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[00:00:14] Live from London. This is BBC
[00:00:16] News. New strikes hit two refineries refineries deep inside Russia as
[00:00:20] as a wave of Ukrainian drones target
[00:00:23] target the country. Russia strikes strikes back. In this hour we'll
[00:00:26] we'll get the latest from our correspondent correspondent in Kyiv. We'll also
[00:00:29] also talk live to the former assistant
[00:00:31] assistant to Ukraine's Defence Minister. Minister. Our other headlines. Iran
[00:00:35] Iran says a deal with Oman on the the Strait of Hormuz is in its final
[00:00:38] final stages. What are the details
[00:00:40] details of any deal and will the
[00:00:43] the US agree? Calls for an independent
[00:00:46] independent inquiry into a military military base in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire, where four young women
[00:00:49] women have told the BBC they were
[00:00:52] were sexually assaulted and harassed.
[00:00:56] harassed. An can Gianni Infantino Infantino remain as Fifa president?
[00:00:58] president? The Confederation of African African Football meets to decide
[00:01:02] decide their position, will have
[00:01:03] have all the latest twists and turns.
[00:01:15] turns. Hello and welcome to BBC News. News. We begin in Russia where Ukrainian
[00:01:18] Ukrainian drones have hit two oil oil refineries. A huge column of
[00:01:22] of smoke now hangs over the city city of Yaroslavl after an attack
[00:01:26] attack on one of the country's largest largest oil facilities. It is a stark
[00:01:30] stark reminder that long range strikes strikes are bringing the war in neighbouring
[00:01:33] neighbouring Ukraine deeper into into Russian territory, Ukraine's
[00:01:36] Ukraine's president said they targeted targeted the refinery and another
[00:01:39] another refinery, where two people people are reported dead as part
[00:01:42] part of its efforts to cut the revenues revenues which fund the Kremlin's
[00:01:45] Kremlin's war effort. The region's region's governor called it the largest
[00:01:49] largest attack ever, saying 93 drones drones were destroyed. But that's
[00:01:52] that's only part of the picture across across Russia. The military says
[00:01:56] says it is intercepted and destroyed
[00:01:59] destroyed over 600 Ukrainian drones drones heading for targets as far
[00:02:02] far apart as the Moscow region and and the Black Sea. Meanwhile, in
[00:02:05] in Ukraine, at least ten deaths have have been reported following the
[00:02:08] the latest wave of Russian air strikes. strikes. These images are from Zaporizhzhia,
[00:02:12] Zaporizhzhia, where Russian drones drones hit an apartment block, injuring
[00:02:15] injuring two civilians. So let's let's start this hour hearing more
[00:02:18] more from our Ukraine correspondent correspondent Jan Dan Johnson, who's
[00:02:21] who's in Kyiv. This is a deliberate deliberate Ukrainian strategy to
[00:02:24] to take the war deeper into Russian Russian territory, to make the Russian
[00:02:27] Russian people really feel the impact. impact. President Zelensky says this
[00:02:31] this is primarily about hitting the the Kremlin in the coffers, having
[00:02:34] having a real impact on the economy
[00:02:35] economy and trying to make sure that
[00:02:38] that the Russian military can't get get the supplies and the fuel that
[00:02:41] that it needs to continue the war war against Ukraine. But there is
[00:02:44] is an acknowledgement that this means
[00:02:47] means disruption, destruction to to civilian infrastructure. The Wildberries
[00:02:51] Wildberries warehouses, which have have been hit repeatedly over the
[00:02:53] the past few weeks. Another one of of those was damaged last night.
