15/12/2017

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0:00:05 > 0:00:06This is BBC World News Today.

0:00:06 > 0:00:08I'm Ben Bland.

0:00:08 > 0:00:10Our top stories...

0:00:10 > 0:00:12Brexit negotiations are moving on.

0:00:12 > 0:00:16EU leaders give the green light for talks to proceed to phase two

0:00:16 > 0:00:21but warn the next stage will be even tougher.

0:00:21 > 0:00:24We are able to conclude that sufficient progress has been made.

0:00:24 > 0:00:26Now it's up to us to draft the withdrawal agreement together

0:00:26 > 0:00:32with our British friends.

0:00:32 > 0:00:41The United States and North Korea trade barbs at a sitting of the UN

0:00:41 > 0:00:43Security Council in New York, as Secretary of State

0:00:43 > 0:00:44Rex Tillerson suggests

0:00:44 > 0:00:50Washington could be open to dialogue with Pyongyang.

0:00:50 > 0:00:53Austria is poised to become the only western country

0:00:53 > 0:00:55in Europe with a far-right party in government.

0:00:55 > 0:00:56It's understood Sebastian Kurz's conservative, anti-immigration

0:00:56 > 0:00:59Freedom Party is on the brink of reaching a coalition deal.

0:00:59 > 0:01:05And...

0:01:05 > 0:01:07Save the date - Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle

0:01:07 > 0:01:09will wed at Windsor Castle on the 19th of May.

0:01:17 > 0:01:22Hello and welcome to World News Today.

0:01:22 > 0:01:26We start with Brexit and it's been a big day for the future

0:01:26 > 0:01:28of the United Kingdom, as it continues the process

0:01:28 > 0:01:29of removing itself from the European Union.

0:01:29 > 0:01:32The 27 other EU leaders have officially given the green

0:01:32 > 0:01:34light for a change in gear, from purely divorce

0:01:34 > 0:01:38talks to negotiating the relationship to come.

0:01:38 > 0:01:42The UK hopes that will include a generous trade deal in due course.

0:01:42 > 0:01:44The British Prime Minister Theresa May

0:01:44 > 0:01:49has hailed the progress as an "important step" forward.

0:01:49 > 0:01:52But she still faces differences of opinion in her own government

0:01:52 > 0:01:54and suffered an embarrassing House of Commons defeat on Brexit

0:01:54 > 0:01:55earlier this week.

0:01:55 > 0:01:58Damian Gramatticas has more.

0:01:58 > 0:02:03On a big day for the EU, a barrage of questions.

0:02:03 > 0:02:07Last night, these leaders gave Theresa May a round of applause.

0:02:07 > 0:02:11Not very enthusiastically, but it was well-deserved.

0:02:11 > 0:02:15Angela Merkel lead that gesture, appreciative after Mrs May told EU

0:02:15 > 0:02:21leaders she wants a smooth Brexit.

0:02:21 > 0:02:23It's what they want, too.

0:02:23 > 0:02:26The one leader who isn't here is Theresa May herself,

0:02:26 > 0:02:28the leader for whom this matters more than any other,

0:02:28 > 0:02:30getting the green light in the Brexit process,

0:02:30 > 0:02:35to move to the next stage.

0:02:35 > 0:02:38And so, the looming question - exactly what does the UK want future

0:02:38 > 0:02:42ties with the EU to look like?

0:02:42 > 0:02:45I think the first big step is for the United Kingdom to say

0:02:45 > 0:02:49very clearly what it wants in clear terms.

0:02:49 > 0:02:53I think if this happens in the next few weeks we can start in earnest

0:02:53 > 0:02:56and by March we will have a very clear European position.

0:02:56 > 0:02:59Thank you.

0:02:59 > 0:03:01First, the EU 27 agreed, as expected, sufficient

0:03:01 > 0:03:04progress has been made.

0:03:04 > 0:03:07Then the discussions turned to the EU's terms for phase

0:03:07 > 0:03:13two of the negotiations and a new set of guidelines.

0:03:13 > 0:03:16They say talks will only move on if all commitments the UK has

0:03:16 > 0:03:19made so far are respected in full - so no backtracking on the financial

0:03:19 > 0:03:23and citizens' deals.

