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[00:00:13] Live from London. This is BBC News. I'm Sarah Campbell. The King
[00:00:17] King issues an unusually pointed pointed response after Earl Spencer,
[00:00:20] Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, brother, makes fresh claims about
[00:00:22] about him in his new book. Microsoft's
[00:00:24] Microsoft's head of AI tells the the BBC his competitors approach
[00:00:27] approach to training their models models could have a disastrous impact
[00:00:31] impact on the well-being of humanity.
[00:00:33] humanity. I think that if we all
[00:00:36] all create AI that are able to act
[00:00:39] act autonomously, that can define define their own objectives, we're
[00:00:43] we're essentially ceding a new silicon silicon species which will no doubt
[00:00:47] doubt compete with us for resources. resources. All eyes on the Bank of
[00:00:50] of England. With inflation on the the rise, what will Andrew Bailey
[00:00:53] Bailey and his team decide on interest
[00:00:56] interest rates? I'm Sally Bundock Bundock we'll have more on that in
[00:00:59] in business. Also, we're trying the the latest innovation in eyewear
[00:01:02] eyewear with the promise to augment
[00:01:05] augment your reality. And is there
[00:01:09] there a secret to a long life? Talking Talking Movies speaks to a filmmaker
[00:01:12] filmmaker about the ever changing
[00:01:14] changing title of the oldest living
[00:01:17] living person. Hello to you. Buckingham
[00:01:28] Buckingham Palace has rejected claims claims about the King made by Princess
[00:01:31] Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer. Spencer. In his new memoir. In a
[00:01:34] a Daily Mail serialisation of his his new book, due to be released
[00:01:38] released next week, Charles Spencer Spencer said that after the death
[00:01:41] death of his sister in 1997, the
[00:01:43] the King told him that the then Princess
[00:01:45] Princess of Wales would be forgotten
[00:01:47] forgotten soon enough. Our senior senior royal correspondent Daniela
[00:01:51] Daniela Relph reports. It is the the content of Earl Spencer's book
[00:01:55] book about his sister that has driven driven Buckingham Palace to issue
[00:01:58] issue an unusually robust response. response. Earl Spencer writes of
[00:02:02] of a row with the King back in 1997,
[00:02:04] 1997, when the King was Prince of of Wales after he challenged him
[00:02:07] him on the decision to allow Princes Princes William and Harry to walk
[00:02:11] walk behind their mother's coffin coffin at her funeral, something something he said his sister would
[00:02:15] would not have wanted. Earl Spencer
[00:02:17] Spencer claims the King replied angrily,
[00:02:19] angrily, saying that Diana would
[00:02:21] would be forgotten soon enough. The The response from Buckingham Palace,
[00:02:24] Palace, a sign of the fury behind
[00:02:27] behind palace walls. An official
[00:02:30] official spokesman said while we we do not comment on books as a matter
[00:02:33] matter of principle, His Majesty Majesty is mindful that the pain
[00:02:37] pain of fraternal grief can cloud
[00:02:39] cloud reason, affect judgement and
[00:02:41] and colour memory in ways others
[00:02:44] others do not recognise. Even many
[00:02:46] many years after such a loss. Not
[00:02:48] Not since the late Queen's statement statement that recollections may
[00:02:52] may vary after the Duke and Duchess Duchess of Sussex's interview with
[00:02:55] with Oprah Winfrey has a royal statement
[00:02:58] statement packed so much punch. It's
[00:03:02] It's been a challenging few weeks weeks for the Royal family, many
[00:03:05] many of whom will be out on official
[00:03:08] official duty today. As will Prince
[00:03:11] Prince Harry, who'll be in London London for an awards dinner for the
[00:03:14] the Invictus Games for wounded military
[00:03:16] military personnel. His first public
[00:03:19] public charity engagement since moving moving back to the UK with his wife
[00:03:22] wife and children. Since inception, inception, Prince Harry has been
[00:03:26] been a spectacular champion for the
[00:03:28] the Invictus Games Foundation. He's
[00:03:31] He's been a visionary for the Invictus Invictus Movement throughout and
[00:03:35] and having him closer to our HQ here
[00:03:38] here in London is incredible. Come
[00:03:41] Come on you come on. The return of of Harry and Meghan has brought with
[00:03:45] with it a degree of drama over their
[00:03:48] their security. The safety of their their children on the school run
[00:03:51] run and speculation over why they
[00:03:53] they have come back to the UK. The
[00:03:57] The return of Sussexes really is
[00:04:00] is shows just how much they ran out
[00:04:02] out of road in Montecito. And they they had run out of road, do you
[00:04:06] you think? Totally run out of road.
