0:00:02 > 0:00:05A "decisive" step forward on the road to Brexit as Britain
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and Brussels reach a deal on the transition period.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12They agree on how much Britain owes and the rights of EU citizens -
0:00:12 > 0:00:18but how to avoid a hard border in Ireland remains an issue.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21TRANSLATION:A decisive step remains a step.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25We are not at the end of the road and there is a lot of work
0:00:25 > 0:00:27still to be done on important subjects including Ireland
0:00:27 > 0:00:30and Northern Ireland.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34We'll be looking at the agreement in detail and asking how much
0:00:34 > 0:00:36of a step forward it is.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Also this lunchtime...
0:00:38 > 0:00:41International chemical weapons experts arrive in UK to examine
0:00:41 > 0:00:44the nerve agent used to poison the former Russian
0:00:44 > 0:00:46spy and his daughter.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48A 26-year-old British woman from Sussex has
0:00:48 > 0:00:54been killed in Syria, fighting alongside Kurdish forces.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Dozens of motorists stranded overnight in Devon as the mini
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Beast from the East brings more disruption.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And teetering on the edge - the homes in Norfolk evacuated over
0:01:02 > 0:01:08the weekend amid high winds and waves.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And coming up in the sport, Rory McIlroy is favourite to win
0:01:11 > 0:01:15golf's first major of the year, The Masters, after his first
0:01:15 > 0:01:22victory in 18 months, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42The Brexit Secretary, David Davis, and the EU's chief
0:01:42 > 0:01:45negotiator, Michel Barnier, say it is a decisive step forward.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50They announced this morning that they've reached agreement on a large
0:01:50 > 0:01:53part of the deal for Britain's departure from the EU -
0:01:53 > 0:01:57from the rights of EU citizens, to the transition period and how
0:01:57 > 0:01:58much the UK will pay.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02But how to avoid a hard border in Ireland is still an issue.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04The announcement comes ahead of an EU summit later this week
0:02:04 > 0:02:06which the Prime Minister hopes will pave the way
0:02:06 > 0:02:07for talks on trade.
0:02:07 > 0:02:14Our Europe Correspondent, Damian Grammaticus, is in Brussels.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Today has been a busy day here in Brussels, David Davis called it a
0:02:19 > 0:02:25significant step, Mr Barnier called it a decisive step. The outline
0:02:25 > 0:02:29agreement for this transition period that would come in in one year's
0:02:29 > 0:02:35time when the UK leads the EU, the link all the rules and trading
0:02:35 > 0:02:38freely but there are crucial issues remain an earlier today the Irish
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Foreign Minister was here to make sure the Irish border issue was not
0:02:42 > 0:02:45overlooked.
0:02:45 > 0:02:52First thing this morning and it was the Irish Foreign Minister who was
0:02:52 > 0:02:54in Brussels meeting Michel Barnier before David Davis got there. His
0:02:54 > 0:03:00aim was to see to it that Irish concerns remained uppermost in the
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Brexit negotiations. Simon Coveney began the day tweeting that he was
0:03:03 > 0:03:07on an early flight to ensure there would be no backsliding on the Irish
0:03:07 > 0:03:13border issue. After his meeting, eight satisfied looking Mr Kirby
0:03:13 > 0:03:18said that solidarity with the EU partners remained strong. --
0:03:18 > 0:03:23satisfied looking Simon Coveney. A little later it was David Davis's
0:03:23 > 0:03:27turn, hoping a transition deal could be secured but to do so was urgent
0:03:27 > 0:03:35with Brexit just a year away.Are you confident today?
