tv BBC News at One BBC News July 30, 2018 1:00pm-1:31pm BST
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trying to get back on track. after months of passenger misery, northern trains reinstates most of its cancelled trains. 75% of the services that were cancelled as part of an emergency timetable are back — but passengers say there's still a way to go. it's been cancelled at very short notice. i was expecting a train at 6:07am, and it's been cancelled because of lack of drivers. we'll be live in preston to gauge reaction there. also on the programme: families and doctors are told they don't need to go to court anymore if they agree on an end—of—life decision for patients in a persistent vegetiative state. millions of voters go to the polls in zimbabwe. for the first time in the country's history, the name robert mugabe is not on the ballot paper. california's deadliest wildfires are getting larger — as another, fourth, firefighter loses their life trying to bring the flames under control. it was almost like a tornado with fire in it. and it came over the hill, and it wiped out our house. celebrating 200 years
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since the birth of emily bronte — whose only novel, wuthering heights, inspired readers, writers, and even musicians. and coming upon bbc news: the celebrations roll on in paris and wales for geraint thomas, after he became the first welshman to win the tour de france. good afternoon, and welcome to the bbc news at one. services cancelled following a timetable shake—up at northern rail have begun running again. it follows weeks of chaos for passengers, after the train operator struggled to introduce a new timetable it introduced in may. it scrapped 168 services per day
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last month, leaving many travellers facing hours of delays — if their trains ran at all. manchester mayor andy burnham has written to theresa may asking her to intervene. among the routes returning to normal is the lakes line — seen as vital for tourism in the lake district. this report from our business correspondent, rob young. i would like to apologise for the cramped conditions... this morning's 7:20am trains, one of dozens of northern rail services beset with problems in recent months. commuters like simon have had a miserable few weeks. a lot of the time, the train doesn't even turn up, or it is too full to get on by the time it reaches my stop. it was so stressful, i actually took time off work. because when they changed the timetable, it was taking upwards of three hours to get home on a a0 minute journey. in may, rail
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timetables underwent the biggest shake—up in the history. it led to chaos on the north‘s realnetworks. passengers endured long delays. many trains didn't turn up. in an attempt to improve things last month, northern rail scrapped 168 daily services. further infuriating passengers. today, 125 of those suspended journeys have regime. it's been estimated the cancellations have cost businesses in the north £38 million. 0ne have cost businesses in the north £38 million. one of the worst affected lines, which runs through the late strict, has been entirely out of action, sparking protests —— through the lake district. one of its services are now back on the tom cable —— all of its services. they demanded the government sort the mess out. today, the north's most powerful politician asked the prime minister to take charge of the issue. i don't have the power, transport secretary has the power, but i have asked him and asked him
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and asked him to intervene. i am saying, do yourjob. i have run out of options, and i have had to write to the prime minister. the government has branded the rail disruption on acceptable, and says an intro route will work out what went wrong —— and inquiry. 23 northern rail services today have been cancelled. robins with signalling and drivers are to blame. many of these passengers at preston and liverpool this morning were not impressed. it's been cancelled at very short notice. i was expecting a train at 6:07am, and it's been cancelled because of a lack of drivers. they just don't cancelled because of a lack of drivers. theyjust don't seem to be improving, they don't seem to care. and when i put a complaint in months ago, i've heard nothing back from them. after today, i'm hoping things will get back to normal. the disruption is not over yet. the remaining a3 of northern's suspended services will not appear on the timetable until september. the company says a more gradual reintroduction will ensure a more sta ble reintroduction will ensure a more stable and reliable service. but it
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will have been a long time coming. rob young, bbc news. 0ur correspondent dave guest is at preston station. is there any sign of improvement there? yes, i've been here since 5:30am this morning and i have to say, when i walked onto the platform at that time, the very first thing i heard was a camogie announcement apologising for the cancellation of apologising for the cancellation of a service to barrow. we have had a number of cancellations and delays here. but i was here at the beginning ofjune, and the cancellations and disruptions are not as bad as they were then. northern are currently saying about 23 services are cancelled across the network this morning, and they are putting that into context, saying thatis putting that into context, saying that is part of a daily service of 2700 trains. they are saying a number of the cancellations have been due to signalling problems and to what they are saying our infrastructure problems, although i have to say, a number of the announcements we have heard at western station is the cause they have got some criminal problems —— at preston station. talking to
