05/08/2016 BBC News at Ten

Thousands of people gather in Rio, as the 2016

The Opening Ceremony begins in just under two hours.

Organisers are promising a truly Brazilian affair.

I think if London was smart, we're going to be cool.

Rio may be ready to party, but a million tickets remain unsold,

and one Great British Olympian says some venues are still not ready.

There are a little bit of things that need to be finished off.

I was yesterday at beach volleyball, just

a few hundred yards from here, they're still building the stadium.

and police will be on patrol during the Games.

The former head of the official inquiry into historical allegations

of child abuse is summoned by MPs to explain why she's resigned.

Royal Bank of Scotland - largely owned by the taxpayer -

announces losses of more than ?2 billion in the first

Up in flames - police warn of a dangerous new method of making

cannabis which has already killed two people in the UK.

And we're at the biggest travelling arts festival in Europe in Wales,

the Eistoddfod, celebrating literature, music and performance.

And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News:

Captain Alastair Cook and Alex Hales led the comeback,

as England made a strong start to their second innings on day three

It's been nine years in the making, but in just two hours' time,

the Rio Olympics will officially get under way with the 2016

It's the first time the biggest sporting event in the world has been

More than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries will be taking part,

with more than half a million people descending on the city to watch.

In a moment, we'll hear about the challenges Rio has faced

in the run-up to the Games, but first, let's join our

sports editor, Dan Roan, at the Maracana Stadium,

where the Opening ceremony is being held.

Here we go. It begins. After years of preparations, months of

controversy and years of training for the athletes, for whom this will

be the pinnacle of their sporting careers, tonight is the night. For

Rio, for Brazil and for South America, the greatest show on earth

is about to begin in a place with a back drop that no other city in the

world can match. One of sport's most iconic settings

for the start of what remains Here at the Maracana,

Rio's big moment has arrived. This afternoon, final preparations

began ahead of the opening ceremony. These, among the 5000 volunteers

about to perform in front of an estimated TV audience

of some 3 billion people. Dress rehearsals revealing a vibrant

celebration of Brazilian culture, the heritage of Carnival,

and plenty of samba. The man in charge of tonight told me

the key things will be The ceremony is using the platform

to show people watching, to send a strong message to

the world, like a cultural action. I think if London was smart,

we're going to be cool. But there'll be controversy tonight,

too. 271 Russians have been cleared by

the International Olympic Committee to form part of the traditional

parade of athletes, despite a doping scandal that for some has tainted

these Games before Four years ago, Sir Steve Redgrave

had the honour of carrying the torch into London's Olympic Stadium,

and says that despite a troubled There are a little bit of things

that need to be finished off. Yesterday, the beach volleyball

a few hundred yards away from here, But I don't think anybody watching

on TV will notice that. You'll see the world's best athletes

competing in 28 different sports and it's going to be

an amazing spectacle. A record 206 nations will compete

in Rio with the action spread over four main areas,

much of it in the newly built As they chase a record medal

haul for an away Games, many of Britain's's athletes have

already trained in their venues. One of Team GB's biggest

stars can't wait. These Games are going

to be so much fun. London was quite a formal Games,

spectacular and amazing. Here, it is a little less

formal but, you know, it makes it fun, too,

because not everything's I think people coming out to these

Games will have a blast. After years of preparations,

Rio is now just hours away from having to prove to the world

that it can play host and provide the showpiece the

Olympics now needs. Roads around the Maracana Stadium

have been closed ahead 85,000 police and soldiers will be

patrolling Rio during the Games. And there've been

demonstrations too. Earlier today, protestors angry

at the government and the cost of hosting the event,

blocked roads in Copacabana, forcing the Olympic torch relay

to change its route. Wyre Davies joins us

from the Olympic Park. Mixed feelings for Brazilians

tonight as they prepare to hold the world's biggest sporting and social

event. Plenty of pride for the residents of Rio de Janeiro. We're

getting reports of violent scuffles outside the stadium tonight,

protesters angry at the millions being spent on these Games. Indeed

one overriding concern here is that global concern of security.

