welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: thawing relations. north and south korea agree to march under one flag at the winter olympics. war—weary syrians return to their homes in government—controlled aleppo — but after eight years of conflict little of their old lives is left. the destruction here is overwhelming. time, money, some of this will be rebuilt. so many lives having been shattered two. after a turbulent 12 months for donald trump. we look back on how the us president continues to polarise opinion. and sharing a stitch in time. for the first time in 950 years, france is to let the bayeux tapestry leave its shores to come to the uk. hello.

in what looks like a radical departure from the recent threats and aggression, north and south korea have agreed to march together — under a single flag — at the opening ceremony of next month's winter olympics. the two countries, still technically at war, will also field their first joint team for the women's ice hockey. they've just held their first diplomatic talks in more than two years. but foreign ministers of some of the major world powers, meeting in canada, have questioned the north's motives. our correspondent laura bicker is in vancouver for the 20—nation talks. well, the foreign leaders have now left, but they left just as the news broke that north korea and south korea have come to this agreement about marching under one flag for those olympic games and creating one women's hockey team. these are small steps, but they are incredibly significant steps. it is met with joy and hope in south korea, but amongst the international community

there is some scepticism. they are worried about the motives of kim jong—un. is he doing is to buy time for his nuclear programme, is it a propaganda stunt? they are pushing for the centres to be held to the letter of the law and to continue despite this in diplomacy. i sat down with the south korean foreign ministerjust after the news broke with these talks and i asked her exactly why did north korea come to the table now, was it the threat of military action from the united states? i think we understand north korea better than anybody, having dealt with north korea for decades, having had a series of discussions. we have not had any significant engagement in the recent past.

but this is an opportunity. you can have all kinds of theories of why are they here, they're obviously calculations going on in the of the north koreans because decision—makers as their actions, but in the end we have to make the most of it. as you are watching tensions ramp up, the tweets going on between donald trump and kim jong—un‘s response, as a country were you watching knowing that you are on the front line and thinking do my allies know that we could be at the brunt of this? we watch, of course, we track every message coming from north korea, coming from our ally very carefully. the daily management of the messaging is a big part of foreign policy. again, we have to focus on the longer term.

i think the longer term is on the denuclearisation goal, we are very much on the same page with our american ally and the entire international community. the denuclearisation objective is written into the series of security council plans. it involves everybody. this is almost bobsled diplomacy. the south have managed to bring the north to the negotiating table. the question many people are asking is can they keep and after the olympics over? certainly, there are numbers of challenges ahead. first of all, the nuclear issue is not on the table yet. north korea refuses to talk about it. neither are they wanting to talk

about the issue of divided families. there are 61,000 families between north and south that have been split since the war. there are fears that many will die before seeing their relatives. there are so many issues to get through. this is a breakthrough, but it is a very small breakthrough. the leaders are leaving vancouver knowing there is such a long way to go. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. a multiple suicide bomb attack in north—east nigeria has killed at least 1a people. dozens were wounded in the blasts on the outskirts of the city of maiduguri. four bombers detonated their devices in a bus park and market. it's the third attack in three days in the region, which is at the centre of the boko haram islamist insurgency. president trump's former chief strategist steve bannon won't appear before a grand jury in the special counsel investigation into links between the trump election campaign and russia. us media are reporting that bannon has struck a deal to meet with robert mueller and his team instead, with his lawyer present.

britain is to up its contribution towards border controls in france and commit to taking more migrants, especially unaccompanied minors. the money will be spent on fencing, security cameras and body scanners at calais and other channel ports. the deal will be announced at an anglo—french summit on thursday. questions are being raised in venezuela about the government's a meeting of turkey's top security body has recommended extending the state of emergency, for the sixth time since the failed coup in july 2016. president erdogan chaired the meeting, though parliament still needs to approve the extension. at least 50,000 people have been arrested since the attempt to overthrow the president. fighting is intensifying in idlib — the last syrian province still in rebel hands. but as the devastating conflict enters its eighth year, all main cities are in the hands of president assad's forces, including the city of aleppo. our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet,

reported from aleppo in the last days of the fighting a year ago. she's returned to the ancient city to see what's changed since. dawn holds little fear now for the city of aleppo. gone are the warplanes, at least from here, and a train now runs from east to west. aleppo is back in government hands, its tallest building leaves you in no doubt. nor do the songs school children sing in praise of their president, in the area once held by rebels. notjust education, re—education. a daily rhythm returns for 12—year—old rayan, her school was controlled by hard line islamist groups. translation: i didn't go to school during the war because of the shelling and there were men in the building. we didn't learn anything at all. this is what with we saw here in the last days of battle.

