26/09/2016 Outside Source

Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source.

Let's look through some of the main stories here in the BBC Newsroom.

We're just under 5 hours from the first debate featuring

the polls are close, so there's a lot at stake.

A convention looking at the trade in endangered animals

The case of the African Pangolin has been highlighted -

it's the most trafficked mammal in the world.

The UN 's those conditions in Aleppo have reached new levels of horror.

And Sir David Brailsford has been taking questions from the BBC

on Sir Bradley Wiggins' use of steroid injections for asthma.

There is a big gathering in South Africa looking

at the protection of the world's most endangered species.

To give it its full name this is The Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species,

It's in Johannesburg, features representatives from more

than 180 countries - and lasts 10 days.

Elephants, lions, devil rays, rock geckos and others

It's the most trafficked mammal in the world,

and you probably don't even know its name.

Pangolins are usually nocturnal and very shy.

They only eat ants and termites, and the demand for their scales

for traditional medicine is driving them towards extinction.

Pangolin is the most endearing, mystical, unbelievable species

of animal you will ever encounter in your life.

Asians, they use these scales for a multiple range of purposes,

from cancer to swelling to arthritis.

They use the pangolin body, they put it in wine and they pickle the body.

There's a whole array of different things.

And so it's hoped the Convention on International Trade

in Endangered Species, or CITES, will step

Elephants are also being hit incredibly hard

And, again, Asia is the main market for their ivory.

30% of Africa's elephants have been lost in seven years.

But conservationists are divided about what to do.

Zimbabwe and Namibia want to sell their stores of ivory

to raise money for conservation, but their proposal is unlikely

Kenya made its position very clear earlier this year, when it set more

than 100 tons of ivory alight, saying it's worth nothing

This is all that's left now of the ivory that was burnt.

But it is a technique Kenya has used before.

This much smaller pile dates back to 1989,

It's the first time this was done and it sends a very strong signal

Sales of ivory from some of our southern African brothers has

resulted in an increased demand for ivory across-the-board.

Their horns are worth more than twice their weight in gold

Swaziland's proposal to open up sales is unlikely to pass.

Most countries believe the best way to save the animals is stop trade

and destroy the market in countries like China and Vietnam.

It is not just about protecting African wildlife, of course.

Over the next ten days, trees, plants, reptiles and sea creatures

from across the world will all be discussed, and more

That report is online and on the BBC News website and app.

You may have been following the furore around Sir Bradley Wiggins -

and asthma medication he took ahead of his Tour de France

He had permission to have the injection -

in fact he had one on two other occasions as well.

The question is whether he did so to get a performance advantage.

He says no - but we've all wanted to hear from the head

of the Team Sky cycling team who Wiggins raced for.

Now we have - here's Sir David Brailsford with

They are two of sport's most successful figures.

Sir Dave Brailsford, mastermind of Britain's cycling revolution,

and Sir Bradley Wiggins, the country's most decorated

Olympian, but suddenly both find their reputations on the line.

Two weeks ago Russian hackers revealed Wiggins' use

of steroid injections in the build-up to big races.

The drugs were permitted under TUEs, or therapeutic use exemptions,

allowing banned treatments for a valid medical reason.

Wiggins defended himself yesterday, insisting he took

the drug for his asthma and today his former boss

at Team Sky finally broke his silence, Brailsford telling me

Do you not think, on reflection, that was a mistake?

No, I don't think it was a mistake because if you have an expert

telling you it's right, the right medication to take

and it is recommended by an expert and a doctor

and the process, and the anti-doping authorities

also agree with that, I think, I don't see why at that moment

in time I would disagree and say no, I don't agree with all of this.

We are not using it to enhance performance, it is for a medical

While there is no suggestion Sky or Wiggins broke any rules,

experts and cyclists have questioned the use

and timings of such a powerful steroid.

Others have asked why, if Bradley Wiggins was ill enough

to need it before the 2012 Tour de France win, he said

he was in good health at that time in his autobiography.

With the information that I had at the time,

five or six years ago, at that moment in time,

with the information that was presented to me

and the expert opinion and the whole process, I would make

So you don't feel you've crossed that thin blue line

which was the cornerstone of the team's foundation?

The one mantra - you can ask anyone in this team,

we absolutely, absolutely there is no crossing that line.

You claim to be whiter than white, but are you in a grey area, perhaps?

That's a fair question as there is obviously a debate

Team Sky have emphasised their zero tolerance approach to doping

and have faced a barrage of criticism, and Brailsford admits

they are now rethinking the policies on such medication.

Certainly, going forward, I think there is a broader debate

within the whole TUE, the authorities and ourselves

included, that should any TUE be made public in the future?