0:03:23 > 0:03:26And for a transition, the EU's terms are, the UK

0:03:26 > 0:03:29will continue to participate in the customs union and single

0:03:29 > 0:03:33market - so little change - but the UK will not have a part

0:03:33 > 0:03:38in EU decision-making and will have to accept all the same rules

0:03:38 > 0:03:40as everyone else including any new EU regulations and be bound

0:03:40 > 0:03:45by the European Court of Justice.

0:03:45 > 0:03:50As for the framework for future relations,

0:03:50 > 0:03:53it is now time for internal EU 27 preparations and

0:03:53 > 0:03:54contact with the UK.

0:03:54 > 0:04:00To get more clarity on their vision.

0:04:00 > 0:04:04As for what the UK wants most of all, in-depth discussions

0:04:04 > 0:04:07about the future ties, they will have to wait until March,

0:04:07 > 0:04:10EU leaders said, indicating it is the EU who is firmly

0:04:10 > 0:04:19in control of the Brexit process.

0:04:19 > 0:04:23My colleague Christian Fraser is in Brussels for the summit and gave us

0:04:23 > 0:04:26this assessment of the talks finally came to a conclusion.

0:04:26 > 0:04:30I think what we take away from this summit is that the EU side really

0:04:30 > 0:04:32does want to deal with Theresa May.

0:04:32 > 0:04:34They see her as their best chance for a smooth Brexit

0:04:34 > 0:04:37and also they think that, with her, they can ensure

0:04:37 > 0:04:40that there aren't the same sort of hiccups that we might have seen

0:04:40 > 0:04:42over the course of the last eight or nine months.

0:04:42 > 0:04:43Let's talk to Damian Grammaticas,

0:04:43 > 0:04:45our Europe correspondent, about that.

0:04:45 > 0:04:47Is that a broad assessment of where we're at,

0:04:47 > 0:04:50that they see Theresa May as their best chance?

0:04:50 > 0:04:52Well, I think they want a stable Prime Minister in the UK

0:04:52 > 0:04:55who can make difficult compromises for the UK, because that is going

0:04:55 > 0:04:57to continue to happen, and who can deliver those.

0:04:57 > 0:05:04So, that is crucial.

0:05:04 > 0:05:07There was a real sort of audible sigh of relief

0:05:07 > 0:05:08in this building today.

0:05:08 > 0:05:13And it's interesting - the end of this year is actually quite

0:05:13 > 0:05:15a good point to take stock, because we had the triggering

0:05:15 > 0:05:18of Article 50 at the beginning of the year.

0:05:18 > 0:05:20All sorts of confusion about what was going to happen.

0:05:20 > 0:05:22As you said, real down points when it looked

0:05:22 > 0:05:25like everything might fall apart, and they're back on track

0:05:25 > 0:05:27and I think that's what matters to the Europeans.

0:05:27 > 0:05:29What do you make of where we're at now in terms

0:05:29 > 0:05:31of the future relationship?

0:05:31 > 0:05:33Because Theresa May's not spelt out much of that,

0:05:33 > 0:05:37but then perhaps that's not a bad strategy, because if you look at how

0:05:37 > 0:05:40she's dealt with the first phase, she didn't spell much of that

0:05:40 > 0:05:41out to her own side, either.

0:05:41 > 0:05:44Well, what I can say, I think, is that the EU side,

0:05:44 > 0:05:47the messages they've put out is that they find that quite

0:05:47 > 0:05:50frustrating, actually, I think, because they want to know more -

0:05:50 > 0:05:51they want to engage in this discussion,

0:05:51 > 0:05:56and I think they feel that the UK side hasn't yet.

0:05:56 > 0:06:00We know the UK Cabinet hasn't yet engaged fully with discussing

0:06:00 > 0:06:03what the future will look like and the EU feeling, I think,

0:06:03 > 0:06:05certainly, is that these are really difficult things

0:06:05 > 0:06:07that have got to be grappled with

0:06:07 > 0:06:11and that the earlier the UK does that, the better,

0:06:11 > 0:06:13because then the EU can engage with what the UK wants

0:06:13 > 0:06:16and that's what we're going to start to see next year.

0:06:16 > 0:06:17Yeah.

0:06:17 > 0:06:19Having said that, they have all been prime ministers,

0:06:19 > 0:06:22Jean-Claude Juncker included.

