this is bbc news. the headlines at 7pm. the government outlines plans for trade after britain leaves the european union — but the eu's chief negotiator says there are other issues to settle first. commuters face the biggest increase in railfares for 4 years, as inflation hits 3.6%. some people get pay rises, i work in the public sector some ip rises 1% which makes us worse off when they put fears up like that. the public inquiry into the grenfell fire will examine the response of the authorities, and refurbishment of the tower — but not wider social problems the death toll in sierra leone rises after yesterday's mudslide — now health experts fear the spread of cholera and typhoid. also this hour, india's prime minister leads celebrations marking the seventieth anniversary of the country's independence from britain. narendra modi said he wanted to transform india into a prosperous and technologically—advanced nation. and sailing to the north pole —

it's never been done — but explorer pen haddow is giving it a go. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in 130,000 years, it is now possible to steal ships into this ce area. —— to steal ships into this ce area. —— to steal ships into this ce area. —— to steal ships into this area. —— to steal ships into this area. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the government has set out its plans for trading with the eu and the rest of the world after brexit. ministers want to avoid a sudden and drastic change for business so they're calling for a temporary relationship with the eu while a more permanent arrangement is developed. their ultimate goal is to have a system of trade with the eu that is as close as possible to what we have now. but the eu parliament's chief negotiator described

that as a fantasy. our business editor simonjack reports. dover, the uk's busiest port. nearly 20% of all goods traded with the eu come here. businesses fear any blockages will have serious consequences for them and the rest of the uk. the logistics firms like this one in kent, time is money. our business runs on a just—in—time basis, taking goods to and from the continent. we end up having shipments having to do customs clearance inbound and outbound that would be damaging in terms of the time we spend. that would almost grind business to a halt. there may be 21 miles of sea between here and france but in trade

terms there is no barrier thanks to our membership of the customs union. it is a club that eu countries, in which individual country borders disappear. goods move freely and with minimal checkups but that is still an external order between the eu and the rest of the world at which goods are checked and in some cases tariffs are payable so what happens when we are outside the club? today the government said it wanted to leave, it wanted a new deal but in the period before that happens, little will change at our borders. there are two bits to that, one is the ongoing easy customs arrangement which allows the sale of good into the european union but also from them to us without restriction. the interim period, when we get to it because it will take time to get the structures in place, will be like the customs union now. this is an ambitious document. by technically leaving the customs union while leaving border arrangements unchanged,

we get to minimise disruption while forging new trade arrangements with people around the world before we end up with the frictionless arrangement with our old friends in the eu. it is a win, win, win situation. many think it is a long recipe for having their cake and eating it. one eu official described parts of the proposal as a fantasy. one negotiator said there were more important things to settle first. no one wants friction at the borders, especially the one between ireland and the uk. the government will release more details on that tomorrow. there are so many issues to unpick, some politicians wonder if the government has got its priorities right. this seems to be all about the problems of the conservative party and not addressing the challenges faced by the british public and the needs of the economy and jobs. why don't we just stay

in the customs union? if they want to have something that looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. we are leaving but nothing will change the border for now, that at least is what the government is aiming for. our political correspondent alex forsyth is at westminster. the questions in brussels boil down to timing and content. on timing, the eu chief negotiation has treated saying he wants to stick to his timetable to make progress on issues like the irish border, the uk financial obligations and the rights of the eu citizens living in the uk and british citizens living in europe after brexit before you start talking about a future relationship.

he treated saying the quicker you make that progress, the quicker you can talk about other things. that night they tweeted. the uk is asking for a close relationship on customs for a close relationship on customs for the longer term and the european commission said you can only have a frictionless border for trade commission said you can only have a frictionless borderfor trade if you're not in any customs union but the eu customs union and you are a member of the single market. in other words remaining as a member of the eu. that was put in a tweet by the eu. that was put in a tweet by the chief coordinator of the negotiations for the european parliament who said the uk government is asking for a fantasy. having said all that, officials here have been asking for more clarity from the british government on what they want to achieve from brexit and they want to achieve from brexit and the detail on a whole range of issues. they are very glad that the paper to date is the start of a

