29/01/2018 BBC News at One

Senior ministers urge the Government

to pull together amid reports

of mounting tensions among

Conservative MPs.

The Prime Minister is facing growing

criticism over her handling

of Brexit negotiations

and her domestic policy.

Also on the programme

this lunchtime:

A 28-year-old man appears in court

in connection with a car crash that

killed three teenage boys

in London on Friday.

The collapsed construction giant

Carillion is accused of trying

to wriggle out of its pension

obligations while still

paying bosses' bonuses.

A former loyalist paramilitary

commander turned police informer

is sentenced to six and a half years

in prison for more than

200 terror offences.

Peaking in Paris -

the River Seine is now more

than four metres above its normal

level and people have been

moved from their homes.

And Bruno Mars cleans up

at the biggest music awards,

the Grammy's, in New York last night

- taking home six in total.

And coming up in the sport on BBC

News, the new England women's head

coach, Phil Neville,

faces the media in his first press

conference since his surprise

appointment in the role.

Good afternoon and welcome

to the BBC News at One.

Senior ministers are urging

their party to pull together

amid reports of growing tensions

among Conservative Mps.

Theresa May's facing

criticism over her handling

of Brexit negotiations

and of her domestic policy.

It comes as European Union ministers

prepare to meet in Brussels this

afternoon to agree their negotiating

guidelines for the transitional

period after Britain leaves

the EU in March next year.

Here's our Political

Correspondent Leila Nathoo.

Will this Government ever agree on a

Brexit strategy? Heading in,

competing views in the cabinet still

to be reconciled. Among Tory

Brexiteers, frustration is spilling

over with louder calls for the

Government to take a tougher stance

towards Brussels.

I think now,

having tried the friendly approach,

the UK needs to say to the rest of

the EU, either we talk trade and a

comprehensive partnership and sort

that out over the next year or we

leave without an agreement. Will you

please get down to discussing the

things we are interested in because

we spent the last

we spent the last year and a half

talking about things you are

interested in.

From other quarters

too, warnings time is running out

for the Prime Minister to get across

a broader message.

I don't support

any change in leadership but I do

think the window is closing because

politics can be a brutal game.

Theresa May has her hands full

trying to contain the divisions

among her colleagues but party unity

is again beginning to fray. Her

authority is fragile, and it is

those around her who will decide how

long she stays in place.

We should

pull together and stay behind the

Prime Minister. There are challenges

facing the country we need to rise

to together and huge opportunities

we need to take advantage of. The

biggest risks to our country would

be a socialist government that would

send us backwards.

There is a sense

the pressure on Theresa May is

building, from those concerned

domestic policy is taking a

back-seat, while those calling for a

clean break from the EU want her to

take a bold step in that direction.

Rod Laver Tories still don't want a

leadership contest that may bring

forward a general election and there

is still no obvious candidate to

take her place. Downing Street

points to the Prime Minister's

record in the negotiations so far,

but the next stage of negotiations,

sowing seeds of a future

relationship between Britain and the

EU, will be harder to navigate

abroad and on home soil.

Our Assistant Political Editor

Norman Smith is in Downing Street.

How much trouble is the PM in?

Sophie, Mrs May has faced crises

before and battled on through and

survived, and she may do again. The

difference this time I think is for

the first time there are signs the

Brexiteers, who to date have been

loyal to Mrs May almost fending off

others who have sought to move

against her, now appear to be

getting the political collywobbles

over her leadership. They swallowed

uncomfortable compromises over the

Divorce Bill and the transition

period but now they fear those

compromises might be a proud huge to

the great sell-out. Why? -- might be

a prelude. Last week it was

suggested we might move very

modestly apart from the EU which has

rung alarm bells. There's a broader

sense of exasperation with Mrs May,

many Tory MPs fear the party is

drifting aimlessly down the river

with no real direction or sense of

purpose. All of which said, for all

of the accusations against Mrs May

that she lacks decisiveness and

boldness, it is not clear that any

of her Cabinet critics are exactly

overflowing in those qualities

themselves because today all of them

have sat on their hands and shown no

sign of facing down Mrs May.

Norman

Smith in Downing Street, thank you.

Ministers from the 27 states

which will remain in the EU

after Brexit are meeting this

afternoon to agree their negotiating

guidelines for the transitional

period after Britain's departure.

