0:00:06 > 0:00:09Tonight at ten, another tough month for NHS England, as accident and
0:00:09 > 0:00:16emergency departments struggle to cope with rising demand.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20The winter pressure on services, continued into January,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23which turned out to be one of the worst months
0:00:23 > 0:00:25since records began.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Many people suffered long waits on trolleys, before being admitted to
0:00:27 > 0:00:32wards, as nurses expressed their frustration.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38There is a breaking point - we wonder how long our hard work
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and goodwill and our enthusiasm and care and professional attitude,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43how that can be sustained over a long period of time.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We'll take a closer look at the figures, and at the problems
0:00:46 > 0:00:47caused by inadequate social care.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Also tonight...
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Two British extremists, believed to have been executioners
0:00:51 > 0:00:57for the Islamic State group, have reportedly been captured.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02The Bank of England says interest rates will rise sooner and further
0:01:02 > 0:01:06than previously thought to combat the threat of inflation.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Japan's ambassador visiting Downing Street, warns that firms
0:01:08 > 0:01:11won't be able to operate in the UK, if they don't have free access
0:01:11 > 0:01:12to European markets.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The stark evidence of plastic pollution -
0:01:14 > 0:01:15this time in the Arctic Sea.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19We report on the latest findings.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I've collected this waste in just a few seconds.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Some of the fragments may come from Norway -
0:01:23 > 0:01:26some clearly don't, like this elaborate bottle for instance,
0:01:26 > 0:01:34or this butter tub from Spain.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And, why the latest superhero film is seen as not just an adventure,
0:01:40 > 0:01:47but a major cultural statement.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Coming up in a Sportsday later in the hour on BBC News, a blow for the
0:01:51 > 0:01:55British team on the eve of the Winter Olympics. Snowboarder Katie
0:01:55 > 0:02:03Ormerod is out after breaking her heel.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16Good evening.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21The latest performance figures for accident
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and emergency units in England indicate that the pressure
0:02:23 > 0:02:26on the NHS has continued into January, which turned out to be
0:02:26 > 0:02:28one of the worst months since records began.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Many people suffered long waits on trolleys,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32before being admitted to wards - 1,000 patients waited
0:02:32 > 0:02:37longer than 12 hours.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The four hour waiting target was missed for the 30th month in a row,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42but over 85% of patients seen within that time, slightly
0:02:42 > 0:02:43better than December.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45The official target is 95%.
0:02:45 > 0:02:52Our health editor Hugh Pym has the latest.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56The NHS flat out with staff working at a frantic pace just to keep
0:02:56 > 0:02:58services running.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The system under severe strain and
0:03:01 > 0:03:01patients are feeling it.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03This mobile team is trying to help reduce
0:03:03 > 0:03:06pressure on local hospitals.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12OK, next, we will go right on to Cambridge Heath Road...
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Here, a senior A&E
0:03:13 > 0:03:17consultant is out on the road with a paramedic,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19literally taking hospital standard care to patients at home.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21So they don't need to go to hospital.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25It's a partnership between London Air Ambulance, London
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Ambulance Service, and Barts Health.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30They see an elderly man with dementia who has been
0:03:30 > 0:03:31in and out of hospital.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36And ensure that he's safe to be left at home with his carer.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38We carry with us a laptop, giving us direct access
0:03:38 > 0:03:39to the same hospital system...
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Job!
0:03:41 > 0:03:42That we have...
0:03:42 > 0:03:48Yes, we've got another job.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Every day they see the intense pressures on the NHS.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52There's a lot of frustration.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54What we want is at the end of
0:03:54 > 0:03:58the day, we want to be able to say that we have done the best for our
0:03:58 > 0:03:59patients.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And when the system makes that difficult that can be very
0:04:01 > 0:04:02frustrating.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Working in an overly congested system sometimes leaves us
0:04:05 > 0:04:07feeling that we simply cannot deliver the best
0:04:07 > 0:04:08possible care for our patients.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Congestion was certainly clear in major hospitals
0:04:10 > 0:04:15from early in January with overcrowding and trolleys in
0:04:15 > 0:04:17corridors and ambulances queueing outside hospitals waiting to hand
0:04:17 > 0:04:20over their patients.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22This nurse in Leeds says even though thousands of
0:04:22 > 0:04:24routine operations were postponed to help
0:04:24 > 0:04:25the system the pressure is
0:04:25 > 0:04:29intolerable.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I don't know whether it's sustainable at the moment.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's how long we
0:04:34 > 0:04:36can maintain this professionalism and keenness and caring attitude.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38It
0:04:38 > 0:04:40won't go but it is wondering...
