14/02/2014 BBC News at Ten

The battle amid the storm - thousands of homes are still without

power and travel disruption is tonight affecting roads, rail and

air. The latest storm swept in from the

Atlantic, bringing high winds and heavy rain to many areas already hit

hard by the floods. Along the Thames there was a royal

boost to the sandbagging effort but communities continue to suffer. It

doesn't matter about the fridge or the washing machine. That can be

replaced. That stuff in here, that you have built up...

The weekend forecast is for more bad weather but we'll be looking beyond

that and asking how long the extreme conditions might last.

Also tonight: Piers Morgan confirms he's been questioned by police

investigating phone hacking allegations at Mirror Group

Newspapers. He's denied any wrongdoing.

A country ripped apart by religious violence - a special report from the

Central African Republic, where Christian militias are thirsting for

revenge after Muslim atrocities. The British man who would become a

suicide bomber in Syria - footage emerges of him just before he set

off to blow himself up. Lizzy Yarnold is Olympic champion.

Britain's Lizzie Yarnold triumphs in the skeleton.

In Sportsday, Fulham sack Rene Meulensteen after less than three

months. Felix Magath replaces him as manager.

Good evening. Parts of Britain have been battered

once again by another storm sweeping in from the Atlantic. On the Isles

of Scilly, winds of 79mph were recorded, with strong gusts causing

huge waves lashing the south coast. In Devon, the storm brought almost

40mm of rain in some places, more than a third of what would normally

fall in a month. One of the worst hit areas is Somerset. Our

correspondent Jon Kay has spent the day there and joins us from the

village of East Lyng. He joins us from the village of East Lyng.

Very gusty here this evening. About 70 mph at the moment, and Friday

night is probably one of the worst times of the week for a storm like

this to hit the UK because so many people are travelling around,

travelling home from work. We have reports of delays on the plains,

cancellations on railways, and roads, like this one, completely

blocked. Trees are down, power is down,

another night of disruption in a winter of chaos. It is the third

major storm this week, smashing its way in from the Atlantic this

evening, leaving the South West's already fractured railway even more

broken. Inland, and this is supposed to be land, it whipped up floodwater

on the Somerset Levels. In East Lyng, Georgina is the latest

victim. For her, it has just been one deluge to many. I just can't

believe it is keeping on and on raining, and raining so hard as

well. We are under and now. We have never been flooded before. There are

going to be I don't know how many other properties. It's just

ridiculous. Next door, Richard now has 2000 sandbags, but will it be

enough? You can't beat nature, I suppose. If the water is going to

rise that much I will lose the battle for the house. For many,

though, the fight is finally over, the water ever wider, ever deeper.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, when you think the water

can't get any higher, it does. Up to the door knocker here. That's the

worst we've seen it during these weeks of flooding on the Somerset

Levels. Every day, still, new properties are being affected.

Buffeted by wind and sprayed by rain, we headed to Gloucester. Badly

flooded seven years ago, the new flood defences are holding up for

now, but the weekend tides will be a challenge. It is all making this

family rather paranoid. They came to Gloucester for safety after their

street in Surrey was flooded on Tuesday. Now, their temporary home

could go under as well. It is a bit surreal. The boys have moved from

one flood zone to another, but they are taking it in their stride. Where

next? Spain, I think. No sunshine here yet. This is Cornwall tonight.

Forecasters say after this storm we will get something of a break, but

before that, a wild weekend. So as we've been hearing, another

difficult day for communities which have already been coping with sodden

and flooded land. Across England, almost 6000 properties have been

flooded since the extreme weather set in in December. In the Thames

Valley, the relief effort was today bolstered by Princes William and

Harry, who joined the sandbagging effort in the village of Datchet.

