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20260917 090000 UTC
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[00:00:12] Live from London. This is BBC
[00:00:15] News. The King issues an unusually unusually pointed response after
[00:00:18] after Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's Diana's brother, makes fresh claims
[00:00:21] claims about him in his new book
[00:00:24] book Microsoft's head of AI tells tells the BBC his competitors approach
[00:00:27] approach to training their models models could have a disastrous impact
[00:00:30] impact on the wellbeing of humanity.
[00:00:34] humanity. European Commission President President Ursula von humanity. European Commission President Ursula von President Ursula von der Leyen moves moves ahead with plans to ban social
[00:00:38] social media for under 13, saying
[00:00:39] saying these apps are depriving children children of their childhood. The
[00:00:43] The Bank of England is expected to to hold interest rates in the face
[00:00:47] face of rising prices, as the US
[00:00:50] US hikes, borrowing costs. Russia
[00:00:52] Russia heads to the polls for parliamentary parliamentary elections, the first
[00:00:56] first since parliamentary elections, the first since first since its full-scale invasion invasion of Ukraine. And is there
[00:00:59] there a secret to a long life talking talking movie speaks to a filmmaker
[00:01:03] filmmaker about the ever talking movie speaks to a filmmaker about the ever filmmaker about the ever changing
[00:01:05] changing title of the oldest living
[00:01:08] living person. Hello, I'm Karin Giannone.
[00:01:19] Giannone. Buckingham living person. Hello, I'm Karin Giannone. Buckingham Giannone. Buckingham Palace has rejected rejected claims about the King made
[00:01:22] made by Princess Diana's brother brother Earl Spencer. In his new
[00:01:25] new memoir. In a Daily Mail serialisation serialisation of his new book, due
[00:01:29] due to be released next week, Charles Charles Spencer said that after the
[00:01:33] the death of his sister in 1997, 1997, the King told him that the
[00:01:36] the then Princess of Wales would
[00:01:38] would be forgotten soon enough. Our
[00:01:40] Our senior royal correspondent, Daniela
[00:01:42] Daniela Relph reports. It is the the content of Earl Spencer's book
[00:01:46] book about his sister that has driven driven Buckingham Palace to issue
[00:01:50] issue an unusually robust response. response. Earl Spencer writes of
[00:01:54] of a row with the King back in 1997,
[00:01:56] 1997, when the King was Prince of of Wales after he challenged him
[00:01:59] him on the decision to allow Princes Princes William and Harry to walk
[00:02:03] walk behind their mother's coffin coffin at her funeral, something
[00:02:05] something he said his sister would would not have wanted. Earl Spencer
[00:02:09] Spencer claims the King replied angrily,
[00:02:11] angrily, saying that Diana would would be forgotten soon enough. The
[00:02:15] The response from Buckingham Palace, Palace, a sign of the fury behind
[00:02:19] behind palace walls. An official
[00:02:21] official spokesman said while we we do not comment on books as a matter
[00:02:25] matter of principle, His Majesty Majesty is mindful that the pain
[00:02:29] pain of fraternal grief can cloud
[00:02:31] cloud reason, affect judgement and
[00:02:33] and colour memory in ways others
[00:02:36] others do not recognise. Even many
[00:02:38] many years after such a loss. Not
[00:02:40] Not since the late Queen's statement statement that recollections may
[00:02:44] may vary after the Duke and Duchess Duchess of Sussex's interview with
[00:02:47] with Oprah Winfrey has a royal statement
[00:02:50] statement packed so much punch. It's
[00:02:54] It's been a challenging few weeks weeks for the Royal family, many
[00:02:57] many of whom will be out on official
[00:03:00] official duty today. As will Prince Prince Harry, who'll be in London
[00:03:04] London for an awards dinner for the the Invictus Games for wounded military
[00:03:08] military personnel. His first public
[00:03:11] public charity engagement since moving moving back to the UK with his wife
[00:03:14] wife and children. Since inception, inception, Prince Harry has been
[00:03:18] been a spectacular champion for the
[00:03:20] the Invictus Games Foundation. He's
[00:03:23] He's been a visionary for the Invictus Invictus Movement throughout and
[00:03:27] and having him closer to our HQ here
[00:03:30] here in London is incredible. Come
[00:03:33] Come on you come on. The return of of Harry and Meghan has brought with
[00:03:36] with it a degree of drama over their
[00:03:40] their security, the safety of their their children on the school run
[00:03:43] run and speculation over why they
[00:03:45] they have come back to the UK. The
[00:03:49] The return of Sussexes really is
[00:03:52] is shows just how much they run out
[00:03:54] out of road in Montecito. And they they had run out of road, do you
[00:03:58] you think? Totally run out of road.
