two russian men appear on state tv to say they're wrongly accused of the salisbury poisonings, they say they were just tourists in the city. the men admit to being in salisbury in march. they say they'd been encouraged by friends to visit the sights. there is the famous salisbury cathedral. it is famous for its 123 metre it is famous for its 123 metre spire. we'll hear more about that television appearance, live from moscow. also this lunchtime. preparing for a no—deal brexit the cabinet meets to discuss contingencies, in the event of no agreement between britain and the eu. any responsible government would need to be prepared for the unlikely and regrettable scenario where the negotiations don't reach a positive conclusion. a positive conclusion. a dramatic fall in profits at thejohn lewis partnership down 99%, in what the group says is challenging times for the retail sector. and, chopin in shopping centres? why people are being encouraged to play in public, in the run up to the leeds international piano competition.

and coming up on bbc news... a former premier league footballer has urged clubs to employ mental—health specialists. marvin sordell suffered from depression and even attempted to take his own life. good afternoon, and welcome to the bbc news at one. two men from russia — who say they are suspects blamed by britain for the salisbury nerve agent attack — have appeared on the kremlin—funded television channel, rt. the men — who looked similar to the cctv footage released by the police — deny having anything to do with the poisoning of the former russian agent, sergei skripal, and his daughter — but have admitted to being in salisbury. that is us. what were you doing

there? our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town. salisbury, a wonderful town? visit this wonderful town. salisbury, a wonderfultown? yes. a tourist town. there is the famous salisbury cathedral, famous not only in europe but in the whole world. it is famous for its 123 metre spire. it's famous for its clock, one of the first ever created in the world that is still working. so you came to salisbury to look at the clock? no we planned to visit london at first and have fun there. well, let us find out more about

that appearance, our correspondent sarah rainsford was watching the interview in moscow. we had a suggestion, yesterday, that a tv appearance like this might happen. what more did we learn from all of this? there is nothing accidental at all about the timing of this. it comes exactly a day after vladimir putin called on the key suspects to come forward and to explain themselves and had said himself there was nothing criminal, nothing special about them and lo and behold they appeared that very evening and we have seen the interview on rt, the foreign facing if you like channel of russian state television. now, the content is basically a flat denial these two men had anything to do with the nerve agent attack, the first thing to say of course is they look very much like the two suspects who have been identified in the uk who have been identified in the uk who were captured on cctv footage and the men say it was them, they we re and the men say it was them, they were there. they say they didn't know anything about skip skip, they

had nothing do with the allegation that nerve agent was smeared on his door handle and subsequently he and his daughter were poisoned. in fact they have presented themselves purely as tourists and i think the tone of this is very much in line with the russian reaction to the salisbury case, which is to deny it outright and to use mockery. all right. sarah, thank you. theresa may has been chairing a special cabinet meeting to discuss preparations for leaving the eu without a deal. the government is also due to publish guidance on issues including mobile phone roaming charges, driving licences and passports, in the event of the eu and the uk not reaching an agreement. our political correspondent ben wright reports. do you think we can get a deal. absolutely said a bullish brexit secretary heading into cabinet orren the agenda for britain's readiness

for leaving the eu without any deal. are the planes going to fly? we don't know yet but a picture is merging of how no deal would impact british businesses and tourists.” think any responsible government would need to be prepared for the unlikely and regrettable scenario where the negotiations don't reach a positive conclusion and so we need those plans in place, they are common—sense balanced approach to balancing the risk of a no—deal brexit and making sure we can give business, public bodies the reassurance they need. using your phonein reassurance they need. using your phone in europe, if there is no deal, could be much more expensive and the government will publish guidance later on how roaming charge, driving licenses, and passports could be affected, if no agreement with the eu is reached. the government has already told businesses to prepare for disruption and drug companies to stockpile medicines. today's mammoth meeting shows the government is taking its no deal planning very seriously

