0:00:08 > 0:00:13Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19We will start with breaking news from Westminster because in the past
0:00:19 > 0:00:21have an hour the first Secretary, Damian Green, has announced that he
0:00:21 > 0:00:29has resigned. That is the sound of major tax reform being passed in the
0:00:29 > 0:00:29US.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32There are tax cuts coming for American companies and individuals.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Opponents says it reform for the rich.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38The President's having none of that.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43This bill means more take-home pay, it will be an incredible Christmas
0:00:43 > 0:00:45gift for hard-working Americans.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47The EU is taking unprecedented action against a member state
0:00:47 > 0:00:49as Poland presses on with changes to its judicial.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54We'll report from Brussels and Warsaw.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59And we'll be in Barcelona on the eve of crucial elections in Catalonia.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20As with every edition of Outside Source, we will take you through the
0:01:20 > 0:01:23biggest stories around the world in the next hour with the help of the
0:01:23 > 0:01:27best of the BBC international journalists and we start here in
0:01:27 > 0:01:32London because Damian Green from the UK's Deputy Prime Minister, has
0:01:32 > 0:01:37resigned. It was after an enquiry into allegations about his conduct
0:01:37 > 0:01:40found he made inaccurate and misleading statements about what he
0:01:40 > 0:01:46knew about claims pornography had been found on a computer in his
0:01:46 > 0:01:50office in the Houses of Parliament a few years ago. This was the letter
0:01:50 > 0:01:56that has been sent to Theresa May, apologising for his conduct and the
0:01:56 > 0:02:02Prime Minister has replied accepting his resignation. We can go live to
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Alex Forsyth who is in Westminster. Tell us more about the conclusion of
0:02:07 > 0:02:12this investigation.This enquiry was in two broad matters, the first was
0:02:12 > 0:02:17allegations that Damian Green had behaved inappropriately towards a
0:02:17 > 0:02:23conservative activist and the second concerning alleged legal pornography
0:02:23 > 0:02:27that was found on computers in his Parliamentary office in 2008. From
0:02:27 > 0:02:32the outset he has denied any wrongdoing on either account and
0:02:32 > 0:02:36maintained that any pornography found did not belong to him and this
0:02:36 > 0:02:40enquiry has not been definitive when it comes to those two central
0:02:40 > 0:02:44matters. It does not say exactly what happened in either case but
0:02:44 > 0:02:48what it does find is that when Damian Green says he was not told by
0:02:48 > 0:02:52police about those allegations of pornography, that was wrong and in
0:02:52 > 0:03:01fact his lawyers were told by police lawyers and therefore he made
0:03:01 > 0:03:03misleading statements about what he knew about the allegations and as a
0:03:03 > 0:03:05consequence he is bound to have breached the ministerial code and
0:03:05 > 0:03:10has resigned. The reason this so much is because he was the first
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Secretary of State, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister and very close
0:03:16 > 0:03:20to the Prime Minister. They have been friends since university, he
0:03:20 > 0:03:25was her political ally and confidant around the Cabinet table and it is
0:03:25 > 0:03:30very clear she did not want him to go at this stage and in fact in her
0:03:30 > 0:03:34letter to him she said she was extremely sad to be writing this
0:03:34 > 0:03:40letter and she pays long tribute to his role in government as first
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Secretary of State and she talks about their long friendship but she
0:03:43 > 0:03:47says with deep regret, because he was found to have breached the
0:03:47 > 0:03:51ministerial code, when it came to what he was told about the
0:03:51 > 0:03:57allegations of pornography, that she has asked him to resign.There are
0:03:57 > 0:04:00tweets coming through, one saying another one bites the dust which is
0:04:00 > 0:04:04a reference to the fact that the Prime Minister has lost a number of
0:04:04 > 0:04:08allies in the last few months.She has, the third Cabinet minister to
0:04:08 > 0:04:13go after Michael Fallon resigned over allegations about his conduct
0:04:13 > 0:04:22and then Priti Patel also resigned over business meetings she had
0:04:22 > 0:04:25without informing Downing Street. This is the third Cabinet minister
0:04:25 > 0:04:30and perhaps the most significant for Theresa May because he was such a
0:04:30 > 0:04:35close ally, but the third to go in a short period of time. This follows a
0:04:35 > 0:04:38period where there have been questions about the stability of the
0:04:38 > 0:04:44government and the Cabinet in the UK. This is in June timing for
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Theresa May to say the least. It is something she would not have wanted
0:04:48 > 0:04:54-- in opportune timing. But she felt she had little choice but to ask him
0:04:54 > 0:04:59to resign. We must make it clear that Damian Green continues to deny
0:04:59 > 0:05:03any allegations of wrongdoing when it comes to the substance of those
0:05:03 > 0:05:07matters of the act he said he was not told about the pornography when
0:05:07 > 0:05:11his lawyers were made aware.Thank you very much. The UK Deputy Prime
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Minister has resigned at there will be further coverage of this in the
0:05:16 > 0:05:21coming minutes and you can get more details online right now. We are
0:05:21 > 0:05:22going to switch to Washington.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25A short time ago President Trump gave a press conference
0:05:25 > 0:05:31marking the major overhaul of the US tax system.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39These are the people right behind me who have worked so long and so hard.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44It has been an amazing experience I had to tell you. It has not been
0:05:44 > 0:05:49done in 34 years but actually, really hasn't been done because we
0:05:49 > 0:05:54broke every record. It is the largest, I always say the most
0:05:54 > 0:06:00massive but it is the largest tax cut in the history of our country
0:06:00 > 0:06:06and reform, but tax really something special.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's been approved by both houses of Congress today
0:06:09 > 0:06:11because the House of Representatives had to vote again today
0:06:11 > 0:06:13because a procedural rule hadn't been followed.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Hugely significant for two reasons.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20First, the bill gives big tax cuts to businesses,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and to lesser and greater extents tax cuts to individuals.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Second, this is President Trump's first major piece of legislation.
0:06:28 > 0:06:35He's pleased, calling it the biggest in history.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38That was what he said on Twitter.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41He says the cuts are so large and so meaningful and yet the fake
0:06:41 > 0:06:44news is working overtime to follow the lead of their friends,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46the defeated Dems, and only demean.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48No demeaning going on here, but we are going to look
0:06:48 > 0:06:51at this in detail.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Mr Trump's been thanking senior Republicans.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01Well he might.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Every single Republican senator voted for the bill which got it
0:07:03 > 0:07:06through 51 to 48 last night.
