of india are remembering partition 70 years on. and coming up in the sport on bbc news... premier league clubs will vote on closing the summer transfer window before the start of the season. it currently runs until the end of august. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the government has confirmed it wants to negotiate a temporary customs relationship with the european union to be in place after the uk leaves the bloc. the secretary of state for exiting the eu, david davis, says the deal would prevent trade disruption until a permanent settlement could be reached. the eu commission says it will study the proposals but will only address post—brexit relations once sufficient progress had been made on the terms of the withdrawal. while the european parliament brexit negotiator, guy verhofstadt, has tweeted his thoughts on the matter. "to be in and out of the customs union and invisible borders is a fantasy." this report from our political correspondent, laila nathoo. and a warning — her report contains flash photography. keeping goods flowing freely between britain and the eu after brexit — one of the key issues in the negotiations. now, the government has given more detail about how it sees trade working after we leave. at the moment, while in the eu, we are inside what is called the customs union — that means goods imported from abroad are subject to the same tax or tariff and can then move between eu countries without charges or many checks. ministers say brexit means leaving the customs union but are now proposing that temporarily, for a few years, we stick as close as possible to the current arrangements. in italy, i was 290 billion, we are selling them 230 billion a year. it's in their interests. bmw do not want to have a customs border that is going to slow down their sales or add administrative costs. siemens do not want to do that. and the port of rotterdam is going to want to have an efficient operation, so they have got an interest as well as us. the interim plans are designed to reassure businesses, nervous about sudden changes in rules and extra costs. at the moment, we leave the eu in march, 2019. i think the paper gives a certain degree of clarity to businesses that at least the government is prioritising the transitional deal and they are trying to tie off any potential for customs disruptions by continuing the customs union on an interim basis. striking trade deals with countries around the world as soon as brexit happens and the transitional period begins is a priority for the government — something we can't currently do as members of the eu's customs union. but ministers accept that those deals could not coming to affect until the temporary customs arrangement ends. i wanted brexit to allow us to go global in terms of our trade deals and the decision from the government today is effectively kicking this into the long grass, saying we can't do that for years to come. what will happen, we will find countries around the world like america and australia will simply stop taking us seriously. in the longer term, the government has set out two possible options for a future relationship. first, what is described as a highly streamlined customs arrangement where there is minimal red tape and technology smoothing the way. or a new bespoke customs partnership where there would be no customs border at all between the eu and the uk. the key is not the structures, it is the outcome, which is retaining the best possible arrangements of tariff free access and avoiding avoiding delays at borders. those are the important principles. that is what we think we need to fight for. not whether we are in reality in the customs union or not. these are, for now, just the uk's proposals, they will have to be negotiated with brussels, and the eu says it won't address a possible transition period or what happens after that until divorce talks have made sufficient progress. discussions start again at the end of the month. leila nathoo joins us now from westminster. give us a sense of the varying political reactions to what david davis has been saying. political reactions to what david davis has been sayinglj political reactions to what david davis has been saying. i think this was an attempt from the government to show clarity of purpose, an attempt to say, these are practical things we can achieve after brexit, an attempt, really, to say, we are united on a position after many weeks of very public divisions within the cabinet over the issue of any transitional arrangement, what the transitional arrangement might look like. here we have ministers settling on a position and saying that it settling on a position and saying thatitis settling on a position and saying that it is a compromise within the cabinet, saying there will be at an interim customs arrangement, outside the customs union, albeit for a limited period of time. i think this is really designed to say the brussels, to counter any suggestions the government is somehow unprepared oi’ the government is somehow unprepared or has been complacent going into the talks, but there is still much to be agreed on, for example, the details of the future arrangements set out. in terms brussels, the government is trying to get ahead of the game, the thinking about the longer term, rather than what brussels wa nts term, rather than what brussels wants which is to settle divorce matters, issues of the brexit bill, the irish border, for example, before considering longer term arrangements. we will have to wait to the end of the month to see how this approach goes down. 0ur correspondent, adam fleming, is in brussels for us. we are getting a little sense of the response where you are. tell us more. the european commission has welcomed the concept of the uk publishing more papers about its position on various issues to do with brexit because diplomats in the city have been crying out for more detail on two things. the uk's position on the withdrawal issues la ila position on the withdrawal issues laila nathoo was mentioning, like data protection, the irish border, cases at the european court of justice. those papers are coming too along with the paper today which is more discursive stuff about the future relationship with the eu after brexit. they are glad these papers are coming from the uk. however, michel barnier, the eu's chief negotiator, the man doing the brexit talks from the man doing the brexit talks from the eu's side, says, before you can talk about the future relationship, trade, customs, the uk has to make sufficient process on the issues the eu has identified as priorities. those