03/04/2017 BBC News at One

Five people are charged after an attack in south London

on an asylum seeker - which left him with a fractured skull.

Police believe the assault in Croydon involved

As the victim recovers in hospital, we'll have the latest

from our correspondent at the scene where the attack happened.

We'll solve the North Korea nuclear threat alone,

with or without China, says Donald Trump.

Madrid expresses surprise at Britain over the Gibraltar row -

Credit card firms should do more to help customers

in persistent debt, according to the financial watchdog.

And the golfer who lost a major title because of the eagle-eyes

Coming up in the sport: Enya Luca is left out of the England squad for

Euro 2017 despite finishing the women's league as top scorer.

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.

Donald Trump has said the United States will

"solve" the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear programme.

In an interview with the Financial Times,

the President said the US would act alone if China wouldn't intervene.

He made his comments ahead of a visit to the US by the Chinese

Here's our correspondent Wyre Davies.

How do you solve a problem like North Korea and its growing military

ambitions? Under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un North Korea is

increasingly seen as a rogue nation, threatening enemies and conducting

nuclear missile tests. China has also become frustrated and ties are

strained. But Donald Trump wants the Chinese to do even more. If China

isn't going to solve North Korea, we will, that's what I'm telling you.

Mr Trump told that the FT. Asked if he could succeed alone he replied,

totally. It's not the first time since his election that Mr Trump has

pushed the issue of North Korea towards the top of his foreign

policy to-do list, without being specific. Obviously North Korea is a

big, big problem. And we will deal with that very strongly. One of

those who interviewed the president said the reason for his concern is

clear, ahead of his much as dissipated meeting this week with

the Chinese premier. At the moment, and President Obama said this to

President Trump just after the election, this, the North Koreans,

will have the capacity to hit San Francisco and the Californian coast

by the end of his first term. With repeated warnings about the missile

capabilities of North Korea, officials of the Trump

administration are talking tough. During a recent trip to South Korea,

secretary of state -- the Secretary of State said preliminary military

action is an option. But it is widely believed that military action

against the North Korea would lead to very high civilian and military

casualties. It is risky. Not only because of North Korea's recent

advances in nuclear technology, but because it has thousands of

artillery pieces pointing at the capital of South Korea. Even if you

were able to rob all those after a first salvo, the damage, the death

count, would be absolutely horrific. The Premier's visit the US will be

the most important yet by a foreign leader. From regional peace to

global trade, Chinese and American leaders have much to discuss.

Discussions which Mr Trump has acknowledged will be difficult.

Well let's speak to our correspondent in Washington -

President Trump says he will solve the North Korea problem. How? That's

the big question. Because what they've tried until now, what

successive American administrations have tried, is ever tighter

sanctions. There will have been round and round of UN sponsored

sanctions. They haven't stopped the North Koreans developing their

programme. Pressure on China to keep North Korea in line, but hasn't

worked. They are even deploying some anti-missile technologies to South

Korea, and that has not deterred North Korea, either. The danger for

the Americans is they believe North Korea is getting closer to being

able to minute to rise a nuclear warhead, put it on an

intercontinental ballistic missile which could reach the US, and a mid

range missile which could hit Japan, or potentially qualm. Donald Trump

seems to be saying to the Chinese that now is the time, but the

question is, will they react to that? -- Guam. North Korea is useful

to them in that part of the world in terms of stopping American big

enemy, if you like, right on their doorstep. Thanks very much.

Five people have been charged following what police described

as a "brutal attack" on a 17-year-old boy in Croydon.

The teenager - who is of Kurdish Iranian descent -

was set upon after telling a group of people that he was

He is said to be in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Our home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds is in Croydon.

The troubling thing about this attack was the sheer number of

people involved. It happened at the bus stop there behind me. A young

man, a young student, a Kurdish student and his two friends waiting

there were set upon by 20, 30 people who came out of the pub here behind

me. Police have made some arrests. There have been some charges. But

their investigation is continuing. Police are still looking for these

two people. One man appearing slightly younger, the other slightly

older, they may have been part of the mob which attacked the

17-year-old Kurdish student and his friends. Detectives today said come

to us before we come to you. This morning the officer in charge of the

case said that in total 11 people have been arrested in connection

with what she said was a horrendous assault. I think this is powered by

numbers. There has been an incident outside the pub. They have picked on

three young men. There was no reason for this attack. And I believe that

because of the numbers involved people have just jumped on the back

of it, and this has turned into this violent brawl where somebody has

been viciously beaten and is very lucky not to have lost his life. And

the bust up behind us is relevant? Absolutely. -- bus stop. People have

come from the pub and attacked these individuals in the street. One was

kicked and beaten and left on the ground. The two friends of the

victim ran while he was chased by the group. He got as far as this

street corner where he was found with serious head injuries.

