11/07/2017 BBC News at Ten

The NHS contaminated blood scandal more than 30 years ago -

the Government finally orders an inquiry.

More than 2,000 people died and thousands of other victims

were left infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

The inquiry, that I've announced today, will give them those answers,

so they will know why this happened, how it happened.

This was an appalling tragedy and it should never have happened.

Andy Evans was infected when he was five and contracted AIDS at 16.

He's campaigned for an inquiry for years.

At the very minimum, we were let down.

At the worst, I think there are people to blame for a lot

We'll be asking why victims have had to wait so long for answers.

President Trump's son publishes emails showing he was keen to accept

an apparent Russian offer to help his father's

Orphans of war - victims of so-called Islamic State.

We report on the desperate plight of the Iraqi children

but don't receive any benefits should qualify for sick and holiday

pay according to a Government commissioned report.

British tennis mystery is made. It's been 39 years. -- history is made.

And Johanna Konta becomes the first British woman to reach

the Wimbledon semifinals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

A moment of history that she celebrated on centre court.

Standing in between Johanna Konta and the Wimbledon final,

Venus Williams - a five-time champion, who becomes the oldest

semifinalist at the tournament in 23 years.

"An appalling tragedy that should never have happened."

That's what the Prime Minister called the contaminated blood

scandal of the 1970s and '80s, as the Government announced

It's been called one of the biggest disasters in the history of the NHS.

patients were infected with viruses, such as hepatitis C and HIV,

after being given blood products by the NHS.

Andy has had a life on medication because he was given

At the age of five, he was infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

Since then, all he's wanted is answers.

I'm very worried that there was deliberate acts behind these

infections, as I say, at the very minimum

At the worst, I think, there are people to blame for a lot

It's been called the worst disaster in the history of the NHS.

Patients expected safe treatment - haemophiliacs needing

blood clotting agents and others needing transfusions.

But they were given products tainted with life-threatening viruses.

Much of the inquiry's focus will be on Whitehall and what was happening

Victims and their families have long argued that senior Government

officials were aware of the dangers with contaminated blood products,

but allowed patients to continue receiving them.

After that, they say, there was a cover-up.

A Scottish inquiry by a judge Lord Penrose was dismissed

An earlier inquiry in England was privately funded

Today a Labour MP, whose campaigned on the issue,

told the Commons those affected by the scandal were owed

They deserve to be told what went wrong, why it went wrong

and who is responsible for what happened.

The story of the injustice they have suffered also needs to be set out

The Prime Minister later said their voices would be heard

They have waited too long for these answers.

What we want to do is talk with the families, talk to them

about the shape that this inquiry should take, so we ensure

that it is able to provide the answers and the justice

The former Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, who's alleged

it is a criminal matter with medical records falsified and said

there were failures by successive governments.

All political parties have let down those who've suffered as a result

And all parties must now put differences aside,

work together and give them truth and justice without further

And for this campaigner, who has hepatitis C,

there's only one thing which really matters.

Whether that full truth emerges after this long campaign will depend

on what sort of inquiry is convened and its powers.

And our health editor, Hugh Pym, is with me now.

Why have the victims had to wait so long for this inquiry? Well, Sophie,

the Government line is that it's always had an open mind but in the

last few weeks, new evidence has emerged. Some published in a

newspaper and there's other material held by Andy Burnham, alleging

criminality that he is ready top hand over to police. And there is a

political issue only on Sunday the leaders of the main opposition

parties at Westminster, including the DUP, wrote jient letter calling

for a public inquiry into this scandal. That's highly significant,

given parliamentary arithmetic these days. So with a debate due to start

at twoemsd, called by -- to start at Westminster, called by a Labour MP,

the Government moved. The Scottish Government has welcomed this and

said it would be a UK-wide exercise. Whatever the reasons, whatever the

facts, the victims and their families have welcomed what they see

this, as a landmark move, but they've yet to be convinced it

really will deliver the truth. President Trump's son has

published a chain of e-mails, which show that he was keen

to accept an apparent offer from the Russian

government last year, to help his father's

presidential campaign. Donald Trump Jr is promised

official documents that would incriminate his father's

rival, Hillary Clinton. It led to a meeting in New York

between a Russian lawyer, Mr Trump Jr and two of his

father's key advisors. Our chief correspondent, Gavin

Hewitt, is outside the White House. For nearly six months there has been

a shadow over the Trump administration, with the allegations

that the Trump campaign last year in some way colluded with the Russians.

