:00:00. > :00:07.The Brexit Secretary, David Davis, says he wants to negotiate
:00:08. > :00:09.a temporary customs union with the EU for after
:00:10. > :00:17.But the EU Commission says it will only address the issue once
:00:18. > :00:26.progress had been made on the terms of the withdrawal.
:00:27. > :00:29.We will have reaction to the proposals from Westminster and
:00:30. > :00:31.Brussels. Rail fares will go up
:00:32. > :00:34.by 3.6% in January - Passenger groups say
:00:35. > :00:39.commuters will be worst-hit. My pay has nowhere kept up
:00:40. > :00:43.with inflation, so more of my salary has just been paying for me just
:00:44. > :00:50.to come to work. The Grenfell Tower public inquiry
:00:51. > :00:54.will examine issues including the cause of the fire
:00:55. > :00:57.and the actions of Kensington Mudslides and floods in Sierra Leone
:00:58. > :01:04.have killed more than 300 people. Thousands more have been forced
:01:05. > :01:11.to flee from their homes. And I'm in Amritsa where the people
:01:12. > :01:14.of India are remembering And coming up in the
:01:15. > :01:23.sport on BBC News... Premier League clubs will vote
:01:24. > :01:25.on closing the summer transfer window before the start
:01:26. > :01:27.of the season. It currently runs
:01:28. > :01:47.until the end of August. Good afternoon and welcome
:01:48. > :01:51.to the BBC News at One. The Government has confirmed it
:01:52. > :01:56.wants to negotiate a temporary customs relationship
:01:57. > :01:58.with the European Union to be in The Secretary of State for Exiting
:01:59. > :02:04.the EU, David Davis, says the deal would prevent trade
:02:05. > :02:06.disruption until a permanent The EU Commission says it
:02:07. > :02:12.will study the proposals but will only address post-Brexit
:02:13. > :02:14.relations once sufficient progress had been made
:02:15. > :02:16.on the terms of the withdrawal. While the European Parliament Brexit
:02:17. > :02:18.negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, has tweeted his thoughts
:02:19. > :02:20.on the matter. "To be in and out of the customs
:02:21. > :02:22.union and invisible This report from our political
:02:23. > :02:25.correspondent, Laila Nathoo. And a warning - her report
:02:26. > :02:29.contains flash photography. Keeping goods flowing
:02:30. > :02:36.freely between Britain and the EU after Brexit -
:02:37. > :02:39.one of the key issues Now, the Government has given more
:02:40. > :02:44.detail about how it sees trade At the moment, while in the EU,
:02:45. > :02:50.we are inside what is called the customs union -
:02:51. > :02:51.that means goods imported to the same tax or tariff and can
:02:52. > :02:56.then move between EU countries Ministers say Brexit means leaving
:02:57. > :03:02.the customs union but are now proposing that temporarily,
:03:03. > :03:04.for a few years, we stick as close as possible
:03:05. > :03:11.to the current arrangements. In Italy, I was 290 billion,
:03:12. > :03:13.we are selling them BMW do not want to have a customs
:03:14. > :03:18.border that is going to slow down their sales
:03:19. > :03:21.or add administrative costs. And the port of Rotterdam is going
:03:22. > :03:29.to want to have an efficient operation, so they have got
:03:30. > :03:31.an interest as well as us. The interim plans are designed
:03:32. > :03:35.to reassure businesses, nervous about sudden changes
:03:36. > :03:42.in rules and extra costs. At the moment, we leave
:03:43. > :03:46.the EU in March, 2019. I think the paper gives a certain
:03:47. > :03:49.degree of clarity to businesses that at least the Government
:03:50. > :03:51.is prioritising the transitional deal and they are trying to tie off
:03:52. > :03:54.any potential for customs disruptions by continuing the
