30/06/2017 World News Today

There are reports of a shooting incident inside New York. A man

dressed as a doctor opened fire at the Bronx Lebanon on hospital. The

Council leader responsible for Grenfell Tower in London where 80

people died in a fire has resigned. Nicholas Paget-Brown's Council was

criticised for its response. Germany legalises same-sex unions -

bringing it in line with most other European countries -

although Angela Merkel she changed the lives

of women in France - Simone Weil, the holocaust survivor

who became a politician has died. Hello and welcome

to World News Today. We start the programme with some

breaking news coming in from the States. Reports of a shooting

incident inside a hospital inside the Bronx in New York. Unarmed man,

said to be dressed as a doctor, opened fire at the Bronx Lebanon on

hospital, according to reports. This hit is a 972 bed hospital, at least

three people are believed to have been shot, although there are

reports of multiple shootings and some reports describe this as an

ongoing situation. Messages on social media speaking of doctors and

nurses having barricaded themselves inside the building and also some

reports of a fire in the building. None of this is 100% confirmed. New

York Forrest has been briefed on the situation and police are going

through from each floor to each floor in search of the gunmen. We

will keep you updated on this developing story.

The leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council,

the borough where the Grenfell Tower fire happened, has resigned.

Nicholas Paget-Brown said he had to accept responsibility

for his role in response to the fire and in particular for the decision

to ban the public and press from a council meeting last night.

The BBC has also obtained documents that show that cheaper,

less fire-resistant cladding was chosen for the tower block.

80 people are believed to have died in the fire and there is no

suggestion a deliberate decision was made to cut fire safety.

Kensington Chelsea Council says safety would not have been

compromised in order to manage budgets.

Our home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds has more.

Were you pressured by Number 10 to resign?

The leader of the council criticised for failing to cope

with the crisis in his backyard, could not hold on.

CHANTING: We want justice, we want justice!

Last week his council offices were invaded.

Last night he couldn't even hold a council meeting.

In particular my decision to accept legal advice that I should not

compromise the public inquiry by having an open discussion

in public yesterday has itself become a political story,

and it cannot be right that this should have become the focus

of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for.

Investigations by the BBC and the Times newspaper

into the decisions made when the council refurbished

Grenfell Tower added to the pressure.

The big change - the addition of aluminium cladding panels

We've been investigating that refurbishment and whether it played

a part in the tragedy that was to follow.

This development in North London includes cladding made not

from aluminium, but zinc. Documents passed to the BBC revealed

that the zinc panels were originally proposed for Grenfell.

In 2012 the architects' designs show this clearly -

residents were told it would be zinc.

But there was pressure from the council on contractors

By 2015 they were given amendments to the original tender and told

to fit aluminium composite panel, which is cheaper.

So did the change make a difference to fire safety?

Well, this panel is similar to the ones eventually used.

It's an aluminium sandwich with a plastic filling

which is not fire resistant. The original zinc panels

were marketed as capable of being able to resist fire.

Both panels have the same safety rating under European tests.

So on current evidence, it's not clear the change

However, even the fact there was pressure to cut costs has

infuriated those affected by the fire.

Those affected and the wider community are utterly sick of this

lack of value ascribed to human beings who pay their council tax,

Meanwhile, cladding from 149 tower blocks has now

The whole process has been criticised as pointless because only

the cladding is being tested, and not for example

Pointless? No, says the testing body.

It is critical to do these screening tests,

just to see whether there is a risk or not, to see whether the buildings

Many of them do, and the question now is what can we do about it,

and are there other risks or materials we need to consider?

There is an immediate crisis to deal with,

an ongoing police investigation, a public inquiry, again today

described as too narrow. Grenfell Tower casts a long shadow.

We will return to New York, the breaking news that there has been a

shooting at a hospital in the Bronx borough of New York. We have a tweet

from the Police Commissioner of New York, according to the Reuters news

agency, saying the suspect who opened fire at the hospital is dead.

Just to repeat, this developing situation, the breaking news we

started the programme with, the suspect who opened fire at the Bronx

Lebanon hospital in New York is dead. That's according to a tweet

from the Police Commissioner and that is being reported at the moment

on the Reuters news agency. We believe at least three people have

been injured but of course, this is a developing situation and we will

bring you more details the moment we get confirmation of them. Let's turn

to Germany. Germany has legalised same-sex

marriage, a move that brings it in line with most other

European countries. Members of Parliament

voted in favour - after the German Chancellor Angela Merkel

changed her position to allow a free vote on gay marriage -

though she herself, voted against it.

