21/02/2018 BBC News at Six

Two victims of the black

cab rapist John Worboys

win a landmark legal battle

against the Metropolitan police.

The women, who were attacked

by Worboys in 2003 and 2007,

reported his crimes

but were not believed.

They had all the information there.

They should have caught him.

They could have stopped him the very

next day, but they didn't,

they chose to not believe me.

We'll be examining

the implications of the ruling

for future police investigations.

Also tonight.

New figures show the strongest

six months of growth

in economic productivity

since the recession of 2008.

The government's plans

to tackle air pollution

are ruled unlawful -

for a third time.

In a student at last week's school

shooting have been joined by

thousands of others in the state

capital demanding changes to gun

laws in America. -- and I'm in

Florida after last week's school

shooting.

There are problems that face us

tonight that will never be solved

unless we bring them

to the Lord Jesus Christ and...

And the US evangelist Billy Graham,

who's thought to have preached

to hundreds of millions of people,

dies at the age of 99.

And coming up on Sportsday on BBC

News, Eve Muirhead produces a moment

of brilliance as GB's women's

curlers reached the semifinals of

the Winter Olympics.

Good evening.

Two victims of the 'black cab

rapist' John Worboys have won

a landmark legal case

against the Metropolitan police -

after officers failed to take action

when they reported him.

The women were sexually assaulted

by Worboys in 2003 and 2007

and said their treatment by police,

who didn't believe them,

caused them mental harm.

The ruling by the Supreme Court

means police could now face

legal action if they fail

to properly investigate cases.

Our Legal Correspondent Clive

Coleman has been speaking

to one of the women.

If they'd have done their job

in 2003 there would be one victim.

Which, I can deal with one victim,

what I can't deal with is 105

victims because I wasn't believed.

This woman, known for legal reasons

as DSD, was the first to report

being attacked by John Worboys

back in 2003.

Why do you think the police

simply didn't believe you?

I would like to throw that one back

at the police, because all

of the evidence was there.

There was a witness as there.

Everything was there.

Why did you believe me?

Why have you put me

through this for 15 years?

You get to the point

where you think, you are going mad.

From that first report it took

a further six years for police

to bring John Worboys to justice.

During that time he continued

to cruise the streets,

looking for women to dupe,

drug, sexually assault.

The police can't be sued

for negligence, so DSD and another

of John Worboys' victims claimed

police failures to investigate

breached article three

of the Human Rights Act,

and amounted to inhuman

and degrading treatment.

The Metropolitan Police,

with the backing of two home

secretaries, fought them

to the Supreme Court.

But today judges ruled

in the women's favour.

We have heard that failures

in the investigation of the crimes

provided they are sufficiently

serious will give rise to liability

on the part of the police.

Today's landmark ruling has huge

implications for both the victims

of violent crime and the police

to investigate it.

If they seriously failed

in an investigation they can face

human rights actions by the victim

and have to pay out compensation.

This is the highest court

in the land telling the police that

in the most serious of cases

they have to do them

a great job properly.

-- in the most serious of cases

they have to do their

job properly.

The police unreservedly apologised

to the victims they failed,

but suggested that today's ruling

could mean resources being taken

from less serious cases.

The court referred to it as those

cases involving serious violence.

And it's clear that John Worboys

Case fits in that criteria.

We now need to look at all of those

cases, look at how we balance

the challenge of resourcing those

against the many other

demands we face.

Domestic violence is a crime!

Domestic violence is a crime!

Today's judgment can't make up

for the police errors

in investigating John Worboys,

but it will put real pressure

on them to ensure that such

mistakes don't happen again.

Clive Coleman, BBC News.

The government has published

its latest proposals

for how Britain's relationship

with the EU will work in the period

immediately after Brexit.

The document says ministers want

a transition period of around

two years -

and that the UK will abide

by EU laws for that time.

It comes after more than 60

Brexit-supporting Tory MPs have

written to Theresa May to insist

the UK make a clean

break with the EU.

Our Political Editor

Laura Kuenssberg reports.

In

under pressure it is a big week for

the Prime Minister to show she's

making progress with her plans.

Prime Minister. We want to ensure

this is a country that can negotiate

free-trade deals around the world.

