:00:14. > :00:17.Alex Salmond said attempts to dictate from on high are damaging
:00:18. > :00:26.the democratic process. Scots, he said, don't like being bullied. To
:00:27. > :00:32.be told there are things we can't do will certainly elicit a Scottish
:00:33. > :00:35.response that is as resolute as it is uncomfortable to the no campaign.
:00:36. > :00:37.We'll be getting the latest in the increasingly bitter dispute with our
:00:38. > :00:39.Scotland editor. Also this lunchtime:
:00:40. > :00:41.With 16 severe flood warnings still in place in England, the Prime
:00:42. > :00:51.Minister pledges more financial support for businesses and farmers.
:00:52. > :00:55.We also need this ?10 million fund, money that will be distributed to
:00:56. > :00:59.the local authorities that are affected, so they can help
:01:00. > :01:00.businesses that have either been directly or indirectly hit by the
:01:01. > :01:03.flood. Tourism bosses in the South West
:01:04. > :01:05.urge half-term holiday-makers not to be put off by recent images of their
:01:06. > :01:16.battered coastline. The moment a co-pilot hijacked his
:01:17. > :01:25.own plane and flew it to Switzerland to claim asylum.
:01:26. > :01:29.This is obviously one male who can be relied upon not to step on his
:01:30. > :01:32.partner's feet. And the real robots of the future -
:01:33. > :01:35.less like humans, more like insects. Later on BBC London:
:01:36. > :01:37.Despite the better weather, fears that river levels could rise again
:01:38. > :01:40.this week. And four bus drivers a day are
:01:41. > :02:00.attacked or verbally abused in London, according to new figures.
:02:01. > :02:07.Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One. The war of words
:02:08. > :02:10.over Scottish independence got hotter today as First Minister Alex
:02:11. > :02:14.Salmond hit back at claims that an independent Scotland wouldn't be
:02:15. > :02:17.able to keep the pound. Last week the Chancellor, George Osborne, said
:02:18. > :02:22.that if Scotland voted yes in September's referendum, it couldn't
:02:23. > :02:25.keep the currency. But in a speech in Aberdeen, Mr Salmond insisted
:02:26. > :02:28.that not sharing the pound would cost businesses south of the border
:02:29. > :02:33.many hundreds of millions of pounds - and accused other parties of
:02:34. > :02:41.bullying Scotland. Our Scotland correspondent Laura Bicker is in
:02:42. > :02:46.Aberdeen. Well, now we know there is no plan B
:02:47. > :02:50.when it comes to the Scottish Government's choice of currency for
:02:51. > :02:54.an independent Scotland. Alex Salmond said today that the pound
:02:55. > :03:00.was the best option and he said when all this campaigning stops, the
:03:01. > :03:07.common-sense will start. Otherwise it will cost businesses across the
:03:08. > :03:12.UK hundreds of millions of pounds. Now it was his turn. On his home
:03:13. > :03:16.turf in Aberdeen, Alex Salmond chose to make a speech to supporters but
:03:17. > :03:21.his message was for the Chancellor and his colleagues in Westminster.
:03:22. > :03:26.To be told that we have no rights to assets jointly built up is as
:03:27. > :03:29.insulting as it is demeaning. To be told there are things we can't do
:03:30. > :03:35.will certainly elicit a Scottish response that is as resolute as it
:03:36. > :03:42.is uncomfortable to the no campaign. It is yes, we can. It would cost the
:03:43. > :03:47.rest of the UK millions if an independent Scotland could not use
:03:48. > :03:52.the pound, he said. A charge he dubbed the Georgian attacks. The
:03:53. > :03:54.Chancellor wants Scotland last week that if they walked away from the
:03:55. > :04:02.union they walked away from the pound. A currency union, he said,
:04:03. > :04:05.would not work. And the outgoing European Commission President Jose
:04:06. > :04:09.Manuel Barroso said it would be extremely difficult, if not
:04:10. > :04:15.impossible, for an independent Scotland to join the European Union.
