:00:00. > :00:09.On the front line against Islamic State extremists in northern
:00:10. > :00:11.Syria - a first hand glimpse of how Kurdish fighters
:00:12. > :00:18.A BBC team has reached an area liberated from IS -
:00:19. > :00:23.but still threatened by its truck bombs.
:00:24. > :00:27.The Kurds got lucky - they found it, they stopped it
:00:28. > :00:33.It sent debris for hundreds of metres across these fields.
:00:34. > :00:38.Elsewhere in Syria, as a partial truce holds the UN says it's ready
:00:39. > :00:53.Also on tonight's programme: After a week of Cabinet division
:00:54. > :00:55.over Europe, a growing row over access to Government papers
:00:56. > :00:58.The red carpet is ready for tonight's Oscars -
:00:59. > :00:59.but controversy rages around this year's awards.
:01:00. > :01:05.They are making the final checks here, but for the second year in a
:01:06. > :01:08.row, all the actor nominees are white.
:01:09. > :01:15.25 years on - a memorial to the British service personnel
:01:16. > :01:19.And Manchester City win the Capital One Cup -
:01:20. > :01:43.The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, says the success
:01:44. > :01:46.of a truce in Syria depends on Russia, with concern
:01:47. > :01:49.about how its air strikes may derail a fragile process.
:01:50. > :01:54.Tonight, the truce appears to be largely intact.
:01:55. > :01:56.The battle against so-called Islamic State goes on however,
:01:57. > :02:00.and in northern Syria Kurdish fighters backed up by air strikes
:02:01. > :02:05.have been retaking territory from IS.
:02:06. > :02:08.Our correspondent Quentin Somerville is live tonight in Northern Syria.
:02:09. > :02:19.Well, while we have been here, there have been air strikes, there have
:02:20. > :02:23.been car bombs and there have been shootings but there has been a
:02:24. > :02:30.change. This conflict has pivoted, because the battle now appears to be
:02:31. > :02:36.mainly, not solely concentrated in the so-called Islamic State and
:02:37. > :02:39.Nousri, Al-Qaeda. There is some hope among Syrians and they are beginning
:02:40. > :02:44.to use a language almost unfamiliar and a word unfamiliar to them and
:02:45. > :02:49.that word is "calm" but there is also a lot of caution. My report
:02:50. > :02:51.contains some images which some viewers may find distressing.
:02:52. > :02:57.But, so, too, still is the fight against the so-called Islamic State.
:02:58. > :03:02.In Shaddadi, air strikes and the Kurds drove out IS.
:03:03. > :03:05.Here on these streets, the militants once held a slave
:03:06. > :03:12.Now, around the corner, an IS fighter lies dead in the dirt.
:03:13. > :03:26.But Islamic State can still surprise.
:03:27. > :03:32.American jets help repel a jet in Talabiad.
:03:33. > :03:37.This town was taken months ago by the Kurds but IS snipers
:03:38. > :03:40.and commandos attacked in droves an hour before the truce.
:03:41. > :03:45.And across a long stretch of territory.
:03:46. > :03:47.The IS attacks have transformed the security situation
:03:48. > :03:52.Security is a lot tighter along the road.
:03:53. > :03:54.In fact, it is impassable from the west.
:03:55. > :04:02.This wasn't just an attack, ground troops and snipers,
:04:03. > :04:07.they also deployed typical IS tactics, massive truck bomb.
:04:08. > :04:14.They found it, they stopped it and they detonated it.
:04:15. > :04:26.It sent debris hundreds of metres across these fields.
:04:27. > :04:29.Just imagine the damage that this would have done to local
:04:30. > :04:33.So, the Kurds have control here but it is an absolute and,
:04:34. > :04:35.of course, there is no truce with the Islamic State.
:04:36. > :04:38.But elsewhere the ceasefire of sorts is mostly holding.
:04:39. > :04:44.It's not a return to normal life, but it's a start.
:04:45. > :04:50."Today the jets flew over, but they didn't bomb,
:04:51. > :04:53.we hope that they stick to their word and that calm
:04:54. > :04:57.will continue to prevail and we want them to stop the regime."
