0:00:05 > 0:00:07The government decides not to challenge the decision to release
0:00:07 > 0:00:11the serial sex attacker John Worboys.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14His victims have expressed outrage that he will now be
0:00:14 > 0:00:15freed after eight years.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18The Justice Secretary admits he too is concerned.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20I know this will disappoint the victims in this case,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and members of this House.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Given the crimes for which he has been convicted,
0:00:24 > 0:00:30on a personal level, candidly, I share those concerns.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Worboys is believed to have attacked over 100 women.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37Some of his victims are challenging the decision to release him.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40In an exceptional case like this, we think that there should be some
0:00:40 > 0:00:43explanation for the decision, which seems to be at odds with every
0:00:43 > 0:00:50known fact about the case.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53And the Mayor of London, where Worboys' crimes took place,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55is also trying to stop him getting out of prison.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Also tonight:
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Scientists say they're a step closer to one
0:01:00 > 0:01:03of the biggest goals in medicine - a single blood test
0:01:03 > 0:01:07for all types of cancer.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The parents accused of the prolonged abuse, torture and captivity of 12
0:01:09 > 0:01:14of their children plead not guilty.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Is this the future of travel?
0:01:15 > 0:01:20The train in a tube that could reach 700 miles an hour.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And it's already an Oscar contender - the British short film
0:01:23 > 0:01:25about the importance of sign language,
0:01:25 > 0:01:32starring a deaf six-year-old girl.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34And coming up on Sportsday on BBC News:
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Kyle Edmund is into the fourth round at the Australian Open.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39He's now one win away from producing his best ever
0:01:39 > 0:01:42run at a grand slam.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06There will no government challenge to the decision to release
0:02:06 > 0:02:09the serial sex attacker John Worboys.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The former black cab driver was jailed in 2009
0:02:12 > 0:02:14for attacking 12 women, but it's suspected he assaulted
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and raped many more.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21The Justice Secretary David Gauke admitted he shares the concerns
0:02:21 > 0:02:23of Worboys' victims but that it would not be appropriate"
0:02:23 > 0:02:26to seek judicial review of the Parole Board's ruling
0:02:26 > 0:02:27to free him.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Two of his victims are mounting their own challenge to try to keep
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Worboys behind bars.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36June Kelly has more.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41He is one of the country's most notorious serial sex offenders.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43In his black cab, John Worboys cruised
0:02:43 > 0:02:46for victims, not fares.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48He was convicted of drugging and sexually
0:02:48 > 0:02:51assaulting 12 women, one of them he raped.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55But it's feared he may have attacked more than 100 in total.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57The decision to release him after less
0:02:57 > 0:02:59than a decade in prison provoked astonishment,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02including at the top of government.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05At the start of this week, it emerged that the Justice
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Secretary was looking to challenge the decision in the courts.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10As the week draws to a close, he announced
0:03:10 > 0:03:13that, after taking legal advice, he won't be going down that route.
0:03:13 > 0:03:19But he tried to offer reassurance to Worboys's victims.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Let me be absolutely clear, Worboys will not
0:03:21 > 0:03:24be released until their representations have been properly
0:03:24 > 0:03:28considered and his licence conditions are in place.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Last week, I asked for assurances that the
0:03:30 > 0:03:33views of victims were taken into account, and that robust licensing
0:03:33 > 0:03:41conditions would be put in place to manage his risk.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56But, as one politician withdraws from the court
0:03:56 > 0:03:59arena, another, Sadiq Khan, Labour mayor of London, says he is now
0:03:59 > 0:04:00investigating whether can bring a legal challenge.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Worboys is currently being held at Wakefield
0:04:02 > 0:04:03prison in West Yorkshire.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06A lawyer for some of his victims is questioning why he is being freed
0:04:06 > 0:04:10from what is a top security jail and, in a letter to the parole
0:04:10 > 0:04:13board, which approved his release, there is detail on why they are
0:04:13 > 0:04:16pressing ahead with the victims' legal challenge to try keep Worboys
0:04:16 > 0:04:16behind bars.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We presently don't know the reasons why he has been granted
0:04:19 > 0:04:24a release.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26But we do know is the nature and scope and extent of
0:04:26 > 0:04:28his offending.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30We know that, up until very recently, he was denying
0:04:30 > 0:04:31responsibility for the offence.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33He may still be.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35We know that the parole board, only the previous
0:04:35 > 0:04:39year, refused to move him to an open prison
