0:00:05 > 0:00:08Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10First to California where this mudslide has destroyed homes
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and taken at least 15 lives.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18The desperate search goes on.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21We dug down and found a little baby, I don't know where it came from.
0:00:21 > 0:00:27We dug it out, got the mud out of its mouth.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29I hope it's OK.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30They took it right to the hospital.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Ethiopia has banned foreign adoptions, putting the future
0:00:32 > 0:00:37of thousands of orphans in doubt.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40We hear reaction to one of France's best known actresses saying men
0:00:40 > 0:00:42should be "free to hit on" women - in the workplace, or
0:00:42 > 0:00:44indeed, anywhere else.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46And Donald Trump has been speaking to the press,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50so we'll be speaking to our press.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Stay tuned for Anthony Zurcher, who will break down
0:00:53 > 0:00:54the President's latest comments.
0:00:54 > 0:01:03We will also play use of the key clips. -- play you some of the key
0:01:03 > 0:01:04clips.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10We know 15 people died in the California mudslide.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13At least 20 others are missing and dozens of homes
0:01:13 > 0:01:17have been destroyed.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20This is the town of Montecito.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25Rivers of mud flowed down the street.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Now, this area was also hit by wildfires last month -
0:01:28 > 0:01:30it's thought the scorched earth those fires created prevented
0:01:30 > 0:01:34the rain from being absorbed into the ground.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40As you can see in this photo, it wasn't just mud and trees
0:01:40 > 0:01:43that was washed away - so were huge rocks.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47And all of this has blocked roads and railways.
0:01:47 > 0:01:54This is Santa Barbara's County Sheriff.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59The only words I can really think of to describe it, was it looked like a
0:01:59 > 0:02:03World War I battlefield. It was literally a carpet of mud and
0:02:03 > 0:02:03debris.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05As always with natural disasters, there have been
0:02:05 > 0:02:11stories of terrible loss - and of survival.
0:02:11 > 0:02:19Trees are just coming down. We ran into the house, and right then the
0:02:19 > 0:02:24boulders blustered through our house. We got upstairs and we got to
0:02:24 > 0:02:31about eight feet, nine feet up the stairs and we crawled out a window
0:02:31 > 0:02:35to the roof. The house was wiped out, just took everything out.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Later, we were worried about the neighbour's house and we went over
0:02:39 > 0:02:48to see if they were OK. We heard a little baby crying. We found the
0:02:48 > 0:02:51kids, we took down, found a little baby, I don't know where it came
0:02:51 > 0:02:58from. We got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. I hope that it's OK.
0:02:58 > 0:03:04They took it right to the hospital. But it was just a baby, four feet
0:03:04 > 0:03:09down in the mud, under the rocks. I am glad we got him. But who knows
0:03:09 > 0:03:14what else is out there?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Another journalist there is Kacey Drescher, who's been
0:03:16 > 0:03:17tweeting out some coverage.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28This image shows you an SUV is set in amongst the debris and the mud
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and the water. You can see more of her pictures on
0:03:32 > 0:03:37her Twitter feed, but she joins us live. Thank you for your time, tell
0:03:37 > 0:03:41us more about what you had seen? Thank you for having me, I am on the
0:03:41 > 0:03:47very road where I snapped those voters last night. The 101 freeway
0:03:47 > 0:03:50closure, the entire interstate which would take you to Los Angeles is
0:03:50 > 0:03:56closed, it is a swamp. Cars are face-down, lodged in the mud. We
0:03:56 > 0:04:01have new information, 15 dead, 24 missing, homes destroyed.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07I was in the brunt of the damage yesterday. I saw homes completely
0:04:07 > 0:04:14wiped off their foundations, roofs scattered into piles of debris and
0:04:14 > 0:04:19cars that had obviously tumbled down the hillside, just into fragments of
0:04:19 > 0:04:25metal. It was just astonishing. Give us an idea of the ongoing
0:04:25 > 0:04:29search operation?That is correct, there have been helicopters dipping
0:04:29 > 0:04:35over my head all day. I saw aerial fitted of certain rescue crews on
0:04:35 > 0:04:41the roofs of homes opening skylights to see if there were survivors. I am
0:04:41 > 0:04:45backing up right now because their vehicles trying to clear out this
0:04:45 > 0:04:53road, I am standing in mud well over my boots. It is still a very muddy,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56destructive area that we are in the middle of.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00You can hear the helicopter going over my head right now. All morning
0:05:00 > 0:05:04we have been trying to see if there are any survivors in the maths.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Who are the people we can see behind you? Can anyone come to this area?
0:05:09 > 0:05:16Oh, no. It is blocked out, I am on coast village road, a major there
0:05:16 > 0:05:21where in Montecito. It is an upskill suburb of Santa Barbara, Ellen
0:05:21 > 0:05:26DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey have homes in these neighbourhoods. They
0:05:26 > 0:05:29have authorities blocking off the entrances to these areas. We had to
0:05:29 > 0:05:35show our press pass and have a conversation with a law enforcement
0:05:35 > 0:05:38officer just to get through. We are with a gentleman right now trying to
0:05:38 > 0:05:43get up the hillside to see if his home is still standing.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Are people being allowed to try to reach their homes, or are there some
0:05:46 > 0:05:50areas which the authorities have come to be blocked?
0:05:50 > 0:05:54There are some areas the authorities have completely blocked off, but I
0:05:54 > 0:05:57will say that I have seen several people with large suitcases and bags
0:05:57 > 0:06:04tracking down this thoroughfare in Montecito. I will try to turn around
0:06:04 > 0:06:09so you can get a scope of what I am surrounded with right now. I have
0:06:09 > 0:06:13seen people coming in and out, trying to get supplies. They have
0:06:13 > 0:06:19shot of gas to the town. People obviously can't be here right now.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Thousands of people are evacuated and I have seen several folks with
0:06:22 > 0:06:27bags. You can obviously tell, just trying to get essentials to live off
0:06:27 > 0:06:31for the time being. We are very grateful for you
0:06:31 > 0:06:35bringing us up to date, thank you very much. That is Kacey Drescher
0:06:35 > 0:06:40live in the middle of the story, speaking on her phone. It is not a
0:06:40 > 0:06:44place very TV truck would easily reach. We can speak to people on
0:06:44 > 0:06:49their phones and we appreciate Kacey breaking away from her reporting to
0:06:49 > 0:06:52do that. I have a map of California here, if
0:06:52 > 0:06:57we go on much more closely we can see the worst hit communities are in
0:06:57 > 0:07:03Santa Barbara County, just up the coast from Los Angeles. As Kacey
0:07:03 > 0:07:06told is, Oprah Winfrey lives there. Lots of the rich and famous live
0:07:06 > 0:07:10this area. Oprah Winfrey posted this video on Instagram.
