09/08/2014 BBC Weekend News

President Obama warns of no quick fix in Iraq and hints at more US

air strikes against Islamist militants.

Some aid reaches thousands of Iraqis stranded in mountains in the north

I do not think we are going to solve this problem in weeks.

I think this is going to take some time.

Tens of thousands march in London in protest at Israel's actions in Gaza.

England trounce India in the fourth Test to go one-up with

President Obama has said halting the advance of Islamist militants

in Iraq will take some time and he's hinted at more US airstrikes.

Britain is involved in the humanitarian effort.

It's sent two RAF cargo planes to deliver supplies to thousands

of people from the minority Yazidi community.

They have fled into mountains near Sinjar, in the north of the country,

to escape forces of the Islamic State, which was known as Isis.

Militant fighters have already taken the Christian town of Qaraqosh

America's already carried out air strikes against the Islamic

From Washington, David Willis reports.

America's first military involvement in Iraq in more three yours. Fighter

jets dropped laser-guided bombs seeking to halt the advance of

Islamist militants bearing down on a Kurdish capital. American citizens

are based there and the rebels' advance court the White House by

surprise. There is no doubt that their movement over the last several

months has been more rapid. More rapid than the intelligence

estimates. And I think the expectations of policymakers in and

outside of Iraq. The militants' advance has also created a

humanitarian crisis of almost unimaginable proportions. Footage of

aid workers delivering food and water shows the helicopter

surrounded by hundreds of people. Stranded on a mountainside for most

a week. The lucky ones, including this young man, were plucked to

safety, but thousands of members of the minority Yazidi community

remained there after being chased from their homes by the militants.

TRANSLATION: There is nothing around us. There is no supplies, no

housing. Everything is terrible. The food and water is very bad. Everyday

we have seen families of hunger. I think we can only hold out for two

more days. American aid has arrived. Supplies parachuted onto

the barren mountain top and British cargo planes are also on the way.

The challenge is getting the people there to safety all the time the

militants lie in wait down below. We are looking at how to support this

group of people and get them off that mountain and how we are going

to facilitate their exit from what is a completely unacceptable

situation. There are dropping supplies is a short-term solution

but that is not a long-term solution. The advance has also seen

them taking control of a key piece of infrastructure, that flag flies

over the morsel -- Mosul dam. President Obama is preparing baby

ball for another protracted arrangement in Iraq. -- the people.

He said it would depend on a new government in Iraq and the Iraqi

security services raising their game. The president left today for a

two-week family holiday in Massachusetts, given the pace of

events overseas it may not be as relaxing as he would have hoped.

Our political correspondent Iain Watson is in Downing Street.

President Obama and David Cameron have been talking about next steps

to help those Iraqis. What have them I been saying? David Cameron still

on holiday. The two men spoke earlier and agreed that the main

priority was to get vital supplies to people trapped in the mountains.

The focus was very much on humanitarian aid and the two RAF

planes are in the area tonight and will be dropping water in reusable

containers, not dropping bombs because despite some reports there

is no intention for Britain to take part in the current round of US air

strikes. The president and the Prime Minister agreed that the drops are

only a temporary solution and said that a way has to be found to get

these people to safety. If the Iraqi forces cannot deliver that, at that

stage and American and British officials will discuss further

limited military options but it is just a year since David Cameron was

defeated by MPs over plans to get swift air strikes under way in

Syria, so well he wants to see progress on the humanitarian effort,

elsewhere he is going to proceed with extreme caution.

Palestinian health officials say at least seven people have been

killed in further Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Israel's resumed its bombardment after a three day cease-fire ended.

Palestinian militants, meanwhile, have fired more rockets

Our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet is

The two sides were negotiating. What hope for those talks? They have not

been negotiating for the past 24 hours. The Israeli delegation making

it clear that they will not negotiate under rocket fire. We have

had a warning from the Palestinian delegation saying that if is real

does not agree to resume truce talks unconditionally and the Palestinian

delegation would also leave, which would be a disaster for what is

already a very fragile process. We are hearing a hardening position

from Hamas, a senior official told us that there is no agreement on any

of the issues, whether it is easing a blockade or -- and warned that the

talks could not drag on indefinitely. Stop there will be

concerned there would be an escalation.

In London, tens of thousands of people took

part in a demonstration in protest against Israel's actions in Gaza.

The march came as a British emergency appeal

for Gaza said it had raised ?4.5 million in under 24 hours.

Anger on the streets of London over a conflict more than

2000 miles away in which the UK is not even involved.

They came to express their support for the people of Gaza.

And to condemn what they claim is Israeli aggression.

We are passionate about the illegal occupation

We are passionate about the 400 children who have been murdered and

the British and the whole world are standing back and doing nothing.

