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 — 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.guy 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, 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 come in 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. 0ur correspondent adam fleming explained more about the reaction

in brussels to the proposals. 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 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 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 —— tweeted that very succinctly, by saying that what the uk government wa nt saying that what the uk government want is 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 eu's 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‘ rights, citizens living in 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 paperfrom great britain later this week and that

will be lapped up. that situation is being talked about right now, the eu once more —— the -- the eu —— the eu wants more clarity from the uk. chris morris from our reality check team. he has been taking a look at more details of the options the uk is offering brussels. 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 wants to be able to negotiate its own trade deals around the world and 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. one suggestion is what they are calling a highly streamlined customs arrangement, using technology to cut paperwork and to allow fewer vehicle checks. 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. outside a customs union, that does not really exist anywhere in the world and it raises many questions, with the uk have to —— would 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. all the more 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. let's get more reaction from the leader of the liberal democrats, sir vince cable — who is in our studios in edinburgh. thanks forjoining us this afternoon. do you think the uk government will get anywhere close to either of these two proposals? the highly streamlined border or the new partnership with no customs border at all? we simply don't know. 0ne border at all? we simply don't know. one thing is welcome, that instead ofjumping offa one thing is welcome, that instead ofjumping off a cliff in 18 months‘ time, the government is buying time

and that is a positive. but everything else about this is very worrying. they use the phrase, studied ambiguity, which is basically political speak for the donor what were doing. they are offering a series of very different options. it all depends on the goodwill of the european union which seems unlikely to be forthcoming and all those industries which depend on all those industries which depend on a customs union, the car industries, the aerospace industry, supply chain, they really have no idea what sort of future is coming down the... chris morris, our correspondent, said that these plans were pitched at dealing with political sensitivities here and the questions of business here. does it give them the clarity they need? no, it is kicking the can down the road. businesses are grateful they are not

to be confronted with this crisis immediately but it gives no clarity at all. the fundamental problem has been spelt out. there are great advantages to britain being part of the customs union, if revised frictionless trade, just like being mm of the single market does. if it ain‘t broke, why fix it. mm of the single market does. if it ain't broke, why fix it. david davis says it is in the eu‘s interest to sort this out, despite their initial reaction, it is as much in their interest to sort this out as it is for the uk to get this sort of arrangement. looking at that initial response from eu negotiators, do you think that they are going to really consider these ideas are, given that they have to deal with citizens‘ rights, and the divorce bill?m

they have to deal with citizens‘ rights, and the divorce bill? it is in everybody‘s interest not to have a complete mess and conflict, but it is much more in our interest than theirs. 0ur bargaining position is very weak. the underlying politics is the obsession in parts of the government, dr fox in particular, that it government, dr fox in particular, thatitis government, dr fox in particular, that it is very important to renegotiate the trade deals. nobody has explained why this is necessary. we already have 60 odd preferential arrangements to go see it is through the eu with the commonwealth and other countries. 0nce the eu with the commonwealth and other countries. once we leave, we are any worse physicians and the portal countries of the future, like china —— we are in an even worse position. the relationship with america depends on the relationship was president from which most sane people would not invest a great deal in. we have to keep the customs

union, notjust a version of it, not just some artificial copy. but we need to remain within the customs union arrangement. and take a hit as a result, with greater tariffs? i'm afraid, given the way the government is going, as a country we are going to ta ke is going, as a country we are going to take a hit. i don‘t want that to happen and that is why the i want the government to think again about the government to think again about the fundamentals, it is within our national interest to stay within the single market and the customs union. that is a big part of our stable economy. i use the term take a hit advisedly, because those in favour of brexit say that there will be many more freedoms for the uk to negotiate trade deals with other parts of the world. i have already dealt with that. this freedom is largely fictional. these big

