this is bbc news. the headlines at 7:00: they say not enough progress has been made for trade talks, but agree to begin planning for them. i am ambitious and positive for britain's future and for these negotiations, but i know we still have some way to go. my impression is that the reports of the deadlock between the eu and the uk have been exaggerated. oxford and cambridge universities are accused of perpetuating a "social apartheid" after data shows they're admitting few under—privileged students. a warning millions of mobile phone users are being overcharged by their contract providers, even after paying off their handsets in full. pollution is linked to the deaths of more than 50,000 people in the uk in a major new medical study. also in the next hour... days after storm 0phelia, storm brian is about to hit. it's expected to bring winds of up to 70 miles an hour together

with a risk of coastal flooding. coming up on tonight's newswatch... allegations against harvey weinstein are still hitting the headlines. the charges are serious, but has the bbc‘s coverage being excessive? join us tonight at 7:45pm here on bbc news. good evening and welcome to bbc news. eu leaders meeting in brussels have agreed to start preparing for trade talks with the uk. but, as expected, they said they could not begin formal discussions on post brexit trade relations because not enough progress had been made on other issues. from brussels, here's our political

editor laura kuenssberg, just to warn you, her report contains flashing images. tick tock, tick tock. european leaders took 90 seconds today to decide that brexit talks haven't gone far enough to move on. time is pressing. they will start talks about talks. yet until the uk says it is prepared to pay, no big deal. i'm ambitious and positive for britain's future for these negotiations but i know we still have some way to go. both sides have approached these talks with professionalism and a constructive spirit, and we should recognise what has been achieved to date. do you deny that you've made clear to your eu counterparts that you are willing to pay many more billions than you've already indicated to settle our accounts as we leave? what i made clear to my eu counterparts in relation to our financial contribution is what i set out in my florence

speech, which is that i have said that nobody need be concerned for the current budget plan that they would have to either pay more, or receive less, as a result of the uk leaving, and that we will honour the commitments that we have made during our membership. now, there has to be detailed work on those commitments, as david davis has said. we are going through them line by line and we will continue to go through them line by line, and the british taxpayer wouldn't expect its government to do anything else. among the schmoozing, there are whispers she has said privately she is prepared to stump up billions more. number ten says there hasn't yet been the final word on the cash. and whilst things seem friendlier, eu leaders are clear theresa may has to spell out how much she is prepared to pay before moving onto the main talks on trade and transition. and that means there's no deal yet on citizens' rights or northern ireland. there is an expectation they could shake on phase one by christmas, but until she budges,

it's 27 against one. lonely arguments to make. the reports of the deadlock between the eu and the uk have been exaggerated. and while progress is not sufficient, it doesn't mean there is no progress at all. "there's nothing to say about brexit", says mrjuncker. cue a sigh of relief from the uk. but here's the man who has to try to make it work here. i don't want to answer a question. from the look on michel barnier‘s face, he knows it's not going to be easy. angela merkel said, "we hope we can move on in december, but it depends "on the uk paying more". the french verdict, even more gloomy. "today, we are not even halfway there". did he mean we'd have to pay at least double the 20 billion?

that's not yet clear. this was far from a brussels bust up, though. number ten's encouraged that negotiations are at least moving. theresa may does not go home empty—handed. she can claim progress of a sort, but this fraught process has gone a couple of inches, and it's a journey of many, many miles. those 27 will decide their next moves without britain even in the room, while at home the prime minister must calculate how much she can compromise to conclude the whole deal against the clock before we are out for good. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels. i can now speak to allie renison, head of eu and trade policy for the institute of directors. shejoins me from our washington bureau. so the mood music in brussels at the

eu summit, it perhaps seems to be a little better, is business encouraged, do you think? most people didn't expect there to be a huge declaration of sufficient progress, including the business community in this october summit. it doesn't mean we haven't been urging both sides to show sufficient progress to be able to at least discuss interim arrangements in the context of a phase two relationship issue. all eyes will be on what happens between now and the december summit on those three initial issues. reading between the lines, doesn't look like both sides are showing more flexibility? bertone has changed i am hoping the substance has changed. it is not about resolving the three separation issues, it is about sufficient progress and that might be arbitrarily worded. as each

