02/01/2016 BBC Weekend News

British soldiers who fought in Iraq may be prosecuted for war crimes,

that's according to the head of a team investigating

More than 1,000 claims of ill treatment have been made.

Mark Warwick said discussions were needed to see if any met

the "war crimes threshold", as Chris Mason reports.

It's almost 13 years since the Iraq war started and still,

Mark Warwick, the head of the Iraq Historic

Allegations team, has told the Independent...

So, what do we know about this investigation team?

It's examining over 1000 cases and it's not due to finish its work

The British Army has an incredibly effective disciplinary

system chain of command, which makes sure this kind of thing

Occasionally it will happen, but our system prevents it

from happening and that's why I say that thousands

of cases just couldn't happen, it's fiction.

Some inside government are frustrated claims

against soldiers get in the way of them

The Defence Secretary has criticised what he's called "ambulance chasing

The Ministry of Defence said it took allegations of abuse or unlawful

Saudi Arabia says it has executed 47 people for terrorism offences,

including a Shia cleric who led protests against the Government

Nimr al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 after criticising the monarchy

The execution has been criticised by Shia clerics in Iran,

With me now is Alan Johnston, the BBC World Service Middle East

Why is this being seen as so significant?

News of these nearly 50 simultaneous executions come today in a sombre

announcement on Saudi television. But the long list of names included

that of Nimr al-Nimr, the name that leapt out at you. Saudi Arabia is

very much a country dominated by Sunni Muslims. But Nimr al-Nimr came

from the Shia minority. He campaigned for better rights for

that minority community, which felt itself to be marginalised. He was

arrested and sentenced to death, although he always argued he never

advocated violence. His execution has fed into serious, wider,

regional tensions between Saudi and its rival, Shia dominated Iran. The

Iranians follow the affairs closely of Shia minorities in the Arab

world. The Arabs warned Nimr al-Nimr shouldn't be executed. Now that he

has, it looks like they will have to pay some price. What that is, is

unclear. Thank you. President Obama says he's willing

to take unilateral action to tackle the problem of gun

violence in America. The President has been repeatedly

rebuffed when he's demanded But Mr Obama said he would use his

executive powers which don't require Sandy Hook primary School, December

20 12. 27 people killed in the shooting, 20 of them children. But

it was this shooting in Oregon in October that prompted President

Obama to consider taking unilateral action to tackle gun violence in The

States. He is meeting the US Attorney General on Monday to

discuss measures that don't need approval by Congress. It could mean

executive powers on background checks could be carried out on

potential buyers. He told Americans he had received too many letters

from parents and teachers to sit around doing nothing. Each time we

are told common-sense reforms like background checks might not have

stopped the last massacre or the one before that, so we should not do

anything. We know we cannot stop every act of violence, but what if

we try to stop even one. What if Congress did something to stop our

kids from gun violence. The President's kids more important than

yours? This hasn't gone down well with some in the probe gun lobby. In

Texas, a law allows some gun owners to where their guns on their hips in

a holster. It is in that lone Star state police chief try to won the

president are trying to disarm Americans might cause a revolution.

But President Obama is determined not to stand yet again at a podium,

trying to make sense of yet another shooting.

Rail fares in England, Wales, and Scotland increase by an average

It is the smallest rise in six years.

Our correspondent, Phillip Norton, is at Paddington Station now.

I suspect many travellers will be cheered by the news it is the

smallest rise in six years? That is right. At Paddington Station, the

festivities are over. Many people going home but also people coming

here for the start of the working week. It is the first time they are

paying these increased fares and it is the lowest increase since 2010.

Campaigners say people will be amazed these prices have risen at

all, due to the standard of service in some areas. The average rise for

regulated fares, limited to no more than 1% on season tickets because

they are linked to the rate of inflation. But some off-peak leisure

ticket can increase by more. One season-ticket pass has risen to more

than ?10,000. The price from Birmingham to London, ?10,012.

Campaigners say it is too much. Thank you very much.

You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.

The next news on BBC One is at 5.40pm.

Good afternoon. If you are looking for sunshine, look away now because