01/11/2013 BBC London News

changes to grading and assessment. That is all from the

Shot outside their shop. Two men are injured, one critically, after a

bungled armed robbery. Witnesses heard gunshots. I saw police cars

outside here. When I came out, I saw the shopkeeper, the owner of the

shop, bleeding. We'll have the latest on the police investigation.

Also tonight: I am on the M25 at junction 24 Potters Bar following a

crash which has meant part of the busiest motorway in a country has

been closed. Lest we forget. But why a student

union has provoked anger by choosing not to remember the fallen. We

discuss its anti`war stance. In 1998, I had this dream, a garden

floating through the air across the Thames.

Not just a way of getting from A to B. Joanna Lumley's vision for a

different kind of river crossing. Good evening and welcome to the

programme. First tonight, the poppy debate.

"For your tomorrow, we gave our today."' The words read out at

Remembrance day services across the country. But the University of

London's Student Union has provoked anger by banning its members from

attending such ceremonies in an official capacity. It says it has a

proud tradition of opposing war. In a moment, we'll be discussing the

issue. But first, this report from Sonja Jessup.

Remembering those who gave their lives. For many, Remembrance Day is

about honouring those who died. But some see it as a political act. The

University of London union has decided its members will not attend

in an official role. What this is absolutely not about is whether one

that we remember the dead, it is about how we do that. Personally, I

find it distasteful to be standing next to Tony Blair on a plinth to

commemorate the atrocities of war. He also will not wear a poppy,

saying it is a political statement. But critics say his views are

disrespectful. I don't think any of the remembrance acts are political.

I think at the end of the day, it is about remembering those who have

fallen and the ultimate sacrifice they have made for the liberties we

strongly enjoy today. She says poppies, many made at this factory

in Richmond, help support former servicemen and women and students

should have been consulted. We are not remembering why we went to war,

we are there to think about the people who have sacrificed their

lives. They should not bring Remembrance Day, which is a very

emotional thing for a lot of people come into a political row. It is not

right. At London's oldest mosque today, they launched their poppy

appeal. This man's Father James fought in the Second World War. He

is proud of his dad, proud to wear a poppy. The poppy stands for

devotion, dedication and, also, it is the ultimate sacrifice. And we

know that war is not a nice thing, it is a savage thing, but

nonetheless we have two strokes that level of loyalty to our country. The

union says it will have its own event to honour the dead but some

say it is shameful not to attend the official service.

With me now to discuss that is Michael Chessum, President of the

University of London Union, who you saw in that report. And Gemma Doyle,

the Shadow Defence Minister. Good evening. Michael, I want to start

with you. Is there not a danger you have missed the central message of

Remembrance Day? This is a day that people reflect on the consequences

of war, not the glory of war. Well, to an extent I think that is true,

but there is an awful lot of rhetoric that surrounds Remembrance

Day, official Remembrance Day. We have not taken a stand against

remembrance or respect in general, we have merely said we don't want to

participate in the official ceremony, which is absolutely about

nationalism and flags and precisely the things that got us into the mess

of the 20th century in the first place. As Michael got a point, has

the core message of Remembrance Day begun to get lost, with the wars and

conflicts are other ways of marking it? Absolutely not and I think

Michael is over politicising Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is

not about supporting any particular military intervention, it is not

about taking a stand about any country's foreign policy. It is

simply about pausing to remember the people who have given their lives,

and also the money that is raised from the poppy appeal goes to, among

other things, supporting those who have been injured and their

families. Michael, it raises more than ?36 million every year for

families and veterans and without that money, they could be suffering

even more. I think it is a little odd that that is often used. I think

that when a Labour government votes to go to war, I think to send people

to kill and die, to commit crimes in the name of the British government,

I think the state should pick up the pieces from that. And they are

defending the country as well, at the cost of lives? We are talking

about a lot of wars, over many, many yours. Absolutely and I find it

problematic that we are rivalling them all into one, because what we

are so often told about Remembrance Day is that it is to remember people

who gave their lives for our freedom, but the sad truth is that

so many of the wars were not fought for freedom. The First World War,

which is how this all started, with General Haig, was fought for

Britain's imperial ambition. The Iraq war was fought for oil. And I

find it insulting and many people do to stand next to Tony Blair on a

plane. Gemma's party was involved in some of those decisions. I would say

take those issues up with the people who make those decisions, the

politicians. Not serving personnel. That is not what we are doing. By

boycotting Remembrance Day, that is exactly what you are doing. They do

not make decisions about military interventions. It is the

politicians, the House of Commons, who make those decisions and the men

and women of the Armed Forces and their families simply do what is

asked of them. We have got to leave it there, but you guys can swap

numbers and continue this discussion, I am sure.

