:00:11. > :00:15.The Algerian hostage crisis - David Cameron warns the battle against
:00:15. > :00:19.terrorism in North Africa could last decades. Three British workers
:00:19. > :00:24.were killed. Three more are feared dead during the four-day siege at
:00:24. > :00:29.the gas plant in the Sahara. Pictures of two of the four
:00:29. > :00:33.climbers killed an avalanche are released. Christopher Bell was 24.
:00:33. > :00:37.Una Finnegan was 25. Freezing weather and heavy snow continues to
:00:37. > :00:42.disrupt travel. Hundreds of flights are cancelled at Heathrow. More
:00:42. > :00:52.will be grounded tomorrow. And in sport - Saracens and Leicester book
:00:52. > :01:06.
:01:06. > :01:10.their places in the quarter-finals Good evening. David Cameron has
:01:10. > :01:13.warned that the west faces a decade's long struggle against
:01:13. > :01:16.Islamist terrorism in North Africa. The Prime Minister has confirmed
:01:16. > :01:22.three Britons died and another three are feared to have been
:01:22. > :01:25.killed in the hostage crisis which ended when Algerian Special Forces
:01:25. > :01:30.stormed a gas plant yesterday. Most of the kidnappers are thought to
:01:30. > :01:34.have been killed. There are a reports that some were captured
:01:34. > :01:38.alive. 22 who survived the siege are now back home. Our diplomatic
:01:38. > :01:43.correspondent has the latest. The four-day siege is finally over.
:01:43. > :01:47.These new pictures give some sense of the ferocious battles fought by
:01:47. > :01:51.Algerian forces to end it. It is far from clear how many hostages
:01:51. > :01:55.died in these firefights or how many may have been murdered by
:01:55. > :02:01.their captors. Algeria says at least 23 hostages of many
:02:01. > :02:05.nationalities are now dead, as well as 32 of the millants. Algerian
:02:05. > :02:10.police buses have been ferrying injured hostages out of the desert,
:02:10. > :02:20.starting their journeys home. The 22 Britons are now believed to be
:02:20. > :02:25.
:02:25. > :02:33.back in the UK. The family of one Lou Fear, from Lincolnshire got out
:02:33. > :02:37.alive. His wife said he had been through a horrendous ordeal, a
:02:37. > :02:42.feeling echoed by neighbours. people put thair lives at risk
:02:42. > :02:47.working out there. You don't expect to have to deal with such awful
:02:47. > :02:52.situations. A team of consular officials have been sent out there
:02:52. > :02:56.to bring back the bodies of the dead. The threat has grown,
:02:56. > :03:01.particularly in North Africa. This is a global threat. It will require
:03:01. > :03:05.a global response. It will require a response that is about years,
:03:06. > :03:11.even decades rather than months. This is what David Cameron was
:03:11. > :03:15.talking about - the whole northern part of Africa, where extremists
:03:15. > :03:18.exploit vast, often empty spaces to base themselves and to plot.
:03:18. > :03:23.Algeria has long borders, mere lines in the sand, almost
:03:23. > :03:28.impossible to police. Large parts of Mali have fall on the extremists.
:03:28. > :03:34.Historically Britain has focused more effort on strengthening former
:03:34. > :03:38.colonies like Nigeria, with less emphasis on French-speaking areas.
:03:38. > :03:44.I don't think the West assessed the scale of the threat in this region
:03:44. > :03:48.properly. We now see that it is considerable. What should we do
:03:48. > :03:54.about it? That's the difficult question. I think that the Prime
:03:54. > :03:58.Minister is right to say it will take a long time. It is a question
:03:58. > :04:02.of finding them, rooting them out. It is a vast area. This man,
:04:02. > :04:08.Mokhtar Belmokhtar, says he was behind the attack and even claims
:04:08. > :04:13.to have infiltrated followers into jobs at the plant.
:04:13. > :04:18.Algerian state TV says an army officer negotiated at the height of
:04:18. > :04:24.the siege with the man leading the hostage-takers.
