Time in more than two years in north and south korea have engaged in formal talks to try and defuse tensions between the two countries. The south has asked the north to end any hostile acts, while the north agreed was a need to guarantee a peaceful need on the peninsula. They will also send a delegation to the Winter Olympics next month. Represents a sudden and dramatic change after months of tension. Reporting from seoul. It wasjust last week that kim jong un, in his new year s message made a sudden and unexpected announcement that he wa nted and unexpected announcement that he wanted to open talks with south korea and that he was willing to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics that begin in south korea. Today, those talks happened. They produced a result that not many people would have predicted. Just a a few weeks ago. The skiers on the slopes ofjohn chang today were moving a little slower than they will be in a months time. Then, the world s best will be flying down to compete. And now we know that when the Olympic Games open here on february seven, there will be a full north korean team competing. They will march in side by side with their south korean compatriots. Translation i think with both we can translation i think with both we can with sports we can put everything aside and everybody should do their best to achieve their goals in the competition. North korea is just their goals in the competition. North korea isjust 50 miles away in that direction and the north has really completely overshadowed progressions for the and pics here. Some teams have threatened to pull out, ticket sales slow, you can see this place isnt exactly humming with skiers so there is immense relief here that the north and are at least talking. Cashback and south. North korea is chief delegate this morning strode across the demarcation line, he warmly shook the hand of his south korean counterpart. The weather is cold, he said pol pot despite the cold the peoples desire for relations is unfrozen. It is hard to overstate how dramatic and rapid this shift has been. It is only a month since north korea test fired this huge new missile, posting it could hit any city in the United States. Off the coast of korea, us aircraft carriers massed, swarming with supersonic aircraft. It felt like this region was teetering on the brink of war. So is pyongyangs sudden change of heart real orjust a tactic to avoid war with america . North korea would like to gain time in order to avoid a potential action by the United States and eventually re engage so it can threaten the United States. The winter of the pics a cover for kimjong un, a the winter of the pics a cover for kim jong un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. Olympics. But here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. Steve bannon, the former white house adviser to president trump, has resigned as executive chairman of breitbart news, the right wing news organisation. Mr bannon, who was a key member of the trump team, has recently been quoted in a new book criticising the president s son. Breitbart said that mr bannon was a valued part of its legacy and theyd always be grateful for his contributions. Our correspondent david willis is in washington. The writing was on the wall for steven bannon, after the president came out and slapped him down, called him sloppy steve and made it clear that he wasnt happy with him and the money followed. It certainly did and you know when the president slaps you with some sort of thing like that it is only a question of time. You are right. It was the money that ran out to him. Rebecca mercer and herfather, money that ran out to him. Rebecca mercer and her father, robert money that ran out to him. Rebecca mercer and herfather, robert are not household names in the United States but they are very powerful republican backers. They did not like what steve bannon was quoted as saying in Michael Wolffs book and they withdrew their pledge to underwrite fielding of conservative candidates in the mid term elections. Steve bannon was promising to do that, to shake up the republican party. Now it seems the republican party. Now it seems the mercerfamily the republican party. Now it seems the Mercer Family have followed the advice of the advice white house spokeswoman, sarah sanders. The key benefit is have withdrawn their support for steve bannon. So he is out and out in the cold, a shakespearean fall from grace for a man who pop upjust shakespearean fall from grace for a man who pop up just months before the election to some say, guide donald trump to the white house. Some republican candidates in the mid term it elections, they must be breathing a sigh of relief because then said he will fund outliers, up and people fund people who would challenge those republican candidates in some seats. Absolutely. People in the donald trump mould, far right candidates, to shake up particularly mitch mcconnell, the senate leader, the republican who he particulate takes issue with a two he regards as too soft. You know what, it is interesting. This is somebody who really had his moment, was seen it, if you like, as the ideological head of the old right movement in the United States. The question now is who is the leader of that movement . It would seem it is donald trump and not steve bannon, a man who clearly has political conditions of his own and floated the prospect of himself running for president at one point. Thanks to that david. For that. The trial of Barry Bennell, the former football coach, has been told that he was a predatory and determined paedophile whosejob had given him unfettered access to large numbers of boys. Bennell, whos now known as richard jones, has already admitted 7 charges of indecent assault between 1979 and 1991. Hes pleaded not guilty to a further 48 counts of historical child sex offences as our Sports Editor dan roan reports. A successful former coach in the 1980s, Barry Bennell worked with some of the most promising young footballers in the northwest of england. Youth team coach at crewe alexandra, he also had links with Manchester City and stoke city. But today, Liverpool Crown court was told the 63 year old, who now calls himself richard jones, was also a predatory, determined and devious paedophile. For the prosecution, Nicholas Johnson qc told the jury that bennell, who appeared via video link because of ill health, engaged in a course of conduct over many years involving systematic and persistent sexual abuse of pre or peri pubescent boys. He had pretty much unfettered access to large numbers of young lads who dreamt of life in