0:07:10 > 0:07:27This is how deep the mud is. And...
0:07:27 > 0:07:33It is gone.We also heard from the TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who says
0:07:33 > 0:07:38the 101 freeway in my neighbourhood is a river. My city needs your love
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and support. Montecito is the name of the place.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47James Cook has been there. We haven't actually had a full and
0:07:47 > 0:07:51detailed update for some time. I think that tells you that they are
0:07:51 > 0:07:56simply focused on trying to get into those neighbourhoods. They talked of
0:07:56 > 0:08:01one area, Romero Canyon, where around 300 people were stuck. There
0:08:01 > 0:08:05are other areas closer to the town of Montecito which is down on the
0:08:05 > 0:08:10coast, we have seen helicopters in action. It is a very big operation,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14dozens of fire engines coming into this area in the last couple of
0:08:14 > 0:08:20hours as well. We came up here trying to make our way up the main
0:08:20 > 0:08:26highway along the coast. In parts it is completely blocked apart from
0:08:26 > 0:08:31access for emergency vehicles. Mud is very thick across the road and
0:08:31 > 0:08:35the power is quite staggering. There are now questions about what
0:08:35 > 0:08:41happened before this. The ferocity of it may be a surprise, the fact it
0:08:41 > 0:08:45has happened was not. It was preceded by the largest wildfire in
0:08:45 > 0:08:51California's history, but scorched quite an enormous area in the hills
0:08:51 > 0:08:56and mountains above here. The ground was slick and hard, making it
0:08:56 > 0:09:01difficult to absorb moisture. These rings were forecast, forecast to be
0:09:01 > 0:09:05heavy, albeit not very very prolonged period. Some of the
0:09:05 > 0:09:08evacuation orders were given but the question is if they were given for
0:09:08 > 0:09:12the right areas, if they were enforced, if people listen to them.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16We bring you the biggest global stories, with the help of BBC
0:09:16 > 0:09:18journalists from all around the world. There was James in
0:09:18 > 0:09:21California. Next we turn to France.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24This is Catherine Deneuve, one of France's best known actresses,
0:09:24 > 0:09:25and she's caused quite a stir.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Along with a big group of French women who have published this open
0:09:28 > 0:09:31letter in Le Monde newspaper.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It is a response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the fallout
0:09:34 > 0:09:37that has followed.
0:09:37 > 0:09:44It says men should be "free to hit on" women.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46They also argue...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48"Men have been punished summarily, forced out of their jobs
0:09:48 > 0:09:50when all they did was touch someone's knee or try
0:09:50 > 0:09:52to steal a kiss."
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Anne-Elizabeth Moutet and Farideh Cadot are two of the 100
0:09:55 > 0:09:58women who signed this letter.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The letter starts by saying that rape is a crime, sexual harassment
0:10:02 > 0:10:05in the workplace is a crying and that this is not something we could
0:10:05 > 0:10:09condo. What we do condone is the way people find themselves subjected to
0:10:09 > 0:10:15a kind of one-minute hate multiplied ad infinitum on social media, they
0:10:15 > 0:10:20lose their jobs and livelihoods, there is no due process, legal
0:10:20 > 0:10:27process in any way, and the sentences... It is the idea that
0:10:27 > 0:10:30women are so stupid and weak that they can tell the difference between
0:10:30 > 0:10:35a rape and a man who, frankly, tries to pull. We are adults. One
0:10:35 > 0:10:40signatory was a body who was gang raped, one is an Iranian who
0:10:40 > 0:10:47remembers and explains in the letter Y regimes with a religious bent have
0:10:47 > 0:10:56the security... Insecurity in men/ women relationships. There is a
0:10:56 > 0:10:58great deal of difference between somebody with charm and a good
0:10:58 > 0:11:02manner that you might be interested in and somebody who, frankly, is
0:11:02 > 0:11:06being a complete pain on public transport or something. Neither of
0:11:06 > 0:11:10which is illegal, but there is a difference. We are trusting
0:11:10 > 0:11:15ourselves, men and women, that in the end we will know the difference,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19women will be able, because they're grown-ups, to say sorry, mate, not
0:11:19 > 0:11:24interested, and the men themselves will realise that it succeeds better
0:11:24 > 0:11:31if you do it nicely. We all who sign this letter are all
0:11:31 > 0:11:36agreed with what they say, with the #BalanceTonPorc and #metoo and all
0:11:36 > 0:11:42the Association. We do not say they should not be punished, we do not
0:11:42 > 0:11:47say that we should stop this, we just say that women cannot eternally
0:11:47 > 0:11:53stay a victim. Equality means also that you can say no, you can react,
0:11:53 > 0:12:03you can refuse.It has gathered not a little criticism.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Italian actress Asia Argento tweeted, "Catherine Deneuve
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and other French women tell the world how their interiorized
0:12:07 > 0:12:11misogyny has lobotomized them to the point of no return."
0:12:12 > 0:12:17She is one of the people who has complained about Harvey Wednesday.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19-- Harvey Weinstein.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Whatever your view, the story perfectly reflects that these issues
0:12:21 > 0:12:22play out differently in France.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Hugh Schofield in Paris explains.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31There is a permanent strand in French thought, French
0:12:31 > 0:12:36intellectualism, which feels that what comes from the American
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Anglo-Saxon world is suspicious and probably overstated, and what has
0:12:40 > 0:12:43happened here is an expression of that. These are women who are saying
0:12:43 > 0:12:49there is puritanism out there, a very American, Anglo-Saxon concept,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53and we want to fight that. It is a cultural difference. There has
0:12:53 > 0:12:57always been the feeling that American-style feminists are
0:12:57 > 0:13:03different from the French feminism, because the French can understand
0:13:03 > 0:13:07femininity and sexuality in a different way. One has to add that
0:13:07 > 0:13:10there is a generational issue as well, these are older women and
0:13:10 > 0:13:14there is a younger generation of feminists coming behind who are very
0:13:14 > 0:13:17angry with Catherine Deneuve for having made the stand that she and
0:13:17 > 0:13:19the other women have.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Syria now.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The UN has condemned a rise in civilian casualties in two
0:13:23 > 0:13:24areas that are marked as de-escalation zones.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25First Idlib.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Idlib is a province in the North.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The UN says, "ground attacks and air strikes have escalated
0:13:30 > 0:13:32as a Government offensive jeopardising the safety of hundreds
0:13:32 > 0:13:41of thousands of civilians".
