04/08/2016 BBC News at Six

The Bank of England cuts interest rates for the first

time in seven years - amid signs the UK

Interest rates have been cut to a new historic low -

a quarter of one per cent - as the Bank's governor hints

We're living through a time of considerable uncertainty,

and one thing we can do is reduce the uncertainty over

From home buyers to savers, we'll be looking at what impact

the interest rate cut could have on you.

Police say they believe a random knife attack in London that killed

an American woman was triggered by mental health issues, not terrorism.

Addicted to devices - British adults now spend an average

of 25 hours online every week, as more than half

And towering over Brighton - the town's new vertical pier finally

Coming up in the sport on BBC News, it's advantage, Pakistan

after the second day of the third test against England,

Azhar Ali leading the charge of the century at Edgbaston.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to a new record low

of a quarter of one per cent amid concern about a slowdown

in the economy following the vote to leave the European Union.

It's the first time rates have been cut for seven years since

The decision is just one of a series of what the bank called "exceptional

measures" to boost growth - including a decision to pump

The Bank also announced the biggest ever cut to its growth forecasts

for next year - from 2.3% down to 0.8%.Here's our

Here's our Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed.

We were saying farewell to a tough winter and an even tougher recession

the last time the Bank of England cut interest rates from 1% to 0.5%.

Since then, we had wedding bells. We've had running, swimming, jumping

and an Olympics. Voters have trudged to the polls time after time after

time, and all the way through, the bank has resolute Idlib --

resolutely not acted on that low number, until today, and a cut to

0.25%. The governor decided it was time to act. We have, in the actions

we have taken, by acting through multiple channels with a coherent

policy package, we have improved the economic outcomes for this country.

There will be less unemployment, more activity, and there will be a

greater prospect of a successful adjustment to the new realities. The

bank will create more money, ?170 billion, to be precise, increasing

quantitative reasoning by buying government and business debt. --

quantitative easing. The government -- the Governor told me the post

Brexit adjustment would have an effect. We expect unemployment to go

from just under 5% to about 5.6% more unfortunately. That is a little

more than 250,000 jobs that would be lost over the course of the next few

years. That shows you the real cost of Brexit. Well, that shows the cost

of this period of adjustment. What does today's package mean? 1.5

million mortgage holders will see their bills fall. It will not be by

much, on average just ?22 a month, but for savers, it is not good news.

If you have a savings pot of ?100, on average you would have received

40p a year before the cut. Now, that will fall to just 25p. The two sides

of the low interest rate debate. Sandy Saunders is a saver and Laura

Brooks is just about to take on a new, cheap mortgage. The sandy,

today's cut just makes things a little harder. It's just the fact

that when you are used to having that little bit extra coming in, the

bottle money, as it were, and it's not there now, you have to fit

everything else into the budget you have got coming in. It was nice to

have that bit of interest, but now you don't get it any more. For

Laura, low rates have put homeownership within her reach. It

would have been much harder to get on the property ladder in London if

interest rates were much higher. Every thing is going up and wages

don't seem to be increasing to reflect that. The other important

address today, Number 11 Downing Street, home of the Chancellor in a

government that will have to play its part supporting the economy. He

said he would do whatever it takes. We are trying to protect jobs and

economic growth, and the measures that have been taken today are

designed to ensure that any increase in unemployment as a result of the

economic slowdown is kept to the minimum. For the Bank of England,

the big question - will this package work? Yes, the interest rate cut is

modest. The stimulus relatively small. But Mark Carney has offered

himself as a one man confidence indicator, and for the economy,

confidence is important. While others fiddle, here is some action.

We had to wait seven years for this interest rate cut, but we may not

have to wait as long for the next one. The bank is already looking at

cutting rates again, to 0.1%, a new historic low, as we digest the

economic impact of the referendum. So as Kamal pointed out,

people buying houses are among those Hywel Griffith has been

to a new development in Newport to assess consumer

and business confidence. Economic growth requires a lot of

ingredients. If today's measures are going to shore things up, its places

like this new housing estate where they will be used. Through into the

kitchen. Tom and Fiona are buying their first home together. The

interest rate cut should make finding a mortgage cheaper. Both

work in the codfish trade, a service industry that has been booming, but

they are aware -- they work in the coffee tray, but other businesses

are not doing so well. It is terrible when people are losing

jobs. That is people's livelihood. But I think we all need to be a bit

more sensible with our money, and spend it where you need it.

Hopefully, the economy will turn around and we welcome at other side.

