13/01/2017 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Geeta Guru Murthy.

As congress is briefed on the US intelligence report

into Russian hacking, Donald Trump has hit out again

at the intelligence community, blaming them for releasing

The motion reconsidered is laid upon the table.

The US House of Representatives votes to begin the process

A woman dies in the US from an infection which resisted

Disease Control calls it a nightmare bacteria.

Dying from the cold - the UN warns that refugees

and migrants are struggling to survive in Europe's

And one for the money, two for the show.

How Elvis impersonators are reviving the fortunes of outback

Intelligence agencies are briefing the US House of Representatives

about their investigation into Russia's alleged

campaign to influence the US presidential election.

This comes after a storm of controversy over a leaked dossier

alleging that the Russians have compromising information

The president-elect has sent out another barrage

of early morning tweets, accusing his opponents

He's promised a report into allegations of Russian

hacking within 90 days, as our North America Correspondent,

There are storylines that could easily come from a Cold War

spy thriller and plot twists involving sex allegations

and potential Russian blackmail that even the TV series House Of Cards

But this is reality, not a show, and the first episode of Trump

the Presidency airs in just one week's time.

For now, Donald Trump mainly delivers his lines on Twitter.

It now turns out that the phoney allegations against me were put

together by my political opponents and a failed spy

Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives.

Probably released by intelligence even knowing there is no

My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days.

On Capitol Hill today, lawmakers received a behind closed

doors briefing on the unverified dossier and Russia's

alleged interference in the presidential election.

And many are left demanding more answers.

The American people are owed the truth and there is a great deal

of evidence to say this is an issue of high interest to the American

people, the strength, the integrity of our own democracy.

A senior US official confirming today there were frequent contacts

between Donald Trump's top national security adviser and Russia's

ambassador here in Washington and that those contacts took place

on the day that President Obama expelled dozens of Russian

officials in retaliation for the alleged hacking.

It again raises questions about the Trump team's

All this as Barack Obama performs his final act and one

of them took his deputy completely by surprise.

I am pleased to award our nation's highest civilian honour,

I can say I was part of the journey of a remarkable man who did

But Washington moves on, it has always been a city

And this time next week this capital, this country, will be under

President Obama hasn't yet vacated the hot seat, but how much

The US House of Representatives, where the Republican Party has

a majority, has voted to begin the process of repealing Mr Obama's

landmark Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare.

Live now to Washington, and the BBC's Laura Bicker.

Tell us why there is such strength of feeling about this and what

changes are we going to say no? You mentioned President Obama trying to

define his legacy in these final days, and his Republican opponents

are trying to dismantle a key part of it. The affordable health care

act or Obamacare is one of these defining legacies of President

Obama's time in office. He introduced an act which means that

insurers have two insure those even with pre-existing conditions.

Democrats say an extra 20 million people now have health insurance

thanks to that act but Republicans believe health costs are spiralling

out of control. They say people have lack of choice no and they believe

it is Government overreach. The campaigns, and Donald Trump they did

a key campaign pledge much to replace and repeal it. Repealing it

might be the easy part. That is underway. But replacing it is far

more tricky. That is because part of it are still popular, including that

mandate which means that people with pre-existing conditions have to have

health insurance, so they get health insurance which they otherwise would

not get. There is a worry if they pull that right away, what would be

left? No we have even a feud Republicans who are voicing their

concerns. Paul Ryan the House Speaker and the senior elected

Republican in the House has already said that they will find a way to

make a smooth transition, although we have yet to hear the details of

that. Can you briefly explain, because this has been the case with

Obamacare all the way through the legal process, still to the rest of

the world, they do not understand why it allows such strong antipathy

because for many people for example in the UK used to the NHS, it seems

exact a good idea? Part of the problem is Republicans say that

health and shouldn't costs have risen. Because health insurers have

two insure those with pre-existing conditions, or those who would not

get injured and is otherwise. That means that they have to spread the

cost site. For some people insurance premiums have gone up. That is why

it has been such a contentious issue. Part of the problem is, how

do you go about ensuring those who do not have health insurers, who

either cannot afford it, or who do not have health insurance through

their employers, get their health coverage they need, without, making

sure that others paying for it, the costs go up? That is the problem for

both Democrats and Republicans. There is a call now even from

committees who have so far been conservative, they have been calling

on both Republicans and Democrats to come together to find a solution to

that problem. A woman has died in the US

with an untreatable infection that could resist

all available antibiotics. The case occurred last year

and details have just been released in a report by the US Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. She was infected with

Klebsiella pneumoniae - which normally lives in the gut

without causing disease. Helen Branswell is a senior writer

on Infectious Diseases for Stat News What do we know about this woman and

why this particular bag has resisted all attempts to clamp down on it?

