it's been revealed that one of the two people stabbed to death in friday's terror attack in london was helping lead a course for prisoners, that his killer was attending. jack merritt was criminology graduate with an interest in rehabilitating prisoners. a maltese businessman has been charged with complicity in the murder of the journalist daphne ca ruana galizia. yorgen fenech was arrested last week as he attempted to leave malta on his yacht. he has pleaded not guilty to the charges. the draw for the euro 2020 football tournament has been made, placing the defending champions portugal in the same group as world champions, france, and germany. the world cup finalists, croatia, have been drawn in a group which includes england.

rail passenger groups have criticised a decision by train companies to increase fares by an average of 2.7% injanuary. it means some commuters — face rises of more than a hundred pounds in the cost of their season tickets. rail firms say the extra money will pay for improvements to the network. here's our business correspondent, katie prescott. 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 over 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 in 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 £4,200 a year, up £116. but the rail industry defends the increases, saying 98 pence from every pound spent on fares goes into running the railway. at the moment we're going through 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 are really needed. train companies and passengers say they would like to see a new, more flexible system for tickets 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. now on bbc news: talking movies

celebrates its 20th anniversary as the programme travels to mumbai to take stock of bollywood. hello and welcome to talking movies, in india. i'm tom brook. in today's programme we will be covering some of the latest developments in indian cinema. indian cinema is really taking a step forward in the right direction. the ongoing hold movies have on indian audiences: what bollywood is offering them appears to be changing. india's official submission to the oscars, gully boy, the country's first hip—hop movie. critically acclaimed, but will make it onto the shortlist? and what is driving the wave of patriotic and nationalist movies which have been showing

in indian cinemas? these movies are very much to do with how powerful certain individuals are. and one year after bollywood's me too moment, has anything really changed in the indian film industry? plus, one director of short films gives us an inside look at the world of shorts, an important part of the indian film landscape. of all that and more in this special india edition of talking movies. the indian film industry is in a state of rude health. it remains the most prolific producer of movies in the world. it enjoys strength at the domestic box office, and it retains a special, very tight bond with audiences. watching movies is a national pastime. we don't have that many options as far as entertainment is concerned, so for the weekend i think it is one of the best options we have. we love drama, we love

entertainment, moviegoing is in our blood, yeah. i think movies are so critical to indians, in every form. whenever i want to have some fun, i come and watch movies. film curator meenakshi shedde is an ardent film—goer, like her fellow indians. we have a ferocious passion for the movies which you don't find in any other country. there is a passion for moviegoing everywhere in the world, but i think in india it reaches a level of insanity, like it is in our dna, that no other country in the world can compete. india produces films in 55 languages and dialects, but it is the hindi language, cinema known as bollywood, which gets most of the attention. for years bollywood has turned out song and dance extravaganzas. the standard issue bollywood film as it used to be was one that had a big movie starfronting it, it used to have great songs that you could dance to, that you could hum, it used to have a romance that was integral, it used to have conflict, there was a bit of action, a bit of drama, a little bit

of everything for everybody. but i think that has changed, i don't think there is the one big, one—size—fits—all hindi film. the criticism is made often that bollywood actors are used as props... varun dhawan is one of bollywood's biggest stars, who sees change afoot in indian cinema. it's evolved so much today, you know, we have songless thrillers, we have films that talk about so many different things about the justice system, we talk about women empowerment, we talk about the scientific achievements of india, so i think indian cinema is really taking a step forward in the right direction. do you think it is important then that these films, these bollywood films do address real issues? although it is escapism, they are touching on issues that mean a lot to indians? that is what the audience is accepting now.

nobody wants to see just a frivolous film or a mild film, they want to see something being said. you have to stand for something eventually. that is what people are enjoying, those are the type of films i am picking up. i want to do a film where i look great, there will be dancing, entertain people, comedy, action, but the film has to eventually say something, it has to hit upon a topic which moves people. bollywood movies have a huge following of course in india and the diaspora, and they are popular in china. the indian film industry is incredibly resilient and independent. hollywood owns just a small percentage of the indian market. cinema in india remains a vital part of national life and the national economy. in the history of the oscars, india has only been nominated five times in the foreign language film category.

