16/03/2018 BBC News at One

An 18-year-old is convicted

of attempted murder,

after the bomb attack

on the London Underground

last September.

Ahmed Hassan admitted building

the device at home -

he planted it on a tube carriage

at the height of the rush hour.

30 people were injured

in the explosion at Parsons Green.

It's emerged Hassan

was enrolled on two government

anti-radicalisation programmes.

Hassan was engaged on the programme,

but coming back to his devious

nature, he kept it very secretive

in relation to what he was doing,

what he was planning,

and nobody around him actually knew

what his plot was.

The Government says

there are lessons to be

learned from the case.

We'll have the latest.

Also this lunchtime.

The Foreign Secretary says

Vladimir Putin is almost certainly

responsible for ordering the use

of a nerve agent on a former Russian

spy on British soil.

Our quarrel is with Putin's Kremlin,

and with his decision,

and we think it overwhelmingly

likely it was his decision to direct

the use of a nerve agent

on the streets of the UK,

on the streets of Europe.

TopMan apologises unreservedly

for any offence - after selling a T

shirt that some believed referred

to the Hillsborough disaster.

And it's Gold Cup day at Cheltenham

- can trainer Nicky Henderson win

a historic treble later today?

And coming up in the sport

on BBC News, it's an all

English Champions League

quarterfinal as Liverpool are drawn

against Premier League

rivals Manchester City.

Good afternoon and welcome

to the BBC News at One.

An 18-year-old man has been found

guilty of attempted murder,

following the bomb attack

on the London Underground last

September, which injured 30 people.

Ahmed Hassan admitted building

the device that partially detonated

at Parsons Green station,

during the morning rush hour.

The court heard it was only luck

that the device didn't fully go off,

and kill many people.

It's emerged that Hassan was under

two deradicalisation programmes,

"channel" and "prevent".

The government says

there are lessons to be

learned from the case.

Our Home Affairs correspondent,

June Kelly, is at the Old Bailey.

Well, soon after his arrived in the

UK it became clear that Ahmed Hassan

was at risk of violent extremism. He

said he had been kidnapped and

trained to kill in Iraq he was also

seen looking at propaganda on his

phone. He was put on the Government

programme prevent, which is aimed at

turning people Jay from terrorism,

but at the same time, this young man

was building a bomb.

was building a bomb.

Ahmed Hassan buying batteries

and screwdrivers in Asda.

Everyday items but, for him,

part of his bomb-making kit.

He's asked for ID.

He may have looked young,

but he's been described as mature,

highly intelligent and calculating.

CCTV cameras captured his journey

as, the following morning,

he left home with a bomb in his bag

and a plan in his head.

He was on his way to

kill and injure people

on the London Underground system.

He made for a train and,

a few stops down the District Line,

he got off, leaving his bag

containing his bomb

on a timer behind.

Just after the train pulled

into Parsons Green station,

the bomb detonated, creating

a massive fireball which rolled down

the carriage, leaving passengers

burning and screaming in pain.

Hassan had struck shrapnel

to the device - including nuts,

bolts, screws and knives -

to cause maximum carnage.

He'd also used the explosive TATP,

known as Mother of Satan.

The bomb had only

partially exploded.

That bag's on fire.

At Parsons Green, a major emergency

operation got under way.

Terrified passengers

were taken off the train.

Some were carried out

of the station on stretchers.

Meanwhile, the teenage bomber left

London and went on the run.

The year before he'd told a teacher

it was his duty to hate Britain

because his father had been killed

by coalition forces.

And at the time of the attack

he was on the Government's

anti-radicalisation programme,

Prevent.

He was very cunning and devious and,

on the face of it, Hassan

was engaged on the programme,

but coming back to his devious

nature, he kept it very secretive

in relation to what he was doing,

what he was planning

and nobody around him actually

knew what his plot was.

24 hours on from his attack,

firearms officers were surrounding

his house in Sunbury in Surrey.

Inside were his petrified

elderly foster parents,

Penny and Ron Jones.

This was a couple who had received

MBEs from the Queen for fostering

hundreds of children.

Ahmed Hassan repaid them

for giving him a home by secretly

building a bomb in their kitchen.