[00:02:56] night. They've had workers killed killed in those facilities, and that
[00:02:59] that is no doubt having an impact
[00:03:01] impact on the sort of ordinary business business that people in Russia rely
[00:03:05] rely on this network for. It's a
[00:03:08] a small business, a retailer that that distributes items, everyday
[00:03:11] everyday items that so many millions millions of Russians rely on. So
[00:03:15] So those attacks have had a real real world impact for ordinary Russians
[00:03:19] Russians and the oil refineries that
[00:03:22] that is making petrol short in supply. supply. We've seen huge queues over
[00:03:25] over the last couple of months as as petrol has been running out and
[00:03:28] and prices have soared. So no doubt doubt that is also putting pressure
[00:03:32] pressure on the Russian people and and the refinery. One of them that
[00:03:34] that was hit last night 400 miles miles from Ukraine, is one of Russia's
[00:03:38] Russia's biggest which has been hit hit before. But the regional governor
[00:03:41] governor said this was one of the the largest attacks on that refinery refinery that Ukraine had launched
[00:03:45] launched so far. Well, that was Dan Dan Johnson let's speak lie to Alexander
[00:03:49] Alexander Khara, who's the executive executive director of the centre centre for Defence Strategies in
[00:03:52] in Kyiv, former assistant to the
[00:03:56] the Ukrainian Defence Minister. And And Alexander, welcome to our programme.
[00:04:00] programme. These strikes deep into into Russia, how effective they've
[00:04:04] they've been in terms of how much much oil capacity have you managed
[00:04:07] managed to take out so far, say,
[00:04:09] say, over the last six months or
[00:04:12] or so? Well, it's difficult to assess
[00:04:16] assess the efficiency and effectiveness effectiveness of those strikes because
[00:04:20] because Russia still fights back
[00:04:22] back and the Russians didn't rule
[00:04:26] rule out the long let's say, prolongation
[00:04:28] prolongation of this war into 2027
[00:04:32] 2027 to 2028. For sure. They're going going to mobilise more people after
[00:04:35] after the so-called elections to to the Russian parliament. But anyway,
[00:04:39] anyway, we have no other choice but
[00:04:41] but to bring war back to Russia and
[00:04:43] and to undermine the resource base
[00:04:46] base of the Russian war machine.
[00:04:50] machine. And there are 2 or 3 goals
[00:04:51] goals for that. First, it's the direct
[00:04:54] direct affection to the war machine.
[00:04:57] machine. Second, it's the we just just showing the Russian people that
[00:05:00] that the war is not something in
[00:05:02] in Ukraine. It's not a shooting range
[00:05:04] range in Ukraine, but war is affecting
[00:05:07] affecting them financially. And in in terms of security. And certainly
[00:05:11] certainly we're trying to, strike
[00:05:13] strike and to push Putin and his his circle to negotiate something,
[00:05:17] something, even though we believe believe that there is a slim chance,
[00:05:19] chance, at least so far. So so part part of that. I assume it's not just
[00:05:23] just hitting oil refineries. We've We've seen these whole series of
[00:05:27] of attacks on the Wildberries factories. factories. That is an important part.
[00:05:31] part. What you've just described, described, isn't it impacting ordinary
[00:05:34] ordinary Russians, impacting the the economy and trying to impact
[00:05:38] impact the psychology of Vladimir
[00:05:39] Vladimir Putin? Well, you're right
[00:05:42] right and Wildberries is not just just about impacting the cycle of
[00:05:46] of the Russians. They use this platform platform for delivery of dual use
[00:05:49] use goods, drones and components
[00:05:52] components for their war. And certainly certainly there is a financial cost
[00:05:55] cost for Russia because it's been been financed by VTB, the second
[00:05:58] second largest. And the Russians Russians call this system Bank of
[00:06:02] of Russia. And now they have a debt debt problem and the government is
[00:06:05] is trying to cover that. And they're they're trying to please ordinary
[00:06:09] ordinary Russians with some reimbursement reimbursement for the losses of their
[00:06:13] their businesses. So it's not just
[00:06:15] just a cycle. It's economy. And it's
[00:06:18] it's the system that distributed distributed the dual use goods. Yes.
[00:06:21] Yes. So that's the offensive side
[00:06:24] side of what Ukraine is doing. Let's
[00:06:26] Let's talk about the defence because because President Zelensky has been
[00:06:30] been really clear about the significant
[00:06:32] significant decline in the various various air defences. We've seen
[00:06:36] seen so many interceptors going from from the Americans to the Middle
[00:06:39] Middle East for their war in Iran.