this year the country has submitted a picture called gully boy for academy awards consideration. will this critically acclaimed movie make it onto the oscars shortlist? rapping in own language. a commercial hit that has won critical attention, gully boy is an indian cinema success story. set against the backdrop of the slums in mumbai, it traces the story of a talented rapper. farhan akhtar and ritesh sidhwani co—produced the film. it is such a deep association with indian film, that music is so inherently a part of it. gully boy was directed by zoya akhtar, farhan akhtar‘s sister. it is an underdog story, a story that can be related to by many people across major cities in the world, where there is a serious economic disparity between the haves and have—nots. this film focuses on one such character, who has this dream to be someone, in a city that is the city of dreams. and it is kind of, on some level, a dark fairytale story if you want to call it that,

a gritty fairytale story. you immediately connect and identify with the protagonist in the film. you can see what hisjourney is, you can feel him, so i think there was an instant emotional connect, and by the end of it you want to see him succeed. i think it shows you both sides, it shows you the fact that mumbai is a place where it is possible for dreams to come true, but it also shows you a mumbai that can strip you of dignity if you don't have money. so to be able to retain that dignity, it takes a lot of courage, and i feel it also talks about that. the film is india's first hip—hop movie. you see it as breaking new ground for indian cinema? it definitely is bringing the hip—hop underground culture that exists very, very strongly in india, it is bringing that into the mainstream. there are so many other artists

across india who are going to now start being considered stars, and will find a lot more people wanting to hear what it is they have to say. gully boy's 0scar chances are hard to discern. it feels different and more of the moment than the traditional indian fare that is put forward for academy awards. gully boy definitely has an aesthetic and energy that may resonate with the academy's changing, more young and diverse membership. india has an incredibly rich history as a producer of films, yet has never won a best foreign film 0scar, why do you think that is? i think we usually, and rightfully so, have been telling stories for our own people. but as the world is changing and as storytelling is becoming more global, though way we share stories is becoming easier. we have started realising and recognising now that you know what, there is an audience that we can reach without having the struggle of the past, to be able to get to them. and tell them stories, and then if we want them to engage with us, we will have to tell them

stories they would like to see. it has been a year since bollywood had its me too moment. actors, writers and producers accused a number of high—profile industry figures, raising serious questions about work culture in bollywood. but where do matters stand one year on? well, suranjana tewari reports. it is just over a year since bollywood had its me too moment. what started on social media quickly spiralled into allegations against more than 60 directors, actors and producers, some of them prominent. it is not a bollywood habit, it is an india habit. one year on, those who spoke up say the movement's momentum has slowed. i now realise a year later that this was more of a social movement, and legally we still need to progress and evolve at a far greater pace. producer and director vinta nanda

came out last year accusing veteran actor alok nath of rape in 1999. her court case against him continues, but in january, nath he was given bail without being arrested, with the court ruling he could have been framed. some working in the industry are frustrated with how unequal the movement has been. some have very openly gone back to work. some have not. and these things are all very much to do with, you know, how powerful certain individuals are, and what other powerful people they know and what the network is. in the aftermath of it all, konkona sen sharma joined a collective of 11 women filmmakers who promise not to work with proven offenders. so what more needs to be done? film sets and film productions have become more inclusive spaces,

definitely, and there are far more women working, there is a lot left to be done. everybody needs to take the onus, everyone who is working, especially people who are in power. when it comes to assessing india's me too movement on the film industry, the jury is still very much out. some say the momentum is waning, and that more needs to be done. but others working in the film industry say they are seeing changes on set that better protect women. production houses have started setting up sexual harassment committees on sets, even though the law required their existence for several years. but complying with laws that are already there isn't always easy. ideally i should not be telling a grown human being to behave himself or herself. anusha khan has been working with production houses to raise awareness around sexual harassment. she says many victims feel they do not have enough of a support structure at work to speak up.

i would not be surprised if somebody who wants to speak out would think twice before doing so, because... due process was not followed or because the issue was not addressed. what has changed, to my mind, and happily so, is that we are speaking out. it is a classic example of a woman using as a weapon the very law that was made to protect her. bollywood has long made films based on social issues, and section 375 was no different, exploring allegations of rape against a powerful director by a costume assistant. it received backlash for its theme of a false allegation, but was appreciated in some circles for discussing male privilege, consent and the abuse of power. there has been certain criticism about the film in certain sections, saying that it is misogynistic