emerging powers like china and india have a much greater interest in having special relationships with the european union rather than cars, independently. countries like india have already given the british government is the brush off because they are saying if you want free trade with us, you have got to take more people on visas, and the british government has refused. the only countries that are showing a serious interest in these deals are the united states where there are sinners problems about food hygiene and potentially australia and new zealand, but they have much closer relations with japan and china and the us. so the potential benefits of these new trade deals are relatively minorand these new trade deals are relatively minor and they these new trade deals are relatively minorand they are these new trade deals are relatively minor and they are far outweighed by the heavy cost of the drawing of withdrawing from the current arrangements. so with these arrangements. so with these arrangements give the businesses a

single step withdraw all? staying within the unionist should be what the government —— staying within the customs union should be what the government is aiming for. these halfway house solutions are not solving any problems. transitional arrangements are kicking the can down the road and postponement may have its merits, people have a chance to think about what we are doing, but they have no other merit. the uncertainty is prolonged and the costs will come, but a few years later. service cable, thank you very much. —— sir vince cable. 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. 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. rail travellers are being urged to avoid london waterloo after an incident where a train derailed on friday. people were treated at the scene by paramedics. 13 platforms are now out of use, ten were already closed for engineering works. the actions of kensington and chelsea council are to be considered in the grenfell tower fire inquiry. the government says the inquiry will also examine the cause of the fire — which left at least 80 people dead. but some of the broader social questions provoked by the blaze won‘t be addressed. 0ur correspondent frankie mccamley is in west london.

take us through what the inquiry will look at and what the reaction has been. 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 can be learned to protect others in the future. but after 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. to look at tower blocks on the whole across the uk and regulations surrounding them, 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. as well as the action of the fire brigade. there have been questions and criticisms after that. 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 housing questions are not going to be looked at. the prime minister —— said that they will be directed to the housing minister there will be a hearing in september and we will get initial reports at easter next year as to how and why the fire spread so quickly. thank you very much, frankie.

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 sikh religion. there are many people still coming into worship. there are hymns played throughout the day and night. this temple is in punjab.

punjab was one of the areas worst affected when pakistan was created 70 years ago. —— when india and parker stonework created 70 years ago. —— india and pakistan. 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 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 in 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. 70 years ago it was here, at the historic red fort, i almost refused the invitation, do you know that? remembering happy times, but this family did live through trauma. doctor singh and his wife fled pakistan as children but the events of that time have gone largely undiscussed. my generation, unfortunately, has not talked much to the younger generation, our children, our grandchildren about the partition. it 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. 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 podcast on and vice versa. the

countries remain as far apart as ever. 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. 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 or friend. the authorities are trying to keep people away. we urge everyone to remain calm. and to avoid disaster—prone areas while we continue to address this grave emergency. these people had little enough before this disaster. at least 3000 are now thought to be homeless. fresh water 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. let‘s get the latest now from unicef spokesperson in sierra leone, john james. he joins me on webcam from freetown. john, we have been running the figure of around 300 people dead as a result of this mudslide and flooding. we are seeing some reports that the death toll could be much higher, what are you hearing?” mean, we are not seeing higher, what are you hearing?” mean, we are not seeing any higher, what are you hearing?” mean, we are not seeing any official figures so far, that is not we are

involved —— that is not where we are involved —— that is not where we are involved ourselves. but yes, the city as his struggling to cope with the number of bodies that came out yesterday. bodies are still being dug up. there is a rescue operation but there are a great deal of bodies to come, who was swept away in their homes overnight. a lot of people are missing and may be found in the coming days. we still expect the numbers to rise. is there any hope of finding survivors? there has been discussion about people calling from mobile phones, that they are under the rubble and can hear the diggers but hopes that sort of thing was more yesterday. just with the way of the debris, especially in regent square, there has been a huge landslide, so much mud and homes

have completely disappeared, it is difficult to hope. describe you have seen difficult to hope. describe you have seen with your own eyes? there is a lot of distress, a lot of people on site have come back hearing about what happened and coming to check on their loved ones and relatives in their loved ones and relatives in the area. when you see the devastation at that site, the whole side of a hill, swept down and places where we saw those houses being built,. it is tragic for people. the president and the nation grieving. you can feel it. a lot of people here in freetown have been touched by what has happened. you can feel the grief and the trauma. tell us what unicef is trying to do on the ground? there has been a lot of work going on, starting yesterday and going on now to stay to work up the scale of the problem, the number of people affected. some of those are being provided for by community