0:04:39 > 0:04:41because they considered he was still a risk.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43What has changed over that time?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The women who John Worboys picked up and then drugged
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and assaulted have spoken of how they fear for their safety if he is
0:04:49 > 0:04:51freed.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54They say he knows their addresses, and they are calling for
0:04:54 > 0:04:58him to be banned from the entire Greater London area.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00His victims are set to launch their legal challenge
0:05:00 > 0:05:02next week.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04While that is going on, the black cab rapist, as he is
0:05:04 > 0:05:06known, will remain in prison.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12June Kelly, BBC News.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18Our legal correspondent Clive Coleman is here with me.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Now the government has accepted that it cannot stop Worboys being
0:05:22 > 0:05:27released, is there any realistic challenge that his victims can stop
0:05:27 > 0:05:29him getting out?Two of the victims are going to attempt a judicial
0:05:29 > 0:05:34review. That is not an appeal of whether the decision is right or
0:05:34 > 0:05:39wrong, simply a review of whether the process of making the decision
0:05:39 > 0:05:43was lawful or not. If a court finds the process was not lawful, they can
0:05:43 > 0:05:49send the decision back to the parole board to go through it again. It is
0:05:49 > 0:05:52unprecedented for victims to try to judicially review the parole board.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56They will have to lodge an application seeking permission.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Worboys does not have to appear at that. A judge will consider the
0:05:59 > 0:06:05grounds, and if permission is granted, there will be an injunction
0:06:05 > 0:06:09to stop John Worboys' release at that stage. There will then be a
0:06:09 > 0:06:15full hearing, some weeks away, and it is at that point that we will get
0:06:15 > 0:06:19the disclosure of what this decision amounted to, the detail of it. If
0:06:19 > 0:06:24there is medical evidence they could be issues of confidentiality,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29meaning a final hearing might not be fully public. But if the court finds
0:06:29 > 0:06:33the process was not lawful and they send it back to the parole board,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37they will have to go through it all over again, so this is not over yet.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Scientists say they've taken a step towards one
0:06:39 > 0:06:41of the biggest goals in medicine, a single blood test
0:06:41 > 0:06:42for all types of cancer.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45A team in America has trialled a method that detects eight common
0:06:45 > 0:06:47forms of the disease without the need for invasive
0:06:47 > 0:06:50biopsies or operations.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Their vision is an annual test designed to catch cancer
0:06:53 > 0:06:54early and save lives.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00Here's Fergus Walsh.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04It is ten years since Ali was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It is rare for anyone with the disease
0:07:06 > 0:07:09to survive that long.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11There is no screening programme, so tumours are
0:07:11 > 0:07:12usually found too late.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16A blood test would make a big difference.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If we are able to get more people diagnosed sooner, like me, then it's
0:07:19 > 0:07:23going to make me feel a lot happier.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26There are only 1% of us who are surviving, like me,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29to ten years, and it's a bit of a lonely place.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32There aren't many of us around.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33And I'd really like pancreatic cancer to
0:07:33 > 0:07:36become more of a chronic disease, rather than such an acute, deadly
0:07:36 > 0:07:41disease, as it is now.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Scientists at Johns Hopkins university in
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Baltimore have made significant progress
0:07:45 > 0:07:47towards a blood test for
0:07:47 > 0:07:50cancer.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52The team examined blood samples from around 1000 cancer
0:07:52 > 0:07:54patients.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57They had one of eight different common cancers.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Lung, liver, pancreas, colon, oesophagus,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05breast, stomach or ovary.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Cancer cells shed bits of DNA, which circulate in the blood,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10so the test looked for 16 gene mutations and
0:08:10 > 0:08:14eight protein bio markers.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Overall, the blood test found 70% of the
0:08:16 > 0:08:22cancers, but that success rate fell to just 40% with small, early-stage
0:08:22 > 0:08:29cancers, and this is when you'd want tumours
0:08:29 > 0:08:33detected, when there is the best chance of a cure through surgery.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38So a reliable blood test for cancer is some way off.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40But the Francis Crick Institute in London,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44which is pioneering research in this area, believes it will come.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I am almost certain that, in the next
0:08:46 > 0:08:49five to ten years, we will see tests like this becoming much more routine
0:08:49 > 0:08:53in clinical practice, to help us diagnose tumours earlier
0:08:53 > 0:08:54and help us increase the cure rates for
0:08:54 > 0:09:00patients suffering from cancers.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The American cancer blood test costs around £350 per patient, and each
0:09:03 > 0:09:07positive result would need further investigation,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09so the burden on the NHS would need to be weighed against
0:09:09 > 0:09:11the benefits of early treatment and lives saved.