:04:16. > :04:18.Alex Salmond today dismissed those remarks but opponents of
:04:19. > :04:21.independence say the First Minister still has questions to answer on
:04:22. > :04:25.both the pound and Europe. People don't want to be in a position where
:04:26. > :04:28.they going to vote when they have no idea what the alternative is, what
:04:29. > :04:33.the replacement for the pound would be. I think the argument about
:04:34. > :04:37.currency is absolutely critical, just as critical as the European
:04:38. > :04:43.argument, and the wheels are coming off the wide. It simply does not
:04:44. > :04:47.stack up. So if it came to it, could an independent Scotland use the
:04:48. > :04:53.pound without agreement was not Why continuing to use the pound, it
:04:54. > :04:57.would make nonexistent any exchange costs of going from north or south
:04:58. > :05:01.of the border, both to businesses and households. There are good
:05:02. > :05:07.reasons for wanting to use the pound. Alex Salmond was preaching to
:05:08. > :05:12.the converted and these supporters believe the First Minister inspires
:05:13. > :05:15.confidence. He reassured the business community that his plan is
:05:16. > :05:20.the correct one. I don't think we need a plan B because we have the
:05:21. > :05:22.correct plan going forward and he answered all the questions that
:05:23. > :05:27.business people were looking for the answers to and came out with a
:05:28. > :05:32.positive message. And confidence will be key in this campaign. With
:05:33. > :05:36.seven months ago, both sides are trying to convince voters that only
:05:37. > :05:40.they have a clear vision of Scotland's future. It will be very
:05:41. > :05:46.interesting to see how the last week plays out with voters. The yes camp
:05:47. > :05:48.and Alex Salmond said today that voters who feel bullied by
:05:49. > :05:53.Westminster are being pushed their way. Better Together says the last
:05:54. > :05:57.week has shown Alex Salmond to be a man without a plan. Seven months to
:05:58. > :06:03.go, seven months to decide. Thank you. In a moment, we'll be
:06:04. > :06:08.live in Westminster but first a Glasgow and our Scotland political
:06:09. > :06:11.editor Brian Taylor. There is no plan B but Alex Salmond says
:06:12. > :06:17.Westminster's so-called bullying is playing in his favour. I think there
:06:18. > :06:23.is a destructive plan B, which is to continue to use the pound, much as
:06:24. > :06:31.Panama uses the dollar. -- a deep fact to plan B. Alex Salmond says
:06:32. > :06:35.the UK government will claim all the assets and he says that in those
:06:36. > :06:41.circumstances the liabilities and debts would also fall to the
:06:42. > :06:46.remainder of the UK. Is he saying that is a good idea? No, he is not.
:06:47. > :06:50.He says Scotland wishes to sharing those debts but only as part of a
:06:51. > :06:55.sterling zone. There is politics going on here as well as the
:06:56. > :07:00.statistics. George Osborne is making it clear he is against the idea of
:07:01. > :07:05.sharing a currency postindependence. Why? A, because he is against it. B,
:07:06. > :07:10.because it would be very hard to sell it to the people of England. It
:07:11. > :07:15.would be a hard marketing deal and so he turns away from it. Alex
:07:16. > :07:19.Salmond's demeanour today was one of reassurance and calm, rather than
:07:20. > :07:25.the bombastic rhetoric he knows might appeal to the nationalists he
:07:26. > :07:28.is trying to soothe and assuage. He says this can ultimately be sorted
:07:29. > :07:33.out in the event that there is a vote for independence. Thank you.
