Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20170801

And coming up in Sportsday On Bbc News. The worlds greatest sprinter prepares for his final bow. Well hearfrom usain bolts pre World Championships Press Conference at half past six. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. Over Three Million british gas customers face a hefty rise in their electricity bills. The company argues that its own costs have risen and from september it will charge 12. 5 more for electricity. So what does that mean . Well, a typical household on a dualfuel tariff will see its annual bill go up by £76. Its the first increase from british gas for nearly four years but that hasnt stopped Consumer Groups and the government condemning the move. Our business editor, simonjack, reports. Electricity, a basic need, a simple product. The same wherever all whoever you buy it from. If you buy from british gas it will be 12. 5 more expensive from september as the u k. s largest more expensive from september as the u k. s largest supplier, more expensive from september as the u k. s largest supplier, It Hikes Prices for the first time in four yea rs. Prices for the first time in four years. Given wholesale costs have come down over that period, why waste prices now. We agree over the last few years since we dropped Electricity Prices the last time, wholesale costs have indeed fallen by about £36 on a typical bill. But weve seen these other factors of transmission and distribution costs and Energy Policy costs go up by almost £100. That is the main driver. Electricity may be a simple commodity but the factors that influence its price are complicated. 22 of the bill is made up of the companys operational expenses. Theres also 5 vat in there. The wholesale price makes up 36 of the bill, thats the price at which the Energy Suppliers buy the energy they then sell on to us. But british gas concedes that this has actually fallen since the beginning of the year. Then theres the cost of delivering the electricity to our homes. That makes up 29 of the cost. British gas says rising costs here is one reason responsible for todays hike. But figures from 0fgem show these costs fell over the last year. The other one is government policy, that makes up 13 and that includes increases to Renewable Energy and promoting Energy Saving measures like insulation. British gas says theyre going up, 0fgem says yes they are, but only by 2 . No wonder some consumers are confused. They make it as complicated as they can and people do not understand. The bills are not clear. I do not know where british gas are coming from but you have the option to choose another supplier. Wholesale prices have stayed the same 01 wholesale prices have stayed the same or have wholesale prices have stayed the same 01 have gone wholesale prices have stayed the same or have gone down as far as i know. They put them up for consumers and that is disgusting. British gas froze prices when others raised them earlier in the year so it is catching up with the rest of the pack. Consumer groups say it is the responsibility of government to take industrywide action. Government needs to urgently look at what it does for those customers who are paying over the odds. There has been so much discussion about the Energy Market and that it does not work for consumers. The discussion needs to end and we need action. According to the opposition, that action should include a cap on Energy Prices. The labour party would introduce an initial price cap and develop the Energy Supplies so that this cartel we have now could not control Pricing Levels and holders over a barrel in future. Policies like capping Energy Prices to support working families. The conservatives had a cap in a ma nifesto conservatives had a cap in a manifesto but it was dropped from the queens speech and now the government wants 0fgem to find a way to keep costs down energy remains a hot political issue. Simonjack, bbc news. 0ur Political Correspondent alex forsyth is in westminster. The government has condemned this rise. But what can the government do, weve just heard rise. But what can the government do, wevejust heard it rise. But what can the government do, weve just heard it was an election issue . All Political Parties have been banned the price rise, labour has said it is unacceptable, the government says it could affect customers already on the lowest value tariffs. But the question remains what could and should the government do. Theresa may had said during the election campaign, that the conservatives would introduce an energy price cap. But when she lost a majority that plan was shelved. In part because a brexit, the government already has a heavy programme of legislation and they know not all conservative mps backed the idea of a price cap so thatis backed the idea of a price cap so that is not the parliamentary battle but want to enter into right now. They said the Regulator 0fgem has sufficient powers and theyre waiting for the results of a consultation from 0fgem which could see proposals for a more limited cap perhaps for the most vulnerable customers. But ministers insist the idea of a wider cap is not off the table. That is something of a threat to the Energy Companies saying