negotiating round inches by, we see gaps being drawn closer and we are seeing convergence. what is promising is the eu is deciding amongst itself what will be in the future relationship talks. we get from brussels, they are willing to talk at interim arrangements at an earlier stage. if there were no deal, what would the institute of directors make of that? we have heard enough of the fact that we need to be preparing for a new deal. what we want to make sure, particularly in the uk and the government is focused on, not so much what happens if there is a plan b, but focus on the main plan. i would add, some of the preparations that need to be made in the event of no deal, we need to be doing anyway. we will have customs declarations evenif we will have customs declarations even if they are electronic. we need infrastructure built to accommodate customs checks, no matter how we

leave. we would need the government to make sure eyes are on the first prize. we heard a hint from the boss of goldman sachs tweeting, maybe he and his staff would be moving to frankfurt. do you think in general, maybe business is looking, some business, some financial business is looking at moving out of the uk whatever kind of deal there is?|j think whatever kind of deal there is?” think there is an element of truth. what we have found, no two sectors are alike and no two businesses are alike within the same sector. some financial institutions may already have european officers and they are being safe rather than sorry and shifting business over there. but only 10% of our members have implemented contingency plan so far and half are waiting to see. the new financial year start in april so we have decisions to be made to get

those interim agreements to be made as soon as possible. thank you so much for being with us. oxford and cambridge universities are still struggling to offer places to students from less privileged backgrounds. new figures show that the parents of most students given 0xbridge places have professional or managerialjobs. the data was obtained by the labour mp david lammy who has accused oxford and cambridge of perpetuating a "social apartheid". the figures also show a huge geographical divide. almost half of the 0xbridge offer went to students in london and the south east. while in wales just 3% of students received an offer from oxford or cambridge. the universities both say they are trying to improve access. here's our education editor bra nwen jeffreys. centuries of scholarship, one of the top universities in the world, but how easy is it to get into 0xford from a comprehensive in inner—city manchester? even from a good school,

it can feel like an impossible leap. i see quite a few people in my year who could have applied. i think it is a confidence thing. most people don't feel it is for them. i can understand why someone might think it is posh, but as long as you are an able student who wants to work hard, i am sure you will fit right in. almost one in five kids here gets free school meals, that is two or three times higher than the wealthy south—east. i think it is a deep—rooted issue. a lot of it comes down to confidence and perception of what these universities are like. we try to ensure that students visit them, access the various summer programmes. the universities say they are trying hard, spending millions on their efforts, and some schools just aren't delivering top grades. but still, better off kids get most places here. these two universities

exerted a remarkable influence over national life. they have produced most of our prime ministers, as well as many cabinet members, seniorjudges and influential voices in the media. so if you are asking why you should care, it's because the people who study here end up running the country. when i got the offer, i was so happy. 0xford demands at least three a star grades, but an experiment is under way. vi got three b grades at her doubly sixth form. the universities spent a year getting her up to scratch. the standing of teaching was completely different to what i had experienced in my previous education. here, you are constantly academically challenged. your ideas are looked at,

people are interested, they want to know what you think. she is now starting her degree, amazed to be at oxford. before i came here, i honestly thought i would not fit in, i did not think 0xford was for someone like me, as a young black woman from zimbabwe, living in dudley. i did not think i would fit into a space like this. i thought it would be people who are rich. now that i am here i realise, yes, we come from different backgrounds but that is not necessarily a bad thing. but so far, it is just ten students at one college. so does this mean dropping standards for some state pupils? it's definitely not about dumbing down 0xford. it's about getting students who have the academic potential but have not reached it at school, and with a year of teaching on the foundation year, they will have reached the level where they can perform well at undergraduate level. cambridge and oxford are part of an academic elite, but many argue that is still reserved for the privileged few. bronwenjefferies, bbc