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Next Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47We talked about this place last night.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51It's held by rebels and has been besieged for over four years.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53We're told, "Since 31 December, at least 85
0:13:53 > 0:13:57civilians have been killed."
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, this distressing video came into the newsroom earlier
0:13:59 > 0:14:02from Eastern Ghouta.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06It shows the aftermath of an air strike.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46The government is escalating its attacks.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Earlier I spoke to Mahmoud Ali Hamad of our Arabic Service
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and asked why the government was escalating its actions
0:14:51 > 0:14:54in these two areas now.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58East Ghouta is one of the last stronghold held by the opposition.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03We remember how the Russians managed to conquer Idlib, the stronger
0:15:03 > 0:15:06stronghold but the opposition never had. The result was the desecration
0:15:06 > 0:15:11of the city, the displacement of around 400,000 people. The Syrian
0:15:11 > 0:15:19regime believe this is the only way to get the opposition militants out
0:15:19 > 0:15:23of those pockets. They do not believe in their own ability to
0:15:23 > 0:15:28actually take back control of those areas, which is why we see the
0:15:28 > 0:15:31involvement of the Russians at its maximum, it is a brute force and we
0:15:31 > 0:15:40have seen it in some of the pictures that have come out. We have been
0:15:40 > 0:15:43speaking to civilians via telegram, they were telling us that the kind
0:15:43 > 0:15:49of bombing that is being carried out on them is of a different order,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53something they attribute to the Russians. We cannot verify those
0:15:53 > 0:15:58allegations independently but have come to believe that the regime now
0:15:58 > 0:16:02believes that if he is to conquer and secure the outskirts of the
0:16:02 > 0:16:07capital, which is most important are the regime and its allies, they need
0:16:07 > 0:16:10to get the Russians involved in the air.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14We have seen previous sieges resolved with an agreement where
0:16:14 > 0:16:19fighters and civilians have been allowed to leave. Are any talks of
0:16:19 > 0:16:25that nature happening? This is a very important subject
0:16:25 > 0:16:31that I have talked about to civilians and militants. I spoke to
0:16:31 > 0:16:35someone just before coming on the show, he was a militant leader and
0:16:35 > 0:16:39he said to me, basically, we have to break-up because we know what is
0:16:39 > 0:16:44awaiting us. We know that plan for us is very similar to what happened
0:16:44 > 0:16:50back in December 2017, and what happened in Homs back in 2015. So
0:16:50 > 0:16:53the ability of the regime to do those kinds of military operations
0:16:53 > 0:16:58is very limited. With the Russians' help, they hope
0:16:58 > 0:17:04to achieve as much result is possible before there are any
0:17:04 > 0:17:07meetings between the different fighting factions.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12These militants who you are talking to, realistically what do they hope
0:17:12 > 0:17:17they can achieve now? Do they accept they cannot defeat?I pose the
0:17:17 > 0:17:22question you asked, basically it is out of desperation. He used the
0:17:22 > 0:17:25example of an injured beast being cornered. They know what is awaiting
0:17:25 > 0:17:29them, they know they will be ferried away from their families, their
0:17:29 > 0:17:36families will be taken to a different place, they will be sent
0:17:36 > 0:17:41north to Idlib. They know that. It will come the time when Idlib itself
0:17:41 > 0:17:45will be literally the last stronghold of the opposition.
0:17:45 > 0:17:51Basically they are saying we are not going to die in any other place or
0:17:51 > 0:17:54pocket in Idlib, we will have our stand and we have to fight here in
0:17:54 > 0:17:59the towns and cities. We began the programme with stories
0:17:59 > 0:18:02from Syria, France and California. In a few minutes we will turn back
0:18:02 > 0:18:05to the Korean peninsular and we will talk about Canada, because it has
0:18:05 > 0:18:12filed a trade complains against the US. It is a long one. Samira Hussain
0:18:12 > 0:18:15will take us through it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Cancer patients at a specialist NHS hospital could face delays
0:18:17 > 0:18:20to their treatment due to a major shortage of staff -
0:18:20 > 0:18:23that's the warning from a senior doctor in a leaked email sent
0:18:23 > 0:18:26to staff at Churchill Hospital in Oxford.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29He says specialist nurse numbers at the hospital are down by 40%.
0:18:29 > 0:18:36Our health editor Hugh Pym was there earlier.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40There were concerns raised us to this e-mail got into the public
0:18:40 > 0:18:46domain, written by a very senior clinical figure here in cancer care,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51Doctor Andrew Weaver, sending a note out to fellow clinicians who had had
0:18:51 > 0:18:57a meeting to discuss the situation, with concerns about the shortfall in
0:18:57 > 0:19:01staffing, particularly for cancer nurses, specialist cancer nurses, a
0:19:01 > 0:19:0640% shortfall. He said as a result of the staff shortage they were
0:19:06 > 0:19:10having to reconsider when people started chemotherapy. For those with
0:19:10 > 0:19:17virgin conditions, it would go ahead as usual. -- for those with urgent
0:19:17 > 0:19:20conditions. But for others what might have started in two or three
0:19:20 > 0:19:25weeks will now be four weeks.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This is Outside Source live from the BBC newsroom.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Our lead story is...
0:19:31 > 0:19:35At least 15 people have died in floods and mudslides in Southern
0:19:35 > 0:19:40California. The same area was recently hit by a huge wildfire.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Some people are reportedly still trapped in their homes.
