06/11/2015 BBC News at Six

Russia suspends flights to Egypt, after claims that a bomb caused

the Russian airliner from Sharm el-Sheikh last week to crash.

In Sharm - as the UK lifts its suspension - there's confusion

and anger as many flights are cancelled.

British Embassy are a waste of time, haven't been here, haven't helped.

They just stand around, not helping stop easyJet have only just arrived,

we have been here three days. Tonight the first passenger

plane bringing British tourists How university tuition fees could go

up with inflation - if the More than 200,000 Vauxhall Zafiras

are recalled after fires reportedly And the British astronaut preparing

to spend six months in space. Here, and investigation begins after

an end to leave man dies on a trolley in Scotland's newest

hospital following a six-hour wait. And a Scottish trader is charged in

separatists go with defrauding the US stock market. -- charged in San

Francisco. A week after a Russian jet crashed

after leaving the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh,

Moscow has stopped all flights to President Putin has now ordered his

government to draw up plans to bring home around 45,000 Russian

tourists holidaying in Egypt. Meanwhile there's been confusion for

British tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh - the first two British planes to

leave the resort since the government suspended flights have

landed in the UK, but hundreds of passengers have had

their flights cancelled Our Middle East Correspondent Orla

Guerin has spent the day with The number of Britons who managed to

leave here today and get back to the UK was far less than expected. One

airline, easyJet, was blamed the Egyptian authorities, claiming they

were blocking flights from landing. Officials here said many of those

flights never had permission to come here in the first place. They have

also been complaining about the mountains of luggage being left

behind by the holiday-makers, saying this is interfering with the

operation of the airport. Some of those we met here today said that in

spite of the enhanced security measures, they were still nervous

about flying out of Sharm El-Sheikh and many who were unsuccessful for

her to come back here tomorrow to try all over again. Checking under

the hood at the entrance to Sharm El-Sheikh airport, an extra line of

defence today. Locals tell us it's not always like this. Homeward

bound, Michaela from London, who came to celebrate her 18th birthday

in Egypt with her mum. Inside, long queues for a thorough security

check, unlike the flight they took just days ago. Very, very different.

Because last time we were just rushed through, I don't think the

security was very good, it was almost like going on a bus. There

are tight security measures today, passengers and aircrew are being

patted down, bags are being carefully screened and the staff are

very happy for us to film all this. Those returning to the UK are

travelling light. Its hand baggage only. There are no suitcases going

in the hold for security reasons. That's because of concerns that a

bomb could be smuggled on board with the luggage, as may have happened

last Saturday. Russia is still burying those killed in the skies

here was now it who has suspended flights, not just to Sharm

El-Sheikh, but to any airport in Egypt. A devastating blow by a

staunch ally. Amidst all the security measures today, we saw a

local company selling a fast track service. In theory that gets

passengers to the top of the queue for screening, but we saw some

walking away, perhaps to be checked elsewhere. As the hours passed,

tempers frayed. British Embassy, a waste of time, haven't been here,

haven't helped. They just stand around, not helping. EasyJet have

only just arrived, we have been here three days. The British ambassador

to Egypt was pursued by the media and some I rate passengers at the

airport. He blamed complicated logistics, not Egyptian

obstructions, but the delays with flights. Our aim is to get as many

people home as soon as possible and of course, our priority is to give

people a chance to get home who have been waiting since their flights

were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday. I know how frustrating it

is not known exactly how long it will take you to get home. For me

and her daughter, it could take another day. Their flight was

postponed again. What have you heard? Not an awful lot. We have

just been told there are no planes to take us home, they are waiting

for trains from England, I spoke to them just now and they said they

thought it would be doubtful we would be flying home today.

Extremely frustrating. We were really geared up for going home.

Some did manage to make that journey, onto easyJet flights. These

photos were taken by Sarah, heading home to Portsmouth. She, her sister

and their five teenage children have been trying to leave since

Wednesday. And the first flight of stranded Britons has now arrived

back in the UK. Some were overcome with emotion when

back in the UK. Some were overcome on home soil. We were at Magic Daps

airport, they announced there was bad weather, and we were hearing

from home that it was because of a terrorist threat or a bomb threat or

something. The first flight of stranded Britons has arrived back in

the UK but long after all the holiday-makers come home, there will

be lasting damage to Egypt's tourist industry and its reputation.

from home that it was because of a terrorist threat or a bomb threat or

something. The first flight of stranded Britons has arrived back in

the UK but long after all the holiday-makers come home, there will

be lasting damage to Egypt's tourist industry and its reputation.

Just days after the UK's decision to stop flights to Sharm el-Sheikh,

Today investigators were still combing the wreckage

at the crash site, hunting for fragments of evidence which

But governments and not just in Britain are increasingly actimg

on the basis that this plane was brought down by a bomb.

