0:00:04 > 0:00:07The sacking of Damian Green, one of the Prime Minister's closest
0:00:07 > 0:00:11allies, prompts a furious backlash from Tory MPs over
0:00:11 > 0:00:17information leaked by police.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21They call for action against former officers who revealed pornography
0:00:21 > 0:00:25was found on a computer in from Green's office nine years ago.They
0:00:25 > 0:00:27should be investigated for misconduct in public office, that's
0:00:27 > 0:00:32a criminal offence. What they've done is completely wrong and
0:00:32 > 0:00:37undermines trust in the police. Scored says it's asked the
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Information Commissioner to investigate the disclosure of the
0:00:40 > 0:00:46material gathered during the police investigation. Also this lunch time:
0:00:46 > 0:00:48A man's arrested in the Australian city of Melbourne, after he drove
0:00:48 > 0:00:51of Melbourne, after he drove into a crowd at a busy junction,
0:00:51 > 0:00:52injuring at least 19.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55More than 60,000 mothers and babies in England have been harmed
0:00:55 > 0:00:57during incidents at maternity units over the last two years
0:00:57 > 0:00:58according to new figures.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Hanging in the balance; the future of the struggling retailer Toys R Us
0:01:02 > 0:01:04and more than 3,000 jobs could be decided this lunchtime.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Birmingham is confirmed as host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games;
0:01:07 > 0:01:11it'll be the UK's most expensive sporting event since the Olympics.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And the official engagement portraits as Prince Harry
0:01:15 > 0:01:21and Meghan Markle prepare to spend Christmas at Sandringham.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And coming up in sport later in the hour on BBC News,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26a famous night for Bristol City knocking Manchester United out
0:01:26 > 0:01:30of the League Cup and next up it's Manchester City.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The sacking of Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59has prompted a furious backlash from Conservative MPs who are angry
0:01:59 > 0:02:02about how confidential material gathered during a police
0:02:02 > 0:02:07investigation came into the public domain.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The First Secretary of State was sacked from the cabinet last
0:02:11 > 0:02:14night after a government inquiry found he made "inaccurate
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and misleading" statements about the pornography
0:02:17 > 0:02:19on his Parliamentary office computer.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21He is the third cabinet minister to leave their role
0:02:21 > 0:02:23in the space of two months.
0:02:23 > 0:02:29Our Political Correspondent Ben Wright has this report.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Sacked from the Cabinet and out the door. The third senior minister to
0:02:33 > 0:02:35leave Theresa May's team in less than two months.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39REPORTER: Why did you liethe public, Mister Green...
0:02:39 > 0:02:44This morning, Damian Green wasn't keen to talk, but former Cabinet
0:02:44 > 0:02:48colleagues did, accepting Mrs May had no choice but to fire, with a
0:02:48 > 0:02:54heavy heart, her de facto deputy and long time friend.He lied on a
0:02:54 > 0:03:00particular incident, yes. I think lots of people who understand the
0:03:00 > 0:03:03context would appreciate why that might have happened but that doesn't
0:03:03 > 0:03:08make it any more acceptable. I think what this shows is that in our
0:03:08 > 0:03:12democracy, we hold Cabinet Ministers to the very highest standards of
0:03:12 > 0:03:16conduct.It stems back to this police raid on Mister Green's
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Parliamentary office nine years ago. Officers say legal pornography was
0:03:20 > 0:03:24found on computers. Damian Green's always denied it was his but as
0:03:24 > 0:03:27recently as last month insisted he'd not been told about it. That wasn't
0:03:27 > 0:03:33true. He's now admitted the police talked to his lawyers about it in
0:03:33 > 0:03:402008 and the police raised it with him in 2013. In his resignation
0:03:40 > 0:03:41letter Mister Green said:
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Damian Green was judged to have broken the minutial code and he had
0:03:51 > 0:03:56to pay the price for that, and the Prime Minister, not letting a life
0:03:56 > 0:04:00long friendship with him entire fear with calling for him to do the right
0:04:00 > 0:04:05thing, which was for him to resign. The concerns were aired by a former
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Commissioner of The Met Police Bob Quick and a number of people are
0:04:10 > 0:04:15angry.They should be investigated for misconduct in public office,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18that's a criminal offence. What they've done is completely wrong, it
0:04:18 > 0:04:21undermines trust in the police. How can any of us trust giving
0:04:21 > 0:04:27information to the police if senior officers leak in this way.The
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Cabinet Office investigation also examined claims from this Tory
0:04:30 > 0:04:32activist about inappropriate behaviour by Damian Green. Her
