:00:00. > :00:07.I'm Mike Embley. Our top stories:
:00:08. > :00:09.A city on high alert - New Year festivities
:00:10. > :00:17.in Brussels are cancelled because of fears of a terror attack.
:00:18. > :00:24.Last you, there were 100,000 people gathered, and under these
:00:25. > :00:35.circumstances we have no guarantee of checking every single person who
:00:36. > :00:38.comes to the event -- last year. Life sentences for the couple who
:00:39. > :00:39.were planning a terror attack in London.
:00:40. > :00:42.NASA warns that the current El Nino weather phenomenon could be
:00:43. > :00:45.as bad as the one in 1998 - the strongest on record.
:00:46. > :00:47.And the American comedian Bill Cosby appears in court
:00:48. > :01:01.Brussels has cancelled the city's New Year fireworks and festivities
:01:02. > :01:08.The Belgian capital has been on high alert since the arrest
:01:09. > :01:10.on Tuesday of two suspected members of the militant group
:01:11. > :01:14.Islamic State, and last month's terror attacks in Paris.
:01:15. > :01:17.Last year's New Year display in Brussels drew a crowd
:01:18. > :01:22.And in the Turkish capital, Ankara, police have detained two men
:01:23. > :01:24.suspected of planning a suicide bomb attack targeting revellers.
:01:25. > :01:41.Steps to reassure people and increase security. Troops on the
:01:42. > :01:43.streets of Brussels, and now the authorities have cancelled the main
:01:44. > :01:48.public fireworks display and celebrations. Bowden is on high
:01:49. > :01:52.alert amid fears of a possible terror attack. -- Belgium.
:01:53. > :01:58.TRANSLATION: It is the mass gathering aspect of it, an enormous
:01:59. > :02:02.number of people. Last year, there were 100,000 people gathered, and
:02:03. > :02:07.under these circumstances we have no guarantee of checking every single
:02:08. > :02:11.person who comes to the event. It is after two people were arrested
:02:12. > :02:14.earlier this week suspected of planning and attack during the New
:02:15. > :02:19.Year celebrations in the capital. On Wednesday, police arrested a man
:02:20. > :02:25.suspected of involvement in the Paris attacks in November. And the
:02:26. > :02:30.shadow of those still looms large in the French capital. There is a
:02:31. > :02:35.strong security presence here as well. Tourists may still be coming,
:02:36. > :02:40.but cautiously. Obviously New Year's Eve will be different for this city.
:02:41. > :02:44.I don't think we will be heading out into the main attractions, just
:02:45. > :02:48.because of the things that have happened. Each additional gathering
:02:49. > :02:57.will go ahead, but there will be no fireworks. Instead, a short light
:02:58. > :03:00.display at the Arctic Triomphe. TRANSLATION: Everything is being
:03:01. > :03:03.done for the celebrations to go well, but we have to be vigilant.
:03:04. > :03:07.The threads are still there and there are still risks. -- threats.
:03:08. > :03:13.There was evidence of that in Turkey, what appeared to be
:03:14. > :03:16.explosive devices seized in Ankara. Two suspected Islamic State
:03:17. > :03:21.militants were arrested, believed to be planning a attack during
:03:22. > :03:29.festivities in the capital. Spain is on high alert. Numbers allowed to
:03:30. > :03:33.attend salvation is image read would be limited, and bag searches carried
:03:34. > :03:38.out. -- celebrations in Madrid will be limited. People are aware of the
:03:39. > :03:40.heightened terror alert at determined not to let it stop their
:03:41. > :03:43.celebrations. A married couple in Britain have
:03:44. > :03:46.been given life sentences for Mohammed Rehman will spend at
:03:47. > :03:50.least 27 years in jail. His wife, Sana Ahmed Khan, was given
:03:51. > :03:53.a minimum term of 25 years. Rehman used social media to discuss
:03:54. > :03:55.targeting the London Underground and a major shopping centre,
:03:56. > :03:58.using the name "Silent Bomber". The judge said that Mohammed Rehman
:03:59. > :04:04.and Sana Ahmed Khan were so dangerous, they might never
:04:05. > :04:08.be released from prison. He said they had even
:04:09. > :04:12.tested their explosive devices trace of the explosives
:04:13. > :04:20.in his garden here. It is still where his family lives
:04:21. > :04:23.and from where his father runs a taxi business.