[00:06:42] Iran. How much of a real problem
[00:06:44] problem is that for you, given what what you're anticipating in the winter
[00:06:47] winter as well, and targets on the the infrastructure system? Well,
[00:06:51] Well, first of all, let me add Crimea
[00:06:54] Crimea because with drones and missiles,
[00:06:56] missiles, we are able to isolate
[00:06:59] isolate Crimea and to pause Putin
[00:07:01] Putin with dilemmas with no good good options out of that. And Crimea
[00:07:05] Crimea is a centre of gravity of of this war. Talking about defences.
[00:07:08] defences. Yes, sure. The other night
[00:07:11] night there were 28 missile ballistic ballistic missiles and none of them
[00:07:14] them were intercepted because of of the lack of Patriot interceptors.
[00:07:17] interceptors. And we know the reason reason the Americans are not able
[00:07:20] able to produce them at scale. They
[00:07:22] They are producing something like
[00:07:24] like 650 per year, and they depleted,
[00:07:28] depleted, their stockpiles to source
[00:07:29] source at least has been shot in
[00:07:32] in near Iran and in Iran. Campaign.
[00:07:35] Campaign. And it's a problem for for Ukraine because other Western
[00:07:39] Western system are not able to efficiently efficiently shut down those incoming
[00:07:42] incoming missiles. So that's why why it's so important for us to get
[00:07:45] get this agreement with the Americans
[00:07:47] Americans to produce those missiles missiles under their licence, even
[00:07:51] even though it's not going to happen happen any time soon. And the second
[00:07:53] second thing is a three year project
[00:07:56] project where we have our own missile
[00:07:58] missile Fire Point missile and our our Western partners, at least ten
[00:08:01] ten countries are helping us to develop
[00:08:03] develop a radar systems command systems
[00:08:05] systems and things like that. And And certainly we will we are going
[00:08:08] going to hunt down those launching
[00:08:11] launching sites that are closer to
[00:08:13] to our border, at least within 300 300 or 400km range. Even though it's
[00:08:17] it's difficult. And the American
[00:08:19] American campaign in Iraq, the war war with Iran now in Israel, Iranian
[00:08:23] Iranian campaign. So it's difficult
[00:08:24] difficult to do. The final, quickest
[00:08:28] quickest thoughts because you will will know this. You are sitting there
[00:08:32] there as a Ukrainian. What is there there in anything that we've talked
[00:08:36] talked about that avoids this just just being a continuation of a grinding
[00:08:39] grinding war that goes from the fourth
[00:08:41] fourth to the fifth year? Well, there
[00:08:44] there are two solutions to that. that. First and foremost, China may
[00:08:48] may stop this war the second day day because China is a major enabler
[00:08:52] enabler because it provides financial financial and other resources to
[00:08:56] to Russia w components, diplomatic diplomatic and political cover for
[00:08:58] for the Russian actions against Ukraine Ukraine and Europe in general, for
[00:09:02] for the simple reason they want to
[00:09:04] to tie the Western resources here here in Europe rather than to dedicate
[00:09:08] dedicate them into the in the Pacific. Pacific. The second thing is the
[00:09:12] the Americans, if they put pressure pressure on Russia with the secondary secondary sanctions and with many
[00:09:16] many other things like export control,
[00:09:19] control, Russians would not be able able to circumvent sanctions and
[00:09:22] and build their missiles, drones drones and other military equipment. equipment. There is no other way
[00:09:26] way because we are not going to give give up. We understand that going
[00:09:29] going to happen to Ukrainians and and Ukraine in general if we agree
[00:09:32] agree on that and the Russians are are not going to stop. Yeah. Alexander
[00:09:36] Alexander Khara, thank you so much much for taking time to speak to to us here live on BBC News. Thank
[00:09:40] Thank you so much for your time.
