nikolai glushkov had been a critic of president vladimir putin. in a separate development, britain's foreign secretary has accused president putin of personally directing the recent nerve agent attack in the uk. russia has denied involvement, saying the accusations are "shocking and unforgivable". an iraqi teenager has been found guilty of bombing a london tube train. 18—year—old ahmed hassan left his bomb on the packed train during rush hour last september. the device only partially detonated, but injured 50 people. a turkish air strike has hit a major hospital in the syrian town of afrin, killing nine people. it comes as turkish armed forces and their allies have almost completely encircled the town. now on bbc news — injanuary 2017 finland began a bold social experiment: the government started paying 2,000 unemployed finns a basic income. it's free money — it comes with no strings attached. in this special programme,

we follow the stories of four finns to see if the scheme has helped them get back into work. to january |e scheme has helped them to january 2017l finland . helped them to january 2017l finland began d them to january 2017, finland began a them bold social experiments. the government started paying 2000 unemployed finns basic income. they each get a guaranteed 560 euros a month for two years. it is free money. it comes with no strings attached. you could say that basing income is money for free, attached. you could say that basing income is money forfree, because you don't have to feel any conditions to get it. —— fulfil any conditions. basic income is an idea that has gained some high profile champions, from market burke to elon musk to bernie sanders. this experiment is being closely followed

i policymakers around the world. we have been following for mac people who have been chosen to receive basic income. it was like winning a lottery. i think i am much basic income. it was like winning a lottery. i thinki am much more inspired to get a job. has it changed their lives? could change society? i am feeling more and more free and independent.” society? i am feeling more and more free and independent. i felt more co mforta ble free and independent. i felt more comfortable to maybe open up my business again. my my name is tanya. i am 30 years old, i live in 0ulu in the north of finland, andi i live in 0ulu in the north of finland, and i only worked forfour 01’ finland, and i only worked forfour or five months finland, and i only worked forfour orfive months in a finland, and i only worked forfour or five months in a factory. finland, and i only worked forfour orfive months in a factory. i know that 0ulu has some problems with unemployment, but i know there is

alsojob is here. unemployment, but i know there is also job is here. tanya has been in full—time education for most of her life, and has never had a long—term job. that is not unusualfor life, and has never had a long—term job. that is not unusual for people in 0ulu, a town 100 miles south of the arctic circle where she has spent all of her life. the unemployment rate here is 15%, twice the national average.” unemployment rate here is 15%, twice the national average. i went to 0ulu university, applied sciences. it is a lwa ys university, applied sciences. it is always so hard to get the first real job. you have great papers, but then they look, you have no experience. now that i graduated from the business school, they are offering mejobs like... cafeteria business school, they are offering me jobs like... cafeteria worker? business school, they are offering mejobs like... cafeteria worker? i ama mejobs like... cafeteria worker? i am a bit worried that i can't any more pay my bills, i don't remember the last time that i went to the store and bought food. i get food

from my mum, so embarrassing. i want to work, and i want to go to the store. and by my own food, and by whatever i want, i want that cheese, andi whatever i want, i want that cheese, and i want to be able to buy the good cheese, you know? even if tanya gets a job, she will still get the full basic income every month. but she is not convinced the experiment will make any difference to her. she is not convinced the experiment will make any difference to herli opened the letter and said" you are selected to get the basic income." i was like yeah, yeah! then i realised, i read the paper down, and they said that if you are not working, your benefits will be the same. i was like, oh. working, your benefits will be the same. iwas like, oh. the working, your benefits will be the same. i was like, oh. the benefit from the basic income comes only when you get a job. you get the job,

like, 1500 euros, and on top of that you get the basic income. but the government wants to see whether the way people receive the money will change their behaviour. there is no means testing, no requirements to apply forjobs. means testing, no requirements to apply for jobs. so the means testing, no requirements to apply forjobs. so the government would like to find out what is the effect of basic income on the employment rate of this particular group. tanya is not convinced it will help her find a group. tanya is not convinced it will help herfind a job, and she thinks it is unrealistic that the government could roll out the scheme nationally. it's just government could roll out the scheme nationally. it'sjust not possible to give everyone in finland, 5 million people, 560 euros a month. i don't see it happening. the finnish government isn't going to assess the pilot until the two year experiment is finished. so far it is quietly

