0:00:20 > 0:00:24Good afternoon.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Six people have died, and a seventh is in a critical condition,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30after a car crash in central Birmingham.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Six vehicles were involved in the collision which happened just
0:00:34 > 0:00:36after 1am at an entrance to an underpass, just
0:00:36 > 0:00:38south of the city centre.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Four others needed hospital treatment.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Police described the scene as very difficult and upsetting.
0:00:43 > 0:00:50Tom Burridge reports.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56Horrific and upsetting is how the emergency services described the
0:00:56 > 0:01:02scene. This black taxi flipped onto its side, the driver and a couple on
0:01:02 > 0:01:07board all died. Next to it, the mangled remains of another car.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Police are now investigating how the vehicles collided with such force
0:01:11 > 0:01:17killing many of those on board. Clearly a very difficult scene for
0:01:17 > 0:01:22the staff to deal with, to have so many casualties at the same time, 13
0:01:22 > 0:01:26people having to be seen in rapid time, including the first job
0:01:26 > 0:01:31finding out who is most seriously injured, that was established very
0:01:31 > 0:01:36quickly.Four men in one of the cars were all thrown out of the vehicle.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Three of them died at the scene, the fourth man is in a critical
0:01:41 > 0:01:45condition in hospital. A man and a woman travelling in a third car
0:01:45 > 0:01:51which was badly damaged survived with relatively minor injuries. This
0:01:51 > 0:01:57photo shows the aftermath as those first to arrive tried to save lives.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01A devastating scene with debris strewn all over the road. The crash
0:02:01 > 0:02:06happened on a section of the Belgrave Middleway, a busy road in
0:02:06 > 0:02:09the heart of Birmingham. The vehicles collided before the
0:02:09 > 0:02:13entrance to the underpass at the junction of Bristol Road. Police say
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the dual carriageway will probably stay closed for the rest of today.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Three other cars were also involved in what ambulance crews called an
0:02:22 > 0:02:26extremely distressing and complex crash scene. Tragedy on one of
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Birmingham's main roads a week before Christmas. Tom Burridge, BBC
0:02:30 > 0:02:32News.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Phil Mackie is at the scene now.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39The police have just been holding a news conference to give more details
0:02:39 > 0:02:45about what happened.Yeah, they have been talking about the harrowing
0:02:45 > 0:02:49nature of what they have had to deal with since the early hours of this
0:02:49 > 0:02:54morning, this happened at about 1:10am. You can see the underpass
0:02:54 > 0:02:59behind me Tom was referring to in the report. The cars on the left
0:02:59 > 0:03:09were those who largely avoided serious injury. The taxi in which
0:03:09 > 0:03:13three people were killed is lying on its side. There is another vehicle
0:03:13 > 0:03:18between it and the wall, the one that was crushed, the man and the
0:03:18 > 0:03:21woman driving in that, astonishingly, they managed to
0:03:21 > 0:03:26escape with minor injuries. Further along the underpass, the other
0:03:26 > 0:03:30vehicle involved in the most serious part of the accident, that is where
0:03:30 > 0:03:35it is at the moment. Lots of activity, forensic and specialist
0:03:35 > 0:03:39teams inspecting the scene. I have been talking to people who live
0:03:39 > 0:03:43here. Flats overlooking the scene. Some people heard the crash and went
0:03:43 > 0:03:47out to see what had happened. They have all said it is a particularly
0:03:47 > 0:03:52busy stretch of road, even late at night, and a lot of people speed
0:03:52 > 0:03:56along here, that will almost certainly be a focus of the
0:03:56 > 0:04:00investigation. For the time being, everyone's thoughts are with the
0:04:00 > 0:04:05families of those people who have died. Thank you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Every worker who's 18 or over could be automatically enrolled
0:04:08 > 0:04:10in a workplace pension, unless they opt out,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12under plans unveiled by the Government today.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14At the moment, employers have to provide pensions
0:04:14 > 0:04:17for all staff aged 22 or over, and earning more than £10,000.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The move is expected to affect around 900,000 people.
