more showers in the south, dry with more sunshine further north. today at five: an apology from the parole board after victims of a sex attacker were not told he was about to be released. john worboys was jailed in 2009 for offences against 12 women. police believe he attacked over 100 more. my understanding at the moment is that we were informed that the victims had been told about the decision and then we released the decision on that basis. but nevertheless, this was a problem with the parole system and so i apologise unreservedly. today the justice secretary faces calls into whether the views of worboys‘ victims were heard in the decision to release him on parole, we'll be speaking to one of the mps demanding answers. the other main stories on bbc news at 5: jon venables, one of the killers of toddlerjames bulger, is charged over indecent images of children. copies of that book about

president trump hit the shelves. its author stands by everything he wrote. a u—turn for new car sales as they fall for the first time in six years. demand for diesel models plunges by almost a fifth. if we are know, this is a white out. travel chaos and power outages hit parts of the us as the winter weather sets to plummet to record breaking levels. and coming up, ridley scott's latest film, all the money in the world hits the screens, overshadowed by the re—casting of kevin spacey. film review at 5:45, with jason solomons. welcome to the bbc news at five.

our top story: the chair of the parole board has apologised unreservedly to victims of the serial sex attacker john worboys after some of them were not told he's to be released from prison. the black cab driver was jailed in 2009, for offences against 12 women, but detectives later said they believed he'd attacked more than 100 women between 2002 and 2008. a group of mps has written to thejustice secretary, calling for an investigation into whether the views of worboys‘ victims were heard in the decision to release him on parole. in a moment we'll be speaking to the organiser of that letter, the mp stella creasy, but first our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford reports. he toured the streets of london

in his black taxi for six years. police think he may have raped or sexually assaulted at least 105 women after drugging them. he was given an indeterminate sentence, which means he can't be released until he's no longer a risk to the public. butjohn worboys is about to be freed after less than ten years. so the key question for the three members of the parole board was, isjohn worboys still a danger to women? in ruling that he should be released, they must have decided that he isn't a danger, but they haven't made public their reasons for freeing a man suspected of being one of the most prolific sex offenders of recent years. the parole board is not legally allowed to give reasons for its decision, but the chair of the board did give this explanation. what's important to understand is that the parole board's duty is not to in a sense have another go at the trial, but to assess what his risks will be going forward, and that's what they did. at his trial, john worboys was only

convicted of attacking 12 women, and only one of those convictions was for rape, so the judge set a minimum sentence of eight years, which means the police and crown prosecution service are now being asked why they didn't bring further cases. the parole board has also had to apologise because several ofjohn worboys‘ victims had not been told of the decision this is perhaps a reflection of the way in which women who are victims of rape are treated generally, and until the criminal justice agencies get this right, we've got a crisis in this country around it. the worboys case has highlighted flaws in the criminaljustice system from the start. initially, the police failed to investigate it properly. then, only 12 cases were brought to trial, even though there were ultimately suspicions of over 100. and now a man who a judge said

shouldn't be released until he's no longer a threat is about to walk free from prison after ten years. well, a cross party group of 58 mps has written to thejustice secretary, david liddington, calling for an investigation into whether the voices of victims were heard in this parole decision. the labour mp stella creasy, is the organiser of that letter and shejoins me now from north east london. i think there might be a slight delay on the line as thank you very much for talking to us. what, in essence, are you trying to achieve by putting this cross—party letter together? i think there is widespread concern about the decision to give mr worboys, a convicted rapist, parole and a lack

of clarity about how this decision has come to light and, most crucially, some worrying questions about what role and what listening has been done to the victims of mr worboys's crime. it is very clear in the parole guidelines that victims should be heard and the impact of any parole on victims should be taken as part of the consideration into whether to give somebody parole so we are into whether to give somebody parole so we are calling on the secretary of state to investigate whether or not that has happened and live up to his own words about the importance of victims being heard in the justice process because it's not clear at the moment that that has happened. given the nature of what worboys sitcom is your suspicion then that victims either were not spoken to or not listen to, is that fundamental starting point? there has been some very worrying comment in public already by a number of the victims about the lack of information. that is what we want the secretary of state is to investigate. we recognise and respect that the parole board is an independent body, but if it has not

