06/01/2018 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon.

One of the most senior members

of Donald Trump's administration has

said he has never questioned

the President's mental fitness.

The US Secretary of State Rex

Tillerson was responding

to claims in a new book,

that Mr Trump's mental

powers "were slipping".

Donald Trump has said the author,

Michael Wolff, who was given

long-term access to the White House,

is "a loser" and the book

is "full of lies".

Jessica Parker reports.

Boarding a flight to Camp David for

high level meetings. Here is the

image that Trump's team is

projecting, order, professionalism,

control. Getting on with the job of

running the most powerful country in

the world. But it is overshadowed by

this book - the contents forcing the

US Secretary of State, into a

remarkably statement.

US Secretary of State, into a

remarkably statement.

I never questioned his mental

fitness, I have no reason to. We

have different management styles,

how I make decisions, how I process

information. I have to learn how he

takes information, processes it and

makes a decision.

Fire And Fury quotes Trump's former

top aide, Steve Bannan, the man who

was the power behind the thrown, he

is cited as describing a meeting

between a Russian lawyer and Trump's

son, Don Jr, a trees news now. One

of many supposed revelation,

picketing a chaotic White House, a

climb that the White House staff saw

Trump as a child.

They all came to the conclusion,

gradually, then faster and faster,

that something was unbelievably

amiss here. That this was more

peculiar than they ever imagined it

could be.

But the President has offered a

robust response overnight.

Tweeting...

Matter what words come from Donald

Trump, he will likely struggle to

drown out these volumes.

Jessica Parker, BBC News.

The department store House of Fraser

has confirmed it's asking landlords

to reduce the rent it pays for some

of its shops.

The group is set to release

Christmas retail figures next week -

with some analysts suggesting

its takings over the Christmas

period were disappointing.

Our Business Correspondent

Joe Lynam is here.

Joe, what to make of this House of

Fraser announcement? The company is

saying it is looking for help as

part of its transformation

programme?

It has new Chinese owners

since 2014. It is a High Street

presence, that we all know about,

founded in Glasgow, almost 160 years

ago. Yes, asking your landlord for a

rent reduction is not that unusual

in the retail business.

And House of Fraser has had issues.

It needs to get the costs down. As

part of the transformation

programme, it has built a new

warehouse, running the department

stores cost money, they must be

updated, fashions and tastes change,

and the department stores must

reflect it. House of Fraser is

hoping to stay ahead of the problem.

Some stores have had issues over the

Christmas period.

People think back to British Home

Stores and the dire picture and the

future of the High Street when that

expired a few years ago. What is the

general picture?

It has not been a

great Christmas. Strong for Next but

a profit warning from Debenhams.

They will possibly have to close

some stores. So a mixed picture,

thus far. As the weeks progress in

January, a fuller picture. But it

has not been that great. Consumer

demand has been soft, rents are

going up in the cities, especially

in the south-east and online, it is

a challenge, especially for the

likes of den Nepalese.

Thank you very much.

The eastern England Ambulance

Service has apologised to a

pensioner who died after waiting

four hours for the service.

The 81-year-old woman rang 999

complaining of chest pains.

She made the call at 8pm on Tuesday

and was still alive when she spoke

to the control room again at 9.47pm.

It took another two hours

for an ambulance to arrive,

by which point the woman had stopped

breathing and could not be saved.

The ambulance said it was stretched

with producer pressures on staff and

the NHS on the whole.

the NHS on the whole.

Online casino operators are failing

to prevent money laundering

and protect problem gamblers -

that's according to

the Gambling Commission.

It expressed "significant concerns"

in a letter to all UK

operators and requested

they review procedures.

The commission said many

operators were unable to spot

signs of financial crime

and compulsive gambling.

The United States has been

criticised for calling

an emergency meeting

of the United Nations

Security Council, to discuss

anti-government protests in Iran.

China and Russia said

the unrest was not a threat

China and France said

the unrest was not a threat

to international security,

while Russia accused the US

of abusing its position.

Barbara Plett Usher reports.

Nikki Haley warned Iran that

the world was watching its response

to the anti-government protests.

She used the platform

of the UN to amplify

the message of President Trump,

who has been tweeting support

for the Iranian demonstrators.

The Iranian people will

determine their own destiny.

And let there be no doubt

whatsoever, the United States stands

unapologetically with those in Iran

who seek freedom for themselves,

prosperity for their families

and dignity for their nation.

This unusually robust stance

on human rights by the Trump

Administration coincides

with the policy to curb what it

sees as Iran's malign

influence in the Middle East.

The Iranian ambassador called

the meeting a farce and repeated

charges that the protests

were directed from abroad.

It is a long history

of US bullying at the UN,

but this is a preposterous example.

The purely internal affairs

of a nation, in this case protests

that the Iranian government has

addressed with the utmost respect

for the rights of the protesters,

and with every attempt to deal

with it peacefully,

despite violent infiltrators.

