0:00:05 > 0:00:08Tonight at six - the Met Police is to review dozens of sex offence
0:00:08 > 0:00:14cases after the collapse of two prosecutions.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18In the last week the trials of two men charged with rape were halted -
0:00:18 > 0:00:23police failed to hand over evidence helpful to the defence.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26The danger here is that people will lose years of their lives
0:00:26 > 0:00:28locked up in prison for crimes they haven't committed,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30evidence that could have revealed this being suppressed,
0:00:30 > 0:00:35and not disclosed to their lawyers, and years of their lives wasted.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37We'll be asking how many similar cases there might
0:00:37 > 0:00:39be around the country.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Also tonight:
0:00:42 > 0:00:44The world's leading financial organisation says the UK
0:00:44 > 0:00:47is in need of a tonic - it forecasts slower
0:00:47 > 0:00:49growth because of Brexit.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53A new challenge from the EU's chief Brexit negotiator -
0:00:53 > 0:00:57he says the UK must go it alone sooner than the government wants.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59A special report on why patients with eating disorders
0:00:59 > 0:01:02in Northern Ireland are forced to travel to England
0:01:02 > 0:01:06for hospital care.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08You're trying to recover from an eating disorder,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11that in itself is a struggle, never mind having the added factor
0:01:11 > 0:01:19of being away from your family.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22The super-agers cheerleading in their 70s and 80s -
0:01:22 > 0:01:30so what's the secret to a long and healthy life?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And coming up on Sportsday later in the hour on BBC News: The last
0:01:33 > 0:01:35of the League Cup quarterfinals with Championship Bristol City
0:01:35 > 0:01:45getting ready to face the holders Manchester United.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Britain's biggest police force, the Metropolitan Police,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08is reviewing all its current sex offence investigations
0:02:08 > 0:02:12after the collapse of two rape cases in the space of a week.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Both prosecutions were halted because the police had failed
0:02:15 > 0:02:20to disclose key evidence which might have helped the defence.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Several legal experts are now warning that this may reflect
0:02:22 > 0:02:25a wider issue across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
0:02:25 > 0:02:34Here's our legal correspondent Clive Coleman.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Are the scales of justice being unfairly kicked against defendants,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42because the police are not sharing evidence that could help their case?
0:02:42 > 0:02:46One of the founding principles of the criminal justice system is beset
0:02:46 > 0:02:52by problems. The BBC understands Isaac Itiary spent months in jail,
0:02:52 > 0:02:58awaiting trial on charges of sexual activity with a child. The case
0:02:58 > 0:03:02against him was dropped yesterday, when text messages from his alleged
0:03:02 > 0:03:09teenage victim's phone, showed she routinely lied about her age. A few
0:03:09 > 0:03:15days earlier, the case against Liam Allan was stopped because text
0:03:15 > 0:03:20messages showed her victims enjoyed having sex with him.In the last
0:03:20 > 0:03:23year I have not concentrated on anything so it has ripped apart my
0:03:23 > 0:03:28normal personal life.The Metropolitan Police is now carrying
0:03:28 > 0:03:34out a review into what happened to Liam Allan, and all the evidence in
0:03:34 > 0:03:39its current rate and sex abuse cases.That is being conducted
0:03:39 > 0:03:43jointly with the CPS and our investigating officers, to make sure
0:03:43 > 0:03:48those cases are safe to go to trial. Our priority are the 30-something
