Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:13Live from Washington. This is
00:00:15BBC News. Ukraine's president repeats
00:00:17repeats his plea for more missiles missiles to intercept air strikes
00:00:21strikes after another deadly Russian Russian attack just outside the capital,
00:00:24capital, Kyiv. Football's world body
00:00:27body Fifa responds as questions mount
00:00:30mount about president Gianni Infantino? Infantino? S personal and professional
00:00:34professional conduct. And police police in the UK urge others who
00:00:37who might be the victim of the convicted
00:00:39convicted murderer and rapist Simon
00:00:42Simon Levy to come forward. Helena
00:00:52Helena Humphrey. Good to have you you with us. Ukraine's President
00:00:55President Volodymyr Zelensky is again
00:00:57again appealing to allies for interceptor interceptor missiles after a Russian
00:01:00Russian attack killed three people, people, including a child. While
00:01:03While the strikes happened early early on Saturday to the east of
00:01:06of the capital. Witnesses say that that residential buildings were among
00:01:10among those hit. Russia's defence defence ministry says that it struck
00:01:13struck a factory producing components
00:01:15components for Ukrainian cruise missiles.
00:01:17missiles. Now also on Saturday, Ukraine Ukraine said that its drones struck
00:01:21struck two Russian oil refineries refineries from Kyiv. Dan Johnson
00:01:25Johnson sent this report. This is
00:01:28is the level of destruction Russian Russian drones are inflicting on
00:01:31on Ukrainian family homes. They struck struck after midnight here, taking
00:01:35taking the lives of a three-year-old three-year-old boy and his grandparents,
00:01:39grandparents, his brother and their their parents were injured, along
00:01:42along with a neighbour who tried
00:01:44tried to save them. Ukrainian prosecutors prosecutors say this could amount
00:01:47amount to a war crime. Svetlana lives
00:01:51lives next door. My husband rushed
00:01:54rushed to get water to put out the the fire, but that didn't help. The
00:01:57The neighbours rushed out trying trying to rescue a small child but
00:02:01but they couldn't find the child.
00:02:06child. This is where the sacrifices sacrifices of Ukrainian soldiers
00:02:10soldiers are commemorated. But recent recent strikes have highlighted the
00:02:13the ongoing risk to ordinary people people because Ukraine says it just
00:02:17just doesn't have what it needs to
00:02:19to defend its skies. The other key key priority here is pushing for
00:02:22for tougher sanctions against Russia.
00:02:27Russia. And so President Zelensky Zelensky is for the first time visiting
00:02:31visiting Serbia, a traditional Russian Russian ally, one of the few countries
00:02:34countries not to impose sanctions.
00:02:38sanctions. In a time of war, we value value and are deeply grateful for
00:02:41for the help Ukraine receives from
00:02:43from other countries and other nations.
00:02:46nations. Ukraine has again been targeting targeting Russian oil facilities
00:02:50facilities in the latest round of of attacks. Both sides have exchanged
00:02:53exchanged in this increasingly dangerous
00:02:55dangerous phase of the war. Dan Johnson,
00:02:57Johnson, BBC News Kyiv. I'm joined joined live this evening by William
00:03:01William Taylor, who served as US US ambassador to Ukraine under President
00:03:05President George W Bush and Barack Barack Obama, as well as charge d'affaires
00:03:09d'affaires to Ukraine under President President Trump. Always good to see
00:03:12see you, Ambassador Taylor. So let's let's start by touching on the sanctions
00:03:15sanctions package. Then that passed
00:03:18passed yesterday in the Senate. If If it goes into law, can it make
00:03:22make a meaningful difference on the the ground? Helena. I think it can
00:03:26can make a difference right now.
00:03:28now. The value one of the big values
00:03:31values of this sanctions bill named named after Senator Graham, who pushed
00:03:34pushed it, who was just in Kyiv just just before he died. When he got
00:03:38got back, he pushed the sanctions sanctions hard. And it's a symbol.