0:04:32 > 0:04:36account was said to be plausible but there was no clear conclusion about
0:04:36 > 0:04:42what happened. Mister Green apology islands for making her feel
0:04:42 > 0:04:45uncomfortable but denied any wrongdoing.His resignation and a
0:04:45 > 0:04:50consequence for an action sends a very, very clear message to young
0:04:50 > 0:04:54men and women who work in and around politics to feel that if they do
0:04:54 > 0:05:00come forward, there is a chance there'll be consequences.Damian
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Green's departure is a personal loss for the Prime Minister. He was a
0:05:03 > 0:05:07quietly powerful member of the Government and, an adviser and
0:05:07 > 0:05:12friend to Theresa May, but all Tory MPs seem to accept he had to go and
0:05:12 > 0:05:19the political damage feels limited. This morning, Theresa May arrived in
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Poland, having survived a turbulent difficult political year. But her
0:05:23 > 0:05:29readiness to dismiss one of her closest allies shows some steel and
0:05:29 > 0:05:34a determination to carry on. Ben Wright, BBC News, Westminster.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36In a moment we'll talk to our Political Correspondent
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Eleanor Garnier who is in the Polish capital Warsaw with the Prime
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Minister but first lets talk to our Assistant Political Editor
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Norman Smith who is in Westminster.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Real anger now amongst Tory MPs about how this information came to
0:05:48 > 0:05:54light in the first place?I think that gives you a sense of just how
0:05:54 > 0:05:58much venom there is felt about the demise of Damian Green, because
0:05:58 > 0:06:02although there's been an attempt really to play down the significance
0:06:02 > 0:06:08of this resignation, saying the fact Mrs May despatched Damian Green so
0:06:08 > 0:06:14ruthlessly, demonstrates a killer instinct, the fact she's got her
0:06:14 > 0:06:18mojo back, she's showing authority and leadership. But you look at the
0:06:18 > 0:06:21backlash against the police, significantly even from Mrs May in
0:06:21 > 0:06:25her letter to Damian Green, expressing her concerns about the
0:06:25 > 0:06:29conduct of these former officers. The Health Secretary saying their
0:06:29 > 0:06:34behaviour raises questions about the conduct of the police in a democracy
0:06:34 > 0:06:38and then that suggestion that they should now be charged for misconduct
0:06:38 > 0:06:42in public office, a charge which, if they were found guilty of, could
0:06:42 > 0:06:46come with a potential prison sentence and the fact the
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Information Commissioner's now confirmed that they are going to be
0:06:50 > 0:06:58investigated I think is evidence of just how seriously this demise of
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Damian Green is viewed. It may be this whole saga has some way to run
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and there could be other casualties beyond Damian Green if these two
0:07:05 > 0:07:09police officers are prosecuted and convicted of misconduct in public
0:07:09 > 0:07:16office. Eleanor Garnier in Warsaw, Theresa
0:07:16 > 0:07:21May is there today, at a summit about strengthening the ties with
0:07:21 > 0:07:27Poland ahead of Brexit. That is likely to overshadow what has
0:07:27 > 0:07:31happened here?Theresa May came here wanting to talk about the UK's
0:07:31 > 0:07:35deepening relationship with Poland, how she wants the countries to grow
0:07:35 > 0:07:39closer, not further apart with Brexit. This trip's been
0:07:39 > 0:07:42overshadowed by the sacking of her close confidante and colleague
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Damian Green. There's a press conference in little under an hour
0:07:45 > 0:07:50with Theresa May and her Polish counterpart, but everyone will of
0:07:50 > 0:07:53course be asking about Damian Green. It will be the first time we have
0:07:53 > 0:07:57heard from Theresa May since she asked him to resign last night.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03While she might have lost her Deputy Prime Minister, Brexit of course
0:08:03 > 0:08:07continues and so too the need to win over allies as talks with Brussels
0:08:07 > 0:08:11go into their next phase with trade and a transition period. Britain
0:08:11 > 0:08:16wants the support of Poland, as it tries to get that free trade deal,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20with the European Union. But Poland also wants the support of Britain.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25It's currently facing its own battle with the EU over reforms here to the
0:08:25 > 0:08:29judiciary and it faces unprecedented disciplinary action from Brussels. I
0:08:29 > 0:08:35think Sophie, it's a little reminder that whilst Brexit might be the UK
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Government's number one priority, the other 27 member states each have
0:08:38 > 0:08:42their own agendas, they each have their own difficulties and, in the
0:08:42 > 0:08:49end, Britain is one against many. Eleanor and Norman, thank you both.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Two men have been arrested in Australia after police say a car
0:08:52 > 0:08:55was deliberately driven into a crowd of pedestrians in a busy
0:08:55 > 0:08:57street in Melbourne.
