:00:00. > :00:13.After months of fighting, the Islamic State group is now
:00:14. > :00:16.battling for survival - in both Iraq and Syria.
:00:17. > :00:18.We report from the front line in Mosul, the Iraqi city
:00:19. > :00:21.where the "global caliphate" was declared three years ago.
:00:22. > :00:24.This is the final push forward against the so-called islamic state.
:00:25. > :00:30.It's a gruelling advance here in the heat and the dust.
:00:31. > :00:35.This battle has dragged on for more than eight months.
:00:36. > :00:39.And in Syria, where US forces are supporting the fight,
:00:40. > :00:43.IS is under siege in the city of Raqqa.
:00:44. > :00:46.But the question is - what happens when the caliphate falls?
:00:47. > :00:51.Because, as we know from Afghanistan and Iraq,
:00:52. > :00:55.it's always easier to get in, than it is to get out.
:00:56. > :01:01.We'll have the very latest on the fight against IS,
:01:02. > :01:03.as military experts say that their forces are trapped.
:01:04. > :01:08.The judge who'll lead the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower
:01:09. > :01:10.fire visits the site, as local people express their fears.
:01:11. > :01:15.Whether he will get to the bottom of who was responsible for causing
:01:16. > :01:18.the fire in the first place, is a different matter and that's
:01:19. > :01:23.the one that's really concerning residents at present.
:01:24. > :01:27.The ayes have it, the ayes have it. Unlock.
:01:28. > :01:30.By a majority of 14, the Commons approves the Queen's Speech,
:01:31. > :01:32.and two years of the Government's legislative plans.
:01:33. > :01:35.One of the most powerful figures in the Catholic Church,
:01:36. > :01:37.Cardinal George Pell, will return to Australia to deny
:01:38. > :01:44.Rupert Murdoch's bid to buy all of Sky is likely to be referred
:01:45. > :01:51.And - we have the findings of a major new study
:01:52. > :01:57.into the effects of pesticides on bees.
:01:58. > :02:01.And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News:
:02:02. > :02:04.Despite a heavy fall, Johanna Konta recovers to underline her
:02:05. > :02:06.Wimbledon credentials, with victory over the world No.1,
:02:07. > :02:27.Angelique Kerber, in the quarterfinals of Eastbourne.
:02:28. > :02:33.After months of relentless fighting, the Islamic State group
:02:34. > :02:36.is facing defeat in Mosul - its last big powerbase in Iraq.
:02:37. > :02:38.Government forces say they're finally set
:02:39. > :02:44.It is three years ago to the day that so-called Islamic State
:02:45. > :02:49.in Mosul declared a "global caliphate".
:02:50. > :02:54.Back then, IS controlled vast regions of Iraq
:02:55. > :02:57.Now, after prolonged battles and countless military offensives
:02:58. > :02:59.in both countries, IS has been pushed back
:03:00. > :03:03.to the cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.
:03:04. > :03:05.In both places, they are now surrounded and
:03:06. > :03:09.We'll be reporting from Syria in a moment, but first this report
:03:10. > :03:12.from our correspondent Orla Guerin, and cameraman Nicolas Hameon
:03:13. > :03:24.Covering fire, as troops dart into position.
:03:25. > :03:28.We joined them, pushing forward but keeping low.
:03:29. > :03:37.They can see his hiding place, and he can see them.
:03:38. > :03:42.A heavily armed brigade from Iraq's emergency response division,
:03:43. > :03:53.But they manage to press on across the rubble
:03:54. > :03:57.of a hospital complex, treacherous terrain,
:03:58. > :04:00.closing in on the last remaining IS fighters.
:04:01. > :04:18."Please warn unit two that those IS guys are on the move", he says.
:04:19. > :04:22."Thank god we don't have any injuries now".
:04:23. > :04:27.A coalition air strike adding to the embers of battle.
:04:28. > :04:33.This is the final push forward against the so-called Islamic State.
:04:34. > :04:36.It's a gruelling advance here in the heat and the dust.
:04:37. > :04:40.This battle has dragged on for more than eight months.