00:03:41symbol. It's an indication of the the strong support for Ukraine from
00:03:45from the United States. That is a a message to President Putin. It's
00:03:48It's a message to Ukraine. Strong Strong support, but it's a message
00:03:51message for President Putin that that it's already taken effect. Those
00:03:55Those Russian strikes continue, particularly
00:03:57particularly in the Ukrainian capital
00:04:00capital right now, away from Kyiv.
00:04:02Kyiv. Where is Ukraine able to squeeze
00:04:06squeeze Russia right now. On the the battlefield, on the battlefield.
00:04:10battlefield. The Ukrainian soldiers,
00:04:12soldiers, Ukrainian army is inflicting
00:04:15inflicting incredible pain, incredible
00:04:19incredible damage, incredible casualties
00:04:21casualties on the Russian army in
00:04:23in Donbas in, in the occupied territories.
00:04:26territories. Some estimates are it's
00:04:28it's eight Russians killed for every
00:04:30every Ukrainian. It's that's an unsustainable
00:04:35unsustainable ratio for the Russians. Russians. And as you just reported,
00:04:39reported, the Ukrainians are going going deep into Russia after military
00:04:43military targets to try to damage damage the ability of the Russians Russians to make those missiles that
00:04:46that keep raining down on Ukraine.
00:04:49Ukraine. We've also seen strikes
00:04:51strikes in the Black Sea on shadow
00:04:54shadow fleets. Interestingly, also
00:04:56also seeing strikes in the Caspian
00:04:58Caspian Sea. And I wonder what you you make of that. The fact that we
00:05:02we are seeing these theatres of war
00:05:05war in Ukraine and Iran appearing appearing to collide here, and whether
00:05:09whether you see that as accident
00:05:12accident or perhaps design. The design
00:05:15design is to cut off supplies to
00:05:18to Russia. Iran has been supplying supplying Russia. Russia, of course,
00:05:21course, has been supplying Iran.
00:05:23Iran. So that goes both ways. And
00:05:26And Ukrainians design is to squeeze
00:05:29squeeze Russia, limit their ability
00:05:31ability to import weapons, damage
00:05:33damage their ability to export oil. oil. So this is definitely design.
00:05:37design. I don't think this is a merger
00:05:39merger of these two wars. I think
00:05:42think this is a focus by the Ukrainians Ukrainians on Russia and trying to
00:05:46to damage them. I mean, President
00:05:49President Zelensky has made almost almost nightly calls right now for
00:05:52for more air defences in light of of the situation that we're seeing
00:05:55seeing in places like Kyiv right
00:05:57right now and those sustained ballistic ballistic missile attacks. But with
00:06:01with the war in Iran, ongoing reports,
00:06:03reports, of course, that it has,
00:06:06has, you know, depleted US stockpiles stockpiles of weaponry. Do you think
00:06:09think it's likely that the US can
00:06:12can give more meaningful support
00:06:15support in that regard? It's certainly certainly possible. It is certainly
00:06:19certainly possible. There, there
00:06:21there remain patriot weapons in US
00:06:24US stockpiles. There are Patriot Patriot missiles, interceptors in
00:06:28in European stockpiles. There are are probably Patriot interceptors
00:06:31interceptors in Israeli stockpiles.
00:06:34stockpiles. So so the question is is will these nations, the United
00:06:38United States and other nations be be willing to provide these interceptors
00:06:42interceptors to Ukraine to help them them defend themselves against these
00:06:45these attacks every night? Yeah. Yeah. And of course, Russia's Vladimir
00:06:48Vladimir Putin will be looking at at all of this very closely. Earlier
00:06:50Earlier this week, it emerged that
00:06:54that US intelligence believes that that Putin could order an attack
00:06:57attack on a Nato member state within
00:07:01within weeks, any time from the autumn
00:07:03autumn through to 2029, with the
00:07:05the idea of testing the alliance's
00:07:08alliance's resolve. What are your your thoughts on that? My thoughts
00:07:12thoughts are I don't know that Putin
00:07:13Putin has his hands full in Ukraine.