0:19:43 > 0:19:49Some of the main stories from BBC World Service. The search for
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is back on. It disappeared in 2014 with
0:19:53 > 0:19:58over 200 people on board. Malaysia's government will pay an American firm
0:19:58 > 0:20:03up to $70 million if and only if it manages to locate the plane.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08That is from BBC Indonesia. Around 5000 Iranians facing the death
0:20:08 > 0:20:11penalty for drug crimes might be spared after sentencing guidelines
0:20:11 > 0:20:16were changed and it was decided to apply this changes retrospectively.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21That is from BBC Persia. One of the most read stories on the BBC website
0:20:21 > 0:20:25and individualist is a marine biologist who says a humpback whale
0:20:25 > 0:20:33protected her from a 15 foot tiger shark during a recent dive.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35The Ethiopian government has decided to ban adoptions by all foreigners.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38The best known case of this is Angelina Jolie, whose
0:20:38 > 0:20:41adopted daughter Zahara is originally from Ethiopia.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43And Ethiopia is one of the main countries where Americans
0:20:43 > 0:20:45adopt children from.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47In the last five years, nearly 3800 Ethiopian children have
0:20:48 > 0:20:51been adopted by American families.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54-- in the last 15 years.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58And it's expensive.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59It takes a long time.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02The most recent figures we could find are for 2013 -
0:21:02 > 0:21:07when the average cost to adopt was nearly $46,000.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Very relevant to this week's decision is the
0:21:09 > 0:21:13conviction of this woman.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16She's Carri Williams, of Washington State,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and in 2013 she was convicted along with her husband of starving
0:21:19 > 0:21:24and beating her adopted daughter from Ethiopia to death.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26That sparked a broader discussion in Ethiopia about the number
0:21:26 > 0:21:34and nature of adoptions by foreign families.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35This is the perspective of a specialist in
0:21:35 > 0:21:45family law in Nairobi.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49I feel the decision is very unfortunate.We are in a similar
0:21:49 > 0:21:53situation in Kenya with our Government haven't declared a
0:21:53 > 0:21:57moratorium against international adoptions in 2014. The reason I say
0:21:57 > 0:22:02it is unfortunate is because it comes against a background where it
0:22:02 > 0:22:06is a recognised international principle set out in the UN
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Convention on the rights of the child and our very own African
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Charter on the rights and welfare of the child that the best place for a
0:22:14 > 0:22:20child to grow up in is in a family, and a family setup for the child's
0:22:20 > 0:22:24best development. So decisions like this by Government, what they do is
0:22:24 > 0:22:30lock out a lot of children who then remain institutionalised, and an
0:22:30 > 0:22:36institution should be the very, very last report. So I understand the
0:22:36 > 0:22:39need for the child to grow up in their own culture, that is
0:22:39 > 0:22:42recognised by international standards as well. It is recognised,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47that is the international law on the adoption of children that you first
0:22:47 > 0:22:50try and make sure their children stay in their families, and if they
0:22:50 > 0:22:55cannot then find a family within their own country. And then if that
0:22:55 > 0:23:01is not possible, then if there is a family that is suitable, that is
0:23:01 > 0:23:05approved and has been vetted, then that child should grow up in a
0:23:05 > 0:23:07family, not an institution.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Canada and the United States are once again at loggerheads on trade.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This time it's Canada which brought a complaint
0:23:12 > 0:23:14to World Trade Organisation, citing 188 different examples
0:23:14 > 0:23:21of alleged wrongdoing by the United States.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26The US trade representative has been very quick to respond. He says
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Canada's claims are unfounded and could only lower US confidence.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33This is to do with a range of disputes. Samira Hussain is live in
0:23:33 > 0:23:38New York. If you can, give us a brief summary of all of these
0:23:38 > 0:23:45different issues the Canadians have? There are all kinds of trade issues
0:23:45 > 0:23:55that occur between Canada and the United States. It and back and forth
0:23:55 > 0:23:59is between levels of Government and Canada and the United States. What
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Canada has done is taken all of its complaints to the World Trade
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Organisation. That is the governing body that adjudicates any trade
0:24:06 > 0:24:10disputes. They are saying about some of the measures the United States
0:24:10 > 0:24:15has been taken in some of these decisions has been unfair and they
0:24:15 > 0:24:21have not been in line with what the World Trade Organisation has already
0:24:21 > 0:24:26listed as ways to really resolve these kinds of disputes.I saw you
0:24:26 > 0:24:29wanted to talk about this. Aren't they talking about Nafta in a couple
0:24:29 > 0:24:36of weeks? The timing of this is really
0:24:36 > 0:24:41interesting, Batty or three weeks we will see that Canada, the United
0:24:41 > 0:24:45States and Mexico will be meeting in Montreal Canada to be discussing
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Nafta and the real negotiation of Nafta. These re-negotiation
0:24:49 > 0:24:54processes have not been going very well. There has really been no big
0:24:54 > 0:25:00conclusions coming out of it. That has lots of people worried about the
0:25:00 > 0:25:05future of this trade agreement. In fact there are some media
0:25:05 > 0:25:08organisations that are reporting that they are worried that the
0:25:08 > 0:25:12United States will just walk away from Nafta altogether. Even the head
0:25:12 > 0:25:16of one of Canada's largest banks, the Royal Bank of Canada, has said
0:25:16 > 0:25:20the same thing, they are worried the United States will walk away from
0:25:20 > 0:25:25this decades-old trade agreement. With only 30 seconds, I hope the
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Mexicans are involved in these discussions? The Canadians and
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Americans are not just working it out themselves?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36They are absolutely involved, but what is interesting is for all the
0:25:36 > 0:25:40talk you have with regard to Mexico and the United States, we are seeing
0:25:40 > 0:25:44a bigger impact is possibly happening between Canada and the
0:25:44 > 0:25:46United States and their trade relationship.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Thank you very much, Samira Hussain in New York.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52In the second half of the programme we will hear what Donald Trump said
0:25:52 > 0:25:57in a press conference an hour ago.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00See you in a minute.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13Good evening to you. Let's see what is happening around the world. As is
0:26:13 > 0:26:17often the case, there has been some wild weather somewhere around the
0:26:17 > 0:26:21globe. California has been making the weather headlines in the last
0:26:21 > 0:26:24day or so, without massive storm that ripped through and brought all
0:26:24 > 0:26:29the flash flooding. This is the mass of cloud. I will add the jet stream
0:26:29 > 0:26:36now. This dip in the jet stream, that is what helps spawn bad storm,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40the rainstorm which ravaged the region. We saw the flash flooding
0:26:40 > 0:26:44and mudslides as well, unfortunately, people lost their
0:26:44 > 0:26:48lives as well. We are seeing flash flooding in parts of Las Vegas as
0:26:48 > 0:26:52the storm system moved into the desert regions. The good news is the
0:26:52 > 0:26:57weather is improving, on Thursday, tomorrow, sunny skies in LA and San
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Diego, the really unsettled weather is across the Pacific Northwest of
0:27:01 > 0:27:06the United States and into Canada. Elsewhere, a different storm is
0:27:06 > 0:27:15brewing. Around the midwest and Canada. It has warmed up in those
0:27:15 > 0:27:18really cold spots in the last day or so, but with the clash of cold and
