04/03/2016 BBC News at Six

The surgeons who think they could be close to finding

This man was paralysed from the chest down.

A cell transplant repaired his spinal chord,

a technique surgeons want to try on others.

This will be history, this will change history.

If we succeed, we will find a cure for paralysis.

We'll be looking at the long term implications this research

could have for three million people who are paralysed.

Facebook is set to pay millions more in tax in the UK from next year

a bomb disposal robot is sent in after a device explodes

Treacherous roads and travel chaos, as snow brings a wintery start

to spring across parts of Northern England.

And the world's most expensive station opens in New York

Britain's Davis Cup defence is underway.

Andy Murray wins the first rubber against Japan,

beating Taro Daniel in straight sets in Birmingham.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

It sounds like an extraordinary claim, but surgeons in Poland say

they think they are on the brink of finding a cure for paralysis.

Two years ago the team announced that this man,

a former fireman who was completely paralysed from the chest down,

could walk again after a cell transplant

which had repaired his spinal cord.

Now they're launching a worldwide search

for two people whose spinal cords have been completely severed.

They say if they can reverse paralysis in such extreme cases,

they're confident the pioneering technique could help many others

Fergus Walsh has this exclusive story.

He is the paralysed man who walked again.

This is Darek Fidyka in 2014, after his regenerative cell

transplant, documented by the BBC's Panorama.

Now, a bigger test, to ride this tricycle.

Remember, this is a man who had been completely

paralysed below his chest after being stabbed.

Now, he is relearning how to control his legs,

sending commands from his brain down to his muscles,

and receiving sensations back, all flowing through his

The effort is as much mental as physical.

TRANSLATION: If I really think, I can feel each muscle,

The brain is very important and I appreciate it

lays a crucial role in cycling, or any other exercise I do.

The big question now is whether Darek's extraordinary

achievements can be repeated in other patients.

Only a clinical trial can show whether or not the cell transplant

does indeed represent a revolution in the treatment of paralysis,

which would make it one of the greatest

That's why his surgeon is launching a worldwide search,

via a website, for two patients with highly unusual injuries.

Their spinal-cord must be completely severed,

Help them, and it will silence any doubters.

We can prove once and forever that we can repair

There would be no speculation if we succeed to reconstruct.

This would be history, this will change history.

If we succeed, we'll find a cure for paralysis.

The patients will have one of their olfactory bulbs,

at the base of the brain, shown in green, removed.

It processes the sense of smell, and is

the only part of the nervous system which constantly regenerates.

In a second operation, cells from the

bulb will be transplanted into the spinal cord to provide

a pathway for nerve fibres to grow back.

The patients selected for the trial will

undergo intensive physiotherapy, both before and especially

In all, they will have to commit to spending three years

living at this rehabilitation centre in Poland.

The research will be independently assessed by this team

They will use equipment like this magnetic stimulator

to monitor the patients' neurological pathways

As a proof of principle, I'm very excited, because

this is a novel treatment that holds a great deal of promise.

This would open up hope that an alternative

But it is going to take some years to refine it.

The treatment will cost ?250,000 per patient,

and is being funded by a small British charity set up by a chef,

David Nichols, whose son was paralysed in a swimming accident.

If the trial is successful, it might mean patients

For Darek, the return of muscle control and sensation has brought

other improvements, like bladder control and sexual function,

which he says are just as crucial to his growing sense of independence.

This technique could be life changing for many people.

How long before surgeons know if it works?

It is going to take around a year, I think, to search for and select

these very unusual patients who have had a complete severing of their

spinal-cord, and then another couple of years after that. But then we

will no for sure whether or not spinal-cord injury, paralysis, can

be reversed. That is an extraordinary statement, something

scientists thought for decades was impossible. How many people might it

help if it succeeds? I think the numbers will be limited. It is

expensive, the patients undergo two operations and they have to be very

dedicated. Darek Fidyka is now nearly four years post transplant.

He still undergoes five hours of intensive physiotherapy every day.

