05/03/2017 World News Today

This is BBC world News today, broadcasting in the UK and around

the world. The headlines. The White House asks Congress to investigate

whether President Obama ordered wiretaps and the trump campaign. The

former director of national intelligence denies the claim. There

was no such wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the

time as a candidate for against his campaign. Francois Fillon insists he

will not pull out of the French presidential race. My campaign goes

on despite the defections. Nobody has the power to force me to

withdraw my candidacy. It is my decision and I have been reassured

by this show of support. Everyone thought it would be a failure and it

was a success. Iraqi forces are trying to retake muscle from Islamic

State reported to be closing in on the main government buildings in the

city. In sport, Harry Kane scores twice as Spurs close the gap with

Chelsea at the top of the Premier League.

The former US director of national intelligence, James Klapper, has

denied there was any wiretap on Donald Trump what this election

campaign. President Trump has alleged that his phones were tapped

by the Obama administration without offering any evidence and has asked

Congress to examine the claims. For North America correspondent, Nick

Bryant, reports. On the Sunday talk shows

this morning one main Trump claiming the Trump campaign

was wiretapped by President Obama. In his extraordinary

twitter tirade Donald Trump accused his predecessor,

Barack Obama, of being a sick wiretaps at Trump Tower

in a Watergate style conspiracy. This morning, the White House issued

a statement asking that as part of their investigation

into Russian activity, the Congressional intelligence

Committee exercise their to determine whether executive

branch investigative powers But the White House has produced no

evidence to back up the President's claims of criminality and seems

to be hoping these congressional Let's get the truth

here, let's find out. I think the bigger story is not

who reported it, but is it true? I think the American people

have a right to know if this happened because if it did,

again this is the largest abuse of power that

I think we have ever seen. Senior Democrats have

labelled Donald Trump trying to distract attention

from the Trump team's To understand this, this

is the deflector in chief, no jobs, no infrastructure

built, no nothing. But America's former Director

of National Intelligence claims At this point you cannot confirm

or deny whether that happened? This weekend has seen pro-Trump

rallies around the country, celebrating his successful speech

to Congress, but the week that began with the presidential reset has

ended once again with Russia. Our correspondent in Washington is

Laura Baker. I asked if James Clapper's categorical would make any

difference. We have had no reaction from the

White House. The statement stands. They want the congressional

committees to investigate whether or not there has been an overreach and

abuse of power, according to the deputy White House spokesperson this

morning. They are saying that if it is true, and they seem to be basing

their claims in part on reports in newspapers, Breitbart News and other

conservative radio shows, but there was wiretapping in Trump Tower

during the presidential campaign and they said that was an abuse of power

and it needs to be investigated and are calling on Congress to do that.

Opponents of President Trump says he sends these tweets to deflect

attention from things he does not want to be discuss. Has he been

successful? When it comes to the discussion in Washington, this is

consuming all news programmes right across the nation. It is the one

topic, it is an astonishing claim by President Trump, that his

predecessor has carried out wiretapping on his own Trump Tower.

When it comes to the presidential rule book, there is an unwritten

rule that when you hand overpowered you do not criticise the

predecessor. He has blown the Rob Webber. When it comes to what was

being discussed in Washington, that is making headlines. Nancy Pelosi,

the Democrat, is calling him the deflector in chief because it is

reflecting from the controversy over whether or not his campaign had

contact with Russian intelligence. Francois Fillon has used a TV

interview to say he will not withdraw from the French

presidential race. The centre-right candidate is under pressure to quit

over corruption allegations. On Monday, the party Braswell meet to

discuss his future. Mr Fillon addressed thousands of supporters in

Paris. If there was only slight doubt at

the end of this rally speech, he never spelt out that he would be a

candidate to the end. People thought he might be sending out a signal. In

this interview he was asked that question directly, are you going to

withdraw her candidacy and he said no. I don't see any reason to and no

one can make me good. That seems pretty clear. Tomorrow is another

day and know there are negotiations going on and phone calls flying all

over the place, but as things stand, he comes out from this reinforced in

his belief that there is a large part of the centre-right electorate

that is behind him and he would be betraying them were she to step

down. He says I am willing to talk to the other leaders, the party

bigwigs, but my position is stronger today than it was before. That is

what Mr Fillon is saying, what about the polling and the general chatter?

We know it has been a rough few weeks for him and we know the rest

of the party are very concerned because the polling shows that if he

runs, he will not make it to the second round, it will be Macron and

Le Pen. That is where the pressure is coming from that is bursting at

the end of asked week with all these defections, people saying this is

hopeless, we were supposed to have this on a plate and now we do not.

It is time to get another candidate going, so let's get Alain Juppe

going. This will give them pause for thought and make them realise this

is more complicated than they realised. If only for the simple

fact, which is inarguable, but Mr Fillon does have the legitimacy of

the primary behind him and if he steps down and Juppe takes his

place, there are a number of people who voted for Fillon who will sit we

did that with four Alain Juppe and we didn't vote for him for a good

reason, which is that he is a soft, centre guy and we don't want that.