large deluge of documents heading their way from london. let his head to westminster know and our political correspondent. good evening, many communication —— many mps are away on holiday but these documents will be going to their phones and e—mail addresses, are we getting any reaction yet? is this proposal one that people are co mforta ble proposal one that people are comfortable for the government to put forward? we have had striking reactions from the government's political opponents, you heard nicola sturgeon who said the government is trying to have their ca ke government is trying to have their cake and eat it. the liberal democrats have called for the uk to stay in the eu and are seeing the same, they say we should push for a single market membership. labour as well have been critical of the government approach. they say the

government approach. they say the government is trying to paper over cracks in the cabinet because we know the —— there have been deeply divided views by government ministers. when you talk to people in the conservative party, even the ardent brexiteers, are broadly accepting of the idea for a transition period. that is a pragmatic approach. that may go some way towards appeasing those in the cabinet and elsewhere in the tory party who are worried about the government taking a hard—line approach to brexit the government may have to get his own party happy but it has not satisfied its political opponents. one important admission from david davies this morning, this customs union arrangement, if the eu agrees, will prevent us signing any trade deals with other countries until it comes to an end. is this a potential source of trouble for the

government? he said the uk could it negotiate but not implement other trade deals with other countries for that period. whether the eu except supposition is a different matter. membership of the customs union prevents the uk from striking trade deals which has long been the argument form leaving the eu in brexit. this is a bone of contention, for now the tory party is broadly accepting but whether the uk can do trade deals in this transition period could become contentious. the other point to be resolved, if the uk remains in the customs union arrangement with the eu foreign period of transition, who retired havejurisdiction eu foreign period of transition, who retired have jurisdiction over that? david davies said 2—d he could not see that being the european court of justice. the european union would

probably want that to be the court ofjustice. the probably want that to be the court of justice. the brexiteers probably want that to be the court ofjustice. the brexiteers will of course want to push hard to get free of the european court ofjustice jurisdiction. there are very politically contentious issues to work out still. thank you very much. thank you very much. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:40 and 23:30 this evening in the papers — our guestsjoining me tonight are the journalist and former conservative advisorjo—anne nadler, and the broadcaster david davies. millions of rail passengers will see the biggest rise in fares forfour years. they're going up by 3.6 percent injanuary, because of a rise in the rate of inflation. the increases will affect season tickets, so called ‘anytime' tickets and some off—peak fares. unions have called it a kick in the teeth for passengers. our transport correspondent richard westcott has the story. quick coffee. good boy. little treat for einstein the cat.

and catch the train. rebecca's commute from taunton to bristol costs £3,500 a year and it's due to go up by £130 next year as most commuters face a 3.6% price rise. there is this gradual erosion of your actual real wealth that's happening to an awful lot of people where you will find that your salary may have gone up but everything else is going up so much faster and so much more that year on year we're all actually, it feels like, worse off. it's not the train companies that set around half of our rail fares, it's actually the government and they've been putting the fares up for years because they want to change who pays for the railways. it's all part of a plan to shift the financial burden away from taxpayers, most of whom don't commute on trains, and on to passengers. fares used to account for about half the cost of running our trains. that's risen to around 65%.

across britain, people are facing tough choices. if it goes up, i probably won't even be able to afford to go to work. i will have to get the car to work because it's cheaper to get the car to work. i work in the public sector, my pay rise is maximum 1% so that makes us worse off when they put fares up like that. i wouldn't mind the rise if you got a better quality carriage and everything else. they're pretty tatty these things now. campaigners have criticised the use of the rpi rate of inflation which is usually higher but the rail firms say they face the same increases. railway companies costs are going up in line with that inflation as well so they have to cover those costs in order to be able to provide the services that we want as passengers. ministers argue that the money is needed to pay for a £40 billion upgrade to the network. a lot of it is still victorian and it's struggling to cope with record numbers of passengers. critics claim fares have outstripped wages for years and say it's

time for a price freeze. the government could still change its mind in the autumn budget. richard westcott, bbc news, luton. joining me is bridget fox from the campaign of better transport. this is the annual story of the rise since, the sense it is out of the hands of the government because they have made this commitment that the rise will be tied to inflation. is it not reasonable to want to shift the cost of supporting the real network from the taxpayers, many who don't use railways, to those who are actually using it for their benefits? the regulated fears are the ones people depend on, essential journeys, season

