13/01/2018 BBC Weekend News

Time's running out for Carillion,

the Government's biggest contractor

as talks continue over the future

of the troubled company.

It comes as the Government's warned

by Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable

that it should not bail

the company out.

The government can't just do

a financial bail out.

The shareholders and big banks

have got to take a hit,

they can't just offload

all the losses onto the taxpayer.

"This is not a drill" -

panic in Hawaii as people

are mistakenly told they face

an imminent missile strike.

No more extra charges to be levied

on anyone using credit or debit

cards to pay for goods.

And Exeter Chiefs score six tries

against Montpellier,

to keep alive their hopes

of reaching the quarter finals

of the European Champions Cup.

Good evening.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats,

Sir Vince Cable, has warned

the government not to agree

to bailout the construction company

Carillion with tax payers money.

There are fears the firm,

which has debts of £1.5 billion,

could collapse.

Carillion employs about 20,000

people in the UK and is one of

the government's main contractors.

Our business correspondent

Joe Lynam reports.

This is Liverpool's newest

hospital under construction.

It will be the biggest single

bed hospital in the UK,

and it's being built by Carillion.

Now there's concern that projects

like these could be affected

if the company collapses.

From prisons to hospitals,

to schools and rail, Carillion

is responsible for some of the UK's

largest infrastructure

and maintenance projects.

So, should the Government bail

the debt-laden company out?

I think what has to

happen in this case -

the contracts have to be kept

going and supporting the supply

chain and the tens of

thousands of workers.

That can be done by the Government

taking lots of this in-house,

or re-tendering in other cases.

The Government can't just do

a financial bailout.

The shareholders and creditors -

the big banks - have to take a hit.

They can't just off-load

all the losses onto the taxpayer.

Carillion is a major British

company with hundreds

of contracts running prisons,

maintaining hospitals and MoD

facilities, with almost 20,000

employees here and tens of thousands

more dependent on the company.

But it has run up debts

of £1.5 billion, including almost

£1 billion to its banks,

whose patience has run out.

Britain's biggest ever rail

infrastructure project,

High Speed 2, starts major

construction this year.

And here at Euston station.

Carillion is meant to build it.

But given its mountain of debts

there's a very real chance

that the Government might have

to step in and give those contracts

to other companies, or simply

bail the company out -

with all the moral

hazard that comes with.

The RMT union has called

on the Government to provide

reassurances to thousands of workers

who could be affected.

Also caught in the crossfire

are hundreds of smaller companies

who carry out subcontracted work

on behalf of Carillion.

Potentially, it

could be devastating.

Because many of them are owed

millions by Carillion.

And if they don't get those monies,

of course they are at

risk as a business.

The other thing is there

will be thousands of jobs,

potentially, lost as a result.

If Carillion cannot be

saved or restructured,

the consultants EY have been put

on notice to take over

as administrators.

It's a precautionary measure

which the Government and thousands

of staff hope won't be needed.

Joe Lynam, BBC News.

It's emerged tonight that

the Justice Secretary David Gauke

is considering a judicial review

over the decision to grant

parole to the serial sex

attacker Jon Worboys.

That decision - announced

earlier this month - caused outrage.

Our political correspondent

Alex Forsyth is here.

So what more can you tell us?

There was a huge backlash from the

parole board's decision to release

John Worboys from those who thought

it was the wrong decision and those

who were critical about the way

victims had been informed about it.

The Sunday Times newspaper has

discovered and is reporting that the

justice sector it David Gauke has

commissioned advice about people's

ability and potential success of a

judicial review of that decision by

the parole board that Justice

Secretary. He won't proceed unless

he thinks there are grounds to do

so, but this is very significant. It

is highly unusual, even

unprecedented, for a Justice

Secretary to intervene in the

decisions of a parole board and that

is because the parole board has very

deliberately -- is very deliberately

independent of government. David

Gauke takes the independents very

city and wants to maintain it so at

the moment he's just looking at the

possibility -- very seriously. The

parole board said that the

procedures had been followed in this

case.

Thanks for joining us.

