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tv   BBC News Now  BBC News  January 7, 2025 12:00pm-12:31pm GMT

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live from london. this is bbc news. a powerful earthquake hits china's tibet region, near mount everest — chinese state media say 95 people are dead and hundreds more injured. a huge rescue operation is underway. five people have died across the us with an emergency declared. flood warnings are in force across large parts of the uk with a danger to life alert in south leicestershire. the head of the uk inquiry into sex abuse gang says there is no need for a new national investigation because action should be taken now. and mcdonnell staff say they are still facing sexual abuse and harassment —— mcdonald's staff
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say they are still facing sexual abuse and harassment, despite those allegations. three hours of fast moving news, interviews and reaction coming up. we start with the latest on that major earthquake that has struck china's tibet region. chinese state media says at least 95 people have been killed and more than a hundred others injured. tibet's spiritual leader the dalai lama has said he's "deeply saddened'. and he has offered prayers. these are some of the latest pictures from the scene where search and rescue teams are pulling people out of buildings that have collapsed, with rubble on the ground. we're told many survivors are afraid to go inside buildings as strong aftershocks continue to shake the area. the magnitude 7.1 quake struck at around 9 am local time.
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the epicentre was tibetan city of shigatse which is holy for tibetan buddhists and is in the same region as mount everest. the tremors were also felt in neighbouring nepal's capital kathmandu as well as parts of northern india and bhutan. hundreds of houses are thought to have collapsed in mountain villages and power and water are cut off with temperatures well below zero. the chinese military has launched rescue efforts. it is using drones to reach those most in need as authorities start to assess the impact of the earthquake. quakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line. our china correspondent laura bicker gave this update from beijing. obviously we are several hours on from this earthquake. it happened at nine in the morning, in that, as you say, remote mountainous area, and now we are beginning to see the impact of that 7.1 magnitude quake. we are seeing on cctv, which is the chinese state broadcaster, many people being taken from underneath the rubble.
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now it does seem that rescuers have managed to reach the area, despite its distance from any major city. they have managed to reach some of the worst hit areas, and the reason they have managed to do that is because the chinese air force launched a drone, an unmanned drone, which it flew right over the mount everest national park area, to try to find the cities and villages that have been most affected. you can see my backdrop, i am here in beijing. you can see the tall buildings, that is not the case in those mountainous regions. these houses are low—lying, they are made of bricks and we have seen footage ofjust collapsed and they have fallen on people, and rescuers are combing through the rubble, trying to find survivors. we have also seen many people, elderly, children, out on the street, being treated by both the army, by the police, and by rescuers themselves.
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hundreds of people, hundreds of rescuers have been despatched. president xi jinping announced this morning that he issued instructions to ensure that civilian casualties are at a minimum, and those who have lost their homes can be at least housed somewhere warm, and somewhere dry for the time being. that is going to be a challenge, becausejust as getting rescuers in there is going to be difficult, it will be really difficult to get aid trucks into these mountainous regions. so we are monitoring chinese state media, we are seeing the pictures coming in and we are hearing the updates through press conferences, and the last one we had in the last hour, said that 95 people had been killed and 135 have been injured. that is the latest figure we have. we are hearing that the french far right figurehead john marie le pen has died. that is coming in from reports to the afp news agency, the news in that the
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far right figurehead jean—marie le pen has died. he was president of the national front party from 1972 through to 2011. he was a former presidential candidate in france, that mantle taken on by his daughter now, marine. he was born in 1928 on the news is just into us that rotem three le pen has died. one of the best—known and most controversial political figures in france, known around the world and that image there with his daughter marine le pen, and during his political career he saw a growth in votes for the far right in france. as i say, he was born in 1928 and founded, not only was a leader
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that founded the national front political party representing the main right—wing opposition to a country's mainstream parties. and from the 1970s until recent times, but a very controversial figure accused by his opponents of xenophobia. and just before we continue with our lead story, a recap, if you arejoining us of with our lead story, a recap, if you are joining us of the news coming into us that the french far right figurehead jean—marie le pen has died and that has been confirmed by his family to the afp news agency. he founded and led the national front party from the 1970s, from 1972 through to 2011, and was a former french presidential candidate,
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something as i mentioned a second ago, which is daughter marine aims to become the president of france, certainly towards the end of his time leading the party and in more recent years with marine le pe there has been an uptick in votes for the national front in france. —— marine e pen. is bubbly one of the french political figures from the 19705 -- political figures from the 1970s —— is probably one. that is since the formation of the national front. is since the formation of the nationalfront. a is since the formation of the national front. a vocal opponent of nationalfront. a vocal opponent of immigration. he sought to curb immigration into france and sort bands, for example on the building of additional mosques in france.
