tonight at ten: life after brexit — the government sets out its hopes for how the uk will trade with the eu and the rest of the world. buying and selling across borders — the brexit secretary insists keeping trade as simple as possible will work for the eu as well. it's in their interests. bmw do not want to have to have a customs border that is going to slow down their sales and add administrative costs. but one of the eu's main negotiators says the government's suggestions are "fantasy". also tonight... the grenfell tower inquiry will look at the cause of the blaze and the response of the authorities — but not the wider issue of social housing. anger as millions of rail passengers face the biggest hike in train fares for five years. india, the world's most populous democracy, celebrates 70 years of independence. and i'm in the city of amritsar looking at the country's potential and the problems that are holding it back. and the cloakroom attendant plucked

from the wings at the last minute as a stand in at the world famous wigmore hall. and coming up in sportsday on bbc news, we'll have the pick of the action as liverpool face hoffenheim in the first leg of their champions league play—off. good evening. the government has set out its plans for how it wants to trade with the eu and the rest of the world after brexit. ministers say they 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 fantasy. our business editor simonjack reports. dover, the uk's busiest port. nearly 20% of all goods traded with the eu come through here. businesses fear any blockages to trading arteries like this would have serious consequences for them and the rest of the uk. for logistics firms, like this one in kent, time is money. our business runs on a just—in—time basis, moving goods to and from the continent. if we ended up having shipments, having to do customs clearances both inbound and outbound, that would be damaging in terms of the amount of time we would spend at dover getting in and out of the country and that would almost grind our 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's a club of eu countries in which individual country borders disappear. goods move freely and with minimal check—ups. but there is still an external border 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 that could take five years from now. till then... the interim period, when we get to it because it'll take time to get the structures in place, will be a bit like the customs union now. but it will be not the current customs union, we will not be a member of the single european union and we will want to go out and strike out trade deals. this is an ambitious document. by technically leaving the customs union, while leaving border arrangements pretty much unchanged for a couple of years, we get minimised disruption, while at the same time forging new trade arrangements with people

around the world before we eventually end up with an almost frictionless arrangement with our old friends in the eu. it's a win—win—win situation. which is why many think there's one long recipe for having your cake and eating it. the european parliament's top negotiator described parts of this proposal as fantasy. while david davis‘ direct counterpart said there were more important things to settle first, like citizens rights, the divorce bill and ireland. any additional friction at this border could be very politically sensitive. it's the impact on the politics in northern ireland. how would sinn fein, the second largest party in northern ireland, actually react to the manifestation of customs checks? they would see this as a repartition, repartitioning the island. borders, customs, trade — this is complicated enough without party politics, which something have shaped these proposals and today's response to them. well, why don't we just stay

in the customs union? if they want to have something, that, you know, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck — you know, it's a duck. they seem to be going to great lengths to differentiate something that's pretty much identical to the customs union from the customs union. this seems to be all about the problems in the conservative party and, really, not about addressing the challenges faced by the british public and the needs of the economy and jobs. we're leaving, but nothing will change at the border for now. that, at least, is what the government is hoping for. simon jack, bbc news. in a moment we'll speak to chris buckler, who's on the irish border, but first eleanor garnier is in westminster. we heard that one senior eu negotiator has described these proposals as fantasy. what is the government hoping to achieve? with

brexit talks hoping to get going again later this month, it is partly about the government trying to show that work is being done and it does have a plan. it's also an attempt to demonstrate political unity after differences of opinion from inside cabinet have spilled out into the public over recent weeks. clearly, this is about much more than domestic political battles. the government has presented its wish list, if you like. as we have heard, some in brussels have called parts of ita some in brussels have called parts of it a fantasy. that does raise a key question. are these proposals actually achievable? even before the government gets to the detail, its first task on this issue is to get the eu to engage on the topic of trade and on the uk's future relationship with the eu. tonight, brussels is not budging. it is sticking to its plans and saying no, those discussions can only come after sufficient progress is made on the divorce talks on the brexit bill, on eu citizens rights and on

the border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland. for now, talks about the future relationship will have to wait. thank you. we will go to that border, the irish border. chris buckler is there. where you are illustrate a difficult path ahead is? yes, 300 miles of the irish border, and you will find reminders of what used to be. old border huts and derelict customs houses. the government back and we'll publish a second document, a decision paper on the future of the border, and it will make clear it does not want to see a return of buildings like this and barriers. this is the old dublin to belfast road. it has been largely replaced by a motorway that runs parallel to the very busy motorway. there is not that much need for this road and money changing facilities. technology has dealt with some of the difficulties posed by different currencies. we have heard time and time again from the government today, and we expect to hear it tomorrow, that they believe