00:07:16Ukraine. Ukraine is giving him is
00:07:18is inflicting grave damage. As we
00:07:21we just discussed. I think it would
00:07:23would be unlikely that he would try try to take on another battle. Putin
00:07:26Putin would try to take on another
00:07:29another front in this war. He's actually actually losing in the battle against
00:07:33against Ukraine. And so for him to
00:07:35to pick a fight with Nato would be
00:07:39be probably suicide. So I don't think
00:07:42think I it's certainly possible you you have to prepare. Of course, you
00:07:45you have to prepare. But the Ukrainians
00:07:48Ukrainians are tying down the Russians. Russians. Ambassador William Taylor,
00:07:52Taylor, their bill always good to to get your thoughts. Thank you.
00:07:54you. Thank you. Ellen. Well, Iran
00:07:58Iran says that the US must meet its its demands in order for the Strait
00:08:01Strait of Hormuz to reopen. On Saturday, Saturday, Iran's foreign ministry
00:08:05ministry tempered expectations for for a full reopening of the strait
00:08:08strait any time soon, and an Iranian Iranian military spokesperson said
00:08:11said that Tehran will leverage the
00:08:12the power that it has by virtue of
00:08:16of geography. Take a listen. Why
00:08:18Why don't. The enemy is compelled
00:08:21compelled for the strait to be reopened reopened to accept Iran's conditions
00:08:25conditions and refrain from interfering interfering in the negotiations between
00:08:28between Iran, Oman and other countries countries which have almost reached
00:08:31reached their conclusion, it must must refrain from such interference
00:08:34interference and accept Iran's conditions conditions whenever it accepts Iran's
00:08:38Iran's conditions. The Strait of
00:08:40of Hormuz will certainly be reopened.
00:08:43reopened. The talks with Oman are are about a temporary route. We're
00:08:46We're very close to the result. Determining Determining this route by Iran and
00:08:49and Oman does not necessarily mean mean the reopening of the Strait
00:08:52Strait of Hormuz. That is dependent dependent on other factors. The violations
00:08:55violations of the memorandum of understanding understanding by America should be
00:08:59be compensated. Here's our global global affairs correspondent Sebastian
00:09:02Sebastian Usher. This is definitely definitely a hardening of Iran's
00:09:06Iran's stance. The conditions that
00:09:09that the security chief has set out out were ones that were essentially
00:09:12essentially already in the memorandum memorandum of understanding, but but the timetable over when they
00:09:16they would be enforced and what the the US would get in return for them
00:09:20them was different. I mean, essentially
00:09:22essentially that would have been
00:09:25been war reparations, potentially potentially sanctions relief, certainly
00:09:28certainly to a degree, unfreezing unfreezing of funds, withdrawal of
00:09:30of US forces from the region, but
00:09:34but only if there were guarantees guarantees from the Iranians over
00:09:38over their nuclear ambitions, over over the enriched uranium. What we've
00:09:41we've just had from the security security chief is that those conditions
00:09:44conditions need to be met. If the
00:09:46the Strait of Hormuz is to be reopened. reopened. So that certainly won't
00:09:50won't go down well in Washington. Washington. Over the past few days,
00:09:53days, we've had negotiations would would have been going on between
00:09:56between Iran and Oman on the Strait
00:09:58Strait of Hormuz, on a new mechanism, mechanism, a new route through the
00:10:01the Strait of Hormuz which both sides
00:10:04sides have said have been going well
00:10:06well positive, constructive. But
00:10:09But they haven't yet reached a final
00:10:12final deal. And the Iranians have
00:10:14have been very keen on saying that
00:10:17that that wouldn't in any case necessarily
00:10:20necessarily mean the reopening for for full reopening of the Strait Strait of Hormuz. So we'll have to
00:10:24to wait and see how Washington responds responds to this. This is the card
00:10:28card that Iran has been playing. playing. What cards does the US have
00:10:32have left? President Trump has now now made huge threats and walked
00:10:35walked back on them a number of times. times. Is that what he's going to
00:10:38to do again, that's certainly what what the Iranians at the moment seem
00:10:41seem to be counting on. Sebastian Sebastian Usher their reporting.