Some of the details are not known. -- particular bug has resisted all

attempts? So this is a woman who spent a long

time in India, two years. She broke her leg, an infection got

into the bone at the point of the fracture, spread throughout

the bone and got Over two years she was treated

in Indian hospitals. They were unable to clear

the infection properly. She went to the United States. They

tried to cure her and could not. What does this mean and how worrying

is that? People have been warning for quite a while that we are

running out of antibiotics, that the bacteria are evolving faster than we

can produce new drugs. Health officials have been worried about it

a lot. The reason I was keen to write about this story is because it

translates what seems like a theoretical risk into reality. This

is happening. It does not happen daily. At least not in developed

countries. But it is happening and that is going to continue to happen

at escalating rates. Is there any concern that the bug, the bacteria,

could have transferred from that woman in the US hospital treatment

centres that she was being cared for? That would obviously always be

a concern. The hospital seems to have caught fairly quickly that she

had a multi-drug-resistant bacteria and the isolated her and the health

care team that worked on her use what are called contact precautions.

They were wearing gowns and gloves and had to obviously washed their

hands going out of her room. They have tested the health care workers,

they have tested people who were in parts of the hospital near her. So

far there is no evidence that the bug has spread but experts are

saying it is only a matter of time before we see more of these bugs in

our hospitals. More than 65 people have died

as a result of icy storms Snow and strong winds

have hit much of the UK. Severe flood warnings are now

in place on the eastern coast of England, with

thousands of homes at risk. In Scotland, heavy snowfall

has caused 19 schools In France, power cuts have affected

more than 237,000 homes as a storm swept across Normandy

and regions north of Paris. And in Germany, wind and snow

forced the airline Lufthansa to cancel 125 flights

at Frankfurt Airport. Well, the sudden cold snap

is severely affecting The United Nations Refugee Agency

is urging governments to do more. The UNHCR said several

migrants had died from cold and exhaustion in Bulgaria,

and it called on Greece to move migrants from poor conditions

on islands to better facilities Desperate to get out

of the bitterly cold waters, these are just some of the 800

migrants and refugees that were rescued from

the Mediterranean Sea yesterday. The Italian coastguard helped them

out of the six rubber boats Freezing temperatures in Europe over

the last week have caused the UN to call on governments to do more

to help migrants. In Greece, the situation was so bad

that this ship was sent to Lesbos at the request

of the Greek Prime Minister to house migrants, amidst health warnings

that condition at the main camp Hundreds of others in Lesbos

are being transferred to hotels. I am afraid but I don't

know where I go. At the European Parliament

in Brussels, a warning about how prepared the EU is for a further

increase in numbers. We are making a call

for Europe to prepare It may not happen,

but we need to be prepared. We are very concerned

in a number of situations, Europe does not seem to have a plan

A or plan B. Conditions are also tough at this

migrant camp in Serbia. More than 1000 men from Afghanistan

and Pakistan are relying on one meal a day from volunteers,

and having to wash outside Concern is growing that more

migrants will die, trying to survive Well, in Serbia temperatures

have dropped to a low as -15 degrees Celsius

in the past few weeks. It's also where thousands

of migrants, mostly men from Afghanistan and Pakistan,

are staying in abandoned warehouses. The migrants are mainly

in the capital Belgrade, hoping to get into the EU

via Croatia or Hungary. Many have tried to cross,

but have been sent back. We can speak now to Reuters

journalist, Aleksandar Vasovic, What have you seen? Can you talk us

through the situation there? The situation has slightly improved. It

is a bit warmer. The problem is note that wind has started to blow. There

is sort of a storm outside. I went to see migrants about two hours ago.

There are still about 1200 people in these warehouses which are

practically in the centre of Belgrade near the main bus station.

They are still in appalling conditions. They have no

electricity. They have very little running water. Apart from some

heaters provided by humanitarians they have practically no heating.

They are burning scrap wood they have found. They are receiving food

from humanitarians everyday. The problem is that it might not be

enough for everyone. The Serbian authorities are trying to convince

them, at least some of them, to move to permanent or properly maintained

Government maintained refugee camps. Many of them are refusing because

they are trying, some of them, two, three, four times per week, to get

either to the Hungarian or Croatian border and then continue their

journey to Europe. If they were to go to the Government camps what

would happen to them there? If they are in a Government camp they are

registered. They sign a paper which States their desire to seek asylum

in Serbia. The asylum procedure can last for quite some time. Some of

them could be at a later point in the future deported to their country

of origin. That is a possibility. But many of them simply do not want

to do it. Nearly all of them I have met so far are saying they are in

Serbia only temporarily, it is just one stop in their journey. The

problem is the camps are overcrowded. Is your sense from

talking to them that they are a mixture of economic migrants and

genuinely fleeing refugees? Or is it difficult to tell? That is also a

problem. It is difficult to tell, particularly know. Last year, and in

2015, it was fairly clear, there were people fleeing from Syria,

Iraq, Afghanistan, areas affected infighting by the Taliban. Now it

appears, people are coming from where there is no Taliban at all, or

there are people from Pakistan or Bangladesh. Some are chewy refugees,

others are economic migrants. -- some are genuinely refugees.