the smell of explosives still in the air, buildings flattened by syrian air strikes, now safe enough for people to start coming back. this woman is one of the first on her street to bring herfamily home. like many others, she's returning from a government area to this small flat with no electricity, no running water. "it was so hard to see the damage", she tells me. "we're rebuilding bit by bit whenever we earn a little money." her husband's face says it all, the life he knew is gone, that they all knew. life is slowly returning to these streets, you see the signs of it everywhere, but the destruction here is overwhelming. with time, money, some of this will be rebuilt, but so many lives have been shattered too,

and possibly beyond repair. this is all that's left of the industrial zone at the edge of the city, once syria's economic heartland. there's still fighting here, the front—line only a few 100 meters away. bassel nasri's factory was damaged and looted by rebel forces. my factory is destroyed. it's terrible. all the factories here were, more than 1,000, all except a very few still lie silent. it will take many billions to rebuild syria. how can a broken country do that? it will take a lot of money. we must say we need all the countries release the sanctions. you want the sanctions lifted on syria ? yes, lifted on syria.

the west says that won't happen until the war is over. now we are going to finish it. we are going to finish it. the end of battle in this ancient city turned the tide of war in president assad's favour. one year on, it's not over yet and so many lost so much. this great city may never be the same. there's been more powerful testimony from women who were sexually abused by larry nassar, former team doctor for usa gymnastics. he's admitted abuse and almost 100 women are giving victim impact statements at his sentencing hearing. he's already serving 60 years in jail for child pornography offences. they won't forget how we have change

the trajectory of abuse in the sport of gymnastics and may god have mercy on your soul. it was terrifying and disgusting and i spent days in shock from the violation i experienced at his hands. you and your actions have walked with me every step of the weight since leaving michigan state university. such a beautiful campus tarnished with your touch. all the people that us ag and msu, the united states olympic committee, who covered it up and allowed this negligence and abuse to happen, two children, are responsible. and they have to take responsibility for it. our correspondent, rajini vaidyanathan, was at the court.

it has been another very emotional day of testimony here at the court in lansing, michigan, as the survivors of larry nassar‘s sexual abuse have been speaking out as part of this sentencing hearing. i spent some time in the court earlier today. one thing i was struck i was the sense of collective empowerment that these young women now have, as they all come together and share their stories. the court was filled with some of these women who have now obviously grown up, they were supported by their husbands and their parents, as they all share their stories. some anonymously. i was speaking to some of the survivors as well outside the courtroom, and there seems to be a common thread. these were all very young women, gymnasts, who trusted larry nassar as a doctor. but when they went into that medical treatment room, he violated their innocence.

for these women this hearing is very important. it's giving them a chance to have their voice and for action to finally be taken. the historic bayeux tapestry, showing france's victory over the english in 1066, could be heading to british shores. day one of operation desert storm to force the iraqis out of kuwait has seen the most intense air attacks since the second world war. tobacco is america's oldest industry, and it's one of its biggest, but the industry is nervous of this report. this may tend to make people want to stop smoking cigarettes. there is not a street that is unaffected. huge parts of kobe were simply demolished as buildings crashed into one another. this woman said she'd been given no help and no advice by the authorities. she stood outside the ruins of her business. tens of thousands of black children in south africa have taken advantage of laws, passed by the country's

new multiracial government, and enrolled at formerly white schools. tonight sees the 9,610th performance of her long—running play, the mousetrap. when they heard of her death today, the management considered whether to cancel tonight's performance, but agatha christie would have been the last person to want such a thing. this is newsday on the bbc. the latest headlines: north and south korea have agreed to march under the same flag at the seoul winter olympics. at the same time, 20 countries say they want to step up pressure on pyongyang. war—weary syrians have started to return to their homes in government—controlled aleppo, a year after it was recaptured from rebel forces. this week marks the first anniversary of donald trump's inauguration. it has been a turbulent 12 months, with repeated controversies about what the president

says and what he does. our north america editorjon sopel analyses the wider impact of the trump presidency on us politics and the economy. bell ringing. to some, it might sound like a warning alarm. to the president, this clanging is music. 150 off of that now. for all the noise and scandal, since donald trump came to office, the dowjones is up roughly 30%. every day seems to bring another eye—watering high, and just look at these happy faces. and, if you're an investor, if your pension is in the stock market, you're going to forgive an awful lot from this president. but what goes up must come down, no? are you worried there is a bubble? i'm not worried that there's a bubble, per se. is there a correction that could happen? certainly, but there's certainly enough money out there that could, you know, fill and backstop any kind of correction lower. they say that success has many parents, and that failure is an orphan.

