14/03/2018 BBC News at Six

An extraordinary scientist

who inspired millions -

tributes pour in from all over

the world for Professor Stephen

Hawking who has died

at the age of 76.

I'm very proud that I have

been able to contribute

to our understanding

of the universe.

Diagnosed with motor neurone

disease in his 20s -

he defied the odds and pushed

the boundaries with his theories

that scientists say unlocked

a universe of possibilities.

He had a real impact on my life

and I think it is the passing

of a great scientist.

He will be truly sorely missed.

We'll be looking back at the life

of one of the world's most eminent

and famous scientists.

Also on the programme tonight.

The Salisbury nerve agent attack -

Britain expels 23 Russian diplomats

and cuts off all high-level contact

after Moscow refuses

to give answers.

They have treated the use

of a military grade nerve agent

in Europe with sarcasm,

contempt and defiance.

And learning the language -

almost 800,000 people live

here but don't speak English,

will the government's

integration plan work?

And coming up in

Sportsday on BBC News.

Chelsea face a test

of their credentials

if they are to make it three English

Champions League quarterfinalists.

Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six.

One of the greatest

scientists of modern times,

Professor Stephen Hawking,

has died at the age of 76.

He was diagnosed with a rare form

of motor neurone disease

when he was 22 and told he had only

a few years to live.

But he defied all expectations

and went on to become one

of the most famous physicists

in the world thanks to his studies

on black holes and relativity.

Nasa said his theories have unlocked

a universe of possibilities

that they and the world

are still exploring.

The tributes that have poured

in from far and wide speak volumes

about his influence and his reach,

as well as his ability to bridge

the gap between academia

and popular culture.

Our science editor David Shukman

looks back at his life.

There is nothing like the Eureka

moment of discovering something no

one knew before.

Stephen Hawking had

a gift for inspiration, a powerful

spirit overcoming an ailing body to

allow a mind to roam the cosmos.

Earning him a place as the most

famous scientist in the world.

It

has been a glorious time to be alive

and researching and doing

theoretical physics.

Who else could

draw crowds like this? The man who

gazed at the stars became one

himself. His story poignant and

uplifting, his career involved

concept is so

concept is so alien and complicated

for most it was a struggle to keep

up but he explored the strangest of

features of the universe, black

holes, drawing together the science

of the largest things in space with

the science of the small, part of a

quest to come up with a theory for

the universe.

He made these

incredibly original insights that

set up the modern theory of black

holes. And made great contributions

to cosmology, and so he was a huge

figure.

I was devastated, really

upset. I met him a couple of times

but he had an impact on my life. It

is the passing of a great scientist

who will be truly missed.

As a

student his intelligence stood out

that at that moment he was given a

warning that motor neurone disease

would cut his life short.

When I was

diagnosed, I was told it would kill

me in two, three years.

Somehow he

kept going. In a high-tech

wheelchair and a synthesised voice.

Communicating first by touch, then

by twitching a single muscle in his

cheek, a daunting burden for anyone.

His children saw him as an example.

People who live in extreme

circumstances seem to find something

inspirational in his example of

perseverance and his ability to rise

above the suffering and still want

to communicate at a higher level.

Life was not straightforward, his

first marriage ending in divorce, as

did a second to one of his nurses.

Claims that he had been physically

abused, the case dropped because of

lack of evidence. His book sold at

least 10 million copies and everyone

wanted to meet him from the Pope in

the Vatican, to the Queen. To

President Obama, who awarded him a

medal of honour. His fame reached

beyond the world of science.

Your

theory of a doughnut shaped universe

is intriguing. Even appearing in The

Simpsons.

I did not say that. In an

episode of Star Trek he had the

chance to tease Isaac Newton.

Not

the apple story again!

Astounding to

think the Lord created this in seven

days.

Incorrect.

It took 13.8

million years. More recently he was

happy to play along for Comic

Relief. He saw himself as an

ambassador for science and in this

interview told me of his hopes for

the Large Hadron Collider.

He had a

sense of adventure. I am very

excited. I have been

wheelchair-bound almost four decades

and the chance to float free in zero

G will be wonderful.