0:04:40 > 0:04:44People will crack.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Some take the view that this winter's problems in hospitals
0:04:48 > 0:04:50are down to years of underfunding and not enough capacity to meet
0:04:50 > 0:04:51demand.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Over the last seven or eight years we've cut the number of
0:04:56 > 0:05:01acute beds in our hospitals which is now unfortunately chickens coming
0:05:01 > 0:05:05home to roost and we need to redress that balance as a matter of urgency.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Nice and smooth, actually, someone's looking after you well.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Keeping people out of hospital is the aim of
0:05:10 > 0:05:13this scheme.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Eliza is in a residential home.
0:05:15 > 0:05:21Her carers were concerned about her condition.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23The team had enough time to carry out a
0:05:23 > 0:05:26range of checks to allow her to stay where she is.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28In the three and a half months since it was relaunched
0:05:28 > 0:05:32as the seven day a week service more than 300 patients have been treated
0:05:32 > 0:05:35at home who otherwise would have needed ambulances to take them to
0:05:35 > 0:05:36A&E.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Some of them would otherwise have been admitted to hospital, so
0:05:38 > 0:05:43beds have been freed up for others.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45It's just one local answer to the problem.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The government says more money was invested in the budget but
0:05:48 > 0:05:52the strain in the NHS this winter suggests there's no sign of any
0:05:52 > 0:05:53respite.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Hugh Pym, BBC News.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00One of the complicating factors for the NHS,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02is that too many patients stay in hospital, because suitable
0:06:02 > 0:06:04social care is not available.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Experts say a lack of government planning and funding
0:06:06 > 0:06:08is undermining social care, at a time when demand is increasing.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12And low levels of pay mean that adult care services in England can
0:06:12 > 0:06:14no longer fill key posts, as our social affairs correspondent
0:06:14 > 0:06:21Alison Holt reports.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24It is a busy lunchtime at Northfield nursing home in Sheffield,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28demanding work for the care staff...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Who are looking after residents who may have dementia,
0:06:30 > 0:06:35problems walking or a range of chronic health conditions.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Joyce, good afternoon, only me, sorry to bother you.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Today's National Audit Office report outlines just how difficult
0:06:41 > 0:06:47it is to find people to do this vital work, but for residents
0:06:47 > 0:06:53like 97-year-old Joyce, the staff make all the difference.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It is absolutely essential, if, you know, I see the same face coming
0:06:56 > 0:07:04in in the morning and thinking, it is a friend.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The nursing lead here, Tammy Ardron, says that recruiting staff
0:07:06 > 0:07:12is a real issue for them.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16It is not as attractive as the NHS, where you have your salary
0:07:16 > 0:07:20packages, enhanced rates of pay, unsociable hours...
0:07:20 > 0:07:23And I think that it is hard work, it is busy and constant,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28you have to be on the ball 24 hours a day.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Residential and nursing homes are dealing with an increasing
0:07:32 > 0:07:35number of people with really complex needs and they need the skilled
0:07:35 > 0:07:38staff to deliver that care.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And that is why this report says the government must have a strategy
0:07:41 > 0:07:46for a sector struggling with low pay and low prestige.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51There was a staff turnover in 2016/17 of nearly 28%,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53councils spent 5.3% less than five years before, despite
0:07:53 > 0:07:59increasing demand.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02The report is clear that councils struggling with government cuts
0:08:02 > 0:08:06are not covering the real costs of care, according to the boss
0:08:06 > 0:08:09of this home, some providers have had no choice but to close or risk
0:08:09 > 0:08:14the quality of what they are doing.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16The only way that these operators can continue,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19is to cut the standard, because fundamentally,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22the funding issue is impacting on the resources, the workers,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and the delivery of care.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33A survey of local authorities in England published today says that
0:08:33 > 0:08:36nearly all planned to put up council tax to try to cope with
0:08:36 > 0:08:38growing demands for adult and children's social care.