the ones people depend on, essential journeys, season tickets for trips to work. they are regulated because it isa to work. they are regulated because it is a captive audience, journeys people have to make. unfortunately we are seeing people have to make. unfortunately we are seeing now people have to make. unfortunately we are seeing now and measure that the office of national statistics has discredited because it is unreliable. fair raises are all above salary rises. when you look at parity with other transport choices, fuel duty which helps people commute by car has been frozen for years. we are calling for a fair freeze to give a bit of fairness. if you had this freeze, presumably the money would have to be found from somewhere else? the taxpayer may have to dig deeper into their pockets when austerity has reduced the amount of money in the public sector? we have seen people's food

and utility bills rising so it does seem and utility bills rising so it does seem unfair to cds bills increasing for hard—working families but we are seeing real companies profiting, passing the money back to the treasury. there was a profit from real crime —— franchises last month. choosing to travel by train is much better for the environment as well. what would be a more sustainable way of actually finding real long—term? out of the capital investment that is going into improving railways for better stations, that is the right long—term investment, but in terms of the short—term problem with fair rises which are above peer rates, we are calling for a one—year freeze

and two re—calibrate to the consumer price index which is much fairer. you would accept if it was tied to the cbi? yes, we want to get things backin the cbi? yes, we want to get things back in balance with a one—year freeze and calibrated to the cbi which is the everyday cost of living. thank you very much. the headlines on bbc news: david davies says the government wa nts to david davies says the government wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for when britain lives. realfears customs union with the eu for when britain lives. real fears go up customs union with the eu for when britain lives. realfears go up in january, the biggest increase for four years. the actions of cheltenham and kensington council will be examined as part of the public inquiry into the grenfell tower disaster, at least 80 people died when a fire spread through that oui’ died when a fire spread through that our blog in june. india's prime minister, narendra modi, has led his nation in marking the 70th anniversary of the country's independence from britain.

the division of colonial india into two states — india and pakistan — in 1910 was followed by sectarian violence between hindus, muslims and sikhs. up to a million people were killed. the partition led to the movement of around 12 million people in one of the largest migrations ever seen. many muslims fled east and west out of hindu dominated india. similarly, millions of hindus and sikhs headed the other way. that was the past — so what is today's india like. reeta chakrabarti is live at the golden temple in amritsar. this is the holiest site of the sikh religion, and it stands in the state of punjab, which was terribly affected in the horrors of partition 70 years ago. while india celebrates the anniversary of its independence, it has a lot to reflect on, in its past and in its present.

it has a huge and young population and a growing economy. but there's also been a rise in religious violence, directed especially at muslims. this is a day of celebration for india. the indian prime minister, narendra modi, talked of the country's successes — its growing economy, its efforts to tackle corruption and his vision for a secure, developed nation with equal opportunities for all. he knows there are challenges. he made a point of speaking out against hate crimes. translation: in the name of religions some people in this country commit crimes. this is the land of gandhi and violence in the name of faith will not be tolerated. he is talking about india's tiny minority of hindu extremists, people like this man.

modi is a hindu nationalist and tensions have been growing between the country's hindu majority and its large muslim minority. at the centre of the controversy is the slaughter of cows for meat. muslims eat beef. but the cow is a sacred animal in hinduism regarded as a motherfigure. translation: if i find someone killing my mother cow, i won't hesitate to kill him. i don't need the police or the authorities. i will give him punishment. i'm the court. i give the verdict. he's so passionate about protecting the cow he and his supporters take to the streets. they've been told they've got no permission to stop vehicles, but they're stopping them any way. stopping these lorries to see if they're carrying any cows. translation: i have information

that they are smuggling cows in a truck like this. cow vigilantes have been increasingly active across the country since modi took power and there have been murders. avoiding communal conflict is crucialfor india. this new bridge isjust one of scores of major new infrastructure projects. the country's doing well — the fastest growing large economy in the world. there is a lot for india to celebrate today but the prime minister knows keeping this country growing depends on keeping religious conflict in check. justin rowlatt, bbc news, delhi. this city is right on the border with pakistan and 70 years on, india

