13/01/2017 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today, broadcasting in the UK

The headlines: Donald Trump hits out again at the intelligence community,

The US Congress is briefed on the report into Russia's Jack King of

the US election. -- hacking. Donald Trump hits out again

at the intelligence community, blaming them for releasing

allegations linking him with Russia. A baby girl stolen 18 years ago from

a hospital in Florida has been found, alive. Dying from the cold:

the UN warns that refugees and migrants struggling to survive in

Europe's wintry weather. -- are struggling.

Intelligence agencies have briefed the US House of Representatives

about their investigation into Russia's alleged

campaign to influence the US presidential election.

Also today, the president-elect has sent out another barrage

of early morning tweets, accusing his opponents of making up

He's promised a report into hacking within 90 days,

as our North America correspondent Nick Bryant reports.

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 acts, 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's always been a city

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

The House of Representatives has voted to start the process of

repealing Obama care. 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. Our correspondent Laura Bicker

explained more about Republicans say people have lack of

choice now, and they believe it is Government overreach. They

campaigned, and Donald Trump made it a key pledge, to replace it and

repeal it. Repealing it might be the easy part, but replacing it is far

more tricky. And that is because parts 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 that they otherwise would not get. So there is a worry that if

they pull that rug away, what will be left? So now we have even a few

Republicans who are voicing their concerns. But 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.

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

She told me health authorities will be deeply concerned about the case.

Some of the details are not known, as is always the case, her name and

personal details have not been released. What is known is that she

was a woman who was in her 70s, resident in Reno, Nevada or that

area, but had been spending quite a bit of time in India in the two

years prior to her death. She had an accident of some sort, and broke her

femur in the right leg, which is the big bone in your thigh. After that

she developed a bone infection in that bone, and also in her hip, and

over the next couple of years she was in and out of hospital a lot in

India. As recently as last June, as a matter of fact. That is kind of a

risk factor because India has quite a high rate of some of these

superbugs that we've been hearing a lot about lately. Then she went to

the United States, she was cared for in a hospital in Reno, Nevada, and

was quite sick, and they try to cure her and could not.

What does that mean, and how worrying is it?

Well, people have been warning for quite a while that we are running

out of antibiotics essentially, that the bacteria are evolving faster

than we can produce new drugs. Health officials have been worried

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

though is because it sort of translates what seems sometimes like

a theoretical risk into reality. I mean, this is happening. It doesn't

happen daily, at least not in developed countries, but it is

happening and it is going to continue to happen, and at

escalating rates. Is there any concern that, you know,

the bacteria could have transferred from that woman in the US hospital

treatment centres that she was being cared for's sure, that would

obviously always be a concern. The hospital seems to have got very

quickly that she had a multidrug resistant bacteria, and they are

slipped her, and health care team that worked on her used what are

called contact precautions, they were wearing gowns and gloves, and

they 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 a hospital near her, so far there is no evidence of the bug's

spreading, but experts are saying it is only a matter of time before we

see more of these bugs in our hospitals.

A newborn girl stolen 18 years ago from a hospital in the US state

of Florida has been found alive in South Carolina.

Kamiyah Mobley's biological family was notified of the news after DNA

A woman has been arrested in connection with the abduction.

In the interest of reducing any further trial to this young woman, I

am not revealing her name. Please remember this young woman was

abducted as a newborn, and she will need time and assistance to process

all of this, and we are respecting her privacy and I ask her to do the

same. She had an inclination, beginning a couple of months ago

probably, that she may have been involved in this in some way, so we

were able to deliver that to her today. And again, she is taking it

as well as you could imagine but she has a lot to process. She has a lot

to think about is you can imagine. Peter Bowes is in

Los Angeles for us. Peter, do we know how the police

tracked this woman down? No, we don't. That is the key piece of

information that we don't have yet, but it is an extraordinary series of

events, that we are learning about, going back to 1998, July of that

year, when this then Ed-year-old -- eight hour old baby was stolen from

a hospital. A woman apparently posed as a nurse, and she said that the

child had to be taken away for some treatment because she had a fever.

