14/12/2017 BBC News at Six

Tonight at 6pm - Six months

after the Grenfell Tower fire,

a memorial service at St Paul's.

SINGING.

A community comes together today,

just as it did in the aftermath

of that June night, and,

still, there are questions.

Today, we ask why warnings were not

heeded, why a community

was left feeling neglected,

uncared for, not listened to?

Honouring the lives

of the 71 victims - we hear

from survivors and relatives.

It was comforting to know that

people still remember them,

and share our grief

and talk about it.

We'll be hearing from one family,

finding out how they've coped.

Also tonight, for the first time,

Scotland has different tax rates

to the rest of the UK -

low earners pay less,

higher earners pay more.

Theresa May joins EU

leaders in Brussels -

and admits she's disappointed

about last night's Brexit

defeat in the Commons.

Rupert Murdoch spent a life time

building a media empire -

now he's sold most of it to Disney.

And, imagine, every time Jake

took a walk, he took

a risk with his health -

now there's new hope

for haemophillia patients like him.

And coming up on Sportsday on BBC

News, a strong start for England in

the Ashes Test they must not lose.

305-4 after day one with a maiden

test century for Dalwood Mallan. --

Dawid Malan.

Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six.

Six months after the Grenfell fire,

survivors and relatives of the dead

were joined by hundreds of others,

including members of the Royal

family, for a memorial

service at St Paul's.

71 people - 18 of them children -

died on the night of June 13.

For many, the disaster has come

to symbolise the huge disparity

between rich and poor in one

of London's wealthiest boroughs.

Speaking at the service, the Bishop

of Kensington asked why so many

in the community have been

left feeling neglected.

Here's our Home

editor, Mark Easton.

BELLS.

They came to St Paul's, to mourn

those who were lost, to comfort

those who still suffer, and to thank

those who worked to heal.

This is

the family we lost, five people.

On

the 21st floor?

On the 21st floor,

yes.

How important is this event to

you?

Very important.

Anything to

remember them is important, for us.

Every strand of British cultural

life was woven into a service of

remembrance, community and hope.

Grenfell survivors, family and

friends, politicians and royalty.

The Grenfell fire exposed deep

social divides in modern Britain.

This morning, here at the cathedral,

those destined to inherit a kingdom

stand beside those who have lost

everything from from highness to

homeless, together beneath the dome

of St Paul's.

So now, together, we

remember and reflect.

Some

politicians from Kensington were

asked not to come today. Emotions

are still too raw.

Don't come and

look at taking selfies.

No, we want

people to know what has happened.

Using voices from the time, the

lingering agony of the Grenfell

tragedy was dropped into the calm of

the Cathedral.

We need to feel what

they have felt.

It has let us down,

this borough.

So many questions and

no answers.

Today we ask why

warnings were not heeded, why a

community was left feeling

neglected, and cared for, -- uncared

for, not listened to.

In a service

rich with imagery, a commitment was

maimed to turn Grenfell from a

symbol of sorrow to a symbol of the

time we learned to listen and to

love. Schoolchildren scattered green

hearts at the feet of faith leaders.

Six months after that fateful day,

the powerful were once again forced

to look directly into the eyes of

those whose trust was betrayed.

It's

like yesterday. The pain is deep...

We shall not forget.

For three

centuries and Morecambe St Paul's

has marked the highs and lows of

capital. The data that list was

added Grenfell. A tragedy that awoke

London to the injustice hidden in

plain sight -- two-day to that list

was added Grenfell.

Khadijah Saye was a promising young

artist who died in Grenfell Tower.

Her mother, Mary Mendy,

was also killed in the tragedy.

Today, members of their family

were among those who travelled

to St Paul's, to take part

in today's service.

Our special correspondent Lucy

Manning spent the day with them.

The Mendy family gather, but while

the months have passed, the family's

serviced haven't. They lost Mary

Mendy, and their daughter, Khadija

Saye, a rising star in the art

world.

Some people wanted her to be

a doctor, but she didn't want to be

a doctor, she wanted to be an

artist.

