21/03/2014 BBC News at One

formalising division, as Vladimir Putin signs the law annexing Crimea

and the EU agrees closer ties with Ukraine. We'll be live in Moscow.

Also this lunchtime: The search of the Southern Indian Ocean for flight

MH370 intensifies, but there are no further sightings of debris. We have

a lot of hope and the conditions remain as they are, hopefully we

will find something soon. It can have terrible consequences,

but now a vaccine against meningitis B looks set to be approved by the

NHS. The human tide - Italian authorities rescue thousands of

migrants from the waters off Lampedusa.

Putting their lives on the line - the soldier shot in the neck and the

medic who saved him are recognised for their valour and bravery.

I owe him my life. Not that I would ever say that to his face!

Later on BBC London: A doctor is the first in the UK to face charges over

female genital mutilation. And the Prime Minister appeals to Boris

Johnson to run in the next general election.

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One. President Putin has

signed a law formalising Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine,

calling it a remarkable event. It comes as the new authorities in

Ukraine and the European Union sign an agreement committing them to

closer political and economic ties. The deal is part of the same

agreement that the former Ukrainian president rejected back in November,

leading to protests and eventually his overthrow. Our Europe

correspondent Matthew Price is in Brussels.

Brussels and Moscow, two different cities, two very different visions

and different ceremonies today. One dragged Ukraine ever closer into

Europe. The other split Ukraine with its province of Crimea being

formally signed into Russia. In a dull conference room in Brussels,

surrounded by European smiles, Ukraine inched away from Russia

today. A simple signature from its interim unelected Prime Minister

committed the country to greater cooperation with the EU, a move

bound to incense Moscow. For ministers here, that is partly the

point. This is probably the biggest move the EU can do right now. It is

a fight between East and West. To sign this today is good news for

Ukraine. It is not just Ukraine the EU is drawing into its orbit. Two

other former Soviet states that Moscow once held close are also due

to sign deals soon. How well Moscow react? It has used gas as a weapon

before. The EU gets a third of its supply from Russia. Ukraine fears it

is about to start pushing up prices. It is urgent for Ukraine to get,

Russia violating all deals, it is to double the cries for the natural

gas. This is how Russia punishes Ukraine for its European choice. --

the price. In a more ornate room, another ceremony, another is simple

signature. This one formerly splitting Crimea from Ukraine,

joining it to Russia as far as he is concerned. There is no sign here

that sanctions on President Putin's associates have weakened resolved.

Nor was there in Crimea itself. Ukrainian forces continued to give

up their bases, allowing Russian troops to move in. Privately here EU

leaders will admit Crimea is gone and it is not coming back any time

soon. The big strategic question they will have to answer is what

they can do if anything to ensure that if Russia wants to start

carving up other bits of Eastern Europe, it can't.

Let's talk to our Moscow correspondent, Richard Galpin. A

limited range of sanctions so far. I wonder what impact they are having

on the financial markets, maybe in the way business do -- people do

business every day in Russia? Even though the sanctions on

individuals, it is having a significant impact on the stock

market is here. The main index has gone down about 3% so far today. It

has gained a bit. Overall it is down almost 20%. Also today we have had

from two of the world's leading credit agencies, they have

downloaded the outlook for Russia from stable to negative. Customers

of two banks caught up in the sanctions here in Moscow, they have

not been able to use credit cards. Inconvenience for people on the

streets. I think these sanctions are really beginning to bite. The

question now is whether the EU and US will ramp up the sanctions

another level and make them trade and financial sanctions. Financial

analysts here think it would have a catastrophic impact on the Russian

economy which already is very weak. Growth has slowed down over the past

12 months. People I have been speaking to think that... The

popularity of President Putin. Thank you very much indeed.

