this is bbc news. the headlines: iranian state media says british—iranian dual national alireza akbari has been executed on charges of spying for the uk, which he denied. britain's prime minister rishi sunak calls it a �*callous and cowardly act'. the uk has confirmed it will provide challenger 2 tanks to ukraine during a call with president volodymyr zelensky. it comes as russian forces launched a series of missile attacks across the country including the capital, kyiv. brazil's supreme court will investigate the role of the former president, jair bolsonaro, in the storming of government buildings by his supporters last weekend. arrest warrants have been issued for a host of top officials takeaways, restaurants, and cafes in england will have to stop using plastic cutlery, plates, and bowls from october this

year as part of a new government plan to tackle plastic pollution. you're watching bbc news — now it's time for the media show. hello. this week i'm talking with michelle donelan, the secretary of state for digital culture, media and sport. she is the 11th conservative in the role since the party took power, and she has a huge remit — everything from the tech companies to museums and art galleries to broadcasters like channel 4, whose privatisation she halted last week, and even eurovision. but before we get onto that, i wanted to get a sense of her news habits. how does she keep up to date through the working day? and there's a mention here right at the start to checking playbook first thing in the mornings. that's a daily newsletter produced by the political magazine politico, in case you decide you want to mimic

the minister's media habits. yes, so i wake up and i look through playbook, or as soon as it's come out, i look through playbook. i will watch a bit of sky news or bbc while i'm getting ready in the morning and obviously then try and stay alert throughout the day and see what else is happening. and then i'll read the papers at some point, either probably in the evening as well. and what about streaming services? do you have a lot of subscriptions? are you a netflix, disney+, what person? yeah, we've got netflix and amazon prime in my household, so watch a bit of both. they're really good for unwinding. i find that i prefer the things that don't take too much brainpower. when you've been through a lot of legislation or different policies, it's nice tojust relax sometimes, especially when the opportunity arises. so you get a bit of time to do that? when i can. when you can. well, look, you know, you've been secretary of state at the dcms for four months now and you've recently announced a big

u—turn, a big policy u—turn. why have you decided not to privatise channel 4? so i think i agree with my predecessor and many other predecessors that have looked at this issue before, that there are long term sustainability issues and threats to channel 4. we know that it is a dramatically changing media landscape out there, which you'll be only too familiar with. we know that linear advertising is taking a hit, organisations are having to evolve and adapt and become more dynamic to cope with that and channel 4 have a very rigid business model. the public broadcaster restrictions, for one, don't allow them to create their own content, which means that their ability to flourish is capped from the off. and that sustainability fuelled the decision under my predecessor and it's fuelled my decision. it's just a different way of going about it. so i think having looked at the business case, having listened very carefully to people within the sector, including the independent sector, that selling them at this moment in time is not the right decision. the right decision is a comprehensive package,

an ambitious package, which is what we laid before the house, which includes opening up some sustainability issues and allowing channel 4 to have more commercial freedom so that they have the opportunity to survive and thrive. i mean, there are fantastic media out there, one that i think we can be proud of and we want to retain. you mentioned your predecessor, nadine dorries. she obviously doesn't see it that way. you know, she's very upset about this. i wonder whether you spoke to her in advance and told her you'd changed your mind. idid, indeed. and i spoke to a number of colleagues, including a number of the other predecessors of my role and outlined exactly as i've just done to you now, why we came to that conclusion, having reviewed the business case, having looked at the other options to achieve the same result around sustainability and particularly protecting our independent sector that is home to so manyjobs. it's a £3 billion sector that has been incubated by channel 4. and what we've made sure that we've done with this package is to continue to support those jobs and those livelihoods via this.