indeed. but, by setting out starkly the disruption and costs it would involve, ministers are also warning theresa may's critics in westminster not to derail a brexit deal that number ten thinks is close. mps will vote on whether to accept or reject the final agreement. and theresa may is under pressure from tory brexiteers to show that she's serious about walking away from the talks. it is essential that the government really puts massive effort into making sure that we are ready on exit day for all eventualities including the situation where the eu hasn't been reasonable and an agreement with them has not been reached. today the government said the uk might not pay the billions of pounds it owes if there is no deal but labour says leaving without an agreement would bea leaving without an agreement would be a disaster. think it is about trying to apply pressure to the european union in the negotiations,

but that would be the consequence of failure. because in the end, the economic damage that would be done to the united kingdom by living with no deal would outweigh any money you would save hand what the government's assessment shows. more no deal plans will be published by the government in the next few week, while ministers desperately hope they will never be needed. norman smith is following this. how prepared is the government, do you think norman for a no deal situation? well, jane, time is now very short, we could be six months away from leaving the eu without a deal. today's cabinet was designed asa deal. today's cabinet was designed as a long cold shower for minister, as a long cold shower for minister, a reality check for those ministers who maybe have been dragging their feet thinking it is never going to that, a gentle boot up the backside

to them, to put in place plans for no deal. it was also designed though, as a reality check, if you like, for the eu, to dispel the idea this is how a great big bluff by mrs may, that she is not serious about walking away from the negotiating table if she can't get the agreement she want, most importantlyer, i think it was meant as a reality check for those disgruntled mps on the backbenches unhappy with the chequers plan, to say to them, look, it is either mrs may's deal or no deal. and the hope is that faced with that choice, they will blink and they will back her chequers plan. thank you. norman smith. if you would like help demistifying the various terms surrounding brexit you can find the bbcjargon buster on the website. profits at the john lewis partnership have

fallen dramatically. the group, which includes john lewis department stores and waitrose supermarkets, made a profit in the six months to latejuly ofjust £1.2 million — a fall of 99%. its chairman said the retail sector had seen the most promotional market in a decade. more details from our business correspondent theo leggett. john lewis likes to make a big noise about being different to other high street stores but today's figures make it clear it is under the same pressures as its main rivals on the high street. in the first six months of the year john lewis which includes waitrose racked up sales worth nearly 5.5 billion. but it only made a profit of1.2 billion. but it only made a profit of 1.2 million. that is down 99% compared to the same period last year. the chief executive says competition

is making life tough there is too much retail space, there is more than demand for us as consumers and that creates a really tough competitive environment, so retailers are not passing on price increasing, they have to absorb their margins. john lewis says the problems are down the high street. it has a price match promise so if they cut prices it has to as well, john lewis says that has been cutting its profits heavily. the company says it has no plans to end that policy. it is not cutting back on investment either. it is rebranding store, focussing on customer service with a team of personal stylists and launched its own product label but will it work? i thinkjohn lewis's strategy is pragmatic for what is happening in retail. they have to have unique products so they don't have to price match. they are developing very good fashion ranges and across the whole

piece as well so this will set them up piece as well so this will set them up well in future. there is no question department stores have been struggling. house of fraser was bought by sports direct last month after falling into administration. and debenhamsjust after falling into administration. and debenhams just this week rushed out trading figures to fight claims it was also in financial trouble. john lewis insists it can prosper by being different and avoid becoming another casualty of the british high street. hurricane florence, one of the most powerful storms in decades, is approaching the southeast coast of america. the storm has been downgraded slightly as it nears land, but experts say with massive storm surges and intense rainfall expected, there is a real danger of catastrophic flooding. richard lister has the latest. the hurricane hunters from the us air force tracking the storm that could be the biggest in a generation. the wind have eased slightly, but they are still topping

