20/12/2017 BBC News at Ten


20/12/2017

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Tonight at 10pm - Damian Green,

the First Secretary of State,

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who's faced allegations of improper

conduct, has resigned.

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Mr Green has been the Prime

Minister's closest colleague

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in cabinet, an official

investigation says allegations made

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against him were plausible.

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And he's been accused of making

misleading statements,

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about pornography found

on his parliamentary computers,

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in 2008, before he was a minister.

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The forced resignation came

in the past couple of hours.

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We'll be asking how much of a blow

it is for Theresa May

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and the government.

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Also tonight -

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Following the collapse of two

rape cases in a week,

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Scotland Yard is reviewing dozens

of other cases, which are

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about to go to court.

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A warning that uncertainty over

Brexit is affecting the UK economy,

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as the IMF downgrades its growth

prediction for this year.

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The first big legislative

achievement of the Trump presidency,

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as Congress approves his

major tax reforms.

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It's the largest, I always

say the most massive,

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but it's the largest tax-cut

in the history of our

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country, and reform, but tax-cut!

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We report from Barcelona on the eve

of crucial elections,

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which will have a big impact

on the debate over

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Catalan independence.

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# Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle

Bell Rock #

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And, the joy of old age,

our special report on the real

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potential of anti-ageing drugs.

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And coming up in Sportsday later

in the hour on BBC News:

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a sixth Premier League

sacking of the season,

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Paul Clement is shown

the door at Swansea.

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Good evening.

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Damian Green, the First Secretary

of State, and the Prime Minister's

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closest colleague in government,

has been forced to resign tonight.

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He's been facing allegations

of inappropriate conduct,

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and on the basis of an investigation

conducted by a senior civil

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servant, Mr Green has

left the Government.

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He's also been criticised

for making misleading remarks,

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about pornography found

on his parliamentary office

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computer, before he became a

minister.

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Reaction is still coming in,

first this report by our political

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editor Laura Kuenssberg.

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Sharing a joke right by her side

only hours ago. Damian Green, until

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this afternoon, the second most

powerful politician in the country.

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His old friend to May's deputy in

government, not any more. Is it

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right Downing Street investigate

you?

The allegations are completely

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false.

He's always denied doing

anything wrong but No 10 asked for

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an investigation into him after

claims from a female journalist that

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he behaved inappropriately to her,

and allegations he had downloaded

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pornography on his computer in

Parliament. He still denies he had

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anything to do with the pornography

the police found when they raided

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his office in 2008 but the inquiry

fan, and he accepts he wasn't honest

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when he said he knew nothing about

it am admitting his lawyers had been

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told in 2008 and it was raised again

in a phone call in 2013. He wrote

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tonight, I regret I've been asked to

resign from the government following

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breaches of the ministerial code.

I've been clear I did not download

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or view pornography. And on Kate

Maltby's belief that he made

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unwanted advances, the report found

it impossible to reach a conclusion,

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she wouldn't comment on either her

family said they were proud of her

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for speaking out. Mr Green wrote: I

deeply regret the distress caused to

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Kate Maltby following her article

about me and I don't recognise the

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events she described but I clearly

made her feel uncomfortable and for

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this I clearly apologise. It's not

just about the end of his

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ministerial career. But his

closeness to the Prime Minister. A

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friend since university, an ally for

a leader who keeps a close circle

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tight.

As First Secretary of State

one of my overall responsibilities

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is for the oversight of

intergovernmental relations...

And

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as a minister on Brexit and other

issues his unofficial job was

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keeping the show on the road. The

Prime Minister in black and white

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tonight clearly sorry to see him go.

She wrote: I'm extremely sad to be

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writing this letter. It is with deep

regret and injuring gratitude for

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the contribution you have made over

many years that I asked you to

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resign. Those affectionate words do

not make this an elegant departure.

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Many of his colleagues will be

furious on his behalf but Damian

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Green himself has accepted that he

was misleading, so the Prime

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Minister has lost one of the few

politicians she could trust to watch

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her back.