why do you think your predecessors were so in favour of it? i mean, was it ideological? i know you've mentioned there was potentially a business case, but you've decided there wasn't. there were many people in the industry who said, you know, the business case does not stack up. this is actually revenge. well, i think that's unfair because this has been looked at by several predecessors over the years. this wasn't something new that nadine dorries created. this is something that many, many secretaries of states have looked at. it was before her time that the consultation on this on this issue was kicked off. but under borisjohnson�*s time. yes, but if we're talking specifically about culture secretary predecessors. it wasn't something new under borisjohnson. this issue has been a long term issue in terms of we've seen many, many predecessors look at this, karen bradley, for instance, looked at it. she came to the same conclusion as i did. there were mps, there are mps in your party who talked about revenge, who talked about payback time. ijust wondered, many people

think some people think that it was actually the moment when channel 4 news replaced borisjohnson, who didn't want to appear on their show with an ice sculpture. that was the moment that sunk it for channel 4. i think fundamentally what fuelled this agenda in the first place was around sustainability and looking after the taxpayers�* interests. and that's certainly been at the heart of the work that i've conducted, making sure that the taxpayer's asset, channel 4, is protected, is given an opportunity to flourish, that the jobs and people's communities and independent sector are not threatened, that we continue to expand them, that we support our creative sector. that's why, as part of this package, i'm delighted that we've managed to get channel 4 to agree to double their investment in skills to £10 million, which is, you know, it's a substantial sum that will be helping the wider creative sector and young people, and that they will be doubling the number ofjobs outside of london. again, great news for our regions. and great news for the many people who didn't want

channel 4 privatised and will still believe, never mind what you say, they will still believe that it was an ideological decision and that you have rowed back from it. but they also believe that having looked at what i've done, that i based it on evidence, and i hope that that speaks for the type of politician that i am and will be when it comes to other issues as well. and how did nadine dorries respond when you spoke to her? because she says you're squandering, effectively squandering the opportunity to change the media landscape. nadine dorries is a very well respected colleague. she's entitled to her opinion on these things. i know that she worked very hard on this agenda and she comes at this from a different point of view. but we both share that concern around sustainability. well, look, we're sitting here at the bbc, it's funded by the licence fee. is the licence fee an unfair tax, do you think? so what i think is that there are questions around the sustainability of the licence fee in the long term. i think the bbc is an amazing national institution. we saw it really come into light

again with the passing of our late majesty and the coverage of notjust the funeral but all those days of the queue and the red button service and allowing people to join that sense of national mourning. and we wouldn't have got that from another another outlet. and that really showed the bbc at its best in many ways. did it make you shift your opinion on the licence? so i haven't shifted my opinion at all. i believe very strongly that the bbc is a national asset and we do need to protect it, we need to make sure that it's sustainable in the long term. that is questionable under the current model of licence fee exclusively. and i say that because the numbers are in decline. yes, there was a bit of a blip, but they are in decline. there is pressure in that regard. and so we do need to make sure it's future proofed. how long do you think it's got? well, one second. there are also questions around fairness and choice, given the changes that we've seen in the media landscape and the other options that are available and how things are evolving.

and that's why any decisions in this space need to be completely evidence based. they need to have the facts, not just somebody ideologically saying, we should do this, we should do that, and then it doesn't actually stack up from a funding perspective. but do you think it has a shelf life? i mean, do you think it is... i think that the licence fee on its own will be problematic if we are to make sure that the bbc continues to be the fantastic provider and public sector broadcaster that it is. so i think, yes, that we do need to look at this agenda. obviously, we aren't renewing the charter for a few years, but we want to have that information or that evidence at our fingertips to make an informed decision and to work with the bbc to address this issue. and that's why we will be conducting a licence fee review that will be evidence—based and will give us that information. and we'll also include a look at fairness and choice within that. some mps in your party say the bbc is biased. what's your sense, i wonder, do you feel that the corporation is inherently left—wing?