00:10:44reporting. Well, Imran Bayoumi is
00:10:46is a former policy adviser at the the US Department of Defence. He's
00:10:49He's now the deputy director of the the Atlantic Council's Geostrategy
00:10:53Geostrategy initiative. I asked him him if this means that Iran and the
00:10:57the United States are back to square
00:10:58square one. We've seen this cycle
00:11:01cycle of escalation or threats of of escalation, seeming progress on
00:11:06on a peace deal and then the crumbling
00:11:09crumbling of that progress and back back to threats of escalation. So
00:11:11So I think we're stuck in this cyclical
00:11:16cyclical trap and it's really underscores underscores just how difficult these
00:11:20these negotiations are and how much much leverage Iran believes it holds
00:11:23holds over the Strait of Hormuz. Hormuz. I just want to take a look
00:11:26look at some of the conditions that that we were hearing from Iran. So
00:11:29So they include sanctions relief,
00:11:32relief, war repatriations and immediate immediate end to the US blockade
00:11:36blockade of Iranian ports. Is there
00:11:39there any realistic prospect that that the US would agree to those
00:11:42those terms? I think that's up to
00:11:45to the President to decide. But again, again, this is an indication that
00:11:49that Iran believes it has leverage,
00:11:51leverage, and I think it has time.
00:11:53time. Tehran believes it can outlast
00:11:56outlast the United States. It sees sees the same news reports we do
00:11:59do that the United States is is facing
00:12:02facing a shortage of interceptors interceptors that the President has
00:12:05has this pressure to wind down the the war ahead of the mid-terms and
00:12:09and that, you know, the really only only option left for the United States
00:12:13States is is military escalation, escalation, which would be costly. costly. And it's something the President
00:12:16President doesn't want to do with with all those factors. Iran believes
00:12:19believes it can outlast the US here here and drag out these negotiations
00:12:22negotiations in an attempt to gain
00:12:24gain more from them. Iran on that
00:12:27that point, we have also been hearing hearing reports that General Dan
00:12:29Dan Kane, the chairman of the Joint Joint Chiefs of Staff, is looking
00:12:33looking for an off ramp in this war.
00:12:36war. What do you make of those
00:12:42reports? You know, I think the chairman's chairman's job is to provide sound sound military advice to the President.
00:12:46President. I think in this instance, instance, I'm not sure it's just
00:12:50just him looking for an off ramp. ramp. I think the United States as
00:12:52as a whole has been looking for a
00:12:55a way out of this conflict. You know,
00:12:58know, I think the way out is through
00:13:01through negotiation. It's just a a matter of what is the US willing
00:13:04willing to give up to get there? there? When will Iran be willing willing to come to the table, meet
00:13:08meet halfway? And, you know, I think
00:13:10think the key thing here is that that right now we're negotiating
00:13:14negotiating for the opening of the the Strait of Hormuz, and then you'll
00:13:17you'll deal with all the bigger problems problems like Iran's missile programme,
00:13:20programme, its support for proxies, proxies, its nuclear programme, and
00:13:23and that will all come at a later later date. So this is going to be
00:13:26be a lengthy, lengthy process. A
00:13:28A fever spokesperson has now responded responded after a tumultuous week
00:13:32week for the group's president, Gianni Gianni Infantino, football's international
00:13:36international governing body, released released a statement saying in part,
00:13:40part, quote, the Fifa president was was democratically elected by Fifa's
00:13:44Fifa's member associations and continues continues to serve with their mandate.