Let's go life to Westminster and

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Laura is there. Clarify the exact

circumstances surrounding Mr Green's

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departure was Mac there were two

elements to the claims made about

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inappropriate advances towards a

young female journalist and Tory

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activist sometime ago and the

allegation that pornography was

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found on parliamentary computer.

Taking them briefly interned on the

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first case the allegations made by

Kate Maltby, the official report

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into his behaviour didn't find

conclusive evidence, there were

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contradictory accounts, two sides to

the story were put but it was found

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that Kate Maltby's account was

plausible and on the second count,

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although Mr Green denies ever

downloading or viewing pornography

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the computers in the Houses of

Parliament behind me, he did himself

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to not admit his statements on this

had been misleading and that far

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from the case where he had always

said he didn't know anything about

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this, he admitted in his letter to

night that his lawyers had been told

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about this in 2008 and he himself

had been told in a phone call in

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2013. This was, therefore, in the

view of Whitehall officials and in

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the view of the second opinion that

Theresa May asked for from her own

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advise on these issues, those two

things were breaches of the

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ministerial code. And, as such, I

think that meant Theresa May was

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left with not much alternative but

to get him to depart.

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Laura, in your report, you

underlined again at the close

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collaboration and friendship between

Theresa May have Damian Green over

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many years. So what kind of blow is

this dude Mrs May and indeed to the

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Government?

This is interesting, had

this happened a couple of months

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ago, or perhaps even a couple of

weeks ago when things felt much

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rockier around Westminster, the

government felt much more fragile

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and vulnerable, this could have felt

like the finals piece pulled out

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before the whole thing came tumbling

down. I think since the conclusion

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of phase one of the Brexit talks, No

10's view, and I think it is agreed

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with, not by everyone certainly in

Whitehall, but it is quite a

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commonly held view now, that the

government although not the silly

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strong, if not necessarily full of

authority, has at least reached a

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place of more peace and stability --

not necessarily strong. Having said

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that, Damian Green's departure will

be something that counts to Theresa

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May. It is clear she will try and

keep him, having sought a second

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opinion on the initial report put

forward to her to Whitehall

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officials. But this is not

necessarily a catastrophic blow. She

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will miss his counsel and his advice

and his support but Theresa May has

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been through an awful what in the

last 12 months and it may well be

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that before too long his departure

doesn't seem like it turned out to

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be a very big deal. But on the face

of it, losing her second most

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important ally in Westminster is

certainly a serious blow.

Laura,

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many thanks once again for the

latest analysis from Westminster,

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Laura Kuenssberg.

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The Metropolitan Police,

the UK's biggest police force,

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has confirmed it's urgently

reviewing dozens of cases of child

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abuse, rape and sexual assault,

which are about to go to trial.

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It follows the admission that police

and prosecutors made

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mistakes in two rape cases,

which collapsed in the past week,

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because of a failure

to disclose vital evidence.

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Our legal affairs correspondent

Clive Coleman reports.

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Are the scales of justice being

unfairly tipped against defendants

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because the police are not sharing

evidence that could help their case?

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One of the founding principles

of the criminal justice system

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is beset by problems.

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Isaac Itiary spent four months

in jail awaiting trial on charges

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of sexual activity with a child,

which he strongly denied.

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The case against him was dropped

yesterday when text messages

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from his alleged teenage victim's

phone showed she routinely

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lied about her age.

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A few days earlier, the case

against Liam Allan was stopped

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because text messages

showed his alleged victim had

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enjoyed having sex with him.

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The last two years I have

spent worrying and not

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concentrated on anything,

so it has completely ripped

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apart my normal personal life.

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The Metropolitan Police is now

carrying out a review

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into what happened to Liam Allan,

and all the evidence

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in all of its current rape

and sex abuse cases.

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That review is being conducted

jointly with the CPS,

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so with the lawyers in each case

and our investigating officers,

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to make sure those cases

are safe to go to trial.