0:06:22 > 0:06:26Some of them lead minority governments, some of them

0:06:26 > 0:06:28are at the head of weak coalitions.

0:06:28 > 0:06:31They know how difficult it is to be a Prime Minister

0:06:31 > 0:06:34and they're painfully aware of the maths back in the UK.

0:06:34 > 0:06:36They are, and I think that's an important point,

0:06:36 > 0:06:37actually, to make.

0:06:37 > 0:06:38It's an important point to remember

0:06:38 > 0:06:41in that there's a lot of sort of concern in the UK,

0:06:41 > 0:06:43I think, watching the progress of legislation through Parliament.

0:06:43 > 0:06:47Here, that is viewed as a normal, natural part of this process.

0:06:47 > 0:06:50Every parliament in Europe is going to have to look at

0:06:50 > 0:06:54what happens in this process,

0:06:54 > 0:06:57what comes out at the end of it, and approve it.

0:06:57 > 0:07:01So, they think it's fine that the UK is doing the same thing.

0:07:01 > 0:07:07But actually, I think the EU side see that...

0:07:07 > 0:07:10They don't see that as in any way, I think, weakening Theresa May.

0:07:10 > 0:07:14In a way, I think they'd be glad of the fact that the parliament

0:07:14 > 0:07:17will approve something because, as I say, they want a sort of

0:07:17 > 0:07:18durable outcome from this that works all round,

0:07:18 > 0:07:20however hard it is to get to that.

0:07:20 > 0:07:23So, in the New Year, they move on to the next

0:07:23 > 0:07:26part of negotiation.

0:07:26 > 0:07:28One thing we should just say about the withdrawal process.

0:07:28 > 0:07:30They are saying in the document that they released today

0:07:30 > 0:07:32that they expect the withdrawal agreement

0:07:32 > 0:07:34to be put into a legal text.

0:07:34 > 0:07:35They want it to be legally binding.

0:07:35 > 0:07:38And there is still a little bit of work to finish on that,

0:07:38 > 0:07:40particularly when it comes to citizens' rights.

0:07:40 > 0:07:43They're hoping that that can be done in parallel with the talks

0:07:43 > 0:07:44about the future negotiation.

0:07:44 > 0:07:46But that is the situation here in Brussels

0:07:46 > 0:07:50at the end of this EU summit.

0:07:50 > 0:07:54Christian Fraser there at the summit in Brussels.

0:07:54 > 0:07:58The US Secretary of State says North Korea needs to show

0:07:58 > 0:07:59a "sustained cessation of threatening behaviour" before

0:07:59 > 0:08:00meaningful talks can begin.

0:08:00 > 0:08:03Rex Tillerson was speaking at a meeting of the UN

0:08:03 > 0:08:04Security Council in New York.

0:08:04 > 0:08:07Mr Tillerson also questioned the commitment of Moscow,

0:08:07 > 0:08:10and especially Beijing, in trying to reign in the secretive

0:08:10 > 0:08:19state's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

0:08:19 > 0:08:21There's Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries.

0:08:21 > 0:08:24The United States questions China's commitment to solving an issue that

0:08:24 > 0:08:29has serious implications for the security of its own citizens

0:08:29 > 0:08:32Recently, the North Korean regime has sought to portray UN sanctions

0:08:32 > 0:08:38as harmful to women and children,

0:08:38 > 0:08:40but this is a regime that hypocritically spends billions

0:08:40 > 0:08:43on nuclear and ballistic missile programmes while its own people

0:08:43 > 0:08:44suffer great poverty.

0:08:44 > 0:08:46The regime could feed and care for women, children and ordinary

0:08:46 > 0:08:50people of North Korea if it chose the welfare of its people over

0:08:50 > 0:08:53weapons development.

0:08:53 > 0:08:59Let's speak to the BBC's Nada Tawfik who is in New York.