:04:24. > :04:29.In this recording this claim is made - I have spoke on the the
:04:29. > :04:33.British, he says, but they are far away, they have contacted Mali and
:04:33. > :04:37.Belmokhtar. Tonight, the Foreign Office said we don't reveal
:04:37. > :04:43.anything about negotiating tactics in managing a hostage crisis. Of
:04:43. > :04:47.course, the claim could be deliberate misinformation. What is
:04:47. > :04:52.not known is about the bloody events of the past few days. One of
:04:52. > :04:58.the British victims of the hostage crisis has been identified by the
:04:58. > :05:04.Foreign Office tonight as Paul Thomas Morgan, who was 46. He has
:05:04. > :05:08.been described as a true gentleman, who loved live and lived it to the
:05:08. > :05:12.full. The Algerian militants have claimed it was in response to
:05:12. > :05:16.France's military intervention in Mali. There are currently 2,000
:05:16. > :05:21.French troops in the West African country, trying to push back the
:05:21. > :05:26.rebels who control the northern regions. Our Africa correspondent
:05:26. > :05:31.has the latest from Mali. The French build-up here continues.
:05:31. > :05:36.Soldiers arriving at the frontlines in central Mali.
:05:36. > :05:40.Up ahead, the aftermath of a French air strike. Islamist rebels had
:05:40. > :05:45.brought in quite an arsenal when they sieged this town on Monday.
:05:45. > :05:52.Now they have fled, leaving a bewildered population to examine
:05:52. > :06:00.the ruins and wonder where this quietly tolerant country went wrong.
:06:00. > :06:04.They were foreigners, he says. Some Arabs, they spoke a different
:06:04. > :06:09.language,. They tore the cross from the Church. "We are religious here
:06:09. > :06:15.in Mali, but people are abusing our faith to invade this country."
:06:15. > :06:18.Here are the results - a hard-line interpretation of shary ya law
:06:18. > :06:23.imposed in rebel territory. These two escaped after being accused of
:06:23. > :06:27.theft. They did it without any anaesthetic
:06:27. > :06:32.says this man. They are just thieves and criminals.
:06:32. > :06:38.It is hard to join the dots between all the extremist groups fighting
:06:38. > :06:44.here in Algeria of course, in northern Nigeria and as far away as
:06:44. > :06:47.Somalia. There are concerns that what were localised conflicts are
:06:47. > :06:52.starting to emerge into something more alarming. This is not a second
:06:52. > :06:56.Afghanistan, but it is a worry to Africa and for Europe. Which is
:06:56. > :07:01.where the French come in. They may be weary about getting dragged into
:07:01. > :07:07.a long war against a resilient army here, but what alternative is
:07:07. > :07:10.there? It is most important to finish the job. Do you think French
:07:10. > :07:15.troops will have to be involved here? Do you think local African
:07:15. > :07:21.troops can handle this problem? of course I think so. You think
:07:21. > :07:26.foreigners? Yes, of course. longer term answer is to strengthen
:07:27. > :07:31.Mali's own army and to help re- build democracy, not unlike the
:07:31. > :07:38.Afghanistan model. Before last year, this was considered one of Africa's
:07:38. > :07:43.more stable, success stories. Things change fast.
:07:43. > :07:46.Let's talk now to our diplomatic correspondent, who is here. The
:07:46. > :07:50.situation in Mali highlights the complexity of the terrorist threat
:07:51. > :07:56.in the region. How difficult will it be to tackle that threat? Very
:07:56. > :08:01.difficult. What we are seeing is very clear, is that Islamist
:08:01. > :08:05.extremists have seen an opportunity in the north of Africa: They are
:08:05. > :08:10.working quick. They moved to take over that whole country and they
:08:10. > :08:16.are being pushed back by the French. It has involved the commitment of
:08:16. > :08:19.European forces N Algeria, a sister organisation, if you like, another
:08:19. > :08:22.Al-Qaeda-related franchise, also took the moment, even if it was
:08:22. > :08:25.long in the planning, this attack on the energy installation, it
:08:25. > :08:31.could have been moved forward to coincide with what is happening in
:08:31. > :08:36.Mali. Thank you.
