BBCNEWS — BBC News
20260915 230000 UTC
507 transcript segments
Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced)
Data courtesy of The GDELT Project (https://www.gdeltproject.org/), from the Internet Archive TV News Archive.
Machine transcription. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a verbatim quotation record.

[00:00:01] MUSIC
[00:00:14] Live from Washington. This is
[00:00:16] BBC News. The UN issues a warning warning about the humanitarian crisis
[00:00:20] crisis in Yemen as the Houthis and
[00:00:22] and Saudi forces exchange large-scale large-scale drone and missile attacks,
[00:00:26] attacks, forcing more than 100,000 100,000 people from their homes.
[00:00:30] homes. The Pentagon says US Space Space Force has positioned weapons
[00:00:33] weapons in Earth's orbit that are
[00:00:35] are capable of destroying hostile
[00:00:38] hostile threats and AI leaders gather gather at summits on both sides of
[00:00:41] of the country as President Trump
[00:00:44] Trump continues to downplay growing
[00:00:46] growing concerns about the technology.
[00:00:57] technology. Helena Humphrey, good good to have you with us. We begin begin in the Middle East, where the
[00:01:00] the UN is warning that the humanitarian humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening
[00:01:04] deepening as the Iran backed Houthi Houthi rebels assault the Saudi backed
[00:01:07] backed Yemeni government forces. forces. The UN refugee agency says
[00:01:11] says the renewed conflict has forced
[00:01:14] forced more than 100,000 people from from their homes, while thousands
[00:01:17] thousands more have fled across the the Red Sea to Djibouti, where officials
[00:01:20] officials are warning of difficulties difficulties in providing food as
[00:01:24] as well as emergency health care. care. Now the conflict in Yemen shows
[00:01:27] shows no signs of slowing, with Houthis
[00:01:30] Houthis launching large-scale drone drone and missile attacks and Saudi
[00:01:33] Saudi leaders vowing a firm response.
[00:01:35] response. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Mohammed bin Salman met with the
[00:01:38] the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah Fattah al-Sisi, in Cairo on Tuesday,
[00:01:42] Tuesday, and the two leaders are are calling for freedom of navigation
[00:01:45] navigation in the Red Sea, which which the Houthis have sought to to blockade as they take control
[00:01:49] control of Yemen's western coastline.
[00:01:51] coastline. The Houthis have denied denied threatening international
[00:01:55] international shipping except for for Saudi vessels. Well, our North North America correspondent Nada Nada Tawfik has been covering the
[00:01:59] the latest in Yemen, including Tuesday's
[00:02:02] Tuesday's Emergency Security Council
[00:02:04] Council meeting. Yeah, well, the
[00:02:06] the briefing came initially from from a UN official to the council
[00:02:10] council before we heard speeches. speeches. And Khaled Kyari said that
[00:02:14] that there hadn't been a change to
[00:02:17] to maritime traffic reported yet,
[00:02:18] yet, but that there is real market
[00:02:22] market concern about the strait, strait, given that already the Strait
[00:02:25] Strait of Hormuz has been affected
[00:02:27] affected and that was really a concern
[00:02:29] concern that was echoed by all council
[00:02:32] council members because, of course,
[00:02:34] course, this is another vital international
[00:02:37] international waterway. Bab el-Mandeb el-Mandeb and that could affect any
[00:02:41] any change. Their. Prices for medicine,
[00:02:44] medicine, food, energy prices of of course, and transportation. And
[00:02:48] And so for all Council members, there
[00:02:50] there was a clear call to make sure sure that the international waterway
[00:02:54] waterway stays open. Now, the Houthis Houthis have said that it will remain
[00:02:58] remain open, that they will only
[00:03:00] only block Saudi Arabia, but from from Saudi's allies, a clear condemnation
[00:03:04] condemnation not just of the Houthis Houthis but on Iran, because, of
[00:03:08] of course, the group is backed by by Iran. And there is fear now that
[00:03:11] that this could be a second front
[00:03:13] front to try to put pressure on the
[00:03:16] the US and others in this wider region.