And it's also emerged

that the teenagers staying

in their spare bedroom had said

to immigration officials

that in Iraq, he'd been

kidnapped and trained to kill

by the Islamic State group.

It seems the Joneses were told

little about his background.

Someone like Penny Jones

is experienced, and she's

an absolute champion for education,

for the children's mental

health and well-being.

She would have put in as much

as she possibly could in place

for this young man.

And this would have...

This would have absolutely destroyed

them, in part, because they had...

I don't think they had any idea.

After the bombing, Hassan,

who had come into the UK two

years earlier on a lorry,

headed for Dover.

He was arrested as he tried

to flee the country

which had given him refuge,

but for which he felt only hatred.

June Kelly, BBC News.

Clearly Ahmed Hassan had duped

officials from the prevent programme

into believing he was co-operating

with them. This morning after the

verdict we had a statement from

Surrey County Council which was

responsible for his welfare, in this

country, they apologised saying our

work with other aagencies in this

case wasn't as good as it should

have been and we are sorry for that.

They also apologised to Hassan's

foster parentings, they say they

were told about his background but

what we are still trying to get

nailed down is what the Jones were

told. Also this morning we have had

a statement from the Security

Minister, and he said clearly

lessons had to be learned from this

case.

case.

The Foreign Secretary has said

he believes it's "overwhelmingly

likely" that President Putin

was personally responsible

for directing the use of a nerve

agent on a former spy in Salisbury.

Boris Johnson's comments come

as Russia's Foreign Minister,

Sergei Lavrov, confirmed British

diplomats will be expelled

from Moscow, in response to 23

Russians being told to leave Britain

earlier this week.

Naomi Grimley reports.

It is 12 days since Sergei Skripal

and his daughter were attacked with

nerve agents? Salisbury. The

resulting diplomatic spat with

Russia has escalated rapidly, even

racing the prospect of a return to

the Cold War.

British diplomats in Moscow are

braced for tit-for-tat reprisals

after Britain announced the

expulsion of 23 Russian official,

there is no word yet on that but

Russia says it has stopped listening

to the allegations from the west.

TRANSLATION:

There is

investigations, hearings, when not a

single piece of evidence has been

presented to the public. The lact of

facts is being compensated for by

more ways of sanctions.

Boris

Johnson was standing shoulder to

shoulder with his polish

counterpart, making it clear

President Putin is the man he wants

to see punished, not Russians in

general.

Our quarrel is with Putin's

Kremlin. And with his decision, and

we think it likely that it was his

decision. To direct the use of a

nerve agent on the streets of the

UK, on the streets of Europe, for

the first time since the Second

World War.

The Russians are gave and

immediate responsibilities to that

remark, saying it was shocking and

unforgivable. Meanwhile at

Westminster, this episode has

started to reveal some of the

existing cracks in the Labour Party.

Jeremy Corbyn has once again

suggested that Britain can't be sure

the Russian state is responsible. In

a guardian article he

But that has drawn an angry response

from some Labour backbenchers.

What

we need is a very clear line from

our leadership, stating very clearly

that we stand shoulder to shoulder

with our allies and with the

Government, in the action it has

taken.

In Salisbury last night specialist

police teams were still at the grave

side of Sergei Skripal's wife and

son.

131 people in this English city are

believed to have had possible

contact with the deadly nerve agent.

They may not be in hospital, but the

anxiety caused to them is trouble

enough.

to them is trouble enough.

Our correspondent Richard

Galpin is in Moscow.

It #150e78 there was a pretty swift

reaction to what Boris Johnson --

Boris Johnson had to say?

Totally,

it has been very quick, and absolute

fury. It has come from best cover,

the Kremlin spokesperson, the

official spokesperson, he Oussama

Assaidi what Mr Johnson has done is

very shocking, is unforgivable and a

breach of diplomatic rules on what

is normal, decent behaviour, so I

think the Kremlin will see this as

being really provocative, upping the

ante at what is a very febrile time

in terms of the relationship between

Moscow and London. Then of course we

are waiting for that decision on the

retaliatory measures from Moscow.

Still, no definite timing on that.