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passengers yet —— is because they have some crippling problems. the passengers are not interested in whose fault it is. was it network rail? they want a reliable train service which is going to get them from here to work and home again on time, or get them to wherever they wa nt to time, or get them to wherever they want to go on time. that's what they have not had in the north for some time. politicians, of course, have been keen to say that northern rail need to pull their socks up, the government need to get involved in this. there have been calls for northern to lose its franchise, but they are saying they are doing all they are saying they are doing all they can to get things back as quickly as possible. 75% of the 168 services which they cancelled last month have been reinstated today. the remaining services should be up and running by september. 0ne the remaining services should be up and running by september. one of the key things they have now reinstated the lake district servers. when that was as ended last month, it caused a huge outcry, especially with the tourist season now relying on the train service to get people up there. they will be glad that is getting going today. northern say
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they are confident they will be able to provide a good service during this evening's rush hour. passengers will just hold their this evening's rush hour. passengers willjust hold their breath and hope for that. and we of course will be watching as well. dave guest in preston, thank you. the supreme court has confirmed that the approval of a judge is no longer needed in order to end the care of people who are in persistent vegetative states, as long as families and doctors agree to the decision. many thousands of individuals are believed to be in such a condition, with little or no hope of recovery. 0ur health correspondent, sophie hutchinson, reports. it's estimated there are tens of thousands of people living in a vegetative or minimally conscious state in the uk. patients with almost no prospect of recovery, who are kept alive with artificially administered food and water. until now, it was the courts who decided whether life—sustaining nutrition could be withdrawn. but today, the supreme court said there was no good reason for that. we find nothing in
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the common law, nor in any act of parliament, that requires an application to be made. the case overturns pa rt of application to be made. the case overturns part of an important ruling from 1993 in relation to tony bland. he was left permanently unconscious after the hillsborough disaster. that ruling said life—sustaining measures could only be stopped after applying to the courts. today's ruling says such applications are not obligatory. today's ruling is hugely significant for what are potentially thousands of families who find themselves in some of the most tragic situations. those who agree with drop is that their loved ones should be allowed to die —— who agree with doctors. they can now make that decision in the quiet of the home, in hospital, or elsewhere without the strain of having to go to court. the solicitor who represents families who had to fight for their loved ones in court welcomes the ruling. it's a really good decision for a sensible and compassionate society to allow
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doctors and families to get on and make decisions on behalf of the patient in the best interests. but some are concerned that removing the safeguard of asking the court's permission could be dangerous. these decisions are very difficult, they need to be made by a specialist. the diagnoses are often wrong, the court action is overturned, —— has overturned decisions before. and this is why we feel it severely compromises the lives of these honourable patients. the supreme court's decision only applies where families and doctors agree, where the wrist is agreement, judges will still have to decide whether patients should be allowed to die. sophie hutchinson, bbc news —— where there is disagreement. 0ur legal correspondent, clive coleman, is outside the supreme court in central london. how significant is this ruling, clive? for years, there is been a
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distinction, when families and doctors agree that medical treatment should be withdrawn, in some cases it can be, if its medical treatment, for instance, life—sustaining dialysis, it can be withdrawn without seeking a court order. however, when its food and water, those basic elements for the sustaining of life, it's a highly emotive issue. and since 1993, the tony bland case that sophie referred to, it's been a matter of practice that doctors have had to go to court to seek those orders. now, some believe that resulted in people being kept on life support in hospitals because hospitals have perhaps been reluctant to incur the expense and the time in going to court. what this ruling does, and its significance lies in the fact that it gives clarity now, if there is agreement between the family and the doctors, then, you know, food and water can be withdrawn without the need to go to a court. but these cases, they cut across ethical, religious as well as legal grounds.
