09/07/2016 BBC Weekend News

Andrea Leadsom, one of the two candidates in the fight to become

Conservative leader, has suggested to The Times that

she'd be a better Prime Minister than Theresa May -

Supporters of Mrs May - the rival for leader

and who doesn't have children - have called the remarks offensive.

Mrs Leadsom has criticised the newspaper for the way her

Our Political Correspondent, Eleanor Garnier, reports.

We have so much more to give. The outside in the race, the Eurosceptic

energy Minister who is exciting traditional Tories. But the mum of

three is facing criticism for an interview in the times where C --

she suggested being a mum would make a better choice for Prime Minister.

This morning, outside her home in Northamptonshire, she defended her

comments. I was repeatedly asked about my children and I repeatedly

made it clear that I did not want this to be in any way a feature of

the campaign. I am disgusted at the way this has been presented. I want

to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society

and in the future of our country. But being a mum was a big part of

her message during the referendum campaign. I ran financial services

businesses for 25 years and I did a stint as city minister and I'm a

mum. It clear Andrea Leadsom was not trying to be cruel to Theresa May,

but it has shown her inexperience and, some say, her lack of judgment,

so crucial if you want to be Prime Minister. Her team are making an

official complaint to the times, but the journalist who did the interview

is standing by her story. I don't think it's got a journalism, I just

think it's journalism, it's accurate journalism. I asked a question, she

answered it, I reported what she said. She is trying to become Prime

Minister of this country, judgment and character matters as much as

policy. Yesterday, Theresa May launched this pledge for a clean

campaign. There was no official response from her today, but she

posted it again on social media. Despite appeals for unity, after a

fractious referendum campaign, the Conservative leadership race is

already off to a controversial start. Eleanor Barnier, BBC News.

The Labour MP Angela Eagle has announced she'll launch a formal

challenge to Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party.

It comes after talks between Labour's deputy leader -

Tom Watson - and union leaders broke down over their continued

Our Political Correspondent Iain Watson is at Westminster -

and this rift in the Labour party over it's leadership appears

Another extraordinary day in British politics. We should be getting used

to them at Westminster. But this decision by Angela Eagle means the

two main parties will be locked in a leadership contest this summer. It

follows the angry breakdown of those talks between the unions. And a

measure of how poisonous things are at the moment, the leader of the

Unite trade union accused Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson for an act

of sabotage or pulling the plug on those talks. Jeremy Corbyn is

insisting he is determined to fight on. Speaking to a trade union

audience in Durham today he said he wasn't under any pressure to resign,

the people under real pressure in Britain where families trying to

feed their kids. Another leadership challenge, from MP Tom Smith, is

talking about his party splitting apart. It could be about something

much bigger than that, not overstating this, it could be about

the future of the Labour Party as we know it. In the past few minutes

President Obama has said Americans of all races are outraged by

yesterday's fatal attacks on the police. Five officers were murdered

in Dallas by a man who later killed himself. Police found weapons and

bomb-making equipment at the home of Michael Johnson. He said he wanted

to kill white people, especially white officers. James Cook sent this

report from Texas. In Texas, and across the United

States, the men and women in blue are morning. The attack here in

Dallas was the deadliest on law enforcement since 911. Denise's

husband Mike was an officer here for ten years. Every night he came home,

that was my perk, that he came home. And he did. We need to start loving

one another instead of hating one another. I could Johnson was a US

Army survey who served in Afghanistan. He told police he

wanted to kill white police officers. This was a crime driven by

hate. The men turning a peaceful process at police killings of black

men into an act of violent revenge. In the 25-year-old's suburban home,

they found more bombs and bullets. And a journal of combat tactics. Far

from coming together after the latest killings, the US feels as

divided as ever. In Atlanta and elsewhere thousands of Americans are

still taking to the streets to protest against the police. And in

Dallas they are preparing to say goodbye to five officers who lost

their lives in the line of duty. At times, it feels like this has become

the motif of the United States. This time, the shrine is dominated by the

colour blue. The flowers, the prayers, the heartbreaking messages

are the same. This, somehow, has become routine. James Cook, BBC

News, Dallas. David Cameron says MPs will decide,

in just over a week, The vote - on the proposal

to replace the four submarines - will be held

on the eighteenth of July. Serena Williams has won her seventh

Wimbledon singles title - beating Germany's Angelique Kerber

in straight sets. The victory means Williams has

equalled Steffi Graff's record From Wimbledon,

David Ornstein reports. The latest shot at history. For

Serena Williams, the shadow of Steffi Graf looms large. A year

spent chasing her grand slam singles record, now a fourth chance to match

it. Among those to deny her, today's opponent, Angelique Kerber. Steffi

Graf is her inspiration, double motivation. If the quality of past

finals has been doubted, this one delivered. When the next rankings

are published, these will be the world's top two. But Williams is

number one and she eventually broke Kerber's resistance to edge an

outstanding first set. And just look at what it meant. Kerber continued

to play without fear, battling from the baseline, even resorting to

close combat. Williams was down, but perhaps that was simply a rehearsal

for her celebration. Game set and match Ms Williams. The ghost of

Steffi Graf finally laid to rest. 22 and counting. It's been incredibly

difficult not to think about it. I had a couple of tries this year, I

lost to two great opponents, one of them being Angelique. It makes

victory even sweeter to know how hard I worked for it. Thank you guys

for being all here to see number 22, this is awesome. Records exist not

only to be equalled, but broken, so can we expect more to tumble?

Serena's not done, in my opinion, the look I saw on her face, the look

in her eyes in her last dummy finals match, I am seen it for a long time

on Serena's phase. She smashed the record of Steffi Graf and she is not

over, she wants to break more records. There was also a landmark

win for the host nation. Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt claiming the men's

wheelchair doubles title, the first British pair to do so. Gordon Reid

is back in action tomorrow, he plays in the first ever men's wheelchair

singles final to be staged at the All-England Club. The big one is

Andy Murray against Milos Raonic. Murray aiming for his second

Wimbledon title. More to come through the evening on the BBC News

Channel. I'll be back with the team for the late news at 10:15pm.