this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. the headlines at 8.00: theresa may attends a crucial brexit summit in brussels saying she's disappointed after last night's commons defeat. i'm disappointed with the amendment but actually the eu withdrawal bill is making good progress though the house of commons and we're on course to deliver on brexit. a national memorial service is held six months to the day after the fire at grenfell tower. today we ask why warnings were not heeded, why a community was left feeling neglected, uncared for, not listened to. four children have died and more than a dozen injured after a train crashed into a school bus at a level crossing in southern france. for the first time scotland has different tax rates to the rest of the uk — low earners pay less, higher earners pay more. also coming up:

rupert murdoch spent a life time building a media empire — now he's sold most of it to disney. and what $1 billion will get you! we go inside the new us embassy in london, good evening and welcome to bbc news. theresa may has arrived at a crucial brexit summit in brussels saying she's disappointed after last night's commons defeat. but she said the vote, which gives parliament a say over the final deal,

would not stop her delivering brexit. questions have been raised about whether her authority has been dented just as eu leaders prepare to move the negotiations into a second phase. let's go live to brussels from christian fraser. welcome to brussels, the dinner is underway. theresa may will get the first opportunity to address the agreement they secured last friday. the following theresa may is a bit ofa the following theresa may is a bit of a roller—coaster ride. after the highs of friday, the lows of today after last night's defeat and whether she can truly deliver brexit. laura kuenssberg has the report. herjob tonight, to get 27 countries of all political colours on her side, a day after failing to line up everyone in her own party. will theresa may bend to her rebels‘ will? i'm disappointed with the amendment, but, actually, the eu withdrawal bill is making good progress,

through the house of commons, and we are on course to deliver on brexit. remember last week, presidentjuncker, said sufficient progress had been made to move on to phase two of our negotiations. do you accept that as prime minister, you are going to have to make more compromises, notjust with the opposition party, but with your own side? well, just look at the passage of the eu withdrawal bill, so far. it has been making good progress through the house of commons. we have actually had 36 vote on the eu withdrawal bill, and we have won 35 of those votes. will you compromise more? we have won 35 out of a 36 vote on the eu withdrawal bill. give and take at home? not quite. but, abroad, where she has had to compromise, her cheery counterparts sent a mixture of sympathy, and demand. this makes it even shorter, for theresa may's government, to make proposals, because if, afterwards, she needs to get an agreement in london, that does not help a lot. i have absolute faith

and confidence in her, that she speaks for the uk, and that as long as that is the case, as long as she is prime minister, we will deal with her, and treat her as though she had an overall majority. she is holding her cards close to her heart at the moment, which i understand, on the next phase. and this is probably a wise negotiating tactic. it is now for the uk to make up its minds and then together, to collectively see where we can get to. the closest friends maybe not quite convinced. "we have made progress with great britain", said the german leader, "but some questions are still open". where brexit is being brokered, may's promises of "strong and stable" seem long ago, some tories furious their colleagues sent the prime minister to her seat after defeat. but, for the rebels and their new found friends in the opposition, listening would add authority. she has caused this problem for herself, actually what she should now do is embrace

what happened last night and say, yes, i will involve parliament, annd then it would be obvious and then it would be obvious in the negotiations that i have the support of parliament in what i am doing. barring last—minute disaster, the rest of the eu is to agree that we can now move onto the next of our long goodbye, but theresa may will enter that knowing that the other countries provide 27 items on her list of problems, but parliament is perhaps the 28th, and the trickiest of all. remember, tomorrow's expected agreement is only a promise to move onto talks about the long—term relationship. at home, and here, there is still an awful lot to be worked out. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels. what a difference a year makes. i was thinking today, when i game to brussels a year ago, remember those pictures of theresa may giving heard the cold shoulder, everyone in the

room was annoyed by brexiter and didn't want to talk to theresa may about the negotiation. but today, with expectation that she would be bruised and damaged by the vote last night in commons, all support the theresa may, that she is a strong leader and negotiating hard. the prime minister of the netherlands saying she is the woman they want to deal with. let's talk about that with the editor of the sun. it is fascinating bait are so supportive of theresa may? what we didn't expect was this massive 27 strong love bomb hold on arrival. falling over themselves to say what a nice girl she is, and it was herthey wa nt girl she is, and it was herthey want to. the prime minister of the netherlands said she even has a majority. she hasn't got a majority. they looked straight down the barrel, you don't need to talk to