Neighbours came to help. Unlike, police said, some of his attackers,

who may not have struck any blows but did nothing to stop this

happening. At Croydon Crown Court five people in their early 20s have

been charged with violent assault. Darrell and Daniel Edwards or live a

short walk from wherever it happens. Neighbours who were worried about

giving interviews said police had even dusted cars for fingerprints.

And there is a constant police presence here in an area where this

attack has raised tension. Over at the court in Croydon in

those five people are appearing as we speak in front of magistrates and

discussions are being had about bail. And I am told there will be a

hearing coming up shortly in which they will appear, in this case, as

it continues. As I say, police in this area are still very much

present, still very much looking into that large group of people who

were involved in that attack, and they are trying to find out who else

that may have included. Thanks very much.

The Spanish foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, has said he's

surprised by the tone of the British reaction to talk about

The government of the Territory has criticised the EU for including it

in its draft negotiating strategy with the UK about Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said Gibraltar would remain

British as long as its people wanted that to be the case.

Our correspondent Tom Burridge sent this report from Gibraltar.

Rush hour between Gibraltar and Spain. Thousands cross onto the rock

every day to work, and there is some uncertainty here about what Brexit

will mean. TRANSLATION: I'm overwhelmed,

because we don't know what will happen, and whether we will be able

to continue working here. Maria tells us it's important that the

arrangements at the border stays the same for her and other Spanish

workers. Do you think Brexit will cause problems for Gibraltar? No.

Why not? There is too much in both parties, well, it isn't in both

parties' interests financially for there to be any sort of people. This

is currently an internal EU border, but probably in two years that will

change. This gives you a sense of how intertwined peoples lives are

over on that side of the border in southern Spain and hearing

Gibraltar. The arrangements at the border will be part of the

negotiation between Britain and the EU about what Brexit means here, and

the EU says Spain's voice will be heard. Spain has long complained

that Gibraltar's wealth is partly down to lower taxes on this side of

the border. Madrid kept relatively quiet this weekend, compared to the

rhetoric back home. But this morning the Spanish Foreign Minister

suggested Britain is overreacting. TRANSLATION: The Spanish government

is a little surprised by the tone of comments regarding Gibraltar, coming

out of Britain, which is a country known for its composure. Almost

everything on Brexit and what it will mean for Gibraltar is, for now,

speculation and theory. But speaking at a meeting for EU foreign

ministers, the Foreign Secretary Eggen said that Gibraltar's

sovereignty is not up for debate. I think the British government is very

clear about the fact that the sovereignty of Gibraltar is

unchanged, it won't change, and cannot conceivably change without

the expressed support and consent from the people of Gibraltar and the

UK. That isn't going to change. But what is changing as Britain's

relationship with the EU, and therefore Gibraltar's relationship

with Spain. Two neighbours who are not the best of friends.

Are you drowning in credit card debt?

Well, the financial services regulator is proposing new rules

for credit card companies to help millions of customers get

The regulations are designed to help borrowers whose failure

to settle their accounts means they end up paying more in charges

and interest than the sum they originally borrowed.

Our personal finance correspondent Simon Gompertz reports.

Credit cards, so convenient, but the interest and charges rack up. Some

people are eventually paying ?2 50 for every ?1 they have borrowed. --

?2.50. The 3.4 billion people who are in persistent credit card debt.

We want to make sure they get help much sooner than otherwise done, and

that they get it on a predictable basis. Persistent that means they

are spending years are paying more in charges and interest than in

repayments. After 18 months the card company will have to prompt them to

pay back faster. After three years, a formal repayment plan should be

proposed, and if the customer cannot afford it charges could be waived on

the card cancelled. Credit card companies should take on more

responsibility to help people that may be more vulnerable. They

shouldn't encourage people to have credit cards who cannot afford them.

People do have to take responsibility for their own money,

as well. The cost of being stuck in credit card debt can escalate and in

the end it is the card companies who are making money out of it. It's

estimated that if these measures are implemented effectively it could

save the card uses up to ?1.3 billion a year. Debt experts say

that is treating the symptom and not the cause, which is that people are

allowed to go so long without repaying. You look at the weather

credit cards are structured. Minimum repayments, people can take out a

large balance and repay it in very small amounts, which is trapping

millions of people in persistent debt. Unless that is changed and the

structure of products are at a more realistic repayment at the outset,

we are likely to see more people falling into persistent debt in the

future. Credit card companies say they will look at the proposals,

which they welcome, use of cars is rising rapidly is a pressure to help

borrowers who find themselves with problems... -- use of cards.

