0:00:08 > 0:00:10The Charity Commission begins a statutory inquiry into Oxfam
0:00:10 > 0:00:14following the scandal involving aid workers in Haiti.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16The Government says the situation is serious, but it won't be making
0:00:16 > 0:00:21any hasty decisions.
0:00:21 > 0:00:28I'm going to take these things very seriously. I know people will be
0:00:28 > 0:00:35worried about the charity, about the man -- money, but we need to be
0:00:35 > 0:00:38guided by the Charity Commission, and I have made it very clear to
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Oxfam what we need to see from them.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42We'll have the latest from Oxfam's headquarters
0:00:42 > 0:00:43on the increasing scandal.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Also this lunchtime:
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Jacob Zuma still clinging to power.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49The ANC says it has decided to sack him as South Africa's President,
0:00:49 > 0:00:55but there's no agreement about when he should go.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57British package holiday-makers take off for Tunisia for the first time
0:00:57 > 0:01:05since the terrorist attack three years ago which left 38 people dead.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Team GB's Elise Christie crashes out of the women's 500 metres speed
0:01:11 > 0:01:16skating final at the winter Olympics.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Edinburgh this
0:01:19 > 0:01:25lunchtime on their first trip to Scotland.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Coming up in the sport: England lose again in the T20 tri- Nations
0:01:30 > 0:01:33series, and their chances of reaching the final and now out of
0:01:33 > 0:01:34their hands.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The Charity Commission has taken the most serious action
0:01:58 > 0:02:00it can against Oxfam, and begun a statutory inquiry
0:02:00 > 0:02:02into its procedures.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It will investigate the handling of claims that Oxfam
0:02:07 > 0:02:09staff used prostitutes as they carried out disaster
0:02:09 > 0:02:14relief in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Oxfam's deputy chief executive Penny Lawrence resigned yesterday
0:02:17 > 0:02:21in relation to the charity's response to the allegations.
0:02:21 > 0:02:29Our correspondent Matt Cole is at Oxfam's headquarters in Oxford.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35Good afternoon. There is a lot for the leaders here at Oxfam to think
0:02:35 > 0:02:39about as they face the possible loss of Government funding. The EU
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Commission could take away its £30 million a year funding if it isn't
0:02:43 > 0:02:48happy that Oxfam's house is back in order, and now there is this most
0:02:48 > 0:02:53serious investigation by the charities commission.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58This crisis is already claimed one senior figure, Oxfam's now former
0:02:58 > 0:03:02chief executive Penny Lawrence, but her resignation has far from drawn a
0:03:02 > 0:03:06line under the matter, with the organisation now facing the most
0:03:06 > 0:03:09serious form of investigation the Charity Commission can undertake, a
0:03:09 > 0:03:13statutory inquiry which could lead to the suspension of trustees or the
0:03:13 > 0:03:16freezing of bank accounts. And there is more pressure from the
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Government.I take these things very seriously. I know people will be
0:03:20 > 0:03:28worried about the charity, worried about the money.As Oxfam
0:03:39 > 0:03:41fights for its future, there are some claiming it had ample
0:03:41 > 0:03:44opportunity to avoid this scandal. Helen Evans spent three years at
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Oxfam's head of safeguarding, but says as she unearthed the scale of
0:03:46 > 0:03:48the problem, the charity failed to respond with sufficient resources.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50We had one in ten saying they had experienced unwanted sexual
0:03:50 > 0:03:53touching, sexual assault. This was staff on staff. We went to
0:03:53 > 0:03:58beneficiaries who received aid from us. I was extremely concerned by
0:03:58 > 0:04:03those survey results. Oxfam says it has new safeguarding
0:04:03 > 0:04:08measures in place, better checks now, but the biggest fight it might
0:04:08 > 0:04:12face is to maintain public confidence, that most precious
0:04:12 > 0:04:15commodity that if lost severely hampers its ability to raise money
0:04:15 > 0:04:20and help those most in need. The Labour MP Peter Kyle was formerly an
0:04:20 > 0:04:24aid worker. He worries people with an agenda to oppose international
0:04:24 > 0:04:29aid spending might exploit the situation.I am deeply concerned.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Let's not beat around the bush. This scandal could bring Oxfam to its
0:04:33 > 0:04:35knees. The organisation could implode, and the people who will
0:04:35 > 0:04:40suffer the most through this will be the people who depend, the thousands
0:04:40 > 0:04:43of people, who are extraordinarily vulnerable, who depend on the work
0:04:43 > 0:04:49that organisations like Oxfam does. As Oxfam waits to learn more details
0:04:49 > 0:04:52of the statutory inquiry into its failings, it at all other aid
0:04:52 > 0:04:55agencies are being told by the Government they must step up and
0:04:55 > 0:05:00provide statements of assurance about the policies and procedures.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04What is being dubbed a significant also being planned. All major
0:05:04 > 0:05:07charities will discuss how the sector as a whole will face these
0:05:07 > 0:05:12problems.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Leaders here at Oxfam have until the end of the week now to offer
0:05:15 > 0:05:19assurances to the Government that they can deal with future
0:05:19 > 0:05:25allegations, but there are already more allegations coming through with
0:05:25 > 0:05:28concerns being raised, albeit uncorroborated, that there has been
0:05:28 > 0:05:32abuse here in UK shops of young volunteers, too. Much more for