Robert Hall reports. In a flood hit village where

volunteers have played such an important part, extra pairs of hands

are always welcome. The princes waded in to join a chain reinforcing

flood defences. Buckingham Palace said they had wanted to do what they

could to support victims of flooding, and to thank the Armed

Forces personnel who had helped lift my row. The Queen is contributing

feed and bedding from the Royal farms at Windsor to farmers hit by

flooding on the Somerset Levels. It is the end of the working week along

the Thames, five days when thousands tried to give their lives on track

and their emotions in check. It doesn't matter about the fridge or

the washing machine. That can be replaced. But stuff in here, that

you have built up... When you travel in this direction you really don't

get a sense of the volume of water coming down the Thames. But if we

now make a turn and head upstream, you can see the amount of power we

are having to use virtually to stand still. This stretch of the Thames

has fallen by about nine inches over the last couple of days, but that is

small comfort to the people who live here who have had to move out. I

visited the River ash estate on Monday. Tonight, as I return, Nikki

and her husband were loading their chemical toilet onto the canoe. With

mains trains out of action, they have two empty yet at her mother's

home. Just one element in a new routine. In the morning I would go

out with the dogs, but we have four, so only two will sit in the canoe.

We take two, come back and do the next two, come back, get changed,

ready for work, come back out again. We met Paul, home from work with

supplies for his family. His triplets have been unable to leave

the house for eight days. People phone every day to check whether we

need supplies. There is always a canoe if we need to get out will do

anything. Stuart McCall Quinn has spent sleepless nights watching the

water rise. Now, with levels falling, he hopes to bring his

family home. It was the worst flooding in corded history,

apparently. So it is good, we made it through. The Thames remains a

threat but perhaps, just perhaps, the worst is over.

It's been the cumulative effect of so many storms, and their intensity,

that has made the last couple of months of weather so exceptional.

This was the storm today as it moved across the UK. So is there more to

come? Here's our Science Editor, David Shukman.

Around the clock, a desperate effort to fix the shattered rail link to

Cornwall. What the team at Dawlish need, like everyone, is a break from

the storms. And there is now a glimmer of hope that we may be at a

turning point. We have just got this video from Whitchurch in

Shropshire. The roof of a council building ripped off. It is hard to

believe the forecast is for less violent times ahead. At The Met

office in Exeter, they have watched storm after storm brew up over the

Atlantic and advanced towards our sport two months. At last, the

satellite pictures show signs of change. The storm on Friday will be

the last of the intense storms in the series. We expect the storms

next week to be less intense. We are not out of the woods, because the

catchments are sensitised to further rainfall, completely saturated. Any

rain is likely to cause further impacts. The River Thames at

Reading, surging at high speed. The black polls contain instruments

measuring the river level. Teams from the Environment Agency track

exactly how it is changing and they say the danger is not over. The

River Thames here at Reading is flowing four times faster than

normal. 200 tonnes of water are passing through every second. The

problem is a delayed reaction. The rain that has fallen upstream has to

work its way down, so even if the weather improves, the threat of

flooding will continue. A flood forecast briefs a colleague. They

are working in shifts to cover 24 hours a day. They take data from The

Met office and work out where the next flood might strike. In one of

the country's most densely populated areas, the official in charge says

there is still a huge volume of water around. It is a big river

flowing very fast in places and people need to be wary of the risk.

There are some areas where there is flooding and people need to take

care, so we will keep severe flood warnings in place while the risk is

around. So what is next? A massive snowstorm underway in the United

States may eventually affect us. These scenes are thousands of miles

away but they weather event this severe creates ripples in the

atmosphere, and satellite pictures show a stream of cloud which could

reach us, right across the Atlantic, in several days time.