are complicated things like the rights of eu citizens living in the rights of eu citizens living in the uk after brexit and uk citizens living elsewhere in europe, what do you do about the irish border? and also, the financial settlement, the so—called brexit bill. michel barnier is clear you cannot talk about the future until sufficient progress has been made on those issues. in terms of the broader thing about whether the government's commands today for the interim customs period and what happens after, the eu say, the only way you can get frictionless trade like that is if you stay in the customs union and you stay in the single market, basically staying in the eu. geva hash tag, the chief negotiator, he said the government's demands are a fa nta sy said the government's demands are a fantasy — — said the government's demands are a fantasy —— guy verhofstadt. chris morris from our reality check team looks now in more detail at the options the government is presenting to brussels. this is the start of another very busy brexit period. this uk proposal sta rts busy brexit period. this uk proposal starts with the idea of a new temporary customs union after brexit that looks as much like the current and elsewhere in europe. it also needs to be agreed by the rest of the eu which may be thinking, if it is not broken, do not fix it. one of the tricky issues is during the transition period which could last two, three years, the uk wanted to be able to negotiate its own trade deals around the world and there is no sign so far the rest of the eu will agree. then there are the uk's longer term proposals for what would follow the temporary fix. 0ne suggestion is what they are calling a highly streamlined customs arrangement, using technology to cut paperwork as much as possible. and to allow fewer vehicle checks. it would take years to get ready for such a new scheme so work to prepare for it would need to start pretty much straightaway. notjust at british ports but in places like france, the netherlands, belgium and of course ireland as well. the alternative uk suggestion is for the new customs partnership between the uk and the eu that would dispense with any customs border altogether. 0utside with any customs border altogether. outside a customs union, that does not exist anywhere in the world. again, it raises many questions. would the uk have to collect customs duties for the eu? and vice versa. this is an opening salvo and there will be a full white paper on customs in the autumn. this feels like a paper written to take account of british political sensitivities, rather than anyone else's. the uk would argue they have to get on with the discussion of future arrangements as soon as possible. the eu, on the other hand, still says the outlines of that divorce deal have to come first. thanks very much, chris morris. the rest of the day's news... millions of people will see their railfares go up by 3.6% injanuary because of a rise in the rate of inflation. regulated fares are pegged to the retail prices index, which reached 3.6% last month. it's the biggest rise since 2013 and unions have called it a kick in the teeth for passengers. tom burridge reports. from glasgow to cardiff, to leeds to london, it is a familiar story. railfares going up again. but price increases these days are pegged to inflation, so in the new year, season tickets and other fares will increase by as much as 3.6%. the price of something you have to pay in order to get to work, but the service is awful. it is late, it is crowded. i don't think i'm going to get value for money, basically. i have been working in the public sector all my life and my pay rise has nowhere kept up with inflation, so more of my salary isjust paying for me to come to work. stagnant wages is why some say the current system is unfair. around half of all rail fares are capped by the government atjuly‘s retail price index which is a measure of inflation. the problem for many passengers is that inflation, the rate at which goods are becoming more expensive, is currently higher than the rate rise in most people's wages. unions say passengers are paying more while services have been trimmed back. it is quite clear in our privatised rail network that passengers are paying more for less and we are seeing cuts in infrastructure projects, electrification projects in the north of england and in south wales, we are seeing cuts to skilled infrastructure workers. there is a big job going on at waterloo at the moment. a lot of those workers there will not have a job after that job is finished. they are cutting back. the organisation representing the companies operating the trains say higher price rises affect them too. railway company costs are going up in line with inflation as well so they have to cover costs to provide they have to cover costs to provide the services we want as passengers. in orderto be the services we want as passengers. in order to be able to do that, fares have to go up in line with it. the government says nearly all of the money we pay for a ticket is invested back into the railways but the simple reality next year, travelling to work will be an even bigger slice of most people's wages. tom burridge, bbc news. the actions of kensington and chelsea council are to be considered in the grenfell tower fire inquiry. the government says the inquiry will also examine the cause of the fire which left at least 80 people dead. but some of the broader social questions provoked by the blaze won't be addressed. 0ur correspondent, frankie mccamley, is by grenfell tower in west london. how much more do we know about what the inquiry team will be considering? the scope of the inquiry is much broader than sir martin moore—bick, the retired judge, leading this originally suggested. he said it may look into the cause of the fire, what lessons can be learnt to protect others and why it spread so quickly. but after extending the consultation period for a number of weeks, and analysing 500 or more written statements, he has now broadened the terms of reference to not only look at the cause and spread of the fire but also the design, the construction, the refurbishment of grenfell tower, to look at tower blocks on the whole across the uk and the regulations surrounding them, whether the regulations were followed when it comes to grenfell tower, and of course, that action of bodies and groups in the lead up to the fire and after the tragedy, which will include kensington and chelsea council. resident group so far have welcomed the broader terms of reference but there have been questions raised and criticism as to