well, on the success of the stock exchange, donald trump wants to be the only parent. take that alongside the tax cuts that have been recently introduced and there is a growing sense of optimism in the us economy, and what politician doesn't like that. but does this sentiment stretch beyond wall street, in downtown manhattan? well, it seems to. this is wall street in a town called newnan, in the southern state of georgia. in november 2016, it voted overwhelmingly for trump, and if there is buyer's remorse, it is hard to find here. daniel lichty owns a building firm in the area, and says he can't remember a time when business was so good. i'm excited for 2018, and what's coming ahead of us. the calls, like i said, are just out there, and trying to figure out how to get all this work done is our next stage. so that means it's going to be a strong year. but does his optimism stretch beyond construction?

is it anything to do with donald trump? newnan is an attractive town, built around the historic courthouse in the town centre. so what is the verdict of voters? we brought together trump supporters and opponents. the thing that i do like about trump — what you see is what he is, and he's not putting on a show for the public. i think what he's done is absolutely phenomenal, and for our economy, it's exceedingly growing. donald trump inherited a great economy from barack obama. recent acts, like the tax cut act, are going to do long—term damage to the economy. but what do they think of his behaviour, particularly as seen on matters of race? after neo—nazis clashed with anti—racism protesters in charlottesville, the president equivocated on who was responsible. but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. when black american footballers protested, this. get that son of a bitch off the field right now. and then there were the tweet storms. us media described as the enemies of the people. he boasted that his button

was bigger than kim jong—un‘s, and, of course, declaring himself "a very stable genius." i think he's a buffoon. why? he doesn't seem to have a full grasp of world politics. he doesn't seem to have a full grasp of how government works. even though he might be saying certain things that i may not like, he's putting america first, and that's what we need in america. the biggest threat to the president still lies in the russia investigation, and whether there was collusion with the trump campaign. so is it fake news, as the president insists, or something more real? 0h, absolutely it's real. soon as he fired director comey, having the russians in his office — there just seems to be something there that's not coming out yet. there has been no evidence, that i've heard, that there is collusion. what donald trump has done brilliantly is keep his base largely supportive, but he needs more than just a core. if he doesn't get the support

of reluctant republicans and independents in november's midterms, then it could all turn very ugly indeed for him, and the trump agenda could ground to a halt. jon sopel, bbc news, newnan, georgia. police in portugal and spain say they have broken up an international rob dole has received one of america's highest civilian awards and has been awarded the congressional gold medal. the former presidential candidate was described by donald trump is a patriot, a leader and a hero. police in portugal and spain say they have broken up an international drug smuggling ring that was bringing in cocaine from south america, hidden in boxes of fruit. authorities found more than 700kg of the drug in pineapples packed in shipping containers. nine people have been arrested, and hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of cash seized. apple says it is going to make a one—off tax payment of about $38 billion under recent changes in american tax rules. it is understood to be the biggest

single payment the us internal revenue has ever received. the changes reduce tax on repatriated profits, and lower corporate tax from 35% to 21%. apple, long criticised for keeping piles of cash overseas and cheap outsourcing, also plans a new campus and 20,000 newjobs in the us. the bayeux tapestry, the mediaeval work of art which depicts the norman conquest of england, is to leave france for the first time in almost 1,000 years, on loan for display in britain. it is thought president macron will confirm the offer when he meets the british prime minister on thursday. lucy williamson reports from bayeux. if anything puts current anglo—french relations in context, it is this. the bayeux tapestry, almost 1,000 years old, telling the story of the norman

conquest of england and the victory of william the conquerer at hastings — a very different kind of summit meeting. now the french president has given approval for the 50—meter bayeux tapestry to leave french territory for the first time. but moving something this big and this old is no simple matter. it's difficult to imagine all the protocol to put it in a case and showcase it, and to put it in a train, or... no, we don't know. president macron‘s gesture highlights france's deep ties and long history with britain. though cynics might say it also highlights a crucial french victory over its anglo—saxon neighbour. art experts say it is a benign telling of the tale, with moments of comedy, and artistic influences from both sides of the channel. even if tests confirmed the move is possible, it is unlikely to happen for several years. but there is a lot of excitement from british museums. the opportunity to get really close to the bayeux tapestry and explore it and look at it is what's fascinating to all of us who have

studied the bayeux tapestry. the exact location of the tapestry‘s famous battle has long been in dispute. but, in hastings today, locals said the artwork should be displayed there. i think a lot of people in hastings are quite proud of hastings, and if it's returning to hastings, even better. because it, you know, comes from hastings. i mean, you know, the battle of hastings, and all the rest of it — yeah. yeah, a good tourist attraction. the battle happened here, and there's so many — there's not enough displays of what happened in hastings. so i think it should come here. britain has twice requested the tapestry on loan, the first time for the queen's coronation, but has always been refused. this initiative has the backing of president macron, part of the cultural exchanges he promised in his election campaign. but the deep ties with britain have often been tinged with rivalry, and one french official wasjoking today about whether britain would find anything of similar merit to send them in return. lucy williamson, bbc news, bayeux. its saxophones are considered among