And I think that's what we should be doing.

Certainly, we're looking at it as a policy.

Amid unprecedented scrutiny Brailsford will hope that

having come out fighting, the pressure on him,

his team and Wiggins will finally ease, but the debate over

what sports deems ethical and fair will continue.

Fifa raised a few eyebrows today. It is shutting the cup forced it

started to stop racism. Fifa's Secretary General says

it's achieved its goals. The task force came up with strong

recommendations and Fifa is acting with those. Olly Foster is that the

BBC sports Centre. Fifa is not saying racial discrimination is

dealt with as an issue? They are not saying they have completely stamped

it out. They say it was put together to work out what the problems were

and the new general secretary there, she is not long in the

job, she says their work is done and there is now a programme in place

with how they look to deal with discrimination going forward, and

they will be firm. But a lot of criticism from various antiracism

groups and discrimination groups around the globe saying my word, the

work has really only just started. It had a troubled existence, that

these are task force. Geoffrey Webb was put in charge of it. He was a

former Fifa vice president who was caught in the heart of all that

corruption scandal involving Sepp Blatter. He was arrested as part of

the American investigation. It has not had a great three years since

it was formed. Prince Ali bin Hussein from Jordan, a former vice

president who was in the running to take over as well, he has said it is

ridiculous what they have done, and the reality is within many

programmes within Fifa is the task force was never given real support

since its conception. The role was more about Fifa's image than

tackling the issues. He says it was just a cosmetic exercise.

Kick It Out, a British group, they say that discrimination is on the

rise, not just within the UK but over 400 incidents reported last

year. They say where the World Cup is going next year, Russia, and they

have real issues there. There is a real worry about white Fifa have

shut down this antiracism task force. Thank you. In a little while

on Outside Source, we will turn to another sports

story. The sad news that Arnold Palmer has died. He was in his late

80s. He was one of the greats of golf in any era. We will look back

on his life and hear some of the tributes.

The roller coaster accident at Alton Towers last summer,

was the fault of the operator Merlin Attractions,

Two teenagers had legs amputated following the crash on The Smiler,

while several others were seriously injured.

Footage of the crash has been released. Since then, a number of

safety changes have been made. The ride's operators now face a fine

of several million pounds. Police investigating

the disappearance of the toddler Ben Needham, who vanished 25 years

ago, have begun excavation work at Ben was 21 months old when he was

last seen, and officers believe he may have been accidentally

run over by a bulldozer Behind blue and white

British police tape, a corner of a Greek island

is cordoned off. This is the house where Ben Needham

was last seen alive. Officers now believe he could have

been accidentally run over and buried by a bulldozer

here on the day he vanished in 1991. It's got to be said,

I'm optimistic that we may find something of significance that's

going to assist us in giving The senior officer here is hopeful

that this mystery could finally be Every item that we find

is going to be meticulously looked at, and made sure

that it is either something The earth is going to be lifted,

it's going to be gone through in finite detail,

just to make sure that we Ben Needham was 21 months

old when he vanished in Kos. His family has always believed

he was abducted and is still alive. But his family has now been told

to prepare for the worst. Specialist officers are expected

to dig in this olive grove and an adjoining

field for up to 12 days, looking for any trace of the little

boy last seen playing outside this Another search here four years ago

brought his traumatised mother I will never give up,

and we will do whatever it takes to find Ben,

and let him know the And if nothing is found here,

Ben Needham's family will forever be wondering what happened

to their little boy. This is Outside Source live

from the BBC newsroom. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

are making final preparations for the first of three US

Presidential election debates - We knew it would calm. Russia has

been reacting angrily to claims they have been committing war crimes in

Syria. After five years of conflict, you

might expect the sick bloodlust against it and people have finally

run its course, but this weekend, the regime in Russia have instead

plunged to new depths. In short, it is difficult to deny that Russia is

partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes. Russia would

have this council live in upside down land, where bombing Ed and

supporting a murderous regime is billed as counterterrorism. What

Russia is doing is not counterterrorism, it is barbarism.

The UK, US and French ambassadors actually ended up walking out

This was the Kremlin's response: "the tone and rhetoric used

by official representatives from the UK and US is generally

unacceptable and it can seriously damage the settlement

process and our bilateral relations."

They mean the work to deliver a ceasefire which holds in Syria.

While the diplomacy plays out - so does the war.

Since the ceasefire collapsed last week, at least 128 people have died

Better news is that humanitarian aid has finally reached

And these towns just outside of Damascus.

They hadn't received anything for six months.