0:05:32 > 0:05:38bosses here to think about. Back to. Matt Coles, thank you.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41The president of Haiti has condemned the actions of some staff from Oxfam
0:05:41 > 0:05:43as outrageous and dishonest, accusing them of using the country's
0:05:43 > 0:05:46earthquake in 2010 to sexually exploit people in need.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Will Grant is in the capital Port-Au-Prince, and has been talking
0:05:48 > 0:05:56to former Oxfam employees in the country.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02A girl, a street corner, a parked car.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05In the poorest country in the Americas, buying sex is easy.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07It's a common scene on any given night in Haiti.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Girls, some just teenagers, risking their lives
0:06:09 > 0:06:17for a few dollar bills.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Ordinarily, international aid agencies help tackle the problem.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Oxfam, however, is now embroiled in it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23We've spent the past few days speaking to former
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Oxfam employees in Haiti.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Most are too scared to show their faces on camera,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29fearful of retribution for speaking out.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30They all confirmed the stories about Oxfam in 2011,
0:06:30 > 0:06:38in particular its disgraced country director Roland van Hauwermeiren.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41TRANSLATION:Some expats come to Haiti to work.
0:06:41 > 0:06:47Others come to party and look for girls every night.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The drivers picking up the girls had no choice.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53It was their job and they were told to do it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Another former security guard claimed young and underage girls
0:06:55 > 0:07:00were among the victims.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I can tell you for sure there were sex parties
0:07:02 > 0:07:04at the house, he told me.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Young people would often come to the office looking
0:07:06 > 0:07:10for the director, and I'm sure these people weren't there for work.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14For its part, the Haitian government confirmed to the BBC
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that it is prepared to open a full investigation into the allegations.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It may be what happened at Oxfam was just the tip
0:07:20 > 0:07:21of the iceberg, they said.
0:07:21 > 0:07:28We will start with the Oxfam allegations to open a broad
0:07:28 > 0:07:30investigation into NGOs operating in Haiti.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Other Haitians working in the charity sector agree
0:07:32 > 0:07:38that the problems go beyond Oxfam alone.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39After the earthquake, organisations, international organisations,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41received money, a lot of money.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42What is the result?
0:07:42 > 0:07:50I will not say zero, zero, but you cannot see the result.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Oxfam is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of its history,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54it international reputation in serious jeopardy.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57If it's going to take time to rebuild its name
0:07:57 > 0:08:00in the United Kingdom, in Haiti it may never fully recover.
0:08:00 > 0:08:08Will Grant, BBC News, Port-au-Prince.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10In the past hour, the governing African National Congress
0:08:10 > 0:08:12in South Africa has decided to recall Jacob Zuma
0:08:12 > 0:08:15from the position of president.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17The party's secretary general said Mr Zuma had agreed
0:08:17 > 0:08:25in principle to resign, but that talks were continuing.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Jacob Zuma has come under mounting pressure to go
0:08:28 > 0:08:29following several corruption scandals.
0:08:29 > 0:08:36Pumza Fihlani is in Johannesburg.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40To say that this situation is protracted is to put it mildly. What
0:08:40 > 0:08:43is going on?That is certainly right, and we wish we had a straight
0:08:43 > 0:08:49answer. Coming out of that 15 minute press conference, it seems that the
0:08:49 > 0:08:52African National Congress has said to the president that they want him
0:08:52 > 0:08:56to go, except they have not put a deadline to it. So here's
0:08:56 > 0:08:59effectively been fired but told he can still think about it and come
0:08:59 > 0:09:07back when you have made a decision about whether you want to go or not.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11But it is a very serious matter, and one not opposition on the sideline
0:09:11 > 0:09:15of the ANC process have been watching carefully, and they have
0:09:15 > 0:09:18said that if the ANC is not willing to push Jacob Zuma out, they would
0:09:18 > 0:09:24do it themselves.Pumza Fihlani, thank you very much indeed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27More than 200 people have become the first to fly on a British
0:09:27 > 0:09:29package holiday to Tunisia since the terrorist attack
0:09:29 > 0:09:30in the country in 2015.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32The Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel
0:09:32 > 0:09:35to Tunisia after 38 people, 30 of them British, were murdered
0:09:35 > 0:09:37by an Islamist gunman on a beach.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40But that advice has now been eased, and this morning a flight took off
0:09:40 > 0:09:41from Birmingham airport.
