famous theatres in london lose grants in favour of bodies outside the capital, in a major change to arts funding in england. and exactly 100 years since its discovery we hear about the continuing fascination with tutankhamun s 3,000 year old tomb. coming up on the bbc news channel, england know they have to beat sri lanka tomorrow to reach the t20 world cup semifinal, after australia edged a close win over afghanistan. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. in a week that s been dominated by news about the immigration system, the bbc has heard evidence that albanian drug gangs are using migrant camps in northern france as a recruitment ground offering to pay the passage of people who are prepared to work in the uk s illegal drugs trade. albanians account for at least one third of the 38,000 people who ve crossed the channel to england this year, according to the latest to the latest government figures. 0ur correspondent lucy williamson has this report. for each boat, eac
good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the rmt union has suspended strike action planned from tomorrow, after the train operating companies promised to table a pay offer. the union has said it will now enter into a period of negotiations with network rail and the operators, meaning the walkouts planned for tomorrow, and november 7th and 9th are off. let s get more on this from our transport correspondent katy austin. i think that this was unexpected. yes, this is a significant moment, i think. this is the first time in a quite long running dispute that the rmt have called off, or suspended plant strike action for the purpose of facilitating more talks. now the rmt says eight has now had a commitment from the train companies, there will be an offer made because there will be an offer made because there has not been an offer made so far. they also say that network rail has now committed to talks without conditions attached. speaking to people in the rail industry, they say the
good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. a bbc investigation has found that albanian drug gangs are offering to pay for migrants to cross the english channel, if they are prepared to work in the uk drugs industry when they arrive. gangs are using the migrant camps of northern france as a recruitment ground. there s been a sharp rise in the number of albanians crossing the channel in small boats this year. they now account for around a third of the almost 40,000 people who have landed on england s beaches this year. lucy williamson reports. for each boat, each migrant, there can be many smugglers albanian fixers, uk guarantors, kurdish criminal gangs. the journey starts in towns like laknas, now marked by absence. the shuttered houses and empty streets signs of an exodus this year. most were drawn by uk wages ten times higher than here. and each departure makes business in laknas even harder. as the price of crossing to the uk has dropped the suburbs around tirana ar
the bbc has heard evidence that albanian drug gangs are using migrant camps in northern france as a recruitment ground, offering to pay the passage of people who looking for better economic prospects and are prepared to work in the uk s illegal drugs trade. albanians account for at least one third of the 38,000 people who ve crossed the channel to england this year, according to the latest government figures. 0ur correspondent lucy williamson reports. for each boat, each migrant, there can be many smugglers. albanian fixers, uk guarantors, kurdish criminal gangs. one man who paid for a place on a kurdish boat this summer says he was approached by recruiters for the uk drugs trade in a dunkirk migrant camp. translation: they offered me lots of things - - to pay for thejourney, to give me a job, but i wasn t interested. they asked me four or five times. this is where the albanian migrant trail begins. small towns like laknas marked by absence the shuttered houses and empty ca
the channel to england so far this year. that s according to uk government figures. lucy williamson has been speaking to people in albania, france and the uk. for each boat, each migrant, there can be many smugglers albanian fixers, uk guarantors, kurdish criminal gangs. the journey starts in towns like laknas, now marked by absence. the shuttered houses and empty streets signs of an exodus this year. most were drawn by uk wages ten times higher than here. and each departure makes business in laknas even harder. as the price of crossing to the uk has dropped the suburbs around tirana are being drained of people. locals in this neighborhood say 70% of the community has already left, and many of those living here now are thinking ofjoining them. there are many places like laknas in albania now. majlinda s son crossed to the uk from dunkirk last month. translation: he was a seasonall worker working four months a year for minimal salary in a kitchen. he had more expectations fo