[00:03:59] road. They seemed to be unable to
[00:04:03] to just simply quietly and with composure
[00:04:06] composure examine their options and and follow a route. You know, they
[00:04:09] they they crash into things, you you know, all the time. How much
[00:04:13] much my husband loves bagpipes. All
[00:04:16] All of these engagements have been been planned well in advance. But
[00:04:19] But with Harry and Meghan now back back in the UK, the days where we
[00:04:22] we see the working royals out on
[00:04:24] on the same day as the non-working
[00:04:27] non-working ones will become more
[00:04:28] more common. Daniela Relph, BBC
[00:04:34] News. Well, with me is our royal royal correspondent Helena Wilkinson Wilkinson and Helena. How unusual
[00:04:36] unusual is it to get such a strong strong statement from the palace
[00:04:40] palace so quickly? It's really unusual.
[00:04:41] unusual. It's rare to get a statement
[00:04:44] statement which brings the palace
[00:04:46] palace into the kind of public debate. debate. It's become really a war
[00:04:50] war of words between Buckingham Palace
[00:04:52] Palace and Earl Spencer. Diana's
[00:04:55] Diana's brother. As Daniela mentioned
[00:04:58] mentioned in her report there. Earl Earl Spencer has a book out next
[00:05:01] next week. It's all about his sister
[00:05:04] sister Diana and some of the book
[00:05:06] book is being published in parts
[00:05:08] parts in the Daily Mail. And the
[00:05:11] the details that we had yesterday
[00:05:13] yesterday in part of Earl Spencer's
[00:05:17] Spencer's book was that he accused accused King Charles, who was then
[00:05:20] then the Prince of Wales of Insensitively Insensitively saying to Earl Spencer
[00:05:23] Spencer in the wake of Diana's death
[00:05:27] death in 1997 that quote will forget
[00:05:29] forget her soon enough. That's according
[00:05:31] according to claims by Earl Spencer Spencer in the book. The Palace,
[00:05:35] Palace, though, has pushed back on
[00:05:38] on this unusually strongly worded
[00:05:40] worded statement. Clearly angered angered by the claims that have been
[00:05:43] been made by Earl Spencer and also
[00:05:46] also attempting to cast doubt on on those claims. So it's unusual
[00:05:49] unusual to get such a statement from
[00:05:52] from the Palace. And I think we can can expect more details. We are expecting
[00:05:56] expecting more details or more parts parts of the book by Earl Spencer
[00:05:59] Spencer to be published a bit later later on. So this is not the end
[00:06:03] end of it. I think we're going to to see more not only today but over over the next couple of days before
[00:06:07] before the book is published next next week. And it's reminiscent,
[00:06:10] reminiscent, Helena, of that statement statement we heard from the late
[00:06:12] late Queen once. Recollections may may vary, but this comes on a day
[00:06:16] day when there are so many other other royal headlines. A very busy
[00:06:18] busy royal day. Yeah, it's a crowded crowded day for the royal family.