optimistic about how the pilot is going, but there are concerns about the cost. i think we have some data to prove that this is if not a glorious success story, it has very positive aspects. now we are making this experiment, it is very generous, and it would be too expensive to afford it for all citizens, but i am happy that we have taken the first step. five hours south from 0ulu isjuha, who is hoping the basic income will help him rediscover his entrepreneurial spirit. my name is juha, him rediscover his entrepreneurial spirit. my name isjuha, i am him rediscover his entrepreneurial spirit. my name is juha, i am 39 yea rs spirit. my name is juha, i am 39 years old, father of six kids. i was living with no —— making window

frames, that was my business to seven years. all of this five, six yea rs, seven years. all of this five, six years, i have been unemployed, i have been trying to start a new company, new business. i tried to start to shoot and edit commercial vehicle —— commercial videos for small companies for youtube. also i wa nt to small companies for youtube. also i want to do artwork at creative work. juhais want to do artwork at creative work. juha is optimistic about the way basic income works will make it easier to him to get back into employment. with the basic income, the biggest change is the bureaucracy. like before, i needed to fill out different kind of forms, i need to meet employment office people, i was spending quite a lot of my time on stuff that has no meaning. with basic income, i can

focus on the more important things. i don't need to spend my time on something that has no meaning. and i really believe also that this would be super good for all of the people. so i got my humanity back. i can start to do things what i can do, and what i want to do. and i can use my skills. five months after the start of the experiment, juha is still unemployed. but he is full of enthusiasm. he is about to start his new business. we don't know yet whether there are many persons who have started their own companies, but i have heard from newspapers that there are some, and they have been very positive about this, this possibility, they have two years to say, peaceful time, to start their own companies. the unions in finland

think basic income will have the opposite effect. basic income would bea opposite effect. basic income would be a retirement scheme that you can ta ke be a retirement scheme that you can take up whenever you want. you can simply choose to stop working and live off your savings and basic income, and that means lower level of employment and less taxes. so even less money to fund the social benefits and services that we want. some of the people on the basic income trial were established in professional career so many years before losing theirjobs. my name is thomas, i am a freelance journalist and author. i have been without work since 2013. i was a foreign news editor, to the daily newspaper in finland. but then they decided to put down all the section of the

foreign affairs, so basically i lost myjob. it is not easy to find a job asa myjob. it is not easy to find a job as a journalist in the capital of finland. sofa thomas, being chosen for a basic income pilot was a dream come true. it helps me as a freelancer, and it is social security in a way. without the sigma. —— stigma. to me it is not embarrassing any more to get benefits. work has changed and social politics has to follow that trend now. ithink social politics has to follow that trend now. i think that this basic income will encourage people to get back to the society and not be at home. and he thinks finland can afford a system like this one. the northern countries are more prepared for this kind of basic income system, because the same money is

there already. we pay taxes. now we spend it in a smart way. the budget for the basic income experiment is 20 million euros. this is an experiment model. the problem is that it will be paid by the tax money of hard—working people, and is ha rd money of hard—working people, and is hard tojustify it money of hard—working people, and is hard to justify it to employees, that you have two they are higher level of tax to provide benefits for those who simply choose not to work. it may be expensive, but the truth is, the policymakers have to start thinking radically about new ways to make the labour market worked in the future. studies indicate that in the next 20 years, between 30 and 47% of jobs in developed economies could be at risk of automation. that means robots doing jobs that humans currently do. all this is preying on the mind of ourfourth basic income

recipients. i am 35 years old, i live in helsinki, the capital of finland. i work for a danish company, and through the company i worked all around the world, and after about six years of travelling around i moved back to finland, and the employer told me that i had to move again. which i didn't want to do, and! move again. which i didn't want to do, and i had to give up thejob, so i became unemployed. sini now works for herself and very flexibly. so now i am still working, i have one customer, i am working for a foundation. when we come at work days, three days, so it is a bit insecure. so i have worked, but my income level changes all the time. sini is convinced that more and more people like her will be pursuing flexible careers like this in the