:03:55. > :03:59.customs union on an interim basis. Striking trade deals with countries
:04:00. > :04:04.around the world as soon as Brexit happens and the transitional period
:04:05. > :04:08.begins is a priority for the Government -
:04:09. > :04:11.something we can't currently do as members
:04:12. > :04:13.of the EU's customs union. But ministers accept that those
:04:14. > :04:17.deals could not coming to affect until the temporary
:04:18. > :04:19.customs arrangement ends. I wanted Brexit to allow us
:04:20. > :04:22.to go global in terms of our trade deals and the decision
:04:23. > :04:25.from the Government today is effectively kicking this
:04:26. > :04:27.into the long grass, saying we can't do that
:04:28. > :04:31.for years to come. What will happen, we will find
:04:32. > :04:36.countries around the world like America and Australia will
:04:37. > :04:39.simply stop taking us seriously. In the longer term,
:04:40. > :04:40.the Government has set out two possible options
:04:41. > :04:42.for a future relationship. First, what is described as a highly
:04:43. > :04:45.streamlined customs arrangement where there is minimal red tape
:04:46. > :04:47.and technology smoothing the way. Or a new bespoke customs
:04:48. > :04:49.partnership where there would be no customs border
:04:50. > :04:53.at all between the EU and the UK. The key is not the structures,
:04:54. > :04:57.it is the outcome, which is retaining the best possible
:04:58. > :05:02.arrangements of tariff free access and avoiding
:05:03. > :05:04.avoiding delays at borders. That is what we think
:05:05. > :05:11.we need to fight for. Not whether we are in reality
:05:12. > :05:14.in the customs union or not. These are, for now,
:05:15. > :05:16.just the UK's proposals, they will have to be
:05:17. > :05:18.negotiated with Brussels, and the EU says it won't address
:05:19. > :05:21.a possible transition period or what happens after that
:05:22. > :05:23.until divorce talks have Discussions start again
:05:24. > :05:31.at the end of the month. Leila Nathoo joins us
:05:32. > :05:41.now from Westminster. Give us a sense of the varying
:05:42. > :05:46.political reactions to what David Davis has been saying. I think this
:05:47. > :05:51.was an attempt from the Government to show clarity of purpose, an
:05:52. > :05:56.attempt to say, these are practical things we can achieve after Brexit,
:05:57. > :06:00.an attempt, really, to say, we are united on a position after many
:06:01. > :06:04.weeks of very public divisions within the Cabinet over the issue of
:06:05. > :06:08.any transitional arrangement, what the transitional arrangement might
:06:09. > :06:15.look like. Here we have ministers settling on a position and saying
:06:16. > :06:19.that it is a compromise within the Cabinet, saying there will be at an
:06:20. > :06:23.interim customs arrangement, outside the customs union, albeit for a
:06:24. > :06:28.limited period of time. I think this is really designed to say the
:06:29. > :06:32.Brussels, to counter any suggestions the Government is somehow unprepared
:06:33. > :06:37.or has been complacent going into the talks, but there is still much
:06:38. > :06:41.to be agreed on, for example, the details of the future arrangements
:06:42. > :06:43.set out. In terms Brussels, the Government is trying to get ahead of
:06:44. > :07:01.the game, the thinking about the longer
:07:02. > :07:03.term, rather than what Brussels wants which is to settle divorce
:07:04. > :07:05.matters, issues of the Brexit Bill, the Irish border, for example,
:07:06. > :07:08.before considering longer term arrangements. We will have to wait
:07:09. > :07:09.to the end of the month to see how this approach goes down.
:07:10. > :07:11.Our correspondent, Adam Fleming, is in Brussels for us.
