once 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 of arctic voyages.

rebecca morrelle, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's chris fawkes. it has been a pretty cold start to august, you don't need me to tell you that, but the coldest start to august in south—east england for 30 yea rs august in south—east england for 30 years and also pretty wet, but as we continue through the afternoon we have an improving picture, and most people will have lengthy spells of sunshine, but there are a few showers. mainly across the northern half of the uk where we have the chance of showers as we go through the afternoon, otherwise warm spells of sunshine. showers in scotland will turn heavy, the risk of thunderstorms, and a line of showers moving across northern ireland and a high chance of catching one of those, not many showers for northern england and wales, and the rest of the south of england, by and large it will stay dry, temperatures pushing into the mid—20s and feeling

warm, and there is a fair breeze in the south west and wales, but still present. 0vernight, we have an area of high pressure moving in, and things will turn quite cold and it could fall to as low as 5 degrees in the countryside, so there will be a chill in the morning. the weather chart for wednesday, high pressure in the east, but the high—pressure moves in with strengthening winds, the band of rain moves in and it should be largely dry at least for scotland, england and wales, the best of the sunshine in eastern areas, and it will be late in the day before we have the east wales and the of england. as we go through the night the band of rain will push east, turning heavy and it could be quite slow to clear eastern counties, taking the time to move out of the way thursday morning, but

as we go into the afternoon, the mixture of sunny spells and a few showers. looking at the weather charts for the end of the week and the weekend, there is a big area of low pressure, gradually the centre moves towards the north sea and we will have a brisk north—westerly wind and that will bring showers, some of them merging together to give lengthy spells of rain across north—western areas especially friday, some heavy with hail and fund an but generally fewer showers in the south of the country and temperatures should reach the low 20s again. it will stay and settled for the foreseeable, the band of rain coming in for tomorrow. thanks forjoining us. a reminder of our main story this lunchtime. the brexit secretary, david davis, says he wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu — for after britain leaves. that's all from the bbc news at one. it's goodbye from me — and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. have a good afternoon.

time for the sport. the premier league is celebrating its 25th birthday. premier league clubs will discuss the idea of closing the summer transfer window before the start of the season. the window currently runs until august 31, in line with many other european leagues. they‘ re set to vote on the idea next month. earlier, i spoke to our sports reporter simon stone, who explained why this has come about. the transfer window has caused a bit of a problem for english clubs for a number of years now, mainly because it does not close until the 31st of august. that is two or three games into the season, and it means that players can move after the teams have started the season. this is not ideal. this summer, it seems to have become an even greater

problem, so you have three really high—profile cases. southampton defender virgil van dijk is not playing at the moment because a lot of clubs who want to sign him. everton midfielder ross barkley is in the same position, and so is swa nsea's gylfi sigurdsson. for southampton, everton and swansea, they have got three big players who cannot play because there is so much doubt about their futures. i think the general feeling within english football is that something has to be done to sort this out, because it has just destabilised clubs at a key point of the season. liverpool captain jordan henderson is expecting a tough outing at hoffenheim, in tonight's champions league first leg qualifier. liverpool are without the injured philippe coutinho, daniel sturridge and adam lallana. but henderson feels there is enough quality in the squad to get over the line, despite the huge challenge that lies ahead.

it isa it is a big test. it is a big opportunity and that is how we have to look at it. over the two games, if we can win and qualify for the champions league that was the end last season, so we need to finish it off with these next two games. it will be a tough game because they area will be a tough game because they are a good side and they will make it difficult. i think with the quality we have got, if we perform to the level we know we can, i am confident we can get through to the stage. 0ther fixtures this evening in the first leg of first round qualifying include fk qarabag who face copenhagen at 5pm followed by apoel nicosia against slavia prague, and sporting lisbon take on steaua bucharest whilst young boys are at home to cska moscow — all at 7.45pm. the hibernian manager neil lennon will face no police action following saturday's win over rangers at ibrox. complaints were made to police over lennon's behaviour but a police scotland spokeswoman told the bbc on tuesday that

0fficers reviewed the events at the match and established that no criminality took place so no further action would be taken tiger woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in may. a urine test revealed a mixture of strong painkillers, sleep and anxiety drugs and thc, which is a chemical component of marijuana. the iii—time major winner pleaded not guilty to the dui charge last week. roger federer has pulled out of the cincinnati open with a back injury, meaning rafael nadal will be the new world number one in next week's rankings. the swiss was the only player who could have denied french open champion nadal the number one position which he'll take from andy murray, who is suffering with a hip injury. former australian olympic and world champion track cyclist stephen wooldridge has died aged 39. wooldridge won a team pursuit gold at the 2004 athens olympics and four world titles in the same discipline. that's all sport for now.