0:03:48 > 0:03:52where trials are about to start. I have no reason to believe there are
0:03:52 > 0:03:56problems with any cases, but it is a pragmatic step to conduct that
0:03:56 > 0:04:01checked now.The police and Crown Prosecution Service have made huge
0:04:01 > 0:04:05efforts in recent years to write the wrongs of the past and ensure that
0:04:05 > 0:04:10alleged victims in rape and sexual assault cases are treated properly,
0:04:10 > 0:04:15but some fear that the process of disclosing evidence to the defence
0:04:15 > 0:04:20has been damaged as a result. The Attorney General has started a
0:04:20 > 0:04:24review into disclosure. He thinks part of the problem is the sheer
0:04:24 > 0:04:29weight of evidence.We have very large amounts now of mostly digital
0:04:29 > 0:04:34information in a whole range of trials that is very hard to filter
0:04:34 > 0:04:38and sit affectively so you can find the evidence that ought to be
0:04:38 > 0:04:42disclosed. That is a problem we are encountering in fraud cases,
0:04:42 > 0:04:48terrorism cases that others as well. But there have been many damaging
0:04:48 > 0:04:52reviews of the disclosure process in recent years, and some of those
0:04:52 > 0:04:56working in the criminal courts believe the system's integrity is
0:04:56 > 0:05:00now under threat.The danger here is people can lose years of their lives
0:05:00 > 0:05:04locked up in prison for crimes they have not committed. Evidence that
0:05:04 > 0:05:10could show they are innocent is not disclosed to them or their lawyers,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and therefore there are great miscarriages of justice.The
0:05:14 > 0:05:19prosecution's duty to pass evidence to the defence which assists the
0:05:19 > 0:05:22defence underpins our justice system. That duty is now under
0:05:22 > 0:05:25scrutiny as never before.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Our home editor Mark Easton is here with me.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Is this a problem just for the Met or are we dealing with something
0:05:32 > 0:05:38much wider?I think it goes much wider than just rape cases in
0:05:38 > 0:05:42London. As Clive was saying, it might sound counterintuitive, but
0:05:42 > 0:05:47the justice system relies on the people doing the prosecution, the
0:05:47 > 0:05:50police and prosecution service, to give the defence anything that might
0:05:50 > 0:05:54undermine their case, their hopes of getting a conviction. Does it work?
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Only last summer, the people whose job it was to keep an eye on the
0:05:59 > 0:06:03police and prosecutors did an inspection and came up with some
0:06:03 > 0:06:08troubling findings. And in 55% of Crown Court trials, there were
0:06:08 > 0:06:11issues with initial disclosed and most of those issues were not
0:06:11 > 0:06:18resolved. Half of prosecution lawyers say the same. There have
0:06:18 > 0:06:22been recommendations going back years for better training,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26supervision systems. Others argue it is really about money, more
0:06:26 > 0:06:30resources and expertise needed because complex cases these days
0:06:30 > 0:06:35involved in a lot more data. And some think it may partly be down to
0:06:35 > 0:06:40the fact that people want to improve conviction rates with rape trials.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44What should not be forgotten in all of this is that innocent people have
0:06:44 > 0:06:48ended up wrongly convicted of crimes because evidence has not been handed
0:06:48 > 0:06:52over. Getting this right is fundamental to our system of
0:06:52 > 0:06:57justice.Thank you.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59The International Monetary Fund - the world's leading
0:06:59 > 0:07:01financial organisation - has downgraded its forecast for
0:07:01 > 0:07:02the UK's economic growth this year.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05The head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, said the impact
0:07:05 > 0:07:07of the UK's decision to leave the EU had "weighed heavily"
0:07:07 > 0:07:10on the economy, and that rising inflation and stagnant wages
0:07:10 > 0:07:11were squeezing spending power.
