0:00:05 > 0:00:07Tonight at 10pm - Damian Green, the First Secretary of State,
0:00:07 > 0:00:13who's faced allegations of improper conduct, has resigned.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Mr Green has been the Prime Minister's closest colleague
0:00:15 > 0:00:17in cabinet, an official investigation says allegations made
0:00:17 > 0:00:23against him were plausible.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And he's been accused of making misleading statements,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29about pornography found on his parliamentary computers,
0:00:29 > 0:00:37in 2008, before he was a minister.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39The forced resignation came in the past couple of hours.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We'll be asking how much of a blow it is for Theresa May
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and the government.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Also tonight -
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Following the collapse of two rape cases in a week,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Scotland Yard is reviewing dozens of other cases, which are
0:00:49 > 0:00:51about to go to court.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53A warning that uncertainty over Brexit is affecting the UK economy,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56as the IMF downgrades its growth prediction for this year.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59The first big legislative achievement of the Trump presidency,
0:00:59 > 0:01:05as Congress approves his major tax reforms.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's the largest, I always say the most massive,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09but it's the largest tax-cut in the history of our
0:01:09 > 0:01:19country, and reform, but tax-cut!
0:01:19 > 0:01:21We report from Barcelona on the eve of crucial elections,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24which will have a big impact on the debate over
0:01:24 > 0:01:31Catalan independence.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35# Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle Bell Rock #
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And, the joy of old age, our special report on the real
0:01:38 > 0:01:39potential of anti-ageing drugs.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42And coming up in Sportsday later in the hour on BBC News:
0:01:42 > 0:01:43a sixth Premier League sacking of the season,
0:01:43 > 0:01:49Paul Clement is shown the door at Swansea.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Good evening.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, and the Prime Minister's
0:02:16 > 0:02:18closest colleague in government, has been forced to resign tonight.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20He's been facing allegations of inappropriate conduct,
0:02:20 > 0:02:26and on the basis of an investigation conducted by a senior civil
0:02:26 > 0:02:28servant, Mr Green has left the Government.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30He's also been criticised for making misleading remarks,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32about pornography found on his parliamentary office
0:02:32 > 0:02:33computer, before he became a minister.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Reaction is still coming in, first this report by our political
0:02:36 > 0:02:41editor Laura Kuenssberg.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Sharing a joke right by her side only hours ago. Damian Green, until
0:02:47 > 0:02:51this afternoon, the second most powerful politician in the country.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56His old friend to May's deputy in government, not any more. Is it
0:02:56 > 0:03:00right Downing Street investigate you?The allegations are completely
0:03:00 > 0:03:05false.He's always denied doing anything wrong but No 10 asked for
0:03:05 > 0:03:08an investigation into him after claims from a female journalist that
0:03:08 > 0:03:13he behaved inappropriately to her, and allegations he had downloaded
0:03:13 > 0:03:18pornography on his computer in Parliament. He still denies he had
0:03:18 > 0:03:23anything to do with the pornography the police found when they raided
0:03:23 > 0:03:27his office in 2008 but the inquiry fan, and he accepts he wasn't honest
0:03:27 > 0:03:30when he said he knew nothing about it am admitting his lawyers had been
0:03:30 > 0:03:37told in 2008 and it was raised again in a phone call in 2013. He wrote
0:03:37 > 0:03:40tonight, I regret I've been asked to resign from the government following
0:03:40 > 0:03:48breaches of the ministerial code. I've been clear I did not download
0:03:48 > 0:03:53or view pornography. And on Kate Maltby's belief that he made
0:03:53 > 0:04:00unwanted advances, the report found it impossible to reach a conclusion,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04she wouldn't comment on either her family said they were proud of her
0:04:04 > 0:04:09for speaking out. Mr Green wrote: I deeply regret the distress caused to
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Kate Maltby following her article about me and I don't recognise the
0:04:13 > 0:04:16events she described but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and for
0:04:16 > 0:04:20this I clearly apologise. It's not just about the end of his
0:04:20 > 0:04:24ministerial career. But his closeness to the Prime Minister. A