bronwen jefferies, bbc news. the south west is gearing up for storm brian. it's expected to bring winds of up to 70 miles an hour, and there's a risk of coastal flooding. it comes just days after storm 0phelia brought battered the region. in a first for a coastal town in the region, temporary flood defences have been built in fowey, to try to protect the town from the high spring tides. lucie fisher reports. it started as a beautiful morning in looe but this is the calm before the storm, with storm brian promising to bring gale force winds and flooding. we have had flooding here already coming up through the drains, and with the winds over the next 2a hours, we expect the tide to overtop the quayside. just days after storm 0phelia hit the coast, we expect a second storm, this time combined with spring tides, a combination that has seen a rush to put up defences in places

like fowey, that is prone to flooding. this is the first time you are trialing this on a coastal region? yes, the first time using a temporary barrier here in fowey to detect the town. here in fowey to protect the town. we've used it along river corridors but this is the first time on the coast. we are expecting high tides, tonight and tomorrow morning, around seven, coinciding with high winds which will lead to big waves. we are encouraging people to stay away, do not take a storm selfie, you're more important than that voted. selfies aside, what do the locals make of the activity? we have a history of flooding, and it's great they've

put up this barrier, here, whether it. the floods... down the end, where the surge really comes up, it will go through the wall. different. let's hope that it works. should be interesting to see if it actually stays there, or not, to be honest. it is going to be fun! while restaurants and shops in coastal towns are putting up sandbags and crossing fingers, builders are telling us that they are making sites secure and that ferries and other public transport are putting measures in place. it is a 15—20 mile journey if we can't get across so if you live here, it is just the way it is. with winds set to increase here tonight and into the leaking, gusts of up to 70 miles an hour are expected here along with some of the year's highest tides. early victims of storm brian are the great south run events. a total of 25,000 runners have been affected. let's go to our weather presenter in portsmouth. there will be quite a few disappointed people? yes,

through the course of today, the wind has already increased. we are expecting coastal gales tomorrow at gusts of up to 50 or 60 malls an hour. not only that, large waves with the high spring tides. it is u nfortu nate with the high spring tides. it is unfortunate the event has been cancelled but i am joined by the organiser. david, sadly cancelled but better safe than sorry? absolutely, 3000 people due to compete with the latest weather cast, no choice but to cancel and safety is number one priority. earlier, i spoke to you and you re—routed it away from the seafront, those great waves that were expected and you were going ahead with the race until 5:30 p. m. ? and you were going ahead with the race untils:30 p.m.? yes, the forecaster at lunchtime looked like it would be ok. not particularly nice, but 0k it would be ok. not particularly nice, but ok for the events we were due to stage. it has deteriorated massively so the only decision was to cancel. hopefully we will move on

to cancel. hopefully we will move on to sunday and the great south run. sunday, what line—up do we have the runners. we have the likes of chris thompson at the front of the field. we have 21,000 other people of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities taking part. that is the real story for sunday. absolutely, the great south run is taking place on sunday, the 3000 runners tomorrow won't be running and that is in the wheelchair, the five k and the junior and many races, wheelchair, the five k and the juniorand many races, but wheelchair, the five k and the junior and many races, but the great south run, the ten mile race on sunday, we will be taking part. thank you very much indeed. the headlines on bbc news: eu leaders agree to start preparing for trade talks with the uk. theresa may says she is optimistic about a good deal. 0xford good deal. oxford and cage which universities are accused by social apartheid for not accepting enough underprivileged students. a warning that millions of mobile

phone users are being overcharged by their contract providers, even after paying off their handsets in full. a referendum on independence was held in the kurdish region. the vast majority of people who voted were in favour of breaking away from iraq, but baghdad demanded the referendum be scrapped. richard galpin reports from the front line. the fear is this could mark the

