29/12/2017 BBC News at Six

Heavy snow, rain and strong

winds cause disruption

in many parts of the UK,

with a warning of more to come.

Roads were closed in a number

of areas hit by snow,

and there's a storm bringing heavy

rain over the weekend.

A huge blaze during a birthday party

at a popular restaurant in Mumbai

in India kills at least 14 people.

The dog who's had pioneering

treatment to save a leg

from amputation -

experts hope to use the same

technique soon on people.

And rain stops England's push

for victory on the fourth day

of the fourth Ashes Test.

Good evening.

Snow and ice have led

to another day of travel disruption

in parts of the UK.

Passengers at Glasgow Airport

faced delays after heavy snow caused

flights to be suspended for a while.

There was snow too across northern

England and the southern Pennines.

The RAC has warned that driving

conditions will be very

difficult, if not impossible,

in the worst-affected areas.

Our correspondent

Judith Moritz reports.

Grounded at Glasgow -

flights at the city's airport

were suspended after snow

settled quickly overnight.

The airport reopened by mid-morning,

but managers have apologised

for the knock-on disruption

which was caused.

Temperatures plummeted to as low

as minus 12 Celsius in Scotland.

The ploughs were out,

shovelling industrial quantities

of snow on the M90 motorway

near Dunfermline,

though it wasn't enough

to keep all drivers on the road.

In towns and villages nearby, the

spades were out to clear the way.

She's just come in for a packet

of cigarettes, and she's decided

to clear my front path away,

and that's community spirit for you.

People have been helping

pushing cars up the street.

Heavy snow also fell

in the north of England,

where a hundred gritters were sent

out onto the road network

to keep traffic moving.

Motorways remained free-flowing,

but other Trans-Pennine

routes were closed.

The flow has been falling

steadily all morning

across swathes of northern England

- as predicted.

It's been settling most

in areas like this,

just outside Huddersfield,

up here on the higher ground.

In Cumbria, hazardous

conditions left some vehicles

stranded on the A590,

and there were also delays

on other main roads.

Staff at the Highways England

control room in Wakefield

have been monitoring

the motorways and A-roads.

The next thing we're looking

towards is the threat of ice

for this evening and overnight,

we've got teams of gritters working

24/7, traffic officers patrolling

the network as well,

and obviously a team

here in Yorkshire and the North East

working from the control room

to make sure that that

impact's not too severe.

Drivers are advised only

to travel if necessary,

but traffic is lighter than usual,

with schools closed and many off

work for the holidays.

Enjoying extra opportunity

for snow-themed entertainment.

Judith Moritz, BBC News, Wakefield.

Our correspondent Lisa Summers

is in Edinburgh for us now.

Describe how conditions have been

where you are.

Well, the worst of

the snow has now passed, but the

worry overnight is going to be icy

conditions, with temperatures

dropping rapidly, even here in the

city. Looking further head,

obviously we've got someone in is of

heavy rain in the south of England,

but here in Scotland the concern

will be about high winds. We have a

warning in place for Hogmanay, and

Edinburgh is a pretty busy place at

this time of year, 150,000 people

aren't you to participate in a

three-day Hogmanay festival that

starts tomorrow, things like a

torchlight procession, a street

party, a nine minute firework

display, everything that depends on

it not being too windy. So

organisers will have a keen eye on

the weather forecast over the next

couple of days. I have been told

they are expecting the wins to die

down during the course of Hogmanay,

so hopefully we can enjoy New Year

without too much trouble from the

weather.

Indeed, Lisa, many thanks,

Lisa Summers there.

Anti-government protests have spread

to more cities in Iran,

despite a crackdown

by the authorities.

Thousands of people have

taken to the streets

to protest over rising prices,

corruption, and the cost

of Iran's military involvement

in regional conflicts.

Wyre Davies reports.

These are extremely rare sights.

Cities across Iran hit by large

and sometimes violent

anti-government protests.

This is the western

city of Kermanshah,

and despite the repressive action

taken against demonstrators

by police, the protests

have quickly grown,

and spread across the country.

Iranians have suffered

tremendous hardship,

with a huge fall

in living standards.

But what started as a protest

against rising prices has grown into

much wider anger against strict

clerical rule and Iran's Supreme

Leader Snoke, Ayatollah Ali

Khamenei. Demonstrators demand in

that political prisoners should be

freed and the government should stop

spending millions on foreign wars.

There is seething discontent with

Iranian spending money on wars

abroad, on supporting Hezbollah

abroad, and that has changed the

character of the demonstration into

a political one, undermining the

whole clerical regime.