and brings down the me too movement and is strategically timed to counter the me too movement, but there is no referenced to me too, and it should not be inferred that way anyway. india's film industry is one of the biggest in the world and so me too has forced many to reflect on the impact of the movement. there were some women who did speak out, who were not terribly well—known or very famous, or very powerful or anything, and they did suffer, very publicly. i feel that the a—listers actually are the ones who have nothing to lose. they are far beyond the money that they had signed up for, they are far beyond the fame they had signed up for, they have got everything they want. and they can put their foot down. but none of them have, in india. and that is really, really unfortunate. the day one a—lister comes out is when i will say,

yeah, ok, now change has started taking place. the greatest test will be where the film industry's me too travels from here, and whether it genuinely helps make india's sets and workplaces safer for women. patriotic films can be seen on an almost routine basis in indian cinemas — movies appealing to nationalist sentiment, stories of military or sports triumphs. many of these films have already been shown in cinemas, and many, many more are in the pipeline. uri: the surgical strike, released at the start of this year in india, is a very successful patriotic film. it is a fictionalised account of a retaliatory covert operation by the indian army, striking pakistani militants who attacked a base on indian territory.

i remember going to multiplexes and people were holding their indian flags and sinthain. the film was directed by aditya dhar. he believes it definitely played into the country's patriotic fervour. one of the most important aspects of uri was the patriotism part of it and it actually displays the patriotism in terms of, not only in the film, but the kind of reviews it got and the kind of love it got. it kind of gives you an idea of the patriotism indians have inherently in them and that is why i think the film worked, and i think that is something that will always work, as long as it is a patriotic film and as long as the story is great, it will work. uri is just one of several patriotic movies. there's mission mangal focussing on a space expedition to mars. and then a film toilet: a love story, with content closely allied to the government's efforts to improve rural sanitation. what is driving this wave of patriotic films? many think it is the same right—wing forces that brought the indian prime minister

narendra modi to power. bollywood, i guess like many major industries, is kind of a language where it wasn't far at the moment, but it really reflects a much deeper right—wing nationalism now and i think that connects with a much, much, much deeper right—wing nationalism that's in the country. it's a very right—wing nationalist government we've had, recently re—elected for a five—year term. this is very deep rooted so we've had stories of have patriotism but bollywood is very much reflecting that. when uri: the surgical strike was being shown in cinemas, audiences came with indian flags, wearing indian flag t—shirts, and they whistled and clapped. their passion for india was polarised and forcefully expressed. isn't there a danger, with films like yours, that could, in a way, end up driving india and pakistan further apart rather than bringing them together? in that film, it actually never says anything bad about the pakistanis. it is only saying bad about the terrorism.

if somebody connects that to pakistan, that's their mistake. in the film, also, if you see the war is against terrorism, so that is the story, that's the reality and we're actually trying to say, portray exactly what happened in those nine, ten days. historically, there has long been a strain of nationalism in indian cinema but this most recent wave is seen as quite different. 0ur early nationalist films were before independence, where it was about throwing the british out and becoming an independent country. there were a lot of those in various guises. and of course, a newly independent india, again, is nationalistic, very nation—building. we had mother india, in 1957, which was about nargis being a farmer with a plough, and raising her sons alone because the husband was a useless guy, so very much nationalistic, honouring the peasant, honouring the worker kind of nationalism. very genuine. it had really something to say, it had a comment, also a socio—economic comment not just about politics. this trend of patriotic films seems more politically—driven by nationalist sentiment. it has not yet become a permanent component of indian cinema today

but it is certainly moving in that direction. yes, there are a lot of films which are coming out which are based on patriotism and i think in the next one or two years there are going to be a lot, a lot, lot more. short films in india have seen a major resurgence in recent times. many of these shorts explore the struggle facing women in india, especially around the issues of violence and equality. tariq vasudeva, a short film—maker himself, takes an inside look at the growth of short films. short films in india have recently made a strong impression at major international film festivals. circus, a short film that i wrote and directed, explores the visible class and gender divide in urban india. the film reflects the challenges faced by indian society in understanding cases

of violence against women. counterfeit kunkoo, directed by reema sengupta, is another short film that explores the unequal treatment of a single woman in mumbai, who is unable to find a house without her husband. the objective was always cinema for social change. that is what i really, really wanted to do. sengupta found that this story resonated with people from all over the world. i remember there was this, i think, 70—year—old woman who came to me and said that her mother experienced housing discrimination like this in newjersey of the 70s. and when we were screening in la, i remember there was this indian woman came up to me at the end of it, held my hand and said, "i am starting my life again from scratch after 18 years of a bad marriage and watching your film made me feel like i will be fine." and that was definitely the most fulfilling moment of the entire festival journey for us.