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Our priority is those 30-something

where trials are about to start.

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I have no reason to believe

there are problems with any cases,

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but it is a pragmatic step

to conduct that check now.

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The police and Crown Prosecution

Service have made huge efforts

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in recent years to right the wrongs

of the past and ensure that alleged

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victims in rape and sexual assault

cases are treated properly,

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but some fear that the process

of disclosing evidence

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to the defence has been damaged

as a result.

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The Attorney General has started

a review into disclosure.

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He thinks part of the problem

is the sheer weight of evidence.

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We have very large amounts now

of mostly digital information

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in a whole range of trials that it's

very hard to filter it effectively

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so you can find the evidence that

ought to be disclosed.

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That is a problem we are

encountering in fraud cases,

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in terrorism cases but also,

as we have discovered,

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in other kinds of case too.

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But there have been many damning

reviews of the disclosure

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process in recent years,

and some of those working

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in the criminal courts believe

the system's integrity

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is now under threat.

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A real danger here is people can

lose years of their lives locked up

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in prison for crimes

they have not committed.

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Evidence that could show they have

not committed those crimes,

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evidence that could show

they are innocent is not disclosed

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to them or their lawyers,

and therefore there are grave

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miscarriages of justice.

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The prosecution's duty to pass

evidence to the defence

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which assists the defence

underpins our justice system.

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That duty is now under

scrutiny as never before.

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Clive Coleman, BBC News.

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The head of the International

Monetary Fund says its economists

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were not too gloomy,

in their predictions about Brexit,

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and that weaker prospects

for economic growth in the UK,

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had underlined their case.

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Christine Lagarde was presenting

the IMF's latest report

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on the British economy,

which slightly downgrades

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the prediction for growth this

year, affected by the weaker pound

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and the uncertainty

surrounding Brexit.

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Christine Lagarde has been

speaking to our economics

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editor Kamal Ahmed.

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She came before the

referendum with a warning.

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If Britain voted Brexit,

then the economic risks were clear.

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It is going to be pretty

bad to very, very bad.

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That is what we see.

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Today she was back for the first

time since that Brexit vote,

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to give her analysis

of where we are now.

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Since the start of this year,

growth has slowed notably.

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The significant depreciation

of sterling that followed

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the referendum has pushed inflation

over 3%, squeezing real incomes.

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How do you respond to those critics

who suggest the IMF is simply too

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gloomy on the UK economy?

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Regrettably, the numbers

that we are seeing the economy

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deliver today are actually proving

the point that we made

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a year and a half ago,

when people said "You are too gloomy

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and you are one of those experts."

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Christine Lagarde came

here to the Treasury

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to deliver her report -

and, let's be clear,

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she wasn't all gloomy.

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She said that employment

was at record levels,

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and she welcomed progress in those

Brexit negotiations.

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But if I was to identify

one big takeout from

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the IMF today, it's this.

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In a world of growing global growth,

the UK economy has suffered

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since the referendum.

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The IMF said growth in the first

nine months of the year

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was lower than in 2016.

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It said that prices had

risen because of the fall

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in the value of the pound,

causing a squeeze

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on living standards.

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And called for a quick agreement

on the transition phase

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of the Brexit talks to ease

uncertainty and avoid

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crashing out of the EU.

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Around the corner in Parliament,

it was the turn of the Governor

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of the Bank of England,

also pushing for a free-trade deal,

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this time in financial services,

despite grumbles from the EU that

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such a thing had never

been achieved before.

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I don't accept the argument that

just because it has not been done

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in the past it cannot be done

in the future.

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We would just walk away

from progress if that

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were the approach we took to issues.

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The hunt for an agreement goes on,

and firms like this gin manufacturer

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in London are keeping plans on ice

until there is greater clarity.

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It clearly helps that the pound

is not really strong

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and becoming more expensive,

but it is not a major factor.