:04:41. > :04:43.We've just been told that three IS fighters have fled
:04:44. > :04:46.from the building right in front of us.
:04:47. > :04:49.It is clear that most of the militants who remain
:04:50. > :04:55.But so will the troops who are determined to bury
:04:56. > :04:59.the Islamic State where it was born, in Mosul.
:05:00. > :05:02.Iraq has paid a high price for this battle,
:05:03. > :05:09.TRANSLATION: We lost many martyrs here, all of them young.
:05:10. > :05:14.I miss them, their families miss them, and the country misses them,
:05:15. > :05:18.but they didn't die for nothing - they died for this country.
:05:19. > :05:22.And today, another fallen soldier carried from the battlefield,
:05:23. > :05:26.after troops reached what's left of the al-Nuri Mosque,
:05:27. > :05:35.It was here the IS leader proclaimed himself "ruler of all Muslims".
:05:36. > :05:41.The liberation of Mosul may be at hand, but it
:05:42. > :05:53.Mohammed Abdul Karim was held at this makeshift IS prison,
:05:54. > :06:01.right behind his own house, just for repairing mobiles.
:06:02. > :06:08.TRANSLATION: They brought a prisoner here and tied him to a tree.
:06:09. > :06:14.Then they brought two electric cables and shocked
:06:15. > :06:25.He told us that man was one of two he witnessed
:06:26. > :06:35.Mosul is emerging from the shadows after three long years of tyranny.
:06:36. > :06:40.The caliphate now lies in ruins where it was declared,
:06:41. > :06:46.but the IS ideology has long since spread from here,
:06:47. > :06:51.bringing anguish to cities, including London and Manchester.
:06:52. > :06:54.In this battle of our times, there are many front lines.
:06:55. > :07:06.As we mentioned, across the border in Syria, so-called Islamic State
:07:07. > :07:12.Its fighters there are under heavy siege in the city of Raqqa,
:07:13. > :07:18.surrounded by a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters, backed
:07:19. > :07:23.already preparing for life after the defeat of IS.
:07:24. > :07:25.Our correspondent Gabriel Gatehouse, who's north of Raqqa,
:07:26. > :07:37.If and when Raqqa falls, it will be thanks in large part
:07:38. > :07:38.to the American military and their allies, including
:07:39. > :07:42.This is their main logistics hub, an airstrip cut
:07:43. > :07:48.discreetly into a hillside somewhere north of Raqqa.
:07:49. > :07:51.From this base, they support their own forces and arm the SDF,
:07:52. > :07:53.the coalition of Arabs and Kurds who are leading
:07:54. > :08:00.All of this infrastructure has gone up in a really short space
:08:01. > :08:02.of time, and it has coincided with rapid advances
:08:03. > :08:09.But the question is, what happens when the caliphate falls?
:08:10. > :08:15.As we know from Afghanistan and from Iraq, it's always easier
:08:16. > :08:21.Already, they are looking to a future post caliphate.
:08:22. > :08:24.Here to meet local leaders in waiting, the US envoy.
:08:25. > :08:32.The American presence here has been growing quietly.
:08:33. > :08:36.If you look at the record to date, we have now coalition backed
:08:37. > :08:38.operations in Iraq and Syria which have cleared out 60,000 square
:08:39. > :08:41.We have liberated over 4 million people.
:08:42. > :08:43.As the coalition advances into Raqqa, families are fleeing.
:08:44. > :08:50.All lived under the harsh rule of the group that calls
:08:51. > :08:57.One corner of the camp is reserved for the wives
:08:58. > :09:07.This woman left Lebanon for Raqqa two years ago
:09:08. > :09:11.When he was killed, she married a Tunisian and
:09:12. > :09:14.so joined the ranks of a relatively privileged group, the wives of
:09:15. > :09:19.We challenged her on the treatment of sex slaves at the hands
:09:20. > :09:28.TRANSLATION: The men were spending their money on sex lives.
:09:29. > :09:32.They bought them the best make-up, clothes and accessories.
:09:33. > :09:34.American troops in Syria number in the hundreds.
