and what of the two british men sentenced to death by a russian proxy court in rebel held eastern ukraine? sean and aidan had been fighting for ukraine. i tell mr lavrov that in the eyes of the west of russia is responsible for their fate. i am not interested in the eyes of the west at all. i am only interested in international law. according to international law mercenaries are not

recognized as combatants. but they are not mercenaries, they served in the ukrainian army. they should be decided by a court. and on uk russian relations, no expectation of an improvement. i don't think there's any room for maneuvering any more because both borisjohnson and liz truss can say openly that we should defeat russia and we should force russia to its knees. go on then, do it. and that sounds more like a threat than an invitation. meanwhile, the leaders of germany, france, italy and romania have been visiting kiev today in a show of european solidarity for ukraine. president zelensky used the visit to underline the need for greater support, giving the leaders a "full package" of sanction proposals against russia. the kremlin has dismissed the visit

— saying the focus on weapons was "useless" and would only "prolong people's suffering". here's president zelensky and the italian and german leaders speaking at a news conference earlier. translation: we are ready to work for our state to become a full- member of the european union. ukrainians have already earned the right to get on this path and get this candidate status. translation: we are at a turning point in our history. _ the ukrainian people defend every day the values of democracy and freedom that underpinned the european product, our product. we cannot wait. we cannot delay this process. translation: ladies and gentlemen, my colleagues and i have come - to kyiv today with a clear message. ukraine belongs to l the european family. there's also been a nato meeting of defence ministers, with ukraine high on the agenda.

the uk defence secretary ben wallace said that "the momentum is still in ukraine's favour" in its fight against russia. russia is consistently failing in its objectives. didn't take kyiv, hasn't taken odesa, has managed to basically —— didn't take kyiv, hasn't taken odesa, has not managed to basically occupy the east of ukraine. it is costing lots and lots of its resource, of its people, of its own momentum to even make small advances. now, doesn't need to say that that big russian war machine is going backwards, but it is not advancing according to its plan. you know, armies in the field is huge amounts of resource, morale is low, generals keep either being killed or indeed being replaced, often in the russian system. and i think, you know, if you are put in setting back in moscow, you'd ask yourself exactly what he's got for all of that sacrifice of the russian people, as he would see it, and for all the loss of international reputation. i think the momentum is still in ukraine's favour. they are the defenders,

they do have the moral component, the vital moral component and now the heavier equipment that the west is providing than in the file to starting to come in the country and online. russians can mass some huge numbers of artillery in concentration of forces, but what we do see is where they match that, they mask the amount that i would never see as an infant tier. they would've been usually massed artillery for taking across roads without any particular massive advantage to them. and i think that's the problem they have as they are expending a huge amount for a tiny advance, but they can do it, they are very big as an armed force. but of course they are losing people and doing so themselves. in some of the pockets, we saw a 20 to one out gunned artillery tubes, that's not to say personnel, but, of course come ukrainians keep moving or they are nimble or indeed the uabs or drones take out some of that commander control, then all that artillery means

nothing if it is deafened in a blind. ukraine has said, one of the president's advisers has said that ukraine is losing 200 soldiers a day, killed in the donbas at the moment. do you think that figure is right? do you think it's sustainable? i'm not going to argue the ukrainian �*s public losses. i think they have taken significant casualties. you know, that is the nation of the russian war machine. it is ruthless, it is merciless and it is mass. and that is why it's always important in our line of work are supported. we have alliances, but also, you know, i think it is still possible for the ukrainians to push that back because ultimately, what we are assisting them with is notjust equipment but training, making sure that we can bring in that deep fires capability, which is now writing, and use that to place russia back so they can't do so much harm. new figures show the health service in england is still under

the actor kevin spacey has appeared in court in london, charged with sexually assaulting three men. he was granted unconditional bail at westminster magistrates court, where he didn't enter a plea, though his lawyer said he strenuously denies the charges. lucy manning has more. kevin spacey is used to the cameras, the attention, but usually at film premieres on the red carpet meeting fans. this was altogether different as the actor was jostled into court at westminster magistrates courts charged with five sexual offenses. the court heard mr spacey had returned voluntarily from america to attend this first hearing. standing in the dock, he gave his name as kevin spacey fowler and confirmed his date of birth and london address. the charges he is facing were read out. he's accused during a period when he was artistic director of the old vic theatre in london of four sexual assaults on three men and accused of causing