is starting to reflect on its brutal beginning when the country was cut into. as i have been finding out, it was a difficult start for the founding fathers of india and pakistan. founding fathers of india and pakistan. one of a tiny number of transport links between neighbours. this train operates just twice a week, taking indians over the border and bringing pakistanis here to the outskirts of amritsar. but it's a journey very few make, because of decades of mistrust between the two countries, which started with the horrors of partition. amritsar is becoming a centre of remembrance. this week, india is launching the first ever partition museum here, recording the acts of violence and bravery of that time. people actually haven't spoken much about partition in the past, which is a real tragedy. the reason being that i think that generation when they came across, a, they were traumatised, and b, because they were so busy setting up their own lives, because they had lost everything. we made a tryst with destiny...

as the newly independent state of india was born, its first prime minister, jawaharlal nehru, was full of optimism and hope. at the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, india will awake to life and freedom. his vision was of a democratic, secular state in which poverty and inequality were gradually reduced. amolak swani was 17 at the time. she lived through the horrors and only narrowly escaped with her life, hidden with a fruit truck and disguised in a burkha. now 87, she's been recording her memories for her grandson rishi and reflecting on modern india and nehru's india. translation: all the dreams that he showed us, they've not been fulfilled. we thought that after independence, all sorts of things would happen. we are still better off but there are many poor people. there is still so much poverty in india. there has been major economic growth

in india by nehru's vision of a more equal society hasn't happened yet. one thing endures, the political mistrust between india and pakistan, a hostility that some born many years after partition can't understand. we are the same people. we probably eat similar food. we speak in a similar tongue. we mightjust worship different gods but that doesn't make us any different. but he's never been to pakistan, which is less than 20 miles away. the border between the two countries is real and psychological. partition is both history and ever present. it is very difficult for indians to go to pakistan and vice versa. there are very few transport links and very few people make thatjourney. we were up broadcasting yesterday

from in pakistan, a0 miles from here and there were very few people coming with us. it was an illustration of how that border is very rarely used. all because of an undercurrent of hostility between the two nation states. people may feel friendship but 70 years after partition, these two states are as farapart as partition, these two states are as far apart as ever. a long journey still to be completed, thank you very much. 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. one portuguese broadcaster said two children were among the dead at what is the main religious festival in madeira. a desperate dig for survivors is underway in sierra leone's capital, after mudslides and floods claimed the lives of nearly a00 people.

their homes on the outskirts of freetown were engulfed after part of a mountain collapsed yesterday morning. thousands have been left homeless. as our correspondent umaru fofana reports — the authorities are planning mass burials because the mortuaries are full. on the day after, emergency services are still overstretched. inside the central mortuary of the main hospital there are piles of bodies. they are lying on the floor in the open because there is no more space. nearly 100 bodies were brought in on tuesday morning, bringing the total number to nearly a00, some of them limbless. the head of the mortuary says they are completely overstretched and that is not all, as they were trying to sort corpses out, more corpses are being brought in from different parts of the city. even the rescue effort here is challenged. people are believed to still be alive underneath this spot. even if they are, it'll be a miracle to find them breathing. government and development partners have now

set up a response centre, registering those left behind by the disaster. relief supplies are slow in coming. but the testimonies from people who have been badly hit by this disaster are in no short supply. translation: i first saw the body of my sister and called on people to help me and we laid on the floor. then i started hearing other people nearby crying. i have lost all of my family. monday's mudslide and flash flood have shaken this country. even for a country that has known a bloody civil war and destabilising ebola outbreak, this is unbearable. litre in the programme i will be speaking to save the children for the latest on the situation. a

cyclist began shouting at a woman as she lay injured in a london street. she was 18 at the time of the tragedy and was allegedly going at 18 miles an hour before knocking down mrs briggs who suffered brain injuries and died in hospital. she denies manslaughter. the parents of charlie gard have announced they will use the £3 million donated as well—wishers to set up a foundation in his memory. they will create the foundation to help other children with rare diseases. charlie died last month. the public inquiry into the grenfell tower fire — which left more than 80 people dead — is officially underway today. it will examine how the blaze started and the actions of kensington and chelsea council. but broader questions about social housing will not be considered. this has led to criticism from the local mp, residents and campaigners — as our special correspondent lucy manning reports. hanging from near the top of the tower. there are still remains to be found,