He has not made a full recovery, but even a partial recovery, those

pictures will give hope to millions. That's why this research is so

important and promising. Facebook is set to pay millions

of pounds more in tax in the UK The company, which makes ?1 billion

profit globally every three months, faced heavy criticism

after it was revealed it only paid just over ?4000 in UK

corporation tax in 2014. The move is likely to put more

pressure on the way other multinationals, like Google,

Amazon and Starbucks, They like to portray themselves as

the cuddly social media site, but of course, Facebook is a very serious

and very profitable business. It makes money out of the millions who

use it every day, because we are valuable customers of the major

businesses that spend millions of pounds advertising on Facebook,

household names we all know. Facebook have chosen of their own

volition to change their tax arrangements, which shows it is

possible for any company. To have companies appear in front of our

committee bleating that it is not their fault but it is just

international tax law, that is not the case. They can choose how to set

up tax arrangements. Facebook is one of only a number of controversial,

often American, multinationals. Google and Apple have also faced

criticism for their tax affairs. So what has Facebook changed? At

present, it routes most of its UK sales through Ireland, where

business taxes are lower. Corporation tax there is 12.5%,

compared with 20% here. For a global company, that makes a significant

difference. The company pays a very low amount of tax in the UK, just

?4327 in 2014. That is less than many people pay in income tax. For a

company that globally makes over ?1 billion of profit every three

months, that has caused controversy. From April, Facebook will abandon

that structure and start accounting for sales activity in the UK. That

is set to increase its tax bill by several million pounds. With the

first payment made to the Treasury in 2017. That could cheer up this

man, George Osborne, who has said he wants global multinationals to pay

more tax. While we offer some of the lowest business taxes in the world,

we expect those taxes to be paid, not avoided. Political pressure was

growing on Facebook and the tax rules are changing. There is also

the small matter of its often young audience. They may have received

some criticism, they may have just internally reviewed it and said,

given our position with millennial 's and Centennial 's, and younger

people generally, given our purpose as a company, this is something we

should do. I think they should be congratulated for having made that

correction. Facebook is not out of the woods and the tax authority,

HMRC, is investigating its tax affairs. Put November 2017 in your

diary, when Facebook will announce its first payment under the new

structure. Will it be large enough to finally put this tax controversy

to bed? A prison officer has been seriously

hurt after a bomb exploded He's being treated in hospital,

but his injuries are not said Police say they're worried

the attack was part of an upsurge in violence, in the run up

to the hundredth anniversary of the Republican rebellion

against British rule. Along with condemnation from

politicians there is a genuine concern that there could be further

attacks like this. That is because there is a fear among the police

that dissident republicans will try to overshadow commemorations for the

100th anniversary of the Easter rising in the most sinister way

possible, by trying to kill a soldier, police officer or prison

officer. This report contains flashing images.

If 1916 was a year of rebellion, dissident republicans want to make

This morning they planted a bomb that exploded under this van,

seriously injuring the prison officer who was driving it.

The police say it was an attempt to murder and they are fearful

that this is just the start of a campaign to kill,

to coincide with the centenary of Ireland's Easter Rising.

When I say I'm deeply concerned, I mean I'm deeply concerned.

I believe that there are people within dissident republican

groupings who want to mark the centenary by killing police

officers, prison officers or soldiers.

The Easter Rising was an attempt in Ireland to break away

from British rule and is being marked by official events

And Irish republicans are amongst those concerned that dissidents

will try to steal attention away from the commemorations

There can be no justification for anybody going out with a gun

or a bomb against the backdrop of the massive transformation that

has taken place in our society over the last 20 years.

It is just over three years since another prison officer,

David Black, was shot dead as he drove to work,

by a group calling itself the New IRA.

And there is an ongoing dispute between the prison authorities

and dissident republican prisoners at Maghaberry,

Northern Ireland's high security prison.

We've lost 30 officers in the past through these attacks.

It did not change anything within the prisons and this is not

going to change anything, attacking prison officers.

The police say they have already started to increase security ahead

of Easter, a necessary precaution against this rising threat.

Police in Los Angeles are testing a knife recovered on a property once

owned by the former American football star, OJ Simpson.

Reports in the US media say the knife may be the weapon that

Simpson was alleged to have used to kill his former wife

In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murders.

Two men have been jailed in Turkey in connection with the death

of a three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned while trying to reach

A photograph of his body on a Turkish beach last September

came to symbolise the plight of refugees making

But despite the huge risks, people are not being deterred.

The latest figures show a record number of migrants and refugees

entered Europe last year, almost all of them by sea.

More than 1.25 million arrived, twice as many as the year before.

There were 363,000 Syrians, the largest group,

Mark Lowen's report contains flash photography.

Convicted for the trading people's lives.

Two Syrians, jail today for over four years,

for smuggling Aylan Kurdi and his family.

But they were cleared of deliberately causing their deaths.

It was the most potent image of the refugee crisis.

Little Aylan washing-up near Bodrum last autumn sparking sympathy

It also put pressure on Turkey to tackle the smugglers.

The migration crisis again topped the agenda

Chancellor Merkel visiting President Hollande in Paris.

TRANSLATION: We, Germany and France, entirely agreed that we must

protect our external borders to defend freedom of movement

within Europe but also for security reasons,

we have to know who arrives in Europe.

And they are still arriving, at a huge rate.