The real danger is that there will be a big loss of votes on the road,

maybe the Marine Le Pen, if Francois Fillon is hosted by Juppe. Police

are hunting for an attacker who shot a signal and doesn't leave the

country Seattle. The victim was approached outside his house before

he was shot in the arm. The attackers led to a fresh outcry in

India following a deadly gun attack on two Indians in Kansas last month.

Police in New York investigating the damage to two stones at a Jewish

cemetery in Brooklyn set no evidence of vandalism has been found. They

said they had since have come down as a result of long-term neglect and

environmental factors such as soil erosion. There has been a series of

vandalism is at Jewish cemeteries this year. On a visit to Israel, the

New York governor described as an as reprehensible. It is disgusting, it

is reprehensible, it violates every ten at the New York State tradition.

New York state, five it's definition, is a celebration of

diversity. We believe in the spirit of inclusion and we live by

discrimination of no one. The principles of Europe are built on

Iraq, they will not change and the political winds will not change

them. In your state governor speaking there. China faces major

challenges in its attempt to overhaul its economy, the world's

second-largest force of the premier told the opening session of

Parliament in Beijing that he is targeting and half percent in the

coming year, lower than last year. Among other commitments there was a

pledge to pollution. He made a pledge to make the skies again.

Chairman Mao would still recognise the Chinese parliament, rigid,

authoritarian and unapologetically Communist. Every year, the delegates

to hear their leader 's warn of the increasingly complex challenges

faced by a modern capitalist economy. Potential risks cannot be

overlooked, he says. Warning that reforming the Chinese economy is the

process is filled with promise, but also accompanied by great pain. He

spoke of the need to combat industrial overcapacity and to

reform what he called zombie enterprises, the bloated state own

stacker producing far more coal and steel than the market needs. Similar

pledges in the past have proved hard to fulfil. Had he pledged to make

the Chinese sky is blue again, outlining further targets for

emissions cuts, once again these promises have been made before. The

Chinese parliament has very little control over the weighty issues of

state, the big political and economic decisions that have been

made weeks in advance by the Communist Party leaders behind

closed doors. The Premier also warned against growing

protectionism, a thinly veiled reference to the policies of the new

US president, and a reminder that as well as the economic risks at home,

China is facing challenges on the international stage.

Iraqi forces have intensified their push into Mosul. They are now

reportedly with 80 minutes -- a few miles of government buildings. The

operation to move into the West which started a few weeks ago has

445,000 people to flee the city. The refugee camp just south of the city

is approaching maximum capacity. The people of Mosul endure yet

another round of fighting between Iraqi Government forces

and so-called Islamic State. In just over two hours we saw more

than five buses arriving here. Many children here are too

young to understand. We were all just running

and running, the mortars raining on our heads,

till we got to the Army. Some were grateful for

the Army's help, but these men said their homes

were hit by army shelling. The refugees from western Mosul

arrived here. They have escaped with their lives, but their misery is not

over. They keep coming, thousands each day. Too many for the

authorities to cope with. Close by, in another temporary camp, more

people are seeking refuge. With such an unrelenting flow, authorities can

hardly keep up. Still to come, taking the message to

the people. One man's quest to raise awareness of mental health issues

most people in South Africa. Suddenly, the tables, the chairs,

the people crashed sideways and downwards and it was just a matter

of seconds as the fairy lurched on her side. The hydrogen bomb on a

remote Pacific island. The Americans successfully tested a weapon whose

explosive force dwarf that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. My Hart

went back and back. The constitutional rights of these

marchers have their rights as citizens of the United States and

they should be protected, even in the right to test them out so they

don't get their heads broken and sent to hospital. I know you don't

want to say too much, but will this religious controversy boarded up

when you get to the states? Everything will be all right. This

is BBC world News today. The latest headlines, the White House asks

Congress to investigate whether President Obama ordered wiretaps on

the trump campaign. The former director of National intelligence

denies that took place. After tens of thousands of people support him

in Paris, the embattled candidate Francois Fillon insists he will not

pull out of the French presidential race. The United Nations says for

the first time for countries are at risk of extreme hunger and famine at

the same time. South Sudan, but on the jury, Somalia and Yemen are all

under threat. The worst affected is war-torn Yemen. Over 14 million

people need life-saving food aid. It is reported that in Nigeria, nearly

2 million people risk my nutrition. In south Sudan, nearly 5 million

people need the life-saving food aid and in Somalia, nearly 3 million

people are going hungry. This is what a national disaster looks like.

Mile after mile of arid, barren land. The worst drought in Somalia

in decades. Parts of the country have not seen rain for two years.

For successful crop harvests have been hit, making the scale of the

looming crisis almost unprecedented. I suppose this is the worst drought

I have ever witnessed, because before, only if you've regions used

to be affected, but not the country. This drug is brought people from

across the country to this region. This is the worst job in Somalia

that I know of. This region faces some of the biggest challenges.