[00:06:22] family. Harry and Meghan, as we know, know, moved back to the UK just over
[00:06:26] over three weeks ago now and this this is going to be the first day
[00:06:29] day that he is carrying out an official
[00:06:32] official engagement. He is not, though, though, working as an official member
[00:06:35] member of the royal family. That That has been made very clear by
[00:06:39] by the King. So he's going to be be at a charity event later on today
[00:06:43] today and he will be doing that in
[00:06:45] in a private capacity, but also today
[00:06:47] today the King is going to be getting
[00:06:51] getting various leaders within the
[00:06:52] the AI sector together in Scotland.
[00:06:55] Scotland. So he will be on an engagement
[00:06:57] engagement and also the Prince and
[00:07:00] and Princess of Wales, William and and Catherine. They are also out
[00:07:03] out on an engagement. So we're going
[00:07:05] going to see a lot of the royal family family out and about today. And I
[00:07:08] I think what we're going to see as as well, clearly, is that divide
[00:07:12] divide between the working members members of the royal family, the the senior working members of the
[00:07:15] the royal family and the non-working non-working members of the royal
[00:07:18] royal family. Prince Harry later later on. Helena, thank you very
[00:07:22] very much. Helena Wilkinson. Well, Well, as we've been hearing, King
[00:07:25] King Charles has called on AI giants giants to keep tech in service of
[00:07:29] of humanity ahead of him chairing
[00:07:31] chairing a summit with industry leaders.
[00:07:34] leaders. Concerns about the existential existential threat of artificial artificial intelligence have intensified
[00:07:37] intensified in recent weeks, with with several instances of bad actors
[00:07:41] actors using AI models for weapons
[00:07:44] weapons development and fraud. Mustafa Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft
[00:07:47] Microsoft AI, has told BBC Radio Radio 4 today that this is a warning
[00:07:51] warning shot moment in the development development of AI and there is every
[00:07:54] every risk, he says. We might lose
[00:07:55] lose control of it unless it is regulated.
[00:07:58] regulated. I think that if we all
[00:08:01] all create AI that are able to act
[00:08:04] act autonomously, that can define define their own objectives, that that can earn
[00:08:12] That can earn money, that can own assets, that could run businesses. businesses. We're essentially seeding seeding a new silicon species, which
[00:08:16] which will no doubt compete with with us for resources, no matter
[00:08:19] matter how much it cares about humanity
[00:08:21] humanity and loves us, which is,
[00:08:24] is, I think, Anthropic's intention. intention. I think that is a mistaken
[00:08:28] mistaken and misguided. But we have have to empirically test it. And
[00:08:31] And so if they believe that this this is a safer route to developing
[00:08:34] developing AI's, then they have to to share the data to prove that.
[00:08:38] that. New silicon species is a chilling chilling phrase. It will make people
[00:08:42] people think of science fiction. fiction. You mean that, don't you?
[00:08:44] you? You mean that there could be
[00:08:46] be a competitor species created by
[00:08:50] by man? Perhaps more powerful than
[00:08:52] than man? We've just witnessed a
[00:08:56] a watershed moment in the development
[00:08:58] development of AI and a model that
[00:09:00] that was being trained by OpenAI
[00:09:04] OpenAI inadvertently hacked into
[00:09:06] into Hugging Face, which is a public
[00:09:09] public website that runs evaluations
[00:09:11] evaluations and benchmarks for testing
[00:09:14] testing these agents. The swarm of
[00:09:17] of agents co-ordinated together.
[00:09:18] together. They organised themselves themselves into hierarchies. They
[00:09:22] They created a division of labour, labour, and so they've developed
[00:09:25] developed very, very complex behaviour.
