02/08/2017 BBC News at Six

Scientists think they are a step closer to preventing inherited

diseases being passed on in families.

They have repaired a faulty gene in human embryos.

A method of being able to avoid having affected children, passing on

the defective gene, could be really very important for those families,

They called themselves The Three Musketeers,

the terrorist cell found guilty of planning attacks

So is Neymar worth a record ?200 million?

That's the price tag Barcelona have put on him.

A new study says pension reform has left a million women poorer,

Bowing out after seven decades, Prince Philip carries

And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News:

We'll look ahead to a really important night for Celtic

as Brendan Rogers' side head to Norway to take

on Rosenborg in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier.

Hello and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

There is new hope tonight for thousands of families who live

with the prospect of passing on inherited diseases

For the first time, scientists have successfully repaired

The US and South Korean team used a process known as 'gene editing'

to correct DNA that causes a deadly heart condition.

The contraversial technique is still at the early research

stage, but it raises the hope of preventing

10,000 gene disorders, which pass down the generations.

Our medical correspondent Fergus Walsh reports.

The goal could not be more ambitious, to eradicate inherited

diseases. These scientists have taken an impressive first step on a

long road, editing DNA in human embryos. So how is it done? Inside

the nucleus of each of ourselves is our gene known, brilliance of pieces

of DNA. It is the instruction manual for life. The scientists were

targeting a faulty gene that causes a serious heart condition. They have

fixed a faulty gene. They then injected the gene editing system,

which scans the DNA like a spellchecker Awsat now. It then cuts

both strands of the DNA, and removes the faulty gene, a healthy copy of

the gene from the egg is then naturally inserted. Here are some of

the embryos from the study in the journal nature after being edited,

42 of 58 embryos were corrected. They were allowed to develop a five

days, none was implanted. We're very excited about the work... The

research has been welcomed by 18 in London, who have a license to edit

human embryos. They say the technology could eventually help

many families. There are some nasty genetic diseases like Huntington, or

a disease that affects heart function later in life, which can

blight families for many generations. So a method of being

able to avoid having affected children, passing on the defective

gene, can be really very important for those families. Nicole Mowbray

has the same heart condition that was corrected in human embryos. She

now has a defibrillator implanted in her chest, in case her heart stops.

She has a 50% risk of passing on the condition, but is unsure of whether

she would consider gene editing. I wouldn't want to pass on something

that caused my child to have a limited life or a painful life, or a

life of risk. That does, obviously, come to the front of my mind when I

think about having children. I wouldn't want to create the perfect

child in inverted commas, I feel like my condition makes me me.

Previous attempts at editing human embryos in China led to serious

errors in the DNA. There is a lot of work needed before this can be

considered safe, and it raises ethical issues about how far science

should go to create healthy babies. Big advances, as you suggest, but

let's be clear, this is not something that will happen next

year. We are at the foothills of this technology, there is still a

mountain to climb. This is controversial, George, critics will

say this is the road towards designer babies. Let's be clear,

what we are talking about is designing out faulty genes that

cause terrible inherited disorders, often fatal. Not designing in

positive traits. Critics say that will come next. Couples at risk of

passing on a genetic disease already have options, they can have embryo

screening through IVF. But this will allow more healthy embryos to be

selected for them. Let's be clear, we are years away from potentially

curing genetic disorders using gene editing, and still further from

enhancing humans. Fergus, thank you. Four men from the West Midlands have

been found guilty of plotting a terrorist attack similar to that

carried out on the A gang calling themselves

"The Three Musketeers", along with one other man,

were planning to attack police For security reasons,

some of the trial had to be held in secret,

as Phil Mackie reports. A major alert near the centre of

Birmingham last August, homes and businesses were evacuated, the bomb

disposal unit had to be called. It was the culmination of an elaborate

operation resulting in several arrests, including these men that

called themselves The Three Musketeers. Undercover officers

found a cache of weapons in the back of one of their cars. There was a

partially constructed pipe on, an imitation firearm, and a meat

cleaver. They found them behind that read more, which was a small

delivery business, but it was all a front. The boss was an undercover

police officer, and it had been set up by MI5 as part of an elaborate

deception to catch the terror cell they thought was plotting to attack

either Ili? We all police, and they recruited two members to be delivery

drivers. Naweed Ali and Khobaib Hussain were previously jailed. In

prison, they met Mohibur Rahman, who served time for terrorist material.

