04/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

With the Prime Minister under

pressure from Conservative critics

on Brexit, the Home Secretary says

the government will get a good deal.

The Cabinet is more united

than the Brexiteers think,

says Amber Rudd, ahead of a crucial

few days for the negotiations.

We want frictionless

trade at the border,

we want to make sure there's no

border on the island of Ireland

and we want to make sure we can

do trade deals outside

of the European Union,

that's the deal we're looking for.

MPs warn against cuts

to the Royal Marines,

saying that will undermine security.

Sinn Fein's policing spokesman

is accused of causing criminal

damage after removing a parking

clamp from his car.

And England are triumphant at their

opening Six Nations match in Italy.

Good evening.

The Home Secretary has played down

the government's divisions over

Brexit at the start of a crucial

week in the negotiations.

Amber Rudd said she had a "surprise

message" for Conservative critics

of the prime minister -

that the cabinet was "more

united than they thought".

Tomorrow the European Union's chief

negotiator, Michel Barnier,

will be in London for talks.

And the cabinet's Brexit committee

will meet later this week,

seeking an agreement

on the way forward.

Our political correspondent,

Eleanor Garnier, reports.

Putting the UK on the world map.

Last week, the Prime Minister was

making friends in China, signing

billions of pounds of business

deals, but this week it is her own

Cabinet she needs to win over amid

claims of disunity and that the type

of Brexit they want.

I have a

surprise for the Brexiteers. The

committee that meets is more united

than they think. We meet in the

committee, we meet privately for

discussions. I think we will arrive

at something which suits us all.

Exactly how we trade with the EU

after Brexit is the source of

division in the Tories. Someone

complete this entanglement from

Brussels, others hope to stay as

close to the EU as possible. The

Home Secretary believes the

government's priorities are clear.

We want frictionless trade at the

border, we want to make sure there

is no border on the island of

Ireland and we want to do trade

deals outside of the European Union.

But it is clear to all in the

Conservative Party had difficult it

will be to get everyone on site.

Different people take different

views, it is not just in the

Conservative Party or the Labour

Party, it is across the country. We

need a team effort here.

So far the

Prime Minister has prevented the

decades-old split in the

Conservative Party over Europe from

spilling out into something more

serious, something which could spell

a crisis for her government. But

with crucial ministerial meetings

later this week to pin down and

agreed situation on our future

relationship with the EU, Theresa

May will have to pick apart and

whichever she chooses she risks

making a large swathe of her party

and happy. But it is not just a

battle at home. Winning in Brussels

is key as well and with more

negotiations with the EU this week,

the next few days could be pivotal

for the Prime Minister.

for the Prime Minister.

MPs have warned that cuts

to the Royal Marines

would significantly weaken

Britain's defences.

The government, which is reviewing

defence spending, is said to be

considering axing 2,000 Marines

and the Royal Navy's two

amphibious assault ships.

Daniela Relph reports.

It is a warning to government over

the future of the Royal Marines.

They are amongst Britain's elite

fighting forces and provide up to

half the personnel for the UK

special forces. The Defence Select

Committee report says further cuts

to the Marines would damage their

ability to be a high readiness unit

and warns plans to end the use of

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, ships

from which beach assaults are made,

would be militarily illiterate at

this time. The committee praises the

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson

for taking control of the defence

review. He is under pressure to make

cuts against the strong funding

cases being made by other government

departments. But he also faces

arguments from military chiefs that

defence must be a priority.

Since

2010, our military has been cut by a

third of its capability. If this new

round of cuts come, it would have

been cut by half. Can you imagine if

we had half the number of hospitals?

Spending on defence has fluctuated,

rising when British forces are

involved in a live conflict. Since

2010 they show a consistent

decrease, reinforced by austerity

measures. Defence is now more

conflict and sophisticated than

before. The head of the Army warns

of Russian aggressive military and

says our capability would struggle

to match. But as well as traditional

battles there is now a technological

fight that also needs money and

resources.