[00:09:42] time. Let's turn now to the Iran Iran war because with reports of
[00:09:46] of a possible breakthrough over the
[00:09:47] the Strait of Hormuz, Iran says they've
[00:09:50] they've they're close to finalising finalising an interim agreement with
[00:09:53] with Oman over the vital waterway, waterway, which has effectively been
[00:09:56] been closed since the start of the the conflict back in February. Pakistan,
[00:09:59] Pakistan, which is mediating between between the United States and Iran, Iran, says it hopes an agreement
[00:10:03] agreement will lead Washington and
[00:10:04] and Tehran to resume talks and resolve resolve their conflict. Well, if
[00:10:08] if confirmed, a deal might begin
[00:10:10] begin to ease an economic crisis
[00:10:13] crisis that has shaken markets. This This the live tracker. But it could
[00:10:15] could cement Iranian control over over the maritime choke point. Well,
[00:10:19] Well, with me here in the studio studio is Baran Abbasi from BBC Persian
[00:10:23] Persian and Baran. Just take me through
[00:10:24] through what Tehran is saying about
[00:10:27] about the possibilities, the closeness, closeness, the details of any sort
[00:10:31] sort of deal. So the Iranians are are saying that they are very close
[00:10:34] close to a deal with Oman, but they
[00:10:36] they insist that it's a it's they're they're involved in bilateral negotiations
[00:10:40] negotiations with the Omanis. And And the United States is not included
[00:10:43] included in the talks. And there there is even warning that if the
[00:10:46] the US gets involved and interferes,
[00:10:49] interferes, they talks might unravel
[00:10:52] unravel regarding the details of
[00:10:55] of the potential deal, they are saying
[00:10:56] saying that Iran will have control
[00:10:59] control over inbound traffic ships
[00:11:02] ships that want to enter the Persian
[00:11:04] Persian Gulf. They will have to use
[00:11:07] use a route that is closer to the
[00:11:10] the Iranian coast and in outbound
[00:11:14] outbound traffic would use a route
[00:11:15] route that is closer to the Omani
[00:11:18] Omani route. But Omani coast. But
[00:11:20] But Iranians are still insisting
[00:11:23] insisting that even outbound traffic traffic will have to co-ordinate
[00:11:26] co-ordinate with the Iranian armed
[00:11:27] armed forces. So I would describe
[00:11:31] describe this as a managed reopening
[00:11:32] reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
[00:11:36] Hormuz rather than a return to a a totally unrestricted navigation
[00:11:40] navigation through the strait. And And for Iranians, it is important
[00:11:42] important because they want to maintain maintain control over this important
[00:11:45] important waterway. It gives them
[00:11:48] them enormous leverage. And for Oman, Oman, it is important because they
[00:11:51] they want to help their Arab allies
[00:11:53] allies and the United States to help
[00:11:56] help open the strait, to ease pressure pressure on the global economy and
[00:11:59] and to make sure that war and allows allows for won't return to the region.
[00:12:03] region. Baran Abbasi, thanks for for taking me through all of that. that. Let's continue with this. Let's
[00:12:07] Let's speak live to KT McFarland. McFarland. She was the US Deputy
[00:12:10] Deputy National Security Advisor
[00:12:12] Advisor to President Trump in 2017.
[00:12:15] 2017. Welcome here to BBC News and and the programme. Good to have you
[00:12:19] you on the show. Give me your assessment assessment of these reports because
[00:12:21] because Iran saying they've agreed agreed a deal with Oman is not the
[00:12:25] the same as agreeing a deal with with the US that's a really important
[00:12:28] important distinction, isn't it? it? No. You know, at the end of the
[00:12:32] the day, the Strait of Hormuz will will be opened. The pressure on Iran,
[00:12:35] Iran, the economic pressure is unrelenting.
[00:12:38] unrelenting. The whatever has happened, happened, cease fire! No! Cease fire.
[00:12:40] fire. The blockade continues. No
[00:12:43] No tankers are getting into Iran. Iran. No commodities are getting
[00:12:46] getting into Iran by port. No Iranian
[00:12:49] Iranian oil is getting out. And the the tankers. So Iran's economic condition
[00:12:52] condition continues to degrade, if if not to the point of almost collapse
[00:12:56] collapse of their currency. So whatever whatever Iran says, oh, they're going going to talk to America, they're
[00:13:00] they're not going to talk to America. America. They're only going to talk talk to Oman. They're going to have
[00:13:04] have tolls if they open it up. I I mean, I think these are all kind kind of irrelevant, that the bottom
[00:13:07] bottom line is Iran is going to have have to do what the United States
[00:13:11] States wants, which is an open Strait Strait of Hormuz for all maritime
[00:13:15] maritime traffic. Oil traffic, commercial commercial traffic, any kind of maritime
[00:13:19] maritime traffic. And that will happen happen whether it happens today or
[00:13:21] or tomorrow or next month or three three months from now. It's going
[00:13:24] going to happen. So many different different points into that answer. answer. So let me take them one by
[00:13:28] by one. If I could. You say they they have to do this. Why do you
[00:13:32] you say they have to do this? Because Because they have shown again and
[00:13:35] and again they will do what they
[00:13:37] they want, not what Americans want. want. Well, they have said they can
[00:13:41] can do what they want regardless regardless of what America wants. wants. What are the objective? Reality
[00:13:44] Reality is their economy is collapsing. collapsing. Their economy is collapsing. collapsing. But virtually nothing
[00:13:47] nothing has got through the Strait Strait of Hormuz since February.
