21/10/2016 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Alpa Patel.

The headlines: Canada says its attempt to sign a free

It would have been the EU's biggest trade deal but Wallonia,

the French-speaking part of Belgium, refused to sign up to it

In Iraq, Islamic State suicide bombers launch

a surprise attack on Kirkuk - the city is now under curfew.

The lost generation remembered - 50 years ago today, a primary school

was engulfed by coal waste, killing 116 children.

Wonder Woman's new turn - she's to become a UN ambasssador

for women and girls - but not everyone is happy.

And the pride of the Russian navy sails down the English Channel

on their way to Syria - the British say they are watching

Canada's top negotiator has walked out of talks

The deal is called CETA and negotiations between Canada

Because the Belgian region of Wallonia has blocked it.

It's important to say Belgium is the only country out

of the EU block of 28 against the deal

Wallonia has a population of 3.6 million people

The regional Parliament says CETA is a threat to farmers

and small businesses - that increased competition

from North American multi-nationals will destroy livelihoods.

Well, the Canadian Trade Minister wasn't afraid to express her

frustration when she spoke to reporters earlier.

TRANSLATION: It seems evident to me and to Canada

that the European Union is now not capable of having an

Even with a country that has values as European as Canada,

and also with a country that is as nice and

Let's get more from our business correspondent, Samira Hussein.

Tell us why this deal was so significant. It is significant for

some of the reasons you outlined. This has been in negotiation for

seven years and this was really the end of it. This is where they were

putting the bow and the finishing touches on. Canada's Prime Minister

is due to go to Brussels next week to sign the deal. It seems that it

was almost there and now it seems that it's not. It is also

significant for other possible trade deals. The United States is

negotiating, looking to negotiate, a trade deal with the EU. If this

trade deal with Canada ends up falling apart, it also puts a

potential trade deal between the US and the EU in jeopardy. It comes at

a very interesting time here in the United States. Anti trade rhetoric

has grown quite significantly, especially in this heated US

presidential campaign. There is a lot of talk of trade deals and the

kind of negative impact it has had on some boards of the United States.

To be negotiating a new trade deal in this kind of error, it's probably

not ideal. Thank you very much for that.

Meanwhile, the other major topic of discussion at this summit

in Brussels was Britain's departure from the EU.

The British Prime Minister Theresa May said she is optimistic she can

get a deal "that is right for the UK".