[00:03:19] region. Nada Tawfik reporting there there will. President Trump has continued
[00:03:23] continued to downplay growing concerns concerns about artificial intelligence,
[00:03:27] intelligence, rejecting calls to to slow down the development of AI,
[00:03:30] AI, saying, quote, whoever wins AI AI wins. As tech bosses and lawmakers
[00:03:34] lawmakers meet to discuss the issue issue on both sides of the country.
[00:03:37] country. Well, in California, top top AI bosses are attending a summit
[00:03:41] summit including OpenAI Sam Altman Altman and Anthropic Dario Amodei.
[00:03:45] Amodei. Mr Amodei is one of several several industry figures warning
[00:03:49] warning of the dangers of unchecked unchecked AI. But the bosses of or
[00:03:52] or the boss of Nvidia, Jensen Huang,
[00:03:55] Huang, has argued against new laws laws and regulations, saying it's
[00:03:58] it's for companies to decide on the the safety of their products. And
[00:04:02] And here in Washington, progressive progressive Senator Bernie Sanders Sanders and former Trump adviser
[00:04:06] adviser Steve Bannon appeared at at the same rally calling for restrictions
[00:04:10] restrictions on artificial intelligence. intelligence. Senator Sanders warning
[00:04:13] warning that the potential danger danger of AI is probably greater
[00:04:17] greater than nuclear weapons. Let
[00:04:21] Let us be clear artificial intelligence
[00:04:25] intelligence and robotics are the
[00:04:29] the most transformational technologies
[00:04:32] technologies in the history of humanity
[00:04:35] humanity and they will impact the
[00:04:38] the lives of every man, woman and
[00:04:42] and child in our country. They've
[00:04:45] They've tried to cover up the danger
[00:04:48] danger by saying it's a psyop, but
[00:04:51] but using the psyop to try to get
[00:04:54] get off liabilities what they want
[00:04:57] want is to socialise all the risk
[00:05:00] risk with the American people, including
[00:05:03] including potential bailouts when
[00:05:05] when they come and they want to keep
[00:05:07] keep all the upside. A Ibrahim, a
[00:05:10] a senior fellow for economic and
[00:05:12] and national security at the AI Now Now Institute and asked about President
[00:05:16] President Trump's recent comments comments as countries aim to be one
[00:05:19] one step ahead of rivals on AI. The
[00:05:23] The President's comments about, you you know, whether this is a hoax
[00:05:26] hoax or not, I think spotlights a
[00:05:29] a larger issue that we've had in
[00:05:31] in this debate, which is it became became very easy to weaponise this
[00:05:35] this idea of a race with China. And And it's something that the firms
[00:05:39] firms regularly relied on to justify justify moving as quickly as possible
[00:05:42] possible and often moving as recklessly recklessly as possible. But again,
[00:05:45] again, in service of this idea of
[00:05:47] of a race that that mean we must
[00:05:50] must win. And the President's dismissal
[00:05:52] dismissal of that is is a bit ironic ironic given how much effort they
[00:05:55] they have put in weaponising and
[00:05:58] and leveraging this idea of a race.
[00:06:00] race. But it really calls into question
[00:06:02] question what the race premise leads
[00:06:04] leads us to and whether winning is
[00:06:06] is something that will be to the
[00:06:09] the benefit of Americans and the the country at large. If you just
[00:06:12] just look at the economics of it it and again, looking at what President
[00:06:15] President Trump has had to say, you you know, this not just being about
[00:06:19] about a race but also about economic economic gain. You know, he says
[00:06:22] says he thinks this will be bigger
[00:06:24] bigger than diamonds, oil, the internet
[00:06:26] internet in terms of what this can can add to the economy. Is he right
[00:06:30] right there? The President points
[00:06:32] points out that there is a lot of of potential here, but the reality
[00:06:35] reality is it's all dependent on
[00:06:37] on choices as to whether or not the
[00:06:39] the benefits of this technology are are broadly shared. I wouldn't argue
[00:06:43] argue that the benefits of a robust
[00:06:46] robust diamond industry has paid paid off for most hardworking Americans.
