Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20170503

Ten years to the day since madeleine disappeared, we hearfrom a local resident about what she saw that evening. The student who faces jail after leaving a home made bomb packed with Ball Bearings on the tube. The hidden camera that makes this bionic hand more versatile than any before it. Coming up in sportsday later in the hour in bbc news, theres much better news for Manchester United on the injury front as they prepare for their Europa League semifinal. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. The Prime Minister has made an unparalleled attack on eu politicians and officials, accusing them of trying to influence the result of the general election. Just minutes after shed had an audience with the queen at buckingham palace, theresa may said the eus position on brexit had hardened. Her comments came after the European Unions chief negotiator, michel barnier, warned that it was an illusion to think the Brexit Process could be painless. Labour has accused mrs may of using brexit for political gain. Heres our Political Editor laura kuenssberg. What was on her mind with that raise the eyebrows . Not just what was on her mind with that raise the eyebrows . Notjust the formalities of revving up for an election. Which she, remember, was not obliged to call. But theresa may seems determined to play the brexit ca rd seems determined to play the brexit card for all it is worth. Setting herface against card for all it is worth. Setting her face against brussels, she wants you to believe she wont be messed around. Whoever wins on the 8th of june and will face one overriding task to get the best possible deal for this United Kingdom from brexit. And in the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britains Negotiating Position in europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The european commissions Negotiating Stance has hardened. Threats against britain have been issued by european politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on the 8th of june. That will take place on the 8th of june. Yes, she didjust that will take place on the 8th of june. Yes, she did just accuse some in the eu of interfering in our election. The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of europes other leaders, there are some in brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want britain to prosper. This Brexit Negotiation is central to everything. If we dont get the negotiation right, your Economic Security and prosperity will be put at risk and the opportunity you seek for yourfamilies at risk and the opportunity you seek for your families simply not happen. If we do not stand up and get this negotiation right, we risk the secure and well paid jobs we want for our children and our childrens children too. If we dont get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a Fairer Society with real opportunity for all. The last few days have seen the intensity of the jousting over the intensity of the jousting over the eu become even more troublesome, but using all the trappings of Downing Street, Theresa May Hasjust upped the ante even further, even accusing some in brussels of trying to make trouble in the general election. Just who could she have had in her sights . Election. Just who could she have had in hersights . Chief election. Just who could she have had in her sights . Chief negotiator at the Eu Commission . I give the floor to michel barnier. Days after a tense Downing Street dinner, among suggestions that the uk would have to pay 100 billion as we leave the eu. Some have created the illusion that brexit would have no Material Impact on our lives, or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case. More cryptically, less diplomatically, he said just like when hill walking, you have to learn the rules, or accidents happen. The government didnt start the day with a subtle message. The tories were eager to make disputed claims about labours plan for tax. The forget that, every question was about the possible bill from brussels, and rather than ramp up the row, those two had tried to turn it down. Can i ask you both not to hide behind the fa ct ask you both not to hide behind the fact that there will be negotiations . In this election, dont voters deserve to know how much of that taxpayers cash they may be asked to stump up . Is that figure closer to zero or 100 billion . The public want one thing. They want a good outcome to this negotiation, the best possible outcome. We do that in the negotiating room, not by negotiating with a megaphone. That in the negotiating room, not by negotiating with a megaphonelj that in the negotiating room, not by negotiating with a megaphone. I am not surprised people are manoeuvring for opening advantage in that negotiation. That approach long gone by the afternoon, above all else, it is election time. And brexit creates opportunities and problems for every party. I voted leave, opportunities and problems for every party. Ivoted leave, and i am opportunities and problems for every party. I voted leave, and i am proud to have voted leave, and i knew what i was voting for. The