0:27:18 > 0:27:20mild air we will seek storms swarming around the midwest, the
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Great Lakes, so there is snow on the way. It looks like places like
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Chicago and Detroit and into Canada and Montreal, there is a fair bit of
0:27:28 > 0:27:33snow on the way. Look at the temperature drop in Montreal, from 5
0:27:33 > 0:27:37degrees 2-9, that is the daytime high. Lots of weather action
0:27:37 > 0:27:41continue across North America. Closer to home, Europe, we have the
0:27:41 > 0:27:46jet stream overlaid and a little storm brewing very close to Iberia,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51around the Bay of Biscay, pushing through as I speak with severe winds
0:27:51 > 0:27:56and heavy seas around the coastal areas. Very disturbed weather across
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Siberia, through the Pyrenees and alter the western Mediterranean as
0:28:00 > 0:28:02we go across the course of their estate.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Improving a little in the Alps, lots of snow in the Alps in the last few
0:28:06 > 0:28:12days, here are the highs on Thursday, Madrid, London and Paris
0:28:12 > 0:28:15are on a par. Come Friday, better conditions
0:28:15 > 0:28:18across Spain and Portugal, we will seize on sunshine to think that
0:28:18 > 0:28:23hovering around 7 degrees in Paris, London and Madrid.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27The weather at home, this is the satellite picture from earlier. You
0:28:27 > 0:28:31can see the gloomy weather across the East but much brighter skies
0:28:31 > 0:28:35finally filtered into many western areas. Fog may be a problem through
0:28:35 > 0:28:40the course of tonight. Wednesday night into Thursday, extensive fog
0:28:40 > 0:28:44across many western areas of the UK, it could be very dense and last into
0:28:44 > 0:28:48the afternoon on Thursday. Thursday itself could be quite grey and
0:28:48 > 0:28:52chilly in some areas. These are the highs, around 5
0:28:52 > 0:29:01degrees in Cardiff, Glasgow barely above freezing on Thursday. If you
0:29:01 > 0:29:04want a bit more on the UK weather forecast and the weather for the
0:29:04 > 0:29:07week ahead, it is coming up, as usual, just before 10pm.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12and these are the main stories here in the BBC Newsroom.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14At least 15 people have died in floods and mudslides
0:30:14 > 0:30:16in southern California.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18A group of 300 people are reportedly still trapped in their homes
0:30:18 > 0:30:24east of Santa Barbara.
0:30:24 > 0:30:30We dug down, we found a little baby, we don't know where it came from. We
0:30:30 > 0:30:37got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. I hope it's OK, they took it
0:30:37 > 0:30:40right to the hospital.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Ethiopia has banned foreign adoptions, putting the future
0:30:42 > 0:30:46of thousands of orphans in doubt.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50One France's best-known actresses says men should be free to hit on
0:30:50 > 0:30:57women, in the workplace, or indeed anywhere else.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01Your questions are always welcome.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04#BBCOS is the hashtag.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11President Donald Trump has been meeting with
0:31:11 > 0:31:19Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg in Washington DC.
0:31:20 > 0:31:26About an hour ago they held a press conference.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Donald Trump was asked about the investigation into alleged
0:31:28 > 0:31:32collusion with Russia.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36It's a Democrat hoax that was brought up as an excuse for losing
0:31:36 > 0:31:39an election that frankly the Democrat should have won, because
0:31:39 > 0:31:44they have such a tremendous advantage in the electoral college,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47so it was brought up for that reason. But it has been determined
0:31:47 > 0:31:50that there was no collusion by virtually everybody so we will see
0:31:50 > 0:31:56what happens.Will we be open to... We will see what happens, certainly
0:31:56 > 0:31:59will see what happens, but when there has been no collusion and
0:31:59 > 0:32:03nobody has found any collusion at any level, it seems unlikely that
0:32:03 > 0:32:05you would even have an interview.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Let's go to our North America reporter Anthony Zurcher.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11I wasn't aware that almost everyone had decided there was almost no
0:32:11 > 0:32:16collusion?I think that is a bit of a stretch, a bit of wishful thinking
0:32:16 > 0:32:22on the part of Donald Trump. I went and counted his answer, and he said
0:32:22 > 0:32:25no collusion seven times in that short response, think that is
0:32:25 > 0:32:29obvious what he wants to try to embed in the minds of the American
0:32:29 > 0:32:36public, but the Robert mullah investigation is still ongoing. It
0:32:36 > 0:32:42doesn't seem like in any way the investigation is winding down. If he
0:32:42 > 0:32:46asks Donald Trump to testify, to provide answers to questions, there
0:32:46 > 0:32:50is pretty much no way Donald Trump is that lawyers can say no. They can
0:32:50 > 0:32:57negotiate over the details but unless Mr Trump wants to claim fifth
0:32:57 > 0:33:08Amendment protections, he will have to answer.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Frankly it is an agreement I have no problem with but as usual they made
0:33:20 > 0:33:25a bad deal. So we could conceivably go back in that I say this, we are
0:33:25 > 0:33:28very strong in the environment, I feel very strongly about the
0:33:28 > 0:33:34environment. Our EPA commissioners are very powerful, in the sense that
0:33:34 > 0:33:40they want to have clean water, clean air, but we also want businesses
0:33:40 > 0:33:45that can compete, and the Paris a cold really would have taken away
0:33:45 > 0:33:48our competitive edge, and we're not going to let that happen. I'm not
0:33:48 > 0:33:53going to let that happen.Anthony I always get confused, because the
0:33:53 > 0:33:58president always slips and slides on what his position on the deal is.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03Right, and the United States hasn't formally withdrawn from the
0:34:03 > 0:34:06agreement yet, it can't. But he seemed to indicate that it has and
0:34:06 > 0:34:12that we might go back. I think fate less may be in his advantage here,
0:34:12 > 0:34:19the more he doesn't -- being vague maybe in his advantage. People who
0:34:19 > 0:34:23think we have already pulled out will believe that as well. But the
0:34:23 > 0:34:27bottom line is he is trying to turn this into an economic discussion,
0:34:27 > 0:34:35and economic debate, even though the climate accord marks are not
0:34:35 > 0:34:39mandatory. They are simply goals that are optional for the US. To
0:34:39 > 0:34:45make it seem like it will be the price the United States is paying if
0:34:45 > 0:34:50it continues to be a part of it.We have not mentioned Norway yet, yet
0:34:50 > 0:34:56it was a joint press conference. What did they talk about?They took
0:34:56 > 0:35:00about arms sales to Norway, trade, which Donald Trump emphasised should
0:35:00 > 0:35:08be reciprocal. Every time Donald Trump gets on stage with one of
0:35:08 > 0:35:11these foreign leaders, he almost sounds like the arms dealer in
0:35:11 > 0:35:16chief. He talks about how great US military weaponry is, and encourages
0:35:16 > 0:35:20our allies to buy more of it. He views that as an economic benefit
0:35:20 > 0:35:23for the United States as well.A quick question about the book that
0:35:23 > 0:35:31has been dominating the last few days, is that furore starting to ebb
0:35:31 > 0:35:37away?I think it is 32. Steve Bannon was perhaps the final bit of big
0:35:37 > 0:35:41news coming out of this. That you know how the news is here, which
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Donald Trump it is or whiz onto the next big swirling controversy or
0:35:44 > 0:35:49interesting story, and I think that is happening here as well. The
0:35:49 > 0:35:53question about a lasting mark from the book is is it going to undermine
0:35:53 > 0:35:58the view of Donald Trump as an effective leader, as a capable
0:35:58 > 0:36:00leader? They're obviously many Democrats who have their suspicions
0:36:00 > 0:36:08and some moderates as.Thank you.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11South Korea has always said it hoped hosting the Winter Olympics
0:36:11 > 0:36:15would would help improve relations with North Korea.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17It seems to be working.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Yesterday the two had a meeting for the first time in two years.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Now we're told they'll meet again - at the International Olympic
0:36:24 > 0:36:31Committee's headquarters in Switzerland on January 20.