:04:24. > :04:25.Rehman was testing these explosives right in the heart of this
:04:26. > :04:31.residential area of Reading. This man has known the family for 20
:04:32. > :04:34.years and says no-one knew Mohammed Rehman had
:04:35. > :04:40.been radicalised. He got so caught up
:04:41. > :04:43.in this world and he was thinking to do or might have done
:04:44. > :04:52.is terrible, really terrible. The judge said they bought these
:04:53. > :04:57.explosives online and they had never intended to travel to Syria or Iran
:04:58. > :05:00.to fight, want their faces shown and told me
:05:01. > :05:08.they believe their son was somebody must have put him
:05:09. > :05:21.on the wrong track. In a letter to the judge,
:05:22. > :05:24.Sana Ahmed Khan said she did not know what the man she married
:05:25. > :05:27.in secret was up to. But the judge said that they were
:05:28. > :05:30.both Islamic radicals intent The US space agency NASA has warned
:05:31. > :05:38.that the effects of the current El Nino weather phenomenon could be
:05:39. > :05:42.as bad as those of 1998 - Here's Peter Gibbs from the BBC's
:05:43. > :05:54.weather centre. These scenes of widespread flooding
:05:55. > :05:59.across Missouri are more reminiscent of the spring months rather than
:06:00. > :06:04.winter. In fact, they are the result of spring like warmth across this
:06:05. > :06:08.part of the USA. It is fuelling exceptional rainfall amounts.
:06:09. > :06:12.Missouri had its wettest November on record, most twice the normal
:06:13. > :06:16.average rainfall. That has been followed by an exceptionally wet
:06:17. > :06:19.December. All of that water running down the river systems. There are
:06:20. > :06:24.concerns about water levels on the Mississippi as a result. But news in
:06:25. > :06:29.terms of weather over the next few days. High-pressure building in to
:06:30. > :06:32.settle things down, but those automobiles will remain high.
:06:33. > :06:39.Meanwhile, owning your own is being blamed for the exceptional rainfall
:06:40. > :06:44.across southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and now. This is only the
:06:45. > :06:48.early part of the rainy season, which extends during January and
:06:49. > :06:53.February, and it is a well-known fact that during a strong El Nino
:06:54. > :06:56.such as the one we have at the moment, that tends to enhance
:06:57. > :07:02.rainfall across this part of the world. They could be more problems
:07:03. > :07:05.to come in the months ahead. Meanwhile, El Nino potentially to
:07:06. > :07:10.blame for the storms slamming UK bringing extensive flooding as a
:07:11. > :07:13.result. The latest storm Frank so powerful with its hurricane force
:07:14. > :07:19.winds moving across Iceland and pushing warm air on the way up to
:07:20. > :07:24.the Arctic. In fact, at the North Pole, temperatures getting slightly
:07:25. > :07:27.above freezing as the warm air pushing northwards. It should
:07:28. > :07:29.normally be -25 at this time of year.
:07:30. > :07:32.So as Peter was saying, there have been powerful floods in
:07:33. > :07:35.In Paraguay, rising waters have forced thousands
:07:36. > :07:40.A state of emergency has been declared in seven regions to try
:07:41. > :07:43.In Bolivia, tornadoes and mudslides have caused extensive
:07:44. > :07:49.In the United States, flooding is also causing major problems.
:07:50. > :07:52.At least 14 people have been killed in the state of Missouri,
:07:53. > :07:59.With the latest, here's Janey Mitchell.