[00:13:50] February. And that's affecting the the global economy and the American American economy. Transponders are
[00:13:54] are turned off. So the American economy economy is doing just fine. Our economic
[00:13:58] economic growth is terrific. The The stock market has never been higher.
[00:14:01] higher. Gasoline prices are below below $4 a gallon, which for us still
[00:14:04] still got. They haven't. They've They've still gone up. You have a
[00:14:07] a mid-terms coming up. There is pressure pressure economic pressure on the
[00:14:10] the Americans. I think the American American economy is if you look at at all the objective factors the
[00:14:14] the American economy is doing extremely extremely well, far better than European
[00:14:17] European economy or the Chinese economy economy or anybody else's economy.
[00:14:20] economy. Now, if you want to make make the point that the longer this
[00:14:23] this drags on, the bigger drag it it will have on the Republicans in
[00:14:27] in the mid-term elections. You know, know, time will tell. Right now, now, most Americans are on vacation.
[00:14:31] vacation. They're not even going going to start paying attention to to the elections until after Labour
[00:14:35] Labour Day. So in early September, September, this thing, whole whole
[00:14:38] whole thing could be solved by early early September. That point making
[00:14:41] making a lot of nervousness. Let's Let's return to the Strait of Hormuz
[00:14:44] Hormuz then. And that point you made
[00:14:46] made about tolls because we don't don't know as you're talking to me
[00:14:49] me now, we don't know the details details of any sort of deals. They
[00:14:52] They may not call it a toll, but but there may well be some sort of
[00:14:56] of charge for navigating this route.
[00:14:58] route. Are you saying that definitively
[00:15:01] definitively the Americans will not not accept any sort of deal where
[00:15:04] where there's any sort of charge?
[00:15:07] charge? I think President Trump's Trump's been pretty clear, you know,
[00:15:10] know, no tolls. It's going to be
[00:15:13] be free maritime transit. Not having having to pay Iran anything or Oman
[00:15:16] Oman or anybody anything. So I think think he's been pretty clear about
[00:15:20] about it and he's stuck with that. that. He's not deviated from that
[00:15:23] that regardless of what Iran says says here tomorrow, the next day.
[00:15:26] day. But he's also said he will hit hit Iran very, very hard if they
[00:15:29] they don't do this. He said that
[00:15:31] that countless times and he hasn't
[00:15:34] hasn't done it. And Tehran knows, knows, for example, the US is running
[00:15:37] running out of interceptors to protect protect the region. That's clear.
[00:15:41] clear. That's what US officials have have been saying to the American
[00:15:44] American President. So he has said said constantly. Because what they've
[00:15:47] they've done is they've run out of of they're running low on interceptors interceptors in the region. That
[00:15:51] That doesn't mean we don't have interceptors interceptors that we can send into into the region. It doesn't mean
[00:15:55] mean that we can't use the interceptors. interceptors. We've already sold sold to a lot of our Gulf Arab allies
[00:15:59] allies to use them. So I don't I'm I'm not buying the argument that
[00:16:02] that the United States is in this this desperate position because we're
[00:16:05] we're running out of ammunition. ammunition. No. Why does he keep keep threatening and then not doing
[00:16:09] doing it? This is how do you go read read the book? There's a short book.