Even braving a

zero gravity flight. No surprise his

death prompted tributes. Tim

Berners-Lee two ET...

Berners-Lee two ET... Nasa said...

If you reverse time and the universe

is getting smaller.

Eddie Redmayne

played him in the film The Theory of

Everything and today said, we have

lost a truly beautiful mind. A

scientist who delved into the realm

of black holes offered an incredibly

engaging story that achieved

something remarkable, it touched a

global audience.

Professor Stephen Hawking,

who's died at the age of 76.

David joins me now.

He was an extraordinary man on so

many levels. He had an incredible

ability to bridge the gap between

academia and popular culture.

There

are scientists brilliant at

explaining what they do but he took

it to a superior level. He said

about his own famous book that a lot

of people did not finish it, might

not have understood it that might

have come away with a central point

which was the universe is governed

by rational laws, and that is what

mattered to him. On the sidelines

occasionally there was grumbling

from other scientists about the cult

of celebrity, but because he had it,

he acted as a bridge between science

and the wider world, which meant he

could connect with millions, who

otherwise would not have given a

second thought to science and that

makes him unique.

Britain is expelling 23 Russian

diplomats after Moscow refused

to explain how a military grade

nerve agent was used

on a former spy in Salisbury.

It's the biggest such expulsion

for more than 30 years.

The Prime Minister told Parliament

that the "undeclared intelligence

officers" have just one

week to leave.

The UK has also cut off

all high-level contacts with Russia

and announced that government

ministers and the Royal family

will not attend the World Cup.

Here's our political

editor, Laura Kuenssberg.

It was right to offer Russia the

opportunity to provide an

explanation but their response

demonstrated complete disdain for

the gravity of these events.

The

midnight deadline came and went

leaving a morning with no new

answers. Theresa May went prepared

to Prime Minister's Questions, ready

to announce the biggest diplomatic

action against Russia since the Cold

War.

They have treated the use of a

military grade nerve agent in Europe

with sarcasm, contempt and defiance.

There is no alternative conclusion

other than the Russia State was

culpable for the attempted murder of

Sergei Skripal and his daughter and

this represents an unlawful use of

force by the Russian state against

the UK.

The UK will retaliate.

United Kingdom will expel 23 Russian

diplomats, who have been identified

as undeclared intelligence officers.

They have one week to leave. This

was not just an act of attempted

murder, nor just an act against the

UK, it is an affront to the

prohibition on the use of chemical

weapons and an affront to the

rules-based system on which we and

our international partners depend.

23 diplomats suspected of being

spies have seven days to leave, all

high-level contact between the UK

and Russia is suspended and no

minister or member of the Royal

family will go to the World Cup.

Some Russian state assets could be

frozen, with possible laws to crack

down on hostile states. In a tense

Commons, Jeremy Corbyn was not quite

ready to accept the culpability of

the Russian state.

Our response must

be decisive and proportionate and

based on clear evidence.

But listen

to rising anger as Jeremy Corbyn

turned some of his fire on the

Tories.

It is as we have expressed

before a matter of huge regret our

country's diplomatic capacity has

been stripped back with cuts of 25%

in the past five years.

It is

tradition for the two main parties

to stick together on foreign policy.

Not these two. This is not a

question of our diplomacy, of what

diplomatic support we have around

the world, this is a question of the

culpability of the Russian state.

Fever rose.

There is continued

disregard for the rule of law and

human rights must be met with

condemnation.

condemnation.

Look, Tories cheering

Labour backbenchers. Jeremy Corbyn's

team, arms folded.

The Russian

government has behaved with

arrogance, within humanity and with

contempt.

contempt.

But does this bother the

Russian strongman? Vladimir Putin

approaching a election, campaigning

in Crimea, unapologetic. A

spokeswoman claiming on TV...

Britain does not understand

diplomacy or the law and is full of

liars, fully fledged liars.

This is not just a straightforward

foreign policy clash but a fight

with a country that ignores the

norm. Number 10 knows this may only

be the start. There are no easy

options for the government, nothing

politically tempting to do next.