[00:06:50] Americans. That's not to say that that it's not a lucrative industry,
[00:06:52] industry, but the idea that just just because a industry or a good
[00:06:56] good or product or service can produce
[00:07:00] produce a lot of prosperity does does not mean that that's prosperity prosperity that's shared. As you
[00:07:03] you point out, there are many different different ways that this can go right
[00:07:06] right now. It is a question of choices. choices. And we have heard from,
[00:07:09] from, you know, some big hitters hitters in the AI industry leaders
[00:07:13] leaders saying that they too, think think that things should slow down.
[00:07:16] down. But I'm curious as to how much
[00:07:18] much credence you give their words
[00:07:20] words in what is a global race? Because Because surely that's already in
[00:07:24] in their gift to put some guardrails
[00:07:27] guardrails in. So the leaders of of these industry, I mean no more
[00:07:30] more or less than necessarily anyone
[00:07:33] anyone else. But again, recognising recognising that they are very significant
[00:07:36] significant financial interests on on the line here. Right. These are
[00:07:39] are not small investments that have have been made towards this build
[00:07:43] build out in the technology and its
[00:07:45] its proliferation. So these are not
[00:07:47] not necessarily objective actors
[00:07:49] actors or observers in any way. That
[00:07:52] That being said, you know, they are are in, in the labs, they're seeing
[00:07:55] seeing how things are developing.
[00:07:56] developing. But it is it's quite
[00:07:59] quite telling that those who have have been in control of this technology
[00:08:02] technology this entire time are now
[00:08:04] now suddenly asking for someone else
[00:08:06] else to curb their control. But it's
[00:08:09] it's not clear that this is to curb
[00:08:12] curb control in service of protecting
[00:08:15] protecting all people. Or is it in
[00:08:18] in service of protecting the labs
[00:08:20] labs and the leaders of these labs labs themselves from the consequences
[00:08:23] consequences of what they are very very quickly and very recklessly
[00:08:25] recklessly putting out into the world? I mean, what do you think think smart regulation looks like?
[00:08:28] like? And also, what do you make make of the fact that those calling
[00:08:31] calling for it include Senator Bernie
[00:08:34] Bernie Sanders, Steve Bannon, not,
[00:08:36] not, you know, obvious political
[00:08:39] political allies? I think you apply
[00:08:42] apply the rules where they exist.
[00:08:44] exist. And oftentimes with debates debates in tech and tech regulation
[00:08:47] regulation and technology policy,
[00:08:50] policy, it is a question of do we we rewrite rules for this emerging
[00:08:54] emerging technology, even if the the application is something we have
[00:08:56] have seen before? So in, in safety
[00:08:59] safety critical systems like defence, defence, like nuclear, like health
[00:09:02] health care and in banking, we have
[00:09:04] have very rigorous oversight and and regulation and we can trust that
[00:09:08] that oversight and regulation, if if there's an audit done of a nuclear
[00:09:11] nuclear system, you can trust those those tests versus what a lot of
[00:09:13] of these labs are advocating for, for, which is, you know, effectively
[00:09:17] effectively their friends getting getting to grade their homework or
[00:09:21] or ideologically aligned evaluators
[00:09:24] evaluators getting to review their
[00:09:25] their decision making. As for unlikely
[00:09:29] unlikely political bedfellows, I
[00:09:30] I think the most important and sustainable
[00:09:36] sustainable organising that is happening happening is not anything that's that's happening in Washington. It's
[00:09:39] It's what's happening in communities communities across the country where
[00:09:42] where you're really seeing bipartisan bipartisan organising around data data centres specifically, which
[00:09:46] which as many have already noted, noted, has become a proxy for a much
[00:09:50] much larger fight around this broader
[00:09:52] broader AI build out. AI. Lastly, Lastly, I mean, no matter how the
[00:09:56] the US chooses to legislate on this,
[00:09:59] this, does any of it matter if China
[00:10:03] China isn't on board? Is there kind
[00:10:04] kind of some global framework that's
[00:10:07] that's needed here? You need both both things at home and of course,
[00:10:11] course, a global framework. But your your hand abroad is not going to
[00:10:15] to be any stronger than what you're you're doing here. So as home to
[00:10:19] to the largest and most leading edge edge labs, the United States has
[00:10:22] has a major advantage in being able able to set the rules of the road
[00:10:25] road for the rest of the world. So So whatever we do here is the floor
[00:10:29] floor internationally. Beyond that,
[00:10:31] that, I think it is unwise to believe
[00:10:34] believe that in the same way that
[00:10:37] that we have concerns about what
[00:10:40] what unregulated proliferation of of this technology might look like like and what it means for people
[00:10:43] people and what it means for risks risks here and around the world that
[00:10:47] that our counterparts and competitors competitors alike are not thinking
[00:10:50] thinking about those very same risks.