00:13:47mandate. It's increasingly evident evident that there is a concerted
00:13:50concerted and ongoing effort to some
00:13:52some to undermine Fifa and its president.
00:13:55president. Recent reporting has included
00:13:57included unsubstantiated assertions assertions and demonstrably false
00:14:00false claims concerning Fifa and and its president. Well, the fever
00:14:04fever statement comes after European European football's governing body,
00:14:07body, Uefa, confirmed that it made made a departure payment to a woman
00:14:11woman alleged to have been Mr Infantino's Infantino's lover. The current Fifa
00:14:15Fifa boss was UEFA's general secretary secretary in 2016 when the money
00:14:19money was paid. Now Uefa says the the money, which also included covering
00:14:22covering the fees for a course at at a business school, met its rules
00:14:25rules at the time but they have since
00:14:27since been tightened. Leigh Milner
00:14:30Milner reports. Gianni Infantino
00:14:32Infantino was already under pressure pressure over his future as Fifa
00:14:35Fifa president. Now he's facing fresh
00:14:38fresh questions over claims a woman woman he allegedly had an affair
00:14:41affair with was given a six figure figure severance payment by Uefa.
00:14:45Uefa. The Daily Telegraph says the the alleged relationship happened
00:14:48happened while Infantino, who is
00:14:50is married, was UEFA's general secretary. secretary. He strongly denies it.
00:14:54it. His spokesman told the paper paper the claims are categorically
00:14:58categorically untrue and says there there was never a complaint about
00:15:01about his behaviour. In a statement, statement, Uefa said it was aware
00:15:05aware of the allegations and can can confirm a departure payment was
00:15:08was made to the individual in question, question, coupled with the payment
00:15:11payment of fees for an MBA course course at a local business school.
00:15:15school. The payment was in line with with the regulations that existed
00:15:19existed for departing staff at the
00:15:20the time. This comes after calls
00:15:23calls for Infantino to resign over over a completely separate controversy.
00:15:27controversy. He wanted to sell stakes stakes in the World Cup to private
00:15:30private investors. That caused a a huge backlash and the plan was
00:15:34was eventually dropped. Gianni Infantino
00:15:36Infantino has since apologised for for what he called errors, but he
00:15:40he hasn't stepped down. He's been
00:15:42been busy trying to strengthen his his relationships with officials
00:15:46officials and politicians who back back him, like here in Colombia.
00:15:49Colombia. He's had the support from from senior figures at Fifa and from
00:15:53from football authorities in Africa Africa and South America. But with
00:15:56with his future still in question,
00:15:58question, the BBC's South America America correspondent Ione Wells
00:16:01Wells later asked him if he would would step down. Infantino. Will
00:16:05Will you resign after your plan to to sell off part of Fifa failed.
00:16:09failed. A word for BBC News. What's What's your response to Europe? Who
00:16:12Who say they'll boycott the World
00:16:14World Cup? Infantino. For now he
00:16:18he remains in the job. But these these latest claims mean the questions
00:16:21questions around his future aren't
00:16:24aren't going away. Leigh Milner BBC
00:16:27BBC News. Well, the football journalist journalist Henry Winter explains
00:16:31explains how the allegations will will impact Mr Infantino's bid to
00:16:34to hang on to his job after weeks
00:16:36weeks of controversy. Well, he strongly
00:16:39strongly denies them, as he pointed pointed out in the Fifa statement
00:16:42statement last night. And we have
00:16:45have to start with that. But what
00:16:47what it is is the pressure is ramping
00:16:50ramping up and whether the people people within Fifa, I mean not everyone
00:16:54everyone in Fifa, which is an organisation organisation of 960 people and obviously
00:16:58obviously there are people at the the top, whether it's the Fifa Council Council or members of the management
00:17:01management board who will have their their own views on him as an individual
00:17:05individual and also the plan as you you highlight the World Cup sell
00:17:08sell off plan and they will have have issues with that. So the pressure
00:17:12pressure will ratchet up and it will will come externally from the media.
