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tv   BBC News  BBC News  March 21, 2024 11:45am-12:01pm GMT

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as he was preparing to serve — struggling with dizziness. he was deemed fit enough to play though — and ended up losing in three sets to murray — who won the final one 6—4 to reach the second round where he will face argentine 29th seed tomas martin etcheverry — who beat him earlier this year in the first round of the australian open. aryna sabalenka has said �*her heart is broken�* after the death of her ex—boyfriend. konstantin koltsov — a former belarusian professional ice hockey player — was found dead at a hotel in miami on monday. police investigating the death have said it was an "apparent suicide" after they found no evidence of "foul play". sabalenka — who is seeded second at the miami open, is set to continue playing — and will face a close friend spaniard paula badosa on friday. badosa admitted playing against sabalenka will be uncomfortable. its a big night for wales later — they face finland at the cardiff city stadium, in their euro 2024 qualifying playoff semi—final. the winner will face poland or estonia next tuesday to decide who makes it to germany this summer. having failed to qualify for a major tournament between 1958 and 2016, wales are aiming to reach their 3rd successive euros — and the pressure of playoff football is nothing new for the welsh,
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who memorably beat austria and ukraine in 2022 en—route to qualifying for their first world cup in 64 years. rob page's side must now replicate those performances, difference to italy, drawing 0—0 away in theirfinal game when they needed a win to progress. they're aiming to qualify for their fourth successive european championship.
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arsenals oleksandr zinchenko he knows its going to be tough. of course, we know it is going to be tough, because first of all, they have an amazing team, they also have some experienced players which are going to share their experience with the others, and obviously, every national team place much better in front of theirfans, national team place much better in front of their fans, so we are expecting a very tough game, and hopefully, we can fight and show our best performance. here's the full set of qualifying playoffs scheduled for later on with the winners of the bosnia—herzegovina against ukraine tie, up against israel or iceland. luxembourg are only two games away fron their first ever major tournament. they visit georgia before a potential final against either kazakhstan or greece for the right to reach the finals in germany. elsewhere — brazil's lucas paqueta says he will help as much as he can with an investigation into potential breaches of betting rules. last august, sources told bbc sport
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that paqueta was being investigated by the football association. paqueta has continued to play for his club west ham and is in the brazil squad for a friendly with england on saturday. i was advised not to talk about it, but it has been seven months since it happened, and i am cooperating. i am doing everything possible to continue this way. playing in the national team was always my dream, the dream of any child, so to be back makes me feel more privileged, as i used to say a long time ago: i think i have been going at good job with my club, i am enjoying my football, i am try to allow anything happening outside to affect me. in formula 1, red bulls max verstappen is hoping to make it 3 wins from 3 at the melbourne grand prix this weekend. he's comfortably dominated the first two races — although those victories at bahrain and saudi arabia have been overshadowed by allegations of misconduct against red bulls team principle christian horner, by a female employee.
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despite the controversy, world champion verstappen is feeling positive they'll continue their good form on the track: adding it has been a good start to the fme in the car, a good balance, but also, we operated really well without too many mistakes. so, yes, very happy with that. i have of course we can continue that way. we tried to keep on learning, we can do better, but it has been very positive. meanwhile, susie wolff — the director of the fi academy series for aspiring female drivers — and also the wife of mercedes team principle toto wolff — has taken legal action against the motorsport�*s governing body — the fia — this following their controversial "conflict of interest" inquiry into her last year. seven—time champion lewis hamilton has praised susie wolff for taking legal action against the fia, saying "in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message". the mercedes driver also criticised the fia saying there is no accountability and no transprancy. and that's all the sport for now. we will be back later, you can catch
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all of the latest news over on our website at bbc dutch, forwards sport. see you later. this you are watching bbc news, now, a reminder that at midday, in nine minutes, we will get the bank of england's decision on interest rates. at the moment, they are at 5.2%, and they are expected to remain at that level for a fifth time in a row. we will have that decision for you life here on bbc news. stay with us until midday. first, i want to turn to the post office scandal. an expert witness was asked by a post office prosecutor to change his testimony in a case that resulted in a post mistress being wrongfullyjailed. fujitsu engineer garethjenkins rephrased parts of a report on the horizon it system after receiving advice this
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from his barrister. as our business correspondent marc ashdown reports. the horizon it system was central to the post office scandal. testimony supporting its credibility was used time and again to prosecute sub—postmasters accused of theft or fraud. one was seema misra, accused of stealing £75,000, and eventually sent to jail while she was pregnant. at her trial in 2010, garethjenkins was called as an expert witness, who must act independently of the post office. documents submitted to the public inquiry and seen by the bbc raise questions aboutjust how well he carried out that role. garethjenkins sent his draft witness statement to warwick tatford, a barrister working for the post office. he said he could not 10% — we now know he meant 100% — rule out problems with the horizon screens as a possible cause for some of the shortfalls. mr tatford responded asking him to please rephrase, as this would be taken as a damaging concession. in his final written testimony
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of mrjenkins stated no scenario had something more serious. by law all the draft document should have been shared with seema misra's defence team. but all they saw was the final version after all the changes had been made. she told us she found it horrible, the idea that words were being put into the mouth of an expert witness. herformer solicitor said it was clear her client had been denied a fair trial. seema misra has previously told bbc breakfast about the toll her conviction has taken on her. if i wouldn't been pregnant i would have killed myself.