sierra leone is helping them out. but people need clean water and sanitation and toilet facilities. there is a lot of dirty water coming down and contaminating wells. i can imagine that that is a major source of concern and it could expose people to a greater tragedy. that is a key factor. working on social counselling as well. we‘re working with partners on those sorts of things. and supplies as well. basic supplies, and body bags and gloves are needed. there are some left over from the ebola response. there will be attempts to help people get through the next few days. john, we wish unicef well with its work. difficultjob. john wish unicef well with its work. difficultjob. jothames, wish unicef well with its work. difficult job. john james, unicef‘s representatives in sierra leone. news just newsjust in — the parents news just in — the parents of charley gard have announced that they will use the money donated by

well—wishers to set up a charley gard foundation. they will use the £1.3 million donated by well—wishers to little charlie gard, who died last month, his parents are announcing that they will use that money to set up a charlie gard foundation to help other children with rare diseases. time to take a look at the weather. we have all seen at least a bit of sunshine this afternoon, but there have also been showers. here is one of our weather watcher pictures. it shows the skyline in glasgow. it is a line of clouds that has built up, producing a few showers. the bulk of

england and wales will be dry, with sunshine. any showers will fade away and the skies will be clear. and the winds full light. it will be a chilly night. certainly a chilly start to wednesday morning in scotland. plenty of sunshine to start the day, but further north and west, it turns wet and windy. but the rain arise very late in the day in east wales and across the bulk of england. so for most areas, it will bea england. so for most areas, it will be a decent day. hello. this is bbc news. the headlines: the government has published proposals for a temporary customs union with the eu after brexit. the chief eu negotiator says trade

discussions should wait until there‘s agreement on citizens‘ rights, the divorce bill, and future arrangements with ireland. millions of rail passengers will see a 3.6% increase in fares 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 in sierra leone which have claimed the lives of more than 300 people. time for a look at the sport. premier league clubs are to discuss the possibility of closing the summer transfer window before the season starts.

it currently runs until august 31 — in line with many other european leagues. but the key stakeholders will vote on the idea next month. 0ur sports reporter simon stone 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 a number of years now, mainly because it doesn‘t close, as you say, until the 31st of august. and that is two 01’ the 31st of august. and that is two or three games into the season. it means that players can move after their teams have started the season, which is not ideal. this summer, it seems to have become an even greater problem. you have three high—profile cases. the southampton defender virgilvan dijk is cases. the southampton defender virgil van dijk is not playing at the moment because a lot of clubs wa nt to the moment because a lot of clubs want to sign him. the everton midfielder ross barkley is in the same position. swansea‘s gylfi

sigurdsson is in the same position. for those clubs, southampton, everton and swansea, they are in a state of flux because they have three players that can‘t play because there are so much doubt about their future. the general feeling within english football is that something has to be done to sort this out, because it is just destabilising clubs at a key point of the season. the premier league celebrates its 25th birthday today. more than 25,000 goals have been scored in england‘s top division since 1992 — and fans were asked to pick their favourite in a bbc poll. and the winner was this one — scored by arsenal‘s dennis bergkamp against newcastle in 2002. commentator: bergkamp! what a goal by dennis bergkamp. did he mean that? i think he did. and slipped

the ball past shay given. some of us remember that! liverpool are in champions league action. they‘re in germany to face hoffenheim in the first leg of the play—off to decide which of them will qualify for the group phase of the competition. liverpool are without philippe coutinho, daniel sturridge and adam lallana who are all injured, but captainjordan henderson says they have enough quality in the squad to get a result. it's it‘s a big test, but it‘s a big opportunity as well. that is how we have got to look at it. over the two games, if we can win and qualify for the champions league, that was the end of last season. we need to finish it off with these next two games. it will be tough, because hoffenheim are a very good side and will make it difficult for us. but if we perform to the level we know we can, i am confident we can get through to 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. 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. the government has set out its proposals for what it calls

