0:00:04 > 0:00:05This is BBC World News Today.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07I'm Ben Bland.
0:00:07 > 0:00:14Our top stories...
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Austria becomes the only country in Europe for the far right party in
0:00:19 > 0:00:20power.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Brexit negotiations are moving on.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25EU leaders give the green light for talks to proceed to phase two
0:00:25 > 0:00:27but warn the next stage will be even tougher.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We are able to conclude that sufficient progress has been made.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36Now it's up to us to draft the withdrawal agreement together
0:00:37 > 0:00:38with our British friends.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42The United States and North Korea trade barbs at a sitting of the UN
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Security Council in New York, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
0:00:44 > 0:00:49suggests Washington could be open to dialogue with Pyongyang.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50And...
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Save the date - Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle
0:00:52 > 0:01:02will wed at Windsor Castle on the 19th of May.
0:01:05 > 0:01:13Hello and welcome to World News Today.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18In Austria, a coalition deal between the Conservative's People's party
0:01:18 > 0:01:23and the far right Freedom party has been announced. It paves the way for
0:01:23 > 0:01:28this man to become the next Chancellor. The deal comes two
0:01:28 > 0:01:31months after the original parliamentary election. It means
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Austria will become the only western European party with the far right
0:01:34 > 0:01:45party in government.
0:01:51 > 0:02:00Do we expect to see politics in Austria shifting to the right?It
0:02:00 > 0:02:04appears so, yes. We have a government which is conservative and
0:02:04 > 0:02:09far right and it was noticeable that, during the election campaign,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13it was dominated by the question of anti-migrant feeling. The Freedom
0:02:13 > 0:02:21party even accused the Conservatives of stealing their position when it
0:02:21 > 0:02:25came to anti-migrants. What lobby interesting to see though is how the
0:02:25 > 0:02:30two parties have balanced out the ministries. They announced this
0:02:30 > 0:02:34coalition deal but could not give any details, the two leaders. They
0:02:34 > 0:02:39say tomorrow they will meet Austria's president, who basically
0:02:39 > 0:02:43give the green light to this coalition to go ahead. They will
0:02:43 > 0:02:48then speak to the parties. It will be very interesting to see the
0:02:48 > 0:02:53similarities and differences.We will not get the details of what
0:02:53 > 0:02:59they agree until Saturday, but any kind of ideas as to what the junior
0:02:59 > 0:03:02coalition party might extract is a price for propping up the
0:03:02 > 0:03:12government?They have had a very long coalition negotiation. The
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Freedom party is not that much smaller than the Conservative Party.
0:03:16 > 0:03:24One of the things that did emerge a few days ago that we know about is
0:03:24 > 0:03:28repealing a proposed total smoking ban in Austria's restaurants and
0:03:28 > 0:03:32bars, but we do not know what else they have managed to get. There is
0:03:32 > 0:03:38speculation that the Freedom party may have charged both the Foreign
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Ministry and the Interior Ministry and possibly the Justice Ministry,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45but we do not have confirmation of that yet, we will have to wait and
0:03:45 > 0:03:49see what emerges over the next couple of days. But I think a lot of
0:03:49 > 0:03:52people will be wondering exactly how the Freedom party will in
0:03:52 > 0:03:59government. Sebastien and his Conservatives, some people say they
0:03:59 > 0:04:05will tame the Freedom party from its populism, others will say they are
0:04:05 > 0:04:09being pushed more towards the right, so this will be what the Austrians
0:04:09 > 0:04:21will be watching in the months ahead.Thank you very much, Bethany.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It's been a big day for the future
0:04:23 > 0:04:25of the United Kingdom, as it continues the process
0:04:25 > 0:04:27of removing itself from the European Union.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30The 27 other EU leaders have officially given the green light
0:04:30 > 0:04:32for a change in gear, from purely divorce
0:04:32 > 0:04:36talks to negotiating the relationship to come.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The UK hopes that will include a generous trade deal in due course.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The British Prime Minister Theresa May has hailed the progress
0:04:43 > 0:04:45as an "important step" forward.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48But she still faces differences of opinion in her own government
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and suffered an embarrassing House of Commons defeat on Brexit
0:04:51 > 0:04:52earlier this week.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Damian Gramatticas has more.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00On a big day for the EU, a barrage of questions.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05Last night, these leaders gave Theresa May a round of applause.