beginning of a civil war. translation: the shia militia and the army of iraq have american weapons and they fire on the pesch mega. we will defend ourselves and not break. the kurds do seem to be fighting a guard action with the iraqi forces pushing up the highway towards them and towards the kurdish capital care bill. baghdad says the goal is restoring control over the territory seized by the kurds in recent yea rs territory seized by the kurds in recent years and soon, their advance sparked panic. all these vehicles are driving fast up the road back towards irbil. people are fleeing and it seems the iraqi federal forces are moving closer and closer. there is smoke burning there, a direct hit on the art artillery placement. this fighter with

shrapnel rooms has wounds in his back and head. one of several men being treated here before being taken by ambulance to hospitals in irbil. it is less than a week since the kurds first witnessed disputed territory which have been under their control, being taken back by their control, being taken back by the iraqi armed forces. that had been without bloodshed until now. today could prove a turning point. richard galpin, bbc news in northern iraq. pollution contributed to the deaths of an estimated 50,000 people in the uk in 2015. that's according to a major study published in the lancet medical journal, which looked at the effect of man—made chemicals on people with illnesses such as heart disease and stroke. here's our health correspondent rob sissons. particles in the air built up, breathed in. here in britain and around the world, there is growing recognition that toxic chemicals are now notjust an environmental challenge, but a big health problem, too.

during 2015 in the uk, 8% of deaths, that's 50,000, have been linked to pollution. that puts us behind the us and many other european countries, including germany, france and spain. we need the government to act immediately. we want them to use the budget next month to end the tax incentives for diesel vehicles, and in the long term they need to commit to a new clean air act. the diesel emissions scandal has heightened concern about the role of particulates from exhaust emmission. the uk government's new ambition is to ban diesel and petrol cars by 2030. motor manufacturers are now under pressure to develop more efficient versions of cleaner technologies. on a global scale, the challenge appears huge. two—thirds of worldwide deaths are put down to air contamination, many of the rest linked to polluted water. in some african countries, 25% of deaths were attributable to pollution, like niger, chad and somalia.

in india, the figure is also around a quarter, and in china, 20%, one in five deaths, were linked to pollution. these time—lapse pictures show pollution in beijing. countries which have undergone rapid industrialisation have some of the highest figures. the study is a snap shot from 2015. in the indian capital, delhi, where diwali was being celebrated with a night of fireworks, people don't need to read today's report to be reminded of the pollution threat. it's hit 18 times the health limit. rob sissons, bbc news. we will be speaking to the president of the international clear up charity at 7:30 p:m.. more than 10,000 rohingya refugees, who have been stranded in myanmar near the border with bangladesh, have been allowed to cross

through to refugee camps that have sprung up in bangladesh. the refugees, who had been waiting with limited food and water, have now reached major camps in the area of cox's bazar. the un children's organisation, unicef says 12,000 rohingya children are crossing into bangladesh every week to escape the fighting in myanmar. the american illusionist david blaine is being investigated by the metropolitan police over allegations that he raped a british woman in 200a. it's claimed the magician attacked natasha prince at her home in west london, when she was 21. ms prince has waived her right to anonymity. david blaine's lawyer says he "vehemently denies" the allegations and will cooperate "fully" with a police inquiry. president trump has controversially linked an increase in recorded crime with the "spread of radical islamic terror" in the uk. this is what he said on twitter this morning... but the data, which was actually

released yesterday, is just for england and wales and showed an overall rise in crime driven by an increase in violent crime including murder and assault. it also said the rise was down to better crime recording. our north america editorjon sopel is at the white house. we will bring you that a little bit later on from jon sopel. millions of people are being overcharged for using their mobile phones, according to citizens advice. it says large numbers of customers with vodafone, ee or three could still be getting billed for their handset, even after they've paid for it in full. but the mobile operators say their billing arrangements are fair. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. the latest iphone. a slick launch, but it ain't cheap. you can order it starting

on october the 27th... that's why most customers pay for phones, whatever the brand, through a contract. but when it finishes, many are still being charged for the handset, even though it's been fully paid off. clifford whitehouse says his bill should have been £14 but instead... i was charged £64, charging me for a phone i have ready bought and i own. it is not acceptable. it's a rip—off. with phones becoming ever—more expensive, we are hanging onto them longer. in its survey, citizens advice found that more than one in three people on a contract which included a handset, failed to change it after their deal expired. in fact, one in five didn't change after six months. but, three suppliers, vodafone, ee and three, continue to charge customers