you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. thank you. some of the main stories this afternoon. millions of rail passengers will see their fares rise injanuary passengers will see their fares rise in january following an increase passengers will see their fares rise injanuary following an increase in the rate of inflation. rail companies are allowed to raise fares by as much as the retail prices index figure forjuly which is 3.6%. passenger groups said commuters would be worst—hit, and suggested that the rpi measure should be scrapped. the most widely watched and used measure, the consumer prices index, was unchanged at 2.6%. we spoke to some passengers to see what they thought of being charged more for the service. every time we get on the train it

feels like there are not enough seats bases, especially for what we pay for. at the moment, there is a lot of hard work to be done with service quality before they increase fares. they want people to holiday in this country and spend money here but we cannot get down the road for the cost of what they are asking you to pay. it's ridiculous. it will affect me because at the moment i get it at a discounted rate and if it goes up i probably won't be able to afford to go to work, i will probably have to take the car because it's cheaper. probably have to take the car because it's cheaperlj probably have to take the car because it's cheaper. i would not mind and increase if we had more carriages. i would not mind if you had a better quality carriage. they are pretty tatty. they are not being looked after. things go up with inflation, but wages have to rise with inflation to help you pay for that. the view of travellers earlier today. we spoke to our business presenter

ben thompson and asked why rail passengers are facing these price rises. it's based on two measures of inflation and i'm going to labour the point about the two different calculations because it is really important. the consumer prices index, that is the one we tend to keep an eye on, that is the government preferred rate, that is 2.6%. that's the increase that we have seen so far. but there is another calculation, that is the retail prices index and that came in at 3.6% and, yes, you guessed it, the one that's used to determine how quickly our rail fares will go up is the higher one. so, from next january, the railfares, the regulated rail fares as they're known, those are the ones that cover all sorts of things like commuting tickets, rail fares, season tickets, all that stuff, the regulated fares will go up by 3.6%, that's from january of next year. already commuter groups, passenger groups says passenger groups say that this is not on, this is more than double the rise we saw last year when fares rose again and it is not fair once again to put pressure on consumers who are

feeling a squeeze on their incomes. remember, when inflation, that's the measure of how quickly prices are rising, continues it means we feel worse off in our pocket, if wages do not keep up with inflation. judging by those latest inflation figures, it is now nearly double the average wage increases and so once again we are feeling worse off in our pockets. india's prime minister, narendra modi, has led celebrations marking the seventieth anniversary of his country's independence from britain. its partition into the two countries of india and pakistan. of india and pakistan led to one of the largest mass migrations in history and many headed to the west midlands. 0ur correspondent tulip mazumdar is in birmingham for the bbc‘s asian network three generations have been discussing what impact it has had on their lives over the last 70 years and i am very pleased to say that i am joined by a couple of the guests. your story is slightly different, because your parents stayed in india, but they helped

muslims, you're a sikh background, get back to pakistan over the line after the line was drawn in 1947. i am a sikh from the punjab area, and have lived in birmingham for 50 years, and my parents were not married at the time, but they had similar stories to tell — what went on when the partition happened. as i said earlier, from what my father told us, they still remained in the family home. but they had a muslim family next door to them. and that muslim family was actually terrorised, and when they had to move, when they were taken away, there was a big violence in the whole of the village. all they were wearing was the clothes that they had, they had to leave everything behind, and they were very traumatised with what was going on.

and your family actually helped some of these muslims escape? my grandfather, my dad's father, and my father and his brothers, and the whole village, they tried to hide the family. but there was word going around, and they knew exactly which house belonged to which group, whetherthey were hindu, sikh, or muslim. they were mainly targeting the muslim families. and they knew exactly which house to go to, and the women were pulled from the houses, pulled from the doorsteps, their children sent to one side, and woman to another. the following day, my grandfather said, when they went to their farmland, went to see me well, the well was full of blood. the did not see bodies, bodies were laid on the floor, and there was a lot of blood in the

well, in the water itself. such a harrowing time for everybody concerned, along with those stories of helping each other, there was a lot of bloodshed. and you were born and raised in this country, how have those stories affected you today? they have definitely affected me. it is this unknown, and now we are catching up, 70 years later, seeing it through documentaries, and i am learning, and i thought i knew, going back and seeing the borders, going back to the villages, but there is all this hidden history that i am just so lucky we have this platform to share. i am also learning. growing up, i have heard different studies, my mother has heard stories, and i cannot believe what they went through. this debate today has been quite emotional, hasn't it? we are so protected, and i couldn't understand why my grandad always wanted to put us in cotton wool and protect us.

