18/06/2017 BBC Weekend News

The Mayor of London says the Grenfell Tower fire disaster

was the consequence of years of neglect by governments

Sadiq Khan believes the blaze, in which 58 people are feared

Those who have lost their lives in a preventable accident that didn't

need to happen, and a tragedy we have seen as a consequence of

mistakes and neglect from the politicians, and from the council.

Today the families of some of those still missing

We need to act, we need to learn from our mistakes, not at the cost

of people's lives. The authorities say they're working

round the clock to meet All eyes are on Brussels as Britain

prepares for the opening And Pakistan thrash their fierce

rival and title holders India in the Champions Trophy final

at the Oval. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, says

the Grenfill Tower fire disaster, -- The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan,

says the Grenfell in which 58 people are feared

to have died, was the consequence of years of neglect by successive

governments and the local authority. He says the tragedy

was totally preventable. He was speaking as the leader

of the local council in Kensington and Chelsea said

he was doing everything he could to provide help to those

affected by the tragedy. There's been heavy criticism

of the local authority and central Government

for their handling of the disaster. Father, we pray for those who are

suffering loss, while we pray for those who are waiting with hope.

Beneath a tower, people of all faiths are trying to heal. It

continues to be a time of bewilderment, of anxiety, of anger.

Some of the dead and missing are known in this congregation, and even

in moments of peace, you can feel the rage will stop heaven knows what

the next few weeks hold, as that death toll keeps rising. I am deadly

serious, what is going to happen? Bianca, I've never seen anything

like it. It is terrible, and they are mad about everything. At a

nearby mosque, more donations for the displaced. Five days on, some

feel they are still having to do what the authorities should be

doing. Are you from the Home Office? No, I lit up the road. No one knows

that they are here. They are sitting at empty desks. -- no, I live up the

road. After criticism of the Council, a neighbourhood authority

has taken over things here. These volunteers told me there is

progress, but it is painfully slow. 24 hours ago, the Prime Minister

said central Government will take control of this and get a grip of it

- does it feel like there is a grip? No. Why not? Look around you,

they're not here. Central Government are not here. For us to feel that

there is a grip, central Government needs to make us feel it is on the

side of the people. The extra foot patrols promised by Theresa May are

now on the ground, brought in from other parts of London to bring

reassurance and information. The leader of the local council says he

understands the criticism his authority faced, but he has also

defended their response. Yes, of course their resolve ways more we

can do, and we are attempting to do that, but this was an enormous

disaster. It has profound consequences. Gratitude this

afternoon for the firefighters who were searching for the lost night

and day. There is a growing sense here that all the emotion unleashed

by the fire must lead to change. Angry, not simply at the poor

response in the days afterwards from the council and the Government, but

the years of neglect from the council and successive governments.

While politicians talk about the legacy and lessons learned, for some

here, it is far too lonely. On a day like this, they say, it is

impossible to think about the future. It does feel here tonight

that some of the fury that we saw in the first few days after this fire

has dissipated somewhat. There does seem to be an acknowledgement that

the official response is now getting on track, and a willingness to try

and support it. In the last few minutes, we have had a statement

from Downing Street, the Prime Minister giving no details of that

?5 million fund to help those who lived in Grenfell Tower. There will

be an immediate minimum cash payment of ?500 per household, and then at

least ?5,000 will go into bank accounts or will be made available

in other ways. We have been told there will also be extra money for

funerals and mental health services. Clive.

The families of some of those still missing,

remain hopeful their relatives may still be alive, but they're

also realistic that the chances are slim.

Our reporter Sima Kotecha has been speaking to two brothers

searching for six members of their family.

This is our sister, Nadia Choukair, her husband, Bassem Choukair, our

This is Nadia's children, Mierna Choukair,

Fatima Choukair, and Zainab Choukair.

Two brothers desperately searching for their family who have

Today they came to the tower to be close to where their family once

lived, to hope for their return, and to pray for all those missing.

We hope, we still hope, we still hope

We will keep coming here and keep hoping to see

They describe themselves as bereft and say they have

received no help from the authorities.

Ministers say they are doing all they can to assist those

I feel very angry, not supported, and I feel the

community have come together better than the Government, or the support

When the casualty bureau number came up, I

actually rang it and it just went into a voice mail, and to hear that

message, that was just like a knife in the chest, if you know what I

The tall tower looms large here, it's shadow dominating the

I'd like to see reform to all high-rise buildings within

I'd like to see the Government remove any future plans

We need to learn from our mistakes, not at the cost of people's lives.

The sunshine blazed down on London today, but the mood here remained

For many, the pain too great and too raw.

Still hope, still living in hope that even though they were on

the 22nd floor at the time of the incident, of the fire, please,

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, says Brexit talks must safeguard

the British economy, and that reaching no deal

He was speaking ahead of the start of negotiations

with the European Commission, due to begin tomorrow.

Here's our Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth.

It was a key reason for calling the election. Every vote for the

Conservatives will make me stronger when I negotiate for Britain with

the Prime Minister 's -- the prime ministers, chancellors and

presidents in the EU. Instead, by losing her majority, negotiations

look tougher. On Brexit, the Prime Minister faces pressure from all

sides. Many think the Chancellor, who backed Remain, is one of those

pushing for a moderate approach. He upped the stakes debate on the need

to get a good deal with the EU. No deal would be a very bad outcome for

Britain, but there is a possible worse outcome, and that is a deal

that is deliberately structured to punish us, to suck the lifeblood out

of our economy. He said UK would leave this single market and Customs

union but there could not a cliff edge and there would have to be

transitional arrangements to keep trade flowing. The economy must come

first. He even attacked the Tory election campaign for not making

more of it. We did not talk about the economy as much as we should

have done. Whatever the reason, this is the result. Anger from some.

