welcome back to bbc news. let's turn to our main headlines. mass gatherings across syria as people celebrate the end of five decades of authoritarian rule by the assad regime. a

chinese businessman with links to prince andrew has lost his appeal against the decision to bar him from the uk on the grounds of national security. a bbc investigation finds that stephen bartlett, the host of diary of a ceo, is amplifying harmful health information on his number one ranked podcast. a double win for a chess prodigy, winning the world chess championship lead being the youngest person to do so. he talks to the bbc. and do you get annoyed by people twiddling their hair or clicking a pen? we look at a new condition for those diagnosed with an absolute hatred of fidgeting. all of those stories coming up, but first all the sports news of the with tanya. good afternoon. the home nations have found out who they'll face in qualifying for the 2026 world cup which will be held

in the united states, mexico and canada. northern ireland are in group a and will play either germany or italy, slovakia, and luxembourg. in group c scotland face portugal or denmark, greece, and belarus. wales were drawn in group] with belgium, north macedonia, kazakhstan and liechtenstein, while england are in group k and will play serbia, albania, latvia and andorra. the either—or—ties are down to the nations league quartersfinals. let's get reaction from the managers. we have to take this very seriously. it's the first fixture with latvia, i think — england and latvia, so a new challenge for all of us. and then we are clear favourites, of course, against andorra, but qualification is key now, qualification is the top priority. we have to be serious, we have to be determined and we have to show what we are up for in this group of five to win it. we expected to be in a four—team group because obviously we have the qualifiers against greece in march, so we knew that's what we were going to face —

tough matches, difficult opponents. it doesn't matter who the pot one team is, it'll be tough. greece we'll get to know very well over the next year, and obviously belarus is a pot four team and is a tough place to play. it's been a good period. it's a good draw. - but i would have said that if you would - have given us every best team there. i i'm really looking forward to this, excited to - work with the group, and i think we're alljust looking forward to it, and that's the honest truth. - i'm not trying - to answerand be... like, i really genuinely feel this is a group - we want to go and win. the four—team group suits us a smaller nation and it gives us time to prepare. thejune and it gives us time to prepare. the june fixtures and it gives us time to prepare. thejune fixtures are prepare. the june fixtures are difficult for prepare. thejune fixtures are difficult for us, many prepare. the june fixtures are difficult for us, many people play in the efl, so they finish fifth or sixth may, and are asking them to play international on the 10th of

june, is not having the challenge is good for us. june, is not having the challenge is good for us. you can find more _ challenge is good for us. you can find more on _ challenge is good for us. you can find more on that - challenge is good for us. you can find more on that world cup qualifying draw on the bbc sport website and app. now to cricket, matthew potts will replace chris woakes in england's only change for the third and final test against new zealand, which starts later in hamilton. potts will earn his tenth cap as england look to seal a series clean sweep, after wins in christchurch and wellington. the match will be england's 17th test of the year, with the series as a whole being their first away victory in two years. the third test between australia and india also gets under way later in brisbane. the series is finely poised at one apiece. a win could prove pivotal for either side in the race for a place in the world test championship final next year. i think there's definitely pride in winning in australia. these are our home conditions, the conditions we grew up laying with, so there is definitely that.

the hardest thing in cricket nowadays is winning test series away from home. so to make the world test championship, you have to win everything at home and try to pick up some wins overseas when you can. we definitely like to have a home series here expecting to win, which is what this has been one of the cleaner_ this has been one of the cleaner sessions and depending on the — cleaner sessions and depending on the batsmen, every batsman will have — on the batsmen, every batsman will have their own game plan and as— will have their own game plan and as a — will have their own game plan and as a batting group, i think people — and as a batting group, i think people will try to... that and as a batting group, i think people will try to. . ._ people will try to. .. that is all your— people will try to. .. that is all your support _ people will try to. .. that is all your support -- - people will try to. .. that is all your support -- sport . people will try to. .. that is| all your support -- sport for all your support —— sport for now. let's return to that story we had earlier. a chinese businessman described as a "close confidante" of the duke of york has lost his appeal against a decision to bar him from entering the uk

