01/07/2017 World News Today

Iraqi forces say they've taken control of the main

base of the so-called Islamic State in Mosul.

The remaining IS militants have been driven here but at what cost. This

hospital complex which was a place of healing now lies in ruins like

many other parts of Mosul. Scuffles in Hong Kong

as its newly appointed China warns against any

challenge to its sovereignty. World leaders pay tribute

to Helmut Kohl, uniter of Germany and architect

of the European Union's expansion. Helmut Kohl gave us the chance to be

involved in something bigger than ourselves, bigger than our terms of

office. Canada marks the 150th anniversary

of its confederation. Half a million people are due

to attend celebrations in Ottawa. And in Rugby Union, the Lions square

the series in New Zealand, ending the All Blacks eight year

winning streak at home. Hello and welcome

to World News Today. We begin in Mosul, where

after intense fighting, Iraqi forces say they've taken

control of the so-called The militants have also been driven

from a hospital compound, where several senior IS leaders

were thought to have been hiding. But fighting is continuing around

part of the Old City. Commanders say they are confident

a final victory is in sight. Our correspondent Orla Guerin

reports from Mosul. A symbol of victory,

planted this morning in what was the main base

of IS in Mosul. Troops weary after driving

the militants from this vast medical complex but vowing to hunt down

every last one of them. We will keep chasing them and those

who support them, says this man. Commanders say they have removed

a cancer here Our message is Daesh

is not only an Iraqi problem, says the colonel,

it is international. He was interrupted by a booby

trapped bomb, the militants may have gone from here but they left plenty

of threats behind. And plenty of wreckage in Iraq's

second largest city. This is what victory looks

like in Mosul after more The remaining IS militants have been

driven from here but at what cost? This hospital complex

which was a place of healing now lies in ruins, like many other

parts of Mosul. The city may be regaining

its freedom but there will be This territory has now been

reclaimed but not before Commanders admit that even

when it is, there's a real There have been scuffles

between pro-democracy demonstrators and police in Hong Kong just hours

after new Chief Executive It's 20 years since Britain handed

over Hong Kong to China. Activists have accused Beijing

of clamping down on free speech. But the visiting President Xi has

warned against any challenge Not the images China wanted for the

20th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover. Democracy activists trying

to gate-crash the party. Xi Jinping was safely inside, swearing in a new

government and delivering staring words about Hong Kong's future.

TRANSLATION: Any attempt to endanger china boss on sovereignty and

security challenging the power of central government is an act that

crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible. Tough Love

was the message throughout his tour of Hong Kong. Greetings, Comrade

scum he shouted. Hong Kong may be special but it must learn to love --

greetings, comrades, he shouted. Hong Kong may be special but it must

learn to love the motherland. No sooner had President Xi left, than

the streets filled with protesters, marking the anniversary of the

handover in their usual style. Shouting at China patriots to go

back to the mainland. Taiwan's flags among countless ways to defy 1-party

China. China controls the hard power in Hong Kong, but this illustrates

the problem it has with soft power. They did not come out to welcome

president Xi, they did not come out to celebrate 20 years since the

handover of Hong Kong. They are here on the street to demand democracy

and cherish their right to protest. 20 years since the handover, and

tacking between two Masters is getting harder all the time. The

Hong Kong public want more say in their lives, and so does Beijing.

Tonight is China show, but this city is profoundly uncertain about what

the next 20 years of Chinese rule might bring.

Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.

Ukraine says Russian security services were involved in the cyber

attack on the country earlier this week. The authorities in Kiev say

they believe the attacks to have been carried out by the same hackers

who targeted Ukraine late last year. The Kremlin dismissed the

allegations as an founded. Qatar has rejected the list of

demands by several Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia. But it says it is

ready to engage in dialogue under the right conditions. The Qatari

Foreign Minister spoke two days before an ultimatum set by those

countries runs out. Efforts involving Russia are continuing to

evolve the worst crisis in the Gulf for many years. Large numbers of

migrants arrive in Italy. Nearly 11,000 migrants arrived on Italian

shores in just five days last month. The EU commissioner said he

understood why the situation was untenable.

Helmut Kohl - the father of German reunification and the country's

longest serving Chancellor in modern time -

The service took place in Speyer Cathedral.

His coffin was then taken away by an honour guard

Earlier, world leaders, old and new, paid tribute at a ceremony

in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Helmut Kohl's Coffin brought into the parliament as world leaders came

to pay tribute. This was a man who could do what many thought was

impossible, making Germany one nation again but within Europe and

without awaking the dark memories of the past. In speeches, they pay

tribute to Helmut Kohl's achievement and his generous large personality.