0:07:11 > 0:07:18Here's our economics editor Kamal Ahmed.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23She came before the referendum with a warning. If Britain voted Brexit,
0:07:23 > 0:07:30then the economic risks were clear. It is going to be pretty bad to
0:07:30 > 0:07:35very, very bad. That is what we see. Today she was back for the first
0:07:35 > 0:07:41time since that Brexit vote, to give her analysis of where we are now.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47Since the start of this year, growth has slowed notably. The significant
0:07:47 > 0:07:50depreciation of sterling that followed the referendum has pushed
0:07:50 > 0:07:59inflation over 3%, squeezing real incomes.How do you respond to those
0:07:59 > 0:08:04critics who suggest the IMF is simply too gloomy on the UK economy?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Regrettably, the numbers we are seeing the economy delivered today
0:08:08 > 0:08:12are actually proving the point that we made a year and a half ago, when
0:08:12 > 0:08:17people said you are too gloomy, and you are one of those experts.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Christine Lagarde came here to the Treasury to deliver her report, and
0:08:21 > 0:08:35let's be clear, she was not all gloomy. She said that employment
0:08:37 > 0:08:39was at record levels, and she welcomed progress in those Brexit
0:08:39 > 0:08:41negotiations. But if I was to identify one big takeout from the
0:08:41 > 0:08:44IMF today, it is this. In a world of growing global growth, the UK
0:08:44 > 0:08:46economy has suffered since the referendum. The IMF said growth in
0:08:46 > 0:08:51the first nine months of the year was lower than in 2016. It said that
0:08:51 > 0:08:55prices had risen because of a fall in the value of the pound causing a
0:08:55 > 0:09:00squeeze on living standards. And called for a quick agreement on the
0:09:00 > 0:09:03transition phase of the Brexit talks to use uncertainty and avoid
0:09:03 > 0:09:08crashing out of the EU. Around the corner in parliament, it was the
0:09:08 > 0:09:12turn of the Governor of the Bank of England, also pushing for a
0:09:12 > 0:09:15free-trade deal, this time in financial services, despite grumbles
0:09:15 > 0:09:20from the EU that such a thing had never been achieved before.I don't
0:09:20 > 0:09:23accept the argument that just because it has not been done in the
0:09:23 > 0:09:26past it cannot be done in the future and store we would just walk away
0:09:26 > 0:09:31from progress is that was the approach we took two issues.The
0:09:31 > 0:09:37hunt for an agreement goes on, and firms like this gin manufacturer in
0:09:37 > 0:09:41London are keeping plans on ice until there is greater clarity.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Clearly helps that the pound is not strong and becoming more expensive,
0:09:45 > 0:09:50but it is not a major factor. Until it is clear exactly what is going to
0:09:50 > 0:09:53happen with Brexit, it is very difficult to commit to further
0:09:53 > 0:09:58investment here, because of the markets are difficult to access from
0:09:58 > 0:10:02the UK, it will be difficult to justify spending out more money
0:10:02 > 0:10:06growing the business.It is now all about that clarity, clarity on any
0:10:06 > 0:10:12deal with the EU, and clarity with the future of the UK economy once
0:10:12 > 0:10:19Brexit has happened.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Now to the Brexit talks - and a new challenge
0:10:21 > 0:10:22from the EU's chief negotiator.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Michel Barnier says he wants the transition period after Britain
0:10:25 > 0:10:26legally leaves the EU to be shorter.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The Government wants two years for businesses to adjust to any deal,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32but the EU now says the cut-off point should be the end of December
0:10:32 > 0:10:352020 - that's three months less.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37The Prime Minister said today that the timeline
0:10:37 > 0:10:39was a matter for negotiation.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45Our political editor Laura Kuenssberg reports.
0:10:45 > 0:10:52She made it this far. The Prime Minister leaving her house today for
0:10:52 > 0:10:56work. Still in Number Ten after EU when that did not always looks
0:10:56 > 0:11:02certain. Are you looking forward to break,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Prime Minister?No easy answers on how government's biggest job, how we
0:11:06 > 0:11:10leave the EU. Can the government have the trade deal ready before we
0:11:10 > 0:11:14leave?That is what we are working to and that is what I believe we can
0:11:14 > 0:11:19do. Everybody wants to know on what basis they are going to be operating
0:11:19 > 0:11:25the future.There are big doubts in Brussels about that, and the Tories
0:11:25 > 0:11:29expectation that it will take about two years to make the changes we
0:11:29 > 0:11:34need after Brexit, a transition, and there is nothing surprising about
0:11:34 > 0:11:45the European Union getting its arguments in early. The chief
0:11:45 > 0:11:48negotiator saying today we would have to stick to all of the rules
0:11:48 > 0:11:52during transition and that period would have to be over by the end of
0:11:52 > 0:12:022020, earlier than she believes. It is not just the government, Labour
0:12:02 > 0:12:07thinks two years is about right.We need at least two years. We need
0:12:07 > 0:12:11clarity about what that transition deal means and I think membership of
0:12:11 > 0:12:16the customs union and single market for that period but there needs to
0:12:16 > 0:12:20be more flexibility.But don't be fooled, there is no real outbreak of
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Christmas cheer between the two main parties.Last year the Prime
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Minister told the radio Times that on Christmas Day she likes to