:07:34. > :07:38.Let's go to our chief political correspondent Norman Smith in
:07:39. > :07:43.Westminster. Is there any sense in the no team that this accusation of
:07:44. > :07:46.bullying holds some weight? My sense is, talking to figures in
:07:47. > :07:51.government, they believe that for the first time in this campaign,
:07:52. > :07:55.Alex Salmond has been significantly and seriously forced onto the back
:07:56. > :07:59.foot. Not just because of the arguments on whether Scots could
:08:00. > :08:03.keep the pound or remain in the EU but because of who is making the
:08:04. > :08:06.arguments. The critical interventions have not come from
:08:07. > :08:09.David Cameron or George Osborne or Ed Balls but from independent
:08:10. > :08:13.officials, like the governor of the Bank of England, the president of
:08:14. > :08:18.the European Commission. These figures who cannot be dismissed as
:08:19. > :08:22.posh English Tory boys going north of the border to tell Scots what
:08:23. > :08:26.they should think. It matters because these arguments address some
:08:27. > :08:29.of the keeper lives of reassurance that Alex Salmond has sought to
:08:30. > :08:33.create - to reassure Scots they would keep the Queen, remain in
:08:34. > :08:38.NATO, keep the pound, stay in the EU. Two of those pillars are looking
:08:39. > :08:43.decidedly wobbly. Lastly, this is personal. It's not just about
:08:44. > :08:48.raising doubts about whether Scots would keep the pound or whether they
:08:49. > :08:51.could stay in the EU, it's raising doubts about Alex Salmond himself
:08:52. > :08:54.and whether he can be trusted. Thank you.
:08:55. > :08:57.The Prime Minister has been visiting people in more flood-hit areas this
:08:58. > :09:00.morning. He's described the flooding as a tragedy and promised an extra
:09:01. > :09:05.?10 million for businesses affected by the disaster. There's been a lull
:09:06. > :09:09.in the recent bad weather but forecasters say more rain is on the
:09:10. > :09:12.way. 16 severe flood warnings are still in place and 3,000 troops have
:09:13. > :09:17.been deployed to help in the flood relief effort. Our correspondent
:09:18. > :09:25.Sian Lloyd is in Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire.
:09:26. > :09:29.Yes, David Cameron was here a couple of hours ago seeing for himself just
:09:30. > :09:35.how this community is coping with the floods. It has the unenviable
:09:36. > :09:38.record of being one of the most frequently flooded places in the UK
:09:39. > :09:41.and the Prime Minister was here to spread the word on just how these
:09:42. > :09:47.communities across the land will get help.
:09:48. > :09:52.Swathes of land still submerged and the water levels show little sign of
:09:53. > :09:56.receding. Homes and businesses along the banks of the River Thames have
:09:57. > :10:02.been among the worst affected. The River Severn, too, has risen to
:10:03. > :10:05.record levels. In Worcestershire, only one main route into
:10:06. > :10:10.Upton-upon-Severn is open to normal traffic and the community is being
:10:11. > :10:16.helped by the Army to get around. I think it's an excellent service. I
:10:17. > :10:21.wouldn't personally come into town just to get a couple of bottles of
:10:22. > :10:25.milk if I've got to go the long way round. But this was ideal. We can
:10:26. > :10:33.stock up, help the local community. Brilliant. This morning, the prime
:10:34. > :10:38.minister visited the market town. He heard concerns from local business
:10:39. > :10:40.people about a drop in trade. The government has allocated ?10 million
:10:41. > :10:46.to support businesses hit by the floods. We've announced that we're
:10:47. > :10:49.going to have a grant system for up to ?5,000 for businesses that have
:10:50. > :10:53.been flooded so they can better protect themselves in future but we
:10:54. > :10:57.also need this ?10 million fund, money that will be distributed to
:10:58. > :11:01.the local authorities affected, so they can help businesses that have
:11:02. > :11:08.either indirectly or directly been hit by the flood. That is actually
:11:09. > :11:11.helpful to businesses. Ralph Thomas's pub is not underwater but
:11:12. > :11:17.he says customers are staying away. He isn't convinced about the
:11:18. > :11:21.government scheme. Am I going to see any of this ?10 million, like a
:11:22. > :11:26.reduction in rates while the roads are closed? I really don't know.