0:09:41 > 0:09:49John Maguire reports from there.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56With its idyllic white beaches and pristine Mediterranean coastline,
0:09:56 > 0:10:02Tunisia was a hugely popular draw for British tourists, attracting
0:10:02 > 0:10:07around 430,000 a year. But then came the attack in June 2015, when a
0:10:07 > 0:10:13gunman killed 30 Britons and another eight holiday-makers on a beach.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18So-called Islamic State said it was behind the shootings by a Tunisian
0:10:18 > 0:10:23student in Sousse which came just three months after 22 people were
0:10:23 > 0:10:30killed in the capital Tunis. Tunisia says it has made huge steps in
0:10:30 > 0:10:34counterterrorism since the attacks. Almost three years on, tour operator
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Thomas Cook has for the first time resumed its package holidays,
0:10:38 > 0:10:46travelling to the resort Hamamet, one hour north of Sousse. This
0:10:46 > 0:10:49morning 20 passengers were the first to return on an early-morning from
0:10:49 > 0:10:55Birmingham.We were staying in the hotel down the road when the last
0:10:55 > 0:10:59attack happened, but we love the country, so as soon as we knew there
0:10:59 > 0:11:04was another flight going, we decided to come back.If we had been
0:11:04 > 0:11:07bringing our children, we probably wouldn't be going, but as it is just
0:11:07 > 0:11:13the two of us, we didn't feel it was a concern.It's probably more
0:11:13 > 0:11:17dangerous staying in London than it is going out there.This first
0:11:17 > 0:11:20package holiday will take people to a country that has worked extremely
0:11:20 > 0:11:24hard over the last couple of years with international help to make
0:11:24 > 0:11:29itself as secure as possible for tourists. It is a country that will
0:11:29 > 0:11:37be very pleased to see visitors back in large numbers once again. And
0:11:37 > 0:11:42industry experts say that Tunisia has been desperate to see travel
0:11:42 > 0:11:45restrictions lifted.The authorities were getting frustrated. What do we
0:11:45 > 0:11:49have to do to get holiday-makers back? Eventually, of course, they
0:11:49 > 0:11:54can the Government here that they would be able to make things as safe
0:11:54 > 0:11:57as possible for British holiday-makers, and that is why you
0:11:57 > 0:12:01have got hundreds of people heading back in from today.We have also
0:12:01 > 0:12:05customers from our German, Belgium and French operations who have
0:12:05 > 0:12:10remained, because their countries did not impose any restrictions, so
0:12:10 > 0:12:14it is interesting to go out and get a feel for what was happening on the
0:12:14 > 0:12:17beaches, were customers aware of the situation, did they feel safe and
0:12:17 > 0:12:21secure? Two flight have arrived today.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Departures from Birmingham and Manchester, with other UK airports
0:12:24 > 0:12:29to follow. One survivor from the Sousse attacks says British
0:12:29 > 0:12:35holiday-makers are badly needed, and will be hugely welcome.They were
0:12:35 > 0:12:38forming human shields in front of people they didn't even know, and
0:12:38 > 0:12:44they are such wonderful, open, kind-hearted people, and we couldn't
0:12:44 > 0:12:49have been better looked after. These travellers who have chosen to
0:12:49 > 0:12:54go back today are stoic, optimistic, and also being warned by the Foreign
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Office to be vigilant. Tunisia remains in the state of emergency,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and its tourism industry a long way from recovery.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05John Maguire, BBC News, Birmingham Airport.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08American government investigators have been appointed to examine
0:13:08 > 0:13:11the Grand Canyon helicopter crash which killed seven people,
0:13:11 > 0:13:17including three British tourists.
