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[00:00:02] MUSIC
[00:00:10] Live from London. This is BBC
[00:00:12] News. At least two people are killed killed in the Moscow area after a
[00:00:16] a massive Ukrainian drone attack attack overnight. Russia says it's
[00:00:19] it's an attempt to disrupt its country's
[00:00:21] country's elections. The brother brother of Princess Diana Earl Spencer
[00:00:24] Spencer tells the BBC the treatment treatment of the Duke and Duchess
[00:00:27] Duchess of Sussex at the hands of of the media has echoes of what happened
[00:00:30] happened to his late sister. It would would be really beholden on people
[00:00:33] people to learn from Diana's example. example. I'm not here to speak for
[00:00:37] for Harry and Meghan, but for anyone
[00:00:39] anyone who's being destroyed in this
[00:00:41] this way daily, it must be such a
[00:00:44] a cancerous influence in their life. life. The German Chancellor, Friedrich
[00:00:47] Friedrich Merz, is facing growing growing political pressure as local
[00:00:50] local elections take place in two
[00:00:52] two German states. Ed Sheeran's apologised
[00:00:55] apologised to fans for what he says says are mistakes. It's as he performs
[00:00:59] performs for the first time since since one of his opening acts, Macklemore
[00:01:02] Macklemore was dropped after making making pro-Palestinian remarks on
[00:01:06] on stage. What is happening in Gaza
[00:01:10] Gaza is a catastrophic and unjustifiable unjustifiable and disproportionate.
[00:01:13] disproportionate. My heart has been been broken by the scale of devastation
[00:01:16] devastation and loss of civilians
[00:01:19] civilians lives, of children's lives.
[00:01:30] lives. Hello, I'm Rajini Vaidyanathan. Vaidyanathan. The authorities in
[00:01:33] in Moscow say at least two people
[00:01:34] people have been killed and six injured
[00:01:37] injured in a massive overnight Ukrainian Ukrainian drone attack on the city.
[00:01:41] city. Posting this footage on social social media this morning, Ukraine's
[00:01:44] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky Zelensky confirmed Ukraine had hit
[00:01:47] hit a key Russian oil facility and
[00:01:50] and a logistics site in the area. area. The targets, he said, represented
[00:01:54] represented billions of dollars that that sustain the war machine. Meanwhile,
[00:01:57] Meanwhile, the mayor of Moscow said said it was the largest drone attack
[00:02:00] attack on the Russian capital so
[00:02:01] so far. He said around 450 drones
[00:02:05] drones heading for the capital had had been shot down while authorities
[00:02:08] authorities in Russia are accusing accusing Ukraine of trying to disrupt
[00:02:11] disrupt the country's parliamentary parliamentary elections, which end
[00:02:15] end today. The clay they claim more
[00:02:17] more than 1600 drones have been repelled
[00:02:20] repelled since Saturday. Critics Critics dismiss Russia's parliamentary
[00:02:23] parliamentary elections as neither neither free nor transparent. But But the Kremlin is expected to use
[00:02:27] use them to claim that the country
[00:02:29] country is united behind the policies policies of President Vladimir Putin.
[00:02:33] Putin. Well, I've been speaking to to our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg,
[00:02:37] Rosenberg, about the mood in the the country. Well, first of all,
[00:02:40] all, the reaction no. Sense of surprise surprise here. More a kind of quiet
[00:02:44] quiet resignation. I think that after after more than four and a half years
[00:02:48] years of Russia's war on Ukraine, Ukraine, Muscovites have got used
[00:02:51] used to their city periodically becoming becoming a frontline. And many people,
[00:02:55] people, I think, had expected attacks attacks during the election. This This is one of the polling stations
[00:02:59] stations just behind me. But in the the centre. But earlier today we
[00:03:02] we were at a polling station very very close to the oil refinery that
[00:03:06] that got hit. One young voter told told me that he'd heard the explosions.
[00:03:09] explosions. He'd heard loud bangs. bangs. He said it was a bad situation.
[00:03:13] situation. I spoke to an older voter voter who said he wants peace, but
[00:03:16] but by peace he means Ukraine's defeat.