the same price, meaning they were paying up to £38 a month more than they needed to. we think this is outrageous. this is a rip—off from mobile phone companies. what they should be doing is, when you get to the end of a contract, fixed term contract, the bill should be automatically reduced to reflect the fact you've paid off your handset already. the companies all insist their billing systems are fair. vodafone says, where possible, customers are contacted with a range of options. three says contract end dates are made clear and ee says separating the costs of the phone and the tariff sometimes makes customers worse off. but that's what the boss decided to do at rival firm o2. once the device is paid, we stop charging them for the device and all they are billed for is the connectivity. we think that's fair, it equitable and it's transparent. campaigners want all companies to make it clear

what the customers are paying for. emma simpson, bbc news. the leader of, plaid cymru, leanne wood has said her party could back a second referendum if no brexit deal is reached with the european union by march 2019. speaking to her party's conference in caernarfon, she said that the welsh national interest must be protected in the negotiations. is a clear threat, not just to our economy but to our constitution. the conservative uk government risks driving the economy off the cliff through botched brexit negotiations. their internal fights and election gamble have led them to pursue the most reckless negotiating strategy imaginable. now, the moment we show you something that's not perhaps "news" but it's certainly the cutest

thing you'll see today. this poor helpless little spider monkey, olivia, felt out of a tree and hurt her leg. now vets in colombia are carefully nursing her back to health with the help of a toothbrush and a sponge that she's become very attached to. the 25—day—old monkey is being treated at colombia cali zoo. let's see what the weather is doing. blustery weekend on the way, storm brian will make its presence felt. tonight, rain across western areas. first thing, it will spread eastwards. scattering of showers into the morning and then the strong winds arrive and the southern flank of storm brian pushing into coastal wales and coastal parts of southern england and we could see 17 mile an

hour gusts. showers developing inland. east of scotland, eastern pa rt inland. east of scotland, eastern part of england, not a bad morning. sunny spells and the winds pick up later. a few showers into the afternoon but most of the day will be dry. temperatures will be dropping in the afternoon as the winds go north—westerly. it will feel fresh where ever you are in the wind. into sunday, the wind will pick up over scotland, north—west england. the winds eased down in the day and the showers become less abundant. goodbye for now. hello, this is bbc news, the headlines. eu leaders agree to start preparing for trade talks with the uk. theresa may says she's optimistic about a good deal. oxford and cambridge universities are accused by one mp of "social apartheid" for not accepting enough under privileged students. a warning millions of mobile phone users are being overcharged by their contract providers, even after paying off their handsets in full.

pollution is linked to the deaths of more than 50,000 people in the uk in a major new medical study. the south west of england is gearing up for storm brian. it's expected to bring winds of up to 70 mph, and there's a risk of coastal flooding. more now on our top story — the crunch eu summit in brussels. as the talks came to an end, german chancellor angela merkel made it clear that trade discussions could not start in december until more progress has been made on the crucial brexit bill britain will pay after it leaves. translation: and snow sufficient progress has been noted to begin with stage two. we have focused very much on wanting to carefully prepare that second phase on behalf of the european 27. we have to identify the

various conditions for brexit. much work remains to be done here on the pa rt work remains to be done here on the part of the eu 27. we are coordinating our it's very closely, the link that have been established over the years are very close, and thusit over the years are very close, and thus it will require a lot of work. we would hope that we will be ready by december to initiate phase two, but as i said, this depends to a large exte nt but as i said, this depends to a large extent on the extent to which great britain prepares progress to such an extent that we can move forward with the topic of financial commitments, the dominating issue here. i'm nowjoined in the studio by nina schick, an associate director at political advisory firm hanbury strategy. thank you very much for being with us, you were watching angela merkel