In London officials talk of a strong suspicion that Islamic

In Moscow, travellers due to fly to Egypt found their flights cancelled.

The results of the investigation were still being

awaited but the head of Russia's Security service said the government

Until we establish the causes of what's happened, I think it makes

sense to suspend flights to Egypt, initially, all tourist flights.

I also think it necessary to actively cooperate with the Egyptian

authorities to continue the investigation into the causes.

It is thought that Britain's position might be the result

of so-called chatter that was picked up. What would that mean?

Intelligence agencies like GCHQ sweep up huge amount

of communications such as phone and Internet conversations.

After an incident such as the plane crash, they can then go

back and sift through this material searching for anything that

Chatter might refer to conversations among jihadists in the region

about something they were planning or had already done, but it's often

American officials this afternoon also said intercepted

chatter supported the idea of a bomb.

If the suspicions are right about an explosive device smuggled

on board, that would mean someone had evaded the security checks.

Britain's Transport Secretary today said he was not wholly satisfied

with the way screening had been done.

It could also be possible someone got airside and

around these checks to put a device in the hold, a possibility

If we talk about bags, scanners, pat-down searches,

are there any passengers, groups of people who are excluded

It is perhaps the airport workers that concerns me most as a pilot.

And they are now unconfirmed reports of the black box flight recorders

reveal everything normal until it's said, the sound of an explosion.

In a moment we'll be speaking to Orla who's at Sharm El-Sheikh,

but first Steve Rosenberg is at the Kremlin - Steve, a change

Yes, that's right. The Kremlin doesn't normally do a U-turn is

something he has changed. Around lunchtime today I spoke to President

Putin's press secretary, said the UK hadn't shared any intelligent with

Moscow, he said he didn't know what the UK was basing its intelligence

on, its assessment that this was a bomb and it seemed at that time

Russia was quite happy to allow its planes to carry on flying to Egypt.

What's more, yesterday a Russian official accused Britain of trying

to put psychological Russia on Moscow by suspending flights to

Sharm El-Sheikh. The night Russia to her suspended all flights to Egypt

and although the Kremlin is insisting that it still keeping an

open mind about the causes of this disaster, it does seem as if Moscow

now believes it may have been a bomb that caused this crash. Let's go

back to our correspondent in Sharm El-Sheikh for us. We heard

frustration from tourists earlier, what's the situation now? The

airport terminal is a lot calmer now, the crowds of disappeared for

the moment, there was a great deal of chaos and anger here today and

things certainly didn't go according to plan. There was an ambitious

schedule for 29 departures. We believe that by the end of the day

only eight flights will have managed to take off. We saw holiday-makers

turning up, many with young children, spending hours inside the

terminal, herded into departures, in some cases to be herded back out

into the departure area and told to go back to their hotels. The

authorities in Cairo, that massive blow in the course of the day, the

decision by the Russians to hold their flights not only to the ritzy

retort of Sharm El-Sheikh but in any airport in this country. The

Russians are the main street of tourism here. Many business owners

have told me that without them, there is no tourism. This is also a

massive dent to Egypt's international reputation and the

authorities in Cairo will be worrying now, how many more

countries will decide to follow suit and effectively make travel to Egypt

impossible for the moment. Universities in England will be able

to raise tuition fees in line with inflation - if they can show they're

providing high-quality teaching. The current maximum level

for fees is ?9,000, Critics say the plans are simply

a means of allowing universities to Our Education Editor Branwen

Jeffreys has been speaking to students at

Nottingham Trent University. Like most universities, Nottingham

Trent charges the maximum tuition fees. For each student here, that's

?9,000 a year. In a couple of years that could start rising with

inflation. Already, students taking on big gets one value for money. I

think people expect a lot when they come for that price, for most

universities like this one, you do get what you are paying for. If you

can show a student coming in that they are going to get a good job,

that coming to university is going to earn them more in the future,

that'll be the draw university, that's what drew me to university,

the quest for a better life. Famous for its textiles and fashion

courses, this university nose job prospects matter will stop a quarter

of its from low income families. The new system measure how universities

recruit from a wide range of backgrounds. Here, they hope to do

well, under plans to reward excellence in teaching. I think, if

we apply the excellence frame over teaching consistently, the top 25

might look very different, the 25 you get from a metric based on

research. Ministers want students to have more information. The idea is

to link higher fees, bigger debts, the value for money. People going to

university end up earning over their lifetime, ?100,000 more net of tax

than those who don't. So university can be a life changing experience,

but that's just an average and we want everybody to get that sort of

benefit. The government isn't planning to inspect universities,

it's going to gather a lot of information, including the views of

students, to try and judge the quality of teaching. But how do you

measure teaching everything from art to engineering? And will this

deliver for students with the government expects? This could be a

Trojan horse for a fee increase, it could also be a Trojan horse for

cutting money from people who are not regarded within this framework

is doing well and that would create a 3 or four tier system. Students on

the street this week. In England, tuition fees are already the highest

in the UK. Universities will be under more pressure than ever to

justify the cost of an education. Our top story this evening:

