following months of protests over the island's economic crisis. the bbc understands his militaryjet has landed in the maldives. he'd been in hiding after protestors stormed his residence on saturday. in washington, the committee investigating the storming of the us capitol last year has laid out how donald trump incited far—right extremists in a last—ditch bid to remain in office. members of his inner circle told how, during a heated meeting, mr trump ignored their advice to concede. in britain, the race to replace borisjohnson as leader of the governing party and the country's prime minister has narrowed to eight fellow conservative mps. the field will be narrowed down to two in a series of votes. the party at large will then decide on the winner. an independent inquiry has found that more than a thousand children were sexually exploited over at least 30 years in

the shropshire town of telford, amid "shocking" failings by the police and the local authority. the report found that unnecessary suffering, and even deaths of children might have been avoided, had west mercia police "done its most basicjob". it says that child sexual exploitation went unchecked because of failures to investigate offenders, amid fears that investigations would "inflame racial tensions". from telford, our correspondent phil mackie reports. a town where more than 1000 children have been sexually exploited since the late 1970s. young girls were groomed often by gangs and subjected to some of the most appalling abuse. after three years the findings of an independent inquiry are damning. of an independent inquiry are damninu. ., , , of an independent inquiry are damninu. ., ,, . damning. countless children were sexually _ damning. countless children were sexually assaulted - damning. countless children were sexually assaulted and j were sexually assaulted and raped. they were deliberately humiliated, degraded. they were

shared, trafficked, they were subjected to violence and their families were threatened. they lived in fear. their lives were forever changed. they have asked over the years, how was this allowed to happen? the answer, this allowed to happen? the answer. he _ this allowed to happen? the answer, he believes, is that the authorities had ignored obvious signs of child exploitation and blamed the children is not the perpetrators and, in many cases, would not investigate because of nervousness about race. the problems came to light during operation challis when seven men of south asian descent were convicted of offences against teenage girls but the inquiry has spoken to victims of exploitation from many more communities. this afternoon i spoke to one who was raped and trafficked. instead of help, she got a criminal record. her words have been revised to protect her identity. been revised to protect her identi . . , , identity. victims were being identified as _ identity. victims were being identified as child _ identified as child prostitutes. 0nce identified as child prostitutes. once you have been convicted that label never leaves you. prosecutions are

damaging to your life. some children went to prison for not paying fines. convictions should be completely expunged. there are 47 recommendations which are made in the report, including that the borough council and police should set “p council and police should set up a joint tax force which should report back annually, that counselling should be provided for victims and that money for specialist teams should be ring fenced. i do hoe it should be ring fenced. i do hepe it will— should be ring fenced. i do hope it will bring _ should be ring fenced. i if hope it will bring closure for a lot of people but i also really hope it will open a lot of doors for other people. another survivor, of doors for other people. anothersurvivor, known of doors for other people. another survivor, known as holly archer, has set up the holly project in telford to help other victims of child sexual exploitation stocking the likes of myself and other survivors who have sort of gone quite far on theirjourney now, for us that it is a form of closure but also a form of fight for what happens next. tonight west murcia police and telford and wrekin borough council apologised to all of

the victims. phil mackie, bbc news, telford. now on bbc news, talking movies: godfather anniversary special. a warning this programme contains violent scenes from the film. # the first time... 50 years ago, a roberta flack song topped the record charts... # ever i saw yourface... we are today seeing the progress of modern china. ..president nixon made a historic visit to china and in britain, there was a 47—day miners strike. and in the cinema world, there was a momentous event. what many claim is the greatest movie ever made was launched — a portrait of an italian—american crime family in new york in the 1940s and �*50s. it was, for a time,

the highest—grossing film ever made, a blockbuster that was also a work of great art. it was the godfather. i'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse. hello from new york, i'm tom brook and welcome to our talking movies godfather anniversary special. half a century on, we celebrate and reassess the landmark classic, directed by francis ford coppola, starring movie greats marlon brando, al pacino, robert duvall, james caan and diane keaton. forjustice, we must go to don corleone. the opening scene in the godfather takes place in the office of crime boss don vito corleone, played by marlon brando, on the wedding day of his daughter. they beat her like an animal. an undertaker, bonasera, is pleading with corleone to use extralegal means to punish men who attacked and disfigured his daughter. they're going to suffer, then, as she suffers. it is a scene that signals what is to

