tv BBC News at Ten BBC News October 16, 2018 10:00pm-10:31pm BST
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tonight at ten. a special report from yemen from the scene of an air strike which killed dozens of children and doubled. as young boys and girls grieve for the friends they lost two months ago, there is renewed focus on who is responsible for the attack. the school bus was hit by an air strike led by saudi arabia in support of the yemeni government. they claim to be avoiding civilian targets. even if the bus had been full of fighters, the bus had been full of fighters, the risk to innocent life must surely have been clear. and there are questions about whether or not this was a war crime. it is the first time that western journalists have been able to report from the scene of the attack. also tonight. the salaries under pressure again. this time from the americans after the disappearance and suspected killing of a prominent german was. as families face more difficulty of the introduction of universal credit, the government decides to delay its full roll—out again. 32 yea rs delay its full roll—out again. 32 years after these two girls were found murdered in the south downs, a
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man goes on trial for a second time. after yea rs of man goes on trial for a second time. after years of austerity, wages are now decreasing at their pace for a decade. and we will be at the hall in the city of london to talk to anna burns, the winner of this yea r‘s anna burns, the winner of this year's price. coming up on sports day on bbc news, some big names missing, good whales stop their nation's league with a win against the republic of ireland in dublin tonight? —— good wales top there league? good evening. for the first time we can report from the scene in yemen where dozens of schoolchildren and adults were killed in an air strike two months ago. the strike was conducted by a coalition led by saudi arabia and backed by the uk, the us, and france.
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they are supporting yemen's government in its war against the houthi rebels backed by iran. the saudis claim they never deliberately hit civilian targets. at least 10,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in three years of fighting in yemen. the un is demanding an end to the air strikes, which they say are making the plight of civilians much worse. 0ur international correspondent 0rla guerin, with producer nicola careem and cameraman lee durant, sent this report from dahyan in northern yemen. they call it the dahyan children's garden. a cemetery full of schoolboys, killed side by side. here the young mourn the young. the empty graves for children whose remains still cannot be identified. nearby, the wreckage of their bus,
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targeted in an air strike by the saudi—led coalition. there are indications it was a us—made bomb. but human rights campaigners have told us there is no way the uk can be sure its weaponry is not being used in this conflict, in attacks that kill civilians. this was the scene of the attack. it's in the houthi heartland of saada from where rockets are fired at saudi arabia. the coalition said the bus was a legitimate military target carrying houthi fighters. it later apologised for what it called collateral damage. for mohammed, that meant his ten—year—old son, who was on the bus. he had to identify him by his teeth. "many of the bodies were mixed
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together," he told us. "some people said this is my son. others said no, this is mine. i had evidence so i got my boy's body and put him in his grave." people gathered around waiting patiently to be heard. until now, they have not had a chance to tell their story to the world. they're demanding justice for their dead but don't expect to get it. 13—year—old mohammed ibrahim survived the attack but many of his friends did not. "there's no beauty in life now," he said, "and no future." "it's destroyed." it's around 8:30 in the morning. this is the time the air strike took
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place and this is the exact spot, in this busy area on a main street full of shops. even if the bus had been full of fighters, the risk to innocent life must surely have been clear, and there are questions about whether or not this was a war crime. this video may be evidence. it was filmed by a boy called 0sama shortly before the attack. he and his classmates shouting with joy on a rare day out. his father, zayed, found it after the air strike which killed both 0sama and his younger brother, ali. he told me this is 0sama's testimony from the grave. "with his death he has proven to the world that the saudis lied,"
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he said, "when they claimed these kids were fighters." his footage shows the reality the coalition denied. at the al—najaf school, the empty chairs tell their own story. the devoted headmaster, abdul, is haunted by the absence of so many. "when i meet the parents," he says, "i tell them, ‘you have lost one child but i have lost a22 every one in that bus was like a son to me." down the corridor, a group of pupils who survived the attack. some wounds are visible. others are not.