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and this ruling is not going to be welcomed by everybody. some will regard it as humane and compassionate. 0thers regard it as humane and compassionate. others will regard it as the removal of a vital legal safeguard for a very vulnerable group. clive coleman, thank you very much. a woman has died after the vehicle she was in collided with a suspected stolen car which was being chased by police. police said an audi was being pursued last night through kingstanding in birmingham. the audi and another car collided. a woman in that third vehicle died and a male occupant sustained serious injuries. four men inside the audi were arrested and taken to hospital. voters in zimbabwe are going to the polls in the first ever election which doesn't feature the name robert mugabe on the ballot paper. mr mugabe was ousted last year after almost four decades of controlling the country. in a surprise intervention yesterday, mr mugabe said he couldn't support his successor, emmerson mnangagwa of the ruling zanu—pf party, describing its leadership as "tormentors". 0ur correspondent shingai nyoka has sent this report
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from the capital, harare. zimbabwe is bracing itself for a new beginning. since independence from colonial rule in 1980, no election has carried such weight, so much expectation. many here rose in the cold hours before dawn, eager to cast their ballots. i'm declaring this polling station open at seven o'clock. up to 5.7 million people are expected to vote today. so much depends on this election. this once promising southern african nation has remained stagnant for 20 years. many waiting in line have nojobs. i have come to vote for my children, so they can getjobs. this is what we want here in zimbabwe. since 1980, there is no freedom. no freedom of speech. so i want to express
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through my vote. today, zimbabweans will decide theirfuture. the two presidential frontrunners are both new to the race. voters here are hoping that one of these men will draw the line on years of political instability and turmoil, and finally turn this country around. up above, one of the men who carries this country's hopes. emmerson mnangagwa, the current president, on his way to vote outside the capital. his stronghold, the rural areas, where close to 70% of voters live. mainly that the voting process for campaigning was peaceful. that voting today is peaceful. this is the reception his rival received, confident the urban vote belongs to him. my colleague, fergal keane, spoke to him after he voted. we will win this election, to the extent it is a free and fair election, particularly in rural areas.
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this election is a test for the party that has ruled this country for nearly a0 years, for the military that changed everything in november last year, and for the young, brash leader of the opposition. whichever way this election goes, they will all need to accept the results. this country is at a crossroads. the next few days will be critical. zimbabwe and the world will be watching. we can hearfrom shingai nyoka live from harare now. a historic moment, clearly. and as you say, huge test for the country, too. absolutely. and millions of zimbabweans are still out voting on this momentous day. we have been out to some of the polling stations, and we've seen long, winding queues. and many of the people that we spoke to
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say they are excited to take part in this election. they feel that for the first time in many years, this boat will count. so all this vote will count. we have been out, prior to this election, in the rural areas. where in the past, under former president robert mugabe's rule, we never would have had access to. we saw opposition parties campaigning freely with the party regalia. and many of them have said that the ad must be a and this environment has changed —— have said that the atmosphere has changed. the opposition leader, nelson chamisa, says that he is confident of victory, but has expressed concern about the administration of the process. he still believes that the electoral commission is biased against emmerson mnangagwa. whatever happens after this election, what zimbabweans will know is that it appears to have taken a step in the right direction, even though nobody knows what will happen. shingai nyoka in harare, thank you. our top story this lunchtime...
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after months of passenger misery, northern trains reinstates most of its cancelled services — but passengers say there's still a way to go. coming up... india publishes a list which effectively strips some four million people in the north—eastern state of assam of their citizenship. coming up on bbc news: andy murray is preparing for only his third tournament since undergoing surgery injanuary. he's dropped to 832nd in the world rankings, and will face the american mackenzie mcdonald at the washington 0pen. a fourth firefighter has died battling a wildfire in california, bringing to eight the total number of people who have been killed in blazes which have forced 50,000 people from their homes. more than 5,000 people have been told to evacuate the town of lakeport in northern california where two wildfires are closing in and parts of the city of redding have been devastated. 0ur correspondent tom burridge reports. a large part of northern california,
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ravaged over the weekend. firefighters have been brought in from other states to tackle a wildfire that seems to have spread at unprecedented speed. destroying an area bigger than san francisco in just one week. across california, there are currently 17 wildfires burning, with 12,000 firefighters battling to contain the flames. brian hughes is the latest firefighter to be killed. he was struck by a tree. and this is the aftermath in redding. parts of the city now resemble a giant scrapheap, with homes and belongings completely destroyed. this was the elise mackin's house. the wind just took off. i don't remember exactly what they called it, it was almost like a tornado with fire in it.