0:04:24 > 0:04:27friend since university, an ally for a leader who keeps a close circle
0:04:27 > 0:04:33tight.As First Secretary of State one of my overall responsibilities
0:04:33 > 0:04:37is for the oversight of intergovernmental relations...And
0:04:37 > 0:04:41as a minister on Brexit and other issues his unofficial job was
0:04:41 > 0:04:44keeping the show on the road. The Prime Minister in black and white
0:04:44 > 0:04:50tonight clearly sorry to see him go. She wrote: I'm extremely sad to be
0:04:50 > 0:04:54writing this letter. It is with deep regret and injuring gratitude for
0:04:54 > 0:04:57the contribution you have made over many years that I asked you to
0:04:57 > 0:05:04resign. Those affectionate words do not make this an elegant departure.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Many of his colleagues will be furious on his behalf but Damian
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Green himself has accepted that he was misleading, so the Prime
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Minister has lost one of the few politicians she could trust to watch
0:05:15 > 0:05:19her back. Let's go life to Westminster and
0:05:19 > 0:05:28Laura is there. Clarify the exact circumstances surrounding Mr Green's
0:05:28 > 0:05:33departure was Mac there were two elements to the claims made about
0:05:33 > 0:05:36inappropriate advances towards a young female journalist and Tory
0:05:36 > 0:05:38activist sometime ago and the allegation that pornography was
0:05:38 > 0:05:43found on parliamentary computer. Taking them briefly interned on the
0:05:43 > 0:05:47first case the allegations made by Kate Maltby, the official report
0:05:47 > 0:05:50into his behaviour didn't find conclusive evidence, there were
0:05:50 > 0:05:53contradictory accounts, two sides to the story were put but it was found
0:05:53 > 0:06:01that Kate Maltby's account was plausible and on the second count,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03although Mr Green denies ever downloading or viewing pornography
0:06:03 > 0:06:08the computers in the Houses of Parliament behind me, he did himself
0:06:08 > 0:06:12to not admit his statements on this had been misleading and that far
0:06:12 > 0:06:16from the case where he had always said he didn't know anything about
0:06:16 > 0:06:19this, he admitted in his letter to night that his lawyers had been told
0:06:19 > 0:06:25about this in 2008 and he himself had been told in a phone call in
0:06:25 > 0:06:292013. This was, therefore, in the view of Whitehall officials and in
0:06:29 > 0:06:34the view of the second opinion that Theresa May asked for from her own
0:06:34 > 0:06:37advise on these issues, those two things were breaches of the
0:06:37 > 0:06:41ministerial code. And, as such, I think that meant Theresa May was
0:06:41 > 0:06:47left with not much alternative but to get him to depart.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Laura, in your report, you underlined again at the close
0:06:50 > 0:06:53collaboration and friendship between Theresa May have Damian Green over
0:06:53 > 0:06:58many years. So what kind of blow is this dude Mrs May and indeed to the
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Government?This is interesting, had this happened a couple of months
0:07:01 > 0:07:06ago, or perhaps even a couple of weeks ago when things felt much
0:07:06 > 0:07:09rockier around Westminster, the government felt much more fragile
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and vulnerable, this could have felt like the finals piece pulled out
0:07:12 > 0:07:16before the whole thing came tumbling down. I think since the conclusion
0:07:16 > 0:07:21of phase one of the Brexit talks, No 10's view, and I think it is agreed
0:07:21 > 0:07:25with, not by everyone certainly in Whitehall, but it is quite a
0:07:25 > 0:07:28commonly held view now, that the government although not the silly
0:07:28 > 0:07:33strong, if not necessarily full of authority, has at least reached a
0:07:33 > 0:07:38place of more peace and stability -- not necessarily strong. Having said
0:07:38 > 0:07:42that, Damian Green's departure will be something that counts to Theresa
0:07:42 > 0:07:47May. It is clear she will try and keep him, having sought a second
0:07:47 > 0:07:50opinion on the initial report put forward to her to Whitehall
0:07:50 > 0:07:55officials. But this is not necessarily a catastrophic blow. She
0:07:55 > 0:08:02will miss his counsel and his advice and his support but Theresa May has
0:08:02 > 0:08:05been through an awful what in the last 12 months and it may well be
0:08:05 > 0:08:11that before too long his departure doesn't seem like it turned out to
0:08:11 > 0:08:15be a very big deal. But on the face of it, losing her second most
0:08:15 > 0:08:21important ally in Westminster is certainly a serious blow.Laura,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25many thanks once again for the latest analysis from Westminster,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Laura Kuenssberg.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The Metropolitan Police, the UK's biggest police force,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32has confirmed it's urgently reviewing dozens of cases of child
0:08:32 > 0:08:36abuse, rape and sexual assault, which are about to go to trial.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It follows the admission that police and prosecutors made
0:08:38 > 0:08:40mistakes in two rape cases, which collapsed in the past week,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42because of a failure to disclose vital evidence.