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because for me like i gave a bad name to my family, being to prison. so i would say the youngest one kept me alive, and the eldest one kept my husband allowed. kept my husband alive. so, it was really bad. i never thought i would come out alive from there. so each and every happy moment of my life since 2005, the post office ruined it. giving evidence to the public inquiry, warwick tatford apologised unreservedly to seema misra, and added this admission. i think it is unfair and i am sorry for that. ican... i think what i was doing wasjust trying to clarify matters and make things clear. but i do agree that i have overstepped the mark there. the metropolitan police is currently investigating mrjenkins and one other fujitsu employee to establish whether they should face criminal charges. what this evidence shows is that the net probably should be widening to taking a much wider group of people, including lawyers
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working within the post office and outside the post office. neither mrjenkins nor mr tatford felt it appropriate to comment further at this stage. the post office said it was focused on righting the wrongs of the past. marc ashdown, bbc news. we are coming up to five to 12. five minutes until the bank of and releases it's decision on interest rates. there is a bank. at the moment, interest rates are 5.25%, they are expected to remain at that level for a fifth time in a row. the bank, of course, has been trying to reduce inflation without harming the economy. if they do stay the same, we will also be looking for any sort of signalfrom the we will also be looking for any sort of signal from the bank about when a future rate decision will be, and whether they will come down. now, today's decision comes after those lower than expected inflation
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figures for february released yesterday. of course, prices are not falling, they are only rising less quickly than they were previously. inflation, that is the rate at which prices rise over time, has of course been gradually falling since it hit ii.i% been gradually falling since it hit 11.1% in october 2022, so, we are expecting the decision from the bank of england very shortly as to whether they will keep them on hold for the fifth time in a row at 5.25%. let us talk to a mortgage broker with fb mortgages. thank you forjoining us. what do you think they will do, will they stay at 5.25%? they will do, will they stay at 5.2596? , ~ ., ., ., 4' 5.2596? yes, i think we are looking at them remaining _ 5.2596? yes, i think we are looking at them remaining the _ 5.2596? yes, i think we are looking at them remaining the same, - 5.2596? yes, i think we are looking at them remaining the same, i - 5.2596? yes, i think we are looking i at them remaining the same, i don't think we will see any changes today. you deal with mortgages, how difficult is the mortgage market? yes, we are seeing people now coming to the end of their two—year, three—year, five year rates, and they have gone up significantly from
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five years ago. the worst i have seen was injanuary, someone paid £2000 a month, now it is £4000 a month. people will be affected. haw month. people will be affected. how do ou month. people will be affected. how do you help — month. people will be affected. how do you help people deal with that, how do you help find the best deal? yes, so what we have seen is, when i'm started back in 2016, the average person would take 25 years. we are seeing 35 year and 45 year mortgages. i am seeing people asking about interest on mortgages to try to bring the monthly cost down. we have seen a lot of different mortgage deals from some of the big high street lenders, but they often don't last very long. before, people had a chance to think about it, now, some are only there for days, aren't they? some are only there for days, aren't the ? , ., , ., , ., they? yes, i mean, this has not happened _ they? yes, i mean, this has not happened as — they? yes, i mean, this has not happened as much, _ they? yes, i mean, this has not happened as much, but - they? yes, i mean, this has not happened as much, but back. they? yes, i mean, this has not happened as much, but back in| happened as much, but back in december, the rates werejust
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getting old, everything... we definitely struggled with that, it is quite volatile, and if you commit to a rate, it can change significantly.— to a rate, it can change sianificantl . ~ ., . , ., , significantly. when a customer comes to ou and significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: _ significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: i _ significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: i am _ significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: i am looking - significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: i am looking for- significantly. when a customer comes to you and says: i am looking for a . to you and says: i am looking for a mortgage. what is your advice at the moment? is it to go on a variable, or would you say fixed? how do you gauge what is best for a customer? every single client is different, it depends on their risk. we have some clients who followed the interest rates and believed they would see positive change within the next year or two, so therefore, they are related to assessing in two years' time. other clients, actually, they are happy with the interest rate now, at a five year rate, they want stability for five years regardless of what happens, they want to know they are paying each month, so they decide to stick with five years. it depends on the client and their attitude to risk right now. variable rates, we are seeing them, but they