Many thanks. Still to come on the programme. Reducing the risk of

miscarriage, the new test for down syndrome which could soon be

available on the NHS. ``down's syndrome.

For the second time in a week, the same stretch of Britain's busiest

motorway has been closed because of a major accident. This time an

overturned lorry led to traffic chaos for thousands of motorists.

Four people have been injured, one critically. The M25 remains closed

anticlockwise between Enfield and Potters Bar. One name is closed

clockwise on that stretch adding two hours to journalists ``1 lane. Greg

McKenzie is close to the scene. Well, the crash scene is just behind

us, just slightly out of you around that bend. Police were called here

at 930 this morning after reports of an overturned lorry ``at 9:30am. It

was between junctions 24 and 25. Four people were injured, three of

whom were road workers who were out repairing road surfaces. The other

was the lorry driver. The emergency services had to free two of those

men, one who was trapped in the cab of the lorry and the second was

trapped underneath a barrier. Now, a third man was airlifted to

hospital. He is said to be in a critical condition, with serious leg

injuries. Now, we are told in no other vehicles were involved in this

crash and police have confirmed that are just a few hours ago they have

made an arrest and are questioning one`man on suspicion of dangerous

driving. Inevitably, there will be delays tonight and the advice for

anybody attempting to come onto the M25 is this. The M25 is shut on the

anticlockwise carriageway between junctions 24 and 25, until eight

o'clock with a leap. The diversion route is very heavy, the North

circular, and be ``the A1 and A10 circular, and be ``the A1 and A10

are very heavy. Dreadful Q3 Kent and Surrey tonight.

Will investigators be looking at why there are two accidents there in a

week? Police are telling me they are

conducting two separate investigations. One about a

Tuesday's incident, where a man did die, and today's incident.

Meanwhile, the highways agency has said they are not prepared to say

anything further, as they feel it would be inappropriate at this time.

120 firefighters are tackling a large fire at a scrap metal yard in

Dagenham. The fire started just after three o'clock this afternoon

and around 1,500 tonnes of scrap metal is alight. Smoke can be seen

as far away as the Woolwich Ferry Terminal. At this stage the cause of

the fire is unknown. Hundreds of London Underground

maintenance workers are to be balloted for strike action after a

complete breakdown in industrial relations. Members of the RMT union

will vote in the coming weeks, raising the threat of industrial

action on the Tube in the run up to Christmas. London Underground says

discussions are ongoing. A new test for Downs' Syndrome could

be offered to pregnant women by the NHS. Great Ormond Street Hospital is

trialling the noninvasive procedure which can predict with 99% accuracy

whether a baby has Down's. It's currently only available in private

hospitals. Sarah Harris reports A team of scientists at Great Ormond

Street Hospital have been working on a way of diagnosing Down's Syndrome

from the blood of a pregnant woman. It is a much more reliable test than

a scan, with 99% accuracy, and does not have the same risk as more

invasive procedures. Because you are putting a needle into the womb, it

results in the small risk of a miscarriage. This test can you do

with a blood test. We know there is foetal VNA circulating in the

mother's blood and we use all of the DNA in the blood to do the test. All

pregnant women are offered a 12 week scan, vital in predicting spina

bifida and other problems with vital organs. But not as reliable as the

new test for the chromosome disorder Down's Syndrome. Stan was born 11

Down's Syndrome. Stan was born 1 years ago, and his dad says he has

been a joyful addition to their family. But he still welcomes this

development in giving parents to be more choice and time to prepare. Any

more choice and time to prepare Any test is a contribution to what is

going to happen, and any help is great, but it is any one side of the

equation. What is needed is the access to the great amount of

information about what it is like to have a child with Down's Syndrome,

and there is no excuse the people not to have access to that kind of

information. Scientists are keen to give parents to be as much of this

information as possible, as the trial for the new test begins in

London hospitals. It is hoped within five years, it will be available to

a large number of pregnant women on the NHS.

Let's turn to the developing story this evening, and the family of a

shopkeeper shot in a bungled robbery in east London are tonight praying

he pulls through. The man, who is 53, is in a critical condition after

being shot in the chest at close range. His colleague, in his 40s,

who was also shot, remains in a stable condition. It is believed the

men chased the robbers out of the shop on Plaistow high Street last

night. This report is just in from our home affairs correspondent.