In the Cabinet Office

there is a suspicion that defence

has not delivered the savings they

promise to in 2015 and they have to

put defence up against the war now

to make them deliver the savings

they promised.

The Ministry of

Defence say the Royal Marines play a

vital role in protecting the UK, but

its budget is stretched and in the

face of powerful arguments being

made by other government

departments, defence is trying to

ensure its case for increased

funding is heard. Daniela Ralph, BBC

News, at the MoD.

Daniela Ralph, BBC News, at the MoD.

An elderly resident has

died after an explosion

and a fire at a care home

at Stevenage in Hertfordshire.

Six other residents were also taken

to hospital after the incident

at Woodlands View Care home.

One is said to be in

a critical condition.

An investigation is under way

into the cause of the explosion.

A woman's been rescued

from a submerged car

after she became stranded on a beach

on the Cumbrian coast

as the tide was coming in.

She was forced to climb

on to the top of her vehicle

to escape rising sea water

between Mawbray and Beckfoot.

She was rescued by Silloth lifeboat

and treated for hypothermia.

Sinn Fein has confirmed that one

of its Stormont politicians

who speaks for the party on policing

matters removed a wheel clamp

from his car after it was

illegally parked in Belfast.

Video footage of Gerry Kelly taking

the clamp off has been

posted on social media,

as John Campbell reports.

Gerry Kelly represents North Belfast

in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He's a former junior minister

and speaks for his party

on policing matters.

On Friday morning, he parked

outside his gym in what is clearly

marked as a restricted area.

What happened next was

captured by eyewitnesses.

Gerry Kelly's car's clamped.

Gerry Kelly can be seen

on the ground,

removing the clamp from his car,

untangling the chains

from around the front wheel.

On the ground beside him are a pair

of what appears to be bolt cutters.

Once the clamp is free,

Mr Kelly took it to the back

of his car and propped it

against the wall.

Sinn Fein said Mr Kelly

then drove off to attend a meeting.

They added that the issue is now

in the hands of his solicitor

and that he would be making

no further comment at this time.

It's not clear if the other cars

parked next to Mr Kelly

were also clamped.

Before his political role,

Gerry Kelly was

a senior member of the IRA.

Five years ago, he was at the centre

of another controversy,

when he was carried on the bonnet

of a police Land Rover

during an incident

in his constituency.

Both he and the police driver

were warned about their conduct.

Today, his political opponents say

he must explain his latest actions.

When people are elected

to the Assembly, we sign a pledge

of office to comply with

a code of conduct

that no-one

should be above the law.

So that's why we need

these facts to be established

as quickly as possible.

The police say they are

investigating a report of

criminal damage to a wheel clamp.

At least two people have been

killed and 116 injured

in a rail crash in the US

state of South Carolina.

A passenger train travelling

between New York and Miami collided

with a freight train in the early

hours of the morning and derailed.

North and South Korea -

two nations which remain

technically at war -

put on an unprecedented show

of sporting collaboration

when they fielded a joint women's

ice hockey team.

It played an international friendly

against Sweden ahead

of the Winter Olympics,

which start in South

Korea on Friday.

Our correspondent

Laura Bicker was there.

Fierce and determined,

the Korean players head

onto the rink to prove they are not

just pawns in a political drama

or an experiment

in sports diplomacy.

They fight hard against

high-ranking Sweden.

Willed on by a crowd eager

to witness a piece of history

and waving the flag

of a unified Korea.

TRANSLATION: I was so touched,

I feel so good because I felt

the passion of the players, and it

felt like we were one together.

But this team's formation

has been controversial.

The South Korean hockey coach has

had to tell players she has worked

with for years that they have

lost their spot to make

way for North Koreans,

such as this player.

We are not allowed to ask

the North Koreans any questions

at the press conference,

but the South Korean coach

was frank when I asked her

about the challenges.

Adding players that

having been with us

for the last four years,

understanding our systems

and understanding how our team

plays, it is difficult.

North Korean is different different

to South Korean, the language,

so for our team meetings

it is going through to English

from South Korean to North Korean,

so the meetings take

three times as long.