so i think the bbc themselves would say that there was an issue here that was flagged by the serota review, there was the ten point plan, and a great deal of work has been done on this agenda now. and i know having spoken to the senior team, that is something that they're particularly passionate about themselves as well. ensuring impartiality. tim davie, the director general, has made it one of his main focuses. yes. however, i would also say there is a difference between having a plan and delivering that change, and it is certainly notjob done, by any stretch of the imagination. and we only have to look at a plethora of different examples that have come up to to highlight the fact that there is still a problem. what examples? if we look at the incident of the bus with the alleged anti—semitism, if we look at the incidences of certain commentators and reporters, if you look at the comments that gary lineker and others have made, that is indicative of a culture that still has an issue around impartiality. and that's why it's something that i will be particularly looking at and focusing on and working

with the bbc on this agenda. but we've been conducting the mid—term review, which will have a particular focus around impartiality. i think it's so important. i think it's also important to the long—term viability of the bbc because if you think about it, in today's age, we've got so much fake news out there that people deserve but also expect and need to be able to know that that psbs are really trusted sources of information. so it's in everybody�*s interest that we get this right and that we address the issue head on. so we're looking at this, as part of the mid—term review. i mean, i would really like to talk to you about the story that's dominated the headlines for the past few weeks. prince harry, i mean, in his netflix documentary, he described the hounding of him and his wife, meghan, by what he believes is a racist and misogynist press. his book has followed. will you be buying a copy? i might not buy a copy of his book. i think i won't really have any time to read his book amongst everything else. it's not on my priority list, shall we say. but i know it is for

many other people. you know, soon after the programme aired, jeremy clarkson wrote in the sun of his hatred of meghan, comparing her with the serial killer, rose west. he talked about wanting her see her paraded naked through the streets and all of that. it became the most complained about column in the history of the press regulator. what was your reaction to that? well, i believe in freedom of speech very, very strongly. obviously, we all have to be mindful of what we say and the ramifications of that. but i am a believer of freedom of speech. so you think he should have been able to write that? look, i wouldn't have said what he said, and i don't align myself with the comments that he made. categorically no. prince harry says it proves his point. it proves his point that the press is misogynist, racist. we do have to have a freedom of press. people to be able to position where people can air opinions that we don't all agree with. that is the nature of our media sector and press. and it's important for democracy.

it's important for exposing things. it's important for challenging democracy, holding politicians to account. i read the papers every day. i see many stories that i don't agree with or the perspective that i don't agree with. and that's quite right. and i would always champion journalist freedom and their ability and right to be able to write that content. but it doesn't mean i agree with all of that, but that's the nature of free speech. of course, that shouldn't stray into illegal content or go in certain directions. but, yeah, i defend his right to be able to say what he wants. prince harry, obviously, he says the media killed his mother, hounded his wife. do you think that there needs to be more press regulation? clearly, from what you're saying, i don't think you do. well, since obviously the tragic events of what happened to diana and also other instances, we have regulated the press more than was the case back then. but, of course, there's a balance to get here. because of the important role that the press play in in our democratic system

and providing people with a voice and challenging the status quo and exposing things. all of that couldn't happen if you stifle the media to the point that that you're limiting what people are saying. so it's all about a balance. but we have regulated, we have self regulation of the press. we've also since passed leveson, etc. so there are many different things that we've done since some of the incidences that you're referring to. and when it comes to regulation, let's talk about government's online safety bill. you know, you've been talking about protecting people, particularly children, online for three years. we've gone through four prime ministers. it's still not law. why is it so hard? well, we are the first country in the world to do this. it is no simple act at all, really, when you think about the fact that we are regulating social media for the first time. a lot of countries are looking at what we're doing so that they can then implement that that blueprint themselves. i got it back on the agenda. we now are passing it through.