0:08:38 > 0:08:4280% still fear for their financial stability.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47The government insists it is addressing these pressures.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49That is why they are getting more resources, real terms
0:08:49 > 0:08:52increase over two years, social care in particular,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55adult social care in the budget, over £2 billion allocated yesterday
0:08:55 > 0:08:57in Parliament I announced an additional £150 million.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00This may relieve short-term pressures but in the long term
0:09:00 > 0:09:07I accept that we need to change the approach to social care.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The Department for health and social care says it will publish a strategy
0:09:12 > 0:09:20for the health and care work shortly.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Two British men, believed to have been
0:09:25 > 0:09:27acting as executioners for the Islamic State group
0:09:27 > 0:09:30have been captured by Syrian Kurdish fighters.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31They are Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32It is understood.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33It is understood.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Along with Mohammed Emwazi, the killer nicknamed Jihadi John,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and Aine Davis, the four were nicknamed the "Beatles",
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and were linked to a wave of hostage murders in Iraq and Syria.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46Our security correspondent Gordon Corera is here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49What have you learned? No official confirmation from the British side
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but in the last few hours and American national security official
0:09:52 > 0:09:58confirmed to me the capture of these men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Elsheikh. They were part of this notorious group involved in the
0:10:01 > 0:10:07killing of its thought around two dozen hostages including British aid
0:10:07 > 0:10:09workers David Haines and Alan Henning. They got that unfortunate
0:10:09 > 0:10:14name, the Beatles. Because some of the hostages, you can see them
0:10:14 > 0:10:18because of their masks, you could hear their British accents, and of
0:10:18 > 0:10:22the four hostage-takers, Mohammed Emwazi was killed in a drone strike,
0:10:22 > 0:10:30he was dubbed Jihadi John. Aine Davis in prison in Turkey. Alexanda
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh were picked up by Kurdish forces in
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Syria, they had suspicions about the men, so approached US special
0:10:36 > 0:10:41operations who had access to them. They used biometrics to confirm
0:10:41 > 0:10:44their identities. The families of the men didn't know about this
0:10:44 > 0:10:47capture and only learned about it when the BBC approached them this
0:10:47 > 0:10:51evening. It's not clear what happened to the next, possible they
0:10:51 > 0:10:56could be sent to the US to stand trial. They were involved in the
0:10:56 > 0:10:59killing of some American hostages as well. It's even possible they could
0:10:59 > 0:11:03be send to Guantanamo Bay as Donald Trump has talked about in the past.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07It may not be an issue for the UK Government formally, as it is
0:11:07 > 0:11:11thought they may have had their UK citizenship stripped using powers
0:11:11 > 0:11:18the government now has.Thanks very much, Gordon Corera with the latest.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21The Bank of England says interest rates are likely to rise
0:11:21 > 0:11:22sooner than expected, because of strong global growth
0:11:22 > 0:11:24driving up inflation.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26The bank's latest report included improved forecasts for growth
0:11:26 > 0:11:27over the next three years.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Today, interest rates were left on hold at a half of 1%, but the
0:11:31 > 0:11:33governor Mark Carney said action would soon be needed to restrain
0:11:33 > 0:11:40inflation, as our economics editor Kamal Ahmed reports.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Stitching together a better story on the economy.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Orders for this firm in Manchester are booming,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and it's a story repeated around the country, leading to a positive
0:11:52 > 0:11:53assessment from the Bank of England.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56The last 12 months we've grown by 20% in the UK.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Europe has been much stronger than that and so we have more
0:11:59 > 0:12:01than doubled what the growth rate has been in the UK.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I'm cautiously optimistic about the future, we are making
0:12:03 > 0:12:05major investments over the next 12 months.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08For the governor, there's a simple reason for the better news.