The event feels like a celebration,

but playing as one team

under one flag has not been welcomed

by the younger generation

in South Korea.

To them, unifying the two countries

is a very distant goal.

The North Korean players

will not stay with their team-mates

at the athletes' village.

They will be kept in

separate accommodation

and watched over by minders.

As the Olympics draw ever closer,

language is not the only

barrier this team faces.

Laura Bicker, BBC News, Seoul.

Sport closer to home and the six

Nations rugby and the rest of the

news.

news.

Good evening.

England have started the defence

of their Six Nations title

with a confident and comfortable

win over Italy.

It was an entertaining performance

from Eddie Jones' side as they ran

away with a 46 points to 15

victory in Rome.

Patrick Gearey watched the action.

The faces, the voices changed, the

results don't. When at home or in

Rome England have always beating

Italy. Their philosophy demands that

this team forget that and the fact

they have only lost once in three

years and they must be fully on the

next pass. The first try. With the

next World Cup 18 months away

England have been trying to

establish a cruel streak and with

the ruthless instinct of the Hunter,

Watson was over again five minutes

later. But Italy were not wounded

prey, under constant pressure they

found an escape with the getaway

runner. England stayed further down

the road, Owen Farrell scored before

the break and then a first

international try for Sam Simmonds,

in the team because of injuries. But

Wales, who play England nets, will

watch this Italian youth a few times

this week, proof that there is space

to be exploited. England will have

learnt much themselves, like not to

challenge Sam Simmonds to raise any

time. His second try, his team with

seven. 46-15 reads more harshly than

perhaps Italy deserved, but history

has repeated emphatically.

has repeated emphatically.

Great Britain have been beaten

by Spain in their Davis Cup tie.

World number 114, Cameron Norrie,

couldn't quite repeat his five set

match winning effort from Friday

and lost to Albert Ramos Vinolas.

Spain win the tie 3-1

while Britian now face a play-off

to stay in the World Group.

Joe Lynskey reports.

The Davis Cup is where

tennis turns tribal.

It requires a special kind

of resilience, but this weekend,

new British talent has emerged.

Before Friday he had never played

beyond three sets. Now he was

keeping this game alive.

The Briton recovered from two breaks

down to force a first set tie-break.

The problem was he faced

a player ranked almost

a hundred places higher.

Spain's Albert Ramos-

Vinolas can finish the important

points, but Norrie's fightback

inspired a greater revival.

In the second set, he did not just

respond, he ran away with it.

This was becoming a match

to define Davis Cup drama,

and Norrie was summoning

barely believable strokes.

He has got it!

How on earth did he win that point?

It forced the match

to a third set tie-break,

another pressure situation,

but these are the moments

when experience counts.

Ramos-Vinolas wins his second

tie-break of the match.

This is the weekend Britain's number

three pushed the well's best, but

Spain's strength and depth can match

any nation.

Britain will not live

the Davis Cup this year,

but this tie has been a story

of the emergence of Norrie.

In the day's early kick off Crystal

Palace and Newcastle drew 1-1.

Mohamed Diame had given Newcastle

the lead but Crystal Palace

equalised to claim a point

which moves them up to 14th place

and three points clear

of the relegation zone.

There are just a few minutes left

in the game between third placed,

Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield.

Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead

in the third minute,

his 20th goal this season.

But Spurs equalised through a

fantastic strike from Victor

Wanyama. In the last few minutes

Spurs have missed a penalty while

most Allah has added a second goal

in the 91st minute. It is 2-1 to

Liverpool with a few seconds

remaining.

The day's sports stories

are on the BBC website including

England's women start the defence

of their Six Nations title.

It is 7-7 against Italy.

It is 7-7 against Italy.

There's also build up to Superbowl

52 and results from the fourth

round of the FA Women's Cup.

For now, that is all from the BBC

sports centre.

For now, that is all

from the BBC sports centre.

There's more throughout the evening

on the BBC News Channel,