future. very common comment that i get from people, you are educated, open to do different kind of work, how can you be unemployed? and i think, is not discussed openly, but it isa think, is not discussed openly, but it is a situation for educated people, you are unemployed sometimes. and if the scenario of robotics and all these other kind of work concept changed, more and more educated and skilled people will be unemployed. it's now ten months into the pilot, and things have changed radically to ta nya. and things have changed radically to tanya. when we first met her, she thought asic income would make no difference to her prospects of finding a job. difference to her prospects of finding ajob. i took difference to her prospects of finding a job. i took this job offer, it is telemarketing. i

actually enjoy myjob a lot. i love my co—workers, i love the office, i love the hours. and ijust love to be being independent, owning my own money. and standing on my own two feet. now i actually can go to the store and buy food and not be so worried when i am going to eat the next day. basic income has changed my life. without it, i couldn't have taken a job with a little lower salary. i really have dreamed a long time to work in an advertising agency, and there was something with marketing. i am going to learn to be the best telemarketer person in

finland, and find an advertising agency that would give me a job, my dream job. so agency that would give me a job, my dreamjob. so has she agency that would give me a job, my dream job. so has she changed agency that would give me a job, my dreamjob. so has she changed her mind about the basic income experiment? at first i was quite sceptical about basic income. it is obvious that we can't afford to pay it to every citizen. but then i realised, it is actually a genius idea. if you just pay it for those people who have been at home for so long, and been unemployed for so long, and been unemployed for so long, that is a huge drive for them, to get a job. we are human beings, we need human contact, we need to be proud of something, and that's a huge problem when you are unemployed. i think i have turned my life around. when we met him five months ago, he

was hoping he would be able to start a small business after going bankrupt. ten months after starting in the experiment, i still feel super happy and free and independent. he has set up one business already, but he wants to expand. i got my own business, and have been running that for the last few months. the easiest money is making those drums and selling. it is hand craft, it is not super good for business, it takes time to make, andi for business, it takes time to make, and i love it. good to see you. them

one thing i am planning with a couple of my friends, to start like a b&b. we are couple of my friends, to start like a 8&8. we are going to be calling people that know how to draw and paint, and doing something in painting, and putting it here so that next week you can start filming. we have some studios, so people would stay here and spend here one week, tee weeks, or a year. do you want me to help you with the drums? and juha and his friend have other plans as well. today, they have come to meet the mayor, to talk about transforming an old art school and turning it into workshops for artists. juha is optimistic that he will still be on a firm financial footing after the basic income

experiment ends. i think for me it is enough. i believe that after one year my business is running, and i don't need other help. i very much believe that basic income would be super good for finances and the economy of the government. i feel that it should be good for others, also. when we first met unemployed journalist tuomas, he was optimistic that the basic income trial would help them find a newjob. he is now married to a former mp and green party activist. what else is new? what has changed in my life since june? i what has changed in my life since u what has changed in my life since june? i got married, but financially, not so much. i am still

without a job. i can say that the basic income has changed a lot in my life. 0k, psychologically, yes, but financially not so much. tuomas was craving the structure that the job would ring. i would be happy if! had a job, even a part—timejob, for the routines. in that sense, you can call me lazy, because i need a producer, i need somebody to tell me what to do, and i enjoy doing that. now, after five what to do, and i enjoy doing that. now, afterfive years... almost what to do, and i enjoy doing that. now, after five years... almost five yea rs now, after five years... almost five years as now, after five years... almost five yea rs as a now, after five years... almost five years as a freelancer, maybe i am not the right person to be like that. my wife can do that. she has a lwa ys that. my wife can do that. she has always done that. not for me, it is

more secure if you have a job. as tuomas attends a political event with his new wife, how does he feel now aboutjob with his new wife, how does he feel now about job prospects?” with his new wife, how does he feel now about job prospects? i have still over one year to go, so anything can happen. so i am quite optimistic. i am anything can happen. so i am quite optimistic. iam not anything can happen. so i am quite optimistic. i am not worried when this pilot is ending, because then i have got back to the old system, and get those benefits and other way. let's see, during summertime next year, i will have a job. and what about sini? she wanted a career structure that will allow her to work for multiple employers and still find time for herself and her family. the insecurity of not having a permanentjob,