why these wider social housing reforms and questions are not going to be looked at. the prime minister has addressed it and said these will be directed to the housing minister and he is going to be speaking with and he is going to be speaking with a number of housing tenants to get to the bottom of those questions. as for what happens next, there will be a hearing in september and we will get initial reports in easter next year as to how and why the fire spread so quickly. thank you. more than 300 people are known to have died in the mudslides and heavy flooding which struck sierra leone's capital, freetown, yesterday, according to the red cross which has a team in the city. whole homes were submerged and more than 2,000 people have been left homeless. the natural disaster is being described as one of the worst to ever hit the city. richard lister reports. the mountainside collapsed in an avalanche of mud, burying families as they slept. it was sudden, total devastation, leaving few survivors. those who did escape look on at the place where they used to live, desperate for good news. but it almost never comes. this man lost eight members of his family. translation: i first saw the body of my sister and called on people to help me and we laid her on the floor. then i started hearing other people nearby, crying. i have lost all of my family. the deluge of muddy water surged through gullies and streets, claiming more lives and hampering rescue operations at the worst affected sites. sierra leone is used to some flooding in the rainy season, but nothing like this. it has left a tangled mass of destruction and a slow and difficult recovery operation. houses were built illegally on this fragile mountainside and no one really knows how many bodies will be recovered. as they are found, the crowd surge in to see if they recognise a family member orfriend. the authorities are trying to keep people away. we urge everyone to remain calm. and to avoid disaster prone areas while we continue to address this grave emergency. these people had little enough before this disaster. at least 3,000 are now thought to be homeless. freshwater sources have been contaminated and disease is a real threat. aid agencies are trying to prevent this disaster from getting any worse. our main concern now is homelessness in terms of livelihood of families now that are left with absolutely nothing and the children now are more vulnerable. this has been a grim rainy season for sierra leone and it isn't over yet. richard lister, bbc news. our top story this lunchtime. the brexit secretary, david davis, says he wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu. for after britain leaves. coming up, the british explorer hoping to reach the north pole bar yacht. —— by. coming up in sport, liverpool are hoping to seal their place in the champions league group stage for the first time in three years. they're away at hoffeinheim in their first leg play off tonight. india's prime minister, narendra modi, has led his nation in marking the 70th anniversary of his country's independence from britain. the creation of india and pakistan in 1947 led to a million deaths, and the displacement of about 12 million people. reeta chakra barti is in amritsar in punjab. i'm in this golden temple which is one of the holiest. it is in punjab one of the holiest. it is in punjab on the areas worst affected by the british and when the states of india and pakistan were created 70 years ago. yesterday i reported from pakistan as it celebrated the anniversary of its independence and todayis anniversary of its independence and today is the turn of india and the prime minister narendra modi led a special ceremony in delhi. 70 years ago it was here, at the historic red fort, that unionjack was lowered one final time, to be replaced by the indian flag. this is where prime minister narendra modi arrived today for independence day celebrations. it is a tradition that has been repeated by every indian prime minister since 1947. a testimony to how india has endured as a functioning democracy over the past seven decades. in an address, the prime minister spoke of the problems india faces, some of them a legacy of the past. translation: in my mind it is clear that neither bullets nor brickbats will resolve the kashmir issue. it will only be solved by love and embracing all kashmiris. the muslim majority himalayan region of kashmir has been at the centre of a dispute with pakistan since the partition of india in 1947. in recent months, anti—india protests have intensified there. but across india today this was the scene, many people coming out onto the streets to mark the occasion, there's a feeling of pride here, and how much the country has achieved. a growing economic power that has now been taken seriously, notjust at home, but also abroad. despite the many problems india faces, the overwhelming sentiment here today is one of celebration and optimism. this is a very young country, nearly two thirds of india is under the age of 30, and for them it is not so much about the past, but about what lies ahead. in theirfuture. sanjoy majumder, bbc news, delhi. here in amritsar, many people are still feeling the effects of partition. i've been speaking to one family about their experiences, and what they feel about india today. i almost refused the invitation, do you know that? remembering happy times, but this family did live through trauma. doctor singh and his wife fled pakistan as children but the events of that time have gone largely undiscussed. my generation, unfortunately, has not talked much to the younger generation, our children, our grandchildren about the partition. it's high time that history did come out with it. we made the mistake but history shouldn't. mrs singh feels that modern—day india might not be quite what the country's founding fathers had hoped for. it's a democratic country and so far it has been... it was a secular country, still it is. but then some elements always come and sometimes you feel that things are not the way they wanted. but for their grandson, india has an exciting future. in the coming decade, india is going to be the place to be because so much innovation and technology coming up, but at the same time i feel culturally it is a bit of a decline. largely due to censorship. pakistani tv programmes which he used to enjoy are now barred, he says. his cousin wants to know more about partition to understand why the two countries remain such suspicious neighbours. i have never felt the tension between an indian and a pakistani. i've met pakistanis when i have travelled in the us and london and otherwise, and we have got along perfectly well. but those meetings happen abroad and he has never been to pakistan, just a few miles away. the effects of partition are still strongly felt today, even for young people for whom it is just history. it is very difficult for indians to go to pakistan, there are very few transport links and very few people go in either direction. there's the undercurrent of hostility between the nations, their people might feel friendship but the two states, 70 yea rs friendship but the two states, 70 years after partition, feel as far apart as ever. studio: thanks for joining us. north korea's state media says the country's leader, kimjong un, has been briefed by the military on how they could fulfil his threat to fire missiles towards the american island of guam in the pacific — and says he will now watch us actions before making a decision. 