09/07/2017 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today, I'm Karin Giannone in London.

Iraq's Prime Minister says Mosul has been liberated from the group

The victory brings to an end nine months of fighting -

and nearly three years of occupation by the militants.

the territory up there is still under IS control, just a small

parcel of land. Families are making their way through in any way that

they can. Also ahead - tens of thousands

of people gather in Istanbul after a protest march

against Turkey's government. Just back from the G20 summit -

and President Trump says he'd like to set up a joint cyber

security unit - with Russia. Hello and welcome

to World News Today. Iraq's Prime Minister says

Mosul has been liberated from the Islamic State group,

bringing the near nine-month battle The Iraqi military was made

to fight for every street. Haider al-Abadi has been seen

walking through Mosul's streets, congratulating

the troops alongside him. He was expected to make a speech,

formally declaring victory, A few hours ago, Mr Al-Abadi took

to twitter to deliver the news. Iraqi security forces have been

celebrating on the streets of Mosul. It's three years since the group

calling itself Islamic State seized control of Iraq's

second largest city. It still holds territory

to the west and south of Mosul. These images from the old city show

the scale of the destruction. Earlier there were reports

of continuing clashes, the so-called Islamic State group

still holds territory to the west Our correspondent Jonathan Beale

reports from the front line. What was once a beautiful old city

is now mostly rubble. Every building deeply scarred,

or destroyed by months of war. We joined the Search and Rescue

teams looking for survivors, but more often they're

just recovering bodies. With the heat, there's also

the strong smell of decay. This man is hoping against hope

that his brother and his Their house was hit in an air strike

just a few weeks ago. It was being used by

Islamic State fighters. He says he spoke to his brother

on this phone, while he was trapped All they find here

is decaying corpses. It's a similar story

everywhere they go. While that was happening,

the Iraqi Prime Minister was en route to Mosul to declare

the liberation of the city. He arrived draped with an Iraqi flag

and surrounded by troops, who spent the last nine months

trying to wrestle the city from IS Even this morning, there

was still the sound of gunfire. The children so used it

they don't even flinch. This territory just up

there still under IS control, Families are making their way

through any way they can, to safety. And as you can see,

they are pretty desperate. It's hard to celebrate freedom

from IS when you've just been These families said they had

little food or water. They have left behind

loved ones under rubble. Many will carry the scars of this

battle for the rest of their lives. These children have been prisoners

of IS for much of their short lives. Now, after three years,

Iraq's Prime Minister has But for these families,

it's come at a huge price. Over 900,000 people have been

displaced from Mosul since 2014. Many of them depend

on the help provided by local Melany Markham from the Norwegian

Refugee Council told me how dire The city has been under siege for

months. Years, in some areas. The report is that we are getting are of

almost total devastation. In Western Mosul. 90% of the population have

returned to East Mosul, it is quite a different story there. In west

Mosul, entire buildings have been flattened, and for us, going back in

there and providing humanitarian assistance, it is incredibly

difficult. Not only are the small pockets of violence which continue

to exist but there are unexploded mines and bombs which we have two

navigate in helping those who are still there. What are the biggest

challenges? You described a situation which is more complicated

than just providing aid? There are a number of camps to

provide support, there is one home to 50,000 people. When people are in

a camp like that, sometimes it is easier to provide them with aid, as

they stay in one place but most of the people who fled recently are in

eastern Mosul. They are dispersed throughout the city and their needs

are very different. We have been distributing cash, we've been

tracking in water. We are trying to prepare schools there. But, when

they are dispersed throughout the city in this way, this can be very

difficult to reach people with what they need. You mentioned that you

were tracking in water, what has happened to the Mosul water supply?