:11:27. > :11:32.Without these flood defences, Upton-upon-Severn would be under
:11:33. > :11:35.feet of water. The ?4.5 million investment was completed just over a
:11:36. > :11:41.year ago. In the past, the town suffered severe flooding. In 2007,
:11:42. > :11:45.we struggled to get to the site because the flooding was so bad. A
:11:46. > :11:52.permanent defence is the best option if you can but, obviously, any
:11:53. > :11:56.defence is better than nothing. This community has been flooded 80 times
:11:57. > :12:03.in the last 40 years. The people here are well rehearsed in dealing
:12:04. > :12:05.with the rising River Severn. The Prime Minister acknowledge that,
:12:06. > :12:13.across the country, there are still lessons to be learned. And also,
:12:14. > :12:16.David Cameron yet again defended the government's handling of these
:12:17. > :12:21.floods against some criticism that has been levied at them during this
:12:22. > :12:25.time. He praised the efforts of the Army and the volunteers who have
:12:26. > :12:28.been helping in this community and right across the country.
:12:29. > :12:32.There are still 16 severe flood warnings in place in the Thames
:12:33. > :12:41.Valley, the South West and Central England. Ben Brown is in Old Windsor
:12:42. > :12:45.in Berkshire. Thank you very much. Let's show you
:12:46. > :12:49.where we are with the flood waters here because, actually, the
:12:50. > :12:53.situation has improved quite a lot. This is as high as they came,
:12:54. > :12:57.between knee height and waist height, but the flood waters here
:12:58. > :13:03.are ankle-deep now so that is an improvement. The weather is dry and
:13:04. > :13:09.that is encouraging people here but everybody from this little village
:13:10. > :13:14.has left their homes. They've been evacuated. There is no one much
:13:15. > :13:19.around. They've left their community is -- canoes, which is how they were
:13:20. > :13:23.trying to get around. One of the concerns was the health situation.
:13:24. > :13:27.The water is contaminated with sewage and the fear is that although
:13:28. > :13:31.the water levels have dropped quite considerably, they could come back
:13:32. > :13:35.up again because the Environment Agency is warning that maybe by
:13:36. > :13:40.Thursday they will be back up to where they were. All the rainwater
:13:41. > :13:43.we had over the weekend has got to filter through the River Thames and
:13:44. > :13:45.over the next few days, that will send the flood levels here shooting
:13:46. > :13:49.back up. Now, for many schools across the
:13:50. > :13:51.country this week is half term - and many people would normally take
:13:52. > :13:55.breaks in the UK. But what effects will the recent storms - and the
:13:56. > :13:58.images of the battered coastline - have on the tourism industry this
:13:59. > :14:06.week? John Maguire has been to Cornwall to find out.
:14:07. > :14:13.This is the video postcard from Cornwall that has been beamed around
:14:14. > :14:17.the world in recent weeks. And as school half term gets under way, the
:14:18. > :14:23.county's tourism board has launched its wet weather programme. The way
:14:24. > :14:29.it's reported, it is almost as if Cornwall is entirely shot off. I did
:14:30. > :14:35.eight week the other day and said, "it's a lovely sunny morning and I
:14:36. > :14:39.went for a swim". The coast is famed for its rugged beauty, a landscape
:14:40. > :14:45.Lodge and into shape by the Atlantic Ocean. Here in Bude, the businesses
:14:46. > :14:49.that are open our stoic. The biggest problem we've got is that people
:14:50. > :14:52.couldn't get to Cornwall, so trying to get the message across that the
:14:53. > :14:56.motorway and the trunk roads are open has been the biggest challenge.
:14:57. > :15:02.It has reduced bookings but has made very little difference to those that
:15:03. > :15:07.were already booked. We're heading to a village where resilience is
:15:08. > :15:17.branded into the DNA. It's now ten years since Boscastle was shocked by
:15:18. > :15:21.flash flooding. Sally runs a B and B and lives in a nearby village and
:15:22. > :15:26.she realised they had to fight to recover the tourism business here.
:15:27. > :15:32.Extreme events over recent years - what impact have they had on you and
:15:33. > :15:37.the business? Devastating. We had the foot and mouth crisis and the
:15:38. > :15:40.flooding in Boscastle in 2004. After the flood, we realised that we must
:15:41. > :15:44.work together as a community, promote the area, do things to bring
:15:45. > :15:49.people out of season, and it has worked. As Cornish as the cream tea
:15:50. > :15:54.is the desire to attract visitors in all weathers. This is never going to
:15:55. > :15:58.be a make or break week for the tourism business but it does provide
:15:59. > :16:03.a cherry on the icing of the cake for those businesses that are open
:16:04. > :16:10.this early on in the season. What's that cherry worth? In Cornwall
:16:11. > :16:15.alone, it equates to 90,000-100,000 visitors, spending ?30 million.