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these are schoolboys who have already learned too much about how adults wage war. the headmaster hopes the world will remember the names of the victims. he takes the register — not of the living, but of the dead. 0rla guerin, bbc news, dahyan, yemen. the saudi leadership, already under pressure because of its actions in yemen, is now facing growing international criticism following the disappearance and suspected killing of a saudi journalist. jamal khashoggi was last seen
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a fortnight ago at the saudi consulate in istanbul. the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, has held talks with the king of saudi arabia and the crown prince to express his concern about what's happened. turkey has already accused a saudi hit—squad of killing mr khashoggi and disposing of his body, as our diplomatic correspondent james robbins reports. the arrival of an american secretary of state to see saudi king salman isn't usually so uncomfortable. donald trump sent mike pompeo to get answers about jamal khashoggi's disappearance. but the crucial encounter was with crown prince mohammad bin salman many hold responsible. president trump telephoned that, during their talks, he reported the crown prince totally denied any knowledge of what took place, promising a complete investigation. but could the truth still be covered up behind diplomatic immunity? the united nations insists it must not be.
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under international law, both a forced disappearance and an extrajudicial killing are very serious crimes and immunity should not be used to impede investigations into what happened and who is responsible. it is now two weeks since jamal khashoggi disappeared into saudi arabia's consulate in istanbul. turkish police have finally been able to search it. their detailed evidence is yet to be published but saudi arabia's traditional allies are threatening punishment without wanting to destroy valuable relations. saudi arabia is a major market for arms sales from the united states and britain. 61% of all saudi weapons purchases come from the united states and some 23% from the united kingdom. theirjoint sales completely dwarf the figure for all other suppliers. what else makes saudi arabia a key partner? well, its position as the world's biggest oil exporter is key, sitting on almost a fifth of global reserves, and western powers stress
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saudi arabia is crucial as a source of intelligence and as an ally in the fight against extremist violence, particularly from so—called islamic state. both theresa may and jeremy hunt insist saudi arabia has helped keep people on the streets of britain safe. for more than a half—century, both the united states and the uk have turned to saudi arabia because it's a lot easier to do things with saudi arabia on your side than when saudi arabia is against you. here in the heart of mayfair, saudi arabia has one of the most palatial embassies in london, consistent with its vast wealth and power and also its importance to britain and the west. but britain is increasingly on the defensive about that closeness. first because of saudi actions in yemen and now because the disappearance ofjamal khashoggi means it has somehow to find a way of projecting outrage while, at the same time, protecting the fundamental relationship. there's no doubting widespread
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public anger against saudi arabia and other states accused of contempt for international rules. that means governments in democracies pledged to protect those rules are under growing pressure too. james robbins, bbc news. that government's flagship welfare reform, universal credit, will not now be fully implemented for at least another five years. the system, which merges six benefits into one payment. has been beset with problems. leaked documents seen by the bbc reveal the government's plans to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to prevent claimants from suffering hardship as they make the switch. labour says the roll—out should now be stopped. 0ur social affairs correspondent michael buchanan uncovered the story. another day, another protest against universal credit. small in number, perhaps, but raising large concerns. those who are particularly vulnerable really struggle with this system. it's gone too far to scrap it now but urgent action
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still needs to be taken. ministers appear to agree and are delaying plans to start moving almost 4 million existing benefit recipients onto universal credit next year. tens of thousands of people were due to start getting letters nextjuly telling them they had to apply for universal credit but we have learned that process will not start until november 2020, which means that universal credit will not be fully rolled out until december 2023, putting the project almost seven years behind its original schedule. leaked documents show ministers plan to use the delay to significantly change the benefit. they hope to give people longer to repay any loans, make it easier for the self—employed to receive the new benefit, and they'd like to continue paying some existing benefits for a fortnight after people have applied for universal credit. any changes won't benefit misha, however. the 25—year—old single mum has struggled with universal credit for three years.