0:07:06 > 0:07:14Every Democrat voted against it, so they're not happy.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19There are only two places where America is popping champagne. The
0:07:19 > 0:07:25White House and the corporate boardrooms including Trump Tower.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30Otherwise Americans have a lot to regret.Rajini Vaidyanathan is at
0:07:30 > 0:07:36the White House. It is quite something to see Mr Trump laughing
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and joking with Paul Ryan and other senior Republicans. He was at
0:07:40 > 0:07:43loggerheads with them not so long ago.These are some of the people
0:07:43 > 0:07:48who criticised him very strongly when he was candid at Trump and have
0:07:48 > 0:07:51not been on the best of terms with him since he moved into the White
0:07:51 > 0:07:57House. This is a significant moment for the relationship between
0:07:57 > 0:08:00President Trump and the Republican party because they have managed to
0:08:00 > 0:08:05rally together and go back and forth on what this tax plan would contain
0:08:05 > 0:08:11and come to an agreement. And when it came to the Senate, all of the
0:08:11 > 0:08:17Republicans voted with the party, only 12 on the house side dissented.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22The majority rallying together and that is why they all joined him on
0:08:22 > 0:08:26the steps. It is worth noting what some of the Republican leadership
0:08:26 > 0:08:31have been saying in the last few days, people like Senate majority
0:08:31 > 0:08:34leader Mitch McConnell conceding that the job now is to sell this
0:08:34 > 0:08:38planned to the American people all the polls suggest that the majority
0:08:38 > 0:08:44of Americans are concerned about this tax plan, and as you heard with
0:08:44 > 0:08:48the Democrats saying it will only be the wealthy and billionaires who
0:08:48 > 0:08:54will be the winners in this.And one thing I don't understand, President
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Trump has expensive plans for infrastructure, a wall along the
0:08:58 > 0:09:04Mexican border, and yet the government taxation income is going
0:09:04 > 0:09:07to drop from this so where will he get the money from customers in many
0:09:07 > 0:09:11ways this is based on the idea of what is known as trickle-down
0:09:11 > 0:09:15economics.The Republicans have been saying that yes, this could be
0:09:15 > 0:09:22something like a $1.5 trillion tax bill that this plan could end up
0:09:22 > 0:09:26costing but they believe if you cut corporation tax it will stimulus
0:09:26 > 0:09:30growth in the economy because businesses are more likely to invest
0:09:30 > 0:09:35in things and create jobs. That is what Republicans have been saying.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39If you do this, more money will flow around the economy and it will boost
0:09:39 > 0:09:43growth but not everybody is buying into that theory and certainly
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Democrats are concerned that something is going to have to pay
0:09:48 > 0:09:52for this huge price tag. Their big concern is that in the New Year the
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Republicans may come back to Congress and start slashing welfare
0:09:57 > 0:09:59and entitlement programmes which could impact of lower income
0:09:59 > 0:10:05Americans the most.Thank you very much. If you still have questions
0:10:05 > 0:10:08about this tax reform, send them in because we will be covering this
0:10:08 > 0:10:14again in a few minutes. We started in Westminster, then to Washington
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and now Brussels and Warsaw.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The European Union is doing something it's never done before -
0:10:19 > 0:10:22it's taking action against one of its members, Poland,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26over judicial reforms that it it believes are anti-democratic.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Frans Timmermans is vice-President of the European Commission.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32He says they've acted with "a heavy heart.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34But the facts leave us with no choice.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We have no other option.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41This is not just about Poland, it is about the EU as a whole."
0:10:41 > 0:10:42A number of things to play you on this.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47This is Adam Fleming in Brussels.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50For about two years the European Commission has been monitoring the
0:10:50 > 0:10:54situation in Poland and they say there have been 13 pieces of
0:10:54 > 0:10:59legislation put in place or proposed which threaten democracy in the
0:10:59 > 0:11:03country, threaten the rule of law. What happened today is that Frans
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Timmermans, the first vice president of the European Commission,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11recommended the triggering of article seven which is the EU's way,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15never used before, of disciplining countries with the rule of law under
0:11:15 > 0:11:19threat. Now it moves to the European Council, the EU leaders and they
0:11:19 > 0:11:24have the right to call in the Prime Minister Poland and asking what he's
0:11:24 > 0:11:29doing and get him to explain himself. If four fifth of those
0:11:29 > 0:11:33leaders agree, pollen can be put under observation and
0:11:33 > 0:11:37recommendations can be made and the situation observed.What we are
0:11:37 > 0:11:42looking at is part one of Article seven of the Lisbon Treaty. You can
0:11:42 > 0:11:43read it all online.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Let's look at the second part, the so-called 'nuclear option'.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51That allows for sanctions and the suspension of voting rights.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54But for that to happen, all of the EU's members
0:11:54 > 0:11:56states need to approve it.
0:11:56 > 0:12:04And Hungary has already said it'll block such a move.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Perhaps that helps us understand how defiant Poland is.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11President Duda has announced that he's signed into law two bills
0:12:11 > 0:12:13on the judiciary that particularly concerned the EU.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And he said this earlier.
