02/12/2017 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today.

I'm Samantha Simmonds.

Our top stories.

President Trump says the actions

of his former top aide pleads guilty

of lying to the FBI -

tweeting that Michael Flynn's

actions were in fact "lawful".

But Mr Trump has also scored a big

win this weekend after Republicans

in the Senate pushed

through the biggest package

of tax cuts in decades.

As clashes erupt again in Yemen,

the country's former president -

whose forces are fighting

the Saudi-led coalition -

says he's ready to talk.

North Korea's nuclear tests roll

on but could they be having some

unintended consequences?

We take a look at the

environmental impact.

Hello and welcome to BBC World News.

President Trump says

he fired his former National

Security Advisor Michael Flynn

for lying, but that

Mr Flynn's work was "lawful".

Mr Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to

lying to the FBI about his contacts

with the Russian government.

The president's comments have turned

the focus back to the ongoing

investigation just hours

after what most agree

is the first big legislative

achievement of his presidency.

His fellow Republicans

in the Senate have pushed

through a sweeping tax bill,

which promises a sharp cut

in corporate taxation,

plus cuts for many including some

the richest people in America.

Laura Bicker reports

from Washington.

Finally Donald Trump is on course

for a much-needed win.

It looks like he will claim

a victory on tax reform.

We passed the largest tax cuts

in this country's history along

with many other things.

The vote was close.

The arm-twisting

continued until dawn.

There were so many last-minute

changes to the bill that senators

had to scribble them in the margins.

Democrats say the package

will benefit big business

and the wealthy.

Republicans believe it will slash

corporation taxes and

help the middle classes.

For Republicans and the president,

it was a welcome distraction

from the other Washington drama.

Donald Trump's former security

adviser Michael Flynn pleading

guilty to lying about the FBI

about his meetings with Russians.

The former three-star general played

a key part in Mr Trump's

campaign and led this chant

about Hillary Clinton

which will live in infamy.

If I did a tenth of what she did,

I would be in jail today.

In court, Mr Flynn apologised

about lying with his meetings

with Russians but more

worryingly for the White House,

he will testify that he was told

to contact Russia by officials.

One of those is thought to be

Donald Trump's son-in-law

Jared Kushner.

But the president remains defiant.

What has been shown is no collusion.

No collusion.

Absolutely no collusion.

So we are very happy.

President Trump tweeted

that he fired General Flynn

because of his lies and said

it was a shame because his

actions were not unlawful

and had nothing to hide.

This should have been

a momentous day for Mr Trump.

The Republicans finally united

behind tax reform but the spectre

of the Russian investigation

continues to loom

over the White House.

Natasha Bertrand joins me

from New York City.

She is the political correspondent

for Business Insider, and has been

following the Michael Flynn

investigation closely.

Please just explain where we are up

to with all of this and John Potter

are very latest tweet saying Michael

Flynn was sacked because of his

actions but it was lawful -- Donald

Trump's latest tweet.

This was

remarkable. Trump says he fired the

National Security adviser Michael

Flynn because he lied to the vice

president but he added something

interesting that haven't been

disclosed before because of he also

fired him because he lied to the

FBI. Legal experts said that is a

clear indication from news that

Flynn had lied to the FBI when he

asked the former FBI director James

Komi to drop the investigation into

Michael Flynn. That signal intent on

Trump's part to obstruct justice,

this could be legally precarious as

he moves forward with the

investigation which is looking into

obstruction.

Just explain what

Michael Flynn is accused or pleaded

guilty to doing? He has done a deal

hasn't he, whereby he is going to we

expect get a lesser sentence. This

will complicate all of this, so

explain all of this.

It's extremely

conjugated but basically, Flynn

pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI

about talking to Russians. He said

he did not disclose the full

conversation to Russia when he had.

The question is why did he lie about

these conversations at all. People

say it would have been acceptable

for the incoming national Security

adviser to discuss sanctions with

his essentially his counterpart. It

is about as major foreign policy

changes that happened three weeks

before the Trump White House was due

to be coming in. The real question

is why Flynn felt the need to live,

who he was best acting, and who

directed him to speak to the Russian

ambassador about sanctions because

those people could be vulnerable.

Will we get answers to those

questions and why does all this

leave the Trump administration?

'S

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kusher is

very bad position because he was

communicating with Flynn about

Russia, had told him from early on

with communicating with Russia about

the UN resolution on Israel. He was

looped in, they met in early

December where they talked about

setting up a back channel to Moscow.

What Flynn could do because he was

charged on such a low-level crime,

it is a federal crime to lie to the

FBI but there is so much more that

he could have gotten to involve.