on national security grounds. the home office said they believed the man — known only as h6 — was engaged in covert activity for the chinese communist party, and that his relationship with prince andrew could be used for political interference. let's talk live with charles parton, head ...isa is a price to you by the story question? _ is a price to you by the story question? i'm - is a price to you by the story question? i'm not i story question? i'm not surprised at all because this is the normal way the chinese operate and i think i have heard also that they have in the past tried to get into the royal family circles for obvious reasons, so i'm not surprised. obvious reasons, so i'm not surprised-— obvious reasons, so i'm not surprised. the chinese have reacted. _ surprised. the chinese have reacted. as _ surprised. the chinese have reacted, as you _ surprised. the chinese have reacted, as you would - surprised. the chinese have - reacted, as you would imagine, saying it is spreading the china threat story, saying all of this is just the uk overreacting. in terms of the threat that china poses, take me through the levels of penetration we think are gardner, there was half £1 million devotet think are penetration we think are actually happening. it i actually happening. it i penetration we think are

actually happening. if i was to ut the actually happening. if i was to put the number _ penetration we think are actually happening. if i was to ut the actually happening. if i was to put the number _ actually happening. if i was to put the number one _ actually happening. if i was to put the number one threat, i actually happening. if i was to actually happening. if i was to put the number one _ actually happening. if i was to put the number one threat, i actually happening. if i was to put the number one threat, it | put the number one threat, it would be threat to our science put the number one threat, it | put the number one threat, it would be threat to our science and technology in the and technology in the acquisition of that, but in acquisition of that, but in terms of the interference that, terms of the interference that, i think it is very real indeed. i think it is very real indeed. they would not devote the sort they would not devote the sort of resources they do to it if of resources they do to it if they did not think there was they did not think there was some use in it. they do devote some use in it. they do devote a very considerable resources a very considerable resources to the united front work to the united front work department, which i suppose is department, which i suppose is the billing of the piece, seen the billing of the piece, seen as the villain of the piece. it as the villain of the piece. it is a very important department, is a very important department, one of the six departments of the chinese communist party and chinese communist party and has very large resources. tell the chinese communist party and has very large resources. tell me if you _ me i you _ has very large resources. tell me if you have _ has very large resources. tell me i you have _ has very large resources. tell me if you have the _ has very large resources. tell me if you have the obvious has very large resources. tell me | you have the _ has very large resources. tell me you have the obvious me if you have the obvious manifestations. i manifestations. l to me if you have the obvious manifestations.— me if you have the obvious manifestations. i suppose what the united _ manifestations. i suppose what the united front _ manifestations. i suppose what the united front is _ manifestations. i suppose what the united front is trying - manifestations. i suppose what the united front is trying to - the united front is trying to do is to swing the debate or the united front is trying to do is to swing the debate or the view of china onto a way the view china onto a way that supports their line in the view of china onto a way that supports their line in view of things. if you think view of things. if you think of... to go back to the case of of... to go back to the case of christine lee and barry gardner, there was half £1

million devoted to

a very wide... given they are in everything that british there was china, businesses, organisations are the government, then anyone representing in any way would have to declare that. i think that would have a very big effect in actually highlighting this whole question of independence in politics and media, academia —— interference. but so far, the government has not made a decision on that. the previous government did not get it in before it fell, so that would before it fell, so that would be a very obvious measure. another would be to strengthen the provisions of the advisory committee on business appointments, because what happens at the moment is many ministers are top civil servants can go immediately intojobs earning a servants can go immediately into jobs earning a lot of money representing, possibly, and they do, china, chinese companies and interests. of course, that consciousness you could go into a job and earn a lot of money might actually

affect your decision making while you're still in the job. a final thought, keir starmer only a few weeks ago was talking about a relationship with china, enhancing where we are currently, enhancing trade will stop with all of the sydney backdrop, how do you navigate that? and of course you have donald trump coming back into the white house and the relationship between washington and beijing was at its lowest point the last time around? that you like it should be separate from the start that of course we want good relations with china, we want to maximise trade investment. as long as, particularly in the case of investment, it is not harmful to us— harmful to us and there are cases it has _ harmful to us and there are cases it has undoubtedly i harmful to us and there are i cases it has undoubtedly been harmful because the chinese are not a charity, they are there to get a science and technology, which we might not want them to. but so far, we do not have any action on the part of the new government, but it is guiding philosophy should be we are first and foremost they are to protect our interest, thatis are to protect our interest, that is what david lammy said

backin that is what david lammy said back in february 23 in his speech, protecting natural defence and security was his number one aim. —— national defence. and if labour announces after its china audit announces after its china audit a clear strategy and its business, academia, government know where we are going, that would be a major step on avoiding some of the misinterpretations and arguments we might have with the chinese, because at the moment, they will push as far as they can, not knowing where our red lines are. so we need to delineate them. we our red lines are. so we need to delineate them.— to delineate them. we have delivered — to delineate them. we have delivered there, _ to delineate them. we have delivered there, charles - delivered there, charles parton. thank you for being here in the programme. —— have to leave it there. a bbc world service investigation has found that steven bartlett is amplifying harmful health misinformation on his top podcast, diary of a ceo. starting as a business podcast, there has been a noticeable shift towards health. over 15 recent episodes, an average of 1a harmful claims were shared by the guests, with little challenge from bartlett.