[00:04:07] road. They seemed to be unable to
[00:04:11] to just simply quietly and with composure
[00:04:14] composure examine their options and and follow a route. You know, they
[00:04:17] they they crash into things, you you know, all the time. How much
[00:04:21] much my husband loves bagpipes. All
[00:04:24] All of these engagements have been been planned well in advance. But
[00:04:27] But with Harry and Meghan now back back in the UK, the days where we
[00:04:30] we see the working royals out on
[00:04:32] on the same day as the non-working
[00:04:35] non-working ones will become more
[00:04:36] more common. Daniela Relph, BBC News.
[00:04:41] News. Well, Noor Nanji is our royal royal correspondent and she told
[00:04:44] told me why the comments from the the Palace about a book like Earl
[00:04:48] Earl Spencer's is so rare. It's really
[00:04:50] really unusual. To have the palace palace comment in such strong terms,
[00:04:54] terms, and I think it's a sense of
[00:04:56] of the strength of feeling on this
[00:04:58] this one with Earl Spencer's book. book. The extract of that first extract
[00:05:02] extract of that being published yesterday. yesterday. And you don't normally
[00:05:06] normally get Buckingham Palace saying saying anything in such strong terms.
[00:05:09] terms. It's not completely unprecedented. unprecedented. We know that, for
[00:05:12] for example, when the Duke and Duchess Duchess of Sussex gave their interview
[00:05:16] interview to Oprah Winfrey, we had, had, of course, the late Queen's
[00:05:18] Queen's famous words that recollections
[00:05:20] recollections may vary, but this this time around again we're getting
[00:05:23] getting a statement in quite strong strong words. And I think it was
[00:05:26] was a sense from royal aides that
[00:05:29] that they very much were pushing
[00:05:30] pushing back on. Earl Spencer was
[00:05:33] was saying about King Charles and and very much wanting to correct
[00:05:36] correct the narrative on this and and therefore felt that they couldn't
[00:05:39] couldn't do their usual never complain, complain, never explain mantra. And
[00:05:43] And I think where it all goes from from here, well, of course this is is just the first extract, as I say,
[00:05:47] say, the book in full by Earl Spencer Spencer is going to be published
[00:05:50] published next week. And we know know that while we haven't read it
[00:05:53] it ourselves, it's expected to be
[00:05:54] be highly critical of the royal family. family. So you can expect further
[00:05:58] further damaging claims and revelations revelations in the days to come.
[00:06:01] come. More to come. Indeed. Really Really busy day for the Royals. Nor
[00:06:05] Nor so we've got King Charles at at the AI Summit in Scotland. Prince
[00:06:07] Prince and Princess of Wales also also in Scotland and first time we've
[00:06:11] we've seen this for a while out and
[00:06:13] and about Prince Harry. That's right.
[00:06:16] right. A really busy and a crowded
[00:06:18] crowded day for the Royals. Out and and about on those separate engagements.