The Batista family will have one of the best views in Rio

The famous Maracana, the scene of so many sporting triumphs,

But despite their vantage point, how much have people in these

communities been touched by the Olympic spirit?

TRANSLATION: Let's be honest, the tickets are expensive for us,

but the Games have brought good things for the city

His daughter, Stephanie, who is an umpire in the track

and field events, can barely contain her enthusiasm.

I can't wait for it to start and be part of it.

After a marathon journey around this vast, culturally diverse country,

the Olympic torch visited some of Rio's most famous landmarks.

There's probably never been a more stunning backdrop

This is the first time the Games have taken place in South America,

a proud moment for the continent and for many Brazilians.

But the torch was accompanied by extraordinarily heavy security

for its entire journey, a feature that will remain

There will be 85,000 riot police and soldiers on the streets of Rio

for the duration of the Games, an almost unprecedented

Brazil says it is worried about international terror,

but the real concern is all of these anti-government protesters,

angry with the amount of money being spent on the Olympics.

The infamous Black Bloc anarchists, local government workers

who are not being paid, and opponents of the interim

government, all say Rio has more pressing priorities than the Games.

This is a city undoubtedly transformed by the Olympics.

Some new infrastructure and urban regeneration.

But what has it done for social cohesion?

Inequality felt here for 12-13 years which was

But now Brazil as a whole is living in very turbulent times.

Rio is ready but there have been missed opportunities.

The Olympics, perhaps, not providing as much momentum

Dan, the opening ceremony kicks off in just under two hours.

By the time it begins, it will be fantastic, I'm sure. Still building

right now. It's important to remember that this is operating on a

fraction of the budget enjoyed by London 2012's extravaganza. This

Opening Ceremony has had to scale down its ambitions because of the

economic problems in Brazil. Nonetheless, it's fair to say, it

could just be one of the most important starts to an Olympics in

the history of the Games, simply because of the problems that have

beset the build up to these Olympics, not just the recession,

but the political upheaval, the concerns about Zika, about security,

about pollution. Then of course, the biggest doping scandal that sport

has suffered in recent years, even the football ledge end Pele this

evening, he dropped out of his role. He was expected to light the Olympic

cauldron here in the stadium, citing health concerns, according to local

reports. Having said all that, I think organisers will be really

hopeful in football-mad Brazil, the celebrations tonight enable the

entire country to get behind these Games finally and allow the

narrative to shift and move away from all the controversy and to

finally focus on world-class, inspiring sport. It's been a

remarkable sporting summer for Britain. You think of Chris Froome

in the Tour De France, Andy Murray at Wimbledon, Wales in the euros,

Leicester City in the Premier League, but this Games, despite

everything, has the potential to surpass that all. Dan, thank you.

And you won't miss a moment of the Rio Games with the BBC.

We'll bring you live coverage on TV, radio and online, as well as

And you can find a day by day guide to what's on when on our website,

The former head of the official inquiry into historical allegations

of child abuse has been asked to explain to MPs her surprise

Dame Lowell Goddard is the third chair to quit the position

since the inquiry was set up in 2014.

Sources have told the BBC there have been tensions

She'd moved to Britain to do this job.

Surely this enquiry couldn't lose another chair.

At this London hotel today, she was supposed to meet

Instead, they faced officials and demanded assurances

People generally were quite shocked, quite worried

People were worried about the public perception

of the enquiry, in that it's not just seen as a complete farce at

In general, many were reassured, but the resignation was

One source said there was tension between the judge and her officials.

A third has told us in the past that she is difficult to work with.

Yet somebody more sympathetic to her has

said she simply didn't get the support and loyalty she needed

She will bring a wealth of expertise to the role.

18 months ago, the then Home Secretary

was sure she had made the right appointment, but now the BBC has

been told that within the enquiry there have been growing concerns

that she was not, in fact, up to the job.