0:05:05 > 0:05:13Not very enthusiastically, but it was well-deserved.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Angela Merkel led that gesture, appreciative after Mrs May told EU
0:05:16 > 0:05:17leaders she wants a smooth Brexit.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19It's what they want, too.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22The one leader who isn't here is Theresa May herself,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26the leader for whom this matters more than any other,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28getting the green light in the Brexit process,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31to move to the next stage.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And so, the looming question - exactly what does the UK want future
0:05:35 > 0:05:40ties with the EU to look like?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I think the first big step is for the United Kingdom to say
0:05:43 > 0:05:46very clearly what it wants in clear terms.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51I think if this happens in the next few weeks we can start in earnest
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and by March we will have a very clear European position.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Thank you.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57First, the EU 27 agreed, as expected, sufficient
0:05:57 > 0:06:02progress has been made.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Then the discussions turned to the EU's terms for phase
0:06:04 > 0:06:08two of the negotiations and a new set of guidelines.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13They say talks will only move on if all commitments the UK has
0:06:13 > 0:06:16made so far are respected in full - so no backtracking on the financial
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and citizens' deals.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And for a transition, the EU's terms are, the UK
0:06:23 > 0:06:26will continue to participate in the customs union and single
0:06:26 > 0:06:29market - so little change - but the UK will not have a part
0:06:29 > 0:06:34in EU decision-making and will have to accept all the same rules
0:06:34 > 0:06:37as everyone else including any new EU regulations and be bound
0:06:37 > 0:06:42by the European Court of Justice.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46As for the framework for future relations,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49it is now time for internal EU 27 preparations and
0:06:49 > 0:06:51contact with the UK.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55To get more clarity on their vision.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58As for what the UK wants most of all, in-depth discussions
0:06:58 > 0:07:02about the future ties, they will have to wait until March,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05EU leaders said, indicating it is the EU who is firmly
0:07:05 > 0:07:13in control of the Brexit process.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16My colleague Christian Fraser is in Brussels for the summit
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and gave us this assessment of the talks finally
0:07:18 > 0:07:22came to a conclusion.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26I think what we take away from this summit is that the EU side really
0:07:26 > 0:07:30does want to deal with Theresa May.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33They see her as their best chance for a smooth Brexit
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and also they think that, with her, they can ensure
0:07:35 > 0:07:38that there aren't the same sort of hiccups that we might have seen
0:07:38 > 0:07:41over the course of the last eight or nine months.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Let's talk to Damian Grammaticas, our Europe our Europe
0:07:43 > 0:07:44correspondent, about that.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Is that a broad assessment of where we're at, that they see
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Theresa May as their best chance?
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Well, I think they want a stable Prime Minister in the UK who can
0:07:53 > 0:07:56make difficult compromises for the UK because that is going
0:07:56 > 0:07:58to continue to happen, and who can deliver those.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01So, that is crucial.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03There was a real sort of audible sigh of relief
0:08:03 > 0:08:05in this building today.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And it's interesting - the end of this year is actually
0:08:08 > 0:08:11quite a good point to take stock because we had the triggering
0:08:11 > 0:08:13of Article 50 at the beginning of the year.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16All sorts of confusion about what was going to happen.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18As you said, real down points when it looked
0:08:18 > 0:08:20like everything might fall apart, and they're back on track
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and I think that's what matters to the Europeans.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25What do you make of where we're at now in terms
0:08:25 > 0:08:27of the future relationship?