:07:12. > :07:16.We are getting a little sense of the response where you are. Tell us
:07:17. > :07:20.more. The European Commission has welcomed the concept of the UK
:07:21. > :07:24.publishing more papers about its position on various issues to do
:07:25. > :07:30.with Brexit because diplomats in the city have been crying out for more
:07:31. > :07:33.detail on two things. The UK's position on the withdrawal issues
:07:34. > :07:37.Laila Nathoo was mentioning, like data protection, the Irish border,
:07:38. > :07:41.cases at the European Court of Justice. Those papers are coming too
:07:42. > :07:45.along with the paper today which is more discursive stuff about the
:07:46. > :07:47.future relationship with the EU after Brexit. They are glad these
:07:48. > :08:02.papers are coming from the UK. However, Michel
:08:03. > :08:04.Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, the man doing the Brexit talks from
:08:05. > :08:07.the EU's side, says, before you can talk about the future relationship,
:08:08. > :08:10.trade, customs, the UK has to make sufficient process on the issues the
:08:11. > :08:13.EU has identified as priorities. Those are complicated things like
:08:14. > :08:17.the rights of EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit and UK citizens
:08:18. > :08:22.living elsewhere in Europe, what do you do about the Irish border? And
:08:23. > :08:27.also, the financial settlement, the so-called Brexit bill. Michel
:08:28. > :08:30.Barnier is clear you cannot talk about the future until sufficient
:08:31. > :08:34.progress has been made on those issues. In terms of the broader
:08:35. > :08:38.thing about whether the Government's commands today for the interim
:08:39. > :08:42.customs period and what happens after, the EU say, the only way you
:08:43. > :08:46.can get frictionless trade like that is if you stay in the customs union
:08:47. > :08:52.and you stay in the single market, basically staying in the EU. Geva
:08:53. > :08:54.hash tag, the chief negotiator, he said the Government's demands are a
:08:55. > :08:59.fantasy -- Guy Verhofstadt. Chris Morris from our Reality Check
:09:00. > :09:02.team looks now in more detail at the options the Government
:09:03. > :09:10.is presenting to Brussels. This is the start of another very
:09:11. > :09:15.busy Brexit period. This UK proposal starts with the idea of a new
:09:16. > :09:19.temporary customs union after Brexit that looks as much like the current
:09:20. > :09:23.customs union as possible. That would reassure business in the UK
:09:24. > :09:27.and elsewhere in Europe. It also needs to be agreed by the rest of
:09:28. > :09:32.the EU which may be thinking, if it is not broken, do not fix it. One of
:09:33. > :09:40.the tricky issues is during the transition period which could last
:09:41. > :09:42.two, three years, the UK wanted to be able to negotiate its own trade
:09:43. > :09:46.deals around the world and there is no sign so far the rest of the EU
:09:47. > :09:49.will agree. Then there are the UK's longer term proposals for what would
:09:50. > :09:53.follow the temporary fix. One suggestion is what they are calling
:09:54. > :09:58.a highly streamlined customs arrangement, using technology to cut
:09:59. > :10:02.paperwork as much as possible. And to allow fewer vehicle checks. It
:10:03. > :10:06.would take years to get ready for such a new scheme so work to prepare
:10:07. > :10:10.for it would need to start pretty much straightaway. Not just at
:10:11. > :10:14.British ports but in places like France, the Netherlands, Belgium and
:10:15. > :10:19.of course Ireland as well. The alternative UK suggestion is for the
:10:20. > :10:25.new customs partnership between the UK and the EU that would dispense
:10:26. > :10:29.with any customs border altogether. Outside a customs union, that does
:10:30. > :10:33.not exist anywhere in the world. Again, it raises many questions.
:10:34. > :10:41.Would the UK have to collect customs duties for the EU? And vice versa.
:10:42. > :10:44.This is an opening salvo and there will be a full white paper on
:10:45. > :10:48.customs in the autumn. This feels like a paper written to take account
:10:49. > :10:53.of British political sensitivities, rather than anyone else's. The UK
:10:54. > :10:56.would argue they have to get on with the discussion of future
:10:57. > :11:00.arrangements as soon as possible. The EU, on the other hand, still
:11:01. > :11:04.says the outlines of that divorce deal have to come first.