if you do not take action, we could. But do not expect that any time 0011. But do not expect that any time soon. Allow the government is keen to be seen to be talking tough this. 60 people have died in the uk in the past eight months after taking the painkilling drug fenta nyl according to the National Crime agency. Its the drug that was linked to the death of the rock legend prince, and is 50 times more potent than heroin. These latest figures mightjust be the tip of the iceberg there are another 70 cases in which fentanyl is the suspected cause of death. Asjune kelly reports two thirds of the known deaths have been in the yorkshire, humberside and cleveland areas. The rock legend prince died suddenly last year at the age of 57. Fans gathered near his home in minnesota where his body was found. Purple rain. A year on, medical examiners concluded his death was due to an accidental overdose of the drug fentanyl. Due to an accidental overdose of the drug fenta nyl. It due to an accidental overdose of the drug fentanyl. It was unclear where he had got it from and no one was charged over his death. Fentanyl was a drug used to treat cancer patients. But now police in the uk are becoming concerned at its growing use by drug addicts here. It is said to be 50 times more powerful than heroin. And it is killing people. Sean who does not want his face shone, lost a sister to a suspected Fentanyl Overdose a few months ago. She had gone and bought some and she knew what it was. She went back to the hostel, and we found two days later. And most of those who lost their lives have been heroin users. To be that far gone on heroin users. To be that far gone on heroin and other drugs, the lifestyle that they lead, nothing matters to them. Theyjust want lifestyle that they lead, nothing matters to them. They just want that relief. Just getting away from the world for an hour or two. Fentanyl is so lethal that this is how police we re is so lethal that this is how police were kitted up when they raided a suspect s house. Protected against breathing it in. There is an even more powerful substance, a tiny grain of this could prove fatal. So why are more people using these drugs Question Mark we believe this is partly down to the ongoing need for dealers to be trying to compete with each other and sometimes introducing drugs in the marketplace they believe might give them a competitive edge. And increase profits. Fenta nyl is competitive edge. And increase profits. Fentanyl is known as a synthetic opioid and addicts mixed with heroin. Police say people are playing Russian Roulette with their lives. Every time they take it. Jim kelly, bbc news. Police in london are having to adopt new tactics to deal with an upsurge in moped crime. Criminals on two wheels have been riding around the city targeting people with Mobile Phones or bags. Police say the number of incidents have tripled in the last year and now the thieves are even travelling to london from the home counties. Our special correspondent lucy manning has been investigating the growing threat from moped gangs. Last night near Harrods Police and fire brigade rushed to a pet gang attack. Liquid, possibly acid, thrown at the victim as they tried to steal his watch. A few months ago in east london and a motorcyclist is surrounded by four mopeds. A Fire Extinguisher let off in his face. In london it is increasingly the crime of choice for teenage offenders. Police telling the bbc the average age of mopeds gangs is 15. With some just 13. Please send me the location of where he is. Delivery driver hussein was attacked three weeks ago on his mopeds when acid was thrown at him as they stole his bike. He is 110w at him as they stole his bike. He is now part of a Social Media Group With Hundreds Of Mopeds Drivers warning if a gang is spotted. Another alert comes in. Just turning left to go towards my nextjob. Two quys left to go towards my nextjob. Two guys on left to go towards my nextjob. Two guys on one left to go towards my nextjob. Two guys on one bike. Just be careful. How guys on one bike. Just be careful. H ow ofte n guys on one bike. Just be careful. How often are people posting that the thing these mopeds around . Today, so many. Police do not stop 01 today, so many. Police do not stop or chase them. Theyre getting away. Were going to meet other Delivery Drivers, some have stopped working after ten oclock at night, theyre so after ten oclock at night, theyre so scared of the mopeds gangs. Where are you seeing the mopeds . Everywhere, everywhere around and police do not care. It is not men, it is kids. 16, your life in danger. From someone who will come. When we arejust from someone who will come. When we are just stopped at traffic lights. Someone could attack from behind. We talk, a bike cuts across the pavement, the driver and passenger with their faces covered. Do not fill me. The Delivery Drivers say this is one of the mopeds gangs, they threaten our team. Later we check the number plate, it is not insured and has changed colour. Police believe the characteristics ofa Police Believe the characteristics of a stolen bike. The last year there were 16,000 mopeds related crimes in london. Three times as many as the previous year. But the bbc has been