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and this newsjust additional mosques in france. and this news just coming additional mosques in france. and this newsjust coming in that he has died, and i believe we have a vt for you now on the life ofjean—marie le pen. to his supporters, jean—marie le pen was a realist and a patriot. to his political opponents, a racist provocateur. in 2002, campaigning against immigration and the european union, he won the biggest victory of his career, reaching the second round of the presidential elections.— round of the presidential elections. , . ., , round of the presidential elections. , ., ., , ., elections. yes, i am ready to win. if elections. yes, i am ready to win- if the — elections. yes, i am ready to win. if the french _ elections. yes, i am ready to win. if the french people - elections. yes, i am ready to l win. if the french people want to win also. win. if the french people want to win alm— to win also. the former paratrooper _ to win also. the former paratrooper was - to win also. the former l paratrooper was defeated to win also. the former - paratrooper was defeated in the final round of voting. but it felt like a victory. he bought
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his populist beliefs into mainstream french politics and many reeled in shock. he was born in brittany, the son of a fisherman. orphaned as a teenager, he studied law before joining the french foreign legion where he served in indochina and algeria. there he was accused of torture, allegations he always denied. he set up the national front in the 1970s, having lost an eye in mysterious circumstances. as its leader he ran for president five times. in 1984 he won a seatin five times. in 1984 he won a seat in the european parliament will stop i am very glad. because it is a great victory for the french right. and a great defeat for the left. he was accused _ great defeat for the left. he was accused and convicted of inciting racial hatred. anger sometimes boiled over. he said
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that people with aids should be forced to isolate and argued nazigas forced to isolate and argued nazi gas chambers were just a detail of history. those comments eventually saw him expeued comments eventually saw him expelled from the party he founded. as a new leader, his daughter, marine, try to improve its image. jean—marie le pen insisted he was simply a man who loved his country. his uncompromising views deeply offended millions, but they did much to shape post—war french politics. so, recapping for you if you arejustjoining us the news coming into us in last few minutes that the french far right former leader and founder and former leader of the nationalfront and former leader of the national frontjean—marie and former leader of the nationalfrontjean—marie le national frontjean—marie le pen has nationalfrontjean—marie le pen has died at the age of 96,
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formerly a presidential candidate, his mantle has been taken on by his daughter, marine le pen, but an extremely well—known figure both in france and beyond. let's go to our correspondence in paris, hugh schofield, and just picking up on the last point that daniela was mentioning in her report, to what extent jean—marie le pen has shaped politics in france? jean-marie le pen has shaped politics in france?— politics in france? well, i know what _ politics in france? well, i know what he _ politics in france? well, i know what he would - politics in france? well, i know what he would have politics in france? well, i- know what he would have said where he still alive, which is to say a lot of what is happening in france and in europe today bears out the warnings he was making 30 or 40 years ago. you can agree with that or not agree with it but undoubtedly that is the view he would be putting out, that the worries about immigrations are now mainstream and that is warnings about what would
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happen if islamist was allowed free reign in france and europe and that is happening, and it's now possible to articulate views about worries about immigration and not be automatically typecast, as he was, as a racist. he would say there has been great progress in the direction of his views which were avowedly nationalist, based on the idea of nation states being able to control their own borders. at the time, because, he was absolutely beyond the pale and i think the legacy of jean—marie le pen is one of totally failed political career because he did actually get anywhere himself. and his life and political career is really and political career is really a succession of provocations which meant whenever he came close to power, it all fell apart, almost as if that was what he wanted. that he did not
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really want to get power stop all this barrett hume —— barrack room humour, that he loved to engage in, particular the awful quotation of the holocaust being a detail of the second world war. clearly it was cleverly and sensibly he was cleverly and sensibly he was not denying the holocaust, he was just being offensive, and that is what he liked being, to the point that when he became an old man his daughter and the new generation, while agreeing with his general nationalistic views decided he was a liability and that he was doing more harm to the cause than good, and that is why in a bitter confrontation with him, let go of him ten or 15 years ago and let him live out his years in a bit of a wilderness.— let him live out his years in a bit of a wilderness. few, thank ou. bit of a wilderness. few, thank yon that _ bit of a wilderness. few, thank you. that news _ bit of a wilderness. few, thank you. that news just _ bit of a wilderness. few, thank you. that newsjust coming - bit of a wilderness. few, thank you. that newsjust coming in l you. that news just coming in last few moments that the veteran far right politician jean—marie le pen has died in
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france and was 96, the founder and for many years the leader of the national front. and for many years the leader of the nationalfront. you and for many years the leader of the national front. you are watching bbc news. around the world and across the uk.
