19/01/2018 World News Today

A warm welcome to BBC

World News Today.

I'm Celia Hatton.

Our top stories...

The clock is ticking

No deal yet and just hours to go.

Democrats were called to the White

House by President Trump.

We shall

have a good number of disagreements.

The discussions will continue.

Both

sides appeared to be readying

themselves for the blame game. We'll

look at what it might mean for the

USA. America switches its military

focus to fighting terror to

competing with other great powers.

We face growing threats.

Scientists

take a major step towards the

biggest goals in medicine. A

universal test for cancer.

Welcome to world news today.

We start in the United States,

where the federal government

is on the verge of being shut down.

If the Senate doesn't

approve new budget measures

by midnight local time -

that's eight hours from now -

many services will be frozen.

The House of Representatives passed

the legislation on Thursday,

but it's not certain there is enough

support in the Senate

to approve it.

Let's go live to our correspondence

in Washington. There has been some

movement in the last few hours.

The

movement is that the Democratic

leader in the Senate has been to see

the president at the White House to

discuss what is happening and

discuss their differences. There has

been some movement but there are a

good number of things they have

disagreed on. The problem is they

have only eight hours to go until

government money runs out and

authorisation for that federal

spending runs out. They are looking

at various options. They are looking

at is four or five day extension to

the budget. That is something will

not go down well here. The other

option is a 30 day extension, which

is undesirable in itself. That is on

the table at the moment. The

Democrats still want some movement

on the question of undocumented

young people, the so-called

dreamers. Other Republicans have got

some concessions they want. The

Senator from South Dakota was a note

yesterday and is a yesterday. I

asked them whether he thought

President Trump actions has

distracted Congress from getting a

deal.

He has made his own job more

challenging. While his tweeting may

be popular with some people, it

creates controversy and that

controversy makes it more difficult

for members of Congress to do their

job and for him to be able to

respond, particularly if information

is updated to him and he realises

that he has to backtrack. It would

be nice if we could slim down the

tweeting and perhaps take more time

and get all the details in place and

find out what is administration is

doing to prepare issues. He has some

good nominations out there and his

people do good work. Sometimes the

information doesn't get back to the

president as quick as his tweets can

come out.

Are we seeing more unity

right now among Democrats or

Republicans?

It's a good point.

There are still Republicans who are

opposed to this continuing

resolution of 30 day funding and

they will remain opposed. That is

why the Republican leadership needs

Democrats onside to get the thing

through. One has broken off and is

in a particular bind because of the

nature of his local politics. At the

moment the Democrats are really

insisting they want movement on the

immigration issue before they will

agree to the funding. The

calculation that everyone is making

is on who would lose most from a

government shutdown? Who would the

government blamed? One factor of

influence will be federal employees

did get paid this week so even if

there is a shutdown, people won't be

able to get things done in those

federal offices but there isn't a

looming paycheque that they will not

get.

Very interesting. All of this

comes as Donald Trump repairs to

celebrate his first year in office.

Our correspondence is in

Pennsylvania one of the key states

he want to secure the presidency.

This is a state that Democrats

thought Hillary Clinton was

definitely going to win. Donald

Trump pulled a surprise victory out

of the bag, winning the state by

less than 1%. By this is that

margins, just over 40,000 votes. He

couldn't afford to lose many boards

here if he was to be re-elected and

part of his success was his message

and how that resonated with white,

blue-collar workers, formerly

Democratic supporters who live in

areas of industrial clients and

responded to his message that he

will bring back jobs and bring back

their dreams. How are those people

feeling one year after the first

year in office? This is what people

have been saying. People who are

trying to make a living. He cares

about that kind of stuff. Some stuff

I agree with like the tax cuts and

the working class people will stop

but I'm not a big fan of the rants

on social media. Economic issues

really seem to be important to the

voters that you have spoken to. How

big a win was that tax cut package

that Trump was able to ship the Lima

usher in? People will feel the

effects in their pay cheques. The

president said yesterday that the

corporate tax cut is probably a

bigger deal. The slashing of the

corporate tax rate to 22%. People

the tax cut itself, depending on how

much you pay, lowering the corporate

tax rate. Donald Trump hopes that

will spur economic growth. Apple has

announced that it is bringing back

cash that it has been stashing

abroad. That is also part of the tax

reform. Business leaders here in

Pittsburgh are encouraged by the

corporate tax reform and hope it

will spur economic growth. As to

whether Donald Trump gets the credit

for it, despite the fact that the

economy is in good shape, his

approval rating is mired at 38%.