there is an overwhelming desire among short film—makers in india to break the stereotype associated with the typical song and dance bollywood musicals. at once daring and provocative, many short films are confidently following a style of realism that hopes to mirror the glaring inequalities in indian society. many of these films also have a strong sense of artistic freedom in their cinematic choices. guneet monga was executive producer on the oscar—winning short documentary film, period.end of sentence. the film follows a group of local women in the small town of hapur india as they learn to operate a machine that makes low—cost biodegradable sanitary pads, which they then sell to other women at affordable prices. monga is also content advisor for digital platforms,

flipkartand mubi, which are showing a keen interest in the short film format. mubi, already an established online portals for arthouse cinema in other countries, has recently launched in india. flipkart has also commissioned many short films. the access has increased and that is directly related to the need in the business that has increased, which is why there are so many shorts being commission and, for me, the most exciting part is it allows me to interact with other film—makers, first—time directors, dops, editors, producers, costume designers, production designers. sengupta and monga believe short films are able to lead the charge of a new dawn of realistic indian cinema, due to the advent of many digital platforms that are adding short films to their catalogue. what is really exciting about say the last five years, is that it's being looked at as its own medium so, as that trend is taking over, of course, instead of a feature film, a shot film is also being consumed as an independent content piece. it going to create more

market opportunities and it is going to force the industry to have a very democratic approach of infusing more people. the power is going to democratise with many more people thanjust a few film families, because it is going tojust expand and that is what is happening and that's what i'm excited about. that brings this a special india edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you've enjoyed the show. please remember, you can always reach us online and you can find us on facebook too. from me, tom brook, and the rest of the production crew, here in mumbai, it is goodbye, as we leave you with a clip from gully boy, the film that india has put forward this year for academy awards consideration. music playing

hello there. good morning. signs of change towards the end of the coming week. but new month, same old cold out across the uk.

we're dominated by this cold area of high pressure. the last of the mild air that was towards the south—west and the channel islands, together with out the front which brought some pockets of light rain, that's moving away now, getting blown away by the breeze. head further north, though, there are still some patches of fog through the midlands, maybe solway firth, and into the central belt of scotland. a few showers around the coasts of northern ireland and the far north of scotland, but generally the northern half of the uk starting cold and frosty widely. more patchy frost further south we have that breeze. and that will tend to lift the mist and fog through the midlands much more quickly. further north, a few patches may linger until the middle part of the day, at least. but generally it becomes dry and sunny. got a breeze across the north of scotland, down those north sea coast, and particularly data into kent. these are the temperatures for the first day of december. similar to what we had on saturday.

not quite as chilly as it was through the midlands with more sunshine here as there will be in the south—west of england where it will be dry. high pressure, cold air continues overnight as we head into monday. but signs of change into the north—west. 0ur air beginning to come in from the atlantic. while there'll be a patchy frost for scotland and northern ireland on monday morning it won't be as cold, with the frost more widely after a starry night we will have plenty of sunshine on monday and lighter winds. south—westerly breezes will both brett more cloud into northern ireland and particularly into scotland, where we'll see pockets of rain into the north of the country, where temperatures may actually get into double figures. for many, temperatures will be at sixes and sevens. we've got high pressure dominating then at the moment. gradually, as we head into tuesday and wednesday, it slips away into continental europe, getting eroded by these mild atlantic winds. with higher pressure close to southern parts of england where the winds are lighter, skies clear, we've got to maybe worry about some mist, fog, and low cloud in the morning.

that could linger, actually, until around about lunchtime before tending to lift ans breakup. it should be a dry day on tuesday, even across the north of scotland. some sunshine for northern ireland. and those temperatures typically at sixes and sevens once again. another chilly sort of day on wednesday. gradually, later on in the week, it turns milder, it turns windier, and we will see some patchy rain are mainly in the north and west.

welcome to bbc news. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: the first victim of the london bridge terror attack to be named is jack merritt, killed while running a prisoner rehabilitation conference to which his assailant was invited. the attacker, usman khan, was jailed seven years ago for terrorism offences but freed last year. hello, and welcome to bbc news. the first of the victims of friday's terror attack in central london has been named as jack merritt, a cambridge graduate who was helping coordinate a conference on prisoner rehabilitation near london bridge.