[00:03:20] defeat. As for the election, while while the whole process is tightly tightly controlled by the Kremlin,
[00:03:24] Kremlin, and I think Vladimir Putin Putin will want to use the election
[00:03:28] election and the results to be announced announced later to try to show that
[00:03:31] that the whole country is behind
[00:03:33] behind the Kremlin, behind the war war in Ukraine, almost to give him
[00:03:36] him a mandate to continue with the
[00:03:39] the special military operation. Naz Naz Shah Russia editor Steve Rosenberg
[00:03:43] Rosenberg there. Let's speak now now to our reporter at the BBC Russian
[00:03:46] Russian Service. Sergey Goryashko Goryashko welcome to BBC News. Good
[00:03:50] Good to talk to you. First of all, all, I wonder if you could just tell
[00:03:53] tell me more about the reaction to to those attacks. And of course,
[00:03:57] course, we're hearing from authorities authorities in Russia. They believe believe that this is a deliberate
[00:04:01] deliberate attempt by Ukraine to
[00:04:02] to try and derail those elections.
[00:04:05] elections. That's right. But Russia's Russia's authorities are at the same
[00:04:09] same time claim that neither those
[00:04:12] those attacks nor the attacks on
[00:04:16] on the cyber infrastructure would would have any effect on the ongoing
[00:04:19] ongoing election. And the process
[00:04:22] process is going just as usual. And
[00:04:25] And they expect the Russians to show
[00:04:29] show their support for Vladimir Putin
[00:04:32] Putin and for his ongoing invasion invasion in Ukraine. At least that's
[00:04:36] that's the official line for now. now. That's the official line. What
[00:04:40] What is the sense that you're getting getting from people you know in the
[00:04:43] the country about how the conflict conflict and how it's continuing
[00:04:46] continuing on is playing into all all of this, especially when Russia's
[00:04:49] Russia's economy is obviously not
[00:04:50] not doing too well. Of course, people
[00:04:55] people are regular people are not
[00:04:57] not happy with the current economic economic situation, with the surge
[00:05:01] surge in gas prices and obviously
[00:05:05] obviously with the rigged elections elections as well. So as we know,
[00:05:09] know, the only anti-war party, Yabloko
[00:05:13] Yabloko has been barred from participating
[00:05:15] participating in those elections. elections. And now one of the parties
[00:05:19] parties participate in the retirement retirement of them criticise the
[00:05:22] the ongoing invasion. So for many
[00:05:26] many people this could lead to some
[00:05:28] some state of depression and to their
[00:05:32] their unwillingness to go to the the polling stations because the
[00:05:34] the result the outcome of these elections
[00:05:36] elections is already known beforehand.
[00:05:39] beforehand. However, some in Moscow
[00:05:41] Moscow went today to vote as they
[00:05:44] they were urged by other opposition
[00:05:49] opposition leaders that the good good thing would be to vote on Sunday.
[00:05:51] Sunday. On the last day of this elections
[00:05:55] elections and that would make more more difficult for the authorities
[00:05:58] authorities to rig the results. And
[00:06:01] And in Moscow we see lines of people people around the polling stations
[00:06:04] stations which formed not because because so many people came, but
[00:06:07] but rather because there was an alleged alleged attack on the cyber infrastructure.
[00:06:11] infrastructure. So for now, Russians, Russians, people in Moscow cannot
[00:06:15] cannot get their paper ballots at at the polling stations and they
[00:06:18] they are urged to vote online. The
[00:06:22] The problem appeared because of an an alleged cyber attack, which does
[00:06:26] does not allow the workers of the the polling stations to issue the
[00:06:29] the paper ballots. OK. Thank you
[00:06:31] you so much for bringing us the latest
[00:06:34] latest on those elections at Sergey
[00:06:36] Sergey Goryashko from BBC's Russian Russian service there, you can also
[00:06:39] also go to the BBC News website. website. Our Russia editor Steve
[00:06:42] Steve Rosenberg, has written a really really worthwhile analysis piece
[00:06:46] piece looking at the elections and and what they mean. Princess Diana's
[00:06:49] Diana's brother Earl Spencer has
[00:06:51] has told the BBC he sees echoes of of her treatment by the media when
[00:06:55] when it comes to the coverage of of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
[00:06:58] Sussex. Speaking to my colleague colleague Laura Kuenssberg, Earl Earl Spencer has also rejected any
[00:07:02] any perception that he favours Prince Prince Harry, insisting that he is
[00:07:05] is on the side of both of his nephews.