a man to engage in sexual activity without consent. the oscar winner is accused over an eight—year period from 2005 with sexual assaults on men in london and gloucestershire. the hearing today lasted just half an hour. kevin spacey has a way with words, but said very little during his court appearance. he wasn't asked to plead guilty or not guilty, but his lawyer told the court he strenuously denies any or all criminality. the actor was allowed out on unconditional bail. the judge said he cooperated with four days of questioning in america and there wasn't a real risk he'd failed to return to the us. he must come to the uk in a month for another court appearance. his lawyer said the actor would establish his innocence. lucy manning, bbc news. the transport secretary, grant shapps, has described

the planned rmt strikes as "an incredible act of self—harm". half of britain's rail lines will be closed during stoppages next tuesday, thursday and saturday in a dispute about pay and conditions. mr shapps said the strikes were designed to inflict damage at the worst possible time. the railway, just beginning to recoverfrom the pandemic, and we're on the verge of a national strike. these strikes are not only a bid to derail reforms that are critical to the network's future and designed to inflict damage at the worst possible time, but they're also an incredible act of self—harm by the union leadership. make no mistake, unlock the past 25 years, when rising passenger demand year after year was taken for granted by the industry, today, the railway is in a fight. it's not only competing against other forms of public and private transport,

it's in a battle with zoom and teams and remote working. in case the unions haven't noticed, the world has changed. many commuters, who three years ago had no alternative but to take the train, today have the option of not travelling at all. wave them goodbye and we'll endanger the jobs of thousands of rail workers — the last thing the railways should be doing right now. it's alienating its passengers and the freight customers with long and damaging strikes. unions claim these strikes are about a pay freeze. this is wrong. we're not imposing a pay freeze now covid is in the past. so i say to the workforce, your union bosses have driven you to the verge of a national strike under false pretences. and rather than protect your jobs, they are actually threatening yourjobs.

mick lynch, general secretary of the rmt union has responded. he said...

that is the statement from the rmt and response which grants chaps said. —— wedges subtract —— persuade mike pence not to ratify the results in the 2020 election. speaking at the income of the chairman of the generated six committee spoke about mike pence's courage when he refused donald trump's request to overturn the election. our democracy came dangerously close to catastrophe. that courage put him in tremendous danger. when mike pence made it clear that he wouldn't give in to donald trump's scheme, donald trump turned the mob on him, a mob that was chanting "hang mike pence", a mob that had built a hangman's gallows just outside the capitol.

thanks in part to mike pence, our democracy withstood donald trump's scheme and the violence of january 6th, but the danger hasn't receded. for more on this, i'm joined now by our washington correspondent nomia iqbal. tell us a bit more about what we have been hearing today.- tell us a bit more about what we have been hearing today. today we reall not have been hearing today. today we really got a — have been hearing today. today we really got a sense _ have been hearing today. today we really got a sense of— have been hearing today. today we really got a sense of that _ have been hearing today. today we really got a sense of that pressure | really got a sense of that pressure that the vice president was under to overturn the election results, not just pressure but the abuse he faced by donald trump when he would not go along with the plan. a while ago we had a bit of testimony from the event that trump, the eldest daughter of donald trump who has already given prerecorded evidence and said in the morning ofjanuary the 6th, herfather and mike pence had conversation that was heated. another witness in that room has also given evidence in which they said they overheard donald trump, mike pence a wind and another slayer