0:12:16 > 0:12:24TRANSLATION:These reforms were passed in Parliament, first by the
0:12:24 > 0:12:27upper house and then by the Senate without amendments and I made the
0:12:27 > 0:12:34decision to sign these two laws. We cannot allow judges to govern
0:12:34 > 0:12:37themselves and decide on matters that concern them without any
0:12:37 > 0:12:42oversight. It is not just the separation of powers which is
0:12:42 > 0:12:45important, there also has to be the right balance between powers.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Now, the centre of the Polish government's argument
0:12:47 > 0:12:54is that its judicial system is inefficient and corrupt.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56And it argues that communist-era judges
0:12:56 > 0:12:57are pursuing their own agenda.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It says addressing these issues is its sovereign right.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Let's get to Warsaw.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05Adam Easton is there.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I put it to him that the government is right and that there are judges
0:13:09 > 0:13:13from the commonest era who resisted democratisation and still pursue
0:13:13 > 0:13:18their own agenda.The government says that essentially commonest era
0:13:18 > 0:13:25judges are still sitting in court and Communist era collaborators
0:13:25 > 0:13:31infiltrated the system and resisted any change. -- Communist era judges.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35The case of the government would be reinforced if it were not for the
0:13:35 > 0:13:46fact that the governing party's point man on judicial reform was a
0:13:46 > 0:13:50communist era prosecutor. It is OK for him to be in this position even
0:13:50 > 0:13:54though his history was in the Communist era as a prosecutor but
0:13:54 > 0:14:00not for judges who are of a certain age and were judges during the
0:14:00 > 0:14:07commonest era.And in terms of the confidence we are seeing from the
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Polish government, do you think it is rooted in the fact they don't
0:14:10 > 0:14:14believe all of the EU member state would vote through serious sanctions
0:14:14 > 0:14:20against them?I think they are almost assured that will be the
0:14:20 > 0:14:27case. Budapest, Hungary is a very close ally of this current Polish
0:14:27 > 0:14:32government and it has said many times it will veto any sanction
0:14:32 > 0:14:41against Poland and let's not forget that to have any, the second stage
0:14:41 > 0:14:46of this process, which could end in Poland having its voting right
0:14:46 > 0:14:50inside the EU suspended and other sanctions, that requires the
0:14:50 > 0:14:55agreement of all EU member states and Hungary has said it will not
0:14:55 > 0:15:01sanction it. I think it has ground to be confident.And is the position
0:15:01 > 0:15:08taken by the government are proving popular at home?Certainly
0:15:08 > 0:15:12overwhelmingly Polish people think the court system should be reformed.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18A recent opinion poll said 81% of people here said reform was needed.
0:15:18 > 0:15:25The main grievances of the public are firstly that trials drag on for
0:15:25 > 0:15:32months and months, far too long. The second is that the court proceedings
0:15:32 > 0:15:35themselves are too complicated and the third is this concern about
0:15:35 > 0:15:41corruption amongst judges. Yes, the public agrees there should be some
0:15:41 > 0:15:46sort of reform. But does not mean to say that they agree with the way the
0:15:46 > 0:15:50governing Law and Justice party is going about it. There is a
0:15:50 > 0:15:55difference there of course. Tens of thousands of people over the last
0:15:55 > 0:16:01few months have taken to the streets to protest against this because they
0:16:01 > 0:16:05share the European Commission's fear that these reforms give the
0:16:05 > 0:16:12governing party the tools to essentially politicise the media and
0:16:12 > 0:16:17essentially put in judges who are loyal to the government in positions
0:16:17 > 0:16:27of power.In a few minutes we will return to the US to talk about
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Donald Trump's first major legislative victory and we will get
0:16:31 > 0:16:33into the detailed of what will change.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The Metropolitan Police is undertaking a review
0:16:38 > 0:16:40of all of its current sex offence investigations following
0:16:40 > 0:16:42the collapse of two rape cases.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43The prosecutions were halted because of the late
0:16:44 > 0:16:45disclosure of evidence.
0:16:45 > 0:16:52The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, has been giving his thoughts.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56We need to understand and urgently what went wrong in those cases, that
0:16:56 > 0:17:01is the work underway now but there is a broader issue here. That is
0:17:01 > 0:17:04about how well or otherwise the disclosure system is working
0:17:04 > 0:17:07throughout the criminal trial system and we were already aware that there
0:17:07 > 0:17:12were concerns about this. Concern is that I think arise not necessarily
0:17:12 > 0:17:15from failures of individuals to do their jobs properly but from the
0:17:15 > 0:17:20fact that we have very large amounts now of mostly digital information in
0:17:20 > 0:17:24a whole range of trials that it is very hard to filter and sift
0:17:24 > 0:17:28effectively so you can find the evidence that ought to be disclosed
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and that is a problem we are encountering in fraud cases,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35terrorism cases but also as we have discovered in other cases and that
0:17:35 > 0:17:38is what we need to look at.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53The lead story comes from Westminster because Damian Green has
0:17:53 > 0:17:59announced he has resigned. Picking up on some of the main stories from
0:17:59 > 0:18:04BBC World Service.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Two people were killed in a nightclub fire in Kisumu
0:18:07 > 0:18:08on Lake Victoria in Kenya.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Authorities believe an electrical fault may have been the cause.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12The renowned Mexican crime journalist Gumaro Perez has been
0:18:12 > 0:18:14shot and killed while attending a Christmas celebration
0:18:14 > 0:18:15at his son's school.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19He is one of 12 journalists to have been killed in Mexico this year.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21No one has been arrested over the killing.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24That's on BBC Mundo.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Cardinal Bernard Law has died aged 86 in Rome.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30He was forced to resign as Archbishop of Boston 15 years ago
0:18:30 > 0:18:35over a church sex abuse scandal.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Back to this tax reform in the US.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Let's give you some details.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It'll lower corporate taxes from 35% to 21%.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49The argument for this is that if corporations benefit,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51so do many Americans.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57The President has only one thing at the top of his mind.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Ultimately what does it mean? It means jobs, jobs, jobs.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05The tax rates for individuals will also drop, at least until 2025.
0:19:05 > 0:19:15The highest earners who get a 2% cut.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19If you look right across the spectrum, the bipartisan tax policy
0:19:19 > 0:19:26Centre put out this data which shows the more you earn, the more you are
0:19:26 > 0:19:30likely to benefit and the less you earn, the less you benefit. The
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Democrats have been looking to emphasise that.This is not about
0:19:35 > 0:19:38anything better for working-class families, this is about champagne
0:19:38 > 0:19:44glasses clinking and wealthy families across the country and I
0:19:44 > 0:19:47don't begrudge them success or wealth or their achievement, I just
0:19:47 > 0:19:50don't want to see it at the exploitation of America's working
0:19:50 > 0:19:52families.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Other key elements in the bill include lower inheritance tax,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56lower taxes on overseas profits.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And what about the cost of this?
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The joint Congressional committee on taxation says it's
0:20:01 > 0:20:03around $1.4 trillion.
