09/03/2018 BBC News at One

Almost 200 military personnel

are deployed to Salisbury

after the nerve-agent

attack on a former Russian

spy and his daughter.

It comes as the Home Secretary

visits the city and calls

the attack "outrageous".

Our priority is going to be

the incident, which is why I'm

here in Salisbury today,

making sure that everybody

is protected around here,

around the incident,

making sure the emergency services

have had the support

that they need...

We'll have the very latest

from our correspondent in Salisbury.

Also this lunchtime...

After months of exchanging insults,

President Trump and the North Korean

leader Kim Jong-un agree to meet.

Britain seeks an exemption

from America's tough new tariffs

on imports of steel and aluminium.

A convoy of desperately needed aid

finally crosses into the besieged

Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

And the biggest Winter Paralympics

ever are under way -

with a record number

of athletes taking part.

And coming up in the

sport on BBC News...

Chris Froome has backed Team Sky

principal Sir Dave Brailsford

after the president of cycling's

world governing body called for him

to consider his position.

Good afternoon and welcome

to the BBC News At One.

180 military personnel

are being deployed to Salisbury,

after the nerve-agent attack

on a former Russian spy and his

daughter in the city last Sunday.

They're from the Royal Marines,

the RAF, and some are specialists

in chemical warfare.

They'll help remove vehicles

and objects from the scene which may

have been contaminated.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal are still

critically ill in hospital,

while the policeman who tried

to help them remains

in a serious condition.

Richard Galpin has the latest.

Six days after the attack here

in Salisbury and now the police and

forensics experts are to be joined

by around 200 soldiers specially

trained in chemical warfare.

Their job, to help

secure key locations,

recover evidence and remove

contaminated vehicles.

Also today the Home

Secretary visited the area

and praised the emergency services

for how they responded to such a

dangerous incident.

They reacted with the

professionalism and

compassion you would

hope our emergency

services do and I am

in

awe of their sympathetic approach

and professionalism.

Meanwhile the double

agent Sergei Skripal and

daughter Yulia, who travelled

from Russia to spend time with her

father, remain in a critical

condition in Salisbury hospital.

But they are said to be stable.

Sergei Skripal's house

is another major

focus of the investigation, with

evidence being collected here and

the building possibly

being decontaminated.

At the research laboratories

in Porton Down,

scientists may have

already identified

the nerve agent used

in

the attack, which almost certainly

would have been made in a state-run

establishment.

And that could well reveal

who targeted Sergei Skripal

and his daughter.

But why were they targeted now?

Sergei Skripal is one of a large

community of Russians

living in this country.

Some of them left Russia

in fear of their lives.

Here in Surrey, I have been speaking

to one of those exiles, who met

Sergei Skripal just

a couple of months ago.

He told me that in the chance

meeting, Sergei Skripal had

talked about how he regularly met up

with Russian diplomats here and

about the work he was involved in.

He said, I'm doing business,

a different kind.

But I closed down my

business in Spain.

I am working mainly

in cyber security.

Did he say what he was

doing in cyber security?

No, and I was not asking,

because a sensitive question.

But I understand he was

working for some Russian

groups.

But working with people

in the Embassy on this, or something

separate?

No, I had a feeling that meeting

with friends was one and

cyber security, his

business, was another.

So could that work in cyber security

possibly be the motive for

the attack?

Richard Galpin, BBC News.

Our home affairs correspondent

Leila Nathoo is in Salisbury.

What's the latest?

Police here are clearly dealing with

a deadly substance, so that is why

the military are sending

reinforcements, 180 military

personnel coming here to insist the

investigation. They are taxed with

removing evidence, objects and

vehicles from the scene in Salisbury

town centre but it is understood

that they could also be involved in

recovering potentially contaminated

ambulances. The police are stressing

that there is no need for people to

be alarmed by the military's coming

here and there is no wider risk to

the public, no increased risk to the

public. It is just to help with the

investigation. This morning the Home

Secretary, Amber Rudd, visited the

scene here, the bench still under

the police tent behind me. She came

and talked to people affected, local

businesses, first responders and she

visited detectives Nick Bailey, the

police officer in hospital after

being exposed to that chemical. The

police investigation is focused on

and above locations in Salisbury

city centre but there has also been

a pick-up in activity at Sergei

Skripal's home, about ten minutes

away from here, yesterday. We think

the police are in for a lengthy

operation there as they tried to

recover evidence to try to figure

out how and when Sergei Skripal and

his daughter Yulia were exposed to

that nerve agent.

