after months of rising tensions on the korean peninsula, the north and south are to hold a new military dialogue and appear together at the winter olympics. within the past hour, the south korean president, moon jae—in, said denuclearising the korean peninsula was an aim that cannot be abandoned. bur he also said that he did not want the immediate reunification of north and south korea. translation: it is the fundamental pathway, we needed to pass, which is a total... cannot be compromised. and this should be the only way for us and this should be the only way for us to achieve full piece on the korean peninsulas. live now to the south korean capital, and our correspondent, sophie long. the president has been giving a speech. he is now taking questions from the press. what do you make of it all? i think what is interesting about what we have heard from president moonjae—in this morning if he has used the word denuclearisation quite a few times and has also talked about the united states and how they working together with united days and that is their ultimate goal and that there is no disagreement between south korea and the united states. these talks yesterday were historic, though the first government to government level talks between north and south korea in two yea rs. between north and south korea in two years. their scope was limited. they we re years. their scope was limited. they were always going to talk about the olympics. a large debt of —— denigration, a high—ranking delegation, but they were always rent to that. they talked about humanitarian affairs. the fundamental issue was only mention very briefly once. it was brought up by the south korean delegation and north korea did not engage. that is the fundamental issue because even if you create a better atmosphere, evenif if you create a better atmosphere, even if tensions are relieved, the issue at the end of the day is they have said they will continue with their content —— have said they will continue with their content —- uq have said they will continue with their content —— u0 and missile programme and that is completely unacceptable programme and that is completely u na cce pta ble to programme and that is completely unacceptable to the art of states. the feeling for many people if they have been here before with north korea. there may be no real long—term change, but the north is perhaps making nice with south korea to avoid war with the united states. yes, that's right. there is a lot of scepticism about what exactly the north korean leader's motivation is an suddenly opening up to dialogue with the south. it could be that they were at the end of 2017 on the brink of war, but also the economic situation is important as well. right at the end of december 2017 the latest round, the toughest round of un imposed sanctions were imposed on the north korean regime. though sanctions on now be starting to bite and he will be looking for some kind of economic relief if he cannot get it internationally, perhaps he is looking towards south korea. this again will be a very difficult tightrope for moon jae—in to again will be a very difficult tightrope for moonjae—in to walk. he has been very clear that he wants to engage with the north, he wants better inter— korean relations, but when we get to economic cooperation, that could be very difficult because he won't want to do anything that could undermine those international sanctions. we certainly hurt him stand very fully besides the united states today. thank you very much for that. let's go back to the president's press conference still going on. translation: the contribution donald trump made for this talk to be made, i think its contribution is enormous. so ijust say i think its contribution is enormous. so i just say thank you to him. although we started a dialogue, with north korea, the nuclear issue is still there. so for the pressure, any necessary is still there. so for the pressure, a ny necessary pressures is still there. so for the pressure, any necessary pressures that need to be given to north korea will come together with the international community in doing so, to do so. with the press conference still going on, let's leave it for the moment and speak to a research fellow at the pacific forum at the centre for strategic studies. he is in honolulu right now. i know you spent time in north korea. you are teaching entrepreneurial skills i think. where do you think the current situation leaves north and south? well, i think in the short term, they are going to need their immediate goals from moonjae—in, thatis immediate goals from moonjae—in, that is to have an olympics that along smoothly without any interruption or trouble, north korea wa nts to interruption or trouble, north korea wants to use the olympics to showcase its own athletes and then its broader cultural and artistic prowess , its broader cultural and artistic prowess, which they going to get to do. and that is creating a space in which dialogue about the mordt compensated issues can take place. but as the commentators have pointed out, those issues remain extremely complicated and will be hard to solve as 2018 goes on. you have spent time in