09/03/2018 Victoria Derbyshire

Hello.

It's Friday, it's nine o'clock.

I'm Chloe Tilley.

Welcome to the programme

Only months after Donald Trump

threatened North Korea with "fire

and fury" and described Kim Jong-un

as "little rocket man" -

the US President has

agreed to an offer to meet

the country's leader.

It's a move described by South Korea

as a "milestone for peace".

He expressed his eagerness to meet

President Trump as soon as possible.

President Trump officiated at a

briefing and said he would meet Kim

Jong-un by May, to achieve

prominent denuclearisation.

It's the first time ever a sitting

US President will have met

a North Korean leader.

We'll ask what the historic

meeting might achieve.

A teenager who attacked six moped

riders with acid in a 90-minute

rampage across London

is being sentenced today.

We'll meet one of his

victims

and find out how his

life has changed.

And the last print edition of iconic

music magazine NME is out today.

Bosses say it's no longer

financially viable.

We'll look back at its history -

with a former editor and the lead

singer of The Vaccines.

Hello.

Welcome to the programme.

We're live until 11 this morning.

Today we're talking

about the so-called latte levy.

Ministers have failed to back

a recommendation to put a 25p charge

on takeaway coffee cups.

Instead, they praised coffee

shops who give discounts

to customers who bring

in their own reusable cups.

So what is more likely to encourage

you to think about the environment

and use less plastic?

The carrot or the stick approach?

We're keen to hear your views.

Use the hashtag #VictoriaLive.

If you text,

you will be charged

at the standard network rate.

Our top story today.

President Trump has accepted

an offer from North Korea to meet

Kim Jong-un for talks.

The meeting will happen by May.

No serving US president has ever met

a North Korean leader.

The surprise announcement was made

by senior South Korean

officials in Washington,

who passed on a letter

from the North Korean leader.

Our Washington correspondent

Chris Buckler has this report.

With missiles and displays

of military might,

North Korea has at times seemed

nothing short of defiant

in the face of sanctions

and international condemnation

of its nuclear programme but,

despite appearances,

it seems Kim Jong-un wants to talk.

South Korean officials,

who met the North Korean leader,

say he has committed

himself to denuclearisation

and they have now delivered

a message from Kim Jong-un that

caught many in the White House

completely off guard.

Kim pledged that North Korea

will refrain from any further

nuclear or missile tests.

He understands that the routine

joint military exercises

between the Republic of Korea

and the United States must continue.

And he expressed his eagerness

to meet President Trump

as soon as possible.

The idea of a face-to-face meeting

between President Trump

and Kim Jong-un, by May,

seems remarkable,

given the months of insults

and threats hurled between them.

They will be met with fire and fury.

Rocket Man is on a suicide

mission for himself.

But the tone has now changed.

On Twitter, Donald Trump said that

great progress was being made

but that sanctions will remain

until an agreement is reached.

However, that meeting

is being planned.

Some in the White House

will urge cautious

and there will be no suspension

of the joint military exercises

involving the United States

and South Korea.

This may be a move away

from fire and fury,

perhaps even towards friendship but,

in the long-term, that will depend

on whether that message

coming from Pyongyang

proves to be one of

propaganda or progress.

Chris Buckler, BBc News, Washington.

Our correspondent

Robin Brant is in Seoul.

We can't underestimate the

significance of this meeting.

It looks like it will be before the

end of May. This is huge, no sitting

US president has met with a North

Korean leader before. It is

completely unprecedented, we don't

know when it exactly where.

know when it exactly where. It may

be in the demilitarised zone, on the

border between the North. President

Trump wanted to get their in the

past. On the campaign trail

President Trump said he wanted to

meet with Kim Jong-un. He has been

talking about that for some while.

This is hugely unconventional,

usually we have talks and process

over several years ending in a

symbolic summit and possibly an

agreement. This is the opposite,

only a few months ago they were

calling each other names,

annihilating the US. We have the

prospect within weeks of a

face-to-face meeting. At the centre

will be the prospect of

denuclearisation which is what the

south wants. It is pretty much what

everyone wants for this peninsular.

Sorry, Cleary the line is not clear.

We will talk about this more after

10am.

The

Annita McVeigh is in

the BBC Newsroom

The Newsroom

with a summary of the rest

of the days news.

Pressure is growing

on counter-terror officers

to identify the source of a nerve

agent used in the attempted murder

of a former Russian spy

and his daughter in Salisbury.

The Home Secretary

Amber Rudd has visited

Salisbury this morning,

where she's been speaking

to police about the case.

State media in Russia has

reacted angrily to any

suggestion that the Kremlin

could be responsible.

Andy Moore reports.

In a sign of how extensive

this inquiry has become,

police cordoned off and set a guard

over the grave of Sergei Skripal's

wife, in Salisbury.

And nearby, in the same cemetery,

a similar police presence

at the spot where his son's

ashes are interned.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey

was one of the first to help

the Skripals, as they

fought for their lives.

He is said to be in a serious

condition but recovering.

He is a great character,

he is a huge presence in Wiltshire

Police, well liked, well loved,

massively dedicated officer.

He is clearly receiving high

specialist treatment

so he is well set up.

He's not the Nick that

I know but, of course,

he's been receiving a high

level of treatment.

Boris Johnson...

In Russia, state dominated media

made fun of Boris Johnson and joked

about what happened

to former Kremlin spies.

"If you are a professional traitor,"

he says, "my advice -

don't move to England.

Something is not right there,

the climate perhaps,

but too many bad

things go on there."

Sergei Skripal and his daughter,

Yulia, are still critically ill.

The BBC has been told the nerve

agent used against them was not

sarin or VX but

something much rarer.

The British Government says it knows

what that substance was but is not

naming it at the moment.

Andy Moore, BBC News.

With us now is our

correspondent Leila Nathoo.

did Amber Rudd make any comment when

she visited this morning?

She is expected to speak later, she

is still in Salisbury this morning.

She came to the scene to see the

police cordoned, at the bench still

covered by a police tent. She met

with some local business owners and

talked about how the community had

been affected. And with the local MP

and the Wiltshire Police Chief

Constable.