0:03:35 > 0:03:39you confident today?We are determined, Mr Barnier said. When
0:03:39 > 0:03:43they re-emerged it was to say they had agreed to a transition period
0:03:43 > 0:03:47after Brexit where the UK will be outside the EU but continued to
0:03:47 > 0:03:54trade freely with it.This not need the late investment decisions based
0:03:54 > 0:03:58on guesses about the future deal -- need not delay. Businesses have
0:03:58 > 0:04:03certainty about the terms that will a plight immediately after our
0:04:03 > 0:04:06withdrawal which means they can continue to operate with confidence
0:04:06 > 0:04:10as the design of the future partnership with the EU becomes
0:04:10 > 0:04:15clear.Mr Barnier displayed on the screen is the full text of the
0:04:15 > 0:04:18withdrawal treaty, yellow highlights for the clauses that still needed
0:04:18 > 0:04:23work. The EU is insisting on its so-called backstop option where
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Northern Ireland might stay fully aligned with EU rules to avoid a new
0:04:28 > 0:04:32border or so we agreed today that a backstop solution must form part of
0:04:32 > 0:04:40the legal text of the withdrawal agreement.The backstop will apply
0:04:40 > 0:04:45unless and until another solution is found.The UK is still hoping a
0:04:45 > 0:04:50border can be avoided if it does not now present a better option than the
0:04:50 > 0:04:56alignment of all parts of the island of Ireland should be the solution.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00There are still tricky issues to address here, the UK gained some
0:05:00 > 0:05:04things and it will be able to negotiate and sign trade deals in
0:05:04 > 0:05:09that condition is not implement them and it has signed up to the shorter
0:05:09 > 0:05:14transition the EU wanted and all citizens rights should be guaranteed
0:05:14 > 0:05:17through the transition period, for EU citizens moving to the UK. All of
0:05:17 > 0:05:21this will go to the EU leaders who meet here at the end of the week for
0:05:21 > 0:05:24them to give the green light for talks to begin on the future
0:05:24 > 0:05:25relationship.
0:05:27 > 0:05:33Our Assistant Political Editor, Norman Smith, is in Westminster.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37A decisive step forward, how significant is it?I think any way
0:05:37 > 0:05:42you slice it it is a significant moment because we now have an end
0:05:42 > 0:05:48date for the final departure from all existing EU rules and
0:05:48 > 0:05:54regulations, December 2020, and you can probably hear the sighs of
0:05:54 > 0:05:57relief echoing around large part of Westminster and the business
0:05:57 > 0:06:02community because it gives us a buffer zone. For business, 21 months
0:06:02 > 0:06:06in which to get used to life outside a single bucket and for government
0:06:06 > 0:06:12time to put in place new procedures in terms of customs policy and trade
0:06:12 > 0:06:18policy, immigration policy and to try to solve some of the remaining
0:06:18 > 0:06:20fundamental difficulties in particularly the issue around the
0:06:20 > 0:06:26Northern Ireland border. It is another key plank in the road to
0:06:26 > 0:06:31Brexit. We had the withdrawal agreement in December and now
0:06:31 > 0:06:34agreement on transition. The difficulty is the price that has had
0:06:34 > 0:06:39to be paid and for many Brexiteers, they ponder whether it is too high.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43They don't like the fact that during this transition period we will still
0:06:43 > 0:06:47be subject to the rulings of the European court, we will have to
0:06:47 > 0:06:53accept new EU rules, we will in effect remain part of the single
0:06:53 > 0:06:59market, freedom of movement will largely continue as is. The question
0:06:59 > 0:07:02is, do the Brexiteers go on the war path and try to tear down this
0:07:02 > 0:07:06agreement? The answer is no, I don't think they will because however
0:07:06 > 0:07:16uncomfortable they might be with aspects of this deal, for then the
0:07:16 > 0:07:19end goal of leaving the EU is so important that they don't want to do
0:07:19 > 0:07:20anything to jeopardise it by potentially undermining this
0:07:20 > 0:07:22transition deal.Thank you.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23And you can keep across the latest developments following today's
0:07:23 > 0:07:29agreement between Britain and the EU on the BBC News website.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33International chemical weapons experts have arrived in Salisbury
0:07:33 > 0:07:36to examine the nerve agent used to poison the former Russian spy
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41The team, from the Organisation for the Prohibition
0:07:41 > 0:07:43of Chemical Weapons, will also visit the military
0:07:43 > 0:07:45research base at Porton Down in Wiltshire.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47It comes a day after the Foreign Secretary,
0:07:47 > 0:07:53Boris Johnson, accused the Russian government of stockpiling nerve
0:07:53 > 0:08:00Our correspondent Duncan Kennedy is in Salisbury.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07I think the arrival of those weapons inspectors at Porton Down, Distin
0:08:07 > 0:08:13the road, will be crucial to confirming that agent is Russian.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, said today in Brussels that
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Russian accusations to the contrary were, in his words come increasingly
0:08:22 > 0:08:26absurd, but Moscow has repeated what it believes to be the truth is the
0:08:26 > 0:08:29exact opposite of what Britain is saying, they are saying that
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Britain's claims are groundless.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Porton Down is an isolated facility on Salisbury Plain that has operated
0:08:37 > 0:08:40since the First World War and it is that expertise built up over a
0:08:40 > 0:08:45century that is the foundation of its world-class reputation for