0:12:29 > 0:12:37prepare and cook her own goose. LAUGHTER
0:12:37 > 0:12:41In the spirit of Christmas, can I suggest you heard that in an order
0:12:41 > 0:12:46to extract the maximum pleasure from the messy job of stuffing her goose
0:12:46 > 0:12:51that she names it either Michael or Boris.The applause gave the
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Chancellor time to help out the Prime Minister with her own punch
0:12:55 > 0:13:02line.I think I will have to resist the temptation to call the goose
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Jeremy. It was Prime Minister's Questions,
0:13:05 > 0:13:11not the Christmas panto. But for Theresa May's party at least, the
0:13:11 > 0:13:15end of the year has brought a little cheer.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Police are continuing to search two properties,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18including a community centre, following anti-terror raids
0:13:18 > 0:13:19in Sheffield and Chesterfield.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Four men have been arrested and held over an alleged Islamist terror plot
0:13:22 > 0:13:27that officers say could have been carried out this Christmas.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It's being billed as the most far-reaching overhaul of America's
0:13:30 > 0:13:32tax system for decades.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34In his first major legislative achievement, President Trump has
0:13:34 > 0:13:38kept his pledge to recast the taxes individuals and corporations pay.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Critics say the plans are a give-away to the super-rich,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46while his supporters insist the changes will boost the economy.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Let's speak to our North America Editor Jon Sopel,
0:13:48 > 0:13:55who's outside the White House.
0:13:55 > 0:14:02Mr Trump has had quite a rocky time of it, how significant is this
0:14:02 > 0:14:06particular achievement?I think this is a significant achievement for the
0:14:06 > 0:14:09president. He has been holding a cabinet meeting in the last few
0:14:09 > 0:14:13minutes and was talking about this being a great gift to the American
0:14:13 > 0:14:17people. Although it is fair to say the very wealthiest American people
0:14:17 > 0:14:23will get a much bigger Christmas present from this tax reduction,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26than blue-collar people, the very people who voted for Donald Trump.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30It has global significance as well. That old phrase that when America
0:14:30 > 0:14:35sneezes Britain catches a cold, the converse is true as well. If there
0:14:35 > 0:14:40is bigger economic growth in the US, if people have more money to spend,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42then British exports which are cheaper at the moment because of a
0:14:42 > 0:14:47weak pound, should also benefit the British economy as well as the
0:14:47 > 0:14:51American economy. Britain has an interest in the American economy
0:14:51 > 0:15:04growing. It has been a difficult year for Donald Trump, but at the
0:15:04 > 0:15:07end of it, he can reflect that his tax reform has got past, the stock
0:15:07 > 0:15:10market is at record levels, he has put his pick into the Supreme Court,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and regulations have been torn up. It may not have been pretty, but he
0:15:13 > 0:15:20sort of got done what he promised to do.Thank you.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23The time is 6:15pm.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Our top story this evening.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26The Met Police will review dozens of sex offence cases
0:15:26 > 0:15:29after the trials of two men charged with rape were halted.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30And still to come:
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Why access to high-speed broadband will soon
0:15:32 > 0:15:33become a legal right.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Coming up on Sportsday in the next 15 minutes on BBC News:
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Birmingham's bid to host the Commonwealth's finally
0:15:37 > 0:15:38gets the go-ahead.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40The Games are coming to the Midlands in 2022.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Struggling to cope with an acute eating disorder is tough enough -
0:15:55 > 0:15:57but imagine if the hospital treatment you need is only available
0:15:57 > 0:16:03hundreds of miles away.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06That's what it's like for many patients in Northern Ireland -
0:16:06 > 0:16:09they have to travel to London, leaving behind family and friends.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10A review of services in Northern Ireland
0:16:10 > 0:16:14is currently under way.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Our health correspondent Dominic Hughes has this special
0:16:16 > 0:16:18report on the challenges facing patients and those trying
0:16:18 > 0:16:19to care for them.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23More than a million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24A life-threatening mental illness.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26It's a very destructive disease, like, physically, mentally.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31It is just absolute torture.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Student nurse Olivia realised she had anorexia
0:16:33 > 0:16:36while at university.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38But when she sought help from her GP, she was shocked