I believe she is talking to some of

the first responders over there, in

Salisbury city centre. We are

expecting to hear from the Home

Secretary later.

The focus now for police is trying

to piece together the movements,

ascertain exactly how this nerve

agent was delivered, administered,

when it happened and how. There was

a flurry of activity at the home of

Sergei Skripal yesterday, police

have set up tents, the cordoned was

widened, that seems to be by police

activity is going on.

Thank you.

NHS employers and health unions

are understood to be close

to agreeing a three-year pay deal

for hundreds of thousands

of staff in England.

The Government has already said it

will abolish the 1%

pay cap on public sector pay

and the Chancellor has indicated

he will provide extra funding

to meet the higher costs.

The United States will

impose tariffs on imports

of aluminium and steel.

President Trump signed

off on the move

at the White House late yesterday.

It's sparked fears

of a global trade war.

The European Union is

considering retaliating

with charges on US made jeans,

motorbikes, bourbon and oranges.

BBC News has uncovered

allegations of bullying

and harassment in the House

of Commons affecting

dozens of female staff.

Workers known as "clerks" have

told Newsnight they have

experienced aggressive

and threatening behaviour by some

MPs and a lack of proper redress.

The Speaker of the House John Bercow

has strongly denied

a claim that he bullied

a former private secretary.

A man, who became known as the M25

rapist for carrying out

a series of sex attacks

in the Home Counties, has died

at Wakefield Prison in Yorkshire.

Antoni Imiela was 63 and had

had a heart condition.

He'd been convicted of raping eight

women and girls in 2001 and 2002.

A teenager who attacked six moped

riders with acid in a 90-minute

rampage across London

is being sentenced later.

17-year-old Derryck John

from Croydon admitted targeting

the riders in north and east London

in July last year.

He sprayed them in the face

with a noxious liquid and stole two

mopeds before trying

to take another four.

Police said one attack

had left a rider with

"life-changing injuries".

A proposal to impose a so-called

latte levy on throwaway

coffee cups has been rejected

by the government.

MPs on the Environmental Audit

Committee had suggested a charge

of 25p for disposable coffee cups

to reduce their use.

But ministers say it is better

for shops to offer voluntary

discounts to customers

bringing their own cups.

Roger Harrabin reports.

What do you do with your used cup?

Should you throw it in the rubbish

or recycle it? MPs on the

environmental audit can it eats

steak coffee shops should be charged

25p for every cup they sell that

cannot be fully recycled. The

Government does not like the idea.

Ministers say they are not convinced

the recycling industry can handle

supposedly recyclable cups that are

covered in cold cappuccino froth.

They said it is better for shops to

offer discounts to people bringing

their own monks.

We need a variety of solutions. It

is great to see retailers starting

to take action but that should not

be at the expense of the Government

also showing leadership.

The MPs say this suggests the

Government is not serious about

tackling the problem of waste.

That's a summary of

the latest BBC News.

More at 9.30.

Do get in touch with us

throughout the morning.

Lots of you on the latte levy. One

saying, I use plastic cups because

they are more hygienic.

they are more hygienic. Pat says,

not taxing cups shows the Government

is not only playing its service to

environmental issues, more people

bring their own if they had to pick

extra, like bags. Lots of you

getting in touch.

Use the hashtag #VictoriaLive.

If you text, you will be charged

at the standard network rate.

Let's get some sport.

Good morning. I cannot believe the

Winter Paralympics Opening Ceremony

is today.

The largest ever Winter Paralympics

will officially kick off today

with the opening

ceremony in Pyeongchang.

A record 567 athletes from 48

countries, plus of course

the Neutral Paralympic Athlete

delegation which includes around

30 Russian athletes

will be taking part.

There will be

80 medals awarded in six sports,

alpine skiing, snowboarding,

para-ice hockey, wheelchair curling,

cross-country skiing.

And biathlon where

Scott Meenagh will be

the first British athlete to compete

in a nordic skiing event

at a Paralympics for 20 years.

So a small slice of history for him.

The ceremony starts at 11 o'clock

this morning.

With snowboarder Owen Pick selected

as flagbearer at his first Games,

eight years after losing a leg

in a Taliban blast while serving for

the British Army in Afghanistan.

He says it's an honour to represent

the flag he served under

while in the military but actually

thought he was getting

in trouble just before he was told.

A moment for his parents to be proud

of.

Now, the action gets underway

in the early hours of tomorrow

morning.

But when it does begin

we're hoping for more

scenes like this.

When Kelly Gallgher won super-G gold

with guide Charlotte Evans

in Sochi four years ago.

She's got a new guide this time

around but will still hope

to contribute to a rather ambitious

medal target for Paralympics GB.

They want to win between six

and 12 medals, with a goal

of at least seven.

If they can do that, it would be

their second-highest medal haul

and best showing since

Innsbruck, back in 1984.

Everything about the team excites

me, whether it be returning para

Olympians looking to recreate their

medal success or create it, the

youngsters, Milly and James, who are

teenagers in Sochi. I'm sure they

are looking to improve on those. But

the fact we are represented in five

sports for the first time and the

Alpine skiing and curling, the

mainstays, but snowboard and Nordic

as well.

Briscoe went on to say that

increased investment is linked

to performance and so extra funding

should mean the medals do

flow - fingers crossed.

Really inspiring staff and another

inspirational woman, as if she

hasn't done enough in is credible

stuff in her career, she gets back

on the court six months after a

baby.

Good argument she is greatest

sportsperson of all time.

Serena Williams won her first

singles match on the WTA Tour

for nearly 14 months as she returned

after the birth of her child.

She's back at the age of 36,

clearly showing that

number is irrelevant,

as -he's reached the second

round at Indian Wells

with a straight sets victory over

Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas.

It was her first singles

match on the Tour

since she winning the 2017

Australian Open while pregnant.

Afterwards the 23-time Grand Slam

singles champion said,

"I'm a little rusty

but it doesn't matter".

I'd imagine

she will have a big year ahead

despite her time off.

A teenager is to be sentenced this

morning after pleading guilty

to carrying out acid attacks

on six moped riders.