0:14:320:14:35

Until it is clear exactly

what is going to happen with Brexit,

0:14:350:14:38

it is very difficult to commit

to further investment here,

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because if the markets are difficult

to access from the UK,

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it will be difficult to justify

spending a lot more money

0:14:430:14:46

growing the business.

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It is now all about that clarity -

clarity on any deal with the EU,

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and clarity on the future of the UK

economy once Brexit has happened.

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Kamal Ahmed, BBC News.

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Within the past hour, MPs have voted

to fix the precise date and time of

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Brexit on the 29th of March 2019,

after which time the Government

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hopes for a transition period of

around two years. But today the

0:15:240:15:31

chief negotiator of the EU says it

should last no longer until the end

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of 2020, giving 21 months to adjust

to trading arrangements. Let's speak

0:15:360:15:41

to Adam Fleming in Brussels. Is

there any sign of conflict between

0:15:410:15:45

what Mr Barnier is saying and what

the Government in London are saying?

0:15:450:15:49

There is a little bit. This is no

great surprise in Brussels, Mr

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Barnier says this is a logical end

point for the transition period, 21

0:15:540:15:58

months after Brexit day happens in

March 20 19. That is because at the

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end of December 2020, that is the

close of the EU's seven year-long

0:16:040:16:08

budget cycle which we are in at the

moment. Mr Barnier says this is a

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logical end point for this

transition period, a period where

0:16:130:16:16

the UK will be expected to follow

European rules and regulations and

0:16:160:16:20

new ones without having a seat at

the decision-making table. Mrs May

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prefers to call it an implementation

period and has asked for around two

0:16:250:16:31

years, a little bit longer than what

Mr Barnier is offering. Speaking to

0:16:310:16:35

a group of senior MPs today the

Prime Minister said it is something

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to be discussed. The other thing we

disagree about is when there will be

0:16:380:16:41

a trade deal. Mrs May says it should

be signed, sealed and delivered by

0:16:410:16:45

the start of the transition, Mr

Barnier says that the point of the

0:16:450:16:49

transition deal is to get it

negotiated them.

Thank you, Adam

0:16:490:16:52

Fleming.

0:16:520:16:54

For the first time in its history,

the European Commission has

0:16:540:16:57

threatened a member state

with the loss of its

0:16:570:16:59

EU voting rights.

0:16:590:17:00

It's started disciplinary

measures against Poland,

0:17:000:17:02

accusing the government

of undermining the independence

0:17:020:17:03

of the country's judges.

0:17:030:17:05

Polish ministers have dismissed

the Commission's actions

0:17:050:17:07

as politically motivated.

0:17:070:17:10

President Trump says he's delivering

what he's called a "big, beautiful

0:17:120:17:14

tax cut" for Americans this

Christmas.

0:17:140:17:17

The tax reforms, passed this

evening in Congress,

0:17:170:17:20

represent the first major

legislative victory for Mr Trump

0:17:200:17:22

after nearly a year in office.

0:17:220:17:26

The reforms will dramatically cut

tax for US corporations,

0:17:260:17:28

but at a cost to the Treasury -

as our North America

0:17:280:17:31

editor Jon Sopel reports.

0:17:310:17:36

If this was a smile-

off, it would be hard to decide

0:17:400:17:43

who had the biggest grin,

a real toss-up between

0:17:430:17:46

the President, his number two

and the leaders of the house

0:17:460:17:48

and the Senate.

0:17:480:17:50

Finally, just days before Christmas,

Donald Trump has notched

0:17:500:17:52

up his first legislative victory.

0:17:520:17:57

Pleased?

0:17:570:17:58

He was over the moon.

0:17:580:18:02

We broke every record.

0:18:030:18:05

It's the largest, I always

say the most massive,

0:18:050:18:08

but it's the largest tax-cut,

in the history of our country,

0:18:080:18:11

and reform, but tax-cut.

0:18:110:18:15

Really something special.

