05/03/2018 BBC News at One

Britain's most decorated

Olympian Sir Bradley Wiggins

and Team Sky are accused

of crossing an ethical line

in their use of drugs.

A report by MPs said Sir Bradley

and the team hadn't broken rules

but had used medical treatments

to enhance performance.

What we've looked at in this report

is whether there needs to be much

tighter rules around the types

of medication that can be used.

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky

strongly reject the allegations.

Also this lunchtime:

Theresa May promises to crack down

on developers who buy up land

but are slow to build new homes.

The first humanitarian aid convoy

for weeks gets into the beseiged

Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Millions of people are told

to limit their water use as thawing

temperatures cause burst pipes.

And Gary Oldman has a message

for his mum after his portrayal

of Winston Churchill wins him

the Oscar for Best Actor.

I say to my mother, thank

you for your love and support.

Put the kettle on.

I'm bringing Oscar home.

And coming up in the sport: The FA

Chief Executive apologises

for using the star of David

and the Swastika as examples

when asked why they are charging

Pep Guardiola for wearing

a yellow ribbon.

Good afternoon and welcome

to the BBC News at One.

The champion cyclist

Sir Bradley Wiggins and his former

employers at Team Sky have been

criticised for "crossing

an ethical line" by MPs

in a report on doping in sport.

The Digital, Culture,

Media and Sport Committee says

Sir Bradley used drugs not just

for medical purposes

but to enhance performance.

Sir Bradly became the first

British rider to win

the Tour de France in 2012.

Both he and Team Sky say they

"strongly refute" the allegations,

as Richard Conway now reports.

He is a sporting icon, the Tour de

France winner and Britain's most

decorated Olympian, but a damning

report has accused Sir Bradley

Wiggins of unethical behaviour over

his use of drugs that MPs say were

taken to boost performance and not

just for medical need.

These do not

constitute a breach of the doping

rules as such, but do those rules

need to be changed if there are very

powerful drugs that have performance

enhancing properties that can be

used by athletes in competition?

Should those rules be changed? It is

ultimately a test that the team has

set for themselves.

The report says

team sky crust and ethical line set

out by its founder Sir David

Brailsford by using the

anti-inflammatory drug to prepare at

Bradley for the 2012 Tour de France

which he went on to win. There are

now growing calls for Sir David

Brailsford to take responsibility

for what MPs have labelled failures.

He and Bradley Wiggins have not come

up with the complete story that

makes sense which is truthful, so we

need some real honesty otherwise

their reputations will be in tatters

and I am not sure they can ever come

back from the mire they are in at

the moment.

In response to the

report, Sir Bradley Wiggins refuted

the claim saying, I find it so sad

that accusation can be made where

people can be accused of things they

have never done which I then

regarded as facts. Team sky strongly

refute the claims as well and say,

we take our responsibility to the

sport seriously. We are committed to

creating an environment at team sky

where riders can perform to the best

of their ability and do it clean.

The details in this report came

about after MPs heard evidence at

Westminster, but the shock waves

have spread far and wide into the

world of cycling and into athletics.

MPs claim Lord Coe, the president of

athletics world governing body

provided misleading answers over

when he first knew

about corruption and doping

allegations with Russian athletes.

Lord Coe told the committee he was

not aware of specific claims before

they were made in a German TV

documentary, but the report said it

stretch credibility to believe he

was not aware at least in general

terms. In response the IAAF said, it

takes the fight against doping very

seriously and over the last 14

months the organisation has

introduced a set of wide-ranging

reforms.

There is nobody I know who

would want a guilty athlete to get

away with it, none of us. What we do

want is that same reassurance that

those governing bodies who are there

to protect those athletes and those

competing athletes get it right.

Elite sport has always been judged

by the most slender margins. Its

ethical margins are just as small.

Richard Conway, BBC News.

Richard Conway, BBC News.

Our correspondent, David Ornstein,

is at the Manchester Velodrome.

Another difficult day for cycling

and for some of its biggest names.