parliament comes back next week and then it will go to the house of lords. it will become a law this parliamentary session and the prime minister has committed to that himself as well. so we are on the track to deliver this and to deliver a stronger. well, no, actually it's a stronger bill. so why do people like mollie russell's father, you know, the awful story of her taking her own life after viewing harmful content online and more recently, nadine dorries, your predecessor, they both say you've watered it down, have you? well, i've spoken to and worked with molly russell's father and other campaigners who have done an incredible job at really pushing this agenda forward. and what we have done is strengthen it in relation to children. we've added more protections in for children. that was something that i felt very strongly about when i came into the role. fundamentally, if we get one thing right with this bill, it has to be protecting children. they're at the heart of this piece of legislation. that's why we've made it stronger. and then when it comes to adults, we've rebalanced it in terms

of freedom of speech. we've introduced this triple shield of protection. so if it's illegal content, it has to go. if it's a breach of the platform's own terms and conditions, and we know that they all have the things that you would expect them to have, like anti—semitism, racism, all of those things, then it has to go. so they're having to live up to what they're promising people, which they're not doing at the moment. and then there's a third safety net. so if the stuff that's getting through that you're still uncomfortable with and it doesn't pass those first two barriers, you will then be empowered to be able to filter out some of that content and have other user empowerment tools at your fingertips. now, that wasn't in the original bill, so i do believe this is a stronger bill. this is a bill that also at the same time protects freedom of speech, which i think is really important. how often do you meet with the tech companies? so i meet with all stakeholders as regularly as i possibly can. i met with them a number of times before we got this bill back into the commons, so very regularly. but also i meet with supporters of different causes, i meet with particularly bereaved

parents to hear everybody. i'm an evidence based politician. when i came into the role, i wanted to make the changes in the correct way that produce a stronger, better piece of legislation. i just wonder whether you worry that these tech companies are too powerful, you know, if you take a step back, is it odd that these foreign companies have such an influence in britain and across the world? well, look, if you look at the ramifications of breaching this piece of legislation, they're massive. we're talking of humongous fines that will cripple an organisation, especially if they were repeatedly fined these volumes. so it will change behaviour and it will mean that we're in the driving seat. for too long they've been not protecting children, not living up to their roles and responsibilities. they've been allowing content that is deeply damaging, especially for minors to see. and as a government, we're putting a stop to that. and you are culture secretary. and a huge talking point right now is around restitution and particularly about the parthenon sculptures.

many people know them as the elgin marbles. what is your view on whether they should return to greece? oh, i've been very clear on on this that i don't think that they should return to greece. i can completely understand why some people believe that they should be returned, and i can sympathise with their view on it. but i think that opens a complete can of worms. it would be a slippery slope. you would end up with so many amazing artefacts under question of whether they should go back to another country. and it's very dubious over the ownership at certain stages of things. and let's not forget, these are assets of our country that we have cared for, but we've looked after that we have allowed the world to see in the british museum, notjust british people, but the world to have access to them. i think sending them back is a dangerous road to go down, but also one that is prohibited in law. we're not about to change the law to to facilitate that. it's important that we stand up

and protect our culture and enable everybody around the globe to see that. even for things that have been looted? i'm not saying they were looted. they weren't. even for objects, the benin bronzes or other items that were looted? well, i think it is important that we don't confuse this with other instances. these weren't looted, as you pointed out. and we the law already prohibits the restitution, the sending them back to to greece. and i think the law is in the right place. has george osborne, former chancellor, now chairman of the british museum, has he approached you about this? i've had several conversations with george osborne. i think his view on this has been misinterpreted and certainly portrayed wrongly. in what way? well, he's not about to send them back, basically. that's not his intention. he has no desire to do that. and there's also been this concept of a 100 year loan mooted as well, which is certainly not what he's planning either. so i think it's important that you can obviously speak to him. he can speak very well for himself

without me having to do it for him. but he would agree with me that we shouldn't be sending them back. they do belong here in the uk, where we've cared for them for a great deal of time, where we've allowed access to them and along with other artefacts around the nation. and this would open the gateway to the question of our entire contents of our museums. i mean, this is a very slippery slope to go down. i think it's important that we stand up and protect them. and as we come to the end, i'd also like to ask you about eurovision, which was originally supposed to be held this year in ukraine after they won the competition, but it's going to be in liverpool in may. the city's local government will be paying around £4 million. it's rumoured to be costing the bbc just under £10 million. are there any plans for national government to be contributing? yes, we are. we are contributing as well. this is really important that we get this right, especially for our partners in the ukraine, who obviously would have loved the opportunity to host this.