:09:35. > :09:45.Their special forces are involved in the fighting on the
:09:46. > :09:48.Their planes bombing Raqqa from the air.
:09:49. > :09:53.When Mosul is liberated or Iraq is liberated,
:09:54. > :09:56.there is a lot of hard work left to do.
:09:57. > :10:01.I asked the general if he knew the whereabouts of Abu Bakr
:10:02. > :10:03.al-Baghdadi, the self-declared leader of the caliphate.
:10:04. > :10:07.If you know, please tell me and we will kill him forthright.
:10:08. > :10:10.At least once a month, we have someone
:10:11. > :10:14.Reports from the front line today suggest
:10:15. > :10:17.that US backed forces have Raqqa surrounded.
:10:18. > :10:20.But as we learned in Mosul, capturing the city itself
:10:21. > :10:26.will likely prove a long, hard fight.
:10:27. > :10:33.The fall of Raqqa will effectively mean the end of the caliphate but it
:10:34. > :10:38.won't necessarily mean the end of IS or its ideology. It definitely won't
:10:39. > :10:42.mean the end of the conflict in Syria. Remember, apart from the
:10:43. > :10:46.Americans, Turkey is deeply involved here, as of course is Russia. For
:10:47. > :10:50.the moment, they are all sort of United in a common enemy, but when
:10:51. > :10:55.the Islamic State goes, what we're left with is this big powers backing
:10:56. > :11:06.opposing sides in an unfinished war. Already earlier this month we saw
:11:07. > :11:08.the United States fighter jet shoot down a Syrian aeroplane that
:11:09. > :11:10.belonged to the Russian backed regime in Damascus. The potential
:11:11. > :11:10.for further confrontation is very real indeed.
:11:11. > :11:16.Thank you very much for the latest from Syria.
:11:17. > :11:18.The judge appointed to lead the inquiry
:11:19. > :11:20.into the Grenfell Tower tragedy has promised to leave
:11:21. > :11:23.no stone unturned, as he tries to get to the truth
:11:24. > :11:25.Sir Martin Moore-Bick, a retired Appeal Court judge,
:11:26. > :11:28.has been asked by the Prime Minister to produce an interim report
:11:29. > :11:33.But Sir Martin has said that he is "doubtful" the process
:11:34. > :11:35.will be as wide-ranging as some residents hope.
:11:36. > :11:39.Our home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds reports.
:11:40. > :11:45.Our reputation is absolutely in the gutter.
:11:46. > :11:48.Kensington and Chelsea was forced to abandon a meeting this evening,
:11:49. > :11:57.Councillors decided they weren't prepared to speak freely,
:11:58. > :11:59.their lawyers had warned it could even interfere
:12:00. > :12:04.An inquiry which will be led by a senior judge.
:12:05. > :12:06.His background already scrutinised by the Government,
:12:07. > :12:13.I've never seen anything like that building, which is now completely
:12:14. > :12:17.gutted so that you can see through it in many places.
:12:18. > :12:23.I'm absolutely determined that this inquiry will be open and full
:12:24. > :12:27.and will cover all the ground, so that we reach conclusions that
:12:28. > :12:31.are reliable and can prevent anything like this happening again.
:12:32. > :12:35.The Chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, was born in Wales and went
:12:36. > :12:38.to Christ's College Cambridge before becoming a barrister.
:12:39. > :12:41.He was appointed to the High Court as a judge of 1995,
:12:42. > :12:45.hearing commercial cases, and to the Court of Appeal,
:12:46. > :12:48.the second-highest court in England and Wales, in 2005.
:12:49. > :12:50.People here are desperate for answers.
:12:51. > :12:55.The Prime Minister has said she would like an interim
:12:56. > :13:00.Today, the judge said that could include details
:13:01. > :13:02.of how the fire started, why it spread so fast,
:13:03. > :13:09.But, he said, even that could take up to a year.
:13:10. > :13:11.After all, the remit of the inquiry has still to be
:13:12. > :13:19.The cause of the fire will clearly be a core topic,
:13:20. > :13:21.but that could involve delving deep into the regulations
:13:22. > :13:24.governing tower block safety, and the pressure to examine social
:13:25. > :13:27.and political causes is unlikely to go away.