[00:16:12] book. It's called the Art of the the Deal by Donald Trump. He's a a tough negotiator. He'll say one
[00:16:16] one thing. He'll pull it back. He'll He'll praise somebody. He'll criticise
[00:16:19] criticise somebody. This is how he he negotiates. But if you look at
[00:16:22] at it over time, he said would last last for a matter. Of days that have have lasted six months and still
[00:16:26] still shows no sign of ending. No
[00:16:28] No sign of ending. But we also have
[00:16:30] have every capability at our disposal disposal to do anything we want with
[00:16:33] with Iran. They have no defence systems. systems. If they decide they want
[00:16:36] want to rebuild their nuclear sites, sites, terrific. We'll bomb them
[00:16:39] them again. They want to build new new nuclear sites. We're watching
[00:16:42] watching that. We could bomb those
[00:16:43] those if they want to continue to to sort of play this out, throw a
[00:16:47] a missile at an American ship or or another vessel. We have a lot
[00:16:51] lot of military targets that we could could still hit. We have chosen not
[00:16:54] not to sure. And largely. And that's that's been the problem throughout
[00:16:57] throughout the last few months. A A final question, because Donald
[00:16:59] Donald Trump wanted to strengthen strengthen and reshape the whole
[00:17:02] whole of the Middle East in this this second term, strengthen regional
[00:17:05] regional allies. Hasn't he done the
[00:17:08] the polar opposite with this conflict conflict with those regional allies
[00:17:11] allies now asking and posing the the serious question, where does
[00:17:14] does this leave us? Having US bases bases in our countries potentially
[00:17:18] potentially open to these sorts of of attacks going on for months and
[00:17:20] and months? Well, the Abraham Accords, Accords, I think, is what you're
[00:17:24] you're referring to. And will other other countries join the Abraham Abraham Accords? The Saudis have
[00:17:27] have said that they would eventually, eventually, under certain conditions.
[00:17:29] conditions. You know, the Gulf Arabs Arabs and this is the biggest change
[00:17:33] change of the architecture of the the Middle East is that the Gulf Gulf Arabs are fighting with the
[00:17:36] the United States and with Israel, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United
[00:17:39] United States are fighting together together with Israel's help at certain
[00:17:42] certain targets in the region. The
[00:17:45] The United States, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Bahrain, we're all fighting together.
[00:17:48] together. So that to me, that's the the biggest step of all when you
[00:17:51] you take away the Iran war, it's it's the complete change of the architecture.
[00:17:55] architecture. You have Arab-Israeli Arab-Israeli peace, Arab-Israeli Arab-Israeli commerce, Arab-Israeli
[00:17:59] Arab-Israeli military co-operation. co-operation. It's just Iran. Who's Who's the outlier? Well, we have
[00:18:02] have to leave it there. But KT McFarland, McFarland, thank you for joining joining us. Thanks for your time
[00:18:06] time here on today's programme. Thank
[00:18:08] Thank you. Now we're going to take take a short break. When we're back,
[00:18:11] back, we'll have more on the headlines headlines around the world and
[00:19:14] he was their friend. All heart-wrenching heart-wrenching stuff that made me me feel sick. The big cases, funeral
[00:19:17] funeral home horror. Watch on BBC
[00:19:21] BBC News. Welcome back. Let's talk
[00:19:27] talk Fifa because European football's football's governing body says teams
[00:19:29] teams could still boycott competitions competitions including the World
[00:19:33] World Cup, with Uefa insisting that that Fifa's defence of its president
[00:19:36] president Gianni Infantino changes changes nothing. Mr Infantino has
[00:19:40] has received the backing
[00:19:45] Has received the backing of his top officials after days of questions questions over his leadership and
[00:19:48] and apologising for errors that were were made in controversial plans plans to sell off stakes in competitions
[00:19:51] competitions to private investors. investors. Well, after a meeting meeting of his senior executives
[00:19:55] executives in Morocco yesterday, yesterday, Mr Infantino now looks
[00:19:58] looks set to fight for re-election
[00:20:01] re-election in March. So how could
[00:20:02] could Gianni Infantino be removed removed as Fifa president? Well,
[00:20:06] Well, the Fifa Council could try try to force his hand through an
[00:20:09] an emergency meeting which would
[00:20:10] would be triggered if 19 of its 37
[00:20:14] 37 members called for one. Another Another step could be an extraordinary
[00:20:17] extraordinary congress. Of the 211
[00:20:21] 211 Fifa member associations, 43 43 of them would need to request
[00:20:24] request it. If Infantino clings on
[00:20:27] on a candidate to challenge him would
[00:20:29] would need to be found for the Fifa
[00:20:32] Fifa Congress in March. Gianni Infantino
[00:20:34] Infantino still has significant support support across Africa. The Confederation
[00:20:38] Confederation of African Football Football is meeting today to discuss
[00:20:41] discuss the proposals to sell stakes stakes in competitions. Fifa has
[00:20:45] has already abandoned but of course
[00:20:47] course has generated so much anger, anger, so we've just spun through
[00:20:51] through so many of the developments. developments. We were hoping to actually actually talk more to Jim Boyce.