They left prison with the same itch to missed ideology. Then a friend

was also recruited. When they held meetings in Birmingham and Stoke,

they were being watched. They believed that violence was the

answer and they were prepared to use violence somewhere in the United

Kingdom in the furtherance of their ideology. Four very dangerous

individuals, who had they not been stopped, they would have caused loss

of life somewhere. The Ministry of Justice says it has supported

training, but this case highlights the potential dangers from those

with an extreme ideology when they are let out of prison. The fact that

people are being released, and you know they are terrorists, they have

been convicted, they are released back into society and there is no

reason to think they are no longer radical. We need to ask ourselves a

question, are you happy with that? It is suspected the four men will be

jailed tomorrow, three of them for a second time.

New research on the government's state pension reforms has found that

more than a million women in their early 60s have

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies they are losing,

Meanwhile, the government is saving more than ?5 billion a year.

Emma Simpson has been looking at the plight of some

No trips to the pictures. No trips to the pub. My life, my lifestyle,

has changed. I can't do the things I used to do. Surely from Aberdeen is

61. She can't work because of ill-health, and she can't get state

pension either for another five years. The effect it has had on me,

ending it all... Because having to... Rely on your family. But my

son said to me, he said, "mum, you brought me up. You always gave me

and I had it. It's my turn." But it's still hard. The decades, the

pension age has stayed the same, women retired at 60, men at 65. But

by 2020, both men and women will have to wait until they are 66

before they can draw their state pension. The changes for women began

in 2010, and it all depends on your date of birth. So, for instance, if

I was born before the 6th of April 1950, I would still get my state

pension at 60. But if I was born two years later, I would get that

benefit at 62. And if I was born a couple of years after that, then I

will be 66 before I draw my state pension. This former pensions

minister told me the government was right to take action on the

spiralling pensions Bill. But... Given the savings of many millions

of pounds that the government is making, a small amount of that could

be allocated to helping those women that have been pushed into poverty,

bridge the gap between when they would have got their state pension,

and when they will now receive it. Women have been campaigning for

that. Ministers insist the changes are fair, we are living longer, and

women retiring now will get a state pension longer than previous

generations. They just need to get there.

It looks like the record for a football transfer fee

is about to be shattered again, with French club Paris St-Germain

preparing an astonishing ?198 million bid

That's more than twice the current record.

Neymar's current club, Barcelona, have given him

One of his advisers says the deal could be done by the weekend.

Our Sports News Correspondent Richard Conway is in Paris.

This is a huge amount of money, I suppose it is football's version of

hyperinflation, Richard. It is a huge amount of money, but then, one

of the mottos of this club is "Dream bigger." And there can be no bigger

dream than signing a player of Neymar's calibre. This morning, he

went to Barcelona, his current club, to officially train. But they gave

him permission to knock train, instead he said goodbye to his

current team-mates. Then the club issued a statement saying he had

formally requested to leave, and that full release clause in his

contract must be paid in full if he is to depart, that is 222 million

euros. Today at the club shop on the Champs-Elysees, a lot of fans and

people excited, asking if he has signed yet. Not just yet. But the

inevitability is it is going that way, and by the weekend, in times of

Paris Saint-Germain's first league fixture of the season, we will see

Neymar in the blue shirt of Paris Saint-Germain. Richard, thank you.

After 70 years of official public engagements, the Duke of Edinburgh

made his final solo appearance on royal duty today.

Now 96, he's the longest serving consort in British history.