:13:28. > :13:29.Well, I've had a brief conversation with some of the residents...
:13:30. > :13:33.He spent several hours listening to the views
:13:34. > :13:37.of survivors and local people, but already he and they appear
:13:38. > :13:40.to have different views of the inquiry's aims.
:13:41. > :13:43.He may certainly get to the bottom of, you know,
:13:44. > :13:46.what caused the fire to spread so quickly.
:13:47. > :13:49.Whether he will get to the bottom of who is responsible for causing
:13:50. > :13:52.the fire in the first place, is a different matter,
:13:53. > :13:55.and that's the one that's really concerning residents at present.
:13:56. > :13:58.We want a wider inquiry, the one that would include
:13:59. > :14:04.So basically, the attitude towards people.
:14:05. > :14:08.There's a feeling around the tower that he should examine
:14:09. > :14:10.whether warnings about fire safety were ignored because
:14:11. > :14:16.Whether my inquiry is the right way in which to achieve that,
:14:17. > :14:20.I'm more doubtful, and I'll give that some thought and in due course
:14:21. > :14:24.But there may be other ways in which that desire
:14:25. > :14:27.for an investigation can be satisfied, otherwise
:14:28. > :14:29.than through the work that I'm going to do.
:14:30. > :14:32.So you may not be able to give them the very wide inquiry
:14:33. > :14:38.Local people will be consulted about the inquiry's remit,
:14:39. > :14:43.but the chairman will have to keep their support.
:14:44. > :14:45.Inquiries like this can go wrong - the child abuse inquiry
:14:46. > :14:57.Women from Northern Ireland will no longer have to pay for abortions
:14:58. > :15:01.The concession was made by ministers to avoid
:15:02. > :15:04.a Conservative rebellion in votes on the Queen's Speech.
:15:05. > :15:08.The Government's legislative programme
:15:09. > :15:10.for the coming two years was eventually passed by a majority
:15:11. > :15:14.The majority was gained with the support of
:15:15. > :15:16.the Democratic Unionists, as our political editor
:15:17. > :15:25.The Prime Minister, on the red carpets of Europe.
:15:26. > :15:31.Everyone in a good mood, her German colleague says.
:15:32. > :15:37.To avoid being humbled by the House of Commons,
:15:38. > :15:46.Ministers had to make a last-minute promise that women
:15:47. > :15:48.from Northern Ireland who go to England for abortions
:15:49. > :15:52.Intends to intervene to fund abortions in England for women
:15:53. > :16:00.It is welcome that the Government is now saying they will
:16:01. > :16:03.However, he will know, as everybody know, the devil
:16:04. > :16:16.And ministers had to do that billion pound deal with the DUP
:16:17. > :16:19.to get their numbers, to fury, even on their own side.
:16:20. > :16:22.I can barely put into words my anger at the deal my party
:16:23. > :16:28.What is grubby about money being put into the infrastructure
:16:29. > :16:32.Money going into the health service of Northern Ireland?
:16:33. > :16:44.The Prime Minister returned this afternoon to help pass the vote
:16:45. > :16:47.to improve her government's programme, stripped of its most
:16:48. > :16:53.And then out at the front to face the opposition's main complaint.
:16:54. > :16:55.It cannot ensure that when people go to work,
:16:56. > :17:00.It can't maintain our public services.
:17:01. > :17:06.That's a government that doesn't deserve to remain in office.
:17:07. > :17:09.I do not see, Mr Speaker, how the nations of the UK can cope
:17:10. > :17:14.with the drastic economic hit that will come as a result of Brexit.
:17:15. > :17:16.Is there a determination to stand up to the most powerful,
:17:17. > :17:21.To coin a phrase, the answer is no, no, no.
:17:22. > :17:27.But Labour itself faced embarrassment.
:17:28. > :17:31.Nearly 50 of this number defied the leadership,
:17:32. > :17:34.voting for a Brexit amendment that failed, with three shadow ministers
:17:35. > :17:41.Yet it was the Government that was repeatedly on the back foot.