family. the insecurity of not having a permanent job, and family. the insecurity of not having a permanentjob, and actually working as self—employed, allows also to have more freedom on the way you spend your time. my dad has old—timers, and me and my sister, who lives also in finland, we try to help them out a lot. sini has found that basic income gives her more time with family, and also to pursue charity work. with basic income, it is kind of easy maybe to get this work—life balance. so basic income helps me to make myself available, to help my parents, or do volunteer work. of course i understand not everybody is motivated to do those things, but i am the type of person that i want to do something that makes me happy, and i would want more people to have the courage to say, ok, maybe money is not

everything. what would you like to study? language. i think everything. what would you like to study? language. ithink basic income as an idea, for everyone to receive it, is a very nice idea. 0n an individual level it has been very, very life changing for me. so i would see a package more or less ina way i would see a package more or less in a way that if your income drops toa in a way that if your income drops to a certain level, then you become pa rt to a certain level, then you become part of kind of the basic income or the benefit system. four people, four very different experiences of basic income. tanya has —— tanja has found a job she would never have considered before, juha has rediscovered his entrepreneurial spirit, tuomas were still unemployed, and sini has found a way

to pursue a portfolio career, see herfamily, to pursue a portfolio career, see her family, and do to pursue a portfolio career, see herfamily, and do charity work. there is a year to go before the trial ends. is there a chance the government will extend the scheme to all of them than's unemployed? finland is quite moderate in this way, we have a culture of experimentation, and where we want to see this kind of social innovations in practice. so whether this basic income is the solution to poverty or labour market goblins, can still be proud that finland has taken this sort of bold way of testing, and hopefully our experience can benefit other nations. we will have to wait and see if finland's experiment becomes a model for the future. hello there.

step outside this weekend and you may well have a bit of a shock to the system, particularly if you got to enjoy some sunshine during friday, because in southern areas, that lifted temperatures all the way up to 1a degrees. forget about that for saturday. two or three degrees will be much more typical, and not only will it be cold through the weekend, we will see some snow and some ice, which brings the potential for some disruption. so here's how the early part of saturday shapes up. this band of snow drifting southwards and westwards, perhaps still some rain and sleet into the far south—west. but these showers following on from the east will all be falling as snow, because there is some very cold air racing towards us. i say racing — we'll have a really strong easterly wind blowing, and that will make it feel extremely cold. now, i've taken the cloud off the charts to allow us to focus on the snow. you can see this band of snow moving across southern areas. that could give a covering in places, then these showers

feeding in across the east, particularly in parts of northern england. all the while, for northern ireland in scotland, not as many showers. there will be some sunshine here, but wherever you are, a cold day. and then, when we add on the strength of the wind and factor that into the equation, well, it will feel like it is sub—zero across many parts of the country. and then, as we go into saturday night, we have met office amber "be prepared" warnings in force, initially across parts of eastern england, into the north midlands, also parts of the south—east, including the london area, and then into sunday, parts of south—west england and south wales. these are the areas most prone to disruptive snowfall as we head through saturday night and into sunday. lots of showers pushing in from the east, as you can see. and then later in the night, through the early hours, there is the potential for an area of more persistent snow to develop across the south—west of england and into the south of wales. temperatures dropping below freezing, so quite widespread frost and some ice to take us

into sunday morning. so on sunday there is the potential for significant and disruptive snow across the south—west of england and the south—west of wales. worth staying in touch with our forecast through the weekend, but notice further east, the showers tend to fade away. more on the way of dry weather, some spells of sunshine. it will, though, still be cold. now, high pressure will be sitting through the north as we go through the weekend. during sunday night, that high drifts a bit further westwards, and eventually that will cut off the feet of easterly winds, giving something a bit more northerly. still not a very warm wind direction, but things will turn a bit less cold through next week. dry to start, more unsettled later on. this is bbc news. i'm sharanjit leyl. our top stories: the british foreign secretary accuses president putin of being behind a nerve agent attack. we think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the uk, the streets of europe, for the first time since the second world war. as the conflict in syria continues —

aid agencies say over 50,000 people have fled afrin, in the last few days alone. weeks after stepping down — former south african president jacob zuma is charged with corruption, over a billion—dollar arms deal. three african countries — home to most of the continent's elephants — call for a ban on the sale of all antique ivory. more elephants are being killed every yaer than are being born.