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at least five people have died in a winter storm that has seized parts of the us in its icy grip — leading to mass school closures, travel chaos and power cuts. seven us states — maryland, virginia, west virginia, kansas, missouri, kentucky and arkansas — have declared emergencies. more than 2,300 flights have been cancelled, with nearly 9,000 delays also reported owing to the extreme weather caused by the polar vortex of icy cold air that usually circles the north pole, but is reaching further south. thousands of people were left without power early on tuesday across states
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in the storm's path. and it's set to get worse — with snow and sleet forecast to continue through the day in much of the north—eastern us. our north america correspondent, david willis, reports. across central and southern states, all the way to the east coast, america is experiencing some of its heaviest snowfalls on record. dumps of up to 16 inches in depth led seven states to declare a state of emergency, and left nearly a quarter of a million people without power, as the temperatures plunged. blizzard conditions caused thousands of flights to either be cancelled or delayed. and at least five people have reportedly died in the storm. and so treacherous are the driving conditions, particularly at night, that officials are urging residents to stay at home. fresh powder, right? yeah, it's fresh. improvisation, the name of the game for those determined to travel.
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the storm left the us capitol building in washington dc cloaked in a veil of snow. schools cancelled lessons, boosting attendance at the city's annual snowball fight. participants take part at their own risk. you may not believe it from these pictures, but no casualties were reported. i did not come here to make friends, that's for sure. there's no tiring of it for those with a fur coat. pandas bao li and qing bao were pictured frolicking in the winter wonderland at washington's national zoo. sent from china in an attempt at warming relations between the two nations, this was their first snowfall in the us, and both were clearly determined to make the most of it. david willis, bbc news. the issue of child sex abuse gangs has dominated the headlines here in the uk
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over the last few days, sparked by posts on social media from elon musk. now the academic who led a seven year inquiry into child sexual abuse, professor alexis jay, says it's time to act on the recommendations of the national investigation. on monday, the home secretary, yvette cooper, told mps that legislation — making it mandatory to report child sexual abuse — would be introduced in the spring. she also said grooming would be made an aggravating factor in sentencing. speaking to the today programme on bbc radio 4, professorjay was asked whether there's an argument for another national inquiry — which the opposition is pushing for. i don't agree with that in the sense of requiring further, more detailed national inquiries into child sexual exploitation. we have learned quite a lot
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from what those reviews that have already been undertaken, but locally, people need to step up to the mark, and do the sorts of things that have been recommended. i think there is something like 400 recommendations that we identified through a national charity, in all the reviews that had already been carried out, and many of those were simply not met. here in the uk, a number of major incidents have been declared as the country deals with severe weather, ranging from ice and snow in the north of england, wales, and scotland, to flooding in the midlands. more than 130 flood warnings are in place across england — that means flooding is expected — and there's one severe flood warning, affecting caravan parks near barrow upon soar — which means there's potential danger to life. graham satchell reports. large parts of the leicestershire and lincolnshire countryside are under water this morning. in both counties, fire services have declared major incidents.
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my friend is coming. dozens of people have been rescued from cars and houses, as heavy rain and melting snow caused rivers to burst their banks. there are almost 200 flood warnings still in place across england, and one severe warning, meaning danger to life at this caravan park near barrow upon soar in leicestershire. east midlands ambulance service has for the first time declared a critical incident, saying flooding has significantly added to existing pressures of patient demand and a lack of beds in local hospitals. 50 children at ednam primary school in lincolnshire had to be driven to safety by volunteers, after their school was cut off by the rising water. two inches of water in here. this is everything we'd bought from last year's flood that still hasn't been fitted yet. for many, like tom, who has twin three month old daughters, today will be about assessing the damage and starting to clean up. although the forecast is for drier, calmer weather in the coming days, there are new warnings for snow and ice in some
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parts, which could lead to more travel chaos. despite the pleas from emergency services not to drive in flooded areas, some could not resist the temptation for some inland rural water—skiing. let's return now to leicestershire where we can speak to our correspondent kasia madera. tell us more about the situation and how people are coping. situation and how people are coinu. , , , coping. this is the very picturesque _ coping. this is the very picturesque and - coping. this is the very i picturesque and beautiful village of quorn, but behind me, it's not a high street right now. we've seen people in waders and wellies trying to get across and what they are looking up, they are expecting what has happened with the white horse, the beloved local pub which only last whi
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