0:13:17 > 0:13:2127-year-old Becky Dobson, her boyfriend Stuart Hill and his
0:13:21 > 0:13:24brother Jason died in the crash. Their parents have described the
0:13:24 > 0:13:30siblings is wonderful songs and inseparable. The four survivors,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33including the pilot, are still in hospital in Las Vegas. James Cook
0:13:33 > 0:13:36reports.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Stuart Hill, a car salesman in Brighton, died celebrating
0:13:38 > 0:13:40his 30th birthday along with his girlfriend,
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Becky Dobson, who was 27.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Stuart's brother, Jason Hill, a lawyer in the 20, also died.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47He was 32 years old.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48His girlfriend, Jennifer Barham, survived.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50So did newlyweds Jon Udall and Ellie Milward, seen
0:13:50 > 0:13:53here on the left at their wedding with Becky and Stuart.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC130 operated by tour
0:13:57 > 0:13:59firm Papillon Airways, crashed in the Grand Canyon just
0:13:59 > 0:14:05before sunset on Saturday.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Bad weather meant it was nearly nine hours before the three surviving
0:14:08 > 0:14:12passengers and pilot could be flown to hospital in Las Vegas.
0:14:12 > 0:14:20Family and friends have now arrived here, along with investigators.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The purpose during the on-scene investigation is to gather
0:14:24 > 0:14:25perishable information, that's information
0:14:25 > 0:14:26that will no longer
0:14:26 > 0:14:29be available to us once the wreckage has been disturbed.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31So our plan at this time is to continue to document
0:14:31 > 0:14:34the wreckage in situ before it's recovered to a secure
0:14:34 > 0:14:35facility in Arizona.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37The focus here is on treating the survivors, not just
0:14:37 > 0:14:45for their physical injuries, but also trying to help them
0:14:45 > 0:14:46with the trauma they've endured.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48But there are also questions for the helicopter company
0:14:48 > 0:14:50and the tour operator about why three passengers were
0:14:50 > 0:14:51apparently unable to escape.
0:14:51 > 0:14:59James Cook, BBC News, Las Vegas.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02The time is quarter past one.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Our top story this lunchtime: The Charity Commission begins
0:15:04 > 0:15:06a statutory inquiry into Oxfam following the scandal involving
0:15:06 > 0:15:08aid workers in Haiti.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10And coming up: secret succession plans.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12The Commonwealth begins to consider who might succeed
0:15:12 > 0:15:18the Queen as its head.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Coming up in sport: A head injury forces footballer
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Ryan Mason to retire after deciding it's too risky
0:15:23 > 0:15:24to carry on playing.
0:15:24 > 0:15:32He won one England cap, and is just 26.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37History has repeated itself at the Winter Olympics for Britain's
0:15:37 > 0:15:41speedskater Elise Christie, who crashed out of the 500 metres
0:15:41 > 0:15:44short-track final in Pyeongchang, four years after the same thing
0:15:44 > 0:15:47happened at the Games in Sochi.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49The 27-year-old fell on the penultimate lap after making
0:15:49 > 0:15:53contact with a competitor as she jostled for a medal position.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57The gold was taken by Italy's Arianna Fontana.
0:15:57 > 0:16:05Our Sports Correspondent, Andy Swiss, is in PyeongChang.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Yes, Jane, Elise Christie came here to Pyeongchang hoping to put behind
0:16:13 > 0:16:19her what happened in so cheap. And those hopes were high. She's now a
0:16:19 > 0:16:22triple world champion, Britain's biggest medal hope of these games.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26But almost unbelievably, it was the same old story.