She was taken out of the ward away from her mother and never seen

since. There was a huge search at the time, there was extensive media

coverage here in the United States, there was a quarter of $1 million

award for any information leading to what has now happened, and that is a

tip off that she was apparently living with a woman in South

Carolina. The woman itself, who's now grown up

of course, is not being named as we have there. Very understandably.

That's right, she has been known today by her original name, the one

that she was given by her family, but we have no other details, and as

we've just heard from the police officer there, she has a lot to take

in, this woman, realising that her identity was completely different,

apparently something has happened, whether it's the tip of or some

other information, that made her a little suspicious over the last few

months, and then presumably agreed to the DNA test. And the test has

just come back and it has confirmed her true identity. As far as we can

gather there has been no reunion yet with her family, and that the

police, because she is now an adult, say it is now off to her in terms of

the circumstances precisely when that happens. How come the police

are still working on this? Obviously it was a long time ago. It was, but

it was an unsolved case and this is a case of a mother and a family not

giving up hope. Over the years some 2000 plus Leeds, tips, were sent

into the police and they were investigated, and over the years the

tapes were different, and up until as loosely as a couple of years ago

police were looking into new information. So this wasn't a cold

case, this was still a case that was being actively investigated. Peter,

we will wait to find out more. Thanks very much for now. French

authorities have launched an investigation into car-maker Renault

over allegations they attempted to cheat at this -- emission tests. The

companies share price dipped 4% as a result. Earlier this week Volkswagen

agree to pay fines for cheating similar test. Pressure is mounting

on the Gambia's president to speak down. He lost the December election

but has refused to relinquish power. The delegation of West African

leaders has arrived to try to resolve the issue before next week's

inauguration ceremony. -- Labour's former Education Secretary Tristram

Hunt is standing down as an MP, but says his differences with Jeremy

Corbyn are in the past. He is the second Labour MP to resign

in recent weeks. Stay with us here. Much more ahead. All the sport,

including the latest on Diego Costa, who has been left out of the Chelsea

squad for this year -- this weekend's match after a dispute over

his fitness. The industry is nervous of this

report, this may tend to make people want to stop smoking cigarettes.

There is not a street that is unaffected. Huge parts were simply

demolished as buildings crashed into one another. This woman said she had

been given no help and no advice by the authorities. She stood outside

the ruins of her business. Tens of thousands of black children in South

Africa have taken advantage of laws passed by the country's new

multiracial Government, and enrolled at formerly white schools.

Tonight sees the 9610th performance of the mousetrap. The management

considered whether to cancel tonight's performance, but Agatha

Christie would have been the last person to want such a thing.

This is BBC World News Today. The latest headlines:

Donald Trump has once again hit out at the intelligence community,

blaming them for releasing allegations linking him with Russia.

A woman has died in the US from an infection which ripped -- resisted

all available antibiotics. Disease control experts have told -- called

it and "Nightmare back bacteria." -- nightmare bacteria.

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

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

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

Our correspondent Sian Grzeszczyk reports.

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 that 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 1,000 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

Hugh Ferris has all the sport for us.

It's the latest drama with Diego Costa, who's been left out of the

Chelsea squad for the match at Leicester on Saturday, after a

dispute with the club's coaching staff. He's got 14 goals so far this

season, and he is thought to have been the subject of a lucrative

offer from a Chinese club. It seems as though, after a period of

relative calm in Diego Costa's combustible career, that the start

of this week he started to have disagreements with a particular

member of the Chelsea coaching staff, and that has escalated to a

point where his manager has decided to leave him basically out of the

squad, didn't travel to Leicester, he's not going to play at Leicester.

The key point is, what is behind the issues? And some people are

suggesting that big offers, big, big offers that cost -- Costa seems to

be at the centre of, which are coming from China, where other

players have gone, they might be at the bottom of Diego Costa's anger at

the moment. Birds a different dispute

threatening to overshadow the beginning of the Africa cup of

Nations. The DDR Congo squad boycotted the training session on

Friday before their opening match of the tournament. They -- the players

explained the boycott is over bonus payments. They are saying this has

been happened from -- happening for years and years, and that they

always prepare well but in the end there is always a problem with

bonuses. They are Congo play Morocco on Monday, the tournament starts on

Saturday, the 31st Africa cup of Nations is being hosted in Gabon.