technology can really help with dealing with problems posed by problems. —— customs. you will find a lot of what was said today repeated tomorrow. it is partly because westminster knows that brussels wants to talk about the irish border. it is one of their three priorities. on the other hand, the uk wants to talk about trade, as well as customs. this is a chance to get it on the table by talking about the irish border. the other thing you can expect is a repeating one of the phrases we have seen in recent months. the idea that there should be no return to the borders of the past, that there should be a seamless, frictionless border. but we have also heard cynicism from the eu, the idea that an invisible border is something that is fantasy. the likes of the irish government, they will be looking closely at the proposals, looking closely at the detail to see if they have something thatis detail to see if they have something that is workable there. thank you. the public inquiry into the grenfell tower fire — which left more than 80 people dead — has officially got under way. it will look at how the blaze started, the design

and refurbishment of the tower as well as the response of the authorities. but broader questions about social housing will not be considered. that has prompted 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, victims 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 will now 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 mussilhy is still waiting for the remains of his uncle,

hesham rahman, 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'd like it to look at social housing? absolutely, of course. it is a massive aspect. but he still can't say he has confidence in the inquiry. i support it. confidence is another, very strong word. i mean, i have more confidence in a criminal investigation than i do in 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 need to do in government as well as 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. sid—ali atmani escaped with his family from the 15th floor of grenfell tower. the social housing policy should be a part of the terms of reference. the reason why i'm saying that is because there are people that moved there, they used to live on high floors, old people, disabled people. the ninth floor. that's why. they passed away, they died. that's why it should be added to the the terms of reference. we do feel betrayed. this is what we felt was going to happen at the beginning of this consultation process and this is what we've ended up with. the inquiry‘s had a difficult start, with the judge 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." lucy manning, bbc news, west london. rescue workers in sierra leone have recovered almost 400 bodies after a massive mudslide near the capital, freetown and the death is expected to rise. homes were engulfed by mud and water when part of a mountain collapsed yesterday morning. thousands have been left homeless. the authorities are planning mass burials for those who've been killed because the mortuaries are full. from freetown, our correspondent umaru fofana reports the mountainside collapsed in an avalanche of mud, families were buried as they slept. the deluge of water surged through streets, leaving total devastation and few survivors. outside the freetown mortuary, it's been a difficult day

for the emergency services. hundreds of bodies have been brought here. this is a disaster, which even by the reckoning of the head of this mortuary, who's been doing this for decades, it's absolutely unprecedented. he says it compares to nothing with the ebola virus outbreak. it does not compare to the civil war. he says he has never seen anything like this. those who did escape look on other places where they used to live. this man lost eight members of his family. translation: i first saw the body of my sister and called on people to help me. we laid her on the floor. then i started hearing other people nearby crying. i've lost all of my family. meanwhile, the rescue operation continues. it's hoped survivors might still be found. it is believed that hundreds of people are lying dead here beneath the mudslide

and the hope is that they will be able to find any one of them alive. those hopes are fading fast. in fact, because of the late arrival of the heavy machinery and equipment needed for that initial reaction when this mudslide happened on monday morning. many here believe that help did not come in time. the mudslide and flash floods have shaken this country. people here have already suffered a bloody civil war and a devastating ebola outbreak. now thousands have lost everything. the families of all of the 22 victims killed in the manchester arena terror attack in may are to receive a £250,000 each. that includes £70,000 which has already been given to the victims' next of kin. the money is from an emergency fund made up of public donations. a court has heard how a cyclist, accused of killing a woman by crashing into her in a london street, began shouting at her as she lay injured on the road.

charlie alliston — who was 18 at the time — was allegedly going 18mph when he knocked down 44—year—old kim briggs. she died a week later in hospital. mr alliston denies manslaughter. president trump has again blamed both sides for the clashes in virginia over the weekend and accused some protesters on the political left of attacking white nationalists. mr trump had drawn sharp criticism from some within his own party for his initial response, because it had taken him until yesterday to criticise right—wing groups for the clashes. tonight at a press conference in new york, he accused some protesters on the political left of attacking white nationalists. ( there was a group on this side, you can call them the left, you've just called them the left, that came violently attacking the other group. so you can say what you want, but that's the way it is. reporter: on both sides, sir? you said there was hatred and violence on both sides? i think there's blame, yes, i think there's blame on both sides. you look at both sides, i think there's blame on both sides. president trump speaking a short