I cry every day, for my

sister and my niece, because they

are the only thing I have come I

don't have nothing, nothing.

They

took out the best members of our

family.

They did.

The best people in

our family, especially Khadijah.

From the youngest of their family,

just three months old, they all came

to St Paul's to stand with the other

families, to remember with them, to

cry with them. They talked to Prince

William about the art Khadijah had

produced, the prolific artist she

would have become. This was Khadijah

last year, talking about a future

that was never hers.

I can't be

struggling, I need to actually

progress and see how to make it a

career, because that is the dream,

isn't it?

What was lost at Grenfell,

not just a talented artist, but the

architecture graduate, the

engineering student, the taxi

driver, the teaching assistant, the

bride-to-be, the girl taking her

GCSEs, and, of course, all the young

children, with their lives in front

of them.

It was very emotional.

Emotional.

Emotional, yes, very

emotional, and without that it was

something she would have loved,

because she was very religious and

attended church regularly.

How would

you like people to think of

Khadijah?

To think of her smile, a

soft, kind-hearted, great young

woman who would have become somebody

full stop

Marion lived with them in

Grenfell for a four U years before

the fire but her aunt, cousin, and

69 others weren't safe in their own

homes. They took the flowers from

the memorial to Mary Mendy's grave.

For one day, everyone remembered

Grenfell. Her family will never

forget.

For now, we just want to

know why, because they died

needlessly. They didn't need to die.

Lucy Manning, BBC News.

The Scottish Government has

said it's going to raise

taxes for higher earners.

Those earning more

than £24,000 will pay 21

pence in the pound -

that's a higher rate

than in the rest of the UK.

The plan was unveiled in the draft

budget this afternoon but there's

also a new starting rate of tax,

which will benefit lower earners.

Let's cross to our Scotland

Editor, Sarah Smith,

this is quite a change...

Yes, it is a big change, and it is

the first time the Scottish

Government have used their powers to

change income tax rates in Scotland.

They have now created a tax regime

that looks really quite different to

the rest of the UK. There are five

tax bands, a lower starting rate

than the rest of Britain and a

higher top rate. And by cutting

taxes for most Scottish workers, the

government hopes they can increase

revenues whilst not losing public

support.

An early Christmas present was

delivered to many Scottish taxpayers

today as more than two thirds will

pay less income tax next year. All

of these MSPs posing in their

festive jumpers they will have to

pay higher taxes. The Scottish

Government will in crease public

spending and give public sector

workers a 3% pay rise.

It overturns

the Tory cut, it delivers an

additional £4 million to the health

service without damaging other vital

services. It protects the vast

majority of taxpayers. It is a

budget for fairness and for growth.

A new starter rate of 19% mean those

earning less than £24,000 will be

£20 better off than taxpayers and

the rest of the UK. An intermediate

rate of 21% mean somebody earning

£33,000 will be £70 worse off,

increasing the higher rate to 41%

means anyone earning £60,000 will be

£755 worse off. Putting up the

additional rate to 46% will see

those earning over £150,000 pay

£1774 more than those outside

Scotland, raising an extra £164

million for the Scottish Government.

The Conservatives say the tax cuts

will deliver only £20 more to lower

earners while some will pay far

more.

Before the smoke and mirrors,

we have had all of Scotland's

business organisation saying we are

raising taxes, it would damage

Scotland's economy and growth.

The

new Scottish tax rates create

winners and losers. As a public

sector worker, he will get a tax

cut, a pay rise.

We definitely need

to address this issue in the UK.

Wages have gone down by about 20% in

terms of buying power.

Business

owner Sharon wants to know that

higher taxes will be spent wisely.

I

think if we are confident and trust

that it will be used for the

services -- services the public

want, we need more money but there

are so many needs it needs to go to

and I am not confident it is going

to the right needs.

A lawyer, Alan

is one who will be paying more. Are

you personally have yet to be paying

higher tax rates?

Yes, I am, it is

entirely reasonable to pay higher

rates, it is a question of how much

but yes I would certainly pay more

tax.