Thank you very much, Leila Nathoo.

Our defence correspondent

Jonathan Beale is here.

How unusual is it to see military

personnel on the streets of Britain

and who exactly are they?

The fact

is most military personnel go

through some kind of chemical

weapons training and where gas masks

and are aware of the threat. There

are specialist out there who would

not be a normally on the streets and

that is why ministers are saying,

don't be alarmed when you see these

people turning up. They have got

skills that will be vital to helping

the police in chemical warfare. They

have specialist vehicles which can

carry out what is called sensitive

site exploitation. They can trace

where the chemicals may have gone,

sent back samples and analyse them.

They have vehicles which are

essentially mobile laboratories

which can carry a decontamination

and they will also remove some of

the vehicles that may have been

contaminated, like the ambulances

that ferried people to hospital.

People might think this is very

worrying. I think the message from

ministers is that you should be

reassured, the people have the

expertise and skills and the threat

hasn't changed. They will be there

to secure the site is already

secured and help police find those

objects, fibre traces of the

chemical, and to make sure this is a

thorough investigation.

Jonathan,

thank you. Jonathan Beale there, our

defence correspondent.

President Trump says

he will meet North Korean leader

Kim Jong-un for talks

by the end of May.

The North Koreans are reported to be

committed to denuclearisation

and ending missile tests.

The apparent breakthrough comes

after months of growing tension,

in which the two leaders have traded

insults - Kim Jong-un called

Mr Trump "mentally deranged".

The American President called him

a "maniac" and "little rocket man".

Laura Bicker has this

report from South Korea.

The missiles and displays

of military might from North Korea

have almost seemed defiant

in the face strict sanctions

and international condemnation.

But now it seems Kim

Jong-un wants to talk.

He made his new position clear over

food with South Korean

officials in Pyongyang.

It was the first time

ministers from Seoul have

met the young leader.

They say he is prepared to discuss

getting rid of his nuclear weapons

and they've now delivered a message

from Kim Jong-un that caught many

in the White House by surprise.

He expressed his eagerness

to meet President Trump

as soon as possible.

The idea of a face-to-face meeting

between President Trump

and Kim Jong-un by May seems

remarkable, given the months

of threats and insults between them.

They will be met with fire and fury.

Rocket Man is on a suicide

mission for himself.

But the tone has changed.

On Twitter, Donald Trump said that

great progress was being made

but that sanctions will remain

until an agreement is reached.

However, that meeting

is being planned.

The US Secretary of State

seemed blindsided.

Just hours before coming

he had this to say.

In terms of the direct talks

with the United States

and US negotiations,

we are a long way from negotiation.

Given the unpredictable nature

of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un,

could this meeting even go ahead?

There's all kinds of obstacles

on the road to the summit

between now and then.

It may be simply that

President Trump changes his mind.

This wouldn't be the

first time, would it?

It may be the senior

officials get to him and say,

"Mr President, not in May,

let's prepare properly."

You can't just wing it

policy on North Korea.

Getting Kim Jong-un to give

up his prized nuclear

weapons is a tough ask.

Analysts in Seoul are

cautious and believe this

is just the starting line.

The road ahead is very

long and complicated,

very complex and it is not

guaranteed that the North

will ever give up its nuclear

weapons easily, if at all.

The US and South Korea are due

to hold joint military exercises

at the end of this month.

Last September, the US flew

bombers over the peninsula

as a show of strength.

This usually infuriates North Korea

and prompts missile test.

This time they say

they will understand.

It may be a move away

from fire and fury,

potentially towards friendship.

