Rail strikes to hit Northern, Southern and Merseyrail

Passengers on three train companies across England are to see action by striking union members on Monday.

Northern staff are on the last day of a three-day strike, while Merseyrail staff are on strike for the day and also plan action on 23 July.

Southern workers plan to walk out on a one-day strike.

The RMT union is in dispute with the companies over driver-only-operated trains, which it says would be unsafe and lead to widespread job losses.

"The threat to abolish guards and introduce driver-only-operated trains is only part of the wider attack on rail services," said the RMT.

The union said the dispute is not about pay or conditions but strike action is over "concern about passenger safety".

In April RMT members demonstrated against the proposals and to mark the one-year anniversary of its dispute with Southern rail.

• Northern strike timetable
• Merseyrail strike timetable
• Southern strike timetable

Sharon Keith, regional director at Northern, said: "We are doing everything we can to keep our customers on the move during the three days of industrial action affecting our network."

Northern said it expected to run more than 40% of its timetable and it would have additional rail replacement buses

However, all services are expected to be extremely busy and travellers should allow extra time for their journeys, the company said.

Most services are to run between 7:00 and 19:00 BST with many routes winding down from late afternoon.

Merseyrail trains are to run from 07:00 to 19:00 but some stations will be closed. There will be no trains running on the Ellesmere Port, Hunts Cross and Kirkby lines.

Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, managing director, said customers were urged to check before travelling.

He added: "The team has put together the best possible timetable that we can to provide a limited train service on both strike days."

According to Southern, the industrial action on 10 July is "not expected to have any further affect on services".

An ASLEF union driver overtime ban continues.

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East London acid attack: John Tomlin arrested

A man named as the chief suspect in an acid attack in east London has handed himself in to police.

Two people suffered "life-changing" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows.

Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar, 37, had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack.

John Tomlin, 24, has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, the Metropolitan Police said.

He walked into an east London police station on Sunday and remains in custody.

Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June.

Police said they had stopped at traffic lights when a man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window.

The attacker then threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar before fleeing the scene.

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Charlie Gard: High Court to hear new evidence in case

The High Court will hear fresh evidence in the case of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard later.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has referred the case back to court after reports of new data from foreign healthcare facilities.

Charlie's parents had made several unsuccessful challenges to a decision to end the 11-month-old's life support.

On Sunday his parents handed in a 350,000-signature petition calling for him to travel to the US for treatment.

Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene, affecting the cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator.

GOSH describes proposed experimental therapies as "unjustified" and said the treatments being offered are not a cure.

However, the hospital's decision to go back to court came after researchers at two international healthcare facilities said they have "fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment".

Charlie's mother Connie Yates and father Chris Gard, from Bedfont in west London, said they are determined to continue their fight for their son to have nucleoside therapy.

Mr Gard said they needed a specialist in Charlie's condition and therefore need to send him to America to "give him the chance he deserves".

Ms Yates added: "We have seven doctors supporting us from all around the world.

"There is up to 10% chance that this treatment may work and that's a chance worth taking.

"He's our son, he's our flesh and blood. We feel that it should be our right as parents to decide to give him a chance at life.

"There is nothing to lose, he deserves a chance."

US President Donald Trump and the Vatican have supported the parents' campaign for Charlie to be treated abroad, but a leading expert has described interventions from high-profile figures as "unhelpful".

Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said in an open letter that Charlie's situation is "heartbreaking" for his parents, but added that even well-meaning interventions from outsiders can be unhelpful.

Mr Gard said: "If we won the court case and we got to America, and then within the first week of treatment he started suffering and he was in pain, we would let him go.

"This isn't about us. This is about Charlie and giving him the chance he needs."

Mr Justice Francis is due to hear fresh submissions on Monday afternoon.

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Camden Lock Market fire: Seventy firefighters at blaze

Seventy firefighters have been tackling a "significant" blaze at the famous Camden Lock Market in north London.

London Fire Brigade said 10 fire engines were sent to the site, which is a popular tourist attraction.

One eyewitness said the fire was moving "very fast" and there were fears of an explosion in nearby buildings.

London Ambulance Service said it had not treated any patients but remained at the scene. The Metropolitan Police also attended the incident.

Explosion fear

Witness Joan Ribes, 24, said: "I was just passing by when I saw the fire and they started to get firefighters and police, it was all very fast.

"We called the police to close the street to the traffic because it was very dangerous, the fire was flying through the air to the surrounding areas.

"The fire was moving very fast. People were watching, but we were scared the building could explode at any time since there are restaurants with kitchens nearby."

The ambulance service said it sent a clinical team leader and a Hazardous Area Response Team.

A police spokeswoman said: "London Fire Brigade were already at the scene when officers arrived. It is unknown at this stage if any persons are injured."

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Theresa May to launch fight-back with 'fairer Britain' vow

Theresa May is to say she has an "unshakeable sense of purpose" to build a "fairer Britain" in her first big speech since losing her majority.

The prime minister will say her commitment to changing the country is "undimmed" a year after taking office.