00:17:16media. It will come from Uefa and and it will come from within. And
00:17:20And it's just a question of how much
00:17:22much pressure and scrutiny he is is himself is prepared to take or
00:17:25or whether he just says no, enough enough is enough and walk away. I
00:17:29I mean, so far he's shown little
00:17:31little inclination of that. But these these headlines, which obviously
00:17:34obviously he strongly denies, can't
00:17:35can't be easy to live with. Counter-Terrorism Counter-Terrorism police looking
00:17:39looking into the death of Ann Widdecombe
00:17:41Widdecombe have reopened an investigation
00:17:43investigation into an attempted burglary burglary in London last year. The
00:17:46The BBC understands that it relates
00:17:48relates to an incident at Nigel Farage
00:17:51Farage address at the time, he said said that a lit incendiary device
00:17:54device was pushed through his letterbox.
00:17:58letterbox. Thomas Magill reports. reports. Brutally murdered in her
00:18:00her own home a month ago today, Ann
00:18:03Ann Widdecombe was attacked minutes minutes before she was due to make
00:18:07make a television appearance less
00:18:08less than two weeks after her killing killing 28-year-old Joshua Kerry,
00:18:12Kerry, from South Yorkshire, was
00:18:15was charged with her murder. Now Now counter-terrorism police who
00:18:18who are leading the investigation investigation into what happened,
00:18:22happened, say they have reopened reopened inquiries into an attempt
00:18:25attempt at burglary at a property property in the Greater London area
00:18:28area in April last year. The BBC
00:18:32BBC understands the property in question question is used by the reform UK
00:18:35UK leader Nigel Farage. He has previously
00:18:39previously referred to the incident incident as a lit incendiary device
00:18:41device being pushed through his letterbox.
00:18:45letterbox. This latest statement statement says following the reopening
00:18:48reopening of an attempted burglary
00:18:51burglary investigation, counter-terrorism counter-terrorism Policing London
00:18:53London identified a line of inquiry inquiry which was not identified
00:18:57identified and pursued by them at
00:18:58at the time, which may have been
00:19:01been relevant and there is a further further development. Counter-Terrorism
00:19:05Counter-Terrorism police based in in London have made a mandatory referral
00:19:08referral to the police watchdog,
00:19:10watchdog, the IOPC, after their handling
00:19:13handling of the initial investigation investigation last year. For now,
00:19:17now, it's unknown how the murder murder of Ann Widdecombe in Devon
00:19:19Devon may be linked to an attempted attempted burglary in London. Just
00:19:23Just one of the many questions yet
00:19:26yet to be answered. Thomas Magill,
00:19:28Magill, BBC News. Police in the UK UK are urging anyone who believes
00:19:32believes that they may have been been a victim of the convicted sex
00:19:35sex offender and murderer Simon Levy Levy to come forward. He was found
00:19:38found guilty yesterday of murdering murdering two women and raping another.