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are a lot higher in interest, and it is hard to everyone. it is the only option right now that you have to do coming and you have to decide if it is a short term and longer. the? is a short term and longer. they work out how — is a short term and longer. they work out how much _ is a short term and longer. they work out how much money - is a short term and longer. they work out how much money they have got, and if you have a rate you can guarantee for them for a certain period of time, then they are likely to get that?— period of time, then they are likely to netthat? , ~ ., _ ., to get that? yes. and obviously, one ofthe to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things — to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things we _ to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things we have _ to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things we have seen _ to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things we have seen is - to get that? yes. and obviously, one of the things we have seen is that. of the things we have seen is that sometimes people are going for a variable rate, but they don't realise their payments have gone up significantly, then they get into arrears on their mortgage and are unable to move banks, then they are unable to move banks, then they are unable to move banks, then they are unable to fix things with their lender, so that can cause a catastrophic impact for the client. is the advice to think early about this and with people who have their fixed term is coming up, before all of the interest rates rises came out, that is the key thing, look ahead? ~,,. , out, that is the key thing, look ahead? ~ , ., ., ., , ahead? absolutely, to one of my clients, i recommend _ ahead? absolutely, to one of my clients, i recommend that - ahead? absolutely, to one of my clients, i recommend that they l ahead? absolutely, to one of my - clients, i recommend that they speak to me six months in advance before their mortgage rate comes to an end. i will then look at the best rate available today, we will fix that
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aim, and if interest rates were to go down, i would monitor the market for them so that if interest rates go down, we can change banks or secure a lower rate. do not hold off, speak to an adviser, speak to someone, if they do go down, you can change it. you don't commit until it completes. change it. you don't commit until it completes-— change it. you don't commit until it completes. 0k, say rivers. it is now exactly midday- _ completes. 0k, say rivers. it is now exactly midday. you _ completes. 0k, say rivers. it is now exactly midday. you are _ completes. 0k, say rivers. it is now exactly midday. you are watching i completes. 0k, say rivers. it is now. exactly midday. you are watching bbc news, this is the same light at the bank of england, while we are expecting, in the next few moments, to get the decision from the bank of england on interest rates. what happens is, it goes to the financial markets, and then it goes out to us in the studio. we are waiting, and i can now tell you that uk interest rates are held at 5.25%. so, it is a hold, as they expected, 5.25% interest rates held for a fifth time
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interest rates held for a fifth time in a row. widely expected decision, as i said, but it means that the cost of borrowing doesn't stay at eight�*s highest level for 16 years. the bank has been keeping interest rates high to try to slow those sharply rising prices, but after inflation fell to its's lowest level inflation fell to its's lowest level in d .5 years last month, economists do expect rates to fall injune. megan is still with us. they are remaining at 2.5%. you were right. i thought so. and we are talking about whether the bank is giving us any indication as to whether they will come down in the future. do you think they are likely to? the exerts think they are likely to? the experts that _ think they are likely to? the experts that i've _ think they are likely to? tue: experts that i've been think they are likely to? tte: experts that i've been listening think they are likely to? tt2 experts that i've been listening to and hearing, we'll see some changes by august, start going down, but i think the days of one to 2% interest

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