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 to reach the north pole, by yacht. the expedition has just departed from alaska — aiming to highlight the impact

of climate change. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. 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 a deal would prevent trade disruption until a permanent settlement could be reached. the eu commission says it will study the proposals, but the european parliament brexit co—ordinator guy verhofstadt says — 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. let's talk to our political correspondent emma va rdy who is in westminster. give us a sense of the range of responses from the government. this has been looked at with great interest because it is the clearest look that we have of the relationship that we are aiming for after brexit. there has been criticism from the government's political opponents. labour has said that the plans are incoherent. the lib dems say it is delaying economic pain. you saw the disappointment from the ukip leader, nigel farage, who wanted us to strike those international deals much more quickly. this was not the sort of

brexit he was often at all. but some will see this as a much safer way of making things happen, a more pragmatic way. he is disappointed that any signing of those international trade deals or implementation of those will not happen for a few years. there has been interesting reaction from the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier, who david davis will be sitting to negotiate with at the next round of trade talks. he tweeted that the quicker the eu and the uk agree on citizens, settling accounts, and ireland, the quicker we can discuss the customs and future arrangements. that is saying that eu negotiators are sticking to their guns. it is all very well for their guns. it is all very well for the uk to set out these aims, but we will not move on to talking about these areas until we have satisfied oui’ these areas until we have satisfied our priorities, which are the

divorce settlements, the rights of eu citizens. it is an interesting document. lots to talk about, but it really is the first clear looks of the referendum over one year ago, at the referendum over one year ago, at the route map that the government is laying out as a plan for us after brexit. it shows us what are the challenges ahead and all the political complexities involved. thank you very much. adam fleming is in brussels. the sense from the rest of the block is that it sense from the rest of the block is thatitis sense from the rest of the block is that it is first things first, let's deal with citizens rights, the divorce bill, the irish border. but is there a wider sense that the uk once, in the rest of the eu,‘s view, that the uk wants to have its cake and eat it. the publication of this

document has been welcomed because they have been crying out for more details and that there will be further position papers coming out in the next few weeks, they have welcomed. the next set of talks is to do —— is due to happen in the wa ke to do —— is due to happen in the wake of the 28th of august. in terms of the substance of what the uk is asking for, a cosy new relationship for customs when it comes to brexit, the european commission says that the european commission says that the only way the uk government can reach its goal of frictionless trade is to stay in the customs union and the single market which is effectively retaining membership of the european union. the mep from belgium who is the european parliament chief brexit coordinator tweeted that very sick simply by

saying that the uk government has a fa ntasy. saying that the uk government has a fantasy. so the idea that it can stay close and have new staff like new trade deals, the european commission not entirely enthusiastic about. as emma was saying, the message from michel barnier, the chief negotiator is, you can talk about the future, but only once you have made sufficient progress on the issues that the eu has identified as priority issues. that is citizens because right, citizens living in the uk and brits on the continent, the uk and brits on the continent, the financial settlement and the situation on the island of ireland, with the border. that would be the subject of another position paper from written later this week and that will be lapped up. —— a paper from great britain. that situation is being talked about right now, the

eu once more clarity from the uk. so let's take more of a look at the details that the uk is setting out for brussels in terms of customs arrangements. chris morris from our reality check team. this starts with the idea of a temporary customs union that looks as as much like the current union as possible. that would reassure business but it needs to be agreed by the rest of the eu which may be thinking, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. a tricky issue is that during this transition period which could last up to three years, the uk wa nts to could last up to three years, the uk wants to be able to negotiate its own trade deals around the world and there is no sign that the rest of there is no sign that the rest of the eu will agree to that. then there are the longer term proposals for what would follow this temporary

fix. 0ne for what would follow this temporary fix. one suggestion is what they are calling a highly streamlined customs arrangements using technology to cut paperwork and to allow fewer vehicle tax. it would take years to set up such a scheme so work to prepare for it would have to start straightaway. notjust on british ports but also in france, netherlands and ireland. the alternative uk suggestion is for a new customs partnership between the uk and the eu which would dispense with any customs border altogether. 0utside dispense with any customs border altogether. outside a customs union, that does not really exist anywhere in the world and it raises many questions, with the uk have to collect customs duties for the eu? and vice versa. so this is just an opening salvo and there will be a full white paper on customs in the autumn. but this feels like a paper written to take account of british

