a third runway at london's heathrow airport — the government finally gives the go—ahead, saying it will help the uk thrive after brexit. after almost two decades of delays, the transport secretary said the controversial £14 billion runway would be in the national interest. it's going to be a battle going forward, there is still strong opposition to this. there's still some difficult stages to overcome. but we are absolutely determined to deliver this project, which we think is crucial to all of our future's. mps will now vote on plans next month, we'll be asking how likely it is that the expansion will finally happen. also on the programme tonight: companies involved in refurbishing grenfell tower are accused of increasing the "pain and uncertainty" of victims‘ families at the public inquiry. it is inhumane to remain silent, when so many seek understanding and answers. joining forces, newspapers across the north of england call on the prime minister to get a grip of the rail problems that have caused chaos for commuters. the comedian michael mcintyre is robbed by moped thieves outside his children's school

in london, one of the latest victims of this violent crime. with just two weeks to go until england begins its world cup campaign in russia, we hear from the team on the challenge ahead. i'm not going to sit here and say, "0h, let's try to get to the quarters or the semis." i'd be lying. i want to go all the way and win it. and coming up on bbc news, is football doing enough to protect its players? we'll ask how head injuries are assessed and treated, after loris karius claims he was concussed during the champions league final. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. after almost 20 years of delays and bitter arguments, the government has finally given the go—ahead to build a third runway at heathrow — the uk's busiest airport.

the prime minister said the decision shows the government's commitment to jobs and infrastructure that britain needs to thrive after brexit. but opponents say it will damage the environment and they plan to challenge the decision in the courts. the transport secretary, chris grayling, said the £14 billion runway would be funded privately and could be completed by 2026. parliament will vote on the plans, in the coming weeks. our deputy political editor john pienaar reports. after yea rs of after years of waiting and a few wobbles on the way, britain's biggest transport plan in years is finally in. buckle up for trouble. today, ministers decided that the busiest airport heathrow should get a new runway and plenty of people hate the idea. are you going to lie down in front of the bulldozers?”

don't think you'll see bulldozers. hear that? he promised to lay down in front of one to stop the digging near his constituency. is the runway going to happen? wait, chris will make a statement. secretary, chris grayling. mr speaker, i come to this house to mark an historic moment which signals our commitment to sing global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of local jobs global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of localjobs and apprenticeships are boosting our colony for future generations by expanding heathrow airport. —— boosting our economy. this is a test of whether the government is fit for purpose on big projects? there will bea purpose on big projects? there will be a battle going forward, there is strong opposition, there will be difficult stages to overcome that we are determined to deliver this project which we think is crucial to all of our future's. at least that's the plan. thousands of newjobs, almost £150 million compensation and noise insulation for neighbours. 800 homes could be demolished, many here in harmondsworth. and many don't

believe cleaner, quieter planes means believe cleaner, quieter planes m ea ns less believe cleaner, quieter planes means less noise and air pollution. labour is split. protesters daubed party headquarters this week and the labour leader is not backing expansion yet. tests must be taken on the economic impact for the whole country, noise pollution, air pollution and connectivity to heathrow for transport links. those are the tests that have to be put before any decision is made. in the commons, mps lined up for and against the plan. the truth is, we don't know how the third runway can be reconciled with air quality limits. we don't know how the third ru nway limits. we don't know how the third runway can be reconciled with our climate change targets. the various scottish chambers of commerce all support expansion at heathrow as well because they recognise the business benefits that it can bring to scotland. it could be up to 16,000 newjobs. to scotland. it could be up to 16,000 new jobs. an to scotland. it could be up to 16,000 newjobs. an expanded heathrow must deliver for the whole of the uk, notjust the south—east of the uk, notjust the south—east of england. for heathrow, what's next? the commons will vote on the decision within weeks. there will be

a planning inspector's consultation on heathrow‘s detailed proposals that legal challenges look certain. from councils and environmental groups. the final target? third ru nway groups. the final target? third runway completed by 2026. with labour and the tories both split, the government will need the support of opposition mps to win through. there will be plenty more fights. in parliament, the courts and outside before it is settled. billions of pounds, britain's airport capacity and the reputation of the prime minister and the government are all at stake. this huge project hasn't been landed just yet. our transport correspondent, victoria fritz, is at heathrow. the prime minister says a third runway will help the uk thrive after brexit — how much of a difference could it make? there is a big, industrial economic debate here, too, every bit as important as the politics. indeed, the passengers as well. it's worth