That is an indication that he gave

can give Muller much bigger fish

about people like the president. We

can expect to see in the coming

weeks and months, Muller really

closing in on Trump's in a circle

and potentially getting to president

himself.

Interesting times ahead,

thank you. That's Tuchel a reporter

in Washington, DC, covering

Congress. He explains the

significance of the bill passing.

This is the tax bill. It got through

through the skin of its teeth,

didn't it? Explain how important

victory this isn't how it got

through because there's an awful lot

of last-minute wrangling?

It was a

51-49 votes are very slim, it just

got past. The political

ramifications are major. As Laura

described earlier, this was a

much-needed victory for the

president and it's a first time in

the 11 months or so he has been in

office, that one of his big

legislative priorities has got

through both the house and the

Senate. You remember the health care

battle of the summer, the house

passed the version but the Senate

could not. This is a victory for the

president, and the way the Senate

Republican leadership secured this

was adding these sweeteners in the

legislation that one over certain

key senators that were holding out

up to the last minute.

The Democrats

are saying that these deals only

benefit the rich and nonpartisan

committee says the measures will add

$1 trillion to the budget deficit.

Republicans say it will benefit

working families, who is right here?

Who will get something out of this?

A lot of this depends on how the

economy ends up going here in the US

in the coming years. This is a ten

year plan and the joint committee on

taxation report said was that $1

trillion will be added to the

deficit over the next ten years.

Even if you account for economic

growth. Republicans discount that

very strongly. They believe the

economy will grow as a result of tax

cuts and that will bring in more red

killing

the government. A lot will rely on

the government growing. There were

trying to figure out a mechanism to

raise taxes or cut spending if

growth does not meet projection.

Others did not make it into the

bill. The Senate ruled it was not

allowable in terms of the Senate

procedure.

As you were saying,

President Trump badly needed this

win. But it's not over yet. He wants

is enacted before Christmas, there

could be hurdles along the way?

The

house and Senate bills are pretty

different. There are some small and

major differences. The major one is

the Senate version includes a repeal

of the individual mandate on

Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act

which is what requires people to pay

a penalty if they don't buy health

insurance. That will have to be

reconciled. The house could pass the

Senate bill and send it to the

resident desk but the attention from

what I'm hearing is they will go to

a conference committee is the last

that I could tell you, I was there

till 3am at the Capitol, Republican

senators were elated, Senator John

Isaacs and smiled when I asked what

have the field to pass this in light

and does the recent sale is on

health care. He said I wasn't a

great English student but it doesn't

get any better than this.

Republicans are high on it and hope

they can get it done by Christmas.

Thank you.

Still to come... Jose Mourinho get

one over Arsene Wenger as Manchester

United win against Arsenal in the

Premier League.

Let's take a look at some of

the other stories making the news.

There've been clashes between German

police and demonstrators outside

the far-right Alternative

for Germany party conference

in the city of Hannover.

Police used water cannon to clear

a path for delegates.

The conference re-elected

Joerg Meuthen as a co-chairman,

a victory for the party's

more pragmatic wing.

The former Egyptian Prime Minister,

Ahmed Shafik, is back in Egypt

after allegedly being deported

from the United Arab Emirates.

His return comes a few days

after he declared his intention

to stand in Egypt's presidential

election next year.

On Thursday, Mr Shafik said

he wanted to return to Egypt,

but the UAE authorities

were preventing him.

The Argentine navy has sent

an unmanned search vehicle to check

what it describes as a deformed

shape on the South Atlantic sea bed

which might be the wreck

of the San Juan submarine.

An international search has failed

to find the submarine which had 44

crew on board when it went missing

17 days ago.

Because BBC World News today, the

latest headlines.

President Trump has said

the actions of his former

national security advisor,

Michael Flynn , who admitted

to lying to the FBI

on Friday , were lawful.

US Republicans celebrate passing

of a sweeping tax reform bill

but Democrats complain

it was a rushed job.

The Saudi-led coalition has welcomed

an offer of talks made

by Yemen's former President,

Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose forces -

along with the Houthi rebels -

have been fighting the coalition

for more than two years.

In the past few days,

fighting has broken out

between the former allies.

Rhodri Davies has more.

There are only fighters on the

street of Yemen's capital. And this

time, its allies fighting each

other. Gunmen loyal to the former

president Saleh are now trying to

force Houthi fighters out of the

city. The beauty of ancient Sanaa is

scarred by bullets. Already a

complex struggle, it has become even

more so. On one side is president

who has force is control of the land

in red. He is backed by Saudi

Arabia. As and eight other mostly

Sunni Arab states. As posing them

are sheer Houthi rebels who are

backed by alarm and have built a

alliance with Saleh which appears to

be breaking down, now fighting the

Houthis and hinting they could do a

deal with Saudi Arabia.

