Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20171129

In the hour on bbc news, the investigation into ben stokes involvement in a fight outside a nightclub has concluded and the cps will now decide whether or not he will face charges. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. The government has offered to significantly increase the so called brexit divorce bill, the amount of money its willing to pay the European Union for our departure from it. Its understood the government is now prepared to pay up to 50 billion euros around £41; billion in an attempt to kick start talks on a future trade deal. Back in september, the Prime Minister had said the uk was prepared to pay 20 billion euros. But the eus chief negotiator Michel Barnier insists we are not there and negotiations are continuing. Our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg has more. There is no substitute for personal diplomacy. The Prime Minister, the first major leader to visit iraq since so called is were driven out of mosul. Thousands of miles away, dealings between westminster and brussels made a broad offer to settle the uks accounts has been hypothetically agreed. We are still negotiations with the European Union, andi negotiations with the European Union, and i am clearthat negotiations with the European Union, and i am clear that i want us to move together onto the stage. We are working in the lead up to the december European Council. I want to see us december European Council. I want to see us able to move on to the trade talks and the security talks, but it means us talks and the security talks, but it means us moving together. Surely a bill of around a0 to 50 billion euros is too much for brexiteers, who promised we would get money back . After months of haggling and handshakes and frankly, changes of heart, the cabinet is pretty much on board. The Prime Minister is going to go forward to the december European Council with a very fair offer. We want to see progress towards the second phase of the negotiation. We have been waiting for 18 months or so. Now is the moment to get the whole ship off the rocks and move it forwards. They hope is that with more hypothetical cash on the table, talks about trade can cash on the table, talks about trade ca n start cash on the table, talks about trade can start next month. Do you think the brexit divorce bill is too large . But nothing is final, so and no minister will publicly give an official seal of approval. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed about this whole package, but we accept that there are obligations that we have built up and we will meet them if the Prime Minister has said. When we were told we would have plenty of money back if we voted to leave, it seems the eu has won the argument that the bill to settle our accounts runs into the tens of billions. Whether it be for long temperatures we have already signed up to all the pensions of brussels staff in years to come. In the bigger picture, around a0 billion spread over many years is not big bucks for the government. So the anger you might have expected in there didnt really explode. The anger you might have expected in there didnt really explodem the anger you might have expected in there didnt really explode. If we are going to negotiate the comprehensive new trade agreement with the European Union which we need for future jobs and prosperity, we need to be seen as a country which can be trusted to comply with the deals we reach. So will my right honourable friend guarantee that there will be no legally binding commitment to spend money until our partners agree to a serious free trade deal . With the minister agree that such a move would be betraying the trust of the british people . Sangakkara she should not pay more than we owe, but she should be confident that whatever it is, its a bargain against the cost of staying in. Do you welcome britains decision to pay more, mr barnier . We are still working. The eu chief negotiator was in no mood to declare that it negotiator was in no mood to declare thatitis negotiator was in no mood to declare that it is done. The final details of the bill will not be agreed for some time, and they deal to move onto the next phase of talks could still be scuppered by disagreement over the irish border or the European Courts. We are still waiting for more from london, he said. We are not there yet. After months of european hard talk and sticking together, britain has moved significantly towards their version of what we have to pay, the government finding little success perhaps in the brexit talks in trying to stay out on a limb. So this 50 billion euros, how likely is that to be the final tally given that we are unlikely to know the final tally . That we are unlikely to know the finaltally . Officials that we are unlikely to know the final tally . Officials are metaphorically still out there with their calculator is, haggling over particular sums under many different items that make up this proposed final bill. Nobody is suggesting that we have reached the end of this process. We know that a broad range has been agreed in the region of between a0 and 50 billion, and 50 billion euros, as far as the uk government is concerned, is at the top end. People have said to me that they are confident they can get it under that. But we cant be sure what the end total will be because the uk government