My colleague is in Brussels. He explains just how much people are

talking about Brexit. We knew this wasn't

on the agenda formally. Theresa May was due to give

a briefing to the other 27 leaders. She did that, it lasted five

minutes, and I interviewed a number They all said it was

as they expected. She confirmed that Britain intends

to exit the European Union and it intends to trigger Article 50

by the end of March. But really this was never

about policy detail. It was about tone and about

developing relationships. This was the UK Prime Minister

Theresa May's first EU summit and it was invaluable time

that she got, meeting the other 27 leaders and starting to develop

those relationships which will be crucial when the Brexit

negotiations carry on. And speaking to those leaders

who met her for dinner last night, they all emphasised how they want

a good working relationship, they want the process of Brexit

to be as smooth as possible and to serve the interests

of the EU and the UK. So, so far so good in those

relationships, but of course they will be put under huge pressure

once the negotiations begin. The other issue under

discussion was Syria. The British Prime Minister has

insisted the EU has a robust stance, particularly over

the actions of Russia - here's what the German Chancellor

had to say about it. TRANSLATION: We have laid

all the ground work because we have said not only that we could imagine

measures against Syria, but also measures against all who are allied

with Syria in this regard. I want to bring you some breaking

news and it concerns The entire terminal building has had

to be evacuated after several All flights were suspended and some

arrivals were diverted. One passenger said he was told

by a staff member that an alarm was triggered after reports

a substance had been causing people to cough on the escalators

leading up to security. The London Ambulance Service say

they are treating 26 people for breathing difficulties -

two have been taken to hopspital Let's go to Iraq and the fight

to retake the city of Mosul Government troops backed by Kurdish

forces are inching forward. With Iraqi troops pushing

in from the South and Kurdish But today IS militants struck back -

launching an attack in Kirkuk - about 200 kilometres

South East of Mosul. Our Middle East correspondent

Orla Guerin sent this report Savouring freedom, civilians brought

to safety by Kurdish fighters. They escaped the tyranny

of so-called Islamic State. And the dangers of

coalition air strikes. IS targets north of Mosul

being pounded again today, This is the scene in the city of

Kirkuk. Security forces battling to regain

control after a daring They hit multiple targets

in and around the oil-rich city, which is 100 miles from Mosul

and had been considered secure. Troops hunting for the militants

who proved they can still strike Back at the front line,

bomb disposal experts arrived They've already cleared 300

landmines along a stretch The troops are getting into position

now for mine clearance. This is absolutely crucial

that the Peshmerga The mines are slowing progress

and they're claiming lives, but the work has

to be done with care. Islamic State has laid mines

in this area like a carpet. There were fears it

was a suicide bomber. Nearby, civilians who had just fled,

now safe from IS, but being screened by Kurdish intelligence -

they're trying to prevent militants This man tells us they were forced

to grow beards, and if IS caught someone with a phone,

they were beheaded. He's rushed away before

he can say more. A new camp is now being raised

here for the many others who are expected to seek refuge

from Iraq's later swore. who are expected to seek refuge

from Iraq's latest war. Orla Guerin, BBC News,

north of Mosul. Exactly 50 years ago today,

a huge coal-mining waste tip slipped It engulfed homes and the local

primary school, killing 116 Events have been held today

to mark the anniversary of the Aberfan disaster -

beginning with a minute's silence. Early morning in Aberfan

and a community coming together to remember the disaster

50 years ago. The site of Pantglas School

is now a memorial garden. At 9:15, the moment classrooms

were engulfed, And at the cemetery,

high on the hillside. This was a time to remember the 144

people who died in a man-made disaster when liquefied coal waste

slid down the mountainside. Eight-year-old Gerald Kirwan

was in the second year juniors. He was one of the lucky ones,

but his memories I could hear, like,

a rumbling, thunder. A hell of a noise, didn't

know what it was and we, like, looked up to the window

and we have seen, like, I remember being pushed

across the classroom to the back wall, the muck

was up to my chest. We were just waiting,

wondering, what had happened to cause the devastation

we were trapped in. Where classrooms had once stood,

today the Prince of Wales planted a tree,

a tribute to the lost generation. No-one should have to bear

the losses you suffered, but no-one could have borne those losses

with greater strength A balloon for each of the victims,

and a moment for Gerald Kirwan to share with his granddaughter, after

keeping his emotions bottled up for We never, ever spoke about it,

to my mother and father, Even the children,

there were only a few of But it had been a disaster

that was waiting to Coal waste had been dumped in huge

tips on top of streams and Local people were joined by miners

in the search for survivors. children they were now

finding had all died. Many were looking for their own own

sons and daughters. David Goldsworthy lost his

ten-year-old brother that day. This is the first time

he has returned to Aberfan on the anniversary itself

from Canada, where he emigrated more He would have been 60

this year, in August. And the fact that I'd liked

to have had a brother. No-one was ever prosecuted

for the lives that were lost, although the National

Coal Board was found to be to blame. I can go back to that

class in seconds. And I don't imagine

that will ever go away. Sure my reporting on ceremonies

marking the Aberfan disaster 50 years ago today.

A flotilla of Russian warships has passed

through the English channel today - on its way to Syria.

The vessels included the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

The flotilla, which is being viewed as a show of strength from Moscow,

was shadowed all the way by the Royal Navy.

Our correspondent Daniel Sandford watched as they passed

Cruising past Dover Harbour, beneath the iconic White Cliffs of Dover

and into the English Channel, Russia's only aircraft carrier,

the Admiral Kuznetsov, a 30-year-old survivor

On its decks, the planes that will reinforce the Russian

Also in the flotilla, the battle cruiser Peter the Great,

and the Russian ships were man marked as the Defence Secretary put

The type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan had sailed from Portsmouth to do

The type 23 frigate HMS Richmond has been

tracking the Russians all the way from Norway.

As we watched, all the ships were sailing west, straight down

It's been an extraordinary display of Russian military power,

just a few miles off the British coast.

One Moscow newspaper called it 'an armada',

and its chosen route, straight down the English Channel,

is likely to have been chosen deliberately.

The warships could have gone round the north coast of Scotland,

but this was the route that sent a message.

The deployment itself is clearly directed,

in the immediate sense, toward Syria, but it has a side

benefit to the mentality of the present-day leaders

of Russia, of showing that they still have a navy

And the message to this country, in particular, is probably

that their navy is more extensive than ours now.

For ten years now Russia's been directing displays

This was an encounter off the coast of Scotland,

filmed by the crew of a Russian bomber as it was challenged

But today's Russian drive-by, on the way to prop up

President Assad in Syria, was one of the more

dramatic displays, so close that the warships

could be clearly seen from the White Cliffs of Dover.

Daniel Sandford, BBC News, in the English Channel.

Now a look at some of the day's other news.

The state rail company of Cameroon says a train has derailed

between the country's two main cities.

A BBC reporter says at least ten people have died.

Extra coaches had been added to the train -

because the highway between the two cities was closed due

European space officials have acknowledged a craft sent to Mars

crashed when touching down on the surface on the

The mission had been designed to usher in a new era

Officials estimate the impact could have happened at a speed

Thailand and Australia have asked fans attending next month's

World Cup qualifying match to refrain from chanting

out of respect for the mourning of the Thai king.

Both teams have also asked fans to wear clothing which is black,

white or grey, preferably without any designs.

She's a comic book superhero who became a TV star

in the 1970s watched by millions here and around the world.

But now in a story twist that may well have surprised even

the fictional superhero, the United Nations is making

Wonder Woman a UN Ambassador for Women and Girls.