0:09:11 > 0:09:19Fergus Walsh, BBC News.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24A teenager has pleaded not guilty to trying to kill passengers
0:09:24 > 0:09:26in a bomb attack on the London Underground.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Ahmed Hassan, who's 18, denied attempted murder and causing
0:09:28 > 0:09:31an explosion at Parsons Green Tube station in West London
0:09:31 > 0:09:33last September.
0:09:33 > 0:09:3430 passengers were taken to hospital.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38His trial has been set for the 5th of March.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40A judge has demanded the police and Crown Prosecution Service
0:09:40 > 0:09:43explain to him what went wrong in a rape case
0:09:43 > 0:09:47against an Oxford University student, after it collapsed just
0:09:47 > 0:09:48days before the trial.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Oliver Mears had spent two years on bail when the CPS dropped
0:09:50 > 0:09:53the case on the basis of fresh evidence.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Surrey Police admit there were flaws in the investigation, including not
0:09:56 > 0:10:02looking at the complainant's social media history.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04A couple who are accused of imprisoning, abusing
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and torturing 12 of their children at their home in California,
0:10:07 > 0:10:08have appeared in court.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12David and Louise Turpin were arrested on Sunday after one
0:10:12 > 0:10:13of their children escaped and raised the alarm.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Police say the children were fed very little,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18allowed to shower just once a year and chained for weeks
0:10:18 > 0:10:21or months at a time.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23The couple deny the charges against them.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28James Cook reports from California.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Give up that right...
0:10:30 > 0:10:34David Turpin, appearing in court to deny betraying his
0:10:34 > 0:10:40own children with a bewildering catalogue of cruelty.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43His wife, Louise, also pleaded not guilty to inflicting physical pain
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and mental suffering.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48It's also alleged that one of the couple's daughters
0:10:48 > 0:10:51was sexually abused by the father.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Prosecutors say the siblings endured the abuse for years,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58as their parents plumbed the depths of human depravity.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00One of the children, aged 12, is the weight
0:11:00 > 0:11:04of an average seven-year-old.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Several of the victims have cognitive impairment and neuropathy,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08nerve damage, as a result of this extreme and
0:11:08 > 0:11:14prolonged physical abuse.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16The children were supposedly schooled here in their home,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19but the district attorney said they lacked basic knowledge.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Some did not even know what a police officer was.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24They were reportedly allowed to shower just once
0:11:24 > 0:11:29a year and were beaten, chained up and tormented.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33They would buy food, including pies, apple pies, pumpkin pies,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36leave it on the counter, let the children look at it
0:11:36 > 0:11:38but not eat the food.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40About the only thing the children were allowed
0:11:40 > 0:11:42to do in their rooms, or chained up, was to
0:11:42 > 0:11:44write in journals.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46We now have recovered those journals, hundreds
0:11:46 > 0:11:50of them, and we are combing through them for evidence.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53The 17-year-old who raised the alarm after climbing out of the home
0:11:53 > 0:11:56through a window had been plotting the escape for two years.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00One of her sisters made it out with her but turned back out of fear.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03This case has sent waves of revulsion across
0:12:03 > 0:12:06the United States and beyond.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The authorities say the siblings are doing well but some of them
0:12:09 > 0:12:11at least have almost certainly suffered irreparable
0:12:11 > 0:12:15physical and mental damage.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17The parents are due in court again next month.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19If convicted, they face life in prison.