It will not

end. It turns right now but the

alliance will continue but the only

change to happen is that Saleh is

more influential, more powerful and

has the power to announce the

initiative to end the Yemen war.

A

critical humanitarian situation

remains. The conflict has killed

more than 10,000 people, displaced

over two million and triggered a

cholera epidemic. The latest

violence and only further pressure.

We are currently receiving more

requests for medical supplies from

two main hospitals that are actually

supported by the International Red

Cross in Yemen. My colleagues now

are doing their utmost best in order

to meet the needs and to help the

wounded because of the clashes.

Yemenis once the country's almost

three years of water come to an end.

But that may rose five the dominance

of a man who until the Arab Spring

spent 33 years of their president.

-- as their president.

We can now talk to Yemeni

journalist Afrah Nasser -

she joins us from Sweden.

Thanks for joining us. Has

significant is this offer to talk by

Saleh?

This is absolutely a defining

moment not only on the course of

Yemen war but also on the course of

post-Yemen 2011 uprising period in

my opinion. The Saudis are clearly

not only succeeding in starving

Yemen into negotiations but also

into returning Yemen to pre-2011

uprising political reality where we

are facing the lesser of two evils

situation. Now it is whether Saleh

who is also, his hands are full of

blood as well. He is supposed to be

the rescuer for Yemen. Rescuing

Yemen some being the world provides

a humanitarian crisis over the

course of I think the past six

months, he has been ongoing on

public speeches, really reflecting

and expressing his concerns and

worried about the humanitarian

situation in the country. That is

fully what triggered him to propose

negotiations in many eyes, he is now

a hero.

What needs to happen now for

this reaching out to bring an end to

the war?

In my opinion, we are

seeing the death of the coalition

and Houthis. Now there is a

coalition between them and the

Saudis. It's up to them to decide

the trajectory of the coming days

and hours. As we speak, there are

major developments happening within

a few hours. It remains to be seen

but there are definitely the final

say will be the other side, which is

the Saudis and Saleh.

Now do you

feel that a man you said had blood

on his hands, is becoming a

peacemaker? -- how do you feel.

I

think the blood and sacrifices of

all my generation who took to the

streets in 2011, I think it has all

gone to waste. In my opinion, I

think we are going to block zero.

There was never an uprising. It

seems like Stockholm syndrome that a

lot of people are turning blind to

the violations this man has done

over not only the past few years but

the last three decades. It's a very

confusing moment, I think in Yemen's

history.

94 sharing your thoughts.

-- thank you for sharing your

thoughts. Let's get this board with

Jessica. We stuck with the ball

where Manchester United have close

the gap on Manchester City after

winning 3-1 at Arsenal. They got the

ideal start in 50 minutes, Alexandre

Lacazette got a goal back before

they secured the points. It could be

one of the matches of the season. It

wasn't all positive for United

because Paul Pogba was sent off, he

will miss the Manchester derby.

Amazing attitude from everyone. The

quality that they showed. The

quality of many things. The show

also amazing character in the

difficult moments of the game. It

gave us difficult moment. Arsenal

gave us difficult moment. They had

attacking quality and the difficult

moment of playing with ten men for

quite a lot of time. Amazing

character by the players, I think

they deserve your words that are

similar to my work when I met them

in the dressing room.

Elsewhere in the Premier League

Liverpool are into the top four

after a 5-1 thrashing of Brighton.

Sam Allardyce marked his first game

in charge of everton with a 2-0

win over Huddersfield.

Swansea are bottom after their

defeat against Stoke.

Barcelona are still unbeaten

at the top of La Liga

after being held to an entertaining

2-2 draw by Celta Vigo.

Iago Aspa put Celta ahead

after Marc-Andre ter Staygun failed

to keep hold of the ball.

But Barca levelled moments later

as Lionel Messi converted Paulinho's

pass for his 17th goal this season.

Luis Suarez had a goal maybe harshly

ruled offside and Messi hit a post.

Then Suarez put Barca ahead...

But Gomez later equalised for Celta

To the rugby league World Cup final

Where Australia beat England 6-0,

in one of the lowest scoring

Rugby League World Cups in history.

Delight and jublilation

for the Australian team.

Understandably, this is their second

year unbeaten as a team.

It was Boyd Cordner who got the only

try of the match and secured

Australia's 11th World Cup title,

their first on home

soil since 1977.

That was one of the toughest trouble

games are played in my career.

As

really pleasing victory for the

boys. Like I said it's been a fairly

hard road for this one over the last

two years. We want to put ourselves

back to number one. With got back

World Cup victories now and very

happy to have the kangaroos is the

best team in the world.