But today a series of highly-damaging e-mails were

published, suggesting that Russian officials were actively trying to

help the Trump campaign. Congratulations dad, we love you.

Donald Trump Jr was at the heart of his dad's election campaign. Today

he embarked on a high risk strategy. He decided to disclose the e-mails

today between himself and the publicist who arranged the meeting.

The e-mails raised serious and disturbing questions. The four pages

of e-mails reveal exchanges between Trump June rye, Rybarikova junior

and a British pub list, Rob gol Steyn.

- - - to Donald Trump Jr. The e-mail continues:

In reply Mr Donald Trump Jr says: The meeting was set up by a British

publicist, Rob Goldstein. Much was promised but the Russian lawyer

today denied any links with the Kremlin. She was asked, why those at

the meeting thought she was going to deliver any information on Hillary

Clinton. It is possible they were looking for such information, they

wanted the so bad lid. But the reaction from politicians today

shows that these drip, drip revelations are proving damaging to

the Trump administration. It's serious and this is a serious

situation and one that is a long way from over. It doesn't appear that

when they had information that this person might be connected with the

Russian Government or a Russian national, that they didn't

immediately call the FBI This is very problematic. We cannot allow

foreign governments to reach out to anybody's campaign and say - we'd

like to help you. It is a non-starter. What does President

Trump make of it all? Today he says that his son was a high-quality

person and praised his transparency. But the President is also said to be

frustrated that after today the questions are only likely to get

more searching. Tomorrow the President goes back to Europe, to

France, determined to avoid the impression that his is an

administration under siege. The United Nations say as many

as 3,000 civilians remain trapped in the Iraqi city of Mosul,

despite government forces declaring Skirmishes continue between Iraqi

troops and so-called Islamic State. Those trapped are mostly

the young or the elderly, who've become separated

from their families. From Mosul, our defence

correspondent, Jonathan Beale, This is an orphan of

the Battle of Mosul - a baby whose parents

have been killed. He's one of the victims

of the fight against the group He was left at this

clinic, malnourished The medics here say there

are many more like him. Yeah, I mean, kids,

without parents, a lot of them. You know, they've either been killed

by Isis or killed by air strikes There is a massive

amount of devastation. That's the only way

I can put it into terms. Iraq's Prime Minister may have

declared victory but there's still pockets of resistance

and streams of civilians trying They often collect the children

of others along the way. Seeba says she was shot at by IS

snipers as she tried to escape. The baby she's now

holding is not hers. She said the mother and father

were both buried under group. There are dozens of women

and children here, waiting to be taken to safety and they're not just

war weary, they are weak And if you listen, the only sound

you can hear is babies crying. At West Mosul's main hospital,

they're just about coping. They're still having

to treat the wounded, as well as the weak -

this man's barely alive And there are more

orphans here, too. This is Galeb who's crying out,

"Where's my father?" He only stops when they manage

to distract him with a game. He is crying, asking

for his father, mother. I can't be his father,

I can't be his mother. Even trying to identify the dead

is proving difficult. Search and rescue teams

are looking out for any forms of identity as they sift

through the debris of war. Iraq will not just have

to rebuild this city, but mend broken lives,

too, Jonathan Beale, All work in the UK's economy should

be fair and decent, according to a Government-commissioned review

of employment practices. It looks particularly

at the so-called gig economy - a growing sector of workers

who currently work flexibly but do not receive employee benefits -

though the review says they should. It also examines the use

of zero-hour contracts and recommends that everyone should

enjoy a baseline of protection. With more, here's our economics

editor, Kamal Ahmed. Whatever work we do, we spend

half our waking hours doing it. Steady or insecure,

full-time or self-employed, high pay or low pay,