0:18:150:18:18

And then the oh so familiar refrain.

0:18:180:18:21

We are making America great again.

0:18:210:18:25

You haven't heard that, have you?

0:18:250:18:28

And Republicans from both houses

of Congress came to celebrate the

0:18:280:18:31

changes, changes that will be felt

on both sides of the Atlantic.

0:18:310:18:35

A buoyant US economy

ripples out a long way.

0:18:350:18:39

So what does the Republican

tax bill involve?

0:18:390:18:42

Corporation tax will come

down from 35% to 21%,

0:18:420:18:45

a huge boost to corporate America

that the president says will

0:18:450:18:48

lead to more jobs and higher wages.

0:18:480:18:52

Individual tax rates will be reduced

although the wealthy will benefit

0:18:520:18:54

far more than blue-collar America,

Donald Trump's base.

0:18:540:19:00

The legislation will add

over $1 trillion to

0:19:000:19:03

America's debt, even though many

Republicans came into office vowing

0:19:030:19:05

to slash the deficit.

0:19:050:19:10

Democrats, though,

are unanimous in their

0:19:100:19:12

opposition to the proposals.

0:19:120:19:13

Now we know they are popping

champagne down Pennsylvania Avenue.

0:19:130:19:18

There are only two places

where America is popping champagne.

0:19:180:19:23

The White House and the corporate

boardrooms, including Trump Tower.

0:19:230:19:28

Otherwise Americans

have a lot to regret.

0:19:280:19:33

An opinion poll suggested

a clear majority of

0:19:330:19:35

Americans think the same.

0:19:350:19:36

This is a tax cut for the already

rich, not for them.

0:19:360:19:40

That prompted this question to

the Republican leader of the Senate.

0:19:400:19:43

How easy will this

measure be to sell?

0:19:430:19:46

My view of this, if we can't sell

this to the American people,

0:19:460:19:49

we ought to go into another

line of work.

0:19:490:19:51

Selling this tax reform

package will be for 2018

0:19:510:19:53

but as 2017 draws to a close,

Donald Trump can reflect

0:19:530:19:56

that he has got his tax

reform proposals through.

0:19:560:20:02

The stock market is soaring.

0:20:020:20:03

His Supreme Court pick is in place.

0:20:030:20:05

Regulations are being torn up.

0:20:050:20:08

It may not have always been pretty

but Donald Trump is sort of doing

0:20:080:20:12

what he promised he would do.

0:20:120:20:15

Jon Sopel, BBC News, Washington.

0:20:150:20:20

Catalans have been observing

an official day of reflection before

0:20:200:20:22

a vital regional election tomorrow.

0:20:220:20:26

The vote is intended to resolve

a stand-off between the Spanish

0:20:260:20:28

government and the campaigners

who unilaterally declared Catalan

0:20:280:20:30

independence in October.

0:20:300:20:35

All indications are that the result

will be very close.

0:20:350:20:38

Two of the main independence leaders

can't vote in person -

0:20:380:20:40

including the ousted Catalan

government leader Carles

0:20:400:20:45

Puigdemont, who's in effect

in exile in Brussels.

0:20:450:20:47

Live to Barcelona tonight and our

correspondent James Reynolds.

0:20:470:20:55

The election on the eve of the poll

appears to be evenly divided between

0:20:550:21:01

its two rival camps,

pro-independence and pro-Spain. The

0:21:010:21:05

pro-independence movement wants to

try to win back the power it lost

0:21:050:21:08

when direct rule was imposed two

months ago. To do so, it has decided

0:21:080:21:14

to change tactics.

0:21:140:21:16

Pro-independence supporters

are planning a revival...

0:21:160:21:22

And a new strategy.

0:21:240:21:28

Declaring unilateral independence

in October simply got their leaders

0:21:300:21:32

sacked and even jailed.

0:21:320:21:38

The deposed regional president

Carles Puigdemont now campaigns

0:21:380:21:40

from exile in Belgium.