0:08:27 > 0:08:34Because Theresa May's not spelt out much of that,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38but then perhaps that's not a bad strategy because, if you look at how
0:08:38 > 0:08:41she's dealt with the first phase, she didn't spell much of that out
0:08:41 > 0:08:42to her own side, either.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Well, what I can say, I think, is that the EU side,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the messages they've put out, is that they find that quite
0:08:49 > 0:08:51frustrating, actually, I think, because they want to know more -
0:08:51 > 0:08:54they want to engage in this discussion, and I think they feel
0:08:54 > 0:08:57that the UK side hasn't yet.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00We know the UK Cabinet hasn't yet engaged fully with discussing
0:09:00 > 0:09:03what the future will look like and the EU feeling, I think,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06certainly, is that these are really difficult things that have got to be
0:09:06 > 0:09:09grappled with and that the earlier the UK does that, the better,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12because then the EU can engage with what the UK wants
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and that's what we're going to start to see next year.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Yeah.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Having said that, they have all been prime ministers,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Jean-Claude Juncker included.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Some of them lead minority governments, some of them
0:09:23 > 0:09:26are at the head of weak coalitions.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29They know how difficult it is to be a Prime Minister and they're
0:09:29 > 0:09:31painfully aware of the maths back in the UK.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34They are, and I think that's an important point,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36actually, to make.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It's an important point to remember in that there's a lot of sort
0:09:39 > 0:09:41of concern in the UK, I think, watching the progress
0:09:41 > 0:09:44of legislation through Parliament.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Here, that is viewed as a normal, natural part of this process.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Every parliament in Europe is going to have to look
0:09:49 > 0:09:52at what happens in this process, what comes out at the end
0:09:52 > 0:09:54of it, and approve it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59So, they think it's fine that the UK is doing the same thing.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02But, actually, I think the EU side see that...
0:10:02 > 0:10:06They don't see that as in any way, I think, weakening Theresa May.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10In a way, I think they'd be glad of the fact that the parliament
0:10:10 > 0:10:14will approve something because, as I say, they want a sort
0:10:14 > 0:10:16of durable outcome from this that works all round,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18however hard it is to get to that.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20So, in the New Year, they move on to the next
0:10:20 > 0:10:22part of negotiation.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25One thing we should just say about the withdrawal process.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27They are saying in the document that they released today
0:10:27 > 0:10:29that they expect the withdrawal agreement to be put
0:10:29 > 0:10:30into a legal text.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32They want it to be legally binding.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35And there is still a little bit of work to finish on that,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37particularly when it comes to citizens' rights.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40They're hoping that that can be done in parallel with the talks
0:10:40 > 0:10:41about the future negotiation.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43But that is the situation here in Brussels at the end
0:10:43 > 0:10:44of this EU summit.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50Christian Fraser there at the summit in Brussels.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The US Secretary of State says North Korea needs to show
0:10:53 > 0:10:56a "sustained cessation of threatening behaviour" before
0:10:56 > 0:11:00meaningful talks can begin.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Rex Tillerson was speaking at a meeting of the UN
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Security Council in New York.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Mr Tillerson also questioned the commitment of Moscow,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and especially Beijing, in trying to reign in the secretive
0:11:09 > 0:11:14state's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17There's Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20The United States questions China's commitment to solving an issue that
0:11:20 > 0:11:22has serious implications for the security
0:11:22 > 0:11:25of its own citizens.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Recently, the North Korean regime has sought to portray UN sanctions
0:11:28 > 0:11:32as harmful to women and children, but this is a regime that
0:11:32 > 0:11:37hypocritically spends billions on nuclear and ballistic missile
0:11:37 > 0:11:40programmes while its own people suffer great poverty.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The regime could feed and care for women, children and ordinary
0:11:43 > 0:11:47people of North Korea if it chose the welfare of its people over
0:11:47 > 0:11:52weapons development.
0:11:52 > 0:11:59Let's speak to the BBC's Nada Tawfik who is in New York.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Many may remember that just on Tuesday when Rex Tillerson
0:12:02 > 0:12:04was addressing an audience at a think tank event
0:12:04 > 0:12:07on North Korea.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11He said the US was ready to enter into talks without preconditions.