:08:00. > :08:08.Eureka Missouri where the rental industry has taken lives, in golf
:08:09. > :08:13.communities, and submerged vital transport links. It follows what
:08:14. > :08:16.meteorologists describe as the wettest December in history. There
:08:17. > :08:20.are warnings several major rivers including the Mississippi may rise
:08:21. > :08:29.another two metres before picking on Friday. It means automotives
:08:30. > :08:38.downstream, so we are concentrating on those areas we expect to see a
:08:39. > :08:43.continual rise over the next 18 hours and all the way to tonight.
:08:44. > :08:47.The heavily populated Saint-Denis area is now under threat with a
:08:48. > :08:54.state of emergency declared in Louisiana as the waters move south.
:08:55. > :08:58.Dozens have been evacuated and people want to stay out of the fast
:08:59. > :09:03.moving water. Many of the victims died as they tried to escape in
:09:04. > :09:07.their vehicles. Volunteers are bracing to place sandbags on their
:09:08. > :09:11.views before the rising water overtakes them. The flooding follows
:09:12. > :09:15.a week of monster storms and tornadoes in the US caused by the El
:09:16. > :09:22.Nino weather pattern. This is in takes us. -- takes
:09:23. > :09:24.Nino weather pattern. This is in takes us. -- Forecasters are warning
:09:25. > :09:27.that the destructive weather system may not done yet.
:09:28. > :09:29.Hundreds of people have been evacuated
:09:30. > :09:32.from their homes and thousands are without power, after Storm Frank
:09:33. > :09:36.brought heavy rains, strong winds and more flooding to the UK.
:09:37. > :09:39.Scotland bore the brunt of the third storm to hit Britain
:09:40. > :09:42.this month, but Northern Ireland and parts of northern England have
:09:43. > :09:45.Our Scotland correspondent Kevin Keane spent the day in
:09:46. > :10:01.But some still needed a last minute lift to dry land any way.
:10:02. > :10:04.It floods here a lot, but rarely like this,
:10:05. > :10:08.with up to 120 millimetres of rain forecast over 24 hours.
:10:09. > :10:11.At the marina, the quayside vanished from sight.
:10:12. > :10:20.In terms of intensity, it is much bigger.
:10:21. > :10:23.It is an impressive sight that people have come down here to see,
:10:24. > :10:26.but if you are one of the businesses on the opposite side
:10:27. > :10:29.of the river there, then you will not be impressed one
:10:30. > :10:36.Earlier, property owners did what they could but with
:10:37. > :10:45.Trying to get everything off the ground, as high as you can.
:10:46. > :10:54.By mid afternoon the flood was lapping at dozens of businesses.
:10:55. > :10:58.A saving grace is few residential properties have been affected,
:10:59. > :11:05.Some of the businesses will suffer badly.
:11:06. > :11:09.to get going again. There will be a clean up exercise.
:11:10. > :11:12.We will get together to clean the place back up.
:11:13. > :11:15.Further afield, and Newton Stewart in south-west Scotland was the first
:11:16. > :11:21.People tried to salvage what they could.
:11:22. > :11:24.In Ayrshire police said ten passengers were airlifted
:11:25. > :11:36.Who would have foreseen this end to a routine shopping trip?
:11:37. > :11:40.The driver seemed to think it was OK to go through the flood,
:11:41. > :11:47.and it was like big waves - you could see the current.
:11:48. > :11:56.left a trail of destruction, forcing hundreds to leave
:11:57. > :12:07.the speed with which the water rose was a surprise, even to those
:12:08. > :12:15.I am Peebles born and bred, and I have never seen it
:12:16. > :12:18.Tonight, the floodwaters are still high.
:12:19. > :12:28.Only tomorrow's daylight will truly reveal what damage has been caused.
:12:29. > :12:31.Stay with us on BBC News. Still to come:
:12:32. > :12:33.Rescue teams in China make contact with eight miners
:12:34. > :12:38.found alive after being trapped underground for five days.
:12:39. > :12:45.We'll have the latest on efforts to free them.