[00:07:07] nephews. Do you fear there is somehow somehow an an echo of what happened
[00:07:11] happened to Diana? You know, Harry Harry has said on many occasions
[00:07:14] occasions that he hasn't felt supported supported by the institution over
[00:07:17] over the choices that he's made with with his life. I think there's a
[00:07:19] a perception in the media that I'm
[00:07:21] I'm on Harry's side. Well, I'm on
[00:07:24] on my deceased sister's son's side, side, both of them. And if either
[00:07:28] either of them wanted anything, then then I'd be equally there for them.
[00:07:31] them. And I never get involved in
[00:07:33] in one camp or the other except as
[00:07:36] as a benign figure. I hope that's
[00:07:38] that's my role. Do you think Diana
[00:07:41] Diana would identify with the attention,
[00:07:44] attention, the focus that has been been put on them? And with Meghan,
[00:07:47] Meghan, who said she felt like she she was the most trolled person in
[00:07:49] in the world. You know, they were were here during the summer not so
[00:07:52] so long ago. If you look at an article
[00:07:55] article in a tabloid about Diana
[00:07:59] Diana or the couple that you're mentioning, mentioning, Harry and Meghan, you
[00:08:03] you know, it's they can be really, really, really unpleasant. And I
[00:08:07] I think it would be really beholden beholden on people to learn from
[00:08:10] from Diana's example. I'm not here here to speak for Harry and Meghan,
[00:08:13] Meghan, but for anyone who's being being destroyed in this way daily,
[00:08:17] daily, it must be such a cancerous cancerous influence in their life.
[00:08:21] life. I saw it with Diana, I saw saw Diana, I mentioned it in the
[00:08:24] the eulogy. Her tears of despair. despair. One of the problems with
[00:08:27] with Diana was she's very, very sensitive
[00:08:30] sensitive to criticism. And of course, course, I'm sure most of your viewers
[00:08:34] viewers now think, oh, she had this this splendid life and it was all all amazing. And she didn't. She
[00:08:37] She was so privileged and so perfect perfect in so many ways. But she
[00:08:41] she was really brought low by all all that criticism. And yeah, I suppose
[00:08:45] suppose it's a pity when I see echoes
[00:08:48] echoes of that now. Earl Spencer Spencer speaking to Laura Kuenssberg
[00:08:50] Kuenssberg there. Well, I've been been discussing what Earl Spencer
[00:08:54] Spencer has been saying today to
[00:08:55] to the media with our senior royal royal correspondent Daniela Relph.
[00:08:58] Relph. What we're seeing here, Regina, Regina, is Earl Spencer very much
[00:09:01] much doubling down on what he is is writing in his book, what he has
[00:09:04] has said to Laura in that interview interview and now what he has told
[00:09:07] told the Mail on Sunday today saying saying that his late sister would
[00:09:11] would be cheering from the rafters rafters about this book. He's also
[00:09:14] also talked interestingly about that that statement from Buckingham Palace
[00:09:17] Palace last week, which questioned questioned whether a brother's grief
[00:09:20] grief could perhaps cloud his memories memories and his judgement on that.
[00:09:23] that. He says that the King is gaslighting gaslighting him with that statement,
[00:09:27] statement, questioning his memories, memories, Earl Spencer describes
[00:09:29] describes that as astonishingly provocative provocative and below the belt. There's
[00:09:33] There's been no further comment on on the interview or anything else
[00:09:35] else from Buckingham Palace since since last Wednesday. They just don't
[00:09:38] don't want to be drawn into the to to and fro. It's the same from Prince
[00:09:42] Prince William and Prince Harry. Harry. Nothing from their camps.
[00:09:44] camps. But all of this is a really really painful episode for the King.
[00:09:48] King. His integrity is being questioned questioned while he is still being
[00:09:51] being treated for cancer and he wants wants minds focused on royal duties.
[00:09:55] duties. Daniela Relph they're speaking speaking to me earlier. Well, if
[00:09:57] if you want to watch that interview interview in full, not long to go.
[00:10:01] go. We're going to be airing it in
[00:10:03] in its complete entirety at 7pm BST
[00:10:07] BST here on the BBC News Channel. Channel. If you're in the UK, though,
[00:10:10] though, it will also be aired at
[00:10:12] at 6:30pm on BBC One and it'll be
[00:10:15] be available on the BBC iPlayer as
[00:10:17] as well as BBC Sounds from 4 pm.