this prime minister, talk to us, we are far more soft brexit than her and it is as you can do a proper deal with. that was almost ignored. so that means they probably think they can do something here with theresa may. coming to this conclusion, getting over phase one, which many said was impossible. a lot of compromises from the eu and theresa may. but also, if it isn't theresa may. but also, if it isn't theresa may, who else is it? who is it they will have to do business with, borisjohnson, michael it they will have to do business with, boris johnson, michael gove? she is a tough negotiator and people have been saying, don't forget, this isn't a one—way street, we have want some concessions as well. that is right, the eu have had two shift considerably on citizen's rights on ecj oversight. there is a tiny bit

of it left and it is also time—limited. there is no £100 billion cheque. even if they thought there was going to be 50, 60 billion, that has come down as well. phase two transition, phase three is trade and that is where it gets harder. what is going on now, will be interesting. it is when the first beginnings of setting out the road map, not the talks, but how they will have the talks. that is crucial. the sequencing last time on brexit talks was very bad for britain. we had to do the divorce first and then talk about a couple of things we didn't want to talk about. it is crucial the government have their say. just quickly, the meeting on tuesday, this crucial

meeting. i know you have always got your ear to the ground, you have the remainders and the brexiteers sitting round a desk, they have got to come to a unified position, what will happen? i would like to say, save it for the paper and read it, but you do religiously. the answer is, not very much. they will sit down, there will be a cabinet meeting the day before and then the talk about end—stage and what we wa nt talk about end—stage and what we want to see the these trade talks. they will come to no conclusion because it is too difficult. the gap between philip hammond and boris johnson is still too huge. everyone will have a consultation but no decision will be made untiljanuary at the earliest. do you want to reveal your other exclusive of the night, what is on the menu? the pudding, they are about to eat the pudding. festive log with a twist. whatever is that? let's hope there

is notice tomorrow, they are due to sit down and consider whether enough progress has been made. all the negotiations we have heard today, is they will rubber—stamp the deal and move they will rubber—stamp the deal and m ove o nto they will rubber—stamp the deal and move onto the next phase. christian fraser, many thanks. and we'll find out how this story, and many others, are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:40 this evening in the papers. our guests joining me tonight are the political commentator & former tory adviserjo—anne nadler and the campaignerand broadcaster, david akinsa nya. six months after the grenfell fire, survivors and relatives of the dead were joined by hundreds of others, including members of the royal family, for a memorial service at st paul's. 71 people, 18 of them children, died following the blaze in the early hours ofjune1lith. for many the disaster has come to symbolise the huge disparity between rich and poor in one of london's wealthiest boroughs. speaking at the service the bishop of kensington asked why so many in the community have been left feeling neglected.

here's our home editor mark easton. bells. they came to st paul's, to mourn those who were lost, to comfort those who still suffer, and to thank those who worked to heal. this is the family we lost, five people. on the 21st floor? on the 21st floor, yes. that's why we're here. how important is this event to you? very important. anything to remember them is important, for us. every strand of british cultural life was woven into a service of remembrance, community and hope. grenfell survivors, family and friends, politicians and royalty. the grenfell fire exposed deep social divides in modern britain. this morning, here at the cathedral, those destined to inherit a kingdom stand beside those who have lost

everything, from highness to homeless, together beneath the dome of st paul's. so now, together, we remember and reflect. some politicians from kensington were asked not to come today. emotions are still too raw. don't come and look at taking selfies. no, we want people to know what has happened. using voices from the time, the lingering agony of the grenfell community was dropped into the calm of the cathedral. they need to feel what we have felt. they have let us down, this borough. so many questions and no answers. today we ask why warnings were not heeded, why a community was left feeling neglected,

uncared for, not listened to. in a service rich with imagery, a commitment was made to turn grenfell from a symbol of sorrow to a symbol of the time we learnt to listen and to love. schoolchildren scattered green hearts at the feet of faith leaders. six months after that fateful day, the powerful were once again forced to look directly into the eyes of those whose trust was betrayed. it's like yesterday. the pain is deep... it's with us. we shall not forget.

for three centuries and more, st paul's has marked the highs and the lows of the capital. today to that list was added grenfell. a tragedy that awoke london to the injustice hidden in plain sight. mark easton, bbc news, st paul's cathedral. mourners have walked through the streets of west london in silence every month since the grenfell tower tragedy, remembering those who lost their lives. taking on a particular poignancy today, our correspondent adina campbell is at this evening's march. tell us what has happened, is it still going on or has itjust

finished? in the last few minutes, the march has come to an end. at the moment we are hearing speeches being said behind me. hundreds of people, up said behind me. hundreds of people, up to around 2000 people have taken pa rt up to around 2000 people have taken part in tonight's six silent marks, remembering and reflecting on those people who died in the fire exactly six months ago. it has been an opportunity for members of this community and wider community to come together, stand together, walked together and reflect on what has happened. we have seen different age groups from babies to the elderly coming through to act in solidarity, hold hands, hugging each other and remember silently what happened all those months ago. there isa mix happened all those months ago. there is a mix of different parts of this community, different religious backgrounds, cultural groups, different generations of people all coming together. the walk itself has taken