:04:58. > :05:00.Back in Shaddadi, it is a defeat, not a ceasefire that's making
:05:01. > :05:06.The Islamic State has gone but their markings
:05:07. > :05:20."We'll all come back here to recover our lives taken
:05:21. > :05:23.This time there is a place for the whole
:05:24. > :05:25.nation, Arabs, Kurds, Christians, we all live together.
:05:26. > :05:28.The men with guns won't be disappearing here.
:05:29. > :05:42.And for Syria right now, that's good enough.
:05:43. > :05:48.Who would be cynical after nearly five years of war? But who, also,
:05:49. > :05:52.wouldn't be desperate for hope? There is a desperation, a hope that
:05:53. > :05:57.this ceasefire of sorts continues. It is only 48 hours so far. And
:05:58. > :06:02.that, perhaps, peace talks will restart. And there's been some good
:06:03. > :06:06.news tonight. The BBC has learned from the United Nations that
:06:07. > :06:11.tomorrow humanitarian aid convoys will start going into those towns
:06:12. > :06:14.and cities across Syria which have been besieged. Where people are
:06:15. > :06:18.starving, suffering malnutrition, where they are in desperate need of
:06:19. > :06:24.medical help, an indication, perhaps, that these 48 hours have
:06:25. > :06:30.been special and important and that for the 150,000 or so people who, in
:06:31. > :06:35.the next five days, are going to receive UN aid, are beginning to
:06:36. > :06:41.make a difference. Thank you Quinten.
:06:42. > :06:44.There's a growing row over the use of civil servants and the access
:06:45. > :06:47.to government papers in the coming EU referendum campaign.
:06:48. > :06:49.The head of the civil service, Sir Jeremy Heywood, will be grilled
:06:50. > :06:52.by MPs over claims ministers campaigning to leave the EU will be
:06:53. > :06:55.treated differently to ministers who want to stay in the union.
:06:56. > :06:56.Let's go to our political correspondent Alex Forsyth.
:06:57. > :07:05.Well, this referendum is exposing profound differences across the
:07:06. > :07:08.political spectrum. But, they are being felt most keenly within the
:07:09. > :07:11.Conservative Party. And this latest row is over the role of the Civil
:07:12. > :07:16.Service. The Government says the work of its officials can be used to
:07:17. > :07:19.support the case for the UK staying in the EU because that's the
:07:20. > :07:25.Government's official position. And ministers who want the UK to leave,
:07:26. > :07:28.should have restricted access. There are somek do uments and briefings
:07:29. > :07:31.about the referendum. But some eurosceptics think that doesn't make
:07:32. > :07:34.for a fair fight. So the most senior civil servant has been summoned
:07:35. > :07:39.before MPs to answer questions later this week. What this shows is how
:07:40. > :07:42.these deep divisions go to the very heart of Government. They are
:07:43. > :07:50.between Cabinet colleagues who sit side-by-side. The Work and Pensions
:07:51. > :07:56.Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, today accused those hop want it stay in of
:07:57. > :08:02.scaremongering, of downplaying Britain's ability to stay on its
:08:03. > :08:06.own. He didn't name names but referenced comments made by David
:08:07. > :08:10.Cameron and the Chancellor saying leaving the EU was a quab leap in
:08:11. > :08:14.the dark." They say they want to keep it respectful and civil for the
:08:15. > :08:19.sake of their party but the tensions are building and we are only in leap
:08:20. > :08:23.of of this campaign and there are still four months to go.
:08:24. > :08:25.President Robert Mugabe has celebrated his 92nd birthday
:08:26. > :08:28.with a party costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in a part
:08:29. > :08:32.Three million Zimbabweans are facing starvation in the worst drought
:08:33. > :08:35.since the 1990s, but tens of thousands turned out for a lavish
:08:36. > :08:38.party attended by Mr Mugabe, who's been in power for 36 years.
:08:39. > :08:48.Our correspondent Nomsa Maseko reports.
:08:49. > :08:50.The worst drought to hit Zimbabwe in three decades.
:08:51. > :08:53.A quarter of the country's population is facing food shortages.
:08:54. > :08:55.President Robert Mugabe declared a state of disaster,
:08:56. > :09:02.paving the way for international donors to help out.
:09:03. > :09:11.If the situation doesn't change, we will also die.
:09:12. > :09:16.I will be forced to sell all my cattle to feed my family.