[00:10:21] pm. Voting is under way in two German German states for elections, which
[00:10:24] which could weaken Friedrich Mertz's Mertz's position as Germany's chancellor. chancellor. He's already cancelled
[00:10:28] cancelled plans to attend the UN UN General Assembly in New York later
[00:10:31] later this week. The speculation speculation is growing about his
[00:10:34] his future. Well, the votes are taking taking place in the capital, Berlin,
[00:10:37] Berlin, but also in the Mecklenburg-Western Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region.
[00:10:41] region. Well, let's cross live to
[00:10:43] to our correspondent in Berlin, Jessica Jessica Parker. Jessica, just tell
[00:10:47] tell us the context of this. There's There's a lot of pressure on Friedrich
[00:10:49] Friedrich Merz. Why? Yeah, well,
[00:10:53] well, it's come hot on the heels heels of another. Recent regional
[00:10:56] regional election. A regional election election in Germany are getting a a lot of attention at the moment.
[00:11:00] moment. But there was one in Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt a couple of weeks ago
[00:11:03] ago where the anti-immigration Russia
[00:11:06] Russia friendly Alternative fur Deutschland Deutschland party won a landslide
[00:11:09] landslide victory, polling top by
[00:11:11] by a long way. And that is a party
[00:11:14] party that Chancellor Friedrich Merz Merz had intended had planned to
[00:11:18] to curtail their support. But actually actually the opposite has been happening
[00:11:21] happening and that has alarmed people people within his conservative CDU
[00:11:24] CDU party. Added to that, Chancellor
[00:11:27] Chancellor Friedrich Merz is experiencing experiencing extremely personally
[00:11:30] personally low approval ratings while while voters voiced frustration about
[00:11:34] about a range of issues the cost
[00:11:36] cost of living Germany's sluggish sluggish economy immigration is one
[00:11:39] one that comes up a lot as well.
[00:11:42] well. So Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Merz, suffering in terms of popularity
[00:11:45] popularity at the moment and there there has now been for months swirling
[00:11:49] swirling rumours about the idea of of a Kanzler Tauscher Chancellor Chancellor swap could and this is
[00:11:53] is not normal in German politics. politics. But could his party seek
[00:11:56] seek to place somebody else in charge?
[00:11:59] charge? Now we're not there yet, yet, but people are looking at these
[00:12:02] these results tonight in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and here in
[00:12:05] in Berlin. And if they're really really bad for the CDU party, then
[00:12:08] then I think we can expect further
[00:12:11] further growing speculation, intensified intensified pressure on Friedrich
[00:12:14] Friedrich Merz about whether he can
[00:12:15] can keep the top job in German politics. politics. And is that essentially,
[00:12:19] essentially, Jessica, why he's not not going to New York, to the UN
[00:12:22] UN General Assembly? So we haven't
[00:12:26] haven't been told precisely why. why. A government official told me
[00:12:30] me that his presence was required
[00:12:32] required in Berlin. But as you say, say, we learned earlier in the week
[00:12:36] week that he had cancelled his planned
[00:12:38] planned trip to speak at the UN General
[00:12:40] General Assembly in New York, and
[00:12:42] and he has got lined up a series
[00:12:44] series of meetings with people in
[00:12:47] in his party won tonight, we believe, believe, reportedly with some senior
[00:12:51] senior party figures, but it's widely widely being read. The cancellation cancellation to New York. These meetings
[00:12:55] meetings that he's set to hold as as an attempt to try and shore up
[00:12:58] up his position because the Chancellor Chancellor is saying that he's going
[00:13:01] going to carry on. He's got a planned, planned, delayed package of reforms
[00:13:04] reforms that are due before the Bundestag, Bundestag, and he's basically and
[00:13:08] and his backers are saying, you know, know, we need a bit more time to
[00:13:11] to deliver the change that Germany Germany needs. But time may be and
[00:13:14] and as of course we don't know at at the moment and there's no challenger
[00:13:18] challenger that has come out publicly publicly against Friedrich Merz.