0:36:31 > 0:36:38Noor Salman, to be precise. -- Lausanne.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Things are getting more political still because America has
0:36:40 > 0:36:42announced its Vice President Mike Pence will lead
0:36:42 > 0:36:45their delegation to the Games.
0:36:45 > 0:36:51And we know talks between the US and South Korea are ramping up.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Yesterday, their presidents spoke.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00Here's the transcript - President Trump said he'd be open
0:37:00 > 0:37:02to talks with North Korea 'at the right time'.
0:37:02 > 0:37:12And President Moon said this today.
0:37:13 > 0:37:20TRANSLATION:In terms of security and defence, South Korea and the
0:37:20 > 0:37:25United States are the closest of allies. We also share the same view
0:37:25 > 0:37:30of the significance of the threat from North Korea. So South Korea and
0:37:30 > 0:37:33the United States have been working closely together against North
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Korea's nuclear threat.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Here's how people in Korea are responding to this
0:37:38 > 0:37:41new level of engagement.
0:37:41 > 0:37:51So the Olympics could only happen in so many decades in Korea. If North
0:37:51 > 0:38:01Korea participates in this, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. It
0:38:01 > 0:38:06also means it could be the only place where we can show we are
0:38:06 > 0:38:16caught operating.I think it is a good chance, North Korean people
0:38:16 > 0:38:19coming to South Korea in PyeongChang, I think it is a good
0:38:19 > 0:38:24opportunity we can become one as a country. Our South Korean citizens
0:38:24 > 0:38:30can see how North Koreans do, and think that they are not as bad.It
0:38:30 > 0:38:36was an
0:38:40 > 0:38:43it was a good chance and opportunity for both sides to have better
0:38:43 > 0:38:46relationships than before.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49On the face of it, this is North Korea's desire to be
0:38:49 > 0:38:51at the Olympics that is persuading it to talk.
0:38:51 > 0:38:57That may not be all though.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00This is excellent from Karishma Vaswani on the BBC
0:39:00 > 0:39:06News website on how sanctions are also making themselves felt.
0:39:06 > 0:39:14Here's more from Sophie Long in Seoul.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18So I think today we really saw that ferried difficult diplomatic lion
0:39:18 > 0:39:23that the South Korean president has to tread now. Yesterday it was all
0:39:23 > 0:39:25about inter-Korean relations, and he is trying to have all his government
0:39:25 > 0:39:30was trying to have a genuine dialogue with North Korea, and to
0:39:30 > 0:39:35really reopen Corporation. But at the same time he has to think on an
0:39:35 > 0:39:40international level. He was saying today these two processes are,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43entry, that the inter-Korean talks in hopes will be more of is all part
0:39:43 > 0:39:52of the move towards denuclearisation. He is also
0:39:52 > 0:39:56standing by his allies start he said at this that he would not ease any
0:39:56 > 0:40:02sanctions in any way that would undermine the international
0:40:02 > 0:40:08sanctions, the UN sanctions imposed at the end of last year.
0:40:08 > 0:40:18Head to the BBC news website for more on that.
0:40:23 > 0:40:33We talk about the problems in Venezuela frequently.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Its economy is in a perilous state - and this means people struggle
0:40:37 > 0:40:39to get the basics like bread or toilet roll being two examples.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Contraceptives is another one - there's a shortage -
0:40:42 > 0:40:44and that means some people are having to decide
0:40:44 > 0:40:45whether to have sex or not.