Lacking enough MPs on their own, the Tories have turned to Northern

Ireland's DUP. Their views on Brexit will now also have to be considered.

Theresa May is facing tough battles here. There is a raft of laws that

need to be passed. The Parliamentary session has been extended to two

years, giving the Government more time, but that won't make it much

easier. The Tories are divided about what Brexit should mean, and that is

without the views of political opponents. Labour could flex its

muscles, suggesting today the UK could stay in the customs union

which allows tariff free trade within the EU. It should be left on

the table. So we could stay inside the customs union? Yes, there was

also the notion of no deal being a viable deal, which Theresa May and

the Government have repeatedly said. No deal is what happens if you get

to the end of two years and have not reached an agreement. You are pushed

over a cliff. Extracting the UK from the EU want be easy and there is

still no real clarity from anyone about what Brexit should or will

look like, but it is clear that here as well as in Brussels the Prime

Minister is facing a tough fight. Alex Forsyth, BBC News, Westminster.

Well, some of the key issues in those Brexit talks in the coming

days will include the rights of EU citizens, that's foreign nationals,

living here, and Britons living abroad.

There's the size of the divorce bill, what it will it

And then there's the timetable - can the highly complex negotiations

Damian Grammaticas is in Brussels for us.

Damian, what are we expecting tomorrow? 11am Brussels time, on the

seventh floor here, those talks will get underway. One of the early

issues will be how to proceed. David Davis wanted trade talks from the

outset, and he has predicted a row over the summer over that, because

the EU said it wants first exit issues dealt with, then a future

relationship could be talked about. After initial contact between the

two sides, we have heard the EU believes its preferred sequence will

be followed. That is significant because it means David Davis will

have to satisfy the EU on issues you mentioned - citizens' rights, how

they will calculate a final financial settlement before the EU

will move on to discussing future relations. These are all tricky

things, and on any one of them, the talks could falter. Damien, thank

you. A murder investigation has

begun after the body of an 18-year-old woman,

Ellen Higginbottom, was found in a country

park in Wigan. The discovery was made

in Orrell Water Park. Ellen had been reported missing

by her family on Friday. Police say she suffered a brutal

attack, and are appealing for anyone In Portugal, more than 60 people

have died in a huge forest fire. The blaze was in a mountainous

area in the middle It's thought the fire was sparked

by lightning hitting a tree. Is a desperate, sometimes hopeless,

battle against nature. Seafaring heat, strong winds and low humidity

- the worst possible conditions. Large areas of central Portugal now

ablaze. This mountainous area is no stranger to forest fires, but these

are some of the deadliest ever. The speed and ferocity of the flames

catching people in their cars and homes. A woman's screams for her

house. As the fire rages on several fronts, entire villages have been

evacuated. Officials are still not sure what remains. TRANSLATION: We

were inside the house, the fire was around us. The firefighters came to

get us out because we could hardly breathe any more. As to whether the

house burned or not, it must have, for sure. Almost instantly, we saw

the fire on the car, and within 15 seconds at the most, the wind that

the fire created lacked across to the other side, and within 30

seconds, it was to the right, to the left, to the back of the car and you

had no option but to keep driving into the fire. At times, the

response has seemed chaotic, hundreds of firefighters working

furiously since yesterday. Some people say they have been left to

fend for themselves while their homes burn. Thick low-lying clouds

of smoke make it hard for firefighting aircraft to work

effectively. France and Spain have sent their aircraft to help. As the

death toll mounts, the goverment has declared three days of national

mourning. With no signs of a break in the weather, this battle isn't

over. Paul Adams, BBC News. France is voting in

the second and final round of parliamentary elections,

with President Emmanuel Macron's new party expected

to win a big majority. More than half of his

Republique En Marche candidates, But the party is expected to win

as many as three-quarters of the seats in the National

Assembly. Cricket, and Pakistan have thrashed

title-holders India by 180 runs to win the Champions Trophy

at The Oval on Sunday. Pakistan piled up 338-4

before dismissing their Here's our Sports

Correspondent, Joe Wilson. South London, neutral territory for

a rivalry, a relationship. Cricket is common ground. This match, the

sporting event of a year. It cost me ?1000 for a fly, I am returning

tonight, and ?350 for a ticket. People are selling them for

ridiculous prices. Pakistan's journey was a surprising one and no

one expected them to be here. Last stop, the Oval. India's first wicket

wasn't. Foot over the line, Noble, not out. Significant. Fracas a man

was the only one not cut out for a period. Play until he is 100 and you

might never match that feeling. Pakistan managed to score 338. These

two countries don't tour each other at the moment thanks to the

political climate, so this final was like a summit meeting of sport. Want

to watch? Find a roof. Remember Mohammed Amir? Corrupted, jailed,

rehabilitated. He India before could start, three rapid wickets,

including the captain, Virat Kohli. Eight. MS Dhoni, India's former

captain, experience, powerful, and out. 54-5. Hardik Pandya was making

Pakistan worried. But what a way to go. India are wealthy and mighty,

but that doesn't mean you always win. Pakistan, world cricket's

unpredictable, improbable champions.