But she will acknowledge her reduced voting power in the Commons after her election gamble backfired.

And in the speech, on Tuesday, she will urge other parties to work with her on ideas to tackle "unfairness".

Ministers loyal to Mrs May have dismissed reports of plots to remove her as drink-fuelled "gossip", but Labour remains on an election footing, with leader Jeremy Corbyn saying he hopes for a fresh poll in September.

'Gig economy'

Mrs May will return to the message from her first day in Downing Street last July, when she succeeded David Cameron, and vow to lead what she called a "one nation" government that works for all and not just the "privileged few".

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said: "You won't hear anyone in Downing Street call it a re-launch or a fightback, but after the tumult, the commotion of the last few months - voluntarily calling an election in which she went backwards - Theresa May will this week attempt to regain the political initiative".

Analysis

By BBC political correspondent Chris Mason

Theresa May's speech is a pitch for cross-party consensus.

"Come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle" the challenges the country faces, Mrs May will say, adding: "We may not agree on everything, but ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."

Bluntly, it is an explicit acknowledgement of her fragility; her authority and majority shrivelled.

Government sources say it is a mature approach that maintains a commitment to taking on big, difficult and complex challenges; not just Brexit but reform of social care, too, for instance.

Labour says Mrs May's speech proves the Conservatives have "completely run out of ideas" and were reduced to "begging" for policy proposals from them.

In her speech, the PM will say that though the result of June's election was not what she wanted, "those defining beliefs remain, my commitment to change in Britain is undimmed".

Her "belief in the potential of the British people and what we can achieve together as a nation remains steadfast, and the determination I have to get to grips with the challenges posed by a changing world never more sure", she will say.

She will say she is convinced that the path she set out in her first speech outside Number 10 remains the right one.

"It will lead to the stronger, fairer Britain that we need."

She will launch a review - of casual and low-paid work - by Matthew Taylor, a former top adviser to Tony Blair, which she commissioned when she became prime minister.

It is thought Mr Taylor, who has been examining the use of zero-hours contracts and the rise in app-based firms such as Uber and Deliveroo, will stop short of calling for a compulsory minimum wage for those employed in the so-called gig economy, who do not have guaranteed hours or pay rates.

But he is expected to propose a series of extra rights for those in insecure jobs and could also recommend shaking up the tax system to reduce the gap between employees and the self-employed.

He is also likely to call for measures to improve job satisfaction for people working in minimum wage jobs, according to The Guardian.

'Battle of ideas'

In her speech, Mrs May will say: "When I commissioned this report I led a majority government in the House of Commons. The reality I now face as prime minister is rather different.

"In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in Parliament as well as in the country.

"So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons... come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.

"We may not agree on everything, but through debate and discussion - the hallmarks of our parliamentary democracy - ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."

She will acknowledge the fragile nature of her position in the Commons but insist it will not stop her taking "the bold action necessary to secure a better future".

BBC NEWS

Cardinal Pell returns to Australia to fight charges

The Vatican treasurer, Cardinal George Pell, has returned to Australia as he prepares to defend himself against sexual assault charges.

The 76-year-old cleric, a top adviser to Pope Francis, was photographed at Sydney Airport early on Monday. He had arrived from the Vatican via Singapore.

Police have said the accusations relate to alleged "historical" incidents.

Cardinal Pell, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing, is due to face a Melbourne court on 26 July.

Australia's most senior Catholic figure was granted a leave of absence from the Vatican to fight the charges.

He did not make any comment on arrival in Sydney, local media said.

Victoria Police said the accusations arose from "multiple complainants".

Last month, Cardinal Pell told a news conference at the Holy See that he would travel to Australia if his doctors permitted it.

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"I'm looking forward finally to having my day in court," he said.

"I am innocent of these charges, they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me."

Cardinal Pell is considered the third-ranking official in the Holy See.

BBC NEWS

Kenya's president warns judiciary not to help opposition

Kenya's president has warned the country's judiciary not to help the opposition throw the next election into disarray.

The presidential poll will take place next month and Uhuru Kenyatta is seeking re-election.

On Friday, after a case brought by the opposition, the High Court ordered the electoral commission not to print ballot papers.

Mr Kenyatta insisted the election would go ahead as planned.

"This kind of intimidation will not be allowed and the election date will not change," he said.

He said the judiciary could not claim independence and then use it to interfere with the functioning of the executive and other arms of government.

The High Court argued that the tendering process for the ballot papers had not been transparent enough.

The opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) alleged that the president had links to Al Ghurair, the Dubai-based firm that won the $24m (£18m) tender.

Al Ghurair and Mr Kenyatta deny any wrongdoing.

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The judges ruled that the company could still print ballots for the parliamentary and county elections, but the tender for presidential ballots should be re-advertised.

Local media have reported that whoever takes on the job of printing and distributing the ballot papers will have just 30 days to do what is usually a 45-day task.