Their new home will need to be kitted out. Credit cards may be an

option. The Bank of England has warned against growing consumer

debt, a warning they are heeding. There are offers left, right and

centre if you want to take loans on this, interest-free on that. We

could go to town on every room in the house easily. But you have got

to live to your means. When they eventually move in, their new

neighbours will be Mohammed and his family, with two stores in Newport

and plans for a third on an economic slowdown will be felt in his tills.

Buying a new house now is a big decision, but he thinks the money is

better off in bricks and mortar than in the banks. You can't keep cash in

the back this time, because interest rates are too low. The best way is

to invest money in property or business. And it is the best time to

buy a house. Construction is an important part of the UK economy,

but it's an industry that has been particularly nervous over what the

next few months will bring. What they want is confidence and cash

flow so that they can carry on building. For developer Tim, the

promise of economic stimulus is key, as long as the money does reach

them. We can't continue to build unless the banks are there to

support us as an industry. We clearly want to build as many houses

as we can. These brand-new streets will not be finished for another 18

months. By then, we should know if today has put the economy on the

right track. Hywel Griffith, BBC News, Newport.

Interest rate at a historic low and could go lower, but will it work?

What we have seen today is a big, confidence boosting measure, as far

as the bank felt it could go and a lot further than many thought. Mark

Carney also said he wants to make Brexit a success, or do what he can

to make it a success. So I think he is saying, don't panic, the economy

might be slowing, but we have got the tools to help the economy grow.

But I think actually, we are only seeing half the picture. The bank

only controls parts of the economy. It is now down to the Government,

and what are they going to do to shore up the economy if this growth

problem gets worse? That will be things like taxes and spending and

whether they are going to borrow more or give go-ahead is too big

infrastructure projects. We will only know the detail of that and

whether it works in the Autumn Statement in November or December.

Kamal, thank you. For more on what the interest

rate cut means for you, do go to our website,

where you'll find plenty more information -

that's bbc.co.uk/news. A 19-year-old man has been arrested

on suspicion of murder after an American woman was killed

and five others were injured during a knife attack

in central London last night. It's believed the victims

were selected at random Police say the tragic incident

increasingly appears to have been triggered by mental health

issues, not terrorism. a 19-year-old who had taken one life

and left others injured as he lashed out with a knife in

a busy London square. A guy just came running,

desperate, with a knife, He was not showing

his face because he He was shouting, not

saying any words. Today, other witnesses described how

the attacker fled the scene and some officers went

after him on foot. He was eventually brought down

by a Taser stun gun. There was a guy running

on this street, a policeman was He screamed every time,

"Stop, stop!" He was being shouted

at by the police. "Don't move, don't go any further.

Stop. Literally screaming at him

as he was coming down the street. They actually went out of my vision,

but I did hear the Taser. Then he goes to the floor and lay

there for 45 minutes. The woman who was killed

here was American. The injured were a mix of British,

Israeli, American and Australian. During the day, detectives

were able to establish Whilst the investigation

is not yet complete, the work we have done so far

increasingly points to this tragic incident as having been

triggered by mental health issues. I emphasise that

so far, we have found no evidence of radicalisation that

would suggest the man in our custody The way that so many police officers

poured into this area so quickly shows how the city is primed to deal

with a security threat. Instead, this was all

about the safety of a group of people of different

nationalities, who were caught up in The man in custody is a Norwegian

national of Somali origin. His victim, believed

to be in her sixties, is being remembered at the spot

where her life suddenly ended. June Kelly, BBC News. It's still not

clear how many Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in the

Olympics. The IOC has been criticised for not imposing a

blanket ban. Our Sports Editor Dan Roan

is in Rio for us now. When will we know for sure how many

Russian athletes can take part? In the last few minutes, the IOC

president, Thomas Bach, has been given a press conference. He said we

would finally be told the official number later today. But according to

the Russian state news agency, around 270 Russian athletes will be

able to take part in these Rio 2016 games. It is remarkable that it has

taken until the day before the opening ceremony before we learned

that. There has been chaos in the build-up to these games because of

that damning World Anti-Doping Agency report into state-sponsored

cheating last month. If it is 270, that is about 100 fewer than their

intended team, but it will still be among the largest teams of any

nation taking part, and that will anger many of the critics who

demanded they complete blanket ban. The IOC resisted those demands. They

passed responsibility onto the respective sporting federations. New

Aled Jones -- eligibility criteria were set. When that team walks

around the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night as part of the opening

ceremony at the Russian flag flies, there will already be more

controversy and that will anger many of the critics. Dan Roan, thank you.