0:08:42 > 0:08:50Our legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman reports.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Are the scales of justice being unfairly tipped against defendants
0:08:53 > 0:08:56because the police are not sharing evidence that could help their case?
0:08:56 > 0:08:58One of the founding principles of the criminal justice system
0:08:58 > 0:09:02is beset by problems.
0:09:02 > 0:09:09Isaac Itiary spent four months in jail awaiting trial on charges
0:09:09 > 0:09:12of sexual activity with a child, which he strongly denied.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The case against him was dropped yesterday when text messages
0:09:16 > 0:09:20from his alleged teenage victim's phone showed she routinely
0:09:20 > 0:09:22lied about her age.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26A few days earlier, the case against Liam Allan was stopped
0:09:26 > 0:09:28because text messages showed his alleged victim had
0:09:28 > 0:09:33enjoyed having sex with him.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The last two years I have spent worrying and not
0:09:36 > 0:09:38concentrated on anything, so it has completely ripped
0:09:38 > 0:09:42apart my normal personal life.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47The Metropolitan Police is now carrying out a review
0:09:47 > 0:09:49into what happened to Liam Allan, and all the evidence
0:09:49 > 0:09:52in all of its current rape and sex abuse cases.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54That review is being conducted jointly with the CPS,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56so with the lawyers in each case and our investigating officers,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59to make sure those cases are safe to go to trial.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Our priority is those 30-something where trials are about to start.
0:10:02 > 0:10:08I have no reason to believe there are problems with any cases,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13but it is a pragmatic step to conduct that check now.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15The police and Crown Prosecution Service have made huge efforts
0:10:15 > 0:10:19in recent years to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that alleged
0:10:19 > 0:10:22victims in rape and sexual assault cases are treated properly,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26but some fear that the process of disclosing evidence
0:10:26 > 0:10:31to the defence has been damaged as a result.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36The Attorney General has started a review into disclosure.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40He thinks part of the problem is the sheer weight of evidence.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45We have very large amounts now of mostly digital information
0:10:45 > 0:10:50in a whole range of trials that it's very hard to filter it effectively
0:10:50 > 0:10:53so you can find the evidence that ought to be disclosed.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58That is a problem we are encountering in fraud cases,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00in terrorism cases but also, as we have discovered,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02in other kinds of case too.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05But there have been many damning reviews of the disclosure
0:11:05 > 0:11:07process in recent years, and some of those working
0:11:07 > 0:11:09in the criminal courts believe the system's integrity
0:11:09 > 0:11:12is now under threat.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15A real danger here is people can lose years of their lives locked up
0:11:15 > 0:11:17in prison for crimes they have not committed.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Evidence that could show they have not committed those crimes,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24evidence that could show they are innocent is not disclosed
0:11:24 > 0:11:26to them or their lawyers, and therefore there are grave
0:11:26 > 0:11:28miscarriages of justice.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32The prosecution's duty to pass evidence to the defence
0:11:32 > 0:11:36which assists the defence underpins our justice system.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38That duty is now under scrutiny as never before.
