04/11/2017 BBC Weekend News

Labour calls for a new and

independent system for all parties -

to tackle claims of sexual

harassment at Westminster.

With two MPs - one Labour

and one Conservative -

suspended over allegations,

senior figures say

confidence must be restored.

We need to make sure that our

youngsters know that we will listen

to them, that we will help, that

it's not acceptable, and that they

don't need to put up with any of it.

And this evening a minister

in the Scottish Government

resigned his post, saying some

of his previous actions have been

considered inappropriate.

Also to night.

The Prime Minister of

Lebanon steps down -

saying that he's in fear

of his life.

Why helium balloons

are such a threat to marine

and wildlife across the UK.

And Celtic set a new British record

after being unbeaten

in 63 domestic matches.

Good evening.

Labour has called on all the main

political parties to agree a new,

independent system to tackle sexual

harassment at Westminster.

It comes ahead of a meeting planned

by Theresa May with Opposition

leaders on Monday to discuss

proposals for fresh grievance

procedures for staff and MPs.

This evening the crisis

spread to Holyrood,

with the Scottish Nationalist MSP

Mark McDonald resigning

as a government minister over

"inappropriate" behaviour.

Our political correspondent

Iain Watson reports.

This is the week when politicians'

private lives became very public.

Past actions by some MPs have had

serious consequences.

There have been accusations,

resignations, investigations,

and it's clear the current crisis

at Westminster will continue

to fill the front pages.

Tonight, there are newspaper claims

that Sir Michael Fallon lost his job

when a journalist contacted

Downing Street to say he'd

behaved inappropriately

towards her 14 years ago.

Friends of Michael Fallon don't deny

this took place but I understand no

single instant led to his departure.

And tonight a new resignation,

this time the Childcare Minister

in the Scottish Government.

In a statement the SNP's

Mark McDonald said:

"It's been brought to my attention

that some of my previous actions

have been considered to be

inappropriate

where I have believed myself

to be merely humorous."

And he went on to apologise

to anyone who may have upset.

Political parties are now responding

to the spate of allegations.

The Conservatives have

toughened their code of conduct.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary has

said a younger generation will no

longer put up with harassment.

Many women MPs have been pressing

for an independent body to hear any

complaints and Labour's leadership

has now agreed.

We need to make sure

that our youngsters know

that we will listen to them,

that we will help, that

it's not acceptable,

and that they don't need to put up

with any of it.

You know, we've got to say no

to this and they will find friends

and allies, people like me,

who will not put up with this.

You know, some of the things that

I've heard in the last week

have been so disgusting.

The physical structures

of parliament have been made fit

for the 21st century,

and on Monday Theresa May wants

to do much the same thing

with the wider culture

here at Westminster.

She's holding cross-party talks

to try to get broad agreement

on tackling harassment

and inappropriate behaviour.

But some MPs are worried that

political careers could end

on the basis of rumour

and the settling of old scores.

There's a febrile atmosphere

and there's a feeding frenzy that

some have described,

I think probably rightly,

as a witchhunt.

Yes, this may sell tomorrow's

chip wrappings but this

is more serious than that.

And I believe that my colleagues,

members of Parliament,

have a right to the same natural

justice as anybody else

and they're not getting it.

Party leaders want to be

seen to taking tough

action against harassment.

But they know, perhaps even fear,

that they're not entirely

in control of events.

Iain is with me now.

There are fresh allegations in

tomorrow's papers.

That's right,

expected fresh allegations but I

think a sigh of relief from Downing

Street and some of the other

political leaders that none of the

major figures in the government or

opposition are getting tied up in

this, getting drawn into the net of

further allegations, instead I have

heard some stories about largely

existing people who have been named,

as we heard of Sir Michael Fallon's

resignation but also the front page

of the Sunday Times, the de facto

Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green

has been dragged into this as well

because the allegation is that

pornography was found on a computer

in his office nearly ten years ago

during the period when he was being

investigated and subsequently

arrested over a leak inquiry and he

has responded to these latest

stories to night. I have a statement

here. And tells me the story is

completely untrue and he says comes

from a tainted and untrustworthy

source. He said the police had never

told about this before it appeared

in the newspaper and no other paper

has run this and he goes on to say

the allegations about the material

and computer are disreputable

political smears. So quite a robust

response from Damian Green. But I

think this underlines the fact that

the government needs to be seen to

be getting on the front foot and not

blown off course by the latest

allegations and that's why I have

got this cross-party talks on Monday

when the Prime Minister will bring

all of the parties on board to try

and get a new regime for dealing

with allegations of harassment and

dealing with allegations of

intimidation and bullying. And

again, as we have seen from the

resignation from an SNP minister it

is important all political parties

are involved and it's not just

confined to the governing party.