More gathered in Izmir, putting their faith in life jackets,

The crowds are refugees and migrants who used to be camped out in places

like this in central Izmir have mostly been chased away by police.

But it doesn't mean the numbers have dwindled.

You still see them here, for example, at food hand-outs.

Turkey has been told by the EU to reduce those

arriving on the Greek island every day from 2,000 to 1,000.

When, for those fleeing war, the hope of Europe

One way, says the head of the European Council,

visiting Istanbul today, is for Turkey to take

There is hope it can be agreed upon at a summit next week.

But along the journey to Europe the bottlenecks are growing.

Macedonia has shut its border with Greece and 11,000 people

As Europe scrambles for unity, individual states close their doors,

but that still won't kill the dreams of the desperate.

Surgeons say they could be close to finding a cure for paralysis.

And I will be live at Southampton Airport where exactly 80 years ago

the very first Spitfire took to the air.

Coming up in Sportsday on BBC News, Mauricio Pochettino

and Arsene Wenger look ahead to what has

been billed as the biggest north London derby ever as second placed

Tottenham take on third placed Arsenal in the Premier League.

This is the most expensive station in the world.

It cost $4 billion and it's years behind schedule.

But it's finally opened to the public in New York.

It's been built close to where the Twin Towers stood.

More than 200,000 commuters are expected to use it

The architect who designed the huge steel and glass hall has called it

A bird in flight, a Phoenix rising from the ashes,

New York's latest landmark is a station that doubles

as a symbol, of renewal, of hope, of life.

Almost 15 years on from the attacks of 9/11, this new transportation hub

at Ground Zero has finally opened its doors.

For survivors it's a highly charged moment.

Charles DeAndrea lost 176 colleagues that day and has watched this

Really kind of proud of New York City, being able

It's just absolutely remarkable, the way we have come back from this.

And then, to see this today, it's quite amazing.

It's staggeringly beautiful, but staggeringly costly.

The project has been plagued by cost blowouts and delays.

Originally, the plan was to have a transportation hub

And the price tag of $4 billion is double the estimate.

It's made this the most expensive station in the world.

The design, its inspiration was a bird in flight.

So the tourist trail has a new addition, but the symbolism

It's been likened to a turkey carcass the day after

Like a bird, right? Seagull?

I don't know, I don't really see a bird.

It just looks like a series of Nike ticks being repeated.

I know it's supposed to look like, represent a bird, but,

But to others it's become instantly iconic, and perfectly complements

I think it's a fantastic way for the city and visitors to always

look up and be inspired instead of feeling drugged down

In lower Manhattan, the skyline has been repaired,

the subway system has a cathedral-like new home.

But it's still hard to see a plane in the skies without remembering

the monuments that stood here before.

A pregnant woman is fighting for her life after being stabbed

The 40-year-old was taken away from the scene by air

Two members of the public - both men - suffered minor injuries

after intervening and are also being treated.

Katheryn Stanczyszyn is there for us now.

A police cordon is still in place behind me on Trinity Hill in the

centre of Sutton Coldfield tonight. It's about 100 yards or so from main

shops and restaurants in the town centre. Scene of crime officers are

still working behind me. Police were alerted to this incident at around

3:15pm this afternoon. They found a heavily pregnant woman had been

stabbed and a short time afterwards she was airlifted to hospital. They

say a 41-year-old man was arrested immediately at the scene. In it

press conference tonight West Midlands Police have given a few

more details, saying the woman was 40 years old, and the pair were

known to each other. We also know that two members of the public

stepped in to try to help, two men, who were both hurt, but received

minor injuries only. Police say it was a busy area at this time of day

and they are appealing for witnesses.

A brief look at some of the day's other other news stories...

David Cameron has told the Scottish Conservative conference

that only the Tories can challenge the SNP in May's Holyrood elections.

He said the collapse of Labour's support in Scotland meant

the country was "in danger of becoming a one-party state".

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, has criticised

the government for deciding to hold the EU referendum so close

to the Welsh Assembly elections in May.

She was speaking at the party's annual spring conference -

and said she supported Britain's membership of the EU.

Heavy snow has caused chaos across parts of northern England.

Yorkshire and Lancashire have been worst affected -

with more than a hundred schools closed.

Leeds-Bradford Airport was forced to suspend all flights earlier this

Many roads were closed - or described as hazardous -

and forecasters are warning of more cold weather to come.

Which ever way you came at the hills this morning,

Some trans-Pennine routes were blocked.

Cars needed a scrape, so did roads and pavements.