the world of work is changing. Appearing alongside Theresa May,

Matthew Taylor said Our national performance

on the quantity of work is strong. But quantity alone is not enough

for a thriving economy We believe now is the time

to complement that commitment in creating jobs with the goal

of creating better jobs. Flexible, work the hours

he wants, few benefits. I just switch on and off

whenever I wanted. And in the middle of my day,

if I want to pop down to the seaside or watch a Spiderman movie,

I can do that. For Felicity, it is a different

story from the world I could never budget because some

weeks I'd get too much work, Some weeks, I wouldn't get enough

work so I just really That, actually, caused me

quite a bit of stress. There are certainly many

new ways of working, The gig economy, that's those

food delivery drivers, those minicab drivers,

there are around 1.3 million people And people with no guaranteed hours

of work, on zero-hours contracts, there are about 905,000

people on those. Then, there is what the report

calls the hidden economy. That is the cash in hand payments

to your window cleaner that avoid The report says that is worth

?6.2 billion a year and should Mr Taylor said in his review,

much of this new world of work is good work,

but for those being Sick and holiday pay benefits,

a right to an enhanced minimum wage because the work does

not guarantee hours. Then there's talk of better

enforcement of the present laws and higher taxes

for those gig firms. Paying National Insurance

for the first time, which many of them avoid

at the moment. The big question -

will any of this ever happen, given the Conservatives lack one

important thing - a majority. You cannot give any guarantees that

you will be able to pass a report like this and the recommendations it

has had through Parliament? I would hope, as I said

in my speech, people will see across the political world,

will see the importance It is about the future

of our economy. There seems little

chance of consensus. Labour said the report

was a huge missed opportunity, particularly when it came to not

banning zero-hours contracts. We have to get rid of

zero-hours contracts. Obviously, we have to get rid

of the gig economy and the bogus self-employment which actually

is a wonderful way for a minority of employers to avoid paying

National Insurance contributions. The world, frankly, does not lack

for government reviews on everything The question now, will this one make

a difference or just be left to gather dust on some

Whitehall shelf? Johanna Konta made history tonight,

after becoming the first British woman in almost 40 years to make it

to the Wimbledon semi-finals. The world number seven beat

the Romanian second seed, She'll now take on Venus Williams

for a place in the final, On Centre Court, a British woman

in a Wimbledon quarterfinal. Never mind the rest of her career,

Johanna Konta's progress here had Where every mood, every

move is scrutinised. Johanna Konta first played

at Wimbledon as a junior, When her Hungarian-born parents

moved to Britain, she followed. Really Konta is not a product

of one nation or a tennis system but a product

of her own intense motivation. Against her here, Simona Halep,

a player ranked higher, capable of matching Konta,

almost nothing between them. Just look at Hawk-Eye,

a fraction off. At crucial moments, Konta

was making more mistakes. Still, adversity is just

an opportunity for resilience, The second set went

to another tie-break. Deep breath, deep

breath, now ex-hail. Into the third, could Konta

break the Halep serve? Match point and the

crowd on the brink. Listen for a scream

and watch the reaction. Halep distracted, while retaining

focus is everything - 40 years since you won,

Virginia, 40 years. Konta says she's

believed she could be a champion Regardless of whether it was

going my way or not, I felt I really struck to my true

self and tried to create as many I knew going into the match

against Simona, that she was really not going to give me

a match for free. Well perseverance was a thing today,

off-court and on it and who sums it up better than Venus Williams,

into another semifinal at 37 History will always hang over

British players here, but the future, the present

is nothing to be scared of. Smile and Centre Court

smiles with you. An aristocrat, who wrote an online

post, offering ?5,000 for the businesswoman

and campaigner, Gina Miller, to be run over, has been found