That is right. After years of being

dragged through the mud and admired

by doping controversies, cycling

thought it had got through the worst

of it and cleaned up its act,

largely led by Great Britain and

team sky. It seemed that brighter

horizons were in front of them.

However, they are back where they

were many years ago through the

Lance Armstrong crisis and if you

think Great Britain, Britain's most

successful Olympic sport, cycling,

and Sir Bradley Wiggins, the most

decorated Olympian, and team sky

were set up on the premise of being

whiter than white with a zero

tolerance approach to doping and

ethics and here they are facing

serious questions. Sir Bradley

Wiggins, one of the biggest names in

British sport, Sir David Brailsford,

the architect behind team sky, and

so many great memories for the team

at this place behind me, also known

as the metal factory. Where do they

go from here and what more further

repercussions could come the way of

cycling as a whole? We are thinking

about further investigations,

further allegations potentially,

possibly the criminalisation of

doping in the UK, like in some other

countries. There have been calls for

that today. Possibly the banning of

the substances mentioned in the

report. Britain's most current

successful cyclist on the road,

Chris Froome, is facing allegations

himself. He returned an adverse

analytical finding just recently. It

seems we have not heard the end of

this yet.

David Ornstein.

David Ornstein.

The Prime Minister has

announced a shake-up

of planning rules in England,

saying young people without family

wealth "were right to be angry"

at not being able to buy a home.

Theresa May said construction firms

which have been slow to build

new homes could be refused planning

permission in the future.

Ministers have also warned councils

that they will face sanctions

if they underestimate

future housing needs.

Our political correspondent,

Jonathan Blake, reports.

Building your way out of the housing

crisis. Theresa May on a visit to a

development in East London this

morning to see new homes being built

but too many young people are in her

words, rightly angry that they

cannot afford. She had a message to

the company is building in doubles

back new homes, step up and speed

up.

We are going to make it much

harder for unscrupulous developers

to dodge the obligation to build

homes people can afford. The

government will make sure land is

available for homes and make sure

our young people have the skills

needed to build them. In return, I

expect developers to do their duty

for Britain and build the homes of

our country needs.

Too often

developers are too slow to build on

land they bought, so local councils

should be able to take into account

their record. The rewrite of

planning rules was also promised

with ministers now consulting on

changes to guidance for local

authorities. The government's

opponents say it is nowhere near

enough.

People will take some

persuading that Theresa May and the

Tories will get tough on developers.

They have spent the last few years

making planning rules weaker and

they have created loopholes which

lock in high profits for developer

else. The test now is action, not

the words we have heard this

morning.

The housing shortage is a

problem for all parts of the UK. The

Scottish government has pledged to

build 50,000 affordable homes by

2021 and the Welsh government has

launched two new schemes to help

people buy their homes. The

government admits there is a crisis

and is keen to show that is an

action. But there is little new

intraday's announcement, and with

people opposed to more radical

solutions like building on the green

belt, the options are limited. The

dream of home ownership Theresa May

spoke about remains a dream for

many.

spoke about remains

a dream for many.

Our Assistant Political Editor

Norman Smith is in Westminster.

Will these plans make

a difference for young people

struggling to buy a home?

I don't think anyone believes a

consultation on rewriting the

planning rules is of itself going to

solve our housing crisis which is

becoming something of a national

scandal. Ministers today pointed out

the ratio between the cost of a

house and average salaries is now

worse in Britain than anywhere else

in the developed world. There is a

certain familiarity to a lot of what

we heard today. I have lost count of

the number of prime ministers who

pledged to tackle the housing

crisis, talking about stripping down

the planning rules, turning up the

heat on local councils, putting the

screws on developers and again today

we have had the same familiar

response. Local councils saying do

not blame us, we approve nine out of

ten planning

applications, give us the money to

build and we will do it. Developers

are saying when we buy land we don't

want to sit on it, we would like to

develop, but you have attached so

many conditions on infrastructure

that is the reason for the delay.