There was rank are on display in the

Commons, anger and concern. The

government has taken what they

believe his decisive action into

events that happened a few days ago,

but they are aware they could be

retaliation from the Russian side

and know only too well to take

bigger action, while Britain would

need the support and backing of

other international friends around

the world to do so. A meeting is

scheduled at the UN tonight that

might give a first taste of whether

or not there could be support for

more significant action for Britain

and partners around the world to

take against Russia, but this is a

real moment of decision for Theresa

May, her first significant foreign

policy test as Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has announced

a series of sanctions against Russia

and Russian state assets.

Our diplomatic correspondent,

James Robbins, has been assessing

the scale of today's announcement.

Here at the Russian Embassy in

London, to get an idea of the scale

of the expulsion you have to crunch

numbers. 23 diplomats are being

kicked out, which might not see many

but there are only 58 accredited

diplomats from Russia in the UK, so

that is 40% sent home. Compared with

what would seem a bigger expulsion

at the height of the Cold War and

you can see proportionally this one

is bigger. In 1971, around 100

diplomats were kicked out, a huge

number, but compared

number, but compared to the 550

Soviet diplomats in London it was

small in proportion to today's

action. Interesting that Theresa May

made clear in her view the 23 being

sent home all of them spies. In the

City of London it is harder to see

the impact of Theresa May's

announcements. The Prime Minister

announced a freeze on Russian state

assets where it is believed they

threaten British life or property.

The anti-corruption organisation

transparency international estimates

a fifth of all properties bought in

Britain with criminal money are

owned by Russians, so expect to see

more use of existing legal measures

to bring back down. It really is the

expulsions on an unprecedented scale

from the Russian Embassy that is the

big story today. The Prime Minister

was clear, saying, we will degrade

Russian intelligence capability in

the UK for years to come. Whatever

the effect of today's action, the

Prime Minister was bowled in claims

and said if the Russians seek to

rebuild their intelligence

capability, we will prevent them

from doing so.

Britons travelling to Russia

are being warned that they could

now face 'anti British

sentiment or harassment'.

The Foreign Office says Britons

should remain vigilant and avoid

commenting publicly

on political developments.

Our Moscow correspondent,

Steve Rosenberg, joins us now.

What has been the reaction to this

in Russia?

Anger and Moscow has been

dismissive of what Theresa May said

in the House of Commons. I have just

come from an interview with the

official spokesperson of the Russian

Foreign Ministry and she told me

this about Theresa May: she said it

was a political show, bad theatre,

nonsense, she said it was a shocking

piece of international provocation,

and of Theresa May, the spokesperson

of the foreign Ministry said that

the British Prime Minister was

destroying international law. She

even went as far as to say this was

the end of Theresa May's career,

because she was involved in a dirty

story. Moscow will definitely

respond shortly, she said, probably

not today. And as you mentioned, the

Foreign Office has updated its

travel advice, its advice to people

travelling to Russia, saying that

because of heightened political

tensions people should be very

careful and be aware of the

possibility of anti-British

sentiment and harassment.

Steve Rosenberg in Moscow, thank

you. The time is just after 6:15pm.

Our top story this evening.

Tributes pour in from all over

the world for Professor Stephen

Hawking, who has died

at the age of 76.

Scientists say his theories will

inspire countless generations to

come.

Stephen Hawking was really unique

in the sense that he wanted to do

things differently and he wanted

to contribute things in a different

sense and I was really

inspired by that.

We've been talking to some

of the young people

at the science fair in Birmingham

about the great man

and his influence.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News:

Altior underlines his billing

as the best horse in National Hunt

racing with a commanding

Champion Chase win but there

was a potentially serious injury

for jockey Ruby Walsh.

Almost 800,000 people

who live here in the UK

speak little or no English.

Now the government is planning

to spend £50 million

to try to change that

and to encourage social integration.

Five councils in England have been

selected for special help -

Bradford, Blackburn,

Peterborough, Walsall

and Waltham Forest in London.

Judith Mortiz sent this

report from Bradford.

What about this one?

What sound does that give?

Oh.

