tv BBC News Now BBC News June 26, 2023 2:00pm-2:30pm BST
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campaign to end homelessness in uk. welcome to bbc news. we start with breaking news. russia's intelligence services are investigating whether western spies played a role in the aborted mercenary, according to the russian foreign minister. we are hearing from the russian news agency that he has said what were claims that he has said what were claims that russia plans to blow up the nuclear plant in severn ukraine were nonsense. he has said the ambassador game signals the us was not involved in the wagner new to any and hope for the safety of russia's nuclear arsenal, according to the state agency. the foreign minister giving some reaction to the events over the
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weekend. vladimir putin has appeared in public for the first time. the kremlin has published images of mr putin congratulating participants of an industrial forum. it's not clear where the statement was recorded — and there is no reference in mr putin's comments to the rebellion. russian state television has also shown footage of the defence minister, sergei shoigu, visiting what they said was a forward military command post. the wagner mercenaries had called for mr shoigu's removal. also today, the russian prime minister, mikhail mishutin, admitted that the country had faced "a challenge to its stability" over the weekend. it is important to remind you it is internal matters. therefore what nato is concerned with is supporting ukraine. it is about the russian regime, but it is not for nato to
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intervene in those issues. that is a russian matter. what matters for nato is not be intimidated, not be prevented from continuing to provide support for ukraine. in a government video released by the kremlin, the russian prime minister — mikhail mishustin — appeared to blame the west for last weekend's chaos and called on the russian people to unite behind president putin. translation: russia is going through an im ortant translation: russia is going through an important time _ translation: russia is going through an important time in _ translation: russia is going through an important time in its _ translation: russia is going through an important time in its history. - translation: russia is going through an important time in its history. as - an important time in its history. as the president noted, the entire military, economic machine of the west is against us. in essence we are battling for the right to choose our own path based on the national interests and the good of the people. the main thing is to ensure the sovereignty and independence of our country and the safety and well—being about citizens, that this the whole of society is especially
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important. we need to act together as one team and maintain the unity of all forces, running around the president. we need to take calculated decisions to effectively achieve goals set by the leader of the state. our easter europe correspondent sarah rainsford gave her assessment of the statement from russian prime minister that the country had faced a "challenge" to its stability. i think this is all part of something i think we might call operation restore putin's reputation. i think he knows and the kremlin knows he has taken a blow over the last few days and what happened over the weekend was extremely dramatic and the response of the kremlin was seen to be weak. this is all about rallying behind the president, coming out with a show of force and unity and that's precisely what the role of the russian prime minister mikhail mishustin was today, gathering together his deputy prime minister is for a meeting and it was all about saying russia is under attack, we are facing enemies and we must unite. he actually said we need to gather together to unite
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behind our president. all those figures at the table with him said of course that's what we will do. a show of unity and strength. it followed important of elements, a video released by the defence ministry this morning with sergei shoigu, the man against whom this mutiny was ostensibly launched in the first place, he was being shown as a man very much still in his job, still on the front line, still at the command centre of russian forces fighting their war on ukraine. we don't know where the video was filmed or the exact circumstances but we know the message that and everything else happening today was meant to send, that president putin is in control, not weakened by this, not fragile, that was all a big blip and he is back, the strongman at the top and his team is behind him. that's the message but not necessarily the reality. what for putin do next? prigozhin has been sent to belarus, but we
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haven't heard from him. and what is this going to do with regard to the situation in ukraine and the fighting there?— situation in ukraine and the fighting there? situation in ukraine and the fiaahtin there? ~ ~ fighting there? well, i think the auestion fighting there? well, i think the question of— fighting there? well, i think the question of prigozhin _ fighting there? well, i think the question of prigozhin and - fighting there? well, i think the question of prigozhin and his i fighting there? well, i think the - question of prigozhin and his future is interesting because as part of the deal that was struck, apparently by the president of belarus, or the front man put up to kind of announce it, as part of the deal it seemed the kremlin had offered an understudy to yevgeny prigozhin, which was extraordinary because this was the man who had putin had accused of stabbing russia in the back. hours later at the kremlin was saying there would be no prosecution, he wouldn't face any charges. it sounded extraordinary and sound like weakness and a climb—down. here we are with sources simultaneously telling several state news agencies in russia that actually, those criminal charges are
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still formally in place. again, this is part of trying to restore putin's reputation, trying to rebuild him as the strongman. maybe it was a mistake he didn't climb down, and the criminal case is still open, and thatis the criminal case is still open, and that is problem why we aren't hearing from yevgeny prigozhin. we don't know where he is, but for a vocal man, he is surprisingly quiet. we have new and coming in all the time from sergey lavrov, and the latest he has said the wagner revolt will not change russia's relations with france, and the group will continue their operations in mali, where they operate, around the world in africa and the east. let's get more reaction to these new is. good to see you. we've had these lines