[00:09:27] behaviour. Now the good news is this
[00:09:30] this was OpenAI developing a model model deliberately with the guardrails
[00:09:34] guardrails turned off. And they were were doing that to try and stress
[00:09:37] stress test it and learn about its its boundaries and limitations. I
[00:09:41] I just wonder if you ever worry you've
[00:09:43] you've helped create something that that we're losing control of. I think
[00:09:46] think as we've seen, there's every every risk that we might lose control
[00:09:49] control of it. But our job is to
[00:09:52] to contain technologies and align align them so that we get the best
[00:09:55] best out of them. If we didn't have have any air traffic control regulation,
[00:09:58] regulation, planes would be hitting hitting each other in the sky. When
[00:10:02] When we introduced seat belts, we we saved millions of lives. The purpose
[00:10:05] purpose of regulation is to shape
[00:10:08] shape and sculpt technology so that that it delivers more good than harm.
[00:10:11] harm. And that's the moment that that we're currently now in. So I
[00:10:14] I think it's right to be concerned, concerned, as I said, or worried
[00:10:17] worried or alarmed as you wish. But But it's also right to be optimistic
[00:10:21] optimistic about the benefits and and to have everybody focus now on
[00:10:24] on the challenge of governing and
[00:10:26] and shaping this technology. Mustafa Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft
[00:10:30] Microsoft AI, speaking to Nick Robinson Robinson on the Today Programme on
[00:10:34] on radio four. The Bank of England England will make its latest decision
[00:10:38] decision on interest rates in a few few hours' time. It is widely expected
[00:10:41] expected to hold the cost of borrowing
[00:10:43] borrowing in today's meeting, despite despite facing an increasing rate
[00:10:46] rate of price rises. The latest figures
[00:10:49] figures on Wednesday showed inflation inflation hitting 3.1% in August.
[00:10:52] August. That's the highest level level for five months, driven largely
[00:10:56] largely by increases in fuel costs.
[00:10:58] costs. The Federal Reserve, that's that's the US central bank, has raised
[00:11:01] raised interest rates for the first first time in more than three years
[00:11:05] years to curb stubbornly rising prices prices there, The Fed raised its
[00:11:08] its benchmark rate by a quarter of
[00:11:11] of a percentage point, and it indicated indicated it could do so again before
[00:11:14] before the end of the year. Federal Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh
[00:11:18] Warsh says the American economy is is broadly in good shape, but inflation
[00:11:21] inflation has been high too high
[00:11:23] high for too long. The guy Donald
[00:11:26] Donald Trump handpicked to run America's America's central bank has just done
[00:11:30] done the very thing the President President did not want him to do.
[00:11:33] do. So why has Kevin Warsh just put
[00:11:35] put interest rates up? Well, it's
[00:11:38] it's partly Donald Trump's own fault. fault. The increase in the price
[00:11:41] price of oil caused by the war in in Iran is one of the reasons behind
[00:11:45] behind the rate rise. It is the Federal Federal Reserve's job to keep inflation
[00:11:49] inflation down. So that means if if prices are going up, they are
[00:11:52] are more likely to put interest rates rates up. Donald Trump wants low
[00:11:56] low interest rates because then consumers
[00:11:58] consumers who would be spending less less on credit cards, loans, mortgages,
[00:12:02] mortgages, things like that would would feel better about their money money and about the economy. And
[00:12:05] And that might make them more likely likely to vote for his Republican
[00:12:09] Republican candidates in November's November's mid-term elections. He
[00:12:11] He will see rates going up as a blow
[00:12:14] blow to his election prospects. Interest Interest rates are too high. They're
[00:12:18] They're not appropriate. And I told told I talked to Kevin and I said,
[00:12:21] said, you might as well vote with with the board because it's not going going to matter. The President tried
[00:12:25] tried to bully the last fed chair
[00:12:27] chair into lowering rates. He called
[00:12:29] called Jerome Powell a total loser
[00:12:31] loser and a moron. The administration administration launched a criminal criminal investigation into him,
[00:12:35] him, even though they've now dropped dropped that in May. The President
[00:12:37] President got to pick the new fed fed chair, Kevin Warsh, and he's
[00:12:41] he's still not getting what he wants. wants. After today's announcement, announcement, Donald Trump was posting
[00:12:45] posting on social media demanding demanding rates have to be lowered
[00:12:48] lowered and it was his own candidate candidate who defied him by doing
[00:12:51] doing the opposite, by putting them them up. And worse than that, he
[00:12:54] he also said he might do the same same again before the end of the
[00:12:58] the year. That's our North America America editor, Sarah Smith in Washington.