The former editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, has refused to

comment tonight on being questioned by police investigating allegations

of phone hacking. It's emerged that he was interviewed under caution at

a police station last December. He's always denied any involvement in the

interception of voice mail messages. Our home affairs correspondent Matt

Prodger reports. Piers Morgan is an international

celebrity, but the phone hacking investigation is interested in his

previous career as editor of the Daily Mirror. In a statement, he

said that in early November, I was asked to attend an interview by

officers from Operation Weeting, when I was next in the UK. I

attended that interview, as requested, on the 6th of December

2013. Mr Morgan was a star turn at being choir into press standards,

where he denied knowing about phone hacking in the industry. Did you see

this sort of thing going on? No. Are you sure about that? 100%. He did

tell the enquiry he once heard a recording of a voice mail left by

Sir Paul McCartney for his then girlfriend. I listened to a tape of

a message. It was a voice mail message. I believed it was.

Detectives have so far interviewed under caution or arrested six

journalists who work for the Mirror Group. The company had no comment to

make today. Piers Morgan have a habit of generating news headlines.

Tonight is no different. He is always larger-than-life.

Unsurprisingly, whenever Piers Morgan gets near a story, that a

pitcher goes up. Mr Morgan's current employer, CNN, says it was aware at

the time that he had been interviewed by police and it had

nothing more to add. Air accident investigators say the police

helicopter which crashed in Glasgow last November suffered a double

engine failure. Ten people died when the helicopter came down onto the

roof of the Clutha pub. The engine failure is thought to have been

caused by a fuel supply problem. A video has been posted online

showing the first British suicide bomber to die in Syria, just before

he set off on his mission to blow himself up. The footage shows Abdul

Waheed Majeed dressed in white next to the large armoured truck that was

driven into the walls of Aleppo prison over a week ago. Here's our

Security Correspondent Gordon Corera.

Britain's first suicide bomber in Syria, seen here in a newly released

video just before he launches his attack, posing for pictures with

fellow fighters. Wearing white, traditional clothes for someone

repairing for martyrdom, is Abdul Waheed Majeed. He explains to those

around him he can only speak English. English. The video shows

how, soon after, the heavily modified armoured truck he is

standing next it was driven away. Apparently by Abdul Waheed Majeed.

Packed full of explosives, it runs into the walls of Aleppo prison. An

attempt to free prisoners inside. Police earlier in the week searched

his house in Crawley, Sussex. People in the community have confirmed it

does appear to be him in the video and today his uncle gave his

reaction. He was a family man. His family had no suspicion at all that

he was on that line, to do something like this. So, what do we know of

Abdul Waheed Majeed? You travel from Crawley to Syria about six months

ago in the summer of 2013, saying he was going on humanitarian work. They

had been previously associated with extremist groups like Omar Bakri

Mohammed's al-Muhajiroun, now banned. He also seems to have known

some of the men from Crawley jailed in 2007 in the so-called fertiliser

bomb plot. Today's video also shows the fighters that Majeed was with,

most from Chechnya, following a tank as they try to storm the prison. The

attack fails. Abdul Waheed Majeed saw himself as a martyr, taking part

in military action. But what worries counterterrorist officials is that

he might not be the last British suicide bomber in Syria and that,

eventually, some of the brutal violence of that conflict might

spill back over here. The leader of the Roman Catholic

Church in England and Wales has said that poor families are being left

destitute because of the Government's welfare reforms.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, in an interview with the Telegraph, says

that support for poor people has been torn apart. The Department for

Work and Pensions responded by saying the reforms would transform

the lives of some of the poorest families.