0:12:11 > 0:12:19The White House quickly came out and denied that,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23saying the US policy had not changed at all and so today we saw
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Rex Tillerson toughening his stance there, saying North Korea had
0:12:26 > 0:12:28to earn its rights to get to the negotiating table
0:12:28 > 0:12:30and they really had to show a commitment walking
0:12:30 > 0:12:33back its nuclear programme before those talks could get under way.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It's interesting because it really echoes a lot
0:12:35 > 0:12:40of what the US' allies have said.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44For example, the Japanese Foreign Minister, who presided over
0:12:44 > 0:12:52this high-level meeting, he said that we shouldn't be
0:12:52 > 0:12:54conducting dialogue for the sake of dialogue,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56that these resolutions are very clear, that North Korea has
0:12:56 > 0:12:58to end its programme and there should be no
0:12:58 > 0:12:59compromise on that front.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03How did North Korea respond?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Well, it was a rare appearance that we got from North Korea's
0:13:07 > 0:13:10ambassador and he said that the nuclear programme was
0:13:10 > 0:13:16a self defensive measure to protect against the United States.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19He said, if anyone was to blame it was the US, that North Korea
0:13:19 > 0:13:24was a peace-loving country, it was a responsible nuclear power
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and that, as long as North Korea's rights were not infringed upon,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31no state should be worried about them using their arsenal.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Rex Tillerson hit back at that, saying that the only country
0:13:34 > 0:13:36responsible and who held the solution to this
0:13:36 > 0:13:40issue was North Korea itself as the aggressor.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42How did all of this go down with the other members
0:13:43 > 0:13:48of the Security Council present?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Well, the Europeans kind of endorsed this maximum pressure along
0:13:53 > 0:13:57with the diplomacy approach, saying it was important that
0:13:57 > 0:13:59North Korea, that sanctions were implemented and pressure
0:13:59 > 0:14:07was put on North Korea so they could come to the negotiating table.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13Russia and China, on the other hand, again, they feel that North Korea
0:14:13 > 0:14:16needs to abide by its obligations under the Security Council
0:14:16 > 0:14:18resolutions, but they did show concern about the increased rhetoric
0:14:18 > 0:14:20we're seeing in the region, saying it is unhelpful
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and could lead to unintended consequences if there's any
0:14:23 > 0:14:24miscalculation that goes forward.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27They reiterated their call, this proposal that Russia
0:14:27 > 0:14:37and China have put out, that says the US and Japan
0:14:38 > 0:14:39and South Korea should cease military activities
0:14:39 > 0:14:40in the region in return
0:14:40 > 0:14:42for North Korea stopping their programme.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44They called for that as a possible resolution to this issue.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51Thank you.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Police in the Netherlands have shot and wounded a man who was armed
0:14:58 > 0:15:00with a knife in the country's main airport, Schipol, just
0:15:01 > 0:15:02outside Amsterdam.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04The main entrance to the airport was evacuated -
0:15:04 > 0:15:05but has now re-opened.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06The man is in custody.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08There were no reports of other injuries.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Zimbabwe's ruling party has endorsed the new president,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Emmerson Mnangagwa, as their leader and candidate in next year's
0:15:12 > 0:15:22presidential elections.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29The Oxford English Dictionary has chosen "youthquake"
0:15:29 > 0:15:31as its word of the year.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34The word - first used in the 1960s - is defined as a "significant
0:15:34 > 0:15:36cultural, political, or social change arising
0:15:36 > 0:15:38from the actions or influence of young people".
0:15:38 > 0:15:41It's been used more recently in relation to the effect of young
0:15:41 > 0:15:51voters on politics in Britain, France and New Zealand.