But that would depend

whether the message from Pyongyang

is one of genuine progress

and not propaganda.

Laura Bicker, BBC News, sold.

In a moment we'll speak

to Barbara Plett Usher in Washington

but first to Laura Bicker

in the South Korean capital Seoul.

So, Laura, this looks

like a really significant

breakthrough - if it happens.

The president here in South Korea

has described it as miraculous. It

did seem utterly unthinkable just a

few months ago but this is something

that the South Korean government

have been working towards, deftly,

diplomatically trying to work with

Kim Jong-un and trying to work with

the United States. But it is a huge

political gamble for both President

Trump and President Mum. Getting Kim

Jong-un to give up his weapons is a

very difficult thing to do, even if

right now he says he is prepared to

discuss denuclearisation. There has

to be a payoff. What does Kim

Jong-un want in return? So that is

the gamble. What will be the carrot

in return for the stick which has

been these international sanctions?

The other thing here is cautious

optimism. That is the phrase that

many are using. They're optimistic

in South Korea because this is a

real opportunity, for the first

time. They are now even mentioning

in whispers something that they have

been trying to get for at least

seven decades, and that is the

possibility of a peace treaty.

Laura, thank you very much indeed,

and to Barbara Platt Chanel. What is

going on in the White House, after

such a hard line on North Korea from

Donald Trump, why has he agreed to

meet Kim Jong-un?

Seems like a big

difference but remember that he has

actually swung pretty wildly between

threatening and insulting Kim

Jong-un and then musing about the

possibility of sitting down with

him. As a candidate he said, "Maybe

I will meet Kim Jong-un and sit down

and have a hamburger with him." So

that is his style, to move from one

end of the other and see where it

lands. I think it would be quite

appealing for him to be the first

sitting president to meet the North

Korean leader and I think you'll

make the most of it. But he has said

sanctions will remain regardless,

whether there are talks, and the

policy is to isolate North Korea

politically and diplomatically while

presenting a clear military option.

There has been a clear emphasis

between the White House on the state

Department on that. The White House

has been much more willing to

consider a military option, whereas

the State Department has said, we

need to at least get in the State

room. Secretaries Tillerson said we

should at least have talks about

talks so doesn't seem the underlying

policy has changed but what has

changed is Kim Jong-un has said he

is willing. About giving up his

nuclear weapons, a big surprise

especially because he's so invested

in it. There is scepticism about it

here but it seems they are willing

to take the opportunity.

Barbara

thank you, and thanks to Laura

Bicker in Seoul.

The Government says it will seek

a British exemption from new tariffs

on steel and aluminium exports

to the United States.

President Trump says the tariffs

are to defend America from what he's

called "an assault on our country".

But employers and unions

in the UK steel industry

say the measures could

have "devastating" consequences.

Here's our business

reporter Rob Young.

The UK has managed to forge a global

reputation for making

high-quality steel products.

A company in Sheffield makes parts

of submarines for the American Navy.

But the industry is worried

President Trump's steel import tax

will hit producers here hard.

What we will now see is UK

companies really suffering

from President Trump's slapping

in effect a 25% tax

on all their exports

from the UK to the US.

And that will hit us hard.

Each year, the UK sells

£360 million worth of steel

to the United States.

That's 7% of all the

steel Britain exports.

It's bought by America's defence,

aerospace and energy industries.

President Trump's plan to impose

a 25% import tax on steel will make

the tissue products more expensive

and less competitive in America.

-- British products.

We import a lot of speciality steels

and Europe, and recount in continued

to import that speciality steel

from Europe because it's not

available in the US.

So for that steel we purchase

from Europe, it's going

to cost us 25% more.

These new tariffs have led

to political sparks flying

in the US and globally.

Britain disagrees with the tariffs.

The European Union and others

are warning they will retaliate.

President Trump has said he will be

flexible towards America's real

friends, the British Government

intends to put view

across next week.

We'll be looking to see how we can

maximise the UK's case for exemption

under these particular

circumstances, but we will want over

the next few days to look

at them in great detail.