and it's very sad that they can't do and i want to make sure it is a true celebration of their culture, their music, their identity, and it is very much their eurovision that we are hosting, as opposed to the other way round. how much taxpayers�* money will go into it from central government? well, that will all be detailed and we�*ll be very transparent with the exact sums, but it is important that we get this right and these things are also these well, these things also generate more money in the long run anyway. if you look at the amount of hotel rooms that will be filled, the investment in the local economy, the legacy impact, it�*s a bit like a commonwealth games and other national celebrations and sporting events that we host there. it will generate income as well as that expenditure. and was the government blindsided by the bbc agreeing to host it? no, certainly not. you�*re happy for... ? oh, we�*re delighted. i can�*t wait to go. are you going to go? i hope so. i hope i�*m going to cover it. i mean, you know, it�*s exciting. it�*s very exciting.

secretary of state, thank you so much for coming on the media show. thank you. and she made reference to how the bbc had reported an anti—semitic attack on a group ofjewish students in 2021. let me just add to that what the bbc have said about the reporting of that incident, which was in part based on a video of the incident filmed from inside the bus. the bbc said while ofcom has found that our reporting was not in breach of the broadcasting code, the bbc�*s executive complaints unit ruled injanuary 2022 that more could have been done sooner to acknowledge the differing views about what could be heard on the recording of the attack. the bbc apologised at the time for not acting sooner to highlight that the contents of the recording were contested and the minister, the secretary of state, also referenced jeremy clarkson�*s column about meghan markle. clarkson later said he was horrified to have caused so much hurt and the article was taken off the sun website and they said they regretted publishing it and were sincerely sorry. well, with me, listening to all that listening to that

interview is lara o�*reilly. she�*s a senior correspondent on insider�*s business desk covering tech and media. and i wondered, lara, first, what�*s your reaction to that interview? you know, she certainly has a very broad, brief. yeah, it�*s a big remit. and, like you say, there�*s been so many people in the role. it�*s kind of, you know, it�*d be a fantastic pub quiz question to name the last five. and the highlights for me i think, were her comments around press freedom. i did think her reaction was a little bit blase, considering just exactly what you said. it was the most complained about article ever to ipso the press regulator. notjust that, but 60 cross—party mps complained about it and asked the sun to take it down and it was eventually taken down. and i think, you know, it was very right to to champion the jeremy�*s right to say that. i think what i would have been interested in hearing more about was what is the kind of press that she wants, just considering the harm and offence that caused. that was very interesting, but i�*m sure people on fleet street would be kind of cheering at their desks. well, we talked in that interview

about the publication of prince harry�*s book spare, which came out earlier this week. and i want to focus now on a high profile media figure to come in for criticism from prince harry, who is rebekah brooks. she�*s the chief executive of rupert murdoch�*s news uk. and harry doesn�*t hold back. listen to this from the audio book. who the hell is this editor? loathsome toad i gathered everyone who knew her was in full agreement that she was an infected pustule on the humanity, plus excuse for a journalist. that is prince harry. reading the audiobook of his autobiography, spare, he says rebekah brooks made up a story about him going to rehab. lara, what do you think about what he said? spicy, isn�*t it? i mean, he should be a writer. it was really interesting. i did he write it, though? he had a ghost writer. well, let�*s see. well, you know, he�*s kind of giving back what he�*s received over the years. i guess. it�*s interesting because rebekah brooks, so she�*s the head of news uk,

which looks after the sun and the times and various other titles in the uk. rebekah�*s worked for the news of the world and the sun in the past as editor, and she�*s essentially been a shadow in his life, kind of throughout his, you know, him growing up. it�*s been the spectre that�*s followed him around everywhere. and he has to, you know, give back sometimes what he�*s been given. in what sense? what do you mean by that? well, so he argues in his book that he that the prince charles and camilla�*s office kind of colluded with the sun to put bad stories about him in the press. and, you know, and notjust bad, but also incorrect stories. and he felt as though he wasn�*t really given a kind of right to reply. we, of course, did approach the sun and news uk about all this and they chose not to comment. but one american website reported earlier this week the rebekah brooks will be taking on the top job in the murdoch media empire in charge of both news corp and fox corp companies. once the deal to merge