We are going to spar but we have got stuck on the roads. We don't know

which direction to take. It has been horrible,

you can see the cars trying to get up there and there is a bit

of a spot for people trying to get This is a result of one early

morning mishap out in the snow. The driver of this car had to be

rescued after flipping over. Even though the gritters have been

out and cleared most of the main roads, this shows you how dangerous

some of those side roads can be. The driver was lucky

to escape without injury. Leeds-Bradford Airport was closed

earlier, and there are delays this Passengers say planes have been held

up for hours because of a shortage But at Salford Quays,

the weather wasn't allowed to interrupt the sport Relief five

a side marathon football match. The Pennine landscape

was given an Alpine coating. Up to ten centimetres

of snow in places. It meant many schools

across Lancashire and Yorkshire were closed, but high up

at Scapegoat Hill primary on the edge of Huddersfield,

there were no excuses today. We will make sure we stay

open as long as we can. A lot of them have walked to school

this morning instead of coming It's a real privilege for them

to get out and have some fun in it. All of us have got to school,

either in a car or walking, but it's Were you disappointed to find

out school was open? It was like, no, it's the end

of the world! I didn't really want to come

to school today. I stayed in bed, but then I had

to get up. Yeah!

Who threw that?! And as well as a snowball

to the face, there is always the risk of slipping over,

even for BBC cameramen. Dan Johnson, BBC News,

near Huddersfield. The Spitfire - it's the most iconic

British aircraft ever made. And this is the very first

one, produced in 1936. 80 years ago tomorrow,

this protoype took to the skies 80 years ago tomorrow,

this prototype took to the skies Just a few years later,

thousands had been made. And the Spitfire went on to help win

the Battle of Britain Duncan Kennedy is at Eastleigh

Airport where it all began. There really is no aircraft like it,

the look of it, the sound of it, and the part it played in the Battle of

Britain. It really is the Spitfire. 80 years ago, the very first

prototype took off from this exact same airfield. Today, the

celebrations began for this iconic aircraft.

Eight decades have passed since all three

first came together to create aviation history.

NEWSREEL: The most amazing machine is the Spitfire,

a land version of the famous seaplanes that won the Schneider

And this was the first Spitfire, here at Eastleigh Aerodrome 80 years

Judy Munger saw the first Spitfire flight.

He was part of the design team, with a brief to create a world

Started it up and the chocks were pulled away.

It flew off into the distance over the railway sheds.

Today, 80 years on above those former sheds, there was a special

fly-past across the same southern skies.

Airborne history to respect and admire.

Exactly 80 years on, the Spitfire has lost none

Our helicopter is travelling more than 100 miles an hour and can

barely keep up with the Spitfire, that can go 300 miles an hour.

In the Battle of Britain, it was that speed and

manoeuvrability in the hands of courageous pilots that

Frank Newman flew 1000 sorties in a Spitfire.

He was once summoned before his commanding officer.

He said to me, Newman, I would like your opinion

of the Spitfire's performance and the Rolls-Royce engine.

I said, I'd like to tell you now, Sir, that my life has depended

20,000 Spitfires were built, and are still celebrated as a plane

ahead of its time that came in our hour of need.

Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Southampton.

Time for a look at the weekend weather -

Is there more snow to come? Maybe some flurries, but the worst is

over, we've had the heaviest snow across the north of Britain. The

biggest problem now, it will melt, and the skies were clear but we will

have some iciness. It was take cold over the weekend with one or two

wintry showers around. We had a band of wintry weather across the north

of England, with showers moving south as well. Tonight, where we

have had snow, the skies were clear and temperatures will dip away so

the slush we have on country routes will start to refreeze. Take it

steady in the morning travelling. Other areas of the country will have

icy patches as well. Wintry weather will slip further south in the

direction of East Anglia and the south-east for tomorrow morning. No

real snow, just a bit of rain and sleet. Cold air coming from the

Arctic, it's here to stay through the weekend and into Monday. Big

contrasts in the weather again tomorrow. East Anglia and the

south-east, all the way from Lincolnshire, cold, gloomy, a breeze

from the North, rain on and off and sleeved as well. -- and sleet. Could

be some showers over Scotland and northern Inwood, but that's pretty

much it. Tomorrow will remain cold and grey with on and off rain and

possibly sleet across East Anglia and the south-east. Sunday will be

better, the chances of sunshine will be greater, not a bad day for most

of us. At least the rain and snow will be out the way, even though it

stays cold, 4 degrees in Newcastle. Briefly touching nine in London, but

that is optimistic. The cold weather is here to stay on Monday. Warmer

weather in the Atlantic but it will not reach us until Tuesday or

Wednesday. That's all from the BBC News at Six,

so it's goodbye from me, and on BBC One, we now join

the BBC's news teams where you are.