There a wider fear that steel bound

for America will now find its way

into other countries.

A flood of steel could push

global prices down.

That's potentially good

for consumers but a double

whammy for the industry.

Many of the same countries

who are in the top ten of US

exporters are the same who go

to Europe, for example Brazil

and Turkey are both large

exporters to the US,

they will turn their boat around

and head straight for the EU.

Trade deflection could have

much, much larger effect

on the industries in the actual loss

of exports themselves.

President Trump's intention

is to protect America's steel

industry but there is a very real

fear he will end up hitting

steelmakers elsewhere.

A long-awaited humanitarian

aid convoy has crossed

into the rebel-held enclave

of eastern Ghouta in Syria

where an estimated 400,000

civilians are trapped

by the fighting.

But the UN is warning

that it may have to pull

back because of renewed violence.

Martin Patience is following

developments from Beirut

in neighbouring Lebanon.

What is the latest you are hearing

on the progress of the convoy?

This

is the third time the international

community has tried to get

humanitarian assistance to the

people of Eastern Ghouta and nine

out of the 13 trucks we here have

been unloaded but it is not clear

whether the four remaining trucks,

food supplies from them will be

off-loaded and the reason is

continued shelling in the area. It

is worth pointing out it was

humanitarian assistance that should

have been delivered on Monday and

the reason it was not delivered then

was because of shelling. Yesterday

the convoy was cancelled because of

security concerns. It underscores

how difficult it is for the

international community to get

assistance to the people of Eastern

Ghouta. 400,000 people estimated to

live there and if they manage to

deliver the aid, international

organisations say it is not enough.

Whilst the international community

is focusing on getting aid to

Eastern Ghouta, the Syrian

government backs by its Russian ally

appeared determined to take the last

major rebel stronghold close to the

capital. The latest figures, more

than 900 civilians have been killed

in fighting since this major

government offensive began.

Martin,

thank you.

Our top story this lunchtime...

Almost 200 military personnel

are deployed to Salisbury -

after the nerve agent attack

on a former Russian

spy and his daughter.

And still to come...

Rethinking Stonehenge -

historians say the neolithic

structure may have been built

as part of a community celebration.

Coming up in the sport, a little bit

rusty but no problems for Serena

Williams she wins on the WTA tour

for the first time in over a year

and six months after giving birth to

her first child.

The arduous task of building

Stonehenge may have been part

of a ceremonial celebration -

according to historians

studying the ancient site.

The stone circle in Wiltshire

was built over 4,000 years ago

using stones from South Wales -

a fact that has long baffled

experts, but English Heritage now

says selecting, moving and setting

up the the stones on Salisbury Plain

may have been a way

of bringing people from all over

the country together.

Duncan Kennedy is at Stonehenge.

Duncan.

You might think that after 4500

years we would know everything about

this monument but that is not the

case, particularly with regard to

the building of it and today's

report says it may have been the

construction of the monument, it

could have been more important than

the end result. Today dozens of

volunteers turned up to help prove

the point.

One, two, three, pull.

Heaving for history.

Volunteers at Stonehenge

today trying to repeat

what Neolithic people did around

four and a half thousand years ago.

Do you currently feel

like Neolithic woman doing this?

That is an interesting concept, yes.

Yes, I do.

The aim of the experiment was to see

how this ancient monument was built.

Historians now say it was

the construction process itself

as much as the end

result that mattered.

We know it was a prehistoric

temple aligned

with the movements of the sun.

It was used as such.

The building process

and alterations, changes

coming together as a community might

have been more important factor.

English Heritage say the photos

of people in Indonesia,

taken 100 years ago,

helped to prove their

point.

The images show how moving

great rocks has long been

accompanied by dancing

and dressing up in costumes.

They say it was probably

the same spirit that helped

to build Stonehenge, with people

drawn from across Britain to come

and feast and make

building a festival.

We need to come back literally four

inches.

In old money! In other

words, a celebration of

construction. Recreated today.