is pretty firm that it will only pay out that kind of sum over many years were me know what we will get in return. And lots of these payments are not predictable. There are things like pensions in here, long term loans that have been paid out to other european countries. So we cannot at this point be forensically clear about the details. We can be clear that there is a broad understanding that there is a broad understanding that should in theory make it easier for the vital summit next month to move for the vital summit next month to m ove o nto for the vital summit next month to move onto the next phase of this whole saga. Talking of that, there are still the thorny issue of the ireland border to be resolved. And thatis ireland border to be resolved. And that is still a huge problem, because the very point of being in the European Union is that across country borders, goods, people, trucks and families can move wherever they want. Whats the uk and Northern Ireland are out of the European Union, what happens to those borders and things on either side of the irish border . The Irish Government wants a cast iron guarantee from britain that there is no way a hard border would be put in between the two countries. The uk government says of course, that is not what anybody wants. The foreign secretary has even said it is unthinkable. But while all these negotiations are up in the ad, the uk government will not make that cast iron guarantee that ireland says it is after. But with a few days to go until the real crunch here, there is such a loss of bravado on all sides in these negotiations, and there are some hints that both sides might be prepared to budge a little bit. There is no question that this one issue could still scupper the talks. Laura, thank you. President trump has used his twitter account to share inflammatory videos which were posted online by the deputy leader of the far right group, britain first. The footage purports to show muslims committing acts of violence. Downing street has condemned the move. The president has been accused here and in the states of spreading hatred. The tweets have been welcomed, though, by the former leader of the ku klux klan. 0ur north america correspondent nick bryant reports. Britain first is a far right anti muslim group with a small membership that often engages in publicity stunts to try to raise its profile. Early this morning, it received a huge propaganda gift from donald trump, the America First president. 0n donald trump, the America First president. On his twitterfeed, he retweeti ng president. On his twitterfeed, he retweeting three inflammatory videos from the groups deputy leader, the first claiming to show a muslim migrant packing a man on crutches. This is the depute leader in action. Earlier this month, she was charged with using threatening behaviour during speeches she made above us. For her, these president ial retreats are manna from heaven. God bless you, trump, she tweeted. God bless america. There has been a despairing response from the family of the murdered mp jo cox, response from the family of the murdered mpjo cox, who was killed bya murdered mpjo cox, who was killed by a right wing extremist who shouted root. Shouted britain first. Destroys hate against muslims and donald trump is the president of our nearest ally, and the fact that he didnt check first or didnt even think about the content of those tweets before doing it, i think suggests that his judgment is hugely lacking. Downing street has said it was wrong for the president to have done this, but added that his invitation to make a state visit to better next year still stands. As for the white house, it is unapologetic. The threat is real. The threat needs to be addressed. The threat needs to be addressed. The threat needs to be addressed. The threat has to be talked about, and that is what the president is doing in bringing that up. Previous us administrations have liked to think of themselves as beacons of democratic values, but that has not been a high priority for the trump white house. Many people around the world will be saddened and sickened to see the president of the United States appearing to validate tweets from a far right group. Ten months into this unorthodox and provocative presidency, donald trump still has the capacity to shock. Nick bryant, bbc news, new york. A wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces has died after drinking what appeared to be poison during his hearing at the International Criminal tribunal in the hague. Slobodan praljak had just heard the appeal against his 20 year sentence for war crimes had been rejected. From the hague, Anna Holligan reports. This was supposed to be a routine hearing, but as his final judgment was being read out, Slobodan Praljak swallowed something. Slobodan praljak is not a war criminal. I am rejecting the court ruling. I have taken poison. This courtroom is now a crime scene. Dont take away the glass he used when he drank something. Proceedings were immediately halted. We suspend. Please, the curtains. Cameras captured a few moments of confusion before the live broadcast was cut. Slobodan praljak was a commander of the Bosnian Croat forces, guilty of destroying mostars iconic 0ttoman era bridge and persecuting muslims. Outside the court, the ambulances arrived. Fire crews wearing oxygen tanks on their backs ran inside. This was not the