:16:16. > :16:20.Easter may be the traditional start of the main tourism season but many
:16:21. > :16:26.businesses stay open all year round, whether the weather is
:16:27. > :16:30.fine... Or whether the weather is downright awful.
:16:31. > :16:32.And you can find out more about the awful weather conditions, on the BBC
:16:33. > :16:34.News website. And there are, of course, updates on your BBC Local
:16:35. > :16:47.Radio station. Three former employees of Barclays
:16:48. > :16:55.Bank have been charged in relation to the alleged manipulation of the
:16:56. > :16:59.interbank interest rate. The men will appear at Westminster
:17:00. > :17:08.Magistrates' Court. In 2012, Barclays Bank paid fines of ?219
:17:09. > :17:10.million to settle charges -- 200 ?90 million. The Serious Fraud Office
:17:11. > :17:13.says an investigation into the scandal is invest -- continuing.
:17:14. > :17:18.An Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked a plane bound for Rome this
:17:19. > :17:21.morning, and flew it to Geneva, where he wanted to seek asylum.
:17:22. > :17:24.Swiss police say the co-pilot took control when the main pilot went to
:17:25. > :17:26.the bathroom. He's now being questioned by the authorities, as
:17:27. > :17:32.our security correspondent Frank Gardner reports.
:17:33. > :17:38.An airliner hijacked by the plain's and co-pilot, then diverted to this
:17:39. > :17:43.runway in Geneva. Swiss police scramble to react this morning when
:17:44. > :17:48.this Ethiopian airlines scheduled flight to Rome was diverted here.
:17:49. > :17:52.Flying over Italy, the co-pilot had waited for the pilot to go to the
:17:53. > :17:56.toilet, then locked himself inside the cockpit and alerted air traffic
:17:57. > :18:21.control to what he was doing. This is the actual cockpit recording.
:18:22. > :18:26.Through the open cockpit window, the hijacker let himself down the road
:18:27. > :18:31.then gave himself up to the Swiss authorities. Around 200 passengers
:18:32. > :18:38.and crew left the plane unharmed, then the Swiss convened a hasty
:18:39. > :18:44.press conference. The co-pilot hijacker was born in 1983. He is of
:18:45. > :18:47.Ethiopian origin. His act was motivated by his claim that his
:18:48. > :18:51.safety is threatened in his country and he wants to seek asylum in
:18:52. > :18:54.Switzerland. Ethiopian Airline say no weapons were involved in though
:18:55. > :18:59.one was in danger, but just why the hijacker did not wait to disembark
:19:00. > :19:01.in Rome is not clear. He now faces the prospect of up to 20 years in a
:19:02. > :19:14.swish jail. -- Swiss jail. The time is 1:19pm. Our top story
:19:15. > :19:18.this lunchtime: the war of words over independence hots up as Alex
:19:19. > :19:20.Salmond accuses Westminster on bullying Scotland over the pound. On
:19:21. > :19:25.the 10th stage of the British curling teams. Can they qualify for
:19:26. > :19:29.the semifinals at the Winter Olympics -- and a tense day. Later
:19:30. > :19:31.on BBC London: Chaos for commuters this morning after flooding causes
:19:32. > :19:34.delays and cancellations. And he's one of the greatest long-distance
:19:35. > :19:36.runners of all-time. Haile Gebrselassie is announced as the
:19:37. > :19:44.lead pacemaker for this year's London Marathon.
