Hello, and welcome to bbc news. Lets start in hong kong, where local elections are underway. The authorities have threatened to suspend voting if theres serious trouble but pro democracy campaigners have told their supporters not to cause any disruption. This vote is the first to take place since protests and often violent clashes with police started back in june. So it will be a test of support for pro democracy and pro bejing candidates. The poll is for the lowest rung of government in the city. More than 1,000 candidates are running, competing for more than a50 seats throughout the citys 18 districts. A number of seats currently held by pro beijing incumbents, are being contested by pro democracy candidates, butjoshua wong, one of the prominent protest leaders is banned from running, because he called for Self Determination for hong kong. Hes given his reaction to reporters. As the only candidate being disqualified by beijing, which proves the election in hong kong is being manipula
View of events in the uk. Borisjohnson is preparing to launch the conservative manifesto in the next few hours, which will pledge not to raise the rate of income tax, National Insurance or vat. The Prime Minister will also say he wants to bring his brexit deal back to the commons before christmas, if the conservatives are returned to power. Our political correspondent, nick eardley reports. What would he do with power . This afternoon, borisjohnson will unveil the conservative manifesto. His basic message deliver brexit and move onto domestic priorities. He will pledge that the bill that will deliver brexit will be brought back to parliament before christmas if he wins the election. That, he says, would allow the country to move on. So what will the conservatives do on the home front . They will pledge today not to raise rates of income tax, National Insurance, or vat. Thatll make it harder for the government to raise money, but the tories are still pledging to spend. Mrjohnson has alr
Of the last week in parliament before decembers general election. Good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. The conservatives have claimed labour would cause an economic crisis within months of winning the general election. The tories say a Jeremy Corbyn led government would spend over a trillion pounds in office. Labour has dismissed the figure as an absolute work of fiction. Heres our Political Correspondent helen catt. Labour has said it wants to spend big if it wins this election, to bring about what it calls a programme of radical change. But the conservatives are keen to suggest it would spend too much, recklessly so. Theyve calculated what they are calling the cost of corbyn £1. 2 trillion. Speaking to andrew marr, the chancellor of the exchequer defended how the party had done its maths. Every single costing in this dossier, that we have published today, has either come from labours own figures, most of them actually, most of them actually, over 50 of the costings are from labou
In to at concerts. A warm welcome to the Programme Briefing you on all you need to know in global news, business and sport. Also in the programme too much reading, or nearwork makes children short sighted, there is a new epidemic of myopia in young people. Parents are now advised to make sure their children get at least 2 hours of play outside daily. What do you think . Has too much nearwork impacted your eyesight . Tell us what you think just use the hashtag bbcthebriefing the British Government will make another attempt today to win the backing of parliament for borisjohnsons brexit deal. But its thought the house of Commons Speaker may not allow another so called meaningful vote. Ministers will also bring forward detailed legislation to implement the Brexit Agreement but the bill can be amended and the opposition could press for the uk to remain in a Customs Union with the eu. Gareth barlow reports. On saturday after hours of debate, mps thwarted the governments attempt to hold a vo
Recklessly so. They have calculated what they are calling the cost of corbyn. £1. 2 trillion. Speaking to andrew marr, the chancellor said the party had done its maths. Every single costing we published in this dossier today has either come from labours own figures, 50 from labour because my own figures, the risk from independent external sources and in some cases we have worked them out ourselves, we have done that in a reasonable way and set out in exactly how the document how its done. But labour hasnt yet published its manifesto for the selection so the tories cant know exactly which policies will make it then. We have included £35 billion for abolishing private schools which labour conference voted for which may find its way into the manifesto in a different form. The £196 billion figure theyve used to renationalise Industries Like the railways has already been criticised. And the calculations assume all policies including things like a four day working week at a cost of £85 b