the best in the world, and are played byjazz legends. but now, the french company henri selmer paris is selling a majority stake to an investment fund, because of growing competition from china. that brings to an end more than 130 years of family control, although the founder's great—grandson will still be involved. sarah corker reports. selmer saxophones are so famous, they have been spent into space. french astronaut thomas pesquet played one on the international space station last year. it is a brand steeped in history, founded by the henri selmer back in 1885, in a parisian suburb. still to this day, the instruments are made up of 700 pieces, and are finished and tested by hand. but, with growing competition

from chinese manufacturers, they need to modernise, and the decision to sell a majority stake of the family firm is designed to do just that. translation: this change will bring a new momentum, a new dynamic for the company. we'll have a shareholder who is strong financially, and who will be able to guarantee our investments. so, thanks to that, we will be able to calmly carry on with developing our company. on the music scene, the selmer sound has shaped several generations of world—renowned musicians, and standing the test of time, they're still played by the most famous jazz stars. today, top—of—the—range selmer saxes can set you back as much as 20,000 euros. the firm's new investor, argos soditic, says more than a century of know—how won't be lost, though some parts of the production line can be automated, and this marks a new chapter in the

compa ny‘s long history. a group of archaeologists have discovered that two underwater caverns in eastern mexico are in fact connected, creating what it is thought is the biggest flooded cave on the planet. divers spent months exploring a maze of subterranean waters in the yucatan peninsula. they found that one large cavern is actually connected to another, making a cave 350km long. the discovery, near the beach resort of tulum, could shed new light on the ancient mayan civilisation before the spanish conquest in the 16th century. more on that and all the news, national and international, at any time on the bbc news website. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. hi there.

the weather looks set to cause a few problems for commuters first thing thursday morning, thanks to this rapidly deepening area of low pressure. now, the isobars really squeeze together across eastern counties of england. that is where the winds are going to be at their strongest, particular across parts of east anglia, maybe the south—east. now, coastal areas could get wind gusts potentially up to 75 mph. not far off that from inland areas, so we could well bring down one or two trees, with the winds that strong. power cuts a possibility, transport disruption a possibility, as well, due to that windy weather. whereas, across the far north of england, southern areas of scotland, it's snow that is going to be causing problems. with another 5—10 centimetres of fresh snow around, we could well have some disruption across some of those higher—level routes first thing in the morning, as well. so it's one of those days where you might want to leave a little bit of extra time for your commute. across scotland, icy conditions first thing in the morning. plenty of snow showers working in across western areas, and we've got a number of snow showers, as well, piling their way in across

northern ireland, across the high ground, the pennines, the peak district, as well, of northern england. very strong winds, remember, across parts of east anglia and south—east england. even towards the south coast, winds will be very gusty for a time, and there will be a few showers working into southern parts of wales and across south—west england. so, as i say, it is going to be one of those mornings. whether it's due to the snow locally, or those strong winds, either way, we could see one or two problems out and about. now, through the rest of the day, the weather becomes a little bit more straightforward as those fierce winds work across the netherlands. and by the way, that could cause disruption at schiphol airport, for example. if you're flying there, check before travelling. through the rest of the day, it stays quite windy. we'll have a number of wintry showers across the north and west, with temperatures again struggling across northern areas. feeling cold here, but even colder when you factor in the strength of the wind. now, as we go through thursday evening and overnight, those snow showers, if anything, could get a bit heavier again across parts of scotland and northern ireland, with further significant accumulations of snow building up.

elsewhere, as temperatures take a dive, again ice could be a problem as we head on into the first part of friday morning. and friday, a similar kind of look to the weather, to be honest. it's a day of fairly brisk winds, plenty of wintry showers across the north—west of the uk. yes, there will be some sunshine, but even across parts of england, we could see one or two wintry showers pushing in from time to time. now, the weekend looks like this — a ridge of high pressure, followed by this atlantic weather front. it means that the weekend comes in a package of two halves. saturday not bad, largely dry. sunday sees a spell of rain, eventually turning milder, but potentially a little bit of snow on the leading edge of this weather system. that's your weather. this is bbc news. the headlines: north and south korea have agreed to march under the same flag at next month's winter olympics in south korea. there'll also be a joint women's ice hockey team. despite the apparently thawing relations, south korea has stressed the importance of sanctions to deal with the nuclear threat. a multiple suicide bomb attack in north—east nigeria has killed

at least 1a people. dozens were wounded in the blasts on the outskirts of the city of maiduguri. four bombers detonated their devices in a bus park and market. it's the third attack in three days in the region, which is at the centre of the boko haram islamist insurgency. there's been more powerful testimony from women who were sexually abused by larry nassar, former team doctor for usa gymnastics. he's admitted abuse and almost 100 women are giving victim impact statements at his sentencing hearing. he's already serving 60 years in jail for child pornography offences. now on bbc news, hardtalk.