bodies to be identified. a crime scene to be investigated. and still, so many questions to be answered. why did it happen? how did it happen? questions the public inquiry says it will look at. the inquiry now says it will examine the cause and spread of the fire, the design and construction of the tower block, including safety regulations, and the response of the fire brigade to the blaze and central and local government's response after it. but it won't look at social housing policy, or the relationship between residents and the council, and the tenant management association. karim is still waiting for the remains of his uncle to be found and identified. we thought that it's covering pretty much what we want it to cover, in terms of, you know, the cause and spread of the fire, the response with the local authorities and the residents, before and after. do you think the inquiry

could be broader? i think it should be more broader and be more detailed in terms of that, yeah, definitely. you would like it to look at social housing? absolutely, it is a massive aspect. but he still can't say he has confidence in the inquiry. i support it. confidence is a very strong word. i mean i have more confidence in a criminal investigation than i do a public inquiry. while sir martin moore bick, the head of the inquiry won't examine policy on social housing, the government says ministers will. there is a listening exercise we have to do in government about wider social housing policy and that is precisely what i will be doing over the coming weeks and months. as residents marched in silence last night to remember the tragedy, many still feel the inquiry doesn't go far enough. the prime minister said no stone would be unturned and this terms of reference does not do that. we need to make sure social housing is considered. we do feel betrayed.

this is what we felt was going to happen at the beginning of this consultation process and this is what has happened. the inquiry‘s had a difficult start with thejudge accused of being out of touch. he needs the confidence of the survivors, the bereaved, the whole community here, or this will be seen as a whitewash, and after today's announcement, he still doesn't have theirfull support. the grenfell inquiry will hold its first hearing next month and hopes to have an initial report on the cause and spread of the fire by easter. one survivor said, "we just want the truth." let us were kept the weather no. good evening. at the moment, daytime showers across the north and west, they will continue around the coast

tonight. dry and clear skies for most. light winds across central and eastern areas, temperatures and weave from cities will fall into single figures. fresh but a lovely bright start to wednesday. the best of the sunshine in the east, make the most of the sunshine in the morning in the west. by the afternoon it will spread into central scotland and west and wales. most of england and wales, east of scotla nd most of england and wales, east of scotland will remain dry during the day, temperatures in the low 20s. into wednesday night, all areas will see rain, heavy bursts in the south—east which will clear by the end of the morning rush hour and then we're back to sunshine and showers. this is bbc news. the headlines. the government has published

proposals for a temporary customs union with the eu after brexit. labour has criticised the plans, but the brexit secretary says the ideas will help minimise disruption to business. 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 actions of kensington and chelsea council will be examined as part of the public inquiry into the grenfell tower disaster. at least 80 people died when a fire quickly spread through the tower block injune. the search for survivors continues following mudslides and floods in freetown in sierra leone which have the claimed lives of nearly a00 people. and a falling tree kills at least 12 people — and injures more than fifty — at a catholic festival on the portuguese island of madeira. as we've been hearing, 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 the deal would prevent trade disruption until a permanent settlement could be reached. this is about setting out our stall for the forward position, the ongoing position in relationship to europe. one part of that is the ongoing ec customs arrangements allowing the sale of goods into the eu but also from them to us without restriction. the interim period where we get to exit, it will take a bit of time to get structures in place, will be a bit like the customs union now but not the current customs union, we will not bea current customs union, we will not be a member of that and we will want to go out on strike trade deals. not

bring them into effect because that would give scope for tunnelling into europe from outside is aware, we would not do that but we could strike deals during that period. well we can speak now to the mp pat mcfadden, who's a former business minister, shadow europe spokesman for the labour party and a member of open britain — which campaigns against a so—called hard brexit. hejoins me live from north london. what do you think of this document? it is good in one level but the document has been produced but the testis document has been produced but the test is the substance and all summer long ministers and the chancellor in particular have been saying we need a transition period from march 2019 to give clarity and certainty to uk businesses and the uk public. the truth is the events of the past a8 hours do anything but compare clarity and certainty. on sunday after calling for a transition

