29/03/2014 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon. A nurse accused of murdering three patients at Stepping

Hill Hospital in Stockport has appeared before magistrates in

Manchester. Victorino Chua, who's 48, is also accused of 31 other

offences, including attempted poisoning. Our correspondent Ed

Thomas has sent this report. After two years on bail, the moment

Victorino Chua was rearrested by police. The former nurses suspected

of poisoning patients at Stepping Hill Hospital. Today the 40 age old

arrived at Manchester magistrates court to face more than 30 charges.

-- 48-year-old. They included three counts of murder, 22 counts of

grievous bodily harm with intent, and seven counts of attempting to

poison. Standing in the dock, Victorino Chua listened intently as

the names of alleged victims were read out. The 48-year-old only spoke

to confirm his name, age and address, and string each --

answering each question with the word yes. It is nearly three years

since police were called to Stepping Hill in July 2011 after the deaths

of 44-year-old Tracy Arden, Arnold Lancaster, who was 71, and 83 rolled

Derek Weaver. Detectives believe they were given saline contaminated

with insulin. Today Victorino Chua was remanded in custody. There was

no application for bail and he will appear next week at a Crown Court.

The first same-sex weddings are taking place in England and Wales

after the law enabling them to go ahead came into force at midnight.

David Cameron said gay marriage sent a powerful message about equality in

Britain, but some religious groups remain opposed. Reeta Chakrabarti

reports. This report contains flash photography.

I am now very happy to announce that you are now legally husband... Just

after midnight they were pronounced husband and husband, although the

squeals of delight drowned out the words. In London and in Brighton,

men were marrying men, same-sex marriage had legally arrived, and

today there was more to come. Same-sex couples have been waiting

for this day for years all across the country. It marks a moment of

major social change and also of intense personal joy. I am so happy,

we will celebrate the rest of the day. It means so much to us that we

have our friends and loved ones here, brilliant, unbelievable. They

could have had a civil partnership, which would have given them almost

identical legal rights, but they held out for today. The Government

brought same-sex marriage into law last year. This morning David

Cameron tweeted this message, congratulations to the gay couples

who have already been married, and my best wishes to those about to be

Mrs toric day. Some, like this Huddersfield couple, are having a

humanist ceremony, but they could not have a church wedding even if

they wanted one, as the law prevents the Church of England from

conducting them and allows other religious groups to refused to

perform them. We cannot just redefine an institution that always

has been because we say it is something that we want. This is very

self-centred, this is not about rights, it is about seeking cultural

dominance and seeking to redefine marriage for all of us. There is a

deep vein of dissent, but overall this is a big moment in society's

concept of what marriage is - a ritual that millions of heterosexual

couples have for centuries taken for granted has been opened up to any

couple, regardless of which gender they love.

In Afghanistan, Taliban militants have attacked the headquarters of

the country's election commission, launching rocket-propelled grenades

and firing heavy machine guns. The assault is the latest in a series

designed to disrupt next week's presidential elections.

George Osborne has once again dismissed a currency union with

Scotland in the event of Scotland becoming independent. The Chancellor

was reacting to a newspaper report today in which an anonymous minister

at Westminster was quoted as saying that a separate Scotland would be

able to keep the pound. Live now to our Scotland political editor, Brian

Taylor, who's in Aberdeen. How is this playing out of there,

Brian? You know, it possibly, potentially tilt the balance just a

bit in is quite remarkable referendum debate and contest. Why

so? Because up until now it has been a case of the pro-union side casting

doubts upon the independence of and requiring those who support

independence to offer reassurance on all of these points. This now allows

those supporting independence to cast a doubt the other way, to cast

a doubt over whether the assertions by the Treasury and others regarding

a currency union are to be trusted, or whether in fact they could be a

sterling union between Scotland and the remainder of the UK. That is why

it is difficult for those who support the Union to face this

potential doubt. It has to be stressed, though, that the

Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and others who advocate

the Union say that no-one was proximity to the reigns of power

with regards to economic decisions believes that a sterling currency

union is likely. A Chinese plane has spotted more

objects in the sea as the hunt for the missing Malaysian airliner

continues in a new search zone. Two Chinese ships are investigating

aerial sightings of debris in a part of the Indian Ocean identified by

Australian officials yesterday. It has just been revealed a number of

objects have been retrieved by two ships, but so far none has been

confirmed as being from the flight. A memorial service has been held to

remember those killed and injured when a police helicopter crashed

into a pub in Glasgow last November. Ten candles were lit at the ceremony

at St Andrew's Cathedral, one for each of the people who died. A

report into the crash said both the helicopter's engines had failed but

did not identify the cause. That's it for now. Our next bulletin

on BBC One will be at the later than usual time of 6:40 this evening.

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