Derryck John had been trying

to steal his victims' bikes

in the 90-minute rampage

across London in July of last year.

The 17-year-old from Croydon,

was convicted of throwing

a corrosive liquid with intent

to disable, burn, maim, disfigure

or cause grievous bodily harm -

a crime which, for an adult,

can lead to life imprisonment.

Let's talk now to Jabed Hussain.

He was one of Derryck

John's victims.

Thank you for coming in and talking

to us. I can't imagine how difficult

it is to relive this and a difficult

day, clearly. Tell me what you

remember of the night of the attack.

Thank you for having me here.

Basically I do remember most of it.

When he threw acid on me.

Where were

you?

I was on the Hackney Road.

You

were a delivery driver on your

scooter?

I was finishing my work.

Were you stopped at the time?

I was

at a traffic light.

What happened?

I

was looking for the easiest way to

go home and I stopped at a traffic

light and I heard the sound of water

on my left hand side. Then I

realised something was wrong, very

wrong. I looked to the left and I

saw two boys on the motorbike,

literally next to me and I never

realised they were next to me. They

were trying to do it again and were

trying to get me off my bike.

You

had your helmet on, luckily, and I

presume that helped save you from a

lot of the potential burns.

That's

right. I had a helmet on and it

saved my face.

What did the acid due

to the helmet?

It was melted.

Melted?

Yes.

What point did you

realise what was happening because

it clearly happened very fast.

I was

not prepared for that. I never

thought I would be the victim of an

acid attack or somebody would throw

acid on me or into my face. I never

thought I would be targeted, so I

was not prepared and I didn't know

what to do. I was asking for water

because it was getting dry and

worse. I was going to the doors and

asking for water.

Did anybody stop

to help you?

One of the ladies was

walking past, she was getting the

water from the shops.

Could you feel

the acid on your skin at this point?

Not at that moment, but I knew it

was something and then they were

doing further checks and going to

the hospital as well.

So, lasting

damage from swallowing some of it?

What has that meant for you

health-wise, the impact of

swallowing acid?

Severe chest pain

which has never happened to me

before. And a breathing problem

sometime, it's not normal, it's

totally different than before after

the incident.

So where did you

suffer burns?

On my left hand side.

I have recovered now there, anyway.

Did you find it difficult to look in

the mirror the first time after the

attack? Was it something that

troubled you?

I've thought I had

lost my face unless I saw it in the

mirror, I never thought I would get

my face back. Everybody is saying

that you are OK, and I thought that

they were trying to make me happy,

but when I saw my face, then I

realised, and I saw the other guy in

hospital, with the same issues I was

better than him.

Someone else who

had also been attacked was at the

same hospital question might yes, on

the same night.

So what effect does it have on you

now, moving on? Less than one year

after the attack. Do you feel able

to go out by yourself?

When I tried

to go myself, I always look right

and left when I go to the car. I

always look right and left and I

locked the doors and windows inside

the car. If anybody comes to my

house without giving me a call.

house without giving me a call. That

has never happened to me before. My

wife was telling me not to speak out

because I might be targeted what she

worried that you could be targeted

again? This is what she thinks, I

might be targeted because I am

speaking up. And I am doing a

campaign against it and doing to go

to every college and speak to the

use and invite them to talk to us

for a flexible job and also trying

to keep them free training and

equipment to start the flexible job

after school.

So do you think it's

because young people don't have

opportunities that they are getting

sucked into this kind of world?

Exactly. The government should look

after the use and provide them with

another youth clubs. And instead of

sending them to jail we should and

provide them with a youth club. I am

going to the

going to the colleges and I am

trying to help them make some money

as well.

Have you been able to work

and go out on your mobile again?

After the incident I have not been

back to work again.

Do you feel able

to work?

I would love to go back to

work. I would love to get back to

work but I need to see it's really

good money and a flexible job and I

am my own boss and I can start work

whenever I want. And I can finish

and I can drop my daughter at

school, so I love that job anyway.

So, today, the teenager, the

17-year-old who threw acid at you

and other people, five other people,

he is going to be sentenced today.

For you, what sentence do you want

to see? As we said in the

introduction this could be life

imprisonment if he was an adult, but

he is 17 years old.

he is 17 years old.

When you cannot

get some experience from the country

-- when you look at the experience

and the country I was born, that was

the highest level of acid attack in

the world, and the ex-prime

Minister, she made an act in 2002,

which was buying and selling

restriction, a life sentence for

acid attackers, and if anybody buys

without any ID or any body without

ID, they would be in jail for a long

time. And even a life sentence. She

handled it like that.

So you think

there should be life sentences for

anyone, irrespective of age, if they

carry out an acid attack?

If it's

not a life sentence it should be

similar. Something similar to that.

I would like to know that if I did

this kind of crime might be in jail

for a long time.

I really didn't

appreciate the damage that would be

done, said Derryck John, and I'm

terrified of the sentence and I'm

very sorry for what I did and I

realised I will receive a

significant sentence of

imprisonment. Does it help to know

he is remorseful?

I think he

realises that now. And like I said,

I respect his age but he did this to

five of them, not just me. If he

would have come to me and said he

would sort this himself I would say,

I'm sorry, if you say sorry, I would

have let him go and he's like that

now but he was young and he did not

know what he had done, but five of

them so if five of them, if you come

and work with us or you go back to

normal do something good, then we

would forgive you, but I don't think

everybody would forgive him because

he tried to damage five lives, five

faces. So if we just let him go,

others might do that kind of crime

against.

One final point. The

government is proposing stricter

controls on the sales of acid. Do

you think it goes far enough to

protect people from further attacks.

The 1972 act, that gives a chance to

criminals to carry acid for a second

time, and they would go to prison

for carrying acid, so they are

carrying it for a reason. He is a

criminal carrying a weapon is, so it

should be prison for more than that.

You need a stronger deterrent.

Yes.

I know the government are trying to

do they best they can do, to try and

do the tougher sentences for

carrying

carrying acid, like the former Prime

Minister who was in prison, because

they want to keep her away from the

election. I am doing a campaign for

her release. She was the first lady

to make that act in the word.