them is complete. and we should say that the reports have definitely not been substantiated, but would that be a surprising appointment? i mean, does she seem does it seem likely to you? i�*m not so sure. well, there�*s a couple of things. one, nobody else has followed up that report and confirmed it. and two, you know, the plot line of succession would dictate that it would probably be a murdoch that would that would run those two companies. that said, it would be a very interesting appointment. rebekah stayed very loyal to rupert murdoch throughout the years, and he�*s rewarded her handsomely and so, were she to get the top job, perhaps that wouldn�*t be so much of a surprise. he certainly looked after her through the phone hacking scandal. 0k. and the sun faced fresh accusations in october of last year that phone hacking took place at the newspaper, something they�*ve always, denied and including when rebekah brooks was editor. what�*s your sense of that? so that would be significant because what news uk has said in the past was that phone hacking was restricted just simply to news of the world and it didn�*t happen at the sun. and although there�*s been allegations against the sun, they�*ve been settled out of court essentially.

and news corp hasn�*t accepted any liability for that. were this to kind of spread this toxicity and especiallyjust given the high profile role that rebekah brooks has now, this just opens the envelope, it opens the can of worms once again. and this is the scandal that just doesn�*t go away. this is ten years old now. well, we will keep watching. and a reminder that prince harry also has a case out against another group of newspapers associated. so we�*ll watch it all with interest, but i�*m afraid that is all we got time for. thank you so much to my guest, michelle donelan, secretary of state for digital culture, media and sport, and to lara o�*reilly here in the studio from insider. thank you so much for watching. goodbye. hello. through the past week our focus has very much been on the wet weather across the uk. on into the new week we will switch our focus away from the rain

to colder air flooding in from the arctic. chillier air has already started to slide its way south across the uk even through saturday daytime. but the properly cold arctic air still sits further north of this darker blue shade that will sink its way south late sunday in to monday, and our temperatures will plummet for a time. we still have the legacy of all of that rain to contend with. currently, though, numerous flood warnings in place, updates to that are available on our website. but some of the heavier and more persistent rain will shift away as we look at the second half of the weekend. low pressure still close by to the northeast is going to keep things windy through the evening and overnight. there�*s some more rain to come for scotland. and increasingly as the cold air digs in, we�*ll see that turning to snow, perhaps some snow across the lake district into the pennines by the end of the night. and there will be a risk of frost and ice, too, across parts of scotland. further south, thanks to the strength of the wind i think will hold the frost at bay. but gales for the south west of scotland and to the north

of northern ireland, as i said, a frost for many parts of scotland. elsewhere we slide down the lower end of the single figure scale. but remember that arctic air that still sitting away to the far north of the uk. so it will be showers of rain that sink across england and wales through sunday morning. many fizzling out. the winds generally lighter through sunday, but some showers still being carried in on the northerly wind to the far north of scotland. our temperatures down on saturday. we�*re looking at highs of seven and eight to the south of the uk, just three or four across northern scotland. sunday night into monday, though, things start to get rather more interesting.

this is bbc news — welcome if you�*re watching here in the uk or around the globe. iam i am annita mcveigh. our top stories... iran has executed british—iranian dual national alireza akbari on charges of spying for the uk — which he had denied. britain�*s prime minister calls it a "callous and cowardly act." the uk has confirmed it will provide challenger 2 tanks to ukraine during a call with president volodymyr zelensky. it comes as russian forces launched a series of missile attacks across the country. four people, including a seven—year—old girl, have been injured in a shooting near a funeral in central london. climate activist greta thunberg joins protesters in the german village of lutzerath, as police try to clear the area to make way for coal mining.

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