Nearly two weeks after the disappearance of flight MH370,

reconnaissance planes are searching a remote section of the southern

Indian Ocean for a second day. They're following what's been

described as the best lead yet, satellite images which may have

shown debris in the sea. Relatives are still anxiously waiting for news

of the Malaysian airliner which vanished shortly after take off from

Kuala Lumpur. Our world affairs correspondent Jonathan Head is in

Perth, Western Australia. After ten hours scanning the sea,

and the stray lien air surveillance aircraft comes home to its base --

and Australian surveillance aircraft. It is one of five making

the long journey today to the search site. They are using every hour of

daylight. Missions sometimes go on into the night. The stretch of ocean

they have to cover is so vast they know it is only a matter of luck as

to whether they find any of the missing airliner. Of all of the many

kinds of planes and vessels thrown into this remarkable operation, this

aircraft is among the most effective. Yet for all its sensitive

listening technology, the crew are overwhelmed by the size of their

task. Journalists crowd around the young pilot eager for any news of

the Malaysian airliner. We are going out today. Good weather compared to

yesterday. The visibility was great. Better than 10km visibility. We had

really good opportunities to see anything visually. For the task we

had today, the conditions were outstanding. We have a lot of hope

and if the conditions remain as they are, hopefully we will find

something soon. These satellite photographs show the faintest

outline of something large on what has directed the search here. The

photos are five days old. With no cited in yet, they are expanding the

search to where the current might have carried it. It is a big area

when you are looking out the window trying to see something by I. We may

have to do this a few times to be confident about the coverage of the

search area. It is exhausting, repetitive work. But they have to

keep going. Each day without any sign of where the airliner went down

makes the likelihood of finding it more on. -- more remote.

If you want to keep up to date with the search for flight MH370, we have

all the latest details on our website.

A new vaccine to protect infants against meningitis B should be made

available on the NHS, according to health officials. The Joint

Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation says the injection

should be rolled out across the UK, as long as a suitable price can be

agreed with manufacturers. That overturns a controversial decision

last summer to reject the jab. Here's our health correspondent

Dominic Hughes. This girl is very fortunate to be

alive. At 15 months, she suddenly developed meningitis B, losing both

her hands and some toes. Doctor said his amazing she survived and her

mother believes the introduction of a vaccine for meningitis B is long

overdue. It will stop babies dying, losing hands, legs, give better

quality of life. It will have a massive impact. So many children

will be saved. Thank you for finally saying yes. Meningitis B is

relatively rare but one of the most feared in Britain. There are around

1800 cases in the UK each year. Most of those are found in very young

children and the impact can be devastating. One in ten will die.

10% of those who survive will be left with a major disability.

Bacterial meningitis is complex and a vaccine has taken 20 years to

develop. Last year an expert panel advising UK health ministers said it

would not be cost-effective. Now they have changed their mind. We

have read on the analysis and found the vaccine could be cost-effective

as long as it is at a fairly low price. Around 700,000 children a

year will be eligible for the vaccination, possibly as soon as

this summer. We are keen to implement it as soon as we can.

There are important steps that need to take place before it starts, not

least of course the negotiation with the manufacturer about the price,

but also ensuring we have a secure and sustainable programme going

forward. Those negotiations on price are crucial. Money spent on this

vaccine will mean less can be spent elsewhere. But for this girl and her

family, this is a day to celebrate. A soldier who had been shot in the

neck by an Afghan insurgent but carried on fighting, and the medic

who attended to him are among more than 100 members of the armed forces

who've been recommended for bravery awards. Most are being given to

servicemen and women who took part in last summer's deployment to

Afghanistan. Sarah Campbell has more.

Shot through the neck while on patrol, British Army cameras

captured the moment Lance Corporal Simon Moloney was treated by his

friend and colleague Lance Corporal Wesley Masters. Both have been

recognised by their extraordinary courage under fire. I rolled off the

roof and realised I had been hit. Autopilot comes in. You wait for the

30 seconds to see, I going to pass out and die? Risking his own life,

Lance Corporal Wesley Masters began life-saving treatment. It was a

through and through gunshot wound. He had two holes in his neck. I try

to stay calm and calm him down and deal with what I saw, not let my

mind run away with me. The bullet had missed his right all arteries

and windpipe by millimetres. He continued to fight until the

helicopter arrived. He receives the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Lance

Corporal Wesley Masters receives the Military Cross. What do you think

for what he did? I owe him my life. Not that I would ever say that to

his face! His whole confidence in the job, it was not just the way he

saved me, completely confident and calm. He was an awesome casualty.

The digs aptly what he wanted -- he did exactly what I wanted him to do.