today, she sounded pretty conciliatory, is that your view? that is what angela merkel often does, she sounds conciliatory, but let not forget that even though the mood music might have changed, the substance of the german position has not, and neither will it. i think thatis not, and neither will it. i think that is quite clear, that they want more movement on the divorce part of the talks, before they will talk about future trading relations, and whether or not enough progress can be made until december depends on whether or not theresa may can with her own party into shape. torino germany is the powerhouse of the remaining 27, are they the hardest line, angela merkel is the hardest line, angela merkel is the hardest line in striving hard brexit deal, if you like? they do not see it as driving a hard brexit deal, they think there are fundamental things which cannot be compromised, such as the integrity of the single market. so any of witches have your cake and eat it, which is what the uk has been asking for, will not be ok for

the german interest. —— so any offer which is have your cake and eat it. they cannot have a situation where the single market unravels. although they will talk about having a good future trading relationship, when you look at the detail of how much is permissible, it is important that i think the brits have to realise that germany will not move on that. soa that germany will not move on that. so a lot of optimism or hope put into german, new fractures is misplaced. you talk about german car manufacturers, and people were saying that the germans will want to send their cars to the uk. it of, in the past few years, and even for german industrialists the long—term strategic interest is protecting the single market. —— that has come up in the past few years. any kind of deal that undermines that with the

uk is not something that they would wa nt uk is not something that they would want in their own economic interests. to germans think they will benefit from brexit? we have heard the boss of goldman sachs hinting that goldman sachs, the huge financed lynch —— the huge financial institution, could move a chunk of business to frankfurt. fundamentally, the germans are sad to see the brits go, and they were hoping it would be overturned, but even though it is a way out of political risk and what benefits they could gain, there is a view in government that, with uncertainty around financial passporting, that they could at least stand to benefit, especially frank —— frankfurt. in the end, do think angela merkel thinks there will be a deal? is there going to be some sort of fudge? of course, they hope for a deal, but the question is more one

of domestic politics in the uk. if theresa may is unable to get more concessions from her own party, and if we are in a situation where they paint themselves into a corner and say now we are falling back on the wto option, germany would be sad to see this happen, but our hands are tied, and merkel will not be able to change that. i do not think one should place too much and you hope in angela merkel‘s chances of turning this around. good to get your analysis, thank you for coming more now on the study published by the lancetjournal which has linked nine million deaths a year worldwide to pollution. joining me now from new york is richard fuller, president of the international pollution clean—up charity pure earth and one of the lead authors of this report. thanks very much for being with us, give us an idea of how those figures

have beanie come up with. the figures are the result of analysis of pollution of all different types, air pollution, soil, water pollution, and even pollution of the workforce, and they are looking at data provided by who and also a group out of the university of washington and seattle, founded by the gates —— gates foundation. washington and seattle, founded by the gates -- gates foundation. in which countries has the impact of illusion been highest? 92% of which countries has the impact of illusion been highest? 9296 of deaths are in countries in the middle of their economic growth. —— the impact of pollution been highest? with the enormous populations of india and china, there are very large numbers associated with pollution mortality

in those countries. in some countries, pollution is so extreme that one in four deaths are attributable to pollution, and india is one of those. it is really a problem in that region. when we talk about pollution, be more specific — air pollution is presumably the deadliest? air pollution is the largest, about two thirds of the amount that we are collecting in this research. water pollution, sanitation and other types is also substantial. one part that we do not have much data on, which is poorly and lies and definitely and accounted, is chemicals and soil pollution. —— quarterly —— poorly under analysed. that is where we

should do a lot more research, because there is a lot more exposure things like endocrine disruptors and pesticides are not currently counted in this analysis, and they will add to the number. and obviously fewer deaths linked to pollution in developed economies like the british economy, for example, but even so, according to the report, 50,000 deaths, i think, according to the report, 50,000 deaths, ithink, linked according to the report, 50,000 deaths, i think, linked to pollution in the uk in that one year, which will surprise a lot of people. yes, it is really not a trivial amount of deaths anywhere. and air pollution is one of those things that has an impact similarto is one of those things that has an impact similar to smoking, and by the way in the uk the majority of these deaths are from urban air pollution, so you can consider it as if you were a second—hand smoke, getting those wits of particulates a couple of times a year is enough that, over a large population, you can see an impact and measure an impact. very good to talk to you,