An investigation is under way

in Hawaii, after an alert

was mistakenly sent to residents'

phones, warning them of an imminent

ballistic missile attack.

The text message urged people

to take shelter due -

and added "this is not a drill".

It was 30 minutes later revealed

to be a false alarm.

Richard Galpin reports.

It's just after eight o'clock

in the morning local time

and suddenly the broadcast of this

basketball match is interrupted.

HOOTER

The US Pacific command has detected

a missile threat to Hawaii.

A missile may impact on land

or sea within minutes.

This is not a drill.

If you are indoors, stay indoors.

If you are outdoors, seek immediate

shelter in a building.

The chilling alert of what was

apparently an imminent missile

strike on Hawaii was also sent out

to everyone's mobile phones.

When we got the alarm

we were actually terrified,

we were on the 36th floor

of our hotel.

And we didn't know what to do.

I was just sleeping,

my friend just woke me up.

He says, hey, let's go,

there's a bomb coming in Hawaii.

I didn't take it serious,

but you know, I started running,

eventually saw a place,

a concrete building.

People were just

running on the street.

But it turns out

it was all a mistake.

The US-Pacific command

confirming in a tweet

there was no missile threat.

This should not have happened.

We are investigating the sequence

of events that occurred.

An error was made in emergency

management, which allowed this

false alarm to be sent.

Just last month, the Hawaiian

authorities decided to resume

testing of the nuclear warning

system for the first

time since the Cold War.

These islands are the closest part

of the United States to North Korea.

And over the past year,

North Korea has carried

out a series of tests,

proving it does now

have nuclear weapons.

So, no wonder people in Hawaii

were panicking today.

Richard Galpin, BBC News.

In South Africa, the new leader

of the ruling ANC party has

given his first speech

since being elected last month.

Cyril Ramaphosa gave a damning

assessment of the party,

saying it's been beset

by infighting and corruption.

Our Africa Editor,

Fergal Keane, was at the rally.

If you want to know how the wind has

changed in South Africa,

then listen to this.

Jacob Zuma...

BOOING

Booed by his own party,

Jacob Zuma is increasingly isolated.

Even supporters acknowledge his

days as the country's

president are numbered.

The crowds have a different

hero now, the new ANC

leader Cyril Ramaphosa.

Businessman, skilled negotiator,

who's promised to end the capture

of the state by a corrupt elite.

We are going to confront corruption

and state capture in all its forms.

The investigation and prosecution

of those who are responsible

will be given top priority.

We are resolute in our commitment

to make this the year

in which we build our movement

and turnaround the economy

of South Africa.

Not since the end of apartheid

in 1994 have I seen such a hunger

for change in South Africa.

We've heard a lot of promises from

politicians, do you believe him?

Yeah, we have to believe him, he's

our president, our new president.

Hopefully they can fix,

everything is broken.

That's a big, big hope.

Yeah, it's my hope, and the hope

of all South Africans.

Hope springs in part

from desperation.

The corruption of the Zuma

era dragged the economy

into junk status.

Not far from the stadium,

this woman washes cars to earn cash.

She's ten years out

of school and unemployed.

We have voted for ANC

but we don't see any changes.

We want Cyril Ramaphosa,

we want jobs.

If Cyril Ramaphosa can root out

corruption and rescue

this country's economy,

he will be seen

as a worthy inheritor

of Nelson Mandela's legacy.

But more than that,

given the importance

of South Africa on this continent,

he could emerge as one of the most

important political

figures in the history

of post-colonial Africa.

That is the prize.

The challenges are immense.

Fergal Keane, BBC News, East London.

Consumers here will no longer be

charged extra simply

because they're paying

for something using a card.

Some retailers have already said

they will raise overall prices

in response to the change.

Adina Campbell reports.

They are the small fees

added at the very end

of the buying process.

In percentage terms it

may not be that much,

but these card surcharges add up.

Not any more.

Under new EU rules, retailers,

on or offline, can no longer charge

customers for paying with a credit

or debit card.

The Treasury says these

surcharges cost consumers

£166 million every year.

But some companies such as concert

venues can still charge

a booking or service fee.

No longer will they be

penalised just for paying

by credit or debit card.