ending the court had envisaged. This un tribunal was set up before the end of the war, and has surpassed expectations by dealing with every one of the 161 suspects. But the fact that one of them was able to smuggle in a deadly poison and take it in front of the live cameras will leave an indelible mark on this courts legacy. While it has faced allegations of bias from politicians on all sides, many of the victims believe this institution has given them some form ofjustice. Now the question is, how could an institution with such tight security and impressive record allow such a fatal lapse . Anna holligan, bbc news, the hague. Companies which incorrectly treat their workers as if theyre self employed could be facing unlimited liability for holiday pay, due to a court ruling. The European Court ofjustice has ruled that a british window salesman was entitled to claim 13 years backdated paid leave in a case that could have wider implications for firms operating in the so called gig economy. Its one of the most notorious of british murders. A mother and daughter, lin and Megan Russell, killed as they walked along a quiet country lane in kent in 1996. Now the lawyers for Michael Stone the man found guilty of the crime, but whos always protested his innocence say the alleged confession of another suspect, serial killer Levi Bellfield, suggests hecould have committed the murders. Wyre davies has been given exclusive access to the evidence. It was an appalling murder, a brutal unprovoked attack in rural kent injuly 1996 on a family walking home from school. A5 year old lin russell and her six year old daughter megan were killed in the frenzied hammer attack. But nine year old josie survived, despite suffering terrible injuries. Michael stone, a known criminal and drug addict, was arrested a year later and found guilty of the russell murders. Hes always protested his innocence. We intend first to read a statement. And today, dramatic new evidence from stones lawyers what they say is a detailed confession to the russell murders by this man, Levi Bellfield, already serving two full life terms for the murders of schoolgirl milly dowler, amelie delagrange and marsha mcdonnell. Bellfield has now, allegedly, told a fellow prisoner in considerable detail that he also murdered the russells. The prisoners words have been re voiced. He said, ive never told anyone this before. I killed another child and got away with it. He said he approached them with his hammer in hand, and the mother screamed and begged him not to hurt her children. He struck her first, and thenjosie. The dog was killed, followed by megan. What gives this alleged confession even more credibility is that, as far as we can tell, it contains certain details that would have been known to only very few people, like Police Investigators or the killer himself. None of Michael Stones dna was ever found at the murder scene. But his legal team today said there was potentially new forensic evidence against bellfield. They also said a new eyewitness had come forward, identifying Levi Bellfield as a man she saw driving erratically near the murder scene. Speaking from prison, stone acknowledged his own violent past but told me that unlike bellfield, he had no history of attacking women. Youve got a track record of violence, you hit a man with a hammer. They were desperate to link me to the crime, but its not even similar, because i went to the house of someone who i found out was messing about with people, and i went to his house to warn him not to do it, and he grabbed my throat. It wasnt a hammer, it was a mallet, i picked it up to strike him with it to get him off my neck. Its nothing like attacking a child, or a mother and a child. Theres no similarity, really. Levi bellfield has now denied ever making a confession, and kent police said they stood by stones conviction. Micks been in prison now for 20 years, and thats 20 years too long for somebody who hasnt committed a crime. But Michael Stones family described this as a moment of hope, saying his case must now be sent to the court of appeal. Wyre davies, bbc news. And to see more on this, bbc wales investigates has a special programme tomorrow night at 8. 30pm on bbc one wales and on iplayer. The time is 6. 15. Our top story this evening the government significantly increases what its prepared to pay the eu in the brexit divorce bill. And still to come 150 years of the shipping forecast, its distinctive tones loved by sailors and landlubbers alike. Coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news, allardyce and pardew are back in the game. Everton and west brom turn to familiarfaces to try and save their seasons. The highest paid University Vice chancellor in the uk, whos announced shes stepping down after her pay was described as outrageous, has defended her salary. Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell at Bath University insists shes not embarrassed by her £a68,000 annual pay packet and insists the university hasnt been damaged by the controversy. Shes been speaking to our education editor, branwen jeffries. Cold winter sun on the campus. The university of bath hoping to move on. The vice chancellor, in herfirst interview, told me her pay was justified. You seem unembarrassed by the controversy. I think that the controversy has been something that i would have wished to avoid, but im not embarrassed by the fact that those people who actually have determined my salary did so in the way that they did. Professor dame glynis brea kwell will be paid £a68,000 a year until february, 2019. Shell stay in the university flat in bath until august, 2018. And a car loan of £31,000 will be written off. Your pay has been one element of the controversy, so has the house, the housekeeper that goes with it, the car loan that is being written off, the fact indeed that you will now be paid until february, 2019. Do you think thats going to do further damage to the universitys reputation . I dont actually think that the universitys reputation is being damaged by this. I think that we recognise the value and the significance of the university. The cost of being a student has risen. Rents in bath are high. Few today regretted her departure. Students had no trust in her any more, so i think that it was probably the right thing to do. It was a huge thing in the house of lords as well. She needed to go. It was bad press. Its good that now we are doing something to sort it out, i think. Isnt there something fundamental, though, in this, where students feel and the wider public that vice chancellors payjust looks excessive now. Yes, i think that has been argued. But do you accept it . I think that we have a situation where we are in a globally competitive market. This is no longerjust about bath. There are far wider questions about who decides on senior pay in universities, with calls for Greater Transparency and fairness. You have over 50 vice chancellors who are paid over £300,000. You have two thirds of them who are on remuneration committees that never actually tell us how the decisions are made. So whats happened here may be a tipping point, with universities forced to justify high pay. Branwenjeffries, bbc news, bath. A man who a judge ruled had probably sexually assaulted his baby daughter before she died has been giving evidence at an inquest into her death. 13 month old Poppi Worthington died after sustaining unexplained injuries at her home in 2012. A Police Investigation into her death was botched and the verdict at the first inquest quashed by the high court. Today poppis father, Paul Worthington, who has always denied wrongdoing, refused to answer questions 69 times at todays second inquest. 0ur reporter danny savage was there. Poppi worthingtons life was tragically short. The saga surrounding her unexplained death is very long. 13 month old poppi died nearly five years ago. Shed been rushed to hospital in barrow after being found unconscious at home early one morning. Many months later, a Family Court Judge found that poppis father had probably sexually assaulted her shortly before her death. Today, he was bundled through the back door of the Coroners Court under police guard. Paul worthington denies any wrongdoing and has never been charged, but hes been called as a witness at the inquest into his daughters death. Screened from the public but not the press, he agreed that poppi was as fit as a fiddle and would wake up just before 6am. But when asked about events closer to the day that poppi died, he kept replying, i refer to my previous statements. I rely on the right not to answer under rule 22. That rule states no witness at an inquest is obliged to answer any question which might incriminate them. Last year, Cumbria Police was heavily criticised for its handling of the investigation into poppis death. That report detailed a catalogue of mistakes made by detectives, saying that crucial evidence was thrown away, witnesses werent interviewed for eight months, and there was enough evidence to arrest poppis father on day one. Accused of sexually assaulting his own daughter, Paul Worthington has been in hiding for months. But he was called to give evidence here in person, although he repeatedly exercised his right not to answer questions. Hes expected back here tomorrow. Danny savage, bbc news, kendal. The taxi hailing service uber has revealed that details of 2. 7 million british users and drivers were stolen in a cyber attack last year. The information commissioner has told uber it expects the company to notify everyone who was affected. As soon as possible. A 15 year old boy has appeared at leeds youth court, charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Two adults and three children died on saturday night, when a stolen car crashed in the meanwood area of the city on saturday night. The teenager was remanded in custody. Now, its melodic and rhythmic charm is unmistakable. Listen to this. Shetlands, 0rkneys and faroes, wind southeast. Tomorrow marks 150 uninterrupted years of the shipping forecast. Its believed to be the longest running continuous Weather Forecast in the world. Today its issued by the met office on behalf of the maritime and Coastguard Agency and is appreciated by sailors and landlubbers alike. Weather presenter Sarah Keith Lucas looks back at the history of the shipping news. Theres a chance that leaving those seasickness pills at home was a mistake. The weather impacts the power of the ocean. The shipping forecast for the next 12 hours. A disturbance near the hebrides. And after a major storm back in the mid 19th century that led to hundreds of deaths and the loss of dozens of ships, the shipping forecast was introduced. Like then, today the forecast is a vital tool that saves lives at sea, and the rnli says that forward planning is the