Damian Grammaticas is in Brussels.

Yes, so those ministers, the 27,

will this afternoon sign off on

their position, the EU's position on

the negotiation about transition

period. This is an important moment

because if you think back to what

happened in the first phase, the EU

set out its position, its

guidelines, and stuck to it. For all

of the debates about the exit bill,

Britain ended up accepting the EU

position so in this document today

we see some of the arguments to

come, particularly the issue about

the UK status. The UK will quit in

2019 out of the EU but if it wants

to have that transition and continue

to benefit from free trade, single

market access and that sort of

stuff, it will need to accept all of

the rules. That is one area where

there could be some dispute. The UK

saying can it not have some power of

looking at those rules and if they

are not in the UK's interests, the

EU is unlikely to move on that. Also

in the document tree movement rights

of EU citizens, that they should

continue right until the end of the

transition in 2020, so difficult

decisions for the UK but the EU

should sign off on this this

afternoon and we will probably see

them stick to that through the

negotiations.

Thank you.

A man has been remanded in custody

after appearing in court

in connection with a car crash that

killed three teenagers

in West London.

A second man is being questioned

after he handed himself

in after a police appeal.

Frankie McCamley is at

Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

What happened in court?

Some of the

victims' family members were in

court today to see the defendant,

Jaynesh Chudasama, who only spoke to

confirm his name, age and address.

He faces three counts of causing

death by dangerous driving following

a crash on Friday evening in which a

car ploughed into a group of teenage

boys. Three teenagers were killed at

the scene, named a 16-year-old Josh

McGuinness, 16-year-old George

Wilkinson and 17-year-old Harry

Rice. The 34-year-old has also been

arrested on suspicion of dangerous

driving and remains in police

custody for questioning. Family,

friends and loved ones have been

paying tributes at the scene,

leaving flowers and balloons. All

the boys attended the same school

and the headteacher has issued a

statement to say "We are all shocked

and saddened by the tragic loss of

three of our students. Our thoughts

and condolences are with family,

friends and loved ones at this

time". Jaynesh Chudasama was denied

bail today and will appear at the

Old Bailey on the 26th of February.

Thank you.

A loyalist paramilitary turned

supergrass has been jailed for more

than six years after admitting more

than 200 offences -

including five murders.

Gary Haggarty was a former

commander in the Ulster

Volunteer Force in Belfast.

He was a paid police

informer for 11 years.

The judge said that under

normal circumstances,

45-year-old Haggarty would have been

jailed for 35 years.

From Belfast, Chris Page reports.

During the troubles, the letters UVF

were identified with fear,

sectarianism and killing. The Ulster

volunteer Force murdered almost 400

people, more than any other loyalist

paramilitary group. The control

which UVF leaders had over their own

communities meant it was difficult

to prosecute any, but eight years

ago Gary Haggarty offered to give

evidence in court in exchange for a

shorter sentence for his own crimes.

Eamon Fox and Gary Convey

were shot dead by UVF gunmen...

Sean McDermott was bundled

into his car, and his body was

discovered early

yesterday morning...

Children ran crying from the house

after the gunmen shot their

grandfather.

Haggarty pleaded guilty to five

murders and almost 200 other

terrorism offences.

Today, the judge said under

normal circumstances, he

would have gone to prison for 35

years, but he reduced the term to

six and a half years.

The UVF unit which Haggary

led here in north

Belfast had a particularly

savage reputation.

But even as he was carrying out

this his sectarian murder

campaign,

the paramilitary commander was also

working as a police informer.

The families of those

Haggarty killed

feel the justice system has

let them down terribly.

Justice?

What is justice in this country?

It's just designed to look

after the criminals.

How can a man convicted of that

many crimes would be set

free into society?

In more than 1000

interviews with detectives,

Haggarty made allegations about 14

other loyalists and two police

officers, who he gave

information to.

But prosecutors have decided

to use his evidence against just one

man, who is to be charged

with two UVF murders.

The next time Gary Haggarty

is in court, he'll be in the

witness box, not the dock.

The deficit in the pension fund

of the collapsed construction giant

Carillion could be almost a billion

pounds - far higher than first

thought, according to MPs.