0:12:19 > 0:12:26James Cook, BBC News, Riverside in California.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Employees of the failed construction giant Carillion,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32who're working on projects for Network Rail, have been told
0:12:32 > 0:12:35this afternoon that their wages will be guaranteed to at least
0:12:35 > 0:12:37mid-April.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39The firm, which has hundreds of public and private contracts,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42collapsed on Monday with debts of more than a £1 billion.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Our Business Editor, Simon Jack, joins me now.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Simon, some reassurance for one group of employees,
0:12:46 > 0:12:52but there's still great uncertainty for others.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56In the last few moments, Kier group, one of the joint-venture partners
0:12:56 > 0:13:01with Carillion on the HS2 and other projects, have said they will take
0:13:01 > 0:13:06on around 200 Carillion employees, move them across. That is good news.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Also, Network Rail say they will guarantee the wages from Monday, and
0:13:10 > 0:13:14that is important. There has been a flurry of activity. We have had a
0:13:14 > 0:13:19task force assembled, banks have put together a rescue funds. But this is
0:13:19 > 0:13:24not the cavalry, these are ambulances, because this is a very
0:13:24 > 0:13:27serious situation. The real casualties are the subcontractors
0:13:27 > 0:13:31with outstanding invoices to Carillion for work they have done up
0:13:31 > 0:13:35until the liquidation. One Carillion board member told me she would be
0:13:35 > 0:13:38surprised if they got anything at all. Companies directly affected
0:13:38 > 0:13:43will get nothing for the money they are owed. Even if you are not
0:13:43 > 0:13:46directly affected, you might be exposed to a company who are
0:13:46 > 0:13:50exposed, so it makes its way down the chain. The hands-on approach
0:13:50 > 0:13:54this week is in contrast to what happened before the liquidation.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Back after the massive profit warning in July, I am told not a
0:13:58 > 0:14:01single senior Cabinet minister met with the company in the weeks and
0:14:01 > 0:14:07months that followed. So there is lots going on, but as one business
0:14:07 > 0:14:11group put it today, this is all very good but it is a sticking plaster.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16At the moment, we are waiting after this car crash of a corporate bust
0:14:16 > 0:14:20for the casualty list and perhaps the fatality list. Some people have
0:14:20 > 0:14:25told me this will send them to the wall.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Our top story this evening:
0:14:27 > 0:14:29The government has decided not to challenge the decision to release
0:14:29 > 0:14:32the serial sex attacker John Worboys.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35And still to come, retail figures show a disappointing
0:14:35 > 0:14:39December on the high street.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News:
0:14:40 > 0:14:43England beat Australia in Brisbane to take a 2-0 lead
0:14:43 > 0:14:45in their one day series, as they look to salvage something
0:14:45 > 0:14:48from their winter tour Down Under.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03At first glance, it looks like a length of pipe but it's
0:15:03 > 0:15:06actually a prototype of a new mode of transport that could
0:15:06 > 0:15:07transform the way we travel.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It's called Hyperloop, a system which sends shuttle pods
0:15:09 > 0:15:10through low pressure tubes, cutting down friction
0:15:10 > 0:15:16and wind resistance.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Engineers say they could reach speeds of 700 miles per hour.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The project is being tested in the Nevada Desert
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and our Technology Correspondent, Rory Cellan Jones has been
0:15:26 > 0:15:27to see it in action.
0:15:27 > 0:15:33His report contains flashing images.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35We are heading through the Nevada Desert, north of Las Vegas,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40for a glimpse of what its backers claim is the future of transport.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42This is Hyperloop, an attempt to send passengers hurtling at
0:15:42 > 0:15:46700 mph through a vacuum tube.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Many think that's far-fetched, but this project got the backing
0:15:48 > 0:15:50last year of Virgin, with Sir Richard Branson
0:15:50 > 0:15:54becoming chairman.
0:15:54 > 0:16:00In this 500-metre test track, they say they have shown
0:16:00 > 0:16:02that the technology works, though they've not yet put any
0:16:02 > 0:16:05human beings on board.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I think my background in spacecraft engineering has given me
0:16:08 > 0:16:10the skill set to be able...