coming together. the walk itself has ta ken about coming together. the walk itself has taken about an hour. they have walked very slowly all around this pa rt walked very slowly all around this part of london, ending today's march behind me in an area called the wall of treats which has been eating area for people to remember those who died six months ago. the next one will be on the 14th of january but today, six months on, an important milestone, it has been a chance, it has been an opportunity to remember the 71 people who died, 53 adults and 21 children. at least four children have been killed after a collision between a train and a school bus in southern france. the french interior ministry says at least another 20 people have been injured. the crash happened at a level crossing in the village of millas, to the west of the city of perpignan. earlier we spoke to our paris correspondent lucy williamson

about the latest developments. please be aware that some pictures included flash photography. there are details trickling through. one french media said they thought the youngest victim might be aged eight. so a lot younger than previously thought. looking at pictures from the scene, dramatic pictures from the scene, dramatic pictures coming out. emergency helicopters being sent in to get those seriously injured people to hospital. that has now happened. the prime minister and the transport minister making their way down to the site. the focus is starting to shift to what caused this collision. we know the school bus was leaving the school in millas, driving the peoples back to their homes when it arrived at a railway crossing point and was hit by the train. officials we re and was hit by the train. officials were saying weather conditions were good and the train wasn't going

particularly fast and when you look at the pictures are what has happened to the bus and the injuries we are seeing, there is a lot of questions to be answered about how this happened. and with the senior officials going down there tonight, that will be the focus tomorrow. the headlines on bbc news: theresa may attends a crucial brexit summit in brussels and say she is disappointed after last night's commons defeat. a national memorial service is held six months to the day after the fire at grenfell tower. four children have died and more than a dozen have been injured after a train crashed into a school bus at a level crossing in southern france. good day for england in the krkic down under. now and the rest of the sport. england will hope to capitalize on a good first day when play resumes in the third ashes test in perth early tomorrow morning.

dawid malan will begin on 110 not out while jonny bairstow is unbeaten on 75. the pair put togther a vital partnership after england had been reduced to 131 for four at one stage.. england must avoid defeat in this match to keep the ashes alive. there has been a few tough games, although apart from most of the games, we have felt like we have had a chance on all of them, we just haven't capitalised in the crucial moments. australia have been better in the high—pressure situations and we have fallen away a little bit. hopefully we can come out and capitalised in the first hour. we have to be right on in the first hour and make sure we don't lose any wicket to make the scoreboard ticked along, put them under more pressure. there is some live fa cup action, fleetwood town have taken the lead at hereford. hereford hoping to

become the only non—league side to reach round three. the winner of this replay will host leicester city. at the moment, fleetwood are in front. forwards marrow eto'o g will be fit in time to start england's six nations title defence against italy on the 11th of february. he had two plates inserted in his face after fracturing his jaw while playing for saracens against harlequins earlier this month. but the club say he faces a maximum of four more weeks and rehabilitation. the most successful female jockey in british flat racing, hayley turner says her three—month ban for breaching british horse racing authority betting rules is harsh and the bitterest pill to swallow. hayley turner appeared in person in central london today and she was described as the most successful women's

jockey. she is a high—profile figure in the sport, especially because of her media work. the reason than jockeys are not allowed to bet on races is obvious and very important. ifa races is obvious and very important. if a jockey lines up in a race with a bet on another horse in that race, the potential for corruption is there. at no stage did hayley turner, said the bha said the hayley turner, said the bha said the hayley turner dimmed the integrity of the sport. but she was in breach and be suspended her from sport. but she was in breach and be suspended herfrom racing for three months. i clearly did break the rules and ijust think i have spent my whole adult life putting into the sport, and more than i should have done. it'sjust a bitter pill to swallow, really. the panel summing up swallow, really. the panel summing up said you had been complacent towards the rules of racing, the rules of not betting are there and you would have been aware of them. do you accept there has to be a zero

tolerance? i accept there has to be some sort of punishment, definitely because i was in the wrong, absolutely. but three months is quite harsh. hayley turner speaking tojoe wilson. finally, ronnie o'sullivan‘s impressive form is continuing at the scottish open, despite the rocket taking a couple of quick laps during his match. when he did wake up, last week's uk championship winner came through 11—3 frames against china's hang lead to progress to the last 16. that is all the sport, i will be back with more sport at 10:30pm and i will see you then. rupert murdoch, whose huge media empire spans the globe, including interests here in britain, has decided to sell most of it to the disney corporation.