[00:13:02] Washington. In Russia, tomorrow is is the start of three days of voting
[00:13:05] voting in the country's parliamentary parliamentary election, the first
[00:13:07] first since Russia's full-scale invasion invasion of Ukraine. Critics dismissed
[00:13:11] dismissed the vote as neither free free nor transparent, but the Kremlin
[00:13:15] Kremlin is expected to use it to to claim that Russia is united behind
[00:13:18] behind the policies of President President Putin. From Moscow, our
[00:13:21] our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg
[00:13:24] Rosenberg reports. Ultimate power
[00:13:25] power in Russia lies right here in
[00:13:28] in the Kremlin. But just across the
[00:13:31] the road there is a parliament, the
[00:13:33] the Duma, and it's election time. time. So what is a parliamentary
[00:13:36] parliamentary election like now in
[00:13:37] in Russia. Well, on TV we've seen
[00:13:42] seen election debates sort of none none of the candidates turned up
[00:13:45] up for this one. And there has been
[00:13:49] been some campaigning. We caught caught up with the Communist Party
[00:13:52] Party chief at a bakery. At times, times, though, it's been hard to
[00:13:56] to tell the difference between the the ten parties that have been allowed
[00:14:00] allowed onto the ballot. None of of them criticise President Putin
[00:14:02] Putin or the war in Ukraine. And
[00:14:05] And if the political process feels feels rather orchestrated, keep in
[00:14:09] in mind that the political system system in Russia is often referred
[00:14:11] referred to as managed democracy, democracy, where the Kremlin does
[00:14:15] does the managing and I think the the Kremlin will try to use this
[00:14:18] this election to claim that the country
[00:14:20] country is united behind the President
[00:14:23] President and behind the war. There
[00:14:26] There are some individual candidates candidates in some seats calling
[00:14:29] calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Ukraine. But their party, which is
[00:14:32] is called Yabloko and which is anti-war, anti-war, isn't allowed to take part
[00:14:36] part in this election as a party party in its own right. It was struck
[00:14:40] struck off the ballot by the Supreme
[00:14:43] Supreme Court, 50 miles from Moscow. Moscow. We didn't see much sign of
[00:14:46] of an election. There were a few few banners, few election posters,
[00:14:49] posters, but from chatting to people, people, there was every sign that
[00:14:53] that the war is front and centre
[00:14:54] centre of people's minds. I want
[00:14:58] want a peaceful life, Yulia told.
[00:15:01] told. Me. I'd like to live in a peaceful
[00:15:06] peaceful country, says Polina, so so that you don't have to worry that
[00:15:08] that a drone will fall down in front
[00:15:10] front of you. But expectations are
[00:15:12] are low that this election will bring
[00:15:15] bring peace any closer. Steve Rosenberg
[00:15:19] Rosenberg reporting around the world
[00:15:20] world and across the UK.
[00:16:22] the track without a driver. Join
[00:16:22] Join me Martin Sharkey of Tech, now
[00:16:26] now on BBC News. Russia says it hit
[00:16:34] hit three drone producing plants plants in overnight attacks on Kyiv
[00:16:37] Kyiv and the surrounding region.
[00:16:39] region. It says it also hit two road road bridges over the river, which
[00:16:43] which it claims are used to supply
[00:16:46] supply weapons from Romania to Ukraine. Ukraine. Several people were wounded
[00:16:49] wounded in a Russian drone attack
[00:16:51] attack on a 19 storey residential residential building in Odesa. These
[00:16:54] These pictures, which have just come come in, show the extent of the damage.