[00:06:21] engagements. The King is going to to be in the Dumfries House in Ayrshire
[00:06:25] Ayrshire where he's going to be attending attending this AI summit. You've
[00:06:28] You've got the Prince and Princess Princess of Wales who are going to
[00:06:31] to be on the Isle of Bute, and then, then, of course you've got the non-working
[00:06:34] non-working royal in the mix. Prince Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, Sussex, who's going to be in London
[00:06:38] London for an event which is linked linked to the Invictus Games, which which is something, of course that's
[00:06:42] that's very important to him. And And of course, last week we had that
[00:06:45] that letter, didn't we, from the the King. King Charles making it
[00:06:48] it clear that Prince Harry and Meghan, Meghan, now that they're back here
[00:06:51] here in the UK., they very much remain remain non-working royals that when
[00:06:54] when they're out and about on engagements, engagements, they are private citizens.
[00:06:58] citizens. But notwithstanding all all of that, I think an event days
[00:07:01] days like this, you will get a sense sense of the sort of complicated
[00:07:04] complicated nature of those royal royal relationships. Having said said all of that, I do think you're
[00:07:08] you're right. This may all be overshadowed
[00:07:11] overshadowed by this war of words words between the Palace and Earl
[00:07:15] Earl Spencer. That was Noor Nanji, Nanji, our royal correspondent outside
[00:07:18] outside Buckingham Palace. As she she was mentioning, King Charles
[00:07:21] Charles has called on AI giants to
[00:07:23] to keep tech in service of humanity humanity ahead of him chairing a
[00:07:27] a summit with industry leaders. Concerns
[00:07:30] Concerns about the existential threat threat of artificial intelligence intelligence have intensified in
[00:07:33] in recent weeks, with several instances
[00:07:36] instances of bad actors using AI AI models for weapons development
[00:07:39] development and fraud. Mustafa Suleyman,
[00:07:42] Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, has
[00:07:44] has told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme
[00:07:48] Programme that this is a warning warning shot moment in the development development of AI, and there's every
[00:07:52] every risk that we might lose control
[00:07:53] control of it unless it is regulated.
[00:07:56] regulated. I think that if we all
[00:07:59] all create AI that are able to act
[00:08:01] act autonomously, that can define define their own objectives, that
[00:08:05] that can earn money, that can own
[00:08:07] own assets, that could run businesses.
[00:08:10] businesses. We're essentially seeding seeding a new silicon species, which
[00:08:13] which will no doubt compete with with us for resources no matter how
[00:08:17] how much it cares about humanity
[00:08:18] humanity and loves us, which is,
[00:08:22] is, I think, Anthropic's intention. intention. I think that is a mistaken
[00:08:26] mistaken and misguided. But we have have to empirically test it. And
[00:08:28] And so if they believe that this this is a safer route to developing
[00:08:32] developing AI's, then they have to to share the data to prove that.
[00:08:35] that. New silicon species is a chilling chilling phrase. It will make people
[00:08:39] people think of science fiction. fiction. You mean that, don't you?
[00:08:42] you? You mean that there could be
[00:08:44] be a competitor species created by
[00:08:48] by man, perhaps more powerful than
[00:08:50] than man? We've just witnessed a
[00:08:53] a watershed moment in the development
[00:08:56] development of AI and a model that
[00:08:58] that was being trained by OpenAI
[00:09:01] OpenAI inadvertently hacked into
[00:09:03] into Hugging Face, which is a public
[00:09:06] public website that runs evaluations
[00:09:08] evaluations and benchmarks for testing
[00:09:10] testing these agents. The swarm of
[00:09:14] of agents co-ordinated together.
[00:09:16] together. They organised themselves themselves into hierarchies. They
[00:09:19] They created a division of labour, labour, and so they've developed
[00:09:23] developed very, very complex behaviour.