Officials have been saying it will

be soon, one person saying it could

be any minute now, but I think we

have to factor in the Presidential

election taking place on Sunday,

that might affect it. However, given

what Mr Johnson has said today,

which is really going to be seen as

provocative, maybe they will decide

to move more quickly on those

measures.

(

(

At least six people are now known

to have died when a newly-built

bridge collapsed onto a busy

road in Florida.

Eight cars were crushed,

10 people were taken to hospital,

and the emergency services have been

working at the scene

throughout the night.

CBS news correspondent

Manuel Bohorquez is at the scene.

Bring us up-to-date with what the

authorities are saying and doing.

Well, Jane, at this point they do

not expect to find any more

survivors behind us, where that

bridge collapsed. They said this has

turned from a Search and Rescue

mission to a recovery effort, and a

very delicate one at that. You might

be able to tell behind me it's a

precarious situation for rescue

workers and investigators back

there, there is part of the bridge

that the teating on one of the

support columns and as they try to

clear some of the rubble it can

still be dangerous for them. The

yerls indication of what may have

been happening on the bridge, #k5i78

in the form of a tweet from US

Senator Marco Rubio who said he

learned that workers may have been

tightening some of the cables when

it collapsed. We know that a stress

test was also happening at that

time, this is a bridge that was

installed just days ago, had not

been opened to foot traffic just yet

but clearly there was traffic going

underneath it while the tests were

happening.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

The clothing chain TopMan has

apologised unreservedly for any

offence that was caused by a T-shirt

it's been selling, after criticism

that it could be seen to refer

to the Hillsborough disaster.

The red top, with a large 96

on the back, is being seen by some

Liverpool fans as a reference

to the club's kit and the number

of people who died

in the 1989 disaster.

TopMan says the design was inspired

by a Bob Marley song, but is has now

been withdrawn from sale.

Sarah Corker reports.

This is the £20 T-shirt that

Liverpool fans have deck cried as

sick. On the back the words what

goes round comes back round, and

written o the sleeve is the word

Karma. It was spotted online on

Thursday, and on Merseyside there

has been a big backlash, the 96, the

colour red and the rose are seen by

some here as references to the

Hillsborough disaster, when 96

people died.

Campaigners want to know how this

happened

Who made this decision do

this shirt? Who made this decision

surely to goodness they must have

known, something about Hillsborough,

and if they don't, I urge them to

look up on Hillsborough, because I

think they will learn, they have to

learn a lot about it. And of course

I can understand the fans, the

families, being upset about this.

And some took to Twitter to vent

their anger, absolute disgrace, it

is surely unintentional one person

rote wrote, how no-one flagged how

offensive it would be is beyond me.

Another wrote it is a Bob Marley

song, the lyrics are from the song,

Karma is the brand. They could have

thought of the other connotations

perhaps but probably the designers

don't follow football. Others

described it as an unfortunate

coincidence and a genuine mistakes.

TopMan acted swiftly. Removing the

shirt this morning.

I have

constituents who have post-traumatic

stress disorder from that terrible

event, it is just, it is really

unfortunate that top man have done

this, I am glad they have taken it

off sale. Is

A company spokesperson

Questions are being asked of the

design team how this Hillsborough

connection was not spotted sooner.

Our top story this lunchtime...

An 18-year-old is convicted

of attempted murder,

after the bomb attack

on the London Underground

last September.

Coming up, the Six Nations climax.

Ireland look to secure

the Grand Slam against

an under-pressure England side.

Coming up in sport, no medals

for Great Britain on day seven

of the Winter Paralympics

as the snowboarders

all once again miss out

on the podium in PyeongChang.

GB have two days left

to meet their medal target.

The elephant population

is continuing to dwindle

across Africa, as thousands

are killed every year

for their tusks.

Campaigners say a ban on the trade

in ivory would be one step

towards making it an unacceptable

ornament - and help

save the elephants.

The leaders of Botswana,

Uganda and Gabon are calling

on the UK and the European Union

to outlaw the sale of antique ivory.

From Botswana, Alistair

Leithead reports.

Botswana is the last sanctuary

for Africa's elephants.

Half of the animals left

on the continent live

here and on its borders.