In a separate development, Raila Odinga, Mr Kenyatta's main contender, was taken ill and admitted to hospital on Sunday with what his campaign team said was suspected food poisoning.

Mr Odinga, speaking shortly after he was discharged from the hospital in the coastal city of Mombasa, said that he was "fit as a fiddle".

"I had stomach pains, which have since disappeared after getting treatment," Mr Odinga said, adding: "I have been discharged to go to Nairobi to continue with my campaigns."

Meanwhile, several people have reportedly been killed in clashes between rival political groups, rekindling memories of post-election violence in 2007-2008 that left more than 1,000 people dead.

BBC NEWS

US laptop ban lifted on Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian

Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian have become the latest Middle Eastern airlines to let passengers take laptops in the cabin on US-bound flights.

Both carriers said they had worked with US officials to tighten security checks on flights from Kuwait and Jordan.

The US imposed the ban in March on direct flights from eight mainly Muslim countries to address fears that bombs could be concealed in the devices.

Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways became exempt last week.

Royal Jordanian, which flies to three US cities from Amman, the Jordanian capital, lifted the ban after new security measures were implemented for US-bound flights, airline president Stefan Pichler said.

State-owned Kuwait Airways, which flies from Kuwait to New York via Ireland, said the ban was lifted after US officials inspected security measures on its flights.

Airport security

Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security announced measures requiring additional time to screen passengers and electronic devices on US-bound flights from 105 countries.

Airlines expressed hopes at the time that the changes would pave the way for the lifting of the electronics ban.

Airlines in Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are yet to announce a lifting of the ban.

Saudia, the flagship carrier for Saudi Arabia, has said passengers would be able to take personal electronic devices on US flights from 19 July.

Royal Air Maroc also believes it can have the ban lifted for flights out of Casablanca by the same date, a senior official told Reuters last week.

BBC NEWS

Donald Trump Jr 'met Russia lawyer for Clinton information'

US President Donald Trump's son agreed to meet a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer last year after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reports.

Donald Trump Jr said he met Natalia Veselnitskaya but that "no meaningful information" on Mrs Clinton was shared.

Also at the meeting was the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign head Paul J Manafort.

US officials are investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

The FBI and Congress are both looking at whether Trump campaign officials colluded with the alleged Kremlin plot. The inquiries have yet to show evidence of collusion.

The meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya took place on 9 June 2016 at New York's Trump Tower, just two weeks after Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination.

It is thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and a member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle.

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The New York Times first reported the meeting on Saturday. At the time, both Mr Trump Jr and Ms Veselnitskaya confirmed the meeting but said the US presidential campaign was not discussed.

On Sunday, the New York Times said that Mr Trump Jr had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton, who was Democratic presidential candidate at the time.

The New York Times cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge for it, as its sources.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Trump Jr said an acquaintance had asked him to meet "an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign".

"I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared [Kushner] and Paul [Manafort] to attend, but told them nothing of the substance."

"After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs Clinton."

"Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information," he added.

Mr Trump Jr said Ms Veselnitskaya then moved the conversation to a suspended programme for Americans to adopt Russian children.

"It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting."

---

Analysis: One piece of an unseemly puzzle?

Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter

If it walks like collusion and talks like collusion... what exactly is it?

For the first time there appears to be direct evidence that three individuals in US President Donald Trump's inner circle met with a well-connected Russian prior to the presidential election where the campaign - including the possibility of damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton - was discussed.

Donald Trump Jr has denied that anything relevant came out of the meeting, but that could be beside the point. Intent is key, and this may end up just one piece of a particularly unseemly puzzle.

This is also troubling news for the two other principals involved - son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign chair Paul J Manafort - who are both embroiled in their own Russia-related controversies.

In May the president insisted that he had not colluded with the Russians, "but I can only speak for myself," he said. Some in his administration may have swallowed hard at that line - and now three individuals, if the New York Times is right, are leaking dynamite to the press.

Try as they might, the Trump team cannot seem to escape this Russia-related vortex. It makes one wonder what grim reality spins beneath the surface, pulling everyone down.

---

There was no immediate comment from Mr Kushner and Mr Manafort.

Mr Kushner's lawyer said he had previously disclosed the meeting on security clearance forms.

A spokesman for President Trump's legal team said on Sunday that the president was "not aware of and did not attend" the 2016 meeting between Mr Trump Jr and Ms Veselnitskaya.

President Vladimir Putin suspended the adoption programme cited by Mr Trump Jr in 2012 after the US Congress voted in a law to allow the US to withhold visas and freeze financial assets of Russian officials thought to have been involved with human rights violations.

Ms Veselnitskaya, who played a key role campaigning against the law, said on Saturday that "nothing at all was discussed about the presidential campaign."

"I have never acted on behalf of the Russian government and have never discussed any of these matters with any representative of the Russian government."

US intelligence agencies believe Moscow tried to tip the election in favour of Mr Trump - claims the Russian government has denied.

Last week Mr Trump said interference in the election "could well have been" carried out by countries other than Russia and interference "has been happening for a long time".

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