Figures released today show the

Scottish economy is forecast to grow

more slowly than the rest of the UK,

but public spinning in Scotland will

be significantly higher. Sarah

Smith, BBC News, Edinburgh.

Four people have died

after a train collided

with a school bus in the south

of France this afternoon.

19 others have been injured -

seven seriously.

The bus was put the carrying

children aged between 11 and 15.

It was hit by a train

at a level crossing

at Millas, near Perpignon.

Emergency services

are at the scene.

Theresa May has arrived at a crucial

Brexit summit in Brussels saying

she's disappointed after last

night's Commons defeat.

But she said the vote -

which gives parliament a say

over the final deal -

would not stop her

delivering Brexit.

Questions have been raised

about whether her authority has been

dented just as EU leaders prepare

to move the negotiations

into a second phase.

Here's our Political

Editor Laura Kuenssberg.

Her job tonight, to get 27 countries

of all political colours onside, the

day after failing to line up

everyone in her own party.

We are on course to deliver on

Brexit. Last week President Juncker

said sufficient progress had been

used.

Do you accept as Prime

Minister he will have to make more

compromises with your own side?

We

have had 36 votes on the EU

withdrawal bill and won 35.

You come

from as more?

We have won 35 out of

36 votes.

Give and take at home? Not

quite. The broad where she has had

two

Quad --

But, abroad, where she has

had to come from ice,

her cheery counterparts in a mixture

of sympathy, and demand.

This makes it even shorter,

for Theresa May's Government,

to make proposals, because if,

afterwards, she needs to get

an agreement in London,

that does not help a lot.

I have absolute faith in faith

and confidence in her,

that she speaks for the UK,

and that as long as that

is the case, as long

as she is Prime Minister,

we will deal with her,

and treat her as if she has

an overall majority.

She is holding her cards close

to her heart at the moment,

which I understand,

on the next phase.

And this is probably

a wise negotiating tactic.

It is now for the UK to make

up its mind and then together,

to collectively see where

we can get to.

The closest friends maybe

not quite convinced.

We have made progress

with Great Britain,

said the German leader,

but some questions are still open.

Where Brexit is being brokered,

May's promises of "Strong

and Stable" seem long ago,

some Tories furious their colleagues

sent the Prime Minister

to her seat after defeat.

But, for the rebels and their new

found friends in the opposition,

listening would add authority.

She has caused this problem

for herself, actually

what she should now do is embrace

what happened last night and say,

yes, I will involve Parliament,

and then it would be obvious

in the negotiations that

I have the support of Parliament

in what I am doing.

barring last-minute disaster, the

rest of the EU is to agree that

Britain can move onto the next phase

of our long goodbye, but Theresa May

will enter that, knowing that the

other countries provide 27 items on

our list of problems, but parliament

is perhaps the 28th, and the

trickiest of all. Remember,

tomorrow's expected agreement is

only a promise to move onto talks

about the long-term relationship.

That home, and here, there are still

an awful lot to be worked out. Laura

Kuenssberg, BBC News, Brussels.

The time is 16 minutes past six.

Our top story this evening:

Six months on, the victims

of the Grenfell fire are remembered

at a service at St Paul's.

And still to come...

England needed something special

in the vital third test in Perth -

Dawid Malan delivers.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News,

a three-month suspension for

Britain's most successful female

flat jockey, after Hayley Turner

broke the rules on betting.

Rupert Murdoch, whose huge media

empire spans the globe -

including interests here in Britain

- has decided to sell most of it

to the Disney Corporation.

The deal, worth nearly £40 billion,

ends nearly five decades

of expansion that saw Mr Murdoch

become one of the the world's most

influential media figures.

So why has he done it?

Our Media Editor Amol Rajan reports.

When Rupert Murdoch bought

the News Of The World in 1968,

he was an outsider.

But this canny Australian with news

in his veins made his way

to the heart of the establishment

in both Britain and America,

wielding extraordinary influence.

From his base in tabloid newspapers,

he moved aggressively to film

and television, owning studios

and networks that entertained

hundreds of millions of people.

Well, I'll always

have my crank calls.