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they repeatedly failed to pay her the right amount each month, leaving her and daughter maya struggling. it's not always been bad but there's been so many hours that i wouldn't be able to afford to buy food living on my own on universal credit as a single parent. so, my mum would help me buy food and help with clothes for my daughter. the secretary of state was tight—lipped this morning when asked about the benefit. is universal credit still fit for purpose? bye now. so it was left to a junior minister to respond. we have always said that, under universal credit, it is a test and learn approach and, as we test and as we learn, we adapt. and, earlier this year, we put in an extra {1.5 billion to support claimants and, you know, clearly this is a process. but there is an acknowledgement in the documents that any changes may not be enough. there is no assurance that, ultimately, these proposals will prove to be deliverable and, addressing another concern, officials write, "there is nothing we can do to mitigate this issue."
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we have had people going into arrears and even sadly people losing their homes as a result because of eviction. so it's a real mess of a programme and the government really needs to get its act together and sort it out. universal credit is a new service that helps ensure you're better off in work than you are on benefits... universal credit was meant to be the answer to the fiendishly complicated benefit system. for too many people, however, the beleaguered benefit is a living nightmare and ministers are clearly struggling to achieve its original aims. michael buchanan, bbc news. the president of the european council, donald tusk, has called for theresa may to come up with "concrete proposals" to break the deadlock in the brexit talks, specifically on the issue of the irish border, ahead of tomorrow's eu summit in brussels. the prime minister told the cabinet that a deal on brexit is in reach if the government "stands together and stands firm", as our political editor, laura kuenssberg, reports. what do we want?
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bin the backstop. when do we want it? now. high volume. she's wasted time, we just have to get out and get out now. high stakes. we need to do something more radical. we want the government to save brexit because it's a mess. more than a sprinkling of ministers worrying. no one is planning to resign, we are doing ourjob and trying to get the best deal for this country. fearing without a hard date for the so called backstop to finish... the prime minister is doing a very, very complicated job. ..the uk might stay closely tied to the eu for good. morning sir, are we closer to no deal? but what there was not today was a huge bust up over that backstop. the plan to avoid a hard border in ireland, if a big trade deal can't be reached, with the eu and the uk following the same customs rules. there was no huge clash here today because there was no huge decision. the talks stalled and there are indications now that a final deal might not be done until december. the cabinet did agree
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that the current backstop plan from the eu just is not acceptable but as so often, they find it easier to agree on what they don't like rather than what they do. and the uk's alternative, i am told, is still not fully formed. the problem? that is exactly what the eu says is required, and fast. its top brass demanding that the prime minister turns up in brussels tomorrow with a new plan. and if not, well, he's hardly sounding cheery. the only source of hope for a deal for now is the good will and determination on both sides. however, for a breakthrough to take place, besides goodwill we need new facts. tomorrow i am going to ask prime minister may if she has concrete proposals on how to break the impasse. there are not yet any new facts,
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the conundrum stays the same. the prime minister has almost no room for manoeuvre but has no choice to do anything but keep rolling on. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. let's go live to brussels and our europe editor. katya, as we've heard mrs may is in brussels tomorrow for a crunch summit. she's going to address european leaders before dinner. what's the mood in europe tonight? i would say you really get a sense of europe tiptoeing about at the moment, when i say europe i mean eu leaders and ministers, and why are they tiptoeing? because they fully realise how emotionally and politically charged the subject of brexit is in the uk and the node just before the prime minister comes here to brussels and at such a delicate point in negotiations anything they say or do not say
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could be jumped on, anything they say or do not say could bejumped on, analysed, even misinterpreted by the uk media, never mind in political circles. so we don't want to speculate, we would rather negotiate is a phrase you are hearing a lot at the moment in brussels and tonight there are all sorts of ideas and rumours swirling about how a compromise deal could eventually be met. all eu leaders wa nt eventually be met. all eu leaders want a deal this autumn, and they do not want to be seen as the one who stirs the pot at this very sensitive time. those who are coming out to talk in public like donald tusk as we heard in the package, right now are we heard in the package, right now a re clearly we heard in the package, right now are clearly trying to be careful with words, like the prime minister. he knows that when he speaks he has two very different audiences listening, on one side a domestic audience and on the other at those who sit on the other side of the negotiating table. we are seeing both of them leading up to this eu summit with a mixture of tone of
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defiance and determination on one hand and on the other an openness and even expect them is that a deal can be reached. a lot of pressure on those eu leaders coming here tomorrow, the press including myself will be waiting to jump tomorrow, the press including myself will be waiting tojump on tomorrow, the press including myself will be waiting to jump on them and you can expect to see them falling over themselves to try and find they are right brexit tone. do they think talks will fall down this autumn or do they think that a deal can be found at the 11th hour? thank you very much, we will talk again tomorrow. the speaker of the house of commons, john bercow, is facing renewed calls to step down following a highly critical official report into the handling of bullying and harassment claims in the houses of parliament. mr bercow has called for an independent inquiry to be set up, and his friends have told the bbc that he intends to stand down next summer. but, in the commons today, some mps insisted that the matter could not be settled while mr bercow remained in the speaker's chair, as our deputy political editor, john pienaar, reports. in the house of commons what he says, goes. who's behaving well, and who badly.