-- truck in. It had been almost completely knocked out, people were

relying on local wells. The water quality in those wells was not

guaranteed. So we have been bringing in clean drinking water. What we are

also working on is rehabilitating the water plant which will supply

water to around 100,000 people. But, that has really become a matter of

urgency as temperatures in Iraq top 45 degrees now. So the demand for

clean water, especially for people to quench their thirst, is going up

and we are racing against time and the threat of disease, which will

increase as temperatures rise. And those people who have left their

homes, how much do they want to return? Given the news that we have

heard that Mosul has been recaptured by the Iraqi army, is there a sense

of hope that they can do this? There is incredible resilience of Iraq is

to try and return to their homes and rebuild, that is why we have seen in

eastern Mosul already but you cannot go back to a pile of rubble, you

cannot go back to a place that has no water. Where you cannot earn a

living because the city has been flattened. So, it is really

difficult to work with people who have lost everything. And, to have

almost lost hope as well. A huge anti-government protest,

said to be the biggest in years, has been taking place in the Turkish

city of Istanbul. Demonstrators voiced their anger

at President Erdogan, after a year which has seen

thousands of arrests and mass sackings of civil servants,

judges and journalists in the wake It's hard to speak

out in Turkey now. An unprecedented act of defiance

against President Erdogan, hundreds of thousands streaming

into Istanbul and the Some, walking the 280

miles from Ankara. If you belong to the government

or state, you're treated well. But if you are thinking

differently, asking for some benefit, some rights,

then you are treated as terrorists. Recep Tayyip Erdogan

is a very tough leader. He doesn't like us,

he doesn't like modern people. It began when an opposition MP

was jailed, but grew fast. Tens of thousands, marching

in the heat, headed by the sprightly They are fighting repression -

50,000 people arrested He arrived to cheers of "rights,

law, justice", and he vowed to fight TRANSLATION: We will rise

up against injustice, I call on all of us

to live together. This has shaken President Erdogan,

who slammed the march He has huge support in half

the country, but the spirit The more secular, liberal side

of Turkey has found its voice Anti-Erdogan feeling and demand

for the rule of law, The question now is whether they can

sustain this momentum and challenge the Erdogan government at the next

election in 2019. The Justice March has drawn

support here and abroad, But channelling this energy

into a credible political movement Let's take a look at some

of the other stories Opposition demonstrators

across Venezuela have taken part in marches to mark 100 days

since the current wave of protests against the government

of Nicolas Maduro began. The protests come a day

after the release of one of the country's main opposition

leaders, Leopoldo Lopez. He was moved to house arrest

after spending more than three years Officials in the Canadian province

of British Columbia say they may have to call in the military to help

fight forest fires which have forced more than 7000

people from their homes. More than 180 wildfires are burning

- most of them started The province has declared its first

state of emergency in 14 years. One of the most famous landscapes in

England, the Lake District, has been declared a world Heritage site by

UNESCO. The lakes will now enjoy the same protection as the Grand Canyon

and Great Barrier Reef. The region becomes Britain's 31st world

Heritage site. The G20 may have only recently

ended, but developments after the talks between the Donald Trump

and Vladimir Putin keep coming. The US President has taken

to Twitter, saying he's discussed forming a cyber security

unit WITH Russia. But his plans to work more

constructively with President Putin have faced backlash

from fellow Republicans. He posted that he and Mr Putin had

discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit,

so that election hacking amongst other negative things,

will be prevented. David Willis is in Washington

with the latest. In a tweet, Donald Trump said that

he and Vladimir Putin had discussed forming what he called a cyber

Security unit. To prevent such things as election hacking. Now,

Russia is of course widely thought to have attempted to influence the

outcome of the presidential election here last year, hence the suggestion

of a cyber security unit, and an agreement to form it with Russia,

has been met with criticism here, even by members of Donald Trump's

own party. Two hours and 15 minutes of meetings, Rex Tillerson and

Donald Trump are ready to forgive and forget when it comes to cyber

attacks on the American election 2016, nobody is saying Mr President

that the Russians changed the outcome, you won fair and square,

but they did try and attack our election system, they were

successful in many ways, and the more you do this, the more people

are suspicious about you and Russia. Now Vladimir Putin denied during his

meeting with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 having anything

to do with attempts to meddle in the outcome of the US presidential

election, and the Russians say that Donald Trump accepted that

assertion, but nonetheless, the President's willingness to draw a

line under the whole affair and move on has raised eyebrows here in the

United States, not least because of the myriad of enquiries that are

still under way into the whole affair, and the feeling on the part

of many lawmakers here that Russia is simply not to be trusted.

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

More on the partial ceasefire in south-western Syria, backed by the

US and Russia, but will it hold? Central London has been rocked by a

series of terror attacks. Police say there have been many casualties and

there is growing spectre nation Al-Qaeda was responsible. Germany

will be the hosts of the 2006 football World Cup, they pipped

favourites South Africa by a single vote. In South Africa, the

possibility of losing hadn't been contemplated, celebration parties

were cancelled. The man entered the palace through the downstairs window

and made his way to her private bedroom. He asked her for a

cigarette and on the pretext of some being brought, she summoned a foot

man on duty, who took the man away. One child, one teacher, one book,

and one pen, can change the world. Education is the only solution.

You are watching BBC World News Today. The main stories...

Iraq's Prime Minister says Mosul has been liberated

from the Islamic State group, bringing an end to almost nine

Kamran Bokhari is an expert on counter-extremism.

I asked him what he made of the Iraqi declaration

The Iraqi government has to do this. It has been at it for about eight or

nine months. It is expected that the Iraqi government will play this up,

and indeed, it's a major achievement. But, we are just

beginning to roll back Isis. It does not mean the end of Isis, this is

the easy part, relatively speaking. The harder part comes next, which is

to be able to hold the city and undo the conditions which allowed Isis to

grow. What do you rate the prospects of that happening as? I am not

holding my breath, I'm not very optimistic because we have a very

polarised ethnic and sectarian reality on the ground. The Kurds are

encroaching on what the Sunnis see as their territory from the north.

We have a Shi'ite force in control of Mosul, which is a Sunni city,

this does not bode well for future security and stability.

A partial ceasefire has come into effect in south-west Syria.

The deal is the result of weeks of talks between the United States,

The ceasefire is believed to cover the regions of Deraa,

So far this fresh attempt for peace has held, despite several ceasefires

in the past crumbling since the start of

Our correspondent Sophie Long is in Beirut.