[00:13:20] Merz. But I think the fear in Friedrich Friedrich Merz camp is he could be
[00:13:24] be running out of time. OK. Jessica Jessica Parker, thank you very much. much. For the moment, we will of
[00:13:27] of course be back with Jessica in in the coming hours, especially,
[00:13:30] especially, of course, once those those polls close. Now we're going
[00:13:33] going to stay with that issue because because I've been speaking to Doctor
[00:13:37] Doctor Henning Hoff, a political political editor at the German Council
[00:13:40] Council on Foreign Relations, to to get a little bit more about the
[00:13:43] the significance of these regional regional elections. You have to realise
[00:13:46] realise this these two elections elections come after the shock we
[00:13:50] we had two weeks ago when the far
[00:13:52] far right AfD, one to the elections
[00:13:56] elections in Saxony-Anhalt and other other federal, state and now of course
[00:13:59] course all eyes are on, on how well
[00:14:01] well the CDU, the Chancellor's party
[00:14:04] party will do in Berlin. There's
[00:14:06] There's a sort of two horse race
[00:14:09] race between the CDU and Die Linke
[00:14:11] Linke party, which is the hard left
[00:14:13] left party and in, in Mecklenburg
[00:14:15] Mecklenburg the CDU is actually struggling
[00:14:17] struggling to stay in Parliament, Parliament, which is many see this
[00:14:21] this as a kind of a test for formats
[00:14:24] formats really, if the CDU falls
[00:14:25] falls out of that, that regional
[00:14:29] regional parliament things are get get dicey. And what is putting pressure
[00:14:33] pressure on the CDU at the moment? moment? I mean, we've talked about about these recent elections a couple
[00:14:37] couple of weeks ago where the far far right AfD did quite well. Are
[00:14:41] Are they part of the equation this
[00:14:43] this time around? Well they won't
[00:14:46] won't win as spectacularly as they
[00:14:47] they did two weeks ago. And there there are some chance that they will
[00:14:51] will lose their momentum. They have
[00:14:53] have sort of built up over the last
[00:14:57] last couple of weeks, but it's really, really, really difficult to tell
[00:14:59] tell at the moment sort of what will
[00:15:01] will the exact effect they are sort
[00:15:04] sort of some indications that smelled smelled sort of is won't be replaced
[00:15:07] replaced immediately that that he he has won a little bit of time,
[00:15:10] time, a little breather maybe, but but there is no way to get around
[00:15:13] around the fact that he is really
[00:15:16] really historically unpopular and and within his party. Many people
[00:15:19] people are worried that this is sort sort of dragging the whole party
[00:15:22] party down. And at some point there
[00:15:25] there might be the moment where his
[00:15:28] his colleagues think we can't win win with him. We might have to replace
[00:15:32] replace him. And what did you make make of the fact that he said he's
[00:15:35] he's not going to the UN General General Assembly, a really important
[00:15:37] important event for world leaders leaders to come together. It tells
[00:15:41] tells you something, doesn't it, it, that he's staying back home.
[00:15:43] home. Indeed. He's fighting for his
[00:15:45] his position. He told us two weeks weeks ago that that giving up is
[00:15:49] is no option for him. And as I said, said, he might have bought a little,
[00:15:53] little, little bit of time because
[00:15:55] because there is no obvious successor.
[00:15:58] successor. And those who might actually actually be be able to succeed him
[00:16:01] him may need more time to, to, to
[00:16:04] to prepare for such an eventuality.
[00:16:06] eventuality. So even if the outcome
[00:16:09] outcome this evening is quite dire dire for the CDU, it might still
[00:16:13] still take longer than initially initially expected for for seeing
[00:16:16] seeing something which is really really rare in German politics that
[00:16:19] that the leading figure is be replaced. replaced. I mean, Chancellor Merkel
[00:16:23] Merkel says he's going to stay on, on, doesn't he? Even if the results results don't look good. But of course,
[00:16:26] course, as you mentioned already already in our conversation, he's he's got very poor approval ratings.
[00:16:30] ratings. What do you think could could tip the balance then? If those
[00:16:33] those results don't look great later?
[00:16:36] later? Well, as I said, I think for
[00:16:38] for the moment he's probably clear
[00:16:40] clear a catastrophic loss for the
[00:16:44] the CDU in Mecklenburg. Of course,
[00:16:45] course, might sort of set set something
[00:16:48] something in motion. Also in Berlin,
[00:16:51] Berlin, if the polls are wrong and and the CDU is getting a really,
[00:16:54] really, really bad result at the the moment, they are pulling around
[00:16:57] around 20%. But if that's not not
[00:16:59] not panned out by by the results,
[00:17:02] results, then also this might be
[00:17:04] be the moment where the CDU decides, decides, no, we can't continue with
[00:17:07] with Mr Nats, but he has managed
[00:17:10] managed to, to sort of somehow sort
[00:17:13] sort of calm down the situation to
[00:17:15] to some extent. Also arguing that that he is the only one really who
[00:17:19] who could sort of now see through
[00:17:22] through these unpopular reforms. reforms. He and his government are
[00:17:25] are pursuing. So he might might sort
[00:17:28] sort of operate on, on the assumption assumption that that he will go forward,
[00:17:32] forward, introduce these reforms reforms and then maybe make place
[00:17:34] place for a more popular candidate.