0:16:10 > 0:16:12The head of engineering, a space scientist recruited from Nasa,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16sees no reason why people might be scared.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18The Hyperloop is a maglev train in a vacuum system
0:16:18 > 0:16:20or in a vacuum tube.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23So you can also think of it as an aircraft
0:16:23 > 0:16:26flying at 200,000 feet, so people don't have any issue
0:16:26 > 0:16:28flying in aeroplanes and people don't have any issues
0:16:28 > 0:16:29going in maglev trains.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32This is simply combining the two, and it allows you to be
0:16:32 > 0:16:33more energy efficient.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36This isn't the only project.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39The electric car tycoon Elon Musk, who originally floated the whole
0:16:39 > 0:16:43idea, has proposed a tunnel under Los Angeles that could carry cars
0:16:43 > 0:16:50or be transformed into a Hyperloop.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53The Virgin Hyperloop team has said they could take passengers
0:16:53 > 0:16:55from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes, or cut the journey
0:16:55 > 0:16:58between New York and Boston to under half an hour.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But making this work in the real world will mean running several
0:17:01 > 0:17:06of these pipes alongside each other over long distances,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09perhaps underground, and convincing governments that
0:17:09 > 0:17:13that is realistic is going to prove, well, pretty challenging.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18At the giant CES tech show in Las Vegas, Hyperloop's chief
0:17:18 > 0:17:20executive was pushing the message that this technology was coming
0:17:20 > 0:17:23soon, and he had one startling idea for the UK.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25You could build a Hyperloop between Gatwick and Heathrow
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and move between those two airports as if they were terminals,
0:17:28 > 0:17:34and move in four minutes.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36We wouldn't have to build that third runway.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38We could save billions of pounds.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43It's an intriguing idea.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Now all the Virgin Hyperloop team has to do is convince local
0:17:46 > 0:17:49residents they'd like to see a couple of these along the route
0:17:49 > 0:17:50between Heathrow and Gatwick.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Rory Cellan Jones, BBC News, Nevada.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57There was more gloom for the high street today with figures showing
0:17:57 > 0:18:05that the growth in retail sales slowed last year.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It wasn't a great Christmas either with sales down 1.5%
0:18:07 > 0:18:09in December compared with the previous month -
0:18:09 > 0:18:12which was boosted by people taking advantage of Black Friday offers.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Emma Simpson reports.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15In the Carpetright sale, it's half price on selected
0:18:15 > 0:18:16carpets and beds...
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It should be the busiest time of the year for Britain's biggest
0:18:19 > 0:18:20floor coverings retailer.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Trouble is, it's been anything but.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Carpetright's prices may have been cut by half.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Unfortunately, its share price almost did the same today
0:18:29 > 0:18:32after it warned its profits were going to tumble.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Carpetright says falling consumer confidence is behind what it
0:18:35 > 0:18:39describes as a sharp deterioration in trading.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41In other words, shoppers are holding back from buying
0:18:41 > 0:18:49these big-ticket items.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53There wasn't much to cheer about for Bonmarche either.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Sales in its clothing shops were down by nearly 10%,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59compared with the previous year, causing its share
0:18:59 > 0:19:01price to plummet, too.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03We are still spending on the high street,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05and increasingly online, but judging by these
0:19:05 > 0:19:09shoppers in Skipton, we are also being careful.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12We're looking out for the bargains and the offers rather than the
0:19:12 > 0:19:15full-priced clothes over winter.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17If I need something, I get it.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20If I don't, I don't buy it, no matter how cheap it is,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23because if I don't need it, what's the point?
0:19:23 > 0:19:24So what's been going on?
0:19:24 > 0:19:26December is an absolutely critical month for retailers.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27In truth, Christmas has been pretty disappointing,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but probably not that surprising.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Inflation hit a five-year high in the run-up to Christmas,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and this really put people's personal finances
0:19:34 > 0:19:35under a lot of strain.