Jenny Hill explains from Berlin. Here, it's called

"marriage for all." The new law means

same-sex couples will TRANSLATION: It's

a historic day for Germany. Today thousands of same-sex

partnerships have been The two-class system

in love has been abolished. Jubilation too inside

the German parliament. The political left

has fought for years to bring this legislation,

but Angela Merkel has always opposed During this interview she appeared

to soften her stance. She'd met, she said,

a lesbian couple who'd They inspired a change

of heart, and a free vote for Mrs Merkel's Conservative MPs,

though she herself TRANSLATION: It's been a long,

intense and emotional debate. For me personally too,

which is why I hope that today's vote not only brings respect

for both sides of the debate, Angela Merkel may have rejected

the proposition at the ballot box, but she will go down in history

as the Chancellor who introduced By voting against the bill,

Mrs Merkel is appealing to the more conservative of her electorate,

but by in effect letting it happen she's appeasing potential coalition

partners of the future, and she's cementing that

reputation as Europe's For now celebrations,

though the law may yet be challenged What's widely held as a victory

for equal rights is also seen by many here as a political

success story too. Social media timelines are full

of rainbow colours today as Twitter users celebrate Germany's decision

to legalise same-sex marriage. The hashtag "marriage for all" began

trending worldwide within hours of the announcement,

generating more than 50,000 tweets. One Twitter user posted - "Germany

legalized same sex marriage. I am proud of Germany

for the first time." Another posted - "I might be crying

some happy tears right now, marriage equality in Germany

is everything I've It will soon be 24 hours since

President Trump's ban on certain people travelling to certain

countries came into effect. Critics say it is unconstitutional and

racist. This was the response when President

Trump first imposed his travel ban, the court struck it down. But now it

has been partially provide timely response looks like this. The travel

ban is more limited and the protests are smaller. But this is an issue on

which America feels deeply. We are in a political climate where Muslims

are being targeted by bigoted and is discriminatory laws. If nothing

else, it will make a psychological difference, now that we are actually

going to do something to prevent terrorists. Most Muslims feel this

isn't the best way to promote peace and to stop terrorism, which we all

want to do. For the next 90 days, non-US visa holders from six

predominantly Muslim countries will be denied entry to the United

States. But there are some exceptions. Those with close family

members already in America may be admitted but not grandparents or

more extended family. Those with US college places or jobs can be

admitted as well but the administration is struggling to

explain how exactly these rules make America safer. This has been one of

the President's top issues. He has talked consistently about how he

believes the United States needs to do more to enhance our screening

procedures and to take a better look at people who will be coming into

the United States. Lawyers are talking to new arrivals at airports

around the country to monitor the new arrangements. It will include

120 day ban on most refugees from anywhere. We tried to gather

information so we can note for future travellers, what to be on the

lookout for. If we need to file lawsuits or petitions, we also on

hand to do so. The Supreme Court will decide decide on this ban in

October and some of the restrictions will by then already have expired.