0:08:59 > 0:09:05It's interesting, a bit of a change in approach from Mr Tillerson,

0:09:05 > 0:09:08falling into line with the White House approach to how it deals with

0:09:08 > 0:09:16North Korea.Yes, absolutely. Many may remember that just on Tuesday

0:09:16 > 0:09:20when Rex Tillerson was addressing an audience at a think tank event on

0:09:20 > 0:09:25North Korea. He said the US was ready to enter into talks without

0:09:25 > 0:09:28preconditions. The White House quickly came out and denied that,

0:09:28 > 0:09:34saying the US policy had not changed at all and so to we saw Rex

0:09:34 > 0:09:37Tillerson toughening his stands there, saying North Korea had to

0:09:37 > 0:09:40earn its rights to get to the negotiating table and they really

0:09:40 > 0:09:44had to show a commitment walking back its nuclear programme before

0:09:44 > 0:09:48those talks could get under way. It's interesting because it really

0:09:48 > 0:09:54echoes a lot of what the US' allies have said. For example, the Japanese

0:09:54 > 0:10:00Foreign Minister, who presided over this high-level meeting, he said

0:10:00 > 0:10:04that we shouldn't be conducting dialogue for this sort two Zec

0:10:04 > 0:10:08dialogue, that these resolutions are very clear, that North Korea has to

0:10:08 > 0:10:11end its programme and there should be no compromise on that front.How

0:10:11 > 0:10:18did North Korea responded?Well, it was a rare appearance that we got

0:10:18 > 0:10:25from North Korea's ambassador and he said that the nuclear programme was

0:10:25 > 0:10:28a self defensive measure to protect against the United States. He said

0:10:28 > 0:10:34if anyone was to blame it was the US, that North Korea was a

0:10:34 > 0:10:37peace-loving country, it was a responsible nuclear power and that

0:10:37 > 0:10:41as long as North Korea's rights were not infringed upon, no state should

0:10:41 > 0:10:45be worried about them using their arsenal. Rex Tillerson hit back at

0:10:45 > 0:10:50that saying that the only country responsible and who held the

0:10:50 > 0:10:55solution to this issue was North Korea itself as the aggressor.How

0:10:55 > 0:10:58did all of this go down with the other members of the Security

0:10:58 > 0:11:06Council present?Well, the Europeans kind of endorsed this maximum

0:11:06 > 0:11:10pressure along with the diplomacy approach, saying it was important

0:11:10 > 0:11:15that North Korea, that sanctions were implemented and pressure was

0:11:15 > 0:11:18put on North Korea so they could come to the negotiating table.

0:11:18 > 0:11:22Russia and China on the other hand, again, they feel that North Korea

0:11:22 > 0:11:27needs to abide by its obligations under the security council

0:11:27 > 0:11:31resolutions, but they did show concern about the increased rhetoric

0:11:31 > 0:11:34we're seeing in the region, saying it is unhelpful and could lead to

0:11:34 > 0:11:38unintended consequences if there's any miscalculation that goes

0:11:38 > 0:11:42forward. They reiterated their call, this proposal that Russia and China

0:11:42 > 0:11:49have put out, that says the US and Japan and South Korea should cease

0:11:49 > 0:11:53action in the region in return for North Korea stopping their

0:11:53 > 0:11:56programme. They called for that as a possible resolution to this issue.

0:11:56 > 0:12:02Thank you.

0:12:02 > 0:12:05Over to Austria where a coalition deal between the conservative

0:12:05 > 0:12:07People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party looks set

0:12:07 > 0:12:13to be agreed tonight.

0:12:13 > 0:12:18Sebastian Kurz's People's Party won October's parliamentary election

0:12:18 > 0:12:21with a hard line on immigration similar to the Freedom Party's

0:12:21 > 0:12:22which came third in the vote.

0:12:22 > 0:12:24The two parties are talking this evening.

0:12:24 > 0:12:27If a coalition deal is struck, then Austria would become the only

0:12:27 > 0:12:28western European country with a far-right

0:12:28 > 0:12:37party in government.

0:12:37 > 0:12:43Bethany Bell joined us live from Vienna. Any update?Yes, we've been

0:12:43 > 0:12:50told a number of times that a deal was extremely close. The parties are

0:12:50 > 0:12:57still negotiating at this moment. It looks as though the leader of the

0:12:57 > 0:13:01Austrian conservatives is poised to become Europe's's youngest leader,

0:13:01 > 0:13:07just 31 years old, in coalition with the far right Freedom Party, which

0:13:07 > 0:13:16is quite controversial. This is a party that has been in power before,

0:13:16 > 0:13:18unlike many far right populist roots, it translated its success at

0:13:18 > 0:13:23the ballot box into real power. If they do agree, this agreement is

0:13:23 > 0:13:27tonight as they are widely expected to do, it will mean a centre right,