He is a good lad. The latest list of awards is a reminder that although

British involvement in Afghanistan is winding down, the risks remain

and the men and women based there continue to perform outstanding acts

of bravery. This is just a selection of the more than 100 service

personnel who have received honours. All will be presented with their

medals and awards at Buckingham Palace.

Our top story this lunchtime: Russia's parliament approves

Crimea's entry into the Russian Federation as European Union leaders

sign an accord on closer ties with Ukraine.

And still to come: From middle distance runner to rhythmic gymnast,

how Lord Coe is raising money for Sport Relief.

Later on BBC London: The Government faces calls to appoint a minister to

work on the HS2 rail project. And the East London boxing academy

giving young people a fresh start in life. We look at how your

fundraising helps. 100 years on from the start of World

War I, drinking water is still affected by pollution in areas that

used to be the front line. In northern France, many babies are

kept away from tap water because of the high level of chemicals on a

consequence of the ammunition that was left behind. Angus Crawford

reports on the walls Trust on the wall's toxic legacy.

A tribute to the dead. Every night, crowds gathered at the many negating

Belgium. For British schoolchildren this is history. But for those

living in the areas where battles once raged, the war's legacy as part

of daily life. Drinking water is still polluted by what the conflict

left behind. At this and hundreds of other nurseries in northern France,

babies drink only bottled water. Their milk is made up using bottled

water. Pregnant women are also advised not to drink what comes out

of the tap. This woman, who runs the creche, says it is clear they never

thought of the time of the 14 - 18 war that 100 years on there would

still be consequences for future generations. The water in more than

500 villages and towns is contaminated by chemicals seeping

out of World War I bombs. So this is the very top of the water tower.

There is no proven risk to health, though the authorities are now

trying to find where the bombs are buried. If we find them, those

deposits, to remove them and we hope that it will progressively reduce

the concentration of chemicals. But that will be a work of years? Of

years, yes, of course. We have found up until now about 350 shells. A

Belgian ball -- bomb disposal experts response to another

call-out. The area is sealed off. Mustard gases leaking into the

ground. More than 1 billion shells were fired during the war, in some

places as many as one quarter did not explode. Springtime on what was

the front line. But no flowers will grow in this clearing. Levels of

arsenic are 3000 times higher than they should be. This measuring

device was drilled into the subsoil here, to check on just how polluted

the water still is and looking around you can see almost nothing

can grow here. That is because this site was used to destroy 200,000

chemical bombs at the end of the First World War. They were just

burned in the open. A terrible war which leaves a toxic legacy, even

today. The first-ever prosecutions for

female genital mutilation in the UK are to be brought against a doctor

and a second man. Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena from the Whittington

Hospital in north London and Hasan Mohammed, who is not a medic, are to

face the first charges brought under the female judo -- the Female

Genital Mutilation Act. Children's services at the council which came

under fire over the death of a four-year-old boy have been branded

as inadequate by inspectors. Daniel Pelka died after being starved and

abused by his mother and stepfather in 2012. The Ofsted report also said

that Coventry's children's services were not seeing vulnerable children

fast enough. The council has promised a rapid improvement, is

Phil Mackie reports. Daniel Pelka died two years ago

after being beaten and starved by his mother and stepfather. There

were many missed opportunities to intervene in the life of the

four-year-old, who was quiet, withdrawn and used to scavenge for

food in bins at school. But a Serious Case Review found he had

been invisible and the authorities had spent more time considering the

needs of his parents. Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek are

serving life for his murder. Coventry promised it would do

better. Last month, the BBC was granted exclusive access to the

social workers who care for children in the city, to see if things had

improved. They said they were still overworked and under resourced.