and basically saying to them that he made a mistake choosing him as vice president. so the committee is really painting a picture using footage, using the c5 testimony from two republicans and also prerecorded evidence as well from another. they are all part of mike pence's team to push back against donald trump to show that kind of pressure that he was facing and what the commission is trying to show is that not only did donald trump knowingly take part in this illegal strategy to overturn the election results, but that he knew that his actions that day when he kept tweeting when the mob were angry that it could have almost got to mike pence killed. {aide angry that it could have almost got to mike pence killed.— to mike pence killed. give us a sense of what _ to mike pence killed. give us a sense of what the _ to mike pence killed. give us a sense of what the wider - to mike pence killed. give us a sense of what the wider public| sense of what the wider public reaction is to these hearings. it is difficult to reaction is to these hearings. it 3 difficult to gauge, to be honest, but the first hearing, you did gets a sense of that because it was shown on prime time. it was a big blockbuster event, i guess, and the

ratings show about 20 million americans tuned in. for the rest, we've got more hearings to come for many months, it's hard to say, but i think of the committee is trying to do is they want to establish a definitive narrative of what happened that day because there are lots of people out there who falsely believe the election was stolen. this is the committee's way of saying, look, their meticulous work over the last 11 months, this is the timeline of what happened. the other thing to remember is that the committee is going to recommend charges be brought and they are laying out this case that what donald trump dead was illegal, that he took part in this criminal strategy to overturn the election results. they want to make those recommendations to the department of justice, but it's only the department ofjustice that can in the end decide what to do. i should get a conclusion about these hearings at some point later in the air. ., hearings at some point later in the air. . . ., , ., ., , air. 0k, and washington, many thanks. police in brazil say they've found what are thought to be the bodies

of the missing britishjournalist dom philips, and a local indiginous expert bruno pereira. they were last seen in a remote part of the amazon rainforest earlier this month. brazilian police have arrested two suspects, one of whom has confessed to burying their bodies. the other suspect has denied any involvement.our south america correspondent, katy watson, reports from manaus. it was a hastily organised press conference. a panel of military men delivering the awful news after ten days of searching. translation: the first suspect voluntarily confessed _ at the end of last night. he made the criminal confession outlining in detail the crime he committed, and indicated the area where he buried the bodies. early on wednesday morning, he was taken on a boat to help the search teams find the bodies. it was three kilometres from the river bank, in this thick forest, that human remains were found. these photos showing the difficult terrain the search teams faced, needing the help of helicopters, sniffer dogs and divers

to get to the site. these are the two men as their friends and family want to remember them. dom phillips, an experienced and passionatejournalist, writing a book on saving the amazon. his travelling companion bruno pereira was an indigenous expert. he knew this community so well and was loved by so many here. the indigenous communities were the first to raise the alarm on the day they disappeared. and they didn't give up, accompanying the authorities, and even leading them to clues. but in the press conference, they weren't mentioned. i asked the man heading the investigation, why. the indigenous helped a lot in trying to find the belongings of the two men, but nothing has been mentioned of the help that they gave the forces. translation: actually, it wasl a mistake not to mention them. the work was carried out with the help of river communities and indigenous peoples. a lot of them accompanied us on the boats and in the planes, so that was fundamental. this crime has horrified people here in brazil and globally.

it's brought into sharp focus the dangers faced by those wanting to save the forest. the criminal activity that takes place in this vast, beautiful, yet threatened amazon. dom's wife ale says... this brings the search to an end and closure for the families, who pushed so hard in trying to find the two men. but, of course, it also reveals the brutal criminality in the amazon and the lack of ability by the state to control it. the families now say they'll fight for justice. katy watson, bbc news, in manaus. a british consumer rights campaigner has launched a 750 million pound legal claim against the technology firm apple which could result in payouts for millions of iphone users in the uk. it follows previous claims which allege the company deliberately slowed down

the performance of older phones — to drive users to buy newer models. here's our technology editor zoe kleinman. this case dates back five years to 2017. it's been brought byjustin gaston. he said apple slept on the performance of sun iphone ——he said apple slowed on the performance of some iphone models by hiding a power management tool and software updates. apple says the idea was to preserve ageing batteries and lengthen the life span of older devices. it's a process known as throttling. this claim has been filed with the competition appeal tribunal. he is seeking damages of £768 million. he says apple misled users over the incident by pushing them to download software updates that it said would improve the performance of their devices and make them more secure when in fact it actually slowed them down. the legal claims as apple dead at a mention of the power management tool to its website made iran but says it didn't make it clear it