One sound at a time these women

are learning English.

Whilst their children

are at school they're

studying too, wanting

to improve their language

for lots of reasons.

It would be easier for me

and my husband to establish our own

business.

I've got four children.

Need to help the children.

You want to help your children?

Yeah.

To do homework.

To do their homework.

I'm really clever and I'm good

at my work and I can do anything.

I'm creative.

But I can't be my 100% if I don't

have my skill of English.

Empowering marginalised women and

boosting language skills are amongst

new government plans

to tackle segregation.

Bradford is one of five areas

which have been selected.

We've got florists, we've got

artists, we've got tailors, we've

got women with a plethora of

experiences that they come with but

unfortunately they can't engage

in the local society because of the

lack of the language.

Now, if the language

is there, just open one

barrier, we'll open a whole field

full of opportunities for these

women.

Bradford was at its lowest ebb

in 2001 when race riots erupted

and segregated communities were

shown to be leading parallel lives.

17 years on, tackling segregation

here is still a work in progress.

But what Bradford has

achieved has now earned

it extra funding and

a

chance to show other

areas how to improve.

Two years ago, a report warned that

segregation and social

exclusion were at worrying

levels in Britain.

Its author has long been calling

on the government to take action.

Some of these communities that

we're worried about,

these very isolated

communities, have abject

poverty and that will take

money.

I'm not sure that 50 million over

two years will be enough.

The government says its plans are

designed to get more people to mix

together, live together

and play together.

Judith Moritz, BBC News, Bradford.

Toys R Us is closing

all 100 of its UK stores

in the next six weeks -

after administrators

failed to find a buyer.

3000 jobs will be lost as a result.

Some 25 stores have either already

closed in recent days or are due

to be closed tomorrow.

Students walked out of classrooms

across the United States this

afternoon to remember the victims

of the Florida school shooting

and to demand tighter

gun safety laws.

Pupils left their classes for 17

minutes - one minute for each

person who was killed

at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas

High School in Parkland

exactly a month ago.

West Mercia Police say they're

currently dealing with 46 young

people in Telford in Shropshire

who are victims of child

sexual exploitation,

or are at risk of being abused.

It comes after an investigation

by the Sunday Mirror suggested that

up to 1000 girls could have been

sexually assaulted in the town

over the last 40 years.

Sima Kotecha reports.

Night-time in Telford.

Recent reports say up to 1000 girls

could have been sexually

abused in the town over

the last four decades.

The police here say

at the moment they're dealing

with less than 50 cases.

We know that we currently

are working jointly with the local

authority with 46 young people

between the age of 13 and 19.

And they are people we have

identified as being at risk,

not necessarily being offended

against, but we're working

with them to prevent them

from becoming victims.

In 2013 seven men including these

two brothers, Adil and Mubarak Ali,

were jailed after police launched

an investigation into child

prostitution in the town.

Some believe white, vulnerable girls

are still being targeted

by mainly Asian gangs.

However this local social worker,

who doesn't want to be identified,

says not every victim is the same.

We have females, we have

males that we support.

We have young people

from all different backgrounds.

It is not around targeting just

young girls through working-class.

Politicians across the region are

calling for an independent inquiry.

Police here say they welcome

any scrutiny into what

they're doing and why.

However, there are some

deep concerns that

they're not doing enough.

I think we've all been shocked

by the horrific case that

we have seen in Telford...

Today, the Prime Minister

said the most vulnerable

in Telford have been preyed

on by ruthless criminals.

The authorities here don't deny

there's a problem with child

sexual exploitation.

They say it's happening

all over the country.

However, the scale of the problem

is what is being contested.

Seema Kotecha, BBC News, Telford.

The comedian Jim Bowen -

best know as the presenter

of the darts-based game show

Bullseye - has died

at the age of 80.

One. Can't do it. I'm sorry, boys.

Look at what you could have won.

Jim Bowen was inspired

to try stand-up comedy

after seeing Ken Dodd perform.

Bullseye ran for 14

years on ITV until 1995.

"Look up at the stars

and not down at your feet.

Try to make sense of what you see

and wonder about what makes

the universe exist.