now i understand, i am so lucky to be here and live our life. i cannot imagine what he went how would i feel? you go over here, and they go over there, i cannot imagine what he went through. it is difficult to get your head around it, for british asians, to hear these stories. just tell us briefly about your story. my story is of my grandfather, he is still here today, living in birmingham. he from the pakistan side of india. we travelled with his five brothers, his sister, and his parents. he was a doctor. they made it, they witnessed atrocities en route, and settled again in punjab and started a new life. for him to be here today and tell us

the stories he has, and to tell my son, i feel very proud just to have him in my life. in a moment a summary of the business news this hour but first, the headlines on bbc news. brexit secretary david davis says the government wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for when the uk leaves. the grenfell tower public inquiry will examine issues including the cause of the fire and the actions of authorities before the blaze. in the business news... the headline rate of inflation stayed steady last month — at 2.6%. that's unchanged from june, thanks to a fall in fuel prices amid other signs that the squeeze on household spending power may be levelling off. the rate is still well above the bank of england's target of 2% though and means average earnings are lagging behind rising prices.

and today's inflation data is used to determine some rail fare rises from january. it means prices of regulated fares including many season tickets, could rise by up to 3.6% — which is the rpi rate of inflation. critics say the lower measure of inflation — the 2.6% cpi - should be used instead. a union is warning a strike at argos distribution centres will severly hit the retailer's customers. unite members have begun a strike over what the union says is argos‘ failure to negotiate a national deal covering redundancy and severance packages. it accused argos of failing to guarantee that workers' future terms and conditions will be safeguarded. argos insists that its contingency plans mean customers will not be affected. the strike is due to continue until september 5th and covers five distribution centres around the country. welcome. alljobs should be advertised as flexible and fathers need more support — that's the way to tackle the pay gap according the equality

and human rights commission. the national equality body says it's theirjob to make britain fairer, and pay gaps are their next target. but notjust the gender pay gaps that have been hitting the headlines but also ethinicity and disability pay gaps. caroline waters is from the equality and human rights commission. let's start with the pay gaps. when we hear pay gap we think of gender, but give us figures on the ethnicity and disability pay gaps. the ethnicity pay gap is 5.7%, which on the face of it probably sounds low to most people and that is why you have got to get ready that large statistic and see what the impact is. for example, 5.7% nationally, but if you are a bangladeshi male immigrant you will see a 48% pay 93p- immigrant you will see a 48% pay gap. the disability pay gap is at

i3.6% gap. the disability pay gap is at 13.6% but there is a bigger story behind it. for example, the impact on the earning capability of a white male with a learning disability, seeing almost a 60% gap. the pay gap is an old issue and you are calling for a radical shake—up of the workplace, but how do you make it happen? it is an ages old issue and we have had 43 years of equal pay legislation and while we have made some progress it is fair to say it has been painfully slow and so we need a big shake—up. it needs to happen with the help of government and employers, also individuals themselves. the first thing we need to think about is that the seeds of inequality are sown early. 0fsted found girls and boys have limiting views of the sorts ofjobs men should do and the sorts ofjobs

women should do. most girls will not realise that just getting women should do. most girls will not realise thatjust getting two a—levels in a stem subject can have a 33% positive impact on their earnings capability. the first thing we need to do is get better help young people on subject and career choice. transparency is a big key here. if it was not for these reports, we would not realise there was a problem. we need greater transparency. we need to give people information they need to see if they are paid fairly or not. thank you. in other news. savvy younger savers may be miffed by the latest offering from the ns&i — it's the first time the government backed institution has offered ajunior cash isa — but with a rate of 2%, its lower than the inflation rate of 2.6% and a third less than the 3% offered by some banks — national savings

says it's offering a "fair rate to young savers and balancing needs the average price of a home in the uk went up by nearly £2,000 to £223,000 injune, according to official figures from the office for national statistics. the biggest change was in 0rkney, where the average price is 28% higher than a year ago at £148,000. in the city of london, the average dropped by 20% to £724,000. bill gates has reduced his stake in microsoft by donating 64 million shares to charity. the shares were worth around £3.6 billion. mr gates' share in microsoft is nowjust i.3%. his total fortune is currently estimated to be around £70 billion. air berlin, germany's second—largest carrier, has filed for insolvency after its main shareholder etihad declared it would not be providing further financial support. but flights will continue to operate thanks to a transitional loan of 150 million euros from the german government. those lower—than—expected