0:15:51 > 0:15:58Still to come... The UN warns the United States is becoming the world
0:15:58 > 0:16:07champion of inequality under Donald Trump.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The signatures took only a few minutes but they brought a formal
0:16:24 > 0:16:28end to three and a half years of conflict, conflict has claimed more
0:16:28 > 0:16:34than 200,000 lives. The presence of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia put their
0:16:34 > 0:16:45names to the peace agreement.The Romanian border was sealed in silent
0:16:45 > 0:16:49today. Flamini has cut itself off from the outside world to prevent
0:16:49 > 0:16:59the details of the presumed massacre from leaking out.The Lewinsky
0:16:59 > 0:17:03affair tonight guaranteed Bill Clinton his place in history is only
0:17:03 > 0:17:14the second president ever to be impeached.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Austria will become the only Western European country with a far right
0:17:24 > 0:17:29party in power. The Conservatives have reached a deal with the
0:17:29 > 0:17:32anti-immigration Freedom party. Britain's drawn-out divorce from the
0:17:32 > 0:17:36EU seems to be making progress. EU leaders have given the green light
0:17:36 > 0:17:47for talks to progress to two.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54England's cricketers will begin day three of the third Ashes Test in
0:17:54 > 0:18:00Perth. But they will need to dispense with Steve Smith early on.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03He is unbeaten 92 and knows victory will secure the series and the
0:18:03 > 0:18:13famous trophy.If day one of this Test match belonged to England, day
0:18:13 > 0:18:20two has belonged to Australia. Not that it seemed that way at first.
0:18:20 > 0:18:27Jonny Bairstow reached his century and celebrated by head-butting his
0:18:27 > 0:18:32helmet, a reference to that infamous incident in a bar in Perth. But when
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Milan went for 140, the rest
0:18:37 > 0:18:42of England's batting collapsed horribly. They lost their last six
0:18:42 > 0:18:46wickets for 35 runs, 403 all out and will feel they should have gotten a
0:18:46 > 0:18:52lot more than that. But England's bowlers set about repairing the
0:18:52 > 0:18:55damage, two wickets for Craig Overton but than a half-century and
0:18:55 > 0:19:0292 not out from Captain Steve Smith turn things around in Australia's
0:19:02 > 0:19:07favour. In the end, it was Australia's day but Jonny Bairstow
0:19:07 > 0:19:15with that century, these were his thoughts afterwards.It was my
0:19:15 > 0:19:19favourite one in many ways. I have played in a few Ashes Series so far.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The score and Ashes hundreds of something you dream about as a kid.
0:19:23 > 0:19:32It has eluded me until now. A whole heap of emotions came through.
0:19:32 > 0:19:39Australia will feel they are right back in this. One of the key men,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42are battling half-century helping to turn things around, afterwards he
0:19:42 > 0:19:46said he was surprised by the speed of England's batting collapse.It
0:19:46 > 0:19:52was not that England have a history of collapsing, we just knew that if
0:19:52 > 0:19:54we had a breakthrough, the new batsmen would find it tough coming
0:19:54 > 0:20:08in. Leading into the tail, another wicket, it is never an easy place to
0:20:08 > 0:20:14bat.A good day for Australia. Steve Smith the captain is very much the
0:20:14 > 0:20:20key man. 92 not out going into day three. If he gets a big century,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Australia will still be hopeful of securing a first innings lead and
0:20:24 > 0:20:32potentially match-winning and Ashes winning position.Pep Guardiola is
0:20:32 > 0:20:37adamant his Manchester City side or not go all season unbeaten. City are
0:20:37 > 0:20:4211 points ahead of the English Premier League table after a record
0:20:42 > 0:20:4816th consecutive win. They play Spurs at home on Saturday.That
0:20:48 > 0:20:56belongs to Arsene Wenger. We will lose games. Today's completely
0:20:56 > 0:21:07different. Now what has happened is an exception. That is not normal,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12but we have done.The former head of cycling's International governing
0:21:12 > 0:21:16body has told the BBC the Chris Froome's adverse drugs test is a
0:21:16 > 0:21:21disaster for the sport that could use Team Sky or its credibility too.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Chris Froome was found to have had double the permitted level of an
0:21:25 > 0:21:34illegal drug in his system. He said he was following doctors' advice.