Iran's relatively moderate president

has, the benefits of economic

growth, after an international deal

to limit its nuclear activities, but

those promises have so far failed to

materialise. Britain will be

watching developments closely. On a

recent visit, the Foreign Secretary,

Boris Johnson, raised the detention

of the British woman Nazanin

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, held in an

Iranian jail for more than 600 days.

It's become a serious issue between

London and Tehran. It's too early to

say if the regime is under serious

threat. These are the biggest

protests in Iran for almost a decade

and the Government will use greater

force if it feels it's losing

control. Wyre Davies, BBC News.

A huge fire at an office

and restaurant complex in the Indian

city of Mumbai has killed at least

14 people, including young women

attending a birthday party.

The blaze erupted just

after midnight in the popular

Kamala Mills compound and engulfed

the building in just half an hour.

Sanjoy Majumder reports.

The fire broke out on a rooftop

restaurant in a popular commercial

district in the heart of Mumbai.

Within minutes, it spread -

first to a bar next door,

and then through

the entire building.

Most of the victims were women

attending a party at the bar.

The BBC's Gujarati Service editor,

Ankur Jain, was at the restaurant

when the fire broke out.

There was a stampede, and everybody

was trying to just rush out.

In less than three minutes

after the fire started,

the whole of the area was engulfed

in fire, and before anyone,

including us, could reach

the staircase, the first place

to catch complete fire

completely was the fire exit.

The blaze was eventually put out

early in the morning -

the structure completely gutted.

The families and friends

of the victims are distraught

and raising questions

about safety measures.

The building was located

in a congested neighbourhood that

once housed the city's colonial-era

textile mills and is

now filled with bars,

restaurants and offices,

some still located

in the old factories,

others in high-rise glass

and steel towers.

But many of them lack proper safety

standards and emergency exits.

An investigation has now been

ordered to determine the cause.

Action has been taken

against the restaurant owners,

and five city officials have been

suspended for negligence.

Sanjoy Majumder, BBC News, Delhi.

The New York Fire Department says

the blaze that killed 12 people,

including four children,

in the Bronx area of the city

appears to have been caused

by a child playing with a stove.

Investigators believe

an unattended three-year-old boy

accidentally started the blaze,

described as the deadliest

in the city for at least 25 years.

Researchers in Scotland

who saved the leg of a dog

using a new technique to grow bones

in a laboratory say they now hope

to try it on human beings.

The dog, Eva, would have had her leg

amputated, had it not been for this

pioneering treatment.

The team at Glasgow University

say the first human trials are due

to take place in three years' time.

Our science correspondent Pallab

Ghosh has this exclusive report.

Eva!

There's no holding her back,

but last year Eva's front right leg

was broken in a road accident.

Her vet tried everything,

but nothing worked.

Her entire leg was

going to be amputated.

Well, nine, ten months, she'd been

unable to get out and have walks,

anything other than go out

to the toilet.

But to Fiona Kirkland's delight,

her dog was saved by an experimental

bone-growing technique.

It's absolutely fantastic.

We're just so pleased

to have our dog back,

fit, active, healthy.

Eva's vet showed me the problem.

The blood supply to the edges

of the bones has failed,

so it wasn't able to heal the break.

The scientists coated the dead areas

with their artificial bone,

and after just six weeks,

it was completely mended.

The artificial bone mix

was made at Glasgow University.

It consists of sterilised chips

that are coated with bone cells

and a chemical that make them grow,

rather like a fertiliser.

Well, clearly, we want to look

at treating more dogs and possibly

even cats who have had broken bones,

but also other areas we can help

these veterinary patients,

so things like joint fusion,

where they've had a tendon injury

and they need their joint held

together so they can walk properly.

The researchers are so amazed

at the success they've had

in treating Eva they want to

try out the technique on people.

They plan to be the first

researchers in the world

to grow bone in their lab and put it

into a patient in three years' time.

And these are the people that

could be most helped.

It's 20 years since Princess Diana

brought the issue of landmine

victims to the world's attention.

Their limbs usually

have to be amputated.

Landmine campaigners are funding

the new research so it can be used

to grow some of their bone back

and attach an artificial leg.

Well, if they are able

to have a prosthetic limb,

it would make all the difference

to their life,

being able to provide

for their family,

instead of having to be

a burden on their family.

It's been a happy outcome

for Eva and her owners.

Thousands of people could soon

benefit from a technology that

has put a spring back in her step.

Pallab Ghosh, BBC News, Glasgow.

The Labour peer Lord Adonis has

stepped down from his role

advising the Government

on major infrastructure projects.