We want to ensure that we have a

good trade agreement with the

European Union and that is what we

will start to negotiate. We want to

make sure we have a good security

partnership with the EU.

It isn't

clear from today's exchanges this

government is not on the road to

Brexit, it on the road to nowhere.

For all the arguing, what matters to

the government right now is this,

the guidelines with the

implementation phase, or transition.

That is the period of time after

we've left the European Union when

broadly not very much will change

for quite some time. The UK thinks

it'll take about two years

for quite some time. The UK thinks

it'll take about two years to make

all the changes, but Brexiteers are

nervous about this phrase, that the

time frame could be shaped simply by

how long it'll take to prepare and

implement the new processes and

systems. Basically, it would be the

EU status quo, the rights and

obligations of the UK will continue.

But a joint committee should be set

up so the UK still has a say over

changes to any rules, and on some

up so the UK still has a say over

changes to any rules, and on some

specific areas like fishing. There

is no mention in today's text about

immigration. The core argument in a

referendum. Number ten says the

Prime Minister will still insist

that the system changes as soon as

we leave the European Union. But a

government source told me to expect

the UK to back down on that in the

face of resistance from Brussels.

How bullish our ministers?

Our

starting point has been, as the

Prime Minister has set out, that we

would allow people to work and live

in the UK during the pigmentation

phase, same as before, but we will

need to have a conversation about

how they will continue on after

that. -- implementation phase.

They

are not 1 million miles apart in the

talks about this. But however

friendly greeting was with the Dutch

Prime Minister today, entity to be

tied up is a lot of discussions need

to be had.

The discussion at this

moment is about two years. The

discussion then will be, if things

move smoothly, then after the two

years would allow for a short

extension. That debate continues.

The Brexit secretary at his Cabinet

colleagues still have convincing to

do in the European capitals, like in

Athens today, at home with their

party, and, of course, most

importantly with you. BBC News,

Westminster.

The UK has seen the

strongest six months

of productivity growth

since the recession of 2008,

according to the latest figures

from the Office for National

Statistics.

There was also a better

than expected rise in wages

in the first three months

of the year.

But unemployment edged up

for the first time in two years.

Here's our Economics

Editor Kamal Ahmed.

Bring on the robots. More efficient

and helping this firm in Hastings

make electrical equipment more

quickly. And the quicker you make

things the more you make every hour,

and the more wealth you create, that

is productivity. Since the financial

crisis our productivity performance

has been pretty poor, but over the

last six months there has been a

jump into positive territory. The

strongest since before 2008. Global

growth is helping firms.

We are

seeing a huge opportunity for us in

the Chinese market which we have

been working on for the past two

years. That is starting to come to

fruition now. That is why we have

found that it is time to reward the

staff, reward them in terms of

bringing in machinery like the robot

behind me, that will help them and

us increase productivity.

And wages

tend to follow, up over the last

three months to 2.5% from 2.3%.

Still below the

Still below the rise in prices, but

that living standards squeeze is

easy.

We have just had a pay rise.

We haven't had it long enough yet to

decide whether it makes a

difference. I'm sure it will. But it

is still early stages.

Despite

having a pay rise, if you look at

how things are increasing, when you

have a look at your utilities,

things like that, the difference is

noticeable.

Quite a noticeable

difference for the government, as

well, public finances are £7 billion

better off than they were last year.

That growth means higher tax

revenues and less borrowing. A lot

of important figures about the

economy today. Three better, one a

worry. Productivity is up,

government borrowing is better than

expected, and incomes are up. That

one worry, unemployment, which has

risen for the first time in two

years.

It's very hard to predict

whether a deployment is going to

carry on rising. You cannot read too

much into one month's figures. The

rate is still quite high but all

depend on the outlook of the economy

over the next few months.

And it is

that is that Outlook that really

matters for our incomes and jobs.

Brexit uncertainty is still waiting

on the economy, government debt are

still high, but today it was the

better economic figures that won

out. BBC News.

The government has ordered a review

into the way medical

problems caused by NHS

treatments are handled.

It follows three high-profile

campaigns over the hormone

pregnancy test Primodos,

the epilepsy drug Sodium

Valproate, and the use

of vaginal mesh implants.

Our Health Editor Hugh Pym is here.

- how significant is this

move by the government?