[00:10:52] risks. The Pentagon has confirmed confirmed for the first time that
[00:10:55] that it has deployed a space weapon
[00:10:58] weapon into Earth's orbit. Air Force Force Secretary Troy Meink announced
[00:11:01] announced on Monday that the US Space Space Force now operates what he
[00:11:05] he called an orbit space control
[00:11:07] control weapons capable of destroying
[00:11:09] destroying hostile threats. The Pentagon Pentagon has not disclosed details
[00:11:12] details about the technology, and and it's unclear when the weapons
[00:11:15] weapons were sent into space. President President Trump has hailed the US
[00:11:18] US Space Force as a significant step
[00:11:21] step to counter growing space threats threats from China and Russia, amid
[00:11:24] amid concerns that the two countries countries are testing new offensive
[00:11:27] offensive technology. Will Russia Russia responded to the latest US
[00:11:30] US announcement by saying that outer outer space should be free from any
[00:11:34] any weapon, while China warned against
[00:11:36] against turning space into a battlefield, battlefield, our defence correspondent
[00:11:39] correspondent Jonathan Beale has has more now. No notice launch Iran.
[00:11:43] Iran. The US Space Force is already
[00:11:45] already helping America fight its its wars on the ground here, detecting
[00:11:49] detecting the launch of ballistic ballistic missiles. This is the Wolf
[00:11:52] Wolf Den. But it's also preparing preparing for a potential conflict
[00:11:56] conflict in space. We are already already sparring in the cyber domain
[00:11:59] domain in the space domain. Home
[00:12:01] Home to thousands of active satellites.
[00:12:06] satellites. Now, for the first time, time, the US has confirmed it's deployed
[00:12:09] deployed a weapon in space. The US US Air Force secretary said it wanted
[00:12:13] wanted to maintain its dominance, dominance, so we've had to take steps
[00:12:17] steps to make sure that when we're
[00:12:19] we're threatened, we can take care
[00:12:22] care of that. That's prompted both both Russia and China to condemn
[00:12:26] condemn the move and warn of an arms
[00:12:28] arms race in space. America's already
[00:12:31] already accused them of doing the
[00:12:33] the same. The reality is there's
[00:12:36] there's already the start of an arms
[00:12:37] arms race in space. The US has accused
[00:12:40] accused both China and Russia of
[00:12:42] of developing satellites that can can jam the signals of other satellites
[00:12:46] satellites or listen in, or deploying
[00:12:49] deploying lasers to blind them, even
[00:12:51] even fitting grappling arms to try try to manoeuver other satellites
[00:12:55] satellites out of orbit. The US has
[00:12:56] has also accused both China and Russia
[00:12:59] Russia are developing weapons that
[00:13:01] that can be fired into space or from
[00:13:03] from space to destroy satellites.
[00:13:06] satellites. Three two. We have ignition.
[00:13:08] ignition. But for now the US isn't
[00:13:11] isn't saying what weapon it's launched launched into orbit. What the US
[00:13:15] US is talking about are probably probably things like electronic warfare
[00:13:19] warfare or jamming abilities or spoofing
[00:13:22] spoofing abilities, possibly things things like what we call co-orbital
[00:13:25] co-orbital weapons, which you have have another satellite that's orbiting
[00:13:28] orbiting alongside another satellite satellite and could bang into it.