In a resignation letter

seen by two newspapers,

the former Transport Secretary

criticised Theresa May's approach

to Brexit and claimed that she

has become the "voice of Ukip"

within the Conservative Party.

In the City, the 100-share index

has finished trading for the year

on a record closing high.

It ended the day

up 7.6% on last year.

Joe Lynam is with me.

Why has this happened,

and what does it signify?

Well, I think what this shows,

Reeta, is the disconnect between the

real UK economy and these giant UK,

needs that may be listed on the

London Stock Exchange but the vast

majority of their profits are earned

overseas, and overseas is undergoing

a boom. The United States, the Far

East, even the eurozone is having

pretty robust growth, so it means

that companies that are here can

sell more goods overseas, and a

knitting a stronger currency because

the pound is that little bit weaker,

so they repatriate the property and

stronger currencies and that boost

their profits. The Ftse 100 is not a

great benchmark for the health of

the UK economy, but a pretty good

yardstick for the health of the

global economy.

Joe, thank you.

The NHS in England is

considering the routine use

of so-called drunk tanks -

dedicated units for people

to recover from excess alcohol -

in order to reduce

hospital admissions.

Up to 70% of visits to A&E

departments on Friday and Saturday

nights are by people who've

drunk too much.

Adina Campbell reports.

At this time of year, Britain's

binge thinking culture is exposed

with its burden on emergency

services.

But having more of these mobile

vehicles, or drunk tanks,

on a permanent basis could be

a solution - an idea now

being considered by NHS England.

Alcohol result -- our coal recovery

services are potentially successful

in reducing pressure on A&E

services, which is potentially

important in winter.

And so if there are ways that we can

safely look after people

in alternative settings,

then it's really worth looking

at these alternatives,

and that's what we're doing

at the moment.

The reality is people who've

overindulged with alcohol

can be a big problem for the NHS.

Up to 70% of attendances to A&E

departments in the UK at this time

of year are alcohol-related.

These friends are enjoying

their annual festive

get-together are divided.

I think it's a good idea.

I mean, if it helps

the NHS and all that.

But the thing that annoys me a bit

is it seems to be our generation

is being targeted.

It also costs money.

I don't think sitting down

in the van with a bottle of water

is going to sober

you up that quickly.

If you are in that sort of a state,

you want to either go

home or go to hospital.

The UK's first drunk tank was

introduced in Bristol three years

ago, and since then more have been

operating in Cardiff,

Newcastle, Manchester and Belfast.

Rather than dumping those who have

gone way over their limit

in a police cell or hospital bed,

here they're given

a chance to recover.

But some doctors say this kind

of safety net shouldn't have

to be offered in the first place.

I think the solution is people

understanding that they should not

be getting themselves into the state

that they need to have

a facility to sober up in.

People need to take responsibility

for getting themselves home safely,

making sure that their friends get

home safely, that they have a plan

and that they know when to

stop drinking before it

becomes a problem.

NHS England will make

a decision early next year,

which could ease the pressure

on police,

ambulances and hospital services.

Adina Campbell, BBC News.

Cricket, and England's attempt

to win the fourth Ashes Test

in Melbourne have been frustrated

by the rain.

At stumps on day four,

Australia were 103-2

in their second innings,

trailing England's first

innings total by 61 runs.

With more from Melbourne,

here's Patrick Gearey.

At last for England,

some hope, a chance to cheer

without lurking fear,

to read and not weep.

Why isn't Alastair Cook

on the front cover?

That score remained correct.

Cook's third day of

batting lasted one ball.

He watched it, Jimmy Anderson hit

it, Cameron Bancroft caught it.

Cook carried his bat unbeaten -

a lesson in focus and patience.

England needed to bowl

in a similar fashion.

Waiting worked initially.

They removed Cameron Bancroft,

then produced enough movement

to tempt Usman Khawaja.

England were still nearly

100 ahead and making

the best of a wearing ball.

They, like Australia,

were warned about scuffing

the ball on the pitch,

but some on Australian television

made more serious accusations -

to England's obvious irritation.

As soon as I saw the headlines,

I raced into the umpires,

and that was their words,

actually -

"Nothing to worry about,

absolutely fine."

England's next obstacle

was Australia's rock.

Steve Smith reached

the boundary only occasionally.

England shut off the taps

but couldn't dry everything up.

Showers turned to storms,

play finished at three.

Well, England denied by

very English conditions at the MCG.

They are the only side

with a realistic chance

of winning this test,

and the weather on the final

day looks far clearer.