0ur correspondent robin brant sent us this report from seoul. the plan to attack america, laid out before him. these pictures from north korean state media show kim jong—un studying a map of the pacific. you can clearly see a black line from his country straight to guam, the american territory that north korea's generals have threatened to target. but he's decided to wait. a report said the respected supreme leader wants to "watch a little more, the foolish and stupid conduct of the yankees". 0n guam itself, there is relief for now. and respect for their leader. i think a lot of it has to do with the strong statements made by our president but also by the collective statements made by secretary tillerson and secretary mattis. but on the front line, in the decades—old stand—off with north korea, something he's not helping. this truck has the words, no war, no trump, on the side. now, america is south korea's most important protector but some of the people here think that the current president is actually causing more problems than he is helping to solve. trump make many south koreans... angry. angry! yeah. trump's action and policy is not good to many americans. i don't think actual war would break out, this man said. the country's newly elected president has promised to prevent it at all costs. translation: military action on the korean peninsular can only be decided by the republic of korea, and no one may decide to take military action without the consent of the republic of korea. this is an annual event by people who have never liked america's presence here. but there are plenty who like the beat of america's drum and want their closest ally to stay very close, even as there are signs that the tension is slightly easing off. robin brant, bbc news, seoul. baby boxes containing essential items such as clothes, books and blankets are being delivered to new mothers across scotland for the first time today. the cardboard boxes also include a mattress, and can be used for babies to sleep in as an alternative to a cot. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. a first look at a scottish baby box for these mums and mums to be. 0h, a blanket as well. from today, all expectant mothers in scotland will receive a box like this. it doubles as a crib and contains dozens of items which could help parents in their child's first few months of life. i think it's excellent. as first—time parents we are a bit like, what do we need, what do we not need. it's good to know that they have covered everything that we're going to need from the start. i really like the idea of it being a safe sleeping space, probably more for use during the day rather than at night—time, but i think i would it as a living space, for putting down for naps during the day. having a baby can be an expensive time for parents so most mums and dads say that anything that helps ease their costs is welcome but at £160 per box, is this money well spent by the scottish government? essentially what we want to do is make sure that all children in scotland have the very best start in life and we believe that a baby box with essential items will be of benefit to parents and their children is about that, giving children the very best start in life regardless of the circumstances they are born into. support groups say there is as yet no evidence that baby boxes will directly reduce the rate of infant mortality. but welcome any initiatives which encourage parents to think about safe sleeping for their babies. we understand that boxes themselves can't have an impact on infant mortality, and for us, what we are really looking forward to is the evaluation of this whole initiative to see whether families have a greater awareness of safe sleeping messages for their babies. tens of thousands of parents will receive baby boxes every year. the scottish government says it will assess whether the initiative helps reduce the number of cot deaths. lorna gordon, bbc news, edinburgh. an expedition to the north pole — by yacht — has just set off from alaska. the team — led by british polar explorer pen hadow — says that the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage possible by boat for the first time. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has more setting off into uncharted arctic waters. a pair of yachts attempting a first — sailing all the way to the north pole. a crew of ten — and a dog — have just departed from alaska. led by british explorer pen hadow, they have a 3500 mile voyage ahead. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into the sea area. what this means is that the wildlife living in the area are now vulnerable. it is the rapidly warming conditions in the arctic that have made this expedition even possible. it is melting at an unprecedented rate. in 35 years, more than a third of the area of sea ice has gone. 0nce inaccessible waters are opening up. at reading university, scientists are studying how this could change these commercial shipping routes. instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, they will have a new short cut. at the moment we are seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. in the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having more commercial ships travelling through the region will only increase. an ice—strengthened ship will be able to go right over the pole by the middle of the century. pen hadow has already experienced the dramatic changes in the arctic first—hand. his last trip north in 2009 was on foot, but he spent much of his time in the water. this time, he has six weeks of sailing ahead. the team do not know how far north they will get, but this expedition into the unknown may be the start of a new era