The criticism you hear more and more

at Westminster is such is the scale,

do we need more radical action, such

as building on the green belt,

hugely controversial. Or possibly

allowing councils to borrow to build

council houses like they did in the

60s and 70s, or putting in

government money. Theresa May's view

is much more cautious. She does not

think that there is a silver bullet,

she thinks you need a much more

incremental approach, which means

change will be gradual and take

time.

time.

80 previous unknown cases of

aid workers harming people or

putting them at risk has now

evolved. Seven charities reported

cases that occurred in the last

financial year. The new figures were

released at a meeting of charity

leaders and ministers in London

which is discussing ways to protect

people in need.

people in need.

An aid convoy of almost 50 lorries

has entered the Syrian rebel

enclave of eastern Ghouta,

carrying humanitarian supplies

to tens of thousands

of people who've been trapped

as government forces advance.

It will be the first to reach

the area since mid-February,

despite a recent UN-backed ceasefire

and short daily truces

ordered by Russia.

Let's speak now to our correspondent

Martin Patience who's in Beirut

in neighbouring Lebanon.

How big breakthrough is this for the

agencies today?

It is a huge

breakthrough following intense

international pressure and a two

hour hold-up at a checkpoint. That

convoy was finally allowed to enter

the Eastern Ghouta. There are 46

trucks in all, but according to the

UN three of those trucks were empty

and the reason for that according to

the UN was that the Syrian

authorities had removed most of the

medical supplies from the charts,

including trauma pats. The reason

that apparently happened was because

the Syrian government does not want

the rebels to receive treatment. But

in total more than 25,000 people,

most of them civilians, will receive

some assistance today.

Do you think

that today's move means the

temporary daily ceasefires are

starting to work?

This humanitarian

convoy was supposed to move into

eastern Ghouta during that five hour

pause in the fighting, but according

to a BBC correspondent on the ground

the Syrian government carried out

several air strikes during that

period. There was also heavy

artillery fire. What we have seen in

the past couple of days is Syrian

government troops advancing rapidly

into eastern Ghouta and now reports

are suggesting that the Syrian

government controls a quarter of

what is the last major rebel

stronghold close to the capital.

While some assistance has gone into

eastern Ghouta, the fighting is far

from over.

Martin Patience.

Our top story this lunchtime.

The champion cyclist,

Sir Bradley Wiggins,

and Team Sky deny allegations by MPs

that they used drugs

to enhance performance,

rather than for medical needs.

And still to come, the RAF fly

in emergency supplies to communities

in Cumbria still cut off

by the snow.

Thousands of homes across the UK

are without water, because of burst

pipes caused by last

week's freezing temperatures.

Supplies have been affected

in the South of England,

Wales, the Midlands,

Yorkshire and Scotland,

with bottled water being

handed out in some areas.

Several water companies

are advising customers

against all but essential use.

Emma Simpson reports.

It's the fallout from the big

freeze. Burst pipes. And there's

lots of them.

What is the damaged

caused by him?

Burst water main.

This was cheddar in the south-west.

This region has had an unprecedented

number of burst mains. And here is

another one. There have been big

problems in parts of Wales as well.

One resident in Carmarthenshire told

us he's been without water since

Thursday.

Quite a difficult night.

Not being able to wash properly,

have a shave or wash the dishes.

Keep the kitchen clean. So I've been

collecting rainwater from the

downpipe.

This mamma has got hold of

supplies. She's in south London, and

lost her water last night. Her

daughter's school needed to close as

well.

You don't expect it to happen

in London.

What has been the most

tricky thing so far?

The toilet, not

being able to flush the toilet, and

washing your hands, I have a

two-year-old, so nappies and things

like that.

There have been a host of

problems across many parts of London

since the weekend. Thousands are

still without water today. Thames

Water resorted to handing out

emergency supplies this morning, and

demand was high.

I've got five kids,

and literally without water since

6am yesterday morning. It's

terrible.

Washing the bottles is

difficult. There's a lot of stuff

covered in baby to that I can't wash

at the moment.

7:30am, they said the

water was fixed. Nothing is six.