But now, in a move foreseen

in The Simpsons, another Murdoch

product, Fox has become

a division of Disney.

In a phone conference

today, Rupert Murdoch

explained his strategy.

I know a lot of people are wondering

why did the Murdochs come to such

a momentous decision.

I will be retreating.

Absolutely not.

We are pivoting at a pivotal moment.

Andrew Neil was at Murdoch's side as

an editor and executive the years.

For him, this is

the end of a dynasty.

He's been trying to do that for 35,

40 years. He used to talk about a

Murdoch dynasty, about putting his

children into key positions, letting

them fight for the top position and

whoever wins would take over. And

the Murdoch name would go on

forever, and here at a stroke he is

unbundling the empire.

If the deal

goes through it will create a new

media superpower. Mr Murdoch is

selling his world famous studio 21st

Century Fox, television businesses

including Sky. Cable networks are

just FX and National Geographic, and

Hulu which could rival Netflix. And

that's the key for Disney. Streaming

has changed broadcasting forever,

allowing you at home to watch a

seemingly infinite number of shows

how, where, and when you want.

Streaming services such as Hulu cut

out the middleman of television

stations, broadcasting directly into

millions of homes.

As the Fox

international footprint has some

extremely high-end technology to

deliver this content to consumers in

more modern ways, Sky in Europe is a

good example of that, and so to the

consumer not only will they be

getting more high-quality content

but they will be getting it in ways

they demand.

Sky News and Sky Sports

look set to continue, while Fox says

its own bid remains in place. Even

with this acquisition, Disney is

playing catch up with tech giants

like Facebook, who if they aren't

there already are coming to a small

screen near you.

Three Eastern European men who faced

being deported from the UK,

after being found sleeping rough,

have won a High Court battle

with the government.

A judge ruled that the policy,

enforced by the Home

Office, was unlawful.

Campaigners say the decision

will affect hundreds of other rough

sleepers facing removal,

as Frankie McCamley now reports.

Sheltering from the cold, sleeping

on park benches and taking cover in

doorways - homelessness has been on

the rise in the UK for years. Its

position this man found himself in

after moving from Bulgaria in the

hope of a better life.

In Bulgaria

it is really hard to get a job...

He

secured work but lost his home.

Under the Government's policy this

meant he lost his right to freedom

of movement so was taken to a

deportation centre for seven months

until being released this year.

I

just a in my room, I don't go

anywhere. I stay in my room. I just

think my life is finished.

Today the

High Court ruled this policy of

removing EU citizens is unlawful. Mr

Justice Lang said the measure was

discriminatory and contrary to EU

law. It was Solicitor Paul Heron who

represented a number of EU nationals

who claimed their rights were being

abused.

The court accepted that

being a rough sleeper in and of

itself is not an abuse of treaty

rights. The court accepts that in

many cases, the people who have been

detained and removed were often

working in the UK but they were just

in low-paid jobs and couldn't afford

the high skyrocketed rent.

In a

statement the Home Office said it

was disappointed by the outcome and

will consider carefully what steps

are necessary will reflect the

future enforcement. It's not clear

how many rough sleepers there are

nationwide but in London numbers

have fallen in the past few months

with a significant drop in those

from Eastern Europe. Campaigners

believe the decision will affect

hundreds of people currently

sleeping rough, but with Brexit

negotiations ongoing it is not clear

what the implications of this

judgment will be in the future.

British doctors say they've made

a significant break-through

in the treatment of haemophilia A,

the most common form.

Around 2,000 people in the UK

have the genetic defect

which means their blood

cannot clot properly.

The research team used gene therapy

to correct the defect

in a small group of patients - none

of them need treatment any more.

Now there needs to be a large scale

trial as our Health Correspondent

James Gallagher reports.

Walking to work should

be simple, but it was

unthinkable for Jake Omer.

Haemophilia A meant even the impact

of his feet on the pavement led

to bleeding in his joints.

But no longer.

I think the gene therapy

has hopefully given me

a new lease of life.

