25/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

Labour says the UK should

stay in a customs union

after Brexit, because of trade

and the Northern Irish border.

The shadow Brexit Secretary says the

new deal will be better for trade

and the Northern Irish border and

will have the backing of MPs.

The time is now coming

for the Prime Minister,

because the majority in Parliament

does not back her approach

to a customs union.

Will assess the shift is the

government maintains leaving the

customs union is vital for future

trade deals.

Reports from Eastern Ghouta

says Syria government

airstrikes are continuing,

despite a ceasefire

plan agreed at the UN.

And tributes to one of Bollywood's

leading ladies, Sridevi,

who's died at the age of 54.

And song and celebration bring

the Pyeongchang Games,

Britain's best Winter Olympics yet,

to a close.

Good evening.

The Shadow Brexit Secretary has

confirmed that Labour wants the UK

to remain in a customs union

with the EU after Brexit.

Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC's

Andrew Marr Show that a new treaty,

replicating the existing customs

arrangement, would be best

for the economy and would respect

the referendum result.

The Prime Minister is committed

to leaving both the single market

and the customs union.

She's expected to outline

the Government's position

in more detail this week.

Our political correspondent,

Ben Wright, reports.

For the first time there

is clear-blue policy water

between Labour and the Tories over

Brexit.

In a speech tomorrow,

Jeremy Corbyn will confirm his party

would keep the UK in a customs union

with the EU after Brexit.

Crunch time is now coming

for the Prime Minister

because the majority in Parliament

does not back her approach

to a customs union.

Labour's Brexit spokesman said

the UK would be better off teaming

up with the EU to reach new trade

deals with other countries.

Obviously, it's the only way

realistically to get

tariff-free access.

It's really important

for our manufacturing base

and nobody can answer the question

how you keep your commitment to no

hard border in Northern Ireland

without a customs union.

As an EU member, we are currently

in the European customs

union and the idea behind

it is pretty simple.

A single set of tariffs

is imposed on goods imported

from outside the EU.

Goods can then move freely

without tariffs around the bloc.

But members cannot do

their own trade deals.

Some Labour MPs want their party

to go further and commit to joining

the single market, too.

It's a massive hit on our economy

if we leave the single market,

if we leave the customs union.

It's a massive hit to peace

in Northern Ireland

if we leave the customs union.

These are core Labour values.

But Brexit-supporting Labour MPs

argue the party risks

betraying their own voters.

You're talking about...

Come on, Stella!

There are all these things -

we'll stay in a customs union,

we'll stay in a single market.

The decision was quite clear

to leave and there in the North,

Labour voters voted

very, very clear...

Are you going to rat on them or not?

The Brexit negotiation is not only

a haggle between the UK

Government and the EU.

Parliament's role is critical, too.

Theresa May does not have an overall

majority in the Commons and a number

of Tory MPs also argue that the UK

should have a customs

union with the EU.

So a vote, when it comes,

could force the Government

to change its position.

The Government insists the UK must

be free to have an independent trade

policy after Brexit outside

the customs union.

Labour say they want

to join a customs union.

What does that mean?

Is it like Turkey, which has

a customs union but only in goods,

but not in agriculture,

not in services, not in finance?

Is that what we want for Britain?

Will we take rules in certain

sectors but not in others?

Liam Fox also said the Government

would try to persuade all Tory MPs

about the Government's position

before putting a trade bill before

MPs, which, at the moment,

looks like it could be defeated

if Labour joined Tory rebels

in calling for a new customs union.

Ben is here now.

How significant is this

shift from Labour

on a post-Brexit customs union?

Potentially, very. The government

view is that it wants to see

frictionless trade with the EU after

Brexit. It's talked about having a

customs agreement of some sort, but

not a customs union, because

ministers say it's imperative to

Brexit that the UK can pull anchor

and go out into the world and do its

own trade deals, but Labour has been

moving slowly in the other

direction, and now its commitment to

a customs union is hugely

significant, because you have a

trade deal that will be put in front

of MPs in the next few weeks or

months, and a handful of MPs, Tory

MPs, insist that should be used to

try and persuade the government to

commit to a customs union, and if

Labour as a block vote with those

Tory MPs, a government defeat is

possible, and that could take us

into vote of confidence to retreat,

so it could be very significant. May

is a huge speech to make on Friday,

and that will be watched very

carefully to see how that clarifies

the government position.