Engineers are out trying to fix the

problems.

Since the thaw over the

weekend, although we expected leaks

reported, the reaction has been

incredible. We have seen an

incredible increase. About 500

million extra litres of water has

been pumped into the system to cope

with the extra demand.

Water

companies are urging people to use

as little water as possible until

things get back to normal. The

question is when.

Days after the big freeze,

many of us are basking

in the relatively mild weather.

But spare a thought for several

communities in Cumbria -

where some areas are unreachable

by road because of huge snow drifts.

Now, the RAF has been called

in to deliver emergency supplies.

Food, coal and heating

appliances are being delivered

by helicopter to people,

some of whom have been cut-off

for at least five days.

Dan Johnson is in Carlisle.

That is the helicopter that is

delivering those emergency supplies

to these remote villages. This is

Carlisle airport, where there's very

little snow. It's hard to believe

conditions are that bad, but this

has become a temporary airbase, with

that helicopter being loaded up with

supplies of food, baby milk, logs,

heating equipment, and that being

flown out across the Pennines to

some of these remote communities.

These are very small hamlets, high

in the hills, that have been cut for

days now. The County Council says it

is trying to get through the roads

there with snowploughs and gritters,

but it has failed so far. It says it

will take a further two days to get

through by load, -- by road, which

is why the decision was taken to

call in the military. Marines who

are just back from Arctic training

have been out on that helicopter

this morning, and they will be back

this afternoon dropping more

supplies to these communities who

have been cut off high in the

Pennines. It's difficult to work.

They don't know exactly what the

conditions will be like when they

arrive, and the snowdrifts are very

high. It has been so thick that the

snowploughs and the gritters haven't

been able to get through yet.

Hopefully they will have been able

to deliver some relief to those

communities, where apparently people

have been soaring up furniture and

burning it to keep warm. The thaw

may now be widespread, but there is

still an impact is being felt from

last week's storm.

Dan, many thanks.

Industry figures show new car sales

fell again in February.

The Society for Motor Manufacturers

and Traders recorded a drop

of 2.8% compared to the same

period a year ago.

The body said it was due

to a continuing slump in the sale

of diesel vehicles.

Gas and electricity companies

are to be banned from charging

customers for energy they used more

than 12 months previously.

The energy regulator, Ofgem,

says the restriction on billing

people retrospectively will cut down

on shock bills - in extreme cases

they have exceeded £10,000.

Our Personal Finance Correspondent

Simon Gompertz is here.

Simon, how have they been able to

send such huge bills?

You might have

been paying by direct debit,

assuming you've been paying the

right amount, perfectly open to them

reading the meter, but they've been

undercharging you because they've

been underestimating your usage.

This might have been going on for

some time. So you can see why these

huge bills... The average is around

£1200, but some are as high as

£10,000. For some people it is a

massive shock and can drive them

into serious debt. What is going to

happen is you will not be able to

send out bills like that as a

supplier if you are willing for

electricity or gas that was more

than a year ago. Some people are

going to be in the position where,

over the next few months, until May

when this comes in, they might get

back bills, but after that time,

they are going to be banned. For

smaller businesses, they will be

banned from November. They have been

getting some of these big bills as

well, but that will have to stop.

Ofgem's estimate is that around

10,000 people in one year have

complained about this, but there

will of course be many more who

didn't go down to citizens advice or

places like that to register their

complaint. It will make a big

difference, I think.

Thank you.

Italy's general election has

delivered a hung parliament,

and big gains for

anti-establishment parties.

The populist Five

Star Movement will be

the largest single party.

But a right-wing coalition,

including Forza Italia

led by the former Prime Minister

Silvio Berlusconi,

and an anti-immigrant party -

the League - are expected to form

the biggest bloc.

Gavin Lee reports from Rome.

CHEERING

Political deadlock

in Italy, but it's

the anti-establishment parties

that are celebrating.

Luigi Di Maio is the

man of the moment.

His Five Star Movement less

than a decade old is now the biggest

party in the country.