Restrictions on the use of police bail come into force today

The amount of time a suspect released from custody can remain

on bail will be limited to twenty-eight days in most cases.

The decision is in response to concerns that people

were being left in limbo for months or even years.

But police have questioned the move, as our Home Affairs correspondent

Famous faces who've been under police investigation,

finally told they wouldn't be facing charges,

They were among the 5000 still on bail after a year.

The Government says the system needed rebalancing.

Well, what's happened in the past is people could be put on bail

with no end in sight and no check or balance, which means we had

thousands of people could be on bail for 12 months or more.

In fact, there were examples of people on for several years,

We've got to make sure we've got a proper system that

The former deputy editor of the News of the world, Neil Wallis, was

cleared of phone hacking by a jury after spending too long periods on

bail. This devastated our lives. It destroyed my marriage. One of my

children had a breakdown. Another one of my children lost their

long-term relationship because of the pressure. I was sacked on the

day that I was arrested and bailed. I was left bereft. From now on, some

suspects won't be suspect -- subject to police bail at all. For those who

are, the limit would be 28 days. But a senior police officer will be able

to grant an extension of up to three months. The police will have to seek

the permission of a magistrate for anything longer. The Police

Federation is highly critical of the changes. 28 days in the cycle of a

police officer is not a long time for investigating a crime. You also

have to bear in mind in relation to external enquiries, we have external

resources. Forensic, CPS... 28 days is not realistic for them to come

back to us. The Police Federation believes the old system protected

witnesses and victims, and helped to prevent further offending. Jim

Kelly, BBC News. We're getting reports of an

explosion in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. It is understood

three Metro stations are Ben Close. Sarah Rensburg -- our correspondent

joins me. What do we know? We have heard from the Metro in Saint

Petersburg. There has been an explosion on the underground train

service. They are investigating the cause. At the moment they expect an

unidentified explosive device. That is the only information we have.

There are a number of casualties. We have seen pictures from the scene

that show at least several people very seriously hurt. The numbers and

the extent of their casualties are still being determined at the

moment. We know several Metro stations have been closed. I have

seen pictures with many fire engines and ambulances that have obviously

rushed very quickly to the scene. It looks like a very serious incident.

At the moment, the details of how many people have been caught up in

the explosion are still being checked and verified. Sarah

Rainsford. Five people are charged

after an attack in South London on an asylum seeker which left him

with a fractured skull. Coming up, now you see

it, now you don't - the grammar vigilante

on a mission to correct spelling Coming up in sport at half past:

After just 15 appearances this season, Luke Shaw is told to take

a long hard look at himself if he wants to save his career

at Manchester United. Emergency services and armed forces

in Colombia are still searching for as many as 300 people who have

been missing since a series of huge mudslides engulfed the city

of Mocoa on Friday. More than 250 people

are known to have died. Our correspondent,

Anisa Kadri, reports. Rescuers in Colombia hunt for any

signs of life. The hopes of finding anyone alive are fading, with

hundreds already confirmed dead following the mudslides in Mocoa. As

bodies are aligned up at this cemetery, families wait outside

praying they will not find their relatives inside.

TRANSLATION: The really sad thing is when family members find their loved

ones in this situation. It hurts to see it. We are lacking support. The

fire service is always here but we need a lot of support.

Roads and bridges were washed away and houses flattened, after more

than a week's rainfall fell in one night. Getting help to people living

deep within the Amazon basin is not easy. But people in the Colombian

capital, Bogota, who donated these supplies hope they get there. Troops

and children work side-by-side to try to get relief to the injured.

TRANSLATION: The situation in a disaster area is very bad. We can

feel the anxieties, even here in Bogota. We feel it is everyone's

responsibility to help in the disaster area because the number of

casualties and missing people is huge, and man-made -- many families

are looking for missing relatives. The Colombian president has visited

the area. Critics say he should have done more to protect it from heavy

rainfall amid concerns about climate change. Last night in a televised

address you promised his government would support the victims and pay

for the cost of funerals. -- he promised. TRANSLATION: I know

the loved ones lost RE replaceable. The pain will stay with us forever

but it is possible to mitigate it. It is possible to recuperate. It is

possible to overcome the tragedy. Hope as possible. We will dedicate

ourselves to bringing hope back to Mocoa.