Jabed,

thank you for coming in and I'm very

grateful to you.

A Home Office

spokesperson said this.

Perpetrators of corrosive

attacks can already face up to life

imprisonment on conviction

and the Sentencing Council has

published a new guideline

on possession of bladed articles

and offensive weapons that

recognises these substances

as serious and highly

dangerous weapons.

The Home Secretary announced

in July 2017 an action plan

to tackle the use of corrosive

substances in violent attacks

and we are making good progress

on implementing this.

We

have put in place a set of voluntary

commitments with retailers

to restrict access to the most

harmful corrosive products.

More than a million NHS

staff, including nurses

could be in line for a pay rise.

NHS chiefs and health unions

in England are understood

to be close to agreeing

a three-year pay deal.

The Government has already said it

would scrap the 1% cap

on public sector pay.

Anisa Kadri has been looking

at this in more detail.

What more can you tell us

about this pay deal?

This is an update on the talks that

have been going on between NHS

chiefs and health unions. You will

have seen the headlines about nurses

leaving the NHS and the Department

of Health is said to be very

concerned about recruitment problems

so it is hoped that any pay deal

struck will retain staff. What the

unions want is a pay deal so their

pay rises above the 1% public sector

pay cap put in place by the

government. The government says it

will get rid of the cap and what we

know is that a deal for staff, not

including doctors and dentists, that

deal is not far off.

Any idea of the

specifics?

Reports of a 6.5 pay

increase over three years in return

for NHS staff losing a day of

holiday, they are said to be

premature, but we do know that back

in September unions wrote to the

government to demand a pay rise of

nearly 4% and they said, when you

take into account the speed at which

prizes -- prices are rising, they

had suffered a pay cut. And any

agreement struck on this will lead

the final approval from ministers.

Thank you for coming to explain

that.

Still to come.

We've the latest from

the Syrian enclave

of Eastern Ghouta and with

the situation getting ever

more desperate there we'll hear

from those on the ground

caught up in the conflict.

And it's farewell to

what was once Britain's

biggest music magazine.

The NME will now only

be available online.

We'll be talking about this

with lead singer of

The Vaccines Justin Young.

They first appeared on the NME's

famous front cover back in 2011.

Time for the latest news.

Here's Annita McVeigh

The BBC News headlines this morning.

President Trump has

accepted an offer

to meet North Korean leader

Kim Jong-un for talks.

The first ever meeting

between a serving American president

and a North Korean leader

will happen by May.

The shock announcement was made

by senior South Korean officials

in Washington after months

of heightened diplomatic tensions

between the two countries.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

said he is committed

to denuclearisation.

Kim pledged that North Korea

will refrain from any further

nuclear or missile tests.

He understands that the routine

joint military exercises

between the Republic of Korea

and the United States must continue.

And he expressed his eagerness

to meet President Trump

as soon as possible.

Pressure is growing

on counter-terror officers

to identify the source of a nerve

agent used in the attempted

murder of a former Russian

spy and his daughter.

The Home Secretary

Amber Rudd has visited

Salisbury this morning,

where she's been speaking

to police about the case.

State media in Russia has

reacted angrily to any

suggestion that the Kremlin

could be responsible.

Aid agencies say a convoy has

arrived in eastern scooter. Carrying

aid they were prevented from

delivering in the week. -- Ghouta.

NHS employers and health unions

are understood to be close

to agreeing a three-year pay deal

for hundreds of thousands

of staff in England.

The Government has already said it

will abolish the 1%

pay cap on public sector pay

and the Chancellor has indicated

he will provide extra funding

to meet the higher costs.

The US will impose tariffs on

imports of aluminium and steel. The

EU is considering retaliating.

That's a summary of

the latest BBC News.

Here's some sport now.

We're only around an hour and a half

away from opening ceremony

at the Winter Paralympics.

Snowboarder Owen Pick

will be Great Britain's

flag-bearer in Pyeongchang

where a record 567 athletes,

from 48 countries, will take

part in 80 medal events.

Arsenal put their recent

problems to one side,

with a 2-0 victory over AC Milan

in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Goals from Henrik Mkhitaryan

and Aaron Ramsey put

Arsene Wenger's side in control

of the tie, with

the home leg to come.

Serena Williams had a winning

comeback on the WTA Tour just six

months after giving birth

to her first child.

She's into the second

round at Indian Wells thanks

to a straight sets victory over

Zarina Diyas.

It's a critical weekend

in the Six Nations, with Ireland

unbeaten and at

the top of the table.

They take on Scotland in Dublin.

A bonus point victory could give

them the title and deny

England their third Championship

in a row.

There are reports of air strikes

have hit eastern booster just as an

aid convoy finally got into the

area. Aid agencies have been

struggling to get supplies in. A

convoy which had to turn back this

week this morning crossed the front

line. Medecins Sans Frontieres says

more than 1000 have been killed

since an escalation in violence

started three weeks ago. The area

had previously been held by force as

opposed to the Government of

President Assad.

Let's talk to Joelle Bassoul

from Care International

which is working with Syrian aid

organisations in Eastern Ghouta.

Dr Rim Turkmani from

the London School of Economics,

who is Syrian and has

friends in Eastern Ghouta.

And Ahmad Khansour who is

living in Eastern Ghouta.

His house was destroyed

in a bomb attack.

Thank you all the talking to us. I

want to get a sense of the scale of

what is happening. For UK viewers it

is difficult to comprehend what is

happening in eastern scooter, give

us a sense of what life is like that

now?

It is a pleasure to spend Friday

morning addressing this situation.

But not under the bombardment around

me.

me. Almost 1000 people have died and

over 3000 are injured. The situation

here is deteriorating rapidly.

Yesterday, 35 cases of

sophistication -- suffocation after

we were targeted with toxic gases.

People are terrified.

It is a confusing situation because

so many civilians are dying. You are

telling us what you have witnessed

but there are unconfirmed reports

about chlorine gas. Tell me about

your home, I know it was bombed last

week. Tell us what happened and how

you managed to get yourself and your

family out?