People like some of his policies but

there is almost universal

disapproval of his own undisciplined

social media habits. While the

battle over the budget has been

rumbling on we have seen a

significant announcement about the

change in military policy. The

Defence Secretary says that instead

of past on terrorism, national

security is now competing with other

great powers like China and Russia.

We face growing threats from powers

as different as China and Russia are

from each other. Pursuing veto

authority over other nations's

decisions. No regimes like North

Korea and Iran have threatened and

global stability. Oppressing their

own people and shredding their own

people's dignity and human rights.

With me is a former officer and

adviser to the government on

security issues. Thank you for

joining us. How big an announcement

was the announcement that came from

him today will stop what will it

mean for the shape and size of the

military?

It is significant. It is a

strong announcement, putting the

military at the centre of foreign

policy. It is saying that more money

is going to go into the military,

making the military stronger. What

it is going to do in the long-term

is open to question. There are a lot

of myths surrounding this

assumption. That the USA is falling

behind and needs a stronger

militarily to deal with the world.

One of the issues is which the

statement doesn't address is that

when Russia was and still is

insignificant in terms of military

power five years ago, it did so

through what is called hybrid

warfare. That problem is a problem

that needs to be cracked

diplomatically and militarily. This

increasing expenditure is coinciding

with a gradual decrease in

expenditure on the State Department

and other aspects of US foreign

power. Another area where this

policy is dangerously overlooking is

the fact that, during the Cold War

the US was weaker than the Soviet

bloc. What that meant was that...

Now we have. We would have even more

if this policy was in pretty

implemented. If a war will take

place, all we're doing is reducing

the time before China or Russia

decide to go nuclear. This conflict

between China, Russia and the US

needs more than just military

hardware or... It needs strategic

thought. It doesn't appear that

anything in this policy is

addressing these issues.

Thank you

for joining us. An organisation in

Syria and Iraq says that US attacks

killed 3900 civilians. The group

believes the two figure could be

higher than 6000. The Islamic state

militants were crushed in a series

of major battles last year. Let's

take a look at some other stories.

Russia has denied withdrawing its

forces head of a suspected Turkish

attacked

forces head of a suspected Turkish

attacked. The Russian Foreign

Minister has said these reports have

been refuted. The number of

Venezuelans fleeing a severe

economic crisis has jumped by more

than 60% in the last six months.

Officials say more than 550,000

Venezuelans are now living in

Colombia, mostly illegally. It is

putting pet

pressure on the

government to provide them with food

and shelter. Some good news for you

now. Scientists say they've taken a

step towards reaching one of the

biggest goals in medicine. A

universal blood test for cancer.

Ultimately they are hoping to design

a test that can catch early cancer

and save lives. It is ten years

since she was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer.

It is rare for

anyone to survive that long. There

is no screening programmes of

tumours are usually found too late.

A blood test would make a big

difference.

If we can get more

people diagnosed sooner like me, it

is going to make me feel a lot

happier. Only 1% survive and it is a

lonely place. The rat many of us

around. I want that's what I want

cancer...

Scientists say they have

made significant progress towards a

blood test for cancer. They had one

of eight different, cancers. Cancer

cells

of eight different, cancers. Cancer

cells shed bits of DNA which

circulate in the blood. The test

looked for... Overall, the blood

test found 70%. That success rate

fell to 40%. This is when you want

tumours detected when there is the

best chance of victory were through

surgery. A reliable blood test for

cancer is some way off. This

Institute in London which is

pioneering research believes it will

come.

I am almost certain that in

the next five to ten years we will

see test site this become much more

routine in clinical practice to

diagnose tumours and increase the

keyword rates. -- the queue were

rates. Each positive result would

need further investigation.

The

burden on the NHS would need to be

weighed against the benefits of

early treatment.

Stay with us on BBC

World News. The thousand colour

matter per hour worked you. This

could be the future of transport.

The people of Saigon have just

heard... I'm going home.

Anti-apartheid campaigners say they

will carry on the protests

throughout the tour.

He is being

held on it from charge in Bolivia.

throughout the tour.

He is being

held on it from charge in Bolivia.

Millions came to bathe in this spot.

A tide of humanity that is breaking

all records.

The US Defence Secretary says

America is changing its military

policy and will now put competing

with other global powers ahead of

fighting terrorism. The Californian

couple accused of imprisoning and

torturing 13 of their own children

have appeared in court. They were

arrested on Sunday after one of

their children escaped and raise the

alarm.

David Turpin appearing in court

to deny torturing his own children

and sexually abusing one

of his young daughters.