0:19:35 > 0:19:42The other really significant impact is Black Friday.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44When online orders and parcels are on the move, this shopping
0:19:44 > 0:19:48extravaganza has changed the pattern of Christmas spending.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We are doing more of it in November.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54But, over the whole Christmas quarter, growth slowed.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Question is, will this year be as challenging as the last?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Emma Simpson, BBC News.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern has
0:20:04 > 0:20:06announced that she is pregnant.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Ms Ardern said she and her partner, Clarke Gayford, were expecting
0:20:10 > 0:20:12their child in June, after which she planned
0:20:12 > 0:20:15to take a six-week break.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Ms Ardern is now set to be the second elected world leader
0:20:18 > 0:20:20to give birth while in office - and the first to do
0:20:20 > 0:20:22so in almost 30 years.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I'm not the first woman to work and have a baby.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I know these are special circumstances but there'll
0:20:26 > 0:20:30be many women who will have done this well before I have.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I acknowledge those women.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I'm about to sympathise with them a lot as I
0:20:35 > 0:20:42sympathise with all women who've suffered morning sickness.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Two former US Olympic gymnasts have testified today in the case
0:20:45 > 0:20:51involving former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The pair, who won gold at London 2012, are among more than 100 women
0:20:54 > 0:20:56to have accused Nassar of sexual abuse.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58He's already facing 60 years in prison after pleading guilty
0:20:58 > 0:21:00to child pornography charges.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Our correspondent Rajini Vaidynathan has sent this report from Michigan,
0:21:02 > 0:21:07where she's speaking to one of his victims.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Described as a monster in court.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14For two decades, Larry Nassar was a widely-respected
0:21:14 > 0:21:15doctor to young gymnasts.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19But, behind closed doors, he was abusing them.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21His victims ranged from Olympians to family friends
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and state-level gymnasts.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28He's going to stay in jail for the rest of his life.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31We, on the other hand, are going to move forward.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We are going to live our best lives, because we are fighters
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and we are strong, and we overcome impossible odds, because that's
0:21:37 > 0:21:40what we were trained to do.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Gwen Anderson was a champion athlete who competed
0:21:44 > 0:21:47for her home state of Michigan.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Seen here at the age of 14, it was during this time
0:21:50 > 0:21:52that she sought treatment from Larry Nassar.
0:21:52 > 0:21:59Instead, he molested her, time and time again.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03To have your name and your face and your story out for everybody
0:22:03 > 0:22:04to see is a scary thing.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07How did it feel to look him in the eyes and tell
0:22:07 > 0:22:10him what you felt?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It was really hard.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I didn't know he was going to be that close.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It doesn't seem like he's that close, and then you stand
0:22:19 > 0:22:23there and he's five feet away from you.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27As a teacher, I have my kids, their strength and encouragement,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30their rock, their safe place, their go-to, their protector,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and that's how I felt with him - that he was my safe place.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35He was going to protect me.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39He was going to make sure I didn't hurt, and he took that and used
0:22:39 > 0:22:40that against all of us.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44For so many, this was a man they trusted implicitly.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50For the record, go to hell.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Tom Brennan was Gwen's coach and once a close friend of Nassar's.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55When I graduated from grad school, he was an adviser of mine.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57He's been a mentor of mine.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02I've done clinics with him for years in the past.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And I've probably sent well over 100 kids to him over the years.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11So the guilt I feel for that is hard to fathom.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Did you have any idea of what he was doing?
0:23:14 > 0:23:15None.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I had zero idea.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21We had the utmost trust for that man, and that's
0:23:21 > 0:23:23where we all went wrong.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27All this week, young women have packed this small courtroom,
0:23:27 > 0:23:32as they get to do what few survivors of sexual abuse ever
0:23:32 > 0:23:35have the chance to, directly confront their attacker.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38There's been a real sense of collective empowerment here.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Already, more than 80 women have shared their testimonies in this
0:23:41 > 0:23:43case, and every day more are coming forward,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45saying they want to share their stories, too.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49This hearing won't end until every one of those voices is heard.
0:23:49 > 0:23:56Rajini Vaidynathan, BBC News, Lansing, Michigan.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59From Hollyoaks to Hollywood.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01That could become a reality for two former stars
0:24:01 > 0:24:03of the Channel 4 soap opera.
0:24:03 > 0:24:10Next week Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton find out
0:24:10 > 0:24:12if their 20-minute drama, The Silent Child, has been
0:24:12 > 0:24:13nominated at the Oscars.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Actress Rachel Shenton wrote the film to highlight how sign
0:24:16 > 0:24:19language can change lives and cast Maisie Sly, a profoundly deaf
0:24:19 > 0:24:20six-year-old girl, in the lead role.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Our Entertainment Correspondent Colin Paterson has
0:24:22 > 0:24:25been to meet them.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Yeah, I mean this story is incredibly close to my heart.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I want her to speak...
