09/12/2017 BBC Weekend News

The Foreign Secretary holds talks

in Iran on the plight

of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe,

the British Iranian woman

held in jail there.

Boris Johnson is said to have

had frank discussions

with his Iranian counterpart.

The jailed woman's husband said

he was hopeful the visit would help.

I'm sure it'll make a difference.

I'm sure him being there,

raising her case, in the context

of lots of other stuff,

can only help improve relations.

Israel retaliates as Palestinians

continue to protest over the US

policy of recognising Jerusalem

as its capital.

Snow hits large parts of the UK,

with warnings that ice

could disrupt travel.

And Paris turns out to pay

tribute to France's rock

legend Johnny Hallyday,

who died this week.

Good evening.

The Foreign Secretary,

Boris Johnson, has held talks

in Tehran, where he's pressed

for the release of the

British Iranian woman

Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe,

who's been in prison

there since April 2016.

She's accused of working against

the regime, which she denies.

The Foreign Office said

the discussions had been

"frank" and "constructive."

Our diplomatic correspondent,

James Robbins, reports.

It could look routine.

Boris Johnson and his Iranian

counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif,

shake hands on the way into talks.

But there's nothing routine

about this encounter.

The Foreign Secretary looking

uncharacteristically intense,

and with good reason.

He wants to improve relations

but also criticise some of Iran's

actions while arguing for Iranian

prison releases, including

of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe -

a case many accuse him of damaging

by loose talk last month.

Watching anxiously with me

in London, Nazanin's

husband, Richard Ratcliffe.

He has campaigned day in,

day out for her freedom

since Nazanin's arrest

in April last year.

I'm sure it'll make a difference,

I'm sure him being there

and raising her case,

raising her case in the context

of lots of other stuff can only help

improve relations and improved

relations can only lead

to a better case for us.

I think that's right,

but I'm not expecting that on Monday

morning he comes back

with her on the plane.

Boris Johnson is saying nothing

at all publicly while in Iran.

Instead, the Foreign Office issued

a statement after two

hours of what they call

a constructive meeting.

They discussed the full range

of bilateral issues and they both

spoke frankly about the obstacles

in the relationship,

including the Foreign Secretary's

concerns about the consular cases

of British Iranian dual nationals.

Both emphasised their commitment

to continuing to work

together to improve

the bilateral relationship.

One good sign - Iran's Foreign

Minister confirmed Boris Johnson

should be able to meet

President Rouhani tomorrow.

Yes, he's reciprocating

your hospitality.

Something that is not automatic

on a visit like this.

The talks went on for two hours.

Positives and negatives

in relations were fully aired.

We shouldn't expect immediate

consequences but Iran is in no doubt

about British efforts to get

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe home.

This evening in London,

Richard Ratcliffe and supporters

have been gently keeping up

the pressure to have

the family reunited.

He says he was not able

to sleep last night and may

not find rest tonight,

either, before the talking in Tehran

resumes in the morning.

James Robbins, BBC News.

There's been a third day of protests

by Palestinians in the West Bank

and Gaza after Donald Trump's

decision to recognise Jerusalem

as Israel's capital.

Earlier in Gaza, two people

were killed in Israeli air strikes.

The Israeli authorities

say their targets were Hamas

military positions after rockets

were fired from there

into southern Israel.

Four people are now known to have

died in the violence.

Tom Bateman reports from Jerusalem.

A display of grief and anger.

Funerals were held in Gaza for two

people killed in Israeli

air strikes last night.

The Islamist group Hamas said

that the men belonged

to their armed wing.

Weapon stores and a base run

by the militant group

were targeted, said Israel.

A new round of hostilities

between old enemies.

Israel said three rockets were fired

from Gaza last night.

One landed in this

southern Israeli town.

There was minor damage

but no casualties.

Further disruption took place

in Jerusalem as Palestinians

continued to vent their anger

at President Trump.

Police broke up protests before

they gained momentum.

And for a third day in the occupied

West Bank, protesters threw

stones and burned tyres.

Israeli troops responded

with tear gas in Bethlehem

and Palestinians answered back.

The clashes since Mr Trump's

statement on terrorism has so far

not matched the scale of previous

escalations in violence this year.

But people here remain wary

and diplomatic relations

between the Palestinian leadership

and the White House

are under severe strain.

President Trump appealed

for calm and moderation.