0:12:08 > 0:12:1090% of the world economy is now growing above trend,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and the global expansion is increasingly being
0:12:12 > 0:12:13driven by investment.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16UK net trade is benefiting from this robust global demand, and the past
0:12:16 > 0:12:24depreciation of sterling.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28The economy is heating up, and the threat of interest
0:12:28 > 0:12:30rate rises to control inflation has increased.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Governor, this is a warning on interest rates,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34that they are likely to come earlier, and then to rise
0:12:34 > 0:12:36more rapidly than you originally expected?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It will be necessary, likely to be necessary,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40to raise interest rates, to a limited degree,
0:12:40 > 0:12:48in a gradual process...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56The Bank of England has upgraded growth -
0:12:56 > 0:12:58this year it is expected to rise from 1.5% to 1.7%.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Next year, better news, as well - growth up from 1.7%, to 1.8%.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But prices will continue to rise, inflation is now expected to be
0:13:04 > 0:13:12at 2.9% by the end of the year.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Before falling back next year to 2.3%.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18With wages increasing, might that income squeeze
0:13:18 > 0:13:26be coming to an end?
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Bank of England expects that wages will accelerate,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and the reasons for this are, they see the unemployment
0:13:30 > 0:13:32rate falling further, strong demand for labour,
0:13:32 > 0:13:33and fewer people entering the labour force.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35And together that means higher wages.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It will not necessarily feed into stronger consumption.
0:13:37 > 0:13:45Households are squeezed by still high inflation.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Certainly better news today on the economy today from the Bank
0:13:53 > 0:13:55of England but that news laced with a very significant
0:13:55 > 0:13:56signal on interest rates.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58If you have a mortgage, if you borrow money,
0:13:58 > 0:13:59be ready for higher bills.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02And if you're a saver, at last, get ready for better returns.
0:14:02 > 0:14:09The Bank did warn again about Brexit risk.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12But for Britain, an exporting nation, the good news from the rest
0:14:12 > 0:14:20of the world is keeping the economy buoyant. Kamal Ahmed, BBC News.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The Japanese ambassador to Britain has warned that no company would be
0:14:24 > 0:14:27able to continue to operate here, if the UK failed to secure
0:14:27 > 0:14:29free access to European markets, after Brexit.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30The ambassador was speaking in Downing Street,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33where Theresa May met the bosses of 20 Japanese firms,
0:14:33 > 0:14:34including Honda.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39Our business editor Simon Jack has more details.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42For decades, Japan has been investing in the UK.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Car companies like Nissan were encouraged by Margaret Thatcher
0:14:44 > 0:14:45to come and build in Britain.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48It revived the British car industry and made the UK
0:14:48 > 0:14:49an exporting machine.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52The eventual plan is to export cars to Europe, bypassing the import
0:14:52 > 0:15:00controls and acting as a springboard into this market.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03It worked.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Japanese firms now make half the cars made in the UK,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09and most of them are exported to the EU.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Executives from many industries filed into number ten today to find
0:15:12 > 0:15:14out how much that will change when we leave the EU.
0:15:14 > 0:15:22The Prime Minister conceded there were challenges.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29As we look ahead, of course, I recognise that the UK's
0:15:29 > 0:15:30forthcoming exit from the European Union is
0:15:30 > 0:15:31no small undertaking.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34But importantly it does present the opportunity to strike free trade
0:15:34 > 0:15:36deals around the world and build on our direct...