0:20:03 > 0:20:13But here is the President making the case for the cost.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16$4 trillion will come flowing back into the country, money that is
0:20:16 > 0:20:23overseas that has been stuck there for years and years.We are covering
0:20:23 > 0:20:29this story in the US. Let's talk about the corporations. The idea is
0:20:29 > 0:20:34that if there is less tax charged in the US they will bring more money
0:20:34 > 0:20:41back?That's right. At 35% the US corporate tax rate was the highest
0:20:41 > 0:20:45in the developed world so what President Trump and the Republicans
0:20:45 > 0:20:50are saying is that by bringing it down to 21%, and with other
0:20:50 > 0:20:53deductions and exemptions, the effective rate that companies pay
0:20:53 > 0:20:56could be much lower and they are essentially making the US
0:20:56 > 0:21:01competitive on the global stage. Making its corporate tax it
0:21:01 > 0:21:07comparable to other countries. They are also doing, money that US
0:21:07 > 0:21:10companies earned abroad, when that was with penetrated to the US there
0:21:10 > 0:21:15was tax on it but they have a away with that -- when it was
0:21:15 > 0:21:20repatriation tip. President Trump is saying they are giving incentives to
0:21:20 > 0:21:23businesses overseas to bring it back here and also for companies to
0:21:23 > 0:21:30invest more here because they will be taxed at a lower rate. There are
0:21:30 > 0:21:33questions raised about whether the trickle-down effect they have been
0:21:33 > 0:21:37talking about will actually happen, if the big companies benefit, making
0:21:37 > 0:21:42these savings, are they really going to pass them on in the form of
0:21:42 > 0:21:45investment and creating more jobs or will it just mean giving higher
0:21:45 > 0:21:52dividends to their shareholders?And temporary tax cuts for individuals,
0:21:52 > 0:21:58the fact they are slated to continue until 2025 but what happens then?
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Then it returns back to the situation as it was earlier. You
0:22:02 > 0:22:06pointed out earlier there would be tax cuts for a lot of people but
0:22:06 > 0:22:11also concerns that for some people in some state taxes could even go
0:22:11 > 0:22:16up. Right now what happened is that if you pay a state or local tax here
0:22:16 > 0:22:19there is a certain reduction you can get on your federal income tax and
0:22:19 > 0:22:26that has been curtailed by this bill so for example New York, or New
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Jersey, these are states with higher tax rates so some people here could
0:22:30 > 0:22:34even find themselves paying more. But all of that is temporarily,
0:22:34 > 0:22:42lasting only until 2025.Thank you.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The European Court of Justice has ruled what a lot of people might
0:22:46 > 0:22:48think is pretty obvious, that Uber is a transport company
0:22:48 > 0:22:57rather than a digital service.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00That impacts on how EU member states can regulate Uber.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Theo Leggett explains in this report.
0:23:02 > 0:23:09The ride-hailing service Uber has become a fact of life
0:23:09 > 0:23:11in cities around Europe over the past few years.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12It is certainly convenient.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15You can call a car, monitor its progress, and pay for it -
0:23:15 > 0:23:16all over the internet.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17But what exactly is it?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19When Uber first started operating in Europe,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21it tried to present itself as a kind of digital middleman,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24connecting passengers with drivers.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27In other words, it was just a mobile phone based app and didn't need
0:23:27 > 0:23:30to abide by all the onerous rules and regulations that apply
0:23:30 > 0:23:34to regular taxi companies.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41But others, particularly established taxi drivers, disagreed.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44They said that Uber was in fact a transport services company
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and should be subject to the same rules and regulations
0:23:47 > 0:23:49as any other taxi business.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Now the European Court of Justice has agreed with them.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57It says that legally speaking Uber is indeed a transport company.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59For Uber itself there will not be a huge immediate
0:23:59 > 0:24:02impact from the ruling.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04It has already given ground to regulators in most
0:24:04 > 0:24:06of its major European markets.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08In the UK and many other countries it is already
0:24:08 > 0:24:10licensed as a taxi operator.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13But the decision could affect its future plans.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15It said today, millions of Europeans are still prevented
0:24:15 > 0:24:18from using apps like ours.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It is appropriate to regulate services such as Uber
0:24:20 > 0:24:24and we will continue the dialogue with cities across Europe.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28So that is actually a transport service...
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Meanwhile lawyers said the impact of the ruling could go beyond taxi
0:24:31 > 0:24:33firms and affect other businesses which operate in the
0:24:33 > 0:24:36so-called gig economy.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I think other companies in the gig economy will be worried by this.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43This is showing that the courts are not going to be distracted
0:24:43 > 0:24:46by the technology, they're going to look at what is actually
0:24:46 > 0:24:50happening and how local legislation should already apply to that.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Free-market campaigners meanwhile say that is a bad thing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56They think policymakers should be moving with the times.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00If you halt innovation by applying old systems
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and old patterns of regulation, simply to protect incumbents,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07or perhaps even you know with some sort of idea about passenger safety,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09you are constraining the ability of people to do
0:25:09 > 0:25:11things in their own way.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15And at the end of the day people know what is good for them.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17This is by no means the first legal ruling to affect Uber
0:25:17 > 0:25:21and it is unlikely to be the last as courts and regulators come
0:25:21 > 0:25:24to terms with the profound impact companies born in the digital age
0:25:24 > 0:25:25have had on traditional businesses.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Theo Leggett, BBC News.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35A moment to remind you of the lead story, the UK Deputy Prime Minister
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Damian Green has announced within the last hour that he has resigned.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44This is to do with an investigation, and it should be added that the
0:25:44 > 0:25:47allegations he is facing he has not admitted to come it is to do with