political sensitivities, rather than anyone else's. the reason, to get on with the discussion as soon as possible, the uk would argue. the eu says that the outline of the divorce deal has to come first. we can now speak to the irish mep and vice—president of the european paraliament, mairead mcguinness. shejoins me on webcam from drogheda. thank you for talking to us this afternoon. you are talking to bbc radio earlier and said there is a sense, particularly in the transition period, of a desire to leave but the comeback on terms with by the united kingdom. with specific reference to these customs arrangements, how do you think that is going to play in the rest of the eu? i think you heard reaction already on twitter and my reaction is similar. we welcome the fact that we have the papers and tomorrow will

bea we have the papers and tomorrow will be a more sensitive one for my constituency about the border here in northern ireland. but we have other issues to deal with before we get your trade. what is important is that the united kingdom did have a document. it is very aspirational. it is written by the united kingdom and everything is about it is how it would be good for them as opposed to what would be good for the eu. there is no recognition from the uk that there is a need for a transitional arrangement and once that if you —— it is not clear what the uk want and what the eu was allowed to prevail. we are yet to get to those stages. the document is hot off the press. i will have to read it a few times to see the nuances. there is a lot

about and tested technology and sea mless about and tested technology and seamless and frictionless, a lot of words in here. we are struggling with, especially on the island of ireland, is how those words are made real. so that the commitments to the border, written into this document as well, are actually delivered on. there is a great deal of work to be done on that. but before that point, iam done on that. but before that point, i am concerned about the slow pace of progress on citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border question. we have heard clearly, if ican question. we have heard clearly, if i can interrupt, that in terms of the eu, those three points are the priority ahead of trade. those fundamental issues have to be addressed. looking ahead, uk talks about a transition period of two to three years, during which the uk could negotiate its own international trade deals, how is something like that going to viewed

in the rest of the eu? i was discussing with our correspondent, is that having its cake and eating it, that we have heard from eu negotiators, that just it, that we have heard from eu negotiators, thatjust isn't on. that is exactly what it is and how it would be viewed by lots of people, especially the european parliament. the sense that we can write our own rules around a customs union. we all need a transitional arrangement but there has to be respectful but the eu stands for and whatever arrangements are put in place have to respect those requirements of the eu. that is really not clear from the european side. i smiled a little, i wrote down the words of nigel farage and he think that people like the us and australia will "stop taking ourselves and the uk seriously". i spoke to the australian ambassador

to ireland yesterday and i have met many ambassadors and they want to do trade deals with the european union first because we are a bigger block. there is some sort of fantasy to believe that the united kingdom can go out and within a short period of time, do big agreements with global partners... but the rest of the eu surely once a favourable trading arrangement with the uk post—brexit, so on that basis, is there some wriggle room, some compromise?m goes without saying that the united kingdom and the eu want to have a good trading relationship but not on any terms. when you say compromise, thatis any terms. when you say compromise, that is exactly what we need and that is exactly what we need and that thus far, we have not seen it on those three issues already addressed. we are yet to get into phase two, trade, but at the end of the day, progress in europe has been made on the basis of compromise and which nobody comes to the table with

their demands. but the eu is 27 member states and at this point, they are united to their —— in their approach. michel barnier is correct to say that the clock is ticking. i think it is ticking louder and faster than people had appreciated. because there will be elections that the eu in 2019. the uk will leave the eu in 2019. the uk will leave the european union in march of that year, and we don't have a lot of time to ratify any deals that are made in these negotiations. it is some progress to have a paper, tomorrow is another step and i will be watching it closely around the border with northern ireland. thank you very much. a look at the headlines. brexit secretary, david davis, says the government wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for when the uk leaves.

