Report sheds light on tower fire that killed 72

Hello. Today we look back on the Glenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people in London seven years ago, after the publication of a damning report. My colleagues have heard from victims and their relatives who say they want accountability. We're also reporting from Australia, whose 20-year-old outdoor smoking ban could inform policy elsewhere, as well as France, Nigeria and Canada.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why Australia's outdoor smoking ban could inspire others

These two friends are drinking in a dedicated smoking area.

The UK government is considering banning smoking from spaces outside pubs, hospitals and other places welcoming the public, following a global trend of stricter rules around tobacco use. In Australia, a similar ban has been in place for two decades.

What are the rules on outdoor smoking in Australia?

They vary from state to state but, broadly speaking, at pub gardens and parks, designated smoking sections or zones are set up to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke. At beaches and playgrounds, smoking is banned altogether.

Has smoking gone down in Australia?

Daily smoking rates in Australia are now down to 8.3% - from 16% in 2000 and 24% in 1991. Experts attribute that to a mix of policies, including banning adverts for tobacco, health warnings and plain packaging on cigarettes, and high product taxes. But smoke-free environments have been key to stamping out smoking in public, several researchers told the BBC.

There is worry in the UK about the impact on the pub industry. How have Australian pubs coped?

Some pub owners reported an initial loss of "10% to 15%,” says Craig Shannon, the head of Clubs ACT, the capital territory branch of the national body for licensed clubs. But it levelled out over time, he says, and "the regulations always came in gradually which really helped". Mark Bain, who owns two pubs in the suburb of Sydney, said there was "maybe a bit of a loss of revenue" initially, but that the long-term impact has been positive with more families coming.

THE BIG PICTURE

Why Lagos buildings keep crashing down

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So far this year, a building has collapsed once every two weeks on average in Nigeria’s megacity, Lagos. After a dramatic wreckage that killed 42 people in 2021, a judge called out the irresponsibility and negligence of government agencies supposed to supervise construction. Mansur Abubakar tells us why so little seems to have changed.

And finally... in Greece

Residents of the village of Kallio were forced to evacuate their homes more than 40 years ago to make way for the Mornos dam in southern Greece, which supplies water to the capital, Athens. However, drought conditions in recent months caused the reservoir's water levels to drop dramatically - revealing what remained of the village.