0:25:47 > 0:25:52information he provided and whether it was entirely accurate. Laura
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Kuenssberg is telling us that the primary suspect to Damian Green
0:25:55 > 0:25:59about those findings this afternoon and then he resigned from the
0:25:59 > 0:26:02government. We will be live from Westminster in a moment.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It is that time in the evening when we take a look at the weather
0:26:13 > 0:26:18elsewhere around the world and making the headlines recently
0:26:18 > 0:26:22unfortunately have been the Californian wildfires. The next few
0:26:22 > 0:26:26days sees easing in the wins but unfortunately with high building
0:26:26 > 0:26:35there is no rain -- in the winds and they might increase again at the end
0:26:35 > 0:26:40of the weekend. You can see that low pressure and then fewer ice and
0:26:40 > 0:26:46lighter winds and the high-pressure means little rain. Further east, it
0:26:46 > 0:26:51may be December but severe thunderstorms on Wednesday and even
0:26:51 > 0:26:54the odd tornado before the system clears into the Atlantic and we see
0:26:54 > 0:26:59colder weather plunging southwards Alsop by Christmas and beyond it
0:26:59 > 0:27:03looks like we could have very cold weather in deed with temperatures
0:27:03 > 0:27:06five or 10 degrees below average across the east of the US and Canada
0:27:06 > 0:27:11all stop some snow in the great Lakes. If you are travelling to or
0:27:11 > 0:27:17from India the biggest problem is amber warnings for fog across
0:27:17 > 0:27:20northern state which will persist for the rest of the week and it gets
0:27:20 > 0:27:26cold as well. This mass of cloud is a tropical storm which has affected
0:27:26 > 0:27:33the Philippines and is moving across southern part of the Vietnam towards
0:27:33 > 0:27:38the Malay Lindsay. Expect more flooding unfortunately. Also wet in
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Sumatra and Jarba and Borneo and this could be another storm for the
0:27:41 > 0:27:46southern Philippines but even further north the monsoon will
0:27:46 > 0:27:51enhance the reins. Quite a lot of rain is set to fall across central
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and southern parts of Africa, it is the rainy season but it looks more
0:27:54 > 0:27:59intense than it has been. Days of that heavy rain could cause further
0:27:59 > 0:28:03flash flooding while in the north there are strong winds blowing sick
0:28:03 > 0:28:07dust around which could be a disruptive for travel as well as
0:28:07 > 0:28:12showers in the art of Algeria and Tunisia and Libya. It is all tied in
0:28:12 > 0:28:14with this low pressure developing across the Mediterranean pushing
0:28:14 > 0:28:21across Malta and into Greece and the southern Balkans and eventually into
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Turkey. Pretty inclement here but further west we have high pressure
0:28:25 > 0:28:28which means fog could still be an issue for travellers in parts of
0:28:28 > 0:28:35France, Germany and Iberia. There is the low pressure moving gradually
0:28:35 > 0:28:38eastwards, Stowe further north as well as you can see in parts of
0:28:38 > 0:28:44western Russia -- snow. As for the UK, we have that week Weatherford
0:28:44 > 0:28:51still with us on Thursday, brightest to the north that in the slightly
0:28:51 > 0:28:56told Abbott it will be mild further south. More on the outlook for
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Christmas and beyond in the next half an hour. Goodbye.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10Hello, I'm Ros Atkins.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16This is Outside Source.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20We will continue with the breaking news because the past hour or so,
0:30:20 > 0:30:33Damian Green has announced he will resign. And a major tax reform bill
0:30:33 > 0:30:38in the US has passed. Tax cuts for companies and individuals. Opponents
0:30:38 > 0:30:46say it is for the rich.This means more take-home pay, it will be an
0:30:46 > 0:30:49incredible Christmas gift for hard-working Americans.A BBC report
0:30:49 > 0:30:56from Nigeria.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58The country's authorities are trying to crack down
0:30:58 > 0:30:59on fake prescription drugs.
0:30:59 > 0:31:09And we'll be in Barcelona on the eve of crucial elections in Catalonia.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22Welcome to Outside Source.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Damian Green was second only to Theresa May as the highest ranking
0:31:26 > 0:31:31figure in the UK Government but he has resigned as Deputy Prime
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Minister after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate
0:31:34 > 0:31:39behaviour found he had breached his code of office. The allegations were
0:31:39 > 0:31:45that he made unwanted advances to a female journalist, Kate Maltby, in
0:31:45 > 0:31:502015, and that he viewed pornography on his computer in his office in
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Parliament almost ten years ago. He previously denied the
0:31:53 > 0:31:54Parliament almost ten years ago. He previously denied the allegations
0:31:54 > 0:32:00but the report said he had been inaccurate and misleading. Laura
0:32:00 > 0:32:05Kuenssberg updated us on Twitter saying Theresa May's deputy was
0:32:05 > 0:32:10asked to resign. No definitive conclusion on his behaviour to Kate
0:32:10 > 0:32:15Maltby and the enquiry found her account plausible. The resignation
0:32:15 > 0:32:20letter has been released, as has the reply from Theresa May accessing it.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23The statement came through from the parents of Kate Maltby on her behalf
0:32:23 > 0:32:34and read...
0:32:36 > 0:32:43We can go to Westminster. It is increasingly clear that while
0:32:43 > 0:32:48technically it was a resignation, it was encouraged by the Prime
0:32:48 > 0:32:53Minister?Theresa May asked Damian Green to go and he did. He offered
0:32:53 > 0:32:59his resignation as he was asked and I think once the findings of the
0:32:59 > 0:33:02independent investigation were presented to the Prime Minister she
0:33:02 > 0:33:07felt she had no choice but to ask him to go because of the finding he
0:33:07 > 0:33:12misled the public with his statements in relation to the
0:33:12 > 0:33:16pornographic material discovered on his Parliamentary computer. There
0:33:16 > 0:33:21were two macro aspects of the investigation, one about allegations
0:33:21 > 0:33:26made by a young activist about unwanted advances and the other
0:33:26 > 0:33:32about whether he viewed pornographic material on his Parliamentary
0:33:32 > 0:33:37computer in 2008. This was during a police raid the computers were
0:33:37 > 0:33:42seized. Damian Green maintained his innocence strongly throughout the
0:33:42 > 0:33:48investigation. The tone of the letters exchanged between Theresa
0:33:48 > 0:33:53May and Damian Green are regretful. The first line of Theresa May's
0:33:53 > 0:33:59letter was, I am extremely sad to be writing this. It was clear it was
0:33:59 > 0:34:04not a conclusion she wanted to reach but the finding, although
0:34:04 > 0:34:08inconclusive with regards to allegations of unwanted behaviour
0:34:08 > 0:34:13towards the activist Kate Maltby, it was more definitive, the findings
0:34:13 > 0:34:17from a Cabinet Office official when it came to his statements
0:34:17 > 0:34:24surrounding the pornographic material he denied he had been made
0:34:24 > 0:34:31aware that interior was found on his computers in 2008. In fact, the
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Metropolitan Police, the investigation found, had informed
0:34:33 > 0:34:37him of that, so that led to him having to go.I have lost track how
0:34:37 > 0:34:43many times Theresa May -- people have said Theresa May does not have
0:34:43 > 0:34:47the authority to sack a senior figure but she felt that way today.