richard fuller. thank you very much for your time. a pleasure. he's waited more then 70 years for his war medals, and today 94—year—old george verden from northampton was finally recognised for his bravery. the veteran of the d—day campaign was surrounded by four generations of his family, as he accepted not one but three medals, including one of the most distinguished, france's legion d'honneur, as mousumi bakshi reports. oh, there we are. that was the moment we finished the end of tour, december 19114. that was when we were finished, waiting to see whether we were going out to the far east. george verden is reminiscing about his time in the raf, his airborne missions as a gunner during world war ii recorded in minute detail in this log. but this veteran of 49 missions knows he is lucky to be alive.

at the beginning of the war, bomber command said the life expectancy of air crew was nil. if you lasted one mission... if you got to four, you were on borrowed time. after four, you made your own luck. george was to take part in the critical d—day bombings over normandy, a turning point in the war that would eventually liberate mainland europe from the nazis. his efforts should have won him two awards, but it has taken 73 years and the help of his local mp for george to finally be recognised for his bravery. the ministry of defence confirmed that he was entitled to two world war ii medals that had not been presented to him 70 years ago. i was then informed that he might also be entitled to the french legion of honour, and i contacted the french embassy, they made some inquiries, and sure enough, they said that he was so entitled. and today, surrounded by four

generations of his family, a war veteran officially became a war hero. he speaks french a moment to remember, but one hilly with emotion. the comrades did as much to get the medals and helped me get my medals, and they are not around to receive theirs. that's, you know... that's the sad thing about it. if you look at the schedule of history, if it wasn't for their actions, i would probably be part of those fighting the third world war, because basically, we were at war every 30 or 40 years. not only was george verden prepared to lay down his life for country, he also helped win the freedom of another country, and for that, almost 70 million french men and women owe a debt of thanks.

and finally, here's a story for a slow news day — it's international sloth day. here is bob the two—toed sloth, trying to turn a flag of the toronto zoo around. i think it might take him quite a while! eu leaders agree to start preparing for trade talks with the uk — theresa may says she's optimistic about a good deal. oxford and cambridge universities are accused by one mp of "social apartheid" for not accepting enough under privileged students. a warning millions of mobile phone users are being overcharged by their contract providers — even after paying off their handsets in full. now on bbc news, it's time for newswatch.

this week, samira hussein asks, has the bbc gone over the top in its reporting of the harvey weinstein allegations? hello and welcome to newswatch with me, samira ahmed. allegations against harvey weinstein still hitting the headlines, the charges are serious, but has the bbc coverage been excessive? i'm not sure how much news this really is, but it's april... if the presenter doesn't think it's news, then why are we hearing it? first, tuesday brought the news that inflation had gone up to 3%. like all economic data, its likely effects needed a bit of unpicking.

it's good news for pensioners, who are in line for a 3% pension increase from next april. but for the working population and people on benefits, it will put more pressure on already stretched household incomes. some viewers, such as these two anonymous telephone callers, felt the bbc made too much of the contrast between the benefit gained by pensioners, whose payments will rise in line with the new inflation figure, and the negative consequences for the rest of the population. itjust seems like the bbc news is always presenting pensioners as well off and seeming like we are taking from the young, when actually i've spent my whole life looking after my whole family, and it's just really infuriating. it really does annoy me that they stir this up, because of the triple lock. 3% of hardly anything is not very much. some issues viewers contact us about do recur on a regular basis. one such was identified this week by mike,

who recorded his video for us. i am as interested as anyone in seeing live scenes of hurricanes, storms and floods affecting the british isles. but i'm really concerned at the way the bbc and other news agencies around the world appeared to pay no attention to the safety