:09:17. > :09:20.There have been downpours in recent days, bringing relief in some areas
:09:21. > :09:22.where farmers are still hoping for modest harvests.
:09:23. > :09:26.But the sparse rainfall patterns may do very little to alleviate
:09:27. > :09:36.By declaring an emergency, Mr Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe
:09:37. > :09:38.since its independence from Britain in 1980,
:09:39. > :09:46.is absolving himself and his government from taking
:09:47. > :09:58.on the responsibility to feed his people.
:09:59. > :09:59.Yes, we need funding, more funding, more money.
:10:00. > :10:03.With the help that we are able to get, no matter how little that
:10:04. > :10:06.help may be, we shall certainly manage to go through this bad patch
:10:07. > :10:25.These bad patches do come from time to time.
:10:26. > :10:27.In the midst of this agricultural disaster,
:10:28. > :10:31.a lavish birthday party for the 92-year-old leader was held
:10:32. > :10:36.yesterday in Masvingo, one of the areas that has been
:10:37. > :10:43.Aid, mainly from the United States and the EU, is being distributed
:10:44. > :10:52.We are looking at a situation now where we are at the tip
:10:53. > :10:54.of the iceberg and come three or four months from now,
:10:55. > :11:00.we could have a serious humanitarian catastrophe on our hands.
:11:01. > :11:05.UN resources are under increasing pressure so it remains to be seen
:11:06. > :11:07.just how much the international community will be willing
:11:08. > :11:09.to help to curb malnutrition and diseases.
:11:10. > :11:15.In Iran, moderate candidates have made sweeping gains
:11:16. > :11:18.in the country's parliamentary elections.
:11:19. > :11:20.Votes are still being counted but early results show hardline
:11:21. > :11:25.conservatives may have lost their majority.
:11:26. > :11:28.Reformers and moderates supporting President Hassan Rouhani have won
:11:29. > :11:35.The picture may be more mixed in smaller towns across the country.
:11:36. > :11:37.Pauline Cafferkey, the British nurse who contracted Ebola
:11:38. > :11:39.while volunteering in Sierra Leone, has been discharged from hospital
:11:40. > :11:42.after being treated for the illness for a third time.
:11:43. > :11:45.The 40-year-old from South Lanarkshire was taken
:11:46. > :11:50.to the Royal Free Hospital in London for treatment earlier this week
:11:51. > :11:52.after developing a complication linked to the virus.
:11:53. > :12:00.Medical staff say she isn't infectious.
:12:01. > :12:02.The awards ceremony for this year's Oscars begins in Hollywood later
:12:03. > :12:05.night after a run-up dominated by controversy over a lack
:12:06. > :12:08.All those in the running for acting awards are white,
:12:09. > :12:10.something likely to be addressed by the Oscars host,
:12:11. > :12:14.Our Entertainment Correspondent, Lizo Mzimba, is on the red carpet.
:12:15. > :12:26.Yes, in just a few minutes' time the stars are going to start walking
:12:27. > :12:29.down this red carpet. It is, of course, a show watched by millions
:12:30. > :12:32.upon millions around the world and they have been preparing for months.