0:15:36 > 0:15:44Already very strong relationship that we have with Japan.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45It is already strong.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49There are in fact 1000 Japanese companies with operations in the UK.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Together they invested £46 billion during 2016
0:15:50 > 0:15:51in manufacturing, finance technology and pharmaceuticals,
0:15:51 > 0:15:59which supported 140,000 jobs.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03For regions like the north-east, Japanese companies are
0:16:03 > 0:16:05the biggest employer by far.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08The Japanese government was one of the first to express its concern
0:16:08 > 0:16:11on the impact on business of Brexit.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It sent this 15 page document in September 2016
0:16:13 > 0:16:16outlining the things it would like to see preserved.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20For example, maintain current customs procedures,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22maintain the single passport so Japanese banks can sell
0:16:22 > 0:16:25from the UK into Europe.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And also it wanted to keep regulation and standards harmonised
0:16:28 > 0:16:29between the UK and EU.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Now none of those things are currently on the table,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and that is why the Japanese government and its ambassador
0:16:35 > 0:16:38had these concerns.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39His message was clear.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43If profits fall, so does investment.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49If there is no profitability of continuing operation in UK,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54not Japanese only, no private company can continue operation.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58So it's as simple as that.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04This is all high stakes that I think all of us need to keep in mind.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Japanese businesses are in no hurry to leave the UK.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Like everyone else, they'd like some answers.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12Soon.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Simon Jack, BBC News.
0:17:15 > 0:17:23Our chief political correspondent Vicky Young joins me now.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29We see pressure from the Japanese and the government is trying to set
0:17:29 > 0:17:33out its strategy is Matt yes, we have seen Cabinet ministers locked
0:17:33 > 0:17:39away trying to thrash out what the longer term relationship will be
0:17:39 > 0:17:43with European Union.And then we get this morning, a reminder in the
0:17:43 > 0:17:48starkest possible
0:17:49 > 0:17:52starkest possible call terms. This is ultimately about investment in
0:17:52 > 0:17:56this country and people's jobs. They have not given much away about what
0:17:56 > 0:18:00they have been discussing behind closed doors. Theresa May said to
0:18:00 > 0:18:03the Cabinet committee that the government had to be ambitious about
0:18:03 > 0:18:06the deal it was seeking and she said the starting point was to aim for
0:18:06 > 0:18:11something that had not been done before, Tizita Bogale. But before
0:18:11 > 0:18:14they get to the longer term relationship, there is the small
0:18:14 > 0:18:18matter of the implement nation period, the transition period where
0:18:18 > 0:18:22businesses will have maybe two years to get used to what is coming next.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26There will be more talks from Brussels on that tomorrow. Head of
0:18:26 > 0:18:30that, the rhetoric will be ramped up. It says it a mechanism whereby
0:18:30 > 0:18:35we punish Britain if it breaks the rules in that time. We have had a
0:18:35 > 0:18:38response from David Davis in not exactly diplomatic language, where
0:18:38 > 0:18:45he said it was not in good faith to publish a document with frankly
0:18:45 > 0:18:47discourteous language. Tough talk on both sides but we know they will
0:18:47 > 0:18:52have to at some point find a compromise.Thank you.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55On the eve of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
0:18:55 > 0:18:58in South Korea, North Korea has staged a huge military parade
0:18:58 > 0:18:59in the capital Pyongyang.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00It featured the intercontinental ballistic missiles which,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03according to the the regime, could reach the United States.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06But as our correspondent Laura Bicker reports,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09America has once again threatened new sanctions, unless North Korea
0:19:09 > 0:19:14abandons its nuclear ambitions.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17"All hail to the general!"
