25/02/2017 World News Today

The Indian embassy in Washington has expressed deep concern over the

killing of an Indian in Kansas in what is believed to be a racially

motivated attack. As a vigil is held for victim is, his wife said they

had grown anxious about racial hatred after the election of Donald

Trump. I just could not sleep. I was talking and then I was like, he will

be safe in this country. I am so worried.

The exodus of civilians from western Mosul -

as Iraqi troops push deeper into territory held by Islamic State

Also coming up, the woman linked to the murder of Kim Jong-Nam -

says she got 90 dollars to take part in what she thought was a prank.

Claudio Ranieri says goodbye to the Leicester City players

The Indian Embassy in Washington has expressed deep concern over

the killing of an Indian man and the injuring of another

More than a hundred people gathered for a vigil in Kansas honouring

the victims of what authorities suspect was a possible hate crime.

Sri-Nivas Kuchi-Bhotla died shortly after Wednesday's attack,

his friend Alok Mada-Sani, also from India, and an American

Adam Purin-ton, a white US Navy veteran

has been charged with first degree murder

Our correspondent Rajini Vaidhyanathan is outside

the bar in Kansas - where this happened

The two had moved from India here to Kansas and both worked for a tech

company, Garmin, and it was a nice evening on Wednesday and they

decided to come for a drink after work, something they often did. They

have been friends a long time. Through the course of the evening,

things got tens after a man approached their table and started

talking to them and by the end of the evening both were victims of a

gun attack in which the Indian man was killed. His friend survived the

incident and he is still recovering at home. He spoke earlier.

He randomly comes up and starts pointing fingers. Obviously, he

started with Sri-Nivas because he was closer to his table. We knew

something was wrong with the way he started the conversation and he was

pointing his finger. That is not something you see everyday. What did

he say? He came towards me and said, which country are you from? Are you

here illegally? Police are investigating the

possible motives, including the possibility that this was a hate

crime. Other witnesses in the bar have reported that the attacker

said, get out of my country. That is what is being investigated. The

man's wife is travelling to India to perform his last rites. I also spoke

to her yesterday. She told me a little bit about her fears about

hate crimes in the United States. When the recent elections happened,

he was watching it so closely. I was so worried. I just could not sleep.

I was talking to him and I was like, he will be safe in this country. I

am so worried. I think the hate crime will be more open now. Will it

be safe for asked to go there? Will it be safe for us to go to the

office? I am so worried, I am so worried. He held me like this and

said, don't worry. We should be OK, we should be OK.

Sri-Nivas loved America, a country he loved working in. His wife said

he was a hard worker and would leave the office late everyday. He was

dedicated to this country and his wife said when she comes back from

India, she wants to come back to America, she also loves this

country, despite her concerns she expressed. We are hearing that one

Indian society in the US is advising national is not to speak in their

local dialect. You have been in Kansas, what people you there? I

went to a vigil at a local church is not too far from the bar, which has

reopened, I should say. It opened at 11 o'clock on Saturday following

what happened. But the mood at the Interfaith vigil, there were

Americans, and Indian Americans are many said they loved this area and

think it is a united community and so they are not concerned about

living here, specifically, but they are devastated about what happened,

because many people here the two then. Thanks.

Tom Perez, a former member of President Obama's cabinet, has

been elected as the new national chairman of the Democratic Party.

After beating Keith Ellison a congressman from Minnesota.

Mr Perez then appointed him as his deputy.