0:16:38 > 0:16:42by a simple lack of understanding.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45They should know that it is not to do with food, it is to do
0:16:45 > 0:16:48with maybe some emotional trauma that you went through,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50or the unhappiness in your life.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I cried a lot after that because no one was taking me
0:16:53 > 0:16:56seriously, you know.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59There is so much going on in my head and no one
0:16:59 > 0:17:00is dealing with that.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Olivia ended up getting help through a private clinic.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But in Northern Ireland where she lives there
0:17:05 > 0:17:08is a particular issue around how and especially where eating
0:17:08 > 0:17:10disorders are treated.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Right now thousands of people across Northern Ireland are struggling
0:17:12 > 0:17:15with an eating disorder.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And while there are services in the community
0:17:18 > 0:17:19where they can get help,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21those services are under intense pressure.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27And for people who are in a real crisis, who need hospital treatment,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29well, at the moment their only option is to leave Northern
0:17:29 > 0:17:30Ireland altogether.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34It was a time in my life where I just went, how did I come to this?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Aileen's anorexia got so bad that she required hospitalisation.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39But nowhere in Northern Ireland could deliver
0:17:39 > 0:17:41the intensive care she needed.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Her only option, to leave home and travel to London,
0:17:43 > 0:17:51hundreds of miles away.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Trying to recover from an eating disorder,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55that in itself is a struggle.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Never mind having the added factor of being away from your family.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00There's people out there that are really, really struggling
0:18:00 > 0:18:02with life and can't access the help that they really, really need.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Community-based teams in Northern Ireland do offer
0:18:04 > 0:18:05psychological therapies.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08But a population of just 1.8 million may not be enough people
0:18:08 > 0:18:10for a specialist hospital service.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13The advice we have sought is you might need a population
0:18:13 > 0:18:16base of say 5 million.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19So would we ever justify an inpatient service, I'm not sure.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23For many an eating disorder gives some control over a part of life
0:18:23 > 0:18:28when everything else feels very much out of control.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Early diagnosis and treatment are vital.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Every day we worried if our son was going to be
0:18:33 > 0:18:35alive by the night-time.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38At the age of just 24, Lawrence died from a heart attack
0:18:38 > 0:18:42after living with bulimia for years.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45His mother Pam believes her son missed out on the best care
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and so too, are hundreds of others.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It can be fatal, it has been fatal, not just for my son
0:18:51 > 0:18:53but for a lot of people.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55In different age ranges, not just at 24 years
0:18:55 > 0:18:58of age, at 30, 40 and 50.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59People need to get the right support.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01They are entitled to it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04The NHS in Northern Ireland is not alone in struggling to meet demand
0:19:04 > 0:19:07for help with eating disorders.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11But anorexia and bulimia are taking lives and tearing families apart.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16And there are no easy answers when it comes to improving
0:19:16 > 0:19:17the way they are treated.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Dominic Hughes, BBC News, Belfast.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Uber is officially a transport company and not a digital service,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28that's according to a European Court of Justice ruling today.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33The ride-hailing firm had argued it was an information service -
0:19:33 > 0:19:35helping people to make contact with each other electronically -
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and not a cab firm.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Now, we are doing more and more things online -
0:19:46 > 0:19:49whether it's the shopping or streaming the latest drama -
0:19:49 > 0:19:51but slow broadband speeds can make the whole process
0:19:51 > 0:19:52pretty frustrating.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Now the government says we will have a legal right to demand
0:19:55 > 0:19:56high speed broadband by 2020.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Our Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones is here.