millions of rail passengers will see fares rise by 3.6% when price changes come into force next year. the grenfell tower public inquiry will examine issues including the cause of the fire and the actions of authorities before the blaze. and in sport... as the premier league turns 25, top tier clubs will discuss the possibility of closing the summer transfer window before the start of the season. it currently runs until august 31, in line with many other european leagues. they‘ re set to vote on the idea next month. liverpool are in germany ahead of tonight's champions league first leg play—off against hoffenheim. jurgen klopp's side are looking to reach europe's elite competition for the first time in three years. and a toxicology report has revealed that tiger woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in may. the former world number one pleaded not guilty to the charge last week. i'll be back with more on those stories after half—past. millions of people will

see their rail fares 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. the increases will affect season tickets, "anytime" tickets and some 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 is 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 getting 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 because they are cutting back. the organisation representing the companies operating the trains say higher price rises affect them too. railway companies' costs are going up in line with inflation as well so they have to cover costs to provide 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 is, 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 gave us this update. the scope of the inquiry is much wider than the leading judge suggested. at first he said it may only look into the cause of the fire and widespread so quickly and what lessons and widespread so quickly and what lesso ns ca n and widespread so quickly and what lessons can be learned to protect others in the future. but after extending the consultation for a number of weeks and analysing 500 and more written statements, he has now brought in those terms of reference to not only look at the cause and spread of the fire, but also to look at the design, construction and refurbishment of g re nfell tower. construction and refurbishment of grenfell tower. to look at tower blocks on the whole across the uk and regulations surrounding them, whether those regulations were followed for g re nfell whether those regulations were followed for grenfell tower and the actions of bodies and groups in the lead up to the fire and after the tragedy which will include

kensington and chelsea council. residents' groups have welcomed the broader terms of reference but there have been questions raised and there has been criticism as to why the wider social reforms and questions are not going to be looked at. the prime minister —— thejudge has addressed that said that they will be directed to the housing minister and he will be speaking to a number of housing tenants to get to the bottom of it. 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. india's prime minister, narendra modi, has led his nation in marking the 70th anniversary of his country's independence from britain. in a speech in delhi, he said he wants to transform india into a prosperous and technologically—advanced nation. the creation of india and pakistan in 19117 led to a million deaths, and the displacement

of about 12 million people. reeta chakra barti is in amritsar in punjab. i'm in the golden temple in amritsar. this is one of the holiest sites of the sea college in. there are many people still coming into worship. there are hymns played throughout the day and night. four. —— of the sikh religion. punjab was one of the areas worst affected when pakistan was created 70 years ago. yesterday i reported from pakistan because it celebrated its anniversary of independence yesterday. today, it is india's turn. they were led by narendra modi

ata turn. they were led by narendra modi at a special celebration 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 19117. 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 19117. 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 have been speaking to two generations on one family about their experience and what they feel about india today. i almost refused

the invitation... 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 is 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. that macro the way gandhi wanted. —— the way gandhi 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 they 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 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 difficult for indians to go to

park a star vice versa. there is an undercurrent of hostility. their peoples may feel friendship but 70 yea rs peoples may feel friendship but 70 years on, they still feel as far as pa rt years on, they still feel as far as part as ever as states. let's ta ke let's take a look at the weather now. feeling warm in the sunshine. the showers will be heaviest across eastern north east england. these are the temperatures you will see in the afternoon. 0vernight, high—pressure moves in. that will kill off the showers and the skies we re kill off the showers and the skies were clear. the winds will feel

light. a chilly night in the countryside. a chill in the air for wednesday morning, a fine start for scotland, england and wales. turning wet and windy during the day as the band of rain works into the north—west. it will be slow to reach eastern areas of wales and much of england. staying dry for the most of the day. that is your weather. hello. this is bbc news with annita mcveigh. the headlines... the government has just released its plans for what they are describing as an "ambitious new customs arrangement" — a temporary customs union with the eu post brexit. the proposals have been described as a fantasy by the european parliament's brexit coordinator guy verhofstadt. millions of rail passengers will see a 3.6% increase in fare when prices rise in january 2018, the price rise will affect season tickets and some off—peak fares in england and wales. the terms of the public inquiry

into the grenfell tower fire have been released — the actions of the local council and the recent refurbishment of the block will be among the issues examined. the search for survivors continues following mudslides and floods in freetown which have the claimed lives of more than 300 people. india celebrates 70 years of independence from britain, and the partition of the country which led to millions of people being displaced along religious lines. it's time to catch up with the sports headlines. premier league clubs are to discuss the possibility of closing the summer transfer window before the start of the season. it currently runs until august 31, in line with many other european leagues. but the key stakeholders will 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 ofa the transfer window has caused a bit of a problem for english clubs for some years of a problem for english clubs for some yea rs now of a problem for english clubs for some years now because it doesn't close, as you say, until the 31st of august and that is 2—3 games into the season and it means that players can move after their teams have started the season just not ideal. this summer it seems to have become an even greater problem so you have three really high profile cases from southampton defender virgil van dijk is not playing at the moment cause there is a lot of clubs that want to sign him. everton midfielder ross barkley in the same position, swansea's gylfi barkley in the same position, swa nsea's gylfi sigurdsson barkley in the same position, swansea's gylfi sigurdsson in the same position and for those clubs, south hampton, everton and swansea, they are in a state of flux, they have three big players, they can't play, some which doubt about their