It is a decision that has bewildered some and sparked

protest from other - as Nick Bryant reports

She can leap from tall buildings, she can also bend steel,

but the transformation of Wonder Woman into a UN Ambassador

for Female Empowerment has plunged this world body into the kind

of storm that would test even her superhuman powers.

This is the modern-day face of Wonder Woman, and the actress

Lynda Carter who brought her to life in the television series was also

With a new film about to be launched, UN officials hope the hero

will help reach younger audiences around the world.

So Wonder Woman lives, do not doubt it.

Wonder Woman helps bring out the inner strength every woman has.

But staff at the UN today mounted a silent protest.

"Real women deserve a real ambassador", read their signs.

There is also a real annoyance that the superhero's leather boots

might trample on cultural, religious and geopolitical sensibilities.

Hundreds of UN staff have added their names to an online

petition, complaining, and I quote, "That a large breasted White woman

petition, complaining, and I quote, "That a large breasted white woman

of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery,

thigh-baring body suit with an American motif

and knee-high boots is not an appropriate figurehead."

So what's been the reaction outside the UN?

I like what she stands for, I don't really appreciate

Although Wonder Woman is a great character, I think we can find

someone better to represent women, someone who is not

The UN hoped this collaboration would be a PR coup,

but there are many senior figures here who view it as a

Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York.

A quick update from London City Airport. The fire brigade has said

there were no unexpectedly high chemical readings. Latest reports

say the airport has been declared safe after hundreds of passengers

were evacuated earlier. For years, Steve Etches earned

a living as a plumber. But in his spare time,

he wandered the coastline of Dorset It's well known for it's many

fossils. And now, Steve's hobby has

enabled him to open a museum -- From ceramic to Jurassic, Steve

etchings is the plumber who became a palaeontologist. So this is where it

all began for you. Yes, this is it. These are the rocks that I have

spent my last 35 years looking at. It all began on this beach in

Dorset. You can't stop finding fossils. Anyone can come along the

beach and find fossils all over the place. Steve is an apprentice

plumber at 16, but was always fascinated by fossils, so he started

collecting and collecting and collecting. Here we are in the

garage. He amassed 2500 specimens. So many come he turned his garage

into a display. For the last 22 years it has been in here but it has

also migrated into the dining room. But it wasn't enough, so four years

ago he set out to establish this. The Steve Etches museum. It's a

unique world-class collection of 150 million -year-old Jurassic hose

line. Not many people can say, I've got an museum named after me. I

never asked for it. That was done at a vote when I went to the toilet and

they said we are going to college the Etches collection. I said thanks

very much. A long way from an apprentice plumber all the way to

being in charge and running your own fossil museum. Plumbing was a job

that has to be done. But now, this is the dream come true. It took ?5

million of private and Heritage lottery money to create. What do you

make of the back story of Steve the plumber becoming Steve the

palaeontologist? That's a remarkable story because what it does is to say

that everyone can pursue a dream and pursue a dream in terms, even in a

scientific way. Steve may now have swapped their valves for ammonites,

but his old habits are not yet extinct. He even helped fix the

toilet in his new museum. Now plays for science, education and

wonderment. Albinism in Africa is

associated with many negative As a result, many albinos

suffer stigma, alienation However, one group of youngsters

is stepping into the limelight, hoping to be named Kenya's first

Mr and Miss Albino. Dayo Yusuf went to meet some

of the models as they were A step-by-step guide

on the ways of the catwalk. Girls and boys alike,

these models are being introduced It is a first for them

because they have lived most of their lives hidden

in the shadows. Things might be slightly better now

but a few years ago, living with albinism was almost

unbearable and some remember being accepted into society

was the hardest part. It was a bit hard because people

in the rural areas, most of them They never understood,

how does an African get a white kid or something but with time,

I was inspired by how We've not been represented

in all areas and some people may be have this notion, like,

there's thing we can't do so it's Horror stories of people living

with albinism being targeted for ritual sacrifices spread fear

within the community. But now there seems

to be a sense of calm. With caution, they are

slowly learning to The Kenya Albinism Society has

organised a beauty pageant to mark ten years since its inception

to showcase the strides they have When you look into the mirror long

enough, you will only see the small thing you want to change

but for Sarah Jones here, a little make-up, a little

bit of beauty therapy, will give her the courage she needs

to walk the streets feeling In this first of its kind in Africa,

Mr and Miss Albinism Kenya contenders are being taken

through thorough coaching. Not only in their looks

but character as well. We also do grooming and etiquette

and personal attributes. That is how to face people,

how to talk people, how in town you meeting with people,

how you mingle with them and in town, how you

are supposed to walk. Before, they used to believe that,

you know, "I can never be a model Their confidence, we are still

working on it but let me tell For a long time, they have had

to stick together for support but now, as more people open up

to them, people living with albinism are learning to embrace society

and they might just surprise When your brother

becomes your enemy... Some inspirational youngsters.

That's it from me will stop goodbye. Hello there. A fairly static weather

pattern as we move into the weekend. High pressure with us and showers

coming in from the east. Although we will keep this low-pressure for

later on Sunday. The influence