heard properly from the victims, thenit heard properly from the victims, then it can be argued that the decision it has made has not been done with full and complete information about the impact of letting mr worboys have parole. at that point, the secretary of state has the power to judicially review a decision of the parole board, so we call on him to investigate and ensured that this process has lived up ensured that this process has lived up to the best decision—making processes and made sure that the victims are at the heart of that. presumably, not trying to put words in your mouth, but i assumed that you want the justice secretary to do something very quickly but for this individual is released from prison. that went before. we think there is a matter of urgency on this and mps across the house are saying we need to see more detail on how this decision has been arrived at. if these reports are true and victims we re these reports are true and victims were not at the heart of this process , we were not at the heart of this process, we think the secretary of state should investigate that and live up to his own commitments to make sure it is put right. you mentioned that the parole board is independent. part of the problem

here is that for anyone who is disturbed by this case, it's statute is that it does not have to give its reasons. is that something needs at? i think reasons. is that something needs at? ithink in reasons. is that something needs at? i think in cases like this, it is important that people have confidence in how the decisions are made but i go back to the powers that the secretary of state has two judicially review a parole board decision. it surely is in the public interest to ensure that victims are heard. i think many of us are also concerned about those people who now have subsequently come forward and have subsequently come forward and have allegations about further sexual offences involving mr worboys. 80 or 90 people whose cases have not yet been heard he may have thought he was imprisoned and therefore the matter did not need investigating so we are also asking for the secretary of state to ensure that those victims have been contacted, that their needs and concerns and their interests are put at the heart of what happens next.

and that through their stake there should, if appropriate, and that through their stake there should, ifappropriate, be and that through their stake there should, if appropriate, be further charges brought? that their individual accounts should at least be investigated? individual accounts should at least be investigated ? some individual accounts should at least be investigated? some of their working years ago, of course. and what we know at present is that those allegations have not been heard within a court and have not been tried. now that it has come to light that mr worboys has been given parole, we think it is right that they are contacted and at the police and cps are looking again at what they are saying. there are very troubling questions raised by this decision, certainly more information as an independent scrutiny of this by the secretary of state would be very welcome and we have reasonable concerns. we are hoping he will listen to them because we worry that the message this sends out to victims of sexual violence and women across this country is the seriousness in which these matters are taken. thank you for your time. that letter signed by 58 mps, a

cross— party letter. it's six minutes past five. one of the killers of the toddler james bulger, jon venables, has been charged with offences relating to indecent images of children. venables — seen here in his police photograph taken when he was ten years old — tortured and killed two—year—old james in liverpool in 1993. he was jailed for life along with robert thompson, but both were released on licence in 2001. since then, venables was jailed for possession of child abuse images, and released for a second time in 2013. he's now been charged again. joining me now is our correspondent, ian palmer. what more do we know at this stage? very little we can say about this case, but what we can say is that the crown prosecution service has released a formal statement this afternoon. it says that the man

formerly known asjon venables has been charged with offences related to indecent images of children and will appear in the crown court. it goes on to say, in order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions. as you said in your introduction, jon venables was jailed for life in 1993 for the murder of james jon venables was jailed for life in 1993 for the murder ofjames bulger along with robert thompson. they we re along with robert thompson. they were both ten years old at the time. ve na bles were both ten years old at the time. venables was controversially, as you say, released on licence in 2001 and that was partly because he was so young at the time the crimes were committed. he was jailed again in 2010 for having indecent images of children and then released for a second time in 2013. in the meantime, he has been living in the community under a false identity so

people are not aware of who he is, but, as we have been told today, he has been charged again for possessing indecent images of children. those reporting restrictions will remain in place u nless restrictions will remain in place unless a judge changes the order. ian, thank you very much. the author of the book fire and fury — an incendiary account of life in donald trump's white house — has spoken for the first time since its publication. in an interview on american television in the last hour, michael wolff says the president behaves "like a child." president trump tried to get the book's publication halted, and has dismissed it as "full of lies." danjohnson has the details. you've heard the headlines, now you can read the substance of fire and fury. rushed out at midnight in the us after threats from the president's lawyers. what i'm most looking forward to is seeing what's actually — what we all know is going on just below the surface. i'm looking forward to imagining, oh, who in that white house has actually said this?