Workers at save the children supported health clinics report a

significant increase in severe malnutrition cases among infants

coming through their doors. The United Nations warns over a quarter

of a million children will face severe, acute malnutrition in the

next few months. In all, half of Somalia faces food insecurity. The

new president already has the threat from Islamic extremist group

al-Shabab to take on, but hunger is his pressing priority. I want to

take this opportunity to call for all Somalis and the donor community

to help families affected by the current drought. It is imperative

for us to help each other as the magnitude of this drug is very

alarming. The Somali drought has been partly caused by the El Nino

weather phenomenon from last year, which impacted east and Southern

Africa. As appeals for aid go out to the international community, one

sign of good news for the region is a year-end forecast that may stocks

are on their way to recovery. Here is well parried with all the sport.

Tottenham closed the gap at the top of the Premier League with a 3-2 win

over Everton. A record club ninth consecutive home win for Spurs.

Harry Kane scored twice, Dele Alli got the third. Romelu Lukaku was

also on the scoresheet. Mauricio Pochettino is now seven points

behind the leaders, Chelsea, who face West Ham on Monday. Another

fantastic achievement for that group. We feel very proud about

that. They broke the club record. I think it has made history, it is

starting to make history, that group. They young players. This is

only the start of the good things coming in the future. We know they

are strong, but they have two or three years in a row, two or three

seasons in a row with the same players and they bought some better

players and that is all about timing and that is what we need to have in

Everton. If we get the time, if we get to improve, that is the next

step for the club and, OK, in some aspects we saw that difference today

on the pitch. Manchester City move back up to third, one point behind

Tottenham for the game in hand after a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Sergio

Aguero and Leroy San Mames with the goals. The first minute was tough

because we knew, we expected how aggressive they would play, but

afterwards we controlled the game and we were lucky. We made a good

first goal, but forgot to have time with 1-0 so that is completely

different to drawing or losing and in the second half we played really

good. I don't think you can fault the players for and if that. I just

think they give everything they can. We lacked quality at times. When we

did get the ball back and we back quite a lot we give it away and had

to wait back again. The energy, everything they did, they tried to

do what we could to get something out of the game. The England

cricketers have been the West Indies in the second one-day international.

Then when the three match series with an unassailable 2-0 lead. Then

plug it took three for 32. Jason Roy hit 54 England. It was a

half-century for Chris Woakes who, along with Joe group the mid-90, the

infant with ten to spare. Dustin Johnson has a three shot lead at the

golf championship events in Mexico. Tommy Fleetwood is the best placed

British player, four shots back. Rory McIlroy is a shot behind him

with Ross Fisher ten under par. Great Britain finished second

overall at the European indoor athletics Championships with seven

medals and the final day in Belgrade. Boroughmuir in the second

goal after taking the 1500 metres title, she won the 3000 metres, both

with victories in chav of record times. Britain won ten medals in

total, finishing behind Poland with Germany finishing third. I didn't

know what my legs would do and I tried to hang in there. I was tired

but I am glad I could do that today. What was the plan at the outset? It

went well. I just typed on and used my speed at the event and crashed

the line in protest. As this what Franco. Senior Russian MP has

proposed that football hooliganism should be recognised as a spectator

sport ahead of the World Cup in Russia. The unorthodox proposal is

designed to suck a repeat of the trouble seeing at the Rose last year

when organised groups of Russian fans, many with martial arts

training, for the English fans on the streets of Marseille. One South

African township, close to Cape Town, erasing college graduate is

taking the fight against mental illness to streets. Andreas believes

young people have undiagnosed mental issues and the chance of benefiting

from counselling. He is using a brightly coloured van to spread

awareness of the problem. Young kids as young as eight or nine, they grew

up seeing terrible stuff, whether it is someone being mugged or being

stabbed, violence taking place in their own household. This is my

mobile consultation van. This van brings services to kids in the

township who come from a family who cannot afford services from a

psychologist or a registered counsellor like myself. The kids

come when the vehicle passes by, they see this funky looking van,

then they realise it is a psychology clinic. It is an innovative way of

providing the service, it is more attractive to them than having to go

and sit in my office and talk to me. I have got this young guy who just

jumped in, you would like to top -- talk but you cannot come in due to

confidentiality. My fear is for the young people grow up in any township

is exposure to substance abuse, peer pressure and other traumas that the

experience and see and observe each and every day. That might set them

back from achieving some of their dreams that they would love to

achieve for the betterment of the community. What keeps me going and

providing this service for free is that I would love to see a young

person from the townships succeed and go on against all odds and

become a role model for the next coming generation. The matter what

happens, we will keep this mobile unit going through the dusty streets

of Cape Town. The crude attempt from one month to

battle mental illness in South Africa. The biggest Gay pride

festival in Australia has come to an end the fingerprints of glitter in

its workforce of hundreds of thousands of people gathered on

Oxford Street in Sydney on Saturday night to survey the 39th annual

Mardi Gras Parade, one of the most famous and best defence in

Australia. The parade began as a protest in the 1970s but is almost

200 foods and there are thousands of marchers who take place. A reminder

of our top story, the White House has asked Congress to examine claims

from President Trump that Barack Obama ordered his films to be tapped

during the election. That is all for now. Thank you for