But conservationists say

the continuing trade in tusks,

be it legal or illegal,

to feed the market for ivory

in China means the elephants

are still seriously endangered.

Thousands of elephants

are still being killed

for their ivory across Africa every

year, leaving orphans,

like these guys.

Although the scale of poaching

is down from what it was a few years

ago, more elephants are being killed

every year than are being born.

It is still a big crisis

for Africa's elephants.

This is one way to address it -

cracking down hard

on the poachers and traffickers.

A demonstration at the Giants Club

Summit shows how lessons learned

in counterterrorism are now

being used for anti-poaching.

Making sure animals are worth

more alive is important,

but many here think

ending trade is key.

This ivory ornament was bought

at auction in the UK as an antique,

and therefore legal to sell.

But radiocarbon dating proved

it was from an elephant

killed 13 years ago.

If the experts can't

tell, then how on earth

are the public supposed to know?

And I think the default setting

when you have that level

of uncertainty simply has to be,

"We can't afford to sell ivory."

That is why a global petition

is pushing for an EU and UK ban

of antique ivory sales,

now signed by three

African presidents.

Well, I think the way we are moving

now, when you look at the other

countries coming on board,

for example, like China.

I think they are setting a wonderful

example for others to follow,

whether it is the UK,

the European Union or anyone else.

Banning the vehicle ivory trade

won't stop the illegal killing

and filling of elephants,

but it is another step

towards making ivory a less

acceptable ornament.

-- the illegal killing and orphaning

of elephants.

The Egyptian government has called

on the British authorities to bring

to justice the people who attacked

an Egyptian student in Nottingham.

18-year-old Mariam Moustafa died

on Wednesday, nearly a month

after she was assaulted

in the city centre.

The attack has caused

widespread anger in Egypt.

From Nottingham,

Sima Kotecha reports.

18-year-old Mariam Moustafa, an

engineering student in Nottingham.

Her family are from Egypt and came

here for a better life.

In February, as the teenager

was making her way to see her mother

and sister, she was attacked.

She caught a bus on the street

to try and get away from the girls.

However, they followed her.

Police say she was

punched several times.

She died on Wednesday.

This footage on social media shows

what happened on the bus.

You move out my way!

You move out my way!

Yesterday police said there was no

information at this stage to suggest

it was a hate crime,

but that they were

keeping an open mind.

She was in a coma for three

weeks after the attack.

The family gave us these pictures.

Her younger sister told

the BBC it felt as if half

of her was now missing.

Mariam was always looking out...

Looking forward for

being an engineering.

She was a hard worker,

she always put all her effort in,

to be in engineering.

For me, I still can't

believe she's gone.

I still feel like she's around me.

I feel like she's going to come

knocking on the door,

saying, "Malla, come here."

But that's not happening.

The Egyptian government has called

on the UK authorities

to bring those who did this

to her to just as quickly.

-- to justice quickly.

A 17-year-old girl was arrested

on suspicion of assault but has been

released on conditional bail.

A postmortem examination

is taking place today.

Sima Kotecha, BBC News, Nottingham.

The number of secondary schools

running at a loss has nearly trebled

in England in four years,

according to The Education

Policy Institute.

The think tank analysed the budgets

of council-supported primary

and secondary schools in the last

financial year, and more

than a quarter of the secondary

schools were in the red.

The Government disputes the figures

and says it's putting an extra

£1.3 billion into schools.

Helena Lee reports.

This is the Elizabeth Garrett

Anderson School in north London, a

comprehensive secondary for around

900 girls. And one facing funding

issues. They already feeling the

impact here. The school says costs

are gobbling up for them, meaning

they are having to dip into

reserves. Jo is the head teacher,

she says it is the disadvantaged

children at her school most

affected.

It as local authorities

are not able to provide the same

services they use too. Schools have

to pick that up. If we don't do

that, it is the most disadvantaged,

the most challenged, most vulnerable

young people who will suffer. So all

the support around mental health and

other challenges has been withdrawn

and we have to fun but ourselves.

This school is not alone,

researchers at the Education Policy

Institute looked at finances of

local authority secondaries in

England over the last seven years.

They found the number of secondary

schools in deficit almost trebled in

the last four years.