Be curious."

Those were the words of Professor

Stephen Hawking - who died today.

It was advice that he gave

to his three children.

Our correspondent Jon Kay has been

to the science fair in Birmingham

today to talk to school children

about Professor Hawking

and his influence.

Stephen Hawking would

have loved this.

20,000 young British scientists

experimenting together.

Do it again!

Do it again!

He told young people

to be curious and

today, as they studied trajectories

and force, many were thinking

of their scientific superhero.

How would you describe him?

Genius, pioneer,

brilliant, inspirational,

motivationally engaging, phenomenal.

I read A Brief History Of Time.

I thought it was very interesting.

Did you read all of it?

I did actually read all of it.

And it got me into black holes

and I went on to a series of

lectures about them so, yeah,

it fuelled a lot for me.

On display at the Big Bang

Fair, inventions from

the scientists of tomorrow.

These A level physicists

from North Wales

regard Professor Hawking

as a modern-day genius.

He's the intellectual follower

of Einstein and Newton.

These amazing, amazing figures

that we read about in

physics books, he was

getting to that level.

He was incredible.

His legacy will live on.

Forever.

Inside an inflatable

black hole, teenagers

studied Hawking's space and time

theories while taking selfies.

It's a lot in one

lifetime for anyone.

I think he's encouraged

science as a field as well.

I think more people

are more invested in

science nowadays because of him.

It would navigate you to the nearest

exit.

At 15 he has invented an app

which could help people

escape a tower block fire

using virtual reality.

He admires Hawking's

personal courage.

He was only one man who did such

great things and I was really

inspired by that, because usually

you see people follow the same paths

and try and do the same things.

But Stephen Hawking

was really unique in

the sense that he wanted to do

things differently and he wanted to

contribute things

in a different sense.

I was really inspired by that.

Perhaps the next Stephen Hawking

was in this room today.

Jon Kay, BBC News, Birmingham.

Time for a look at the weather.

Of course, the weather is all

physics, just to remind you, we have

one type of dynamic engine, the one

pumping in from the Atlantic, so it

has been mild since the weekend in

the UK, but we are going to see the

Danan exchange into the weekend with

the easterly wind returning, do you

remember that one? Bitterly cold

weather and the prospect of some

snow. But right now the influence is

coming in off the Atlantic, this

huge area of low pressure dominating

much of Western Europe, bringing in

rain with it, strong winds, gales

blowing in the western extremities

at the moment continuing to pick up

further east. The good news is about

strong winds overnight is

temperatures should remain above

freezing and arrest the following

temperature along with the cloud and

rain creeping eastwards. It tends to

pivot and stick around over Northern

Ireland, so here is the main concern

for some flooding. A different

complexion for the weather tomorrow

with the weather system across many

areas, three or four hours for most

of us as it moves northwards, the

strong winds easing in the

south-west, as the sun returns some

sharp showers in the afternoon and

by that stage the rain will clear

from Northern Ireland and it is

still relatively mild, only single

figure temperatures in Scotland.

Roll the clock forward 24 hours and

into tomorrow evening and overnight

we started pick up more snow in the

showers as we establish more of a

south-easterly wind as opposed to

the southerly right now, so the

increasing risk we will see some

snow over the hills of Scotland

during Friday initially but possibly

at lower levels late in the day, the

start of the blast from the east.

Again, further south there will be

showers but we are still relatively

mild. Through Friday night and into

Saturday

Saturday we will to see the weather

front sinking southwards again,

bringing a risk of some snow into

the eastern side of the country. And

then, perhaps, later in the weekend

a significant risk of snow in the

south with this blast from the east

again it is open to question. We

will keep you

That's it from us.

In a moment the news where you are,

but first we'll leave

you with the words and images

of Professor Stephen Hawking -

one of the greatest scientists

of modern times.

theoretical physics is one of the

few fields in which being disabled

is no handicap. It's all in your

mind.

I hope my example will give

encouragement and hope to others in

similar situations.

I hope my example will show

disability can be no barrier. One

can achieve anything if one is

determined enough.

Never give up.