:19:45. > :19:49.To many, this is still the image they have of a robot. A machine in
:19:50. > :19:55.some kind of human form which, however gentle it appears, has
:19:56. > :19:58.always felt a bit scary. But scientists say this isn't right,
:19:59. > :20:00.that robots of the future are more likely to behave like insects. Our
:20:01. > :20:02.Science Correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, is in Chicago and has gone to meet
:20:03. > :20:16.some of them. Gigan is one male who could be
:20:17. > :20:22.relied upon not to step on his part speed. This is how we imagined
:20:23. > :20:25.robots would be in the future in the 1950s, but 60 years on this is how
:20:26. > :20:30.they have turned out. It looks like a toy car, but actually it's an
:20:31. > :20:32.intelligent robot that can see and learn. It is navigating its way
:20:33. > :20:42.through this obstacle course or on its own. And here is the ant that
:20:43. > :20:45.they are based on. The research team spent several weeks studying it in
:20:46. > :20:49.Spain, and based on what they learned, this is what they built. A
:20:50. > :20:56.robot that can make its way through rough terrain. This is in and's eye
:20:57. > :21:01.view of the world. The picture is coarse and simplified, but even so,
:21:02. > :21:06.it's an awful lot of visual data, and it has been a complete mystery
:21:07. > :21:11.as to how a creature with the brain the size of a pinhead can process
:21:12. > :21:14.that amount of information. If you have tried to build a robot
:21:15. > :21:18.yourself, you can't help but be amazed when you look at an animal,
:21:19. > :21:21.even a simple animal and how well it interacts with the world and how
:21:22. > :21:25.many competencies it has, how compact is, how low powered it is,
:21:26. > :21:32.how robust it is. We can't build anything like it, so there's a lot
:21:33. > :21:35.to learn. In Chicago, researchers are developing robot fish. This
:21:36. > :21:42.camera shows how it is avoiding the coloured obstacles. It uses electric
:21:43. > :21:46.fields to sense its surroundings. In murky waters, it could be used to
:21:47. > :21:51.assess damage in oil spills, assessed danger for divers or go
:21:52. > :21:56.where cameras cannot see. It is a group of fish that live in the
:21:57. > :22:01.rivers of the Amazon, and those rivers are very, very murky. So as a
:22:02. > :22:07.result, they have had to evolve a different way of sensing. It seems
:22:08. > :22:12.increasingly that robot builders are drawing their inspiration from the
:22:13. > :22:16.animal kingdom. So no robot servants to look after us in the foreseeable
:22:17. > :22:25.future. And some might say, thank goodness.
:22:26. > :22:29.17 people who were trapped in an abandoned gold mine east of
:22:30. > :22:32.Johannesburg have been brought to safety. South African police say
:22:33. > :22:34.they face charges of illegal mining. An unknown number of miners are
:22:35. > :22:37.still underground. It's thought they fear being arrested when they return
:22:38. > :22:42.to surface. Our correspondent Nomsa Maseko is at the site east of
:22:43. > :22:48.Johannesburg. What is happening there at the moment? At the moment,
:22:49. > :22:51.rescue officials have confirmed in the last half an hour or so that
:22:52. > :22:58.they have lost all communication with the gold-diggers, who are still
:22:59. > :23:12.underground. About 11 of them have come out today, and 11 yesterday, so
:23:13. > :23:16.in total, 22. They were treated full -- they were taken for medical
:23:17. > :23:19.checkups and were found not to have sustained any injuries. They are
:23:20. > :23:26.facing charges of illegal mining. Thank you very much for that update.
:23:27. > :23:29.The space thriller Gravity and the drama 12 Years a Slave were the two
:23:30. > :23:33.big winners at last night's star-studded BAFTAs. Gravity won six
:23:34. > :23:37.awards including Best British film, with Chiwetel Ejiofor being named
:23:38. > :23:38.best actor for his portrayal of the slave Solomon Northup. Our
:23:39. > :23:46.entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba was there. 12 Years A Slave.