His critics point to what has

happened here in the three days

since his announcement and say

he has stoked precisely

the opposite.

Many Israelis continue

to praise his move, but it comes

at the cost of increased tensions.

Tom Bateman, BBC Jerusalem.

Weather warnings are in place

for large parts of the UK as heavy

snow and icy conditions continue

to affect Scotland,

Northern Ireland, Wales,

northern England and parts

of the Midlands.

It's thought 20cm of snow could fall

in some areas overnight.

Olivia Richwald reports.

Layers of thick snow a scene

of beauty in Shropshire,

but the first heavy snowfall

of the winter is bringing disruption

to parts of the United Kingdom.

Motorists are being told to avoid

driving unless absolutely necessary

in parts of the north

because of the icy conditions,

as temperatures plummet down

to minus six tonight in parts

of Scotland and Wales.

In Oldham, Greater Manchester,

this depot has been working 24 hours

a day since Thursday.

The drivers here grit more

than 300 kilometres of road.

From busy urban centres to remote

routes through moorland.

With heavy snow showers forecast

overnight in this area,

they say they're prepared.

We've just had the forecast

in so the temperatures are going

to drop quite significantly.

Sub-zero.

So what we're doing this afternoon

now is we will pre-grit

all our primary gritting routes

and then overnight and will carry

on treating and treating

throughout the night,

getting as much salt

on the ground as possible.

It's trans-Pennine routes like this

that can quickly become hazardous

if they're not well maintained.

Oldham Council alone expects

to use 600 tonnes of grit

this weekend alone -

and there's still no guarantee these

roads will stay open.

Although power was out at some

properties in the Midlands

and Scotland, in Belfast

it was sledges out, instead.

I like to do snowballs and make

snowmen and make models

and go down with sleds.

It's very slippery and I've

been falling down!

More scenes like this are forecast

tomorrow as heavy snow is expected

across central areas.

But both the north

and south may miss out.

Olivia Richwald, BBC News, Oldham.

Iraq says its war against so-called

Islamic State is over.

Government troops say they now

have complete control

of the Iraqi-Syrian border,

which was the last

area held there by IS.

The group seized large parts

of Syria and Iraq in 2014,

declaring it a caliphate,

but has suffered a series of defeats

in the last two years.

Two 19-year-old men have died

after they were found unconscious

in a Plymouth nightclub.

Police believe the men

took the drug MDMA.

They had been at the Pryzm

nightclub, which was

subsequently evacuated.

An 18-year-old man

has been arrested.

Teenage migrants in Italy

are attempting dangerous night-time

crossings over the Alps

in a desperate attempt

to reach France.

Almost 2000 people have made

the crossing since July,

according to a local charity.

Many have come from migrant camps

in Italy, described as overcrowded

and under-resourced.

Our Paris correspondent,

Lucy Williamson, has been

to the Alpine village of Nevache,

at the main crossing

point into France.

After dark, Alain and Sylvie become

a nightly mountain rescue team,

walking the Alpine passes that act

as migrant gateways

from Italy into France.

Tonight, they found these six

young men, half frozen

after walking through the Alps.

This ghostly picnic their

first taste of France.

The clothes that carried

them from West Africa,

Eritrea, Afghanistan,

dangerously thin

for the Alpine snow.

It is a good sign if you can

still move your hands.

I am finding it a little bit

difficult, a little bit difficult.

Because snow and mountains

and night, everything is dark

and then we discovered we had snow.

Also up on the mountain

tonight, the border police.

In seconds, the migrants melt

away into the trees.

A police search turns

up only one of them.

Mamadou took the same path

across the Alps last year.

By the time he was rescued,

his feet had frozen.

Both had to be amputated.

TRANSLATION:

I used to be athletic.

I played football, I had three jobs.

Now my life is over,

as if I were dead.

It's all over for me.

France has been tightening

controls on its border

with Italy but mountain guides

here on the French side say

the number of migrants

making their way across Alpine

passes has jumped sharply

in the last few months.

And that many of them

are unaccompanied minors.

At the makeshift migrant centre

in Nevache, staff say minors make

up more than half the admissions.

Many, like 15-year-old

Sheik from Ivory Coast,

left migrant camps in Italy,

determined as a native French

speaker to make a life in France.

TRANSLATION:

My older brother died

on the way to Europe but thank

God I've arrived in France.