0:11:38 > 0:11:45Clive Coleman, BBC News.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48The head of the International Monetary Fund says its economists
0:11:48 > 0:11:50were not too gloomy, in their predictions about Brexit,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and that weaker prospects for economic growth in the UK,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56had underlined their case.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Christine Lagarde was presenting the IMF's latest report
0:11:58 > 0:11:59on the British economy, which slightly downgrades
0:11:59 > 0:12:02the prediction for growth this year, affected by the weaker pound
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Christine Lagarde has been speaking to our economics
0:12:07 > 0:12:10editor Kamal Ahmed.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15She came before the referendum with a warning.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19If Britain voted Brexit, then the economic risks were clear.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21It is going to be pretty bad to very, very bad.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24That is what we see.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Today she was back for the first time since that Brexit vote,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32to give her analysis of where we are now.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Since the start of this year, growth has slowed notably.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40The significant depreciation of sterling that followed
0:12:40 > 0:12:42the referendum has pushed inflation over 3%, squeezing real incomes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46How do you respond to those critics who suggest the IMF is simply too
0:12:46 > 0:12:51gloomy on the UK economy?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Regrettably, the numbers that we are seeing the economy
0:12:57 > 0:13:03deliver today are actually proving the point that we made
0:13:03 > 0:13:06a year and a half ago, when people said "You are too gloomy
0:13:06 > 0:13:11and you are one of those experts."
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Christine Lagarde came here to the Treasury
0:13:13 > 0:13:15to deliver her report - and, let's be clear,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18she wasn't all gloomy.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24She said that employment was at record levels,
0:13:24 > 0:13:29and she welcomed progress in those Brexit negotiations.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31But if I was to identify one big takeout from
0:13:31 > 0:13:35the IMF today, it's this.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38In a world of growing global growth, the UK economy has suffered
0:13:38 > 0:13:39since the referendum.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The IMF said growth in the first nine months of the year
0:13:42 > 0:13:43was lower than in 2016.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It said that prices had risen because of the fall
0:13:46 > 0:13:48in the value of the pound, causing a squeeze
0:13:48 > 0:13:55on living standards.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And called for a quick agreement on the transition phase
0:13:58 > 0:13:59of the Brexit talks to ease uncertainty and avoid
0:13:59 > 0:14:01crashing out of the EU.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Around the corner in Parliament, it was the turn of the Governor
0:14:04 > 0:14:06of the Bank of England, also pushing for a free-trade deal,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09this time in financial services, despite grumbles from the EU that
0:14:09 > 0:14:11such a thing had never been achieved before.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15I don't accept the argument that just because it has not been done
0:14:15 > 0:14:17in the past it cannot be done in the future.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20We would just walk away from progress if that
0:14:20 > 0:14:21were the approach we took to issues.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The hunt for an agreement goes on, and firms like this gin manufacturer
0:14:25 > 0:14:30in London are keeping plans on ice until there is greater clarity.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32It clearly helps that the pound is not really strong
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and becoming more expensive, but it is not a major factor.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Until it is clear exactly what is going to happen with Brexit,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40it is very difficult to commit to further investment here,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43because if the markets are difficult to access from the UK,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46it will be difficult to justify spending a lot more money
0:14:46 > 0:14:51growing the business.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57It is now all about that clarity - clarity on any deal with the EU,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and clarity on the future of the UK economy once Brexit has happened.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Kamal Ahmed, BBC News.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19Within the past hour, MPs have voted to fix the precise date and time of
0:15:19 > 0:15:24Brexit on the 29th of March 2019, after which time the Government
0:15:24 > 0:15:31hopes for a transition period of around two years. But today the
0:15:31 > 0:15:36chief negotiator of the EU says it should last no longer until the end
0:15:36 > 0:15:41of 2020, giving 21 months to adjust to trading arrangements. Let's speak
0:15:41 > 0:15:45to Adam Fleming in Brussels. Is there any sign of conflict between
0:15:45 > 0:15:49what Mr Barnier is saying and what the Government in London are saying?