out at 110mph, and florence is getting bigger. satellite images show it covers a vast area, almost 180,000 square miles. with potentially devastating impact. north carolina, my message is clear. disasters at the doorstep and it's coming in. more than a million people have been ordered to leave home for their own safety. ten million are affected by weather warnings, some coastal communities on the eastern sea board are becoming ghost town, supermarkets still open but running low on stock. petrol stations drained of fuel as people gas up and get out. they are running out of everything, there is no milk, no bread, nothing at the stores. what about gas? everybody is filling up right now.|j stores. what about gas? everybody is filling up right now. i have two kids i want them nowhere near the danger of the hurricane. they are bracing for a savage assault, some communities are facing a possible 2a

hours of hurricane force winds, and more than a0 inches of rain. in the mandatory evacuation zones the exodus continue, some inbound lanes have been closed or versed to help people leave but not everyone is ready to go. we are not trying to be heroic but we feel we have just as good a chance here as we would in town. most though are gathering their most precious potions and making their escape. the authorities insist those who stay are risking their lives. residents in the path of these devastates storms should comply with all evacuation orders and other emergency instructions. but time is running out. and hurricane florence is moving in. laura trevelyan is in wilmington, north carolina. what is the picture there this lunchtime laura? well, the hurricane

is about 200 miles away from us, right now. it is weakening. it is gaining in size though. this is the closest we are allowed to get to the coast, that bridge behind me is closed. we are in a mandatory evacuation area. if you look at the geography of this community, you can understand why the triple threat posed by this hurricane is so dangerous. we expect a storm surge here of about 12 feet, we expect hurricane force winds over 100mph and look how low lying we are here, we expect anywhere between 15 and a0 inches of rain because this hurricane is going to store parallel to the coast and drench us and that could lead to catastrophic flooding here and in land and that is why, jane, people here are braced for the worst that hurricane florence could bring. thank you laura. the highest level in a decade.

figures from nhs england show that 78% of cancer patients began treatment within two mondays of a gp referral, the target is 85%. people found guilty of assaulting emergency services workers are to face tougher sentences. the new law, which will come into effect in november, will double the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker, from six months to a year. there were more than 26,000 assaults on police officers in the past year, and 17,000 assaults on nhs staff. the inquest for those killed in last year's terrorist attack on westminster bridge has heard a man describe his frantic search for his girlfriend. andrei burnaz, a tourist from romania, was standing next to andreea cristea when she was knocked into the river thames by khalid masood's car. she died from her injuries two weeks later.

helena lee is at the old bailey. the hearing has heard evidence from those people who saw what happened to andreea and those who tried to help her. michael brown had been driving his van over westminster bridge and he saw her being flung into the river thames. he described the scene afterwards as carnage and earlier we heard from the boyfriend of andreea who gave evidence and spoke about the moments leading up to the attack. 0ndrej berndt as, andreea cristea's boyfriend, came to court this morning to tell the hearing how he frantically searched for his girlfriend after they were hit by khalid masood's car. the couple had been on holiday in london doing what tourists do. they were on westminster bridge enjoying the sights will stop andreea cristea

busy taking photographs, like this one, of westminster. it turned out to be the last picture she took. in court, 0ndrej berndt as was asked about the seconds before they were hit. he said, i heard something hit something and after that, at the same time, people were screaming. i saw the car come towards as and it was very quick. everything was very quick. he told the hearing he frantically searched for his girlfriend but couldn't find her. he only found her phone and glasses in a pool of blood. she had been flung into the thames. she died from her injuries two weeks after the attack. later we are going to hear more evidence from the medical teams who cared for her and then the inquest into pc palmer is expected to open. he was the officer who was stabbed and killed by khalid masood. helena lee at the old bailey, thank you. our top story this lunchtime.

two russian men have appeared on state television saying they've been wrongly accused of salisbury poisonings. they admitted being in the cathedral city but said they just tourists. and still to come. the highs and lows of being an 18—year—old today. a new study shines light on how behaviours have changed over the years. coming up on bbc news... british cyclist simon yates continues to lead the vuelta a espana. he took a 25 second advantage into today's 18th stage, one of just four stages remaining. as we've been reflecting this week, it is ten years since the banking giant lehman brothers collapsed. it was the biggest casualty of the financial crisis, the root cause of which was the decision by american financial institutions to give mortgages to people who often couldn't afford them. those loans were bundled, and sold from one bank to another, so when the housing bubble burst, panic spread quickly throughout the financial system.