0:13:27 > 0:13:33far right government here in Austria.It's interesting because

0:13:33 > 0:13:36the Freedom Party has been in government in Austria before and

0:13:36 > 0:13:40that time it provoked the unprecedented step of the rest of

0:13:40 > 0:13:44the EU member states imposing sanctions against Austria.Yes, I

0:13:44 > 0:13:53was here back in the year 2000 when the Freedom Party first came into a

0:13:53 > 0:13:56coalition government then. Austria has just joined the EU a few years

0:13:56 > 0:14:02before. The EU imposed diplomatic sanctions for a first two short

0:14:02 > 0:14:04time, temporary ones that were eventually lifted. There was an

0:14:04 > 0:14:09enormous outcry at the far right being in power. That's much more

0:14:09 > 0:14:15unlikely at this time. Austria has changed, Europe has changed, there

0:14:15 > 0:14:18are many more nationalist populist parties around than there were back

0:14:18 > 0:14:27then in terms that we have parties like the AFD. Many Austrians are

0:14:27 > 0:14:30wondering whether the Freedom Party has changed, too, or whether it has

0:14:30 > 0:14:35helped in this trend of dragging Europe to the right.Bethany, thank

0:14:35 > 0:14:41you very much.

0:14:41 > 0:14:43Zimbabwe's ruling party has endorsed the new president,

0:14:43 > 0:14:45Emmerson Mnangagwa, as their leader and candidate in

0:14:45 > 0:14:46next year's presidential elections.

0:14:46 > 0:14:49Delegates from the Zanu-PF party are holding an extraordinary

0:14:49 > 0:14:51session, for the first time since Robert Mugabe

0:14:51 > 0:14:52stepped down last month.

0:14:52 > 0:15:01Shingai Nyoka reports from Harare.

0:15:01 > 0:15:04The Presidents...

0:15:04 > 0:15:07A triumphant entry to his first Congress as party leader.

0:15:07 > 0:15:08But the decision to confirm Emmerson Mnangagwa

0:15:08 > 0:15:10was never going to be contested.

0:15:10 > 0:15:12The 6,000 delegates were carefully selected

0:15:12 > 0:15:14to ensure the unanimous endorsement.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16Now, Mr Mnangagwa can begin

0:15:16 > 0:15:20to rebuild a party fractured by infighting

0:15:20 > 0:15:24in preparation for elections expected in less than a year.

0:15:24 > 0:15:27I stand before you, therefore,

0:15:27 > 0:15:32as the president of a united, non-racial Zimbabwe.

0:15:32 > 0:15:36The conciliatory speech is a departure from

0:15:36 > 0:15:38the fire-brand nationalist rhetoric of his predecessor, Robert Mugabe,

0:15:38 > 0:15:43who was noticeably absent from the gathering.

0:15:43 > 0:15:46This extraordinary Congress had been planned months ago

0:15:46 > 0:15:48as a platform to sideline Mr Mnangagwa

0:15:48 > 0:15:50and elevate Grace Mugabe to the vice presidency.

0:15:50 > 0:15:54But, in a twist of fate, the tables have turned

0:15:54 > 0:15:58and the Congress has voted to expel Grace Mugabe from the party

0:15:58 > 0:16:00and recall Mr Mugabe,

0:16:00 > 0:16:03a figure who's been central here for the last 40 years.

0:16:03 > 0:16:05The new administration faces the primary challenge

0:16:05 > 0:16:08of fixing the national economy

0:16:08 > 0:16:10and also bringing confidence into its human rights record,

0:16:10 > 0:16:15addressing ills of the past

0:16:15 > 0:16:18as well as trying to make sure that the free and fair elections

0:16:18 > 0:16:20are scheduled in 2018.

0:16:20 > 0:16:21And it'll face further challenges

0:16:21 > 0:16:24in relation to their ability to prove to the Zimbabwean people

0:16:24 > 0:16:26that they are not going to be similar

0:16:26 > 0:16:30to the previous government of Robert Mugabe.

0:16:30 > 0:16:33And how quickly the party has moved on from him.

0:16:33 > 0:16:36Within the month, new songs have been written,

0:16:36 > 0:16:38erasing reference to the former leader.

0:16:38 > 0:16:44And Zanu-PF's party regalia now has a new face.