0:15:49 > 0:15:54There is a little bit. This is no great surprise in Brussels, Mr
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Barnier says this is a logical end point for the transition period, 21
0:15:58 > 0:16:04months after Brexit day happens in March 20 19. That is because at the
0:16:04 > 0:16:08end of December 2020, that is the close of the EU's seven year-long
0:16:08 > 0:16:13budget cycle which we are in at the moment. Mr Barnier says this is a
0:16:13 > 0:16:16logical end point for this transition period, a period where
0:16:16 > 0:16:20the UK will be expected to follow European rules and regulations and
0:16:20 > 0:16:25new ones without having a seat at the decision-making table. Mrs May
0:16:25 > 0:16:31prefers to call it an implementation period and has asked for around two
0:16:31 > 0:16:35years, a little bit longer than what Mr Barnier is offering. Speaking to
0:16:35 > 0:16:38a group of senior MPs today the Prime Minister said it is something
0:16:38 > 0:16:41to be discussed. The other thing we disagree about is when there will be
0:16:41 > 0:16:45a trade deal. Mrs May says it should be signed, sealed and delivered by
0:16:45 > 0:16:49the start of the transition, Mr Barnier says that the point of the
0:16:49 > 0:16:52transition deal is to get it negotiated them.Thank you, Adam
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Fleming.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57For the first time in its history, the European Commission has
0:16:57 > 0:16:59threatened a member state with the loss of its
0:16:59 > 0:17:00EU voting rights.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It's started disciplinary measures against Poland,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03accusing the government of undermining the independence
0:17:03 > 0:17:05of the country's judges.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Polish ministers have dismissed the Commission's actions
0:17:07 > 0:17:10as politically motivated.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14President Trump says he's delivering what he's called a "big, beautiful
0:17:14 > 0:17:17tax cut" for Americans this Christmas.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20The tax reforms, passed this evening in Congress,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22represent the first major legislative victory for Mr Trump
0:17:22 > 0:17:26after nearly a year in office.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28The reforms will dramatically cut tax for US corporations,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31but at a cost to the Treasury - as our North America
0:17:31 > 0:17:36editor Jon Sopel reports.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43If this was a smile- off, it would be hard to decide
0:17:43 > 0:17:46who had the biggest grin, a real toss-up between
0:17:46 > 0:17:48the President, his number two and the leaders of the house
0:17:48 > 0:17:50and the Senate.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Finally, just days before Christmas, Donald Trump has notched
0:17:52 > 0:17:57up his first legislative victory.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Pleased?
0:17:58 > 0:18:02He was over the moon.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05We broke every record.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's the largest, I always say the most massive,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11but it's the largest tax-cut, in the history of our country,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15and reform, but tax-cut.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Really something special.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And then the oh so familiar refrain.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25We are making America great again.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28You haven't heard that, have you?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And Republicans from both houses of Congress came to celebrate the
0:18:31 > 0:18:35changes, changes that will be felt on both sides of the Atlantic.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39A buoyant US economy ripples out a long way.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So what does the Republican tax bill involve?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Corporation tax will come down from 35% to 21%,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48a huge boost to corporate America that the president says will
0:18:48 > 0:18:52lead to more jobs and higher wages.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Individual tax rates will be reduced although the wealthy will benefit
0:18:54 > 0:19:00far more than blue-collar America, Donald Trump's base.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The legislation will add over $1 trillion to
0:19:03 > 0:19:05America's debt, even though many Republicans came into office vowing
0:19:05 > 0:19:10to slash the deficit.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Democrats, though, are unanimous in their
0:19:12 > 0:19:13opposition to the proposals.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Now we know they are popping champagne down Pennsylvania Avenue.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23There are only two places where America is popping champagne.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28The White House and the corporate boardrooms, including Trump Tower.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33Otherwise Americans have a lot to regret.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35An opinion poll suggested a clear majority of
0:19:35 > 0:19:36Americans think the same.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40This is a tax cut for the already rich, not for them.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43That prompted this question to the Republican leader of the Senate.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46How easy will this measure be to sell?