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from the russian foreign minister sergey lavrov saying the us ambassador to moscow gave signals the us was not involved in the armed group, then moments later saying the intelligence services are investigating whether western spy agencies played a role in it. what do you make of what we are getting from the kremlin? the do you make of what we are getting from the kremlin?— from the kremlin? the antagonism towards the _ from the kremlin? the antagonism towards the west _ from the kremlin? the antagonism towards the west is _ from the kremlin? the antagonism towards the west is an _ from the kremlin? the antagonism towards the west is an important l towards the west is an important cornerstone on which russia's foreign policy rests. they are not going to abandon that very easily. sergey lavrov also spoke about how come belarus's leader shanto was involved in mediating a deal between the wagner and the kremlin. according to sergey lavrov, he made an offer in a telephone conversation
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with vladimir putin on saturday morning and sergey lavrov said you know the outcome of it. sergey lavrov also said president putin throughout the 24th ofjune, saturday, he has received phone calls from western leaders reportedly with expressions of support, but sergey lavrov said those leaders wish to remain anonymous. we those leaders wish to remain anonymous-_ those leaders wish to remain anon mous. ~ . ., anonymous. we are hearing some re orts anonymous. we are hearing some reports the _ anonymous. we are hearing some reports the wagner _ anonymous. we are hearing some reports the wagner group - anonymous. we are hearing some reports the wagner group are - anonymous. we are hearing some reports the wagner group are stilli reports the wagner group are still recruiting. what is your analysis of that, given we don't know the whereabouts of its leader and those involved have been given immunity. these reports are fly in the face of
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apparent state efforts to face wagner out, to put an end to it. the kremlin, president putin personally and the russian minister of defence earlier made a statement saying all volunteers, quote, unquote, they are required to sign official contracts with the russian military. if required to sign official contracts with the russian military.- with the russian military. if that ha ens, with the russian military. if that happens. that — with the russian military. if that happens, that will _ with the russian military. if that happens, that will be _ with the russian military. if that happens, that will be the - with the russian military. if that happens, that will be the end i with the russian military. if that happens, that will be the end ofi happens, that will be the end of wagner, and if they are still recruiting in russia, if that is confirmed, this will mean that wagner, the mercenary group, still sees some future in front of it with or without its leader, yevgeny prigozhin, who are still silent on social media, and this is one of the biggest questions of the moment. where is yevgeny prigozhin? how is
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this playing out in russia, both in the media and between ordinary citizens? what people saying to you? well, the official media line, and most of the important media sources in russia are tightly controlled by the crown then, they are saying things are getting back to normal from this dangerous new to me. they are trying to see a silver lining, if you like, saying that russia has passed the test of unity. there are reports of posters appearing in rostov, the city briefly taken over by wagner on saturday, posters saying we need to avoid bloodshed, we must remain united. on social kneejerk, which is where conversation is much freer —— social
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media. the people who support war on ukraine are not necessarily wagner, they are asking pointed questions about why this was allowed to happen, that this is an unprecedented event in history for russia. and as for liberal commentators opposed to vladimir putin, one of the most frequent questions they are asking is, what was that, what was the point of it? they are still trying to make sense of it. it is clear at the moment that nobody seems to have all the answers and this story is not over yet. it answers and this story is not over et. . ., , answers and this story is not over et. . . , , ., answers and this story is not over et. . ., _., yet. it certainly is not. it was the uk's most _ yet. it certainly is not. it was the uk's most notorious _ yet. it certainly is not. it was the uk's most notorious racist - yet. it certainly is not. it was the i uk's most notorious racist matter. now, a new suspect in the killing
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of stephen lawrence has been identified in a bbc investigation. he is matthew white, who died two years ago. he has never been publicly named before — and the bbc has found that the metropolitan police seriously mishandled key evidence related to him. stephen was 18 when he was murdered in a racist attack by a gang of young white men in south london in 1993. two of the original five prime suspects were jailed for the murder in 2012. the other three have not been convicted of the crime. ?our correspondent daniel de simone reports. it's the most notorious racist murder in british history. 30 years on, we reveal disastrous police failures and identify a key suspect for the first time. stephen lawrence was murdered by a gang of young, white men in eltham, south london, in april 1993. the met police did not catch the killers.
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they have no intention of finding the man who killed my son. i have no confidence in them doing anything. there were five prime suspects. two were finally convicted a decade ago. but stephen's friend said there were six attackers. our investigation today identifies a new suspect for the first time, this man, matthew white, and reveals serious failings by the met police. his stepfather contacted the police after the murder, but the wrong name for him was put into a database and the lead was put into a database and the lead was not pursued. a new investigator traced the right man 20 years later. i knocked on his door and said i am here to talk to you about stephen lawrence, and he said you are rushing thisjob. the lawrence, and he said you are rushing this job.