0:04:19 > 0:04:26Joe Lynam reports.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Ollie and Nate are both 21.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Ollie on the left has not yet started saving for his retirement.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's not really crossed my mind yet.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40I've moved jobs quite frequently, tend not to stay in one place too
0:04:40 > 0:04:43long, so pensions have always been lower down the list of things
0:04:43 > 0:04:47I've been conscious of.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Nate has been saving for his retirement since he was 16.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56I grew up with a family on welfare, so I was aware of the effects that
0:04:56 > 0:04:58being reliant on public money can have and how insecure
0:04:58 > 0:05:04it can be sometimes.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07If the Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke has his way,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11young people like Ollie and Nate could soon be automatically enrolled
0:05:11 > 0:05:13into a pension at their employers.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16That, I think, will get more people into the habit of saving.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It will mean that younger people will be saving
0:05:19 > 0:05:21for those extra years, so that is obviously significant
0:05:21 > 0:05:25when it comes to their retirement.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30At the moment, only those aged over 22 are automatically
0:05:30 > 0:05:33included in a pension scheme by their employers, but the
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Government wants that lowered to 18.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Soon, 8% of our salaries will be going into a pension pot, something
0:05:39 > 0:05:43employers are worried about.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I think what the Government needs to bear in mind however is how much
0:05:46 > 0:05:50of the cost of that is going to be falling on employers in the future,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52because already the cost to employers is on course
0:05:52 > 0:05:53to treble by 2019.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Today's announcements means the cost to employers will be
0:05:55 > 0:05:57even higher than that.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00To 18 or even 21-year-olds, retirement must seem a long way off,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03especially if they don't earn much.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05But if this plan proceeds, it could help young people avoid
0:06:05 > 0:06:13depending on the state in decades to come.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17The Prime Minister says developments over the last ten days have marked
0:06:17 > 0:06:21a watershed in the UK's departure from the European Union.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Writing in two newspapers this morning, Theresa May said
0:06:23 > 0:06:28the Government is proving the doubters wrong after the EU
0:06:28 > 0:06:30agreed to move on to the next phase of negotiations,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32but Labour say their Brexit plans are a mess.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Our political correspondent, Jonathan Blake, is here.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42Jonathan, this comes ahead of big discussion in Cabinet this week?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46The timing is important because Cabinet will meet this week to
0:06:46 > 0:06:50discuss for the first time in full what the UK's future relationship
0:06:50 > 0:06:55with the EU will be. The Prime Minister is striking a defiant tone
0:06:55 > 0:07:02in her piece on the Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Express, the familiar
0:07:02 > 0:07:05phrases, taking back control, getting on with the job. She is
0:07:05 > 0:07:09looking ahead to the next phase of negotiations which she describes as
0:07:09 > 0:07:14the exciting part. Two reminders, if they are needed, it will not be an
0:07:14 > 0:07:19easy ride, at home in Westminster, two Conservative and he's writing in
0:07:19 > 0:07:26the Observer that the Lords will not stand for a restrictive timetable.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Boris Johnson in an interview with the Sunday Times saying Britain
0:07:30 > 0:07:35should not simply mirror Brussels' regulations in future because it
0:07:35 > 0:07:40will end up being a vassal state in the EU. Others in Cabinet take a
0:07:40 > 0:07:44different view. They will have to agree this week of the Prime
0:07:44 > 0:07:49Minister is to deliver her promise that she will not be derailed in
0:07:49 > 0:07:55delivering Brexit.Thank you very much.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Cricket, and England's battle to save the Ashes will go
0:07:57 > 0:08:00into the final day of the third Test in Perth, after rain brought
0:08:00 > 0:08:02an early end to play.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03But it looks a tough task.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Needing at least a draw, England are still 127 runs short
0:08:06 > 0:08:08of Australia's first innings total, with four wickets down.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09Andy Swiss reports.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12A day when English cricket was rescued by some very English
0:08:12 > 0:08:13weather, but for how long?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It had started out a damage limitation exercise to restrict
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Australia's gargantuan total.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22The video umpire helped, finally dislodging Steve
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Smith for a mere 239.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Some hefty late-order took Australia's total way out of sight.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30COMMENTATOR:Sailing overhead...
0:08:30 > 0:08:32For England's batsmen, it was now all about survival.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Oh, dear.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Josh Hazlewood's brilliance did for Alastair Cook,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and worse was to follow.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Joe Root, the captain, remember, what was he thinking?
0:08:41 > 0:08:47But as his team-mates fell around him, James Vince stood tall,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50a fluent 50 starting the recovery, until the ball of this
0:08:50 > 0:08:51or perhaps any summer.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Mitchell Starc, the stump destroyer.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Just watch this zigzag off the pitch at 90 miles an hour.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Unplayable.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow helped calm the nerves
0:09:01 > 0:09:04with an unbeaten partnership until a deluge sparked delight
0:09:04 > 0:09:06among the Barmy Army, but their team needs
0:09:06 > 0:09:11something very special.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Got two guys at the crease that have spent a lot of time
0:09:14 > 0:09:16there in the first innings.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It's slightly different conditions, but, yeah, we've got to have belief
0:09:19 > 0:09:22that we can stay in the series and get over the line tomorrow.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23So, England are still hanging on.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25More rain is forecast for tomorrow.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28They will need that and some determined batting to have any
0:09:28 > 0:09:29chance of saving their Ashes hopes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Andy Swiss, BBC News, Perth.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Prince Harry has interviewed Barack Obama for
0:09:34 > 0:09:44BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
0:09:45 > 0:09:52If you use long pauses, you will get the face.Let me see the face.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56LAUGHTER
0:09:56 > 0:09:58The interview is part of Harry's guest editorship of the programme
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and features the former US president sharing his memories of the day
0:10:01 > 0:10:05he left office and his hopes for his post-presidential life.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13The next news on BBC One is at 5.20pm.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Bye for now.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17Bye for now.
0:10:17 > 0:10:17Bye for now.