0:19:46 > 0:19:49My view of this, if we can't sell this to the American people,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51we ought to go into another line of work.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Selling this tax reform package will be for 2018
0:19:53 > 0:19:56but as 2017 draws to a close, Donald Trump can reflect
0:19:56 > 0:20:02that he has got his tax reform proposals through.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03The stock market is soaring.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05His Supreme Court pick is in place.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Regulations are being torn up.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12It may not have always been pretty but Donald Trump is sort of doing
0:20:12 > 0:20:15what he promised he would do.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20Jon Sopel, BBC News, Washington.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Catalans have been observing an official day of reflection before
0:20:22 > 0:20:26a vital regional election tomorrow.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28The vote is intended to resolve a stand-off between the Spanish
0:20:28 > 0:20:30government and the campaigners who unilaterally declared Catalan
0:20:30 > 0:20:35independence in October.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38All indications are that the result will be very close.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Two of the main independence leaders can't vote in person -
0:20:40 > 0:20:45including the ousted Catalan government leader Carles
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Puigdemont, who's in effect in exile in Brussels.
0:20:47 > 0:20:55Live to Barcelona tonight and our correspondent James Reynolds.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01The election on the eve of the poll appears to be evenly divided between
0:21:01 > 0:21:05its two rival camps, pro-independence and pro-Spain. The
0:21:05 > 0:21:08pro-independence movement wants to try to win back the power it lost
0:21:08 > 0:21:14when direct rule was imposed two months ago. To do so, it has decided
0:21:14 > 0:21:16to change tactics.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22Pro-independence supporters are planning a revival...
0:21:24 > 0:21:28And a new strategy.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Declaring unilateral independence in October simply got their leaders
0:21:32 > 0:21:38sacked and even jailed.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40The deposed regional president Carles Puigdemont now campaigns
0:21:40 > 0:21:45from exile in Belgium.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51So this time, if they win, they promise no more unilateral steps.
0:21:52 > 0:21:59If you win, will you make another effort to declare independence?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02TRANSLATION:We are the people of dialogue, of agreement.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04The problem with the Spanish Government is
0:22:04 > 0:22:07that it is extremely weak.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The strong come to an agreement, the weak impose their will.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16This election will test which side is stronger,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20pro-independence or pro-Spain.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Unlike the disputed referendum in October, this time
0:22:23 > 0:22:27both sides will vote.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30The pro-Spain camp wants to use this election to block any more
0:22:30 > 0:22:34attempts to break away.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42The most powerful pro-Spain voice belongs to Ines Arrimadas...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47The local leader of a party called Citizens.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52She addresses her final campaign rally in Spanish, not Catalan.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Why do you oppose independence?
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Because our future is inside Spain and inside the European Union.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00We don't have any future outside the European Union
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and outside our country.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Because Catalonia is our homeland, Spain is our country
0:23:06 > 0:23:11and Europe is our future.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Months of crisis are now marked by a single election.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Vote by vote, Catalonia will count its divide.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23James Reynolds, BBC News, Barcelona.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Britain's most valuable company, Shell, and the Italian oil company,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Eni, have been been ordered to stand trial in Italy,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33in what has been described as one of the biggest corporate corruption
0:23:33 > 0:23:37cases in history.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38The companies and several senior officials face
0:23:38 > 0:23:41allegations in connection with a deal in Nigeria.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The oil firms and the individuals deny any wrongdoing.