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rushing this “0b. the stepfather said he had — rushing this job. the stepfather said he had admitted _ rushing this job. the stepfather said he had admitted to - rushing this job. the stepfather said he had admitted to being l said he had admitted to being present at the attack. it wasn't just him, another witness had given a statement to the met years before into thousand, saying white told him he was part of the attack. i've got surveillance photos from 1993 which show he looked like the unidentified lead attacker described by stephen's friend and eyewitnesses. he died in this bedsit in 2021, year after the met stopped investigating the murder. scotland yard told us matthew white was arrested and interviewed into thousand, and in 2013, and that prosecutors twice said there wasn't enough evidence to charge. the evidence relating to matthew white implicates the three prime suspects who remain free. the deputy commissioner told us...
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on the 30th anniversary of his murder... after so many police failings, well there ever be fulljustice after so many police failings, well there ever be full justice for stephen lawrence? you can watch the full report on bbc one at 830 tonight or the iplayer now. you can read the full investigation online. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. a study has found people in the uk are less likely to survive treatable conditions such as breast cancer
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and stroke than those in other rich nations. the review by the king's fund think tank says the problem may be directly linked to the performance of the nhs. it says below—average spending on the uk health service has led to fewer staff and equipment than systems elsewhere. police in northern ireland can now charge people with nonfatal strangulation. strangulation is the second most common method of female murder in the uk — after attacks with a knife or sharp instrument. and dee forbes, the boss of irish broadcaster rte, has resigned with immediate effect after controversy over undisclosed payments to a high—profile presenter. tv and radio host ryan tubridy was paid 345,000 euros more than had been published in the organisation's earning reports. he received the payments between 2017 and 2022. you're live with bbc news.
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a woman from lancashire drowned when she died, and inquest heard. nicola bulley went missing, it took three weeks for her body to be found. it was a mile away from where she was last seen. the home office pathologist gave evidence at the county hall and said there was no evidence she was harmed. danny savage is at the hearing in preston. welcome to you. take a three what is happened and reminders of the case that got a huge media attention. nicola bulley went missing at the end of january this year nicola bulley went missing at the end ofjanuary this year and she fell into the river, or went into the water in lancashire area this year. she then vanished, her body was found three weeks later. what really made this whole episode standout was the wild spy collation
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on social media about what had happened to her. lancashire police were always adamant that she was a missing person's inquiry and had gone into the river, but many people didn't believe them. what you had was not a people coming down to the riverside, looking for her, coming up riverside, looking for her, coming up with strange theories. it caused the family a lot of distress at the time, and because the case to help perhaps for much more attention than it would have done in the days before social media. what has happened now is we've got to the stage where the inquest is taking place to try and establish the facts of how nicola bulley died. the coroner has made it clear, he has been giving no notice to social media, that he would only be taken proportionate evidence from reliable sources, and those sources include a home office pathologist, who gave
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evidence about how nicola bulley died. she examined her body after it was taken out of the river and establish she had died from drowning. she had no alcohol in her system at the time, and she hadn't been assaulted or harmed on the day she disappeared. no third—party or criminal involvement surrounding here on the day she vanished. we heard evidence from police divers who talked about going into the water at that time of year would have caused shock to set in, you could have been unconscious, and would have been less than one minute later. these are the details this inquest is going through. there are barriers behind me, security guards and extra security, because a lot about social media speculation at the time, and making sure everybody is kept safe and nobody gets into distract what the coroner is doing
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to establish very clearly how nicola bulley died. to establish very clearly how nicola bulle died. , to establish very clearly how nicola bulley died-— bulley died. danny savage, thank ou. the prince of wales is launching a project aimed at making homelessness "rare, brief and unrepeated". the homewards initiative will initially focus on six locations over the course of five years. as our royal correspondent, daniela relph reports, prince william's charitable foundation is providing £3 million of start—up funding. he will visit six locations in the next two days for his homelessness foundation. this was the first. the royal arrival surprised a few passers by. morning, everybody. the prince of wales was at the mosaic clubhouse. he heard from those who had worked and found help here, from some who were homeless and needed mental health support telling their story to royalty it made an impact. with his title, it will help, it is like he really cares. from mine and his conversation,
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he shows that he does care about what i have gone through. tv presenter gail porter shared her story with prince william too. she found herself homeless eight years ago. work had dried up, her mental health was in crisis. i did not ask for help, i did not know what to do, which is why i'm so pleased to be involved in this. we want to talk to people before we get into the situation i got into. if you ignore it, i was too proud. a short film marked the launch of the project. ending homelessness is an ambitious target. prince william is aware he comes at the subject from a place of immense privilege and that it touches on political issues, too. but he believes he can make a difference. i first visited a homeless shelter when i was 11 with my mother.