Dozens of children are among the dead. For these survivors at a

makeshift soup kitchen, food, drink and shelter will be the start of the

process to rebuild their lives. The parents of a baby suffering

from a rare genetic condition are today trying to persuade

a High Court judge to let them Connie Yates and Chris Gard have now

raised over ?1.2 million for the treatment of their son,

Charlie, but doctors here oppose the move,

saying there is no cure, and it is time to stop providing

life support treatment. Daniel Boettcher has been

in court where the judge Yes, there was a preliminary hearing

a month ago. Today the judge has been hearing more detailed evidence.

The background to the case is that Charlie was born last August. He is

almost eight months old. Initially he seemed perfectly healthy. When he

was eight weeks old he was taken to hospital because it appeared he had

been losing weight and getting weaker. He was transferred to great

Ormond Street Hospital, worry was diagnosed with a rare genetic

condition, a of mitochondrial depletion Sinden. This has lead to

muscle weakness. He is being treated in intensive care. He is on a

ventilator. The hospital believes that it now would be appropriate to

withdraw life support treatment, that that would be in Charlie's best

interests, that he should be moved to palliative care. His parents want

to taken to America, where they hope we can receive treatment. An online

fundraising site has raised more than $1.2 million that ZMapp ?1.2

million target. Today the court has been hearing evidence from the US

from a neurologist who has been asked out the work he has been doing

may be applicable to Charlie's condition. It has been very

technical evidence, but the court has heard it will be key to this

case. Charlie's parents have been in court listening to the evidence,

holding one of his toys. Other family members and supporters are in

the public gallery. This is the first witness, but the judge will

hear all of the evidence from several witnesses before he has to

take that very difficult decision as to what is in Charlie's best

interests. Thank you.

A charity claims more than 20 million people in the UK

The British Heart Foundation says the average person spends over 70

It warns that inactivity puts people at risk of heart disease,

and presently costs the NHS more than a billion pounds a year.

Harriet had no warnings, no symptoms. She was climbing the

stairs at home when she had a heart attack at the age of just 44. It was

like having the rug pulled from under your feet. I have a very young

family. I have a very demanding job, which I loved. To suddenly be struck

by such a traumatic incident was very difficult. I didn't make time

for activity or exercise. I think looking back on it now, I was fairly

sedentary. Harriet is not low -- alone. The most inactive part of the

UK is the north-west of England, according to research. 47% of adults

don't take enough exercise. In Northern Ireland, 46% are inactive.

In Wales it is 42%. London and the West Midlands, 40%. And in Scotland,

37%. We estimate that on average most of us spent 78 days of our life

each year in a sedentary position. Physical activity is important. But

you also need to reduce the amount of time each day that you spend

sitting at your computer. Harriet has now changed her lifestyle.

Regular exercise, walking, playing with her kids. But inactivity is

fast becoming one of the leading causes of premature death. Graham

Satchell, BBC News. Now, for years there's been a rumour

in Bristol that somebody has been going out late at night,

correcting bad punctuation The self-named Grammar Vigilante

corrects street signs and shop signs where the apostrophes

are in the wrong place. Well, our correspondent,

Jon Kay, has been to meet Roaming the streets

of Bristol, righting wrongs. I've been doing it for quite

a lot of years now. I do think it's a cause

worth pursuing. At home he makes sticky punctuation

marks. I'm trying to match the colour

of the apostrophe that's He has even made a special device

which he called The Apostrophiser which lets him reach

the highest shop fronts. Oh, look at that,

that's worked perfectly. A quick demonstration

on the dining room wall. By day, he's a highly

qualified professional. Only his family know what he gets up

to After Dark. I have felt extremely nervous,

the heart has been thumping. He started his campaign

13 years ago. This was the first sign

he tackled, Amys Nail's. He's left his mark throughout

this area of Bristol, There will be some people,

maybe the owners of these shops who say, hang on a minute,

you haven't got permission, we haven't asked you to do

this, what you're doing I'd say it's more of a crime

to have the apostrophes There's one sign he has been

desperate to correct for years - The garage is right outside

Bristol's high security prison. Using a purpose-built,

home-made trestle, he climbs up, cuts a piece of yellow sticky-backed

plastic to size and covers Who lives around these parts,

I can't tell you about him. No, it's good to see

people still caring When you go past a sign

that you've corrected, The word you are

looking for is pride. It does make my heart swell slightly

when I see the correct'. Jon Kay, BBC News, Bristol.