time ago. nick bryant was at that news conference in trump tower. it was a bad tempered press conference. it was an incredibly angry press conference. worth pointing out that it's the first time we've seen the presidential seal at trump tower. last night was the first that donald trump has spent in new york since becoming president. i think that many observers and many people in his own party who have been critical of donald trump's response to cha rlottesville donald trump's response to charlottesville will have regarded that as a very unpresidential performance because he reverted boo being to his position on saturday, which was both sides were to blame for this violence that erupted at a rally organised by the far right. members of the kkk, white supremicists, neo—nazis. it took him away from the position yesterday at the white house, where he read from autocue, in a statement prepared by his advisors criticising those very groups. so, ithink, we will

his advisors criticising those very groups. so, i think, we will revert to the criticism that donald trump received over the weekend. my abiding memory this afternoon press conference will be a question that was shouted by an african—american cameraman, very rare you was shouted by an african—american cameraman, very rare you get cameramen asking questions. he asked simply this: "what message does that send our children? thank you. 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 in 1947 into two states — india and pakistan — led to sectarian violence between hindus, muslims and sikhs. up to a million people were killed. the partition resulted in the movement of around 12 million people. it was one of the largest migrations ever seen. many muslims fled east and west out of hindu—dominated india. and millions of hindus and sikhs headed the other way. reeta chakrabarti is in india tonight 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. india has a lot to reflect on, in its past and in its present on this anniversary, with a huge young population, and a growing economy. modern day india has a huge and young population and a burningoning economy. it's recently seen a spike in religious violence directed mainly at muslims. our south asia correspondent, justin rowlatt, has been finding out. his report contains some distressing images. 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 that 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 buddha 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 mother figure. 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. vijaykant is 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 anyway. 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. this muslim man was accused of illegally transporting cows for slaughter by a different group of vigilantes. they beat him to death. 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. so here is the government's dilemma.

it wants to keep its hardline hindu supporters onside but, at the same time, it knows economic success depends on the country remaining peaceful. with tensions between hindus and muslims running high, that could be quite a challenge. justin rowlatt, bbc news, uttar pradesh. this city amritsar is right on the border with pakistan, and as india celebrates its 70 years of independence, it is just starting to address publicly its brutal and bloody beginning, when the country was effectively cut in two by partition. as i've been finding out, it was a difficult start for india — and for its first prime minister, jawaharlal nehru. 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 also reflecting on modern india and nehru's legacy. 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, but 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 few transport links and few people make thatjourney. the continuing political hostility between the states of india and pakistan inevitably effect personal relations. people may have friendly feelings towards each other, but as for the states themselves, 70 years after partition, they're still as farapart as after partition, they're still as far apart as ever. back to you. millions of rail passengers are facing the biggest rise in train fares for five years.

tickets are going up by 3.6% 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's 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, feels like, worse off. it's not the train companies that

set around half of our rail fares, it's actually the government. 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 onto 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 on, i probably won't be able to afford to go to work. i'll 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%. that makes us worse off when they put up fares 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. the rail firms say they face the same increases. railway companies costs are going up in line with that inflation as well. they have to cover the costs

in order 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 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. the british explorer pen hadow and his crew have set sail from alaska, in a bid to become the first people ever to sail by yacht to the north pole. it's been impossible until now because of arctic ice. but that's melting at an unprecedented rate — meaning the 3.500—mile journey may now be possible. hadow left nome in alaska earlier today. this is the route he and his crew will take in two 50—foot yachts — sailing along the baring strait into the central arctic ocean.

they'll then use satellites to plot the best route through the ice during the six—week expedition. 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 dog, fukimi, 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 ini30,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into this sea area. it's the rapidly warming conditions in the arctic that have 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.

a large—scale analysis, from the us polar science centre, estimates that, from the late 1970s, 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 shipping routes. the north pole is here. what we're seeing in this map... 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. ice—strengthened 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.

rebecca morelle, bbc news. it's the stuff of dreams — a soprano is taken ill at london's world famous wigmore hall — and the person who's drafted in to replace her at the last minute is a 23—year—old music student, who usually takes the tickets and works in the cloakroom. for one night only, milly forrest swapped coats for the stage and wowed the audience and critics alike. chi chi izundu went to meet her. singing. it's the stuff of dreams. milly's normally back here taking coats and bags a couple of nights a week.