0:21:400:21:45

So this time, if they win, they

promise no more unilateral steps.

0:21:450:21:51

If you win, will you make another

effort to declare independence?

0:21:520:21:59

TRANSLATION:

We are the people

of dialogue, of agreement.

0:21:590:22:02

The problem with the

Spanish Government is

0:22:020:22:04

that it is extremely weak.

0:22:040:22:07

The strong come to an agreement,

the weak impose their will.

0:22:070:22:11

This election will test

which side is stronger,

0:22:110:22:16

pro-independence or pro-Spain.

0:22:160:22:20

Unlike the disputed referendum

in October, this time

0:22:200:22:23

both sides will vote.

0:22:230:22:27

The pro-Spain camp wants to use this

election to block any more

0:22:270:22:30

attempts to break away.

0:22:300:22:34

The most powerful pro-Spain voice

belongs to Ines Arrimadas...

0:22:360:22:42

The local leader of

a party called Citizens.

0:22:430:22:47

She addresses her final campaign

rally in Spanish, not Catalan.

0:22:470:22:52

Why do you oppose independence?

0:22:520:22:54

Because our future is inside Spain

and inside the European Union.

0:22:540:22:58

We don't have any future

outside the European Union

0:22:580:23:00

and outside our country.

0:23:000:23:04

Because Catalonia is our homeland,

Spain is our country

0:23:040:23:06

and Europe is our future.

0:23:060:23:11

Months of crisis are now marked

by a single election.

0:23:110:23:16

Vote by vote, Catalonia

will count its divide.

0:23:160:23:19

James Reynolds, BBC News, Barcelona.

0:23:190:23:23

Britain's most valuable company,

Shell, and the Italian oil company,

0:23:250:23:27

Eni, have been been ordered

to stand trial in Italy,

0:23:270:23:30

in what has been described as one

of the biggest corporate corruption

0:23:300:23:33

cases in history.

0:23:330:23:37

The companies and several

senior officials face

0:23:370:23:38

allegations in connection

with a deal in Nigeria.

0:23:380:23:41

The oil firms and the individuals

deny any wrongdoing.

0:23:410:23:45

The trial in Italy is expected

to start in March next year.

0:23:450:23:53

The acute volatility in the value

of the digital currency bitcoin

0:23:530:23:56

does not pose a threat to global

financial stability,

0:23:560:23:58

according to the Bank

of England Governor Mark Carney.

0:23:580:24:00

Bitcoin, which is traded online

and is not regulated

0:24:000:24:03

by any authorities,

has rocketed in value

0:24:030:24:05

in recent months.

0:24:050:24:07

Those lucky enough to own one

will know that it's currently worth

0:24:070:24:10

nearly £12,000.

0:24:100:24:12

But some are warning

the bubble is set to burst,

0:24:120:24:14

as our technology correspondent

Rory Cellan-Jones explains.

0:24:140:24:21

Their wrists and flash photography

in this report.

0:24:210:24:26

It is either the digital currency

which is the future of money or a

0:24:260:24:30

dangerous bubble built on hype. --

there is some flash photography.

0:24:300:24:35

But the value of bitcoin has soared

more than threefold this year. And

0:24:350:24:39

Alessandra Sollberger is one of the

few people who has made serious

0:24:390:24:43

money from it.

As you can see, in

2012 it was about $9, that was for

0:24:430:24:50

around 400 bitcoins. And fast

forwarding we are at about $18,000.

0:24:500:24:55

She's sold a lot of her coins to

fund her nutrition business but

0:24:550:24:59

still has a feud.

You have a dozen

or so, what is that worth? One

0:24:590:25:05

bitcoin is worth around $18,000, so

you do the maths.

That sort of story

0:25:050:25:11

has sparked a gold rush. At this

London cafe there is a bitcoin cash

0:25:110:25:17

machine, you put in £20 notes and a

tiny fraction of a bitcoin is

0:25:170:25:22

transferred to your phone. What

happens to you if they all go to

0:25:220:25:25

nothing tomorrow?

