21/01/2018 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today.

I'm Geeta Guru-Murthy.

Our top stories.

A new escalation of the war in Syria

as Turkey says its ground forces

have crossed the border to target

Kurdish fighters there.

The death toll in the attack

on a luxury hotel in Kabul increases

to 18, after residents had to flee

during a 12-hour siege.

Germany's Social Democrats vote

to open talks with Angela Merkel's

Conservatives to form

another grand coalition.

A second day of women's marches

around the world, including here in

London. We bring you the latest.

Hello and welcome

to World News Today.

The UN Security Council is due

to discuss the worsening crisis

in Syria, with Turkey opening up

a new front against Kurdish militia

in the north of the country.

The militia, the YPG,

are backed by the United States

but viewed by Turkey

as a terrorist organisation.

On Sunday, Turkish troops crossed

the border over the border,

from where our correspondent,

Mark Lowen, sent this report.

As if Syria needed more of this.

Artillery fire from Turkey,

launching a new ground

and air offensive.

It's called Operation Olive Branch,

though it's anything

but a gesture of peace.

From the skies, Turkish F-16s struck

yesterday, their target,

the Syrian Kurdish militia known

as the YPG.

Turkey sees them as terrorists,

linked to the outlawed

Kurdish militants, the PKK,

and it wants them pushed back

from the border town of Afrin.

Turkey's president has his own

troops fighting for their hero,

and with elections next year,

war rallies his

conservative supporters.

TRANSLATION:

This is a national

struggle, and in this national

struggle we will crush anyone

who stands against us!

But the YPG has powerful

friends, they are trained

and armed by the US.

That has infuriated Turkey,

which says the Americans have chosen

terrorists over their Nato ally.

In the hills beside the border,

we found a further build-up,

as the offensive shows no

sign of ending.

Every few minutes, you hear the thud

of an artillery strike.

Turkey has clearly committed

militarily to this operation and has

widespread popular support here,

but if the Turks suffer losses,

or civilian casualties

grow, that could change.

And the risk is clear.

This border town was hit

by a rocket, said to be

from the YPG, killing one,

and injuring more.

Turkey is on dangerous ground,

and a long, costly offensive

is only just beginning.

Mark Lowen, BBC News

on the Turkey-Syrian border.

With me is Sebastian Usher,

our Arab Affairs Editor.

Talking about a long and costly

offensive and we heard from the

Turkish leader that he thinks he can

keep this limited.

Erdogan said the

opposite and said it could be

relatively brief, but the pain he

has said himself, rhetorically,

which she reaffirmed today is to

crush all of Turkey's enemies and

that is the Kurds both in Syria and

in Turkey so that is a huge game and

not just about this region. It goes

further and that is about 50

kilometres east. And we saw the

Turkish forces carry out an

offensive of more limited nature in

2015 to prevent the Kurds from

bringing that to Canton is together

into one and they backed off to some

extent. At the moment it is

difficult to see which forced,

beside the Kurds themselves will

stand up to them.

YPG are known for

battling against the militants,

tough opponent. How far could the

repercussions spread and how long

will it go on?

I think Mark is

correct that this could be a long

campaign. The YPG is more battle

hardened than it was and it was the

force that drove Isis out of rack.

-- Raqqa. They are well ensconced

where they are, the Kurdish area,

where they got support from the

local population. There are other

Kurdish forces near and other parts

of the alliance which they lead that

could join them. Although Turkey, on

paper, has overwhelming force, it

would be hard to use that to have a

quick victory unless they

essentially bomb are thin to the

extent that we saw the Russians do

when they were attacking the rebels.

That would provoke a huge

international outcry and already

Turkey is very isolated. Perhaps not

dangerously so because it is not as

if the Russians or the Americans are

about to start shooting their planes

down in the air but with the UN

Security Council speaking tomorrow

there are bound to be strong words

against what has happened and the

longer it goes on at the moment,

countries calling for restraint,

they will up their rhetoric just as

Mr Erdogan has upped his rhetoric.

How ultimately would the US react?

We have heard that they were warned

that these aircraft would be

launched.

The US doesn't have that

many options. It backed the YPG,

believing they were the most

effective force against IS on the

ground. The only practical effective

force it could use. But the history

of the Kurds, when they have served

their purpose, after that, the

outside forces have abandoned them

because they do not have the power

of a state like Turkey or Iraq.

They

threaten the whole redrawing of

this.

So in a sense the Kurds are

cynical because they know when it

comes down to is they would be

fighting the battle themselves even

though they will have some

international support but it does

make the US not -- look not very

good. It makes them look as though

they cannot call the shots or

protect their own clients in Syria.

Very different from the way Russia

has manoeuvred into a position of

strength.

Very complex, thank you

forces -- explaining it.