0:19:17 > 0:19:19They shout in numbers.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Tens of thousands of loyal soldiers display their adulation and they're
0:19:22 > 0:19:28rewarded with rare words from their leader.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31TRANSLATION:At a time like this, when the US and its followers
0:19:31 > 0:19:33are making such a fuss around the Korean peninsula,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37our military should remain on high alert and step up preparations
0:19:37 > 0:19:40for a fight.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Peeking from behind a pillar is Kim Jong-un's influential sister.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48She will be the first ever member of the Kim dynasty to travel south
0:19:48 > 0:19:54and will represent the regime at the Winter Olympics.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59On display were missiles that Kim Jong-un claims can reach the US.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's bound to heighten tensions on the eve of a Winter games that
0:20:02 > 0:20:10South Korea had hoped would be known as the peace Olympics.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Just a few hundred miles away in Seoul, the US vice president
0:20:14 > 0:20:17is meeting the South Korean leader with a message of his own.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The US wants President Moon to keep up the pressure on the north and has
0:20:21 > 0:20:22announced an increase in sanctions.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Earlier, as he addressed troops in Japan, he warned Pyongyang that US
0:20:25 > 0:20:28warships and squadrons stand ready.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Let the world know we will defeat any attack.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with
0:20:35 > 0:20:41a response that is rapid, overwhelming and effective.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44This small village 50 miles from the North Korean border
0:20:44 > 0:20:48will stage the latest chapter of a tense 70-year-old drama.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50As the athletes parade into the stadium, all eyes
0:20:50 > 0:20:58will be on the politicians in the grandstand.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00The sporting events have yet to start.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02But the propaganda games are well underway.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05North Korea's charm offensive has arrived in the form of what is known
0:21:05 > 0:21:08here as an army of beauties.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Chosen for their looks, intelligence and loyalty to the regime,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15they are the pin-ups of Pyongyang.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18This is a former member, and was part of an elite
0:21:18 > 0:21:22group which performed for Kim Jong-un's father.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26TRANSLATION:We were supposed to promote the North Korean ideology.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We were not only to cheer, but we were to go into combat
0:21:29 > 0:21:33at the heart of our enemy, and show off our pride
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and the greatness of our country.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39In the battle for public opinion in South Korea,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43this display is far more powerful than any missile.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47It has raised hopes, whatever the North's future intentions,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50the Olympics have provided a unique opportunity and they found it too
0:21:50 > 0:21:58tempting to turn down.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Scientists have expressed deep concern about the amount
0:22:01 > 0:22:05of plastic waste that is building up in Arctic Sea.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09They've found it in higher concentrations than anywhere else
0:22:09 > 0:22:11in the world's oceans, and it's affecting fish,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13sea birds and even polar bears.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16The Norwegian environment minister said the magnitude of the problem
0:22:16 > 0:22:19should be a call to action.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Our environment analyst Roger Harrabin reports from Tromso
0:22:21 > 0:22:26in the Norwegian Arctic.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Plastic pollution has reached the furthest corners of the planet.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Arctic Sea ice is created when sea freezes.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39It looks pristine but it definitely is not.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43In fact, ice cores show sea ice contains more fragments of plastic
0:22:43 > 0:22:49per square metre than anywhere else in the open ocean, it's because sea
0:22:49 > 0:22:51ice freezes from the top and that's exactly where the plastic
0:22:51 > 0:22:58bits are floating.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00One litre of melted sea ice contained 234 plastic
0:23:00 > 0:23:04fragments like these.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It's a serious problem and you have a situation
0:23:06 > 0:23:09in the world now that there is nowhere that is so far
0:23:09 > 0:23:15away that it is not affected by plastic waste.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18In the Norwegian Arctic, this local conservationist is trying
0:23:18 > 0:23:24forlornly to clear it up.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Here's what the plastic does.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29This reindeer's antlers were trapped by a discarded fishing net.
0:23:29 > 0:23:37It died.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40This Arctic tern met its death by starvation.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42This polar bear was tangled in another fishing net.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46We try to sell this as Arctic and pristine and untouched.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50And it looks that way on pictures, but once you get here and you start
0:23:50 > 0:23:55to walk along the coastline, you get a completely other picture.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59The plastic is here with a vengeance.