0:08:57 > 0:09:0014 people have been injured, several of them critically.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Police say the driver was a 32-year-old Australian citizen
0:09:03 > 0:09:05of Afghan origin with a history of mental health
0:09:05 > 0:09:07issues and drug use.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10A second man, who was arrested nearby, was said to be filming
0:09:10 > 0:09:14the incident and was carrying a bag containing knives.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17But police say at this stage there's no evidence of a terror link.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20From there, Hywel Griffith reports.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Pinned to the ground, a man arrested by the police just
0:09:23 > 0:09:28a few meters from the 4x4 vehicle used to mow down pedestrians.
0:09:28 > 0:09:35Around them, paramedics rushed to help the injured pedestrians left
0:09:35 > 0:09:37lying in the street.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Minutes earlier, the city centre was packed with commuters
0:09:43 > 0:09:45and Christmas shoppers.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The car drove towards them at speed, leaving some
0:09:49 > 0:09:52in a critical condition.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57The police say the driver was a 32-year-old Australian
0:09:57 > 0:09:59of Afghan decent with a history of mental health problems.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02At this time we don't have any evidence or intelligence to indicate
0:10:02 > 0:10:04a connection with terrorism.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Having said that, however, we continue to support this
0:10:07 > 0:10:13investigation with our Counter Terrorism Command to ensure
0:10:13 > 0:10:15that there isn't that connection and that there is no ongoing threat.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Eyewitnesses were left in shock.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21One business owner watched events unfold in front of him.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25He just ploughed into them without stopping.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30All I could hear was people hitting the front bumper and windscreen
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and people screaming and the only reason I think he slowed down
0:10:34 > 0:10:38was because of the sheer volume of people he hit.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Special security measures to prevent vehicle attacks have been introduced
0:10:42 > 0:10:46in Melbourne after a similar incident in January.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49But nothing was able to stop the 4x4 bringing chaos
0:10:49 > 0:10:53to the city once again.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58We have seen a horrific act, an evil act, an act of cowardice
0:10:58 > 0:11:00perpetrated against innocent bystanders, we are all
0:11:00 > 0:11:02caught up in this.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06We are all deeply sad and deeply wounded.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Police are still questioning the driver and a second man
0:11:09 > 0:11:12arrested at the scene.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17They've stressed they believe this was a one-off incident,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20but Melbourne remains a city on high alert.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Hywel Griffiths, BBC News.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Shots have been fired from both sides of the border separating North
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and South Korea as a North Korean soldier defected to the South.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Officials in Seoul said the soldier appeared in front of a South Korean
0:11:36 > 0:11:38military post in dense fog early on Thursday.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42It's the second such incident in weeks.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Last month a soldier from the North was shot and seriously injured
0:11:46 > 0:11:49by his own side after driving to the border and dashing across.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51The man accused of the Finsbury Park attack last June has pleaded
0:11:51 > 0:11:54not guilty to murder and attempted murder.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Darren Osborne is accused of deliberately driving a hired van
0:11:57 > 0:12:00into worshippers close to the Muslim Welfare
0:12:00 > 0:12:02House in North London.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04One man, Makram Ali, was killed.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07More than 60,000 mothers or babies have been harmed by potential lapses
0:12:07 > 0:12:10in maternity care in England in the past two years.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14The BBC has learned that more than 250,000 incidents were logged
0:12:14 > 0:12:18by hospital staff between April 2015 and March 2017, the equivalent of
0:12:18 > 0:12:22one mistake for every five births.