north korea. is it you're feeling that the north has been drawn this far because the sanctions are biting? there is a little evidence recently that sanctions are having an effect. we are seeing just in the last few weeks possible fluctuations in the exchange rate. they will also be fluctuations in the price of fuel in particular, and i am hearing anecdotally that people in north korea are being more conservative with their money. they are buying cheaper goods, we are splurging less often on restaurants and things like that so there is a concern in north korea about what the sanctions, what kind of impact the sanctions might have in the coming weeks and months. you think the north might be open to wider talks? well, i think the groundwork is being set right now, but once you get to those talks, it is still all the work to be done, right. a core strategic concern of north korea and 110w strategic concern of north korea and now the core strategic concerns of the united states and south korea are the united states and south korea a re really, really the united states and south korea are really, really going to be difficult to bridge. so moonjae—in is hoping that perhaps some kind of incremental approach can drag washington, dc a long on a path that explores some of these more difficult issues, but it's going to bea difficult issues, but it's going to be a long and difficult road indeed. an awful lot of people suffering of course in north korea. what are the chances that the kind of closer ties and more engagement of the south korean president of talking about will benefit ordinary north koreans? i think they certainly would, in the long run, but really, his options for economic engagement are quite limited given how robust the un sanctions regime now is. it would be ha rd to have sanctions regime now is. it would be hard to have projects in the north that would not violate sanctions, and also he has this domestic constituency to think about as well, and there will be people in south korea and post to engagement with north korea of a certain type anyway. in the long run, the two countries should be co—operating, this huge political hurdle needs to be cleared first. thank you very much indeed. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. donald trump's former chief strategist, steve bannon, has stepped down as head of the far—right website breitbart. he's been heavily criticised by mr trump and faced a backlash from supporters since the book fire and fury quoted him accusing the president's son and son—in—law of treason. detectives in italy and germany have arrested 169 people on suspicion of activities related to the mafia. tens of millions of dollars' worth of property was seized in the operation against the ‘ndrangheta, a crime syndicate accused of infiltrating businesses across both countries. the us secretary of state has ordered a new inquiry into the health problems suffered by diplomats stationed in cuba. president trump has blamed the cuban government for symptoms ranging from fatigue to hearing loss, and washington has pulled most of its diplomatic staff out of havana. cuba has denied any involvement. the south african president, jacob zuma, says he is setting up a judicial inquiry into alleged influence peddling in his government. he said the deputy chiefjustice, raymond zondo, would head the inquiry as recommended by the chief justice, mogoeng mogoeng. the move follows a court ruling last month that gave mr zuma 30 days to set up the investigation. police in california say at least 13 people have died in floods and mudslides following a ferocious storm. rescue workers said the bodies had been found in the debris brought down by the storm. among those saved was a 14—year—old girl trapped for hours in the ruins of her house. sarah corker reports. a deadly torrent of mud swept through community is across southern california, knocking entire homes from their foundations and trapping some people inside. in the thick brown sludge, waist deep in parts, more than 50 people have been rescued so far. i looked at the river and the trees we re i looked at the river and the trees were coming down. we ran into the house and write then, it busted through the house and we got u psta i rs through the house and we got upstairs and got up to about eight feet, nine feet up the stairs. after devastating wildfires along this pacific coast, now a powerful storm has triggered flash floods. one of the worst hit areas is montecito, an exclusive neighbourhood north of la, home to stars like oprah winfrey will stop mansion is now completely surrounded by mud. we had a very difficult time assessing the area and responding to many of those areas to assist those people. the only word i can really think of to describe what looked like if it looked like a world war i battlefield. wildfires in december have left this area vulnerable, burning vegetation that help prevent thriving —— flooding and landslides. major roads and coastal highways are blocked. helicopters have been trying to reach some of those trapped. and with people still missing and unaccounted for, police say the death toll is likely to rise. the syrian army has accused israel of launching a series of strikes on targets close to the capital damascus. it says both israeli warplanes and missiles were deployed and claims it brought down one plane. israel has refused to confirm the military action. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is in damascus. there is now happening every few months. israel striking its neighbour syria. it comes at a time when israel grows ever more worried about the growing threat along its northern border. with syria. and thatis northern border. with syria. and that is because that border have been largely controlled by celia rebel forces. they are losing ground. for israel, that means not just that the israel military is coming closer to its water, it's that two assyria's most important allies are also approaching israel and they happen to be israel's against enemies in this region. i think it's fair to say that the real target of these strikes is not syria, the syrian military. it is iran and has below. what we know of the strike, it hit arms depot ‘s north—east of damascus which are used both by the syrian military and by lebanese hezbollah forces. israel never comment on these strikes either to confirm or deny, but today, the israeli prime minister happened to be speaking to nato ambassadors and emphasised that israel has a long—standing policy, and we have seen it month after month, the strikes it has carried out here. it will not allow the trans birth of any game changing r trans birth of any game changing weaponry as the prime minister put it from syrian territory across the border into lebanon on. the white house says democrats and republicans have agreed to work together to pass legislation that will protect the children of undocumented immigrants, known as dreamers. the bill will also include measures on border security, an end to the visa lottery programme and restrictions on so—called "chain migration" in which family members follow those already in the country. but administration's desire to tie that to donald trump's plan to build a wall along the mexican border is something democrats are strenuously opposed to. i feel having the democrats in with us i feel having the democrats in with us is absolutely vital because it should hear about violence, it should hear about violence, it should be a bill of love, truly. it should be a bill of love, truly. it should be a bill of love, truly. it should be a bill of love and we can do it. but it also has to be a bill where we are able to secure border drugs up pouring into our country at a record pace, a lot of people are coming in that we can't have. we've greatly stiffened, as you know, and fewer people are trying to come in, but we have tremendous numbers of people and drugs pouring into our country. so in order to secure it, we need a wall. much more to come on bbc news. still to come: making a case for change — smart luggage meets smiling robots at the world's biggest tech show in las vegas. the japanese people are in mourning following the death of emperor hirohito. thousands converged on the imperial palace to pay their respects when it was announced he was dead. good grief! after half a century of delighting fans around the world, charlie brown and the rest of the gang are calling it quits. the singer, paul simon, starts his tour of south africa tomorrow, in spite of protests and violence from some black activist groups. they say international artists should continue to boycott south africa until majority rule is established. teams were trying to scoop up lumps of oil as france recognises it faces an ecological crisis. three weeks ago, the authorities confidently assured these areas that oil from the broken tanker erika would head out to sea. it didn't. the world's tallest skyscraper opens later today. the burj dubai has easily overtaken its nearest rivals. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: as north and south korea stage their first talks for more than two years — south korea's president says denuclearisation is the path to peace. flash floods and mudslides in southern california have left at least thirteen people dead. a search is underway for survivors. a funeral has been held in the ukraine after a woman's body was discovered five days after she appeared in court testifying against the nephew of a localjudge. in a small town outside kiev, hundreds of people came to say goodbye to a woman whose life and death has reminded the ukraine of how far it still has to go. this is irene two yea rs still has to go. this is irene two years ago in full flow. she was leading a public campaign to make sure the drink driver responsible for killing her sister was prosecuted. it was an uphill struggle. the man was well—connected. the nephew of a localjudge. but against well—connected. the nephew of a local judge. but against the well—connected. the nephew of a localjudge. but against the odds, in nine weeks ago, had a jail sentence of seven years confirmed but her activism made her powerful enemies and five days after the court hearing her battered body was discovered, stabbed and dumped. they murdered you for telling the truth, says her father as he weeps over her cough and. they removed you