0:23:59 > 0:24:07I've collected this waste in just a few seconds.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Some of the fragments may come from Norway,
0:24:09 > 0:24:10some clearly don't -
0:24:10 > 0:24:12like this elaborate bottle for instance, or this
0:24:12 > 0:24:13butter tub from Spain.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Norway can try as hard as it likes to clean up the Arctic,
0:24:17 > 0:24:18but unless all nations cooperate, it can't succeed.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Scientists blame fishing for most of the plastic pollution here.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26The crews say they have stopped dumping nets.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30We have, for years, for decades, been collecting all the garbage
0:24:30 > 0:24:33that we produce on-board.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35In big waste bags, big bags, compressing it,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38taking it out to shore.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42So where this comes from today, I'm not sure of.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44The fishermen say they've stopped dumping lengths
0:24:44 > 0:24:46of rope into the ocean.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47But look at that.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49It's clearly been deliberately cut.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52So has that.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Arctic scientists don't know yet whether the plastic tide
0:24:54 > 0:24:57will affect local fish stocks, but it is another human threat
0:24:57 > 0:25:01to a fragile environment already being transformed
0:25:01 > 0:25:04by man-made climate change.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10Roger Harrabin, BBC News, in the Norwegian Arctic.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13An inquest has found that a man with a learning disability
0:25:13 > 0:25:15died from complications caused by constipation, because
0:25:15 > 0:25:20opportunities to give him life-saving treatment were missed.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Richard Handley, who was 33 and had Down's Syndrome,
0:25:22 > 0:25:30died in Ipswich hospital in 2012.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Our correspondent Michael Buchanan reports.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Richard Handley had a lifelong but wholly manageable
0:25:34 > 0:25:37problem with constipation.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39He also had Down's syndrome and learning disabilities,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and that, say his family, is why this bubbly,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44humorous man is dead.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46I think Richard was treated differently because he had
0:25:46 > 0:25:49a learning disability.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I think, you know, as his sister, and as someone who doesn't
0:25:51 > 0:25:54have a learning disability, if I died very suddenly
0:25:54 > 0:25:59at the age of 33, I think the reaction would be different.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Today, a coroner in Ipswich found multiple failures
0:26:01 > 0:26:03in Richard's treatment.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05When his residential care home in Lowestoft became a supported
0:26:05 > 0:26:09living complex in 2010, giving Richard more independence,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11his care deteriorated.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Gone was the healthy diet.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15He was allowed to eat what he liked.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The monitoring of his bowel movements was reduced.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Without this chain of events, say the coroner, Richard's death
0:26:20 > 0:26:24would not have occurred.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I think the main thing was the bowel monitoring,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I don't see how anybody could justify getting rid of that
0:26:28 > 0:26:32for somebody who's got a chronic bowel problem.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Large quantities of faeces built up in Richard's bowels.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37His stomach was described as being as large as that
0:26:37 > 0:26:40of a full-term pregnancy woman.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45In November 2012, with his health deteriorating, Richard was taken
0:26:45 > 0:26:47to Ipswich Hospital, where they removed more than a stone
0:26:47 > 0:26:54and a half of faecal material.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Right to the very end, the evening things start to go
0:26:59 > 0:27:01bad, until that point, nobody thought his
0:27:01 > 0:27:02life was in danger.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04But the blockage wasn't properly cleared.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Bowel waste got into Richard's lungs, and he choked
0:27:06 > 0:27:07on his own vomit.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Today, the hospital apologised for what the coroner
0:27:09 > 0:27:13described as a gross failure to provide proper care.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15It's a waste of a life, isn't it.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Absolutely.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I don't understand how the sudden unexpected untimely death
0:27:21 > 0:27:29of a 33-year-old didn't raise serious alarm bells.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31The coroner's conclusion reinforces what his family have always known.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Richard Handley should still be alive.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39Michael Buchanan, BBC News, Ipswich.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Members of Parliament could lose their seats
0:27:40 > 0:27:43or be expelled, under new plans to tackle bullying and sexual
0:27:43 > 0:27:45harassment at Westminster.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48A new code of conduct is to be set up, for all those working
0:27:48 > 0:27:51at the Palace of Westminster, along with an independent
0:27:51 > 0:27:53complaints procedure.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55This report by our political correspondent Alex Forsyth includes
0:27:55 > 0:27:58some flash photography.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01In the bars and backrooms of Westminster, claims of bullying,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03intimidation, sexual harassment, allegations that