[00:17:38] candidate. The sister of Imran Khan, Khan, Pakistan's jailed former Prime
[00:17:41] Prime Minister Imran Khan, has been been arrested in Lahore. A spokesperson
[00:17:45] spokesperson for Khan's PTI party party says Aleema Khan was arrested
[00:17:48] arrested at her home on Sunday ahead
[00:17:51] ahead of a planned party protest protest march next week in the capital.
[00:17:55] capital. While the government and and police have yet to comment on
[00:17:57] on the arrest, former cricketer Imran Imran Khan has been in prison since
[00:18:01] since August 2023 after he was convicted convicted on a number of charges,
[00:18:05] charges, including corruption, all all of which he says are politically
[00:18:08] politically motivated. Now let's let's take a look at some of the
[00:18:10] the day's other news. The new school school year has begun in Gaza, with
[00:18:13] with more than 500,000 children returning returning to formal education for
[00:18:16] for the first time in nearly three three years. The UN says 97% of schools
[00:18:20] schools in Gaza were damaged or destroyed
[00:18:22] destroyed in fighting since the Israel-Gaza
[00:18:24] Israel-Gaza war began. Working alongside alongside the UN agencies, the Education
[00:18:28] Education ministry has opened around around 700 education facilities.
[00:18:32] facilities. Some are as simple as as a tent. Thousands of Argentines
[00:18:35] Argentines have marched through Buenos Buenos Aires to protect against protest,
[00:18:39] protest, I should say against President President Javier Marias labour policies
[00:18:42] policies and austerity cuts. Left Left wing political leaders and activists
[00:18:45] activists are calling for a general
[00:18:47] general strike. Ed Sheeran apologised
[00:18:52] apologised on stage to fans in Philadelphia
[00:18:55] Philadelphia and he admitted he'd he'd made mistakes. It's after the
[00:18:58] the controversy over his world tour, tour, currently on its American leg,
[00:19:01] leg, the singer has been dealing dealing with the fallout after his
[00:19:03] his support act, the US rapper Macklemore
[00:19:05] Macklemore was removed from the line-up line-up after he made pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian remarks on stage
[00:19:09] stage that led to the other support
[00:19:11] support acts then pulling out of of the concerts. Ed Sheeran says
[00:19:14] says he questioned whether he wanted wanted to be an artist at all after after everything that's happened.
[00:19:18] happened. Carl Nasman reports from from the show. Ed Sheeran is used
[00:19:22] used to having the spotlight on his
[00:19:24] his music. Tonight it was squarely squarely on his words. This is not
[00:19:28] not usually how I would open the the show, but before I play some
[00:19:31] some songs tonight, I hope it's OK
[00:19:33] OK if I say a few words. Taking the
[00:19:35] the stage in Philadelphia, the megastar megastar apologised directly to his
[00:19:39] his fans for the recent controversy controversy surrounding his tour.
[00:19:42] tour. This week. The criticism was was about something much more important
[00:19:46] important and I've had to take and and make difficult decisions and
[00:19:49] and I am making mistakes and I'm
[00:19:52] I'm so, so sorry. He also clarified clarified where he stands on the
[00:19:56] the situation in Gaza. What happened happened in Israel and at the Nova
[00:19:59] Nova Music Festival on October 7th 7th was horrific and compounded centuries
[00:20:03] centuries of Jewish pain. What is
[00:20:06] is happening in Gaza is a catastrophic
[00:20:10] catastrophic and unjustifiable and and disproportionate. My heart has
[00:20:13] has been broken by the scale of devastation
[00:20:15] devastation and loss of civilians
[00:20:18] civilians lives, of children's lives
[00:20:21] lives and the systemic injustice injustice we're seeing unfold in
[00:20:23] in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. overlooked. Sheeran also addressed
[00:20:27] addressed the musicians not in the the room. His backing band and tour
[00:20:30] tour mates left in solidarity after
[00:20:32] after the rapper Macklemore was dropped dropped over his pro-Palestinian
[00:20:36] pro-Palestinian views. He said he he was deeply worried about venues
[00:20:40] venues pre-approving content or performers.