It's going to allow me,

as my boys grow up, to be a lot

more active with them,

so kick footballs around,

climb trees with them,

to hopefully run around in the park

with them, and not be someone

who has got to worry

about what I'm doing.

Haemophilia A is a hereditary

condition that stops

the blood clotting.

Jake was one of 13 patients given

gene therapy last year.

All of them are now off

their haemophilia medication.

This is how it works.

Haemophilia A is caused

by a defect in patients' DNA.

So scientists made

a genetically modified virus.

It contains the healthy DNA

patients are missing.

When the virus infects the liver,

it leaves the DNA behind and it

gives the liver the instructions

for making proteins called factor

VIII that clot the blood.

If this is how much factor

VIII you or I produce,

well this is how much is produced

in a haemophilia patient.

But you can see, after the gene

therapy trial, it's almost

up to normal.

This is huge.

It's groundbreaking.

Because the option to think

about normalising levels in patients

with severe haemophilia

is absolutely mind blowing.

To offer people the potential

of a normal life, when they've had

to inject themselves with factor

VIII every other day to prevent

bleeding is transformational.

Large studies will now take place

to see if gene therapy can replace

these regular injections and truly

transform the lives

of thousands of patients.

James Gallagher, BBC News.

Cricket now, and England have fought

back on the first day of the vital

third test in Perth.

Australia are already

2-0 up in the series,

and England need at least a draw

to keep their Ashes hopes alive.

Andy Swiss reports from Perth.

They've been waiting

a long time for this.

After watching collapses,

calamities and controversies,

at last for England fans a bit

of cricketing cheer.

Not that it necessarily

seemed that way at first.

England opted to bat.

But in Alastair Cook's case,

not for long, out for just seven.

As Australia's bowlers

set about making life

decidedly uncomfortable

they broke Mark Stoneman's helmet

and soon it seems England's hopes.

Stoneman gone

controversially for 56.

The video umpire deciding it had

just brushed his glove,

to England's frustration.

At 131-4 it seemed

another tale of what if.

But in the nick of time a centurion

emerged from the ranks.

The unheralded Dawid Malan.

Yes, he rode his luck,

dropped on 92, but together

with Jonny Bairstow he made

Australia pay.

What a time to score

your first test hundred.

If the day belonged to England,

the moment was all of his.

COMMENTATOR:

Magnificent effort.

It was so emotional.

I didn't really know what to do

and when I got the hundred

I was so emotional I almost started

crying, to be honest,

when it happened.

Just when they needed it, England's

best day of the series so far.

There's still a long way to go

in this match, but they've given

themselves a chance.

In a series so far defined

by disappointment, England will hope

this just might be a turning point.

Andy Swiss, BBC News, Perth.

Time for a look at the weather.

Here's Darren Bett.

Not quite Ashes sunshine but we had

some blue skies in some areas today.

A decent day through much of the

Midlands, East Anglia and the

south-east of England but it was an

all or nothing sort of dates. There

were showers, snow over high ground

and we have the covering of snow

still across parts of the country.

Some bands of wet weather moving

down, this one heading towards the

Midlands. That first band of rain,

sleet and hill snow tends to peter

out, the next one follows on its

heels and when we break up the cloud

across the northern parts of the UK.

Temperatures hovering close to

freezing and the threat of some icy

patches too. By tomorrow it's a

northerly wind which means changes

in the distribution of showers,

which means more cloud and showers

in the eastern part of England.

Wintry showers and the northerly

wind across northern Scotland but

further south we will enjoy some

sunshine. A bit of an edge to the

wind, temperature is similar to

today. As the wind eases off

tomorrow night, look at those

temperatures tumbling. We see a

frost developing widely and it could

be a sharp frost for the start of

the weekend. We start the weekend

with cold air but slowly it will be

replaced by mild air coming in from

the Atlantic but that change doesn't

happen overnight. It will be quite

cold down the eastern side of the

UK, even though we have sunshine on

Saturday. The south-west in

particular seeing more cloud and

some showery bursts of rain. It's

probably in the second half of the

weekend we get the stronger westerly

winds, lifting the