I'm holding, I

will hold it. I have faith it will

0:25:250:25:32

all go back up, even if it collapses

I will hold it.

0:25:320:25:37

Unlike a normal currency, bitcoin is

not controlled by any central bank

0:25:370:25:41

or governments. Instead it depends

on a network of computers which all

0:25:410:25:45

record any transactions. You hold it

in what is called a wallet on your

0:25:450:25:49

phone or computer with a unique

address allowing you to send or

0:25:490:25:52

receive bitcoin. New bitcoin are

created in a process called mining

0:25:520:25:59

involving computers solving

increasingly complex problems.

0:25:590:26:02

Back at the cafe, this is one of the

very few places you can actually

0:26:020:26:07

spend bitcoin. Actually as bitcoin

saws and value it is becoming less

0:26:070:26:11

and less useful as a currency. Why

would you spend it today when it

0:26:110:26:14

will be worth a lot more tomorrow,

so goes the thinking. So maybe for

0:26:140:26:19

the same amount of bitcoin next week

I could buy two cakes.

0:26:190:26:23

That is one reason many are

sceptical about bitcoin. David

0:26:230:26:26

Gerard has studied and written about

it for six years.

0:26:260:26:30

It is the irrational exuberance

phase of a bubble. This is that

0:26:300:26:36

economic bubbles work, people buy

close others are, assuming they can

0:26:360:26:39

always sell it and get rich. When

the bubble pops, when, not if, it

0:26:390:26:43

will be a disaster for many.

Ever

more energy is used by bust banks of

0:26:430:26:51

computers mining bitcoin like these

in Russia. One more reason to wonder

0:26:510:26:54

whether this financial experiment

has a sustainable future.

0:26:540:27:01

Let's talk about the football, it

has been a great night for Bristol

0:27:010:27:04

city, who have sealed a memorable

victory over premiership giants

0:27:040:27:07

Manchester United.

This injury time winner from Corey

0:27:070:27:12

Smith saw them through 2-1. They

will play either Manchester City,

0:27:120:27:17

Arsenal or Chelsea for a in the

final. Mutch a place in the final.

0:27:170:27:25

Life expectancy across the globe

is continuing to rise,

0:27:250:27:27

prompting scientists to ask how long

people might live in the future.

0:27:270:27:30

Most think we will see

gradual gains in longevity,

0:27:300:27:32

but there have been predictions that

anti-ageing drugs could eventually

0:27:320:27:35

allow people to live for centuries.

0:27:350:27:37

In the last of his special reports

on so-called super-agers,

0:27:370:27:40

our medical correspondent

Fergus Walsh has been

0:27:400:27:41

to California and Arizona.

0:27:410:27:46

I like to do things.

0:27:490:27:50

I don't want to sit

in the background.

0:27:500:27:53

Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic.

0:27:540:27:58

Lester Dray is 101.

0:27:580:28:00

The oldest resident

at this retirement village

0:28:000:28:02

in Sun City, Arizona.

0:28:020:28:06

You're going to miss something

if you just moan and groan

0:28:060:28:08

about how horrible life is.

0:28:080:28:11

Show me your teeth.

0:28:110:28:14

Do you hear a sound?

0:28:140:28:15

Say ahhh...

0:28:150:28:16

Ahhh.

0:28:160:28:17

He gets regular medical checks,

as part of a study into longevity.

0:28:170:28:21

It's an issue which is attracting

interest from unusual quarters.

0:28:210:28:27

In Silicon Valley, California,

some of the biggest names,

0:28:270:28:29

from Google to Facebook,

are investing hundreds of millions

0:28:290:28:33

of dollars into defeating

the diseases of ageing.

0:28:330:28:39

So why are tech entrepreneurs

suddenly interested in human health?

0:28:390:28:44

I think Silicon Valley

is driven by curiosity.