period all summer long, the chancellor signed up to an article which said we will not be members of the customs union or the single market after march 2019. and then today a8 hours later we have a paper that says we will not be in the customs union but we will be in a customs union but we will be in a customs union but we will be in a customs union that looks pretty much the same. what strikes me after reading the document, i have been in government as a minister before, you could see the joints. you can see what is happening here, you can see that while europe is negotiating with the uk, the tory party is negotiating with itself. and that is why day by day, far from comparing clarity and certainty, or they're really doing is to sow confusion about what the position really is. it may be your argument is in a sense that they are calling for a customs union, abbas spoke customs union because innocent is the prime

minister has already ruled out staying in the customs union and they have then discovered some of they have then discovered some of the problems arising from that. it reasonable to say that in the process of negotiation there will be a certain amount of toing and froing, a lot of this process presumably will have been agreed in advance with the other side. you do not put up these papers unless you know the other side are around and able to comment on them, courtesy matter. a lot of this will go on behind the scenes and we will only get a snapshot of the way the positions are shifting? this toing and froing is not so much between the uk the eu eu is within the cabinet because they're trying to square circle. trying to say that they can maintain the continuity and market access we currently have and at the same time have a whole new independent trade policy. the difficult factor about the document todayis difficult factor about the document today is why would the eu set up a

whole new system just to keep liam fox ina whole new system just to keep liam fox in a job. there's no reason why they would do that. that is surely a little bit cynical, we have seen from that article you mentioned on the sunday jointly signed from that article you mentioned on the sundayjointly signed by philip hammond liam fox that they both accept the need for a transitional arrangement, they both accept the need for something that could run forup to need for something that could run for up to three years to help smooth the path for business so we do not suddenly have two direct customs barriers overnight. that is rather pragmatic and sensible? that is not by the chancellor has argued all summer by the chancellor has argued all summerand i'm not the by the chancellor has argued all summer and i'm not the only one baffled to see him sign up to an article on sunday that said that far from having a transition period that would guarantee our position in the single market of customs union, actually we would leave both of those things in march 200019. that blows a torpedo in the very point of having a transition period. because

the point of a transition period is to avoid a cliff edge and give people continuity and certainty. and a8 hours later it is like watching windscreen wipers on a car, as the government goes back and forward the top on tuesday then saying we will not be in the customs union but in a customs union and to all intents and purposes would do the same thing. why the eu set up a whole new system which is exactly like the current system except it gives liam fox the job. i do not see any reason why they would do that. and the tension all the time is that the government is not really negotiating directly with eu but negotiating with itself. and in the choice between the nationalist approach, favoured by the hard brexiteers, or putting the national interest, it is hard to see which one will win. i would argue that given a choice between nationalism or the national

interest, i would nationalism or the national interest, iwould pick nationalism or the national interest, i would pick the national economic interest every time. thank you very much. more now on the partition of india which led to the displacement of around 12 million people. earlier my colleaguejane hill spoke to his excellency — mr yashvardhan kumar sinha — india's high commissioner to the uk about how far his country had come in 70 years. well, i think the seven decades have been quite a journey for india. i think we would like to celebrate what we have achieved in these last seven decades. we are justifiably proud that we are the world's largest democracy and now the fastest—growing large economy in the world. and, you have, as so many people do, stories of your own and experiences of your own that your family were caught up in partition. what are their reflections today and what is your family history that

you remember on a day like this? well, my wife's family, actually, they are the ones who were really caught up. my mother—in—law was studying at lahore college for women in lahore and she was evacuated and brought to delhi, just before partition and my father—in—law‘s factory was burnt down. other than that, my father was an army officer and he was a staff officer to lieutenant general sir dudley russell, the commander of the command and he witnessed some of the horrors of partition. and you talk about how proud you were that india is the world's biggest democracy, narendra modi of course has been talking today, positive language from him, as we would expect but there are still enormous challenges, aren't there?