00:19:42another. There are calls for a major major review into how he was able
00:19:45able to continue offending. Tom Symonds
00:19:47Symonds report contains some distressing
00:19:49distressing details. Simon, Simon,
00:19:53Simon, stay where you are. Simon
00:19:56Simon Levy the sexual predator and and killer arrested. Time you're
00:19:59you're under arrest on suspicion
00:20:00suspicion of murder. OK. After time
00:20:04time and freed, allowing him to carry carry out a string of sexual assaults
00:20:07assaults and eventually two murders, murders, the Metropolitan Police
00:20:11Police admits he could have been been stopped before killing his second
00:20:14second victim. Now there are inquiries inquiries into what went wrong inside
00:20:18inside two police forces and the the criminal justice system. Levy
00:20:22Levy was free to carry out a series
00:20:24series of sexual assaults on the the London Underground, including
00:20:27including one filmed by a woman he
00:20:29he had already assaulted. The police police watchdog is investigating
00:20:32investigating an officer for potential potential gross misconduct and a
00:20:36a detective sergeant for misconduct. misconduct. Were policies designed
00:20:39designed to protect women followed. followed. Are there any lessons to
00:20:43to be learnt? And now there are demands
00:20:45demands for a wider look at how the the system failed. We need all the
00:20:49the agencies involved to answer for for why there wasn't better information
00:20:52information sharing, and why the the assessment of risk he posed wasn't wasn't good enough. And then the
00:20:56the response that he received by by the police, by the CPS and the
00:20:59the courts, the fact he wasn't placed placed on remand earlier, the police
00:21:02police didn't treat his first murder murder as a murder. There was a lack
00:21:05lack of restrictions that could have have been placed on him. After all,
00:21:09all, Levy was released on bail despite despite the British Transport Police
00:21:12Police warning the courts. At one one point he was a danger to the
00:21:16the public at high risk of predatory predatory sexual offending against
00:21:19against women. The families of Carmenza
00:21:23Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Sheryl Wilkins have now seen him
00:21:26him jailed. The Metropolitan Police
00:21:29Police has actively investigated investigated whether he committed committed other murders, but today
00:21:32today police said they wanted to
00:21:34to hear from anyone he might have
00:21:38have assaulted Tom Symonds, BBC News. News. The US Senate has confirmed
00:21:41confirmed Todd Blanche as the nation's nation's next Attorney General in
00:21:45in a narrow 50 to 49 overnight vote.
00:21:47vote. Well, the vote early on Saturday Saturday cements President Trump's
00:21:50Trump's former personal defence lawyer
00:21:53lawyer as the head of the US Justice Justice Department. It follows a
00:21:56a heated confirmation battle over over the department's independence,
00:21:59independence, which has led the agency agency in an acting capacity since
00:22:03since April, and two Republicans Republicans joined all Senate Democrats
00:22:07Democrats in voting against his nomination. nomination. Our White House reporter
00:22:10reporter Bernd Debusmann has more. more. Todd Blanche the former personal
00:22:14personal lawyer of Donald Trump, Trump, was confirmed as the new US
00:22:17US Attorney General in a razor thin
00:22:19thin 50 to 49 vote in the US Senate. Senate. Blanche's confirmation ends
00:22:23ends weeks of uncertainty in Washington Washington and a tense political
00:22:26political standoff between the Trump Trump administration and Senate Republicans.
00:22:29Republicans. Some of those Republicans Republicans had expressed concern concern over Blanche's handling of
00:22:33of a now scrapped $1.8 billion anti-weaponisation anti-weaponisation fund, which the
00:22:37the administration hoped to use to to compensate victims of what they
00:22:40they said was persecution by the the Justice Department. The deciding
00:22:43deciding vote was cast by Louisiana Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a
00:22:46a frequent critic of President Trump's.
00:22:49Trump's. Before casting his vote, vote, Cassidy said that he believed
00:22:53believed that Mr Blanche was the the best option the President Trump
00:22:55Trump would put forward. Critics, Critics, however, have expressed
00:22:58expressed concern that Blanche might might try revive the Anti Weaponization
00:23:01Weaponization Fund under a different different name, and Democrats have have said they fear that Blanche
00:23:04Blanche will be used to target President President Trump's perceived political
00:23:07political enemies here in Washington. Washington. Let's turn now to some
00:23:10some other stories making news around
00:23:12around the world. More than 2000 2000 people in British Columbia have
00:23:16have been forced to evacuate as wildfires
00:23:18wildfires continue to sweep across across western Canada. The bald range
00:23:22range wildfire was first reported reported on Friday evening. It grew
00:23:25grew within hours. Officials say say that it's one of the quickest
00:23:28quickest moving wildfires the region region has ever seen. Now Canada
00:23:31Canada has faced a summer of large
00:23:33large wildfires with blazes burning
00:23:35burning through provinces including including Ontario and Quebec. Hundreds
00:23:39Hundreds of people in the Spanish Spanish island of Mallorca have joined
00:23:43joined a protest against mass tourism tourism in the Balearic Islands.