:12:46. > :12:47.The most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted
:12:48. > :12:52.has got underway with the introduction of the euro.
:12:53. > :12:55.Tomorrow, in Holland, we're gonna use money we picked up in Belgium
:12:56. > :12:58.today, then we'll be in France, and again it'll be the same money.
:12:59. > :13:11.George Harrison, the former Beatle, is recovering in hospital
:13:12. > :13:14.after being stabbed in his Oxfordshire home.
:13:15. > :13:17.A 33-year-old man from Liverpool is being interviewed by police
:13:18. > :13:58.New Year festivities in Brussels are cancelled after two
:13:59. > :14:01.people suspected of plotting an attack there are arrested.
:14:02. > :14:04.Life sentences for the British couple who were planning a terror
:14:05. > :14:11.attack in London to mark the tenth anniversary of the 7-7 bombings.
:14:12. > :14:14.One of the world's best known entertainers has appeared in court
:14:15. > :14:17.The American comedian Bill Cosby is accused of drugging
:14:18. > :14:21.and then sexually abusing a woman at his home near Philadelphia in 2004.
:14:22. > :14:23.After months of accusations, it's the first time he's been
:14:24. > :14:26.His lawyers insist the charge is unjustified
:14:27. > :14:30.He's been freed on bail of a million dollars.
:14:31. > :14:36.Our Washington correspondent, Laura Bicker, reports.
:14:37. > :14:40.He was once the most watched man on television.
:14:41. > :14:43.For decades, the funny family entertainer,
:14:44. > :14:49.Now he must face the cameras once again, to hear details of
:14:50. > :14:56.They involve Andrea Constand, who has waived her right to anonymity.
:14:57. > :15:00.She said she went to his house for career advice.
:15:01. > :15:03.Mr Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her,
:15:04. > :15:09.and to drink wine, the effect of which rendered her unable to
:15:10. > :15:18.move or respond to his advances, and his committed aggravated
:15:19. > :15:29.There had been allegations and rumours for years,
:15:30. > :15:34.Charges today are based on a deposition from a civil case
:15:35. > :15:37.where Bill Cosby admits giving women drugs before a sexual encounter.
:15:38. > :15:43.But nearly 60 women have come forward.
:15:44. > :15:45.Many high profile models, entertainers and actors.
:15:46. > :15:53.His behaviour was like that of a predator.
:15:54. > :15:55.I woke up in the back of my car, alone.
:15:56. > :16:01.My clothes were a mess, my bra was undone.
:16:02. > :16:03.Legally, many of his accusers have run out
:16:04. > :16:10.For many of my 29 clients who allege they are victims of Bill Cosby,
:16:11. > :16:12.seeing him criminally charged and having to face a trial,
:16:13. > :16:19.is the best Christmas present that they have ever received.
:16:20. > :16:23.He has always denied the allegations and is free on $1 million bail.
:16:24. > :16:26.If convicted, this once global star could face the
:16:27. > :16:35.Professor Anthea Butler, from the University of Pennsylvania,
:16:36. > :16:39.She told Alice Baxter more about these particular accusations and why
:16:40. > :16:55.First of all, the accusations were bought because of the transcript
:16:56. > :16:59.that Kmart when he had had their position in one of the cases. This
:17:00. > :17:04.was many years back, and it outlined the things that Bill Cosby said he
:17:05. > :17:08.did, but Andrea was paid out, and the other women in the suit did not
:17:09. > :17:16.get any funds whatsoever. Since then, because of all the uproar, and
:17:17. > :17:20.the poignant cover on the New Yorker magazine that happened, I think this
:17:21. > :17:24.has put it in the public eye, and the rerelease of the transcript of
:17:25. > :17:28.his statements before the trial made it impossible for people to ignore.