told police are testing a new way of catching the attackers. Spraying them with liquid that can later be traced. Were looking at a that delivers a unique dna piece which sprays on them and can be traced back to them later on. If equipment or clothing or the bike is sprayed. And can use bravest on them as they are taking off . Potentially, yes. Were trying to find a way to do that safely. It is being tested under home office guidelines. Police insist they often give chase. There isa insist they often give chase. There is a misconception that there is less pleasant and people do not reported but the number of pursuits has increased. You do not pursue every mopeds gangs when a call comes in . That is true but the reality is by the time we get the call for most of these offences, it has already gone. Online is also a brazen. Bristol bike taker, with pictures of mopeds, mass riders and bolt cutters. Avon and Somerset Police we re cutters. Avon and Somerset Police were investigating say the account is used to taunt the owners of stolen bikes. Others appear to offer keys for sale to unlock mopeds. And teenagers post videos of themselves driving recklessly, breaking traffic laws. This is believed to be riders filming themselves being chased by the police. A Police Video Shows Phone Thieves Fling up the wrong side of the m11. The bbc has been told mopeds gangs are now coming into london from kent, sussex, surrey in buckinghamshire. Police believe the growing problem in the capital will spread across the country. Lucy manning, bbc news. The John Radcliffe hospital in oxford is having to close its trauma unit for a year because of Fire Safety Concerns over cladding on the outside of the building. The hospital is moving 52 beds to other wards and the unit will be shut for 12 months to inpatients. It comes after a review of the cladding took place following the Grenfell Tower fire. It will now be replaced. A great day at the white house that was Donald Trumps assessment last night after his new director of communications, Anthony Scaramucci, was sacked even before hed formally taken up the post. Not for the first time the president seemed at odds with many observers of this us administration. Heres our North America editorjon sopel. Its being billed as the last supper. Anthony scaramucci last night having dinner at where else, the restaurant in the trump hotel, just hours after hed been unceremoniously dumped. At roughly the same time came this extraordinary tweet from donald trump. A great day at the white house. What . Are you kidding . Well no, he wasnt. The swearing in of Generaljohn Kelly as Chief Of Staff being seen as a new beginning for this administration. He will do a spectacular job, i have no doubt. As Chief Of Staff. So could this mark the end of whats been a turbulent, dysfunctional six months for all the president s men . The former National Security adviser was the first to go. Fired afterjust 2a days in the job after he lied about his contacts with the russian ambassador. Three months after being fired, trumps First Communications director, the rather anonymous mike dubke, handed in his resignation. He cited personal reasons. Then came the super sacking. The high profile and brutal dismissal of the former fbi directorjames comey. Infuriating the president with his investigation into links between the russians and the trump campaign. 11 days ago it was the turn of beleaguered press secretary sean spicer. He walked, furious that President Trump had hired Anthony Scaramucci as Communications Director. The departure of Reince Priebus came as little surprise after he was subject to a vicious Verbal Attack by Incoming Communications director scaramucci. But what goes around comes around. Afterjust ten days into the job, the mooch was front stabbed by the incoming Chief Of Staff. An easy kill for the former a star marine general. The profound hope among those close to President Trump is that with general kelly in charge, there will be a fundamental change in the way this place operates. Organised, disciplined, united. But weve seen this movie before. A change in personnel leading to High Expectations followed by a swift return to normal. Time will tell. But in the meantime the late night comedians are making hay. The president has been very busy repealing and replacing his staff, most notably Anthony Scaramucci, the mooch. The mooch lated as Communications Director for only ten days and he left us with nothing but memories, like a bunch of weird moves. Macarena hey, scaramucci but some things are still refreshingly familiar. Donald trump tweeted a short time ago, only the Fake News Media and trump enemies want me to stop using social media. Only way for me to get the truth out. Change, yes. But revolution, no. John sopel, bbc news, washington. Our top story this evening over Three Million british gas customers face a hefty rise in their electricity bills. And still to come we meet the Racing Driver who nearly died in a crash but could be on the brink of a return to formula one. Coming up in Sportsday On Bbc News england suffer their first major injury blow of euro 2017. Keeper Karen Bardsley will miss the rest of the tournament after its revealed she broke her leg in the quarter