0:12:22 > 0:12:31Our Health Correspondent Adina Campbell reports.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Three years ago, Wendy and Ryan Agius lost their daughter who was
0:12:35 > 0:12:39stillborn. An investigation found some maternity guidelines were not
0:12:39 > 0:12:43followed, something which has deeply affected the couple ever since.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49Leaving the hospital with a box of things instead of your baby was
0:12:49 > 0:12:55just...Having to leave her there, going home having to leave your baby
0:12:55 > 0:13:00there, just can't comprehend it.It was at this hospital with a
0:13:00 > 0:13:04midwifery-led unit where Wendy Agius was cared for. Despite reporting to
0:13:04 > 0:13:09staff that she had concerns about her baby's movements, she was sent
0:13:09 > 0:13:14home on two different occasions. But she should have been reviewed by a
0:13:14 > 0:13:18consultant at another local hospital with a consultant-led midwifery
0:13:18 > 0:13:24unit. Over the last two years, there were nearly 1.3 million births in
0:13:24 > 0:13:30England. NHS staff are encouraged to use a voluntary reporting scheme if
0:13:30 > 0:13:37they have concerns about care and, since 2015, more than 275,000
0:13:37 > 0:13:42incidents at maternity units have been reported. The problems
0:13:42 > 0:13:46included: Women being told to stay at home. Babies being left brain
0:13:46 > 0:13:52damaged. And potentially avoidable deaths. Just over three quarters of
0:13:52 > 0:13:58the cases reported did not cause any harm to mother or baby. But more
0:13:58 > 0:14:03than 60,000 did. Something the Government says it's hoping to
0:14:03 > 0:14:09reduce under new plans announced last month.There is just too much
0:14:09 > 0:14:12heartache, too many appalling tragedies when these kinds of things
0:14:12 > 0:14:18happen. We want to be the safest investment system in the world, the
0:14:18 > 0:14:22vast majority of births are completely safe. But what is going
0:14:22 > 0:14:27wrong at the moment is, when we have a tragedy, we are not learning from
0:14:27 > 0:14:30it nearly as effectively as we should.The Royal College of
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Midwives says staffing levels must improve.The Royal College of
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Midwives is concerned about the levels of midwifery staffing and
0:14:36 > 0:14:41they are low. We would like to think of solutions and ways of making sure
0:14:41 > 0:14:46that we have more midwifes in the future.East Sussex Healthcare Trust
0:14:46 > 0:14:50have apologised to Wendy and Ryan and admitted some aspects of their
0:14:50 > 0:14:55service did not meet their usual standards. But that's no comfort to
0:14:55 > 0:15:00the couple.Can't move forward. We have tried to, but we can't. It's
0:15:00 > 0:15:05always there every day. Memories. It never goes away. To me, it's the
0:15:05 > 0:15:11first thing when I think wake up that I think about and the last
0:15:11 > 0:15:13thing at night.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16The future of the troubled retailer Toys "R" Us will be known shortly
0:15:16 > 0:15:18after creditors voted this morning on whether to agree
0:15:18 > 0:15:20to a restructuring plan which could save over 3,000 jobs
0:15:20 > 0:15:22in the UK.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Our Personal Finance Correspondent Simon Gompertz is outside
0:15:24 > 0:15:29a store in south London.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34When is the decision going to be made public?It could be in a matter
0:15:34 > 0:15:40of minutes, perhaps an hour or so. I met one of the outlets that is under
0:15:40 > 0:15:47threat in south London, on the Old Kent Road. It's busy, there is trade
0:15:47 > 0:15:50going on today, Christmas shoppers going in to take advantage of the
0:15:50 > 0:15:57discounts that Toys "R" Us have, but a lot of trepidation and worry among
0:15:57 > 0:16:01staff, because they are concerned the talks will break down. On the
0:16:01 > 0:16:06one side, you have the company. On the other side, you have the Pension
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Protection Fund, speaking on the half of the company's pension
0:16:09 > 0:16:13scheme, and they are holding out for a big payment from the company to
0:16:13 > 0:16:17shore up the pension scheme, but Toys "R" Us says it doesn't have
0:16:17 > 0:16:20that money. The creditors meeting has been suspended twice while talks
0:16:20 > 0:16:26between the two sides go on. The latest suspension ends at 1:30pm,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and there is a glimmer of hope there, that there is something to
0:16:30 > 0:16:34talk about. The Pension Protection Fund said they would vote against a
0:16:34 > 0:16:38rescue deal, but clearly they have got something they are working on,
0:16:38 > 0:16:43and the hope for staff is that, in the next 20 minutes or so, they
0:16:43 > 0:16:46arrive at a solution which means that Toys "R" Us can stagger on.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Our top story this lunchtime:
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The sacking of Damian Green, one of the Prime Minister's closest
0:16:51 > 0:16:54allies, prompts a furious backlash from Tory MPs over
0:16:54 > 0:16:58information leaked by police.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Still to come, why this car park has been designated as a site of
0:17:01 > 0:17:04national archaeological importance.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Coming up in sport in the next 15 minutes on BBC News:
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's official - Birmingham gets the Commonwealth Games,
0:17:09 > 0:17:14and now the race is on to be ready for 2022.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Homelessness in England - it's been called a national crisis
0:17:26 > 0:17:29by a committee of MPs, with more than 9,000 people sleeping
0:17:29 > 0:17:32on the streets and tens of thousands in temporary accommodation.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Homelessness is not just a complex problem, it can
0:17:35 > 0:17:38also be a hidden one.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42A BBC poll has found that one in ten young people across the UK has spent
0:17:42 > 0:17:45at least a month so-called "sofa-surfing" - staying
0:17:45 > 0:17:47with friends because they've nowhere else to go.