0:08:45 > 0:08:50testing chemical weapons. The team from the Organisation for the
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was invited here by the government. They
0:08:52 > 0:08:57are expected to spend up to a week talking to scientists and others
0:08:57 > 0:09:01involved in the investigation buzzed up the process will be very
0:09:01 > 0:09:07rigorous, they are the professional body.They are investigators from
0:09:07 > 0:09:10the UN, very experienced operators and they do this all over the place.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15They have been to Syria many times to investigate chemical weapons.For
0:09:15 > 0:09:19two weeks experts have been filmed taking what looks like samples from
0:09:19 > 0:09:23across Salisbury. It has not been made public whether the nerve agent
0:09:23 > 0:09:29in board was delivered at a powder, liquid or other form. The team that
0:09:29 > 0:09:33has arrived at Porton Down will be crucial to confirming the nature of
0:09:33 > 0:09:38the nerve agent. It inspectors will discuss first how to transport
0:09:38 > 0:09:42samples of the nerve agent from Porton Down out of the country. The
0:09:42 > 0:09:49samples will be sent for analysis to one or more of around 20 approved
0:09:49 > 0:09:51laboratories at their disposal. It might take at least two weeks for
0:09:51 > 0:09:55the results to come through. Although that process will not be
0:09:55 > 0:10:00quick, Britain is confident that the inspectors will confirm the nerve
0:10:00 > 0:10:03agent comes from Russia and today the foreign ministers from the EU
0:10:03 > 0:10:07gave what they called their unqualified solidarity to Britain's
0:10:07 > 0:10:16case. The Foreign Secretary, also in Brussels, said Russian denials were
0:10:16 > 0:10:20becoming increasingly absurd.This is a classic Russian strategy of
0:10:20 > 0:10:26trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and
0:10:26 > 0:10:32obfuscation.Moscow said again today it had no involvement in the attack
0:10:32 > 0:10:38on Sergei and Yulia Skripal on the 4th of March. Mr Skripal's BMW seems
0:10:38 > 0:10:42to be a focus of the police enquiries, with multiple requests to
0:10:42 > 0:10:47the public asking them if they saw it. It is one of nearly 800 pieces
0:10:47 > 0:10:51of evidence gathered by officers in what they have described as a
0:10:51 > 0:10:53complex and challenging investigation.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00At the heart of the investigation is the nerve agent but we will have to
0:11:00 > 0:11:06be patient on this. As inspectors have said time and again, it could
0:11:06 > 0:11:09take two or more weeks before the final independent results come
0:11:09 > 0:11:13through. Duncan Kennedy, thank you.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Vladimir Putin is beginning another six years in power after declaring
0:11:16 > 0:11:19an overwhelming victory in Russia's presidential election.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Mr Putin is said to have received more than three
0:11:21 > 0:11:22quarters of the votes.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26was barred from standing.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And there have been complaints of an unfair election,
0:11:29 > 0:11:30including counting irregularities and forced voting,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33as Richard Galpin reports.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Vladimir Putin emerging triumphant, yet again,
0:11:43 > 0:11:50in front of his supporters, in Moscow last night.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52This, following an election from which any serious opposition
0:11:52 > 0:11:58candidates had been excluded.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03And today the Russian media, most of which is controlled
0:12:03 > 0:12:05by the Kremlin, also revelling in his appointment as president
0:12:05 > 0:12:10for another six years.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15And yet, CCTV footage from polling stations posted on social media
0:12:15 > 0:12:19here tells a different story - of blatant rigging.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22These women stuffing ballot boxes.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27There are reports of hundreds of violations during the vote.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Officials, though, say the violations this time were far
0:12:32 > 0:12:35fewer than in the last election.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And Mr Putin is already concentrating again on the big
0:12:38 > 0:12:40issues of state, including the crisis with Britain over
0:12:40 > 0:12:43the poisoning of the Skripals.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49He is adamant the Kremlin was not behind the attack.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53TRANSLATION:It is rubbish, drivel, nonsense, to think that Russia
0:12:53 > 0:12:55would do something like that ahead of a presidential election
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and the World Cup.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And this respected academic told me it would have made no sense
0:13:02 > 0:13:08for the Russian state to have been involved in the poisoning.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12The last thing that Putin needs right now is to have
0:13:12 > 0:13:14another problem, not even with the United Kingdom,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18but with the West at large.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22My assumption has always been that after elections he would start
0:13:22 > 0:13:25making cautious steps in the direction of some kind
0:13:25 > 0:13:30of limited reconciliation.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33So if not the Kremlin itself, some here believe it could be
0:13:33 > 0:13:36connected to the murky world of powerful factions swirling
0:13:36 > 0:13:38around the president - those determined to keep Russia
0:13:38 > 0:13:40isolated from the West.