the deal, worth nearly £40 billion, ends nearly five decades of expansion that saw mr murdoch become one of the the world's most influential media figures. so why has he done it? our media editor amol rajan reports. when rupert murdoch bought the news of the world in 1968, he was an outsider. but this canny australian with news in his veins made his way to the heart of the establishment in both britain and america, wielding extraordinary influence. from his base in tabloid newspapers, he moved aggressively to film and television, owning studios and networks that entertained hundreds of millions of people. well, i'll always have my crank calls. but now, in a move foreseen in the simpsons, another murdoch product, fox has become a division of disney. in a phone conference today, rupert murdoch explained his strategy. i know a lot of people are wondering why did the murdochs come to such a momentous decision. i will be retreating. absolutely not. we are pivoting at a pivotal moment. andrew neil was at murdoch's side as an editor and executive the years. for him, this is

the end of a dynasty. he's been trying to do that for 35, a0 years. he used to talk about a murdoch dynasty, about putting his children into key positions, letting them fight for the top position and whoever wins would take over. and the murdoch name would go on forever, and here at a stroke he is unbundling the empire. and the dinas stick ambitions are gone. if the deal goes through it will create a new media superpower. mr murdoch is selling his world famous studio 21st century fox, television businesses including sky. cable networks are just fx and national geographic, and hulu which could rival netflix. and that's the key for disney. streaming has changed broadcasting forever,

allowing you at home to watch a seemingly infinite number of shows how, where, and when you want. streaming services such as hulu cut out the middleman of television stations, broadcasting directly into millions of homes. as the fox international footprint has some extremely high—end technology to deliver this content to consumers in more modern ways, sky in europe is a good example of that, and so to the consumer not only will they be getting more high—quality content but they will be getting it in ways they demand. sky news and sky sports look set to continue, while fox says its own bid remains in place. even with this acquisition, disney is playing catch up with tech giants like facebook, who if they aren't there already are coming to a small screen near you. we can now speak to the global business executive ryan patel — he joins me via webcam from los

angeles. to see why now, why has rupert murdoch decided to unbundle his empire? it is because they wanted to be leaner and smaller and they saw the future. disney has been looking to buy and acquire a few things. this deal hinged around hulu which is what disney wanted at the end of the deal. he spent decades building up the deal. he spent decades building up this massive empire. he has been a buyer and up this massive empire. he has been a buyerand an up this massive empire. he has been a buyer and an acquirer and now seems to have changed tactic? let's be honest. you have amazon coming right behind netflix. you have to

compete and change of strategy. the little bit more leaner and maybe live another day to fight. but when disney comes knocking on the door with an offer like this, he didn't have much of a choice to say, do you wa nt to have much of a choice to say, do you want to continue to fight? from the disney point of view, you have touched on it already, but what is their strategy? it is getting to the consumers directly. the big message i want to go on about is the potential, internationally. i, star india, the cricket, the local media isa india, the cricket, the local media is a huge potentialfor disney india, the cricket, the local media is a huge potential for disney and this could be, and obviously sky news. at the worst they will have a

39% sta ke news. at the worst they will have a 39% stake in the country. —— company. the timing of this is pretty good for them. is it really, as we were hearing, the way everybody has changed the way they watch television, is that at the root of it? yes, disney came out and said, white hulu was so important, this makes disney a major stakeholder into the company and now they can dictate the streaming service is pushing all their brands and their content on this to be able to contender with apple and obviously with amazon and netflix. disney needed a way to get into this and it was a huge splash to get into it. from your point of view, is this a win, win for all parties?|j it. from your point of view, is this a win, win for all parties? i think so. disney was looking for it, fox

got the deal they wanted. if this dragged on longer, fox would have had to look at selling bits and pieces apart from all to one buyer. this is the cleanest way in doing it and now it is up to disney to figure out how to make this transition move and be successful very quickly. good to talk to, ryan patel global business analysts, speaking to us from los angeles. we will be taking a peek into the new us embassy in london with its own motor. now, let's get the weather. expect a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow to the west overnight. breezy conditions driving be showers. if the shower sink south and temperatures fall away, we could see some ice forming through

northern england and scotland. temperatures close to freezing. we start on friday with the wind swinging round to a northerly and that will change when the showers coming, blowing from the north sea coast affecting eastern england, showers across south—west wales and south—west england. between it, dry and sunny weather, but not particularly warm. highest values three to 7 degrees. it will be a cold, frosty night friday into saturday morning. widespread, hard frost will develop across the country. with the exception, northern ireland, wales and south—west england. here, more cloud and a few showers. the frost will lift and we will get sunshine coming through but the best of the sun is not going to be very warm. you're watching bbc news with me, ben brown. our latest headlines:. theresa may attends a crucial brexit summit in brussels saying she's