[00:20:42] performers. I was in some of the the front rows inside that stadium
[00:20:45] stadium as Ed Sheeran made that speech speech and this was clearly an emotional
[00:20:48] emotional moment for him. He said said he was worried about how he
[00:20:52] he might be perceived tonight and and he was thankful that fans came
[00:20:55] came out at all. I thought it was was beautiful that we got to witness
[00:20:58] witness him in his element, like like what he's used to being in from from the start, you know? So he started
[00:21:02] started by himself and he's just just as good by himself then with
[00:21:05] with all these extra people. So I'm I'm glad we got more of Ed Sheeran
[00:21:09] Sheeran than we would have otherwise. otherwise. He stayed neutral and and I think he covered both sides
[00:21:12] sides nicely. I think everyone leaves leaves happy and a big fan of his.
[00:21:16] his. Sheeran is an artist who likes likes to stay out of politics, but
[00:21:20] but that has become increasingly increasingly difficult. Before the
[00:21:22] the concert, dozens of pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian protesters near the
[00:21:26] the stadium only added to the pressure. pressure. Sheeran said tonight that that he wants his concerts to be
[00:21:30] be a place where everyone is welcome, welcome, and he likely hopes now
[00:21:34] now the focus can return to his music.
[00:21:38] music. Carl Nasman, BBC News. To To British politics now and the leader leader of the Liberal Democrats,
[00:21:42] Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, has been been urging the Prime Minister, Andy
[00:21:45] Andy Burnham, to cut fuel duty by
[00:21:47] by £0.10 a litre. At least until until Christmas to ease pressures
[00:21:50] pressures on the cost of living. living. Mr Davies been speaking at
[00:21:53] at the Liberal Democrat Party conference conference in Brighton. We've got
[00:21:57] got to help people with the cost cost of living, particularly the
[00:21:59] the rise in filling your car up at at the pumps with petrol and diesel.
[00:22:03] diesel. Thanks to Trump's idiotic idiotic war with Iran. People are
[00:22:06] are paying a fortune just to fill fill up the car, so we think we should
[00:22:10] should have a cut in fuel duty tax tax for the next three months to
[00:22:13] to cut the price you pay at the pumps
[00:22:16] pumps by 12PA litre. That would really really bring help just when it's
[00:22:19] it's needed. And it will pay for for itself because the government government is getting huge amounts
[00:22:22] amounts of tax revenue from these these higher oil and gas prices. prices. They should give it back
[00:22:26] back to people. Our political correspondent correspondent Damien Grammaticas Grammaticas is at the conference
[00:22:30] conference in Brighton. So the party party are doing is trying to respond
[00:22:33] respond to this situation. They find find themselves in flat lining in
[00:22:36] in the polls. Yes, they did very very well in the last general election,
[00:22:40] election, but they're not really really getting anywhere at the minute.
[00:22:42] minute. So they've got a lot of MPs, MPs, but they're not getting much
[00:22:46] much of a hearing. How do they do do that? Ed Davey is trying to talk
[00:22:49] talk about tax cuts. That's something something he's talked about today
[00:22:52] today and wants to talk about later later in the week. His deputy leader
[00:22:54] leader Daisy Cooper, she's talking talking about growth in the economy.