Myself, my family, more than 50,000

people are displaced internally

inside eastern Gutha.

inside eastern Gutha. We have been

targeted by bombardment, artillery,

weapons.

weapons. Right now, I am living with

a relative in their house. My family

are in their basement. It is a

nightmare. Including everything that

has happened, the moment of being

targeted, and our journey from that

place to this safer place.

You were in your home when it was

bombed?

Yes, me, my wife, two kids were at

my home.

my home. A regime helicopter made a

bombardment. Everything was

destroyed. We could not see for over

three minutes, we could not hear

anything for maybe five minutes.

Things became clearer and it was a

nightmare.

You have very small children, three

years old and one-year-old, are they

OK?

Luckily they are OK. The other 200

children in Eastern Ghouta are not

because they are dead. 1000 people

have died in Eastern Ghouta, more

than 200 of them are children, many

are women, they are not OK.

As I speak I can hear noises, is

that a bombardment, bombs falling

right now?

Exactly, bombardments, air strikes.

That is an air strike. They never

stop since the morning. In fact they

never stop even at night, for the

last 18 days.

Stay safe. If you have to go at any

point, your safety is far more

important.

I want to bring in our other guests.

You have friends in Eastern Ghouta,

are they telling you similar

stories?

Very similar. They talk about what

we don't see in the media, 400,000

people, roughly the size of

Leicester or Coventry, who don't

want to spend their lives in

basements, they want to send their

children to school, have an ordinary

life. But they don't want to be

arrested or killed because they are

voicing an opposition point of view.

Let us talk about the significance

of this aid getting through and

bombardments as aid goes in. A lot

of aid is not getting in. Do we know

where this aid goes to?

What are you hearing? There was a

convoy of 46 trucks if you days ago

and nine were not able to unload

because of the security situation.

They had to put out. They were not

allowed yesterday. Today there was a

window where they went in. They are

distributed wherever they can, there

is a distribution point in Duma, and

where there is a big enough storage

space. I have to say, this is not

enough. This is extremely important.

We do not need just one or two

convoys, we need to open

humanitarian corridors, this

population is living under extremely

harsh conditions. It should be

normal food is delivered and medical

equipment, not the exception.

Humanitarian corridors are opening

but no one is using them.

What are you hearing about the aid

getting into Eastern Ghouta today?

We need to put things into

perspective about aid. There are

400,000 people living in Eastern

Ghouta. The convoy on Monday was

enough for 20 7000. Even this number

was not reached completely because

not everything was delivered. The

rest of the convoy getting into day,

the people on the ground, delivery

is difficult. They go towards mass

population movements. The aid is

being targeted by air strikes.

Humanitarian workers on the ground

are how to distribute the aid

without putting civilians at risk.

Do people trust the Syrian

Government when it says there are

humanitarian corridors the people to

leave Eastern Ghouta, or we will

allow aid to get in and it is safe

view to get that, do people trust

the Syrian Government?

It is exactly the opposite. You can

see the result of what is happening

by watching that nobody has ever

left. People are left with two

choices, either being dead under

bombardment, locked in their

shelter, or go out through this

so-called humanitarian corridor.

There aren't other two corridors,

and if we can trust the regime, you

would see thousands of people try to

get out. In fact, only 500 people to

be honest have got a lot of

Easterner Gunter. Ever since they

have left, no one has heard anything

about them.

about them.

Do you believe the

Syrian regime wants people to leave

eastern hooter? -- eastern hooter?

-- Ghouta.

People should not be forced out of

their land, why should they be asked

to leave? Why evacuate an entire

city? It is their right to stay.

Those leaving because they have no

choice, they don't want their

children to be killed, it is a

forced displacement. We don't talk

about geopolitics. These people want

a normal life. Not just the Syrian

regime but there is Russia and other

countries involved. There is a clear

bargain here between Turkey and

Russia are where there are huge

operations going on where Turkey is

taking a blind eye. They are going

hand in hand. You have so many

actors in Syria, a multiplicity of

actors, and everyone is allowing the

other to do what it wants so they

turn a blind eye so they turn a

blind eye in another corner in

Syria.

Syria. This is the disgraceful Bagan

going on. This is teaching the

entire world global security doesn't

work. The Security Council is unable

to provide security, once two

countries are inside Syria, there is

no way we can get the country secure

again.

Give us a sense of what is available

for people inside of Easterner

Gunter when we talk about hospitals,

medical supplies,. -- Ghouta.

The people on the ground paint a

humane picture. There is very little

food left. The few shops that had

stops before the latest offensive

started selling at a very high price

when it is available.

To have something to eat, small

children are relying on plants mixed

with grains because there is no

wheat flour available. We have to

think of this as being on the

outskirts of Damascus, the price of

sugar is ten times higher. People

are going without food. Just one

meal a day where it is available.

Things like meat are a luxury now.

Ahmed, have you ever contemplated

leaving the city?

leaving the city?

There is some

misconception about leaving the city

when the regime offer it to the

civilians. You would think anybody

would think that it is safe and you

could leave the city and come back

to it whenever I want. First of all,

if I leave the city I know I will

never come back. We have seen what

happened in the other city who have

been displaced maybe a couple of

years ago, and nobody has ever come

back yet. And it seems nobody will

come back from now on. In many

cities all around Syria this is

happening. As my friend said, it is

systematic displacement, enforced

displacement against the UN

constitution. It is against the

humanity values. It is just wrong.

For myself, I know that if I tried

to leave eastern Ghouta, I will be

detained, the same as 400,000

civilians here. The regime may not

arrest 400,000 people, but while we

are speaking the regime has

detainees of something between

250,000 and 400,000 people, in the

prisons, which are called

slaughterhouses by many reports,

including international reports. So

the regime right now is trying to

take revenge on anybody who has ever

said anything about the dictator who

should step down from his position.

Clearly, Ahmed, you do not trust

President Assad. Thank you so much,

all of you, for speaking to us, but

particularly you, Ahmed, keep your

family safe and thank you so much.

You could hear bombardments in the

background in eastern Ghouta, just

behind Ahmed speaking to us.

Coming up.