[00:09:25] behaviour. Now the good news is this
[00:09:28] this was OpenAI developing a model
[00:09:30] model deliberately with the guardrails guardrails turned off. And they were
[00:09:33] were doing that to try and stress stress test it and learn about its
[00:09:37] its boundaries and limitations. I I just wonder if you ever worry you've
[00:09:40] you've helped create something that that we're losing control of. I think think as we've seen, there's every
[00:09:44] every risk that we might lose control
[00:09:46] control of it. But our job is to
[00:09:50] to contain technologies and align align them so that we get the best
[00:09:53] best out of them. If we didn't have have any air traffic control regulation,
[00:09:56] regulation, planes would be hitting hitting each other in the sky. When
[00:09:59] When we introduced seatbelts, we we saved millions of lives. The purpose
[00:10:03] purpose of regulation is to shape
[00:10:05] shape and sculpt technology so that that it delivers more good than harm.
[00:10:09] harm. And that's the moment that that we're currently now in. So I
[00:10:12] I think it's right to be concerned, concerned, as I said, or worried
[00:10:15] worried or alarmed as you wish. But But it's also right to be optimistic
[00:10:18] optimistic about the benefits and and to have everybody focus now on
[00:10:21] on the challenge of governing and
[00:10:23] and shaping this technology. And And that was Mustafa Suleyman CEO
[00:10:27] CEO of Microsoft AI, the Bank of
[00:10:30] of England will make its latest decision
[00:10:32] decision on interest rates this lunchtime, lunchtime, and it's widely expected
[00:10:35] expected to hold the cost of borrowing borrowing in today's meeting, despite
[00:10:39] despite facing an increasing rate rate of price rises. The latest figures,
[00:10:42] figures, out on Wednesday show that
[00:10:45] that inflation hit 3.1% in August, August, the highest level for five
[00:10:48] five months, driven largely by increases
[00:10:51] increases in fuel costs. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve, the
[00:10:54] the US central bank, has raised interest interest rates for the first time
[00:10:57] time in more than three years to to curb stubbornly rising prices.
[00:11:01] prices. The Fed raised its benchmark
[00:11:04] benchmark rate by a quarter of a a percentage point and indicated
[00:11:08] indicated it could do so again before before the end of the year. Federal
[00:11:11] Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh Warsh says the American economy is
[00:11:14] is broadly in good shape, but inflation
[00:11:16] inflation has been too high for too
[00:11:18] too long. Here's Sarah Smith. The The guy Donald Trump handpicked to
[00:11:22] to run America's central bank has has just done the very thing the
[00:11:26] the President did not want him to to do. So why has Kevin Warsh just
[00:11:30] just put interest rates up? Well,
[00:11:33] Well, it's partly Donald Trump's Trump's own fault. The increase in
[00:11:35] in the price of oil caused by the
[00:11:37] the war in Iran is one of the reasons
[00:11:40] reasons behind the rate rise. It It is the Federal Reserve's job to
[00:11:43] to keep inflation down. So that means means if prices are going up, they
[00:11:47] they are more likely to put interest interest rates up. Donald Trump wants
[00:11:51] wants low interest rates because because then consumers who would
[00:11:54] would be spending less on credit credit cards, loans, mortgages, things
[00:11:57] things like that would feel better better about their money and about about the economy. And that might
[00:12:01] might make them more likely to vote vote for his Republican candidates candidates in November's mid-term
[00:12:05] mid-term elections. He will see rates
[00:12:07] rates going up as a blow to his election election prospects. Interest rates
[00:12:10] rates are too high. They're not appropriate.