would slow down older iphones. these models range from the iphone six up to the ipod to apple did later allow iphone leaders to manually disable the throttling feature. to check whether you have it switched on go to the battery tab in settings. this claim seeks compensation for everybody effected without them having to opt in. it's thugh 25 million british iphone users could be eligible for a small cash payout if it is as successful. similar case was settled in us two years ago brought by 33 different states. in a statement, apple said "we have never and would never do anything "to intentionally shorten the life of any apple products "or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades." 50 years ago today, a record now widely considered to be one of the greatest rock albums of all time was released — david bowie's "ziggy stardust". or to give it's proper title — the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars'. over the last half—century,

it's sold an estimated seven—and—a—half million copies worldwide and been hailed as a masterpiece by music critics. that said it never reached number one in the uk charts. one of the best—known tracks as star man, let's watch david bowie preferment at top of the pops. # a star man or waiting in the sky # a star man or waiting in the sky # he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds # there is a star man waiting in the sky # he's told us not to blow it # he's told us not to blow it # because he knows it's all worthwhile. # let all the children... #. a little bit earlier, my colleague

spoke to bowie aficionado, and he asked him why the album is so important. asked him why the album is so important-— asked him why the album is so im ortant. ~ ., , _, _ asked him why the album is so imortant. ~ ., , _, _ ., important. well, i found my copy of that about 50 _ important. well, i found my copy of that about 50 years _ important. well, i found my copy of that about 50 years ago _ important. well, i found my copy of that about 50 years ago pretty - important. well, i found my copy of| that about 50 years ago pretty much this week in waitsfield and yorkshire. and it was his breakthrough record. itjust was. but thanks to that ten that you just played, star man, because he actually reported it the previous year and he played it for the record company. —— starman. and the record company. —— starman. and the record company said what record companies often say which is we don't hear a single. so he was quite happy to go along with the plans. he wrote starman to be the single. so it definitely was a pop hit. so whatever the kind of dystopian tenor of the rest of the record, starman is a pop record. it sounds like summer over the rainbow. it appeals to absolutely everybody. so it had that combination of a really well—made lp that satisfied the kind

of rock snobs, if you like, but also had definite chart singles. and he hadn't had a chart single for a while. three years. who; hadn't had a chart single for a while. three years.— hadn't had a chart single for a while. three years. why was it so influential? _ while. three years. why was it so influential? it _ while. three years. why was it so influential? it sort _ while. three years. why was it so influential? it sort of— while. three years. why was it so influential? it sort of broke - influential? it sort of broke boundaries, didn't it? it was so different. ~ ~ ., different. well, it sounded like a 70s record- _ different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i _ different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think— different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think a _ different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think a lot - different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think a lot of - different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think a lot of it - different. well, it sounded like a 70s record. i think a lot of it is l 70s record. i think a lot of it is the way that it's produced by an engineer, by ken and scott, and interesting, david bowie let it leave the mixing of the records to the producers, so the producer, he is due a huge amount of credit for the very kind of unified sound of the track, and it sounded like a 70s record, didn't sound like a beatles record, didn't sound like a beatles record, it sounded like something very different. it was hugely influenced by the stuff he had heard influenced by the stuff he had heard in the united states. he had gone to the united states for the first time the united states for the first time the previous year, he had gone for a few weeks. and he heard the stooges, and the velvet underground and all

of this kind of thing and he was very influenced by that kind of sound. he wanted to make a record that sounded like an edgy rock and roll record but also had sewage pop appeal. and he manages the manage to pull it out. he came on at the right time for him. he had been in the wilderness for a while, really. he had space oddity in 1969, and then nothing for a few years. nobody quite knew if he was ever going to amount to anything at all. when suddenly with ziggy star dust, it absolutely snapped into place. i do think a huge amount is to do with the cover, which has taken on haddon street in mayfair in the centre of london, and what a tragedy it is that that street has not been so gentrified, it is no longer recognisable, because that was still in the same state, it would be attracting the exact same number of tourists as you get over the zebra crossing at abbey road. it's that sense of place that is hugely