[00:13:30] it. It's not just the military that
[00:13:33] that increasingly relies on space.
[00:13:35] space. We all do on satellites for
[00:13:38] for everyday life, from social media media to phone calls and finding
[00:13:42] finding our way about it's not yet
[00:13:45] yet Star Wars, but an arms race in
[00:13:48] in space should concern us all. Jonathan
[00:13:52] Jonathan Beale, BBC News. Lithuania's Lithuania's Defence Minister has
[00:13:55] has told the BBC he considers Nato Nato to be at war with Russia because
[00:13:59] because of recent attacks blamed blamed on Moscow. The Lithuanian
[00:14:02] Lithuanian Defence Minister was speaking speaking after Nato jets shot down
[00:14:05] down a drone over Lithuania, though though he didn't confirm that it
[00:14:09] it had been launched by Russia and
[00:14:10] and citing similar incidents in Germany Germany and Poland. The Lithuanian
[00:14:14] Lithuanian Defence Minister said said that Europe and Nato needed
[00:14:17] needed to show they had muscle and and would protect their people to
[00:14:21] to deter further Russian escalation. escalation. Our Eastern Europe correspondent
[00:14:24] correspondent Sarah Rainsford sent sent this report from the capital,
[00:14:27] capital, Vilnius. It was just after after midnight this morning here
[00:14:31] here in Vilnius that my phone screeched screeched with an alert and when
[00:14:33] when I checked the message it said said there was a suspected drone.
[00:14:37] drone. Keep safe, it said, and wait
[00:14:40] wait for the all clear. Now that that all clear came about 20 minutes
[00:14:43] minutes later and we now know that that there was a drone confirmed
[00:14:46] confirmed that it was in Lithuanian Lithuanian airspace for around about
[00:14:48] about half an hour before it was was intercepted and shot down by
[00:14:51] by Nato fighter jets belonging to
[00:14:54] to Italy. We still don't know who who that drone belonged to. We don't don't know whether it was launched
[00:14:58] launched deliberately or it might might have strayed into Lithuanian
[00:15:01] Lithuanian airspace. We know that that it entered from neighbouring
[00:15:05] neighbouring Belarus and that after after it was shot down, the debris debris was scattered over a wide
[00:15:08] wide area. So it's being collected collected up and examined to see
[00:15:12] see where it came from, who it was was launched by and whether or not
[00:15:16] not it was armed. In fact, whether whether or not there was any explosives.
[00:15:20] explosives. But this has happened happened at a nervous time here in
[00:15:23] in this region because Russia is is escalating its full-scale war
[00:15:27] war on Ukraine, and it is also escalating escalating its hybrid attacks on
[00:15:31] on Ukraine's greatest supporters. supporters. Vilnius, Lithuania has
[00:15:34] has always been a staunch supporter supporter of Ukraine ever since the
[00:15:37] the full-scale invasion. This city city is still covered in Ukrainian
[00:15:41] Ukrainian flags. There's lots of
[00:15:43] of messages of solidarity for Kyiv
[00:15:46] Kyiv here in this city, in this country,
[00:15:49] country, in the past, when there there have been drone incursions incursions into other countries,
[00:15:53] countries, including Poland and other other Baltic states, experts have
[00:15:57] have suggested that Moscow could could be testing Nato's reactions. reactions. At the moment here in
[00:16:01] in Lithuania, there are still more more questions than answers, but
[00:16:04] but certainly there is now a full-scale full-scale investigation into what
[00:16:08] what happened and who might be behind
[00:16:09] behind it. Well, still to come, President
[00:16:12] President Trump lashes out at the the Supreme Court after they deal
[00:16:15] deal a blow to his mail in ballot ballot plans for the mid-terms. We'll
[00:16:18] We'll have more on that after the the break. Around
[00:17:21] for world questions.