You can hear more on The Apostrophiser from Jon Kay

on BBC Radio 4 tonight at eight o'clock.

Now, spare a thought for Lexi Thompson.

The American was two shots clear during the final round of one

of women's golf's major tournaments, when she was penalised by

officials, effectively costing her the title.

But it was a TV viewer who spotted her mistake

Our correspondent, Andy Swiss, reports.

Just imagine it. You are on course for the winner of your life, just

few holes from glory... But Lexi Thompson's dream was about to become

a nightmare. The reason? This moment from her previous round. Look

closely. She marks her ball, picks it up and put it down in a fraction

of a different place, which is against the rules. Nobody noticed

that the time but a TV viewer spotted it, alerted officials, who

then interrupted her final round to give her a four shot penalty. Yeah

is this a joke? No, not at all. That's just ridiculous. Thomson was

in tears. She was no two shots behind. Her disbelief shared by the

watching Tiger Woods, who immediately tweeted that viewers at

home should not be officials wearing stripes. She came remarkably close

to winning anyway. She battled back and on the final hole had this putt

to win. But agonisingly, victory slipped away. All because of that

one eagle eyed viewer. I wasn't expecting that. I did not

intentionally do that. To the officials or whoever called in, that

was not my purpose. I didn't realise I did that. Thomson later time Turk

fans for helping her through. Golf is no stranger to trial by

television but its results are rarely this painful.

And the Swiss, BBC News. Time for a look at the weather

with Tomasz Schafernacker. We had such beautiful yet whether

yesterday. Lots of sunshine. Still some good weather today. The weather

is starting to turn for some. Here is a beautiful picture from

Greenwich, from Wendy. Some cherry blossom. The week ahead is looking a

little bit fresher. Temperatures will come down. Most of the time it

is looking to write and there is some sunshine. One thing that is

very high today is the pollen. A lot of us are starting to sneeze, mostly

across England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland, the pollen is

a bit lower. Let's see the satellite picture. You can see where the sunny

skies are across most of England and Wales. This is a weather front

bringing the rainfall to the north-west, but also, if it was

misty or for the way you were this morning, check this out across parts

of East Anglia and the south-east. That fog and mist is moving away, so

we are left with suntan. Different story in Scotland and Northern

Ireland. Weather systems coming from the Atlantic. Rain in the Western

Isles. Rain pushing through Belfast. By the time we get to 4pm, you can

see the clouds increasing across the lake district, West and Wales, into

the tip of Cornwall. But for the vast majority of England and Wales

it is in fact a dry and sunny afternoon. Fairly fresh on some of

those coasts, but inland around 15 to 17 degrees. A couple weather

fronts move across the country tonight. Winds pushing through the

cloud and the rain. All of us today will eventually get a few spots of

drizzle. The north-west of the country will be quite fresh. Colder

air coming in behind these weather fronts. Across England and Wales,

milder. Tomorrow, a different picture across the bulk of England.

Certainly in the morning a lot of cloud. It would be so stubborn,

moving sluggishly across the South East and Southern parts of the UK.

If you live in Wales, the North, the north-west of the country, a much

better picture in the afternoon. The rest of the week, not much happens.

High-pressure angering itself across the UK. The weather systems going

around it a bit like a Catherine wheel. We are in the centre of the

high. Quite a bit of cloud around. Some sunshine from time to time.

Temperatures will be on the low side.

More now on those reports of an explosion in the Russian city of St

Petersburg. It is understood three Metro stations have been closed.

Let's speak to our Moscow correspondent. What do we know? We

are getting reports on two Russian news agencies from an unconfirmed

source saying that ten people have been killed in what the authorities

have confirmed was an explosion on one Metro carriage at a station in

St Petersburg. We believe it happened when the train was in the

station. It was right in the centre of St Petersburg. The pictures we

have seen have shown people very seriously injured. So we do know

that certainly there are some serious injuries caused by this

explosion. There are lots of unconfirmed reports at the moment,

but in terms of the facts, we know there was an explosion on a carriage

in a Metro ins -- St Petersburg. A number of casualties. Fire engines

and ambience is rushed to the scene. It happened at 2:30pm local time.

The trains would have been fairly busy. We also know that President

Putin was in St Petersburg today. He has an official visits, official

meetings with the present of Belarus in his official residence. He has

been informed about what has happened. As to because of it, and

who was behind it, we don't yet know. Thank you.