Every two years, Africa's top 16 national sides battle it up to

become the continent's top team. This year, the battle ground is

Gabon. Five years after this small oil-rich Central African country

last hosted the tournament, football is back on the fans are excited. But

preparations have been slow. Just a few days ago this was the state of

the entrance into the stadium. It will host group C matches and at

least 1/4-final. The slow pace of work has not dampened the spirits of

the people, led by President Ali Bongo. As in tournaments past, once

the action starts, most of the problems tend to be forgotten.

Defending champions Ivory coast are still one of the favourites to win

the term and, despite being without their once talismanic captain Yaya

Toure, who announced his retirement last year. They are in group C

alongside Congo, Morocco and Togo. Gabon may not boast the most

talented squad, but you discount Africa's most prolific striker at

the moment that your own peril. They are in group A, alongside 2013

finalists Burkina Faso, four time winners Cameron and newcomers

Guinea-Bissau. Senegal post the continent's most expensive player;

they are in group B alongside Algeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Ghana

are always in the running to win, despite not having lifted the trophy

since 1982. A different country has won the last four nations cups.

Gabon is known as the land of the storytellers, but whose legend will

be the tail to be told by the end of this tournament? -- the story to be

told. Always very exciting, that's all the sport for now. Here in the

UK, police in Great Yarmouth and Norfolk say -- and Norfolk say

thousands of people are refusing to leave their homes, despite advice to

evacuate because of severe -- the threat of severe flooding. Snow and

strong winds have continued to hit much of the UK, and the Environment

Agency have now issued 17 warnings of danger to life. Ben Brown is in

Great Yarmouth, were issued -- huge storm surge is about to reach its

peak. It looks pretty wet, then. Yes, actually it seems that it's not

quite as bad as some people had feared this -- this storm surge. You

can they possibly just behind be the water; it is not yet up to the level

of the coastal defences here, so it looks like Great Yarmouth might get

away with it, and further up the eastern coast of England it is the

same story, whether high tide has already hit -- where the tide has

already hit, it doesn't seem to have been as bad as the warnings would

have had people believe. But further down the coast, the high tide will

be later on and they are bracing themselves for perhaps more damage.

It has come over in some places like Scarborough, the water has come over

a little bit, but not too concerning. 17 severe flood warnings

were issued by the Environment Agency. That means a risk to life,

and then more flood warnings as well involving people being asked to take

immediate action. There have been 5000 homes that the authorities have

been trying to evacuate here in Great Yarmouth, the military and

police have been going round trying to get people to leave their homes,

but say about 50% to 60% have been saying no, they don't want to leave

their homes, or if they do, they don't want to go to the event --

official centres, they want to stay with friends and family. A lot of

people have been staying at their homes, putting sandbags around their

homes, maybe moving upstairs, taking carpets and mats and their pets

upstairs in case the waters come in. But at the moment it looks like good

news for a Great Yarmouth, the waters don't seem to be coming into

the town. The daughters of former president

George W Bush have written an open letter to Sasha and Malia Obama

as they prepare to leave In the letter, Jenna Bush-Hager

and Barbara Bush offered advice to Obama sisters in their "next

chapter" - her are some excerpts: "You have lived

through the unbelievable pressure You have listened to harsh criticism

of your parents by people who had Now you are about to join

another rarified club, We stay in touch with

our Secret Service. There for first dates,

first days and even You can read the full

letter on our website, A secondary school in the US has

apologised after it used the topic of child sexual assault in a maths

assignment. The Pennsylvania high school based the question around the

life of the poet Maya Angelou, asking students to work out who

abused her when she was just eight years old. Parents complained that

the subject matter was not appropriate for young teenagers.

Let's move to space. Two astronauts from the International space centre

have been on a spacewalk. They have been upgrading the space station's

Power system with new batteries; it took a lot of hours, during that

time there was no food, no toilet break and apparently their space

suits became increasingly stiff in the vacuum of space. But it seems to

have gone well. Thankfully. Well, I am back on Sunday night. That's it

from me, we are keeping you up-to-date of course throughout the

rest of the day. Goodbye. There will be a comparative look at

the weather here in the UK before the top of the hour, but right now

whether to take a look at some weather stories from elsewhere

around the world. In the United States we got some relatively warm

and moist air coming in from