[00:16:58] damage. You can see the Odesa Regional
[00:17:01] Regional State Emergency Service
[00:17:03] Service combing through the debris.
[00:17:06] debris. Palestinian officials say say the US has again denied a visa
[00:17:10] visa to Palestinian Authority President President Mahmoud Abbas, forcing
[00:17:13] forcing him to address the UN General
[00:17:15] General Assembly remotely for a second second year. Dozens of officials officials travelling with him have
[00:17:19] have also been denied visas. The
[00:17:21] The US says the decision reflects
[00:17:24] reflects failures to reform and concerns
[00:17:26] concerns over support for terrorism. terrorism. Our Middle East correspondent
[00:17:29] correspondent Yolande Knell has been been telling me more about the decision.
[00:17:33] decision. Well, the Trump administration
[00:17:35] administration accuses the Palestinian Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Palestine Liberation Organisation
[00:17:39] Organisation these two internationally internationally recognised bodies
[00:17:41] bodies that represent the Palestinian Palestinian people of glorifying
[00:17:45] glorifying terrorism, saying that that they have failed to carry out
[00:17:48] out promised reforms. And it accuses
[00:17:50] accuses them too of what it describes describes as internationalising.
[00:17:53] internationalising. The conflict
[00:17:55] conflict with Israel by going to to the International Criminal Court
[00:17:59] Court and the International Court Court of Justice, for example. Now
[00:18:02] Now we've not had a new Palestinian Palestinian response to all of this,
[00:18:06] this, not an official one, but what
[00:18:10] what was said previously when the the Palestinians were accused of
[00:18:14] of taking these unilateral steps steps is they said, well, you know,
[00:18:18] know, years of on and off talks brokered
[00:18:21] brokered by the US between the PLO
[00:18:24] PLO and Israel have failed to end end Israeli occupation, have failed
[00:18:27] failed to deliver on this promise promise of a Palestinian state. And
[00:18:31] And that's why they have taken other
[00:18:33] other diplomatic steps. Yolande in
[00:18:35] in Gaza. What is the latest on that that building collapse that killed
[00:18:39] killed a number of people on Wednesday?
[00:18:44] Wednesday? So according to the local
[00:18:45] local authorities, it's now 21 people,
[00:18:49] people, including 12 children and and five women, who are among those
[00:18:52] those killed. Their bodies having having been recovered from the rubble
[00:18:55] rubble of that six storey building building that collapsed in the early
[00:18:58] early hours of yesterday morning
[00:19:01] morning with some 45 people taken
[00:19:03] taken to hospital for medical treatment.
[00:19:06] treatment. On top of that. And we've we've been looking at the latest
[00:19:09] latest footage coming from the scene
[00:19:12] scene with just one excavator still
[00:19:14] still working there and some relatives relatives of those who have been
[00:19:18] been injured coming to collect clothes clothes and belongings, what they
[00:19:21] they could try to find in the rubble.
[00:19:24] rubble. But this event has really
[00:19:27] really underlined the real dangers dangers that there are for Palestinians.
[00:19:30] Palestinians. Many people have been
[00:19:32] been complaining in recent months
[00:19:35] months that there is not suitable suitable shelter, not new tents coming
[00:19:38] coming in, that they were resorting
[00:19:39] resorting to going into these unsafe
[00:19:42] unsafe buildings so that they could
[00:19:44] could take some shelter from the the elements with their families.
[00:19:47] families. And we've had the UN flagging
[00:19:49] flagging up that there are about
[00:19:52] about 400 buildings across the Gaza Gaza Strip, which are really sort
[00:19:56] sort of at high risk of collapse, collapse, the same as this one, and
[00:19:59] and that there are families living living in many of those locations.