professional football. Although it seemed that mr bennell was a skilled and relatively successful coach, he said, he had a much darker side. The court was told that bennell had previously served two prison sentences, both here and in the United States for serious Sexual Offences against junior footballers, but that he insisted the current complainants were maliciously making up stories about him, seeking attention or compensation. The court was told that bennell subjected boys to hundreds of assaults and even carried out some of his crimes here, in one of the changing rooms at the ground of crewe alexandra. But several alleged victims also played for clubs linked to Manchester City. One alleged he was abused when aged between 11 and 13 more than 100 times after bennell introduced himself as a scout for the club. Another claimed he was abused at bennells house and on football tours, where horror movies would be played to soften up his victims. And one complainant, who threatened to report the abuse, said bennell told him that nobody would believe him and that, ive got people playing professional football now that ive done these things to youre nothing. The jury was told they would have to decide between bennells version of events or believe the prosecutions case that hed committed Sexual Offences on a large scale against very vulnerable lads. The trial continues. Dan roan, bbc news, liverpool. The government reshufflecarried out by theresa may has resulted in more women and mps from ethnic minorities being appointed ministers. The Prime Minister said the changes meant the government would look more like the country it served and gave opportunities to a new generation of ministers. Several long standing ministers have lost their jobs, as our deputy Political Editor jon pienaar reports. Allowed through the door at number ten today for a quick peek at the new look cabinet. Nobody moved. Almost nobody moved yesterday, because theresa may couldnt make them. Where is she . There she is. Jeremy hunt, the health secretary, was in the way and wouldnt budge, just like yesterday. The new faces in the top team were happy enough, though. Theres lots of energy, lots of ideas. It was a really important meeting this morning, with a sense of renewed vigour. And the losers . I did what i thought the right thing to do was. Justine greening, now ex education secretary, had no regrets. She wouldnt switch jobs. Now shesjogged off. You have to be careful about who you alienate. You cant make too many enemies . No, you cant. That is the simple truth of all reshuffles. But i do think the Prime Minister has balanced it well. We have stability at cabinet level, and we have new blood coming through into the other layers of government. So the balancing act, shes got right. Bringing the tory party closer to people was todays mission, making government look more like the electorate and somehow retrieving old loyalties that were junked by potential voters. Excited about the prospect ofjoining the government . Very. So for thosejudged the brightest and the best, the guessing game was over. You live in hope these days. Are you pleased with your newjob . They left number ten happier than they went in. Some couldnt bear to wait for the official announcement before passing on the news. Congratulations, what have you got . Altogether, 1a mps were given jobs, eight of them women and five from ethnic minorities. Meanwhile, another plan went wrong today. Toby young, appointed to the board of a new university regulator, resigned under pressure. He had helped set up free schools, but past inflammatory comments and tweets forced him to step down before he could start his new role. An embarrassment to the government, but a relief to critics, including tories. Clearly, Due Diligence wasnt done. I made it clear i thought it was the wrong thing to do because of some very extreme things that toby young had said in the past on eugenics, on the disabled and the way he described working class people. Newly appointed and promoted ministers are looking happy tonight. They always do. But this reshuffle, the ministers theresa may couldnt move or sack, has been as much a mark of her political vulnerability as the sign of strength her party wanted. Tory mps can only hope for a tighter grip at the top in what will be a defining year. British politics is as volatile as its been in modern times. Unpredictability is the new normal. John pienaar, bbc news, westminster. A 16 year old boy has been charged with the murder of a shopkeeper in north west london. Vijay patel was killed outside his shop in mill hill on saturday night, following a row over cigarette papers. An internet appeal for his family, launched by the local synagogue, has raised more than £10,000 today. Eight people have died and at least 25 have been injured after torrential rain triggered mudslides in southern california. Officials say the mudflow is waist deep in places. The area was hit by wildfires late last year. Residents now face being evacuated from their homes for the second time in two months. Now its time for newsnight with evan davis. Spot the difference new cabinet old cabinet. Yes, we struggled as well. A two day reshuffle, and quite a bit of a kerfuffle. But it leaves government disrupted but not altogether relaunched. The Prime Minister has been struggling with a pretty tough joint, that is raising questions about her mastery of some pretty basic skills. Was it much ado about nothing . Or can it reset the conservatives overall direction . With talks between the north and south, well examine the search for peace on the korean peninsula. In the middle east we will examine irans foreign policy. Its accused of not searching for peace. Iranian expansionism is extraordinarily dangerous. First of all, they have shia groups throughout the region they can rely on that they can, if you will, convert, or infiltrate. Also tonight, toby young steps down. Virgin west coast says it will no longer sell the daily mail on its trains. It seems a culture war is raging in the uk. James delingpole and paris lees will tell us whether it needs to be conducted with quite so much vitriol. Hello. Its done, after two days, government has been reshuffled and reshaped. 124jobs in government, including junior ministers and whips and all the hangers on and about a third of those have been moved or are new. Including moves for some names you might recognise, including jojohnson and rory stewart who were shunted from jobs in their comfort zone, to jobs elsewhere. Two important critiques of the reshuffle are emerging though
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