:17:42. > :17:44...Taking the hard decisions that will set Britain on course to seize
:17:45. > :17:49.the prizes and achieve a brighter global future.
:17:50. > :17:52.The case that, in the end, had its way.
:17:53. > :17:59.But tonight and for some time, wins that will be cobbled together.
:18:00. > :18:03.No sign of cruising to any victories.
:18:04. > :18:08.You could almost hear the sighs of relief from Number Ten.
:18:09. > :18:10.Had it been defeated, this fragile administration
:18:11. > :18:17.Yet with no overall majority and less authority, ministers know
:18:18. > :18:19.that even as they win tonight, it is Parliament and not
:18:20. > :18:25.the Prime Minister that can really show its power in the months ahead.
:18:26. > :18:31.Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News, Parliament.
:18:32. > :18:32.Some campaign groups in Northern Ireland have
:18:33. > :18:34.welcomed the decision to offer free access
:18:35. > :18:41.Among them are many women who've travelled to other parts
:18:42. > :18:44.of the UK in the past, where they've had to
:18:45. > :18:53.Our Ireland correspondent Chris Page has more on today's reaction.
:18:54. > :18:56.We said pro-choice, they say no choice!
:18:57. > :18:57.Abortion may be an intensely personal issue,
:18:58. > :18:59.but in Northern Ireland, it's also highly controversial.
:19:00. > :19:02.Strong campaign groups push for the law to be changed,
:19:03. > :19:03.and others passionately defend the status quo.
:19:04. > :19:07.Every week, women go across the Irish Sea to
:19:08. > :19:11.Four years ago, the BBC filmed Sarah as she went to England
:19:12. > :19:16.Her baby wasn't expected to survive birth because of
:19:17. > :19:19.She says today's decision will make a difference
:19:20. > :19:26.It's a good thing that we're now going to get it in hospitals
:19:27. > :19:30.across the water instead of a clinic.
:19:31. > :19:33.But at the same time, if it's OK for us to go over
:19:34. > :19:40.there and have it on the NHS, it should be OK for us to have
:19:41. > :19:42.it here with medicals in our own hospitals.
:19:43. > :19:44.I was lucky to have family and friends that were able
:19:45. > :19:49.Last year, doctors carried out 16 abortions in Northern Ireland
:19:50. > :19:56.But 724 women travelled to have a termination in England.
:19:57. > :19:58.The Government believes the new arrangement will cost
:19:59. > :20:02.But at Stormont, there is no political consensus about
:20:03. > :20:13.So some organisations have tried to bring change through the courts.
:20:14. > :20:15.In 2015, a judge ruled that abortion law here breached
:20:16. > :20:20.the European Convention on Human Rights.
:20:21. > :20:22.But just today, the ruling was overturned after an appeal.
:20:23. > :20:26.Pro-life campaigners have welcomed that decision,
:20:27. > :20:28.but criticised the one made by the Government.
:20:29. > :20:29.Absolutely disappointed, totally outraged.
:20:30. > :20:32.In some way, we would hope we can overturn this
:20:33. > :20:35.We won't stop until every unborn child in Northern
:20:36. > :20:44.Neither side in this debate expected the news from Westminster today.
:20:45. > :20:47.It adds a new dimension to an emotive ethical argument
:20:48. > :20:56.Staying with Northern Ireland, yet another deadline has passed
:20:57. > :20:58.to set up a new power-sharing executive, and yet another
:20:59. > :21:05.Downing Street says talks between Sinn Fein
:21:06. > :21:07.and the Democratic Unionists will continue until Monday.
:21:08. > :21:10.If there's no agreement by then, there could be a return to direct
:21:11. > :21:18.Our Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler is at Stormont.