disappointed after last night's commons defeat. national memorial service is held six months to the day after the fire at grenfell tower. four children have died and more than a dozen injured after a train crashed into a school bus at a level crossing in southern france. rupert murdoch sells most of 21st century fox to disney, in a deal worth $52.4 billion. the scottish government has said it's going to raise taxes for higher earners. those earning more than £24,000 will pay 21 pence in the pound — that's a higher rate than in the rest of the uk. the plan was unveiled in the draft budget this afternoon but there's also a new starting rate of tax, which will benefit lower earners. our scotland editor, sarah smith has more. an early christmas present was delivered to many scottish

taxpayers today as more than two thirds will pay less income tax next year. all of these msps posing in their festive jumpers though will have to pay higher taxes. the scottish government will in crease nhs spending and give public sector workers a 3% pay rise. it overturns the tory cuts, it delivers an additional £400 million to the health service without damaging other vital services. it protects the vast majority of taxpayers. it is a budget for fairness and for growth. a new starter rate of 19% mean those earning less than £24,000 will be £20 a year better off than taxpayers in the rest of the uk. an intermediate rate of 21% means somebody earning £33,000 will be £70 worse off, increasing the higher rate to 41% means anyone earning £60,000 will be £755 worse off. putting up the additional rate to 46% will see those earning over

£150,000 pay £1,774 more than those outside scotland, raising an extra £164 million for the scottish government. the conservatives say the tax cuts will deliver only £20 more to lower earners, while some will pay far more. behind all the smoke and mirrors, we see really half of scotland's workers are paying more than they would do in the rest of the uk, and we've had all of scotland's business organisation saying raising taxes would damage scotland's economy and growth. the new scottish tax rates create winners and losers. as a public sector worker, john will get a tax cut, and a pay rise. we definitely do need to address the crisis in public sector pay. wages have gone down by about 20%, in terms of buying power. business owner sharon wants to know that higher taxes will be spent wisely. i think if we are confident and trust that it will be used for the purposes the public want, we need more money but there are so many needs it needs to go to and i am not confident it is all going to the right needs.

a lawyer, alan is one who will now be paying more. are you personally happy to be paying higher tax rates? yes, i am, i think it is entirely reasonable that i pay higher rates, it is a question of how much of a reasonable balance for it, but yes, i would certainly pay more tax. figures released today show the scottish economy is forecast to grow more slowly than the rest of the uk, but public spending in scotland will be significantly higher. sarah smith, bbc news, edinburgh. lets speak to cara heaney, she's a tax expert with ey, based in edinburgh. have you been surprised by these changes? i think we definitely new changes? i think we definitely new changes were coming. the details, though, the devil is always in the detail. there were a couple of

surprises in there, particularly if starting rate in scotland. also, that the scottish government didn't go quite as far as some thought in terms of this additional tax rate. sticking at 46 rather than what some had anticipated to be 50%. we heard in that report, winners and losers. overall for the average earner, what will be the situation would you say? well, the average earner in scotland, the mean earner, earns £24,000, so for them they will be ever so slightly better off, talking ata ever so slightly better off, talking at a quantum of around £20. when we look beyond that into individuals who earn more than £26,000, we see a gradual increase in the amount of tax they will pay relatively similar earners in the rest of the uk. 0k. compared to the rest of the uk, a different tax system, isn't it. the

first time that's happened. absolutely, what we see today is a five band tax system, which is coming up from three band, not at all unusual internationally, but we do now have different bands in scotland. from the scottish government point of view, why are they doing this? i know you don't wa nt to they doing this? i know you don't want to get into the politics but what is the rationale behind it? what we heard today, that this has been a balance, of trying to raise enough tax take to fund public services while still allowing the economy to flourish, being fair to lower earners, for example, these are lower earners, for example, these a re key lower earners, for example, these are key test applied by the scottish government when looking at a discussion paper. business has had a chance to input when they were thinking what rates to go for. how much more income is going to be raised? i actually haven't run the sums because we had a couple of

surprises there. several hundred million is expected to be raised on top of what we currently would take in the block grant. we've had a reaction already from ordinary people in scotland. what about business in scotland in particular? for me, the business view tends to be consistent. perhaps some businesses might be glad to see the rate didn't hit, for example, 50% of the highest earners, though it did increase from 45 to 46. they will have seen the extra percentage point going on for other high earners. it'll be a mixed reaction. the real point for business, as ever, will be to make sure there is real clarity in the future direction of travel for the scottish income tax. it's something that is easy for business to administer. it allows them continued access, ready access, to talent, that they need in their business in scotland. what last point on high earners, there is