the effects of the crisis are still felt today. and what of the people who worked for lehman brothers, famously photographed leaving the building carrying their belongings in cardboard boxes? emma simpson has been speaking to three former employees to find out what they're doing a decade on. it was the largest bankruptcy in us history. the moment when the credit crunch spiralled into a full—blown financial crisis. workers cleared their desks, too, watched by the world's media — including me. emma, what have you been able to glean for us? well, the mood tonight here is grim, huw, as you would expect. thousands of workers leaving the office tonight, wondering if they're going to have jobs to return to. ten years on, so, what did happen to all those workers? some were just new recruits, starting their careers in the city. like anil stocker, joining lehman brothers

straight out of university. so, this bag was given to all the new recruits when we joined. as a veryjunior employee, we didn't really see what was coming. there was also quite a lot of propaganda inside the building. i remember posters in elevator saying, you know, "lehman brothers will not be affected by the global financial crisis." so, owen, what are our 03 priorities? anil went on to start his own financial technology company, lending to small businesses. i guess the experience of lehman did scar me, in many ways. and i wanted to set about creating my own company, help small businesses in the real economy, be a force for good. actually the antithesis of what i'd seen. for emilie bellet, starting at lehmans was a dream job. an experience which also changed her career path. she's now created a business to help women squeeze the most out of their money. i'm trying to use what i've learned

and bring it to normal people. so, basically trying to democratise finance, and personal finance. how do you feel about being part of that industry at that time, which wreaked havoc? it felt awful, being part of lehman of the time. and it was extremely hard and stressful. so now i'm trying to give back, i'm trying to build a better business. but it was difficult. it was hard. for some people today, it's not a good sign to be an ex—lehman employee. here's another one. moscow graduate nikolay storonksky. nikolay‘s created a new disruptive digital bank. he understands why his fast—growing business has more rules to follow today. there was a lot of risk—taking and not wise risk—taking. because i experienced everything myself in 2008, when i read the regulations now, because of obviously applying

for a banking licence, to become a bank, i really understand where it's all coming from. few saw the crash coming, but there is now a new generation of financial entrepreneurs, determined to do things differently. emma simpson, bbc news. public health england has defended its decision to work with drinkaware, a charity funded by the alcohol industry. nearly 50 health experts have warned the tie—up, on a campaign to encourage middle—aged people to drink less, puts the body's reputation at risk. our social affairs correspondent michael buchanan is here. there has been real disquiet building here for a few days about this now. explain what's going on. on monday public health england earlier on this week launched a campaign to get people to drink less, stay dry for two days a week at least and that message has been broadly welcomed. the problem is

they've decided to promote that message with this charity called drinkaware, which gets most of its funding from the drinks industry. that led to the government alcohol adviser resigning earlier this week and now, 50 public health experts have written to public health england saying you shouldn't be doing this at all. they're basically is this —— their argument is this, it damages the credibility of public health industry and many of the funders of the charity are undermining the messages that public health england are trying to get across, that people should drink less. public health england have been taken aback by the ferocity of the link here but they say they are trying to work in a new way, hoping to reach some of the 9 million people who go to drinkaware's website on an annual basis to see if they can engage with those people to get them to reduce their alcohol inta ke get them to reduce their alcohol intake and any charity they say willing to push their messages, they are willing to work with. whether public health england are all the critics are right will ultimately be decided on whether this campaign is

successful on getting people to drink less and we won't know for a while yet. michael buchanan. a ten—year—old boy in missouri is recovering after he was attacked by wasps while in a tree house, only to fall out of the tree onto a meat skewer. i should warn you, you may find these x—ray images disturbing. the thin spike that went through xavier cunningham's head miraculously missed his eyes, brain, spinal cord and major blood vessels. staff at kansas university hospital told local media that the little boy is expected to recover fully, although his voice may be affected. 18—year—olds today are healthier, play more sport and they did at the time of the millennium. official data comparing the lives of 18 year olds today, to those who were 18 in the year