0:16:26 > 0:16:34Racing for redemption. Until now, Elise Christie's Olympic story had
0:16:34 > 0:16:39been one of heart break. Disqualified from all her events in
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Sochi, now here in Pyeongchang hoping to write a very different
0:16:43 > 0:16:46chapter.Elise Christie has successfully negotiated the first
0:16:46 > 0:16:51hurdle of the day.The early signs were encouraged. In the
0:16:51 > 0:16:55quarterfinals, she set a new Olympic record. A picture of relaxation in
0:16:55 > 0:17:01between rounds. And she duly made it into the final.Elise Christie!A
0:17:01 > 0:17:10five way battle for Olympic glory. Away they go, the final is on, they
0:17:10 > 0:17:12get away first time.From the very start, Christie was trying to play
0:17:12 > 0:17:15catch up. Stuck in fourth place, could you find a way through? With
0:17:15 > 0:17:19time running out, she spied a gap and went for it. But what followed
0:17:19 > 0:17:24was all too familiar.Greste tries to make it on the inside... And
0:17:24 > 0:17:30Christie crashes out! Christie as out of it once again. It's a photo
0:17:30 > 0:17:34finish on the line.Once again, Christie's hopes were sent sliding
0:17:34 > 0:17:40into the crash barriers. It was Sochi Autodrom again. And as Italy's
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Arianna Fontana went on to clinch victory, Christie once again was
0:17:45 > 0:17:49left in tears. Can you believe it, another Olympics and another tumble
0:17:49 > 0:17:54for Elise Christie. She still has two events to come, but her Gaines
0:17:54 > 0:18:01have started in disappointment.Yes, I know I'm supposed to be prepared
0:18:01 > 0:18:06for this, but... It still hurts, you know? Obviously it's still almost a
0:18:06 > 0:18:15week until... So, that's a positive. And, I don't know... No, I just
0:18:15 > 0:18:23can't see living with this feeling, you know? I got knocked over, and
0:18:23 > 0:18:27that's that.The question now, though, is whether Britain's biggest
0:18:27 > 0:18:34medal hope can pick herself up on a day of deja vu.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Yes, you have to feel for Elise Christie. You can see just how
0:18:39 > 0:18:42devastated she was in that interview. She feels she was knocked
0:18:42 > 0:18:47over by one of her rivals. But what this means is that Team GB are still
0:18:47 > 0:18:54waiting for their first medal of these games. For Elise Christie, it
0:18:54 > 0:18:57is another very personal disappointment.Andy, thank you very
0:18:57 > 0:19:01much. Andy Swiss in Pyeongchang.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The BBC has learnt that the Commonwealth has secretly begun
0:19:03 > 0:19:06considering who might succeed the Queen as its head.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The role isn't hereditary, and so won't automatically pass
0:19:08 > 0:19:10to the Prince of Wales on the Queen's death.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12However, there is no formal process for deciding a successor.
0:19:12 > 0:19:19Our Diplomatic Correspondent, James Landale, is here.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And this is only recently emerged, James. How does this work and what
0:19:22 > 0:19:27do we know is going on?This is the debate that nobody really wants to
0:19:27 > 0:19:31have, certainly not in public. You'll never find this issue on any
0:19:31 > 0:19:35agenda of any formal Commonwealth body, even this high level group of
0:19:35 > 0:19:38senior figures within the Commonwealth that was set up and is
0:19:38 > 0:19:41meeting today to look at the whole governments of the Commonwealth,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46this was not part of their formal mandate. However, whenever you get
0:19:46 > 0:19:48senior members of the Commonwealth together, one of the issues that
0:19:48 > 0:19:52comes up is the succession. That is because the Queen is 91 years old,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and we have the big meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in
0:19:55 > 0:20:01a couple
0:20:07 > 0:20:10of months' time here in the UK, and it is one of those issues that
0:20:10 > 0:20:13people talk about on the margins. The reason they have to talk about
0:20:13 > 0:20:15it is because it is not hereditary. It's not something that goes from
0:20:15 > 0:20:19the monitor the ad to the throne. Now, if you talk to be but they say,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20look in theory, the Commonwealth can choose anybody. But in practice
0:20:20 > 0:20:23there is no realistic alternative to the Prince of Wales, as far as they
0:20:23 > 0:20:26know, at the time of speaking. But one of the issues they are having to
0:20:26 > 0:20:29look at is, well, if that's the case, if the Commonwealth were to
0:20:29 > 0:20:33make that decision that it should be the Prince of Wales, should it be a
0:20:33 > 0:20:39one-off decision, or should they establish a new procedure which
0:20:41 > 0:20:43establish a new procedure which says it is always in the future going to
0:20:43 > 0:20:45be, whoever is head of state in the United Kingdom? Because it
0:20:45 > 0:20:48essentially goes to the heart of the Commonwealth's debate about what it
0:20:48 > 0:20:51is, what it means, its identity, what is this network? Is it too
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Anglo centric? Should it be focused elsewhere in the world these days?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Should it move on? Should accuse the opportunity of when the Queen has
0:20:56 > 0:21:00gone to say, let's go in a new direction? Ostensibly it's also
0:21:00 > 0:21:04about techniques and procedures, but there is also a broader debate about
0:21:04 > 0:21:07what the Commonwealth is. I James Landale, thank you.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09The rate of inflation held steady last month,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11with the Consumer Prices Index unchanged from December, at 3%.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13The rate, reported by the Office for National Statistics,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16is close to the six-year high of 3.1% set in November.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Most economists were expecting to see a small fall.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20A further rise in interest rates could now happen
0:21:20 > 0:21:22in the coming months, as our Economics Correspondent,
0:21:22 > 0:21:28Andy Verity, reports.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31If you go down to the shops today, beware of the odd surprise -
0:21:31 > 0:21:34like fruit, up 7.2%.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Or coffee, up 7.5% compared to a year ago.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40More recently, those food prices have started to fall,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but not by enough to slow down the overall rise in the cost
0:21:43 > 0:21:46of living for ordinary households.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I think people are digging deeper into their pockets now
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and thinking carefully about what they are
0:21:51 > 0:21:53spending their money on.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Everything's gone up, hasn't it?