leading health experts told the bbc, the claims made on bartlett's podcast could sow distrust in medicine and could lead to patient harm. jacqui wakefield reports. steven bartlett is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the uk and host of one of the biggest business podcasts globally, the diary of a ceo, topping the charts in places like nigeria, india and mexico. but over the last 18 months, there has been a notable change in its guests and subject matter. we tracked the podcast�*s episodes from the last 18 months, then we analysed the health—related ones. we fact—checked the claims of 15 episodes with the advice of four experts. we found an average of 1a potentially harmful claims per episode. bartlett rarely challenges these claims. one of the guests bartlett hosted was dr mark hyman, an alternative medicine doctor. gluten can cause everything from osteoporosis to autism to schizophrenia... another guest claimed a ketogenic diet was a treatment solution, without chemotherapy.

to manage cancer without toxicity is to simultaneously restrict the two fuels that are needed to drive this disregulated growth while transitioning the whole body off to a fuel that the tumour cells can't use, which is fatty acids and ketone bodies. at no point in the episode does steven challenge that suggestion that a keto diet could treat cancer. when we next hear from him, he says... so, what can we learn from our ancestors about cancer? if you are a cancer patient who took some of this advice and maybe changed your dietary patterns and became very restrictive when you are undergoing treatment, you could potentially and very realistically get very, very sick. but what could have motivated this shift to health? it is very health—related clickbait content with scary titles, with, "this thing is toxic, this thing is going to kill you," and we know that does really well online with the

algorithm amplifying that. a spokesperson for flight studio, steven bartlett's production company, said, "the diary of a ceo is an open—minded long—form conversation with individuals identified for their distinguished and eminent career and/or consequential life experience." they said each guest is thoroughly researched, offered freedom of expression and they hear a range of voices, not just those who steven and the diary of a ceo team necessarily agree with. dr thomas seyfried said he stands by the statements he made in the interview. dr mark hyman didn't respond to requests for comment. is there a risk in having too much meat products? bartlett's shift to health may be great for the reach of his podcast, but what is the line between hosting contrarian views versus allowing them to go unchallenged? and what is steven bartlett's responsibilities as the host of one of the world's biggest podcasts? and you can watch the full

investigation on iplayer. let's speak to doctor liz 0'riordan who is a cancer expert, former breast surgeon and author. thank you, doctor, for being here with us. how big a problem do you think health misinformation is, especially in podcasts?— misinformation is, especially in podcasts? people are going to the internet _ in podcasts? people are going to the internet to _ in podcasts? people are going to the internet to get - to the internet to get information when they are diagnosed with cancer and there is so much misinformation out there, videos, websites and podcasts are the latest thing, guests can say what they like, they not fact checked by the hosts, and another 62nd clips are being taken as medical advice, and my worry is people will listen to that advice on other doctors and people will die as a result of this. you have written _ die as a result of this. you have written a _ die as a result of this. you have written a book - die as a result of this. you have written a book that i have written a book that debunks myths. what are the most common you see crop up? one of the commonest is that sugar causes cancer and you can treat cancer with a juicing diet or cutting sugar out of your diet. there is no magic bullet. i think cancer patients are vulnerable, they are

looking for certainty and hope, and no doctor can give you that, but when you see people on podcasts and video saying, hey, we can cure you, give us your money for supplements, real harm can happen. we know for breast cancer, women who chose to have alternative therapy rather than mainstream therapy rather than mainstream therapy are six times more likely to die. in therapy are six times more likely to die.— therapy are six times more likely to die. in terms of the celebrity _ likely to die. in terms of the celebrity element _ likely to die. in terms of the celebrity elementjust - celebrity element just generally, because there are so many podcasts out there, how much extra traction does that give some of what you're talking about? it give some of what you're talking about?— give some of what you're talking about? it is huge. we know when — talking about? it is huge. we know when elle _ talking about? it is huge. we know when elle macphersonl talking about? it is huge. we - know when elle macpherson spoke earlier this year, she saw 32 doctors who recommended chemo and she decided not to have it. there are women in australia there are wome