:12:33. > :12:36.But, the one thing they weren't quite ready for is the storm that
:12:37. > :12:39.erupted after, for the second year in a row, all the acting nominations
:12:40. > :12:45.went to white performers. Rapid change, that is
:12:46. > :12:47.what the Academy is promising as the red carpet is
:12:48. > :12:49.prepared for tonight. But there is a perceived
:12:50. > :12:51.overall lack of diversity. This isn't just talking
:12:52. > :12:56.about diversity for the sake of diversity, this is
:12:57. > :12:58.also bad for business. It is bad for Hollywood
:12:59. > :13:01.to be so behind the times that they are not developing
:13:02. > :13:03.projects for people of different backgrounds and people
:13:04. > :13:06.that look different. Movies reflect our society
:13:07. > :13:08.and should be a reflection of who we are as people
:13:09. > :13:11.and for Hollywood not to make diverse movies really
:13:12. > :13:13.is a big problem. Actors who have long campaigned
:13:14. > :13:29.for greater adversity are welcoming that it has become an issue
:13:30. > :13:33.recognised at all levels. I think it really must
:13:34. > :13:35.start in the boardrooms. It is going to take bravery
:13:36. > :13:38.and it is going to take courage and making sure that people aren't
:13:39. > :13:41.fearful to cast black actors and black actresses in roles that
:13:42. > :13:43.may not traditionally be For many, the expectation
:13:44. > :13:47.is that this will be the last year the acting winners are all
:13:48. > :13:49.guaranteed to be white and that the discussion
:13:50. > :13:50.becomes exclusively The numbers clearly indicate
:13:51. > :13:54.there were senior clergy involved. For Best Film, the Academy
:13:55. > :13:56.loves to reward stories Will the spotlight fall
:13:57. > :13:59.this year on Spotlight, a film about the Boston Globe's
:14:00. > :14:01.investigation of a church When the banks committed
:14:02. > :14:09.the greatest fraud in US history... Or perhaps The Big Short,
:14:10. > :14:11.about the run-up to the global But the narrow favourite is perhaps
:14:12. > :14:15.survival drama The Revenant. Its lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio,
:14:16. > :14:18.looks almost certain to take Best Even last year's winner,
:14:19. > :14:25.Eddie Redmayne, nominated I think it's pretty match
:14:26. > :14:29.certainly Leo's year I love you, Steve,
:14:30. > :14:34.you know how much. British acting hopes rest
:14:35. > :14:38.with previous winner Kate Winslet, nominated for her role
:14:39. > :14:40.in the Steve Jobs movie, and Mark Rylance, for Cold War
:14:41. > :14:42.drama Bridge Of Spies. In a year where everyone,
:14:43. > :14:54.including of course this year's host, recognises that what has been
:14:55. > :14:56.happening around the Oscars has, to a degree, overshadowed
:14:57. > :15:02.the awards themselves. The actor Frank Kelly,
:15:03. > :15:07.best known for playing Father Jack in the cult comedy Father Ted,
:15:08. > :15:15.has died aged 77. He starred as the foul-mouthed
:15:16. > :15:22.elderly priest between His stage and screen career,
:15:23. > :15:26.which spanned 60 years, included roles on Irish TV comedy
:15:27. > :15:29.shows, as well as a minor appearance With all the sport, here's
:15:30. > :15:39.Olly Foster at the BBC Sport Centre. Manchester City have won the first
:15:40. > :15:42.trophy of the football season after beating Liverpool
:15:43. > :15:44.in the League Cup final. 1-1 at the end of extra time,
:15:45. > :15:47.it went to penalties at Wembley where City's keeper
:15:48. > :15:48.was the match-winner. Our sports correspondent,
:15:49. > :16:03.Joe Wilson. You can arrive at Wembley heading in
:16:04. > :16:07.different directions. Manchester City no longer need Manuel
:16:08. > :16:10.Pellegrini, even if he wins, but Liverpool are based on Jurgen Klopp.
:16:11. > :16:16.One man you want # This position is Sergio Aguero.
:16:17. > :16:19.The goalkeeper was better. Having seen Mingolet at his best, then at
:16:20. > :16:26.the start of the second half, this. Oh, dear. After Fernandinho's goals,
:16:27. > :16:31.space opened up. Raheem Sterling. Managers can only watch, or not. 82
:16:32. > :16:36.minutes gone, Liverpool's attacks had been limited but when the chance
:16:37. > :16:41.fell here, he was ready. Watch out, here comes a Klopp hug. No goals in
:16:42. > :16:50.extra time. Liverpool managed just one in the penalty shootout.
:16:51. > :16:59.Coutinho failed. So did Llannan. Willy Caballero, the keeper
:17:00. > :17:04.Pellegrini trusted. Well, Torre could barely run. That won it.
:17:05. > :17:07.Well, in sport, you take your trophies when you can. Waving
:17:08. > :17:14.goodbye like this is how to ensure you will be missed.
:17:15. > :17:16.With Leicester still leading the way in the Premier League,
:17:17. > :17:18.Arsenal and Tottenham were playing catch-up today.
:17:19. > :17:21.Goals from both their games are on Match of the Day 2
:17:22. > :17:23.after the news or a little bit later in Scotland.
:17:24. > :17:26.But if you want to know what happened, then here
:17:27. > :17:29.Arsenal slipped up, losing 3-2 at Old Trafford.