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who can speak, and when. be quiet. if you can't be quiet get out. and john bercow even gets to tell ministers when they are falling down on thejob. a total mishandling by his department for which the right honourable gentleman is solely responsible. but now it's emerged he is preparing to walk away, and with a damning inquiry into bullying and harassment of staff in parliament — overwhelmingly women — adding to the pressure to go quickly. today everyone agreed a westminster culture of abuse must change. over the last year we have all been shocked and appalled at the reports of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in westminster and i am determined to stamp it out. the speaker could only listen as mp‘s demanded the top man in parliament should go. the report is clear that there needs to be a complete change in leadership at the most senior level, including you mr speaker. the fish rots from the head, and the leadership failings highlighted in this
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report are worrying. long—time critics joined in. how can we encourage mr speaker to stop this behaviour? that provoked an angry claim the scandal is being used by the speaker's enemies. it is the victim is that we cared about and we will not use it for political gain and nothing fills the victims with more dread than when people play with their feelings. so don't do it. behind the scenes i understand the speaker has told close friends and colleagues he means to step down next summer. as one source put it, he does not want to look as though he's been forced out but maybe it will not be enough, some will want to go sooner, and he was right about that. this was a pre—emptive strike to try and head off inevitable calls for him to go immediately. some seejohn bercow as a help standing up to ministers over brexit. we need to make sure the decisions that are made in the next few months in the interest of the country
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are made properly, so i am very worried about the idea of having somebody in the speaker's place that is not experienced. but it's the scandal identified in the report of a formerjudge that's worrying mps now. misconduct tolerated and covered up. male mps harassing staff, sometimes sexual harassment. the speaker's enjoyed high status but he's been accused and denied accusations of bullying too. in public he is supporting reform. behind the scenery he is facing a struggle about when and how he goes. john pienaar, bbc news, westminster. wages rose this summer at their fastest rate for almost a decade, and unemployment fell to its lowest level since the mid 1970s. that's what was happening in the uk'sjobs market betweenjune and august. 0ur economics editor, kamal ahmed, has been examining the figures, and he's here with his analysis. wage growth matters — if you are in work and your pay is going up, it makes you feel more confident about the economy.
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and if we feel more confident, we tend to spend more. 0ur spending drives 60% of the economy. in cardiff there was a more positive mood, for some. where i was, the pay rise was impossible. it was never going to happen, so you have to look around and there are better opportunities and people willing to pay better wages to do pretty much the same job. the price of living is going up very fast. and my wages aren't keeping up. i do feel better off, definitely, but because our wage was quite low before, it kind ofjust brings you up to where everyone else is, ithink. well, the story of our wages has been the story of our economy since the financial crisis. in 2008, before the crash, wages were growing at above 4%, then there was this long dip to below i% as the recession and fears over job losses hit hard, and now, a recovery which appears to be accelerating to 3.1%.
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high levels of employment in sectors like construction and hotels and restau ra nts mea ns that firms are having to compete for workers and pay them more. the highest for a decade. now, it's not all good news. prices have also gone up, often faster than what we earn, which means that average wages are still £20 per week less than ten years ago. so what do today's better figures mean for this man, philip hammond, the chancellor? he has a budget in two weeks. well, better economic news will help but there are still major challenges. i think it's almost inconceivable that we won't have tax rises over the next five to ten years at least. the scale of cuts we've seen in public services have been really quite dramatic. more money for the national health service, the population is ageing.