:08:36. > :08:39.Two phD students and a junior doctor have been named among the
:08:39. > :08:43.four climbers killed in an avalanche in Glencoe. Two people
:08:43. > :08:47.survived. One is in a critical condition in hospital. The other
:08:47. > :08:51.escaped without injury. Tonight, he said the group were experienced
:08:51. > :08:55.winter walkers and they all loved the mountains. The climbers who
:08:55. > :08:58.died fell about 1,000 feet and ended up in around two metres of
:08:59. > :09:02.snow. In the shadow of the mountain range
:09:02. > :09:10.where four people lost their lives, the community of Glencoe came to
:09:10. > :09:15.pray and pay its respects. 24-year-old Christopher Bell, a phD
:09:15. > :09:19.student and 25-year-old Una Finnegan, a junior doctor from
:09:19. > :09:24.county Londonderry were among the four killed, along with Tom
:09:24. > :09:28.Chesters, a student from Leeds. A single step on to a snow gully cost
:09:28. > :09:31.them and one other their lives. They were climbing down this peak
:09:31. > :09:34.in Glencoe when the avalanche struck, plunging them nearly 1,000
:09:34. > :09:39.feet down the mountain. Rescuers were helicoptered there minutes
:09:39. > :09:44.after the alarm was raised. They found one man who managed to step
:09:44. > :09:49.free of the avalanche, helpless as his friends were engulfed in snow.
:09:49. > :09:53.He had made his own way down from the ridge. Obviously, very upset.
:09:53. > :09:59.There wasn't a lot of information, rather there was no information at
:09:59. > :10:03.that time in terms of how people were. It was evident it was a
:10:03. > :10:08.serious event. Today, police spoke on his behalf.
:10:08. > :10:13.It is with much sadness and deep regret some of my friends have died
:10:13. > :10:17.as a result. All in the group loved mountains and are experienced
:10:17. > :10:21.winter walkers. The second survivor - a 24-year-old woman, is
:10:21. > :10:25.critically ill in hospital tonight. The avalanche risk in this valley
:10:25. > :10:33.is currently described as considerable. It is a difficult
:10:33. > :10:40.thing to detect. Even the most experienced climbers, they can be
:10:40. > :10:43.lulled into a sense of security and suddenly the slope goes.
:10:43. > :10:47.Mountaineering Council of Scotland has described what happened here
:10:47. > :10:52.yesterday as a significant tragedy. As you can tell, the weather
:10:52. > :10:55.conditions changed very suddenly. It's yet another reminder that the
:10:55. > :11:01.rewards of climbing these beautiful mountains are considerable, but so
:11:01. > :11:07.are the risks. The freezing conditions across much
:11:07. > :11:11.of the UK which have affected travel over the past few days are
:11:11. > :11:14.likely to cause further disruption. 300 flights were cancelled at
:11:14. > :11:18.Heathrow today. One in ten flights will be grounded there tomorrow.
:11:18. > :11:26.The poor conditions will continue to disrupt the roads and rail
:11:26. > :11:32.network too. At the end of a wintry week, it is
:11:32. > :11:36.de-icing lorries rather than planes that dominate Heathrow's runways.
:11:36. > :11:40.Tomorrow's flights continue to be disrupted. When we have these types
:11:40. > :11:43.of circumstances, we need to leave more gaps between the planes. A
:11:43. > :11:46.little bit like when you are driving on the motorway and these
:11:46. > :11:51.conditions, you need to leave more space between you and the car in
:11:51. > :11:55.front. It is the same at an airport. Because we need more gaps, that
:11:55. > :12:00.means we can land less planes. was the east that bore the brunt of
:12:00. > :12:06.the freezing weather today. Large areas have been transformed into a
:12:06. > :12:12.winter wonder land. There's been plenty of fun to be had.
:12:12. > :12:15.But for some, the snow has been an unwelcome hardship. It disrupts
:12:15. > :12:20.people's lives. It makes planning difficult and trying to work around
:12:20. > :12:25.it is always difficult. And the focus is already turning to
:12:25. > :12:28.the working week ahead and how to keep everything moving. Tomorrow
:12:28. > :12:31.will be the big test. We will be gritting. We have been out two or
:12:31. > :12:34.three times with the gritter lorries. We will carry on
:12:34. > :12:40.throughout the day. That will go on throughout the night. Tomorrow
:12:40. > :12:43.should be OK. This is a band of snow that is moving up the country.
:12:43. > :12:48.Forecasters say tomorrow the main areas affected will be north-east
:12:48. > :12:52.England and Scotland. There's no real sign of the cold
:12:52. > :12:56.weather ending, certainly for much of the working week expect it to be
:12:56. > :13:01.cold, wide-spread night-time frosts, a continued risk of ice. Further
:13:01. > :13:05.snow fluries to come. It is still snowing here in
:13:05. > :13:11.Cambridgeshire tonight. It is bitterly cold and the temperature
:13:11. > :13:15.is plummeting, making driving conditions more treacherous.
:13:15. > :13:23.The reality for many commuters tomorrow will be significant delays.