futures and i think the general feeling within english football is that something has to be done to sort this out cos it's just destabilising the clubs and add a really key point in the season. the premier league celebrates its 25th birthday today. fans have been treated to hundreds of incredible goals over the years — picking the best is no easy task. the goal which won a bbc vote has been announced — and it's hard not to watch in awe. dennis bergkamp's brilliant effort against newcastle in 2002 came out on top. he's turned, off what a goal! he turned him inside out. did he mean that, i think he did. slide the ball past shay given. absolutely stunning. absolutely stunning. 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's a big test, but it's a big opportunity as well, i think that's how we've got to look at that. 0ver the two games, if we can win, we will qualify for the champions league and that was the aim last season so we need to finish it off the next two games. it will be a tough time, they are a good side, they will make it difficult for us but i feel the quality we have, if we perform to the level we know we can, then! we perform to the level we know we can, then i am very confident we can get through the group stage. 0ther fixtures this evening in the first leg of the play—offs include fk qarabag versus copenhagen at 5pm — followed by apoel nicosia against slavia prague, sporting lisbon take on steaua bucharest

whilst young boys are at home to cska moscow — all at 7.45pm india spinner ravichandran ashwin has signed for worcestershire for the remainder of the 2017 county season. ashwin — who's ranked third in the test bowling rankings — took 17 wickets in three tests as india completed a whitewash in sri lanka on monday. the 30—year—old has joined as a replacement for injured australia all—rounder john hastings. he has taken 292 wickets and scored 2,035 runs in 52 tests for india. 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 14—time major winner pleaded not guilty to the dui charge last week. that's all the sport for now. i'll have more in the next hour. back to you. 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 thousands of people left homeless. the natural disaster is being described as one of the worst to ever hit the city. richard lister reports. 0n 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 have little enough before this disaster. at least 3000 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. 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. the man who was awarded the george medal for trying to save the life of mp jo cox has died.

bernard kenny was stabbed when he intervened in the attack in birstall, west yorkshire last year. mr kenny's son confirmed that his father died yesterday morning — he was 79 and had been suffering from cancer. corinne wheatley reports. it was an astonishing act of bravery. bernard kenny was waiting for his wife in burst of last year, when he heard a gun, saw a knife and raced to help. he thought he could stop the attack ofjoe cox by jumping on his back and was stabbed in the stomach. more than 80,000 people called for him to be honoured and a yearon people called for him to be honoured and a year on he was awarded the george medal. those closest tojoe cox paid tribute to him. sister kim lead better cox paid tribute to him. sister kim leadbetter said he restored their faith in humanity. and in cox said he personified the best of our country. sandra meijer was an aide tojoe country. sandra meijer was an aide to joe cox and country. sandra meijer was an aide tojoe cox and was there at the time of her murder. the most poignant thing is he did not look to get his george medal, so many thousands of people petitioned for him to get his

medal and sadly he died before he could go to buckingham palace and receive it. but it wasn't bernard kenny's only selfless act. the former miner had team in the rescue tea m former miner had team in the rescue team that tried to save the victims of the lofthouse colliery disaster in 1973. he condemned the attack on joe cox as pure evil, he will be remembered as a hero. a fund is being set up to pay for a permanent memorial to the 22 victims of the manchester arena bombing. it will be separate to the we love manchester emergency fund — but run alongside it. an advisory group of civic and business leaders will work with the city council, and the victims families to decide what kind of permanent commemoration there should be to the victims of the attack.

involving the power of attorney — a former seniorjudge has warned of the lack of safeguards in cases involving the power of attorney — where people are given rights over a person's property or welfare because they no longer have the capacity to act in their own best interests. denzil lush — who was head of the court of protection —— told the bbc he believed abuse was present in one in eight such cases. the "fat but fit" theory that overweight people can still be healthy is nothing but 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. our 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 basically have no reason 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 cambridge university 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 became unhealthy, and eventually some of them developed heart disease and 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.