:17:29. > :17:35.And it is a different time, also, I think. Just remind me as to how big
:17:36. > :17:44.a figure Bill Cosby years in America. Especially as our moral
:17:45. > :17:50.figure, if you like. He is iconic in the US, his show was watched by
:17:51. > :17:53.millions of people. He was a father figure to many African-Americans,
:17:54. > :18:03.and because of the philanthropy and things he did, the issues about
:18:04. > :18:07.respectability that he talked about, you need to pull your pants
:18:08. > :18:12.up, stop having babies, get an education... He became a large
:18:13. > :18:16.figure because of the messages he put out as well. Therefore, these
:18:17. > :18:27.allegations have been very difficult for him. . How has his own family
:18:28. > :18:31.reacted? It is interesting, because his wife tried to besmirch the
:18:32. > :18:40.stories a few years ago of the women who were accusing him. She has been
:18:41. > :18:44.a staunch supporter of his, involved in a lot of black university in
:18:45. > :18:47.America. For the family it must be very embarrassing, because before
:18:48. > :18:53.the Obama is, they were the first black family. This is what has
:18:54. > :18:57.really troubled a lot of people, and for many it is difficult to think of
:18:58. > :19:08.Bill Cosby with these alleged charges against him. Of course, and
:19:09. > :19:13.could this be the start of legal proceedings? You think we will see
:19:14. > :19:16.other accusations? I think so, he has recently sued a few of the women
:19:17. > :19:23.who accused him, and I think that will take an interesting term. That
:19:24. > :19:26.was two weeks ago. Yes, and I think now we will see more women come out
:19:27. > :19:30.of woodwork. I think whatever happens in the case, his public
:19:31. > :19:36.reputation is destroyed. That is something you can't get back, even
:19:37. > :19:38.sometimes when you are pronounced not guilty it is difficult to get
:19:39. > :19:44.that reputation back in the public eye. And he is an older man, so even
:19:45. > :19:48.the mugshot we saw today shows how much this has taken a toll on him.
:19:49. > :19:52.How much do you think Bill Cosby has handled himself throughout this
:19:53. > :19:56.entire proceedings? If I had to put it in one word, it would be
:19:57. > :20:02.arrogant. What he has done is basically said, I haven't done this,
:20:03. > :20:10.which he has the right to do. But also he has had this high and mighty
:20:11. > :20:13.position against others who have had transgressions. To watch in this
:20:14. > :20:19.position is very terrible in a certain sense, but in another sense
:20:20. > :20:22.you might say that he has reaped what he sowed.
:20:23. > :20:25.In China, eight miners have been found alive after being trapped
:20:26. > :20:29.Rescue teams in Shandong province have not yet
:20:30. > :20:32.been able to free the miners but they have got supplies to them.
:20:33. > :20:34.From Beijing, Stephen Evans has the story.
:20:35. > :20:43.Rescue workers board a series of holes down into the ground where
:20:44. > :20:46.they think miners are trapped. A total of 17 miners were caught
:20:47. > :20:50.behind a massive rockfall, which was so severe that it was detected at
:20:51. > :20:55.China's earthquake monitoring centre. After five days of
:20:56. > :21:05.relentless effort, infrared cameras detected signs of life. Boreholes
:21:06. > :21:12.were made and contact established. Please be calm and wait patiently.
:21:13. > :21:26.We are sending food soon. What are you saying? Everybody, be quiet.
:21:27. > :21:32.What do you need? OK, minor's lights. We will send lights and food
:21:33. > :21:42.right now. Wait a second, please drink some nutrition liquid first.
:21:43. > :21:48.OK, we got it. It emerged that at least eight are still alive. Food
:21:49. > :21:51.and lights have been sent down, but conditions on the ground are
:21:52. > :21:55.treacherous. Rescuers are having to retreat in the face of further
:21:56. > :21:58.rockfalls, and sudden in rushes of water. The authorities are keen to
:21:59. > :22:03.be seen to be doing everything possible. There is sensitivity about
:22:04. > :22:09.the safety record of China's heavy industry. Chinese TV is playing
:22:10. > :22:13.pictures of officials at the scene, directing operations. Parallel to
:22:14. > :22:19.the rescue, a criminal investigation is under way to see if negligence
:22:20. > :22:24.caused the emergency underground. Over the weekend, the mine owner
:22:25. > :22:29.jumped down a shaft to his death. Police said it was suicide.