I want to have a better

future and go to school.

My mother is dead

and I have no support.

Nobody left back home.

As temperatures drop,

there are fewer migrants

arriving here each night.

But those who do are

in a worse condition.

Some unable to stand.

Each one a reminder in this tranquil

ski resort of the mountain

Europe needs to climb.

Lucy Williamson, BBC News, Nevache.

With all the sport,

here's Karthi Gnanasegaram

at the BBC Sport Centre.

Good evening.

There were important results

for teams at the bottom

of the Premier League table today.

It's time to pop out of the room

if you don't want to know the scores

as Match of the Day follows soon

on BBC One.

David Moyes had his first win

as manager of West Ham with a 1-0

victory over champions Chelsea.

But despite the three points,

West Ham are still in

the relegation zone.

Swansea City also won but bottom

of the table Crystal Palace

will rue their missed

Christian Benteke penalty

after a 2-all draw with Bournemouth.

There were also wins

for Burnley, Huddersfield,

Tottenham and Leicester City.

In the Scottish Premiership, Rangers

came from behind to beat Ross County

2-1 while St Johnstone, hearts and

Kilmarnock also one.

In rugby union's European Champions

Cup, Ospreys and Scarlets

registered their first victories.

But Leicester were thrashsed

by Munster and Bath lost their top

of the group game against Toulon

24-20, as Adam Wild reports.

The welcome in Toulon may be a

familiar one. But still it remains

and no less formidable place to

visit. Few teams in recent years

have managed to silence those cries,

here Anthony Watson from Bath find

the perfect way to start trying.

Such is the talent at Toulon there

was plenty to shout about. Staying

within touching distance before the

break. Afterwards, the noise levels

were raised further. For Bafta make

themselves heard, it took a huge

slice of fortune and a huge slice

off the boot of Chris Ashton, that

letting former England team-mate

Jonathan Joseph in bizarre fashion.

Roared on by the home crowd, Anthony

Bello of Toulon, with all its

remaining, who find the final point.

At top of the table tie in Munster

but for Leicester and the damage was

done early, Simon Zebo scoring this

fine try in a 33-10 victory as the

Irish side hit their stride and find

a way. Adam Wilde, BBC News.

The England cricketer Ben Duckett

was dropped from today's Ashes tour

game in Australia after pouring

a drink over the head of team-mate

James Anderson in a bar in Perth.

Duckett is part of the Lions squad

but was due to play for the senior

team against a Cricket Australia XI.

The England coach, Trevor Bayliss,

has called the behaviour

"trivial but unacceptable".

Sir Bradley Wiggins is a five time

Olympic cycling champion,

a Tour de France winner,

but after retiring from

cycling he's changed!

Wiggins has swapped the saddle

for a rowing seat but made

what he described as a "schoolboy

error" on his competitive debut.

He mistakenly thought

there had been a false start

at the British Indoor Championships.

He finished in 21st place over

2km, won by Adam Neil.

You can find more of the day's

action on the BBC Sport website,

including Ronnie O'Sullivan reaching

the final of the UK

Snooker Championship.

Reeta.

Hundreds of thousands of people have

filled the streets of Paris

for the funeral of the singer

Johnny Hallyday, who died

on Wednesday at the age of 74.

His coffin was driven in a cortege

down the Champs-Elysees,

followed by several hundred bikers

clad in leather.

From Paris, Hugh Schofield

sent this report.

For nearly 60 years, Johnny Hallyday

sang his songs to the French.

And today, in Paris,

they came to bid him goodbye.

Tens of thousands of fans,

many of them from the older

generation, people who grew up

to his sounds in the happy,

optimistic days of the '60s.

For France, Johnny

was le rock'n'roll.

He was the first here to open their

ears to the thrilling new music

coming from the United States.

America was his obsession.

America and motorbikes.

Hence the escort of hundreds

of bikers for his funeral cortege

down the Champs-Elysees.

TRANSLATION:

Let him rest in peace

and wreak havoc up there.

Let him sing, let him get

it going and let him

open his heart up there,

surrounded by family and friends.

Stars of music and screen,

political leaders past and present -

all there for the funeral service

inside the Madeleine church.

For the French, Johnny

was their rock hero.

The man who, for half a century,

was always there with new songs,

more performances.

With his death, people

really do feel that part

of the nation's life has gone.

Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

That's all from me.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.