Friends from the past but the former Spanish Prime Minister and Bill

Clinton who delivered a rhetorical toured a toured a force. Helmut Kohl

gave us the chance to be involved in something bigger than ourselves,

bigger than our terms of office, bigger than our fleeting careers,

because all of us sooner or later will be in a coffin like that. And

the only gift we can leave behind is a better future for our children,

and the freedom to make their own choices, including their own

mistakes. Angela Merkel, who had a note or is he difficult relationship

with Helmut Kohl in recent years, said all that was now forgotten and

Europe would be forever grateful for whatever predecessor had done.

TRANSLATION: Thank you to the opportunities and chances you gave

me, thank you for the chances you gave to many others as well. Thank

you very much for the chances that we as Germans and Europeans have

received. Thanks to you, you have achieved a huge amount, may you rest

in peace. Now it is up to us to actually preserve and guard your

legacy. I bow before you and your memory in gratitude and humility. It

has of course been a sad occasion. The presidents of Helmut Kohl's

without a reminder that this was the death of a man, not just a

politician. But it is more than that. This has in effect being the

European Union's first-ever state funeral, and if it has been

conducted with such a sense of ceremony, it is because Europe's new

leaders, especially Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel want to capture

and distilled something of the spirit of Helmut Kohl which worked

to such effect a quarter of a century ago. After the European fair

wells, the German. Helmut Kohl's body was transported to his hometown

where he was born and died, and then transferred by riverboat to the

Cathedral of Speyer, a thousand -year-old building which he loved

and which is said symbolised the essence of the European Union.

Stay with us on BBC World News, still to come...

As Canada celebrates its anniversary of independence -

we explore the connection with a popular British TV drama.

China marked its first day of rule in Hong Kong with spectacular

celebrations. The Prime Minister said it was a new era for Hong Kong.

The first clone has been produced of an adult mammal. Scientists in

Scotland have produced a sheep called Dolly which was cloned in

aiming laboratory. For the first time in 20 years,

Russian and American spacecraft docked in orbit in an era of in

space. Challenger powered past the Bishop

Rod lighthouse at almost 50 knots, shattering a record which had stood

for almost 54 years. There was no hiding the sheer elation of Richard

Branson and his crew. The latest headlines: Iraqi forces

say they've taken control of the main base of the so-called

Islamic State in Mosul. Thousands have been demonstrating

in Hong Kong, calling for greater democracy 20 years

after the territory's President Trump has attacked US

states refusing to hand over personal information -

to a commission he created More than 20 states have

declined the requests, saying they are unnecessary

and violated privacy. Let's go to Washington -

where we can join Laura Bicker. Laura, what do you think the

president will do next, given that these 20 states have refused to hand

over this information? His tweet kind of says, what are you doing?

What are you trying to hide by not giving us this information? But the

states that have been asked, more than 20 of them are refusing to

comply. Let's go back a bit. He set up this election integrity

commission back in May, because Donald Trump believes that millions

of voters committed fraud, during the presidential election. One of

the reasons he believes this is because it is said that Hillary

Clinton won the popular vote, he won the electoral college vote so that a

discounted state-by-state. He believes that there are millions of

votes which have been cast wrongly or there has been widespread voter

fraud. This commission was set up and on Wednesday, all states were

sent a letter asking them to give the birth date, the addresses, the

Social Security numbers and any felony is, Mr mean is that these

voters may have committed in the past, hand over all this information

within two weeks. Some of the states are simply refusing. They say that

it is unnecessary. California has sent its reply. This is a democratic

state. This would only serve to legitimise the false and already

debunked claims of mass voter fraud by the President. It is not just

democratic statehood rubbishing back. Mississippi for instance. The

Republican secretary of state says they have rejected it on privacy

grounds. They believe this information could be hacked by cyber

security hackers. They have said Mississippi residents should

celebrate Independence Day, it is a big holiday this weekend, and our

state's right to privacy. They say they can go jump in the gulf of

Mexico and Mississippi is a good place to jump from. Quite clear from

Mississippi there. What Donald Trump does now, we will have to wait and

see. It is an extraordinary row. What you think will happen next,

given that the states have refused to give this information. Why do you

think the president is so disgusted with this issue, given that he won

the election? His claims have no evidence to back up this claim that

there has been widespread voter fraud. There are some examples in

some states where 100 votes have been found to perhaps not contain

the name and address of voter. Part of the problem is registration of

voters, 200 million voters right across the United States. He

believes that some people who have died, have then stayed on the voter

registration lists, and then someone has gone and voted on their behalf.

One of the reasons he believes this is because of the popular vote,

Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote, and he believes there has been

widespread voter fraud and that many people did not vote for him, because

they were registered Republicans and they may have voted Democrat. He is

looking to see who voted when and where and how they voted in the

past. The idea is to trace perhaps any voter fraud they may find. But

as you have heard, so far, no evidence has been put forward to

back this up, and state say to give all this information into weeks,

over 20 states are saying they simply cannot do it. Laura Bicker

from Washington, thank very much. Celebrations are taking place across

Canada and hundreds and thousands are gathering in the capital to mark

the 150th anniversary of Confederation. But some indigenous

groups complain their treatment has been overlooked, something the Prime

Minister addressed in a TV statement ahead of the celebrations.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles, air to Queen Elizabeth who is Canada's head

of state, has just received the order of Canada, the country's

second-highest honour, to recognise service to the community.

