10/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

Haiti's ambassador tells the BBC

he believes Oxfam did cover up

a scandal involving aid

workers and prostitutes.

The charity alerted UK

authorities to what happened

after the earthquake in 2010,

but the Haitians claim

they were never informed.

The fact that those folks

were allowed to leave the country

without any punishment,

without even informing the Haitian

authorities about that,

it was a cover-up.

Boris Johnson tells Rohingya

refugees in Bangladesh

everything is being done to get

them back home.

And early tries give

England the edge against

a battling Welsh side

in the Six Nations at Twickenham.

Good evening.

Haiti's ambassador to the UK has

told the BBC he believes Oxfam

did try to "cover up" details

of the use of prostitutes by some

of its aid workers in the aftermath

of the earthquake in 2010.

The charity's chief executive admits

they could have been more open,

but insisted there was no attempt

to hide the truth.

Downing Street says the Government

is now reviewing its

relationship with Oxfam.

Angus Crawford reports.

It was an earthquake

that devastated Haiti,

killing more than 200,000 people

and affecting millions more.

Aid agencies from around the world

stepped into the chaos.

Oxfam, with more than 70 years'

experience, had hundreds

of staff in the field.

But an investigation

by The Times found that in 2011,

four staff members were sacked

and three others resigned over

allegations of misconduct,

including paying local

women for sex.

The NGO says it launched

an investigation and kept

the Charity Commission fully

informed, something

the commission now disputes.

Oxfam's leadership denies

there has been a cover-up.

Oxfam was actually proactive

in going to the British

public, the Department

for International Development

and the Charity Commission,

to explain that there had been

serious misconduct and that

we had taken action.

More than £30 million of taxpayers'

money is given to Oxfam

by the Government every year.

Today Downing Street called

the allegations truly

shocking and demanded a full

and urgent investigation.

Today, fresh claims that some

of the disgraced staff got jobs

at other aid agencies

because Oxfam failed to warn them

about the misconduct.

It is clear that it's

a cover-up case.

The fact that those folks

were allowed to leave the country

without any punishment,

without informing the authorities

in Haiti about that,

it was a cover-up.

And now the fact that they did

such a crime, or there

was such a cover-up,

now we are wondering how

many of those cases

are still happening in Haiti?

We do not know.

The authorities in Haiti want Oxfam

to hand over all relevant documents

so justice can be served there.

The behaviour of a few has stained

the charity's past reputation,

and now threatens its work

in the future.

Angus Crawford, BBC News.

Tensions between Israel

and Syria have intensified

after Israeli fighter planes

launched bombing raids

across the border following

the shooting down of one

of its fighter planes.

Israel says it's been

targeting Iranian positions

on Syrian territory

used to fly drones

over Israeli airspace.

Our Middle East Correspondent

Tom Bateman reports.

What was left on Israeli soil of one

of the country's most

advanced fighter jets.

It crashed after its two pilots

ejected, said Israel,

amid Syrian anti-aircraft fire.

One pilot was left severely injured.

Israel said it scrambled the planes

in response to this,

a drone allegedly sent by Iranian

forces in Syria

into Israeli airspace.

It was destroyed.

Israel then hit the site it said

the drone had come from,

before further strikes

against what it called

Iranian targets in Syria.

I've been warning for some time

about the dangers of Iran's military

entrenchment in Syria.

Iran seeks to use Syrian territory

to attack Israel for its professed

goal of destroying Israel.

Israel is wary about the threat

across its northern border,

with the Syrian regime,

backed by Iran and its proxies

like these Hezbollah fighters,

back in control of much territory.

Syria's conflict has

drawn in her neighbours.

There have been dozens

of Israeli air strikes

in Syria in recent years.

In December, Israel hit what it

said was a newly built

Iranian military site.

As recently as this week,

a suspected chemical weapons

factory was targeted.

Iran has accused Israel of lies,

claiming it has only

military advisers in Syria.

Israel says it doesn't want

an escalation in Syria.

But in a highly volatile atmosphere,

where any of the players

is capable of miscalculation,

there remains open the distinct

possibility of precisely that.

Tom Bateman, BBC News, Jerusalem.

The Foreign Secretary,

Boris Johnson, has been

in Bangladesh, where he's visited

Rohingya refugees, escaping violence

in neighbouring Myanmar.

Nearly 700,000 people have been

forced to leave their homes

after a military crackdown began

six months ago.

Reeta Chakrabarti was with

the Foreign Secretary as he visited

the Balukhali camp.

Welcome!

Cries of "welcome" to a guest

from a people who have been

kicked out of their home.

We're going to try and get

you back home, guys.

Boris Johnson came to see and hear

for himself from the victims of this

huge man-made disaster.