real message out of this spat between juncker and may is that this will watch this is what will happen over the next two years. You and our children will have a deal with you have to live with for the next several decades, and none of us will be given a say. Theresa may have some formidable foes, and they all use this against her. What we have seen today is her trying to make the eu bogeyman in order to do that, but shes Playing A Dangerous Game because by poisoning the atmosphere of these negotiations, she risks getting a bad deal no deal. Her rivals wonder if she really means it. I dont think anyone in brussels really believes that theresa may is prepared to walk away without signing a comprehensive deal. But it is labour that is vulnerable in a big way. Theresa may is after their traditional support. We will negotiate a brexit that works for all, for the many, not the few. We wont threaten europe on the way into brexit and above all in this Election Campaign, we will put forward a proposal and a plan for britain which is about dealing with inequality and injustice. Behind the gates, theresa may was never going to be the kind of politician simply to be the kind of politician simply to agree. But even in the heat of an Election Campaign, strong words cannot be unsaid. It was just a couple of days ago that the Prime Minister was dismissing the idea of a spat between her and brussels as just gossip, and yet this afternoon this full throated attack. It is not unusualfor this full throated attack. It is not unusual for british Prime Minister is to have a pop at officials or diplomats or bureaucrats across the channel. That is a political tactic as old as the hills. But for theresa may to do it right now, notjust in a general Election Campaign but with local elections tomorrow right around the country, that has some political charge. And here is why. The tories believe that there are millions of votes that they could grab Upfrom Millions of votes that they could grab up from voters who chose ukip in the last couple of elections, or from ordinary Labour Voters who were really enthusiastic about leaving the European Union. Of course, theresa may has a reputation for being stubborn in talks, being tough. She was never the kind of Prime Minister who was just going to roll over in the face of brussels opening gambit. But this is also about political timing, and that is much of what explains this extraordinary statement this afternoon. The difficulty for her may well be, if she ends up back in power, that such strong accusations like this dont necessarily melt away with the passage of time. Laura, thank you. So while theresa may has been arguing that the election is all about who is more able to handle tough brexit talks, labour turned its attention to the nhs today. The party says it will suspend plans for the Health Service in england which entail the closure of some hospital services. The proposals from nhs england, which are supported by the government, are aimed at treating more patients in the community. Our Health Editor hugh pym has the story. Protests against nhs closures are nothing new, but in some communities like huddersfield, concerns about cuts are growing. This protest last autumn was in reaction to plans to remove a e services at the local hospital. Campaigners say people will suffer because of longer journey times. Patients are going to be disbursed all around the north of the country. Those will involve longer trips and the longer the trip, the more danger there is in the situation. Labours john ashworth, at a meeting of activists from huddersfield and around yorkshire, said he wanted to halt closures, specifically by Stalling Nhs Reform Plans in england. We will say, lets have a moratorium on them and lets step back and have a full review of them. When we reviewed them, must involve clinicians, but lets involve the people as well. So far, they have been cut out of the decisions, and we dont think that is fair. The Nhs Reform Document are known as sustainability and transformation plans and have been published in 44 areas across england. Some involve Hospital Bed Cuts and service reductions, with funds reinvested in community care. The Southwest London Plan involves the possible reduction of five hospital sites to four. Local campaigners say this one, st helier, faces closure. Upper banns authors say that resources will be shifted into local area teams involving gps, social care staff and nurses, providing care closer to peoples homes. The conservatives, jeremy hunt said in a Written Statement that labours plan was nonsensical as the party had previously backed the reforms. He said they were supported by top doctors and nurses in the nhs and would improve patient care. The Liberal Democrats said the real issue was lack of investment in the nhs. If there is not enough money in the system, however you reject those services, youre never going to be able to provide the quality of care that is needed. That is why as a party, the Liberal Democrats are calling for significant investment to be made in the nhs. Nhs leaders say in response to Rising Patient demand and stretched resources, the plans are all about