0:17:47 > 0:17:521,000 people aged between 16 and 25 were questioned for the survey.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Two-fifths said there had been at least one night where they had
0:17:55 > 0:17:57nowhere to call home.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Ian Palmer reports.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Four years ago, Dale was thrown out of home
0:18:03 > 0:18:05by his mother on Christmas Day.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07He was 16 years old.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11On the day, I just called a friend and went over there and that's how
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I ended Christmas Day and then, from there, it was sofa-surfing
0:18:13 > 0:18:16for two months, between friends and families' houses,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19just finding somewhere to stay while I was doing my A-levels.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Dale's problems began aged seven, when his father left home.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25He began living with his grandmother, caring
0:18:25 > 0:18:28for her after a stroke.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30But, during his GCSEs, she needed 24-hour assistance,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34so he moved back in with his mum.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36After being kicked out, Dale says he often didn't know
0:18:36 > 0:18:40where he was going to spend the night while studying at school.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It was very hard trying to balance worklife and personal life,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45because it's hard to focus on doing your schoolwork
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and revision during the day when you're worried where you're
0:18:47 > 0:18:49going to sleep at night.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The poll company Comres spoke to more than 1,000 people
0:18:52 > 0:18:54aged between 16 and 25.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The study found just over 9.3% had spent the night on a friend's floor
0:18:58 > 0:19:01or sofa for up to a month.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The most common reasons included parents being unable
0:19:03 > 0:19:07or unwilling to provide housing, extended family being unable to
0:19:07 > 0:19:12help, and splitting from a partner.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The homeless charity Key, based in Leyland in Lancashire,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17helps young people who have nowhere to live.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Its operations director says sofa-surfing is a hidden
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and growing problem.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25About 70% of the young people we see in our homeless
0:19:25 > 0:19:27drop-in have sofa-surfed, and that's often before
0:19:27 > 0:19:31they come to see us at Key, perhaps thinking they can go home,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36back to their parents' houses, or that maybe it's OK
0:19:36 > 0:19:39in the long-term to stay with different friends or family.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43When they run out of options, it's often then they seek help,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47either from the council or directly from ourselves.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Charities say the Government needs to improve the way it counts
0:19:50 > 0:19:52the number of people who are homeless.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55There is a really big gap between those people
0:19:55 > 0:19:57who are actually homeless - they have literally nowhere to live,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00or they are in temporary, very unsuitable accommodation -
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and the statistics that the Government puts together,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and it's really important that, if we are to tackle homelessness,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08the Government gets its figures right because, unless it
0:20:08 > 0:20:10gets its figures right, it won't persuade the Treasury
0:20:10 > 0:20:13to make the resources available to tackle the problem.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15From next April, the way the Government collates information
0:20:15 > 0:20:18about homelessness will change.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It says local authorities will have a legal duty to find out
0:20:21 > 0:20:25more information on people in a homeless household.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Dale Taylor Gentles says, although he never had to sleep
0:20:27 > 0:20:30rough, he often came close to it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32The 20-year-old has found somewhere to live with the help
0:20:32 > 0:20:34of the charity Centrepoint.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37He is in his second year at university, studying
0:20:37 > 0:20:40sociology and criminology.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Ian Palmer, BBC News.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46There's a glimmer of hope for the British mother being held
0:20:46 > 0:20:50in an Iranian prison after her case was made eligible for early release.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year sentence
0:20:53 > 0:20:56for allegedly plotting to topple the Iranian government.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Our diplomatic correspondent James Landale is here.