0:13:40 > 0:13:48Richard Galpin, BBC News, Moscow.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51A 26-year-old British woman has been killed in northern Syria,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55fighting alongside Kurdish forces.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's understood that Anna Campbell, who was from Lewes in East Sussex,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01died in the town of Afrin, which has been the target
0:14:01 > 0:14:02of Turkish bombing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Our Turkey Correspondent, Mark Lowen, reports.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12From the calm of East Sussex, Anna Campbell felt a calling to fight in
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Syria pulls up in guvnor 26-year-old plumber and human rights campaigner,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21she joined the Kurdish militia last year, dyeing her blonde hair to
0:14:21 > 0:14:25stand out less. She was killed reportedly in an air strike by
0:14:25 > 0:14:31Turkey in its offences against the YPG Kurdish fighters. Her father
0:14:31 > 0:14:36called her principled and brave.She was quite adamant about it. I said,
0:14:36 > 0:14:43you could be killed. And she said, I know, dad, there's nothing I can do
0:14:43 > 0:14:46to reassure you about that but I have to do this because it is the
0:14:46 > 0:14:51most important thing for me.Seven other British nationals have died
0:14:51 > 0:14:55fighting with the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, Anna Campbell is the first
0:14:55 > 0:14:59British woman killed. Turkey declared victory over the weekend at
0:14:59 > 0:15:04it seized the town of Afrin from the YPG who it sees as terrorists are
0:15:04 > 0:15:09links to Kurdish militants within Turkey. The town bears the scars of
0:15:09 > 0:15:14a two-month offensive, some 200,000 residents fleeing, the first now
0:15:14 > 0:15:17returning, but as troops tore down a Kurdish statue and looted shops,
0:15:17 > 0:15:22there is a fear that justice is becoming retribution. An outpouring
0:15:22 > 0:15:28of nationalism in Turkey had accompanied this funds, crushing
0:15:28 > 0:15:33itch age-old Kurdish foes unite a polarised country. This said
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Turkey's victory Day, another says, we wrote history in Afrin. Turkey
0:15:38 > 0:15:42might move on to other areas also held by the YPG, going against the
0:15:42 > 0:15:46West which sees the Kurds as allies in Syria. Anna Campbell died
0:15:46 > 0:15:50fighting for those Western allies, another life, another figure in the
0:15:50 > 0:15:55half a million killed in Syria's war.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Our top story this lunchtime.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The government says it's taken a "decisive step" forward
0:15:59 > 0:16:03in negotiations with the EU over Britain's departure.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08And still to come...
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Paralympics GB are on their way home after their most successful medal
0:16:12 > 0:16:14haul at a Winter games since 1984.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Coming up in sport, former England and Wigan winger Josh Charnley has
0:16:17 > 0:16:19joined Warrington Wolves with immediate effect.