The role of chairman is seen as critical with the Republicans

holding majorities in both the Senate and House

After his successful campaign, Mr Perez made this

Someday they are going to study this era in American history and study it

alongside the know nothing movement and will ask the question of all of

us, where were you in 2017? When we had the worst president in the

history of the United States, and we will all be able to say, whether you

are sitting here, outside, or whether you are looking across

America, we will be able to say, the united Democratic party led the

resistance, ensured that this president was a one term president

and elected Democrats across this country from the school board, to

the Senate, to the state attorneys general, two secretaries of State

and Senators and governors, to District six is. To New Jersey and

Virginia. Next year, we are going to have a market correction in all of

these states, like admiring -- like Maryland. That is what we are going

to do. The new chairman of the Iraqi troops are pushing

deeper into western Mosul in their offensive to drive out

so-called Islamic State This area of Mosul is the last

IS stronghold in Iraq. The militants are surrounded,

along with an estimated three-quarters-of-a-million

civilians. Our correspondent Wyre Davies

is at an advanced Iraqi military base where American troops

and advisers are a key part This woman is a victim of

Islamic State's latest tactic in its desperate bid to avoid

defeat in Mosul. The 55-year-old mother of seven

from the eastern part of the "I was lying on the ground

and people were pointing to the sky from where the bomb

came", she told me. One of dozens of drone attack

victims they've treated at This is pretty new for this

conflict, but also for These mortars can be

very effective and the impact on the population

really, really brutal. This IS video eulogises

the use of commercially available drones to drop

bombs and grenades. An organisation which governs

according to brutal feudal codes adapting modern

technology to lethal effect. Drones are yet another threat

for government troops now pursuing fighters from so-called

Islamic State into the narrow After days of fierce

clashes on the edge of the But from a field just to the south,

big American guns are helping to sway the battle perhaps

decisively in the government's This is an overwhelmingly Iraqi

military operation but the role of American advisers

and troops, so-called boots on the US artillery pieces

pounding targets in American commanders are reluctant

to divulge too many sensitive details, but say US

military support will be decisive. The fight in Western Mosul

would be a tough fight So the Iraqi army, the Iraqi federal

police, again will face It will be a lot of

house-to-house fighting. A Kurdish reporter,

Shifa Gardi was killed today covering the government

advance into Mosul. A handful of refugees

fled in the opposite direction but there are an estimated

750,000 civilians still trapped Wyre Davies, BBC

News, northern Iraq. The aid agencies are preparing for a

huge number of civilians from Mosul. One person told us about what they

have been hearing. Our teams have seen families who have just escaped

from the actual fighting will stop to the places where our teams are

operating. They are talking about horrible stories of snipers shooting

women and children. Those who are trying to escape. It is, and has

resulted in killing and injury among them. Also some families are just

separated. Everybody is running for their lives.

Those people trapped in the west of the city under the control of

Islamic State, what are your fears of them? First of all their safety

and secondly the longer this conflict continues, there will be a

danger of people running out of food and water and medicine and

everything. What do you know about the geography of the area? We hear

about narrow streets. What do you fear for the people trying to

escape? That is our worry, especially in the old part of the

city where it is estimated over 400,000 people will be living.

Narrow streets and old houses. With the fighting people could be at risk

whether they are staying or trying to escape. Given the numbers

involved, are you worried about mass casualties? We would be worried

about mass casualties but at the same time it is great to hear the

Iraqi forces and government have taken civilian protection as a

priority of this operation and we hope it materialises on the ground.

If there are many casualties, our agencies ready for that? We are not

ready. We are unable to reach into old parts of the city and we are

only able to support families who are escaping from fighting.

A 73-year-old man has died after being severely injured

when a man drove his car into pedestrians in the

Police say the driver was a German who was armed with a knife,

Police say they are not sure of the motivation behind the attack.

Two other people who were injured have both been

The UN's peace envoy for Syria says suicide attacks on two government

compounds in the city of Homs were designed to derail the current

At least 30 people were killed and dozens injured.

The former al-Qaeda affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, which now calls

itself Fateh al-Sham, said it carried out the attack.

Our correspondent Rami Ruhayem is in Beirut and told me how

the bombings could happen in a city supposedly under tight

This is an infiltration, not a battle. Whoever did this probably

Fateh al-Sham, the rebel group which claimed this attack, managed to get

through to this well guarded, highly sensitive spot, a couple of well

guarded, highly sensitive spots, to carry out this attack. This has

happened before. The regime has faced attacks in area it controls

before. Several of them in Homs, mostly on civilian targets. This one

unlike the others was not on a civilian target but possibly on a

target that matters more to the regime than other targets, because

of the nature of the targets will stop intelligence headquarters and

quite high profile casualties, as well. And a group believed to be

behind the attack, are they involved in the putative ongoing peace talks,

which are due to take place? No, this group came into existence in

its current form a couple of weeks ago. It used to be called Fateh

al-Sham. In the first statement by its leader, they explicitly rejected

negotiations and said they are not going to lead anywhere. The only way

to continue the revolution, they said, is to continue the armed

struggle against the regime and this is probably one of the most

successful manifestations of their strategy. Of course, this is a

manifestation as well of Al-Nusra, there is fierce focus from the start

of the Syrian uprising till now, on fighting the regime and rejecting

all the Western backed and golf Arab backed attempts to find a way --

Gulf. To find a solution to the regime. Still to come... Lavish

birthday celebrations that the Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who

turned 93 this week. Benedict will in his own words be

hidden from the world for the rest of his life.