[00:22:57] economy. Closer ties with the EU. EU. Someone who's watching all this
[00:23:00] this closely. Holly Cole from Times
[00:23:03] Times Radio and this kind of framing framing of these policies. What do
[00:23:06] do you see in it? Lib Dems looking looking for ways to connect to voters. voters. Well it's sort of the party
[00:23:10] party looking for a soul again basically basically is how I read it from having
[00:23:13] having conversations with members members here and MPs. They've got got this historic amount of MPs in
[00:23:17] in Parliament. They haven't quite quite worked out what to do with with them and also how to make sure
[00:23:21] sure that that's not sort of a limit limit to their ambitions. So that that means that they are looking
[00:23:25] looking at whether they are actually actually liberal, you know, like like the Liberal Party, the Orange
[00:23:29] Orange Book, sort of Lib Dem party party of 2004, the looking at the
[00:23:32] the economic liberal policies or or are they tax cutting cuts, things
[00:23:35] things like that, talking big on on the free market or are they more
[00:23:38] more a big state party, which is is where the party had drifted to
[00:23:42] to just shortly before that and where where a lot of MPs think Ed Davey
[00:23:45] Davey has drifted to with his promises promises on social care and similar
[00:23:49] similar ideals. So there is a sort sort of battle for the soul of the
[00:23:52] the party here. The question is they they know they need to find an answer answer to it. The answer is quite
[00:23:56] quite hard to come by because politics politics is, as we know, a lot more
[00:23:59] more fractious and as we saw from from that, more in common polling polling earlier, the question of
[00:24:02] of who are the Lib Dems and what what do they think of Ed Davey? The The answer comes nothing or don't
[00:24:06] don't know. And so filling that gap gap is their real challenge here. here. Now, one thing people have
[00:24:09] have been talking about is is part part of the answer. Changing not
[00:24:13] not just the strategy but the leadership. leadership. You know, does the party
[00:24:17] party need a refresh? David's been been around for a long time. He's He's had success. But should they
[00:24:20] they change? There's some rumbles rumbles about that. We've had one
[00:24:23] one council leader saying to the the BBC that he thinks they're struggling
[00:24:26] struggling for relevance and not not sure that Ed Davey is the right right person. Do you think that's
[00:24:29] that's something that's really genuinely genuinely being thought about here?
[00:24:32] here? Yeah, it is. And if you talk talk to MPs, the parliamentary party,
[00:24:35] party, they think that this needs needs an injection of energy. The
[00:24:38] The whole party system needs a move move forward and that means potentially
[00:24:41] potentially getting rid of Ed Davey. Davey. He's given 7 or 8 leaders
[00:24:44] leaders speeches at Lib Dem conferences. conferences. So he's been in charge charge for some time and no one can
[00:24:47] can sort of knock his record for for whether Liberal Democrats are
[00:24:50] are now stand. The issue is, is whether whether people believe his energy
[00:24:53] energy going forward. I mean, he he stood up on the conference stage stage yesterday and tried to get
[00:24:57] get the crowd here who were pretty pretty forgiving crowd to the Liberal Liberal Democrats. You would hope
[00:25:00] hope to chant we care. We fight their their conference slogan. There was
[00:25:03] was a really quite muted and it didn't didn't really get off the ground. ground. And so is there someone with
[00:25:08] with that energy now the problem problem is the who. There's a lot lot of old guard liberal Democrats
[00:25:11] Democrats who have been sniffing sniffing around the leadership for for some time, but everyone thinks thinks they've basically be sort
[00:25:15] sort of Ed Davey but in a different different set of clothes. The only
[00:25:18] only other option is a very, very very fresh MP, someone new to the
[00:25:21] the parliamentary party who they're they're not quite sure the public public knows yet or is quite right
[00:25:24] right to lead. But you always get get this sort of party conference conference mid between election moment
[00:25:27] moment where there are jitters and and they're not sure yet whether whether to jump off the cliff edge
[00:25:30] edge or whether to stick. Well, the the leadership and those around him, him, you talk to them. They're very
[00:25:34] very clear. They think actually they they were they did well. They are
[00:25:38] are under the headlines doing well. well. They you know, council elections.
[00:25:41] elections. They now have more councillors councillors than the Tories that
[00:25:43] that they control the Conservatives Conservatives in England. And they're
[00:25:46] they're kind of position they say say to yes, they could sharpen their
[00:25:49] their message but be a player, particularly particularly at the next election election if there is a hung Parliament
[00:25:53] Parliament and they think that's that's likely, they do. But you have
[00:25:56] have to remember that actually they they were a very different party party when they went into coalition.
[00:25:59] coalition. The last time. The Liberal Liberal Democrats don't like to talk talk about their record in government
[00:26:03] government because they've spent spent the last few years bashing bashing the Conservative Party that
[00:26:06] that they were in bed with. But the the reality is the direction of the the party was very different under
[00:26:10] under Nick Clegg and the ideals of of the party were clear to go into
[00:26:13] into that coalition and draw those those red lines. So they need to to work that out again. And this
[00:26:17] this is what this weekend is. All All about. Holly, thank you. Very
[00:26:19] Very much for your time there. So So yes, a party putting out new ideas
[00:26:23] ideas but also struggling for direction direction and for focus. Back to to you. Damien
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