an "ambitious new customs arrangement" with the eu. the brexit secretary david davis says he wants a temporary system that will allow frictionless trade when the uk leaves the european union. it‘s hoped this plan would allow the uk to negotiate trade deals with non—eu countries. let‘s get reaction to this now and speak to the labour mp chris leslie, who is a supporter of the cross—party group, 0pen britain. he‘s in our westminster studio. you tweeted earlier, so ministers ask eu if they can have cake and eat it. we leave the customs union and ask for... a customs union. but do you think either of the options that the government is talking about, either this streamlined border or a new partnership with the customs border at all, do you think either of these options are likely to work out? well, if it is dawning on

ministers that there is a major catastrophe if we leave the customs union altogether, i suppose that is a step in the right direction. what imean by a step in the right direction. what i mean by have your cake and eat it, the british government asking the eu, would you mind giving us all of the good bits that we benefit from and have none of the difficulties or responsibilities. it is a bit of a fa ntasy to responsibilities. it is a bit of a fantasy to start your negotiation with such high expectations. we have already heard from the european union that there will not be a beer on that basis. far better, in my view, therefore, to say, less to stay in the customs union, because it is by far the most efficient, frictionless, tariff free trade area of anywhere in the world. anything else we can try and cobbled together is bound to be inferior. who are you representing here, though? are you primarily representing 0pen britain? are you representing labour‘s view?

your labour colleague pilasters and was asked earlier what labour would do. was he saying that labour would leave the customs union, and he didn‘t givea leave the customs union, and he didn‘t give a straight answer to that. i am representing my constituents in nottingham east. and i know for businesses in nottingham, currently, if they want to sell goods to paris or berlin or to leicester or london, it is all tariff free. they can do that without restrictions. if we leave the customs union, those firms in nottingham will not be able to sell to the continent in the same way. they might even have taxes and ta riffs they might even have taxes and tariffs placed upon them. that is my worry. ultimately, where do those taxes and tariffs land? they land on my constituents, usually the poorest people, in their bills, whether it is their food bills or the other costs of living. it is time to stand

up costs of living. it is time to stand up and say, let‘s stay in the customs union. that wasn‘t on the ballot paper in the referendum. that was about the institutions of the eu. it is still possible for us to stay in the customs union. isn't it in the interests of the rest of the eu, though, to come closer to what the government here is proposing? well, a negotiation is going to go on, but we rushed the article 50 process. we have wasted four months since then. the government now have a limited amount of time to try and cobbled together a deal. they have realised there is no way they can put together anything as good as the existing customs union we have got before the march 2015 cliff edge, so they have now asked for an extension on their essay, please can we have another couple of years and we will try and keep in the customs union for that period. but are we just pushing the cliff edge from 2019 into 2021, and who knows what is

beyond that? i think it has not been thought through and if the british people start to think this is potentially damaging for our economy, they have every right to say, let‘s think again. 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 statements not only 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 peninsula 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 bbc world service has called on the iranian authorities to reverse a new order that appears to freeze the assets of its staff in iran. the bbc persian service is banned in iran and working for the bbc is illegal, but the world service has an audience there of about 13 million. at least 11 people have been killed after a 200—year—old oak tree

fell and crushed them on the portuguese island of madeira. local media said at least 35 people were injured when the tree toppled into a crowd outside a church in a village in the hills overlooking the island‘s capital, funchal. 0ne portuguese broadcaster said two children were among the dead at what is the main religious festival in madeira. a pensioner who was stabbed while trying to save the life of the labour mp, jo cox, has died. bernard kenny, who was 79, was awarded the george medalfor 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 the cause of his death is not believed to be related to the incident. 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 — as heavy rain continues to disrupt rescue and recovery efforts. in the business news... the headline cpi rate of inflation stayed steady last month at 2.6%, 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 five argos distribution centres will severely hit the retailer‘s customers. unite members have begun a strike over what they say is argos‘ failure to negotiate a national deal covering redundancy and severance packages. argos says customers will not be affected. the strike is due to continue until september 5th. seriously stressed at work? you‘re not alone. more than a third of us are doing jobs that add emotional strain to our lives. in fact, in the us alone, work—related stress costs businesses £23 billion a year in lost work days. that‘s the problem, but what‘s the solution? professor cary cooper is is professor of organisational psychology at the alliance manchester business school. why are we more stressed at work?