Labour has held the safe seat of Wythenshawe and Sale East in

Manchester. I therefore declare that Mike Kane is duly elected. Former

councillor Mike Kane won with an increased majority of more than

13,000. The UK Independence Party came second, pushing the

Conservatives into third place. The by-election was prompted by the

death of the MP Paul Goggins. The Government is dropping plans to

give voters the right to sack MPs who break the law or parliamentary

rules. The so-called power of recall was part of the coalition agreement

between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in 2010. But it

will now be left out of the Queen's speech in May. Our Political

Correspondent Carole Walker joins us from Westminster. Why is it being

dropped? Well, the Liberal Democrats are publicly blaming the Prime

Minister for blocking something that was promised in the coalition

agreement after the public outcry over MP expenses. But the proposals

were actually drawn up by the Lib Dem death to pry Minister Nick

Clegg. They meant it was only if an MP was found guilty of serious

wrongdoing by a committee of MPs, and 10% of his or her constituents

had signed a petition that an MP can actually be thrown out. One of the

leading campaigners on this issue, the Conservatives that Goldsmith,

said that the plans were simply unworkable, they would never have

got through Parliament and it was appalling behaviour of the Lib Dems

to try and blame their coalition partners for this. What is clear is

that this was supposed to be part of the new politics promised by David

Cameron, handing power from the stage to the citizen. Like so many

other attempts at constitutional reform, it has been scuppered by

disagreements over how it would work in practice.

France is to send another 400 peacekeepers to the Central African

Republic, as the United Nations warns the country is being ripped

apart by ethnic and religious violence. Tens of thousands of

Muslim civilians are trying to flee after massacres carried out by

Christian militias. Months of bloodshed have also seen Muslim

fighters accused of terrible atrocities. Our Africa Correspondent

Andrew Harding reports from the town of Boali, where one church leader is

trying to help end the violence. Revenge is a full-time business

here. And these Christian fighters have their hands full. Scores to

settle, Muslims to kill. French and African peacekeepers are trying to

stop the bloodshed. But they're outnumbered. And so, an empty road

marks a front line. And, trapped behind it across no man's land,

another Muslim community under siege, one of many here. They're

desperate to escape, ready to die trying.

And yet, a few Muslims have found sanctuary in unexpected places. In

the town of Boali, St Peter's Parish Church has taken in over 600. This

woman watched her husband being hacked to death by her Christian

neighbours. Her son had a lucky escape. So, he cut him with a

machete, here? Are you OK? 22 children have been killed in the

neighbourhood in the past month. The church pews are filled with

bewildered survivors. The man responsible for this new

congregation is Father Xavier. 31-years-old, new to the job, making

friends fast here. But he's facing a backlash outside for preaching

tolerance. When I started doing this, everyone

opposed me, he said. I was attacked by the community. But in these

times, men of goodwill must stand up and prove their faith. This country

needs to see that Christians and Muslims share the same God. For a

long time, it was Christians who felt persecuted in this country. But

in recent weeks the tables have been turned. Now it's members of the

Muslim minority who are on the run, either trying to flee the country or

taking sanctuary wherever they can find it. Outside, on the streets of

Boali, a taste of what awaits any Muslims caught trying to leave. A

man proudly shows us the ruins of the mosque, torn down by a mob.

Nearby, we run into the Christian anti-balaka militia. All Muslims

must leave this country, he says. And if they don't? Then we must kill

them - all. Back at the church, the Muslims queue up to register for a

possible evacuation plan. Others have been killed on the road, trying

to flee abroad. These families fear the church's protection here won't

last. A bigger international intervention might have kept this

country intact. Instead, it's peacekeeping on the cheap. And for

these embattled Muslim communities, the bleakest future.

London Fashion Week began this week. Fashion accounts for a major slice

of British manufacturing, bringing in ?21 billion a year. Much of that

comes from selling UK goods overseas, especially in the world's

biggest market, China, where a growing middle class are clamouring

for British labels. Fiona Bruce reports on how British firms are

making their mark. Graceful, meticulous, handcrafted. British

fashion, worn by the well-known and the well-heeled from the catwalk to

the red carpet. A leading British designer, Alice Temperly's label

launched 14 years ago. Some of her production is based here and she

knows what appeals to foreign clients. This dress works really,

really well. It's a beautiful printed silk cotton. Everything is

engineered. The label is keen to attract a slice of the ?155 billion

Chinese fashion market and is just taking its first steps in China.