Russia suspends flights to Egypt. And still to come - the British

astronaut preparing to spend six And coming up on Reporting

Scotland: Ronnie Delia asks for more time to

prove himself as Celtic face an And a scandal for painting nudes.

One of the challenges faced by female artists over the last

80 years. Now, it's a benefit that helps put

a roof over the heads of some Housing Benefit costs the taxpayer

?24 billion a year and is received by nearly five million claimants

at an average of ?95 a week. But how open is

the system to exploitation? The BBC has been investigating one

agency in South London which is helping the homeless

off the streets. But in doing so, is earning

thousands of pounds in housing benefit for providing some often

poor quality bedsits, as Michael Homelessness is on the rise. The

number of rough sleepers in England has increased by more than 50% over

the past five years. And for one company, this growing problem has

proved extremely profitable. The whole ceiling fell through. Derek

lived here for about two years. Previously homeless, he now has a

room in this house, provided by a lettings agency called Investing

Solutions. It's damp and has lacked heating and hot water at various

stages. I found it better on the streets. I felt more comfortable on

the streets than what I do in here. This place, it is like a walking

nightmare. I don't know if I'm going to walk down the stairs tonight and

get another bit of ceiling on my head. Since we filmed, the ceiling

has been repaired. Derek's rent, as well as that of another tenant, is

covered by housing benefit, which is paid directly by Investing

Solutions. They claim just over ?24,000 a year for the two men to

live here. The landlord gets ?15,000 in rent. Leaving the agency a gross

profit of over ?9,000. Investing Solutions are based in this storage

unit in south London where they manage properties on behalf of

private landlords. #r a charity finds homeless single men for

Investing Solutions to company. It has received ?5.5 million in housing

benefit over the past two years. Nigel McCann used to work for

Investing Solutions. You start seeing that it is all about the

money. I thought the inspections would be made. Because I knew what

the flats, what flats we were hiring, how much we were paying for

them and then how much they were charging the council for it. The man

who owns Investing Solutions doesn't just like renting properties. He has

bought one recently as well. In July he paid ?1.8 million for this. A

luxury four-bedroom property in north-west London.

We asked the owner, Samir Patel for an interview. He refused, though we

went to he soo him anyway. BBC News. Nice to see you. Can I ask you a

couple of questions about Investing Solutions. Obviously you know the

e-mail we sent you and everything else To be honest, I will have to

look into it. Do you think you have been getting a lot of money from

housing benefit? I would rather just get back to you guys when... Are you

ripping off the taxpayer? Mr Patel told us in a statement that the bulk

of the rents gets passed to private sector landlord clients and that

Fresh Start Housing is an independent Charity. The charity

themselves said they use private landlords other than Investing

Solutions but said they didn't have permission to name them It is a new

low I have to say. We have heard many examples of poor practice

amongst the worst letting agents. Housing experts say they are

involved Investing Solutions have received millions of pounds This

idea of having a charity with poor practices is a new low. Helping the

homes is Ing surely what housing benefit should be for but one

company has found a lucrative way to exploit the system that's costing

tax payers dearly. Vauxhall has announced a recall

of over 200,000 Zafira cars The model affected is the Zafira B,

built between 2005 and 2014. Around 200 fires have been reported

- starting behind the glove-box, in Our Business Correspondent,

Emma Simpson, reports. The recall follow an investigation

by the BBC's watchdog sells at the. The Zafira people carrier, one the

Vauxhall's best-selling family cars. The trouble is, some of them have

been mysteriously catching fire. without warning, car, after car,

engulfed by flames. Lisa's Zafira was full of smoke

in less than a minute. She'd only moments to escape with

her ten-month-old baby I couldn't believe it was

happening and how quickly. Obviously I'm phoning the

Fire Brigade. I think the whole street was out at

that point and obviously couldn't believe what they were seeing and I

couldn't believe what I was seeing. In the last few weeks,

drivers have been sharing stories and videos on this Facebook page and

with the BBC's Watchdog programme.