Iraqi forces have come up against heavy resistance

after launching an attack to recapture Mosul University

Elite troops entered the compound on Friday,

trying to secure the area, in the last major IS

There are also reports that Iraqi forces have reached

In the street surrounding Mosul University, Iraqi forces gather.

This, the latest target in the push to take back the city.

So-called Islamic State, or Daesh fighters, had

And it's claimed they tried to produce chemical weapons

After heavy fighting, Iraqi troops say they have

taken control of several of the University's buildings.

TRANSLATION: The area we entered was a technical

We were able to overcome the obstacles prepared

by the terrorists, and we controlled the college and the dorm areas.

We also brought down the large Daesh flag in the university.

This flag was known to be the highest one erected

Government forces have been trying to capture Mosul -

the last major IS stronghold in Iraq - since October.

Initially, progress was slow in the face of tough defence.

But since the campaign was relaunched two weeks ago,

they've made swift progress on the eastern side of the city,

Special forces are also claiming another tactical victory having

They have now taken the east side of two of the five main bridges that

across the Tigris River that runs through the city, dividing Mosul

They aim to take full control of its east bank before they can

launch attacks on the West, which Islamic State still fully

controls as the battle for Mosul continues.

French authorities have launched an investigation into car maker

Renault over allegations they tried to cheat emissions tests with some

The company's share price dipped 4% in morning

It's the latest trouble involving a major car manufacturer and diesel

On Wednesday, German car maker Volkswagen agreed to pay

$4.3 billion in fines after admitting it installed

emissions cheating software in 11 million diesel vehicles.

On Thursday the US Environmental Protection Agency accused

Fiat-Chrysler of violating pollution restrictions in some

It did raise the question who knew about it at Volkswagen. Obviously if

Volkswagen is struggling, with emissions as in this particular case

the US environment protection agency, is it possible that other

car makers are struggling with the same thing? In a way it is no

surprise. Two slightly different issues.

For those of us driving cars, one minute you are told to buy diesel,

one minute petrol. We cannot keep changing our cars. What are we

supposed to do? The first answer is to highlight

what Volkswagen in the end are saying, it is not possible to

deliver what the customer wants in terms of performance and deliver

emissions so customers have been cheated here because they were told

this story that was not true. In the case of Fiat they were told when the

car was driving the condensation caused by keeping the emissions all

was causing damage to the engine so they allowed emissions to go up. We

have two as customers understand that technically this is very

difficult to do so we have got to make a choice between the

performance we expect out of a car realistically, and what it is doing

to the environment. More and more, customers are conscious of the

environment, because these gases, these makers of side gases, are part

of the climate problem. So we have to recognise that and we know that a

big city like London, many people have problems with their lungs.

They are unlikely saviours, but Elvis Presley, ABBA

and Bob Marley are helping to revive the fortunes of small

Their enduring music, fashion and legend have spawned

festivals that are reversing the demoralising effects of drought

The most glittering takes place this week in Parkes,

a farming community 350km west of Sydney, from where

# A little less conversation, a little more action #

Elvis never travelled to Australia, but 40 years after his death

his appeal here remains as magnetic as ever.

The annual festival in the farming town of Parkes,

350 kilometres west of Sydney, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

More than 20,000 Elvis fans, many in jumpsuits,

a galaxy of sequins, and jet black wigs are pouring in.

A lucky few arrived on the Elvis Express from Sydney -

surely Australia's most boisterous and colourful rail journey.

The five-day party generates about $10 million for Parkes,

The local economy just goes through the roof

People come from far and wide and across the world to come to this

prestigious Elvis celebration, I suppose.

The festival was born out of economic necessity.

Back in the early 1990s, Midsummer trade in Parkes was sluggish.

But founders Bob and Anne Steel had a plan -

to host an event at their Graceland restaurant to celebrate Elvis

Although some locals did take a bit of persuading.

Wh're a country place, we have agricultural shows.

We have flower shows and all this sort of stuff.

And that's all very good, but that doesn't draw the people.

There's also a legion of buskers that brings Parkes to life.

For a few short days, performers and fans get to turn back

the clock and remember the King of Rock and roll in the heat

A secondary school in the United States has apologised after its use

the topic of child sexual assault in a maths assignment. Parents

complained the subject matter was not appropriate for young teenager.

Let us go into space no free to astronauts have been on a spacewalk.

They have been upgrading the space station with two batteries. During

that time there was no food and beer spacesuits became stiff in the

vacuum of space which apparently is tough on the body. But they managed

to complete it. Intelligence agencies are briefing

the US House of Representatives about their investigation

into Russia's alleged campaign to influence the

US presidential election. President Obama will announce his

final press conference on wed in state next week, just two days

before resident elect Trump takes office. We will have coverage on the

BBC. Goodbye. We are still watching the Eastern

coast and the possibility of coastal flooding because of that storm surge

moving southwards. There are flood warnings still in