It is

actually OK, not too bad.

How about

you?

It is fine.

Not too bad. Shall

be tried again? Brings the ropes

closer together.

The stone is so

heavy, we have asked for more

volunteers. It weighs four tonnes.

This is hard work. This is the first

time an official rock pull like this

has taken place at Stonehenge.

It is

partial success, not exactly

vertical, but it has been raised. It

shows the effort required just for a

four tonne stone.

It does not always

go to plan.

go to plan. Yet even with the odds

tumble the experiment shows what can

be achieved when strangers come

together for a common good. And in

doing so, helping to form our

preconceptions of prehistory. If you

are looking to take part yourself,

you are welcome to come along this

weekend because Stonehenge is

organising two days of experiments

to show people they can join in what

the people of the Neolithic era did

4500 years ago.

Duncan, thank you. Have a rest!

How do we rid our oceans of plastic?

It's a problem that's

had a huge amount of

attention in recent months.

Now scientists are asking members

of the public to help with efforts

to clean up Britain's coastline

with the help of new technology -

but from the comfort

of their own homes.

Dan Johnson has been to the south

coast to find out more.

Our beaches are the front line

in the war against plastic.

New technology is being used

to get a better idea

of the scale of the problem.

An eye in the sky capturing

the waste on our shores.

We use a drone to survey very

quickly and efficiently

lots of inaccessible beaches,

as well as public beaches, and we

take thousands of photographs.

We upload those photographs

onto an online platform and then

anybody in the country,

whether they are scientists,

not scientists, children, adults,

can log in and tag where they see

plastics in the photographs.

That means the clean-up

teams can focus efforts

on the worst-hit places.

But picking up the plastic

still needs people power.

We need to get involved

for two reasons.

One is about awareness,

awareness of the problem plastics

are causing on our planet,

particularly on our beaches

and seas, so that when we make

choices, buying coffee,

or are in the supermarket,

we can make better and more

informed decisions.

But also, actually making us

all realise that science

is something we can all be part of.

It is not just for people who are in

labs or went to university.

We can all be involved in helping

scientists understand our world

and making it better.

This was collected in just a couple

of hours this morning and gives

an idea of the sort of stuff

that is around on our beaches.

The visual evidence of this problem.

But, actually, the majority

of the plastic that is a real

issue is right out there.

More than 8 million

tonnes of plastic goes

into the ocean every year.

Much of it so small

it is barely visible.

It is estimated less

than 1% is collected.

What we see on the beaches is just

a fraction unfortunately

of what is in the oceans.

The beach is a really good place

to clean up and to really

try to address that but ultimately

we need to stop the plastic going

into the oceans in the first place.

The sands may be shifting,

but we have still barely started

getting to grips with the true

nature of the plastic problem.

Dan Johnson, BBC

News, near Brighton.

Last week's cold weather and heavy

snow across the country caused huge

disruption to the health service,

with many operations cancelled.

But Lindsay Chisholm -

a surgeon at a Paisley hospital -

was so determined not to let

down her patients, she walked eight

miles through heavy snow

and blizzard conditions

so she could to perform

a crucial operation.

Lorna Gordon has the story.

The top story, Scotland continues to

battle the Beast from the East.

They

were conditions more akin to

mountains on city streets. The

blizzards, sub zero temperatures and

snow that kept falling meant no

buses, trains and few people

venturing out. It was not enough to

put off one very determined surgeon.

I got up early on Thursday and saw

there was a lot of snow but it did

not look impossible and I thought I

would head into work. When I

arrived, two colleagues would the

first eyesore. Took one look,

started laughing, and they said how

did you get here?

I said I work.

Lindsey was well prepared. She had

winter clothing, snow shoes and

walking poles to help through the

deepest drifts. Completing the eight

mile trek to the hospital in just

under three hours. Her patient

feared his surgery for cancer would

be postponed.

It felt like Christmas

Day. She told me she walked in from

home. I could not believe she had

walked almost eight miles to do

surgery on me. If there is a

real-life superwoman, she is it, for

me anyway.