Sorry, we seem to have some problems with that report, we will try and

bring it later. Also coming up:

two of the most exciting players in the Premier League go head`to`head

this weekend. And artwork of a different type The

character pieces created by machines of yesteryear.

The actress Joanna Lumley has unveiled her vision for an ambitious

new bridge, linking the South Bank with Temple Station. But, as Helen

Drew reports, unlike other crossings in the capital, the so`called

"garden bridge" isn't just a means of crossing the the river. This is

how a new bridge across the River Thames could look, if it is given

the go`ahead. In 1998, I had this dream, this idea of a floating, a

garden, floating through the air, across the Thames. Once that idea

came into my head, I became obsessed by it. It would go between Waterloo

and Blackfriars, and it would link the Southbank with Temple. It would

be a crossing as well as a garden. Some people would just use it

because it is a practical bridge, and because they are late for work.

Oh, that is coming into blossom. Oh, that is coming into blossom.

Other people will come and stand and go, isn't this incredible? Stand

there, you look great, I will take a picture. It is the countryside in

the city. Thrilling. It is being designed by The Man Behind The

Racquet 12 Olympic cauldron. Our job is to design a garden and get out of

the way. Many bridges have big columns and cables, but the hero of

this one must be the garden, more than the bridge. It would be the

answer to the high line in New York. If it is a bit more attractive

than London Bridge or this one, definitely. I suppose it would be

nicer to cross something like that. Transport for London is on board

with the plans and has committed ?4 million, but the total cost of the

bridge will be around ?150 million. The aim is to raise the cash from

largely private investors. The star of this show is the garden, and the

Crown on whose head it sits is London. It public saltation runs

from today until December 20. `` a public consultation. Time for the

sport. We start with a tasty little clash at the emirates tomorrow, as

Arsenal host Liverpool. Two of the most exciting players in England,

Mesut Ozil and Luis Suarez, will be taking to the pitch. Chris Slegg

reports. Luis Suarez, hugely controversial and hugely talented.

He was Arsenal's main summer transfer target. Liverpool laughed

off their ?40 million bid. So, Arsenal bought this man, a different

type of player, different type of character. The form of Mesut Ozil

and his team`mates means Arsenal Wenger has been facing mainly

positive questions from the media, not a situation which has been

afforded to Luis Suarez's managers in the past. His first ban came when

he was playing in Holland. Then in 2011, was found guilty of using

racist language with Patrice Evra. And he has just returned from ten

games out for biting Branislav Ivanovic. Wenger was asked, should

Arsenal even have tried to sign a player with such a temperament? We

try to take into account different aspects of the players, and when

there is any restriction about it, we do not buy the players. The

pursuit of Suarez became public in the summer, and you ended up with

Mesut Ozil, so do you feel things worked out better for you as a

club? I am very happy with what I did. Mesut Ozil's performances have

made many people happy, but Arsenal have been warned, tomorrow, they

will be facing a Luis Suarez who is better than ever. His goals and his

workrate are the same, but I have seen an improvement in his foot

bawling ability and his maturity this year, which bodes well for us.

We will not get carried away. With Mesut Ozil having signed until 2018,

Mesut Ozil having signed until 018, Arsenal hope tomorrow is all about

the one that has come to stay, rather than the one that got away.

Arsenal against Liverpool kicks off at 5.30 tomorrow. Down in south

London, Fulham will host Manchester United at three o'clock. The new

Fulham owner, Shahid Khan, has just completed a visit to Craven Cottage,

spoken about his plans for the ground and ambitions for the club,

as well as explaining his relationship with manager Martin

Jol, as Fulham currently sit 14th in the table. One thing I have learned,

it is not the right thing to be impetuous. As times are getting

hard, I do not think the solution is to be doing something rash. I have

an open line with Martin, and the relationship has to be steady when

times are good, times are bad. You can see that full interview on

Football Focus tomorrow on BBC One from mid`day. The world's leading

track cyclists are in Manchester for the start of the Track World Cup.