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Just everything's so expensive.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57You're working all these hours in the workplace
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and everything, and for what?
0:21:59 > 0:22:01By the time you've paid your wages and everything,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and you pay your rent, your gas, your bills, your electric,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05you're left with nothing.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07The difficulty is, prices have gone up, but my wages haven't.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13I haven't had a pay increase in line with inflation for about six years.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15The buying power of the average income has barely risen
0:22:15 > 0:22:18in the last decade - the worst for living
0:22:18 > 0:22:19standards in 200 years.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22So, when will that squeeze come to an end?
0:22:22 > 0:22:26So the squeeze on living standards is going to start to recede this
0:22:26 > 0:22:30year as inflation comes down.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33And then from 2019 onwards, the OBR is forecasting
0:22:33 > 0:22:35that the increase in wages will actually exceed the general
0:22:35 > 0:22:38increase in the price levels, so you should start to see real
0:22:38 > 0:22:42wages beginning to increase from 2019 onwards.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Prices are still rising faster than the Bank of England would like.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The price of goods went up by 3.2%.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52The price of services rose by 2.8%.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56But there are signs that that inflationary pressure is easing.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The cost of raw materials which make the goods that we buy
0:22:59 > 0:23:03in the shops rose by 3.5%.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06That's the lowest it's been in 18 months.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Oil is bought and sold in dollars, and the pound's been
0:23:09 > 0:23:11strengthening against the dollar, which has helped to slow down
0:23:11 > 0:23:13price rises at the pumps.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16But against other currencies, the pound hasn't grown as strongly,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19so import prices won't stop rising just yet.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21The sterling has strengthened against the dollar, but that's
0:23:21 > 0:23:23largely because the dollar's been weak.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26And if we look at sterling against the euro -
0:23:26 > 0:23:29which is much more important in terms of where we get our
0:23:29 > 0:23:32imports from in the UK - it hasn't strengthened
0:23:32 > 0:23:32nearly so much.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35So, no, we think that exchange rate impact is going to continue
0:23:35 > 0:23:36for a few months more.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39In the City, they're now betting the Bank of England will raise
0:23:39 > 0:23:41interest rates again in the next few months.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43It is expected by most to happen in May.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Andy Verity, BBC News.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52The England cricketer Ben Stokes has indicated a not guilty plea
0:23:52 > 0:23:54after being charged with affray following a fight outside a
0:23:54 > 0:23:56nightclub in Bristol last September.
0:23:56 > 0:24:04Jon Kay is at Bristol Magistrates' Court.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11Explain what's been happening, Jon? Yes, Jane, five months after that
0:24:11 > 0:24:15alleged incident outside a nightclub in Bristol, Ben Stokes returned to
0:24:15 > 0:24:19this city to appear here at the Magistrates' Court. It was a very
0:24:19 > 0:24:23short hearing, only lasted about 12 minutes. And during the hearing, the
0:24:23 > 0:24:27England all-rounder was asked to ban up behind a sheet of glass, and he
0:24:27 > 0:24:32was asked how he would be pleading to a single charge of affray. He
0:24:32 > 0:24:38answered, not guilty. Two men who were charged alongside him, Ryan
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Hale and Ryan Ali, who are both in their 20s and from Bristol and are
0:24:43 > 0:24:46also charged with affray, they too said they would be pleading not
0:24:46 > 0:24:50guilty to the same count. The men were told by the judge hear that all
0:24:50 > 0:24:54three would go to trial at Bristol Crown Court with an initial hearing
0:24:54 > 0:24:57in the middle of next month, on the 12th of March. However, just moments
0:24:57 > 0:25:01after Ben Stokes left ear, the England and Wales Cricket Board
0:25:01 > 0:25:09issued a statement saying they had been told that he wouldn't have to
0:25:09 > 0:25:11attend that next hearing in person, he doesn't have to be in court in
0:25:11 > 0:25:14the middle of March. And so tomorrow he will fly to New Zealand to join
0:25:14 > 0:25:17his England team-mates. We are told initially that will be for training.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22There are no plans at the moment for him to play in the T20 Tri-Series.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Alternately the decision will be up to the England management. Ben
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Stokes left this court and made no comment to the journalists who were
0:25:29 > 0:25:31waiting outside.Jon Kay, thank you.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The Government has revealed new software that it claims can
0:25:34 > 0:25:35detect and immediately block online jihadist videos.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has travelled to Silicon Valley
0:25:38 > 0:25:42in California to discuss the tool with technology companies,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45as well as other efforts to tackle extremism.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Dave Lee reports from San Francisco.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Created by an artificial intelligence company based