guilty of two charges Rhodri Colwyn Philipps,

the 4th Viscount St Davids, wrote the message four days

after Gina Miller won a Brexit legal Philipps, who called

his comments "satire", There have been fresh calls

for drastic improvements in the care given to people with learning

disabilities in England. More than 2,500 of them

remain in secure units, that's despite Government promises

that they would close. In one year alone, 50% of all deaths

of people with a learning disability were recorded as avoidable,

compared to 23% for Our social affairs correspondent,

Alison Holt, has the story. The front room of the family home

in Essex, 34-year-old Ian Shaw lies quietly comforted

by having his parents at his side. He has learning disabilities,

autism and epilepsy. He also has terminal cancer,

which his parents say should have I was told there was no

treatment because it had They couldn't treat it

because it would be too much. The family asked us to tell Ian's

story because they believe it shows how the system still fails people

with learning disabilities. As he grew up, Ian's

behaviour became challenging. When in pain, he'd throw things

and bang his head scarring himself. In 2007, he was sent to the first

of three secure units. Because things became out

of control, the secure So once he was there, it felt

like you couldn't get him back out? This weighty family file tells

the story of Ian's life It shows his mum raising numerous

concerns about levels of medication, There are records of Ian

being restrained as well as family letters fighting to get him moved

to a supported home It took nine years, but Ian left

the last secure hospital in 2016. Within months, testicular

cancer was found. The family believes in the secure

unit early signs were first missed Bernadette Adams provided

the family support in meetings Jan has been saying for many months

that Ian was in pain or Ian had infections and she was,

you know, on many occasions, In a statement, the Department

for Health says: It and NHS England

also insist they are making progress in improving care and

closing secure units. But not fast enough

for Sir Steve Bubb, author of two He's written to the Prime Minister

calling for an Independent Commissioner to speak up

for people like Ian. It's scandalous and very sad the use

of physical restraint, overmedication, secclusion

and a serious neglect of health It's all too typical and it has

led me to believe that institutional care is,

at root, abusive and we must The Government says it has no

plans for an Independent Ian's family want his legacy to be

that in future others The head of the bank JP Morgan,

one of the City's biggest employers, has told the BBC that Brexit

could easily mean thousands of his In an exclusive interview,

Jamie Dimon said there was no question that Europe had more cards

at the negotiating table. His words come as the new French

government makes a pitch for bankers to relocate to Paris,

after the UK leaves the EU, as our gusiness editor,

Simon Jack, reports. The Prime Minister of

France today rolled out his own red white and blue carpet

to the UK's finance industry. Here in Paris's financial

district, there is There is a sense the UK's financial

services industry has been wounded by Brexit and Paris has been

the most aggressive capital of those trying to nibble away at London's

dominant position in global finance. France is bending over backwards

to attract an industry its former President once

described as an enemy. Loose employment laws

and new international schools It is a list aimed

squarely at international bankers like Jamie Diamond,

chief executive of JP Morgan, who employed 16,000

people in the UK. He has warned thousands

of those may go before Brexit and today that

could just be the beginning. We're at the negotiating table and

sometimes the other person has more cards. There's no question Europe

has more cards to play here. You once said 4,000 jobs, you say that

may well yet be true? Yes, easily, yeah. Even more? I'm hoping it's

just a few hundred. Again, we hope it's none. But yes, the negotiation

will determine how many. Back in London, giving evidence to the House

of Lords, David Davis said the banks need for quick answers was being

used for leverage by EU negotiators. Enough American banks are saying oh,

we'll go to Paris. Good luck to them. Even Frankfurt, even better

luck to them. They encourage the other side therefore to hold back.