The Commons Work and Pensions

Committee has accused the company

of trying to "wriggle out"

of its obligations to its

pensioners, while continuing

to pay dividends and high

salaries to executives.

Our Business Correspondent

Simon Gompertz is here.

of trying to "wriggle out"

of its obligations to its

What do they mean when they say

Carillion wriggled out?

It's that point of whether the

company was putting enough into the

pension scheme in order to pay the

pensions they promised. Frank Field,

the head of the Work and Pensions

Committee, is launching an inquiry

along with the business committee of

MPs in the Commons into exactly what

went on at Carillion, and has indeed

been saying the company carried out

shelling out dividends and handsome

pay packets for those on top whilst

underfunding the scheme. He has

released a letter from the trustees

of the pension schemes attached to

Carillion saying they alerted that

there was a problem of underfunding

in 2008 and then every three years

since then. The attention has now

shifted to the pensions regulator,

who was alerted, who didn't force

Carillion to put more into the

schemes and allowed them to put off

contributions last year. Now Frank

Field has released another letter

from the regulator with the

regulator saying they are

investigating whether they should

use their anti-avoidance powers in

this case, that is when they can

force people involved in the company

to contribute to a scheme to shore

it up.

That is one inquiry taking

place, another one has been

launched, how significant is that?

There are so many inquiries now, as

they try to hone in on who is

responsible. Swan is from the

Financial Reporting Council, looking

into KPMG which signed off on the

accounts of Carillion and will be

looking at the assessment, how they

booked their income, also the

pension scheme promises. All of

these investigations will come to a

head but it will take months,

possibly years, to find out exactly

what happened.

Thank you.

Two British skiers have died

while on holiday in the French Alps.

The 25-year-olds were skiing off

piste when it's thought they slipped

before falling several hundred

metres in the

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc region.

A third skier, also British,

is understood to have raised

the alarm on Sunday morning.

Rescue services said the men

were on an off-piste route

which was well-known and popular.

Our top story this lunchtime, senior

ministers urge the Government to

pull together amid reports of

mounting tensions among Conservative

MPs. And how data from the fitness

tracker Strabo has inadvertently

revealed the whereabouts of American

army bases abroad.

Coming up in sports, the

International Paralympic Committee

has upheld the decision to ban

Russia from the upcoming Games in

Pyeongchang.

Those who can prove they are clean

though can compete as

neutrals.

11 Afghan soldiers have been killed

by militants in Kabul,

the third attack in the Afghan

capital in just over a week.

An eyewitness said explosions hit

an area near a military academy.

It comes days after the deadliest

bombing in Kabul for months,

during which Taliban militants

killed at least 100 people using

an ambulance packed with explosives.

Secunder Kermani reports.

SIRENS.

This is the scene from the latest

attack to rock this city.

The third in just over one week.

Five militants from the Islamic

State group apparently used this

ladder to get into a military base

in the west of Kabul.

Armed with suicide vests,

they managed to kill

at least 11 soldiers.

Four of the attackers were either

shot dead or blew themselves up.

One was captured alive.

TRANSLATION:

The fight

was so intense in the first hour

and security forces and ambulances

were all around.

In the second hour, we heard

sounds of explosions

every ten to 15 minutes.

TRANSLATION:

Look at what's

happening to this nation.

When you're not able to control

the current situation,

it's better you resign.

What kind of government is this?

You're not even able

to secure the city.

How can we trust you to

secure the provinces?

Hospitals in the city

are still treating the victims

of another attack just two days ago,

in which over 100 people died.

The Taliban were

responsible for that.

They also carried out an attack last

weekend at this upmarket hotel.

Security officials here say

they are doing all they can,

but anger at the failure to prevent

these attacks is rising.

Even according to our own standards,

violence, daily violence

in Afghanistan, this past week

was terrible for Afghans,

because life is almost paralysed

in the capital city.

The government is not

functioning and people are not

going out of their houses,

and schools are closed.

There's no evidence they are working

together, but it seems both

the Taliban and Islamic State group

have decided that targeting

the capital is the best way

to spread fear and to

undermine the government.

Secunder Kermani, BBC News, Kabul.

The German government has

strongly condemned a series

of car emissions tests,

in which humans and monkeys

were reportedly exposed

to diesel exhaust fumes.