[00:12:13] appropriate. And I told I talked talked to Kevin and I said, you might
[00:12:16] might as well vote with the board board because it's not going to matter. matter. The President tried to bully
[00:12:20] bully the last fed chair into lowering lowering rates. He called Jerome
[00:12:24] Jerome Powell a total loser and a
[00:12:26] a moron. The administration launched launched a criminal investigation investigation into him, even though
[00:12:30] though they've now dropped that. that. In May, the President got to
[00:12:33] to pick the new fed chair, Kevin Kevin Warsh, and he's still not getting
[00:12:37] getting what he wants. After today's today's announcement, Donald Trump
[00:12:39] Trump was posting on social media media demanding rates have to be
[00:12:43] be lowered. And it was his own candidate candidate who defied him by doing
[00:12:46] doing the opposite, by putting them them up. And worse than that, he
[00:12:49] he also said he might do the same same again before the end of the
[00:12:53] the year. And that was Sarah Smith. Smith. Now in Russia, tomorrow is
[00:12:57] is the start of three days of voting
[00:12:59] voting in the country's parliamentary parliamentary elections, the first
[00:13:01] first since Russia's full-scale invasion invasion of Ukraine. Critics dismissed
[00:13:05] dismissed the vote as neither free free nor transparent, but the Kremlin
[00:13:09] Kremlin is expected to use it to to claim that the country is united
[00:13:12] united behind the policies of President President Putin. From Moscow, our
[00:13:15] our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg Rosenberg reports. Ultimate power
[00:13:19] power in Russia lies right here in
[00:13:22] in the Kremlin. But just across the
[00:13:24] the road there is a parliament, the
[00:13:27] the Duma, and it's election time. time. So what is a parliamentary
[00:13:29] parliamentary election like now in
[00:13:32] in Russia? Well, on TV we've seen
[00:13:36] seen election debates sort of none none of the candidates turned up
[00:13:39] up for this one. And there has been
[00:13:43] been some campaigning. We caught caught up with the Communist Party
[00:13:46] Party chief at a bakery. At times, times, though, it's been hard to
[00:13:49] to tell the difference between the
[00:13:51] the ten parties that have been allowed allowed onto the ballot. None of
[00:13:55] of them criticise President Putin Putin or the war in Ukraine. And
[00:13:59] And if the political process feels feels rather orchestrated, keep in
[00:14:03] in mind that the political system system in Russia is often referred
[00:14:05] referred to as managed democracy, democracy, where the Kremlin does
[00:14:09] does the managing. And I think the the Kremlin will try to use this
[00:14:12] this election to claim that the country
[00:14:14] country is united behind the President
[00:14:16] President and behind the war. There
[00:14:20] There are some individual candidates candidates in some seats calling
[00:14:22] calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Ukraine, but their party, which is
[00:14:26] is called Yabloko, which is anti-war, anti-war, isn't allowed to take part
[00:14:30] part in this election as a party party in its own right. It was struck
[00:14:34] struck off the ballot by the Supreme
[00:14:37] Supreme Court, 50 miles from Moscow. Moscow. We didn't see much sign of
[00:14:40] of an election. There were few banners, banners, few election posters. But
[00:14:43] But from chatting to people, there there was every sign that the war
[00:14:47] war is front and centre of people's
[00:14:51] people's minds. I want a peaceful
[00:14:53] peaceful life, Yulia told. Me. I'd
[00:14:57] I'd like to live in a peaceful country, country, says Paulina, so that you
[00:15:00] you don't have to worry that a drone drone will fall down in front of
[00:15:04] of you. But expectations are low
[00:15:07] low that this election will bring
[00:15:09] bring peace any closer. And that that was our Russia editor, Steve
[00:15:13] Steve Rosenberg. This is BBC News
[00:15:15] News still to come. Palestinian President
[00:15:17] President Mahmoud Abbas has been been once again denied his visa to
[00:15:21] to the United States ahead of the the United Nations General Assembly
[00:15:24] Assembly and will need to do his
[00:15:26] his address via video conference.
[00:16:29] and the possible awards contenders contenders to have emerged. Join
[00:16:31] Join me Tom Brook for Talking Movies
[00:16:35] Movies on BBC News. Hello and welcome
[00:16:42] welcome back to BBC News. Police Police in Suffolk are searching for
[00:16:46] for a missing three-year-old boy.