0:16:19 > 0:16:27He ends a 17-month stint in rugby union with Sale.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35It was dubbed the Mini Beast from the East -
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but it has still caused big problems in parts of England and Wales.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Over 700 schools are closed again today, after more than 20
0:16:41 > 0:16:46centimetres of snow fell in Wales and South West England.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49About 80 motorists were forced to stay overnight, at an emergency
0:16:49 > 0:16:51centre set up in a college near the A30 in Devon.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Among those stranded were a bride and groom on their wedding night,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00as Sean Dilley reports.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05This rescue centre in Devon was not were newlyweds Sarah and John
0:17:05 > 0:17:08planned to spend their first night as husband and wife. The couple were
0:17:08 > 0:17:15among dozens of motorists offered safe haven at Okehampton College.We
0:17:15 > 0:17:20were fortunate in that we could get off the road at Okehampton, made the
0:17:20 > 0:17:26decision there and then. Then we came into town. There's nowhere to
0:17:26 > 0:17:31stay. There a voluntary group run by Devon City Council who came and
0:17:31 > 0:17:37rescued us and brought us here to Okehampton College.The county
0:17:37 > 0:17:41councils say they helped about 80 people seek refuge from the snow
0:17:41 > 0:17:48after police closed a 64 mile stretch of the a 30.We certainly
0:17:48 > 0:17:53had the majority of people travelling on the a 30 caught out by
0:17:53 > 0:17:57snowdrifts. People are on the minor roads and got stuck and couldn't get
0:17:57 > 0:18:01any further. They came to us for someone and shelter for the night
0:18:01 > 0:18:06before getting under way today.More than 20 centimetres of snow fall has
0:18:06 > 0:18:09been recorded in central and southern England, with hundreds of
0:18:09 > 0:18:14schools across Devon, Cornwall on Somerset shut. In Wales, more than
0:18:14 > 0:18:18200 schools were either partially or fully closed, and in Scotland
0:18:18 > 0:18:22temperatures fell to minus five. Police say anyone travelling should
0:18:22 > 0:18:28be alert to local device.-- advice. The advice must be heeded. Keep a
0:18:28 > 0:18:32close eye on social media, look at the weather warnings and advice and
0:18:32 > 0:18:36take heed of that advice. Don't become complacent just because the
0:18:36 > 0:18:40major route are looking OK. As soon as you come of those main roads, a
0:18:40 > 0:18:44lot of the minor routes are treacherous.The Met office has
0:18:44 > 0:18:47issued a fresh weather warning for England and Wales. They say ice is
0:18:47 > 0:18:52likely to form, increasing the risk of accidents. Sean Dilley, the BBC
0:18:52 > 0:18:53News.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Sarah Ransome is in Okehampton.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02Are things starting to improve? They are. The situation is slowly
0:19:02 > 0:19:06improving. The snowploughs have been out overnight and they have been out
0:19:06 > 0:19:13all morning to try and clear those roads, particularly the A30 that was
0:19:13 > 0:19:17shut for quite some period last night. It only reopened about half
0:19:17 > 0:19:20past eight, nine o'clock this morning, when the emergency services
0:19:20 > 0:19:25were clear that it was safe for motorists to drive. I drove down
0:19:25 > 0:19:30with myself and there were still stranded car is slowly being
0:19:30 > 0:19:33recovered by recovery vehicles and taken away, so that the sides of the
0:19:33 > 0:19:38road were clear and suitable for the lanes to be opened up. As you can
0:19:38 > 0:19:43tell, we had a lot of snow here overnight. Freezing temperatures
0:19:43 > 0:19:48caused some of those problems with ice forming on the roads as well as
0:19:48 > 0:19:52the amount of snow. That is improving. Hundreds of schools are
0:19:52 > 0:19:58still shut this lunchtime. It is not clear yet when they will open. With
0:19:58 > 0:20:02a yellow warning of ice overnight tonight, Devon and Cornwall police
0:20:02 > 0:20:05are advising drivers not to go out after dark if they can possibly
0:20:05 > 0:20:09avoid it. They don't want a repeat of what happened last night.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Sera, thank you.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12They've been described as the "crack cocaine of gambling" -
0:20:12 > 0:20:14fixed odds betting terminals on which you can bet
0:20:14 > 0:20:15£100 every 20 seconds.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Now the Gambling Commission - the government's adviser on gambling
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- has said no-one should be allowed to bet more
0:20:20 > 0:20:22than £30 on them at a time.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Betting shops say such cuts will mean job losses
0:20:24 > 0:20:26across the industry.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Now the government must decide what to do,
0:20:28 > 0:20:29as our personal finance correspondent, Simon
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Gompertz, reports.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40Costly, addictive, a scourge on vulnerable gamblers -
0:20:40 > 0:20:42these machines, mainly in betting shops, are blamed for ruining lives.