come — what this iconic film is really all about. some day — and that day may never come — i'll call upon you to do a service for me. the opening scene is very sombre... i until that day... ..it's also very deliberate. ..accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day. but also, that scene is really important. i i mean, what's the — i what are the first words in the film? i believe in america. i mean, the whole movie's . about the american dream... america has made my fortune. ..and about the corruption of the american dream. i now, she will never be beautiful again. so, right there, that opening scene, in so many ways, - encapsulates everything about the film. - who should i give this job to? this grand three—hour opus was the product of many different talents. robert duvall appeared in the movie as the corleone family lawyer and advisor tom hagen. i have a special practice. i handle one client. today, at the age of 91, he firmly believes the epic bears the handiwork and stamp of one individual in particular. coppola. francis ford coppola. he's the — he's the beginning

of the end of it all. although in the beginning, they were trying to fire him during the first couple of weeks of work. and i was aware, and i guess others were — and i'd gained a lot of respect for him. it was his vision from a to z and they tried to have a standby director, to fire him, in case they fired him, then this guy would take over. but it was coppola's vision and his film—making and his casting that made it all work, i mean, for me — for everybody. the inspiration for the godfather came partly from the bestseller of the same name by american author mario puzo, published three years before the film's release. in an interview decades ago, coppola, who ultimately worked with puzo on the godfather screenplay, revealed he didn't have much initial enthusiasm for the project. anyone who remembers the original godfather book, it had a lot of sleazy aspects to it that, of course, were cut out for the movie

and i didn't like it very much for those reasons and i was very frightened of getting once again co—opted into another project, like, low budget — it was a very inexpensive film and in those days, they wanted young directors because they wanted it cheap, and i did turn it down, actually, once or twice. much of the action in the godfather takes place at this house on longfellow avenue in staten island in new york. it served as the home to the don corleone family. the narrative that unfolds from this house provides audiences with a portrait of an italian—american crime family in the 1940s and �*50s. but it's more than that. it tells a story of one family member's transformation — that of michael, who loses his soul. don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. obviously, it's about family, obviously, it's about power but i think it's also, in many ways, a film about the loss of one's self—awareness and the loss

of one's identity because, you know, if you look at the character of michael corleone, you know, he starts off the film as the one person in the family who's self—aware, who's really aware of what the family does. that's my family, kay. it's not me. and over the course of the film, he loses that self—awareness. don't tell me you're innocent. because it insults my intelligence. i it makes me very angry. he no longer has the sense that what the family is doing is wrong. i thought you weren't going to become a man like your father. that's what you told me. my father's no different - than any other powerful man. scoffs. any man who's responsible for other people. _ well, i've always felt that the godfather was really less about gangsters than about power and powerful families and the succession of power and the machiavellian way that real power works in the world and, you know,

obviously, i was more interested in those themes, but those themes could apply to a shakespeare play or to any piece that deals, you know — greek drama, even, really, — with those bigger themes, and that's more where i had my intention. the godfather is made at the start of the 19705. it's a very dark period for america and i think that darkness is reflected in the film. what do you think this is, the army, where you - shoot 'em a mile away? this is the era of vietnam. this is the era of political assassinations. you know how naive you sound? why? senators and presidents don't have men killed. i who's being naive, kay? the country's coming out of the '605 and a lot of people are wondering if the american project can really continue. mr corleone is a manl who insists on hearing bad news immediately. the film really reflects the sense that the characters and the country and their

family — which, in many ways, is a microcosm of the country — is heading towards a very dark place. look how they massacred my boy. marlon brando was cast in the pivotal role of don corleone. he had a reputation for being difficult and the studio didn't want him, but coppola prevailed and his performance ended up defining the film. i have a sentimental weakness for our children and i spoil them, as you can see. they talk when they should listen. he was 47 years old when shooting began, at a low point of his career. he did a screen test for the part. he put paper handkerchiefs in his mouth to create the voice he wanted. what is the interest for my family? during filming, he wore this dental plumper, now an exhibit at the museum of the moving image, to make him sound and look different. how did things ever get so far? i don't know. i mean, coppola said he wanted — he'd get for — either for the part either

brando or 0livier. 0livier wouldn't have been good for that part. but brando, he took certain chances with a certain mouthpiece and so forth, but it worked because he could bring an inner sense of intensity and truth from within himself, you know? within quotation marks for the part, you know? although he read his lines! he put up billboards, he put lines here, he'd read 'em, you know? so, he had his own way of working. when you say he read his lines, he relied on cue cards? was that it? absolutely. not all the time but, like, the scene with, i guess, pacino in the gardens... ..in my lifetime not to be careless. he'd lean back and look up... women and children can be careless but not men. he had his lines written in a tree. 0r down here, you know?