suggesting they might pop across the border, south of the border, in order to avoid paying high tax. this is the so—called behavioural impact that comes into play with tax changes are particularly at the highest end of the tax system. well accepted. it is also well accepted thinking that says below are the change their less likely those behavioural changes are. in other words, the lower the tax raise, so 196 words, the lower the tax raise, so 1% today, the less light beam —— less likely we might beat to seek citizens changing their tax residence. thank you for being with us. regulators in the united states have scrapped rules guaranteeing internet service providers must treat all data on the internet the same. known as net neutrality — it was enshrined in law under president obama — but now after a vote restrictions on us broadband providers' ability to prioritise one service's data over another are to be reduced. yogita limaye joins

us from washington talk us through what this means to ordinary people. i'm outside the federal communications commission, where that vote took place, and three people on that 5—member committee voted to repeal these rules. but it eventually does is remove the regulation which required, or that didn't allow, internet service providers to charge different prices for different websites. so eventually, in effect, what could happen now is that companies could start charging customers different charges, depending on what websites they wa nted depending on what websites they wanted to access on the internet. the other side of it is companies could also go to web—based businesses and say if you pay a certain amount of money, we'll give your website, your service, at a faster speed to the customer over another company. that is essentially

what could happen. we've had lots of protesters outside this building today. it's an issue that has generated a lot of debate in this country. what regulators say is they've removed regulation which had become a hurdle for the sector. it was threatening investment in the sector. they say they've paved the way for innovation. the - to safe»? as: :§e:: or are ”eole whole, negative, orare people supporting it? i think if, especially if you looked on the internet itself, as well as people here, everything we've been reading, most people are for net neutrality. in that sense it has generated quite a negative reaction. internet service providers, providers who bring you the web, they say it's a great decision for them. they say the regulation that existed held them back. this would help them make

investments to give better connectivity to remote and rural parts of america. while this is an issue of debate here in this country, it's also something we seen around the world. the worry is if america decides this is going to be its policy towards internet access, could other countries around the world follow suit? interesting, thank you for being with us, you geeta lemire in washington. it's cost $1 billion to build. the new united states embassy in london, which has just been completed, opens next month. it's a 12 storey glass cube on the banks of the thames, and comes complete with a moat — the first new defensive moat to be built in england for 150 years. the us ambassador to the uk said the new embassy is a "signal to the world" that the relationship between the two countries is strong, and going to grow. richard lister reports. this is what $1 billion looks like. the new us embassy in london is said to be the most expensive

in the world and almost a decade in the making. inside there's a garden of american desert flora. it's all designed to be airy and welcoming, not words usually associated with embassies. i think this is a country of great dignity and it birthed the united states. and this building should be not some pop icon, but certainly a building of great dignity and serenity. but this embassy is also a fortress. it even has a moat, though they'd prefer we call it a pond. some of the glass is six inches thick, a reminder that an embassy is the only place where one nation intersects with another. for decades that's been here, grosvenor square. the old embassy has been sold to become a hotel. but it's a place now associated with american triumphs and tragedies. archive: at grosvenor square police, warned to expect trouble, waited.

it was where british people repeatedly protested against the vietnam war. archive: a huge crowd waited for them at the american embassy. where well—wishers greeted america's first men on the moon, and came to pay their respects after the attacks of 9/11. now a new building will represent america. the us ambassador says this glass—clad building represents america's global outlook, giving form, he says, to the core democratic values of transparency, openness and equality. what's not clear was whether president trump will be at the opening next month, though he has been invited. it would be the most controversial visit by any american president, a moving—in present for the ambassador. trump is coming when he sets the date for coming. he's been invited for a state visit. he's been invited and he's accepted but he hasn't set a date and for the ribbon—cutting of this and taking a look at this embassy, that will be announced

when he selects the date. and, of course, the new embassy will outlive this presidency and many more to come. richard lister, bbc news. as we've been hearing, survivors of the grenfell tower fire have attended a memorial service at st paul's cathedral today, alongside members of the royal family and the prime minister, theresa may. the service, six months since the disaster, also gave thanks to all those who assisted at the time of the fire and in the weeks and months since. our reporter, ashleyjohn baptiste has met some of the survivors to hear how the grenfell tragedy turned their lives upside down. my my name's paul menacer. i lived in a flat 33 grenfell tower on the sixth floor. and i was living and caring for my sick uncle. my name is

raksumu mamudu, i lived in grenfell tower. with my grandson. i'd definitely say life wasn't amazing, but i'd say life was ok. definitely say life wasn't amazing, but i'd say life was oki definitely say life wasn't amazing, but i'd say life was ok. i never felt i lacked anything in that tower. i was happy. felt i lacked anything in that tower. iwas happy. iwas felt i lacked anything in that tower. i was happy. i was working, playing football, being very social with my friends, going out, doing things that any other 22—year—old would do at the time. around this time last year, we moved into g re nfell tower time last year, we moved into grenfell tower from time last year, we moved into gre nfell tower from wandsworth. time last year, we moved into grenfell tower from wandsworth. and we we re grenfell tower from wandsworth. and we were just busy settling down. settling down in grenfell tower.m was always a good vibe to be around. lovely community, lovely environment, everyone in the tower is so friendly and welcoming. it's a very good place to be and grow up