[00:16:47] boy. Say they found the body of a
[00:16:50] a child in a pond. Noah Woods, who's
[00:16:53] who's non-verbal and partially deaf, deaf, disappeared from a playground
[00:16:56] playground in Brantham more than than 24 hours ago. Hundreds of volunteers
[00:16:59] volunteers took part in the search
[00:17:01] search for the child. Our correspondent correspondent Navtej Johal is in
[00:17:05] in Brantham in Suffolk. At least
[00:17:08] least 1300 volunteers took part in in a huge operation to try and find
[00:17:12] find this little boy. We're stood stood by the playground where he
[00:17:15] he was last seen on Tuesday afternoon. afternoon. I can see the blue roundabout
[00:17:19] roundabout that he was playing with with that was captured on the CCTV
[00:17:22] CCTV minutes before he disappeared. disappeared. And we understand that
[00:17:25] that he ran down a pathway just to
[00:17:27] to the left of the playground there there towards Decoy Pond, a fishing
[00:17:31] fishing lake popular with fishermen fishermen about a few hundred metres
[00:17:34] metres away, maybe a 5 or 6 minute minute walk away from where I'm standing
[00:17:37] standing now. And the search and
[00:17:40] and rescue effort was, was huge. huge. There were Suffolk police,
[00:17:43] police, but also several other agencies agencies took part as well, including
[00:17:47] including dog units and dive teams teams and helicopter search and rescue
[00:17:50] rescue teams too. And that huge rescue rescue effort. Yes you're right.
[00:17:54] right. People came from far, far
[00:17:57] far afield from Hampshire, from Birmingham, Birmingham, more than 100 miles away
[00:18:00] away to help take part in trying trying to find this boy for 24 hours.
[00:18:04] hours. This small village was a hive hive of activity. But unfortunately
[00:18:07] unfortunately that news emerged yesterday yesterday afternoon from Suffolk
[00:18:10] Suffolk police that a boy that a
[00:18:12] a body had been found in Decoy Pond.
[00:18:15] Pond. And when that news broke, the the devastation and heartbreak among
[00:18:18] among those volunteers, the people people who had been searching so
[00:18:21] so desperately for Noah Woods was was laid bare and they came, many
[00:18:24] many of them, and laid flowers in
[00:18:27] in memory of Noah. You can see lots lots and lots of flowers here around
[00:18:30] around 100 bunches of flowers, toys, toys, tributes, cards left for Noah.
[00:18:33] Noah. One of them here reads we didn't
[00:18:36] didn't know you, Noah, but we tried
[00:18:38] tried to find you. Now formal identification identification is yet to take place.
[00:18:41] place. That may happen later today,
[00:18:43] today, but Noah Woods family have have been informed and the thoughts
[00:18:47] thoughts of everyone in Brantham Brantham will be with them as they
[00:18:50] they try to come to terms with this
[00:18:52] this terrible news. Navtej Johal
[00:18:55] Johal in Suffolk. Palestinian officials
[00:18:58] officials say the US has again denied
[00:19:00] denied a visa to Palestinian Authority Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,
[00:19:04] Abbas, forcing him to address the
[00:19:06] the UN General Assembly remotely remotely for a second year. Dozens
[00:19:10] Dozens of officials travelling with with him have also been denied visas.
[00:19:13] visas. The US says the decision reflects
[00:19:16] reflects failures to reform and concerns
[00:19:18] concerns over support for terrorism. terrorism. Our Middle East correspondent correspondent Yolande Knell is in
[00:19:22] in Jerusalem with more on why the the visas are thought to have been
[00:19:25] been blocked. So the State Department
[00:19:28] Department says that it's extending extending its visa sanctions against
[00:19:31] against officials from both the Palestinian
[00:19:35] Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Palestine Liberation Organisation. Organisation. Now these are the two
[00:19:38] two bodies that are the international
[00:19:42] international representatives of of the Palestinian people. And last
[00:19:45] last year, the State Department took took this step as several countries,
[00:19:50] countries, including the UK, were
[00:19:52] were about to announce their recognition recognition of a Palestinian state
[00:19:55] state on the fringes of the UN General General Assembly, something which
[00:19:59] which Washington strongly disapproved disapproved of, calling it an unhelpful
[00:20:03] unhelpful and a unilateral step. step. Now the State Department has
[00:20:06] has put out a press release in which
[00:20:08] which it accuses the PA and the PLO PLO of glorifying terrorism, and
[00:20:11] and it says that they have sought
[00:20:14] sought to internationalise the conflict
[00:20:16] conflict with Israel by seeking legal legal action at the International
[00:20:20] International Criminal Court and and the International Court of Justice.