0:34:47 > 0:34:54She has lost three senior ministers are government in the past weeks and
0:34:54 > 0:35:01she has managed to weather storm. This resignation, Damian Green is a
0:35:01 > 0:35:06close ally and they go back many years and he is the de facto Deputy
0:35:06 > 0:35:12Prime Minister, so this will be a personal blow to her. It shows she
0:35:12 > 0:35:17is taking action against one of her closest allies. After the
0:35:17 > 0:35:21recommendations of this committee and although she may appear to have
0:35:21 > 0:35:27lost one of her closest confidants, she can be seen to be taking strong
0:35:27 > 0:35:34action in regards to his behaviour. Thank you.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Tomorrow, Thursday, Catalans will vote in regional elections -
0:35:38 > 0:35:41their core choice is between politicians who want want
0:35:41 > 0:35:43their core choice is between politicians who want
0:35:43 > 0:35:49independence and those who don't.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51The reason this vote is happening is because in October,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Catalonia's leaders held a referendum on independence -
0:35:55 > 0:35:57that was deemed illegal by Spain's highest court.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Less than half of eligible voters took part, but
0:35:59 > 0:36:01according to organisers, 90% of who did,
0:36:01 > 0:36:10supported independence.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12That led to Catalonia's then President, Carles Puigdemont
0:36:12 > 0:36:13declared independence.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17But within days he'd gone into exile in Belgium.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Plus eight Ministers and the regional parliament's
0:36:19 > 0:36:24speaker were jailed while being investigated for rebellion.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Spain's Prime Minister then sacked the Catalan government -
0:36:26 > 0:36:32and this election was called.
0:36:32 > 0:36:39Tim Willcox, Barcelona.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43The last three months of been extraordinary with a whirlwind of
0:36:43 > 0:36:46events and two months ago the declaration of Independence and
0:36:46 > 0:36:56Mariano Rajoy imposing, calling these elections on December the
0:36:56 > 0:37:0121st, saying he wanted to restore normality to the region that the
0:37:01 > 0:37:08campaigning in the elections have been anything but normal. One
0:37:08 > 0:37:11political leader, Carles Puigdemont, has campaigned fire a hologram by
0:37:11 > 0:37:19Brussels. His deputy leader of the Republican Party, is imprisoned in
0:37:19 > 0:37:25Madrid, trying to mastermind his campaign, but facing charges of
0:37:25 > 0:37:31sedition and rebellion. The only issue on the campaign trail has been
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Independence and those people supporting independence from Spain
0:37:34 > 0:37:38are viewing the vote tomorrow as a referendum on the original
0:37:38 > 0:37:44referendum deemed illegal by Madrid in October. The Unionist groups, the
0:37:44 > 0:37:48silent majority as they describe themselves, using tomorrow as an
0:37:48 > 0:37:52opportunity to come out on the streets and say we want to remain
0:37:52 > 0:37:59part of Spain. One group, a couple of months ago we mentioned them,
0:37:59 > 0:38:05known as the Citizens' party, a right wing pro-Unionist party, they
0:38:05 > 0:38:11could be the largest party in the regional parliament tomorrow when we
0:38:11 > 0:38:14have the initial results at 11pm tomorrow evening. Crucially they
0:38:14 > 0:38:20need to form some coalition with other groups that will be the
0:38:20 > 0:38:24problem, because either the separatists or Unionists might not
0:38:24 > 0:38:29have enough political allies in the parliament to form a working
0:38:29 > 0:38:36coalition. If that is not the case, we are back at new elections
0:38:36 > 0:38:44probably in the New Year.MPs have voted in Uganda overwhelmingly to
0:38:44 > 0:38:50remove an age limit for the presidency. The reason is the
0:38:50 > 0:38:58president wants to run for a sixth term, he is 73 and has been in
0:38:58 > 0:39:03office since 1986.I guess we were expecting this? Yes. The ruling
0:39:03 > 0:39:09party has the majority in the house and today that paid dividends. We
0:39:09 > 0:39:15saw MP after MP voting for the legislation. And members of the
0:39:15 > 0:39:24opposition and independents.What does the government said to critics
0:39:24 > 0:39:30who say some African leaders want to hang around too long?This was his
0:39:30 > 0:39:35point when he first came to power over 30 years ago, and now he says
0:39:35 > 0:39:40Uganda is a young nation that needs more work and things to do to
0:39:40 > 0:39:44improve the economy and infrastructure. He says if you have
0:39:44 > 0:39:48an age cap you are limiting options for better leadership and I guess in
0:39:48 > 0:39:57that case he means himself.An important vote in the parliament in
0:39:57 > 0:40:12Uganda. More details on any of the stories can be found on the website.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18We are moving to different parts of the world at pace. We have been in
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Barcelona and Uganda. Now Ukraine. There has been some of the worst
0:40:22 > 0:40:26fighting in the east of the country for the whole of the year. These are
0:40:26 > 0:40:29recent pictures.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Several villages have been shelled in recent days -
0:40:32 > 0:40:35this is the aftermath in one.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37BBC Russia reports this was carried out by pro-Russia separatists.
0:40:37 > 0:40:44We talk about this conflict less frequently than in previous years
0:40:44 > 0:40:45because of a reduction in fighting -
0:40:45 > 0:40:48but it's not been resolved.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51The UN believes 10,000 people have died in the Donetsk and Luhansk
0:40:51 > 0:40:55regions since April 2014.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58The separatists seized territory not long after Russia annexed
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.
0:41:01 > 0:41:07Russia has pulled out of joint efforts to monitor
0:41:07 > 0:41:08the ceasefire.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10But independent observers are still in place.