And next month, the parliamentary committee which endorsed her

as an impeccable candidate, will question her about why

I don't think it is enough to resign and then to leave.

I think that we in Parliament will want to share some of those

thoughts with her, because it's going to be vital for her successor

In effect, 13 public enquiries into possible abuse in

high office, children's homes in Rochdale, Nottingham and Lambeth,

the Anglican and Catholic churches, and individuals such as the late

For some, this enquiry is just too big to succeed.

We know terrible crimes are committed and the police should

investigate, but this enquiry should be more focused on the future.

What are the policy changes, the legal

changes that can protect children in the future?

But one thing no one disagrees about, finding a

replacement for Lowell Goddard will be daunting, because the job she has

just given up is increasingly seen as a poisoned chalice.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with the murder of an American

Zakaria Bulhan from south London is charged with the murder

of 64-year-old Darlene Horton, plus the attempted murder of five

other people who were injured in the Russell Square attack

Royal Bank of Scotland, which is largely owned

by the taxpayer, has announced losses of more than ?2 billion

Its chief executive said the bank was still addressing

"legacy issues", including settling PPI claims.

Today's figures mean the bank's total losses have topped ?50 billion

since it was bailed out in the financial crisis of 2008.

We've all got a past, but RBS's is more painful than most.

As much as it tries to get on with its life, it

continues to be haunted by the events of eight years ago.

Tonight at 10pm, all change for the British banking system,

and the taxpayer foots the massive bill.

The Royal Bank of Scotland is being effectively nationalised.

It's a frustrating case of one step forward and two steps back

The first thing is, this is a magnificent business.

Each quarter it makes about ?1 billion of profit before tax.

And then year-on-year we get hit by legacy issues.

I think what's been surprising is that they keep coming, but these

We are trying to deal with as many this year which ever

And that's exactly how this year has panned out.

Wiping out any profits were 700 million for litigation

costs going right back to 2008, 630 million in selling

old stuff at a loss, and another 450 million

for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance.

All that contributed to a loss of ?2 billion

You know, I stood in this very spot in 2008 when RBS had made

the biggest loss in British corporate history, received

Every year since then, RBS has lost money.

I didn't expect to be here eight years later saying the total

of those losses now exceeds ?50 billion, more money

And the value of the shares we got for that stake are now worth less

And RBS may find reporters outside for years to come.

RBS is doing a lot of the right things with its business model.

It is expanding, it's doing that in a competitive environment.

But it's got its history to deal with and it's just not going away.

And the biggest thing out there is the settlement about US

mortgage-backed securities from way back when.

It's a biggie, and it's hanging on and it's hard for RBS to make

A process to revive the old Williams and Glyn brand has been beset

by technical difficulties and was finally shelved today.

The 300 branches it has to sell as a condition of its 2008

bail out now look likely to be sold to a rival.

Still three quarters owned by the taxpayer,

it's unlikely RBS will make a profit or that we'll get any

That will make it a lost decade for a bank that on some measures

Campaigners from Britain's Black Lives Matter movement have caused

traffic disruption in several cities during demonstrations

Ten people were arrested after the approach to

Heathrow Airport was blocked, and there were also

protests in Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham.

Elaine Dunkley reports from east London, where there were more

They march in solidarity with America and shout slogans borne

out of racial tensions in the States.

But this protest is about frustrations felt here in Britain.

We want to see an end to the endemic inequality rife within our society.

Essentially, we are asking for black lives to be given the same value

Giving families like mine the opportunity to bring

Marcia Rigg believes Black Lives Matter has given support

In 2008, her brother, Sean Rigg, who had mental health problems,

An inquest jury found officers had used unsuitable force.

I hope today we will start the positive conversation to talk about

the deaths that have been happening in this country for decades.

However, longstanding unresolved cases such as Sean Rigg's show how

I know that cases like Sean Rigg are infrequent and few and far

between, but that doesn't mean they're any less important to us.

Cases like that are extremely important.

We want to learn, we want to improve and we want to give confidence back

Deaths in custody is just one of a number of issues.