:13:23. > :13:28.The advice is to check before you travel.
:13:28. > :13:32.Barack Obama has been officially sworn in for his second term as US
:13:33. > :13:36.President in a small ceremony at the White House. It comes a day
:13:36. > :13:42.before his public inauguration. This report from our Washington
:13:42. > :13:47.correspondent. The day began with a wreath-laying
:13:47. > :13:53.ceremony for America's fallen soldiers.
:13:53. > :13:58.A solemn reminder of the wait that comes with this office. I Barack
:13:58. > :14:04.Obama do... Then at the White House, a low-key swearing in ceremony, as
:14:04. > :14:11.required on the 20th January by the constitution. So help me God....
:14:11. > :14:16.Congratulations. Thank you so much. It was a family affair. Public
:14:16. > :14:18.events come later. He'll do it all over again here tomorrow.
:14:18. > :14:22.Around the capitol, final preparations are underway for an
:14:22. > :14:28.open-air swearing in, followed by a parade.
:14:28. > :14:32.Hundreds of thousands will fill the stands and line the route. The mood
:14:32. > :14:36.is buoyant, but security tight. When Barack Obama delivers his
:14:36. > :14:41.second inaugural address from the steps of the US capitol, the themes
:14:41. > :14:46.will be familiar, securing economic recovery, ending America's longest
:14:46. > :14:50.war and what he calls "nation building" here at home. Today, a
:14:50. > :14:56.senior adviser spelt out what that might mean. Right now, in front of
:14:56. > :14:59.Congress and the country you have the need to continue the economy,
:14:59. > :15:03.energy and climate change, immigration, things are stacked up.
:15:03. > :15:08.For his elated followers, hope and change are still alive. Barack
:15:08. > :15:14.Obama will have to move quickly. Eventual wisdom gives a second term
:15:14. > :15:20.President two years to make a mark. After that, thoughts turn to who
:15:20. > :15:27.will live here next. Let's get some sport now. For a
:15:27. > :15:30.full round-up here's Olly Foster. Thank you. The three matches in the
:15:30. > :15:35.English and Scottish Premier League beat the weather today. Depending
:15:35. > :15:39.where you are Match of the Day 2 or Sportscenes follows. I have the
:15:39. > :15:43.results coming up. Manchester United slipped up at White Hart
:15:43. > :15:49.Lane. They thought a Robin Van Persie goal had given them the
:15:49. > :15:57.points but Clint Dempsey scored an injury-time equaliser. United's
:15:57. > :16:00.lead stands at five. Juan Mata and Frank Lampard scored
:16:00. > :16:05.early goals before Theo Walcott pulled one back. In Scotland,
:16:05. > :16:09.Michael Higdon's hat trick for Motherwell saw them beat St
:16:09. > :16:13.Johnstone 3-2 and move level on points with Inverness. The line-up
:16:13. > :16:22.for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup is complete. There'll
:16:22. > :16:26.be two clubs from Ireland, three from France and three from England.
:16:26. > :16:30.The ground staff at Leicester removed 50 tonnes of snow from the
:16:30. > :16:35.Welford Road pitch in the two days before their Heineken Cup match. In
:16:35. > :16:45.Toulouse, they had another awkward obstacle to shift. They did it with
:16:45. > :16:49.the boot. Toby Flood gave the Tigers a 9-0 lead over the
:16:49. > :16:53.champions. Things were tricky. Cold hands and unsteady feet help the
:16:53. > :16:56.French side get back into it. On a day like this, qualification came
:16:56. > :17:01.down to will power as much as anything. Leicester showed plenty.
:17:01. > :17:11.Their prize - a trip to the Mediterranean to play Toulon.
:17:11. > :17:16.Sarah Seines reached the last eight. In a very different way.
:17:16. > :17:21.Ashton's try was the second of the afternoon. They secured their bonus
:17:21. > :17:27.point when Hodgeson was allowed safe passage through the defence.
:17:27. > :17:32.They ended up with five. There was a match at the Australian Open as
:17:32. > :17:35.Novak Djokovic made it into the fourth round after a five-hour,
:17:35. > :17:42.five-set thriller against Stanislas Wawrinka. The defending champion
:17:42. > :17:46.and world number one prevailed by 12-10 in the decider. It finished
:17:46. > :17:51.at 1.50am. Mark Selby needs two more frames to become Masters
:17:51. > :17:55.champion for a third time. He is eight frames to five up against