04/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

In a crucial week for the Brexit

talks, a senior minister says

the Government is more united

than Conservative critics think.

With a position on trade

and customs arrangements due

to be agreed within days,

the Home Secretary says

the Government will get a good deal.

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 make sure we

are free to make trade deals outside

the EU.

We'll be analysing the pressure

on the Prime Minister

from Brexiteers within her party.

Also tonight:

Crunch talks for South

Africa's President Zuma -

will party officials persuade him

to stand down?

Sinn Fein's policing spokesman

is accused of causing criminal

damage after removing a parking

clamp from his car.

And seven tries for England

as they sweep aside Italy

in the Six Nations.

Good evening.

In a crucial week for talks

with the EU over future trade

arrangements, the Home Secretary

says the UK will not

'surrender too quickly'

in its bid for a bespoke deal.

Amber Rudd also hit out

at the Brexiteer Conservative MPs,

saying the Cabinet was more united

on Brexit than they might think.

Tomorrow, the EU's chief negotiator,

Michel Barnier, will be

in London for talks.

Later in the week, a Cabinet

committee will be seeking

to agree on future policy.

Our political correspondent,

Eleanor Garnier, reports.

Putting the UK on the world map,

the Prime Minister's been preparing

for life outside the EU,

taking tea

in China, and helping to secure

billions of pounds of business

deals.

But reaching agreement on the other

side of the world perhaps much

easier than solving

disagreements in her own

of disunity about the type

of Brexit they want.

I have a surprise for the

Brexiteers, which is the committee

that meet in order to help

make these decisions

and is meeting, as you

rightly say, twice this week is more

united than they think.

We meet in the committee,

we meet privately

for discussions.

I think that 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.

Some want complete

disentanglement 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's no

border on the island of Ireland,

and we want to make

sure that we can do

trade deals outside

of the

European Union.

That's the deal wer're looking for.

But it's clear to all

in the Conservative Party how

difficult it will be

to get everyone on site.

There are inherent tensions

in dealing with Brexit because

different people take

different views.

It's not just in the Conservative

Party, not just in the

Labour Party - it's

across the country.

It actually needs a bit of a team

effort here, that's what I'm

saying loud and clear.

So far, the Prime

Minister has managed to

prevent that decades-old split in

the Conservative Party over Europe

from spilling out into something

much more serious, something that

could lead to the collapse

of her Government.

But this week, there are crucial

cabinet meetings here, with

pressure to finally pin down

an agreed position on our future

relationship with the EU.

But it's not just a battle

at home - winning

in Brussels is key, too.

And with more negotiations

with the EU this

week, the next few days could be

pivotal for the Prime Minister and

the country.

Eleanor is here now.

Will we, by the end of the week,

have clarity on the position we are

going to take in the Brexit talks?

That is certainly the aim. You will

remember the phrase Brexit means

Brexit that the Prime Minister used

to use. The pressure is on the

Government this would finally make

its mind up about what Brexit

actually does mean. After the trip

to China, Brexit is firmly back on

the agenda, right at the top,

because we have the EU chief

negotiator in Downing Street

tomorrow for

talks. Later in the week, that small

group of senior ministers in the

Brexit Cabinet will get together for

those critical talks, and surely

compromise, because Theresa May has

found it difficult enough to get

agreement among her ministers

throughout the negotiations so far,

so getting consent is this week is

likely to be more complicated than

what has gone before. It is that

decision on whether to bind tightly

to the EU when the leave to pull far

apart that is the dividing line

between the two competing factions

in the Conservative Party. One side

will need to give in order for there

to be an agreed Government position.

A deal is wanted by October, to

leave time for it to be voted on, so

time is running out. As one minister

told me this week, it isn't going to

get easier with time.

Eleanor, thank

you.

Two people have been killed

and at least 116 injured in a rail

crash in the US state of South

Carolina.

An Amtrak passenger train travelling

between New York and Miami collided

with a freight service,

with more than 140 people on board.

South Carolina's governor said it

appeared that the passenger train

had been on the wrong track

at the time of the crash.

Senior officials from South Africa's

governing ANC are meeting

President Zuma tonight as he faces

increasing pressure to stand down.

Many officials would like to replace

him after allegations of corruption

and to avoid a long power struggle

before elections take

place next year.

Our Southern Africa correspondent,

Andrew Harding, reports.

He's swamped by scandal.