0:21:01 > 0:21:08She's been in prison for 18 months. Harper family now hoping she could
0:21:08 > 0:21:14be out soon?I think they are daring to hope. They see the latest
0:21:14 > 0:21:20announcement by the Iranians not as automatic or definite. They are
0:21:20 > 0:21:25talking days, weeks rather than months, is what they are hoping for.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Part of the announcement is technical, when you have served a
0:21:27 > 0:21:32certain period of time in an Iranian jail, you technically become
0:21:32 > 0:21:36eligible for early release, but this didn't have to happen. The judiciary
0:21:36 > 0:21:39could have chosen not to make this happen, but they have, and it's from
0:21:39 > 0:21:45bad that her family and campaigners are drawing hope. They see it as
0:21:45 > 0:21:49part of a trend, the Foreign Secretary's visit, the decision by
0:21:49 > 0:21:53the Iranians not to go ahead with a planned court appearance, the fact
0:21:53 > 0:21:57she has managed to get more access to telephone calls to call her
0:21:57 > 0:22:00family, things like that, they see it as part of a continuum, so they
0:22:00 > 0:22:05are daring to hope but, as ever, they are being cautious. Nothing is
0:22:05 > 0:22:08over until this is over, and there is always the possibility for things
0:22:08 > 0:22:11to move in another direction.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13A child's chances of attending a high-performing secondary school
0:22:13 > 0:22:16depend heavily on where they live, according to a new report.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18The Education Policy Institute, which is led by former education
0:22:18 > 0:22:21minister David Laws, says that the regional divide
0:22:21 > 0:22:24in access to good schools in England is getting wider,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27with areas in the north and north-east being left behind.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Richard Lister reports.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It is no secret that where you live can have a big impact
0:22:34 > 0:22:35on your life chances.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38But this new report says regional differences in education
0:22:38 > 0:22:40are getting bigger.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The new study looks at secondary schools ranked in the top third
0:22:43 > 0:22:49for how much progress their pupils make before they leave.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It found that of the top 20 such schools, 16 are in London,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55while high-performing schools in the north and the Midlands
0:22:55 > 0:22:58are getting fewer, with children in Blackpool and Hartlepool having
0:22:58 > 0:23:03the worst access to high-performing schools.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05One of the biggest issues is retaining high-quality teachers
0:23:05 > 0:23:07in schools with problems.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12It is easier for better schools to recruit better teachers.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15London has been particularly successful in doing that,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and that has contributed to its success over the last few
0:23:18 > 0:23:22years, whereas parts of the north have been less successful
0:23:22 > 0:23:31in doing that.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34And there are localised issues like poverty and isolation that can have
0:23:34 > 0:23:36an impact on child outcomes.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38The Education Secretary, here visiting her old school
0:23:38 > 0:23:40in Rotherham, has already announced more focused investment in areas
0:23:40 > 0:23:47with particular problems.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Her department said, we are targeting the areas that need the
0:23:52 > 0:23:56most support through the £72 million opportunity areas programme, and
0:23:56 > 0:23:59investing £280 million in the school 's most in need.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02But the Education Policy Institute says some of the places
0:24:02 > 0:24:03with the fewest high-performing schools aren't getting
0:24:03 > 0:24:04the help they need.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07It says the Government must find new ways to bring good schools
0:24:07 > 0:24:11to all communities.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Birmingham has been officially confirmed as the host of the 2022
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Commonwealth Games after beating Liverpool in the bidding process.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The Games are expected to cost £750 million -
0:24:21 > 0:24:23the most expensive sports event in Britain since
0:24:23 > 0:24:25the London Olympics.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Our correspondent Phil Mackie is at the Alexander Stadium
0:24:28 > 0:24:33in Birmingham, which will be one of the venues for the Games.
0:24:35 > 0:24:41This is where they'll have the opening ceremony and where the
0:24:41 > 0:24:46athletics will take place. It's one of the reasons Birmingham won
0:24:46 > 0:24:51debate, because it already has a lot of facilities. This one needs a
0:24:51 > 0:24:53revamp but it's probably would cost as much as in other parts of the
0:24:53 > 0:24:58world. Birmingham has a young population which is diverse, with
0:24:58 > 0:25:02lots of people with heritage from Commonwealth nations that will be
0:25:02 > 0:25:05participating but, in the end, it was the only bidder, so the news
0:25:05 > 0:25:07wasn't really a shock.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It hardly came as a surprise, but in the end Birmingham
0:25:10 > 0:25:11was the only bidder.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13But there was genuine joy when the announcement was made.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16It's my great pleasure to announce that the host of the 2022
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Commonwealth Games will be...