Authorities in Afghanistan say 18

people, including 14 foreigners,

are now confirmed dead after gunmen

attacked a luxury hotel in Kabul.

Afghan troops fought

through the night, over more than 12

hours, to free those trapped inside.

The Taliban says it

carried out the attack.

Zia Shahreyar has the story.

EXPLOSION.

The final moments of a fight that

had lasted all night.

GUNFIRE.

Gunfire and explosions,

as Afghan special forces

battle to regain control

of the Intercontinental Hotel.

One soldier throws a grenade.

He moves away, then the explosion.

EXPLOSION.

The room is soon on fire,

evidence of the struggle

that had taken place.

The Afghan national flag

waving from the roof,

proof that the building

has been retaken.

More than 150 people were inside

yesterday evening when gunmen burst

in and opened fire. Eyewitnesses

said they were after foreigners.

TRANSLATION:

The attackers

were knocking on the door of each

room, trying to reach their targets.

They killed ordinary

people and officials,

they were also targeting foreigners.

These images, filmed by local TV,

show people escaping by climbing

down bed sheets that they'd

tied to balconies.

This telecoms engineer fell

from the sixth floor

as he tried to get away.

TRANSLATION:

When the sixth floor

caught fire this morning,

my roommates told me to either

burn or escape.

I got a bed sheet and tied

it to the balcony.

I tried to come down,

but I was heavy, and my arms

were not strong enough.

I fell down, and injured

my shoulder and leg.

This has been probably the deadliest

attack on foreign civilians

in Kabul since the US

invasion of Afghanistan.

We've been told that the attackers

spoke local languages,

and shouted at Afghans to be

separated from foreign

nationalities.

This sustained and complex assault

will prompt urgent questions

as to how the gunmen got through.

Zia Shahreyar, BBC News, Kabul.

Germany has moved a step closer

to forming a new government.

The centre-left Social Democratic

Party has voted to enter

into new coalition talks

with Chancellor Merkel's

conservative bloc.

At a party meeting in Bonn,

the SPD's Martin Schulz had urged

many sceptical delegates to press

ahead, describing a new coalition

as the best way to combat hard

right politics in Europe.

Angela Merkel welcomed

the development.

The CDU already cleared the way

for coalition talks last week

after concluding the exploratory

talks, now we are pleased

and welcome that the SPD did

so today at its congress.

Today, we are preparing for this

coalition negotiation.

Tomorrow, within the CDU

we will work together,

and then quickly enter into joint

discussion with

the Social Democrats.

That's what today's

decision of the SPD allows.

Jenny Hill in Berlin says that

with party leader, Martin Schulz,

convincing the conference to support

the idea of a coalition,

talks to form a government

could begin as soon as tomorrow.

His view is that if they can pull

this off, if they go

into Government, in his view it's

the responsible thing to do to try

and form a government,

but that it's possible,

in his view, to renew the party

within that coalition,

but their task is going to be huge.

They are very low in the polls,

they will have to distinguish

themselves from Mrs Merkel's

Conservatives if they are to try

and rebuild their electorate,

many of whom, of course,

disappeared off to vote AFD,

the far right party.

There is a lot of work to be done,

and he's going to have to do

something to unite the party,

that is if they still want him

as leader, because of course he has

presided over this real controversy.

Worth just pointing out,

when it comes to coalition talks

which will take place later this

week, if and when the two sides can

get some kind of deal drafted,

the party base, all 440,000 members

of the SPD will have to approve it,

via postal ballot before any actual

coalition Government can be formed.

So, Mrs Merkel isn't out

of the woods just yet,

but I think today you have

seen her overcome

a significant hurdle.

They have taken a step towards,

I suppose, delivering

the Government, the stability

she has promised Germany all along.

Let's take a look at some of

the other stories making the news.

The US Senate is resuming its debate

on funding the US government. They

are sitting for a rare Sunday

session to try and force the opening

of government agencies shut down

because of the impasse over military

funding and health care. It was said

there would be a vote early on

Monday.

Six people have been

killed during opposition

protests in the capital

of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Police used teargas and live

ammunition to disperse

demonstrators in Kinshasa,

who were demanding that President

Joseph Kabila give up power.

Mr Kabila's term of office expired

more than a year ago.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei

Lavrov has said the West's

"unprecedented Russiaphobia"

was worse than at the

height of the Cold War.

He was speaking in an interview

with the Russian daily Kommersant,

after a two-day visit to New York.

He said that back during

the East-West tensions of the second

half of the last century,

there was at least "some decorum".

Stay with us on BBC

World News, still to come.

Not just any visit

from the neighbours -

a North Korean delegation heads

South to check on the

Winter Olympic venues.

The reaction of American servicemen

was predictable.

I am going home. I

am going home.