Australia just have the edge

after day one of the second Ashes

cricket Test in Adelaide.

After winning the toss and putting

the Aussies into bat,

England were gifted an early

breakthrough when Cameron Bancroft

was run-out by Chris Woakes.

England then got the wicket

of dangerman David Warner, three

runs short of his half-century.

But, a 50 from Usman Khawaja settled

down the hosts, before he went,

and then debutant Craig Overton took

the prize wicket of

Captain Steve Smith.

The hosts finished on 209 for four.

And that's all the sport for now.

North Korea's nuclear programme has

caused shock waves abroad and made

some big cracks in the international

community , but now it

could be having an impact

much closer to home.

Let's take a look.

Now Witness and we're heading back

to 1957 when a huge Science City

was built in the middle

of Siberian forest.

They called it Academic City.

Dozens of research institutes

were built, and top scientists

were enticed to come to work in this

harsh inhospitable region.

Victor Varand was one

of the first research chemists

to move to Academic City.

He told Witness what it was

like to live and work

in such an unusual place.

A town of 25,000 inhabitants. A town

where nearly everyone is a scientist

or hoping to become one. A new town

called academic city.

TRANSLATION:

My first impression was

that of bewilderment, to be honest.

Everything was different here. The

houses were right in the middle of

the forest. It was so quiet and the

air seemed so fresh.

What used to be

thought of as a wasteland has turned

out to beat the Soviet Union's

greatest treasure house. A land

unbelievable rich in mineral. They

thought there was no oil here, now

it's floating on it. There are

diamond fields that could be as

surge of South Africa's. And gold

and platinum two. -- as rich as

South Africa's.

I worked in academic

city for 46 years since 1962.

I was

a research chemist at the Institute

of Inorganic chemistry. In 1963, I

thought my beloved subject matter

analytical chemistry at the

University there. Since the times of

the Czar, people were Axar out to

Siberia, would you excel to anyone

to a good place? That was the idea

of Siberia, that Wall Street people.

-- walls eight people. Our salary

was only 10% more than others, but

we got separate apartments. In the

years, there was an acute shortage

of housing. They didn't attract is

worth housing, they attracted us

with in accommodation and good work.

No other research laboratories are

so lavishly equipped and nowhere

else other students so carefully

selected or recently examined.

This

is what is called a colliding beam

accelerator, the only one of its

kind in the world. Designed to hurl

particles of matter and particles of

antimatter. Our Institute of nuclear

physics is a globally recognised

research Centre. Its scientists have

collaborated in the construction of

the Large Hadron Collider in

Switzerland. But many of the

inventions in breakthroughs happened

in secret research projects for the

Ministry of Defence.

Of course, the creation of academic

city was a great achievement. A new

generation of scientists has been

nurtured here. Most people who

worked there and now an graduate of

our university, and what does Russia

live on today? Gas and oil, of

course Karanka found and explored

those resources? Our Siberian

scientists.

That's it for me for now. Goodbye.

Good evening. It's been gradually

turning milder the

Good evening. It's been gradually

turning milder the past 24 hours or

less cold. But there's been a lot of

cloud with that change. We had a

lovely sunset this evening in Kent

and Sunday promises more sunshine

for many of us. Currently however,

you can see whether from the week as

they are draped across the country

sinking southward. They give some

grey and murky conditions if you are

out and about travelling. There will

be some light rain drizzling, the

cloud is low enough for the hills,

but later denied we will start to

see things clearing out. We could

just about get a touch of frost in

the north-east, and early on in the

South East. For most of us, after

what has been a jolly chilly week,

it will look lively frost free, but

it probably will be got a murky

start to the day. Especially across

the southern half of the country.

This week whether funds will move

fairly quickly to for part of

Pembrokeshire and south-west

England. For most of England and

Wales, it will be brighter and drier

there. Not so cold either, to the

starting 4-5d, for Northern Ireland

that is close by. Scotland team, a

few shallow fog partridges in the

South of England but they should

Clare. It topples back into their

but it tinker for Northern Ireland.

For most of us, it's a bright

afternoon with some good spells of

Ihsan Sacko chilly today in the

north-east because we are back into

cooler air, but better in East

Anglia. Into Sunday evening and

overnight week whether funds so

cloud comes in by what we find is

probably a little bit of forward as

we go through to Monday morning rush

hour, particularly in East Anglia

and the South East, in the West we

have some showers but a lot of dry

unsettled weather will greet us on

Monday and slightly milder weather

and we had in the week just gone.

That is because we have hired

pressure, but mine conditions,

pushing to North and west and we

have to wait till mid week to see

something more turbulent. That is

Wednesday, it looks set to turn wet

and windy about that stage. But a