0:40:45 > 0:40:51This is the latest report from Katy Watson.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56Margaret's pharmacy is looking a bit empty these days. She hasn't had any
0:40:56 > 0:40:59deliveries of contraceptive pills for a year. Everyday people, looking
0:40:59 > 0:41:03for them, and every day she has to turn them away. They are having to
0:41:03 > 0:41:10adapt. TRANSLATION:It used to be just men buying condoms, but women
0:41:10 > 0:41:15are buying them now too, because there's nothing else, and the price
0:41:15 > 0:41:27of condom is has gone up 200%.This lady is living with the
0:41:27 > 0:41:30consequences, she is now expecting her third baby because she could not
0:41:30 > 0:41:37get contraceptives. TRANSLATION:My first reaction was to cry. At the
0:41:37 > 0:41:40moment getting contraceptive pills is really hard. There is nothing,
0:41:40 > 0:41:46and when you can get a hold of them, they cost so much. I am making plans
0:41:46 > 0:41:52to get sterilised, because the idea of having another baby: no way.It
0:41:52 > 0:41:56is a struggle, her older boy some fantastic without new clothes and
0:41:56 > 0:42:01shoes so she can pay for our medical appointments. When the price of food
0:42:01 > 0:42:04is spiralling and contraceptives cost 88 months salary, something has
0:42:04 > 0:42:09to go. That is not just contraceptives in short supply.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Doctors and mothers have told me that often women have to buy their
0:42:13 > 0:42:16medical supplies, like clubs and antibiotics, and hand them the
0:42:16 > 0:42:20doctor when they give birth. This doctor says of the births he
0:42:20 > 0:42:23attends, the vast majority are unplanned. He thinks the
0:42:23 > 0:42:31government's priorities are wrong. The government, instead of giving
0:42:31 > 0:42:38you as an adult sex education, give you anti-contraception pills, condom
0:42:38 > 0:42:41is, what is this government do with the populace? If you are pregnant, I
0:42:41 > 0:42:46give you house, I give you money, but that is only for the first year,
0:42:46 > 0:42:57maybe, and sometimes in food.Last year, this kill 1015 and had a big
0:42:57 > 0:43:01party marking her passage into womanhood. In two months' time there
0:43:01 > 0:43:05is another important date, the birth of her daughter. She is excited but
0:43:05 > 0:43:10apprehensive about the future. TRANSLATION:I'm scared. Once I give
0:43:10 > 0:43:14birth, and because it is hard to get contraceptives and condom is, I'm
0:43:14 > 0:43:20afraid that if I have sex I will get pregnant again.It's a reality that
0:43:20 > 0:43:24more and more women and girls are facing here in Venezuela, the choice
0:43:24 > 0:43:27to decide their future taken away from them at a time when so many
0:43:27 > 0:43:35future looked so bleak. Katy Watson, BBC News in Venezuela.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Financial services are pivotal to the "bespoke" Brexit trade
0:43:37 > 0:43:39deal that the UK wants.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40That's why these two men, Chancellor Philip Hammond
0:43:40 > 0:43:43and Brexit Secretary David Davis have travelled to Berlin to persuade
0:43:43 > 0:43:46- for the time being, remember, the German government isn't yet
0:43:46 > 0:43:48fully in place, CAROUSEL German leader Angela Merkel
0:43:48 > 0:43:49fully in place, German leader Angela Merkel
0:43:49 > 0:43:53to give her support to a trade deal between the UK and the EU
0:43:53 > 0:44:03which includes financial services.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07Angela Merkel is desperately trying to create a new coalition
0:44:07 > 0:44:09government, after her disappointing was out in September's German
0:44:09 > 0:44:11election. That is not resolved yet.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15For the view from Westminster, Ben Wright.
0:44:15 > 0:44:20Just before Christmas, there were high fives around Westminster among
0:44:20 > 0:44:25government ministers when the broad terms of the divorce bill between
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Britain and the EU was agreed, including the financial settlement
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Britain had the papers. But that was just the first app, the first hurdle
0:44:32 > 0:44:35that have to be cleared. What we are seeing now is the beginning of the
0:44:35 > 0:44:39second phase of Brexit negotiations, and it's all about the future
0:44:39 > 0:44:42relationship between the EU and the UK, in particular the trade
0:44:42 > 0:44:46relationship. So we are seeing two key ministers, the Chancellor and
0:44:46 > 0:44:49the Brexit secretary, who were on different sides during the
0:44:49 > 0:44:55referendum, showing a united front on this charm offensive in Germany,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57putting a chummy arm around German businesses, saying even though
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Britain is leading the singles market and -- the single market and
0:45:00 > 0:45:04the customs union there can still be a really close, good trade deal
0:45:04 > 0:45:08between the EU and the UK that works in the interest of both sides. The
0:45:08 > 0:45:12UK is asking for a bespoke deal that incorporates goods and services. The
0:45:12 > 0:45:16U:K.'s very worried about the future of the City of London. That is the
0:45:16 > 0:45:26case they are making in Germany. For their part, the EU has said for
0:45:26 > 0:45:29months that they will not countenance a bespoke deal with the
0:45:29 > 0:45:32UK, that the UK can't carry pick the best bits of the single market it
0:45:32 > 0:45:34once, and that there can be no special arrangements of the City of
0:45:34 > 0:45:37London. They go into the talks fairly far apart, and while the UK
0:45:37 > 0:45:40is in Germany, the EU throughout this process has so far shown it is
0:45:40 > 0:45:44very solid as a negotiating block.
0:45:44 > 0:45:50Before their trip the pair wrote an article in the German
0:45:50 > 0:46:00newspaper Frankfurter Allegmeine saying...
0:46:10 > 0:46:12For the German perspective - here's the German-British
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Chamber of Commerce.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18I think they are trying to get the best deal for Britain. Whether they
0:46:18 > 0:46:22will succeed remains to be seen because from the German government
0:46:22 > 0:46:26point of view and the European Union point of view, yes and original
0:46:26 > 0:46:29deals might help individual businesses, but the Germany and the
0:46:29 > 0:46:32EU it is also important single market stays intact, and therefore
0:46:32 > 0:46:36it will be difficult to negotiate bespoke deals. As we recall just a
0:46:36 > 0:46:39few months ago, everyone was talking about no deal is better than a bad
0:46:39 > 0:46:42deal and other want to do individual deals and that will be difficult,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45but they will try to convince the German politicians and also the
0:46:45 > 0:46:50business world that that might be an option. Of course Britain wants to
0:46:50 > 0:46:56sell financial services very easily to the rest of the EU, but if it
0:46:56 > 0:46:59doesn't want to stick to the rule book it will be difficult for the
0:46:59 > 0:47:01others to accept such kind a model. If we start unpick the European
0:47:01 > 0:47:04market and I think the whole market is in danger and I will probably be
0:47:04 > 0:47:07more expensive for the EU, and therefore I think the EU is less
0:47:07 > 0:47:12willing to come from as with Britain on that front.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Thousands of people who've been stranded in the Alps
0:47:14 > 0:47:16are now seeing some relief.
0:47:16 > 0:47:17Trains are moving again, helicopters are ferrying people
0:47:17 > 0:47:20out if they need it, but others are making
0:47:20 > 0:47:22the best of the situation.
0:47:22 > 0:47:32Imogen Foulkes reports.
0:47:47 > 0:47:54For those who are in a huge hurry, the helicopters are waiting. Some
0:47:54 > 0:47:58tourists, though, seem quite happy exactly where they are. TRANSLATION:
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Since we have arrived yesterday morning, and we are leaving
0:48:02 > 0:48:07Saturday, we don't feel blocked at all.But for communities across the
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Alps, the heavy snow continues to cause problems. Some villagers are
0:48:10 > 0:48:16still cut off. Others are without power. The biggest worry of all is
0:48:16 > 0:48:21over avalanches. Tonnes and tonnes of snow has fallen, and the weather
0:48:21 > 0:48:27is warmer than normal. It means the snow is loose, wet and heavy. More
0:48:27 > 0:48:32likely to slip down the mountain. Winter sports fans are being warned
0:48:32 > 0:48:38to stay only on slopes and parts marked clearly as safe. Meanwhile,
0:48:38 > 0:48:42the Alpine authorities are working round the clock to clear the snow.