[00:20:02] locations. And so the UN has come come out saying that the tragedy
[00:20:06] tragedy underscores the grave risks. risks. This is a local UN official
[00:20:10] official responsible for humanitarian humanitarian co-ordination and saying
[00:20:12] saying that there is an urgent need need now for safer alternatives. alternatives. They're calling for
[00:20:16] for the Israeli authorities to work work with humanitarian agencies to
[00:20:20] to allow more suitable shelters into
[00:20:22] into Gaza. Yolande Knell. President President Trump has threatened to
[00:20:25] to cut trade with the European Union Union if it pursues a proposal to
[00:20:28] to make Canada the bloc's first ever
[00:20:31] ever associate member. Describing Describing the plan as laughable,
[00:20:34] laughable, Mr Trump said he would would view it as a hostile act that
[00:20:37] that could prompt further tariffs tariffs on the EU. The European Commission Commission president, Ursula von
[00:20:41] von der Leyen, had told the European European Parliament that she wanted
[00:20:45] wanted to work on opening the door
[00:20:47] door for Canada. Torrential rain rain is causing havoc in northeastern
[00:20:51] northeastern Spain, flooding houses houses and closing roads, metros
[00:20:55] metros and airports. Residents of of Catalonia and Valencia regions
[00:20:57] regions have been urged to avoid avoid unnecessary travel and exercise.
[00:21:01] exercise. Extreme caution. 70mm of of rain fell in just 30 minutes in
[00:21:05] in some parts of the Valencia region, region, forcing the cancellation
[00:21:08] cancellation of a top flight football football match. A formal request
[00:21:12] request has been lodged by British British prosecutors for the extradition
[00:21:15] extradition from the US of brothers brothers Andrew and Tristan Tait
[00:21:18] Tait to face rape and sex trafficking trafficking charges. But a lawyer
[00:21:22] lawyer for the social media influencers influencers has accused the UK authorities
[00:21:24] authorities of failing to provide provide the documentation required
[00:21:27] required in support of the applications
[00:21:29] applications for them to be removed.
[00:21:35] removed. 117 that is the age of Ethel Ethel Caterham, the world's oldest
[00:21:39] oldest person, she lives in Surrey, Surrey, not far from London. Ethel
[00:21:43] Ethel is also the oldest British
[00:21:45] British person in recorded history. history. Born in Edwardian times,
[00:21:48] times, the oldest living person title title is forever changing and now
[00:21:52] now these very senior citizens have have become the subject of a documentary
[00:21:55] documentary put together by a New New York based filmmaker Talking
[00:21:59] Talking Movies as Tom Brook went
[00:22:00] went to meet him. I know this might
[00:22:04] might sound weird, but I've been
[00:22:06] been obsessed with the oldest person
[00:22:09] person in the world for years. Meet
[00:22:13] Meet adventurous, Brooklyn based, based, Oscar nominated filmmaker
[00:22:15] filmmaker Sam Green. Since 2015, 2015, he's been travelling the world,
[00:22:19] world, chronicling the forever changing changing holders of the title of
[00:22:23] of oldest person in the world. It's
[00:22:25] It's survey has included Kane Tanaka Tanaka in Japan, who held the title
[00:22:29] title for four years. And then there's
[00:22:31] there's the oldest person ever, Jeanne
[00:22:33] Jeanne Louise Calment, who when she
[00:22:36] she died in 1997, was 122 years old.
[00:22:38] old. In her later years she recorded recorded a rap album, the thing I
[00:22:42] I liked about the film Sam Green's Green's investigation of these very
[00:22:45] very senior citizens has become a a lifelong project. A documentary
[00:22:49] documentary based on his survey so so far has just been released. His
[00:22:53] His long been fascinated by why the
[00:22:54] the news media and the public are
[00:22:57] are so interested in the title holder holder of the oldest person in the
[00:23:01] the world. To this day I still don't
[00:23:03] don't fully understand it. Is this
[00:23:05] this a fear of death? Is this a fear
[00:23:07] fear of fate or a you know, one of
[00:23:10] of those things like with the car
[00:23:12] car crash where you can't look away
[00:23:15] away but you don't want to look at at it? In making his documentary,
[00:23:18] documentary, Sam Green found there there was nearly always a desire desire on the part of others to find
[00:23:22] find out if there's a secret to longevity.