He heard story after story

of arson, rape and murder.

committed, say the Rohingya

victims, by the military

and Buddhist mobs in Myanmar.

I'm very sorry.

What do you think of

what you've heard so far?

Well, it's overwhelming and

obviously, these people have seen

some pretty horrifying things

and you're very conscious

when talking to them,

the young people, you don't

want to trigger terrible

memories for them.

It was very clear with the case

of the guy who'd only narrowly

escaped and who'd almost

lost his daughter,

who'd been beaten, and had

to ransom his daughter back.

He kept breaking down in tears.

The people that Boris Johnson

is meeting here are all in limbo.

Bangladesh doesn't want

them here permanently,

but they can't go back to Myanmar

without guarantees of safety.

So what can Britain do to help?

It's about finding a political

solution, finding an answer

in Myanmar, from Burma,

creating the conditions for a safe,

dignified return for these people.

That's what they want.

They do want to go back

but they don't feel safe.

That's the message the Foreign

Secretary is taking to Myanmar,

where he landed tonight.

He admits a safe return

for the Rohingya presently

looks unrealistic.

Reeta Chakrabarti, BBC News,

on the Myanmar/Bangladesh border.

Jeremy Corbyn has set out plans

to transfer utilities

like water and energy

and the postal service

back into public ownership.

The Labour leader said the UK should

be following "a global tide"

of nationalisation.

We need to put Britain

at the forefront of the wave

of international change,

in favour of public,

democratic ownership and control

of our services and utilities.

From India to Canada,

across the world, people are waking

up to the fact that privatisation

has failed and taking back control

of their public services.

Our political correspondent

Iain Watson is here.

Iain, Labour say their plans

won't cost the taxpayer anything -

have they done the sums?

Well, Labour are saying that plans

to take the water industry for

example back into public ownership

would be cost free, because they

would be treading existing shares

for government bonds, and any future

borrowing would be more than met

future profits. That said, there was

a report, partly commissioned by

some of the water companies, which

suggested that costs could be as

high as £90 billion. So there is

clear blue water there, if you like.

Talking of which, the Conservatives

are not so much attacking this on

ideological grounds. They are

keeping their focus also on the

potential price Labour would have to

play. It's no secret that Jeremy

Corbyn, all his political life, has

believed that the utility companies

should be in public ownership. But

he do now believes this is an idea

whose time has come. He believes the

collapse of Carillion, the private

company that was providing so many

public services, was a watershed

moment. In his speech, he suggested

that more than 800 privatisations

have been reversed elsewhere. We

heard that phrase, it's time to take

back control. I'm not sure where he

borrowed that from, but I do seem to

remember it was effective at the

time.

Ian Watson, many thanks.

Gerry Adams' 34-year leadership

of Sinn Fein came to an end today,

as Mary Lou McDonald formally took

over as party president.

In her first speech as leader,

she told delegates in Dublin

it was time for the party to embrace

fresh thinking and bold ideas.

She also said she wants

to secure and win

a referendum on Irish unity.

A five-year-old boy has died

after being swept more than four

into a river in Northern Ireland.

A major search was launched

after the child fell

into the Braid River near Skye Park

in Ballymena this afternoon.

The boy, who hasn't been named,

was dragged out more

than 45 minutes later.

Police say he died in hospital.

The father of an 11-year-old

schoolgirl who was stabbed

in Wolverhampton yesterday

says he is "utterly

devastated" by her death.

Jasmine Forrester's father Simeon

said she

"was a shining star

and a huge part of us".

Detectives are questioning

a 51-year-old relative

on suspicion of murder.

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

has invited the South Korean

president to visit him

at the earliest date possible.

The invitation was given

by Kim Jong-un's sister,

who's visiting the south

for the Winter OIympics.

As he left the games,

the US vice president Mike Pence

insisted Washington and Seoul

were united in their desire

to isolate the North

until Kim Jong-un abandons his

nuclear and ballistic

missile programme.

Laura Bicker's report contains

some flash photography.

This is no ordinary messenger.

Kim Yo-jong, the sister

of the North Korean leader,

is the first of her family to set

foot on South Korean soil.

As the two sides take their seats,

the cameras spot a blue folder.

Within it, a handwritten

invitation to travel north

and for the two leaders to meet.

Kim Jong-Un's younger sister's not

used to this spotlight.

She's usually behind the scenes

as Pyongyang's PR queen.

On this occasion, she is the perfect

charmer for this charm offensive.

It's typical of North Korea

to do this sort of thing.

They're stealing a bit

of the limelight away

from South Korea as the whole

world's press descends on it,

and they're also trying to control

the message between the two.

It's very hard for South Korea,

even though they've been talking

about pressure and sanctions,

to basically refuse these kinds

of advances from North Korea.