:11:05. > :11:08.Thanks very much, Chris Morris. Millions of people will see
:11:09. > :11:13.their rail fares go up by 3.6% in January
:11:14. > :11:15.because of a rise in Regulated fares are pegged
:11:16. > :11:18.to the retail prices index, It's the biggest rise since 2013
:11:19. > :11:23.and unions have called it a kick From Glasgow to Cardiff,
:11:24. > :11:31.to Leeds to London, But price increases these days
:11:32. > :11:41.are pegged to inflation, so in the New Year, season tickets
:11:42. > :11:44.and other fares will increase The price of something you have
:11:45. > :11:51.to pay in order to get to work, I don't think I'm going to get value
:11:52. > :12:02.for money, basically. I have been working in the public
:12:03. > :12:07.sector all my life and my pay rise has nowhere kept up with inflation,
:12:08. > :12:13.so more of my salary is just paying Stagnant wages is why some say
:12:14. > :12:19.the current system is unfair. Around half of all rail fares
:12:20. > :12:26.are capped by the Government at July's retail price index
:12:27. > :12:29.which is a measure of inflation. The problem for many
:12:30. > :12:32.passengers is that inflation, the rate at which goods are becoming
:12:33. > :12:37.more expensive, is currently higher than the rate rise
:12:38. > :12:39.in most people's wages. Unions say passengers
:12:40. > :12:42.are paying more while services It is quite clear in our privatised
:12:43. > :12:49.rail network that passengers are paying more for less
:12:50. > :12:51.and we are seeing cuts in infrastructure projects,
:12:52. > :12:57.electrification projects in the north of England and in
:12:58. > :13:00.South Wales, we are seeing cuts There is a big job going
:13:01. > :13:04.on at Waterloo at the moment. A lot of those workers
:13:05. > :13:11.there will not have a job They are cutting back. The
:13:12. > :13:16.organisation representing the companies operating the trains say
:13:17. > :13:20.higher price rises affect them too. Railway company costs are going up
:13:21. > :13:24.in line with inflation as well so they have to cover costs to provide
:13:25. > :13:28.the services we want as passengers. In order to be able to do that,
:13:29. > :13:32.fares have to go up in line with it. The Government says nearly all of
:13:33. > :13:36.the money we pay for a ticket is invested back into the railways but
:13:37. > :13:42.the simple reality next year, travelling to work will be an even
:13:43. > :13:47.bigger slice of most people's wages. Tom Burridge, BBC News.
:13:48. > :13:49.The actions of Kensington and Chelsea Council
:13:50. > :13:52.are to be considered in the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry.
:13:53. > :13:55.The Government says the inquiry will also examine the cause of the fire
:13:56. > :13:58.But some of the broader social questions provoked
:13:59. > :14:05.Our correspondent, Frankie McCamley, is by Grenfell Tower in West London.
:14:06. > :14:16.How much more do we know about what the inquiry team will be
:14:17. > :14:19.considering? The scope of the inquiry is much broader than Sir
:14:20. > :14:25.Martin Moore-Bick, the retired judge, leading this originally
:14:26. > :14:29.suggested. He said it may look into the cause of the fire, what lessons
:14:30. > :14:33.can be learnt to protect others and why it spread so quickly. But after
:14:34. > :14:40.extending the consultation period for a number of weeks, and analysing
:14:41. > :14:44.500 or more written statements, he has now broadened the terms of
:14:45. > :14:48.reference to not only look at the cause and spread of the fire but
:14:49. > :14:53.also the design, the construction, the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower,
:14:54. > :14:56.to look at tower blocks on the whole across the UK and the regulations
:14:57. > :15:00.surrounding them, whether the regulations were followed when it
:15:01. > :15:05.comes to Grenfell Tower, and of course, that action of bodies and
:15:06. > :15:10.groups in the lead up to the fire and after the tragedy, which will
:15:11. > :15:15.include Kensington and Chelsea council. Resident group so far have
:15:16. > :15:17.welcomed the broader terms of reference but there have been
:15:18. > :15:24.questions raised and criticism as to why these wider social housing
:15:25. > :15:27.reforms and questions are not going to be looked at. The Prime Minister
:15:28. > :15:33.has addressed it and said these will be directed to the Housing Minister
:15:34. > :15:37.and he is going to be speaking with a number of housing tenants to get
:15:38. > :15:41.to the bottom of those questions. As for what happens next, there will be
:15:42. > :15:48.a hearing in September and we will get initial reports in Easter next
:15:49. > :15:54.year as to how and why the fire spread so quickly. Thank you.
:15:55. > :15:57.More than 300 people are known to have died in the mudslides
:15:58. > :15:59.and heavy flooding which struck Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown,
:16:00. > :16:01.yesterday, according to the Red Cross which has
:16:02. > :16:06.Whole homes were submerged and more than 2,000 people
:16:07. > :16:11.The natural disaster is being described as one
:16:12. > :16:21.The mountainside collapsed in an avalanche of mud,
:16:22. > :16:28.It was sudden, total devastation, leaving few survivors.