The BBC's Panorama programme has been following the lives

This report from Quentin Somerville contains some of what it's seen.

I should say some of you may find those images distressing.

Aleppo has never been more overwhelmed.

At Al-Quds Hospital, the wounded lie in corridors,

there aren't any beds, they are fast running out

Four days of relentless Russian and Syrian bombing

The bombs are bigger and the air raids more intensive now.

61 children were admitted to city hospitals overnight.

In one, five died at the weekend because there were no ventilators.

The BBC's Panorama has been following Ismail, a rescue worker.

The regime dropped two barrel bombs here.

Aleppo has had no time to catch its breath, and here there

Sometimes, I got feeling that I'm living the last days of my life.

Aleppo is burning, without any mercy, killing everything.

Strong words are being used to describe what is happening here.

But sometimes it's the quietest moments that reflect

Mohammed Gennady calls for his son, Hassan.

The family moved here five years ago.

They never thought it would end like this.

But then who could have predicted Aleppo's horrors?

Quentin Somerville, BBC News, Beirut.

Viewers in the UK can see the full Panorama program on the BBC iPlayer.

If you're in Wales it'll be on BBC One at 10.40 pm tonight.

If you're outside the UK - Aleppo: Life Under Siege will be

on BBC World News this Saturday at 9:30 GMT.

Francois Hollande has been in Calais today to address the ongoing issue

TRANSLATION: I am determined to see the British authorities play their

part in the humanitarian effort France is undertaking

here and will continue to undertake in the future.

Just because the United Kingdom has taken a sovereign decision

doesn't mean the United Kingdom is relieved of its

In Calais there is the migrant camp, known as the Jungle.

Around 10,000 people live there - and many hope

to reach the UK illegally by hiding in lorries.

President Hollande wants this camp gone by the end of the year. Some

people have raised their eyebrows at that statement because there is a

presidential election at the end of the year. There is no doubt he is

not performing well in the polls. He has to show he is addressing the big

issues in France, one of those is the migrant crisis.

Tributes have been pouring in all day for Arnold Palmer.

He was one of the greats of golf - and in many ways

Katie Gornall looks back on his life.

Arnold Palmer, golfer, aviator, man of many parts.

They said he could so capture the public,

Arnold Palmer, the champion golfer whose charisma drew a legion of fans

He won his first Major, the Masters, in 1958, and two years later,

the television cameras followed.

Golf had found its star of the screen.

He was five foot ten but very much like a middleweight boxer,

He used to grip the club and thump it.

he was not a flashing rapier, it was wham, crash, bang, wallop.

And he caught the imagination of people.

His nickname was "The King", and it was fitting.

From 58 through to 1964, he won seven major titles.

Including four Masters and two Open Championships.

His success stretched beyond the fairways.

Adverts and endorsements made Palmer golf's first millionaire, and those

who followed in his footsteps say they would never be competing

When golf needed him in the 60s and 70s, he brought golf

to the masses, and he leaves a legacy that no one

else in any other sport, I think, can leave.

It was not just golfers that Palmer influenced.

Today, President Obama paid his own tribute to a man

whose appeal endured, even when the victories dried up.

This, his final US Open appearance in 1994.

I suppose the most important thing...

..is the fact that it has been as good as it has been to me.

There have been better golfers than Palmer,

but there may never be one more popular, or one who loved

Next, we have a report on traditional health treatments. Some

scientists would question the benefits of ancient medicine. One

Korean practitioner has run into trouble with regulation in South

Korea. The BBC's Steve Evans went to meet him.

This man is 100 and years -- 101 years old. The official body in

Korea said he did not have the right qualifications. He learned the

skills so many years ago he did not pass the exams. Now a court has

ruled he can teach. TRANSLATION: The ruling is important to me because

now I can pass on my knowledge. As long as humanity has existed, these

ancient skills have gone from generation to generation. Mr Kim,

operates from these new buildings. He says celebrities and political

leaders have sought his treatment, whether it is acupuncture with

needles or by burning herbs on the body. All over this complex there

are statues like this gentleman and on the statues are dots. These

points are where, under an East Asian theory of medicine, you can

burn particular herbs, and that creates blood. The American Cancer

Society says there is absolutely no evidence that it will cure cancer or

any other illness. This man had an enlarged prostate

and was told by conventional doctors that he needed surgery. He said no

and is now having herbs burnt on his body. He says his symptoms have

eased. The overwhelming view of scientists is that this is no

substitute for proven, scientific medicine as a cure for serious

illness. We have heard from South Korea,

India, the UK, the US and South Africa. Thank you for watching. We

will be back to do the same thing tomorrow. Bye-bye.