important to it.— sense of place that is hugely important to it. david hepworth the 're important to it. david hepworth they're speaking _ important to it. david hepworth they're speaking with _ important to it. david hepworth they're speaking with ben - important to it. david hepworthl they're speaking with ben brown important to it. david hepworth i they're speaking with ben brown a little earlier today. it's getting hotter and hotter in much of england and wales. and temperatures are expected to reach 3a celcius in some parts tomorrow. heat health alerts have been issued for london, the south east and the east of england. our correspondent duncan kennedy spent the day in surrey. whether it is heat or water, summers waves are rolling in across much of the united kingdom. in the south, temperature is heading past the mid—20s, possibly on their way to 30 by tomorrow. we mid-20s, possibly on their way to 30 by tomorrow— mid-20s, possibly on their way to 30 b tomorrow. ~ . ., ., ., by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today — by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today to _ by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today to try _ by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today to try to _ by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today to try to get _ by tomorrow. we have had to come out of london today to try to get some - of london today to try to get some air. it's going to be 31 out here tomorrow. i air. it's going to be 31 out here tomorrow— air. it's going to be 31 out here tomorrow. i will go in the shed, have a glass — tomorrow. i will go in the shed, have a glass of _ tomorrow. i will go in the shed, have a glass of something - tomorrow. i will go in the shed, have a glass of something to i tomorrow. i will go in the shed, i have a glass of something to cool down, _ have a glass of something to cool down, might have a dip in the pond soon, _ down, might have a dip in the pond soon. but. — down, might have a dip in the pond soon, but, no, it is never hot enough _ soon, but, no, it is never hot enough in _ soon, but, no, it is never hot enough-— soon, but, no, it is never hot enou:h. ,, , ., , enough. in spain, fires have been brou:ht enough. in spain, fires have been brought on _ enough. in spain, fires have been brought on by _ enough. in spain, fires have been brought on by temperatures - enough. in spain, fires have been brought on by temperatures of. enough. in spain, fires have been| brought on by temperatures of 40 brought on by temperatures of a0 degrees. the arid soil and

vegetation prone to the sun's destructive rays. and in the capital, the temperatures are soaring past 30 degrees. every summer it's getting worse. and it's affecting us on every level. i find it hard to cope with the heat. it's very hard but we have to keep going. there is no other way. across the border in france it's also under this enormous heat blanket. 38 degrees makes it enjoyable for many, but others believe it has wider meaning. we are experiencing global warming so this is inevitable. i think every year it's going to get hotter and hotter. i don't know if there's anything that can be done. in the uk temperatures could topple over 30 celsius tomorrow. with warnings from health professionals and others to treat it seriously alongside the fun and relaxation.

let's see what the weather is doing tomorrow. hello there. warm, dry, plenty of sunshine again today across england and wales. cloudier and cooler for the north and the west. and it's for scotland and northern ireland where our approaching weather front overnight tonight will give us persistent heavy rain and some strong gusty winds for a time as well. uncomfortable for sleeping for many. further south, it will start to feel rather muggy. lows of around 15—16 degrees celsius into tomorrow morning. and then tomorrow, our cold front sinks southwards. it's a weakening feature, so that rain quite light and patchy by the time it reaches northern england through the afternoon. sunny spells and some fresher air digging in behind. but, of course, it's all about the heat tomorrow. across england and wales, those temperatures are really building. 32, maybe 33 degrees celsius likely for london and east anglia. watch out for quite a lot of low cloud towards south—western england, for coastal areas and possibly for south wales as well. along with all that sunshine, very high pollen levels. the heat won't last. there'll be a thundery breakdown over the weekend.

hello, i'm maryam moshiri. you're watching the context on bbc news. at the third public hearing investigating the us capitol riots, the committee focuses how president trump tried to pressure vice president mike pence not to certify the election results. new footage shows mike pence being rushed to protection by secret service agents. the committee praised the former vice president for his action, but a warning about what the future might hold. we're fortunate for mr pence's courage onjanuary 6th. our democracy came dangerously close to catastrophe. donald trump and his allies and supporters