It's estimated that one in every 14 adults in England and Wales has been

sexually abused as a child, according to new research.

It's the first time the Crime Survey, which is carried

out every year, has included a question

The findings suggest some 11% of women and 3% of men -

an average of 7% of adults - were affected.

A convoy carrying foreign tourists in western Afghanistan

A group of a dozen tourists were escorted to Herat

by Afghan army personnel when they were ambushed.

The travellers included eight Britons, three US

citizens and one German, some of whom were injured.

The Taliban are suspected of carrying out the attack.

The full list of David Cameron's resignation on years has just been

published. Isabel Spearman will be awarded an OBE. Our political

correspondent is in Westminster with the details. We have just got the

full list in the past 15 minutes. David Cameron awarding 46 of his

former colleagues with honours and creating 30 new Conservative peers.

Former Chancellor George Osborne has become a companion of honour,

awarded for what is described as service of conspicuous national

importance. Who else then is on the list? Craig Oliver, the former

director of communications in Downing Street will become Sir Craig

Oliver. He is knighted. As is Oliver Letwin and Patrick McLauchlin. He is

currently the Conservative Party chairman. Also the executive

director of the Stronger capital at in campaign in the referendum.

Plenty will say these awards are justified for National Service and

others will think they are simply doing their job.

The Bank of England has cut interest rates

for the first time in seven years to a record low of a quarter

of a percent, amid signs the UK economy is slowing.

The wait for the Games is almost over and Team GB are confident

Four years on from the London 2012 opening ceremony,

West Ham play their first game at the Olympic Stadium

as they try to turn around their Europa League qualifying time.

Are you addicted to your mobile phone?

Do you find yourself using a tablet or phone so much that it's

Adults in Britain are now spending an average of 25 hours a week online

More than half of them say they're hooked on their devices

as our business correspondent Emma Simpson reports.

Nothing beats getting away from it all.

But can we really switch off from our phones and devices?

If I Google that, we'll be able to look today.

I find it totally impossible just to put it away and not

I like to keep in touch with everybody and I like to be able

to post on my photos to Facebook so my friends can see where we are.

a bit of Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.

Sadly, I do have to admit I check my e-mails.

I appreciate that my family don't always approve when I do that.

I think, in industry today, there is a requirement

We are now spending on average 25 hours a week online.

But we are also becoming aware of the drawbacks.

A third of adults, 15 million people, said they had gone

on a digital detox or break to strike a healthy balance.

For instance, 16% of us have delivered a gone on holiday

Over on pitch 108, the Woodwards from Merseyside left

There is a lot going on in the world and different things at that.

Two weeks of the year you can chill out and forget about everything.

Many parents are making kids take an online break.

Nearly two thirds have been digitally grounded.

I don't find it something you need everyday.

I am more than happy biking up and down.

We're better connected than ever before but

is to make sure our obsession does not negatively affect our

A man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl

in Weston-super-Mare 33 years ago, has been jailed for nine years.

David Green was arrested after a DNA breakthrough

He refused to comment when the police interviewed him

but confirmed he had a tattoo of the name "Dave" on his arm,

matching a description given by his victim.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn has set out his vision to "rebuild

-- Jeremy Corbyn is due to hold his first head debate with his

challenger. The contest gets under way. How long before we know

leader will be? We will know the result by the end of September. This

time last year there were four candidates on the Labour leadership

ballot. Jeremy Corbyn had scraped on with little or no chance of winning.