South Africa's President, Jacob

Zuma, has already been found guilty

of breaking his oath of office

when he upgraded his private home

lavishly at the taxpayer's expense.

More recently, his friendship

with the controversial business

family, the Guptas,

has fuelled allegations

of massive corruption -

"state capture", they call it here.

During the Zuma presidency,

South Africa has foundered.

The economy is struggling

and unemployment is soaring,

amid a sense that senior officials

could get away with anything.

But in December, Zuma and his allies

lost control of the governing ANC.

The new man, Cyril Ramaphosa,

promising to end impunity.

Everyone agrees that our state

was captured by people who purported

to be close to the president,

who have been doing really bad

things and getting into all and many

state institutions.

And suddenly, there is real

change in the air here.

Prosecutors seizing this state farm

in connection with alleged

fraud by the Gupta family

and government officials.

And the courts pursuing

corruption charges against

President Zuma himself.

I think these are real historic

moments in South African politics.

In all likelihood, we are going

to see arrests and big people

being caught up in this.

Because a wheel is turning,

momentum is developing.

And I don't think there

is to be any turning back.

For now, Zuma is clinging

to his job, but his allies

are deserting him and tonight party

leaders are meeting him

to discuss his removal.

In places like Zimbabwe and Kenya,

we have seen this sort of situation

turn ugly and dangerous.

But South Africa is still

a robust democracy.

So, whether he is pushed

or he jumps, President Zuma

will soon be out of power,

and, most likely, in court

on corruption charges.

It is a moment of drama and optimism

for a country poised to exit

the troubled Zuma era.

Andrew Harding, BBC

News, Johannesburg.

Managers of a care home

in Hertfordshire have promised

a 'full and proper' investigation

after one of its elderly residents

died in a fire yesterday.

Emergency services were called

to the Woodlands View care home

in Stevenage yesterday afternoon.

A second person was critically

injured in the blaze,

thought to have been caused

by an explosion from

an oxygen cylinder.

The black-cab rapist John Worboys

has been transferred back

to a prison in Yorkshire

after his controversial move

to a jail in London.

The Prison Service faced criticism

after the serial sex offender

was moved in January to the city

where he committed his crimes.

Legal proceedings are currently

under way to try and prevent

his release on parole.

He was jailed in 2009

for drugging and sexually

assaulting female passengers.

The Government is to consult

on new planning rules that

would make it easier for homeowners

to add two storeys to existing

buildings in cities.

But any extra levels could only be

added if the property remained

in keeping with the area.

Ministers are trying to increase

housing capacity in England.

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 2000 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 among Britain's elite

fighting forces and provide up

to half the personnel for the UK's

Special Forces.

The Defence Select Committee report

says that 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 a defense review.

He is under pressure to make cuts

against the strong funding cases

being made by other government

departments, but also faces

arguments from military chiefs that

defence must be a priority.

Since 2010, our military has been

cut by a third in its capability.

If this new round of cuts come,

it will have been cut by half.

Can you imagine if we had half

the number of hospitals?

Spending on defence has

fluctuated over decades.

Rising when British forces

are involved in a live conflict,

but since 2010, the figures show

a consistent decrease,

reinforced by austerity measures.

Defence is now more complex

and sophisticated than ever before.

The head of the army recently warned

of Russia's increasingly powerful

and aggressive military.

A capability he said the UK

would struggle to match.

But as well as traditional battles,

there is now a technological fight

that also needs money and resources.

I think in the Cabinet Office

there is a suspicion that defence

hasn't delivered the savings

they had promised to in 2015,

and they have to put defence up

against the wall now to make them

deliver the savings

that were 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 Relph, BBC News, at the MoD.

A senior Sinn Fein politician,

who speaks for the party

on policing, has been reported

to police in Belfast

for alleged criminal damage.

Gerry Kelly was filmed removing

a wheel clamp from his car after it

had been clamped in the city centre.

Sinn Fein says the matter is being

handled by Mr Kelly's solicitor.

From Belfast, 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, your car's clamped.

Mr 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 appear to be bolt cutters.

Once the clamp was 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.

John Campbell, BBC News.

Israel has begun handing out

deportation notices to thousands

of African migrants who entered

the country illegally.

Most are from Eritrea and Sudan,

with unmarried men the first to be

issued with orders to leave

within two months or

face possible jail.

Today hundreds of migrants queued up

to try to obtain visas.

The UN has called on Israel to scrap

the plan, calling it both

incoherent and unsafe.