0:16:44 > 0:16:46But critics say the intolerance that marked the former leader's rule

0:16:46 > 0:16:47has resurfaced.

0:16:47 > 0:16:50Three former senior party members

0:16:50 > 0:16:53who were expelled for supporting Grace Mugabe were today arrested

0:16:53 > 0:16:55and charged with criminal nuisance

0:16:55 > 0:17:00for wearing the new regalia without the party's permission.

0:17:00 > 0:17:05Mr Mnangagwa told lawyers that the time has come

0:17:05 > 0:17:07Mr Mnangagwa told loyalists that the time has come

0:17:07 > 0:17:09to repair the party, but there's no sign

0:17:09 > 0:17:11of a reconciliation yet with his predecessor.

0:17:11 > 0:17:14Mr Mugabe, his wife and family are in the far east

0:17:14 > 0:17:15on an annual holiday.

0:17:15 > 0:17:16Photos appear to show the 93-year-old leader

0:17:16 > 0:17:20leaving a Singapore hospital and looking remarkably relaxed.

0:17:20 > 0:17:22His future role in Zimbabwean politics is unclear.

0:17:22 > 0:17:24The figure that once dominated this party has gone

0:17:24 > 0:17:34and a new imposing figure has been installed in his place.

0:17:39 > 0:17:43The Roman Catholic Church in Australia has rejected the idea

0:17:43 > 0:17:46that priests should report sexual abuse disclosed to

0:17:46 > 0:17:48them in confession.

0:17:48 > 0:17:54It was a key recommendation of a five-year Australian inquiry

0:17:54 > 0:17:56into child sex abuse at public institutions.

0:17:56 > 0:17:59The church is among institutions accused of multiple and persistent

0:17:59 > 0:18:02failings to keep children safe from sexual abuse.

0:18:02 > 0:18:06The Archbishop of Melbourne has warned that any priest who breaks

0:18:06 > 0:18:08the seal of the confessional will be excommunicated.

0:18:08 > 0:18:14From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

0:18:14 > 0:18:16The report has delved into one of the most shameful episodes

0:18:16 > 0:18:22in modern Australian history.

0:18:22 > 0:18:24For years, the vulnerable were preyed upon by paedophiles

0:18:24 > 0:18:26while invariably those in charge looked the other way

0:18:26 > 0:18:27and did nothing.

0:18:27 > 0:18:30The Royal Commission says tens of thousands of children were abused

0:18:30 > 0:18:36in Australian institutions over the past decades.

0:18:36 > 0:18:38Most of the perpetrators were members of the clergy

0:18:38 > 0:18:40and schoolteachers.

0:18:40 > 0:18:43The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, says the scale

0:18:43 > 0:18:50of the abuse is a national tragedy.

0:18:50 > 0:18:54What the commission has done has exposed a national tragedy,

0:18:54 > 0:18:58it's an outstanding exercise in love and I thank the commissioners

0:18:58 > 0:19:00and those who had the courage to tell their stories.

0:19:00 > 0:19:02For five years investigators heard agonising stories

0:19:02 > 0:19:05of rape and sexual assault.

0:19:05 > 0:19:09Some of those tortured children would later kill themselves,

0:19:09 > 0:19:14while others would endure the trauma for the rest of their lives.

0:19:14 > 0:19:16It really happened and we are believed now

0:19:16 > 0:19:20around the world because, as adults, we were talking

0:19:20 > 0:19:22about our childhood and for a lot of us,

0:19:22 > 0:19:26so, so many of us, it was so hard.

0:19:26 > 0:19:28The commission has called for Australia's child protection

0:19:28 > 0:19:34policies to be overhauled.

0:19:34 > 0:19:37Those six commissioners have done this country proud, really.

0:19:37 > 0:19:40I think everybody here, wouldn't you all agree?

0:19:40 > 0:19:41CHEERING.

0:19:41 > 0:19:42Yes.

0:19:42 > 0:19:45And, you know, they took the shame and stigma

0:19:45 > 0:19:53from our hearts and they carried it for the last five years.

0:19:53 > 0:19:56The head of the Anglican Church in Australia has said sorry

0:19:56 > 0:20:02for its shameful handling of many of the abuse allegations.

0:20:02 > 0:20:05A spokesman for the Catholic Church said a major national social

0:20:05 > 0:20:07ill had to be remedied.