Patient groups have spent many years

campaigning for justice as they see

it following side effects in the

case of Primodos and Sodium

Valproate. And in the case of

vaginal meshes, women suffering

severe pain. Jeremy Hunt has opened

a review which could lead to further

investigations. He's also said the

NHS and medical regulators need to

do much more to take on patients'

concerns in the future. He says it

has not been good enough up until

now. In each case, as far as they

are concerned, there does need to be

a full enquiry.

Thanks very much.

The United Nations has

described the situation

in Eastern Ghouta in Syria as "hell

on earth" after the

government stepped up

its bombardment of the region.

It says that nearly 350

civilians have been killed,

and nearly 900 injured in just over

two weeks, mostly in air strikes

hitting residential areas.

This report, by our Middle East

Editor Jeremy Bowen,

contains some scenes

you may find distressing.

The Syrians deny targeting

civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

EXPLOSIONS.

These, they say,

are precision strikes

against artillery that has

hit central Damascus.

SCREAMING.

But the evidence from inside

the enclave is that civilians

are getting hurt and dying.

The suffering of civilians

could have a political effect.

Putting pressure on the rebel groups

in eastern Ghouta to make a deal.

The lives of their children

against strategic front line

territory near central Damascus

that the regime wants to get back.

This activist says helicopters

are hovering over us

here in eastern Ghouta.

God help us, we are

being exterminated.

I was able to cross

from government-controlled Damascus

to eastern Ghouta several times

at the beginning of the war.

Even then it was very badly

damaged by regime bombing.

Morale among the rebels was high

and dozens of young men were joining

what they believed was a revolution.

What do you think

will happen to Assad?

Killed.

Must be killed.

When the war started the regime

was under severe pressure.

It lost control of a crescent

of suburbs around Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta is the last of them

that has not surrendered.

In 2013 eastern Ghouta was hit

by a chemical attack

that killed hundreds.

The Americans threatened a military

strike against the regime

and then decided against it.

It was a turning point in the war

after that the regime lost its fear

of Western intervention.

In September 2015 Russia intervened,

decisively, on Assad's side.

Now he is more secure

and he is emboldened,

more so than at any time

since the war started.

And the Russians are becoming

the dominant foreign

power in the Middle East.

In northern Syria the president

has just sent militia

men to join the fight

against the Turkish incursion.

He would not have the confidence

to move against Nato power

without the Russians.

And it suggests he will not listen

to foreign condemnation

of the attack on eastern Ghouta.

Jeremie Bowen BBC News.

Our top story this evening.

Two victims of the black cab rapist

John Worboys have won

a landmark legal battle

against the Metropolitan police.

And still to come: Jumping for joy -

Britain's women's curling team

are through to the semi-finals

at the Winter Olympics

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News:

No defeats for any of the British

clubs in the last 16

of the Champions League so far,

can Manchester United continue that

run in Spain tonight?

The American evangelist Billy Graham

has died at the age of 99.

Considered one of the 20th Century's

most influential preachers,

he gave speeches around the world

to huge audiences.

In his 60-year career,

it's thought he preached in person

to over 200 million people.

Buckingham Palace says the Queen

will be sending a private message

of condolence to the family.

Our Religion Editor Martin Bashir

looks back on his life and work.

Problems that face us tonight that

will never be solved, unless we

bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Charismatic and handsome, Billy

Graham preached a simple message

that he took around the world.

Speaking to more than 220 million

people in 185 countries.

London first felt the force

of his evangelism in 1954.

We've come here at the invitation

of these churches to help lead a

crusade to win men to Jesus Christ.

He would lead 417 crusades, often

in major sporting stadiums, from New

York to Nigeria.

He was God, he was also man.

It was at an Earl's Court rally

in 1966 that Cliff Richard

publicly declared his Christianity.

He was even invited to preach

before the Queen and other

members of the Royal

Family at Sandringham in 1984

and said afterwards that he did not

change his message,

but simply pointed to Jesus.

My own son actually came

to the living faith through the

preaching of Billy Graham.

I don't actually think

we have somebody who

simply says, "The Bible says,

the Bible says, the Bible says,"

doesn't intrude his own ideas

into the message.

His son, Franklin Graham,

who is also an evangelist, described

a recent conversation.