The latest headlines. A vigil is held for the victims of a shooting

in a Kansas bar in which an Indian man was killed in what is believed

to be a racially motivated attack. In an exodus of civilians from

Western Mosul as Iraqi troops pushed deeper into territory held by the

so-called Islamic State. Malaysian officials say the Kuala Lumpur

International Airport is safe and has no radioactive or hazardous

materials. The announcement came after security experts carried out a

sweep for any traces of the toxic nerve agent that killed the half

brother of the North Korean leader. Police said Kim Jong-nam was

assassinated with a lethal dose of VX, a chemical listed by the UN as a

weapon of mass destruction. Even though the search was conducted in

11 days after the murder, police say not a single medical emergency was

reported. The screening process was carried out at areas and locations

related to this case. As a result of this screening process, we confirm

number one, there is no hazardous material found. Number two, it is

free from any form of contamination of hazardous material. And third, it

is declared a safe zone. Indonesian diplomats have visited one of their

nationals held as a suspect. The woman repeated her claim she is

innocent and thought she was taking part in a prank. She told Indonesian

officials that two Korean or Japanese looking men gave her a

substance that looks like baby all to wipe on the face of a man and

paid her $90. According to her she got 400 ringgits. There is plenty

more on this story on the website including a closer look at exactly

what VX nerve agent is. Go to the website.

There's been a lavish birthday party for Zimbabwe's President,

Robert Mugabe, who turned 93 this week.

Mr Mugabe is defying calls to resign.

The oldest president in the world said this week that

"the majority of the people feel that there is no

Organisers are saying they want to throw one of the biggest parties in

Africa. What does it take for such a big budget birthday? 150 cattle have

been slaughtered for food and thousands of people brought in to

join the celebrations and there is plenty of cake for officials, but

not everybody is celebrating. Some groups said the party abused power

and forced impoverished people to make donations. A protest group said

the feasting should stop until the country is fixed. As we speak

hospitals are in crisis, doctors have been on strike the last two

weeks. The government said this is not an ordinary party, that they

want to revere an African icon that is President Robert Mugabe.

The latest sport. Thanks. Scotland have secured a long-awaited victory

over Wales. Their first in a decade. Tommy Seymour's try put

the Scots back in front after Liam Williams

scored for Wales. Then Scotland secured the win

with a wonderfully worked try.. A great pass from Stuart

Hogg to Tim Visser. We started the championship well at

home against Ireland. We were disappointed in France but we

believe we can do something with this group and we are not just

saying that, whether people believe us or not. Today we came from a poor

first half to build an ice core and beat a very good Welsh side. We are

going to England for the next game. We are a group, if we work hard, we

believe we can win games. Jonnie Sexton returned from injury

to guide Ireland to a 19-9 victory The fly-half kicked 11 points

in what was his first match since he suffered a calf strain

playing for Irish province Ireland's other scores came

via Conor Murray's first-half try Claudio Ranieri returned to the

Leicester training ground. He left the club one point above the

relegation zone. They now sit in the bottom three after results went

against them on Saturday. Tonight Leicester striker Jamie Vardy

released a response to suggestions the players were responsible for his

departure. He said on social media:

I must have written and deleted my words

to this Chelsea are 11 points clear

at the top of the Premier League tonight after beating Swansea 3-1

at Stamford Bridge. Cesc Fabregas scored

first, Fernando Llorente level, but two late goals -

from Pedro and then Diego Costa We showed great character to start

the second half and create chances we had. Fabregas scored across the

bar and then be scored. We deserved a lot to win the game. Now it is

important to continue in this way. Winning over 29 points to be

champions. It is important to know this, for me, my players and fans.

To continue with the great focus and concentration.

It is looking unlikely anybody will stop Chelsea. Crystal Palace beat

Middlesbrough 1-0. They are out of the bottom three after the win over

Middlesbrough. Patrick van Aanholt with the goal.

It is a great victory and hopefully we can move on from there. I think

the two-week break had a big influence on players because we

could get a lot of work into the players in all aspects of their

game. And today they made a lot of really good decisions. They coped

with the pressure very well. Sunderland remain

bottom of the table That is all the sport. Back to you.

A reminder of the menus. The Indian embassy in Washington expressed deep

concern over the killing of an Indian man in a shooting in Kansas.

More than 100 people have gathered for a vigil honouring the victims of

what authorities suspect was a hate crime. That is it from me. Goodbye.

Hello, good evening. Breaking news on the weather front. The Irish Met

service have named Storms Iwan. It is heading our way and