Protesters here say it's about the disproportionate

use of stop and search, and the overrepresentation of black

people within the criminal justice system and mental

Today is the first day of national action for Black Lives Matter UK.

Human blockades brought the M4 near Heathrow Airport

to a standstill, and protesters in Nottingham stopped trams.

There are criticisms that this isn't America

But protesters say it has given them a unifying voice

Police in Chicago have suspended three officers

after a black teenager was shot and fatally wounded.

Paul O'Neill drove a stolen car at police vehicles,

with officers then giving chase as he escaped on foot.

The Chicago force released nine body cam videos of officers giving chase.

Police and firefighters are warning that a highly dangerous new method

of making super-strength cannabis is emerging in Britain.

The BBC has learnt that two people have died and more than 30 people

have been injured across the UK, as a result of making the drug.

It's called butane hash oil, or BHO, and involves using large amounts

of the flammable gas, which can explode with

They want to get high but are risking their lives,

This is probably the most concentrated form of

Nicknamed Shatter or Dabs, this is BHO, butane hash oil,

Usually the very highest quality is the more gold.

The more gold it is, the higher quality.

Alex takes it for a chronic medical condition.

Undoubtedly it is growing, it is huge, compared to just last

year, it's ten times bigger and I expect it will be ten

It means more people may try and make it and hurt themselves.

They are using the butane as a solvent to extract

Squirting raw butane into a compartment and it only takes

the smallest of ignition sources to create that explosion.

With trained fire investigators in a specialist facility,

we can show how dangerous it really is.

Here, using just one canister, a simulation of what happens

when BHO production goes badly wrong.

A fraction of a second later, fire, burning at more than 1400 Celsius.

That's the theory, this is real life.

What's left of a BHO factory in a flat in Birmingham,

concrete beams snapped in two, debris blown across the street,

hundreds of cans of butane were found inside.

The explosion triggered by the switch of an electric kettle.

One man was so badly hurt here, he died later in hospital.

The house had to be completely demolished.

This isn't a one-off, we know of at least one other death

and 25 serious injuries linked to hash oil explosions

We've seen an increase in the amount of incidents

What would be your message to the people who are doing it

Because the devastation and the effects on people's

In America, it is being made on an industrial scale.

Sometimes with terrible consequences.

A man who blew up these Glasgow flats was today jailed

Producers think it can get them high or make them rich,

the reality is, just one spark could be enough to kill.

It's a week-long celebration of Welsh literature,

music and performance - the Eisteddfod is the biggest

travelling arts festival in Europe, and it's a tradition that can be

For the first time in more than 100 years it is being

The national Eisteddfod has landed at the foot of the Brecon Beacons.

It is a sprawling festival of Welsh arts and culture

The Eisteddfod exists to further the Welsh language.

And everybody coming here realises that we have this Welsh language

policy, which states that all the performances

This is the Eisteddfod field, where all the performances

The star attractions are the music and recital

performances and competitions, which take place in

There's no doubt this is an important cultural event,

but the festival has been criticised previously for being too inward

looking and unwelcoming to the 80% of Welsh people

Changes are afoot though, with more contemporary shows,

such as this new piece by acclaimed harpist Catrin Finch.

This is about celebrating the language.

But it's always important to welcome everybody.

And I would hope as a non-Welsh speaker you could come

and have a lovely day and enjoy the culture we celebrate.

The festival is making a rare visit to the largely

English-speaking Welsh town of Abergavenny, where it's

Some of the things, you think, what's the point?

It's definitely encouraged a lot of people I know

to start learning Welsh, all of two years ago

These award winning Welsh folk singers worry that the approach

Sing your song that happens to be in Welsh.

If you start thinking in, and keeping everything safe

and Welsh, that's the problem we're going to suffer as a Welsh nation.

So collaboration, not isolation, is their vision for the future

And a festival which wants to be seen as an open house,

Will Gompertz, BBC News, Abergavenny.

That's all from us. Now it's time for the news where you are.