rail travellers are being advised to avoid london waterloo until thursday — after a train derailed early this morning outside the station. no—one on board the train was hurt. three other people were treated at the scene by paramedics, but none taken to hospital. it means 13 platforms are now out of use — 10 were already closed for engineering works. in a separate incident a train has hit the buffers at kings cross station. a spokesperson from great northern said the train came into contact with the buffers at low speed at twenty past six this morning. the rail accident investigation branch has been informed. 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. mudslides and floods in sierra leone have killed more than 300 people. thousands more have enforced to flee from their homes. 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 rp! 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 retailers customers. a union is warning a strike at argos distribution centres will severely hit the retailers 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 5 distribution centres around the country. thanks forjoining me. three more chief executives have resigned from donald trump's american manufacturing council over the president's response to violence in charlottesville at the weekend. intel's brian krzanich and under armour head kevin plank have followed merck's ken frazier in leaving the council. michelle fleury is in new york.

what's the reaction been on wall street to these resignations? look at the share prices, market has risen since ken fraser stepped down, intel and under armour at the moment trading down but i want to rejuvenate the intel ceo said when he announced the decision yesterday evening to step down. he said i stand with others for equality and improving us competitiveness, both require improving in today's environment. he basically said he could not stay on, given the delay in presidents cup's response initially at events over the weekend. we also heard from the ceo of under armour who gave a slightly different reason saying he wants to focus on the business which is sport and developing everything associated

with that, he didn't want to be distracted by politics. interestingly while others on the council have decided they want to retain their access to the pro—business administration, others in the business community have come out in support, we saw unilever‘s ceo expressing solidarity and support for ken fraser's moral courage. divisions across corporate america as to how to respond to these events and how to do, going forward , these events and how to do, going forward, with the president and the administration, clearly divisions exist but increasingly leaders feeling emboldened or strong enough that they can clearly walk away and step away from the administration without fear for too much retaliation although we have seen president trump lash out on twitter. it's not the first time we've seen company heads step away, stepped down from these boards over issues of president tom's policies, we have

seen a long task from tesla stepped down and a representative of disney. does anything feel different about these resignations?” does anything feel different about these resignations? i mean in the past, ceos had been reluctant to get on and every time an issue arises. —— elon musk. i've asked a number of them about their reactions and it's time the response we get that which is similar, we feel it is important to work constructively with the administration, to be at the table when policy is discussed. at the moment they feel it is in the investors interest to retain that access but at what point does that cost become too great? clearly for some ceos that point has already been reached and they are willing to risk the ire of the president. we have seen donald trump tweet twice against mark, once against the price

of drugs, the second about their workforce and that may give some leaders was to speak out. michelle, thank you. in other news... 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 of tax payers". 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 £3.6bn — mr gates' share in microsoft is nowjust1.3%. his total fortune is currently estimated to be around £70bn. 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 150m euros from the german government. before we go let's see how the markets are getting on, you can see the reaction to the slightly lower than expected rate of inflation, the pound slipping because of that, meaning it's less likely we will see an interest rate rise before christmas and as a result, the ftse is slightly higher. result, the ftse is slightly higher. 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, so can be used as 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 has

just set off from alaska. the british explorer says the melting of seaice british explorer says the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage possible. 0r science correspondent reports. 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 of arctic voyages. rebecca morrelle, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. the weather not looking too bad. there will be some showers, but all of us seeing some decent spells of sunshine. feeling warm, particularly in the east of england, temperatures pushing into the mid—20s. the show was heavy across eastern scotland and north east england, the risk of and north east england, the risk of a rumble of thunder, these are the kind of temperatures you will see.

0vernight high pressure moving in, killing the showers, the skies clearing, the wind falling light. turning out to be quite a chilly night in the countryside, temperatures in scotland in the countryside reaching 5 degrees. a fine start. some morning sunshine, turning wet and windy as the band of rain works the north—west, slow to reach eastern areas of and england. staying dry for most of the day. that is your weather. this is bbc news. the headlines. 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. india's reminisced on the

celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the country's independence from britain. 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 — as heavy rain continues to disrupt rescue and recovery efforts. also in the next hour — the british explorer hoping to reach the north pole, by yacht. the expedition has just departed from alaska —