0:20:07 > 0:20:09More than 2,500 cases of alleged child abuse have been referred

0:20:09 > 0:20:14to Australian police, and so far 230 criminal

0:20:14 > 0:20:18prosecutions have started.

0:20:18 > 0:20:20While Australia failed so spectacularly to protect

0:20:20 > 0:20:23its children in the past, the hope is future generations

0:20:23 > 0:20:33will never be exposed to such monstrous abuse again.

0:20:34 > 0:20:39Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.

0:20:39 > 0:20:42Police in the Netherlands have shot and wounded a man who was armed

0:20:42 > 0:20:45with a knife in the country's main airport, Schipol, just

0:20:45 > 0:20:46outside Amsterdam.

0:20:46 > 0:20:48The main entrance to the airport was evacuated -

0:20:48 > 0:20:49but has now re-opened.

0:20:49 > 0:20:50The man is in custody.

0:20:50 > 0:21:00There were no reports of other injuries.

0:21:00 > 0:21:02Four Palestinians have been killed and 150 wounded

0:21:02 > 0:21:03in clashes with the Israeli army.

0:21:03 > 0:21:05Palestinian sources say most of the casualties occurred

0:21:05 > 0:21:08near the Gaza border where protests have been fiercest against

0:21:08 > 0:21:09President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem

0:21:09 > 0:21:13as the capital of Israel.

0:21:13 > 0:21:15The Oxford English Dictionary has chosen "youthquake"

0:21:15 > 0:21:17as its word of the year.

0:21:17 > 0:21:20The word - first used in the 1960s - is defined as a "significant

0:21:20 > 0:21:22cultural, political, or social change arising

0:21:22 > 0:21:26from the actions or influence of young people".

0:21:26 > 0:21:28It's been used more recently in relation to the effect of young

0:21:28 > 0:21:34voters on politics in Britain, France and New Zealand.

0:21:39 > 0:21:42If you have your diary to hand, you may want to note down

0:21:42 > 0:21:43Saturday 19th of May, 2018.

0:21:43 > 0:21:47That is the date that's been set for the royal wedding

0:21:47 > 0:21:49of Prince Harry and his fiancee, actress Meghan Markle.

0:21:49 > 0:21:53They will marry in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

0:21:53 > 0:21:55It's the same day as the football cup final in England.

0:21:55 > 0:21:57The pair announced their engagement last month.

0:21:57 > 0:22:00We put it to the BBC's Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell that

0:22:00 > 0:22:04interest would be even greater because Ms Markle is an American.

0:22:04 > 0:22:07Well, that's absolutely right, yes.

0:22:07 > 0:22:09There will be, I'm sure, a great deal of attention

0:22:09 > 0:22:11from around the world, as there always is,

0:22:11 > 0:22:12to the British Royal family,

0:22:12 > 0:22:14but particularly, of course, on this occasion,

0:22:14 > 0:22:16from the United States of America.

0:22:16 > 0:22:18And the date, yes -

0:22:18 > 0:22:23Saturday the 19th of May.

0:22:23 > 0:22:25Now, the choice of a Saturday is unusual

0:22:25 > 0:22:27but certainly not unprecedented for a royal wedding.

0:22:27 > 0:22:29There have been royal weddings on Saturdays before

0:22:29 > 0:22:32and I'm quite sure that the calculation has been

0:22:32 > 0:22:35that because there is to be no public holiday in the United Kingdom

0:22:35 > 0:22:36for this royal wedding,

0:22:36 > 0:22:37as there was for William and Kate's,

0:22:37 > 0:22:40the fact that it's being staged on a Saturday

0:22:40 > 0:22:41will give those who are so minded

0:22:41 > 0:22:44an opportunity to go out to Windsor, not far from London,

0:22:44 > 0:22:47to be part of the celebration

0:22:47 > 0:22:50as the couple have said that they wish to be the case.

0:22:50 > 0:22:52I'm sure that, although the wedding, of course, itself,

0:22:52 > 0:22:54is in the chapel within Windsor Castle,

0:22:54 > 0:22:56there'll be a carriage procession, I imagine, through the town,

0:22:56 > 0:22:58so people will be able to join in.