Our Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell is at

He didn't let the rain stop him, did he? It certainly did rain on his

final solo parade. We mustn't forget that we will still see him from time

to time alongside the Queen at major events. But for someone who is

famously no-nonsense in his approach, and he doesn't really do

too much in the way of sentiment, I thought he looked really chuffed at

his sendoff. It was the kind of afternoon

weather-wise which might have made Quite apart from the fact that

in the Duke's case he's been doing But there he was, on the forecourt

of Buckingham Palace, a man of 96, standing to attention in the pouring

rain for the salute he has There were many things

to remind him of the past decade. The parade had been mounted

by the Royal Marines, the fighting force which is part

of his beloved Royal Navy. And in the background

was the Palace where he has attended so many events,

garden parties and the formal And where his programme,

22,000 solo engagements, more than 5000 speeches,

has been planned. The Duke strode across

the forecourt, no stick for him and woe betide anyone who might

suggest such a thing. And as he went, the crowd outside

the Palace applauded. The Royal Marines

gave him three cheers. The Duke waved his

hat and strode away. And as he went, the band

of Her Majesty's Royal Marines played, For He's

A Jolly Good Fellow. After 70 years service,

and with his own separate programme of royal engagements now concluded,

who today would have Nicholas Witchell,

BBC News, Buckingham Palace. scientists think they've found a way

to eradicate inherited heart disease They were the stars of 2012,

what happens when they pass We have a visit from The world

and Olympic champion Adam Peaty who tells us the best is yet to come

in his career as he prioritises In America, the Trump Presidency

has been controversial to allow more oil exploration

in the Arctic ocean that A coalition of organisations has

called the plan unconstitutional. The Inupiat whale hunters

of northern Alaska could feel the greatest impact

of any future drilling. Our Environment Correspondent Claire

Marshall travelled more than 300 The climate is changing

and the ice that covers Here the conflict between

the natural world and the business This town is the furthest north

in the United States, so remote it is cut off by road

from the rest of the country. The Inupiat call the

ocean their garden. And this is where they store

the harvest of whale meat. If that's kidney put it

on top of the heart. I don't know where the heart is.

It's right in front of you. This is an ice cellar dug

out of the permafrost, It helps to sustain them

during the long Arctic winter. As your mouth starts to warm it up

it softens up like chocolate. It's a richness you can't

get from anything else. I'll just have a little one.

Put it on your tongue. Don't try and chew it real fast,

just kind of let it dissolve Then start chewing it.

But it should... No.

No, it's not my thing. I don't mind the meat,

I don't mind the meat of it, We use white because

the whales can see colour. She takes us to

a feast on the beach. The Inupiat have hunted the bowhead

whale in their sealskin boats Now Donald Trump intends

to reverse the ban on drilling And many are afraid they will

lose their way of life. I honestly want to be at the shore

and tell him, "No, you can't." I mean, just imagine if there

were to be a big spill in the ocean. None of this would be

happening right now. this town is almost

entirely dependent on oil. Taxes on the industry in other

parts of the country pay for the infrastructure and every

Alaskan gets a yearly cash dividend. Fred Brauer believes

that oil is the only way So there's an opportunity

to coexist together. And an opportunity for not only

industry to thrive but also We are closer to the North Pole

here than we are to Washington, DC. But the White House has its eyes

firmly fixed on this region. It is an unstable world

and what lies beneath this ice could be crucial to the energy

security of the United States. But drilling here would be very

risky, just as it is risky to hunt. some other hunters take us out

to the very top of America. The Arctic is warming twice as fast

as anywhere else on the planet. Most scientists agree that oil,

a fossil fuel, is helping Maybe we should start looking ahead

for something that's more renewable. Maybe wind in the winter

and solar in the summer. Traditional Inupiat

dancers tell the stories Donald Trump and his

decisions may well be woven

into the songs of the future. STUDIO: An emergency rescue

operation has taken place because of bad weather

in Northern Ireland. The cadets, aged between 12 and 17,

got into difficulties Sixteen of the group,

from England, were said to be The Ministry of Defence has

confirmed that all are now safe What happened up there? They were

here for a camping exercise when they got into heavy wind and rain,

treacherous conditions. At lunchtime, the Northern Ireland

Ambulance Service declared a major incident, involving members of the

mountain rescue teams, the Coast Guard, the ambulance themselves, the

police, as well, throughout this afternoon, from the very poor

visibility at the top of the mountain, out of the mist have been

emerging four by four vehicles carrying teenagers, some of them on

stretchers, some of them suffering from hypothermia and ankle and leg

injuries but they are all now safe. The Ministry of Defence has

described this as a remarkable rescue operation and thanked all

teams involved. A change in the rules on how much

sleep-in care workers must be paid could leave the whole system

on the brink of disaster. That's the message from the charity,

Mencap, which looks after people It says that demands from the HM

Revenue and Customs to backdate six years of payments to workers

who provide overnight care could amount to a total

bill of ?400 million. The Game of Thrones star,

Kit Harrington, has been raising awareness about the issue and he's

been speaking to our Do they go together in groups to do

their activities? With time out from his filming commitments, Kit

Harrington is campaigning for a cause close to his heart. He's

concerned about a financial threat to charities which runs supported

homes like this for residents learning disabilities. -- Kit

Harington. What is her favourite song? He is worried about the future

care of his cousin, who has down syndrome and learning disabilities.