Already, Great Britain's women have clocked up a world record in the

team pursuit qualifier. Laura Trott and Joanna Roswell, as well as Dani

King, qualified in four`minute NT 3.910 seconds, and they will meet

Canada in the final tonight. `` four minutes 23.910. Tomorrow, 80,000

minutes 23.910. Tomorrow, 80,00 rugby fans will be making their way

to Twickenham for England's first QBE rugby international against

Australia. Joel Tomkins will be making his England debut, just one

of nine players from London clubs in the starting XV. He made his name

playing rugby for Wigan. Joel Tomkins was capped playing rugby

league before switching codes. He now plays for Saracens. This time he

will be appearing for his country in rugby union. He has got that

experience of playing in big things in the belief already. He has got

the temperament to play in the big James. He is a big physical

presence, he has got a lot of components. This is a great

opportunity. . And rugby runs in his family as well. His younger brother

Sam is widely regarded as the current superstar of the rugby

league scene in England. But Joel Tomkins is happy with his switch to

rugby union. Playing in games like this are one of the reasons why I

came into rugby union, playing in front of 80,000 people at

Twickenham. It is something I am looking forward to on Saturday. The

England's starting XV boasts nine players from London clubs. Saracens

are supplying the most. Chris Robshaw continues as captain. The

autumn international series will see in Glen facing both Argentina and

New Zealand. But it all starts with Australia tomorrow. Our home affairs

correspondent Guy Smith has the latest. Gathering photographic

evidence at the door to this small supermarket. Late last night, to

shop workers were both shot outside on the street. At this stage, police

believe they are the victims of an attempted robbery. This man, who

lives nearby, told us what he heard. I heard some gunshots, and then

later, after ten minutes, I saw police cars. I saw the shopkeeper,

he was on the floor, bleeding. He was bleeding from there. From his

stomach? Yes. Then there was a paramedic team, and I think they

took him to hospital. One man in his 50s in is in a critical condition.

Another man, it in his 40s, is said to be stable. I have known them for

more than ten years, especially the owner of the shop. A very nice guy,

very gentle, very generous. Sometimes I would do some shopping

with him, and if I did not have the money, he would say, no problem.

with him, and if I did not have the money, he would say, no problem

Police are appealing for help in catching whoever did this. So far,

no description has been given, no arrests have been made. Guy Smith

reporting. Police have told BBC London that two men have now been

arrested. We will have the latest at ten o'clock. In a world of computers

and smartphones, the humble typewriter seems to be long

forgotten, but one woman has found a use for the original QWERTY

keyboard. Keira Rathbone uses the letters, numbers and symbols to

create art, from tiny East Dyk figures to multi`page montages.

Wendy Hurrell has been taking a look. The nostalgic sound of

communication... I just started pressing the same keys, and looking

at Marks, to make something visual. Keira Rathbone started doing this

ten years ago, on her archaic machine. Slowly it became my art

form, and slowly trying to contextualise it at uni, I

discovered that nobody was doing it. Small figures she was able to sketch

in just a few seconds. That skirt has got a jazzy pattern on it, and

good shoes. If they move, you just get, like, the arm. They do not get

a head. But for this extraordinary picture of Hammersmith Bridge, she

sat in front of it for two or three hours at a time, and it took at

least ten sessions to finish it. least ten sessions to finish it.

There are some rewards for such dedication. People come along and

they have never seen a typewriter before, kids, so they are like, what

is that? In her collection, she now has about 35 typewriters. This one,

you can put Athree paper in it. I got it at a boot sale, it cost me

about ?2. This one came from a man in Croatia. It has got all of the

accents. The final typewriter was made in this country last year. But

for this artist, there is no better way to communicate her creativity.

No pressure, Peter, it has got to be good for sports fans as well as for

firework parties. Remember, it is wet in November.

good for sports fans as well as for firework parties. Remember, it is I

think there will be a lot of amp bonfires this weekend. We will have

some strong winds. `` a lot of damp bonfires. If you are heading out for

a walk, it will be blustery, but at least there will be some bright

weather around. There is a little bit of drizzly rain out there at the

moment. Overnight tonight, we will get some wet weather, mainly to the

south`east of the capital. It will not be a particularly chilly night.

Things will be brightening up, and by the afternoon, there will be a

breeze blowing, and some showers, with temperatures getting up to

14`15. You will notice that wind gets really strong tomorrow evening.

That is worth bearing in mind for fireworks displays. There will be

some showers tomorrow evening as well. By Sunday morning, the showers

will have disappeared, and it will have turned quite cold, although not

cold enough for a frosty yet. Sunday, another bright and breezy

afternoon. And then, Sunday night yet more weather heading our way,

and it looks as though the worst of it will be further south. I will

keep an eye on that for you. Moving into next week, Monday will be

clear, and then after that, we can expect some frosts. That is we will

be back later, during the tenor clock news. Have a good evening. ``

clock news. Have a good evening `` Ten O'Clock News.