:21:19. > :21:26.How do you see the prospects of some kind of agreement by Monday? It is
:21:27. > :21:29.worth mentioning that time and time again, Westminster had made clear
:21:30. > :21:33.that four o'clock this afternoon was the final deadline for a deal. This
:21:34. > :21:37.evening, Stormont still has no government and the DUP and Sinn Fein
:21:38. > :21:41.remained deeply divided on a range of issues, particularly Sinn Fein's
:21:42. > :21:47.demand for legislation that would give official status to the Irish
:21:48. > :21:49.language. Despite warning of serious consequences, this evening the
:21:50. > :21:51.Northern Ireland's Secretary James Brokenshire has given the parties
:21:52. > :22:08.the weekend to try to find a compromise. But on Monday, he will
:22:09. > :22:11.have to take action because a lack of government here is starting to
:22:12. > :22:13.have consequences. Decisions are not being taken. There are implications
:22:14. > :22:16.for budget and public spending. However, the reality is that he has
:22:17. > :22:18.only a few options. Technically, he should call for elections or have
:22:19. > :22:21.Westminster step in to take over the running of Northern Ireland for a
:22:22. > :22:24.time. But he may well simply try to extend the time for talks. The DUP
:22:25. > :22:26.and Sinn Fein both said there are still the possibility of a deal,
:22:27. > :22:29.although they both say that is on the basis that the other party gives
:22:30. > :22:35.up ground. They have been saying similar things since January, when
:22:36. > :22:38.power-sharing first collapsed. Chris Buckler, our Ireland correspondent.
:22:39. > :22:40.One of the most powerful figures in the Roman Catholic Church,
:22:41. > :22:42.Cardinal George Pell, has said he will defend himself
:22:43. > :22:46.The former Archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne said that he'd
:22:47. > :22:48.suffered a relentless character assassination and was looking
:22:49. > :22:54.forward to having his day in court in his native Australia.
:22:55. > :22:56.Cardinal Pell is the Vatican Treasurer and one
:22:57. > :23:07.Our religious affairs correspondent Martin Bashir is in Rome tonight.
:23:08. > :23:15.Yes, today was meant to be dominated by a solemn ceremony as the Pope
:23:16. > :23:21.presided at the feast of Saint Peter and Take That Paul, whose ministry
:23:22. > :23:25.and martyrdom helped establish the Church -- Saint Peter and St Paul.
:23:26. > :23:29.But as the Cardinals gathered in Saint Peter's square behind me, one
:23:30. > :23:31.senior official was surprisingly absent.
:23:32. > :23:34.A public holiday for the people and for Pope Francis,
:23:35. > :23:36.an opportunity to celebrate Mass with several new cardinals.
:23:37. > :23:44.But one of his most trusted officials, effectively the head
:23:45. > :23:48.of the Vatican's vast property portfolio and finances, was not
:23:49. > :23:50.administering the sacraments, but facing the press after becoming
:23:51. > :23:52.the highest ranking Vatican official to be charged
:23:53. > :23:56.The alleged offences relate to an ongoing inquiry back
:23:57. > :23:59.in Cardinal Pell's native Australia into instances of historical
:24:00. > :24:15.The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.
:24:16. > :24:18.Cardinal Pell had been Archbishop of Melbourne during the 1990s,
:24:19. > :24:20.where hundreds of individuals claimed to have been
:24:21. > :24:26.He was interviewed by the inquiry last year via video link.
:24:27. > :24:31.Several survivors travelled from Melbourne to witness his testimony.
:24:32. > :24:35.Then, in the early hours of this morning, came this.
:24:36. > :24:40.Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges in respect
:24:41. > :24:42.of historic sexual offences, and there are multiple complainants
:24:43. > :24:49.Pope Francis has prioritised the issue of child sexual abuse,
:24:50. > :24:53.setting up a commission for the protection of children.
:24:54. > :24:56.But one member who resigned earlier this year says
:24:57. > :24:59.the institution itself is reluctant to change.
:25:00. > :25:03."Why should we change? There's no need to change.
:25:04. > :25:11.That attitude of complacency has to go.
:25:12. > :25:14.In his homily today, Pope Francis asked his hearers
:25:15. > :25:18.if they were people who just talk about their faith,
:25:19. > :25:22.but do not display the marks of godliness in their daily lives -
:25:23. > :25:24.a question that Cardinal Pell will have to answer
:25:25. > :25:37.It's 20 years since Hong Kong ceased to be a British territory
:25:38. > :25:39.and was transferred to Chinese sovereignty.