[00:17:25] Questions. Nigeria truth, trust
[00:17:26] and fake news on BBC News. You're
[00:17:31] You're live with BBC News. President
[00:17:33] President Trump attacked the US Supreme Supreme Court over its decision to
[00:17:37] to block his mail in ballot plan plan for November's mid-term elections,
[00:17:40] elections, calling the justices ruling ruling highly political. Well, the
[00:17:43] the court on Monday upheld an order order that temporarily blocks the
[00:17:47] the US Postal Service from moving moving forward with new requirements
[00:17:50] requirements for postal ballots. ballots. That ruling means that the
[00:17:52] the US states can continue using using their existing systems for
[00:17:56] for the elections in just seven weeks' weeks' time. And President Trump
[00:17:59] Trump posted on his Truth Social Social platform Republicans just
[00:18:02] just got another bad decision from from the Supreme Court. And he accused
[00:18:05] accused the court's judges of being
[00:18:07] being petrified of what he called
[00:18:10] called crazed and depraved Democrats. Democrats. He also criticised the
[00:18:12] the three justices that he appointed, appointed, saying these are not the
[00:18:15] the people I interviewed to serve serve on the United States Supreme
[00:18:19] Supreme Court. Now, President Trump Trump signed the executive order
[00:18:21] order to control mail in voting in in March, insisting contrary to evidence
[00:18:25] evidence that postal voting is not not secure and is vulnerable to fraud.
[00:18:29] fraud. Surveys suggest that the Democratic Democratic voters are more likely
[00:18:33] likely to vote by post than Republicans.
[00:18:36] Republicans. Now, Sophia Lin Lakin Lakin is director of the Voting Rights
[00:18:39] Rights Project at the American Civil Civil Liberties Union, and she gave
[00:18:41] gave me her take on what the Supreme
[00:18:43] Supreme Court's decision means for
[00:18:47] for American voters. It means that
[00:18:49] that millions of voters can breathe breathe a little easier today. Ballots
[00:18:53] Ballots will go out the way they they always have. If you vote by
[00:18:57] by mail and tens of millions of Americans
[00:18:59] Americans do. Nothing changes for for you. If there's one thing that
[00:19:02] that I want voters to take away for
[00:19:04] for this November in the United States,
[00:19:07] States, it's that they can rely on on the rules they've been relying
[00:19:10] relying on. Those are still going going to be in place, and they will
[00:19:13] will continue to be in place for for November. So, Sophia, the administration
[00:19:17] administration has called these, these, in their words, common sense
[00:19:20] sense measures to protect the security security of mail in ballots and ensure
[00:19:23] ensure that only Americans vote in in American elections. And of course,
[00:19:27] course, that's an argument that you're you're clearly familiar with over
[00:19:29] over the past few months. What have
[00:19:31] have you said to that? Well, you
[00:19:34] you know, there hasn't been any evidence evidence whatsoever put forward in
[00:19:37] in this case. And certainly I think think in general, the evidence that
[00:19:40] that there is any kind of widespread widespread voter fraud of any type,
[00:19:44] type, let alone just mail voting
[00:19:46] voting in particular is so rare that
[00:19:48] that it doesn't certainly does not
[00:19:50] not justify the kind of enormous
[00:19:54] enormous disruption to election rules rules in the few weeks before mail
[00:19:57] mail ballots were set to go out, out, before voters were about to
[00:20:01] to cast their ballots. That disruption, disruption, as brief after brief
[00:20:04] brief after brief and the record
[00:20:06] record demonstrated, would have caused caused immense election administration
[00:20:10] administration disruption, chaos chaos and the disenfranchisement disenfranchisement of millions of
[00:20:14] of voters. So do you believe, then,
[00:20:17] then, that this crossed the line
[00:20:20] line from election security into into efforts to restrict legitimate
[00:20:22] legitimate voting? And if so, you you know, what evidence is there
[00:20:26] there of that? Well, we have. The
[00:20:29] The very fact of the rollout of this
[00:20:32] this particular rule. We've had times times before when you have election
[00:20:36] election administration changes, changes, you don't try to put it
[00:20:39] it in place just days before mail
[00:20:41] mail ballots were set to be sent
[00:20:43] sent out by some states. And before
[00:20:46] before you have the infrastructure infrastructure to actually support support real compliance with the
[00:20:50] the rule. That's the other thing.