There are a lot of challenges in social care in Coventry at the

moment. Our caseloads are too high and that is stopping us from doing

some of the things we would like to do, in a timely manner. Today,

Ofsted said that Coventry was getting many of the same things

wrong. It said vulnerable children were not seen swiftly enough, which

means they were left at risk of harm. Social workers have very high

caseloads and that means they cannot do their job properly and leaders

and managers have not tackled key witnesses in children's social care

quickly enough. We have to move on, irrespective of the tragedy we have

spoken about, because otherwise we will always find ourselves in a

position where we are overwhelmed at the front door and we will never be

able to manage the work load in the wake that is proportionate to the

amount of money we have got. Since Daniel Pelka's death, the number of

child referrals has gone up by 50%, but there is room for optimism. The

report says the leadership here is taking decisive action and they only

need to look a short distance away to Staffordshire, in less than two

years it has gone from being rated as performing poorly, to rated good

today. More social workers will be recruited and the process of change

sped up. The city knows it is under pressure to deliver because of the

horrific death of Daniel Pelka. The Italian Navy says more than 4000

hydrants have been rescued from an -- from overcrowded boats in the

Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily in the past four days and several other

rescue operations are under way. Yesterday over 230 people, who were

packed onto a rubber dinghy, were picked up near the island of

Lampedusa. He was a relatively unknown manager

when taking charge in 1996, but just seven seasons later Arsene Wenger

had earned Arsenal the nickname the Invincibles. Tomorrow, the French

manager will oversee his 1000th game at a trip to Premier League leaders

Elsie, with the Gunners four points behind them. Joe Wilson reports on

the highs and lows of arson Wenger's 18 year reign. -- Arsene

Wenger's 18 year reign. A surprise party, while hardly. He has been

here for 1000 games. He demands respect but that is not a carriage

clock. He is not retiring. He says he is in another faith. Its first

decade at Arsenal was rich in football success. The --

subsequently he is a balanced the books and built a new stadium but

stopped winning things. Do you feel satisfied with what you have

achieved in 1000 games, or is satisfaction may be something you

find difficult? Satisfaction is not one of my greatest qualities. I

thought maybe that was the case. This club has given me a chance but

in an important -- an important period of the life span of this club

I have shown loyalty and turned many things down and accepted to work

with restricted potential and knowing that I had to stay at the

top of the game and I will just say I did that through commitment. In a

football sense the commitment has always been to style. No one matched

his philosophy quite like Thierry Henry. Reaching 1000 games, it is

just crazy. It is crazy because you can see how important it is for this

club, staying for a long time in a club is not that easy, not because

the manager doesn't want to stay, but because sometimes you get the

elbow. There is huge respect for Arsene Wenger but of course in

football success tends to be measured in the form of trophies. He

is not -- he has not one since 2005. Other managers wonder if they

would be treated with such patients. It is not possible to have 1000

match unless the club is also a fantastic weight in the way they

support the manager, especially in the back moments and especially when

the bad moments were quite a lot. Yes. Well, tomorrow it is Jose

Mourinho's Chelsea at home to Arsenal and there will be no special

gifts. In case you didn't know, it is Sport

Relief tonight and people all over the country including famous faces

like radio to's Jo Whiley have been running, cycling or swimming to help

raise money. The programme is also going to feature comedy sketches,

such as a cameo appearance from David Beckham in Only Fools And

Horses, and for the first time the main show is taking place at the

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London and Ben Beck -- and Ben

Geoghegan is therefore as now. This year's Sport Relief has made

headlines because of the incredible challenges that some of the

celebrities have set themselves. A few of them have been here training

this morning, but as everyone knows this is not about winning medals, it

is about raising money. It it is said to ribbon dancing to

Dolly Parton. -- said Coe. At the Olympic Velodrome with Sally

Phillips and Olly Martins. It is not what you would expect perhaps but it

is a Sport Relief rehearsal and there is still some way to go. How

much technique have you got to develop? Quite a lot. He's a

natural, born to do this. This was the event he should have chosen at

the Olympics. The main rivalry at the Bella drone will be between

Sebastian Coe and John Bishop in the clash of the Titans. In many

respects I feel like Steve Ovett. I am the underdog that most people

look at and think, you don't really look like you should be here,

whereas Sebastian Coe always looks perfect, doesn't it? Why are you

wearing those glasses? The first meeting of Del boy and Rodney for

ten years, this time the Trotters have a new sidekick. Yes. Good

thinking. Some of the celebrities have faced tougher challenges.