remembering that heathrow is the biggest port by value in the uk. in fa ct, biggest port by value in the uk. in fact, more air freight comes through heathrow currently than all other uk airports combined. it's easy to overlook, isn't it? most of us never see it but everything from medical supplies through two batteries comes through on the runways behind me. in fa ct, through on the runways behind me. in fact, 33% through on the runways behind me. in fa ct, 33% of through on the runways behind me. in fact, 33% of non—eu exports already go through is heathrow. expansion could mean a doubling of cargo capacity —— already goes through heathrow. it could also mean the long haul destinations for british made goods. that could provide the uk with a much—needed trade infrastructure at a time when it is looking to develop its relationships, trade relationships, outside of the eu. but there's a lot of scepticism when it comes to the numbers. about the veracity of economic forecasts, the extent of commercial benefit and whether a project of this scale could be delivered on time and within budget. thank you. companies involved in refurbishing

grenfell tower have been accused of increasing the "pain and uncertainty" of victims‘ families, by not fully engaging with the public inquiry. meanwhile, the london fire brigade has been defending its advice to residents to stay put in their flats while the fire spread, saying its firefighters were faced with terrible dilemmas, given the unprecedented nature of the blaze. our special correspondent, lucy manning, has sent this report — you may find some of the images distressing. grenfell, before it was refurbished and after. it might have looked better, but it had gone from a safe building to a lethal one. and those who order the changes and carried them out have been accused of delay, of trying to derail the inquiry. the corporate silence deprives the families of the degree of resolution and understanding to which they are entitled, and has only served to increase their pain and uncertainty. it is inhumane to remain silent, when so many seek understanding and answers. sakina afrasehabi, disabled yet

housed on the 18th floor, died with her sister, her son demanding those answers. it's very hurtful, and it's been insulting. my recommendation is just to speak out, tell us what has happened. let's get to the truth. don't hide behind these things. some of the companies in their written evidence they needed more written information or were unable to provide details now. those representing the bereaved also demanded more information from government, the council and the tenant management organisation. the time is now to help the inquiry, they were told. pictures played to the inquiry yesterday showed how quickly the fire spread. today, it was revealed that the cladding made flames spread quicker than dropping a match in petrol and the ventilation system

in the building broke days before the fire and was not repaired. a local authority instigated and oversaw the refurbishment of a social housing high—rise tower block in such a way as to render it a death trap. questions were raised whether the victims would have died if they were mainly white and middle—class. was it ethnic and social cleansing that these families ended up in grenfell, the inquiry was asked? we submit that what occurred at grenfell tower may be explained as a product of institutional racism. and we consider it right and proper that this should be investigated. there was more criticism of the fire service. those who escaped that night, the barrister said, owe their lives mainly to chance, rather than proper planning. the inquiry was told the obvious heroism shouldn't take away from the obvious errors from those in control. the fire service said it faced multiple

dilemmas about whether to tell people to leave, because of the dangerous and toxic escape route, the single stairwell and difficulties communicating with residents. it had more calls that night from people needing immediate help to get out than in the previous decade from the whole of london. lucy manning, bbc news. the yorkshire post, the manchester evening news, the liverpool echo — they're just some of the newspapers across the north of england that have joined forces to call on the prime minister to "get a grip" on the rail network and deal with the continuing delays and cancellations. they're all urging theresa may to call an emergency summit at downing street to find a solution to the disruption caused by the new rail timetables. danny savage is at leeds train station. this morning we had the front—page headlines in every local and regional newspaper in the north of england saying enough is enough. calling for the government to get a

grip on what's going on. throughout the day, we've had comments from senior politicians about what they would like to see done. we've had the words throughout the day, now we need to see some action, at least, that's what commuters want to see. the pressure is now on the government to deliver a solution to this rail crisis. united with one voice. newspaper editors across northern england had a single theme to their front pages today. a message to the powers that be in london that the rail chaos must end. we're not willing to take this, any more. there has to be some deliverables written down on paper that people like chris grayling. .. and if chris grayling is unwilling to be held to account, then the prime minister, theresa may, must be held to account. and people in the north must be able to see things being done on the ground, spades in the ground, quickly. but what effect did that message have? as services rattled to and fro, the political leaders had their say. when northern rail seem surprised at their own timetable announcement,