The experiments were conducted

by a research group funded by three

car companies, including Volkswagen.

Its chairman has described the tests

as "totally incomprehensible".

The River Seine in Paris has peaked

at around four metres

above its normal level for this time

of year, as the French capital deals

with the aftermath of

weeks of heavy rainfall.

More than 1,500 people

were moved from their homes

in the greater Paris region,

and a similar number of homes remain

without electricity.

The city's famous Bateaux Mouches

tourist boats are out of service,

with only emergency services allowed

to use the river.

Charlotte Gallagher reports.

Weeks of relentless rain and one

of the wettest Januarys

on record have seen the muddy waters

of the River Seine swell.

For more than 100 years,

Parisians have measured the level

of the river by looking at this

statue commemorating

the Crimean War.

During the city's worst

ever flooding, the water

reached its beard.

This time it has

stopped at its thighs.

The rising waters are attracting

locals and tourists alike.

TRANSLATION:

Yes, it's true

that there are people

affected by the floods,

but at the same time it's true

that it is an amazing sight.

I was just at the Pont Neuf.

Normally there is a garden

below, a small park.

It's flooded, it's true,

it's a change in the landscape.

The water level actually affects

life here, but it doesn't matter,

because Paris has attracted me a lot

and I feel so satisfied with that.

The popular Bateaux Mouches tourist

boats have been moored

because they will not be able

to fit under bridges.

Only the emergency services are now

allowed on the river.

Commuters have also suffered -

seven metro stations along the Seine

have been closed until next week

and some roads have been shut.

The lower level of the Louvre,

home to some of the world's

most priceless artworks,

has also been closed to visitors.

But it's people living

on the outskirts of Paris that have

been most affected by the flooding.

Around 1500 homes have been

evacuated, some have been destroyed.

The waters are expected to begin

receding tomorrow and then

the huge clean-up can begin.

But despite the soggy conditions,

some Parisians are determined

to make the best of it.

Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News.

A new law targeting online grooming

has uncovered what a leading

children's charity is describing

as the "staggering" extent of abuse

in England and Wales.

The NSPCC says more than 1300

cases of people sending

a sexual message to a child

were recorded in the first six

months of it being made

a criminal offence.

It wants ministers and social media

platforms to do more

to tackle the issue,

as Graham Satchell reports.

Lauren was just ten

when she started going online.

She made a friend in a chatroom

who sent her sexual messages,

and eventually persuaded

her to meet.

We have changed Lauren's name

and voice to protect her identity.

The physical, sexual abuse has been

extremely traumatic.

I have flashbacks, and have to have

medication to control those.

When I was about 12, he wanted

to meet up with me in person.

He had all the power, completely.

He had totally manipulated me

to believe that I was doing

something wrong here,

and it would be me who would

be punished for this.

I was absolutely terrified.

Lauren's abuser, a man in his 30s,

was never prosecuted.

Police weren't able at that

time to use the messages

he had sent as evidence,

but since April last year,

it has been illegal to send sexual

messages to a child.

In the first six months

of the new law, more than 1,300

offences have been recorded

in England and Wales, the youngest

victim a girl of just seven.

And, in almost two thirds of cases,

groomers used just three

social media sites -

Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

There is a role for Government now

to make sure that social

network firms do act,

because we've seen in the last

decade or so social

networking firms being able

to mark their own homework,

when it comes to

keeping children safe.

So a role for Governemnt to make

sure social networks begin to take

these issues more seriously.

The NSPCC wants Government to force

social media sites to introduce

a new grooming algorithm.

It would look for certain words

and friending activity,

and then send an alert to both

the child and the police.

It would, they say,

prevent more serious abuse,

rather than waiting until harm

has been done.

But police say monitoring

the internet is expensive

and time-consuming,

and they are already

struggling to cope.

I know from my own force that there

are some kinds of programmes,

not necessarily about children,

but about particular kinds

of online sexual behaviour,

that they can only realistically

switch on for a relatively short

time, because otherwise

they would be totally overwhelmed

with the response to them.

And that is wholly unsatisfactory.

The Home Office told us it has

provided £20 million to help

the police operate online,

and the technology companies have

to take all steps possible

to prevent their platforms

being used to exploit children.

Facebook say they are

working with the police,

and are using technology

to identify grooming behaviour.