There has been fighting

around the rebel-held area

of Eastern Ghouta in Syria,

despite a ceasefire resolution

passed at the UN Security Council.

Clashes on the ground

and airstrikes have continued,

but at a much reduced rate.

French and German leaders have

appealed to President Putin to make

the Syrian government

honour the ceasefire.

Caroline Hawley reports.

In Eastern Ghouta today, a measure

of calm after a week-long storm of

air strikes. In small numbers,

people ventured out from underground

shelters to assess the damage, but

there were reports of air strikes

continuing in some parts of the

rebel held enclave.

Today is the

first day of the ceasefire

resolution. Still there is a warlike

atmosphere, still shelling, but it

is less bad than before.

The vote

last night for a month-long

ceasefire didn't specify exactly

when it would start or how it would

implemented, and there's another

problem. In Eastern Ghouta, it's a

disparate group of rebels fighting

the regime, including some extremist

elements that have been linked to

Al-Qaeda leader, and the ceasefire

doesn't cover them. Government

forces are massed around the edge of

the enclave, with reports of clashes

as they try and advance. Tonight, we

spoke to the most powerful group on

the ground, Jaysh Al Islam, which

claims to have killed and kidnapped

dozens of government troops today.

TRANSLATION:

When the regime is not

abiding by the UN resolution, I

cannot stand still and watch and not

defend myself and our families in

Ghouta.

If there's one thing all

sides agree on is that the conflict,

the agony of Syrian civilians, is

very far from over.

China's state news agency says

the ruling Communist Party

has proposed a change

to the constitution that would allow

the President and Vice-President

to stay in power for more

than two terms.

The current President,

Xi Jinping, is due to step down

from his role in 2023.

He could now stay on in the role

indefinitely.

The closing ceremony

of the Winter Olympics has taken

place in South Korea,

bringing to an end to 16 days

of sporting and political drama.

The head of the International

Olympic Committee has praised the

bridges built between north and

South Korea at the games. Laura

Bicker is in Pyeongchang.

This is the confident side of South

Korea. Modern, dynamic. And edgy.

Korea. Modern, dynamic. And edgy. In

the stands, just one row behind the

US President's daughter is a North

Korean general, more used to seeing

military parades. Even though he

didn't talk to Ivanka Trump, it

seems his country is ready to hold

discussions with the US at some

point, a victory for the South

Korean leader. Unlike the opening

ceremony, athletes from the two

Koreas flew their own country's

colours, highlighting division

despite diplomacy. Critics fear that

the north has been given too much of

a platform at the games, but the

minister responsible for talks

between the two countries says

Pyongyang is being pushed on nuclear

weapons.

TRANSLATION:

We conveyed the message

to North Korea multiple times. It is

necessary that North Korea and the

United States talk to each other to

solve this peacefully.

Before the

ceremony, dozens of protesters tried

to stop the North Korean general

stopping the border to reach

Pyeongchang. He is thought to be

responsible for deadly attacks on

South Koreans. It's a reminder that,

after this Olympic revelry, there

could be a dose of reality. This

show of harmony has given South

Korea some breathing space, but

tensions still lurks in the

background.

Unfortunately it isn't

going to last. North Koreans are

entirely separating. They stated

from the first meeting that the

nuclear issue has nothing to do with

the cooperation between the two

Koreas or the Olympics.

Absent

again, the Russian flag, the Olympic

committee deciding not to lift a ban

imposed after years of drug

scandals. Culturally, these games

have allowed regions to see what

happens when they're divided people

come together. Politically, there

are so many issues to overcome. --

these games have allowed Koreans.

But this is the first progress made

on this peninsula for years.

The Indian actress Sridevi,

who starred in nearly

300 Bollywood films,

has died of a heart

attack at the age of 54.

A former child star,

her films had huge box office

success from the 1970s

to the late 1990s.

Rajini Vaidyanathan

looks back at her life.

For decades, she was

Bollywood's leading lady.

Sridevi's combination of charisma

and comic timing won her fans

all around the world and,

in a male dominated film industry,

she was one of the first women

to become a megastar

in her own right.

You know, the audience

just want a good film,

that's what matters.

