01/07/2017 BBC Weekend News

London's Mayor is urging Theresa May to appoint commissioners to run

Kensington and Chelsea Council after its leader resigned over

Sadiq Khan welcomed the decision by both Nicholas Paget-Brown

and his deputy to quit, but said public trust could not

be restored by other members of the council.

One local councillor has insisted the council is capable of handling

It was the breakdown of this, the first Cabinet meeting at the council

since the fire at Grenfell to you they're led to the resignation of

its leader, Nicolas Paget-Brown. As council leader I have to accept my

share of responsibility for these perceived failings. Pressure had

been mounting on the council following intense criticism of the

way the disaster had been handled from day one. I completely

understand the anger, the frustration of the local community,

but I of course we weren't immediately quick off the ground, it

was an enormous - I don't know if everyone realised how complex and

how vast this fire was. I challenge any Borough in the whole country to

have immediately had an action plan they could put into place. The

resignation has been welcomed by many, including the Mayor of London,

Sadiq Khan who urged the Prime Minister to get a grip and appoint

commissioners to run the Borough. He wrote, commissioners who are

untainted should take over the running of the council to act in the

best interests of residents. But some in this community that already

feels like it's been failed by the authorities are sceptical of the

appointment process. They cannot just impose their old boy network

and their friends and family scheme that they seem to operate elsewhere.

There needs to be a proper process for the selection of those

commissioners and that has to be community-led, they can not do that

on their own, we are not going to be imposed on at state level again. But

despite these calls for commissioners to be brought in, it's

not yet clear whether this will actually happen. It's understood the

council will elect a new leader next week with the hope of rebuilding

trust with those who have had their lives shattered by this tragedy.

British Airways says it's running almost all of its flights,

Members of the Unite Union have begun a 16-day walkout over pay.

The Government has allowed BA to lease planes and crew

from its partner Qatar Airways during the industrial action.

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has said his country won't tolerate

any challenge to its sovereignty over Hong Kong.

He was speaking at a ceremony to swear in the territory's

new leader, 20 years after Britain handed over control

Away from official events, there were some clashes

between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing supporters.

Our correspondent Stephen McDonell joins us live.

Stephen, to what extent do these protests represent the popular view

in Hong Kong? Well, I am standing here at the rowdy end point of a

march of a pro-democracy protesters, in their tens of thousands they've

been coming through the city, despite driving tropical rain to

send a message to the visiting President of China that they're

worried that the city's unique freedoms are under threat. They're

talking about freedom of the press, the independence of courts, freedom

to gather. The message from China's President to them has been don't

worry, he says Hong Kong has a bright future under the so-called

one-country, two systems model but he has drawn a line and that's this,

people can't threaten the mainland sovereignty over Hong Kong. This

will be especially worrying to people who have called for

independence. It's not clear what that threat really from the

President means. But on this 20th anniversary of the handover of this

former British colony back to China, most people here are not asking for

freedom, they're happy to be part of China but as long as they can have

normal freedoms they've come to be used to.

World leaders are gathering in Strasbourg to commemorate

the life of the late German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl.

Mr Kohl - who oversaw Germany's reunification -

was seen as one of the driving forces behind closer

His coffin, draped in the EU flag, is being taken to the European

parliament, and will be buried later.

Theresa May's approach to Brexit has hamstrung

negotiations with Brussels, according to a former

James Chapman, formerly chief of staff to the Brexit

Secretary David Davis, told the BBC that Mr Davis,

and other cabinet ministers, want the Prime Minister to loosen

Our political correspondent Jonathan Blake joins me.

Presumably there will be supporters of MrDavis who see him as a better

prospect for the future than Theresa May remaining Prime Minister, is

leadership one of the issues surfacing yet again? It could well

be in play here, yes, some people are certainly suggesting this is

David Davis suggesting that his position on Brexit might well be

different to the Prime Minister's and maybe he is getting his excuses

in early, if things go wrong in negotiations. But this is an

interesting insight from a man that many of us may not have heard of but

until recently was working alongside the Brexit Secretary David Davis who

is of course in charge of negotiating our exit from the

European Union. As he sees it, his former boss has been put in a very

difficult position by the Prime Minister, her red lines as he calls

them on certain issues have left him hamstrung in those negotiations.

Now, specifically he talks about the European Court of justice. It's the

EU's highest court. The EU has said it would still like it to have a

role in, for example, safeguarding the rights of EU citizens living in

the UK, but Theresa May has been very clear it should have no

jurisdiction here and many people who voted Leave might agree with

that. There's been no comment from Number 10 or David Davis department,

but if we assume James Chapman's comments reflect David Davis, then

perhaps he feels frustrated and his hands are tied to a degree in what

is a complicated process. Thank you very much.

Rugby, and the British and Irish Lions have beat

New Zealand's All Blacks - levelling the three-match series.

Owen Farrell's penalty in the final moments of the game earned

the visitors a 24-21 victory over their hosts.

It sets up what will be a thrilling final match next week,

as our sports correspondent Katie Gornall reports,

Weather in rugby can be a great leveller and when you're up

against the All Blacks, it all helps.

Defeat here and any dreams of the Lions making history would be

For 12 years, New Zealand has waited for the return of the

their careers in the wind and rain of Wellington if they're keep the

We just need to gel together as one team.

Hopefully tonight they will be a star team.

Because we've got a good team pick and the weather

Stick it up our jumper and up the middle.

I mean, this is a brand that has to live and they are fighting

Up against the most fearsome winning machine in sport,

the Lions had been set up for a bruising encounter.

But it takes more than brute force to knock the All Blacks off

The conditions made even the basics a challenge but if

there was tension, it certainly wasn't in the mind of Owen Farrell

who finished this as if he was playing in the park.

In such a cauldron, cool heads were needed.

This was not what New Zealand had in mind.

Sonny Bill Williams becoming the first All Black to be sent off

At half-time, fans sensed an opportunity.

But a man advantage is no guarantee against the All Blacks and hopes

seemed swept away. With no more room for error it was time to be bold:

Any Lion will tell you it's better to be the hunter. With their tails

up Murray seized a chance. With the scores level into the final minutes

the Lions needed something. A final kick, a final roar, a penalty that

keeps the dream alive. This will be a victory that lives long in the

memory. The Lions have found their teeth.

Princes William and Harry are to attend a private service

to re-dedicate their mother's grave, on what would have been

She is buried at her family home, Althorp House, in Northamptonshire.

Our Royal correspondent, Peter Hunt reports.

September 1997 and the last public moments of a funeral that transfixed

This was Diana, Princess of Wales, being brought

home to Althorp House, near Northampton, where she'd lived

as a teenager and where her ancestors had lived for generations.

With no cameras present, the Princess was buried on an island

in the middle of an ornamental lake at the heart of this

The precise location of her grave has never been made public.

The area is being redesigned in her honour in this

20 years ago, Diana's ex-husband, Prince Charles,

was there with their sons and her brother and sisters.

20 years on, the future king will be missing,

as he is in Canada with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall.

With his father absent, Prince William will be joined

at today's very private ceremony, by his wife, Kate,

and their children, George and Charlotte.

They will attend a service for a mother-in-law

For William and Harry, who were just children when Diana died,

this is the start of a difficult time as they remember their mother,

a mother who they say smothered them in love.

Today at her grave they will reflect and say prayers.

It's been announced that the journalist writer and film critic

Barry Norman has died. Throughout his career he was the defining voice

of film criticism as best known for presenting the BBC's Film programme

for quarter of a century. You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel. The next news on BBC

One is at 17.25. Good afternoon. It's a quiet start

to July but here is