:16:29. > :16:30.Those who did escape look on at the place
:16:31. > :16:32.where they used to live, desperate for good news.
:16:33. > :16:42.This man lost eight members of his family.
:16:43. > :16:45.TRANSLATION: I first saw the body of my sister and called
:16:46. > :16:50.on people to help me and we laid her on the floor.
:16:51. > :16:52.Then I started hearing other people nearby, crying.
:16:53. > :17:02.The deluge of muddy water surged through gullies and streets,
:17:03. > :17:04.claiming more lives and hampering rescue operations at
:17:05. > :17:08.Sierra Leone is used to some flooding in the rainy season,
:17:09. > :17:12.It has left a tangled mass of destruction and a slow
:17:13. > :17:26.Houses were built illegally on this fragile mountainside and no one
:17:27. > :17:29.really knows how many bodies will be recovered.
:17:30. > :17:31.As they are found, the crowd surge in to see
:17:32. > :17:33.if they recognise a family member or friend.
:17:34. > :17:36.The authorities are trying to keep people away.
:17:37. > :17:40.And to avoid disaster prone areas while we continue to address
:17:41. > :17:52.These people had little enough before this disaster.
:17:53. > :17:54.At least 3,000 are now thought to be homeless.
:17:55. > :17:56.Freshwater sources have been contaminated and
:17:57. > :18:00.Aid agencies are trying to prevent this disaster
:18:01. > :18:10.Our main concern now is homelessness in terms of livelihood of families
:18:11. > :18:13.now that are left with absolutely nothing and the children now
:18:14. > :18:18.This has been a grim rainy season for Sierra Leone
:18:19. > :18:31.The Brexit Secretary, David Davis, says he wants to negotiate
:18:32. > :18:36.a temporary customs union with the EU.
:18:37. > :18:43.Coming up, the British explorer hoping to reach the North Pole bar
:18:44. > :18:46.yacht. -- by. Coming up in sport, Liverpool
:18:47. > :18:49.are hoping to seal their place in the Champions League group stage
:18:50. > :18:52.for the first time in three years. They're away at Hoffeinheim
:18:53. > :19:02.in their first leg play off tonight. India's Prime Minister,
:19:03. > :19:05.Narendra Modi, has led his nation in marking the 70th anniversary
:19:06. > :19:09.of his country's The creation of India and Pakistan
:19:10. > :19:18.in 1947 led to a million deaths, and the displacement
:19:19. > :19:20.of about 12 million people. Reeta Chakrabarti is
:19:21. > :19:38.in Amritsar in Punjab. I'm in this golden temple which is
:19:39. > :19:41.one of the holiest. It is in Punjab on the areas worst affected by the
:19:42. > :19:45.British and when the states of India and Pakistan were created 70 years
:19:46. > :19:50.ago. Yesterday I reported from Pakistan as it celebrated the
:19:51. > :19:54.anniversary of its independence and today is the turn of India and the
:19:55. > :20:04.Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a special ceremony in Delhi.
:20:05. > :20:07.70 years ago it was here, at the historic Red Fort,
:20:08. > :20:10.that Union Jack was lowered one final time, to be replaced
:20:11. > :20:13.This is where Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived today
:20:14. > :20:21.It is a tradition that has been repeated by every
:20:22. > :20:26.A testimony to how India has endured as a functioning democracy over
:20:27. > :20:34.In an address, the Prime Minister spoke of the problems India faces,
:20:35. > :20:43.TRANSLATION: In my mind it is clear that neither bullets nor brickbats
:20:44. > :20:48.It will only be solved by love and embracing all Kashmiris.
:20:49. > :20:51.The Muslim majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been at the centre
:20:52. > :20:53.of a dispute with Pakistan since the partition
:20:54. > :21:01.In recent months, anti-India protests have intensified there.
:21:02. > :21:05.But across India today this was the scene, many people coming
:21:06. > :21:08.out onto the streets to mark the occasion, there's a feeling
:21:09. > :21:11.of pride here, and how much the country has achieved.