:17:30. > :17:30.Manchester United's teenage striker Marcus Rashford,
:17:31. > :17:32.who scored twice on his debut in the week, scored
:17:33. > :17:39.Arsenal remain five points off the top of the table.
:17:40. > :17:41.They are three points behind Tottenham in second.
:17:42. > :17:45.They came from behind to beat Swansea, Danny Rose with Spurs
:17:46. > :17:49.2-1 the final score at White Hart Lane.
:17:50. > :17:51.The new Fifa President, Gianni Infantino, is preparing
:17:52. > :17:56.He says implementing reform will be his priority but he doesn't
:17:57. > :18:00.think it will take long to restore the organisation's
:18:01. > :18:11.The reforms need to be implemented now. They need to be implemented
:18:12. > :18:16.from day 1, immediately. So, I will go up to the office and start
:18:17. > :18:19.looking at concretely how to implement these reforms so that we
:18:20. > :18:35.can then, hopefully very soon as well, concentrate on football.
:18:36. > :18:37.In the Women's Six Nations Championship, Wales are back
:18:38. > :18:39.in the title race after beating France in Neath.
:18:40. > :18:43.now after Wales won 10-8. but the Championship is wide open
:18:44. > :18:47.They play England next who are still on for the Grand Slam,
:18:48. > :18:50.Scotland are still waiting for their first win
:18:51. > :18:53.Exeter Chiefs are just three points behind the leaders Saracens
:18:54. > :18:59.There were four matches in the Pro 12, Edinburgh are back
:19:00. > :19:02.in the play-off hunt after a narrow victory against third-placed
:19:03. > :19:08.A late Ben Tullis try saw them win 24-23.
:19:09. > :19:14.There were also wins for Munster, Leinster and Cardiff Blues.
:19:15. > :19:17.Sir Ben Ainslie has had a good weekend in Oman as his crew came out
:19:18. > :19:20.on top in the America's Cup World Series.
:19:21. > :19:22.It's the fourth of eight regattas spread over two years before
:19:23. > :19:24.the America's Cup next year in Bermuda.
:19:25. > :19:27.Points count towards qualification for the main event, with all teams
:19:28. > :19:29.looking to become the sole challenger to take on the holders,
:19:30. > :19:36.Ainslie was part of their crew that won the famous trophy in 2013
:19:37. > :19:51.Hundreds of veterans joined the families of those
:19:52. > :19:54.who lost their lives in the First Gulf War to unveil
:19:55. > :19:55.a memorial to those who fought in the conflict.
:19:56. > :20:00.Ed. Their families were joined by hundreds of veterans for a ceremony
:20:01. > :20:03.at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.
:20:04. > :20:08.They died in the desert a quarter of a century ago.
:20:09. > :20:16.Now their families and friends have a focus for their memories.
:20:17. > :20:18.During the night, hundreds of British and American aircraft
:20:19. > :20:21.have attacked targets in Iraq and occupied Kuwait.
:20:22. > :20:29.A British force of over 50,000 fought with the coalition
:20:30. > :20:37.which combined to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.
:20:38. > :20:40.After months of preparation, the ground campaign was over
:20:41. > :20:43.47 British service personnel were killed, many more were wounded
:20:44. > :20:44.or suffered from post-traumatic stress.
:20:45. > :20:52.Jason Glasgow, filmed at the time, says he will never
:20:53. > :20:56.It may have been naivete, I were young and brave and just had
:20:57. > :21:01.Now I think I would worry a bit more.
:21:02. > :21:04.The new memorial, funded by veterans with the help of the Kuwaiti
:21:05. > :21:07.government, stands above a replica of the medal awarded to all those
:21:08. > :21:26.There is a lot of talk that the first Gulf War
:21:27. > :21:30.We have come here after 25 years to the day to see this magnificent
:21:31. > :21:34.The 1991 war was inconclusive and costly.
:21:35. > :21:37.Tens of thousands of Iraqis were killed and the campaign did not
:21:38. > :21:45.end the bloodshed in the troubled region.
:21:46. > :21:49.But this is one spot where stories of that brief conflict will be told
:21:50. > :21:54.You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.
:21:55. > :21:56.That's all from me, stay with us on BBC1.
:21:57. > :22:06.It's time for the news where you are.