0:19:59 > 0:20:06I can almost hear millions of people shouting, "About time too!"It's
0:20:06 > 0:20:10about 4% of the country that is left in the slow lane but it gets all the
0:20:10 > 0:20:13more frustrating for them as it goes on. Ofcom worked out recently there
0:20:13 > 0:20:18is something like 1.1 million homes and businesses across the UK just
0:20:18 > 0:20:24not getting the kind of broadband they need to do simple tasks. So,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28from 2020 they are going to be given a legal right to a minimum service
0:20:28 > 0:20:32of 10 megabits per second, what's called a universal service
0:20:32 > 0:20:36obligation, that still not that fast. Ofcom reckons superfast
0:20:36 > 0:20:41broadband is defined as 30 megabits per second. Berget into that 10
0:20:41 > 0:20:44megabits a second is going to be quite a challenge, the government
0:20:44 > 0:20:47must work out which companies will do it, what technologies they are
0:20:47 > 0:20:52going to use to do it and it will not even then end up covering
0:20:52 > 0:20:57absolutely everyone. Will be a maximum cost. If you live up the
0:20:57 > 0:21:00mountain and they work out it will cost thousands of pounds you will
0:21:00 > 0:21:04still have two whistle for your broadband, I'm afraid.Rory, thank
0:21:04 > 0:21:06you very much.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08A brief look at some of the day's other news stories.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11It's understood Birmingham will be confirmed as the host city
0:21:11 > 0:21:13of the 2022 Commonwealth Games tomorrow.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14It will be Britain's most expensive sports event
0:21:14 > 0:21:22since the 2012 Olympics - at a cost of £750 million.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Scotland's biggest council landlord is considering proposals to knock
0:21:24 > 0:21:28down all its high-rise flats over the next 20 years.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31North Lanarkshire Council has 48 tower blocks with about 4,000
0:21:31 > 0:21:32homes between them.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It will run a consultation on how to gradually replace them
0:21:35 > 0:21:41all with low-rise buildings.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43A review has recommended that the pay of members
0:21:43 > 0:21:46of the Northern Ireland Assembly should be cut by around
0:21:46 > 0:21:51£13,000 in two stages.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53MLAs have been drawing their full salaries since
0:21:53 > 0:21:56being elected in March - even though the Assembly
0:21:56 > 0:21:58at Stormont hasn't been sitting because the power-sharing
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Executive has collapsed.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Life expectancy across the globe is continuing to rise prompting
0:22:04 > 0:22:07scientists to ask how long we might live in the future.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Most think we will see gradual gains in longevity but there have been
0:22:10 > 0:22:12predictions that anti-ageing drugs could allow people
0:22:12 > 0:22:15to live for centuries.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17In the last of his special reports on "super-agers",
0:22:17 > 0:22:19our medical correspondent Fergus Walsh has been
0:22:19 > 0:22:27to California and Arizona.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I like to do things.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32I don't want to sit in the background.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Lester Dray is 101, the oldest resident of this
0:22:42 > 0:22:45retirement village in Sun City, Arizona.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48You're going to miss something if you just moan and groan
0:22:48 > 0:22:52about how horrible life is.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Show me your teeth.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Do you hear a sound?
0:22:55 > 0:22:56Say, "Aah".
0:22:56 > 0:22:57Aah.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00He gets regular medical checks as part of a study into longevity.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It's an issue which is attracting interest from unusual quarters.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05In Silicon Valley, California, some of the biggest names from Google to
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Facebook are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into defeating
0:23:08 > 0:23:09the diseases of ageing.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13So, why are tech entrepreneurs suddenly interested in human health?
0:23:13 > 0:23:19I think Silicon Valley is driven by curiosity.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I think that same curiosity that drives a 14-year-old to programme
0:23:23 > 0:23:26computers in his bedroom drives someone in their 20s or 30s to
0:23:26 > 0:23:35really apply their minds and their cash to this problem.
0:23:35 > 0:23:42The DNA from this special part of the cell called the mitochondria...
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It's why this British scientist set up in Silicon Valley.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Aubrey de Grey is probably the world's leading advocate
0:23:48 > 0:23:53of life extension.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The idea that humans can and will live in good health
0:23:56 > 0:23:57for hundreds of years.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59There will certainly be no limit on how long
0:23:59 > 0:24:01people can live once we bring ageing under control.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02People will still die.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08There's still trucks to be hit by and so on.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11But the fact is people will on average live a lot longer and less
0:24:11 > 0:24:14of some bizarre things like we get hit by an asteroid, or whatever.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15That's beautiful...