British fashion appeals to them because it's unique, it's got the

historical context, it's a luxury, it's more artisan. It's much more

design-focused and has a point of view that's ultimately very

different to what they've got out there at the moment. When it comes

to exporting British fashion, it's not just about luxury brands and

boutiques. Fashion is the most popular product sold online here in

Britain. And the people making clothes at this factory in North

London want to replicate that success abroad. Fashion brand ASOS

has factories all over the world. But it had to set up its own

stitching academy to train British workers in a dying skill. When we

started to bring more manufacturing to the UK, we realised we had a

shortage of people to actually man the machines. ASOS sells 1.5 million

units every week and has just launched its website in China. We

launched in the UK thinking, ten years ago, we'd be a UK-centric

business, but look what happened. Suddenly we were taking orders from

all over the world, we started opening websites in France, Germany,

the US, Australia and now China. And now 60% of our sales, effectively,

are exported. And it's given young apprentices an opportunity. I want

to be a fashion designer, so me doing an apprenticeship here is a

good start off. Not many designers you'll come across no how garments

are made. Fashion is about more than clothes, it's luxury accessories

too. Watches are the collectable of choice for the growing number of

Chinese millionaires. The watches are British made and worn by RAF

pilots and film stars like Tom Cruise. With a turnover of ?15

million, Bremont are keen to expand into China, but know it can make or

break a company. I think China, the potential is huge. We know that in

the market stats. But the pitfalls are also huge. So you go in with the

wrong partner, you go into the wrong cities, your brand DNA gets

misunderstood out the. So, it is really full of pitfalls. But if you

can get it right, it will help your markets throughout the world as

well. London Fashion Week is a crucial shop window for British

designers. Many will be hoping the words "Made in Britain" will

translate into worn in China. In football, the Premier League's

bottom club Fulham have fired their second manager this season. Rene

Meulensteen had been in the job for just ten weeks. The club has

appointed former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath as his replacement, on

an 18-month contract. Team GB has won its first gold medal

at the Winter Olympics. Lizzie Yarnold finished almost a second

ahead of her nearest rival in the women's skeleton event. Our Sports

Correspondent Andy Swiss was watching all the action in Sochi.

Hurtling headfirst into Olympic history. 25-year-old Lizzy Yarnold,

with her so-called Yarnie Army willing her own, could she now

glided to glory? She is still in the lead by a comfortable margin... It

is the sport's ultimate white knuckle ride, but she made it look

so easy. By the last of her four runs, she led by nearly a second, a

hefty advantage in a sport of tiny margins. On her trusty sled, which

she calls move in, she scorched across the ice at almost 80 mph. The

result was gloriously inevitable. That is brilliant. Look at

everybody, unbelievable! A sporting journey that began after being

talent spotted as a teenager had reached a deal had reached the

autumn at goal. What a moment for Lizzy Yarnold and what a moment for

the British fans here. They came here hoping for a gold medal and

they delivered in spectacular style. Yeah, show the world what I'm

capable of. I wanted to do ourselves justice and I can't believe I won

the race. For her watching family, including her parents, there were

cheers, tears and pure relief. She's only been competing for two years at

this level. Although we hoped... We didn't want the pressure to be too

much for her. And it wasn't. She's just so calm, so cool. Look at what

she's done. 2000 miles away at her training base in Bath, more

celebration. So, what is the secret of her success? She trains harder

than anybody else, she stays in the gym longer, she spends more time on

the push track and focuses on every little aspect of what she does, that

stuns her above the rest. Today, how it all paid off. After Amy

Williams's win four years ago, another golden moment for British

winter sport, and an unforgettable one for Lizzy Yarnold.

Congratulations to her. A reminder of our top story: Parts of Britain

are being battered once more by stormy weather. Thousands of homes

remain without power and various travel disruption affecting road,

rail and air. This was the scene earlier in Penzance. When's of

almost 80 mph work recorded. In Devon, the storm brought 40

millimetres of rain in some