Many thanks.

The Lebanese Prime Minister,

Saad Hariri, has resigned,

saying he fears for his life.

In a televised statement,

he was fiercely critical of Iran

and of the Hezbollah militant group

which wields considerable

power in Lebanon.

Martin Patience reports from Beirut.

It's an honour to be

here with you, Mr President.

For the Prime Minister of a small

nation, Saad Hariri had some

very powerful friends,

that's because Lebanon

matters in the Middle East,

it's a country outsiders

fight to control.

And today an extraordinary sign

of that, the Prime Minister resigned

saying he feared assassination.

Speaking from Saudi Arabia,

which backs him, Saad Hariri fired

this warning to Iran.

TRANSLATION:

I want to say

to Iran and its followers

that they are losing

in their interference

in the affairs of the Arab world.

Our nation will rise up,

as it has done in the past and cut

off the hands that wickedly

extend into it.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are fighting

a proxy war across the Middle East.

In Lebanon, Tehran backs

the movement Hezbollah,

which commands strong support.

But its opponents say it operates

as a state within a state.

And its armed wing was accused

of killing Saad's father, Rafic,

more than a decade ago

by a massive truck bomb.

It traumatised the nation,

but ultimately reshaped

the Middle East and now some

are asking whether his son's

resignation will do the same.

This announcement has left people

here stunned and created

enormous uncertainty.

Lebanon has generally been

spared the violence seen

elsewhere in recent years,

but now many Lebanese fear that

their country could be a casualty

in the wider regional struggle.

Martin Patience, BBC News, Beirut.

Saudi Arabia's defence forces claim

to have shot down a missile -

which was fired from Yemen -

close to the King Khalid

International Airport in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia is currently

leading a campaign against

Houthi militia in Yemen.

Houthi sources there have confirmed

that they fired the missile

and that the airport was its target.

A seven-year-old girl has died

after suffering critical injuries

in an incident at a house

in south-west London yesterday.

55-year-old Robert Peters,

whom officers say was known

to the victim, appeared in court

today charged with attempted murder.

He's been remanded in

custody until December.

New figures suggest that only half

of fixed speed cameras

in the UK are switched on -

and some forces have turned

all their cameras off.

The information is based on 36

of the UK's 45 police forces.

Road safety campaigners say

the situation is concerning -

and they've blamed budget cuts

for so many cameras

being turned off.

Campaigners are warning

of the growing threat to marine

and wildlife in the UK

from the increasing number of helium

balloons and sky lanterns

being released into the air.

They say they can be

deadly for animals -

both on land and in the sea -

as creatures can become entangled

in them, or swallow them -

and they fear their warnings

are not being heard.

Dan Johnson reports.

The litter in our seas,

an issue largely hidden.

And how it gets there

isn't always clear.

So look at this and think about it.

Where do they land?

What goes up must come down.

And the result is trouble at sea.

It hurts wildlife,

it entangles them.

It is classed as later. -- litter.

It is very unsightly...

Campaigns have been running

for years but the message

isn't getting through.

Most people think oh,

we're having a great time, you know,

we'll let the balloons off,

there's not really

much of a problem.

But again it is when you bring that

visual impact to something

that is ingested, marine litter,

it is dead sea birds again wrapped

up with bits of string

and bits of balloon out

of their mouth as well.

And it could be internal and we find

out when we do a postmortem.

The amount of plastic in the ocean

is already a threat to marine

ecosystems and sea life.

And the truth is it's impossible

to tell how much balloons

are adding to the problem.

Because the impact is out there,

offshore, unseen and unmeasured.

So balloons get released

without consideration

of the consequences.

It has landed in the field and being

curious she has swallowed it.

And they can be just

as deadly online.

And they can be just

as deadly on land.