no one gets tired of palace intrigue! i'm expecting the white house to be as absolutely dysfunctional as the leaks would make it seem. there's chitchat — the president's burgers in bed, the vanity, the apparently strained relationship with the first lady. but there is also serious criticism of donald trump's intelligence. his chief strategist steve bannon suggested using the constitution to force him out, because he didn't believe donald trump was fit for office. i would tell you the one description that everyone gave, everyone has in common. they all say he is like a child. and what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. it's all about him. the white house says the book is full of mistakes. it's disgraceful and laughable. if he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, and wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates

the republican party has ever seen. and the president couldn't resist a few words on twitter. this is an account of a deeply divided administration, with staff who don't think the boss is up to thejob and a family dynasty that is closing ranks. it may not make any difference to trump's loyal supporters, but it is damaging to the president. it's ice cold in washington, but it's the white house where things are really frosty. 0ur correspondent anthony zurcher is in washington for us. you would expect the offer of a book to stand by what he has put in it,

but nonetheless, it was fascinating that he went on nbc. tell us a bit more about everything he has been saying and the reaction there. more about everything he has been saying and the reaction therem was interesting, one of the things he did say was that the reaction from the president, who has been tweeting out saying that the book is wrong, fake news, that reaction in effect vindicates him. he says that he is tempestuous, the president a cts he is tempestuous, the president acts like a child, and that his behaviour in trying to quash this book before it was released and being so sharply critical not only of michael wolff but also steve bannon, his former adviser, who he has now nicknamed sloppy steve, that is again an example of the president and all this behaviour he describes in the book. he says he feels co mforta ble in the book. he says he feels comfortable in everything he wrote in the book. he stands by everything he wrote and i think he has to be enjoying the spotlight here. his

book has become an amazon bestseller already just hours book has become an amazon bestseller alreadyjust hours after it has been released to the public. i think you cannot buy that kind of publicity, having the presidents do his best to try to quash publication of the book and to criticise it. as we saw from the people interviewed here on the street, everyone wants to see what the president doesn't like about this. they are fascinated by the palace intrigue, they know the names of the high—profile players in the white house and now they get to, in effect, see the curtain pulled back and the picture that michael wolff is trying to paint of this white house. fascinating as all that is, does it change anything? if you are able to who thinks that donald trump is childlike, to take one of those words, then this doesn't change, this just reinforces your opinion, and if you are an ardent supporter, you are going to say that this is the establishment is trying to undermine him. i wonder, the establishment is trying to undermine him. iwonder, in the establishment is trying to undermine him. i wonder, in the long

run, whether it really changes the narrative at all? i think that is a very good point. i think ford truck sceptics, they would look at this and see it as vindication for everything that they have believed and while there may be portions of the book which are questionable and probably should be investigated further before people take them at face value, i think a lot of trump critics are going to embrace the book as a whole because it confirms what they already believe. meanwhile, i think you see the white house effectively adopt a bunker mentality at this point. they are already telling staff members that they cannot bring their personal cellphones and the white house any more. i think they see enemies around every turn after this. a man a p pa re ntly around every turn after this. a man apparently has an open run of the white house for a long time. whether it will change the dynamic in washington and in us politics, that is doubtful. the administration is trying to turn focus on the economy which is doing well here. i think supporters are going to point to

that and say, well, yes, fire and fury in the white house, a bit of chaos, but when it comes to our pocketbooks, we are seeing improvements, we are seeing big companies get bonuses because of its tax bill, that is what they are going to look at, not what they already know which is that donald trump can be a very chaotic man and has destabilised washington. in many ways, that is what they voted for. thank you very much for now. we will talk more about thatjust thank you very much for now. we will talk more about that just after thank you very much for now. we will talk more about thatjust after half past with a supporter of the trump administration. that is coming up a little bit later. the headlines: as criticism grows over the decision to release the serial sex attacker john worboys, the head of the parole board apologises that some of the victims weren't told he's to be leave prison. jon venables, one of the colours of the toddlerjames bulger, has been charged in relation to indecent

images of children. and as we have discussed, copies of a controversial book about president trump had hit the shelves and the author has been on us television saying he stands by every word. in sport, chelsea com plete every word. in sport, chelsea complete the signing of midfielder ross barclay from everton for £15 million. he has not played this season after having hamstring surgery. the england international reads having joined as an 11—year—old. yet only 5.5 year deal. arsene wenger will serve a touchline ban for the next three matches. he has been charged with misconduct for his behaviour and the max officials changing room after the draw against west brom on new year's eve. yet also been charged £110,000. the fa cup third—round kicks off tonight at anfield with a merseyside derby live on bbc one. manchester united are also in action as they take on derby county. more at 5:30pm. see you then. sales of new cars fell last year for the first time in six years.