His wife, Louise, also

pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say the siblings endured

the abuse for years as their parents

plumbed the depths

of human depravity.

One of the children at age 12

is the weight of an average

7-year-old.

Several of the victims have

cognitive impairment and neuropathy,

which is nerve damage,

as a result of this extreme

and prolonged physical abuse.

The children were supposedly

schooled here in their home,

but the district attorney said

some didn't even know

what a police officer was.

They were reportedly allowed

to shower just once a year

and were taunted with food

that they were forbidden to eat.

They would buy food, including pies,

apple pies, pumpkin pies,

leave it on the counter,

let the children look at it

but not eat the food.

About the only thing

the children were allowed

to do in their rooms,

or chained up, was to

write in journals.

We now have recovered

those journals, hundreds

of them, and we are combing

through them for evidence.

The 17-year-old who raised the alarm

after climbing out of the home

through a window had been plotting

the escape for two years.

One of her sisters made it out with

her but turned back out of fear.

This case has sent waves

of revulsion across

the United States and beyond.

The authorities say the siblings

are doing well but some of them

at least have almost certainly

suffered irreparable

physical and mental damage.

The parents are due

in court again next month.

If convicted, they

face life in prison.

James Cook, BBC News,

Riverside in California.

The sport.

The football legend

Pele's spokesman has dismissed

reports that the legend had been

taken to hospital with exhaustion.

He was due to travel to London for a

dinner. He is the only player in the

world to have won the World Cup

three times. He withdrew from the

event and said he was being

monitored by doctors. They have

called the hospitalisation reports

fake news. It is still to be

complicated. Quite a turnaround as

he was expected to join Manchester

city. He is united's manager Joseph

Marie Newell.

As everybody knows

that we are there. Especially when

the Arsenal manager speaks so

clearly like he did, there is no

point in trying to deny. But not

done at all.

I think he's going to

go to United will stop

congratulations to both of them.

They can decide whether they want to

play. They decide that. Good luck.

There is nothing to add. It was a

pleasure to be with him. And he was

going to decide to move on then I

wish the best.

The England striker

faced the media on Friday and

promised goals will stop using like

to make his debut against West

Bromwich on Saturday. The Hollywood

stars have been out again in

Melbourn. Will Smith was courtside

to watch the only Australian left in

the draw.

He is my favourite actor

and if one person could be in my

life, I would always pick him. I was

talking to him in the third set. I

kept looking at him. I said I have

got to break the ice and say

something. He was really nice and I

met him after the game and he was

really genuine.

The world number one

Rafa Nadal one in straight sets on

his way to the fourth round. She

lost in three sets. Golf. World

number one is four shots off the

lead. He is a shot ahead of Johnson.

The course was... Looking at the

leaderboard, have you guys went low.

I hit them all very well, I drove it

well, I give myself plenty of

chances and that is what I'm going

to have to do over the next couple

of days to win the tournament. There

wasn't many fireworks apart from

that put on the last. It was nice to

finish that way.

How would you like

to be strapped inside a pod and then

fired through it you?

They call it the hyperloop.

Our technology correspondent,

Rory Cellan-Jones, has been

to the Nevada Desert to see

it in action.

We are heading through the Nevada

Desert, north of Las Vegas,

for a glimpse of what its backers

claim is the future of transport.

This is Hyperloop, an attempt

to send passengers hurtling at

700 mph through a vacuum tube.

Many think that's far-fetched,

but this project got the backing

last year of Virgin,

with Sir Richard Branson

becoming chairman.

In this 500-metre test track,

they say they have shown

that the technology works,

though they've not yet put any

human beings on board.

I think my background in spacecraft

engineering has given me

the skill set to be able...

The head of engineering, a space

scientist recruited from Nasa,

sees no reason why

people might be scared.

The Hyperloop is a maglev

train in a vacuum system

or in a vacuum tube.

So you can also think

of it as an aircraft

flying at 200,000 feet,

so people don't have any issue

flying in aeroplanes and people

don't have any issues

going in maglev trains.

This is simply combining the two,

and it allows you to be

more energy efficient.

This isn't the only project.

The electric car tycoon Elon Musk,

who originally floated the whole

idea, has proposed a tunnel under

Los Angeles that could carry cars

or be transformed into a Hyperloop.

The Virgin Hyperloop team has said

they could take passengers

from London to Edinburgh in 50

minutes, or cut the journey

between New York and Boston

to under half an hour.

But making this work in the real

world will mean running several

of these pipes alongside each other

over long distances,

perhaps underground,

and convincing governments that

that is realistic is going to prove,

well, pretty challenging.

They will find it...