0:20:42 > 0:20:48Terry White from Cardiff told us he lost £250,000 on
0:20:48 > 0:20:52fixed-odds betting terminals, and 15,000 in one day.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54It's a massive rollercoaster because the health
0:20:54 > 0:20:58implications, the emotions, the loss obviously of
0:20:58 > 0:20:59a large amount of money.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Although it was money that I'd won, it still meant
0:21:02 > 0:21:03I lost my house.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08I've been fortunate enough that the council have found
0:21:08 > 0:21:11me accommodation, which I'm very grateful for, because I was facing
0:21:11 > 0:21:12being homeless.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14What the Gambling Commission is proposing is a limit
0:21:14 > 0:21:18of £2 on stakes in slot machines, but a maximum of up to £30 for the
0:21:18 > 0:21:19more popular roulette terminals.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Also, more careful tracking of how much individual gamblers are
0:21:22 > 0:21:24spending, but not the £2 restriction for all machines that many
0:21:24 > 0:21:29had been called for.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The evidence we have showed you need to come down to
0:21:32 > 0:21:36at least £30 to have a significant impact on the harms and the risk of
0:21:36 > 0:21:39harms that people face.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42What was clear was that there was no individual figure that acted as a
0:21:42 > 0:21:46magic bullet, which is why we are suggesting £30 or less.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48For the Gambling Commission it is also an
0:21:48 > 0:21:50argument about freedom.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Should they put very tight controls on our freedom to gamble?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And if they do, will people use their freedom of
0:21:55 > 0:21:59choice just to gamble online instead?
0:21:59 > 0:22:03So there's a possibility for a £2 maximum, only on the slot machines,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07which are a tiny minority of the business.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Whereas the roulette games, their maximum could
0:22:10 > 0:22:15be much higher than they feared, at up to £30.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17That is causing campaigners to complain that this is a sell-out to
0:22:17 > 0:22:21the bookmaking industry.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24It will be no help whatsoever, because the
0:22:24 > 0:22:26damage would still be irreparable.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29£2 is the only sensible, logical and moral -
0:22:29 > 0:22:35and I use the word moral strongly - it is the only moral outcome.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Not to be protectionist, but to make sure
0:22:39 > 0:22:41that we are doing the right thing by society.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Betting shops have warned that a £2 limit on all machines
0:22:44 > 0:22:49would result in thousands of outlets closing.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It is now up to ministers to decide how tough the restrictions will be.
0:22:52 > 0:23:00Simon Gompertz, BBC News.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08TV presenter and McPartlin has been released after being arrested on
0:23:08 > 0:23:10suspicion of drunk driving.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12He was detained yesterday afternoon following a collision involving two
0:23:12 > 0:23:14other cars in Mortlake in south-west London.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Several people were treated for minor injuries after the accident,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and a child was taken to hospital as a precaution.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21This year has been a tough one for many British retailers,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24with high profile problems at chains such as Toys R Us and Maplin
0:23:24 > 0:23:26making the headlines.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Earlier this month, John Lewis cut its staff bonus
0:23:27 > 0:23:29to its lowest level in decades.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32But its new boss, Paula Nickolds, says there's still plenty of life
0:23:32 > 0:23:33left in the high street.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35She's been speaking to our correspondent, Emma Simpson,
0:23:35 > 0:23:43as the firm opens a huge new store in West London.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49It's a new look for an old name. At John Lewis' 50th store, things are
0:23:49 > 0:23:54getting personal. There is a concierge desk to plan your visit.
0:23:54 > 0:24:02There is a room for workshops. On how to do stuff around the house.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08And partners have been trained by an actor.Hello Emma, and welcome to
0:24:08 > 0:24:13John Lewis.But why get ready to open a new big expensive department
0:24:13 > 0:24:19store when so much shopping is now being done online?We think that the
0:24:19 > 0:24:26much discussed high Street dying story is overstated. Customers still
0:24:26 > 0:24:30want to have physical experiences. They want personal interactions.
0:24:30 > 0:24:36Looking around this shop and -- today, you can see it as a very
0:24:36 > 0:24:41exciting things still to do.It is not the only retailer rethinking the
0:24:41 > 0:24:48role of the department store. A few doors down, Debenhams is opening
0:24:48 > 0:24:51restaurants and gymnasiums. House of Fraser is trying to reduce its
0:24:51 > 0:24:54surplus space to save money. These are tough times for department
0:24:54 > 0:25:00stores.The big challenge to make the space profitable, because
0:25:00 > 0:25:03they've got so much, they are filling it with physical experiences
0:25:03 > 0:25:07we can't get online and hoping we will spend money on their products
0:25:07 > 0:25:10at the same time. But of course the challenge is to make all that space
0:25:10 > 0:25:14profitable. I asked the new John Lewis boss if
0:25:14 > 0:25:20the UK had simply too much of it. There is no doubt that consumer
0:25:20 > 0:25:23behaviour is changing and that currently consumer confidence is
0:25:23 > 0:25:27low. That means all retailers have to be at the very top of their game.