He needs to live the life that he loves living. My aunt cannot care

for him in the way that she has, we need to find that for him, my worry

is that we will not be able to. care workers who stay overnight used to

get a flat rate of around ?30, including when they were asleep but

after a court ruling, employers now have to pay the minimum wage for

every hour, around ?60 a night, they have been told to fund six years of

back pay, which they say is unaffordable. What is favourite

colour? Ahmed is a care worker with mencap, he does several sleep in

shifts each week. He says getting what he is owed from previous years

is important. -- Mencap. He knows that charities. To find the money.

Sense of a reward, an incentive am a it would bust my morale, and my

motivation, to do what we do right now, even more. Unions sake it is

only what the care workers deserve. They need to be paid, they have done

this work already. -- unions say. Because of the important work that

care workers do, they deserve to be paid this money. A Whitehall

spokesperson has said: Kit believes the government has to

find the money. Charities can pay this bill, if they cannot pay this

bill, then people like the guys that are here, who we are here with

today, will be left without the care they need, that just cannot happen.

It needs to be... It needs to be footed by the government. Is echoing

the fears of charity care providers that being forced to find the money

will lead to closures with vulnerable residents the big losers.

STUDIO: For years these familiar faces have dominated British

athletics for years but as the teams begin arriving in

let's have a look at who will pick up the baton, once they are gone.

Gold for Great Britain again. Expectation rather than hope, so

successful have British athletes been over the last few years that

older moments have become the norm, but guaranteed medals are a thing of

the past. Yes again is Hill has retired, world champion long jumper

Greg Rutherford is out injured, Mo Farah is bidding farewell to the

track. -- Jessica Ennis-Hill. I have achieved what I wanted to achieve,

and it would be nice to be able to finish on a high. I guess, why not

do it where it all started, in London, at that track. Where I

became Olympic champion, that is what changed me as an athlete. You

come back years later as the world champion, I decided I am going to

end it at that track. Aggressive running from Laura Muir. Who are

those moving into the spotlight? Laura Muir is aiming to do the

middle-distance double in both the 1500 and 5000 metres despite

fracturing her foot in June. Look at the great she is showing. Currently

studying to become a vet, the 24-year-old juggles her love of

animals with a tough training programme. She said five British

records in the last 12 months, but she wants much more. Making those

British record, I am very happy to have done that, I am sure down the

line there will be somebody coming up and breaking my record. They are

things that stay with you for ever. UK Sport has targeted six to eight

of those medals, a big ask for a squad juggling injuries, the bigger

picture focuses on the next generation. Born just a few miles

from the London Olympic site, never know Mitchell Blake is the second

fastest 200 metre runner of all time. -- Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake.

The 23-year-old believes now it is time for new athletes to write their

own chapter in British sporting history. People are seeing a

changing of the guard, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah, what they have

done is remarkable, there are feats cannot be replicated, they have made

their own legend am a wee want to come here and build our own legacy.

It is always hard to say goodbye but fond farewells bring new beginnings,

podium places may not be as plentiful in these championships but

the potential for future Olympics will shine through.

STUDIO: Talking about the rain over Buckingham Palace, I wonder whether

it is going to last. We will start with a glimmer of hope, there were

some decent weather across northern Scotland, blue sky all day, cloud

building over the last few hours. For most of us, more like this,

Central London, mid-afternoon, wet and quite windy as well, low

pressure in the Atlantic, driving the weather fronts across the UK,

that is what has brought all of the rain. It is on the move, moving

north, and east, so it will get up into northern wet and windy.

Eventually, that gets out into the North Sea, only to be followed by a

whole rash of showers coming in from the west, pretty wet by the end of

the night, across the western side of the UK, drier further east,

temperatures holding up, 15, 16 degrees, 12 and 13 in the north.

Unsettled through tomorrow, centre of an area of low pressure is

drifting, light winds, heavy, thundery showers, hail, a lot of

rain in a short space of time. Further south, showers moving

through quite quickly on the breeze, dry and bright interludes. Top

temperature 21, 20 two. Tempered by the breeze. And in the other teams

across most of Scotland, 18, 19 degrees. The low that is driving the

weather is drifting toward southern Scandinavia, as we get on, it will

still be under its influence. Not as breezy as it will be tomorrow. Still

some showers around, not as frequent or as heavy, affecting many northern

and western parts, a few drifting further east as well. Light wind,

should feel pleasant enough. Still some showers around, Saturday, best

of the weather in the south-west. Not such a bad day on Sunday but

rain coming in from the west. Thank you very much.

A reminder of the main story: Scientists think they are a step

closer to preventing inherited diseases being passed on in

families. That is all from the BBC news at

six, it is goodbye from me,