0:48:42 > 0:48:48Their window of opportunity may be short. More snow is forecast for
0:48:48 > 0:48:56Thursday.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Earlier in the newsroom, BBC environment correspondent
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Navin Singh Khadka called me - he wanted to show me some pictures
0:49:01 > 0:49:03he'd be sent of glaciers in the Himalayas that are melting.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06This involves vast amounts of water - and new research has found this
0:49:06 > 0:49:09water is being held in hundreds of icy ponds above the surface -
0:49:10 > 0:49:11and in rivers below it.
0:49:11 > 0:49:17What happens then matters because MAP the Himalayas cover
0:49:17 > 0:49:21a wide area including India and China - and water
0:49:21 > 0:49:27is a precious commodity.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29This study was conducted at the Khumbu glacier in Nepal -
0:49:29 > 0:49:33right next to Mount Everest.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34And the ponds themselves are huge -
0:49:34 > 0:49:36several times bigger than an Olympic swimming pools.
0:49:36 > 0:49:46Navin Singh Khadka.
0:49:54 > 0:50:00So where is the place film of water in the Himalayan region going? That
0:50:00 > 0:50:09has been a puzzle for scientists. As a result, this report has found that
0:50:09 > 0:50:15on these debut covered place years, hundreds of icy ponds have been
0:50:15 > 0:50:20formed, and they are holding back the water, and also releasing it,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23regulating it basically. So what scientists are saying is these icy
0:50:23 > 0:50:29ponds will be holding more and more water back, because they will become
0:50:29 > 0:50:33bigger, more void, which means the future water security, these icy
0:50:33 > 0:50:39ponds will hold the key. They saying is although the study is on one
0:50:39 > 0:50:44particular glacier, this is a story that resonates the entire Himalayan
0:50:44 > 0:50:51region, China, no power, Afghanistan -- Nepal. Scientists are saying if
0:50:51 > 0:50:54there are closely is that our deep recovered in the or Andes or
0:50:54 > 0:50:58Rockies, similar situations will happen in the wake of climate
0:50:58 > 0:51:01change, the rising global temperature that is causing
0:51:01 > 0:51:07accelerated Lisa Hill notes. And it is not just about water, when more
0:51:07 > 0:51:10water gets accumulated, it also could mean disaster is impending,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13flash floods and so on.
0:51:13 > 0:51:20We will finish the programme now by looking at the British Army.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22The British Army has defended a new recruitment campaign
0:51:22 > 0:51:24which focuses on the emotional and physical support
0:51:24 > 0:51:25it gives to soldiers.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27The Army wants to reassure applicants that their sexuality
0:51:27 > 0:51:37or religion will not stand in the way of becoming a soldier.
0:51:38 > 0:51:44Mark Urban is a correspondent for BBC Newsnight.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Mark, along with Jonathan Beale, are two of the BBC's journalists
0:51:53 > 0:51:56who know this story best.
0:51:56 > 0:52:06This is Jonathan's report.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14It is all right to cry and show emotion in the army -
0:52:14 > 0:52:15it is a recruitment campaign very different
0:52:16 > 0:52:17to those of the past.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18Part of what is called "Army belonging".
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Voiced by soldiers to say there is emotional as well as
0:52:21 > 0:52:22physical support for new recruits.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25The adverts answer questions such as, "Can I be gay
0:52:25 > 0:52:26and join the army?"
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Whilst a Muslim soldier explains how he can
0:52:28 > 0:52:31still practice his faith.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33All aimed at groups not seen as the traditional target audience,
0:52:33 > 0:52:40but minorities who may have been reluctant to sign up.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Our traditional cohort would have been
0:52:43 > 0:52:46white, male, Caucasian, 16 to 25-year-olds and there are not
0:52:46 > 0:52:51as many of those around as there once were.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Our society is changing and so it is appropriate
0:52:53 > 0:52:56for us to reach out to a broader base.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58The Army has been struggling to recruit, made all the more
0:52:58 > 0:53:01difficult by a lack of a major campaign like Afghanistan or Iraq.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04War is often the best recruiting sergeant.
0:53:04 > 0:53:10It is also competing in an era of relatively high employment.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13The regular strength of the Army should be 82,000.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17But it is currently just over 77,000 strong.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21A shortfall of more than 4,000.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24But some former soldiers question whether the Army is trying to be too
0:53:24 > 0:53:26politically correct with these adverts.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28They are aiming their recruiting campaign at specific
0:53:28 > 0:53:32minorities and they should be aiming at more broadly at the kind of
0:53:32 > 0:53:34people who will want to join the army,
0:53:34 > 0:53:36the people who are looking for a fight, looking for
0:53:36 > 0:53:39action and adventure.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41This older advertisement is what people might expect from
0:53:41 > 0:53:42the Army.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45A recent plan to drop its "Be The Best" motto
0:53:45 > 0:53:47because it was seen as elitist, was blocked by the
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Defence Secretary.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53It is still an organisation whose job is to be
0:53:53 > 0:53:56ready for combat.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59But the head of the army says it must broaden its
0:53:59 > 0:54:07appeal and reflect modern Britain.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Just quickly before we finish, remember yesterday we were talking
0:54:10 > 0:54:14about the Japanese astronaut who is currently on the International Space
0:54:14 > 0:54:19Station? He announced he had grown nine centimetres in his three weeks
0:54:19 > 0:54:23up in space. Now he has told us that in fact he got that wrong, and in
0:54:23 > 0:54:29fact he has grown two centimetres in his three weeks in space. That is
0:54:29 > 0:54:33average for astronauts in zero gravity. They do grow, just not
0:54:33 > 0:54:38quite as much as this man told us. He says there was a measurement
0:54:38 > 0:54:41error, which is one way of putting it. Given that these astronauts have
0:54:41 > 0:54:45to carry out lots of experiments, we are hoping his attention to detail
0:54:45 > 0:54:48is back on track pretty soon. Apologies forgetting that wrong but
0:54:48 > 0:54:52we took him at his word that he had grown and he had not quite as much
0:54:52 > 0:55:00as he said. See you tomorrow.