[00:20:55] Boyce. He's a former Vice President President of Fifa. We've just lost
[00:20:58] lost that line so apologies for that.
[00:21:00] that. But it is a story that has
[00:21:02] has continued to bubble and to create
[00:21:04] create more and more problems for for the Fifa president as he tries
[00:21:08] tries to bat off the enormous pressure
[00:21:11] pressure that has emerged since those those plans emerged since the World World Cup ended. So we'll have that
[00:21:15] that interview here, I hope, in the the next couple of minutes. Let's
[00:21:18] Let's turn to an important story story here though, because four young
[00:21:21] young women have told the BBC they they were sexually assaulted and
[00:21:25] and harassed at an army training training college for teenagers in
[00:21:28] in North Yorkshire. One said she she was raped by several of her fellow
[00:21:31] fellow junior soldiers in an attack attack that lasted for hours. In
[00:21:35] In a statement, the army said unacceptable
[00:21:38] unacceptable and criminal behaviour behaviour has absolutely no place place in our armed forces. Here's
[00:21:42] Here's our senior UK correspondent
[00:21:46] correspondent Sima Kotecha. It ruined
[00:21:47] ruined my life. I've lost all my
[00:21:51] my confidence. The words of women
[00:21:52] women who went to the largest
[00:22:04] army training college in the country for 16 Foundation College
[00:22:08] College in Harrogate is for teenagers teenagers who want a life in the
[00:22:11] the armed forces, but now it's at at the centre of serious allegations
[00:22:15] allegations from several women who who went to the college in recent
[00:22:18] recent years, claims of harassment harassment and sexual assault. They
[00:22:22] They were like, do you want to come come into the room? And me being
[00:22:25] being a naive 17-year-old girl was
[00:22:28] was like, yeah, fine. Tilly, not not her real name, says she was raped
[00:22:32] raped by fellow recruits. They started
[00:22:34] started taking my clothes off and
[00:22:36] and then this led to them doing stuff
[00:22:38] stuff I didn't consent to. There
[00:22:41] There were a lot of them. They touched
[00:22:43] touched me in places, made inappropriate inappropriate comments, calling me
[00:22:47] me a thing rather than a girl. Like Like some of the other women we spoke
[00:22:50] spoke to. Tilly reported it to the the police. We're not providing the
[00:22:54] the full details of all their investigations
[00:22:56] investigations to protect their identity.
[00:22:59] identity. Monica, also not her real real name, says she too was attacked
[00:23:03] attacked by a junior soldier. Set Set against the door so I couldn't couldn't get out. He then pushed
[00:23:07] pushed himself up against me and and started kissing my face and touching
[00:23:10] touching me all over. He sexually sexually assaulted me. All of the
[00:23:14] the women we've spoken to went to to this college over the last five
[00:23:18] five years. Data obtained by the
[00:23:20] the BBC through a Freedom of Information
[00:23:22] Information request shows that North
[00:23:24] North Yorkshire Police recorded 16 16 sexual offence crimes over the
[00:23:28] the last year at this college, including
[00:23:32] including voyeurism and exposure exposure and sexual assault. These
[00:23:36] These are recorded complaints and and it's not clear how many led to
[00:23:39] to prosecutions. If this was anywhere anywhere else, it would have been been closed down by now. I think
[00:23:43] think as a matter of urgency, there there should be an independent inquiry
[00:23:47] inquiry into the college led by someone
[00:23:49] someone with significant safeguarding
[00:23:52] safeguarding expertise. A recent recent Ministry of Defence survey
[00:23:55] survey suggests almost 70% of women women in the armed forces experienced
[00:23:59] experienced at least one sexualised sexualised behaviour in the last
[00:24:02] last year. In 2021, Gunner Jaysley
[00:24:05] Jaysley Beck took her own life at
[00:24:07] at her barracks in Wiltshire months months after she was sexually assaulted
[00:24:10] assaulted by Warrant Officer Michael
[00:24:13] Michael Webber. Last year, a coroner coroner ruled the assault and the
[00:24:16] the army's failure to take appropriate
[00:24:18] appropriate action more than minimally minimally contributed to her death.