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it came over the hill and it wiped out our house, it wiped out our neighbour's home. we were in the middle, the home on one side is still standing, the home on the other side is like ours, pretty much rubble. the wildfire in northern california is still burning, and spread yet further yesterday. but late last night, california's fire service said it had made progress and was now optimistic. for many residents, there's relief. has finally calmed down for the first time in nearly a week. but it has been horrific. this particularfire, it is easily on a different level. i've experienced a few fires, but this one is just off the charts. in california, 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. across the us, there are currently around 90 wildfires burning. in canada, there are a0 more.
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wildfires in california are nothing new. but strong winds spread this fire so quickly it killed people in their homes. and it left fire crews struggling to respond. scientists warn that scenes like this could become more common as our climate changes and our planet gets warmer. on his first major trip as foreign secretary, jeremy hunt is visiting china, where he's been speaking to officials about a controversial custody case. it involves two british children whose british father was murdered by their chinese mother. 0ur correspondent robin brant is in shanghai. this is controversial because the two children are being brought the moment rural china? yes, jack and alice are seven and six, they have beenin alice are seven and six, they have been ina alice are seven and six, they have been in a town about 1000, matters from here since their father,
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michael simpson, was murdered by their chinese mother in march of last year. the british family, led by iain simpson, the grandfather, once the children to come to the uk, and he think they could have a better life there. they have appealed to jeremy hunt better life there. they have appealed tojeremy hunt on his first visit in the newjob to help them and raise the issue. he has done that. he said as he sat opposite his chinese counterpart that the authorities have agreed to look into the case, and he said the overall custody issue is of great concern. for the simpson family, it looks like good news. at the custody case itself is going to take about a month, before it gets to court and they get a final decision on whether they get a final decision on whether they can stay here or go to the uk. that is where there will be a real sign whether this intervention really m ea ns sign whether this intervention really means anything. embarrassing for any foreign secretary to get their countries mixed up, particularly when you are talking about your own life? yes, mr hunt
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was trying to do an icebreaker in this formalised meeting in front of the camera, and he wanted to talk about his wife, who is chinese. and yet he got that wrong, and instead said her home was actually china's archenemy. also, my wife isjapanese... my wife is chinese, sorry. laughter. that's a terrible mistake to make! we spoke in japanese at the state banquet, but my wife is chinese. we have all done that, haven't we? you could have chosen any other country, japan has occupied vast swathes of china in the past, even shanghai, where i am talking to you from. the chinese will know about his wife, they will know she is chinese and know about his personal connection to the country. did he embarrass them ? connection to the country. did he embarrass them? i don't think so. did he embarrass himself on his
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first big trip? yes, slightly. more than four million people in india's north—east state of assam stand to be stripped of their citizenship after they were omitted from a list of recognised voters. india's hindu—nationalist government says they are merely trying to root out illegal migrants. but human rights campaigners believe the government is actually trying to disenfranchise, or even deport, assam's muslim minority. joe miller reports. sumato bano, atab ali and shahida khatun have always called india home. but now they and dozens of their fellow villagers expect to lose the citizenship they thought was theirs by birth. they fear their land, voting rights and freedom will be next. schoolteacher hasitun is now the sole provider for herfour children. her husband, suspected of being a foreigner, is already behind bars. a target, she says, of a witchhunt against her
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bengali muslim community. translation: this is our country. i grew up here, i studied here, i got married here, i have land here. how come we are not indians? authorities claim settlers from nearby bangladesh are enmeshed in assam's bengali population, hiding in plain sight, often with forged papers. to help pinpoint them, all 32 million inhabitants of the state have been forced to produce documents proving that their assamese roots go back to before 1971. but record—keeping in remote areas is patchy, and human rights groups are crying foul. the government says that assam is in danger of being overrun with illegal bangladeshi migrants. but, strangely, no—one can tell us where they are, how many of them there are, or what fate awaits them. all they say is they come here to exploit this
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vast, fertile landscape. some say as many as 5 million have crossed the porous border into assam and are skewing local elections. but muslim activists say these numbers are deliberately exaggerated tojustify a hindu nationalist agenda, with chilling echoes of a crisis not too far away. translation: it is nothing but a conspiracy to commit atrocities. they are openly threatening to get rid of muslims. what happened to the rohingyas in myanmar could happen to us here. such fears have been exacerbated by prime minister narendra modi, who pledged to deport bangladeshi "intruders" unless they were hindus. in assam, a fellow party member is clear about his intentions. everybody will be given the right to prove their citizenship, but if they fail to do so, well, the legal system will take its own course.