0:28:440:28:47

That same curiosity that drives

a 14-year-old to programme computers

0:28:470:28:50

in his bedroom drives somebody

in their 20s or 30s

0:28:500:28:52

to really apply their minds

and their cash to this problem.

0:28:520:28:57

The DNA from the special

part of the cell called

0:28:570:28:59

the mitochondrion...

0:28:590:29:00

It is why this British scientist set

up in Silicon Valley.

0:29:000:29:04

Aubrey de Grey is probably

the world's leading advocate

0:29:040:29:07

of life extension -

the idea that humans can

0:29:070:29:09

and will live in good health

for hundreds of years.

0:29:090:29:14

There will certainly be no limit

on how long people can live once

0:29:140:29:17

we bring ageing under control.

0:29:170:29:19

People will still die,

there are still trucks

0:29:190:29:21

to be hit by and so on.

0:29:210:29:23

But the fact is people will,

on average, live a lot longer

0:29:230:29:26

unless there is some bizarre thing

like we get hit by an

0:29:260:29:29

asteroid or whatever.

0:29:290:29:30

That's beautiful!

0:29:300:29:31

That's a minority view.

0:29:310:29:33

Although extending life

is possible in the lab,

0:29:330:29:35

with fruit flies, yeast or worms,

it gets more difficult higher up

0:29:350:29:38

the evolutionary ladder.

0:29:380:29:42

So in the lab in simple

laboratory animals, we can

0:29:420:29:45

increase life span by 100%,

200, 500%, really extraordinary

0:29:450:29:48

differences in life span.

0:29:480:29:52

It turns out ageing is really

plastic in the simple

0:29:520:29:54

laboratory animals.

0:29:540:29:55

It may be more complex

as we go over to mammals.

0:29:550:29:58

The mouse, for example,

we have been able to increase

0:29:580:30:00

life span 20 or 30%.

0:30:000:30:02

And we really do not

know what is possible

0:30:020:30:04

for humans at this point.

0:30:040:30:05

We do know exercise

is a magic formula that can

0:30:050:30:07

keep us healthy longer.

0:30:070:30:11

And there are no drugs

yet to match it.

0:30:110:30:15

There is probably an upper

limit to life expectancy

0:30:150:30:17

of around 115 years.

0:30:170:30:21

So the quest for immortality is

still the stuff of science fiction.

0:30:210:30:26

But increasing our health span,

the number of years we spend free

0:30:260:30:29

of chronic diseases,

well that really could be a reality.

0:30:290:30:34

Here we go!

0:30:340:30:35

# Jingle bell, jingle

bell, jingle bell rock!

0:30:350:30:41

Finding something you enjoy

and staying socially engaged are key

0:30:410:30:43

elements of healthy ageing.

0:30:430:30:48

Like the Sun City Poms, many

of whom are in their 70s and 80s.

0:30:480:30:55

I'm 78.

0:30:550:30:57

Born on the 4th of July.

0:30:570:30:58

So I'm still a firecracker,

still going and booming.

0:30:580:31:02

It keeps me physically active,

it keeps my brain working

0:31:020:31:05

and helps my memory.

0:31:050:31:09

We just get out there and do

what we need to do and enjoy.

0:31:090:31:14

We can't slow time but we can put

more life in our years

0:31:140:31:17

and hopefully become super-agers.

0:31:170:31:21

Fergus Walsh, BBC News,

Sun City, Arizona.

0:31:210:31:30

And all three of Fergus' reports

on how we're living longer and life

0:31:300:31:33

expectancy in the future

can be found online.

0:31:330:31:35

Just go to bbc.co.uk/ten.

0:31:350:31:42

A reminder of our top story tonight.

0:31:440:31:47

The First Secretary of State,

0:31:470:31:48

Damian Green - one of Theresa May's

closest allies - has

0:31:480:31:51

resigned from the Cabinet

after an investigation found he had

0:31:510:31:53

breached the ministerial code.

0:31:530:32:03

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