I said, "Daddy, what

do you want on your

tombstone?"

He thought.

He said, "Just preacher."

That's it?

That's it.

God loves you.

Unlike so many American

preachers, Billy Graham was

never caught up in any kind

of scandal and insisted that his

financial affairs were transparent

and audited by others.

It was the simplicity

of his message and the

sincerity of his life

that will be his legacy.

The American preacher, Billy Graham,

who's died at the age of 99.

Government plans to tackle air

pollution have been ruled

unlawful by the High Court,

because they fail to bring down

nitrogen dioxide levels within legal

limits in enough areas

of England and Wales.

Ministers will now have to introduce

new measures in a further 33 towns

and cities across the UK.

Here's our Science

Editor David Shukman.

The air we breathe.

In dozens of places,

it is dirtier than the law

allows.

For years an environmental group has

challenged the government

to do more.

And today the High Court ordered

ministers to double the

number of areas where

pollution must be cut.

What it means today is in those

towns and cities that were

covered by this order,

local authorities will have to take

measures to try and fix that

as soon as possible.

And the government will have to help

those local authorities

to do that.

This app shows that today

in London the air quality

isn't that bad.

The problem is that in towns

and cities across the

country there are days when the air

pollution reaches the legal limits.

Now the judgment here at

the High Court acknowledges that the

government is doing

a great deal to clean up.

But also says ministers need

to do a great deal more.

At Prime Minister's

Questions Theresa May

was asked about the court

ruling.

They have asked us to go further

in areas with less severe

air-quality problems.

Where we thought

a pragmatic approach was

appropriate, we will

now formalise that.

But actually on two out

of the three counts they found

in the government's favour.

Wales will now see

a new effort to improve

the air.

The Welsh Government admitted

at the High Court that its

plans were not adequate.

Southampton is one of

several major cities where

the government recently

ordered a faster response.

So too in Leeds, another

pollution hotspot, were

today we found people are concerned.

I feel like it is slowly killing us.

It is bad air and they should find

a way to cut down and sort it.

We cannot let it go

because of our young people.

It is just not fair.

Local authorities in Leeds and other

cities are working on plans to

tackle pollution.

But they feel they're

having to make all the

effort.

And they say national government

is not helping enough.

We need to ensure there

is proper funding.

And that they're thinking for the

country as a whole and they're not

just passporting this responsibility

down to already stretched local

authorities, expecting us to do it

without that support in place.

The most obvious

solution is to charge

the dirtiest vehicles for coming

into polluted areas.

But that is also the most

controversial option

and ministers are not keen on it.

So what else can be

done to cut pollution?

Switching away from

diesels is one option.

So is encouraging people

onto public transport.

None of this is cheap but

the government now knows that the

courts are watching.

Scotland Yard are trying to

establish whether there is a link

between two fatal stabbings in

London which happened within an hour

of each other. The victims are a boy

in his teens and a man in his 20s.

At least 15 people have died in

knife crime there this year.

Survivors of the Florida school

shooting that left 17 people

dead having been marching

with thousands of other students

to the state capital,

calling for new laws on gun control.

It's the first organised

protest by a youth-led

anti-gun movement -

which was set-up following

the attack last week.

Our North America Editor Jon Sopel

is live in Tallahassee.

Thousands of people have left their

classrooms and have gathered in

front of state Capitol to destand

change to gun laws. In the corridors

of power, young people from the

school are meeting the law makers

and later today Donald Trump at the

White House is going to meet

representatives from the college. It

might add up to nothing, but it may

be that on the subject of gun

control a wind of change is blowing

across America.

A school trip like no other.

These students from Marjorie

Stoneman Douglas haven't come

to the Florida state

capital to listen.

They have come to speak and demand

change after 17 of their classmates

and teachers were killed last week.

And they're determined to be heard.

No one needs these weapons that

are taking children's lives,

and they should just ban them,

because all they are used

for is destruction.

And they're just not needed.

You should go to school feeling safe

and be confident that

you are there for an education

and a bright future.

You're not here to worry

about getting shot.

These youngsters will be heard

politely and given a warm reception

by Florida lawmakers.

But last night those same people

voted against even reopening

a debate on semiautomatic weapons.