But survivors like Lauren want more

action, to stop online grooming

becoming abuse in the real world.

Graham Satchell, BBC News.

It's a multimillion pound industry

designed to give peace

of mind to homeowners,

but concerns have been

raised over some so-called

"trustworthy trader" websites.

They're meant to put people

in touch with verified

and reliable tradespeople,

but a BBC investigation has found

it's possible to be listed,

and build a credible online profile,

without any experience

or carrying out work.

Phillip Norton reports.

Emma Morris believed she could trust

the workmen she had hired

through Rated People

because the website says it verifies

those who are listed.

But two weeks after completing

the work on her roof,

the repairs fell off.

And she was left

£1200 out of pocket.

I just stand there looking up,

assessing the damage,

and then this big gust of wind,

and this tile rolls all the way down

the roof and lands at my feet.

I couldn't move.

I was just completely in shock that

somebody could come and do a job

and it just falls apart like it's

Lego bricks.

Emma felt the checks

were inadequate, so the BBC put some

of the main trustworthy trader

websites to the test.

Without any experience, ability

or public liability insurance,

I was able to get myself listed

on Rated People and My Builder.

In this phone call with

Rated People, the words

of the website's employee are voiced

by an actor.

I didn't know whether I needed

to send any references

or anything to you or anything.

Not for the most part.

I mean, every so often.

Sometimes we ask for proof

of address, and that kind

of thing, but very rarely.

So I've got the van,

I've got the overalls.

But what I haven't got is any

experience or ability.

Yet here is my profile

on Rated People.

And on top of all that,

with the help of a false e-mail

address and the bogus job that I set

up, I can even award myself five

stars for extra credibility.

So I'm now a five star rated

tradesmen able to bid

So I'm now a five star rated

tradesman able to bid

for work at people's homes.

In response to our findings,

Rated People told us that applicants

are screened by credit and fraud

prevention agencies,

and they encourage homeowners

to carry out their own checks

on tradespeople before hiring.

My Builder says it turns down 40%

of applicants, and evaluates

all its trades individually.

It said it will review its processes

following on from our investigation.

Emma had to pay hundreds of pounds

to have her roof put right.

Phillip Norton, BBC News.

And you can see more

on Inside Out in the North West,

East Midlands and Yorkshire

and Lincolnshire tonight

on BBC One at 7:30pm,

and after that on the BBC iPlayer.

Security concerns have been raised

after a fitness tracking app showed

the exercise routes of military

personnel in bases around the world.

The online fitness tracker Strava

has published a heatmap,

sharing the paths its users log

as they run or cycle.

It appears to show the structure

of military bases in countries

including Syria and Afghanistan,

as soldiers move around them.

Our Technology Correspondent Rory

Cellan-Jones is here.

This is an apt people have on their

phones come you upload whether you

have been running or cycling, but

how has this happened?

Millions of

people around the world use Strava

to measure their cycling, running,

swimming, and there is a competitive

element, as they like to compare

themselves to other people. Strava

produced this extraordinary heat map

back in November, which has billions

of data points. It's actually a

fantastic global map of where people

are running and cycling. It wasn't

until this weekend that an eagle

eyed researcher had a closer look

and realised in places that are

sparsely populated with Strava uses,

in Africa and Afghanistan, they

could spot what were potentially

secret CIA bases, American bases and

so on. I had a look in the UK and

you could spot, for instance, it

looks like people are cycling to

work at GCHQ, or running to work at

GCHQ. Some concern there that people

have been a bit careless, people

insecure jobs, about sharing too

much data, because there are options

to turn off that data sharing.

There

are privacy settings?

There are

definitely privacy settings on

there. I'm sure a lot of military

personnel will be giving a stiff

lecture. A statement from the MOD

has said, it takes the security of

its personnel and establishments

very seriously and keeps them under

constant review. However, for

obvious reasons, we do not comment

on specific security arrangements

and procedures stop nevertheless, I

expect people at military bases

using Strava to be set right.

Privacy settings on the map. Rory

Cellan-Jones, thank you.

The singer Bruno Mars was the big

winner at the Grammy Awards

in New York last night.

He took home six prizes,

including best record,

album and song of the year.

There were also two

awards for the British

singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

Many of the stars at the event wore

white roses as a sign of solidarity

with the movements against sexual

harassment and gender inequality.