00:23:46Islands. Protesters said that locals locals are finding it increasingly
00:23:49increasingly difficult to access access housing and that mass tourism
00:23:52tourism is forcing traditional businesses businesses to close. Spain is the
00:23:56the world's second most visited country country after France and welcomed
00:24:00welcomed more than 96 million tourists
00:24:02tourists last year. Spain has brought
00:24:04brought in border checks on people people travelling from Italy, escalating
00:24:08escalating a migration dispute between
00:24:10between the two EU countries. Madrid's Madrid's month long suspension applies
00:24:14applies to Italian nationals and and citizens of third countries arriving
00:24:18arriving from Italy. Spain was angered angered by Italy's response to last
00:24:22last week's sudden crossing of tens tens of thousands of would be migrants
00:24:25migrants into the Spanish territory territory of Ceuta on Morocco's coast.
00:24:29coast. Most of those who entered
00:24:30entered Ceuta later returned to Morocco.
00:24:33Morocco. Italy then imposed border border restrictions on third country
00:24:36country travellers from Spain, which which will last until at least mid-August.
00:24:40mid-August. Our southern Europe correspondent correspondent Sarah Rainsford explains explains now how the standoff is
00:24:44is putting a strain on the principle principle of freedom of movement
00:24:47movement in the European Union. All All of this began, of course, in
00:24:51in Ceuta, when tens of thousands
00:24:53thousands of migrants from Morocco
00:24:55Morocco swam into that Spanish enclave enclave following social media posts
00:24:59posts that went viral, saying that that the borders with Spain were were open. Now the vast majority
00:25:02majority of those people have gone gone back, but the political fallout
00:25:05fallout is continuing and it all all began here in Italy because it
00:25:08it was the Italian hard right government government that first introduced
00:25:12introduced border checks with Spain Spain saying that anyone arriving
00:25:14arriving from Spain would would face face extra border checks, citing
00:25:18citing security threats. According According to the government here,
00:25:21here, from that incursion from Morocco. Morocco. Now the. It also accused
00:25:24accused the Spanish socialist government government of being too soft on illegal
00:25:27illegal migration. The Spanish were were furious. The government. They're
00:25:30They're accusing the government here here of political point scoring and
00:25:33and asked them to drop those measures. measures. Italy refused. Spain has
00:25:37has now retaliated. Retaliated. Now Now what does that mean in terms terms of checks? It means police
00:25:41police are now meeting planes from from Italy to Spain, checking passengers
00:25:44passengers on board. About 10% of of the passengers now being checked.
00:25:47checked. So problems at the height height of the tourist season for
00:25:50for travellers, but also a huge symbolic
00:25:54symbolic moment in terms of migration migration policy in Europe and a
00:25:56a serious rift in that in attitudes attitudes towards that right at the
00:26:00the heart of Europe. Stay with us
00:26:02us here on BBC News.
00:27:3640s. That's it. Take care.
00:29:55online at bbc.com/business to get get the latest news wherever you
00:29:57you are. Business on BBC News. Make
00:30:01Make the connection. MUSIC
00:30:13MUSIC Now Now on BBC News. Understanding the
00:30:15the future of our changing world world as the earth warms due to climate
00:30:19climate change. How hot could it
00:30:21it really get? Author Kate Marvel
00:30:24Marvel investigates in the climate
00:30:27climate question. The more you know
00:30:33know about the universe, the more more you realise how much most of
00:30:37of it sucks. All of the other planets
00:30:40planets that we know of are complete
00:30:42complete garbage, and the earth is
00:30:45is the only good place in the universe.
00:30:48universe. And so just realising that that and realising how beautiful
00:30:52beautiful and perfect this planet planet is just sort of fills me with
00:30:55with a sense of wonder every day.
00:30:57day. We keep breaking temperature