The battle for gun control

is going to be an uphill struggle.

You're not up here

to give suggestions,

you are up here to demand.

But that decision not even to debate

guns in the state assembly

has infuriated pupils,

teachers and community

leaders alike.

I buried personally in the last

four days three kids

from my congregation.

I watched a father want to climb

into the mausoleum with his son.

I watched a mother curled up

in a ball who refused to come out

to be with her family

for the funeral.

And they have the gall to not

even discuss the issue.

We are very upset.

But from the White House

there are small but significant

signs of movement.

The President apparently in favour

of raising to 21 the age

at which people can buy weapons.

And he tweeted this.

"Whether we are Republican

or Democrat, who must now focus

on strengthening background checks."

And he announced yesterday

that he wanted to ban bump stocks,

the device used in Las Vegas that

turns a semiautomatic

rifle into a machine gun.

These students have

captured public attention

with their demand for change.

But those who have wearily trod this

path before will tell you that

winning support is a very different

thing to winning reform.

Jon Sopel, BBC News, Tallahassee.

Great Britain's women's curling

team are into the semi

finals of the competition

at the Winter Olympics

in South Korea, after beating

reigning champions Canada.

But Team GB's men will have

to get through a tie-break match if

they're to join them,

after they were beaten

by the US today.

Andy Swiss reports from Pyeongchang.

Sport so often the turns on a moment

of genius and this was

Eve Muirhead's.

With the scores tied against Canada,

the British captain

conjured a mathematical miracle.

One, two hits, that

one hits that one -

it's a great shot from Eve

Muirhead.

Well, Eve Muirhead played a cracker.

In curling, the simple aim is to get

closest to the target, but

how Muirhead took the scenic route -

her geometric genius took Britain

into the semi-finals,

even if her reaction...

A jump in the air

for joy and why not?

...left her slightly embarrassed.

I can't actually remember it.

When you're out there and you're

in that zone you forget

about the small things.

But, yeah, I'm glad

I landed safe on my feet.

So Eve Muirhead's team are through,

but could there now be another

Muirhead into the semi-finals?

Brother Thomas is hoping to help

the men's team into the last four of

their competition.

But there was to be no

family celebration.

The men's team thrashed by the USA.

They will now have to

beat Switzerland in a

play-off to reach the semi-finals.

British hopes in the bobsleigh

also took a knock.

A little mistake...

A bumpy third run

ended Misha McNeill

and Mika Moore's hopes of a medal,

but the pair, who had to crowd fund

to help their preparation,

still finished a creditable eighth.

That feels amazing,

five months ago we

didn't know if we

would even be here.

So to get here that is

an achievement in itself.

But the day's most dazzling

display came from a

15-year-old -

the extraordinary Alina Zagitova.

The Olympic Athlete

from Russia is still yet to

win a gold here, but her world

record score for this routine

suggests one may not be far away.

Andy Swiss, BBC News, Pyeongchang.

Time for a look at the weather.

Here's Susan Powell.

You can call it the beast from the

east or Siberian shivers, but we

have some cold weather on the way.

Especially through the weekend and

into next week. The high pressure is

with us at the moment. Tonight it

just means a lot of fine weather.

Thinning cloud and a widespread

frost. Some mist and freezing fog

possible in northern England and the

Midlands. Some decent brightness

first thing on Thursday. The cloud

tending to thicken as the day goes

which. By. Some drizzle in western

Scotland and Northern Ireland. The

easterly wind starting to strengthen

in the south. The wind stronger

again on Friday A sunnier day on

Friday. The high pressure keeping

our weather fronts at bay. The high

pressure will be with us through the

weekend. So more dry and fair

weather. But that high is building

and extending further east. If we

follow the lines, they're like a

pipeline pulling cold air from

Siberia towards us for the start of

next week. Look at the clash with

the warm air in the Mediterranean,

some nasty conditions in southern

Europe. For us it is cold air. This

is the day time temperatures. Sunday

a lingering frost. By Monday the

blue becomes darker and subzero

temperatures and add in that chilly

easterly wind. Here is your outlook.

Getting colder, but for next week a

definite shock to the system.

Getting colder, but for next week a

definite shock to the system.

That's all from the BBC News at Six

- so it's goodbye from me