:23:47. > :23:49.It may not have won the most awards, but 12 Years A Slave took
:23:50. > :23:57.the night's most prestigious prize, Best Film, as well as the best actor
:23:58. > :24:00.award for Chiwetel Ejiofor. It felt so great to be supported in that
:24:01. > :24:07.way, by your peers and friends and family. It was a really wonderful
:24:08. > :24:11.feeling. I was thrilled. Its main rival, space thriller Gravity was
:24:12. > :24:16.the winner of half a dozen awards, including best director. 1970s
:24:17. > :24:19.comedy drama American Hustle took home three awards, including Best
:24:20. > :24:24.supporting actress for Jennifer Lawrence. And other winners included
:24:25. > :24:29.Cate Blanchett, best actress for Blue Jasmine. An unexpected
:24:30. > :24:33.highlight was a musical performance where rapper tiny temper gave a high
:24:34. > :24:39.five to the future King -- tiny temper. The recipient of this year
:24:40. > :24:46.'s Fellowship, I should probably call granny. Prince Philip was there
:24:47. > :24:52.to award Helen Mirren with the Academy's highest honour. With
:24:53. > :24:55.voting currently underway in America in the Academy Awards, 12 Years A
:24:56. > :24:59.Slave might be disappointed overall tonight, but they will be pleased
:25:00. > :25:04.that they won the big one, Best Film. However, Gravity team will
:25:05. > :25:07.still be hopeful that their six awards will help them exert a
:25:08. > :25:08.significant pull on Oscar voters ahead of the ceremony in two weeks
:25:09. > :25:14.time. It was a crucial day for Great
:25:15. > :25:21.Britain's curling teams today at the Winter Olympics. The men are
:25:22. > :25:25.struggling to qualify for the semi-finals after losing their game
:25:26. > :25:28.against Germany. -- China. They have one last chance to get through
:25:29. > :25:31.tomorrow if they beat Norway. The women are guaranteed at least a
:25:32. > :25:34.play-off spot after beating Russia 9-6 this morning. The weather
:25:35. > :25:35.meanwhile has forced other events to be postponed. Our correspondent Andy
:25:36. > :25:47.Swiss is in Sochi for us now. Yes, a huge day for Britain's
:25:48. > :25:50.curlers in Sochi. They came here with high hopes but have sometimes
:25:51. > :25:57.struggled over the first week, and they knew that today they simply had
:25:58. > :26:03.to produce their best. For Britain's medal hopes, it was make
:26:04. > :26:06.or break time. Curling is a sport of touch and tactics, the aim to slide
:26:07. > :26:10.your stones into the target and knock out your opponents. Against
:26:11. > :26:14.Russia, the women's team showed why they are amongst the favourites.
:26:15. > :26:18.It's still all came down to the wire, the captain Eve Muirhead kept
:26:19. > :26:23.her cool to secure the two points at the final end and victory. It means
:26:24. > :26:29.if they win their last match later on, they are into the semifinals.
:26:30. > :26:33.Really pleased with that. The girls played fantastic. It's one of those
:26:34. > :26:36.games we knew we had to win, so there is always tension, but we went
:26:37. > :26:40.out there and stayed relaxed and pulled off some great shots. The
:26:41. > :26:43.British men will face a play-off tomorrow to see if they go through
:26:44. > :26:49.to the semifinals after losing their final round robin match against
:26:50. > :26:52.China. Meanwhile, Britain's freestyle skier role in Cheshire
:26:53. > :27:00.tweeted this photograph of herself after spending the night in hospital
:27:01. > :27:05.with concussion -- Rowan. Two snowboarders, including this
:27:06. > :27:08.Norwegian, also had to be stretchered off the slopes. But
:27:09. > :27:13.organisers insist conditions here are no more dangerous than previous
:27:14. > :27:16.games. At the moment, the figures are there is no difference at all,
:27:17. > :27:22.no significant difference from Vancouver. Winter sport, snow
:27:23. > :27:27.sports, they are not without their risks, but we don't see any
:27:28. > :27:33.different -- difference between these Winter Olympics and the rest.
:27:34. > :27:36.In the mountains, heavy fog forced postponements. After the recent warm
:27:37. > :27:43.weather, organisers were hoping for a bit of the white stuff, but not
:27:44. > :27:49.quite like this. Tricky conditions in the mountains. To give you an
:27:50. > :27:52.update on Rowan Cheshire, she is being released from hospital today,
:27:53. > :27:55.and they will assess her condition over the next few days before
:27:56. > :27:58.deciding if she can compete in her event on Thursday.