they're incapable of running services properly all across the north of england. because they're unprepared for their own changes. well, that says an awful lot about the nonsense of a privatised railway and the franchise system. the prime minister agreed that the situation is absolutely unacceptable and said it was vital for the government to get to grips with the problem. but do passengers now feel like the focus is finally on them? it really needs to be sorted out. people pay lots of money to go on trains. you need to get to work. yeah, it needs to be on time. does it feel like a priority that people are trying to sort it out? not really. i haven't really heard as much about it as i would like to. is your boss understanding? not very understanding, no. i won't have a job, if it carries on. that serious, yeah? but, yeah, definitely, it needs to be a priority. it needs to be sorted out. some of the northern editorials are also calling for the railways here to be controlled from the north, with fewer decisions made in london. danny savage, bbc news, leeds.

the crown prosecution service has revealed that 47 cases of rape and sexual assault were stopped, after vital evidence was withheld from defence lawyers. more than 3,500 sexual offence cases in england and wales, which haven't gone to court yet, have been reviewed, after a high profile rape trial collapsed. the government is to allow rupert murdoch's 21st century fox to continue its proposed takeover of the broadcasting giant sky. but any deal depends on sky news being sold. two us companies, comcast and disney, are trying to buy most of mr murdoch's media empire. the government had already referred the proposed fox takeover to the competition and markets authority and the media regulator, 0fcom. the film producer harvey weinstein has pleaded not guilty to rape and criminal sexual act charges at the supreme court in new york. it's the first time cases involving the 66—year—old are being tested in the criminal court. more than 70 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. he has denied them all.

the comedian, michael mcintyre has been robbed by thieves on a moped, as he waited to collect his sons from a school in north london. the men smashed his car windows with a hammer, before taking his watch and speeding off. it comes amid a sharp rise in crimes committed by moped gangs in london in recent years. around 20,000 offences were reported last year alone. david sillito reports. this footage, taken just minutes after the attack, clearly shows the broken car window. and the comedian, michael mcintyre, speaking to police. witnesses described how men, riding on a moped, hammered at the window and forced michael mcintyre out of the car before robbing him. hello! unfortunately, that happens! michael mcintyre, one of britain's most successful comedians, is said to be uninjured in the assault, but onlookers said his son was clearly very shaken. then, today, this.

as the pizza delivery bike pulls out, delivery bike pulls out, we see a second moped travelling at speed, after an attempt to rob a nearby shop. 0n the other side of the road, the gang were being taken on and chased by bystanders. these weren't the only moped—related crimes of the last 48 hours. however, the head of the metropolitan police speaking today to the commons home affairs committee says the number of incidents overall is declining. for the last several months we have seen a 50%, now 50%, reduction. it's coming down and down and down. we've done this through new tactics, better intelligence, more coordination, more focus in targeted hotspots. nevertheless, that still leaves the number of moped—related crimes in the thousands. and hammer—wielding thieves smashing their way into a stationary car. thankfully, michael mcintyre was said, today, to be fine. a woman in a similar assault that day is now in a critical condition. but it was clear this was a terrifying ordeal for him and his children.

the time is quarter past six. our top story this evening... a third runway at london's heathrow airport — the government finally gives the go—ahead saying it will help the uk thrive after brexit. and still to come... if you filled up with fuel recently you will have noticed the difference, the biggest jump you will have noticed the difference, the biggestjump in a month we have seen in 20 years. we will be asking why. coming up on sportsday on bbc news: almost ready for his comeback — andy murray hints at a return to action soon, but says his recovery from hip surgery has taken much longer than he expected. there's been a sharp rise in the number of cases in england of some of the most serious sexually transmitted infections. reported cases of syphilis were up by 20% last year. there was a similar rise in the number of people