Davina McCall has been running, cycling and swimming from Edinburgh

to London, plunging into Lake Windermere was one of the toughest

moments. It was quite hairy and probably the toughest thing I have

ever done. But then to have to get on a bicycle was torture. The DJ Jo

Whiley puzzles being pushed to her limits, earning a ?260,000 donation

from Coldplay. I am so grateful to so many people. I fell over at the

last minute, I didn't fall over on the treadmill and at the last second

I went splat, on the floor. There is more rehearsing to do, but as far as

fundraising goes it has been a good start. The aim is to beat the ?50

million relief -- raised for charity two years ago. Lord Coe is here with

us now and can tell us a bit more about today's events. It is good to

see you are dressed for the part. How is it going? You didn't miss the

calling of the rhythmic gymnast? I don't think so. Being serious, it is

a really tough sport. It is a fabulous sport. How is it going with

John Bishop, because you have been teasing each other in the lead up to

the clash? We have a good, friendly rivalry. He keeps telling me I am

from the south, but I was brought up in Sheffield. I am not sure his

geography is that good. You are doing the ribbon dancing but there

are lots of other events? Rhythmic gymnastics, but there is

synchronised swimming, the elimination races in the cycling.

You can see that behind us. This is good head to head, but it comes to a

head on the gymnastics floor here tonight. And of course we have had

the Olympics here a couple of years ago and you are associated with

that. How much of an effect might there be when it comes to people

donating and taking an interest in Sport Relief that is due to the

success we had them? I hope so. Every year Sport Relief makes more

money and that is a great thing and tonight is a big televised event,

but there are thousands of things happening at this moment. My

daughter in the West Country is running a mile this afternoon and

there are kids the length and breadth of the country. Given the

volunteers who are helping put this on tonight and thousands of people

doing lots of things this afternoon, that is a good Olympic legacy. You

wonder whether these events will continue to capture the public's

imagination. Do you think tonight will? It is part of the national

landscape. I will be surprised if this is not going long after we have

left the scene. Thank you and good luck. You can watch all of the

events here at the Olympic Park on BBC One, 7pm this evening.

Let us get the weather for the weekend and Phil Avery is here.

Let us get the weather for the weekend and Phil Avery is Unite I

started a cruel vein. Last weekend temperatures hit 20 Celsius for

some, barbecues out. This weekend, barbecue for a source of warmth

cop. This is closer to what we would expect for this time of year. A

chilly weekend in store. It was a glorious start for money but as the

morning has gone on the shower cloud has a speckled up and we have seen

some hefty showers. We will come to Northern Ireland in the second.

Mid-afternoon, some of those showers will be heavy. Urged along I quite

noticeable south-westerly wind. As is the nature of the beast with

showers, not everybody is seeing them. Some of the South Coast could

be dry for a good part of the afternoon. It could be different in

the northern shores of Devon and Cornwall and the Bristol Channel,

the gateway for the showers, some pretty heavy ones across the high

ground of Wales. We might hear the odd rumble of thunder. The showers

eventually giving way to something more persistent. The showers already

have been a bit thundery, with pale and smoke at the higher levels of

Scotland. Through the course of the evening, the band of persistent ray

with snow will work its way across all parts of the British Isles. The

snow getting down to low levels and the North. Following behind, noticed

this, a cold night with ice, you will see some rather wintry looking

scenes, scenic rather than disruptive for the south-west and

the high ground of Wales and the high ground further north. Saturday,

another day of a lot of hefty, blustery showers. Some sunshine in

between. I was suggesting earlier, it will be cool compared to what we

have experienced of late. Sunday, the wind goes round to the

north-west. The pressure builds towards the West, killing the

showers. The bulk of the showers on Sunday are found through eastern

parts of the British Isles. For the weekend, chilly, some wintry showers

and some frost unites. That is for sure. I take you on to Monday,

widespread, could be one of the colder nights we have seen so far

this season, from Scotland to some southern parts of the British Isles,

that comes about as we topple this area of high pressure in across the

British Isles. A clear start on the chilly start on Monday. A decent

day, but then it could be that the front towards the West makes Tuesday

just a bit more unsettled. What's going on, we will keep you posted

through the course of the weekend. The top story this lunchtime.

President Putin has signed a law completing the annexation of Crimea

as EU leaders agreed closer ties