0:22:58 > 0:23:00The other, as you mentioned, interesting thing

0:23:00 > 0:23:02is that Saturday 19th of May is the date of

0:23:02 > 0:23:05one of the biggest sporting events, certainly in England -

0:23:05 > 0:23:07the FA Cup final.

0:23:07 > 0:23:09Now, Prince William is president of the Football Association.

0:23:09 > 0:23:11He would normally attend the cup final.

0:23:11 > 0:23:12Somehow, on this occasion,

0:23:12 > 0:23:22I suspect he's going to have to give it a miss.

0:23:27 > 0:23:29Now to Germany, where the SDP has agreed

0:23:29 > 0:23:31to enter exploratory talks on forming a coalition government

0:23:31 > 0:23:38with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41The move had been recommended by SPD leader

0:23:41 > 0:23:44Martin Schulz in an attempt to end the political uncertainty

0:23:44 > 0:23:45since elections in September.

0:23:45 > 0:23:48Mr Schulz said the talks should begin in January and last no

0:23:48 > 0:23:49more than two weeks.

0:23:49 > 0:23:53The SPD has been Mrs Merkel's junior coalition partner since 2013,

0:23:53 > 0:23:58but in September suffered its worst election result since World War II.

0:23:58 > 0:24:00The US space agency Nasa says it's discovered an eighth

0:24:00 > 0:24:03planet circling a distant sun - making it the first solar system

0:24:03 > 0:24:06to have the same number of planets as our own.

0:24:06 > 0:24:08The eight orbit a star known as Kepler-90.

0:24:08 > 0:24:10Paul Rincon reports.

0:24:10 > 0:24:12Astronomers have discovered more than 3,000 planets circling other

0:24:12 > 0:24:19stars but very few of these distant planetary systems resemble our own.

0:24:19 > 0:24:25Now a team using the Kepler space telescope has

0:24:25 > 0:24:27confirmed the existence of eight planets around a single star.

0:24:27 > 0:24:29Seven of these were already known, but experts trained

0:24:29 > 0:24:31a software programme to recognise known planets.

0:24:31 > 0:24:33The programme then searched through raw data and identified

0:24:33 > 0:24:36a previously unknown world.

0:24:36 > 0:24:39The new planet we found, Kepler-90i, is the smallest of the bunch

0:24:39 > 0:24:43and orbits just outside the inner two planets.

0:24:43 > 0:24:46The new planet is small enough that we think it is probably rocky

0:24:46 > 0:24:49and does not have a thick atmosphere, the surface

0:24:49 > 0:24:50is likely scorching hot.

0:24:50 > 0:24:52We calculated that it probably has an average temperature

0:24:52 > 0:24:55of about 800 Fahrenheit.

0:24:55 > 0:24:58We've been able to task computers to go and look into data to find

0:24:58 > 0:25:01things people didn't spot or perhaps didn't have time to spot.

0:25:01 > 0:25:05So providing good candidates for worlds hidden within the Kepler

0:25:05 > 0:25:07data, machines can then pick up the slack and actually go

0:25:07 > 0:25:10and discover these worlds.

0:25:10 > 0:25:13The distant planetary system is ordered like our own,

0:25:13 > 0:25:16with the small worlds nearest the star and the bigger

0:25:16 > 0:25:18planets further away.

0:25:18 > 0:25:20But all the planets are pushed much further in towards their parent

0:25:20 > 0:25:23star, which is known as Kepler-90.

0:25:23 > 0:25:27This means they're probably far too hot for life as we know it,

0:25:27 > 0:25:29but machine learning could be used to find the signatures

0:25:29 > 0:25:32of Earth-sized worlds elsewhere in the cosmos.

0:25:32 > 0:25:34That could lead to ground-breaking discoveries in the search

0:25:34 > 0:25:40for life in the universe.

0:25:40 > 0:25:42Just time before we go to show you these pictures

0:25:42 > 0:25:43from Central Borneo

0:25:43 > 0:25:45where a group of eight Orangutans has just been

0:25:45 > 0:25:47released back into the wild.

0:25:47 > 0:25:50Seven of the group were males, which meant they had to be sedated

0:25:50 > 0:25:54and transported by helicopter.

0:25:54 > 0:25:56Orangutans are considered critically endangered

0:25:56 > 0:25:59by the World Wildlife Fund.

0:25:59 > 0:26:02Thanks for watching.

0:26:02 > 0:26:02Thanks for watching.