well, if you think about the recession, we had a lot of downsizing in the public and private sectors. we had fewer people doing more work, feeling more insecure and asa more work, feeling more insecure and as a consequence working longer hours. and we still have this scenario, becausejob insecurity is now intrinsic in the uk workforce. so stress is now the leading cause of sickness absence, worth £27 billion in the uk alone. and that doesn‘t count the cost of the nhs repairing people. some of the major reasons for it and the things we can do about it... it is partly whether we have the right kind of line manager, from shop floor to top floor, in uk plc and in the public sector as well. the answer is no, we don‘t. we didn‘t need it prior to the recession, because people were highly mobile and if you had a lousy boss, you could go somewhere else. now it‘s a different scenario entirely. we need managers who have emotional intelligence, who have the

soft skills, the social and interpersonal skills to manage people who are feeling insecure, who are working longer hours than before. the uk has the longest working hours in the developed world, behind only the united states. the emerging economies have longer hours than us. but this is an issue, and we need managers all the way through the system who manage people by praise and rewards rather than fault finding, who give manageable workloads, realistic deadlines, allow them to work flexibly, trust and value them. we need a different scenario. so we need a different scenario. so we need to train the existing manager base that we have, and then we need to select in terms of e0, social and interpersonal skills, for the next generation. this is notjust a health issue, it‘s a predicted ——

productivity issue. we are seventh in productivity. it is notjust about having fast enough broadband. it is easy for governments to say that, but i think it is about how much i do in an hour or a week, and thatis much i do in an hour or a week, and that is partly a function of my line manager in the workplace. so it is a productivity issue. if there was one thing you could change about the workplace to help reduce stress levels, what would that be? workplace to help reduce stress levels, what would that be ?|j workplace to help reduce stress levels, what would that be? i would definitely deal with the line manager. the line manager is the person responsible for your workload, whether you work flexibly. we need to train all our line managers again. we don‘t have the right sort of line manager that we need for the hero we are entering. professor cooper, thank you. that‘s all the business news.

let‘s ta ke let‘s take a quick look at the market. the pop star 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 she had never experienced before, she said. last week, the judge threw out mr muller‘s lawsuit, saying the dj had not shown that swift personally set out to have him fired, but her case against him continued, and the jury 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, she 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. an expedition to the north pole by yacht has just set off from alaska. the team, led by the british polar explorer pen hadow, says that the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage possible by boat for the first time. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has more. setting off into uncharted arctic waters. a pair of yachts attempting a first — sailing all the way to the north pole. a crew of ten — and a dog — have just departed from alaska. led by british explorer pen hadow, they have a 3,500 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‘s 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 morelle, bbc news. iam sure i am sure we will keep an eye on how they get on. time for a look at the weather. the weather has not been too bad today. not dry everywhere, there has been a number of showers across the northern half of the uk. and as the afternoon has gone on, we have seen

the clouds built. in glasgow, you see this line of clouds bringing a few showers on the horizon. 0n the radar picture, we have picked up on the showers moving across scotland. there are thunderstorms working on at the moment, but they will continue to push into the irish sea. 0vernight, pressure builds, meaning the showers will die away. the winds will fall light. it will be a chilly night in the countryside. so a chill in the f wednesday morning, but plenty of sunshine to the day. it will turn increasingly windy through the day, with gale force gusts of wind developing around the coasts and hills. that band of rain makes inroads across western scotland. swear, the rain band slow to reach east wales —— elsewhere the rain band is slow. this is bbc news. the headlines. the brexit secretary,

david davis, says he wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for after britain 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 prime minister leads 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. now health experts fear a spread of cholera and typhoid. also in the next hour — the british explorer hoping to reach the north pole, by yacht.