key to safety on the water. We want people to respect the water as much as possible. Its particularly important for small boats and for vessels who may not have computerised apps available. The traditional use of the shipping forecast through the radio is what they have as their forecasting model. That crucial forecast data is produced daily, here at the met office. There was just a feeling that there was too much risk of loss of life. Catherine ross, the chief archivist, showed me the very first weather charts from 150 years ago. What they did, rather cleverly, was basically put pins through the paper, and so you can kind of see just about these little pinpricks here, and that meant they were always plotting the same information in the same place. And you can see how they changed from having no maps to very detailed maps, and it was known as the storm Warning Service to start with, but it became known as the iconic shipping forecast. Before radio broadcasts, storm warnings were communicated by using drums and cones hoisted up masts. Its a complex job to forecast accurately what the weather will do. And, of course, technology has dramatically changed over the years. Theyve even got computers to do some of the figuring out. Computers were first used in Weather Forecasting in the 50s, had have become much more sophisticated ever since. The duty marine meteorologists will first and foremost look at the winds generated by the computer models. They will then add their interpretation, their expertise, to those forecasts, then they look at the sea state. Theyll also look at the fog and what the visibility is like, and the precipitation. West or south west, five or six, occasionally four later. The shipping forecast is not just for mariners, but it also listened to by hundreds of thousands of us every day on radio a. South west, five to seven. 0ccasional rain, good, occasionally moderate. And thats a flavour of the bulletin which is broadcast four times a day, and at 5 20am it needs to be exactly nine minutes long. So on a calm day, i can take my time in describing the weather conditions for the 31 different sea areas. Whereas on a stormy day, ill have to speak much quicker in order to fit all that information into the same nine minute window. However you get your shipping forecast, it is still essential, and its melodic and rhythmic qualities mean it remains an iconic sound of british radio. Moderate or fresh, extensive fog. Weather outlook similar. There is nothing like it. Time for a look at the weather. 0n the land as well as the sea. Heres tomasz schafernaker. Here we have a storm in view of an area that often gets blasted with gale force winds, but not today. It is windy around the north sea coast and it has been a cold day. Look at this from london a little bit earlier on. Here is the wind, coming from the north. There has been some snow across the hills, and over the next few days and over the course on friday into saturday there could be some more falling closer to the north sea coast, particularly around the upland areas. The north york moors, for example. Rural areas could be as cold as minus seven celsius, but that is the absolute lowest it will get and we have already had that this season so far. Tomorrow, a lot of crisp sunshine, stronger winds. Mostly rain here but some of us will get some snow, and maybe some showers in the south west two. It will be around 2 3dc, but it will feel like it is 2 or minus three celsius. We are ending the working week again zero. 5 6 obvious. There is a chance that we could see some sleep, maybe in the south east for a time early on friday morning. A change on the way for a saturday. Slightly less cold air. Not particularly mild. An area of High Pressure with wind blowing like so, and what it will do is bring a little bit of atlantic wharf dinardo renovation a bit of warmth in our direction. But it will still feel pretty chilly. Thanks. Thats all from the bbc news at six, so its goodbye from me and on bbc one, we nowjoin the bbcs news teams where you are. Hello. This is bbc news. The headlines britain offers more money to unblock the brexit negotiations, reportedly as much as 50 billion euros. Theresa may makes a surprise visit to baghdad, where she spoke about tackling terrorism and also the status of negotiations with the eu and the brexit divorce bill. We are still in negotiations with the European Union and i am very clear that i want us to move together onto the next stage. Of course, together onto the next stage. Of course , we are together onto the next stage. Of course, we are working in the lead up course, we are working in the lead up to the december European Council. I want to see is able to move the trade talks and the security talks, but it means is moving together. Donald trump shares inflammatory material on social media from a british far right group. Downing street says he was wrong to do so. A convicted bosnian war criminal has killed himself by drinking poison, after an International Tribunal upheld his prison sentence. Lawyers for Michael Stone, convicted of murdering lin and Megan Russell in 1996, say they have new evidence of his innocence including a very detailed confession allegedly from the serial killer Levi Bellfield. In a moment, it will be time for sportsday but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. In beyond 100 days tonight, katty kay and christian fraser