They are very hero oriented,

or the hero oriented films,

for them, I think it's only

the subject that matters.

Sridevi was attending a family

wedding with her husband

and daughter in Dubai

when she suffered a heart attack

late on Saturday night.

After news of her death broke,

fans gathered outside

her house in Mumbai,

as the world paid tribute.

India is mourning the loss of one

of its brightest stars.

One film producer described

the impact of Sridevi's death,

saying that she was a pioneer

who put the early cracks

in the glass ceiling of Bollywood

and paved the way for today's

female film stars.

Her death is a loss to our country

to the film industry.

She was such a role model

to all women across the country,

so I'm sure it's going

to have an impact on all of us.

Of course, now, you've got

a lot of famous leading

ladies in Bollywood,

but think back to the '80s

and the early '90s,

there weren't too many of them

and she was one of the first.

Sridevi will be remembered

for the way she lit up the screen.

She left the world of

Bollywood way too soon,

but her legacy is enduring.

Sridevi, who has died aged 54.

More on the last day

at the Winter Olympics,

and the rest of the sport.

Over to Karthi Gnanasegaram.

Good evening.

The final day of the Winter Olympics

didn't end with more

medals for Great Britain

and Northern Ireland

but they are "going in the right

direction", according to the team's

chef de mission, Mike Hay.

Andy Swiss reports from a colourful

closing ceremony in Pyeongchang.

Britain's Olympic journey here

hasn't always been the smoothest.

17th and 18th for the much touted

bobsleighers, a disappointing

finish, but their misses have been

matched by medals.

matched by medals.

She has won

Bronze!

A record five in total...

Billy Morgan!

After £30 million of

funding, they haven't come cheap,

but the team believe they are worth

it.

We are happy, a historic games,

our best ever, three medals on

Saturday, back-to-back gold medals

with Lizzy Yarnold.

The final day

drama came in the men's ice hockey,

won with a golden goal. The Olympic

athletes from Russia beating

Germany, and they certainly enjoyed

it. But the greatest feat came in

the cross-country skiing.

A very

special moment for all of us to

witness.

As Norway sealed their

place at the top of the medals

table, thanks to the most decorated

winter Olympian of all time. Bjorgen

winning her 15th medal, a glorious

finale to a glittering career. And

so, a spectacular end to a games

which has seen some stunning global

stories, and for the British team,

with a record winter medal tally, an

impressive success.

Manchester United are back in second

place in the Premier League

after a 2-1 win over Chelsea.

The United manager, Jose Mourinho,

described it as an important result

because they beat the champions,

not because they beat Chelsea.

And Tottenham hold on to

a Champions League place

after their 1-0 win over

Crystal Palace today.

Ade Adedoyin reports.

A matchup as much about the rivalry

between the teams as that between

the two managers. A brief handshake,

but Jose Mourinho and Antonio

Conte's relationship has been a bit

like the weather lately, frostily. A

lively start, Alvaro Morata rattling

the bar. Eden Hazard data combined

with the inform Willian to put

Chelsea ahead. Come take macro's

celebrated, but he wouldn't have

been happy with what happened next,

as Romelu Lukaku scored his first

goal against the toxic site to make

it 1-1 at the break, nearly making

it two with this. If you minutes

later, Jesse Lingard with the

perfect header to put United ahead,

a fine cross and a fine finish.

Mourinho's men hung on for the win,

a day to savour the United manager,

with victory against his old club

and old adversary. In the day's

early kick-off, Harry Kane scored a

late winner against Crystal Palace,

an important win in the race for the

Champions League spots.

There are just a few minutes

remaining in the League Cup final,

and it is Manchester City

who have a 3-0 lead over Arsenal.

David Silva with City's that goal.

If City win, it would be their first

trophy under Pep Guardiola.

England have lost the first

One Day International

against New Zealand by three

wickets in Hamilton.

Ben Stokes returned to play

in his first England match

since September and took two

wickets for 43 runs.

But New Zealand won

with four balls to spare.

Mitchell Santner sealing

the win with a six.

All of the day's sports headlines

are on the BBC website,

including Celtic's 2-0 win over

Aberdeen to take a nine-point lead

in the Scottish Premiership.

And the latest from the women's Six

Nations.

There's more throughout the evening

on the BBC News Channel.

We're back with

the late News at Ten.