because you were standing in their way. her mother cries for her first daughter to welcome irene into heaven. ukraine has a pitiful record in solving murder cases like this one. the justice system is widely seen as being rotten to the core, at the service of the rich and well—connected. under pressure, the ukraine police service has arrested a man. at the funeral there was deep scepticism about whether justice would eventually be done. people understand that the judicial system is not about people. we understand it is about corruption, firstly, because all of these judges, for 25 yea rs, have because all of these judges, for 25 years, have been corrupt. the whole system is corrupt. having fought, and it seems died to getjustice for her sister, the murder of this woman is now a public test case as to whether the ukraine is really changing. heavy snow aross the alps has cut off towns and villages, and raised the avalanche risk level to maximum in some areas. tourists are being airlifted out of zermatt, one of switzerland's most popular ski resorts. around 13,000 people are stranded there due to the conditions. imogen foukes reports from geneva. so much snow, literally tonnes of it. its sheer weight forces it down to the valleys. this was the scene in switzerland. no one was hurt here, but the avalanche risk is the highest it's been for almost a decade. over a metre of snow fell in parts of the alps on monday alone. in the italian resort of sestriere, residents were evacuated when snow poured down into their homes. villages are cut off, many schools are closed. this is les houches in france. translation: we heard a big noise at first. no tremor, but a very big noise, a huge growl. then i saw the cloud coming down, so we ran back and into the basement. it's always a shock, always. it's not nice to see. we thought the house would explode. when you see that, your heart sinks. in the shadow of the famous matterhorn, over 13,000 tourists in the swiss resort of zermatt cannot leave. snow has blocked road and rail links. skiing isn't possible, slopes are closed because of the avalanche danger. residents and holiday—makers alike are being warned to avoid high alpine roads and to follow all safety advice. those stranded in cut—off villages may have to be patient. another metre of snow is forecast in the next 2a hours. imogen foulkes, bbc news, geneva. more than 170,000 people are expected to visit this year's consumer electronics show in las vegas. the tech companies' latest developments include driverless taxis and new advances in artificial intelligence, including some uncannily human robots. our technology correspondent rory cellan—jones is there. a powerful and largely invisible technology is on the march. it's learning how to drive. it can recognise individualfaces, and it knows an awful lot about our personal preferences. that technology is artificial intelligence and, in las vegas this week, tech firms are showing off how far it's come. hey, sophia, can we shake hands? in a las vegas university lab, i'm meeting sophia, a humanoid robot. how sophisticated do you think you are as a robot? i want people to perceive me as the robot i am. however, i wouldn't want to trick people into thinking i'm a human. i just want to communicate with humans in the best possible ways, which includes looking like one. sophia, who's had advance notice of my questions, has few practical uses right now, but her creators believe she represents a big step on the road to artificial intelligence. our aspiration is to bring the machines to life, to create living, intelligent systems and there you'll see the greatest revolution in artificial intelligence. as this giant tech show gets under way, china's spending on al and robotics is much in evidence. this suitcase recognises and follows its owner. here's china's biggest force in al, the search giant baidu, laying on a lavish las vegas event with the slogan "ai is changing the world at china's speed". it calls itself china's google. it's already a leader in technologies like facial recognition, and baidu is confident china can challenge america's ai dominance. china is quickly catching up and the gap is closing, but china has a lot more people, much larger scale. it's a big market. so i think that's a foundation for china to prevail in the ai age. out in downtown las vegas, i've booked a ride in an autonomous taxi — no steering wheel, no pedals, no driver. it's made by a french transport company. it's notjust america and china racing to get ahead in al. rory cellan—jones, bbc news, las vegas. prince harry and his fiancee meghan markle have visited a radio station in london where they met presenters and staff from reprezent fm, which trains hundreds of young people every year in media and employment skills. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell was there — his report contains some flash photography. they travel with all the paraphernalia of royalty, but harry and meghan are the new royal couple determined to do things just a little differently. so this was a visit to a radio station, housed in old shipping containers. cheering. believe it or not everyone is listening and i'm in the same room as the royal couple right now. this is reprezent fm in brixton, south london, set up 10 years ago to help tackle inner city issues, like knife crime. it gives young people a purpose and trains them to be broadcasters. i can see why your show‘s so popular because you're so thoughtful in the approach, but also so engaging to listen to. thank you. inside the station, harry and meghan were getting to know the broadcasting class of 2018. outside it was apparent that royalty‘s newest recruit is reaching new audiences herself. the support from brixton, it was just a lot of people of colour that were just cheering her on. obviously you could tell that she was quite surprised the reception she got. she looked shocked, didn't she? i thought that, yeah. yeah, because everyone was shouting for meghan and not really harry. get out of the way. we want to see meghan! "we want to see meghan", demanded the crowds in south london. expect to hear a lot of that between now and the wedding in may, and beyond. nicholas witchell, bbc news. one young dj gave the prince ‘s business car with the hope of being able to dj at the prince ‘s wedding. we will keep you updated on that. snow has fallen on the sahara, a rare event despite it being quite cold at night. there is rarely enough water around. the snow did not last long, disappearing shortly after these photos were taken. the south korean president has reiterated this commitment to you call a rise korean peninsula. he said the removal of nuclear weapons was the part to peace. much more for you at any time on the bbc website. —— the path to peace. tuesday was a disappointing day up and down the country, cold, damp and grey with the exception of western scotland which saw a little sunshine. into wednesday we start to see a bit of change to the weather. a band of rain slowly moves eastward across the country. first thing on wednesday, across central and western areas, clear skies and quite chilly with a touch of frost, a little fog. wednesday for many of us looks brighter. we should see some sunshine, particularly in the afternoon because it begins cold with ice in northern ireland. central, northern and east areas has a weather front slowly moving out into the north sea. in fact, for a good portion of scotland it could stay damp all day. there will be a little mist and murk and hill fog. most of the rain across north—east of scotland and into the northern isles so i think some western fringes and south—western parts of scotland should see sunshine in the afternoon. that veil of cloud with the weather front is draped across the eastern counties of england down towards the south—east. the further west you are, the brighter the afternoon. it will feel a little warmer in the sunshine. ten, 11 degrees maybe and a couple of showers across the south—west. as we head towards wednesday evening and overnight a few heavy showers will clear away from the south—west of england. the weather front will eventually clear from the eastern side of england but is confined to the northern isles there. elsewhere under clear skies with light wind it will be quite chilly and a touch of frost here and there. some mist, ice and fog — that is a sign of things to come towards the end of the week with morning frost and fog. it could cause a little bit of a problem. for thursday it is a cold start with a little mist and fog around. frost as well but it should generally lift. there is a little that could be stubborn in a few places but there should be sunshine breaking through for many although for the northern isles will remain damp. a bit more cloud across the coastal and eastern counties. as we head into friday, high pressure holds on with a change across the west. tightly packed isoba rs and more breeze. clouds arriving in northern ireland late in the day but for much but for much of the country should be dry, chilly with an early fog but a few sunny spells in the afternoon. on saturday the weather front across the west will very slowly move eastwards during the course of the day. it won't reach the east until later on where it will stay dry and on the cool side. this is bbc news. the headlines: south korea's president, moonjae—in, has reiterated his commitment to a denuclearised korean peninsula. a day after talks between the south and the north, mr moon said the removal of nuclear weapons was the path to peace with north korea. north korea says nuclear disarmament is not up orders russian. —— is not up is not up orders russian. —— is not upfor is not up orders russian. —— is not up for discussion. at least 13 people have died in floods and mudslides following a ferocious storm in southern california. rescue workers in santa barbara county near los angeles said the bodies had been discovered in the debris brought down by the storm. witnesses say floodwaters washed away cars, rubbish bins and telephone poles. donald trump's former chief strategist steve bannon has stepped down as head of the far—right website breitbart. he's been heavily criticised by mr trump and faced a backlash from supporters since the book fire and fury quoted him accusing the president's son and son—in—law of treason. now on bbc news, tuesday in parliament.