final win over france. Now, we know this is a huge issue for those of you who live and work in the countryside the difficulty in getting anything like a decent broadband connection. Three years ago about 20 of the uk could only get a partial service. Since then the government has been rolling out super fast broadband and announced a £30 Million Investment to improve the infrastructure in rural areas. A pilot scheme in monmouthshire could also help sian lloyd has been there to have a look. Some of the best views in monmouthshire. Film maker Martin Phillips moved here for the scenery, which often features in his productions. But hes found theres a downside. Sending footage to his clients over the internet can be slow. Thats about to change after this aerial was fitted outside his home. Martins property is part of a pilot scheme which uses the space between tv signals to deliver high speed broadband. Having the Tv Whitespace broadband System Installed is going to revolutionise the way that i work from home. Its the consistency that makes the difference for us. It is knowing once you press a button it will work, it will send. And the fact that it is raining or cloudy or windy outside isnt going to change that. So how does it work . Whitespace broadband uses Tv Broadcast Frequencies left over from the Digital Switchover to send a broadband signal from a standard mast. Like a television signal, it doesnt need direct line of sight. And can travel up to ten kilometres over hills, through buildings and trees, direct to peoples homes. It has been recognised for some time that whitespace broadband can help plug the gaps in coverage in places like this. Whats new according to the Companies Involved in this project in monmouthshire is that now it is commercially viable and can deliver faster speeds. However some Industry Experts believe more shouldve been done to deliver Fibre Broadband to as many homes as possible. The former Chief Technical Officer of bt says rural areas have been neglected. All of these Stopgap Measures are like a finger in a dyke, they underprovide the bandwidth, they hardly meet todays needs let alone tomorrows. So the thing that is the problem here is we are wasting billions betting on things that cannot possibly meet our needs in the future. The uks Broadband Infrastructure Is Run by openreach, it agreed to split from bt following concerns from the regulator ofcom. 80,000 Internet Exchange boxes like this one have been installed across the country to connect Fibre Broadband to properties. But have they focused on providing faster speeds to urban areas at the expense of rolling out coverage to Rural Communities . There has been some deployment in urban areas which was done commercially by ourselves and other people, but the rural roll out is accelerating at pace. And you will find that the gaps are being closed. There was no sign of Fibre Broadband reaching Martin Phillips. He is pinning his hopes on Tv Whitespace. But the extent to which this technology will be taken up more widely will depend on how Many Companies get on board. Sian lloyd, bbc news, monmouthshire. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging to treat fewer than 7 of patients make it beyond five years after diagnosis. Nowa team based in birmingham believe that moving to surgery earlier than is currently the case could improve success rates. Over 9,500 people are diagnosed with the cancer each year in the uk. In a pilot scheme involving 32 patients, the average waiting time from diagnosis to surgery was cut from two months to two weeks. In the vast majority of those cases 31 patients tumours were successfully removed. Doctors say it will be two years before they can be really sure if operating earlier does extend life chances. Theres been a second day of trouble at a prison in hertfordshire where armed inmates have taken over a wing and smashed windows. Riot trained teams were sent to Hmp The Mount in bovingdon village. The Ministry Ofjustice says the disturbance is now under control. Yesterday at least 50 cells were thought to have been damaged in two wings at the jail. No one was said to have been injured in that initial violence. Hes the fastest man in history, with eight Olympic Golds and six world records. But usain bolts glittering career is about to come to an end. Hell run his last ever 100 metre race at the World Athletics Championships in london this saturday and his final Sprint Relay A Week later. Hes been giving a Press Conference this afternoon and our Sports Correspondent Natalie Pirks was there. There are not many other athletes who would need to move their conference because so many journalists applied to be here. In addition to his records and medals there is the 11 World Championship gold medals he holds and he hopes to add another two in london. Nobody transcends the sport the way he does, he walked on stage, booing us because we did not applaud him enough. He has a magnetic personality, a natural ability and a personality, a natural ability and a personality which has made Him One Of The Best paid stars in the world worth around £115 million. What are we going to do without him . Today he attended dance what he is going to do without the rush of competing. Attended