In Germany, the deadline

for agreeing a new coalition

government has been pushed back till

Tuesday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian

Democrats and the centre-left

Social Democratic Party had agreed

to try and do a deal

by today, but some policy

differences still remain.

North and South Korea -

two nations which remain

technically at war -

put on an unprecedented show

of sporting collaboration today,

fielding a joint women's

ice hockey team.

The friendly match against Sweden

took place on the outskirts

of South Korea's capital,

Seoul, as the country prepares

to host the Winter Olympics.

Our Seoul correspondent,

Laura Bicker, sent this report.

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.

It was very meaningful

to all of us, and

especially for my son,

it was a very meaningful event.

But this team's formation

has been controversial.

The South Korean hockey coach has

had to tell players she's worked

with for years that they've lost

their spot to make way for North

Koreans such as this player.

We're 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.

So, adding players that

close to the Olympics

that haven't been with us for

the last four years, learning our

systems, kind of understanding

how our team plays is difficult.

The North Korean

language is different

than South Korean, so for our team

meetings, it is going through

to English, to South Korean

to North Korean, so the meetings

take three times as long,

and it's really

hard when, you know,

you have three different

languages on one team.

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 problem with the young

generation, and the sentiment

towards Korea is, they do not

really trust them.

And they have seen,

and we all have seen,

flip-flopping and breaking

the promises by North Korea.

So, they do not really

share the feeling of like

one nation with North Korea.

The North Korean

players will not stay

with their team-mates

at the athletes' village.

They'll be kept in separate

accommodation and

watched over by minders.

Sweden won the match

today, 3-1, but for

North and South Korea,

fielding a joint team will be viewed

as a small victory for diplomacy.

Laura Bicker, BBC News, Seoul.

With all the sport, here's Karthi

at the BBC Sport Centre.

Good evening.

England have started the defence

of their rugby union Six Nations

title in style with a 46 points

to 15 victory over Italy.

It was a familiar performance

from England, who have won 23 out

of their 24 matches under

head coach Eddie Jones.

Patrick Gearey watched the action.

The faces, the voices

change, the results don't.

When at home, or in Rome,

England have always beaten

Italy.

Their philosophy demands that this

team forget that and the

fact they have only lost once

in three years in the Six Nations.

Your mind must be fully

on the next pass,

the first try.

Anthony Watson scored it.

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

simply wounded prey.

Even under constant pressure

they found an escape.

Tommaso Benvenuti

the getaway runner.

England stayed further

down the road.

Owen Farrell scored before

the break, then a first internation

--al try for Sam

Simmonds, in the team

because of injuries

another English option.

But Wales, who play England next,

will watch this Italian move

a few times this week.

Proof that there is space to be

exploited, even if this

Bellini nearly ran out.

England will have learnt much

themselves, like not to

challenge Simmonds

to a race any time.

His second try.

His team finished with seven.

The last finished off

by replacement Jack Nowell.

46-15 reads more harshly than

perhaps Italy deserved but history

has repeated emphatically.

England's women are also defending

champions and they too beat

Italy in the Six Nations.

Captain Sarah Hunter scored a hat

trick of tries to help

England to a bonus point 42 to 7 win

in their opening match

of the tournament.

Great Britian have been knocked

out of the Davis Cup,

beaten 3-1 by Spain.

But Cameron Norrie,

the world number 114,

had a debut weekend to remember

despite losing today's

first singles match

to Albert Ramos Vinolas in Marbella.

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.

Camerons Norrie.

Before yesterday, he had never

played beyond three sets,

now he was keeping this tie alive.

Oh, my goodness!

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 that Britain

pushed the world's number three. In

Camerons Norrie, they found the

resilience required for a Davis Cup

player.

It's been a dramatic day

in the Premier League but it is time

to pop out of the room if you don't

want to know the scores as Match

of the Day 2 follows soon

on BBC One.

There was a thrilling

and controversial end to the game

between third placed,

Liverpool and Tottenham.

Mo Salah scored twice for Liverpool

but it ended in a 2-2 draw.

Harry Kane missed a penalty then

converted one in the final seconds.

In the day's other game, Crystal

Palace and Newcastle drew 1-1.

The rest of today's sport is on the

BBC website, including the build-up

to Super Bowl LII, the latest on

Leeds United dismissing their

manager, and the results from super

league's opening weekend. Mishal

Full