0:21:34 > 0:21:47The president said it would be very hard for the Britain to avoid a ban.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55A senior UN official has criticised the rich and poor gap in America. He
0:21:55 > 0:21:59says the Trump administration's policies could make the situation
0:21:59 > 0:22:04even worse. President Trump has argued that cutting tax will result
0:22:04 > 0:22:09in the US economy performing more robust you. Let's speak to David
0:22:09 > 0:22:18Willis. What are the other points that Mr Ulster made?This is a
0:22:18 > 0:22:21scathing report on the state of poverty in one of the richest
0:22:21 > 0:22:27nations of the world. The UN special rapid tour basically making the
0:22:27 > 0:22:34point, after spending two weeks here and talking to a local and federal
0:22:34 > 0:22:37government official as well as poor and homeless people, but the
0:22:37 > 0:22:43American dream is becoming an illusion, the land of opportunity
0:22:43 > 0:22:48fast becoming a land of inequality. He makes the point that his visit
0:22:48 > 0:22:55here coincided with a change in direction in US policy on poverty.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00The Trump administration has proposed a tax reform package making
0:23:00 > 0:23:05its way through Congress. He said, we will make the United States one
0:23:05 > 0:23:08of the most unequal societies in the world as far as wealth is concerned
0:23:08 > 0:23:13and widened the gap between the richest here and the poorest. There
0:23:13 > 0:23:18is a telling phrase, talking about this notion of American
0:23:18 > 0:23:23exceptionalism, he says the US has proved itself to be exceptional in
0:23:23 > 0:23:28ways that are shockingly at odds with its immense wealth and founding
0:23:28 > 0:23:33commitment to human rights. As a result, contrasts between private
0:23:33 > 0:23:39wealth and public squalor abound.I suppose the counter argument of
0:23:39 > 0:23:44those who support the tax cuts would say that, if it does stimulate the
0:23:44 > 0:23:50US economy, then everyone benefits from that.That certainly is
0:23:50 > 0:23:55President Trump's contention. He says this is a tax reform Bill aimed
0:23:55 > 0:24:00at the middle classes, but critics say that the main beneficiaries will
0:24:00 > 0:24:06be business and the very wealthy. As a result, the Democrats are refusing
0:24:06 > 0:24:12en masse to support this bill which has been going through Congress, and
0:24:12 > 0:24:15indeed there were further developments today with certain
0:24:15 > 0:24:20clauses being tightened up and so on. It is expected that legislation
0:24:20 > 0:24:29to go to a vote of both houses next week and beyond president Trump's
0:24:29 > 0:24:33desk for signing before Christmas. President Trump is not known as a
0:24:33 > 0:24:36man to take criticism without putting forward his own side of
0:24:36 > 0:24:42things. Has it responded to this report?No response so far, but it
0:24:42 > 0:24:45will not be favourable if the response comes. We can expect
0:24:45 > 0:24:49tweeting over the weekend in response to this if it picks up
0:24:49 > 0:24:55traction here on American cable news outlets. But there is certainly
0:24:55 > 0:24:59damning stuff in that report. No question about that. Not least as
0:24:59 > 0:25:06well about how the so-called social safety net has basically been eroded
0:25:06 > 0:25:11to the point where it is no longer functioning properly and serving
0:25:11 > 0:25:17those that it is intended to serve him.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20If you have your diary to hand, you may want to note down
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Saturday 19th of May, 2018.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24That is the date that's been set for the royal wedding
0:25:24 > 0:25:26of Prince Harry and his fiancee, actress Meghan Markle.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28The pair announced their engagement last month.
0:25:28 > 0:25:38They will marry in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Don't forget you can get in touch with me and some
0:25:49 > 0:25:59of the team on Twitter - I'm @BenMBland.