Our correspondent Gavin Hewitt is there on a busy Parliament Hill

Tens of thousands of Canadians have gathered here on Parliament Hill in

Ottawa. But then this is an important moment, to celebrate 150

years of their identity, of their history, of their culture. There has

been torrential rain that it has not deterred people. They come in

ponchos. Some of them decorated with Maple Leafs. There is also a

question about whether indigenous Canadians will be celebrating this

last 150 years. Many of them have spoken of mistreatment, of broken

promises, and of some violence against them during that period.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went into a teepee for 40

minutes to try and reassure them that they too could enjoy

reconciliation in a modern culture which emphasised multilateralism and

diversity. It may come as a surprise that part

of Canada's Declaration of Independence was drafted -

not in North America - The venue - Highclere Castle,

where the British TV series The libraries of England's grand

houses harbour many secrets. But amongst the 8,000 books

at Highclere, better known to billions as Downton

Abbey, was a corker. At the bottom of this

page are three names, John Macdonald, GE

Cartier, and Galt. So I did a bit of research,

and within one second realised John A Macdonald became the first

Prime Minister of Canada, and led this delegation

hosted by the fourth earl. Over the year, they drafted

the British North America Act. Actually, quite a bit

of the constitution was written Perhaps they discussed it around

this dining room table, perhaps they stood by the saloon

fire on a cold, wintry day. With the government now modelled

on the British Parliament, modern Canada was born

on the 1 July 1867. I certainly was not aware of it,

and I don't think enough The setting is hugely important,

but it is also the important role I look forward to actually having

the chance to make sure that it Diaries, telegrams and letters

have been uncovered, adding real colour

to these negotiations. UK-based Canadians invited

to the castle were certainly moved. England is home to me,

even though we have lived It wasn't just the constitution

of Canada that was drafted The name of this new territory

was decided here, as well, although there were

other suggestions. Franklin was one, quickly

followed by Guefeleland, before Lord Canarvon had his way,

and Canada was chosen. For his work, the fourth Earl had a

town named after him in Canada but left a legacy for both countries.

The British and Irish Lions have produced one of their great

performances to level the series against New Zealand and set up

The Lions only clinched victory with a penalty

Our sports correspondent Katie Gornall was at the match.

Hope was beginning to fade but the Lions sprang into life. First

through Toby Faletau and then a converted Conor Murray try brought

the Lions level. With minutes remaining, Owen Farrell held his

nerve to kick the Lions to a famous victory, and one which keeps the

dream alive. I genuinely would only be happy if we got that Test series

win next week. I am glad that we've got one game, I guessed, regards

whatever happens, we will come back with some credibility and the Lions

moving forward, and keeping the reputation of that. I will only be

happy if there is a series win for us on the line.

I am extremely proud of our legs. We said they were a good side right

from the day they were selected -- I am extremely proud of our blokes.

There are good side. Congratulations to the Lions. They worked their way

back into the game and finally came back over the top of us in the last

five minutes to get in front. Congratulations to them. Now we have

got to go to Auckland and it is one each. We will all get excited that.

Geraint Thomas has become the first Welshman in history to wear

the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.

He won this year's first stage in Germany, a 14 kilometre

time trial through Dusseldorf, after completing it in an impressive

Thomas's Sky team mate and defending champion Chris Froome

came through the day unscathed, finishing in sixth overall.

Thomas is the first Welshman to wear the yellow jersey. And maize in, the

stuff of dreams. The tour is what got me into cycling. I remember

rushing home from school to watch it. To be the other side of the

camera and taking the jersey is incredible. It is my eighth grand

tour. To finally win the stage and then the jersey is a massive bonus.

Novak Djokovic has completed the ideal warm-up for Wimbledon

by winning his first title since January.

He beat Gael Monfils in straight sets at Eastbourne.

Djokovic accepted a wildcard to play on the South Coast after his early

It is always incredible winning on grass. This used to be the most

common surface. Now we only have a few weeks in the entire season

played on grass. This is the best possible build-up for me in

preparation for what is coming up next week, and hopefully I will be

able to take it from here. The world number three

Karolina Pliskova could be a good bet for the women's

title at Wimbledon. She had a walkover in her semi-final

after Johanna Konta's withdrawal through injury,

and she beat former World Number One

Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. Congratulations to her and that is

all the sport for now. James, thank you. A busy programme.

That is it from me and the team. Bye-bye for now.