Other council members urged

Tehran to allow free

and peaceful demonstrations.

But some suggested this

was an internal matter,

not an international threat.

And the Russian ambassador accused

the US of playing politics.

TRANSLATION:

Mr President,

the real reason for convening

today's meeting is not an attempt

to protect human rights or promote

the interests of the Iranian people,

but rather as a veiled attempt

to use the current moment

to continue to undermine the joint

comprehensive plan of action.

That is the agreement

which restricts Iran's nuclear

programme, which Mr Trump says

is deeply flawed.

He has to decide next week

whether to continue waiving

sanctions suspended under the deal.

Barbara Platt Usher,

BBC News, Washington.

Now Mike Bushell has all the sport

from the BBC Sport Centre.

Good afternoon.

It's looking like the best England's

cricketers, can hope for now,

is a draw in the final Ashes Test,

and even that might be beyond them.

Australia closed on 479 for 4,

so going into the 4th day tomorrow,

they have a lead of 133 runs

and still have 6 more players

to bat.

Our reporter Patrick Gearey watched

the day unfold in Sydney.

After a series of fiercely partisan

colours are shared, weather pastel

or powerful, Sydney has worn pink,

once a year for a decade, in honour

of the breast cancer charity co

founded by Jane McGrath, the late

wife of Jeff McGrath.

Steve Smith, the uncrackable code

but wait, Moeen Ali's year squeaka

moment. Smith left a void, Crane

filled it with a review. There, the

case closed. Had the umpire felt the

boot behind the line, Cran would

have had a first Test wicket. Fine

margins. But he was helped to 150

and helped Australia into a lead,

three wickets down. England needed

energy. Badly. It came from Crane.

And for 171. But in baking

temperatures, the Marsh brothers

turned England into stooges, adding

to the regrets felt by England, a

draining day in every sense.

It was a pretty tough day.

We were

150 overs into the innings, a few

tired bodies out there, part and

parcel of Test cricket. It is not

the first time we have fielded over

150 overs, and it will not be the

last. The way that the gears toiled

and worked hard is impressive. It is

good to see as a side going forward.

So England are 133 runs behinded.

This will have to go back into the

field on day four, when it is even

hotter and what is more, the pitch

is spinning even more that are their

last Ashes match in the series.

Liverpool say they will co-operate

with any investigation

into Roberto Firmino's clash

with Mason Holgate in their FA Cup

win over Everton last night.

Holgate pushed Firmino over

the advertising hordings

and into the stands.

An angry exchange followed, with

the referee forced to intervene.

Neither player, was booked

at the time, but the incident

will be in match report,

that referee Bobby Madley sends

to the Football Association,

who will decide whether to

investigate further.

There are nine Premier League teams,

hoping to avoid an upset

against lower league opposition

as the third round continues today.

One of them is Newcastle United, who

take on Luton Town of League Two.

And in the Luton side will be

the two sons of the former

England midfielder Rob Lee,

who made his name at Newcastle.

We didn't really pay much attention

to it.

It is nice to be appreciated.

It is only ever since I got into

professional football, I thought,

Dad was top end. But I don't like to

tell him but he was half decent.

Here's Rob Lee! Good run again! Do

you think it about the fact that

your brother is out on the pitch?

A

few surreal moments. The first time

we walked out, he is behind me! It's

a strange feeling, and then it is

nice obviously as the mid-fielder,

trying to set UUP.

And there is more

from the Lee family on Football

Focus.

And and match of the day live.

That's all the sport for now.

I'll have more for

you in the next hour.

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.

Bye for now.

Bye for now.

Arctic air has arrived on our shores

in time for the weekend. Bringing

with it a fair amount of sunshine.

Tomorrow, overnight frost will be

intense. A big area of high

pressure, responsible for bringing

the fine and settled weather but

around it the Arctic air moving from

the north or the north-east in a

fairly brisk breeze. The breeze is

pushing the cloud across central and

northern areas in the south as the

afternoon wears on. Located in parts

of South Wales and the southern

counties of England by the end of

the afternoon. Rather than and hill

snow in the north. Dry and sunny for

the football match in Fleetwood but

the wind will feel colder than five

Celsius. Into the overnight period,

the clouds clear from the south,

most places will be dry. One or two

showers in the eastern areas, a

bitterly cold night. These are the

rural temperatures, we could see

lower than minus 10 in central

Scotland or minus 14 or 15, making

it the coldest knight for several

years. So starting Sunday morning on

a crisps note, a widespread frost

but a fine day with lots of winter

sunshine. Breezy in the south-east,

making it feel raw, though. Towards

Monday. High pressure is dominating

the scene but this weather front

comes into play as we reach

Wednesday to bring outbreaks of rain

and milder air from the south. High

pressure with us through Monday. We

start Monday again, cold and frosty

with some sunshine. The best of it

in the northern and the western

areas as the cloud encoaches

northwards and westwards. Tuesday, a

cold and breezy day over the eastern

parts. In