Demonstrators waiting for Mike

Gatting and his rebel cricket team

were attacked with tear gas and set

upon by police dogs. Anti-apartheid

campaigners said they would carry on

the protests throughout the tour.

They call him the Butcher of Lyon.

He is being held on a fraud charge

in Bolivia but the West Germans want

to extradite him for crimes

committed in wartime France. There

he was the Gestapo chief.

Millions came to bathe as close as

possible to this spot, a tide of

humanity that was believed by

officials to have broken all

records.

This is BBC World News Today.

The latest headlines.

Turkey says its forces have entered

a Kurdish-controlled enclave

in northern Syria.

President Erdogan says he hopes

the incursion will be brief.

Afghan authorities say the death

toll has increased to 18 in

a militant attack on a luxury

hotel in Kabul.

Thousands of protesters have taken

part in a women's March as part of

an international campaign to combat

gender inequality.

It follows similar marches that took

place yesterday in the US -

on what was the anniversary

of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Those marches have

entered a second day now,

with one of the biggest events

is planned to take place

in US city of Las Vegas,

Rajini Vaidyanathan is there for us.

The main focus is this event in Las

Vegas. It has not kicked off yet,

but as you can see over there,

thousands of women have packed into

the stadium just outside the centre

of Las Vegas. The focus of the event

is actually trying to get women to

register to vote, because it last

year was a rallying cry, this year

is all about getting things done and

getting more people in positions of

power and also encouraging people to

run to office. I'm joined by two

people who have travelled from afar.

Emily.

Thanks to having me.

And

Katie. Thanks to having me. You are

both sisters who have come from

Connecticut and California. Starting

with you, Emily, why is it so

important to come here?

As a mother

of two little boys, raising them, we

want our attention to good values. I

want little boys that are kind and

caring, and my boys are adopted a

minority children that is a very

specific cause bus about being what

is happening in our country right

now. When I sit down at the dinner

table with them I have a hard time

helping them seaways that they can

emulate their president right now.

But aside from people's political

stances, when I look at the leader

of a country, I want to look at

someone I can show my children I

want represented in my own home.

Katie, many people who support

Donald Trump say that is his style

and even if what Emily says might be

the case that some people, it is

about results and the economy is

doing well.

I think we need to take

a look at that in a couple of years

from now and really demand more from

our president. I am not convinced

that the moment that we are headed

down right path. Becoming a new

mother has meant trying to deepen my

own understanding of where we are

headed as a country for her future.

What do you think needs to change

the most? What are you agitating

for?

I'd like to see more women

involved in their local politics. I

think the national stage is taking a

lot of air in the room right now and

if we have a voice we must use it.

It is important to get engaged. I'm

here to deepen my own understanding

of various perspectives to try and

take that to the polls with me and

also take that to my daily and

weekly routine at work and at home

and in my life in my community in

Berkeley, California.

I need to get

more involved. Some of the

supporters of the women's March in

the US.

France's president, Emmanuel Macron,

has told the BBC he shares

the outrage of African countries

about reports Donald Trump used

a vulgar and offensive

word to describe them.

Mr Trump was forced to deny

being a racist when he was accused

of making the comments

during an Oval Office

meeting on immigration.

He was speaking to Andrew Marr.

Let me ask you about another leader,

and I wondered what you thought when

you got up in the morning and saw

what Donald Trump had said about

certain African countries. He denies

using it but a lot of people said he

did. Among the African countries out

rays were many Francophone countries

in Africa and did you share their

outrage?

For sure. It is not a word

you can use and if we want precisely

to build peace and development in

these countries and respectful

relationships...

You cannot use

those words.

By definition. And a

lot of the issues in the Middle East

and Africa is due to a lot of

frustrations and due to a lot of and

we have -- past humiliations. We

have to respect all of these

countries.

I wonder what you make of

him as a person, having come across

him personally?

He is not a

classical politician. First of all,

he was elected by his own people and

he is the President of the United

States. And that is a great country

and a great responsibility. That is

where I want to work with him and I

think we can build a long and strong

relationship. We disagree on many

topics. I call him regularly and I

am direct and Frank and sometimes I

managed to convince him, and

sometimes I fail.

President Macron

speaking to Andrew Marr. It is worth

a look at the website if you want to

see that in full. Let's catch up

with all of the sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo ended a miserable

run of form with a late double

to help Real Madrid thump

La Coruna 7-1.

Ronaldo had only scored four league

goals before Sunday's clash

with third-from-bottom Deportivo.

Gareth Bale and Nacho also bagged

braces each side of half-time.

So Real move back above Villarreal

and into the Champions

League places.

Leaders Barcelona are playing

Real Betis right now.

Barca have scored three times

in quick succession

for a 3-0 lead.

Ivan Rakatic, Lionel Messi

scored the second and

Luis Suarez the third.