so, he claimed it he made it, you know, spontaneous but i don't think he needed to do with that way necessarily. but he worked that way and that's fine, you know? brando was brando, you know? i'm michael corleone. this is my father. the other crucial role to be cast was that of michael, don corleone's youngest son. luca brasi held a revolver against halley�*s head. coppola went for al pacino — a relative unknown at the time. the studio wasn't impressed by his acting at first. it was described as "anaemic". why are all these people bothering your father on a day like this? oh, that's because they know. what? that no sicilian can refuse any request... but ultimately, pacino's performance was mesmerising and ignited his career. i'm with you now. i'm with you. pacino was amazed he got the role. i thought, "there's no way i'm going to get the part! "you can't" — you know what i mean? they're all these big movie stars out there and i thought

"what do they want? "how am i ever going to get that kind of a role?" i don't want it. i'm doing all right. my life's 0k. imean, simple. i play the piano sometimes, i go do theatre, i read, i have — you know, i'm in new york. new york, you get everything. new york feeds you, you know? you don't need anything else. from sequences shot at this house on staten island and elsewhere in new york, and in fact as far away as sicily, the godfather comes together extremely smoothly as a masterful movie. but behind—the—scenes it was anything but smooth. there was a lot of friction between the director, francis ford coppola, and studio executives on a number of matters. there were fights over budget, location, setting. at one point there was even an insurrection about among coppola's own crew, that they wanted him replaced as director. so it was just a fight around everything.

some of the other families won't sit still for all—out war! then they hand me sollozzo! my father wouldn't want to hear this, this is business not personal. but robert duvall remembers that in the midst of all the mayhem, coppola managed to remain a steady hand, working well with the actors. the thing that was good about coppola, he didn't say you had to do it, like certain old—time directors. he wanted to see what you brought to the table. and what you brought to the table, he would watch and then... he would go with it if he thought it was valid. so, you know, he had respect for actors without, you know, being totally arbitrary. they shot sonny on the causeway, he's dead. when i had to reveal the news of sonny's death, that's a thing i do remember. coppola said, "do you want

to do another take?" i said yeah, and then i think he got what he wanted. he's not one of the directors that does 25 takes. you know, if he gets it in the beginning, that's it with coppola. he's not one to beat a dying horse, you know. but it was a wonderful experience. one issue facing the creators of the godfather came from the italian—american community which subsequently embraced the film but initially was concerned that this movie would display them all as a bunch of mafia hoodlums. at first the italian—american civil rights league, led byjoe colombo, who was reputedly also the head of one of the five families of new york, they were trying to stamp out what was perceived as stereotyping of italian americans in popular culture, and the godfather, of course, became at the forefront of that campaign. the league wanted it to be stopped. but al ruddy, the producer, met with the league and joe colombo and it turned out

that they, according to ruddy, only wanted one thing and that was no mention of the word mafia in the film. it had only been mentioned at one point in the screenplay. and so al ruddy agreed that that would be taken out. and for that one simple deletion, a world of cooperation opened. and some reputedly connected individuals were allegedly cast in the film. the godfather is memorable for its violence, some of it highly choreographed. what about the violence in the godfather? were there discussions about that? well, i think it's well choreographed. some of the stuff today, some of the violence is very indulged. but there was a reason for it in the godfather. coppola knew how to handle that well. in fact, the studio reportedly wanted the film to be more

violent to make the picture more sellable at the box office rather than just have an artistic sensibility which they feared coppola might deliver. the godfather is in many ways a classic new york movie, and francis ford coppola made ample use of locations around the city, capturing the period detail. much of the shooting was done down here in lower manhattan in different areas of little italy. i think it's a really important new york film because in some ways it traces the important spots for, certainly in terms of organised crime, but america in the 'iios in new york, where you've got little italy that features prominently there, and you've got staten island where the opening wedding sequence was shot. i'm from staten island and i was always brought up with references to the godfather having been filmed there.

staten island is also a prominent location in terms of the history of organised crime and the sort of, the passage of italian—american settlements over time. they don't say if he's dead or alive. new york's landmark radio city music hall is featured in the godfather. michael and kay, played respectively by al pacino and diane keaton, are seen leaving the music hall and learning of the news that don corleone has been shot in little italy. is he all right? we don't know yet. in fact, diane keaton is one of very few women in any significant role in the godfather, it's a very male story, an incredibly patriarchal crime family. in fact, the movie has been accused of being misogynistic, even holding back the progress of women in the film industry. emma jones has been investigating. daughters, lovers, wives, mothers. what's the matter? i can't hear you.

some go without a first name, like mama corleone. in the ultra masculine world of the godfather, what place do its women have? you just told me to make you dinner. apart from in the kitchen or the bedroom. watching it as a woman there is always the sense of, what are the female characters? there are some, but who are they, and are they really as fleshed out as the male characters in the film? and the answer is no. the answer is no. is it true? don't ask me about my business. no... enough! diane keaton played kay, the american graduate who marries michael corleone. it was keaton�*s breakthrough acting role. kay, for all herfaults in the film, as a character is more progressive, she does ask questions. what was that? that's an accident, . but nobody was hurt. she does challenge the world to some extent. and i think it's interesting because you see the mafia and the world through her eyes.