0:23:45 > 0:23:53The trial in Italy is expected to start in March next year.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The acute volatility in the value of the digital currency bitcoin
0:23:56 > 0:23:58does not pose a threat to global financial stability,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00according to the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Bitcoin, which is traded online and is not regulated
0:24:03 > 0:24:05by any authorities, has rocketed in value
0:24:05 > 0:24:07in recent months.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Those lucky enough to own one will know that it's currently worth
0:24:10 > 0:24:12nearly £12,000.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14But some are warning the bubble is set to burst,
0:24:14 > 0:24:21as our technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones explains.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26Their wrists and flash photography in this report.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It is either the digital currency which is the future of money or a
0:24:30 > 0:24:35dangerous bubble built on hype. -- there is some flash photography.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39But the value of bitcoin has soared more than threefold this year. And
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Alessandra Sollberger is one of the few people who has made serious
0:24:43 > 0:24:50money from it.As you can see, in 2012 it was about $9, that was for
0:24:50 > 0:24:55around 400 bitcoins. And fast forwarding we are at about $18,000.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59She's sold a lot of her coins to fund her nutrition business but
0:24:59 > 0:25:05still has a feud.You have a dozen or so, what is that worth? One
0:25:05 > 0:25:11bitcoin is worth around $18,000, so you do the maths.That sort of story
0:25:11 > 0:25:17has sparked a gold rush. At this London cafe there is a bitcoin cash
0:25:17 > 0:25:22machine, you put in £20 notes and a tiny fraction of a bitcoin is
0:25:22 > 0:25:25transferred to your phone. What happens to you if they all go to
0:25:25 > 0:25:32nothing tomorrow?I'm holding, I will hold it. I have faith it will
0:25:32 > 0:25:37all go back up, even if it collapses I will hold it.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Unlike a normal currency, bitcoin is not controlled by any central bank
0:25:41 > 0:25:45or governments. Instead it depends on a network of computers which all
0:25:45 > 0:25:49record any transactions. You hold it in what is called a wallet on your
0:25:49 > 0:25:52phone or computer with a unique address allowing you to send or
0:25:52 > 0:25:59receive bitcoin. New bitcoin are created in a process called mining
0:25:59 > 0:26:02involving computers solving increasingly complex problems.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07Back at the cafe, this is one of the very few places you can actually
0:26:07 > 0:26:11spend bitcoin. Actually as bitcoin saws and value it is becoming less
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and less useful as a currency. Why would you spend it today when it
0:26:14 > 0:26:19will be worth a lot more tomorrow, so goes the thinking. So maybe for
0:26:19 > 0:26:23the same amount of bitcoin next week I could buy two cakes.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26That is one reason many are sceptical about bitcoin. David
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Gerard has studied and written about it for six years.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36It is the irrational exuberance phase of a bubble. This is that
0:26:36 > 0:26:39economic bubbles work, people buy close others are, assuming they can
0:26:39 > 0:26:43always sell it and get rich. When the bubble pops, when, not if, it
0:26:43 > 0:26:51will be a disaster for many.Ever more energy is used by bust banks of
0:26:51 > 0:26:54computers mining bitcoin like these in Russia. One more reason to wonder
0:26:54 > 0:27:01whether this financial experiment has a sustainable future.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Let's talk about the football, it has been a great night for Bristol
0:27:04 > 0:27:07city, who have sealed a memorable victory over premiership giants
0:27:07 > 0:27:12Manchester United. This injury time winner from Corey
0:27:12 > 0:27:17Smith saw them through 2-1. They will play either Manchester City,
0:27:17 > 0:27:25Arsenal or Chelsea for a in the final. Mutch a place in the final.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Life expectancy across the globe is continuing to rise,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30prompting scientists to ask how long people might live in the future.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Most think we will see gradual gains in longevity,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35but there have been predictions that anti-ageing drugs could eventually
0:27:35 > 0:27:37allow people to live for centuries.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40In the last of his special reports on so-called super-agers,
0:27:40 > 0:27:41our medical correspondent Fergus Walsh has been
0:27:41 > 0:27:46to California and Arizona.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50I like to do things.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I don't want to sit in the background.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Lester Dray is 101.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02The oldest resident at this retirement village
0:28:02 > 0:28:06in Sun City, Arizona.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08You're going to miss something if you just moan and groan
0:28:08 > 0:28:11about how horrible life is.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Show me your teeth.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Do you hear a sound?