:22:30. > :22:32.At least one person has been killed and two others injured after
:22:33. > :22:35.a huge wave slammed into a drilling rig off the west coast of Norway.
:22:36. > :22:38.Around 50 workers had to be evacuated from the platform
:22:39. > :22:41.after the wave damaged the area where they eat and sleep.
:22:42. > :22:44.The rig, which had been based in the Troll gas field, was making
:22:45. > :22:50.At least 20 passengers have been injured on a flight from China
:22:51. > :22:55.The Air Canada flight from Shanghai to Toronto was forced to make
:22:56. > :22:58.332 passengers and 19 crew were onboard.
:22:59. > :23:06.Some of those hurt have been taken to hospital for treatment.
:23:07. > :23:09.Vast numbers of migrants and refugees have made their way across
:23:10. > :23:12.the Mediterranean to Europe in 2015, most fleeing the conflict in Syria.
:23:13. > :23:14.This huge migration has roused compassion, horror,
:23:15. > :23:17.and much debate about how best to resettle so many people.
:23:18. > :23:20.Today is the last day in office for Antonio Guterres, after 10 years as
:23:21. > :23:23.He's seen the world's refugee population rise
:23:24. > :23:29.He spoke to the BBC World Service about Europe's response.
:23:30. > :23:35.For the first time in meaningful numbers refugees and other migrants
:23:36. > :23:40.came to Europe, and Europe was totally unprepared for that. But not
:23:41. > :23:43.only it was unprepared then, it is still unprepared today, and it was
:23:44. > :23:48.unable to get its act together and the conditions in Europe did not
:23:49. > :23:52.allow for a European response. So the refugees came to the developed
:23:53. > :23:57.world and that came an issue in the public opinion and in politics, and
:23:58. > :24:00.that is probably the only positive thing about this tragedy. For the
:24:01. > :24:04.first time, political leaders all over the world took it seriously.
:24:05. > :24:08.The point is that we do not yet have an adequate response to that, so it
:24:09. > :24:13.is clear that this problem could have been managed, but to be managed
:24:14. > :24:17.it would be necessary to have all European countries assuming a common
:24:18. > :24:23.responsibility. First of all, doing their best to address the root
:24:24. > :24:28.causes, to contribute to the peace in Syria, but at the same time
:24:29. > :24:34.recognising that many who come, preparing the arrival with adequate
:24:35. > :24:44.conditions at every point, this will require a important investment. If
:24:45. > :24:48.that was the case, this crisis would have been perfectly managed. What we
:24:49. > :24:52.are seeing is that countries are trying to solve the problem by
:24:53. > :24:56.themselves, trying basically to avoid refugees to come into their
:24:57. > :24:59.borders and to go into the neighbours. Some countries that are
:25:00. > :25:05.trying to have a regime that is a bit worse than the neighbours'
:25:06. > :25:08.regime, to make sure that the refugees go into their neighbours
:25:09. > :25:12.instead of their own. 80% of the world's refugees in the global
:25:13. > :25:16.south, and it would be fair for the global North to also take on some
:25:17. > :25:26.responsibility, sharing this effort. I believe that now... In my opinion,
:25:27. > :25:27.by the Europe is able to put together a massive admission
:25:28. > :25:36.programme from neighbouring countries of Syria, in the months to
:25:37. > :25:39.come, to replace that tragedy in the Aegean and the chaotic movement in
:25:40. > :25:44.the Balkans. Or, if that is not put in place, with adequate negotiation
:25:45. > :25:48.with Turkey and Lebanon and Jordan, my interpretation is that the
:25:49. > :25:51.European asylum system is at serious risk of collapse.
:25:52. > :25:55.And you can get in touch with me and most of the team on Twitter,