infected with gonorrhoea. the number of cases of chlamydia fell slightly but it's thought that's because fewer people are being tested by sexual health services. a bbc news investigation has found that funding cuts in england are making it harderfor some people to access those services. there are flashing images in this report by shelley phelps. hundreds of thousands of stis are diagnosed in the uk every year. we are having more sexual partners than previous generations. are we more experimental? because you hear that about millennials. definitely. we try anything and everything. our investigation shows funding cuts in england are making it harder for some people to access sexual health services. this clinic in south london says it's having to reduce its opening hours because of funding cuts. six other clinics in the capital have closed and they say they have seen a surge in demand for services. so, where i think we are in sexual health services

is a potential crisis point. the reality now is that, with cuts to the public health budget, local authorities are having to cut the budgets of sexual health services and it makes it practically impossible to maintain the services as we used to do. in 2013, the government took responsibility for sexual health services away from the nhs and handed it to english councils. in scotland, wales and northern ireland, public health services are still run by the nhs. our investigation shows that almost half of english councils are planning to cut sexual health funding this year, with 2a planning to increase it. new technologies are being harnessed to improve the way services are delivered. many areas are increasing the availability of home self test kits like this one. they're available to order online for patients who don't have symptoms. commissioners say it's a cost—effective way of doing things and helps free up time at clinics for patients most in need. liv from rural norfolk told us about the challenges she now faces

in getting an appointment after having an sti in the past. i can't remember the medical term for it so i'm going to use the horrible term, which is great! genital warts. they can be quite difficult to get rid of. when that happened, it was before the funding in my area had been cut and so actually the service was fantastic. since it's been moved and the funding has been cut, it's really difficult to access. it's good news that we've got growing demand because that means young people are taking their health, their sexual health, really seriously and being responsible, but of course it's difficult for us to match growing demand with a reducing budget. the government says local areas are best placed to understand their own needs. in two years' time, the government wants to remove the protections around the money they give to councils for sexual health, but campaigners warn of a postcode lottery leading people hoping to get lucky. shelley phelps, bbc news. a 50—year—old man has been killed and two others have been seriously

injured after a shooting at a boxing club in the irish republic. it happened at bray boxing club in county wicklow which is run by the father of the olympic gold medallist katie taylor. he was one of the two men who were wounded. the american fashion designer kate spade has been found dead at her home in new york. kate spade, who was 55, was best known for designing handbags. she sold the majority stake in her company in 1999 but the kate spade range of accessories went on to become an international brand. at least 69 people are now known to have died after guatemala's most violent volcanic eruption in more than a century. the fuego volcano, which is 25 miles from the country's capital, erupted on sunday — dozens of people are still missing. whole villages were wiped out by fast moving mud and ash when the volcano exploded. thousands have been forced to take shelter in nearby schools and churches. from guatemala, aleem maqbool reports. the first funerals tell of just how cruel the eruption

was in the victims it took. here, they carried the coffin of three—year—old jennifer andrea moralez. six other members of her family were killed, too. survivors have been left traumatised and subsequent explosions have filled them with fear. well, thousands of people from the area around the volcano have been displaced. they're coming to churches and government buildings and schools for refuge. and many of them have no idea when they will be allowed back home and what's left. 35 members of the lopez pozuelos family fled as the lava, ash flows and debris engulfed their town. five of their relatives didn't make it out, including francisco's brother and two grand—nieces aged 12 and 1a. translation: the place is completely destroyed. i don't believe any of them survived, because the homes are totally buried under the ashes.

there is no more space in the morgue for more bodies. people are coming together to help those who've lost everything, knowing that no amount of aid can help to get over some losses. the volcano remains shrouded in smoke, but gives away little of the sudden, catastrophic violence it roared. the land tells a different tale, scarred and suffocated by lava and ash. more eyewitness footage has emerged of the eruption. this was taken several hours after the main explosion, yet lava and gas still spew out. they've been remembering the dead, here. and those presumed dead. given the circumstances, so few victims have, as yet, been identified. 0ne rescuer said, when he did find bodies, after hours digging in ash, they've often looked like statues, so hard to recognise. aleem maqbool, bbc news, guatemala. the cost of petrol rose very sharply last month.