[00:20:22] Justice. So what we're expecting expecting is that 193 members of
[00:20:26] of the UN General Assembly will hold
[00:20:27] hold a vote later to basically approve
[00:20:31] approve Mr Abbas, the Palestinian Palestinian president, giving his
[00:20:35] his address remotely for the second
[00:20:37] second year running. And while that's
[00:20:40] that's happening in New York, we've
[00:20:41] we've got live pictures of that the
[00:20:44] the terrible building collapse in
[00:20:47] in Gaza, which we know that the latest latest figures, eight children among
[00:20:51] among the 21 killed. What's the very very latest from there? And the efforts
[00:20:53] efforts to try and find survivors.
[00:20:57] survivors. Well, that rescue operation operation has been continuing in
[00:21:01] in the south of Gaza City with the
[00:21:04] the limited resources that are on
[00:21:06] on hand, some heavy lifting equipment.
[00:21:08] equipment. But hopes are subsiding
[00:21:10] subsiding of finding more survivors survivors in that rubble where you
[00:21:14] you can see that the floors of this
[00:21:16] this six storey building were sandwiched
[00:21:19] sandwiched together when it collapsed
[00:21:20] collapsed in the early hours of yesterday
[00:21:24] yesterday morning. That was Yolande Yolande Knell reporting there from
[00:21:28] from Jerusalem. Now 117. That is
[00:21:32] is the age of Ethel Caterham extraordinary. extraordinary. The world's oldest oldest person who lives in Surrey,
[00:21:35] Surrey, not far away from here in
[00:21:37] in London. Ethel is also the oldest oldest British person in recorded
[00:21:41] recorded history. Born in Edwardian Edwardian times, the oldest living
[00:21:44] living person title is forever changing, changing, and now these very senior
[00:21:48] senior citizens have become the subject subject of a documentary put together
[00:21:52] together by a New York based filmmaker. filmmaker. Talking Movies. Tom Brook
[00:21:55] Brook went to meet him. I know this
[00:21:58] this might sound weird, but I've I've been obsessed with the oldest
[00:22:02] oldest person in the world for
[00:22:08] years. Meet adventurous, Brooklyn Brooklyn based, Oscar nominated filmmaker
[00:22:10] filmmaker Sam Green. Since 2015, 2015, he's been travelling the world,
[00:22:14] world, chronicling the forever changing changing holders of the title of
[00:22:17] of oldest person in the world. It's
[00:22:20] It's survey has included Kane Tanaka Tanaka in Japan, who held the title
[00:22:24] title for four years. And then there's
[00:22:26] there's the oldest person ever Jeanne
[00:22:29] Jeanne Louise Calment, who when she
[00:22:31] she died in 1997, was 122 years old.
[00:22:33] old. In her later years she recorded recorded a rap album, the thing I
[00:22:37] I liked about the film Sam Green's Green's investigation of these very
[00:22:40] very senior citizens has become a a lifelong project. A documentary
[00:22:44] documentary based on his survey so so far has just been released. He's
[00:22:47] He's long been fascinated by why
[00:22:49] why the news media and the public
[00:22:52] public are so interested in the title title holder of the oldest person
[00:22:55] person in the world. To this day, day, I still don't fully understand
[00:22:58] understand it. Is this a fear of
[00:23:01] of death? Is this a fear of fate
[00:23:04] fate or a you know, one of those
[00:23:06] those things like with the car crash
[00:23:09] crash where you can't look away but but you don't want to look at it.