It is promising political

revolution, wary of the EU,

and has drawn huge support

from younger voters

tired of the old order.

When coalition talks get under way,

they will feature a familiar face,

who once promised radical change -

ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

His support base is weaker now,

but he stands in a centre-right

alliance with the league party,

and could still be

a possible kingmaker.

Most of the Italian press

is predicting "Cambia Tutto"

all change, and the election result

brings about the possibility

of an entirely populist coalition

between the Five Star Movement

and the League party,

which has had a huge rise

in support and campaigns under

a Donald Trump-inspired

slogan, "Italy first".

Its manifesto also pledges to deport

600,000 migrants who've arrived

here in the past few years.

TRANSLATION:

Millions of Italians

have asked us to retake

control of this country,

to free it from uncertainty,

and insecurity, after the laws

created by Brussels,

migrant arrivals, bank

failures, so I see it

as a vote for the future.

I think that the possibility

of a coalition between

the Five Star Movement

and the league is quite

there, but I'm not sure

they will want to go solo.

I don't think that the

Northern League especially,

the League and Mr Salvini,

is going to try to do this

without understanding understanding

that he wants to project himself

as the leader of the right,

so he also needs the rest

of the right to come with him

into this possible coalition.

It's the current government

that is walking away

wounded from this election,

in third place.

The ex-Prime Minister,

Matteo Renzi, and the centre-left

alliance promised stability,

but that ideal has been rejected.

People have clearly voted

for change, a change that

could worry other European leaders,

already reluctantly

dealing with Brexit.

Gavin Lee, BBC News, Rome.

One of the most significant

political gatherings

for a generation has got under

way in China.

The National People's Congress

is considering a proposal that

would keep President Xi Jinping

in post indefinitely.

Delegates are expected to vote

on removing the two-term limit

for the presidency later this week.

In Beijing, our China correspondent

Robin Brant reports.

Marching music and a clapping crowd.

This is the annual parliament

gathering in a country where one

party controls everything and almost

no one gets to vote.

This year, though,

a big change is brewing

because President Xi Jinping wants

to stay on and on.

No one inside the hall

was talking about his plan

to abolish term limits.

These are heavily choreographed

events, but outside,

nothing short of joy.

That view is hardly surprising.

They are loyal deputies.

They'll vote on the

change at the weekend.

Some may disagree in private

but it's almost certain they will

fall overwhelmingly into line.

This annual event is set to last

just over two weeks this year.

A little longer than usual.

So far, there's been mentions of tax

reforms, the internet,

the military, but it's unlikely

we are going to hear

about the big, big issue -

the change that could see Xi Jinping

serving for, well,

as long as he wants.

Before that, though,

there's other important

business to be done.

Day one kicked off with China's

economy, key to world growth.

6.5% growth is the same

as last year.

A bigger boost in military spending

was unveiled as well,

announced to a crowd that represents

all of this vast nation.

But people like Hu Jia is not

welcome in Xi Jinping's China.

A long-time human rights activist,

he's been sent away from his Beijing

home with government minders

while the politicians meet.

Detaining or removing people

like him has become increasingly

common under this president.

The prospect of an indefinite reign

for Xi Jinping fills him with dread.

Robin Brant, BBC News, Beijing.

Gary Oldman has led a night

of British successes at the Oscars,

winning the Best Actor award

for his portrayal of

Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

There was also a win

for The Silent Child,

the film starring six-year-old

Maisie Sly from

Swindon, who is deaf.

After months of revelations

about harassment in Hollywood,

the ceremony was a chance for stars

to appeal for inclusion,

with the winner of Best Actress,

Frances McDormand, persuading every

female nominee to stand with her.

James Cook was watching.

After a year of darkness, a splash

of colour returned to Hollywood.

The black threads of protest were

gone, although the determination

to call 'Time's Up' on abuse

and to create a more

inclusive industry remained.

If I may be so honoured to have

all the female nominees in every

category stand with me

in this room tonight...