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The Silent Child tells the story of a deaf girl struggling
0:24:35 > 0:24:37to communicate.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I think she'll be able to have a career in whatever she likes.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Rachel Shenton, who used to be in Hollyoaks, wrote and stars in
0:24:43 > 0:24:45the short film inspired by her own family's experience.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47She is a qualified sign language interpreter.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50My dad lost his hearing when I was younger, and he actually
0:24:50 > 0:24:57lived the last two years of his life profoundly deaf.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00And I saw then just how hard that was on a family, and I
0:25:00 > 0:25:02started to learn sign language.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07started to learn sign language.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09She made the film to draw attention to
0:25:09 > 0:25:12the fact that more than three quarters of deaf children in the UK
0:25:12 > 0:25:14attend mainstream school without any specialist help.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Deafness isn't a learning difficulty.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19With the right support a deaf child can do exactly
0:25:19 > 0:25:20the same as a hearing child.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22That was the big message.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25ALL:Mouse wanted to find out!
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The star of the film, Maisie Sly, is six and profoundly deaf.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Her family moved from Plymouth to Swindon especially so she could
0:25:33 > 0:25:35attend a mainstream school, which does offer support.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38She'd never acted before.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57INTERPRETER:I wanted to show hearing people that deaf
0:25:57 > 0:25:58children can do anything.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01How was it making the film?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12INTERPRETER:It was hard work because I have to sometimes film
0:26:12 > 0:26:18things again and again and again.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I used the sign to start but I would say, "Action."
0:26:21 > 0:26:23But things were made a lot easier by the director Chris
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Overton, who also used to be in Hollyoaks.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27He learned sign language especially so he could communicate
0:26:27 > 0:26:32with his star.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I learned all of the lines and as much basic sign
0:26:35 > 0:26:36language as I could.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Because we wouldn't have a film if I couldn't tell her what to do.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Now it's the wait for the nominations.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44I get the feeling Maisie is less nervous about next
0:26:44 > 0:26:45Tuesday than you and Chris.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46I think that's fairly accurate.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Is that true?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50INTERPRETER:She says that I think we're going to go to
0:26:50 > 0:26:51the Oscars.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52LAUGHTER
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Colin Paterson, BBC News, Swindon.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Time for a look at the weather - here's Sarah Keith Lucas.
0:27:00 > 0:27:08She is taking it all in her stride. We have had more snow showers today.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12This is the view in Glasgow after just half an hour of heavy snow. We
0:27:12 > 0:27:16have a lot of lying snow around at the moment and its continuing to
0:27:16 > 0:27:19cause some disruption. The Met office have issued a member whether
0:27:19 > 0:27:22one today for the heavy snow and ice, particularly affecting the
0:27:22 > 0:27:27south west of Scotland but we have also some heavy snow in the
0:27:27 > 0:27:31north-west of England. The snow showers across western Scotland,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Northern Ireland, north-west England, will continue but they will
0:27:33 > 0:27:36ease away overnight so eventually the skies become clear and rain
0:27:36 > 0:27:41works in from the south-western night. As it bops the colder air
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Wiggo season snow over the hills of Wales, perhaps the Chilterns, and
0:27:45 > 0:27:48the Cotswolds too. Further north there will be ice and it will be a
0:27:48 > 0:27:55problem through Saturday morning. On Saturday morning, Imogen improved a
0:27:55 > 0:27:58across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland with a return
0:27:58 > 0:28:01to sunshine and the snow showers easing away eventually. Further
0:28:01 > 0:28:04south, a cloudy day, the hill snow will ease from southern England and
0:28:04 > 0:28:08South Wales but it will feel chilly where you are stuck under the cloud.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12As we move through Saturday night we have clear skies, quite a cold
0:28:12 > 0:28:16night, in fact it could be one of the coldest nights in the winter so
0:28:16 > 0:28:19far. Then into the early hours of Sunday, what you will notice is the
0:28:19 > 0:28:25next band of rain working in from the west. During Sunday the cold air
0:28:25 > 0:28:29is going to be met by this area of rain which will quickly turn to
0:28:29 > 0:28:33snow, particularly across Scotland and northern England. Further south
0:28:33 > 0:28:37it will probably fall as rain as we have milder air sweeping in,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39temperatures back into double figures towards the south-west,
0:28:39 > 0:28:44still quite chilly in the north and east. If you have plans to travel
0:28:44 > 0:28:47during Sunday, particularly across Scotland and northern England, watch
0:28:47 > 0:28:51out for potential disruption with some snow and ice. Things will turn
0:28:51 > 0:28:55milder as we move into next week.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Thank you.
0:28:57 > 0:29:12That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me -