[00:23:13] it. In making his documentary, Sam Sam Green found there was nearly nearly always a desire on the part
[00:23:16] part of others to find out if there's there's a secret to longevity. The
[00:23:20] The elderly people, he observed, observed, had all kinds of answers
[00:23:23] answers for why they'd led a long long life. One woman stated she'd
[00:23:27] she'd live for a long time because because she'd stayed away from men.
[00:23:30] men. She also said her secret was was eating three raw eggs a day.
[00:23:34] day. Two, you know, so it's like like the media descends on these
[00:23:37] these people. Everybody asks them them what their secret is and they
[00:23:41] they say something and everybody everybody runs with that. This documentary
[00:23:44] documentary often shows that other other people, the outside world is
[00:23:47] is often much more intrigued by the the oldest person in the world than
[00:23:51] than the subjects who hold that title. title. But this film isn't just about
[00:23:55] about the very old. It's also about about life and death and events in
[00:23:59] in the filmmaker's own life the birth birth of a son and his own confrontation
[00:24:03] confrontation with a life threatening threatening illness. These things
[00:24:06] things started to creep into the the movie, so over time it becomes
[00:24:09] becomes a larger meditation, I hope,
[00:24:12] hope, about time and the mysteries mysteries of being alive and faith
[00:24:15] faith and all these big questions
[00:24:18] questions that we ask ourselves.
[00:24:21] ourselves. The last person I interviewed, interviewed, a Spanish woman named
[00:24:24] named Maria Branyas, she was very very funny. She even was making fun
[00:24:28] fun of me, which I love. But in. in. At a moment in the interview
[00:24:32] interview she said, you are young.
[00:24:34] young. I. Else all of us. Now is
[00:24:36] is the time to do good works. But
[00:24:39] But she was saying is you're young
[00:24:41] young and you have time, so use it.
[00:24:43] it. And I think that's a beautiful
[00:24:48] beautiful thing to appreciate. Over
[00:24:51] Over the last ten years, Sam Green Green has met many of those who have
[00:24:54] have held the title of oldest person person in the world. But there's
[00:24:57] there's been one holdout the current
[00:24:59] current title holder, 117-year-old 117-year-old Ethel Caterham, who
[00:25:03] who lives in Surrey, just outside
[00:25:05] outside London. She was born in Edwardian
[00:25:07] Edwardian times. She is the first
[00:25:09] first person in ten years who has
[00:25:13] has rebuffed my overtures. But she she did let King Charles visit her,
[00:25:16] her, didn't she? When I saw a video
[00:25:18] video of her in King Charles and
[00:25:21] and I thought, Charles, not me, you
[00:25:24] you know she's British. She's the
[00:25:26] the last Edwardian so I guess she she feels some allegiance to the
[00:25:30] the King. But you know, come on. on. I've been doing this for ten
[00:25:32] ten years. Even though this documentary documentary focuses on the very old
[00:25:36] old and very fragile, it makes the the point that there is much to learn
[00:25:40] learn from observing them and from from the filmmaker himself about
[00:25:43] about what it means to live a thoughtful
[00:25:45] thoughtful life. It is an unexpectedly
[00:25:48] unexpectedly life affirming film.
[00:25:51] film. Tom Brook, BBC News New York.
[00:25:54] York. That looks really fascinating, fascinating, doesn't it? Now? Still
[00:25:57] Still to come, we try out some smart
[00:26:00] smart lenses. Snap Inc's latest eyewear
[00:26:03] eyewear promise to augment your reality. reality. We'll have a first look
[00:26:05] look at them and talk
[00:27:38] temperatures here with highs of 36 36 or 37.
[00:29:40] and the possible awards contenders contenders to have emerged. Join
[00:29:43] Join me Tom Brook for Talking Movies
[00:29:47] Movies on BBC News. Here at BBC Verify,
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