Jennifer's horse died

after choking and panicking.

Right through here it was

tangled in the back leg.

Crashed into this, broke

all of this and broke her neck.

And then she lay dying horrendously

for what seemed like an eternity.

Feisty was heading to

be a top showjumper.

Just like her sister here.

They do not understand, they're

releasing litter into the air.

Airborne litter.

And if anyone dropped that

on a pavement they would get

heavily fined for it.

And it is causing untold suffering

for animals that are eating them

in the fields and either becoming

very injured or killing them.

The call is for a wider ban

on balloons being released

and for people to keep their impact

in mind before they drift

off out of sight.

Dan Johnson, BBC News,

on the south coast.

With all the sport -

here's Olly Foster at

the BBC Sport Centre.

Celtic have broken their own record

for the longest unbeaten run

in British football.

They haven't lost in 63

league and cup games.

Victory against St Johnston saw

them surpass the record

that they set 100 years ago.

Here's our Scotland football

reporter Chris McLaughlin.

A century ago and in the month

the United States entered

the First World War a group

of Celtic players set a record.

Today as those who fell

in that conflict and others

were remembered, the current crop

were out to better it.

It was never really in doubt.

The class of 2017 have been swatting

aside all in their path in Scotland.

Scott Sinclair put them

on their way in Perth.

The signal for the party to start

came after Dembele doubled

the lead in the second half.

St Johnstone just wanted it to end.

An own goal made it three. And by

the time Olivier Ntcham had scored

the fourth the record had well and

truly been smashed.

It is an incredible feat

by the players and a wonderful

example of professionalism.

Of playing and creating high

standards every single day.

And they have faced everything

as football players.

Domestic games unbeaten 63, the

Celtic's history makers march on.

Chris McLaughlin, BBC News, Glasgow.

The top five teams in the Premier

League all play tomorrow,

Match of the Day follows the news

with the goals from today's six

games but I've got the results

for you now if you want them.

Liverpool had the biggest

win of the day.

Mohamed Salah scored twice

in their 4-1 win at West Ham.

The Hammers haven't won

in the League since the end

of September and are one point

above the relagtion zone.

Their manager Slaven Bilic

admitted that he is in

a difficult situation.

There was one draw today,

2-2 between Stoke and Leicester.

The other matches saw 1-0 wins

for Huddersfield, Bournemouth,

Burnley and Brighton.

England have their first victory

at the Rugby League World Cup.

It wasn't convincing

against Lebanon but they should now

reach the quarterfinals.

They won 29-10 in Sydney.

Scotland can still qualify

from their group despite another

heavy defeat, this time

from New Zealand.

Here's our sports

correspondent David Ornstein.

Serenading the start of a unique

event, the first meeting of England

and leather nun, plenty of local

support for a side that includes

part-timers, builders and

electricians among them. The early

graft was done by England.

COMMENTATOR: It's going to be

Watkins who scores the opening try.

Beaten by Australia in their opening

game this seemed a more

straightforward task, Lebanon,

though, were quick to respond and

when Nick Kassis levelled the scores

we have a contest. England gradually

took control, but did Jermaine

McGillvary lose his, accused of

biting, he will face a disciplinary

review. There was no question about

England's next try, Tom Burgess with

a magnificent solo effort.

COMMENTATOR: Burgess with a charge

down the middle, big brother Sam

Love is the moment.

To put his country on course for the

quarterfinals.

Also hoping to be there are

Scotland, however, in their path

today stood the might of New Zealand

and the Kiwis lived up to

expectation crossing 14 times in a

crushing win. Scotland's only source

of consolation was provided by Oscar

Thomas, and despite conceding 124

points in just two games, they could

still qualify for the last eight

with victory over Samoa next

Saturday. David Ornstein, BBC News.

Next Saturday sees the start of

rugby union's Autumn Internationals

but the World Champions New Zealand

warmed up by beating the Barbarians

at Twickenham.

They were behind at

half-time but won 31-22.

The match was to mark 125 years

of New Zealand Rugby.

The All Blacks will face France,

Scotland and Wales over

the next three weeks.

Don't forget the BBC Sport website

for all today's results and also

goals from the first round of the FA

Cup.

Plenty of non-league celebrations.

That's all your sport.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

That's all from me - goodnight.