[00:23:25] longevity. The elderly people, he he observed, had all kinds of answers
[00:23:28] answers for why they'd led a long long life. One woman stated she'd
[00:23:32] she'd live for a long time because because she'd stayed away from men.
[00:23:35] men. She also said her secret was was eating three raw eggs a day.
[00:23:39] day. Two, you know, so it's like like the media descends on these
[00:23:42] these people. Everybody asks them them what their secret is and they
[00:23:46] they say something and everybody everybody runs with that. This documentary
[00:23:49] documentary often shows that other other people, the outside world is
[00:23:52] is often much more intrigued by the the oldest person in the world than
[00:23:56] than the subjects who hold that title.
[00:23:58] title. But this film isn't just about about the very old. It's also about
[00:24:02] about life and death and events in in the filmmaker's own life the birth
[00:24:06] birth of a son and his own confrontation
[00:24:08] confrontation with a life threatening threatening illness. These things
[00:24:11] things started to creep into the the movie, so over time it becomes
[00:24:14] becomes a larger meditation, I hope,
[00:24:17] hope, about time and the mysteries mysteries of being alive and fate
[00:24:20] fate and all these big questions
[00:24:23] questions that we ask ourselves.
[00:24:26] ourselves. The last person I interviewed, interviewed, a Spanish woman named
[00:24:29] named Maria Branyas, she was very very funny. She even was making fun
[00:24:33] fun of me, which I loved. But in.
[00:24:35] in. At a moment in the interview
[00:24:37] interview she said, you are young.
[00:24:39] young. I know. So each of us. Now
[00:24:41] Now is the time to do good works.
[00:24:44] works. But she was saying is you're
[00:24:46] you're young and you have time, so
[00:24:48] so use it. And I think that's a beautiful
[00:24:54] beautiful thing to appreciate. Over Over the last ten years, Sam Green
[00:24:58] Green has met many of those who've who've held the title of oldest person
[00:25:01] person in the world. But there's there's been one holdout the current
[00:25:05] current title holder, 117-year-old 117-year-old Ethel Caterham, who
[00:25:08] who lives in Surrey just outside
[00:25:10] outside London. She was born in Edwardian
[00:25:12] Edwardian times. She is the first
[00:25:14] first person in ten years who has
[00:25:18] has rebuffed my overtures. But she she did let King Charles visit her,
[00:25:21] her, didn't she? When I saw a video
[00:25:23] video of her in King Charles and
[00:25:26] and I thought, Charles, not me. You
[00:25:29] You know she's British. She's the
[00:25:31] the last Edwardian. So I guess she
[00:25:33] she feels some allegiance to the the King. But you know, come on. on. I've been doing this for ten
[00:25:37] ten years. Even though this documentary documentary focuses on the very old
[00:25:41] old and very fragile. It makes the the point that there is much to learn
[00:25:45] learn from observing them and from from the filmmaker himself about
[00:25:48] about what it means to live a thoughtful
[00:25:50] thoughtful life. It is an unexpectedly
[00:25:53] unexpectedly life affirming film.
[00:25:56] film. Tom Brook, BBC News New York.
[00:26:00] York. I'll be back in a few minutes' minutes' time with the headlines. headlines. We'll also be live to
[00:26:03] to the European Parliament in Strasbourg Strasbourg to
[00:27:36] with highs of 36 or 37.
[00:29:39] interviews, results and goals as as we follow every twist of the Premier
[00:29:43] Premier League season here on BBC
[00:29:46] BBC News. Here at BBC Verify. We
[00:29:52] We use forensic investigative techniques techniques and tools to fact check
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[00:30:00] analysis and the latest technology. technology. Our journalists examine
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[00:30:05] reports on the BBC News channel or
[00:30:07] or go online to find out more. These
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