0:25:52 > 0:25:56in London, and funded with more than £500,000 of Government money,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59the tool draws upon a vast database of material posted online
0:25:59 > 0:26:02by the so-called Islamic State.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06We have two videos - one of which is legitimate
0:26:06 > 0:26:10news content, the other is terrorist propaganda.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Now, to my naked eye, I actually can't tell
0:26:12 > 0:26:14the difference between the two.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17But fortunately, down at the bottom, this is very low probability
0:26:17 > 0:26:21of being terrorist content.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23But this one is much higher.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29Now, what that means is, if you were to be in charge of some
0:26:29 > 0:26:31kind of video upload platform, you could use this when anyone
0:26:31 > 0:26:34clicks to upload a video, and flag this video for review,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39and let this one through without any problems.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Using this technique, the software creators believe
0:26:42 > 0:26:47they can spot up to 94% of IS content posted online,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50with an accuracy of 99.995%.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Anything the software is unsure about is flagged for human review.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I've had a demonstration of it, and I know a lot of other
0:26:58 > 0:26:59people have as well.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02And it's a very convincing example of the fact that you can
0:27:02 > 0:27:05have the information that you need to make sure that this
0:27:05 > 0:27:07material doesn't go online in the first place.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09The Home Secretary says this is a tool to help small
0:27:09 > 0:27:12companies, ones which may not have the resources to tackle
0:27:12 > 0:27:13extremism properly.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15But if they don't want the Goverment's help,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19they may soon be forced to take it.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21We're not going to rule out taking legislative action
0:27:21 > 0:27:22if we need to do it.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25But I remain convinced that the best way to take real action,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28to have the best outcomes, is to have an industry-led form
0:27:28 > 0:27:31like the one we've got.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34This has to be in conjunction, though, of larger companies working
0:27:34 > 0:27:36with smaller companies.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Advocates of an open internet often push back against this kind
0:27:39 > 0:27:43of software because it can lead to false positives -
0:27:43 > 0:27:45that's content being blocked when it shouldn't be.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Yet it is estimated that more than 400 different web servers
0:27:48 > 0:27:56were used to spread propaganda in 2017 - and so the task is less
0:27:56 > 0:27:58about blocking jihadis online today, but instead predicting
0:27:58 > 0:28:00where they might be on the internet tomorrow.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Dave Lee, BBC News, Silicon Valley.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Edinburgh today as part
0:28:07 > 0:28:09of their public engagements in the run-up to
0:28:09 > 0:28:10their wedding in May.
0:28:10 > 0:28:18They've been at the city's castle, and heard the 1pm
0:28:18 > 0:28:19gunfire at the garrison.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Our Royal Correspondent, Nicholas Witchell,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24is in Edinburgh this lunchtime.
0:28:24 > 0:28:31How is the visit going down, Nick? Hi, Jane. Well, yes, we've seen them
0:28:31 > 0:28:38in south London and Nottingham in England, in Cardiff, and now in
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Edinburgh. All part of Meghan Markle's introduction to the UK,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45three months ahead of the wedding. They have left here to go to a
0:28:45 > 0:28:48social cafe which helps homeless people, then they will be going to a
0:28:48 > 0:28:52reception for young people at the Palace of Holyrood house. But the
0:28:52 > 0:28:57visit began here at Edinburgh's most famous landmark.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Edinburgh Castle, and they welcome to Scotland on a date when the
0:29:00 > 0:29:05temperatures were not far from zero, and felt rather less. A day, then,
0:29:05 > 0:29:11for a good, warm coat. And there was Meghan Markle, wrapped up in
0:29:11 > 0:29:15something with a touch of tartan about it. As for Harry, well, he's
0:29:15 > 0:29:19used to the bracing temperatures. Just think of all the time the rules
0:29:19 > 0:29:24spent at Balmoral. It is chilly, said Meghan, as she greeted the
0:29:24 > 0:29:29crowds.I got to meet Meghan today, and she is absolutely beautiful, I'm
0:29:29 > 0:29:33so excited.They the future of the rural family, Meghan and Harry,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38William and Kate, they are the future.Waiting for the couple just
0:29:38 > 0:29:41outside because all gates, the band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines
0:29:41 > 0:29:47Scotland, there to welcome Harry, recently appointed captain general
0:29:47 > 0:29:51of the Royal Marines in succession to his grandfather. A relatively
0:29:51 > 0:29:55brief visit, but important. It's all part of Meghan Markle's
0:29:55 > 0:29:59familiarisation with the different parts of the UK, and a chance to
0:29:59 > 0:30:02underline Scotland's importance to the Royal Family. Nicholas Witchel,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05BBC News, Edinburgh.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Time for a look at the weather.