:25:40. > :25:43.To mark the anniversary, President Xi of China has
:25:44. > :25:46.visited the territory amid high levels of security,
:25:47. > :25:49.given the prospect of protests by democracy campaigners.
:25:50. > :25:52.Our China editor Carrie Gracie has been meeting some of those young
:25:53. > :25:58.people born in the year of the handover.
:25:59. > :26:02.Hong Kong's patriots greet their president and First Lady.
:26:03. > :26:05.Flags, but no umbrellas allowed, because umbrellas
:26:06. > :26:11.He said he'd come to support Hong Kong.
:26:12. > :26:20.That's not how democracy activists see it,
:26:21. > :26:22.occupying a monument that China presented
:26:23. > :26:32.One student insisted on her freedom to protest as she was arrested.
:26:33. > :26:34.Hours earlier, she had illustrated her feelings
:26:35. > :27:06.But she's no longer optimistic about what protest can achieve.
:27:07. > :27:11.Another Hong Konger, born in the year of the handover.
:27:12. > :27:13.This coffee shop barista and freestyle footballer
:27:14. > :27:23.In one of the world's most unaffordable cities,
:27:24. > :27:25.he resents the people from mainland China who he says
:27:26. > :27:46.To find a 20-year-old who's celebrating this week,
:27:47. > :27:53.Sunny Tan is a student here, but she grew up in China
:27:54. > :28:11.and from an early age was taught to be proud of her country.
:28:12. > :28:24.This vigil, calling for the release of a political dissident,
:28:25. > :28:27.would be impossible anywhere else in China.
:28:28. > :28:33.Only Hong Kong has the freedom to protest, which is what makes it
:28:34. > :28:36.so special, but what also makes it a thorn in China's side.
:28:37. > :28:47.The culture secretary Karen Bradley says she intends to refer
:28:48. > :28:49.Rupert Murdoch's bid to take full control
:28:50. > :28:51.of Sky television to the competition authorities
:28:52. > :28:53.because of concerns about his "increased influence"
:28:54. > :28:58.Mr Murdoch's company, 21st Century Fox, wants
:28:59. > :29:00.to acquire the 61% of Sky it doesn't already own.
:29:01. > :29:03.The company says it's disappointed by the announcement, as our media
:29:04. > :29:14.Rupert Murdoch pioneered satellite TV in Britain.
:29:15. > :29:17.After transforming our newspaper market, his move into pay-TV nearly
:29:18. > :29:19.30 years ago with Sky made him the country's first
:29:20. > :29:27.Six years ago, he withdrew his bid for full control of the broadcaster
:29:28. > :29:30.because of the phone hacking scandal, which led to the closure
:29:31. > :29:33.On the question of whether the merger...
:29:34. > :29:35.Today in Parliament, it was concerns about his
:29:36. > :29:36.power and influence that
:29:37. > :29:39.led to his latest bid being referred to the competition watchdog.
:29:40. > :29:45.It concludes, "The transaction raises public interest concerns
:29:46. > :29:48.as a result of the risk of increased influence by members of the Murdoch
:29:49. > :29:52.family trust over the UK news agenda and the political process
:29:53. > :29:57.with its unique presence on radio, television, in print and online."
:29:58. > :30:00.Here is why the Murdochs are so desperate for this
:30:01. > :30:05.Digital giants like Amazon and Netflix are pushing another
:30:06. > :30:11.revolution in viewing habits by investing billions in programmes.
:30:12. > :30:14.So the Murdochs want full access to Sky customers in crucial markets
:30:15. > :30:19.With these 22 million subscribers across Europe, James Murdoch,
:30:20. > :30:22.the son of Rupert and chairman of Sky, thinks that the family
:30:23. > :30:27.The Murdoch family obviously have traditionally been very powerful
:30:28. > :30:29.in newspapers, but of course what has happened
:30:30. > :30:33.is that newspapers have become steadily less and less influential.
:30:34. > :30:35.We are now moving into a world where newspaper circulations
:30:36. > :30:39.are falling steadily and more and more people are going to get
:30:40. > :30:41.their news from places like Google and the social media companies
:30:42. > :30:48.As I have said to a number of other witnesses...