0:24:15 > 0:24:16That's a minority view.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Although extending life is possible in the lab with
0:24:19 > 0:24:21fruit flies, used for worms, it gets more difficult higher up
0:24:21 > 0:24:22the evolutionary ladder.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25So in the lab in simple laboratory animals we can
0:24:25 > 0:24:27increase life span by 100%, 200, 500%, really extraordinary
0:24:27 > 0:24:31differences in life span.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It turns out ageing is really plastic
0:24:34 > 0:24:36in these simple laboratory animals.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It may be more complex as we go to mammals, for the mouse, for
0:24:40 > 0:24:43example, we've been able to increase the life span of 20 or 30%.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And we really don't know what's possible in humans at this point.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48We do know exercise is a magic formula that can
0:24:48 > 0:24:52keep us healthy longer and there are no drugs yet to match it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57There is probably an upper limit to life
0:24:57 > 0:25:00expectancy of around 115 years.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01So, the quest for immortality is still
0:25:01 > 0:25:06the stuff of science fiction.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09But increasing our health span, the number of years we spend free of
0:25:09 > 0:25:11chronic diseases, well, that really could be a reality.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12Here we go!
0:25:12 > 0:25:21# Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
0:25:21 > 0:25:23# Jingle bell, jingle bell jive #
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Finding something you enjoy and staying socially engaged are key
0:25:25 > 0:25:26elements of healthy ageing.
0:25:26 > 0:25:34Like the Sun City Poms, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I'm 78, born on the 4th of July, so I'm still a firecracker
0:25:37 > 0:25:41and still going and booming.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43It keeps me physically active, it keeps my brain working
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and helps my memory.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53We just get out there and do what we need to do and enjoy.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57We can't slow time but we can put more life in our years,
0:25:57 > 0:25:58and hopefully become super-agers.
0:25:58 > 0:26:08Fergus Walsh, BBC News, Sun City, Arizona.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Let's see if the weather is going to cheer us up.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The picture has been so gloomy, we had to inject a bit of weather into
0:26:19 > 0:26:26the weather forecast, it's not from today, it is a summary picture. The
0:26:26 > 0:26:31picture for the festive period is the same as today, cloudy, some rain
0:26:31 > 0:26:36around, with a bit of brightness. We had some brightness today, not
0:26:36 > 0:26:39cloudy everywhere. Tonight, most of the UK will be surrounded with
0:26:39 > 0:26:43cloud, certainly England and Wales, quite a bit of cloud of Northern
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Ireland, in Scotland clearer skies so hence a bit colder, maybe a touch
0:26:47 > 0:26:51of frost in the Glens. This is the weather map for tomorrow, the yellow
0:26:51 > 0:26:55is the mild air pushing into parts of Scandinavia, and that means it's
0:26:55 > 0:26:59going to be a very similar day tomorrow to what we've just had. A
0:26:59 > 0:27:10lot of cloud around, low grace -- grey skies. The north of Scotland
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and the East of England a bit brighter, Newcastle into Hull with a
0:27:14 > 0:27:17bit of brightness and one or two glimmers of sunshine at some point
0:27:17 > 0:27:21in the day across the Midlands and Wales. Here is a look at Friday
0:27:21 > 0:27:25morning. Extensive cloud and drizzle and maybe some coastal fog, and once
0:27:25 > 0:27:30again in the north-east a little bit of sunshine. Look at those
0:27:30 > 0:27:32temperatures, 12 degrees across the south, above the average for this
0:27:32 > 0:27:38time of year, around about nine in the far north for our friends in
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Shetland. This is Saturday, the low pressure moving to the north of
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Scotland, quite a few isobars serve a subtle change in weather, the
0:27:45 > 0:27:49winds will strengthen, gale force winds in the north for a time, and
0:27:49 > 0:27:54the strong wind will help to bring milder air further north, 12, 11
0:27:54 > 0:27:58degrees across the country, Sunday is looking milder. We are not
0:27:58 > 0:28:02getting snow but I thought I would finish with a festive picture
0:28:02 > 0:28:04anyway.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11A reminder of our main story. The Metropolitan Police is to review
0:28:11 > 0:28:15dozens of sex offences cases after the trials of two men charged with
0:28:15 > 0:28:18rain were halted because police had failed to