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and there's lots more demands for other things too. that's not going to be payable for in the long run just by borrowing more. some of those tax rises may come in the budget — but with brexit uncertainty still dominating, as we've heard earlier in the programme, mr hammond may hold off until our relationship with the rest of the european union is clearer. and that could be some way off. huw... a man has gone on trial for the second time charged with the murder of two nine—year—old girls 32 years ago. russell bishop, who's 52, is accused of killing nicola fellows and karen hadaway, who were found dead in woods near brighton in october 1986. from the old bailey, our correspondent daniella relph reports. more than 30 years ago the families came to court for the first murder trial.
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today they returned, at times in tears as they again sat through the evidence. karen hadaway was nine years old when she died, described in court as a sensible girl who knew right from wrong. nicola fellows was also nine and was said to be the stronger of the two, outgoing and would speak her mind. the girls were neighbours, their bodies were found on october tenth, 1986. they had both been strangled and sexually assaulted. they were discovered together in wild park in brighton, just half a mile from their homes on the moulsecoomb estate. they had both disappeared after going out to play. back then, russell bishop was arrested and tried for their murders but he was acquitted and released. three years later, he assaulted and attempted to kill a seven—year—old girl. she survived and identified him. he was found guilty at trial. today he was back in court again, accused of the murder of nicola fellows and karen hadaway. jurors were told there was new evidence, much of it dna—based.
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the prosecution told the jury that the bodies were discovered in undergrowth in wild park. and that russell bishop told the police details about the scene that only the killer himself could have known. this is a key location the jury will see for themselves. all 12 jurors will be brought here from london to view a number of areas that are significant in the case. the families face a trial of up to eight weeks. the case remains the largest and longest—running enquiry ever undertaken by sussex police. daniella relph, bbc news. a brief look at some of the day's other news. there has been a significant rise in religious—based hate crime in england and wales, according to new figures released by the home office. it's gone up by 40% in a year, from just under 6,000 reports to more than 8,000. more than half of all the offences were aimed at muslims. scottishpower will be the first
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of the biggest utility companies to generate all of its electricity from wind power. the company plans to invest more than £5 billion over four years to double their renewable energy output. it comes after the company sold off the last of its gas and hydro power stations. scientists in london have managed to grow an oesophagus, the tube which leads from the mouth to the stomach, and implant it in a mouse. it was grown from a rat's oesophagus which had been reduced to its collagen shell. it's hoped the research could led to a trial to grow them for children who are born with a damaged or missing oesophagus. awem anjem choudary is due to released from prison this week, he has had his assets frozen. that is believed to be one of several measures put in place. he has served half of his
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five and a half yearjail sentence so five and a half yearjail sentence so far. in football — wales have beaten the republic of ireland in the uefa nations league in dublin tonight. this goal from a free—kick from 21—year—old harry wilson was enough to secure a 1—0 victory for wales, even though they were without their star players gareth bale and aaron ramsey. it's the most prestigious literary award in the uk — the man booker prize is awarded to the author of the best novel of the year, written in english, and published in the uk. there were six books on this year's shortlist and earlier this evening the 2018 winner was announced. anna burns for her novel milkman. so let's go live to the city of london's guildhall, and join our arts editor will gompertz. welcome to the guildhall where there isa welcome to the guildhall where there is a big pa announcement going on behind me but believe you me this is very excitable, fascinated by the
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choice of heath slater by anna burns as the winner, it was a shortlist that nobody quite knew who would win but it was a unanimous choice by the judges, the book is sent in the late 19705 judges, the book is sent in the late 1970s in a city full of struggle and sectarian high agreements. it could be northern ireland, it might not be. the protagonist is a 19—year—old girl whose name we don't know, she's just called middle sister. we don't know the name of anyone in the book, they are all known by their titles either relations to the middle sister or the society in which they lived. a bit confusing if you've not read the book but i've got the winning offer to explain why that choice of name, congratulations, wonderful book.
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