it went up by nearly 6p a litre in may — the biggest monthly increase for 18 years. rising global oil prices and the weaker pound are being blamed. jon kay is in bruton in somerset. what goes on in the boardrooms of big oil companies and what happens when currency is traded internationally, that seems 1 million miles from a little town like bruton, but it's often in rural areas that the pressure at the pumps is being felt. i spoke to one lady from a village in somerset who is thinking about moving house because she is so worried about the increasing price of fuel and not being able to get to work in the future. let's look at the figures for may across the whole of the uk. 0n for may across the whole of the uk. on average the price of a litre of diesel was up six pens. petrol was

also up 6p and that means it's costing about £3 and 29p more to fill up your tank with petrol or diesel than it was one month earlier, just four weeks earlier that much more, so why is it happening? the rac said today we have been hit by a double whammy, because the pound is low it is costing more to import oil from abroad, but secondly the additional factor that there isn't as much oil available, not as much is being produced. then after that the tension we have seen in the middle east, that has bumped up rises. analysts said there is some evidence prices might have cooled a little bit in the last few days but what people want to know is when that will be passed on at the pump, sophie. thank you. it's just weeks to go until england begins its world cup campaign, and with a final warm—up match against costa rica at elland road

on thursday, it's an opportunity for gareth southgate to look at his 23—man squad before their opening game against tunisia. 0ur sports correspondent natalie pirks has been to catch up with the team. if squads gone by were the golden generation, this bunch are the young ones. the youngest and least experienced of any squad heading to russia. expectation is much lower for england this time. there's no lack of belief, though. you go in to every tournament, every game, to try and win it. that's what we'll try and do. i'm not going to sit here and say, "0h, let's try and get to the quarters or the semis", because i would be lying. i want to go all the way and win it. well, all 23 players have faced the media today, in what looks like a modern take on speed dating. there is just one game to go before that tunisia match. unlike today, the build—up has been fairly calm. it's not always been this way. we had the world cup wags in 2006, players battling boredom, and the goal that wasn't in south africa... lampard!

brilliant! it was in! no!? it's not been given! surely, that was in? and disaster with a first—round knockout in brazil... and luis suarez has thumped it in! but this squad is starting as a means to go on. that means the cliques and club rivalries of past teams are gone. we all get on really well. we're trying to build something here, a real togetherness, and we can feel it. we know what we're going to have to fight through. you're going to get into situations when you are in a tournament like this, where you need your friend or your brother to pull you through it. that's what we're trying to build here, wherever you look you have someone that you trust. so, this is how england 2018 looks. a squad full of friendships and belief, but with no delusions of grandeur. it mightjust catch on! natalie pirks, bbc news, st george's park. time for a look at the weather... here's ben rich.

some of us took longer to brighten up some of us took longer to brighten up than others today. what a cracking day it was for this weather watcher in the scottish highlands. it was a struggle to break up the cloud on the east sussex coast but the satellite picture shows what went on. a lot of cloud to start with but that cloud peeling away southwards, most ending the day with sunshine. just a little bit of rain in the far south—west of england, some of that could scrape along the south coast for a time this evening. it is dry with clear spells, cloud streaming in from the north sea to eastern scotland, may be some drizzle, and it will be quite a cool night will stop some places will get all the way down to three or 4 degrees. so cool started tomorrow but a bright start for many with spells of sunshine. again some places will be brighter than others and in parts of north—east england particularly there will be extra

cloud, perhaps some drizzle. elsewhere in the best of the sunshine, 19—22d and with that it's another day of high or very high all levels, particularly across the southern half of the british isles. if you are a hay fever sufferer in this part of the world you probably don't need me to tell you that. we may bring showers in across southern areas, quite hit and miss. further north some good spells of sunshine to be had with temperatures into the low 20s. turning more humid down towards the south, then as we head towards the south, then as we head towards the south, then as we head towards the weekend southern areas a lwa ys towards the weekend southern areas always prone to seeing showers at times but certainly not all the time. further north more reliably dry weather and it is not looking too bad but some places are brighter than others. thank you. now it is time for the bbc news teams where you are. this is bbc news, our latest headlines. the government has approved

controversial plans to build a third runway at heathrow airport. campaigners say the move will damage the environment, but the transport secretary says expansion will benefit the economy. the expansion of heathrow will bring real benefits across the country, including a boost of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy. providing better connections to growing world markets and increasing flights to more long—haul destinations. the grenfell fire inquiry has heard how the london fire brigade received more calls about how to survive the blaze on the night, than from the whole of the rest of london, in the previous decade. the fashion designer kate spade, has been found dead at her flat new york.