0:41:10 > 0:41:16Here's one.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21The special monitoring mission has seen since the beginning of December
0:41:21 > 0:41:26a steady increase in violations of the ceasefire and in particular
0:41:26 > 0:41:31since the 10th of December where the ceasefire violations have reached
0:41:31 > 0:41:37and passed the 4000 number on a single day. The situation remains
0:41:37 > 0:41:42volatile and unpredictable and it has been throughout the year. If
0:41:42 > 0:41:48measures to calm down the situation, the withdrawing of heavy weapons and
0:41:48 > 0:41:53disengaging are not undertaken immediately, we are afraid the
0:41:53 > 0:41:59situation will escalate add more damage and injury will be caused.On
0:41:59 > 0:42:04stories like this we have an invaluable resource. I mentioned
0:42:04 > 0:42:07advice we had received from BBC Russian. And now...
0:42:07 > 0:42:12Irena Taranyuk, BBC Ukrainian.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16It seems to have coincided with the announcement of the Russian Foreign
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Ministry that Russian generals are withdrawing from the joint command
0:42:20 > 0:42:26control centre that is supervising the conditions of the ceasefire. The
0:42:26 > 0:42:33spike started on Tuesday. A day after Russia withdrew from the joint
0:42:33 > 0:42:39command centre. One of the crucial functions of the command centre has
0:42:39 > 0:42:44been guaranteeing security to international ceasefire observers
0:42:44 > 0:42:49from overseas. It looks like Ukrainian officers have no choice
0:42:49 > 0:42:56but to also leave this centre because rebels will not guarantee
0:42:56 > 0:43:01Ukrainian officers' security. In places not on Ukrainian government
0:43:01 > 0:43:11control. It is a big mess and there is no foreseeable end in this Spike
0:43:11 > 0:43:22until, until of course you believe the agreement. A group has agreed a
0:43:22 > 0:43:27ceasefire will start on Saturday. Why have the Russians pulled out?
0:43:27 > 0:43:32The jury is out about their motives. They claim the Ukrainian side is not
0:43:32 > 0:43:41guaranteeing Russian officers' conditions for any operation. They
0:43:41 > 0:43:45worked there three years without obstacles. Ukrainian experts claim
0:43:45 > 0:43:50Russians are worried that starting from the 1st of January Ukraine
0:43:50 > 0:44:00demands stricter conditions and controls for Russian citizens, which
0:44:00 > 0:44:04includes biometrics. Can you imagine Russian generals, who according to
0:44:04 > 0:44:12sources might be connected to secret Russian agents. Operating on
0:44:12 > 0:44:17Ukrainian territory. That they will have to leave biometric details for
0:44:17 > 0:44:24the border? It is not clear why. The Russians blame the Ukrainian side
0:44:24 > 0:44:27for creating obstacles. The Ukrainians consider Russians
0:44:27 > 0:44:32uncooperative and consider Russia wants to push Ukraine towards
0:44:32 > 0:44:35negotiating straight with the rebel commanders and Ukraine does not
0:44:35 > 0:44:41recognise them as an independent entity, it considers them puppets,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Kremlin puppets of Russia.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47The World Health Organisation has warned that up to 30% of medicines
0:44:47 > 0:44:57in some parts of Africa are likely to be fake.
0:44:57 > 0:44:58Back in August, in West Africa
0:44:58 > 0:45:04in which they seized 41 million pills worth $22 million.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09That was part of an international policing operation. Nigeria is at
0:45:09 > 0:45:14the heart of the story.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19A forceful crack down on fake pills. The police are running after him.
0:45:19 > 0:45:25They arrest him and sees the drugs he is serving. Over a three hour
0:45:25 > 0:45:30period eight men are arrested for selling counterfeit drugs.We have
0:45:30 > 0:45:37seen them falsified.Medicines have been sold at this market over 50
0:45:37 > 0:45:46years.It is over dramatisation of the pain.Many of the shops do not
0:45:46 > 0:45:50have registered pharmacists and the medication is stored above room
0:45:50 > 0:45:58temperature. We find a shop selling illegal pills. Most of these illegal
0:45:58 > 0:46:02drugs come from Asia, smuggled through Nigeria's borders by
0:46:02 > 0:46:07middlemen looking to profit. But not all stores sell fake drugs and it
0:46:07 > 0:46:11makes it difficult for the authorities to close down the area.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15Some hospitals and pharmacies get supplies from the market because
0:46:15 > 0:46:18drugs manufacturers do not sell directly to them and those who do
0:46:18 > 0:46:23not go through the complex chain of up to 20 middlemen to get the drugs
0:46:23 > 0:46:28which makes it easier for fake wants to pass through.I was doing the
0:46:28 > 0:46:36procedure and 15 minutes in, there was nothing we could do to restrain
0:46:36 > 0:46:43the patient, they woke up. Or we could do was physically restrain the
0:46:43 > 0:46:46patient until the procedure was completed and that was my first
0:46:46 > 0:46:50experience with fake drugs.The patient was lucky but fake medicine
0:46:50 > 0:46:55can be fatal.I had a friend who died from taking a fake malarial
0:46:55 > 0:46:59pill and I was devastated thinking it could have been anybody who had
0:46:59 > 0:47:07taken the medication to the trusted source.This person links up
0:47:07 > 0:47:11manufacturers with clinics. She has signed up 300 hospitals and
0:47:11 > 0:47:15pharmacies but until she gets more funding she could not expand.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20Nigerian authorities say they are working with China and India to
0:47:20 > 0:47:23crack down on the imported fake drugs and trying to close the market
0:47:23 > 0:47:27by the end of next year. Until that happens millions of lives will be
0:47:27 > 0:47:34risk.
0:47:34 > 0:47:46And now they report on the US military.
0:47:46 > 0:47:47And thousands of foreign nationals on active
0:47:47 > 0:47:54duty in the US military.