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Birmingham.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25CHEERING.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28The bid focused on the second city's population which is
0:25:28 > 0:25:30the youngest in Europe.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It also looked at its diversity.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35There are people here who can trace their heritage
0:25:35 > 0:25:38to all of the Commonwealth nations.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Most of the venues already exist and simply need an upgrade.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The benefits to the city are huge.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Not only is this the opportunity to re-position the city
0:25:47 > 0:25:49of Birmingham nationally and internationally,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52but the economic benefit, it'll generate over £0.5 billion
0:25:52 > 0:25:55gross for the city of Birmingham and over £1 billion
0:25:55 > 0:25:56for the UK as a whole.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58So this is a fantastic opportunity.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01A wonderful Christmas present for the city of Birmingham.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05It's all about the legacy, not just the stadia and infrastructure.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08These teenagers could be participants in 2022.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It's great.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to aim for to get
0:26:14 > 0:26:18to the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22I'd love to be a part of it with my Team England and it's
0:26:22 > 0:26:24a great opportunity for me as a person to aim for
0:26:24 > 0:26:25something in my hometown.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27There are already fantastic facilities here in Birmingham
0:26:27 > 0:26:30like the high-performance centre here at the Alexandra Stadium.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32But there are also concerns that the amount of money it
0:26:32 > 0:26:35will cost to stage the Games at the time of austerity could leave
0:26:35 > 0:26:36the wrong kind of legacy.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Well, opinion is very mixed about it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Some people are very excited about the event coming.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's good news for Birmingham.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Others are very concerned about the effect both
0:26:43 > 0:26:45on council services, which are not a great
0:26:45 > 0:26:49standard at the moment, and then they are also concerned
0:26:49 > 0:26:52about the disruption in the local community and whether we'll end up
0:26:52 > 0:26:55worse off or better off as a result of it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Despite concerns over costs, Birmingham desperately fought
0:26:57 > 0:27:02to win the bid and today is about celebrations.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05These are the athletes of the future and today
0:27:05 > 0:27:08when I announced that up there, these 11 and 12-year-olds, any
0:27:08 > 0:27:09of one them could be a competitor.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12There will be a few spectators.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I doubt if any of them will be officiating,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17but they could be volunteers because 16 is a volunteering age
0:27:17 > 0:27:20in the Commonwealth Games.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22So the world is their oyster here, yes - fantastic.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26The second city often feels overlooked and disparaged,
0:27:26 > 0:27:31showing itself off in 2022 is now its goal.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Birmingham was originally going to apply for the 2026 Commonwealth
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Games and it was only when Durban dropped out of the race and couldn't
0:27:43 > 0:27:48post it that the city came in to take over. The Commonwealth Games
0:27:48 > 0:27:52needed Birmingham as much as Birmingham and the West Midlands
0:27:52 > 0:27:54need the Commonwealth Games. It's a city that often gets overlooked and
0:27:54 > 0:27:59is perhaps disparaged, but what they really want to use this as an
0:27:59 > 0:28:02opportunity for is to focus attention on a region that is really
0:28:02 > 0:28:04growing at the moment.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07The car park in Leicester where the body of King Richard III
0:28:07 > 0:28:09was unearthed five years ago has been designated
0:28:09 > 0:28:11as a site of national archaeological importance.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12King Richard was buried in a medieval friary
0:28:12 > 0:28:15on the site in 1485, after his death at
0:28:15 > 0:28:17the Battle of Bosworth.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20His body wasn't discovered until 2012.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23He has now been reburied at Leicester Cathedral.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Nick Higham has this report.