is there a recognition of that? absolutely. because india is a country of 1.25 billion people. considering what we were on 15th august 19a7 and what we are today, obviously we have made giant strides but the work is only half done. we have a long way to go and we recognise that and that is why the prime minister has laid out an extremely ambitious agenda for economic growth and development and to ensure that india assumes its place. it is notjust about economics. it is border issues and the treatment of women and there are still many, many areas that need specific attention. yes, but you mention the treatment of women. there are very few countries where a space programme is run by a large number of women. our women scientists have played a hugely important role in the mars orbiter mission and recently in launching a world record of 10a

satellites into space. we have women, a distinguished lady as our president. we have women prime ministers and chief ministers, etc. of course we need to do much more but i think our law is very robust in a vibrant democracy and takes care of any discrimination issues. it is a disconnect. you have outlined fantastic examples of remarkable achievements by women and yet so many suffer sexual assault, who can't get help. there is a disconnect there, isn't there? that is why the government is so actively involved in ensuring the safety and security of women and promoting schemes of uplifting the weaker sections of society, including women. what is your ambition for your country, let's say for the next ten years, what would you like to see in a decade from now if we were chatting? well, it is a difficult question to answer. we are already among,

in terms of purchasing parity, our gdp is number three in the world. in terms of nominal gdp we are in the top seven or six, depending on whether the pound sterling rises for falls. i would certainly hope that india would be a prosperous country. a country where everybody is able to benefit from the fruits of development and growth and that is exactly what the government is trying to do in india. it's 70 years since independence was declared in india and the country of pakistan was created. thousand of families came to the midlands where the anniversary has resulted in many families taking a look at their own past. satnam rana has been to meet two men who made the midlands their home. crowds fill the streets, celebrating, singing and laughing. police were called out several times... 70 years ago, india

was celebrating independence from british rule. pakistan rejoicing as a new nation was created. it is the first day of independence and the crowds are out to greet him and earl mountbatten. a moment in history which has defined the identity of these two men — strangers meet. from wolverhampton, a sikh, from birmingham, a muslim. they were caught up in the events of 19a7. as the new dominions of pakistan and india take over their own affairs, communcal hatred flares up in the punjab.

riaz farroq was one of those displaced. a mere babe in arms, his family left hosiarpur on the indian side for pakistan. within about 15 minutes, the whole family, we had some relatives who came from other parts of the punjab who were living in other places. they were in that house, at that time. they all moved out. within a few minutes. british india was split, new borders drawn up, causing confusion about who belonged where. what followed was mass migration and hate attacks. surjit singh was seven and also living in hoshiarpur. he remembers the bloodshed. can you imagine the youngster? just seeing people being killed. they told us don't go to that well, because you will be frightened. they said in that well are dead bodies. i have absolutely no grudge of any kind. it is not in our control any more, so at least if we are good to each other,

that is compensation. when i came to this country, for about six months i lived with a pakistani family as a lodger. i still meet them sometimes. no grudge whatsoever! they may have been children in 19a7, but the memory of partition lives on for surji singh and riaz farooq. 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. rail fares will go up by 3.6% injanuary — the biggest increase for a years. passenger groups say commuters will be worst—hit. the actions of kensington and chelsea council will be examined as part of the public inquiry into the grenfell tower disaster. at least 80 people died when a fire quickly spread through the tower block injune. an update on the market numbers

for you — here's how london and frankfurt ended the day. and in the united states this is how the dow and the nasdaq are getting on. the last of four huge plastic pipes — which washed up on norfolk beaches at the end of last week — was hauled off today. they even turned into a tourist attraction. the largest of them was nearly 500 metres long. they were being towed from norway to algeria when they came loose and drifted ashore just north of great yarmouth. but in the past few days a major salvage operation swung into action. ian barmer has the story. 150 tonnes of plastic pipework on the beach between horsay and winterton on sea. this morning at high tide everything was in place to drag it back out to sea. and for the man in charge of the beach operation, the sheer scale of the job in hand was a first. i have dealt with a lot of pipes, but they've only been