:21:12. > :21:14.A growing economic power that has now been taken seriously,
:21:15. > :21:19.Despite the many problems India faces, the overwhelming
:21:20. > :21:22.sentiment here today is one of celebration and optimism.
:21:23. > :21:27.This is a very young country, nearly two thirds of India
:21:28. > :21:29.is under the age of 30, and for them it is not
:21:30. > :21:33.so much about the past, but about what lies ahead.
:21:34. > :21:46.Here in Amritsar, many people are still feeling
:21:47. > :21:50.I've been speaking to one family about their experiences,
:21:51. > :21:52.and what they feel about India today.
:21:53. > :21:54.I almost refused the invitation, do you know that?
:21:55. > :21:58.Remembering happy times, but this family did live through trauma.
:21:59. > :22:01.Doctor Singh and his wife fled Pakistan as children
:22:02. > :22:07.but the events of that time have gone largely undiscussed.
:22:08. > :22:11.My generation, unfortunately, has not talked much to the younger
:22:12. > :22:13.generation, our children, our grandchildren
:22:14. > :22:20.It's high time that history did come out with it.
:22:21. > :22:24.We made the mistake but history shouldn't.
:22:25. > :22:26.Mrs Singh feels that modern-day India might not be quite
:22:27. > :22:30.what the country's founding fathers had hoped for.
:22:31. > :22:32.It's a democratic country and so far it has been...
:22:33. > :22:38.It was a secular country, still it is.
:22:39. > :22:42.But then some elements always come and sometimes you feel that things
:22:43. > :22:50.But for their grandson, India has an exciting future.
:22:51. > :22:54.In the coming decade, India is going to be the place to be
:22:55. > :22:57.because so much innovation and technology coming up,
:22:58. > :23:01.but at the same time I feel culturally it is a bit of a decline.
:23:02. > :23:08.Pakistani TV programmes which he used to enjoy
:23:09. > :23:16.His cousin wants to know more about Partition to understand why
:23:17. > :23:18.the two countries remain such suspicious neighbours.
:23:19. > :23:21.I have never felt the tension between an Indian and a Pakistani.
:23:22. > :23:25.I've met Pakistanis when I have travelled in the US and London
:23:26. > :23:28.and otherwise, and we have got along perfectly well.
:23:29. > :23:31.But those meetings happen abroad and he has never been to Pakistan,
:23:32. > :23:40.The effects of partition are still strongly felt today,
:23:41. > :23:45.even for young people for whom it is just history.
:23:46. > :23:50.It is very difficult for Indians to go to Pakistan, there are very few
:23:51. > :23:54.transport links and very few people go in either direction. There's the
:23:55. > :24:01.undercurrent of hostility between the nations, their people might feel
:24:02. > :24:05.friendship but the two states, 70 years after partition, feel as far
:24:06. > :24:08.apart as ever. STUDIO: Thanks for joining us.
:24:09. > :24:11.North Korea's state media says the country's leader, Kim Jong Un,
:24:12. > :24:14.has been briefed by the military on how they could fulfil his
:24:15. > :24:17.threat to fire missiles towards the American island of Guam
:24:18. > :24:20.in the Pacific - and says he will now watch US actions
:24:21. > :24:28.Our correspondent Robin Brant sent us this report from Seoul.
:24:29. > :24:30.The plan to attack America, laid out before him.
:24:31. > :24:33.These pictures from North Korean state media show Kim Jong-un
:24:34. > :24:40.You can clearly see a black line from his country straight to Guam,
:24:41. > :24:42.the American territory that North Korea's generals have
:24:43. > :24:51.A report said the respected supreme leader wants
:24:52. > :24:53.to "watch a little more, the foolish and stupid
:24:54. > :25:01.On Guam itself, there is relief for now.
:25:02. > :25:05.I think a lot of it has to do with the strong statements made
:25:06. > :25:08.by our president but also by the collective statements made
:25:09. > :25:11.by Secretary Tillerson and Secretary Mattis.
:25:12. > :25:15.But on the front line, in the decades-old stand-off
:25:16. > :25:19.with North Korea, something he's not helping.
:25:20. > :25:23.This truck has the words, no war, no Trump, on the side.
:25:24. > :25:26.Now, America is South Korea's most important protector but some
:25:27. > :25:28.of the people here think that the current president
:25:29. > :25:37.is actually causing more problems than he is helping to solve.
:25:38. > :25:43.Angry! Yeah.
:25:44. > :25:48.Trump's action and policy is not good to many Americans.
:25:49. > :25:51.I don't think actual war would break out, this man said.
:25:52. > :25:53.The country's newly elected president has promised
:25:54. > :26:04.TRANSLATION: Military action on the Korean Peninsular can only be
:26:05. > :26:07.decided by the Republic of Korea, and no one may decide to take
:26:08. > :26:12.military action without the consent of the Republic of Korea.
:26:13. > :26:15.This is an annual event by people who have never liked
:26:16. > :26:19.But there are plenty who like the beat of America's drum
:26:20. > :26:22.and want their closest ally to stay very close, even as there
:26:23. > :26:24.are signs that the tension is slightly easing off.
:26:25. > :26:30.Baby boxes containing essential items such as clothes, books
:26:31. > :26:33.and blankets are being delivered to new mothers across Scotland
:26:34. > :26:39.The cardboard boxes also include a mattress, and can be
:26:40. > :26:45.used for babies to sleep in as an alternative to a cot.
:26:46. > :26:47.Our Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon reports.
:26:48. > :26:51.A first look at a Scottish baby box for these mums and mums to be.
:26:52. > :26:55.From today, all expectant mothers in Scotland will
:26:56. > :27:03.It doubles as a crib and contains dozens of items which could help
:27:04. > :27:06.parents in their child's first few months of life.
:27:07. > :27:13.As first-time parents we are a bit like, what do we need,
:27:14. > :27:18.It's good to know that they have covered everything that we're
:27:19. > :27:22.I really like the idea of it being a safe sleeping space,
:27:23. > :27:27.probably more for use during the day rather than at night-time,
:27:28. > :27:30.but I think I would it as a living space, for putting down for naps
:27:31. > :27:38.Having a baby can be an expensive time for parents so most mums
:27:39. > :27:41.and dads say that anything that helps ease their costs is welcome
:27:42. > :27:43.but at ?160 per box, is this money well spent
:27:44. > :27:51.Essentially what we want to do is make sure that all children
:27:52. > :27:55.in Scotland have the very best start in life and we believe that a baby
:27:56. > :27:59.box with essential items will be of benefit to parents
:28:00. > :28:02.and their children is about that, giving children the very best
:28:03. > :28:04.start in life regardless of the circumstances
:28:05. > :28:08.Support groups say there is as yet no evidence that baby boxes
:28:09. > :28:12.will directly reduce the rate of infant mortality.
:28:13. > :28:14.But welcome any initiatives which encourage parents
:28:15. > :28:18.to think about safe sleeping for their babies.
:28:19. > :28:23.We understand that boxes themselves can't have an impact on
:28:24. > :28:25.infant mortality, and for us, what we are really
:28:26. > :28:29.looking forward to is the evaluation
:28:30. > :28:32.of this whole initiative to see whether families have a
:28:33. > :28:34.greater awareness of safe sleeping messages for their babies.
:28:35. > :28:35.Tens of thousands of parents will receive
:28:36. > :28:39.The Scottish Government says it will assess
:28:40. > :28:42.whether the initiative helps reduce the number of cot deaths.
:28:43. > :28:54.An expedition to the north pole - by yacht - has just
:28:55. > :28:58.The team - led by British polar explorer Pen Hadow -
:28:59. > :29:03.says that the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage
:29:04. > :29:11.Our science correspondent Rebecca Morelle has more
:29:12. > :29:12.Setting off into uncharted Arctic waters.
:29:13. > :29:15.A pair of yachts attempting a first - sailing all
:29:16. > :29:23.A crew of ten - and a dog - have just departed from Alaska.
:29:24. > :29:29.Led by British explorer Pen Hadow, they have a 3500 mile voyage ahead.
:29:30. > :29:36.For the first time in human history, possibly for the first
:29:37. > :29:38.time in 130,000 years, it is now possible to sail
:29:39. > :29:46.What this means is that the wildlife living in the area
:29:47. > :29:51.It is the rapidly warming conditions in the Arctic that have made this
:29:52. > :29:57.It is melting at an unprecedented rate.