0:28:26 > 0:28:302012, and archaeologists from Leicester University mark out
0:28:30 > 0:28:33a council car park in the centre of the city, just where
0:28:33 > 0:28:37someone's spray-painted the letter R on the tarmac.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Then they start digging on the site of what was once
0:28:40 > 0:28:44the medieval Greyfriars, looking for the grave of England's
0:28:44 > 0:28:47most notorious king.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Astonishingly, they find it, and the skeleton, complete
0:28:51 > 0:28:54with crooked spine and fatal injuries to the back
0:28:54 > 0:28:59of the skull, buried in haste after the Battle of Bosworth.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Richard III became the villainous central character of one
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Shakespeare's plays, the man who supposedly
0:29:04 > 0:29:07murdered his young nephews, one of them the rightful heir
0:29:07 > 0:29:10to the throne.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Two years ago, the dead king's body was reburied in a new tomb
0:29:13 > 0:29:16in Leicester Cathedral.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Now, the car park, or at least the archaeological remains hidden
0:29:19 > 0:29:23beneath it, has been made a scheduled ancient monument.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26It adds a level of protection for the buried archaeological
0:29:26 > 0:29:29remains of the Franciscan friary and the priory.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34It's not something that sets it in stone, but it is a way of working
0:29:34 > 0:29:38with the local authority, with owners, to help manage it
0:29:38 > 0:29:41in a way that preserves the archaeological remains over
0:29:41 > 0:29:43the coming years - really, to preserve it
0:29:43 > 0:29:44for future generations.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48The protection doesn't extend to the modern road surfaces
0:29:48 > 0:29:52or modern buildings, like the Richard III Visitor Centre,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55but it does include the ground beneath, much of which has never
0:29:55 > 0:29:57been built on.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00That means archaeologists think the medieval friary's remains
0:30:00 > 0:30:04have stayed undisturbed since it was demolished
0:30:04 > 0:30:07almost 500 years ago.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Nick Higham, BBC News.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Official photographs to mark the engagement of Prince Harry
0:30:14 > 0:30:16and Meghan Markle have been released by Kensington Palace.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19The two pictures were taken by fashion photographer
0:30:19 > 0:30:24Alexi Lubomirski earlier this week at Frogmore House, Windsor.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27The couple will marry at St George's Chapel
0:30:27 > 0:30:32in Windsor Castle on the 19th of May next year.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36They will spend Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37Time for a look at the weather.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38Here's Sarah Keith-Lucas.
0:30:38 > 0:30:38Here's Sarah Keith-Lucas.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47The shortest day is turning out quite cloudy and drizzly. This foggy
0:30:47 > 0:30:50dog walk was captured by one of our weather watchers in Manchester
0:30:50 > 0:30:56earlier. Like similar across many areas. Some glimmers of sunshine,
0:30:56 > 0:31:01and we had this rainbow in Aberdeenshire sent in. Not much
0:31:01 > 0:31:05sunshine, because it is the shortest day, the winter solstice, so the sun
0:31:05 > 0:31:08is going to set fairly shortly for many of us. Generally, somewhere
0:31:08 > 0:31:16between about 3pm and 4pm this afternoon. By tomorrow, those days
0:31:16 > 0:31:19start to get ever so slightly longer again. This afternoon, this weather
0:31:19 > 0:31:25front draped through central parts, ringing rain to Northern Ireland,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29northern England, some drizzle into Wales. Dry elsewhere and certainly
0:31:29 > 0:31:34mild, around seven to 12 degrees. This evening and tonight, we start
0:31:34 > 0:31:39to see that weather front moving south and east, bringing rain out of
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Northern Ireland. Across northern England, Wales, the south-west of
0:31:43 > 0:31:48England, quite a murky night with low cloud and hill fog moving in. A
0:31:48 > 0:31:52touch of frost across parts of Scotland, but generally frost free
0:31:52 > 0:31:56elsewhere. Tomorrow, we quickly lose the bulk of the rain from Wales in
0:31:56 > 0:32:00south-west England. Still a lot of low cloud and murk in the west,
0:32:00 > 0:32:05especially the coasts and hills. Further east, you are more likely to
0:32:05 > 0:32:08get some glimpses of brightness, especially to the east of
0:32:08 > 0:32:12playground, north-east England, eastern Scotland. Again, it is mild.
0:32:12 > 0:32:19At the weekend, further north, the weather front pushes in on Saturday.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23That will be more of a player throughout the weekend and into
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Christmas Day, with heavy rain persistent at times in northern and
0:32:26 > 0:32:32western Scotland. Dry for much of the country but still fairly cloudy.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The best brightness generally to eastern parts of the country, and
0:32:35 > 0:32:41staying mild cold air in the far north. For Christmas Eve on Sunday,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45we've got that persistent rain for central and eastern Scotland but
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Northern Ireland for a time too. One or two showers further south, but
0:32:49 > 0:32:54breezy, cloudy and certainly staying mild. Christmas Day, the potential
0:32:54 > 0:32:59for a bit of snow on the northern edge of that system for northern
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Scotland, but I think heavy rain will be more of a factor for central
0:33:02 > 0:33:05and western Scotland. Elsewhere, just the odd shower. A windy feel to
0:33:05 > 0:33:13the weather with temperatures of ten or 11. For most of us, only a slim
0:33:13 > 0:33:17chance of a white Christmas, except for the far north of Scotland.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22A reminder of our main story this lunchtime: