‘ and "y 5' “a? 516 “q ’»'\.r 57,1: i"r“‘-‘-‘fi,\ fr»; §.\'>:«>i gxgqfi i-yfitv‘vxaa n'.-:_,§ tuesday and wednesday across the more southern parts of england there could still be some mist and fog patches or low cloud around. that'll keep it on the chilly side. eventually, by the end of the week, we are all turning milder. with some rain. this is bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. the headlines at seven: tributes are paid to the first victim to be named in the london bridge attack. cambridge graduate jack merritt, was running a prisoner rehabilitiation conference to which his attacker had been invited. police have commended the bravery shown by members of the public, including convicted criminals who overpowered the knifeman. it's already clear that this cowardly act was immediately countered by some incredible acts of bravery, both by members of the public and from police officers. it's emerged that usman khan had been released on licence for his involvement in planning terror attacks. and in other news, millions of commuters will have to pay

an average of 2.7% more for rail tickets in the new year. and england will face croatia in their opening game for euro 2020, on ilithjune. good evening. one of the victims of the london bridge attack has been named as jack merritt, a cambridge graduate who was helping coordinate a conference on prisoner rehabilitation near the scene. he was one of two people killed by 28—year—old usman khan, a former prisoner who'd been convicted of terrorism offences, and released from prison on licence last year. khan, who'd been invited to the conference, was shot dead by police after members

of the public tackled him. here's our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford. 25 years old and a keen traveller, jack merritt had a masters from cambridge university. he was described by his father today as a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog. yesterday, he was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack by a former prisoner at a conference that he had helped organise. in the aftermath, his killer was wrestled to the ground by other former prisoners who had been attending the conference and then shot dead by police. the man who stabbed him, usman khan, was released from prison last year halfway through a sentence for plotting to bomb the london stock exchange. 11 years ago he told the bbc he was no terrorist. i have been born and bred in england, in stoke—on—trent and all the community knows me and if you ask them, they will know, these labels they are putting on like terrorist,

they will know, i am no terrorist. today, his lawyer said his client had wanted help with de—radicalisation but had not got the right assistance. he requested assistance with addressing some of his thinking. he recognised that. his extreme violent ideology was wrong and he wanted to correct himself and move on. a police forensic tent marks the place where usman khan was shot dead by police. but the building where he carried out his attack is just on this side of the bridge. that was where he was attending a conference on prisoner rehabilitation. a conference at which he turned on some of those who had invited him and killed them. this picture was taken just before the attack at the conference in fishmonger tall where usman khan also stabbed a woman to death. the attacker then left the building and ended up on london bridge. he was pursued and detained by members of the public, as well as a british

transport police officer who was in plain clothes, before armed officers from both the city and metropolitan police arrived, confronted the attacker and shot him. the actions of the police and the public are all the more remarkable as we now know the attacker was wearing what looked like a very convincing explosive device. thankfully, we now know that was a hoax device. today, this address where usman khan had recently been living was being intensely searched. but police say at this stage there is no evidence to suggest anybody else was involved in the attack. this way, please. which leaves the burning question, how was a convicted terrorist released from jail while still dangerous? and how did he, still wearing a tag, kill two people at a meeting focused on the rehabilitation of prisoners? daniel sanford, bbc news, london bridge. borisjohnson visited the scene

of the attack this morning, and pledged to toughen up sentences. the labour leaderjeremy corbyn called for a full investigation into khan's early release from prison. our political correspondent jessica parker reports. hello, how are you doing? visiting the scene at london bridge, the prime minister, alongside the met police chief, cressida dick, as people try to take in what has happened and understand what lessons can be learned. boris johnson today said that the case of usman khan raised the issue of sentencing. i have said for a long time now that i think that the practice of automatic early release, where you cut a sentence in half and let really serious violent offenders out early simply isn't working and i think you have had some very good evidence of how that isn't working, i am afraid, with this case. general election campaigning has overall been more muted today, but the labour leader said there needs to be a full investigation into what has happened.

clearly, there has been a complete disaster and lives have been lost because of his behaviour and i think there is also question about what the probation service were doing. were they involved at all and whether the parole board should have been involved in deciding whether or not he should have been allowed to be released from prison in the first place. the details of this case will inevitably come under great scrutiny, but today politicians across the board have been offering their sympathies to the affected families and paying tribute to those who rushed to the scene. our emergency services as always rise to the challenge, so, you know, we need to make sure there is a robust response to incidents like this. any lessons that need to be learned are learned but at the moment i think everybody‘s thoughts are with everybody who has been affected. there are clearly questions that need to be answered and answers found to how this happened and the process for that is very important, i think today that the focus

is on those who are mourning. during the 2017 general election there were two terrorist attacks, at manchester arena and another at london bridge. it can lead to greater political focus on security issues. parties' records and their future plans for keeping people safe. but for some those conversations may be for another day. jessica parker, bbc news. our home affairs correspondent daniel sanford said the attack raises some "difficult and urgent questions" about the justice system as people conviction of terror—related crimes are released. many of them have been released or are coming up for release. this is something that needs to be dealt with. in his case, boseman khan had to be automatically released under the current system halfway through his sentence —— usman. as far as we

can tell, he was wearing his tag and was doing what he was supposed to be doing and had permission to be at the conference yesterday. clearly, in his case, the system has com pletely in his case, the system has completely failed. a dangerous man has been released from prison, and within a year he has killed, which is what he hadn't been able to do previously in his previous attempts to carry out an attack. people will be wanting to make sure it won't be failing again. this mark fenhalls is a criminal barrister and former chair of the criminal bar association. thank you for speaking to us here on bbc news. first off, what are the most —— there are so many questions being asked right now. where exactly in your opinion do you think this has fallen down? it is complicated, as you say. and your correspondent has it quite right. in the report,

he appears to have been released according to low and obeying his licensing conditions. it seems to me that the real problem here is that nobody sought to address his attitudes while he was in prison, and the current system we have around supervision is not providing people with the kind of support or security for the rest of us that reduces the risk of this kind of thing happening. if we look that risk assessment and what takes place as part of that process, really, it is only a likelihood, a probability, not a prediction. you could have a model prisoner who then goes on to commita model prisoner who then goes on to commit a crime once he is released. what should be done about terrorist related prisoners? there are already systems in place for them. in a sense, that requires perhaps thinking about who they are in prison and whether or not they are actually being de—radicalised. i

think those of us in the criminal justice system are pretty unimpressed with politicians who argue over the rights and wrongs of who has done what over recent years, when in truth the absence of resources to try and de—radicalised people or prevent, for example, sex offenders from reoffending, it's terrible how little there is that goes into trying to make sure people behave in future when they are released. a quick question - he was charged on terrorism, terror —related crimes. in your opinion, should he have been released halfway through his sentence? that was the law, a law passed by parliament. and that created a set of rules that meant automatic release was to take place. parliament can look again at the laws if it likes, but it does so repeatedly. 0ver the laws if it likes, but it does so repeatedly. over the last ten or 15 yea rs, repeatedly. over the last ten or 15 years, parliament continuously changes the lows and ramps up sentences in every regard, but it

doesn't put money into the system to make sure that people who have committed offences are rehabilitated. and if you are ever going to let anybody out after they've committed an offence, you've got to try and do what you can to rehabilitate them so there's a chance they won't reoffend, or the chances are improved. what might you say he was released because that was the low at the time, so presumably he was under the ipp system. asi he was under the ipp system. as i read the reports in the press, his case went to the court of appeal and it was changed to a fixed term sentence, which meant he was released automatically at halfway through his adult sentence, as most adults are. there are only a few exceptions to that general rule. so the law hasn't worked as parliament prescribed. parliament has set out these rules, and everything went as it was required to do so. itjust goes to show, perhaps, if the reports are right that he was

adhering to all of his licence conditions, had permission to be where he was an so on, it goes to show how hard it is to actually make sure people don't reoffend unless you have really changed their mind set, and you've got an opportunity to do that when someone is in prison and afterwards if you put the resources into making sure that people learn lessons and don't go back to offending. it is across all crime, though. wouldn't part of this also go right back to the first point of the sentencing process? as i understand it, judges will receive a report from probation, and that is taken into consideration when handing down a sentence. and it's at that point that the judge will decide whether it is determinate or indeterminate. so, how important is probation in this process? in a case of this seriousness, there may or may not have been a report. the original judge may not have been a report. the originaljudge concluded that he was

dangerous and should be given an indeterminate sentence. the problem around probation, about which i suspect you are asking, is that probation has been destroyed over the last few years. the resources taken out of it have been extraordinary, and as a consequence, their ability to actually help in their ability to actually help in the process of people are released has been really diminished. but in this particular case, the original judge said he was dangerous, gave him an indeterminate sentence, and the court of appeal change that, as i understand it, to 16 years. those are very long sentences about which probation doesn't usually have a role in the sentencing process. my final question for you is, we are dealing with a whole new spectre in today's society, when you look at terrorism crimes. it is thejudicial system fit for purpose? yes, it is. the police do an extraordinaryjob

in relation to terrorism investigations and prosecution. that is one area in which there are good resources , is one area in which there are good resources, and they are fantastic in the way they go about these investigations. by and large, terrorism cases brought to court are prosecuted successfully and people are given very long sentences. that is not the problem. the problem is what happens afterwards. in prison, when they are not rehabilitated, and when they are not rehabilitated, and when they are eventually released, if there isn't a system in place to properly look after them and protect the rest of us. and those two things, they require government, parliament, to put resources in instead of fighting and bickering over whose fault it was about what lo. sorry, one more question. there area number of lo. sorry, one more question. there are a number of ipp prisoners currently waiting to be released — should we be concerned? it is a case—by—case answer to that. ipps became far more widely used than was

originally intended, and the originally intended, and the original low, it was hoped, meant there would be plenty of courses in prison for people to prove they were no longer dangerous. in the end, very few of these courses were available, so people in prison were sitting there without the ability to ever show they had improved, and thatis ever show they had improved, and that is what led to the change in low and a fresh approach that was taken. the problem arose because successive governments didn't put resources into prisons and rehabilitation within them which they ought to have done. thank you very indeed. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers — our guests joining me tonight are uk correspondent for france 2a and the president of the foreign press

association, benedicte paviot, by new european columnist and playwright bonnie greer. dutch police have arrested a 35—year—old man in connection with a stabbing incident that took place in the hague yesterday. two of the victims were 15—year—old girls and the other was a 13—year old boy. images and videos on social media show dozens of black friday shoppers running away from the scene. the three people who were stabbed were treated in hospital and later discharged. rail fares will rise by an average of 2.7% injanuary, according to the body that represents the rail industry. it means some commuters will see their season tickets go up by more than a hundred pounds. the independent watchdog transport focus said a majority of rail users did not feel they were getting value for money. katie prescott has the details. christmas is coming and for commuters on south—western railway that means almost a month of scenes like these as strikes

on the line start on monday. so the news that train fares will rise again next year, above the standard rate of inflation, has not gone down well with these passengers in bristol. i think the rail service probably needs to be improved nationwide before they can think about putting up fares. i've just come from cambridge and it would have been cheaper for me to go to paris. today's announcement means many commuters face an increase of more than £100 on the annual cost of getting to work. for example, a season ticket from eastbourne to london goes up £136, tipping it over the £5,000 mark. a season ticket between glasgow and edinburgh will set you back by £4200 a year, up £116. but the rail industry defends the increases, saying 98p from every pound spent on fares goes into running the railway. at the moment we're going through like a record splurge on the railway network, more money is being put

onto the network now than at any other time since the victorian era. so, we are replacing half of the entire nation's fleet, but we are also putting money elsewhere, by adding extra services where they really needed. both train companies and passengers say they would like to see a new, more flexible system forfares put in place. but the future of fares and indeed the railways will be in the hands of whoever wins the election. katie prescott, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news: tributes are paid to the first victim to be named in the london bridge attack. cambridge graduate jack merritt was running a prisoner rehabilitation conference two which his attacker had been invited. police have commended the actions of the members of the public, including convicted criminals, who overpowered

the knifeman. it has emerged that usman khan had been released on licence for his involvement in planning terror attacks. let's return to our top story — the aftermath of yesterday's london bridge attack — and hear more from the news conference held by the assistant commissioner of the metropolitan police, neil basu this afternoon. good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. i'd like to update you on our continuing investigation into the terrible attack of yesterday near london bridge. officers from london's counterterrorism command have been working flat out with security services over night, as you would expect, to continue to try and establish the full circumstances of what's happened. at this time, we've found no evidence, no evidence, to suggest anybody else was involved in this attack. however, we are still making extensive enquiries to make sure that no one else was involved. 0ur investigative priority at this time is to ensure that there is no

one related as an outstanding threat to the public. to this end, we've carried out two searches that addresses both in staffordshire and in the stoke—on—trent area. 0ur officers have therefore been supported by officers from staffordshire and the west midlands counterterrorism police. i would like to thank them as well as the local community in those areas for the support they've shown as we carry out those crucial enquiries. the investigation team is also speaking to many of those who were present at fishmongers' hall, but i would appeal to anyone who was there on friday, anyone who hasn't been spoken to, to contact police on 0800 789 321 immediately. we now know this attack began inside fishmongers' halljust before 2pm yesterday. the attacker, whose identity we confirmed last night, stabbed a number of people inside the building, and as a result, five people have suffered injuries. three people, a man and two women, were injured and remain in hospital.

theirfamilies have been contacted, and specialist officers are supporting them. tragically, two people, a man and a woman, were killed during the attack. and of course, i'm fully aware that the media and social media have named one of those victims. you must understand that i have to wait for formal identification from the coroner. but i will provide you an update as soon as i can. on behalf of the entire policing family, can i offer my heartfelt thoughts and condolences to those families of the victims, both the deceased and those still in hospital, and everyone who has been affected by this incident. we are still piecing together the exact details of what happened. it's already clear that this cowardly act was immediately countered by some incredible acts of bravery, both by members of the public and from police officers. we know this attacker was attending an

event called learning together, and some of those present at that event were people who confronted this attacker to try and stop him. the attacker then left the building and ended up on london bridge. he was pursued and detained by members of the public, as well as a british transport police officer who was in plain clothes, before armed officers from both the city and metropolitan police arrived, confronted the attacker and shot him. the actions of the police and the public are all the more remarkable as we now know the attacker was wearing what looked like a very convincing explosive device. thankfully we now know that was a hoax device. detectives and forensic officers remain in the london bridge area, and cordons continue to be in place as we meticulously gather the evidence required for the investigation, and this obviously may take some time. we are working as fast as we can. we would ask the public to continue to avoid the area, and we really thank those affected by this for their patience

and understanding. on that point, can i also thank the public for their tremendous support and cooperation in response to this incident. the the public have shared nearly 500 images and videos with the investigation team so far, and we are grateful. if you have any images or video and haven't spoken to the police, please do so as soon as possible. it is vital that the empty ideology of terror is rejected by all of us, and that communities come together side by side to ensure that those seeking to divide us will never succeed. as a precaution, we have enhanced police patrols across london of both armed and unarmed officers, and the public can expect to see an increased police presence throughout the weekend, as colleagues from the metropolitan police, city of london and british transport police carry out those patrols. our advice to the public is to continue with your plans as usual. please be vigilant,

but be alert, not alarmed. if you do see anything suspicious, then please act. report it to police. speak to an office or call 0800 789321. countering terrorism is not something that can be done by any single agency on its own. it needs the cooperation and support from every corner of society. the help and support we get from the public is incredible, and indeed the support from the media has been astonishing in the last 2a hours. it is a vital part of countering terrorism, and i'm incredibly grateful for your support. now, i'm happy to take a couple of questions. you will understand, the investigation is ongoing, so please make them short. duncan kennedy, bbc. do you know how long the attack went on for in the hall, and was he

wearing this fake device in the hall during this meeting? so, we know and we have already said that the attack took a number of minutes before it was effectively concluded. so, from start to finish of this incident, we are talking about a very few minutes. and we believe he was wearing the vest at the time. he was under the multi—agency arrangement. to the best of my knowledge, he was compliant with conditions. the families of two police officers who died when their helicopter crashed into the clutha pub in glasgow six years ago have spoken out in support of the pilot. an inquiry ruled last month that the crash happened because pilot david traill "took a chance" and ignored fuel warnings, killing the crew and seven

people in the pub. but family members of officers killed say they trusted the pilot "implicitly". the final providers of the help—to—buy isa s will close the window for new applications today. the product ? available since 2015 ? was introduced to allow first time buyers the chance to save tax free. nearly two hundred and sixty thousand properties have been bought using the isa according to the government. a number of banks have already pulled their help to buy isas, prompting a late surge, according to some providers. it's gone from remote wilderness to tourist hotspot in just a few decades. antarctica is now the destination of choice for thousands of thrill seekers. but with tourism and climate change taking their toll on the region — visitors now have a greener, more sustainable way of getting there. andy beatt reports.

ladies and gentlemen, have a wonderful first day in antarctica. the coldest, most hostile place on earth. and one of the most popular. nearly 80,000 visit this fragile environment each year. every passenger generating five tonnes of c02. a polar paradox — antarctica's tourist boom threatening its very existence. now, though, hope on the horizon. to be on the first hybrid—powered expedition ship in the world, that makes it pretty special. it is the same technology as you have in your trusty telephone, only larger. on its maiden voyage, the ship's electric engines drastically cutting the environmental impact and delivering savings of 20%. 0n higher decks, 430 passengers can enjoy its lounges, infinity pool and hot tubs —

a bubble of luxury in a wintry wilderness. they are also invited to seek scientific enlightenment. you have passengers coming down, which provides a great opportunity for them to be involved in actual science that is going on in a region of the world where we don't have a lot of data. we are also increasing the awareness of our guests on the problem that is climate change, for example, and the many changes that are taking place. trips ashore are carefully controlled. tourists keeping well away from wildlife and cleaning personal effects to avoid the introduction of invasive species. translation: when we come here, when we see and feel the reality, we understand how important it is that it stays that way — protected, uninhabited, reserved for animals. with a second hybrid ship planned, visits to this white continentjust got a little bit greener.

andy beatt, bbc news. the annual christmas tree lighting ceremony in bethlehem's manger square has taken place. the tree is outside the church of the nativity, where christians believe jesus was born. the tree lighting marks the beginning of advent. and staying in bethlehem, a tiny wooden relic, believed by christians to be from jesus manger has been returned to the town after more than a thousand years in rome. it was briefly put on display injerusalem yesterday before continuing its journey to the holy land on the orders of pope francis. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. it is cold this evening and overnight. some of the mildest weather is on the far south—west of england. we have more clout here,

patchy rain, also for the channel islands. further north, the mist and fog that never really cleared in some parts of the midlands is thickening up, heading towards wales. 0ne thickening up, heading towards wales. one of two showers in east anglia, and further north, mainly the north of scotland. apache frost further south, because of the breeze and cloud overnight, and also the rain. that should clear away, the cloud and fog breaking up more quickly tomorrow. we will get sunshine far and wide. a few showers in the far north of scotland and down some of those irish sea coasts as well. sunshine far and wide, another chilly day like today, typically 4—7 celsius.