It's now become clear that some A lot of owners have described first

seeing smoke coming through these dashboard vents that hide

the heating and ventilation system. One theory is that repairs may

not have been done properly. In some cases,

genuine Vauxhall replacement parts But the company still doesn't

know the exact cause. We fully understand the seriousness

of the situation and your personal We will write to all affected

owners, check and repair their cars and make them

safe to operate when necessary. Some of the burnt cars, though,

are well beyond repair. Luckily no-one's been

seriously hurt. But it may well damage consumer

confidence Now, how would you feel

about spending six months in this? Well, Tim Peake -

the first British astronaut to be selected by the European Space

Agency to go to the International Space Station - has told the BBC

he's not feeling at all nervous. The former Army helicopter pilot is

due to blast off Here's our Science Editor,

David Shukman. Tim Peake makes it all look rather

easy - going through a long and tough training programme to

venture into space. One way to get ready is

to practise under water. And here he's being put through

the drills that will prepare him His final news conference

before lift-off. REPORTER: Will you just admit to us

a tiny little bit of fear Um, the only fear I have is of

forgetting something at this stage. I'm in transit from Houston

on my way to Russia. I'm rapidly wracking my brain

as it what I might have possibly In terms of the mission, I honestly

don't have any fears at all. That's partly because

the training's been so thorough. He's had to use skills he first

learned as a scout and after the dark confines of a cave, it'll be

easier to endure a tiny spaceship. Here at the Science Museum

in London, this is the kind of Soyuz capsule

Tim Peake will be climbing into, It looks old-fashioned but it is

tried and tested and it is the most After a six-hour flight,

he'll reach the International Space Station, orbiting high above Earth

and he'll live here with five others The first British astronaut

on board. But right now he is just

trying to stay safe. I'm trying to always watch where I

step and not twist an ankle, fall So what advice from a fellow

astronaut, Helen Sharman, who flew Sometimes it is important to do a

little bit for yourself at the end. And that part of looking out

at the Earth and then other In a matter of weeks,

Tim Peake will be leaving Earth Let's return to our main story -

the developing events following Russia has suspended all flights to

Egypt until the cause Senior French officials have ruled

out a technical fault as the cause of the crash. This evening, the

first two British planes, since the UK suspended flights, have arrived.

Well, Duncan Kennedy is in Gatwick for us now.

That first one arrived in the past couple of hours. An easyJet flight

with something like 150 people on board. It was full. Among the

passengers was Leon from Cambridge. What were the last few days like?

There was a lot of tension and confusion amongst the holiday-makers

as to what would happen to emthis. A lot of them were going towards the

airport to ascertain what was going to happen. This morning, the flights

from inbound from the UK to Sharm El-Sheikh which created tension and

they were wondering how much further the situation could detieriouriate

be and when they were getting home. What was the problem? Not getting

information from the Foreign Office, easyJet, what? Well it was

conflicting information. The hotel staff was telling us everything was

fine, the entire event was propaganda. At the same time sources

from the UK were telling us there was a bomb on the plane and this is

the reason why they had to ban all flights from leaving. A frustrating

process all around? Incredibly frustrating. There is another flight

due in here at Gatwick in another couple of hours and another one at

Birmingham but still thousands of people stranded in sharp for the

next few hours and possibly days as well. Thank you. Let's look at the

weather now with John Hammond. Up and down. I think our new

initiative will come into his own. In Kent many saw rain. However later

on in the day, brightening up with fantastic blue skies in Northern

Ireland. However the weather will continue to change through the next

few days. This was the weather system that brought the rain

earlier. Across southern counties of England front never gets away, so

staying damp and dismal for fireworks parties. Further north,

sharp and blustery showers. The rain edges back in again from the

south-west by morning time. A mild night in most places, but an

increasingly wet morning across southern and central parts of

England, pushing its way through the rest of England and Wales. Northern

Ireland sees damp and dreary much of the day. It could be cool.

Temperatures struggling within this rain band but once it brightens up

across England and Wales, yet again, temperatures ridiculously high, 18

is higher than it should be this time of year. There could be gusty

winds, just as that rain clears away. Watch out. The next weather

system comes piling in off the Atlantic for Remembrance Sunday,

particularly across more northern and western parts. Further heavy

rain. The winds could be a concern. Could get 60 miles per hour gusts.

Keep an eye on that. Dry further south and east and mild. On into the

early part of next week, you know the story. Further weather fronts

coming in off the Atlantic on a conveyor belt. A quite strong jet

stream. Beneath the core of the jet stream, most of the rain through the

early part of next week and with successive bouts of rain, of course

catchments getting fuller and fuller so, bore keeping an eye on that in

conjunction with the Environment Agency. So to sum up, early next

week, strong winds and further rain but if it is any consolation, it'll

stay mild. Thank you. That's all from the BBC News at Six.

Goodbye from me, on BBC