Israel is butchering the Palestinians.

The Palestinians are being driven out of their homes.

They have been massacred in their thousands.

As is clearly on display here, the conflict

in Gaza is inflaming passions but there are two sides of the dispute.

Supporters of the Israeli policy might not have taken to the streets

today but they are equally convinced that their cause is the just one.

Israel claims the demonstrators are failing to recognise the role

We do not have a problem with the protest per se.

We have a problem with people expressing

support for a terrorist organisation which is designated in the UK.

It is the key obstacle to the prosperity of Gaza.

British people of all colours and of all political parties stand in

In Hyde Park this afternoon speaker after speaker laid

the blame firmly on Israel to the approval of the crowd.

As in the Middle East itself, opinions here in the UK

on the crisis in Gaza seemed firmly entrenched.

John Brain, BBC News, central London.

There are warnings of more wet and windy weather early tomorrow

as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha are forecast to hit the UK.

In Cambridgeshire, authorities have been clearing up after torrential

rain yesterday caused power cuts and a riverbank to collapse.

The West African country of Guinea is closing its borders with

Sierra Leone and Liberia to try to halt the spread of Ebola.

Nearly 1,000 people in West Africa have died this year from the virus.

Our correspondent Will Ross reports from Nigeria, where extra measures

With Ebola now declared a national emergency in Nigeria the authorities

are calling for extra effort to stop the spread of the deadly virus

People have been told to avoid large gatherings but that is easier said

More than ?6.5 million have been released to boost

Approved ongoing steps to contain the virus such

as the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management,

deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders and procurement

By calling it a national emergency the Nigerian

authorities are really saying, let's get ready in case the Ebola

virus spreads but it is not the same as declaring a state of emergency

There, some freedoms have been suspended.

The soldiers stop people moving in or out of the badly hit areas.

The outbreak began in a remote area of Guinea in March.

It took health experts weeks to realise it was Ebola.

The virus quickly spread to neighbouring Liberia and

Today, somewhat belatedly, Guinea announced the closure of

There have also been two recent deaths in Nigeria where more than

With close to 1000 deaths in West Africa, this is the world's

The fight against Ebola has been undermined

by a lack of education and suspicion of foreign health workers.

With all the sport, here's Karthi Gnanasegaram

England's cricketers are celebrating beating India by an innings

and 54 runs with two days to spare in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

The victory is all the more impressive as it completes

a turnaround by a team heavily defeated and criticised after

the second Test, and puts England 2-1 up in the five match series.

Joe Wilson reports from Old Trafford.

Special guests at Old Trafford on Saturday, the sun, not expected for

the rest of the match. Joe Root and Joss Butler built a partnership of

134. Batting looked easy. It never is. Stuart Broad, somehow it

squeezed between the grill and the peak of his helmet. It was stuck

inside where it mingled with light. England came out to ball again. 215

ahead, but without Stuart Broad, so who would take the wickets? Chris

walks was picked ahead of other strong candidates. LBW? Yes.

Pujara's face turned to stone. Anderson struck. Remember this began

with India's failed appeal to get Anderson band. The match was

unravelling. It was as if the site had gone. They had been fighting the

Jimmy Anderson Battle of the pitch for the past few weeks and forgot to

fight on the pitch. England had bowled India out in 43 overs. The

storm may come, but the match has gone. Rory McIlroy has a 1-shot lead

at the USPGA championship at Valhalla. He is two under for the

day after ten holes. It's the first day

of the football season and while the Scottish Champions Celtic don't play

until Wednesday it was the chance for some of the newly promoted sides

to take centre stage. Dundee's return to

the top flight started with Hamilton Academical struggled

on day one, losing 2-0 to The Championship season

also started today. It's time to pop out of the room for

a moment if you don't want to know today's results as the Football

League Show is on later on BBC One. Stuart Pearce's first game as

manager of Nottingham Forest ended Bournemouth had the biggest win of

the day, beating Huddersfield 4-0. In the late game Ipswich beat Fulham

2-1. Daryl Murphy with

the opening goal for Ipswich. Fulham were relegated from

the Premier League last season. England and Ireland are through to

the semi-finals of the England's Sarah Hunter scored

their only try of the game in a 13-13 draw with Canada that

puts England top of their group and knocks four-time champions

New Zealand out of the tournament. While Ireland qualified

for the final four for the first Wales are out but won their final

match against South Africa. Leeds Rhinos resisted

a second half fightback from Warrington Wolves to reach

Rugby League's Challenge Cup final. Tom Briscoe's try secured

a 24-16 victory for Leeds, who will meet either Castleford or Widnes in

the final at Wembley in two weeks. You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel. The weather system that came off the

back of the hurricane looks set to spend Sunday with us in the UK. We

have to get