In 2013/2014, almost 8% were in the

red. That rose to just over 26% in

2016/ 17. Those in the south-west

are most likely to be in deficit.

Parents will naturally be concerned

about some of the pressures on

school budgets, because what it may

mean for them is cuts to teachers,

cuts to teaching assistants, which

can potentially mean increased class

sizes and a reduction of subjects on

offer in secondary schools.

The local Government Association

says this report shows the

Government needs to provide extra

funding but the Government says it

does not recognise the findings of

the report and is investing £1.3

billion into schools.

It's Gold Cup day at

the Cheltenham Festival,

with trainer Nicky Henderson

going for an historic treble

when he sends out Might Bite

later this afternoon.

Victory would make Henderson

the first trainer to win

the Champion Hurdle,

Champion Chase and Gold Cup at one

Cheltenham Festival.

70,000 people are expected

to be there to watch.

Our sports correspondent

Andy Swiss reports.

Sunny skies and even brighter hopes

as the fans flocked for a snapshot

of racing history, the big question

is who's here will it be? 12 months

ago it was Sizing Johns, but he has

been ruled out by injury, leaving

the field open. Native River is one

of the favourites and the jockey has

Gold Cup glory in his sights.

Any

trainer, owner or jockey, just to

have a runner in the races is

amazing. Four win eight, to me, it

is the best race you can win.

Others are already chasing history.

Trainer Nicky Henderson has already

won the two biggest races at the

festival so far and now his horse

Might Bite could make it an

president at hat-trick. But he fears

the soggy conditions might think his

hopes. -- could make it an

unprecedented hat-trick.

He is a

very classy horse and it rubs the

class out of them a little bit. And

the real old sluggers in the Gold

Cup can make it into a bit of a war

of attrition, that is probably not

Might Bite's scene.

One man guaranteed a special day is

109-year-old Ralph, Britain's third

oldest man will be a guest here and

half a century after his last

Cheltenham visit, he hopes to choose

a winner.

I like to have an

occasional flutter on racing. I

don't spend a lot, just two

shillings.

A shilling or two is what so many

here hoped for. Today is one of

racing's biggest gambles, as well as

one of its biggest celebrations. The

fans will hope for plenty to cheer.

This promises to be one of the most

open Gold cups we have seen. Might

Bite, Our Duke and Native River are

currently leading the betting. The

Gold cup gets under way at 3:30pm.

Thank you very much, Andy Swiss at

Cheltenham. It is a busy time in the

sporting world.

It's the climax of the Six Nations

this weekend, with Ireland aiming

to win the Grand Slam

against England at Twickenham.

Confidence is low in Eddie Jones'

side, and after a two-match losing

run, the England coach has made

a number of changes

for tomorrow's game.

Elsewhere, Italy play Scotland,

and Wales host France in Cardiff.

Joe Wilson reports.

Twickenham on Friday

reveals the seats.

They are always green,

not just for St Patrick's Day.

But here Ireland seek

Six Nations perfection.

First they beat France...

Last gasp in Paris.

Second wind was against Italy.

Next, Wales were beaten in Dublin.

Four more tries beat Scotland.

Which just leaves England.

Five wins means the Grand Slam.

Much at stake.

Here's a fantastic opportunity

to just achieve a Grand Slam

but to go a year unbeaten.

-- to not just achieve the Grand

Slam.

Yes, Ireland did the Grand Slam nine

years ago, but the only other time

they've achieved the feat was 1948.

There was no commentary.

Ireland in grey.

Well, if Ireland are here

to try and make history,

England are certainly trying

to find a future.

Coach Eddie Jones spent the week

apologising about leadership speech

filmed last year when he bantered

about Ireland being, quote, scummy.

He's made radical changes

to his team to play Ireland,

often selections speak

louder than words.

Any team that wins 11 games

in a row, they're worthy

champions of the Six Nations.

We're very respectful of them but,

like any team, they team,

they have a weakness.

England's weaknesses have been

starkly exposed in two

consecutive defeats.

Eddie Jones has never lost

with England at Twickenham,

and that's part of the fascination

tomorrow.

Tickets offered online

for crazy sums.