:30:49. > :30:52.But the Murdochs are nothing if not divisive.
:30:53. > :30:54.Alleged victims of their tabloid papers argue that the second stage
:30:55. > :30:56.of the Levenson enquiry, which promised to scrutinise
:30:57. > :30:59.James Murdoch's corporate leadership, but was dropped
:31:00. > :31:01.in the Tory manifesto, is needed before this
:31:02. > :31:10.It is in the newspapers' interests not to have the other
:31:11. > :31:13.part of the Leveson, they don't want their dirty washing
:31:14. > :31:15.out in public, they don't want us to see the double-dealing.
:31:16. > :31:18.Fox say they are pleased Ofcom deemed them fit and proper to hold
:31:19. > :31:20.a broadcasting licence and that they will work
:31:21. > :31:24.But with his enemies energised and new phone hacking trials due
:31:25. > :31:32.to begin in October, Murdoch's Fox faces an anxious wait.
:31:33. > :31:34.Scientists have this evening released the findings
:31:35. > :31:36.of a major new study into the effects of
:31:37. > :31:44.The investigation, involving three countries including the UK,
:31:45. > :31:46.focused on the impact of widely-used chemicals and found
:31:47. > :31:50.The chemicals have been banned in the European Union
:31:51. > :31:55.for the past few years, but there's growing demand for them
:31:56. > :31:57.to be reintroduced here, as our science correspondent
:31:58. > :32:07.Around the world, these vital pollinators are vanishing.
:32:08. > :32:10.Now, a major new study has revealed the role of pesticides
:32:11. > :32:16.The chemicals were used extensively for oilseed rape until a temporary
:32:17. > :32:24.Neonicotinoids really change the way we use pesticides.
:32:25. > :32:28.Instead of spraying fields, seeds are coated with the chemicals
:32:29. > :32:35.and this protects the crops as they grow from insects.
:32:36. > :32:40.But now an experiment on a vaster scale spanning 2,000 hectares,
:32:41. > :32:43.that's an area the size of 3,000 football pitches, has revealed that
:32:44. > :32:49.The scientists were given special permission to use the banned
:32:50. > :32:55.chemicals at sites in the UK, Hungary and Germany.
:32:56. > :32:58.Our findings are a cause for serious concern.
:32:59. > :33:00.We have shown for the first time negative effects of neonicotinoid
:33:01. > :33:05.We have also shown similar negative effects on wild pollinators
:33:06. > :33:11.This is important because many crops globally are insect-pollinated,
:33:12. > :33:13.and without pollinators, we would struggle to
:33:14. > :33:18.For bumblebees, scientists found that exposure to the chemicals
:33:19. > :33:25.resulted in fewer queens, so fewer new hives.
:33:26. > :33:27.For honeybees, in two out of the three countries,
:33:28. > :33:31.hives were more likely to die off over the winter.
:33:32. > :33:34.These are neonicotinoid treated seeds.
:33:35. > :33:36.But some farmers say since the ban, their crops have
:33:37. > :33:42.In the UK, oilseed rape production has fallen by 20%.
:33:43. > :33:47.It creates vegetable oil, cold-pressed.
:33:48. > :33:57.It's good for you on salad dressings.
:33:58. > :33:59.We think farmers will always want to grow oilseed rape
:34:00. > :34:01.but without neonicotinoid technology in difficult years,
:34:02. > :34:05.A major manufacturer says they're convinced that
:34:06. > :34:09.The EU will soon decide whether to extend the ban.
:34:10. > :34:18.But with Brexit for the UK, any decision may be short lived.
:34:19. > :34:31.Tonight, on the 20th anniversary of the handover, we will hear from the
:34:32. > :34:34.last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten. He calls the Chinese
:34:35. > :34:39.ambassador to Britain a man who doesn't know the difference between
:34:40. > :34:41.democracy and a wet haddock. That and other observations on BBC Two.
:34:42. > :34:42.That is underway on BBC Two. Now on BBC One, it's time
:34:43. > :34:45.for the news where you are.