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Say ahhh...
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Ahhh.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21He gets regular medical checks, as part of a study into longevity.
0:28:21 > 0:28:27It's an issue which is attracting interest from unusual quarters.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29In Silicon Valley, California, some of the biggest names,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33from Google to Facebook, are investing hundreds of millions
0:28:33 > 0:28:39of dollars into defeating the diseases of ageing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44So why are tech entrepreneurs suddenly interested in human health?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47I think Silicon Valley is driven by curiosity.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50That same curiosity that drives a 14-year-old to programme computers
0:28:50 > 0:28:52in his bedroom drives somebody in their 20s or 30s
0:28:52 > 0:28:57to really apply their minds and their cash to this problem.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59The DNA from the special part of the cell called
0:28:59 > 0:29:00the mitochondrion...
0:29:00 > 0:29:04It is why this British scientist set up in Silicon Valley.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Aubrey de Grey is probably the world's leading advocate
0:29:07 > 0:29:09of life extension - the idea that humans can
0:29:09 > 0:29:14and will live in good health for hundreds of years.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17There will certainly be no limit on how long people can live once
0:29:17 > 0:29:19we bring ageing under control.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21People will still die, there are still trucks
0:29:21 > 0:29:23to be hit by and so on.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26But the fact is people will, on average, live a lot longer
0:29:26 > 0:29:29unless there is some bizarre thing like we get hit by an
0:29:29 > 0:29:30asteroid or whatever.
0:29:30 > 0:29:31That's beautiful!
0:29:31 > 0:29:33That's a minority view.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Although extending life is possible in the lab,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38with fruit flies, yeast or worms, it gets more difficult higher up
0:29:38 > 0:29:42the evolutionary ladder.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45So in the lab in simple laboratory animals, we can
0:29:45 > 0:29:48increase life span by 100%, 200, 500%, really extraordinary
0:29:48 > 0:29:52differences in life span.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54It turns out ageing is really plastic in the simple
0:29:54 > 0:29:55laboratory animals.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58It may be more complex as we go over to mammals.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00The mouse, for example, we have been able to increase
0:30:00 > 0:30:02life span 20 or 30%.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04And we really do not know what is possible
0:30:04 > 0:30:05for humans at this point.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07We do know exercise is a magic formula that can
0:30:07 > 0:30:11keep us healthy longer.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15And there are no drugs yet to match it.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17There is probably an upper limit to life expectancy
0:30:17 > 0:30:21of around 115 years.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26So the quest for immortality is still the stuff of science fiction.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But increasing our health span, the number of years we spend free
0:30:29 > 0:30:34of chronic diseases, well that really could be a reality.
0:30:34 > 0:30:35Here we go!
0:30:35 > 0:30:41# Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Finding something you enjoy and staying socially engaged are key
0:30:43 > 0:30:48elements of healthy ageing.
0:30:48 > 0:30:55Like the Sun City Poms, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57I'm 78.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Born on the 4th of July.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02So I'm still a firecracker, still going and booming.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05It keeps me physically active, it keeps my brain working
0:31:05 > 0:31:09and helps my memory.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14We just get out there and do what we need to do and enjoy.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17We can't slow time but we can put more life in our years
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and hopefully become super-agers.
0:31:21 > 0:31:30Fergus Walsh, BBC News, Sun City, Arizona.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33And all three of Fergus' reports on how we're living longer and life
0:31:33 > 0:31:35expectancy in the future can be found online.
0:31:35 > 0:31:42Just go to bbc.co.uk/ten.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47A reminder of our top story tonight.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48The First Secretary of State,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Damian Green - one of Theresa May's closest allies - has
0:31:51 > 0:31:53resigned from the Cabinet after an investigation found he had
0:31:53 > 0:32:03breached the ministerial code.