[00:20:51] thing. This rule required a portal
[00:20:54] portal for states to upload their
[00:20:56] their voter lists to be matched against
[00:20:58] against mail ballots. As far as we're we're aware, that portal never ever
[00:21:02] ever was functional. It never became
[00:21:04] became live. How were states to even
[00:21:07] even comply with the rule if it went went into effect? At the end of the
[00:21:10] the day, what we do know is that
[00:21:12] that this administration has been
[00:21:16] been set on, on sowing chaos and and sowing distrust to some extent
[00:21:20] extent that appears to be part of
[00:21:24] of the whole plan. Whether or not not the rule was stopped, part of
[00:21:27] of it was to create distrust in the
[00:21:30] the system to try to dissuade voters
[00:21:33] voters from turning out. And I worry worry a little that that part of
[00:21:36] of what has happened over the last last couple of weeks, the last couple
[00:21:39] couple of months with this rule that
[00:21:40] that voters are still uncertain about
[00:21:43] about whether they can rely on the the secure mail systems that they've
[00:21:46] they've been relying on, that they they are relying on this election
[00:21:49] election cycle. And I want them to to know that they can. But part of
[00:21:53] of it is, again, sowing that distrust distrust in our election cycle, laying
[00:21:56] laying the groundwork to cast doubt doubt on election results that the
[00:22:00] the administration doesn't like. like. We've seen this playbook before,
[00:22:03] before, and we know that it is one one that the administration that
[00:22:06] that President Trump has relied on on in the past and has continued
[00:22:09] continued to rely on today. And we we know that President Trump has
[00:22:12] has previously pushed back on that. that. I do want to put the other
[00:22:15] other side to you. Does the government government have, I guess, a legitimate
[00:22:18] legitimate interest or role in putting putting any safeguards in? So the
[00:22:22] the only eligible US citizens can can cast ballots? You know, is there
[00:22:26] there any system when it comes to to back end verification from the
[00:22:30] the government, for example, which which you would support? Well, there
[00:22:33] there are. Safeguards in place. There There are already guardrails in place
[00:22:37] place to ensure that only eligible eligible voters are casting their
[00:22:40] their ballots. And we know, given given the complete lack of evidence
[00:22:43] evidence of widespread fraud. Time Time and time again, study and study
[00:22:47] study have demonstrated that that that is true, that at the end of
[00:22:50] of the day, more safeguards at this
[00:22:53] this point is only going to become become barriers to eligible voters
[00:22:56] voters being able to cast their ballots. ballots. We have guardrails in place.
[00:22:59] place. Our system is safe. It's the
[00:23:01] the system is secure. Some Republican
[00:23:04] Republican led states Florida, Louisiana, Louisiana, Montana supported the
[00:23:08] the President in court findings. findings. So where do you anticipate
[00:23:10] anticipate that we go from here?
[00:23:13] here? This is the mid-terms. Do you you anticipate further battles from
[00:23:16] from your end in the run up to 2028?
[00:23:20] 2028? Unfortunately, that's part part of what we come to expect here
[00:23:24] here in our election system that
[00:23:26] that there are tacks on the election
[00:23:30] election systems from the Trump administration. administration. We're going to continue continue to see that from allies
[00:23:33] allies in the states as well as in in localities to restrict voting
[00:23:37] voting further, to make it more difficult difficult for people to access the the ballot. At the end of the day,
[00:23:41] day, the ACLU is a proponent of making
[00:23:45] making eligible voters have easier easier access, fair access to be
[00:23:48] be counted equally in the process process to be to know that when they
[00:23:52] they are eligible to vote, they can can cast a ballot, have that ballot
[00:23:55] ballot counted and have the results
[00:23:57] results of their elections respected. respected. Sophia Lin Lakin there
[00:24:01] there from the American Civil Liberties Liberties Union. Well, turning now
[00:24:03] now to a round-up of stories making
[00:24:07] making headlines across the globe. globe. All of the support acts for
[00:24:09] for Ed Sheeran's US tour have pulled pulled out of their performances
[00:24:13] performances in solidarity with the the rapper Macklemore after he was
[00:24:16] was barred from upcoming performances
[00:24:18] performances for making pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian statements on stage. stage. Sheeran says that it wasn't
[00:24:22] wasn't his decision to remove Macklemore Macklemore from his tour line-up
[00:24:25] line-up and in a statement, the British British singer blamed the tour promoters
[00:24:28] promoters Robert Kraft, the billionaire billionaire owner of the Gillette Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts,
[00:24:32] Massachusetts, has admitted to lobbying lobbying other venue managers to
[00:24:35] to boycott the tour. If Macklemore
[00:24:38] Macklemore was not removed. The board board of the Kennedy Center in Washington,
[00:24:42] Washington, DC has voted to close close the venue immediately for renovations.