Grand Slam seats - a grand each.

Joe Wilson, BBC News, Twickenham.

Footage has been released

of a polar bear cub born

in the Scottish Highlands,

just before Christmas.

Staff at the wildlife park

where the youngster was born,

are yet to find out whether the bear

is a boy or a girl -

but the youngster is proving to be

a confident and curious little

character, as our Scotland

Correspondent Lorna Gordon

has been finding out.

The first tentative steps outside

for Britain's polar Bear cub in 25

years. Emerging from its den in the

Highlands, its mum close by.

This is

how I knew we had a polar bear cub,

you can hear the sound.

Keeper Vicky

Larkin was the first to find out

that a cub had arrived.

I am super

excited. It is probably the most

exciting thing to happen in my whole

superior. I am really excited seeing

how the cub grows, getting to know

its little character and also just

eventually sharing it with the

public as well. It is just such an

amazing thing to happen.

The two

male polar bears at the park are

kept in a separate enclosure, well

away from the female and its new

offspring.

The one you can just see

at the back will never meet his

club. This replicates what would

happen in the wild. -- will never

meet his cub.

The cub copies

everything its mum does. Inquisitive

and, for the most part, fearless.

Some conservationists question

whether these animals should ever be

bred in captivity, but keep is

hearsay diminishing sea ice

threatens the polar bear population

in the wild. -- but keepers hearsay.

We try to give them the best

quality-of-life we can, we have some

of the biggest enclosures in

captivity. The wild population is in

trouble. Whilst we may not be able

to do right now, it may be necessary

to to augment the wild population

from a captive population in future.

The area the cub is exploring is

growing fast. It is still being

shielded from view but it is likely

to be a big draw, and people could

still get to see it in the open

within the next few weeks.

I am afraid, for some others, it is

I am afraid, for some others, it is

time the weather.

If you have enjoyed that springlike

feel to the weather, for some of us

tomorrow will be quite a shock.

Things are turning much more wintry.

We have some sunshine out, this is

the scene in London at the moment. A

blue sky and some shower clouds. But

over the next few days we will see

snow and ice becoming more

widespread across the country and we

are likely to see some disruption.

The Met Office have issued Amber

warnings across parts of eastern

England, especially through the last

part of Saturday and into Sunday.

Some rain showers of cross party of

Northern Ireland in northern England

this afternoon. Some pretty heavy

snowfall in the East of Scotland, we

could see another 20 centimetres

over the Cairngorms. Temperatures

around four in Aberdeen, but around

14 in the sunshine in London. A few

showers across England and Wales

into this evening.

That is when we really start to draw

in this cold, easterly wind. For

northern England into the Midlands,

some showers increasingly falling

snow, even to lower levels. Many

others getting close to or below

freezing a very different feel to

the weather this time tomorrow. The

cold weather down to the fact we

have high pressure across

Scandinavia, we are drawing in these

really chilly easterly winds, very

similar to what we had a couple of

weeks ago. The cold weather will not

be as long-lived and the snow will

not be as happy. Snow showers to in

from the easterly wind. For eastern

England in particular there will be

snow showers from the word go,

drifting westwards through the day.

Temperatures will struggle to get

much above freezing for many of us.

Adding on the wind chill and the

bitter, easterly wind, feeling as

low as -7 or eight. Very different

than it feels out there today.

The Met Office has issued amber

warnings, be prepared the disruptive

weather. Snow and ice across the

East Midlands and London and the

south-east of England. We expect

several centimetres of snow by

Sunday morning. More snowfall during

Sunday pushes across parts of

south-west England, Wales and

towards Northern Ireland. We still

have that cold easterly wind drawing

in more snow showers from the North

Sea, particularly across England and

Wales. Fewer snow showers in

Scotland during the day on Sunday

but another really cold day.

Temperatures only run two or three

above freezing foremost, feeling

colder with the wind-chill.

It will turn milder into next week

but be prepared for this weekend, it

looks pretty with further snow.

but be prepared for this weekend, it

looks pretty with further snow. We

have been warned!

A reminder of our main

story this lunchtime...

And 18-year-old has been convicted

of attempted murder after the bomb

attack on the London Underground

last September.

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.