It could hardly be

thought possible given

all the rhetoric but there are to be

high level talks between

President Trump and Kim Jong-un,

the North Korean leader.

But how significant is this

and what could be achieved?

Amy Winehouse.

David Bowie.

The Arctic Monkeys.

The Clash.

Rihanna.

These are just some of the many

stars who've appeared on the front

cover of the NME magazine

during its 66-year reign.

Its final edition has

been published today.

Jamaican rapper and singer

Stefflon says she's honoured

to be its last cover star.

There's no reference that

it's the final issue

because it went to press on Tuesday

and staff were only told

the news on Wednesday.

Bosses say the reason the magazine's

come to an end is because it's "no

longer financially viable"

and its team will now focus

on the brand's digital platforms.

Well, joining us now is lead singer

of The Vaccines, Justin Young.

The Vaccines have

appeared on the front

cover of NME many times.

Also here, former editor

of NME.com, Greg Cochrane.

And music journalist Laura Snapes.

Thank you all for coming in this

morning.

Before you were in a band,

what were your thoughts of NME?

Did you get hold of it I get excited

by it?

When I could. I grew up in

the mill of nowhere with a corner

shop 20 minutes walk away. And I

would walk down and there would be

maybe Q magazine, and then once a

month may be a NME. And then when I

got it it became my Bible. It

informed me and educated me not just

in music, but culture and import --

politics.

Incredibly important to

me. I use add that it is going? It

is just going digital. -- are you

sad that it is going?

It is not

being the same since it went three

and was less focused on music. It is

sad. I am a nostalgic person, but

that is what most print press faces

now. I think streaming culture is a

big thing to mention. Music is so

accessible instantly that the public

have become the critical voice in a

way that may be NME was 30 years

ago.

Would you agree with that?

It's

still important to have that middle

person, that voice to rate that

space. Justin is right that there is

an enormous amount of music out

there and it's more accessible than

ever. But I still think having a

critical voice and pointing people

in the direction of new music is

important which is why there has

been huge success on the digital

side for NME and they are reaching a

greater number of people than ever.

So just because the magazine is

going it doesn't mean they don't

still have an important place in

that arena.

They can do it digitally

rather than a magazine?

I'm not sure

if they can. The brilliant thing

about a magazine which online has

failed to replicate, not just NME,

in the great dales of the NME, it

felt like a clubhouse, there were a

recurring jokes on the artist felt

like a revolving cards -- type of

people. The kind of content that the

website publishes is not

commensurate with the era defining

stuff of the past, so I'm not sure

if they can carry it over.

But isn't

it just the way we are going now?

Everybody expects to see things on

their phones and tablets and we

don't even read books as much any

more.

Well, I do.

I do as well. I

love a book. But the many people

it's having it there and being

accessible.

To the credit of the

NME, the final edition is being

printed today but the brand

survives. They have put themselves

in a position where despite the

print product not being part of

their offering any more, the office

is still open and it has not

disappeared and people are still

working there and that's because

they have transitioned to the point

where they've made a successful

digital business and that is to

their credit. There are other

well-known titles that if they were

to shock to the print offering

tomorrow, that would be the end, so

to their credit they have managed to

travel through those changing times,

if you like.

Justin, your band has

been in the NME and on the front

cover. What does it mean as a band

to be in the club that Laura talked

about, that revolving door of

artists?

Growing up it was a

tangible mark of success. I remember

being on the cover in January 2011

and it was an incredible moment in

any band's Korea and we were lucky

enough to be on it several times. We

were supposed to be on it next week.

No!

It's true. They couldn't have

kept it going for one week longer.

But it is an amazing thing. To me,

anyone on the front of the NME was a

rock star and maybe I was able to

say the same about myself.

It's an

amazing thing. To your family and

friends and people who have

supported you, they see it as a

milestone. It's not a pipe dream.

You have made it when you are on the

cover.

People can sit in their local

corner shop once a month, so yes.

Why do you think it lasted so long?

You are looking at five or six

generations that were with the NME.

What was the staying power?

There is

the age-old story that every

generation of reader thinks their

generation of bands and writers was

the best era. But I think, for every

generation, it is true that

generation. Admittedly for a

shrinking amount of people it

remained a Bastian of taste and a

Bible and it was incredibly

informative and entertaining.

I

think because music is such an

important part of peoples make up

and they were identified by the

music they like and I still believe

that, NME has been there as a best

mate everyone has taken that to

heart. You have to be 70 years old

to remember a time before it existed

in print, now. That is why people

felt very sentimental about this

news today because it is something

that feels very dear to people.

I

think there's always been a reason

for it to exist. People have wanted

that kind of relationship with it

and the coverage they provided there

are so many headlines about albums

dying and people not caring about

music any more but I don't think

that's true to any extent. The

survival is there because people do

still care.

One of your colleagues

at the Guardian wrote this.

Regardless of whether you thought

the best days involved punk, Pete

Dougherty, in the end became

clueless as to what it was supposed

to be doing or who it was supposed

before -- Pete Doherty.

I have to

agree with that. Although the free

publication in the last two and a

half years has been a triumph in

terms of publishing because they

make this advertising funded model

when the sales figures were about

13,000 by the end, which is pretty

drastic. It has been a publishing

success but I don't think it has had

a clue who was meant before. It was

great when they came back and they

had Rihanna on the cover and we

fought hard to get women and people

of colour on the front but we were

told they did not sell. So the

revival of the magazine was a chance

to right the wrongs of history and

people were excited but the second

cover was Chris Moyle 's, who had no

relevance to the audience, the

mission and was not even covered in

an interesting way. They asked

questions about feminism and he got

off the hook very quickly. And very

quickly you could see the mission

they had being squandered.

Justin,

do you think it lost direction?

I

think so and I think you got a

conference of answer there.

Why is

there a review in publishing

generally that women and people of

colour don't sell on the front of

things.

I don't understand. I wish I

knew. I remember when Madonna was on

the cover of a music magazine

monthly, their worst selling issue

ever. There might be some truth in

the fact that magazines are still

bought by men and it might tip

slightly in that favour, but I wish

I did know and I wish it wasn't that

way.