treating more people away from hospitals. Whoever is in government can expect more intense political debate over the process. Hugh pym, bbc news. It is 10 years to the day since three year old Madeleine Mccann went missing from a Holiday Apartment in the portuguese village of praia da luz. Her disappearance sparked a huge Police Search and worldwide attention which cast a shadow on the resort. But a decade later, despite Extensive International inquiries, the investigation remains open. Jon kay is there. This evening, some cuddly toys and flowers have been left at the doors of the church he and later tonight, there will be a special service to remember madeleine at exactly the moment she disappeared ten years ago. What so many people here have said to me is that they cant believe so much time has passed, so much has been said and written and investigated and yet here we are still with very few actual confirmed fa cts. Still with very few actual confirmed facts. I have been talking to some of those people caught up in this case. Ten years. Ten years since everything changed here. A little girl vanished on a holiday with her parents. Its unbelievable that theres been nothing. You know, nobodys found anything. This comes into my mind every single day. Jenny murat is still haunted by what happened. She only lives a few yards from the block where madeleine disappeared. Back then, she set up a stall appealing for information. But it was something she saw herself that is now reported to be a significant part of this investigation. She remembers driving past the mccanns apartment on the Night Madeleine vanished and seeing a young woman acting suspiciously right outside. I noticed her there and she kind of looked as if she was trying to hide. I do remember that she was wearing a plum coloured top. Jenny murat says she informed the police at the time, but this is the first time she has talked about it publicly. She also told me she saw a brown car that Night Speeding towards the mccanns apartment, going the wrong way down a one way street. Itwas a. One of the small cars, like a rental car, the normal everyday sort of rental cars. Were you able to see the driver . I saw the driver. I was beside the driver. Both of us looked at each other and i think he had a very british look about him. Please give our little girl back. Ten years of publicity have produced ten years of theories. And still no answers. Its had a huge impact on my personality. Jenny murats son robert was the first person to be made an arguido, or named suspect in the case. A decade on, his name may have been cleared, but he cannot bear to look online. Id like to know the truth. Not theories. I just want to know why that was the case. It didnt only lead to me being destroyed, it led to my whole family being destroyed and affected by those allegations. It was completely untrue. Did you have anything to do with madeline mccanns disappearance . Tonight, panorama tracks down a former Reception Manager from the mccanns hotel. He was never a suspect, but was questioned by British Police two years ago. What did you tell them about that night . 0nly questions about the timetable and things like that. Vitor dos santos denies any involvement in what happened to madeleine. Ten years, and many here are fed up with all the attention. Ten years, and many others cant let go. Jon kay, bbc news, praia da luz. The bbc Panorama Programme Madeleine Mccann ten years on is on bbc one at 9pm tonight. The time is 6. 16. Our top story this evening. Theresa may has launched a blistering attack on brussels on the day parliament is officially dissolved. And still to come. Theres no age barrier to creating good art, we have a look at this years turner prize shortlist. Coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news. Calling time on her career, Goldie Sayers hits out at the Doping Cheats who denied her a place on the olympic podium. Creating a bionic hand that is as sensitive and versatile as the Human Version has long been the ambition for scientists. Now they are a step closer. Researchers have developed a bionic hand that has a camera embedded in it. Within milliseconds, the hand sees an object and decides whether to use a light pinch or a firm grip to pick it up. Heres our Disability Affairs correspondent nikki fox. A prosthetic with potential, a bionic hand that for the first time can pick up objects almost instantaneously. In fact, its ten times quicker than whats currently available. Doug is one of a number of amputees trialling this new technology. It is a life changer, yeah. I guess the first time i got the hand to work, its quite emotional, really. Deep down, im working something that i lost 20 years ago. So how does it work . 