Well, so far, this truce does appear to be holding. There have been no

reports of any air strikes or clashes in the areas concerned since

the deal took effect at midday local time. But there are plenty of

reasons to be sceptical. There have been several ceasefires announced in

the past, none of which upheld. The deal was brokered by the United

States, Russia and Jordan, and announced at the end of the G20

summit on Friday. The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said this

was the first indication the United States and Russia can work together

in Syria. The timing of the deal is also significant. It comes on the

even of fresh peace talks that are due to start in Geneva. Expectations

for what will be the seventh round of UN sponsored talks are low, but

it is hoped that if the ceasefire holds, it will at least create a

conducive atmosphere as those talks get underway.

The US secretary of state has made a brief visit to Ukraine.

Rex Tillerson is the first senior member of the Trump

administration to visit Ukraine, which feels vulnerable to any

improvement in relations between the US and Russia.

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko,

Mr Tillerson said Russia must take the first steps to

de-escalate the conflict in the east of the country.

I've been very clear in my discussions with Russian

leadership on more than one occasion, that it is necessary

for Russia to take the first steps to de-escalate the situation

in the east part of Ukraine, in particular by respecting

the ceasefire by pulling back the heavy weapons and allowing

the OSCE observers to carry out their responsibilities.

This is necessary for us to make any movement in particular.

The parents of Charlie Gard - the 11-month old British baby

with a fatal genetic disorder - handed a petition to

Great Ormond Children's Street hospital in London today

asking for him to be allowed to travel to the United States

More than a quarter of a million people signed the petition ,

a Court will consider the case again tomorrow after new evidence

Charlie's parents told the BBC how challenging it was for them.

This could happen to anyone, we are two normal, everyday people. We are

not strong people, but what is strong is our love for our little

boy. He's kept us going throughout this. If he's lying there, in pain

and suffering, we would not be here now. We are there 24 hours a day.

People say I could not sit there and watched my child suffer, while

neither could we. No. A ceremony has been held to remember

the 843 men who lost their lives when HMS Vanguard sank off Orkney

in July 1917. It was one of the worst naval

tragedies of the First World War. To mark the centenary,

a team of divers has been given special permission

to document the wreck. Our Scotland Correspondent,

Lorna Gordon has more. In the cold northern

waters of Scapa Flow, the final resting place of HMS

Vanguard, a dreadnought The bow and stern almost

entirely intact after 100 This the first group of civilian

divers to be given permission to document the wreck

since it was designated a war grave. I think the loss of life was never

very far away from my mind That said, we had a job to do,

and an obligation to do that job So you got on with the work but,

yes, parts of the wreck NEWSREEL: Ships were steaming

into their war base at Scapa Flow... Along with many other

ships of the Royal Navy, Vanguard had been anchored

in the seas off Orkney. She'd seen action at the Battle

of Jutland, but on a summer evening in July 1917,

the entire ship was destroyed She sank almost instantly, with

the loss of almost all her crew. Only two of those on board

at the time survived. The team of volunteer divers

spent hundreds of hours surveying the wreck,

piecing together its story. Lying at a depth of around 100 feet,

and among the many artefacts they discovered, the telegraph,

a main anchor, cutlery lying half buried in the sand

around the wreckage. As part of the commemorations,

Vanguard's white ensign A century on, honouring

the many lives lost Dog ownership is very popular in

Thailand, especially among the younger generation. A marketing

company in Bangkok is encouraging employees to bring their own dog to

work, as they say it helps reduce work-related stress. This is how it

works... Definitely an antidote to office

stress in Thailand! The British Houses of Parliament have been let

up for the first time with the rainbow flag to celebrate 50 years

since homosexuality was partially decriminalised. In England and

Wales. An estimated 1 million people watched the annual London Pride

parade on Saturday and some of those who partied into the night told us

how they survived with hours of dancing...

CHEERING All I can do is connect with all of

the love and energy around me to get me through this pain! Roller-skates,

the best way. If you don't wear heels, where roller-skates as you

get height and Yukonite! Enjoy yourself and be with people and be

proud. Drink lots, speak lots, have a good time and love lots. Be

friendly to everyone and everyone will be friendly back. Keep

hydrated! But smile, it's a good adrenaline. Take a break and sit

down! I had an operation, in the middle of April, so I'm a little

delicate. That's why I'm not wearing heels. Keep hydrated, use suntan

lotion and party like there's no tomorrow! Gray and say happy Pride

to everyone! Happy Pride! I haven't heard ye! And as usual, behind the

camera, Sayed! Happy Pride WWE thank you., well done!

Police in California have rescued a bear cub

In a scene reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh -

honey straight from a pot - the tiny bear was seen thrashing

around in an attempt to set itself free.

One held it down, while the other prized the jar off the poor

Don't forget you can get in touch with me and some

of the team on Twitter - I'm @KarinBBC

Good evening. Sunday was a day of mixed fortunes in terms