2000, have been published by the ons. it shows that despite many positives it's an uncertain time for young people. optimistic at 18. the ending of adolescence, the beginning of adulthood. i'm definitely buying a house, man. yeah, i'm buying a house. i'll have the money, don't worry about that. so, what will the future bring when it comes to dreams, hopes and life plans? as soon as i finished uni, find a job at 21. i want to settle down and 25, 26. obviously get married as well around that age. have children at, like, 27. today's report by the office of national statistics looks at lifestyle, health and aspirations. it shows around a3% of 18—year—olds are working. this compares with 60% at the start of the millennium. one in three 18—year—olds are at university. they are also less likely to drink and smoke. what are the big challenges facing young people? the impact that brexit will have on them, the fact thatjobs are changing, the economy is changing. automation is coming. how will they know what careers they will have in the future? and we know things like young people, half of young

people are likely to not own their own house. so there's that disconnect between that aspiration and what they're told they going to get all they're going to inherit. in the year 2000, i was 18 years old. now 36, this generation also had their challenges. hi, i'm a youth worker from birmingham and i have two children. i'm hazel woodward, from manchester. i'm a marketing coordinator and i have two children. i'm not as far as i wanted to be. in 2008, i had business ideas. obviously the financial crush happened and then it was, kind of like... in 2008, we bought our first property on the friday, and on monday the housing market crashed. it wiped 30 grand off the value of our house. so it had a massive impact on me and my family. it took us nearly ten years to recover from that. whilst 18—year—olds are overall living a healthier life compared to those in the millennium, they also share concerns about the health of their financial future.

elaine dunkley, bbc news. chopin in shopping centres and haydn on the high street — that's what's being heard in leeds this week during the build—up to what's regarded as the uk's most prestigious piano competition. our entertainment correspondent colin paterson has been in the city to speak to members of the public who've been tempted to tinkle the ivories. pianos have been popping up in precincts and places all round leeds. the reason? to celebrate the leeds international piano competition. the steps of the town hall have been turned into a giant keyboard. ifeel like tom hanks in big. the leeds international piano competition has been taking place every three years since the start of the ‘60s. it's a truly global event to find

the best young pianist in the world, with finalists this year from as far as china, russia and the usa. and the judges — who are concert pianists themselves — have been giving impromptu performances in the centre of the city, in what's been dubbed the world's smallest concert hall. this is great. yeah, it's noisy but i don't care. it doesn't matter, music wins out. yeah. oh, what a lovely, magical thing. it was such a tedious day. i had nothing but boring things to do and i'm absolutely uplifted by it. it's just magnificent. the build—up to the final has included the impressionist alistair mcgowan returning to his alma mater, the university of leeds, to talk about taking up the piano at the age of a9. it's sort of taken over my life, i must admit.

i can't wait, i itch, i salivate, if i see a piano in a room i want to play it and i keep wanting to learn new pieces and my big frustration at starting late in life is thinking of the pieces i will never play. the event is trying to make sure that rather younger people are encouraged to take up the instrument. press any notes you want, one at a time if you want. brilliant. the competitors, including yuanfan yang, have been going into leeds schools to give demonstrations. i'll try to turn that into a piece of music. did you know you were that good at composing music? no. we have to get out of the concert hall, take it into schools, and the idea is that years later they will come into the concert hall, they will have had this experience — you just plant a seed. and it has appeared to be working.

we were not short of volunteers at blenheim primary school willing to make their debut on the instrument and let us film the outcome. is it first time you've ever played the piano? yes. wow! although this lot could probably do with a bit more practice. colin paterson, bbc news, leeds. it's whether time and here is ben rich. good afternoon, you can see where we are starting the forecast, an update on hurricane florence which is now bearing down on the east coast of the usa, the first