[00:24:22] death. Weber was jailed for six months.
[00:24:24] months. It's difficult to think. think. Almost five years on from
[00:24:27] from the loss of our daughter, that
[00:24:29] that this still continues and no
[00:24:31] no real change has been made despite
[00:24:34] despite what we're speaking up and
[00:24:37] and it's still ongoing. And that
[00:24:39] that is heartbreaking to see brave
[00:24:43] brave of the young soldiers to come
[00:24:45] come forward. I urge anybody to speak
[00:24:49] speak up, but yeah, heartbreaking. heartbreaking. The government defines
[00:24:53] defines a child as anyone under 18
[00:24:55] 18 in response to the allegations allegations made in this report,
[00:24:58] report, the Ministry of Defence says
[00:25:01] says unacceptable and criminal behaviour behaviour has absolutely no place
[00:25:04] place in our armed forces and these
[00:25:06] these reports are extremely distressing distressing and serious. It says
[00:25:09] says it's created the defence Serious
[00:25:12] Serious Crime Command, which is independent independent and outside of the army
[00:25:15] army chain of command and has a specialist
[00:25:17] specialist team who help victims
[00:25:19] victims throughout the process of
[00:25:22] of justice. The Army is a tough training
[00:25:26] training environment with high standards, standards, but the supervision and
[00:25:29] and discipline of junior recruits recruits and their instructors is
[00:25:33] is now in sharp focus. After so many
[00:25:37] many serious allegations, Sima Kotecha,
[00:25:40] Kotecha, BBC News. We're going to to have a break in a moment or two.
[00:25:43] two. I just want to break a development development here in the UK. Major
[00:25:47] Major train disruption because there's
[00:25:49] there's been a failure of electricity electricity supply at a communications communications centre and it means
[00:25:53] means that trains across Greater Greater Manchester, the Midlands
[00:25:56] Midlands and the north-west of England England are all being disrupted.
[00:26:00] disrupted. Disruption is expected expected to last until the end of
[00:26:02] of the day. There's cancellations,
[00:27:34] temperatures ramping up further into into next week, hitting the 50 Celsius
[00:27:36] Celsius mark on Tuesday.
[00:29:40] Trump's plan to get the oil flowing flowing again, one that will pay
[00:29:43] pay off? Join us on Talking Business
[00:29:45] Business Weekly on BBC News. Here
[00:29:52] Here at BBC Verify we use forensic forensic investigative techniques
[00:29:55] techniques and tools to fact check
[00:29:57] check stories, verify information information and counter disinformation
[00:30:00] disinformation using data analysis analysis and the latest technology. technology. Our journalists examine
[00:30:03] examine the evidence and get to the the facts. Watch our BBC Verify reports
[00:30:06] reports on the BBC News channel or
[00:30:07] or go online to find out more. Welcome
[00:30:16] Welcome back to BBC News. Let's turn turn to our main. Headlines here.
[00:30:20] here. New strikes hit two refineries refineries deep inside Russia as
[00:30:23] as a wave of Ukrainian drones target
[00:30:25] target the country. Meta becomes becomes the latest firm to say one
[00:30:29] one of its AI models hacked another
[00:30:32] another company. The family of the the murdered British exchange student
[00:30:36] student Meredith Kercher calls on on Amanda Knox, originally a suspect
[00:30:39] suspect in the case, to abandon plans
[00:30:41] plans for a stand up comedy show. show. Think about the family here.
[00:30:44] here. Think about her friends and
[00:30:49] and to. Turn the tables. If it was
[00:30:52] was your sister that this had happened
[00:30:54] happened to. And Afghanistan's exiled
[00:30:58] exiled women footballers make