:29:58. > :30:01.In 35 years, more than a third of the area of sea ice has gone.
:30:02. > :30:08.Once inaccessible waters are opening up.
:30:09. > :30:11.At Reading University, scientists are studying how
:30:12. > :30:14.this could change these commercial shipping routes.
:30:15. > :30:16.Instead of having to sail around the frozen Pole,
:30:17. > :30:20.At the moment we are seeing a few experimental voyages
:30:21. > :30:26.In the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having
:30:27. > :30:28.more commercial ships travelling through the region
:30:29. > :30:38.An ice-strengthened ship will be able to go right over the Pole
:30:39. > :30:43.Pen Hadow has already experienced the dramatic changes
:30:44. > :30:48.His last trip north in 2009 was on foot, but he spent much
:30:49. > :30:55.This time, he has six weeks of sailing ahead.
:30:56. > :30:58.The team do not know how far north they will get,
:30:59. > :31:01.but this expedition into the unknown may be the start of a new era
:31:02. > :31:20.It has been a pretty cold start to August, you don't need me to tell
:31:21. > :31:25.you that, but the coldest start to August in south-east England for 30
:31:26. > :31:30.years and also pretty wet, but as we continue through the afternoon we
:31:31. > :31:32.have an improving picture, and most people will have lengthy spells of
:31:33. > :31:37.sunshine, but there are a few showers. Mainly across the northern
:31:38. > :31:40.half of the UK where we have the chance of showers as we go through
:31:41. > :31:45.the afternoon, otherwise warm spells of sunshine. Showers in Scotland
:31:46. > :31:49.will turn heavy, the risk of thunderstorms, and a line of showers
:31:50. > :31:52.moving across Northern Ireland and a high chance of catching one of
:31:53. > :31:58.those, not many showers for Northern England and Wales, and the rest of
:31:59. > :32:04.the South of England, by and large it will stay dry, temperatures
:32:05. > :32:08.pushing into the mid-20s and feeling warm, and there is a fair breeze in
:32:09. > :32:18.the South West and Wales, but still present. Overnight, we have an area
:32:19. > :32:22.of high pressure moving in, and things will turn quite cold and it
:32:23. > :32:26.could fall to as low as 5 degrees in the countryside, so there will be a
:32:27. > :32:31.chill in the morning. The weather chart for Wednesday, high pressure
:32:32. > :32:37.in the east, but the high-pressure moves in with strengthening winds,
:32:38. > :32:42.the band of rain moves in and it should be largely dry at least for
:32:43. > :32:45.Scotland, England and Wales, the best of the sunshine in eastern
:32:46. > :32:52.areas, and it will be late in the day before we have the east Wales
:32:53. > :32:56.and the of England. As we go through the night the band of rain will push
:32:57. > :33:00.East, turning heavy and it could be quite slow to clear eastern
:33:01. > :33:03.counties, taking the time to move out of the way Thursday morning, but
:33:04. > :33:08.as we go into the afternoon, the mixture of sunny spells and a few
:33:09. > :33:13.showers. Looking at the weather charts for the end of the week and
:33:14. > :33:17.the weekend, there is a big area of low pressure, gradually the centre
:33:18. > :33:20.moves towards the North Sea and we will have a brisk north-westerly
:33:21. > :33:23.wind and that will bring showers, some of them merging together to
:33:24. > :33:27.give lengthy spells of rain across north-western areas especially
:33:28. > :33:33.Friday, some heavy with hail and fund an but generally fewer showers
:33:34. > :33:36.in the south of the country and temperatures should reach the low
:33:37. > :33:38.20s again. It will stay and settled for the foreseeable, the band of
:33:39. > :33:42.rain coming in for tomorrow. A reminder of our main
:33:43. > :33:46.story this lunchtime. The Brexit Secretary, David Davis,
:33:47. > :33:49.says he wants to negotiate a temporary customs
:33:50. > :33:52.union with the EU - It's goodbye from me -
:33:53. > :34:01.and on BBC One we now join the BBC's