Now with the end of surcharges

you're comparing like for like.

The price you see

is the price you pay.

You don't get a nasty

sting at the end.

But some shoppers are not convinced.

They can do it very sneakily,

can't they, and just hide that 2%

or whatever it's going to be,

in the cost of what you're

going to purchase.

I don't see why we should have

to pay that for actually

using a means of payment that's kind

of, you know,

universally acknowledged.

At the end of the day,

they'll end up passing

it onto the consumer,

so it doesn't make that much

difference, to be quite honest.

Traders could feel the effects, too,

because card companies will still

charge for their services,

but can no longer pass

that fee onto customers.

Vin Vara runs a group

of small businesses

and is also president

of the British Independent

Retailers' Association.

Nearly 63% of our sales

are by credit card and debit card,

so it will affect us

in the long-term if rates

and increased rates do go up.

For retailers like this

hardware store, today's ban

throws up several options.

They may decide to suck up

the cost of processing

a debit or credit card.

Alternatively, they could simply put

up their prices or they may decide

to re-brand these fees

as a service charge.

One business that's already been

criticised is the delivery company

Just Eat, which has said it

will impose a new service

charge for card payments.

There are now calls

for the new changes to be closely

monitored to ensure consumers

are not punished for

paying by plastic.

Adina Campbell, BBC News.

Four British men have set

new a world record for rowing

unaided across the

Atlantic - in 29 days.

The amateur crew beat

the previous record by six days,

completing the 3,000 mile crossing

from the Canary Islands

to Antigua this morning.

With all the sport -

here's Karthi Gnanasegaram

at the BBC Sport Centre.

Good evening.

It was a record breaking day

in the Premier League but it is time

to pop out of the room if you don't

want to know today's results

before Match of the Day

which is at 1030 on BBC One.

Harry Kane has become

the highest scorer in

Tottenham's Premier League history.

Kane's two goals in Spurs's 4-0 win

over Everton means he has now scored

98 goals for the club,

breaking Teddy Sherringham's record.

Champions Chelsea were held

to a goalless draw by the champions

before them, Leicester City.

David Moyes's 200th game

as a Premier League manager,

ended with a 4-1 victory over

Huddersfield.

While West Brom had their first

win in 21 league games

beating Brighton 2-0.

English rugby union champions,

Exeter Chiefs, have boosted

their chance of qualifying

for the quarter-finals

of the European Champions Cup

with a dominant display against

Montpellier.

There were also wins for Ulster,

Harlequins and Northampton.

While European champions Saracens

are currently leading Ospreys 15-12.

Adam Wild reports.

Sandy Park is where you find

the Chiefs, and this was certainly

an occasion for leaders.

Top of the English league Exeter

against Montpellier -

top of the French.

A cross-Channel challenge

with plenty at stake.

Defeat for Exeter would end

their European hopes.

Dave Ewers' first half

try keeping them alive.

Tense, tight, not much space,

but with Olly Woodburn on the wing,

you don't always need it.

This secured the bonus point

which might yet prove crucial.

In the fight for second

in their group, the Chiefs

are back in charge.

In Ulster, a battle to lead Pool 1,

that is where La Rochelle have

been for most of the competition.

The French side once

appearing unbeatable,

now seemingly breachable.

Tries either side of half-time

enough for Ulster, who now go top

with just one game to go.

That is against Wasps who had

harboured hopes of their own,

against harlequins, and this fixture

was once a daddy, and while Wasps

have moved, the rivalry remains.

This red-carpet James Haskell, and

with the game's final breath,

Harlequins let out a war and a huge

blow to their former neighbours, an

extraordinary victory which leaves

Wasps needing something

extraordinary if they are to

progress.

Adam Wild, BBC News.

England's Lisa Ashton has won her

fourth BDO World Darts title.

Ashton beat Russia's

Anastasia 3-1 in the final.

It puts her second

on the all time list,

behind Trina Gulliver.

The day's sports stories

are on the BBC Sport website,

including the England Test captain

Joe Root is fit to play in the first

One Day International

against Australia later tonight.

That's all from me.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

Goodnight.