0:30:07 > 0:30:07Here's Chris Fawkes.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12Here's Chris Fawkes.
0:30:12 > 0:30:20Hi, Jane. We've had some or -- more wintry weather. You get a sense of
0:30:20 > 0:30:25curtains of snow sprinkling over the landscape. The hills in Lewis in the
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Outer Hebrides. We have seen quite a bit of snow already today across
0:30:28 > 0:30:31northern parts of the country. Further south, it has generally been
0:30:31 > 0:30:35more rain that's been falling, and a winteriness for one or two across
0:30:35 > 0:30:39parts of Wales. The rest of the afternoon, I will weather front
0:30:39 > 0:30:43becomes slow moving across the eastern counties of England, a dull,
0:30:43 > 0:30:52damp and chilly end of the day. Further West, sunshine working in.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Overnight, that front really does drag its heels for a time across
0:30:56 > 0:30:59East Anglia and south-east England, but the skies are clear behind that,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04and with clearing skies, down by the temperatures. We are looking at a
0:31:04 > 0:31:08widespread frost developing, leading to icy stretches on untreated roads
0:31:08 > 0:31:11first thing Wednesday morning. Wednesday it self, another Atlantic
0:31:11 > 0:31:15front is going to be moving into the British Isles, bumping into that
0:31:15 > 0:31:19cold air once again, and we will start to see some of that turn into
0:31:19 > 0:31:25snow. The snowy
0:31:26 > 0:31:28snow. The snowy weather is mainly going to be across the hills in the
0:31:28 > 0:31:31north of the UK. Parts of Scotland, may be the north-east of England, we
0:31:31 > 0:31:34could see some accumulation. 2-5 centimetres across the Highlands and
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Southern uplands, localised disruption possible. The winds are
0:31:36 > 0:31:42going to be very gusty. Gusty winds further south as well, 50-60 mph.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Although the day starts off on a bright note across the East, the
0:31:46 > 0:31:51cloud works in throughout the day. The thickest cloud is further rest,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55-- further west. The rain turning heavier later on. Eventually, mild
0:31:55 > 0:32:03are pushing into western areas, the cold are northern and eastern parts.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07The charts for Thursday, weather front is moving out of the way, and
0:32:07 > 0:32:10a build of pressure, a ridge of high pressure building in across England
0:32:10 > 0:32:14and Wales. The weather should be largely dry with sunshine for most
0:32:14 > 0:32:19on Wednesday. Further north, in Northern Ireland and Scotland,
0:32:19 > 0:32:24further sunshine and wintry showers. Further snow in the hills. Mild in
0:32:24 > 0:32:29the south, 10-11d. Further north, the cold weather still with us in
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Scotland, temperatures 5 degrees or so. Through Friday and into the
0:32:33 > 0:32:37weekend, generally the weather's go into becoming recently settled, and
0:32:37 > 0:32:42is forecast to turn milder through the weekend and into next week, with
0:32:42 > 0:32:46temperatures in two double figures. Mild into next week, however, there
0:32:46 > 0:32:50could be a change to colder conditions later month. It's one of
0:32:50 > 0:32:54those. We'll keep you up-to-date with the details over the coming
0:32:54 > 0:32:54days and weeks.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56with the details over the coming days and weeks. Thanks, Chris.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58A reminder of our main story this lunchtime:
0:32:58 > 0:33:00The Charity Commission begins a statutory inquiry into Oxfam
0:33:00 > 0:33:03following the scandal involving aid workers in Haiti.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09That's all from the BBC News at One.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12So, it's goodbye from me, and on BBC One we now join the BBC's
0:33:12 > 0:33:14news teams where you are.
0:33:14 > 0:33:31Have a good afternoon.