[00:24:46] renovations. But in a Truth Social Social post, President Trump says
[00:24:49] says those renovations won't start start until the courts say that he
[00:24:52] he can put his name on the building. building. It comes shortly after
[00:24:55] after a judge overruled an attempt attempt to put Trump's name back
[00:24:59] back on the centre. The Duke and and Duchess of Sussex switched their
[00:25:03] their children to a new school just just two days into the new term.
[00:25:06] term. A spokesman for Prince Harry Harry and Meghan said the decision
[00:25:10] decision was taken after a discussion
[00:25:12] discussion with the family's protection protection team about the practicalities practicalities of their original
[00:25:16] original arrangements. Separately, Separately, the committee overseeing
[00:25:19] overseeing Royal and VIP security security is set to reconsider the
[00:25:21] the level of protection for the family family now that they're living in
[00:25:24] in the UK rather than visiting. And
[00:25:28] And Welsh actor Matthew Rhys has has made history at the Emmy Television
[00:25:31] Television Awards by winning two two lead actor categories in the
[00:25:35] the same year he won for his roles
[00:25:37] roles in Widow's Bay and The Beast
[00:25:39] Beast In Me, Widow's Bay won a record record 14 awards. That's the most
[00:25:43] most Emmys ever won by a comedy in
[00:25:46] in a single season. Remember, you
[00:25:48] you can always get the very latest
[00:25:50] latest on our website that is bbc.com.
[00:25:53] bbc.com. I'll be back with more for for you at the top of the hour. In
[00:25:56] In the meantime, of course you can can always follow us on social media media to find out what we're working
[00:26:00] working on any time. I'll see you
[00:26:01] you very soon. Bye for now.
[00:27:36] still in the mid to high 40s by.
[00:29:41] for world questions. Nigeria truth,
[00:29:43] truth, trust and fake news on BBC
[00:29:47] BBC News. MUSIC
[00:29:59] BBC News experts bring us a deeper understanding of what's going
[00:30:03] going on beneath the day's big stories.
[00:30:07] stories. Now on BBC News Newscast.
[00:30:13] Newscast. The UK state pension is is going up and there are questions
[00:30:16] questions about whether the cost cost is sustainable. Lots of questions,
[00:30:20] questions, lots. To discuss and that's that's what we're going to do on
[00:30:22] on this episode of Newscast. Hello,
[00:30:25] Hello, it's Alex in the Newscast Newscast studio. And it's James in
[00:30:29] in the Glasgow Newscast studio. Faisal Faisal is here. Hey, Faisal. Hello. Hello. How you doing? I'm good, thank
[00:30:33] thank you. So we're going to be talking talking about pensions. Yes. And
[00:30:36] And we are going to be talking about about the triple lock. And the reason
[00:30:39] reason for this is because we had had some news on Tuesday about the
[00:30:43] the amount the state pension is going going to reach next year. And it's
[00:30:46] it's posed all of these big questions questions about affordability and
[00:30:49] and fairness and all the rest of of it. But before we get into it,
[00:30:53] it, just to set out what this is is all about, so the triple lock
[00:30:57] lock is a mechanism that was introduced introduced back in 2010 by the coalition coalition government, which