around. i felt like it was home. in 2010 i lost my mum and dad in the space of three months. my mum had a brain schumacher. my dad had a heart attack. i came home and ifound him dead. ifelt, ina attack. i came home and ifound him dead. ifelt, in a sense, cursed by all of this. out of every tower block in this country, it had to be that one that goes up in fire. six months on from the grenfell tower fire, paul and months on from the grenfell tower fire, paulandi months on from the grenfell tower fire, pauland i have come months on from the grenfell tower fire, paul and i have come to revisit what remains of the block. what's it like walking back to the tower? it brings back memories of everyday i used, like, do things on a day—to—day basis like go to football, go to work, stuff like that. it looks so much more quiet thanit

that. it looks so much more quiet than it used to be around here, it's like a ghost town sort of thing, when you look at it. i was fast asleep and i woke up to the sounds of from people and obviously knowing the procedure for the building was stay in your flat i didn't take too much notice. i started coughing quite a lot, so i set myself i have to go downstairs. i literally went down the stairwell, got down to the bottom and as soon as i got the building, i looked up and from the third floor all the way up to the 24th floor on one side it was covered in black smoke. covered in flames. i could see dead bodies, obviously, i could tell that probably jumped off the obviously, i could tell that probablyjumped off the building to try and escape the fire. seeing the fire arise, and going into people's flats, and the screaming i heard that night in particular... it's just so traumatic. yeah, i think the best way to describe it would be lifeless. lifeless. this grenfell tower fire is worse than losing my mum and my dad. people that you meet

ona mum and my dad. people that you meet on a day—to—day basis, people you make friends with in the lift, you don't know if they've passed away or not. memories i've had in that flat, gone. it was those memories that led him to go back to the tower last month with police supervision to collect items from his flat that survived the fire. i had to literally force myself to go back in there are the only reason why i went back and there was because of this jewellery box, and that the only thing left i've got of my mum and her pictures that were actually inside of it. can i see what's inside? of course you can. so that's one of the ones that were actually com pletely one of the ones that were actually completely damaged but i still took it. water damage of the flat. it's my mum's grave. so that's, like, me and my mum there, she was pretty. this is a picture that means a lot to me and i'm really glad that i got the chance to go back in there and have this picture of her. more

pictures like that. me and my mum. these pictures, they're priceless. this melt the world to me, this would be like losing another life to me, because these pictures are the only thing i've got left of my mum, especially herjewellery box. to lose all that would be losing her all over again. this time last year i was very excited about christmas, this time of year it's all about being close, going out with friends. a year being close, going out with friends. ayearon being close, going out with friends. a year on how things have changed in such a quick time. normally i would get a christmas tree for the little boy. which we went shopping for together. this christmas i don't feel like i'll be... i can be myself. i've never spent christmas ina myself. i've never spent christmas in a hotel. without cooking for my family. it's not a good situation to be in, especially over christmas. it's not going to be a happy time. christmas is meant for family to be

together. right nowl christmas is meant for family to be together. right now i don't feel no optimism whatsoever. i don't feel excited in any way, shape or form. optimism whatsoever. i don't feel excited in any way, shape orform. i just feel... lonely. like paul, rukayetu mamudu has also very slowly since the fire, living ina very slowly since the fire, living in a hotel with her grandson, she has lacked community and hasn't been able to cook for six months. today she's cooking for the first time since the fire, with her daughter, kodija, and other survivors at a local community centre. ashley, i need help! i'm coming. take some of

this, put it in here. what is that? coconut oil. how much of this do you want? more. more, she wants more. this is a real privilege to be here, this is the first time that mrs mamudu has been able to cook since the fire. this is a big dealfor her, she's cooking some nigerian cuisine for some of her family and some of the local residents. there isa some of the local residents. there is a real sense of community and home in the lead up to christmas, a really nice environment for her. how has that been for you? uplifting. how so? it makes me just feel. .. for a moment, for the how so? it makes me just feel. .. for a moment, forthe people, we've survived together. to all get together and be happy. in the new year what hopes do you have for