0:47:54 > 0:47:59The border is the closest Richard can get to America.Unbelievable,
0:47:59 > 0:48:07does not make any sense. Especially as I fought to defend that country.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11A Mexican citizen, Richard served in the US military under a programme
0:48:11 > 0:48:17that allowed green card holders to endless.I spent three years during
0:48:17 > 0:48:21the Vietnam War in Vietnam, in the Philippines. Was discharged a year
0:48:21 > 0:48:29early. It had to do with my drug addiction.Years after he left the
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Marines he was involved in robbery and after serving time he was
0:48:33 > 0:48:39deported to Mexico.I understand, convicted of a crime, but serving
0:48:39 > 0:48:44the US military in combat should count for something.Home for
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Richard is in Tijuana, where he has found a group of people who share
0:48:48 > 0:48:52his story. More than 200 foreign veterans have been deported from the
0:48:52 > 0:49:05US.We call this affectionately the bunker, a resource centre, shelter,
0:49:05 > 0:49:11housing for the US military veterans.Hector runs this centre, a
0:49:11 > 0:49:16former paratrooper he spent time in prison after shooting at a car.I am
0:49:16 > 0:49:21missing out on my daughter's life. Her mother has multiple sclerosis. I
0:49:21 > 0:49:27am not doing anything for them, that is difficult.Many people do not
0:49:27 > 0:49:30think it matters, arguing that committing a crime is reason enough
0:49:30 > 0:49:37to deport foreign veterans.I take responsibility for the fact I got
0:49:37 > 0:49:42myself into a situation where I went to prison, but I do not think it
0:49:42 > 0:49:46right to deport people who served in the military because we made
0:49:46 > 0:49:50mistakes, it should not define the rest of our lives.Hector is taking
0:49:50 > 0:49:54his case to the federal courts and says he is not giving up his fight
0:49:54 > 0:50:01to go back to America, a country he risked his life for.
0:50:01 > 0:50:07We are now staying in the US. The increasing life expectancy of humans
0:50:07 > 0:50:14and how we are approaching being old and how science might be able to
0:50:14 > 0:50:22stretch human life. This report comes from California and Arizona.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23I like to do things.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25I don't want to sit in the background.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Lester Dray is 101.
0:50:28 > 0:50:29The oldest resident at this retirement village
0:50:29 > 0:50:33in Sun City, Arizona.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36You're going to miss something if you just moan and groan
0:50:36 > 0:50:40about how horrible life is.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41Show me your teeth.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Do you hear a sound?
0:50:43 > 0:50:44Say ahhh.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Ahhh.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50He gets regular medical checks as part of a study into longevity.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54It's an issue which is attracting interest from unusual quarters.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58In Silicon Valley, California, some of the biggest names
0:50:58 > 0:51:03from Google to Facebook are investing hundreds of millions
0:51:03 > 0:51:07of dollars into defeating the diseases of ageing.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12So why are tech entrepreneurs suddenly interested in human health?
0:51:12 > 0:51:16I think Silicon Valley is driven by curiosity.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18That same curiosity that drives a 14-year-old to programme computers
0:51:18 > 0:51:21in his bedroom drives somebody in their 20s or 30s
0:51:21 > 0:51:26to really apply their minds and their cash to this problem.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28The DNA from the special part of the cell called
0:51:28 > 0:51:29the mitochondrion...
0:51:29 > 0:51:32It is why this British scientist set up in Silicon Valley.
0:51:32 > 0:51:33Aubrey de Grey is probably the world's leading
0:51:34 > 0:51:37advocate of life extension.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40The idea that humans can and will live in good health
0:51:40 > 0:51:43for hundreds of years.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46There will certainly be no limit on how long people can live once
0:51:46 > 0:51:47we bring ageing under control.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49People will still die, there are still trucks
0:51:49 > 0:51:51to be hit by and so on.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54But the fact is people will on average live a lot longer
0:51:54 > 0:51:57unless there is some bizarre thing like we get hit by an
0:51:57 > 0:51:58asteroid or whatever.
0:51:58 > 0:51:59That's beautiful!
0:51:59 > 0:52:00That's a minority view.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04Although extending life is possible in the lab,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07with fruit flies, yeast or worms, it gets more difficult higher up
0:52:07 > 0:52:10the evolutionary ladder.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14So in the lab in simple laboratory animals, we can
0:52:14 > 0:52:16increase life span by 100%, 200, 500%, really extraordinary
0:52:17 > 0:52:20differences in life span.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23It turns out ageing is really plastic in the simple
0:52:23 > 0:52:24laboratory animals.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26It may be more complex as we go over to mammals,
0:52:27 > 0:52:28the mouse, for example.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30We have been able to increase life span 20 or 30%.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32And we really do not know what is possible
0:52:32 > 0:52:34for humans at this point.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36We do know exercise is a magic formula that can
0:52:36 > 0:52:38keep us healthy longer.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41And there are no drugs yet to match it.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43There is probably an upper limit to life expectancy
0:52:43 > 0:52:49of around 115 years.
0:52:49 > 0:52:54So the quest for immortality is still the stuff of science fiction.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58But increasing our health span, the number of years we spend free
0:52:58 > 0:53:01of chronic diseases, well that really could be a reality.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Here we go!
0:53:03 > 0:53:09# Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Finding something you enjoy and staying socially engaged are key
0:53:12 > 0:53:17elements of healthy ageing.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Like the Sun City Poms, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22I'm 78.
0:53:22 > 0:53:27Born on the 4th of July.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30So I'm still a firecracker, still going and booming.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34It keeps me physically active, it keeps my brain working
0:53:34 > 0:53:37and helps my memory.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41We just get out there and do what we need to do and enjoy.
0:53:41 > 0:53:46We can't slow time but we can put more life in years.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48And hopefully become super-agers.
0:53:48 > 0:53:57Fergus Walsh, BBC News, Sun City, Arizona.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02I wanted to reflect on questions placed against the quality of Rome's
0:54:02 > 0:54:14official Christmas tree. It is in the city's main square and there are
0:54:14 > 0:54:16some good reasons people are concerned.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18This is in the city's main square, Piazza Venezia.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20It's been described as mangy - and looking more
0:54:20 > 0:54:21like a toilet brush.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Local media's reporting that the tree wasn't properly
0:54:23 > 0:54:26covered when it was transported from Northern Italy, and died.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Although a lot of us have trees that have been cut down
0:54:29 > 0:54:31and we don't get a toilet brush effect.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Either way, it's 20m high, cost nearly 60,000 dollars -
0:54:33 > 0:54:34and people aren't happy.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37That was the first thing I noticed was that it was drooping.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39The Christmas trees we've got in England are all
0:54:39 > 0:54:49very pert.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02I thought I should show you our beautiful tree.