There's no holding back the man of the moment, though. New president

Emmanuel Macron has a gnaw preach that is -- has a gnaw preach that is

resonating with businesses big -- has a new approach that is

resonating with businesses. We know things like Brexit or Donald Trump

are factors into why they're looking to coming and work here. Obviously

there's a huge Macron effect as well, with the new president. I

think for once, we're starting to have a probusiness image. The French

government is hoping that will make banks consider Paris less a tourist

attraction and more like a permanent home. Simon Jack, BBC News, Paris.

Tonight marks a month since the Grenfell Tower fire

in which at least 80 people lost their lives.

Police believe 255 people managed to escape the building that night.

One of them was Antonio Roncolato, who lived in a flat

He's been recounting the events of that night

with our correspondent, Jeremy Cooke.

The memories, though, are sharp, clear, fresh in the mind.

For those who survived, the events of a month ago

Antonio shared a flat in Grenfell Tower with his son,

Christopher, who came home late that night to find the building on fire.

When my son called me around 1.30am, he told, "Pappy, wake up,

get dressed and get out of there because the tower is burning."

The flames came down Christopher's room, on the outside.

Smoke was very thick, very horrible smell,

I said, there's no way I can go out there, no way.

For the fire brigade, Grenfell Tower was an unprecedented challenge.

Antonio knew he was in mortal danger, but he could do nothing

They banged on the door very strongly.

They said, follow me and we'll tell you to do.

They told me to grab on his jacket in the back.

We went through so synchronised with these two firemen,

A lot of water coming down from above.

A lot of debris, a lot of mud, water on the floor, really noisy.

Hundreds did escape the tower that night.

Some even filmed as they made it out, made it to safety.

For Antonio, a breath of sweet, fresh air.

I was out, I say, oh, my God, I said thank you,

I say thank you, right and left, up and down.

Then they escorted me out of the building.

I had to walk a few steps to the ambulance.

Then I could see a glimpse of the tower burning.

Antonio escaped the chaos, still he mourns neighbours

Two in particular, brother and sister, that

And still, so many questions about how all of this could have

happened in our capital city one month ago.

The ancient network of trade routes known as the Silk Road brought goods

Now China's president is resurrecting the route

with a 7,500 mile railway - costing more than ?1 trillion.

But is it a win for all or a bid for strategic influence?

In a series of special reports this week, our China editor,

Carrie Gracie, is travelling the length of China's

Tonight, she continues her journey starting in Western China.

This is the face of the new Silk Road.

Behind the stage make-up, Buhalima is a Muslim

Her people left behind by China's growth.

Here in Xinjiang, the state fears radical Islam.

And ethnic unrest has kept many away.

TRANSLATION: Tourists I met told me they heard Xinjiang was unsafe,

that they couldn't be sure to get out unharmed if they came here.

Some people did some bad things and it's affected all of us.

China is trying to re-write the script.

At this theatre, a grand narrative of ethnic unity

The wealth gap between West China and the coast, a challenge

This economy is addicted to building but the coast now has as much road

So China's seeking new frontiers at home and abroad.

To solve economic and security problems with one blow.

The Silk Road was once unimaginably remote to most Chinese.

In less than a decade, China's built twice as much rail

as the rest of the world combined and pushed it out to the far west,

towards the fabled Silk Road oasis of Dunhuang,

a magnet for the biggest tourist force in the world.

One government hopes will kick start growth and stabilise the region.

Heading west to troubled Xinjiang, do they fear

There are people looking after our safety everywhere we go.

TRANSLATION: A small group of people are causing

At Xinjiang's Grand Theatre, they're spending $250 million

on a Silk Road centre-piece but the more China invests,

The ancient Silk Road story has moments of danger.

And China's grand new narrative is fraught with peril.

Deliver on the spin of opportunities for all, or forever scan the crowd

And Carrie continues her journey tomorrow in Kazakhstan,

where China is challenging Russia's influence.

Newsnight is coming up on BBC Two. Tonight, we'll be delving deep

into the Trump e-mails, the disclosure today that one

Watergate prosecutor described as a smoking cannon.

And we've an exclusive investigation into one work place,

where staff have been paid the equivalent of one third

Here on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.