Let's speak to the former President of the American immigration lawyers

association, joining us live from Ohio. Even as this ban was finally

coming into effect, we had a clarification on the bona fides

family members, fiancees were now in this kind of ran. This is a bit of a

minefield. Who are these relatives that will be allowed through? The

Supreme Court was pretty clear, the Supreme Court says somebody needs to

show a bona fides famille yelp relationship. Or a bona fides

relationship with an employer. The Trump administration took it on

themselves to arbitrarily narrow that definition. As you mentioned

earlier, the left out grandparents and they originally left out

fiancees. It just goes back to this whole thing. We have never had a

President in this country that has tried to ban an entire religion. The

lower courts have waded in and said no. The Supreme Court earlier

basically said no. They left the core of this travel ban in place the

Donald Trump really was the big loser this week in terms of his

travel ban. Even though he has got it through, partially, he has got

roughly what he wanted, you still think he is the loser in this? Yes,

because he didn't get what he wanted, which was to ban all people

from six predominantly Muslim countries, all people, including

people that have lived and worked tier for years, anyone from these

countries. The court said, you can't do this because we know you want to

do this based on your hatred of Muslims. Look at what you said

during the campaign. The Supreme Court looked at this and said, to

have a connection to United States, we can put a temporary pause on

that. The rest of Donald Trump's plan is still on hold. That's why I

say this was a big loss for him. Would you suggest as some critics

say, this is based on racism? Of course it is. It is based on

anti-Muslim rhetoric that we heard coming out of this President's mouth

for the last two years. One thing that happened in the US courts,

Donald Trump as everybody knows, loves to tweet and he will say

anything he wants and then denied that he said it and you can save the

sky is blue and then say it was raining and he will say, I only said

it was raining. But when you go to a US court, as in the UK, you go into

a court, you are responsible for your words and the courts held him

to his words and they were, he wanted to ban Muslims. He said it

over and over again. Then he said, even whether his assistants were

saying, this is in a band pause. Donald Trump then tweets, this is a

ban. The courts have held him to his word and I think this is really

where he is going to have to take some responsibility. We will have to

leave it there. David Leopold. Thank you. We will stay with Donald Trump.

Staying in the US, and two TV presenters attacked on Twitter

by President Donald Trump have accused him of lying

and suggested the White House tried to blackmail them.

Mika Brezinski and Joe Scarborough, the hosts of MSNBC Morning Joe said

they were warned a tabloid would run a negative story on them

unless they said sorry for their coverage of Mr Trump.

Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.

Around 60 migrants are feared drowned after their boat sank

Around 80 survivors were brought to the Italian port of Brindisi,

where they told aid workers about the disaster.

On Wednesday, a senior EU official said the scale of migration

across the Mediterranean is untenable - with around 10,000

people reported to have attempted the journey in the past few days.

The leader of the far-right in France, Marine Le Pen,

has been placed under formal investigation over an alleged

Ms Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing, and calls the case

We will bring you the latest sports news including, the Wimbledon draw

has been made but will Andy Murray be fit to defend his title?

China's President Xi Jinping has been enjoying another day

of celebrations in Hong Kong, to mark 20 years since the territory

The Chinese President said unification was the start of the new

era for Hong Kong. The world's first clone has been made of the world's

first mammal. Russian and American aircraft have

docked in orbit for the first time in 20 years.

Challenger powered past the light has had almost 50 yachts. Shattering

the record that stood for 34 years. No hiding the sheer elation of

Richard Branson and his crew. You are watching BBC World News

today. Our main headlines this hour: police in New York say a gunman has

opened fire at a hospital. Initial reports say three doctors were shot,

one unconfirmed report says the government is a former doctor at the

Bronx Lebanon hospital and the latest reports say the gunman has

been killed. After weeks of criticism and a stormy Council

meeting last night, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council

finally steps down in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. 80 people

are believed to have died in it. Let's get all the sports news with

Damian Johnson. Andy Murray says he is feeling good, despite limping

through much practice three days before his scheduled to begin the

event of his Wimbledon title. He pulled out of his final warm up

match with a sore hip. The defending champion managed to work with coach

Ivan Lendl today but there were some ominous signs as he was clearly

moving rather gingerly but he remains hopeful he will be fit for

the first round. Novak Djokovic is through to the men's file at the

Eastbourne tournament. He showed a few flashes of his best form,

beating the Brevet in straight sets. -- beating medal the dead in

straight sets. Caroline Wozniacki is into the women's final. She will

play Karolina Pliskova in the final. Her opponent Johanna Konta withdrew

due to a back injury. Chris Froome has signed a new contract for three

years with teen Sky on the eve of the Tour de France. The 104th tour

gets underway in Dusseldorf in Germany on Saturday and Chris Froome

is hoping to get his third straight victory and fourth victory in five

years. He faces stiff competition from some of the world's leading

cyclists. I think this is the biggest challenge I have faced in my

career. The level of my rivals and of course we racing on, means it

will be a much more open race. It will be the biggest challenge for

me, for sure. It will be right up there. To win a fourth Tour de

France title would be incredible, it would be unreal. I don't want to

jinx it but it would just be unreal. UK anti-doping authorities still

investigating investigations of wrongdoing against Team Sky and

British Cycling for 2012 which both deny. UCI President Brian Cookson

says cycling has made significant progress in the battles against

doping while he has been in charge. Reputational problems that have been

around that team in the last few months have not been helpful. I want

to wait, like everyone else, for the outcome of UK anti-doping enquiries

and I don't think it is right I should say more than that. Team Sky

are no different from any other team. It is not helpful it has taken

so long to resolve satisfactory. Coach Andy Farrell says the British

and Irish lions need to man up if they are to win the second test in

Wellington and remain in the series with New Zealand. The Lions have

made three changes. Owen Farrell moves to inside centre. Sam

Warburton returns as in side flanker. The tourists have to win

this. It is about character this week for us. It is about manning up.