Over in Italy, Dries Mertens ended

a long goal drought to give Napoli

a 1-0 victory at Atalanta,

that saw the Serie A leaders

move four points clear.

Second-placed Juventus clash

with Genoa on Monday.

Harry Kane struck his 99th

Premier League goal

to save Tottenham with a 1-1 draw

against Southampton.

Kane's now just a goal away

from becoming the 27th

member of the '100 Club'.

The result moves Spurs to within two

points of fourth-placed Liverpool,

who have a game in hand.

Mauricio Pochettino wasn't happy

with the loss of two

vital points in the push

for a Champions League place.

We must give credit to the opponent

but our performance was not great

and I am not happy with our

performance.

What in particular?

In

possession we need to move the ball

quicker and create more. I think we

made a lot of mistaken decisions and

it's impossible to win the game when

you make many mistakes.

Watford have appointed Javi Gracia

as their new manager

following the sacking of Marco

Silva.

Silva became the eighth sacking

in this Premier League season.

Watford claimed Everton's

"unwarranted approach" for Silva

as their replacement coach

for Ronald Koeman,

was the "catalyst" behind

their decision to sack him.

The Spaniard Gracia last managed

Russian club Rubin Kazan and has

signed an 18-month deal.

It's the final of the Masters

Snooker with Kyren Wilson

and Mark Allen gunning for a maiden

title in London.

Wilson and Allen shared the opening

eight frames before Allen hit

the final's first century

in frame 12.

He leads 7-5 at the

mid-session interval.

The winner is first to 10 frames.

Tommy Fleetwood played with some

back-nine brilliance

to defend his Abu Dhabi golf title.

The European number one

finished on 22-under-par,

two strokes clear of Ross Fisher.

Four-times major winner Rory McIlroy

finished tied for third

alongside Matt Fitzpatrick.

McIlroy said Fleetwood's finish

was "obscene" as he carded six

birdies over the closing nine holes.

It was just important that we

carried on going forward and it's

all well and good having a great

year and it was the best year of my

life but we want to keep pushing and

like I say, I want to know where my

potential will take me but I wanted

to keep pushing and make sure that

we just kept improving and it was

important to do that and this week

feels like another step along the

way.

Playing some excellent golf at

the moment.

England captain Eoin Morgan

says their one day cricket

win against Australia

is probably their best

as a group yet.

England have taken an unassailable

3-0 lead in the series,

thanks largely to an unbeaten

century from wicketkeeper

Jos Buttler in Sydney.

He was helped by 53 not out

from all rounder Chris Woakes

as England posted 302-6

from their 50 overs.

Australia fell 16 runs

short in their reply,

with controversy over Steve Smith

being caught out.

Mark Wood picked up two wickets.

The final two one-dayers take place

in Adelaide on Friday

and Perth next Sunday.

And now to Priests on the Piste.

Yep, you heard it right.

The 21st annual Alpine Skiing

Championships for Clergymen took

place in Poland this weekend.

They compete for

the John Paul II cup.

Competitors are divided not

on their beliefs but on age.

They compete on the 800

metre slalom course.

The cassocks aren't the most

aerodynamic outfits.

Pretty cool pictures. Back to you.

It looks fantastic.

North Korean officials have been

inspecting winter olympic

venues in South Korea.

It's the first such trip

by a delegation from the North since

South Korean President Moon Jae-In,

took office last May.

Sophia Tran-Thomson reports.

A warning it contains

some flash photography.

The symbolic torch is already doing

the rounds in South Korea,

but with less than three weeks

until the opening ceremony

of Pyeongchang's winter Olympics,

there has been plenty of speculation

that the North wouldn't

be taking part.

On Sunday, a sigh of relief

for organisers and athletes

as a North Korean delegation crossed

the border under heavy police guard.

The officials, led by a North Korean

girl band star, will spend two days

inspecting the venues

and preparing cultural performances.

Boarding a train in Seoul,

the representatives avoided

answering questions about why

they previously postponed the visit.

Regardless, the trip

is somewhat of a breakthrough,

after a year of escalating tension

over the north's nuclear missile

programme and a milestone

announcement from the IOC

in Switzerland on Saturday,

confirming that the two nations

will march together at the opening

ceremony and compete under

a unified Korean flag.

The north will send 22

athletes to the Winter Games

and compete in three sports

and five disciplines.

TRANSLATION:

North Korea's

participation in the winter Olympics

will present the most dramatic scene

in the history of the Olympics.

It can be a chance to show

the value and power of sport,

when players from two Koreas march

together and compete

as a unified team.

Seoul and the organisers

hope that the games,

which they are calling

the Peace Olympics, could ease

tensions with their northern

neighbour, who they have never

officially made peace with,

since the Korean War ended

with Armistice in 1953.

Don't forget you can get

in touch with me and some

of the team on Twitter.

I'm @Geetagurumurthy.