The surgeon insists she

was just doing her job.

I did not

think it was a big deal, I put my

winter kit on and walked to work. It

is as if the world has gone mad!

Lindsey has been left bemused by the

attention, insisting many others

went the extra mile to keep the NHS

going through the storm.

The Winter Paralympics

are officially under way

after an opening ceremony

in the Korean resort of Pyeongchang.

Paralympics GB are sending

their biggest team since 2006

and hoping to win up

to a dozen medals.

Kate Grey is in Pyeongchang.

It was just under two weeks ago the

Olympics drew to a close in

Pyeongchang and now it is the turn

of the Paralympics. The crowd were

treated to a spectacular opening

ceremony and despite weather issues

and problems with rehearsals, it

went off without a hitch. The

biggest Winter Paralympics to date.

Drummers and dancers, the

traditional charms of Korea opening

the show. Nothing could be done

about the fog covered fireworks.

Heavy snow prevented a full

rehearsal so a slight fly kick up

could be forgiven.

Onto the parade.

Here they come, Great Britain. Owen

Pick leading the way. A great honour

for the soldier turned snowboarder.

The British team enjoying the party

atmosphere. The International

Paralympic Committee wanted north

and South Korea to march under a

unified flag. The team preferring to

walk out separately. The host nation

completing the procession. The cold

meant no hanging around with teams

sneaking in and out of the stadium.

The crowd were treated to an

eclectic mix. A snowboarding bare.

Weird and wonderful contraptions on

wheels. And the flaw putting on a

dazzling show with the help of

performers. Formalities were also

there. The flame brought into the

stadium in the united hands of North

and South Korean athlete before

lighting the cauldron in spectacular

style. The fog clearing for the

traditional fireworks finale. The

action begins tomorrow with plenty

of British interests. If the weather

behaves, Alpine skiing begins with

the downhill and there will be medal

hopes resting on the

hopes resting on the shoulders of

athletes. They will be hoping to get

back on the podium. Elsewhere, Scott

Mina will represent Great Britain

for the first time in Nordic skiing

for the first time in 20 years.

Competing in six out of the eight

days. Finally the curling team will

hope to begin their campaign with a

win. A busy day to start here.

Thank you. And now the weather.

win. A busy day to start here.

Thank you. And now the weather.

Weather-wise we have a mixture of

conditions. Turning cloudy across

England and Wales but further north

in Cumbria also cloud, contrast and

good sunshine in parts of Scotland.

The weather is changing because

further south we have low pressure

and a weather front. This cloud, not

a straight weather front, and one

that will bring pulses of rain. The

rain is beginning to arrive across

parts of south west England now. We

have showers moving across Scotland,

as well. The showers continue for

the rest of the day. Further south

cloud will thicken up with outbreaks

of rain arriving and that will turn

heavier in a rush hour across

central, southern England and

south-east England. Up to 12

Celsius, not bad for the time of

year. Overnight rain working

northwards. Getting into Northern

Ireland by the end of the night. We

will see a contrast in temperatures.

South-westerly winds blowing in

milder air and by the end of the

night, ten, 11 degrees in Cardiff

and London but cold in Scotland and

cold enough for pockets of frost. As

far as the weekend goes, you will

see spells of rain, turning milder

as the weekend goes on. Brisk winds,

particularly on Saturday and often a

lot of cloud in the sky. Saturday

looks like this. Rain pushing across

northern England and into Northern

Ireland and Scotland. There could be

snow across higher parts of Scotland

but as the milder air works in, snow

will turn back to rain. Rain across

Wales in south-west England, perhaps

lingering into the first part of the

afternoon. It will be cloudy, but on

the mild side, particularly eastern

England where it could reach 15

Celsius. Another band of rain moving

get across southern counties of

England could be heavy, with under

mixed in perhaps. And rain not far

from the East coast. Further north

west, lighter winds, more sunshine.

That is the latest weather.

west, lighter winds, more sunshine.

That is the latest weather. That is

all.

So it's goodbye from me -

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's