0:25:27 > 0:25:33And it will mean that the strong, evolve, adapt and survive, and
0:25:33 > 0:25:39others may not.She this one will be a crowd pleaser. But as the lights
0:25:39 > 0:25:44go on here, where else in our high streets will they be going out?
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Emma Simpson, BBC News, West London.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Britian's Paralympics team are on their way
0:25:46 > 0:25:49home from South Korea, after the Winter Paralympics drew
0:25:49 > 0:25:50to a close yesterday.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Paralympics GB are celebrating their most successful medal haul
0:25:52 > 0:25:54at a winter games since 1984.
0:25:54 > 0:26:00Kate Grey sent us this report from PyeongChang.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02The past ten days have seen the British team pushed
0:26:02 > 0:26:07to the limits on the snow and ice and Pyeongchang.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Disappointment for the curlers, as they came up short, and the
0:26:09 > 0:26:11snowboarders faltered.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16But on the ski slopes it was a different story -
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide, Jen Kehoe, winning four medals,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22including gold on the final day, to become Britain's most successful
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Winter Paralympians.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It's been amazing. It's been an incredible event.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Everyone has been really helpful, really lovely.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35It's really nice to have family and friends supporting us.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The resilience that the athletes have
0:26:38 > 0:26:42shown, and certainly Menna and Jen from a DNF in race one
0:26:42 > 0:26:43to gold in race five.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And I think the preparation and the ability for them
0:26:47 > 0:26:50to deliver those kind of performances is down to talent, but
0:26:50 > 0:26:53also the support behind the scenes.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Great Britain had a target of six to 12 medals in Pyeongchang, aiming
0:26:57 > 0:27:00to equal and with the ambition to improve on their performance from
0:27:00 > 0:27:03four years ago, where they won six medals and an historic gold.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And with British athletes competing across more sports than ever before
0:27:06 > 0:27:09at a Winter Games, the target seemed achievable.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And it was, thanks to one sport, one classification and a
0:27:12 > 0:27:16small number of athletes winning all seven medals.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18But it does call into question the breadth and depth of the
0:27:18 > 0:27:20British team.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I'm proud of every single one of the 17 athletes that
0:27:22 > 0:27:26came here to Pyeongchang to represent Paralympic GB.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Yes, the medals came from snow, but every one
0:27:29 > 0:27:33of those athletes did give it their all.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35The games drew to a fitting close with Britain's golden girls
0:27:35 > 0:27:43carrying the flag.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46The International Paralympic Committee could also
0:27:46 > 0:27:49celebrate, with more nations taking part than ever before, and a record
0:27:49 > 0:27:50number of tickets sold.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52They can now call these games the greatest Winter
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Paralympics to date.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54Kate Grey, BBC News, Pyeongchang.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57They are teetering on the edge of a cliff -
0:27:57 > 0:27:59more than 10 homes in the Norfolk village of Hemsby were
0:27:59 > 0:28:02evacuated at the weekend amid high winds and waves.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Their owners have been told that it's too dangerous to go back
0:28:04 > 0:28:07and their properties are in danger of falling into the sea.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12Robbie West reports.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15On the cliff edge, homes hung over the sea this morning in Hemsby,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19following another night of strong winds and stormy seas.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22People started to leave on Friday.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25As the tide was drawing in, lifeboat crews helped move people out.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Stephen Chadwick knew he had to go after
0:28:27 > 0:28:31seeing his garden disappear overnight.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33I bought it for sea views, beautiful sea views.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35And now the sea has taken it away.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Woke up this morning, had a cup of coffee at half
0:28:37 > 0:28:39past seven at the back door.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41I felt - it was like an earthquake, and the
0:28:41 > 0:28:44cliff just went.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Just in total shock, and watching people taking
0:28:48 > 0:28:51most of the house apart. I don't think I'll be here tomorrow.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Homeowners were evacuated following a fortnight of high tides and
0:28:55 > 0:28:58easterly winds that washed the coast's natural defences away.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The next morning, the damage could be seen.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04The council say 13 homes remain in a precarious position, and
0:29:04 > 0:29:08are being inspected after each high tide.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12These properties probably won't be lived in again.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18The damage caused - I was up there Friday, then
0:29:18 > 0:29:23Saturday, and what was there, that is actually gone.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Paul Ray joined the lifeboat crews after seeing his home.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31He believes it's unsafe for his wife and dogs to return to the
0:29:31 > 0:29:33house they have lived in for the past eight years.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36To look at it, I think to myself, that's my home and
0:29:36 > 0:29:37I've lost it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41But obviously I've got to look on the positive side, that I
0:29:41 > 0:29:44wasn't in there last night, nobody lost their lives are anything.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46And everybody got us out and looked after us very well.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48So I've got to move forward, though I have
0:29:48 > 0:29:49lost my home.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Five years ago here in Hemsby, three homes were washed away
0:29:52 > 0:29:55following a storm surge.