The US vice president has looked

increasingly isolated on this visit,

refusing to even greet

the North Koreans while pushing

for tougher sanctions on the regime.

These Winter Games have

provided South Korea

with a diplomatic breakthrough

they never thought possible.

But it also presents

serious challenges.

Does President Moon accept this

invitation and if so,

under what kind of preconditions?

And he's also discovering that

in defending his neighbour

to the north, he risks alienating

a key US ally.

Laura Bicker, BBC News, Pyeongchang.

And with all the action

from the Winter Olympics

and the rest of a busy day of sport,

let's join Lizzie Greenwood Hughes

at the BBC Sport Centre.

Thanks very much.

Good evening.

Ireland are top of Rugby Union's 6

Nations table after a big win over

Italy.

But England's hopes

of the Grand Slam are still alive -

they won a tense and gritty match

against Wales 12-6 at Twickenham.

Our correspondent

Joe Wilson reports.

If you come to Twickenham,

you want a good view.

Can you see them?

Wales arrived wearing

tracksuits and headphones,

blocking out the background noise.

Rhys Patchell had his bottle

questioned by England.

We will get the cameras ready.

Two minutes played,

high ball, Patchell

underneath it, didn't make it.

The loose ball was in the hands

of Eoin Farrell, who knew exactly

where he was kicking it,

right into the path

of Johnny May, who did the rest.

COMMENTATOR: Jonny May is going to

win the race!

May's second try soon followed,

but watch Joe Launchbury,

two Welsh players on top of him,

still slipped the ball

to his team-mate.

Inside pass, a second try for Jonny

May!

So how could Wales respond?

Patchell put through a clever kick

and confusion followed.

the TV official judging if the Welsh

hand with the bandaged arm touched

the ball down with control.

No, he said.

Welsh penalties kept them close,

they needed a try and this

is how close they came.

The line was there and so was

Sam Underhill to grab his man.

This kind of commitment

wins this kind of match,

12-6 to England it finished.

So, after this win at Twickenham,

England are still two

wins from two games,

perfect record and the same

applies to Ireland.

The game in Dublin

was rather different.

Eight Irish tries and 56

points against Italy.

If this Six Nations

is to come down to England

or Ireland, it's on track.

Joe Wilson, BBC News.

England's women are also

the defending champions,

but they demolished Wales

52-0 to top their table,

teenager Ellie Kildunne scoring two

of their eight tries at the Stoop.

Scotland lost to France.

There were six matches

in the Premier League today.

Match of the Day and Sportscene

are on later, so if you want

to wait for the results,

You know what to do.

Sergio Aguero scored four

goals for Manchester City

as they extended their lead

at the top of the table

to 16 points, beating

Leicester 5-1 at home today.

Elsewhere, there were wins

for Everton, Swansea,

Tottenham and West Ham.

Celtic held a minute's silence ahead

of their Scottish Cup game

to remember their former player

Liam Miller, who died

yesterday aged 36.

Celtic went on to beat

Partick Thistle 3-2 to reach

the quarter-finals,

James Forrest scoring a hat-trick.

They'll be joined by Falkirk,

Motherwell, Hearts,

Kilmarnock and Morton.

The Winter Olympics in South Korea

are in full flow, and it's been

a mixed day for Team GB.

The men's snowboarders crashed out

in the slopestyle heats, but speed

skater Elise Christie is safely

through to the quarter-finals

of the 500m short track.

Our correspondent Andy Swiss

reports from Pyeongchang.

She is Britain's biggest medal hope.

And Elise Christie was soon showing

precisely why. She led her 500

metres heat from start to finish,

setting a new Olympic record. It was

some statement of intent, and after

her disqualification of the last

games, what relief.

I was so

nervous! I was like, maybe I'm not

going to do this, but actually, it

was fine. I was excited. I am just

glad I got to race in front of

everyone again.

But British hopes in

the snowboarding came crashing down.

Jamie Nicholls and then team-mate

Billy Morgan both tumbled out of the

slopestyle event. The women's

cross-country skiing, meanwhile,

produced the first gold medallist of

the games. Victory for Sweden's

Charlotte Connor. It was a first

gold medal for the hosts, though,

that brought the loudest cheer,

their skater sparking euphoria as

South Korea celebrated its own

Olympic champion. But the Team GB,

this was an opening day of decidedly

mixed fortunes. Disappointment on

the snow, but Elise Christie's hopes

of gold are off to the perfect

start. Andy Swiss, BBC News,

Pyeongchang.

That's it from me.

There's much more on the BBC

Sport website, including

news of an important win

for Britain's Fed Cup team.

Back to you.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

That's all from me.

Good night.