2018? nothing, blank. because i don't know where i'll be. right now things are bleak. you have been offered four properties. why have you turned them down? and they said g re nfell you turned them down? and they said grenfell was lost, you turned them down? and they said gre nfell was lost, they you turned them down? and they said grenfell was lost, they would give us grenfell was lost, they would give usa grenfell was lost, they would give us a property like what we lost. they came and they took down our requirements. more than eight times. still. still they will take us to a property i cannot go in with my wheelchair. do you think survivors are being too picky? that's a long word to use, they are not being given the right thing after being assessed. i'm now mostly in pain. all we eat now is restaurant. we cannot cook. six months. six months

oni cannot cook. six months. six months on i don't think chains have direction of the things have changed dramatically. there are a lot of people in temporary flats, temporary accommodation, still people in hotels. even me, at my age, i'm 69, i have changed. tyrshondre has totally changed. he was a happy little go lucky child, but now he's like the reverse. i always feel sad, i don't ever want to leave my hotel room. we have no dignity, no respect, nobody even remembers we're there. people don't deserve this, they don't. they didn't put themselves in this predicament. this time last year, football played a significant role in paul's life. since the fire, however, he hasn't played. wanting to move forward with his life, this is the first time

paul has come back to his training ground. do you think you'll be able to forget about grenfell and everything just for half an hour to an hour whilst you catch up with mates and play some football? for me it's going to be difficult, it's going to be difficult, but i think i've got to try. probably a little bit rusty to be honest with you. i'll let the football do the talking. let's do it. how you doing, mate? not bad. nice to see you. i wasn't going to hug you, but i will. the boys are waiting for you. you all right mate? football coach ricoh has been a massive source of support for paul before and after the fire and has even raised funds to help all get back on his feet. get everything out your head, forget it for one hour, you'll get away from whatever has happened, we'll get on football, football is the answer. let's go, the big game is on sunday!

took my mind off it, being back here, have you shouting at me. that's what my mind off it a little bit. at the same time i know i need to get back into shape, stuck into football more. do you think you'll keep coming back every week now? 100% serve. i promise you. keep coming back every week now? 10096 serve. i promise you. good, keep coming back every week now? 100% serve. i promise you. good, i'm going to take you up on that, yeah? your team— mates going to take you up on that, yeah? your team—mates are waiting sojump back pitch. as survivors of the grenfell tower

fire take necessary steps to rebuild their lives, scores still remain homeless, dispersed across west london hotels and service apartments. as christmas looms, it is the small act of community and recreation that will provide survivors with any sense of normality and hope for the year ahead. yummy. ashley john baptiste talking to grenfell survivors let's check out the latest weather prospects with louise lear. a cold feel across the country with contrasting weather conditions across the north and west we had snow showers that turned to rain as they moved through the lake district. you can see snow across the hills as well. lying but melting

snow further east. the best of the sunshine here. temperatures struggled a little. on a satellite picture you can see where the best of the sunshine was. went to remix overnight tonight, rain, sleet and snow. some wet snow. we're not expecting it to cause too many issues but it could leave icy stretches to northern england and scotland. he temperatures will fall close to freezing. maybe freezing fog across the midlands and eastern england, but elsewhere we start the day slightly quieter for scotland. not as many snow showers around, in fa ct m ost not as many snow showers around, in fact most showers should be to the far north and west across the coast. here primarily rain. the winds will drag in showers of the north sea. maybe three north—east england we could see more early showers and one 01’ could see more early showers and one or two towards the south—east of england. showers likely to run down through the welsh coast and into the south—west. sandwiched in between a

two, chilly start, but hopefully some sunshine. that'll be the order of the day. with that wind direction coming from the north it'll drag showers of the north sea. one or two dangling down through wales and south—west england. between the two, quieter, dry, with such i'm coming through. temperatures not particularly warm. 3—7d at the best. that will lead to a cold night friday to saturday morning. a widespread frost is likely, so a pretty chilly start if you're up and off early for the start of your weekend. cold air stays with us one more day. the first half of the week stays cold, wind direction changes to south—westerly, mild asset to arrive through the second half of the weekend. we start cold and frosty on saturday. more cloud into northern ireland, wales, south—west england, it will produce showers here but not as cold. seven or 8 degrees. under clear skies after frosty start, temperatures just a few degrees above freezing. all change for sunday, the south—west

wind drags in more cloud and eventually rain from a weather front. it is milder, double digits from them. hello, i'm ros atkins, this is outside source. rupert murdoch's media empire has just got a lot smaller. walt disney's has got much bigger. it's spending over $50 bilion on most of 21st century fox. here's why. after some musing, there seemed to me there might be an opportunity to put our companies together and create something that's even better than the two that was separate companies. theresa may attends a crucial brexit summit in brussels saying she's disappointed after last night's parliamentary defeat. a huge development for internet users in the us — net neutrality is coming to an end. good for business or bad for equal world depending on who you ask. and remember hurricane harvey that battered texas? well guess how much water it actually produced...