0:28:03 > 0:28:08prompted investigations and some resignations.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And reflection on how to change a culture that allowed abuse.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14The Leader of the House, Lord President of the Council.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Today, MPs from all parties unveiled their plans.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It is a right, not a privilege, to be treated with dignity
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and respect at work, and this ambitious report is a major
0:28:25 > 0:28:31step towards a safer and more professional environment.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Part of the problem had been those working here are often
0:28:35 > 0:28:37employed directly by MPs, with only political
0:28:37 > 0:28:40parties to complain to.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44So this report proposes a new code of behaviour for everyone working
0:28:44 > 0:28:47in Parliament and a new complaints and investigation system,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50independent of political parties.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55And there will be sanctions for inappropriate behaviour,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58anything from an apology to a possible suspension.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02In the worst cases, MPs could face a public vote to keep seats,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06not under new rules but using existing ones.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08There are some questions about the fact complaints will be
0:29:08 > 0:29:12kept anonymous but broadly, the report has been welcomed,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14beyond the detail, some are worried this alone will not bring
0:29:14 > 0:29:20about the change in culture that is really needed.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Damian Green was one of those accused of inappropriate behaviour
0:29:22 > 0:29:25which he has always denied.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27His accuser says that today's report is a welcome step
0:29:27 > 0:29:31but a bigger shift is needed.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34You cannot make people take things seriously unless there
0:29:34 > 0:29:36is a serious culture change.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38That concerns me in parliament.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41There is still a lot of MPs who don't understand why behaviour
0:29:41 > 0:29:44they have been getting away with for 20 years, people
0:29:44 > 0:29:45are suddenly noticing and complaining about,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49that is the problem.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51The focus on this shadowy issue might have started
0:29:51 > 0:29:53the process of change, but most recognise there
0:29:53 > 0:30:00is still a long way to go.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02The latest superhero film from Marvel had its European
0:30:02 > 0:30:05premiere tonight in London, but what makes it different
0:30:05 > 0:30:10is its predominantly all-black cast, playing the heroes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13The film's become a sensation on social media, with many
0:30:13 > 0:30:16fans using the hashtag "What Black Panther Means to Me",
0:30:16 > 0:30:19to highlight its significance for black audiences.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25Our entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba has the story.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28A free cinema trip would have been welcome enough for these
0:30:28 > 0:30:31American schoolchildren - their sheer joy is because
0:30:31 > 0:30:33the movie is Black Panther.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Such is the film's significance, people around the world are crowd
0:30:36 > 0:30:40sourcing money so that children who might otherwise not get
0:30:40 > 0:30:44the chance, can get to watch it on the big screen.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47People like actress Jade Anouka from Peckham in London -
0:30:47 > 0:30:52she has so far raised around £4,000 for a screening at her local cinema.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54I think it's just a film you don't really see,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58you don't see black superheroes in big blockbusters.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02The positive representation is good for people growing up in this area
0:31:02 > 0:31:06but I think all over the world.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08We're home.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Black Panther is being seen as a cultural milestone.
0:31:10 > 0:31:16A predominantly black cast leading a big budget blockbuster.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20You get to decide.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23And a film that also puts strong women right at its heart.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Black Panther is a moment and hopefully it's one that...
0:31:26 > 0:31:29It will obviously exist for longer than this particular moment.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33We want this momentum to keep going.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37I don't think it's Black Panther's responsibility to change the world.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41The change will come from the people who see it and choose to make
0:31:41 > 0:31:45a difference in their own lives.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48For many, it's the kind of film they've been waiting decades
0:31:48 > 0:31:54for Hollywood to make.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56How important was it for you making sure this was primarily
0:31:56 > 0:32:00a piece of entertainment, even with this huge amount of social
0:32:00 > 0:32:04responsibility that was inevitably going to come into the equation?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I mean, that's what it is.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11It's not a political lecture, you know what I mean?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13It's a movie.
0:32:13 > 0:32:20It's got to work as that.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23And that is a movie already generating huge amounts
0:32:23 > 0:32:27of excitement for a new generation, who have rarely seen themselves
0:32:27 > 0:32:31reflected in a film like this up on the big screen.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Lizo Mzimba, BBC News.
0:32:36 > 0:32:54Here on BBC One it's time for the news where you are.