Now he is the incumbent facing a leadership challenge. His team are

confident he will still be the leader once all the votes have been

counted up. Earlier today, he set out his policies including investing

?500 billion in infrastructure. Owen Smith has already promised to invest

?200 billion. In some way, Jeremy Corbyn has a bit of a victory of a

victory as a leader because the policies being debated show the

agenda of this contest has shifted firmly to the left. This will be

Owen Smith's debut as he warns the party is on a precipice and that he

is the person to unite it. Jeremy Corbyn has had plenty of experience

at these types of hustings from his successful campaign last year. Thank

you. On the eve of the 2016 rio games -

the Olympic torch has been riding the waves on one of Rio's famous

beaches - carried by Tomorrow night it will be carried

into the Olympic stadium Team GB - who'll be led

in by Andy Murray - are hoping to win 48 medals in Rio -

that's not as many as London - but it would still make

Rio Britain's most Our Sports Correspondent Andy Swiss

has been looking at their chances. 28 different sports,

one common goal. After weeks of preparing,

the time for training With one day to go, Team GB

is starting to gather in Rio, including their flag bearer,

an honour that caught Andy Murray I was just getting into

bed at about 11:15 pm. Um, our team leader came

and I was speechless really. For the team as a whole,

the challenge is to follow this. The success at London 2012 is set

in the gold standard So, what should we expect

from Team GB here in Brazil? London was the best Games for more

than a century. Here, their target is

a little more modest. That still would make

it their best overseas Games, beating the 47 medals they won

in Beijing eight years ago. It is really unusual

for a team to do really Some of them have really

slumped in the past. To have the best away Games ever

after a home Games like that in London would be

an outstanding result for us. The key could be a crop

of new stars, like World Champion Adam Peaty in the swimming,

sailor Giles Scott, who's lost just once in three years,

and Katerina Johnson-Thompson, challenger Jessica Ennis-Hill

for heptathlon gold. I still do admire her and respect

everything she has achieved, so it can't be a rivalry

in that respect. I never thought our careers

would cross paths. It's a bit weird, going

for the gold. It will be good for Great Britain,

getting two medals in some capacity. Our athletes are an inspiration

to us all. For the team today,

a message of royal support. Topping 2012 might be a step too far

but it is time for Team GB to live It's called the i360 - this

is Brighton's new vertical pier. Towering more than 500 feet

above the seafront - it's been built by the same team

who created the London Eye - and today it opened to the public

for the first time today. Duncan Kennedy has been taking

in the views, Duncan. Good evening from 450 feet. Look at

the views we are getting from this sort of height. In the background

you might be able to make out the Brighton Pier. This whole project

has taken 12 years to come to fruition. Although this tower has

its critics, up here, it is a different world.

It only opened today but it is being called everything from the people's

hold to the chimney stack. It is the i360 and today it took off. It is

incredible. You can see so much more than I thought you could see. The

temp Ahas a giant pod taking 200 people soaring above Brighton. What

do you think? Unbelievable. Amazing. What a day! Stunning! Brilliant.

Really nice. It costs ?13 for adults and seven for children. Visitors

rising to 450 feet. It is so high it takes seven minutes just to get up

here. When you are here, what a few exclamation that you can seek

distances up to 26 miles away. -- what a view! This is the world's

tallest, moving observation tower. Built by the same people who created

the London eye, it took 16 years to make this vertical vision a reality.

This is the loving little brother of the London Eye. The same DNA, the

same kind of experience but a different pupils to if you have

experienced one,, never look at another. Others view this and less

polite terms saying it is an upended pier and an unwanted intrusion.

Isn't it vile! Isn't it a disgusting insult to the heritage you can see

surrounding us as we stand here. Something which is little more than

an industrial chimney plonked on the beach. The i360 may be an eyesore to

somebody's is his eye watering to others. A giant stick of Brighton

Rock reaching for the skies. The skies look pretty clear in

Brighton today. A great day for the opening. Not bad for most of us this

evening. A few showers around. Tomorrow there will be more sunshine

on the way for the a dry day was a nice picture from North Yorkshire.

Some sunshine and Fairweather cloud. On the satellite picture, this is

where the shower clouds have been. Speckled right across the country,

there have been quite a few pulled up some of us have had to run for

cover. There have been some heavy ones here and there. They are in the

process of dying away. The skies were clear and the winds will fall

light and the two bridges will dip away. In Scotland these are the city

temperatures. In Scotland it could be close to freezing in the

sheltered, Scottish blends. Tomorrow starts quite bright and fresh across

Scotland. -- Scottish blends. One or two showers around in Scotland and

some pesky ones in Yorkshire. Into the 20s in the south and upper teens

in the north. Friday evening is looking fine as well put things will

change that bit over the weekend. High pressure just about gets into

the UK temporarily. Look at that area of low pressure. It was it

across the country during the course of Saturday night and into Sunday.

Low pressure with a lot of white lines and isobars mean strong winds.

Gale force winds getting into the north-west of our neighbourhood.

Some rain as well. A big contrast across England and sunshine. The

south-western coasts could turn a little on the cloudy side. The winds

will increase. Northern England northwards, that is where it will be

blustery. Further south, breezy as well. It should be a fine day down

south. I do not want to paint a picture of too much doom and gloom.

The weekend is not looking that bad.