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you are saying these people will be expelled? yes. for now, bengali river communities are staying put, hoping hostility towards them subsides after next year's national elections. hasitun says they have always lived peacefully alongside their hindu neighbours, but now she fears bad news is on its way. joe miller, bbc news, assam. a 26—year—old man has pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation after claiming to be a resident at grenfell tower before the fire. westminster magistrates' court heard yonatan eyob claimed £81,000 in financial aid over a 12—month period. he'll be sentenced next month. he's the ninth person to have appeared in court charged with fraud following the grenfell fire. special safety measures will be in place to protect mourners at the funeral in salisbury
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of a woman who died from exposure to the nerve agent novichok. dawn sturgess died on the 8th ofjuly after she and her partner charlie rowley unwittingly handled the nerve agent after he found it in a small bottle. herfuneral takes place this afternoon. millions of people across england are unable to book an appointment with a gp outside of working hours — despite targets to offer extended access to doctors by october. analysis of official figures by the bbc shows that more than five million people — or 10% of registered patients — had no access to gps outside of normal working hours. 200 years ago today emily bronte, the author of wuthering heights, was born. she is one of the best known names in english literature, but only wrote the one novel, inspired by the windswept yorkshire moors which surrounded her. our entertainment correspondent, colin paterson has sent this report from the parsonage where emily bronte was raised — and where her life and work is being celebrated.
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it's a big bronte birthday. the 200th anniversary of emily bronte, celebrated with poets in fields... yorkshire moors, so bleak and old, inspired the heart of emily. displays of falconry, because emily bronte had a pet merlin hawk, called nero... with events all centred around the parsonage in haworth, where she wrote her only novel, wuthering heights, before dying from tuberculosis at the age of 30. what she's left behind is this incredible, imaginative tour de force of a novel that people have just loved for generations and thta continues to inspire artists and writers working today, and that's very much what we wanted to celebrate — her 200th birthday. and people had come from all over. there's this wildness and this beauty to the writing. i don't know, you just get kind of sucked into the story. you've got to come here and pay homage, really, because it puts everything into perspective, itjust brings it all to life. the celebrations have also included
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the unveiling of a tribute stone out on the moors, featuring a new poem by kate bush — who famously had a number one with wuthering heights. # heathcliff, it's me i'm cathy, i've come home now...# at the time, she explained her inspiration. i saw a series on the television about ten years ago. it was on very late at night, and i caught literally the last five minutes of the series, where she was at the window trying to get in. who are you? i'm catherine linton. i've come home. and itjust really struck me. it was so strong. then i read the book. you read the book later? yes, i read the book before i wrote the song because i needed to get the mood properly. one little quirk of fate, it's kate bush's 60th birthday. another famous fan is lily cole, who's directed a short film exploring the character heathcliff‘s
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origins as an abandoned baby — but in a modern setting. why does emily bronte mean so much to you? the fact that she wrote the book at a time when it was very, very difficult for women to be taken seriously and to become authoresses or authors. the fact that she published it under a pseudonym, ellis bell, has always intrigued me. and we don't know very much about her. she's really a mystery and most of what we know is kind of hearsay and oral tradition. but it's purely the book. that's the reason i'm fascinated by her, that she created that work. and as for what emily would have made of all this? we also know she was an incredibly private writer and so i wonder if she may have also found this level of scrutiny perhaps a bit intolerable. oh, well. happy birthday, emily. colin paterson, bbc news, howarth. time for a look at the weather. here's ben rich. the rain came, but perhaps not when people wanted it? most came in the north and the west
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but most areas got to see a bit of rain over the weekend. a different weekend compared to what we have been used to. the very wettest places where in the west. parts of northern ireland actually had a month's worth of rain in just a few hours. only a temporary end to the heatwave for some. through this week there will still be some showers, but it will be less windy than it was over the weekend, and especially in the south those temperatures will eventually start to climb once again. this is the satellite picture. pretty unsettled, this curl of cloud up to the north—west, an area of low pressure, with areas of cloud being flung around and bringing outbreaks of showery rain at times. through the afternoon, not too many showers in eastern areas, increasing amounts of sunshine here. some rain moving across parts of wales and north—west england. sunshine and heavy showers for northern ireland and north—west scotland. 20
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