0n the face of it, its very simple, and down to a 99p webcam. What theyve done is take one image, one snapshot of the object and within a fraction of a second, come up with the best grip. A picture of the object is taken, and the hand moves into the right grip mode. And then its moved across. So clever. So why are these developments so crucial . There are three types of prosthetics currently available on the nhs. This is a body powered arm. Many find it cumbersome. In fact, studies suggest that nearly half choose not to wear one. Ann has been working with amputees for years. She thinks the all seeing hand is a significant step forward. I think they are really exciting. I think theyre something patients have been asking forfor a long time. A wide variety of patients are keen to have a prosthesis, but a prosthesis that actually does something functional. The camera can be miniaturised and embedded into the back of the hand. This is stilljust a prototype. Right now, it only has four grips. But the team are creating a database of everyday objects so eventually, it can learn to pick up something it has never seen before. But because in many ways, its such a simple and potentially cheap solution, it means that this bionic hand may be available in the very near future. Nikki fox, bbc news. A student has been found guilty of Planting A Home made bomb on a tube train in london. Damon smith, whos 20, packed a rucksack with explosives, Ball Bearings and a timer which was set to go off within minutes at North Greenwich station. Our home affairs Correspondentjune Kelly has the story. Alone on a London Underground platform, damon smith is caught on cctv priming his device to explode on the tube. Its inside a rucksack and he has timed it to go offjust after 11am. Surrounded by passengers, he feigns interest in his book. Further down the line, he gets off, but hes abandoned the rucksack in the carriage and left the device, packed with Ball Bearings, to detonate. The rucksack was eventually spotted. North greenwich station was evacuated. Although parts of the device were viable, it failed to explode. If it had detonated, it certainly would have endangered life. Without a doubt would have caused mass casualties and certainly would have caused substantial damage to the underground system. He had an unhealthy interest in firearms and violence, particularly Mass Shootings in america. And although he was in possession of some is material, we cannot prove his motivation or certainly his ideology. This was damon smith in a police interview. He has aspergers syndrome, a form of autism. When i was on the tube i realised it was going to stratford. Right. And i thought it would be a good time to leave my bag for a prank. A former friend witnessed his developing interest in extremist violence. He was showing me videos of isis grabbing a knife and cutting off peoples heads slowly. He was, doesnt this look sort of fun, and all that. I was like, no it doesnt, it looks a bit wrong, actually. Damon smith used an aaqaeda bomb making manual to help him construct his device. But he denied he held extreme political views. However, the jury decided he did set out to attack tube travellers. June kelly, bbc news. Of course, the general election isnt the only election under way. Tomorrow, voters across england, scotland and wales will go to the polls for local elections. 0ur Political Correspondent vicki young is here its not often we have local and general elections so close . Its very rare for local elections to be held in the middle of a general Election Campaign and all the parties will be hoping for signs that they re making progress. Almost 5,000 seats are up for grabs, but none in Northern Ireland. In scotland, these elections were last contested in 2012 and will involve all 32 councils. Back then the snp won the most seats, but labour wasnt far behind. A key battleground this time will be glasgow city council, where labours held overall control since 1980. In wales, all 22 councils are being elected. Labour performed strongly five years ago and its defending almost 600 seats, far more than any other party. Plaid cymru and the tories are hoping for gains and ukip could build on its good showing in the Welsh Assembly elections. In england, there are 3a elections, most of them for county councils, and this is a traditional area of strength for the conservatives, who have twice as many seats as labour. The Liberal Democrats are hoping to claw back some of the ground theyve lost over the past few years and labours strength will be tested in the councils they control in derbyshire, lancashire and nottinghamshire. So with a general election next month, how much should we read into tomorrows results . Will give an indication of whether the tories are ahead in the opinion polls, whether they are advancing in scotland, if labour really are in trouble across the length and breadth of britain. But of course we should not assume that what happens on thursday will necessarily be replicated exactly in the general election. In six areas of england, there will be a significant change to local government with the election of new metro mayors in manchester, liverpool, the west midlands, tees valley, the West Of England and cambridge and peterborough. These mayors will mostly be responsible for Economic Development in their regions, but some will have powers over transport and housing. Doncaster and North Tyneside are also voting for local authority mayors. Local elections wont necessarily tell us much about how people might vote in a national contest, but as the results come in on friday, Party Leaders will seize on anything that suggests they have momentum, heading into the general election on june 8th. George. Thank you. Its the most high profile arts prize in britain, and for years its been the preserve of Young British artists. This year, for the First Time Since 1991, the turner prize has scrapped its age limit and two artists over 50 have made it to the shortlist. 