:27:59. > :28:07.Warm weather there, but a record breaking snowstorm in Japan has
:28:08. > :28:10.killed at least 12 people and injured more than 1,000 others. More
:28:11. > :28:13.than a metre of snow fell in some areas, the sheer weight causing the
:28:14. > :28:16.roofs of several buildings to collapse. It's also led to flight
:28:17. > :28:19.cancellations, havoc on the roads and Toyota and Suzuki both say they
:28:20. > :28:21.are having to shut production at several car plants.
:28:22. > :28:26.Time for a look at the weather. Here's Stav Danaos. There is some
:28:27. > :28:36.snow here. Phenomenal amounts in the Scottish
:28:37. > :28:41.mountains, but elsewhere it has been considerably mild across the UK this
:28:42. > :28:45.winter. You could see, yesterday, Sunday's clear weather across the UK
:28:46. > :28:49.brought us a gorgeous sunny day, but we are seeing more in the way of
:28:50. > :28:56.cloud, and behind me looms the wind and rain on Thursday. More cloud
:28:57. > :29:00.piling in today, so a cloudier and damp today than yesterday with
:29:01. > :29:04.outbreaks of rain. Not very heavy for many areas, but it is pepping up
:29:05. > :29:08.across western areas, particularly the South West and Wales where there
:29:09. > :29:11.is a keen southerly wind. To the east, East Anglia and the
:29:12. > :29:16.south-east, still dry, but the rain will arrive as we go through the
:29:17. > :29:20.course of the afternoon. However, outbreaks of rain per Scotland, a
:29:21. > :29:24.strong easterly wind and snow falling again over the mountains,
:29:25. > :29:29.even in low levels. But for the Northern Isles, dry and bright,
:29:30. > :29:35.Bocelli. Of rain for Northern Ireland. -- but Chile. Driver now in
:29:36. > :29:41.the south-east, but turning wetter later on. The heaviest bursts across
:29:42. > :29:44.Wales and the South West, but Western Cornwall will see some
:29:45. > :29:46.sunshine, and that is the theme through the afternoon, some
:29:47. > :29:51.brightness pushing in towards the south-west. Through the evening, the
:29:52. > :29:56.band of rain spreads towards the east, reaching the eastern parts and
:29:57. > :30:00.there are heavy bursts. Across northern areas, damp, misty, murky,
:30:01. > :30:05.further rain and snow in the hills. Across the South West, heavy showers
:30:06. > :30:09.pushing up. For most of us, it will be a frost free night apart from the
:30:10. > :30:13.Northern Isles. Tomorrow looks like being a cloudy day, but more
:30:14. > :30:17.sunshine than today. Sunny spells pushing into the West then the
:30:18. > :30:20.Midlands. Heavy showers affecting central and southern parts of
:30:21. > :30:24.England. Some of these containing hail and thunder, but for Scotland
:30:25. > :30:28.and Northern Ireland, a grey day with outbreaks of rain continuing.
:30:29. > :30:34.For Wednesday, nondescript day. A lot of cloud, some brightness, but
:30:35. > :30:38.one or two spots of rain across western areas. Notice the
:30:39. > :30:42.temperatures, ten or 11 degrees, so sticking with the mild theme.
:30:43. > :30:47.Thursday we see the change, a mass of cloud comes in, tighter isobars,
:30:48. > :30:51.and heavy rain. Nothing is stormy as we have seen over the past few weeks
:30:52. > :30:57.though. Really, this week there will be some way -- rain around, but not
:30:58. > :31:01.as windy, although the winds will pick up on Thursday and Friday and
:31:02. > :31:03.into the weekend. And remaining on the mild side for many of us. Thank
:31:04. > :31:12.you very much. Now a reminder of our top story this
:31:13. > :31:14.lunchtime: the war of words over the Scottish independence referendum
:31:15. > :31:17.hots up as Alex Salmond accuses Westminster of bullying the Scots
:31:18. > :31:18.over the pound. That's all from us. Now