the industry body the society of motor manufacturers and traders says the number of cars registered was down by 5.7%, compared with 2016, while diesel sales fell by almost a fifth because of concerns about pollution. our business correspondent theo leggett has the details. for the past few years, car sales in britain have been booming. in 2015 and 2016, the industry set new records. but now, it may be going into reverse gear. 0verall, new car registrations were down 5.7% last year, according to the society of motor manufacturers and traders. that's the first decline in six years. no one is panicking just yet. by historical standards, 2017 was still a pretty good year. more than 2.5 million new cars were registered — the third highest level in a decade. but over the past few months the decline has accelerated. in december, registrations were down

more than 14% compared to last year. and sales of diesel cars across the year were down more than 17%. 0verall, if you look at the economic performance of the uk, growth is slowing. all the indicators around economic confidence are weakening, especially when it comes to people's enthusiasm about making a big—ticket purchase, like a car. declining demand for diesel cars is a big problem for the industry. campaigners blame them for high levels of urban pollution but the smmt says that uncertainty over the government's clean air plans is leaving consumers confused and unwilling to buy them. experts agree. even though new models are much cleaner, diesel has an image problem. diesels can only recover if the facts can be made clear. if the facts around the lower pollutant levels, the economic benefits of running one, can be made plain and clear. and that really will need someone in senior government to stand up above the parapet and say something positive about diesel and make

the facts clear around it. people within the industry say confusion over diesel may be causing environmental harm by encouraging drivers to hang onto older, dirtier cars, rather than swapping them for cleaner, new models. meanwhile, the fall in sales is expected to continue throughout 2018. a man who killed two of his former partners has been sentenced to a minimum of 26 years in prison for the murder of a third. theodorejohnson, who's 64 and from islington in north london, admitted beating and strangling angela best in december 2016, after she had ended their relationship. angela's sister, lorrainejones, spoke for the family outside the old bailey. she said thatjustice had been done. this convicted murderer tried to play the system as he had successfully done twice before.

he used diminished responsibility as the cause for his murderous actions. this time, however, by eventually pleading guilty to murder, after 12 months since his arrest and subjecting our family to unnecessary additional trauma, he has shown in all cases he was clearly of sound mind. he knew exactly what he was doing when he planned and executed the horrific murder of our beautiful, beloved angela. despite our family's immense pain and suffering, our hearts and thoughts go out to the other two families who have also suffered as a result of his evil and calculated actions. this sister of angela bester

speaking after her former partner was jailed for her murder. we're now all used to paying for plastic shopping bags. could we now be made to pay extra for disposable coffee cups? a committee of mps says not even 1% of the 2.5 billion cups we use every year are recycled. part of the problem is that paper cups need specialist recycling. so the mps are calling for a 25p charge — on top of the coffee price — to pay for better facilities. john maguire reports from one of the uk's only disposable—cup recycling plants. coffee, coffee everywhere, but what happens to the cups once we've finished our drink? it's a massive business. brits drink 8 million takeaway cups

every day and although many boast the recyclable logo, the reality is that less than 1% are indeed recycled. now, the environmental audit committee of mps says it's time for action. we've got to make a really radical shift, a revolution in the coffee industry, to get to more sustainable ways of delivering coffee. people are concerned about the conditions for coffee farmers, they want fair trade products and in the same way, we've got to make sure that the drinks delivery system is sustainable. the recommendations include an extra 25p charge they're nicknaming a latte levy on each disposable cup. the money will be used to improve their recycling. clearer labelling, so customers understand the best methods of disposal. and they want all cups fully recycla ble or a total ban by 2023. i'm probably going to be really unpopular for this, but is it such a bad idea?