0ur Arts Correspondent David Sillito reports. You certainly did not expect this . No, not at all. Not at all. Not at all i mean it does make me laugh. It has been a strange day for Lubaina Himid. She has painted for more than 35 years and today at the age of 62 she is on the turner prize short list. Her paintings bring black lives and faces too often very white art galleries. This is perhaps the signature work, 100 life size portraits made when. You were 50. I was. Did you think that National Recognition was probably passed you by then . Probably. And now . I hadnt thought about the turner prize in terms of nominations or short listing for a couple of decades. Born in zanzibar she has lived and taught here in preston for over 25 yea rs. Taught here in preston for over 25 years. When shes not alone. The other nominees, anderson, butler, and rosalind, or all of mature yea rs. And rosalind, or all of mature years. Thisjury of the turner prize has perhaps look back at certain artists unfairly overlooked and decided to open it up to those who deserve a Second Chance or will flourish later in life. It has certainly been a year of flourishing for Lubaina Himid and her lifes ambition. And making a space where other black audiences can feel at home. Where they can look at these cutouts and think, looks a bit like my anti all thats kind of got the demeanour ive got, or, its like being at home, its like being amongst people you know. Its about making a space in an art gallery where you are not the only person of colour. David sillitoe, bbc news, preston. More on our top story, katya adler is in brussels, how are theresa mays comments going to go down there . Ive spoken to eu officials who do not talk in public but want the eus opinions known and they are describing her assertion that brussels is interfering in the election as pure fantasy. They say the european mac they say the european mac is in favour of the election and want a british governor toa election and want a british governor to a public backing so they can begin the brexit big initiations. They are absolutely saying there is no interference at all on this side. They believe their interpretation of the Prime Minister s comments is that shes in the middle of an Election Campaign so they dont believe that you would play down a iow believe that you would play down a row with brussels if she thinks it can get her public backing. But none of this helps the Brexit Process get off toa of this helps the Brexit Process get off to a favourable start even though both sides say they want a good outcome. Thank you. Time for a look at the weather. Heres nick miller. Sunny warm or cold grey, its one way or the other in the uk, you know which one this is in Northern Ireland today, let me show you another in the south of east anglia, its been cold and wet for many areas, and quite cold, just 9 degrees, look at the difference in the sunshine, up to 20 western scotland. Those contrasts continue in the next few days. We keep some clout in parts of england and wales other night and with that youll find some showers notjust in east anglia and south east england, some spots of rain, not too much, breaks in the cloud for parts of wales and Northern England, especially into scotla nd Northern England, especially into scotland and Northern Ireland, this is where we have the lowest temperatures in the countryside of a night and the odd frost pocket in Scotla Nd Night and the odd frost pocket in scotland to start tomorrow, All Clad In Scotland tomorrow than today yet still sunny spells for Northern Ireland, Northern England and brightening across much of wales and into the midlands. For east anglia and Southern England we keep clout, still some showers around, the breeze is stronger tomorrow, still pegging those temperatures back and was north sea coasts, in the west and in the sunshine still some spots into the high teens. Not much difference on friday, still cloudy in Southern England, baby showers in the south east, most places dry, quite gusty across southern parts. Looking to the start of the weekend this Weather System may bring rain to Southern England and the Channel Islands but the forecast is not set in stone so well update you over the next few days. Maybe some showers to the north, most places dry, the wind easing a little on saturday, more so on saturday and most saturday, more so on saturday and m ost pla ces saturday, more so on saturday and most places dry on saturday and over the next few days. Thank you. The headlines. Theresa may makes a blistering attack on European Union officials and politicians , accusing them of making threats against britain to try to influence the outcome of the general election. Labour say the pm is playing party games with brexit. Threats against britain have been issued by european