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the visits we made together left a deep and lasting impression. i have met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heartbreaking personal stories. too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home. so i am pleased to stand here today at the start of our path to ending homelessness. that path begins here in south london. over the next five years, prince william will try to bring together local authorities, businesses, charities, and others to find solutions. so that homelessness in modern britain is only ever rare, brief and un—repeated. daniela relph, bbc news, lambeth. ajapanese defence intelligence official has told the bbc, his country's armed forces would be prepared to shoot down any chinese spy balloons spotted overjapan's territory in the future. it follows a bbc panorama investigation that discovered evidence of one suspected surveillance balloon travelling overjapan in 2021. our security correspondent gordon corera has more details. i am sitting in my driveway and this
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thing is up in the sky. it was february when residents of the us state of montana saw something strange in their skies. i know there is a lot of questions about the flying objects. the spy balloon was then spotted moving all the way across the us. they're shooting it! that balloon was eventually shot down, but its journey raised questions about the nature and reach of china's foreign surveillance operation. to find out more, bbc panorama has been working with corey jaskolski, founder of an artificial intelligence company. the ai has been sifting through millions of satellite images to track the balloon. we're looking for something that's maybe a0 meters across. and we're looking for that in millions, and millions, and millions of square kilometers of earth's surface. the balloon was tracked, passing close to a us nuclear base and all the way back to a probable launch site on hainan island in china. china claimed the balloon was a civilian airship used for scientific research,
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such as meteorology, and that it was an isolated event. but working with corey, the bbc can now reveal new details about other spy balloons. corey's ai programme discovered four satellite images of a balloon crossing northern japan in early september 2021. the japanese ministry of defence told the bbc that they suspected this was one of three chinese spy balloons that has flown over their territory since 2019. it is strongly presumed that the balloons were reconnaissance balloons flown by china. the ministry of defence of japan is taking all precautions to monitor the situation on a daily basis. japan says it's prepared to shoot down chinese balloons in the future. for protecting lives and property of people in the territory of japan, it is possible to respond to the situation with the use of a weapon. the ai software also found evidence of another balloon off the coast of taiwan.
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the taiwanese government says it believed this was a weather balloon. but corey says that's unlikely. so i suspect, just based on the diameter of the balloon and the fact that the operating altitudes look similar, that looks an awful lot like the balloon that flew over the united states, overjapan. the chinese embassy say they respect all countries sovereignty and territorial integrity. but former us intelligence officials say they believe china may be using balloons to intercept communications. if you're trying to pick up cell phone transmissions or understand communication patterns, then i could theoretically see where the balloon could be a useful platform for that. countries spy on each other all the time. but the very public nature of china's balloon flights has drawn new attention on the potential scale and ambition of china's surveillance programme. gordon corera, bbc news. that said, we will have top business
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stories. see you shortly. hello, after all the heat and humidity of the weekend, a fresher story to take us through the week ahead. many areas saw heavy thunderstorms overnight on sunday, but to the south many spots still staying dry, the cracked ground in hampshire. in terms of rain for southern counties, perhaps later this week but is something to come. here we are on monday with high pressure to the south, low pressure pulling to the north—east, if was to come through the remainder of the day across the northern half. most of them fading out once the sun sets. central and eastern areas staying clear overnight. towards the west more cloud, the breeze lifting a little, a cooler night than last night. temperatures didn't get out of the
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mid—teens last night, they will get lower tonight. through tuesday, low—pressure approaches from the feeding high cloud, turning sunshine hazy, rain in northern england and scotland into the afternoon. rights quys scotland into the afternoon. rights guysin scotland into the afternoon. rights guys in the south, highs of 21, 22, 16 or 17 for scotland. overnight and into wednesday, we pull in some humidity from the south. quite a muqqy humidity from the south. quite a muggy start on wednesday, a warmer night on tuesday night. the wednesday daytime, a lot of cloud, some heavier and more persistent rain in scotland, northern england, and showers potentially in eastern england that could be heavy at times. temperatures have come back up times. temperatures have come back up into the mid 20s, 25 celsius, 17, 18 in scotland and ireland. it is this trailing weather front on thursday which is the bigger
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question for the forecast. will it stick around to the south—east, bringing rain, orwill it stick around to the south—east, bringing rain, or will it go away faster? the current thinking is it brings a decent amount of rain to the south—east on thursday, ten or 15 millimetres. but that is changing, so we will get that closer to the time for you. we moved back into the fresher feeling at the end of the week.
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