Thank you for coming in and it

was lovely to speak to you today.

Let's get the latest weather update.

Sarah Keith Lucas is here.

Hopefully the snow has gone and we

might have a warm weekend. You never

know. How are we looking?

I wouldn't describe it as warm, but

it's less cold than it has been.

Reasonably mild weather on the cards

in the next couple of days and it's

quite a chilly start to the

day-to-day but we have got blue

skies and sunshine and this is how

things are looking in Northumberland

at the moment. Not sunny everywhere

with some mist and fog patches

around and here is a picture sent

round by a weather watcher in

Warwickshire. Pretty misty and murky

and foggy. But the mist and fog is

lifting and clearing away. Through

today, staying largely dry, bright

and sunny in northern parts of the

country whereas further south we

have more cloud which brings further

outbreaks of rain which is pushing

into the south-west of England,

clouding across southern England but

further north a lot of sunshine for

much of the Midlands, northern

England, Northern Ireland and

southern Scotland. For central and

northern Scotland, snow showers that

should peter out over the next few

hours. The sunshine should reappear

across Scotland and temperatures

between eight up to 11 degrees. As

we head into the evening hours, the

patchy rain in the South will head

further north, into the Midlands,

Wales and into Northern Ireland as

well. Scotland overnight stays with

a clear and dry condition with the

northern half of Scotland so

temperatures below freezing and we

will see a widespread frost, but

further south we have further cloud,

outbreaks of rain and it's I'll

start to the day. Double figures to

the south-west. How is the weekend

shaping up? We will see outbreaks of

rain at times as things turn milder.

There should be some sunshine on

offer as well. We still have the

cold air holding across Scotland

with the blue colours on the map,

but that is moving in from the

south, so it's milder air spilling

in and it will have worked

northwards across all of the UK. For

Saturday, heavy rain for a time

through central England towards

Northern Ireland and as the rain

pushes north and bumps into the cold

air are likely to see a bit of hill

snow. A couple of centimetres

possible in the Grampians, but low

levels, falling as rain. For England

and Wales return to sunny spells,

still a few showers but look at the

temperatures. We could see 15

degrees or so on Saturday and

potentially the warmest day of the

year so far. Sunday should start

misty and foggy but a lot of dry

weather on the cards.

Hello, it's Friday, it's ten

o'clock, I'm Chloe Tilley.

Our top story.

Donald Trump and North

Korea's Kim Jong-un say

they're going to meet each other.

South Korea described it

as a "milestone for peace".

He expressed his eagerness to meet

President Trump as soon as possible.

President Trump appreciated this and

said he would meet Kim Jong-un by

May two achieve denuclearisation.

Not surprisingly President Trump has

taken to social media,

he's said that great progress had

been made but sanctions will remain

until an agreement is reached.

Ahead of Mother's Day this

Sunday we'll hear stories

of childbirth around the world.

It was always one day in the future.

I went through the two micrograms of

IVF and suffered very early

miscarriages.

We'll hear from that mum

Ellen Shepherd and her daughter

Alice who is now three months

old later in this hour.

And we'll talk to Save the Children

who are calling for action to be

And MPs reject calls to impose

a so-called latte levy

on throwaway coffee cups.

They say it's better for shops

to offer voluntary discounts

to customers bringing

their own cups.

But what do you think?

Get in touch in the usual ways.

Good morning.

It's ten o'clock.

Here's Annita McVeigh

in the BBC Newsroom

with a summary of today's news.

President Trump has

accepted an offer

to meet North Korean leader

Kim Jong-un for talks.

The first ever meeting

between a serving American president

and a North Korean leader

will happen by May.

The shock announcement was made

by senior South Korean officials

in Washington after months

of heightened diplomatic tensions

between the two countries.

Our Beijing correspondent

Steven McDonnell has more.

The response they have had at the

Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing

has been perhaps what you might have

expected. Beijing has after all been

urging Pyongyang and Washington to

sit down and talk for some time and

the news there might now be a

meeting between Kim Jong-un and

Donald Trump was naturally welcomed.

China Public argued it has done more

than any other country to bring

North Korea to the negotiating

table. Apart from voting for

sessions at the UN, as North Korea's

keek trading partner of the blocking

of North Korean textile, seafood,

coal exports, has hit that country's

impoverished economy hard. Behind

closed doors some Chinese diplomats

will be urging caution. Remember

this country hosted the failed six

party talks. At the last minute when

it seemed a deal had been done the

full North Korea to give up its

weapons in exchange for fuel aid,

and American diplomatic recognition,

north Korea pulled out and it

collapsed.

We also asked if China might be

happy to post a meeting between Kim

Jong-un and Donald Trump. The answer

we got was China is doing all it can

to help. The Chinese Government is

saying it feels vindicated today.

Because it sees the Winter Olympics

as a breakthrough and according to

the Chinese Government that

breakthrough was achieved because

there was a suspension of drills and

a suspension of missile tests.

Vindication Beijing says it

suspension or the pension plan. So

China can say it believes, we told

you so, it worked.

Pressure is growing

on counter-terror officers

to identify the source of a nerve

agent used in the attempted

murder of a former Russian

spy and his daughter.

The Home Secretary

Amber Rudd has visited

Salisbury this morning,

where she's been speaking

to police about the case.

Russia's Foreign Minister has

dismissed allegations

that his Government has any link

to the nerve agent attack.

A short while ago, Amber Rudd

was asked about the condition

of Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Still very serious for the two

people who were the subject of this

outrageous attack. And for the

police officer, I understand it is

still serious although he is

conversing and engaging.

A teenager who attacked six moped

riders with acid in a 90-minute

rampage across London

is being sentenced later.

17-year-old Derryck John

from Croydon admitted targeting

the riders in north and east London

in July last year.

He sprayed them in the face

with a noxious liquid and stole two

mopeds before trying

to take another four.

Police said one attack

had left a rider with

"life-changing injuries".

Earlier on the programme,

we spoke to one of Derryck John's

victims Jabed Hussain

who described his injuries.

I thought I had lost my face anyway.

The less I saw of my

face in the mirror.

I thought I had lost my face.