dance what he is going to do without the rush of competinglj dont know what i am going to do, this is why i think i want to play football, to change it up, get a different rush. But we will see where life takes me, you never know in which direction i am going to go, imight act in which direction i am going to go, i might act in some action movies, that will give me a rush. You never know. The debate has been raging on social media today after lord coe likened his exploits to those of muhammad ali, telling him as a genius. Whether you believe he is up there with muhammad ali you have two siki is the best sprinter the world has ever seen and he fully expects to wa ke has ever seen and he fully expects to wake up to more headlines on Sunday Morning of unstoppable and unbeatable usain bolt. Hes been described as the finest Racing Driver of his generation. The polish driver, Robert Kubica, was amongst the fastest in formula one until one horrific accident in 2011 looked certain to end his career. His arm was severely injured but he has fought back and tomorrow takes part in whats being seen as a crucial test. Hes been speaking exclusively to joe wilson about that terrible accident along with his motor racing hopes for the future. A renault formula 1 car. Approaching 200 mph. Imagine driving it. And then imagine driving it without the full use of one of your arms. Nice to see you. Robert kubica is in hungary to discover if you truly can. His injuries are there to see and restrict him to this day. Can. His injuries are there to see and restrict him to this daylj can. His injuries are there to see and restrict him to this day. I am waking up every morning at home, i am doing usual stuff at home. I train, i recycle, i do all the stuff probably most of the people do. But most people dont drive a car at 200 mph. But actually i can see easily that i have more limitations are lit say my limitations have a bigger influence on daily life than in driving the cars. Driving the car is easier . Coo easier. Other drivers believed he was the most talented man on the grid, a future world champion. He told me it was the desire to become even better which took him into a rally car in his time off. He crashed. Andorra, february 2011. Everything changed. Did you think you would lose the arm . Probably first of all we have to say big thanks to them. Because the easiest thing probably would be to get rid of it. But in reality the first big moment i was fighting to be alive. This is a crucial time for teams to test cars which is why Robert Kubica is here working for renault, test driving for renault. The possibility is he could be driving in the formula 1 championship next season. Maybe, just maybe, even this season. Championship next season. Maybe, just maybe, even this Seasonlj Championship next season. Maybe, just maybe, even this season. I need to be sure i am able at least to come as close as possible to the level i was before my accident. And this will be the target. So before doing this i need to be sure i am able to do this. Actually the last two days it has helped me a lot. I feel pretty comfortable i will be able to do it. Formula 1 would love to see kubica return, his comeback would grip the sport like nothing else. But he is a realist, not a romantic. A driver must know he can rely on himself before anything else. Joe wilson, bbc news, budapest. Brave man. Time for a look at the weather. Heres jay wynn. Associated Weather Fronts heading oui associated Weather Fronts heading our way quickly, bringing wind and rain, ahead of that a day of sunny spells and heavy showers, sunshine in chiswick in london in the Mid Afternoon but for many the sky looked much more like this, threatening and we saw thunderstorms, hail, heavy dense boards as well. Thunderstorms and showers fading away over the next few hours and skies were clear for many then we looked to the south west of this rain to push its way by don, 15 or 16 degrees then some parts of central and Northern Scotla Nd Parts Of Central And Northern Scotland will be dipping well into single figures so chilly. If you start with brighter weather in east england make the most of it because the rain is moving its way northwards and eastwards, should dry up northwards and eastwards, should dry up in Northern Ireland to some extent, pretty miserable through the afternoon for south wales and Southern England and temperatures at the best only 19 or 20, so disappointing all around. These Weather Fronts continue to work in north and east overnight into thirsty and in the low drifts towards the north west which will bring a whole crop of showers. By which stage we should be into double figures across the board, 12 1516. Thursday looks like another blustery day, quite wet, showers to the north and west, not too many down to the south east, largely dry here, 21 or 22 degrees warmer but wendy. Another windy day for all parts on friday and another day of sunny spells and showers and most of them will be in the north and west, not too many getting down towards the south east corner. Largely dry in the london area. A reminder of our main story over 3 million british gas customers face a hefty rise in electricity bills. 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