at the beginning we are at the same point of view as her, we are the outsider curious about this world and want to know more about it. my father helped him with his career. he did? how? that is one of the strong points of the film but it's unfortunate, they could have done a lot more with the character. how long have you been back? i think she is often presented as this sort of lovesick, weeping, distressed women who is just in love with michael. what do you want with me, after all this time without even calling or writing. i don't think that she has to be a main character in this film, if you are going to reboot the godfather that is what you should do, that is what should happen. in the world outside the godfather in 1972, there were waves of feminist protests seeking equality. a year later, roe v wade granted abortion rights to women in the us. times have changed. in the godfather, set in 1945, it is a rigidly

patriarchal system. i hate you! john corleone's daughter connie, played by talia shire, is fleshed out as a character by the horrific depiction of domestic abuse she suffers. michael corleone's sicilian first wife apollonia is filmed topless on her wedding night. the actress, simonetta stefanelli, was a teenager at the time. she is topless, you know, he is not. there is no male nudity at all. and, you know, it's like, previously in the film you have seen her basically being bartered over. she has very few lines, very little opportunity to give any kind of character. i think the actress herself described her role as, "i met him, i married him, idied." that's it. connie is the daughter of a don, she would, she has some power.

and yet, would have experienced some power growing up, and yet is quite helpless. what's the matter? it was my fault! she's another character that is squandered in my view. the film was hugely successful so a lot of studio execs would have looked at that film and thought, "fantastic, let's replicate that." and i think the 1970s was the age of the male anti—hero. i saw in your eyes, and i saw in the way you carried yourself, that you're not a happy person. that was a period where you have robert de niro in taxi driver, there were a lot of misogynistic men whose characters were explored. that's not to say that i don't think the godfather should exist at all, i think it is a great film, ijust want otherfilms, i'm sure feminists at the time felt completely destroyed by the cinema, the popular cinema at the time. perhaps coppola's lens on italian and american women living in 1940s new york, a domestic world where they existed to please,

may have been fairly accurate. but the 1940s was also an era of spirited heroines on screen and fleshing these women out into fully dimensional characters was also an opportunity missed. this new york crime family epic has stood the test of time because of its strong story, performances and cinematography. it is brilliant cinema. there wasn't enough time, michael. there just wasn't enough time. we'll get there, pop. we'll get there. 50 years after its launch, it's clear that in many ways the godfather has very much left its mark on popular culture, particularly with the way in which mobsters are portrayed. a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. whether it be in the popular american crime drama tv series the sopranos. someday soon you're gonna have family of your own. and if you're lucky, you'll

remember the little moments. ..or in director martin scorsese's celebrated new york gangster film, goodfellas. i do think the godfather change the way the mafia was portrayed in films. after the godfather, gangsters were seen as almost noble. they were seen as quiet, calculating, certainly intense, but not the kind of cartoonish eye—rolling villains that you would have seen before. so that brings this special godfather anniversary edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you've enjoyed the show. please remember you can always reach us online at bbc.com/talkingmovies. and you can find us on twitter. from me, tom brook, and the rest of the talking movies team here in new york, it's goodbye as we leave you with a clip from what is perhaps one of the best movies ever made. # this heart i bring you.

# i have but one heart to share with you. # i have but one dream, that i can cling to. # you are the one dream i pray comes true.# hello, there. wednesday could be a little bit cooler still, but there's going to be more sunshine on the way. westerly breeze in scotland and northern ireland will bring sunny spells and perhaps one or two light showers. for england and wales, generally dry. cloudy start in the far southern parts of england — one or two spots of rain to move through — otherwise, lots of sunshine. those temperatures continuing to drop away a little bit. it's cooler and fresher

in the north. it's another hot day in east anglia in the southeast — could make 30 degrees again in london. heading into thursday, and the west—to—northwesterly breeze brings more cloud and more showers to scotland, northern ireland, perhaps into northern england. but, again, it's dry through wales, the midlands and southern england. again, it's very warm — temperatures heading into the mid 20s, just dropping a bit in the southeast, and around 18 or 19 for much of scotland and northern ireland. it really is going to warm up, though, this weekend — sunday into the beginning of next week. we've got this extreme heat warning from the met office for much of england and most of wales.

flees the country — this is bbc news, i'm david eades. our top stories.

sri lanka's president along with other members of his family — he'd promised to resign today.