probably not. there's too much waste going around. it would stop people buying disposable, may be used all recycled ones or their own personal cups that they can take and get refills. ones or their own personal cups that they can take and get refillslj still come to this day, having been brought up without coffee shops every day think of it as a luxury andi every day think of it as a luxury and i think, oh, ifi every day think of it as a luxury and i think, oh, if i have to pay more for it, that's because i have to think about the environment and that can spoil things, even though i know i should. that can spoil things, even though i knowl should. within that can spoil things, even though i know i should. within this bail is half a tonne of coffee cups that have obviously been used, compacted and brought here to the factory. the problem in this process is this — the two types of material that i'd used. plastic on the inside to make the cob waterproof, ben cotton wood pulp on the outside to give the cut its rigidity. if you do separate them, then you can produce less, 100% recycled paper. we have the

capacity to do about half1 million cups. the reality is that we are only using a fraction of that and thatis only using a fraction of that and that is because of the supply to us. the challenge is not about recycling cops themselves, the challenge is actually having the cops to recycle. i have a megaphone and i am not afraid to use it! waste campaigners say the system needs a major overhaul. if we were to get any significant amount of copy cops to plans like that, we would need dedicated bins only for a copy cups and we would need them everywhere and we would need them everywhere and that is just and we would need them everywhere and that isjust not a practical solution. the real solution is for the coffee cup giants to come up with a properly recyclable cup. bmps argued that the success of the, which saw an 83% reduction in its first year, means that with cooperation from governments, industry and consumers, there is a solution. the answer, they believe, is in our hands. a massive winter storm is causing serious disruption

in the eastern united states. 17 people are believed to have died as blizzards swept across much of the region. thousands of flights have been cancelled and there are widespread power cuts. in boston, firefighters had to rescue motorists from flooded streets, nearly 12 inches of snow have fallen in the area. weather forecasters are referring to the freak conditions as a "bomb cyclone". chi chi izundu has the latest. it's been several days of unusually cold weather hitting parts of the united states. from florida, the first snowfall for 30 years. can you believe that this is tallahassee, florida ? where wildlife not used to the temperature are having to be rescued. while over in maine, flooding is also problematic. while we were out here filming just moments ago, the ground underneath us collapsed. thousands of flights have been cancelled, schools have been shut and parks closed in parts of new york state. blocked roads, black ice

and power cuts mean a state of emergency has been declared, with up to 17 deaths being attributed to the weather. what is quite clear is this is a serious, serious storm. between the very low temperature, the strong winds, the driving snow, everyone should take this one very seriously and take precautions. so what is a bomb cyclone? it's when a storm creates a sharp, rapid drop in atmospheric pressure meaning winds of up to 70 mph, feeling like —40, several inches of snow and dangerously freezing temperatures. i wanted to be overweight. i wanted to be nice and warm again sol i wanted to be overweight. i wanted to be nice and warm again so i don't have run back and forth again. to be nice and warm again so i don't have run back and forth again! girli have run back and forth again! girl i work with grabbing canada and she says this is nothing compared to canada. state officials clearing what they can say they have emergency shelters, food,

blankets and generators on standby to help those in need. the weather is expected to continue over the weekend and for some, it brings the opportunity to sledge, build a snowman, even play a game of ice hockey. while for others, it's a chance to experiment. time for a look at the weather with darren bett. i hope it's not going to get that cold air! it's not going to be anywhere near as bad as that, but you wouldn't expect it, our weather is moderated by the warmer waters around our islands. we have some rain around this evening and overnight, quite a few showers across southern parts of england with this wintry mix, a bit of hill snow drifting southwards from scotland and northern england,

and bringing the risk of some icy patches. we can't rely on the cloud too much, so it would be farfrom freezing and a touch of frost here and there. cold air coming down across the northern half of the uk over the weekend with some shine, but wintry showers in from the north sea. much of wales, midlands, southern england, a lot of cloud around, some showers, and strong winds making it feel cold. as the winds making it feel cold. as the winds ease, the temperatures dropping away sharply. in rural areas, it could be down to minus ten. not that cold further south, with a stronger wind and maybe some bits of cloud, but a lot of dry weather on sunday, a fine and cold day with some sunshine. this is bbc news. the headlines: the head of the parole board apologises after some victims of the serial sex attacker john worboys weren't told he was about to be released.