inflation figures impacted. the figures mean the chance of an interest rate rise before the end of the year are less likely. the pensioner who was stabbed while trying to save the life of the labour mpjo cox has died. bernard kenny, who was 79, was awarded the george medal for his bravery — after he intervened when a right—wing extremist attacked the mp in the run—up to last year's eu referendum. mr kenny was seriously injured in the attack, but his death is not believed to be related to the incident. the "fat but fit" theory that

overweight people can still be healthy is a myth, according to researchers from two top uk universities. scientists found that carrying extra weight can increase the risk of heart disease by more than a quarter — even in people who are otherwise healthy. 0ur health correspondent sophie hutchinson has more. british sumo wrestlers in training for their next competition. medically, they are classified as obese. but try telling them they are not fit. i am happy and comfortable at around 18 stone. i have no need to lose weight. i'm fit, healthy. i've been down this gym every day for the last 20 years. i've never had a day off. i'm full of fitness. excess body fat is linked to high blood sugar and cholesterol. but some claim overweight people can still be healthy.

new research from london and cambridge universities suggests that, even if a blood test is within the normal range, excess weight is still a health risk. it linked people with bmis of over 25 to an estimated increased risk of heart disease of 26%—28%, compared to those with a healthy body weight. at the beginning of the study, they were classified as healthy. then they probably became unhealthy, and eventually some of them developed heart disease, heart attack. researchers believe excess fat may store health problems for the future, and getting down to a healthy weight, whatever your sport, is vitally important. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. taylor swift has won a sexual assault case against ex—radio dj, david mueller, who she said had groped

her at a 2013 concert. his claim for damages, on the grounds that his reputation had been destroyed by false allegations, was thrown out. just to warn you peter bowes report from los angeles, does contain flash photography. a high—profile trial pitting one of the world's most recognisable pop stars against a local dj. when david muellerfrom denver lost his job, he blamed taylor swift for ruining his career. the singer's mother and manager had contacted his radio station bosses to report that he'd groped the singer at a photo shoot. he sued swift for $3 million. she countersued for the assault, describing it in court as a very long grab under her skirt. it was a shocking thing that she had never experienced before, she said. last week, thejudge threw out his lawsuit, saying the dj had not shown that swift personally set out to have him fired. but her case against him continued, thejury sided with the pop—star.

she had been assaulted, and in keeping with her wishes, mr mueller was ordered to pay $1 in damages. in a statement, swift thanked the judge and legal team for fighting for her and anyone who felt silenced by sexual assault. she said she wanted to help those whose voices should be heard. it gives courage to all people, notjust women, but all people, to have the courage to draw lines and to know where those lines are, the lines of mutual respect between people. taylor swift, who's one of america's top—selling singers, says in the future she would be making donations to multiple organisations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves. peter bowes, bbc news, los angeles. now the latest weather details. hello, chris. across parts of south—east england is the coldest start to august in 30 years. you

have to go back to 1987 to find one that was cooler. it is also very wet. this has been clearing and this afternoon for most, the weather looking good. sunshine for most and showers today mainly across the far north of england, northern ireland and scotland. the highest chance of catching a downpour is in northern ireland where we have showers moving east. just about everyone in northern ireland will see a brief but sharp shower. through the rest of the afternoon in eastern scotland, showers could turn heavy with thunder mixed in. there will be sunshine. in the sunshine, still feeling reasonably pleasant. as we move away from northern england into wales, england, and eastern counties, the weather largely dry. some rain in the brecon beacons but

most enjoying dry weather. it will turn cold tonight in the countryside with temperatures getting down to 5 degrees in the coolest spots. wednesday does not make pretty reading in the north—west, thanks to low pressure. wet and windy weather moving into the north—west. that said, afine moving into the north—west. that said, a fine start for most of scotland, england and wales. cloudy as the day goes by. rain continues to move in. the wind getting strong. gale force gusts in some areas. the rain late to reach wales and eastern england. wednesday night, the rain moving eastwards, turning heavy. it could be slow to clear eastern parts of england on thursday morning but the afternoon brightening up. sunshine for most and showers moving

into the north—west. through friday and into the weekend, low pressure in charge. we will get a north—westerly wind. temperatures going down across the uk. frequent showers might mix together to give lengthy spells of rain but generally the further south and east, the brighter the weather gets but nobody is immune from getting a shower. this is bbc news. the top stories... brexit secretary, david davis, says the government wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for when the uk leaves. rail fares will go up by 3.6% injanuary — the biggest increase for four years. passenger groups say commuters will be worst hit. and i am in india, where the people are remembering partition 70 years on. the grenfell tower public inquiry

will examine issues including the cause of the fire — and the actions of kensington and chelsea council. mudslides and floods in sierra leone have killed more than 300 people — thousands more have been forced to flee from their homes. also in the next hour — the british explorer hoping