800 millimetres, and these are 2.5 metres, so it's hard to deal with such large pipes. this was the last of the sections to be taken off the beach. the one remaining pipe is stuck on the rocks north of here. over the past five days, the pipes have been a huge draw on this part of the coast and they have really never seen anything quite like it. i couldn't make out what it was. you couldn't see the rocks, you just saw that. i don't think it will put anyone off coming down here, if anything it will draw more people to see something different. back on the beach the tug moved in and the three diggers took up position. the recovery was a combination of pulling and pushing. there is a huge amount of horsepower, if they synchronise correctly, the machines, and when it is afloat the tug can easily manage a pipe,

but when it has a resistance on the beach, and over the rocks you need that extra horsepower to free it. it went very well, and everybody knew his place in what they were meant to do at the particular point in the operation and we were just waiting for the tug to come in and give us the tow line and it was all systems go. other pipes sank on the sea bed and were filled with compressed air and raised. all of the pipes will go to lowestoft to be checked over and then they will be towed back to where they came from, norway. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. the families of victims of the manchester arena attack are to receive 250 thousand pounds each, from money donated by the public. so far 18 million pounds has been raised, and donations still coming in. 22 people died in a terrorist bomb attack at the end of an ariana grande concert in may. a man has died about

falling from a balcony at the london stock exchange. emergency services were called just before ten o'clock this morning, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. police say they are investigating the circumstances of the death but are treating it as non—suspicious. 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. the incident means 13 platforms are now out of use — 10 were already closed for engineering works. 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. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. a first look at a scottish baby box for these mums and mums to be. oh, 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, 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. the british explorer pen hadow and his team have set off for the north pole —

in two 50 foot yachts. his team say the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage possible for the first time. hadow left nome in alaska earlier today. he'll sail along the baring strait into the central arctic ocean. after that his team will use satellites to plot the best route through the ice. they are attempting to reach the geographic north pole and the expedition should take about 6 weeks. our science correspondent rebecca morelle 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 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 this sea area. it's rapid warming that's made this expedition even possible. this shows how sea ice has melted over time. the smaller the circle,

the less ice that year. there's still data to come for 2017, but already it doesn't look good. since the 1970s, it's estimated that half of the volume of sea ice has been lost. it means that once inaccessible waters are opening up and researchers say this could lead to significant changes, especially for commercial ships routes. the north pole is here. what we're seeing... at reading university, scientists say that instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, ships will have a new short cut. at the moment, we're 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. ships may be able to go right over the pole by the middle of the century. the team do not know how far north they'll get. but this expedition into the unknown may be the start

of a new era of arctic voyages. 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 mueller‘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. let's ta ke

let's take a look at the weather. in the grand scheme of things a pleasa nt the grand scheme of things a pleasant day for many today, a few showers around and still some showers around and still some showers around and still some showers around during the night. but mostly dry and a fairly light wind. and it will lead to quite chilly night for this stage in the year with temperatures quite wildly down to single figures in the countryside. but tomorrow no pressure m oves countryside. but tomorrow no pressure moves into the west of the country. make the most of the first pa rt country. make the most of the first part of the day if you are in the western pa rt of part of the day if you are in the western part of the country because the rain spreads in. the bulk of wales and england and a good part of

eastern scotland staying dry through the day. and feeling reasonably pleasa nt the day. and feeling reasonably pleasant with temperatures getting into the low 20s. rain moves east with a blustery wind overnight into thursday. for the morning rush—hour we could have some heavy rain across the south—east. but for most it is a dry and bright start to the day feeling fresher initially in the breeze. a predominantly dry day for many. and temperatures high teens, low to mid 20s. but on friday there isa low to mid 20s. but on friday there is a change with heavy showers coming in overnight. no pressure to the north means wind coming from a different direction so much cooler day and very windy with frequent showers. and temperatures down as a consequence. fresh and breezy again

on saturday, sunshine and fewer showers. but into sunday and into next week, it all anchors on what is happening in the western atlantic, hourigan gert. it remains a hurricane for the next 2a hours but thenit hurricane for the next 2a hours but then it gets consumed into this area of low pressure. high pressure building towards the south means a better week next week. this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines at eight. the government outlines plans for trade after britain leaves the european union — but the eu's chief negotiator says there are other issues to settle first. commuters face the biggest increase in railfares for a years, as inflation hits 3.6%. so many of us are not getting pay rises that can manage that, i work in the public sector, my pay rises maximum 1%, that makes us worse off when they put the fares up like that. the public inquiry into the grenfell

fire will examine the response of the authorities, and refurbishment of the tower — but not wider social problems. the death toll in sierra leone rises to a00 after yesterday's mudslide in the capital freetown. now health experts fear the spread of cholera and typhoid. also this hour, india's prime minister leads celebrations marking the seventieth anniversary of the country's independence from britain.