jon venables, one of the killers of the toddlerjames bulger, is charged in relation to indecent images of children. president trump dismisses a new book about him as "full of lies". its author says he stands by everything he wrote. new car sales fall for the first time in six years, with demand for diesel models plunging by almost a fifth. we will be talking more about donald trump ina we will be talking more about donald trump in a few minutes, but first all of the sports news. ross barkley has joined premier league champions chelsea from everton for a fee thought to be £15 million. he's yet to play this season after having hamstring surgery but he's now approaching match

fitness and everton manager sam allardyce said yesterday he was resigned to losing him when his contract expires in the summer. he's signed a five and a half year deal at stamford bridge. hejoined everton as an 11—year—old in 2005. we are talking about an english player, and he has a good prospect for chelsea. i think that the club decided for this investment, also for his contract. i think this is a good opportunity for the club to buy this player. the fa cup continues this weekend. it's at the third round stage, where the premier league teams enter the fray. the merseyside derby between liverpool and everton kicks off the bbc‘s coverage tonight. it's been suggested that liverpool managerjurgen klopp doesn't take the fa cup seriously — something he's keen to disprove. the lineup will be a lineup which shows all the respect

we have for the fa cup. umm... i know a few people have said that i don't respect the competition, stuff like that, enough. but that is obviously not the truth. so, maybe we have to make it a little bit more obvious. it is not a league game. there are no points available. it is win or bust. as simple as that. the premier league, less pressure. it is a glory game. you go out and seek the glory and try and win it. if we are to get through, we have to beat liverpool. and there's a special friday sportsday tonight — it comes live from anfield, at 6.30 — and the match is on bbc 0ne, kick—off at five to eight. arsene wenger has been handed a three—match touchline ban and fined by the football association over comments he made about the refereeing of sunday's premier league game against west brom. in a separate case, the arsenal boss has also been asked by the fa

to provide his observations on what he said about penalty decisions in each of their past two matches over the festive period. our sports correspondent natalie pirks has more. ina in a statement today, the fa says the ban follows an independent regulatory commission hearing today, which the arsenal manager admitted his language and behaviour in the match officials' changing room was abusive, improper, and he questioned the integrity of the match referee, so that means he will miss the game this weekend, the fa cup match against nottingham forest, the first leg of arsenal's semifinal in the league cup against chelsea, and a premier league match away at bournemouth. secondly, he's been asked about observations about things he said around the festive period about penalty decisions. arsene wenger seems to suggest there is some kind of conspiracy against

arsenal. he doesn't seem happy at the moment. last season, he served a four—game touchline ban after swearing at anthony taylor during a home game against burnley and calling him dishonest, so not a happy bunny at the moment. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. that's bbc.co.uk/sport and we'll have more for you in sportsday at 6:30pm. more now on the controversial new book by author michael wolff on donald trump, in which he says everyone he spoke to described the president as being like a child — in need of instant gratification. asked about those who'd questioned the accuracy of the book, michael wolff said he stood by everything he'd written. he has been talking on american television today. mr trump has called fire and fury a phoney book full of lies. he said he had authorised no access

to the white house, something that the book's author has refuted. to the white house, something that the book's author has refutedlj spoke the book's author has refuted.” spoke to the president. whether he realised it was an interview or not, i don't know, but it was not off the record. and that was at the white house after he was born in? after the inauguration, yes. and i spent about three hours with the president over the course of the campaign and in the white house, so my window into donald trump is pretty significant. sebastian gorka was deputy assistant and strategist to president trump. we can speak to him from our studio in washington. good evening to you. good evening. will you be reading the book? this lying hack won't get a penny off me,

so no. not even tempted to borrow a copy to assess it for yourself? i've already assessed the long excerpt that was published two days ago in new york magazine, which is so followed blatant lies that i don't need to know anything more about this political assassin, michael wolff. use a blatant lies. are there some elements of it that ring true? you spent eight months inside the white house. you need to have a look at the disclaimer the book has on page ten, published today. on page ten, michael wolff who has been caught lying repeatedly in previous books, states that he cannot verify the accuracy of anything that is in the accuracy of anything that is in the book. if you did that as a journalist, you would be fired. this is just journalist, you would be fired. this isjust a journalist, you would be fired. this is just a kiss you what lies which is just a kiss you what lies which is about as realistic as harry