Aleem Maqbool has the details.

24K Magic, Bruno Mars.

The most prestigious event in music

ended up being a huge

night for Bruno Mars,

who took home six Grammys,

including the big three -

Record, Album and Song of the Year.

You know, those songs were written

with nothing but joy and for one

reason and for one reason only,

and that's love.

Of course, tonight

is about the glamour

and a celebration of music,

but it's also about,

inevitably perhaps, also become

a platform to highlight not one

but many issues of the day.

On the red carpet, stars wore

white roses in solidarity

with the movements to end sexual

misconduct and gender inequality.

There's still a lot

to be done, isn't there?

Well, we make up 51%

of the workforce.

We don't get equal

pay for equal work.

We don't get equal opportunity.

And we do not have a safe workplace.

So I think time is up.

And in the most memorable

performance of the night, Kesha,

who has accused her former producer

of sexual and physical abuse,

was supported on stage

by other female artists.

There was a poignant tribute

to those who died in attacks

at a music festival in Las Vegas,

and the Ariana Grande

concert in Manchester.

# If I saw you in heaven...

# The face of liberty starting to

crack...

U2 performed by the Statue

of Liberty to draw attention

to current immigration

issues in America.

He had a long-time fear

of being poisoned.

And things got even more overtly

political with an appearance

by Hillary Clinton that's already

being criticised by members

of President Trump's administration.

The Grammy's in the bag?

This was expected to be the year

hip-hop was recognised

in the mainstream awards,

but it wasn't.

And in spite of all the talk

of equality, few women were even

nominated for the big prizes.

There is once again a question about

whether the Grammy awards truly

reflect the huge diversity

of this industry.

Thank you, guys, so much.

Aleem Maqbool, BBC

News, in New York.

Time for a look at the weather -

here's Ben Rich.

If you enjoyed the mild weather over

the weekend, I hope you didn't get

too used to it because things are

changing in the next few days.

Yesterday in sunnier spots,

temperatures that all the way up to

15 degrees, way above average for

the time of year. Skipping ahead to

Wednesday and many places will be

stuck around 5 degrees with a strong

cold wind as well, so it could feel

even colder. It will be cold enough,

especially of higher ground in the

North, to give snow showers. That

change to the colder air has already

begun because we have been pushing

this cold front south and east,

taking the rain with it, most of it

clear quite smartly from the south

this afternoon. Then these guys will

brighten up significantly with lots

of sunshine but showers packing into

the north-west, some heavy and

turning wintry as temperatures

continue to drop from the north as

we had through the rest of the day.

And into this evening and tonight,

it will turn chilly, particularly in

Central and southern areas where the

wind will be like. Some fog patches

and widespread frost as well, not

far from freezing in towns and

cities. In the countryside, lows of

up to -5 in the most prone spots.

With the cold start, some fog

patches, but a decent amount of

sunshine first thing across southern

ingot, East Anglia and the Midlands

and a good part of Wales. Fairly

bright for much of northern England.

The far north-west seeing more

cloud, and also in Northern Ireland.

Eastern and southern Scotland start

the day largely dry but showery rain

affecting north-west Scotland. There

has been a lot of rain here recently

and couple that with melting snow

and there is the continued risk of

flooding across parts of western

Scotland as we go through tomorrow.

Also some patchy rain and murky

weather in the south-west. In

between, after a chilly start, not a

bad looking day with temperatures

around six I content. Also some

windy weather up to the north-west

with gales for a time ahead of this

frontal system, another cold front

moving south through the middle part

of the week. Behind that, into

Wednesday, a renewed surge of cold

air. Wednesday will be a cold

feeling day, particularly given the

strength of the north-westerly wind

with gales in some spots. Rain

clearing from the south, the skies

will brighten with sunshine. A few

wintry showers, especially over

northern high ground. Lower levels

in Scotland as well. Thursday will

bring fewer showers but it will

still be cloud and then cloud and

rain spanning from the West on

Friday. But it's something colder

for this week.

A reminder of our main

story this lunchtime...

Senior ministers urge the government

to pull together amid reports

of mounting tensions among

Conservative MPs.

That's all from the BBC News at One

- so it's goodbye from me -

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

news teams where you are.