Best Actress winner

Frances McDormand had

a message for the moguls.

Look around, ladies and gentlemen,

because we all have stories to tell

and projects we need financed.

And the winner is Gary

Oldman, Darkest Hour.

For his transformation

into Winston Churchill,

the British actor saw V for Victory

and he thanked his

98-year-old mother.

I say to my mother, thank

you for your love and support.

Put the kettle on, I'm

bringing Oscar home!

Congratulations!

There were four more British wins,

including one for The Silent Child,

a short film about a deaf little

girl from Wiltshire.

I made a promise to our

six-year-old lead actress that

I'd sign this speech.

My hands are shaking

a little bit so I apologise.

Allison Janney won Best

Supporting Actress for playing

the meanest of mothers in

I, Tonya.

I did it all by myself!

She went on to thank a long list

of people, and a parrot.

A Fantastic Woman!

For the first time,

the foreign-language award went

to Chile for a film starring

a transgender actress playing

a transgender character.

Daniela Vega.

Jordan Peele, Get Out.

This was the first time

a black writer had won

Best Original Screenplay.

I stopped writing this

movie about 20 times

because I thought it was impossible.

It thought it wasn't going to work.

I thought no one would ever

make with this movie,

but I kept coming back to it

because I knew if someone let me

make this movie that people

would hear it and people

would see it.

James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name.

This writer made history too.

At 89, he's the oldest

ever Oscar winner.

But politics and protests

were never far away.

Three of Harvey Weinstein's accusers

lined up to deliver this message.

The changes we are witnessing

are being driven by the powerful

sound of new voices,

of different voices,

of our voices joining together

in a mighty chorus that is finally

saying "Time's Up".

And the Oscar goes to...

Last year, this famous duo

announced the wrong winner.

No such problem this time.

The Shape of Water.

Although the director

wanted to make sure!

The greatest thing our art does

and our industry does is to erase

the lines in the sand.

We should continue doing that

when the world tells us

to make them deeper.

So inclusion was the theme,

change really is coming

to Hollywood was the message.

James Cook, BBC News, Los Angeles.

Time for a look at the weather...

Here's Matt Taylor.

Change is already here for some

weather-wise. Across parts of

Scotland, you can see that he's no

clear up continues. A fairly manual

process, especially with snow still

falling for some. Across other parts

of the country, the thaw is more

natural. We are not completely done

with snow and frost, as I will show

you. Back to Saturday, the blue

colours are where we saw

temperatures below freezing. Now it

is confined to the hills in northern

areas, with most places seeing

positive temperatures, and across

England and Wales, it probably does

feel like spring with a bit of

sunshine. Low pressure is with us to

start the week, the same area will

be around all week long. One such

rainy band pushing into southern

counties today. Rain will extend

through the afternoon and the

evening rush hour across Wales, the

Midlands and parts of southern

England. As the rain pushes its way

northwards, the tops of the Pennines

could see a bit of snow. Away from

that, some clear skies here and

there. Still the chance of some

breaks in the cloud, especially in

the south. We could see a bit of

frost, light winds and some fog

tomorrow morning. A murky start just

about anywhere. Some snow on the

hills in Scotland tomorrow. Any

showers in Northern Ireland clear

away. Drive for much of England and

Wales after the great start. One or

two showers, especially in Wales and

towards the south-west. Feeling

quite mild in many places. Low

pressure with us for the rest of the

week. Through Tuesday and into the

Wednesday, the cold air confined to

the far north of Scotland. Some snow

in the Highlands and Islands in

particular. Patchy frost on

Wednesday morning, and some showers

across south-west England and Wales.

Some sleet could be mixed in on the

tops of the hills. Some sunshine

mixed in as well. Temperatures

around normal for the time of year.

Frost day in places and a foggy

start for Thursday. Just a small

chance of heavy rain pushing through

the English Channel and some snow

return to the Highlands later.

A reminder of our main

story this lunchtime...

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky

have denied allegations by MPs

that they used drugs to enhance

performance, rather

than for medical needs.

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.