potter. —— a tissue of lies. is about as realistic as harry potter. -- a tissue of lies. he spent many hours and days putting this together for what reason? why would he spent so much time... for the money! isn't one issue that... i appreciate you say that what is in the book isn't true, but his argument would be that he spoke to an awful lot of different people doing differentjobs, an awful lot of different people doing different jobs, and an awful lot of different people doing differentjobs, and there was a similar theme that emerged from all of his conversations, of a man who, to use a quote, life was all about him, he was childlike and narcissistic. that isn't one single person saying that to the author. that is lots of people over a period of time, and he has built up a picture by talking to different people in different roles.” actually worked for president trump michael wolff didn't. he is a glory hound who wants to sell a lot of books. in his excerpts already, let me give you one factual example, he

states that, on the day that he won the election, the president didn't know who the speaker of the house was in congress. any child with access to google can search for those two men golfing together from two years ago. the idea that this person is reporting anything of factual import is just fallacious again. he is a political hack, this isa again. he is a political hack, this is a storm in a teacup, and the book will be forgotten a week from now. so wide is the president would have its publication halted? —— why did the president. why bother to try and stop it? because it is a lie. his children were attacked. in the exceptin children were attacked. in the except in new york magazine, every member of the white house he putatively spoke to was criticised and attacked, including the president's daughter, his son and his son in law. any red—blooded male would react the way the president

did when their family are being attacked. this guy is a scoundrel and nothing else. this is gutter press journalism to make the readers of the guardian happy. the fact he tried to go through the courts to have its publication halted, doesn't that give the impression to anyone in the us, whether they are a trump voter or not, that he is worried about something in the book? if all com plete fa ntasy, about something in the book? if all complete fantasy, like a novel, why wouldn't he go and laugh it off? because his author says it's a real force would have you heard of laws? if somebody called you a child nest in the field, would you let it go? of course not. —— if somebody called you a child molester and a thief. read the disclaimer on his book, page ten. michael wolff writes, i

cannot verify the accuracy of anything that was told to me. that breaches rule number one journalism. you need two verifications for anything you write. this man is a liar. thank you forjoining us. thank you. north korea has accepted an offer by the south to hold talks next week. the meeting will be the first between the two countries for more than two years, and will reportedly focus on finding a way for north korean athletes to attend the winter olympics, which take place in south korea next month. the talks will take place on tuesday, in the demilitarised zone that divides the peninsula. sophie long reports from seoul. the first talks between the north and south korean governments for more than two years will take place here, the village of panmunjom, which straddles the border between the two countries in the demilitarised zone. the south's offer of high—level talks was accepted via fax. translation: regarding the agenda, both will discuss the pyeongchang

winter olympics and ways to improve ties between south and north korea. it came just hours after the united states and south korea agreed to suspend joint military drills. they say exercises like this one are defensive but the north korean leader sees them as rehearsals for invasion. both south korean and us marines are taking part in this exercise in the mountains of pyeongchang. they are training together to deal with winter war conditions and temperatures of below minus 20. but these drills will stop for the duration of the winter olympics and paralympics. the south korean president moonjae—in has said the games could be a ground—breaking chance to de—escalate tensions on the korean peninsula. xin gu—sop hasn't seen his sisterfor 70 years. he and 61,000 others whose families remain divided by the border hope these talks could be a prelude to change. translation: i am old now and i don't know how many

more years i will live. it is my only wish that i meet my sister once and for all. this is the wish not only for me but for all divided families. but others are sceptical about kim jong—un's motives. the commander of us forces in south korea said they are keeping their expectations at an appropriate level. my mission remains the same, to quietly and under control operate a military force in greater and greater readiness in the event that it's the negative outcome, not the positive one. but scepticism didn't stop president trump claiming credit for the potential thawing of relations. does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between north and south korea right now, he tweeted, if i wasn't firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the north? sophie long, bbc news, seoul. this is bbc news at 5.

the headlines: as criticism grows over the decision to release the serial sex attackerjohn worboys, the head of the parole board apologises that some of the victims weren't told he's to leave prison. jon venables, one of the killers of the toddlerjames bulger, is charged in relation to indecent images of children. as copies of a controversial book about president trump hit the shelves, its author says he stands by everything he wrote. now on bbc news, a look ahead to sportsday at 6:30pm tonight. it's fa cup third round weekend and we are live at anfield for the of the ties, seven time winners liverpool against their closest rivals and five—time winners, everton. that's just one of 32 games