0:29:55 > 0:29:5813 homes are in immediate danger this time.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00As owners return today, they hope history won't repeat itself.
0:30:00 > 0:30:06Robbie West, BBC News, Hemsby.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Time for the weather with Darren Bett.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Time for the weather with Darren Bett.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16The Mini Beast from the East, Helu banished it?
0:30:16 > 0:30:22It is gone. All gone. It doesn't feel quite as cold today across the
0:30:22 > 0:30:27UK. Through the week ahead it is slowly turning milder and milder. We
0:30:27 > 0:30:33are more likely to get rain from midweek than snow. We have banished
0:30:33 > 0:30:39the cold easterly wind. We get winds for a while. It changes
0:30:39 > 0:30:44significantly. We get Atlantic air which will bring some rain. A lot of
0:30:44 > 0:30:50snow still. Particularly in the south-west. Some areas, not much
0:30:50 > 0:30:56snow at all. For most of us, we are seeing the sunshine. That is a
0:30:56 > 0:31:01welcome change. A chilly wind for England and Wales causing the drifts
0:31:01 > 0:31:06to blow around. Temperatures higher than recent days. We have got
0:31:06 > 0:31:10sunshine today and not much cloud but there is cloud lurking in the
0:31:10 > 0:31:15North Sea. With that northerly wind it will push the cloud inland across
0:31:15 > 0:31:19England and Wales. Probably drive pretty much everywhere. It will
0:31:19 > 0:31:26limit the amount of frost. Northern Ireland and Scotland have clear
0:31:26 > 0:31:29skies and light winds. Here we are closer to the centre of this area of
0:31:29 > 0:31:35high pressure. It is this which gets rid of that snow falling. We have a
0:31:35 > 0:31:39cold wind phrased in parts of England. We still have a fair bit of
0:31:39 > 0:31:45cloud through the day. Maybe some drizzly showers. Otherwise it will
0:31:45 > 0:31:51be fine. Sunshine at times east of the meridian, western fringes of
0:31:51 > 0:31:54England and Wales. The best of the sunshine for Northern Ireland.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00Temperatures will be higher than today. Seven to 9 degrees. If we
0:32:00 > 0:32:04look ahead to Wednesday, this is where we start to see the Atlantic
0:32:04 > 0:32:08air coming in. We are picking up this south-westerly wind. That means
0:32:08 > 0:32:15they could cloud in the South West. -- north-west. Outbreaks of rain in
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Western Scotland. Dry and bright in England and Wales. Temperatures up
0:32:19 > 0:32:22to 10 degrees in Northern Ireland and Scotland. More active weather
0:32:22 > 0:32:27fronts later in the week. The first on Wednesday not amounting to much.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30High pressure gets squeezed to the south, allowing us to get into this
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Atlantic air later in the week. If the band of cloud and outbreaks of
0:32:35 > 0:32:38rain coming into Northern Ireland and Western Scotland. A large part
0:32:38 > 0:32:45of the UK, Thursday will be a dry day. Sunshine at times. Those
0:32:45 > 0:32:47temperatures up to 1112 Celsius. Normal for the of
0:32:47 > 0:32:48temperatures up to 1112 Celsius. Normal for the of the year.
0:32:48 > 0:32:48Positively balmy.
0:32:48 > 0:32:54A reminder of our main story this lunchtime...
0:32:54 > 0:32:58A decisive step forwards says Britain and Brussels as they agree
0:32:58 > 0:33:01much of the draft treaty which will seal the UK's departure from the EU.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04That's all from the BBC News at One, so it's goodbye from me.