I thought I would never

get my face back.

Everyone was saying, you are OK.

I thought they were

trying to make me happy.

But when I saw my face,

then I realised, and I saw the other

guy was in hospital,

with the same issues,

and I am better than him.

A convoy has now arrived in Eastern

Ghouta delivering aid.

NHS employers and health unions

are understood to be close

to agreeing a three year pay deal

for hundreds of thousands

of staff in England.

The government has already said it

will abolish the one

per cent pay cap on public sector

pay and the Chancellor has indicated

he will provide extra funding

to meet the higher costs.

The United States will

impose tariffs on imports

of aluminium and steel.

President Trump signed

off on the move

at the White House late yesterday.

It's sparked fears

of a global trade war.

The European Union is

considering retaliating

with charges on US-made jeans,

motorbikes, bourbon and oranges.

That's a summary of

the latest BBC News.

More at 10.30.

We were talking about the end of

NME, going into digital format.

Doris says she remembers the NME and

radio Luxembourg as being access to

so much music. The annual concerts

were brilliant and saw the

introduction of new stars and

established groups. I understand we

use different methods but what a

shame.

And another, sad but inevitable, and

any will live in digital form. The

magazine is a business and had to

follow business rules.

Your thoughts are welcome on that

and any story we are talking about.

Do get in touch with us

throughout the morning.

Use the hashtag #VictoriaLive.

If you text, you will be charged

at the standard network rate.

Here's some sport now.

From 11 o'clock this morning

the opening ceremony

of the Winter Paralympics will mark

the start of the biggest Games yet

with well over 500 athletes

competing in six disciplines

from 48 countries.

Owen Pick will lead Paralympics

GB out as flagbearer.

He's at his first Games having

lost a leg while serving

for the British Army

in Afghanistan eight years ago.

Arsenal's victory in

the Europa League last night

helped end their worst run

since 2002 and ease the pressure

on manager Arsene Wenger.

His side went to Italy

and they came back

with a 2-0 victory.

Henrik Mkhitaryan scored his first

goal for the club and Aaron

Ramsey added another

at the San Siro.

The second leg is at

the Emirates next Thursday.

Look, we have won a game, we are not

qualified,

qualified, so we have raised belief

in the team. When you lose three in

six days it is always very

difficult.

We want to keep our focus and finish

the job next week, that is the

target.

It's a huge weekend

in the Six Nations

with plenty of permutations,

but Ireland could be

crowned champions.

They go into their match

with Scotland in Dublin

top of the table and with three wins

from three victory would keep them

on course for a first

Grand Slam in nine years.

But remember,

Scotland showed against England that

they're no pushovers.

It is a superb rugby star that they

play which makes them very potent on

the counter attack, attacking from

loose ball, very I supposed

dangerous in those wider channels.

England are away in France

and they need to match Ireland's

result to keep alive their hopes

of a third straight title.

Head coach Eddie Jones

has named Owen Farrell

as captain for the first time,

with Dylan Hartley out injured.

I think these weeks when you're

coming back from a loss of the week

you live for, they really test your

metal, the metal of the coaches,

players, to keep focus and generate

that energy and zest and brutality

that you need for the next game.

One of the greatest

sports people of all time

Serena Williams won her first

singles match on the WTA Tour

for nearly 14 months as she returned

after the birth of her child.

At 36, and having suffered

what she called "near fatal" health

complications after giving birth

last September she reached

the second round at Indian Wells

with a straight sets victory over

Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas.

Afterwards, Williams said

she was "a little rusty".

I almost wanted to cry because I

missed my daughter I was like, oh,

but I pulled myself together,

Serena, you have got to do this. It

was good, I was really happy to be

out there and just to be able to

play tennis again.

But Britain's Heather Watson

is out at Indian Wells.

She just can't beat

Victoria Azarenka.

this is the sixth time they've met

and the six time Watson has lost.

That is all the sport for now.

President Trump once described

North Korea as "the last

place on Earth" he would want to go.

And only months ago

he called the leader

of the country "rocket man"

because of his nuclear missile tests

and threatened to unleash

"fire and fury" on him.

But now, in a surprise move,

Donald Trump has agreed

to an invitation to meet Kim

Jong-un.

It will be the first time a US

President has ever met

a North Korean leader

and is being described as one

of the biggest gambles

of Donald Trump's presidency.

The announcement about the meeting

was made by Chung Eiu-Yong

the head of a South Korean

delegation that met both leaders.

I told President Trump that in our

meeting the North Korean leader said

he is committed to denuclearisation,

pledging that North Korea would

refrain from any further nuclear

missile tests. He understands that

the routine joint military exercises

against the Republic of Korea and

the United States must continue, and

he expressed his eagerness to meet

President Trump as soon as possible.

President Trump appreciated the

briefing and said he would meet Kim

Jong-un by May to achieve prominent

denuclearisation. The Republic of

Korea along with the United States,

Japan and our many partners around

the world remain fully and

resolutely committed to the complete

denuclearisation of the Korean

peninsular, along with President

Trump, we are optimistic about

continuing a diplomatic process to

test the possibility of a peaceful

resolution.

Well, it's an extraordinary overture

after months of trading

insults but can the two leaders

change from enemies to frenemies?

They will be met with Fire And Fury,

like the world has never seen.

Rocket man is on a suicide mission

for himself, and for his regime.

He is a sick puppy.

President Trump said he would meet

Kim Jong-un by May to achieve

prominent denuclearisation.

With me are Dr Brian Klaas,

a fellow at the London School

of Economics who has worked

on US political campaigns.

Charlie Wolf, he's a political

commentator and former

communications director

of Republicans Abroad UK.

Thank you for coming in. This is so

significant and historic and yet we

don't really know much about it?

We know they will properly meet

sometime before Bay. One of the

worries I have, it is a historic

opportunity, but how the

coordination has not been coming

between the Trump administration and

State Department. Rex Tillerson a

few hours downplayed the possibility

of any negotiations. If you hours

later the announcement they would

meet head-to-head.

Isn't that just the way he runs the

White House?

This is why the rubber

hits the road, it is a major gamble.