Putting everything on the line because it is that situation, isn't

it? It is do or die for us. Barcelona have activated the

buy-back Clause 4 Gerard Deulofeu who will return on a two year

contract. He was on loan at AC Milan. He will cost Barcelona around

?10.5 million. Jermain Defoe signed for Bournemouth on Thursday and they

have now signed Nathan Ake for a club record fee from Chelsea. Nathan

Ake had a spell on loan with Eddie Howe's season last season and the

fee is reported to be around ?20 million. That is all the sport for

now. The respected French politician

and Auschwitz survivor who wrote France's abortion laws,

has died at the age of 89. Simone Weil was best known

for her instrumental role in legalising abortion in the 1970s,

and went on to serve as the first President of an elected

European Parliament. Her death was confirmed

by President Macron, who called her life

"an exemplary inspiration". TRANSLATION: Makes me think about

the abortion loss. I can't remember which year but it was a really great

step forward. We have lost a very special lady. I benefited from her

abortion legislation and at the time, that was extraordinary. She

was one of the first push for independent women to get involved in

politics, despite having suffered enormously but without ever

complaining. Earlier I spoke to the Economist

bureau chief Sophie Pedder in Paris, about Simone Weil's legacy and how

she was a woman ahead of her time. When you look at what she was

campaigning for in the 1970s, as health minister, she argued in

Parliament for the legalisation of abortion. She was really taking on a

very Conservative, male establishment and when you look at

her giving a speech in the National Assembly in the French Parliament,

she was a woman in front of her own male audience, only nine female

deputies at the time, she really wanted to bring France I think, in

the modern era and make it a more socially liberal society. It came

after the 1968 student uprising when there was a reaction against a much

more Conservative culture. She wanted to modernise France in a way

that was ahead of her time. Let's go back to our developing story, that

breaking story from New York. The New York Police Commissioner says

that the gunmen who opened fire at a hospital in the city is now dead.

Local media reported that at least three people had been wounded in

this attack at the Bronx Lebanon hospital. Reports say the suspect

was a current or former employee. A police spokesperson did not specify

how many people had been hurt in this incident. The hospital is north

of Manhattan. We will continue to monitor that for you for the time

being. If you are heading out to the United

States or indeed Canada, if you are heading west, you will be greeted

with a lot of fine and dry and sunny weather. If heading east,

potentially you will be greeted with some thunderstorms and potential

rain. Looking at the satellite picture in the last 24 hours, we can

see how dry it has been across the west. Heavy rain and thunderstorms

have been affecting central and eastern parts of the States and also

eastern Canada. For the week in, not looking very different. Humid air

from the Gulf of Mexico feeding the thunderstorms. Warm and humid and

storms could be pretty violent for Texas, all the way up the eastern

Canada. South Asia, some heavy rain. South-west monsoon in full swing and

it is pretty much where it should be for the time of year. The north west

corner, we have seen some heavy rain in the last couple of days. Could be

looking at another four to five millimetres of rain doing the course

of the weekend. Likely to be more flooding in places. Europe, we have

seen huge contrast in temperature and weather conditions. Central and

northern parts have been bombarded with strong winds, heavy rain and

thunderstorms. North east Germany has seen torrential downpours to end

the working week. These thunderstorms will be moving north

and east words into western Russia and the Baltic states. Further

south, it is all about the heatwave, particularly across the south east

corner. In the Canary Isles, a lot of fine weather, temperatures around

28, 30 degrees on Saturday. The Iberian peninsula sees lower

temperatures than normal for this time of year. Even a few showers

across south eastern Spain. In France, remains quite unsettled but

some sunshine and quite pleasant in Nice. A bit cooler of late for

Italy. This intense heatwave is producing temperatures over 40

degrees and it will persist during the week. It is the start of next

week that the weather front moves into the heatwave and brings

temperatures down and spark off some violent thunderstorms. We will keep

you updated. At home, this weekend, things looking a little better

thanks to high pressure and we should see dry and bright weather.

You can see the high pressure nudging in from the south west. In

between two weather systems and this will bring increasing amounts of

wind and rain to Northern Ireland and Scotland. But some sunshine

around. Light winds as well and it will feel quite warm. A full UK

weather forecast can be Senio in about half an hour so stay tuned. --

a full UK weather forecast can be seen here.