26/01/2018 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today.

I'm Samantha Simmonds.

Our top stories.

Donald Trump tells world leaders -

it's America first -

but NOT at the expense

of the global economy.

What Brexit Differences?

The UK minister in charge denies

a government split on how to handle

the departure from the EU

Also in the programme.

Paris braces itself for more

flooding with water levels set

to peak this weekend.

Hello and welcome

to World News Today.

"America First does not mean

"America alone", that's the message

from Donald Trump speaking

at the World Economic Forum

in Davos in Switzerland.

He told an audience of business

and political leaders that the US

was doing "fantastically well"

and was "open for business."

But he hit out at what he called

other countries' "predatory"

trading practices.

Earlier, the President said

he would be prepared to apologise

for sharing social media posts

by the far-right

group Britain First.

Our North America Editor

Jon Sopel reports.

Wherever Donald Trump has gone

in Davos, the crowds

have gone with him.

And wherever the cameras have

been, the President has

been pleased to oblige.

I hope we're going to bring

back many billions of

dollars into the US.

I think that will happen.

It's already happening.

But billions of dollars is coming

back into the US and I think

that will just continue.

How much today?

How much?

Probably a lot.

And that was the theme

of his speech.

America first, yes, but an America

welcoming the world.

I will always put America first,

just like the leaders

of other countries should

put their country first also.

But America first does

not mean America alone.

When the United States

grows, so does the world.

But at the end of a week

in which the US imposed extra

charges on some imported goods

from China, he played down

talk of a trade war.

Nevertheless, there was a warning.

We cannot have free and open trade

if some countries exploit the system

at the expense of others.

We support free trade,

but it needs to be fair,

and it needs to be reciprocal.

Because in the end, unfair

trade undermines us all.

Some stood to applaud,

but it wasn't the ovation given

to President Xi of China last year.

This hasn't been a complete meeting

of minds, but then again

it was never going to be.

That said, Donald Trump has been

more conciliatory than many

would have expected,

and the audience have

reacted more warmly.

It may be that Davos 2018 turns

out to be a win-win.

And the President was in

conciliatory, almost repentant mood

over those Britain First anti-Muslim

retweets from last year that

brought him to blows

with the Prime Minister.

There's a lot they liked

about what Donald Trump said,

and who would disagree

with his central message,

that a booming US economy is good

for the global economy?

Jon Sopel, BBC News, Davos.

Well, President Trump

took a lot of credit

for the robustness of the US

economy, claiming the share-market

has risen by almost

50% under his tenure.

That's not completely accurate,

but for the Dow Jones at least,

it's a claim that isn't too far

off the mark.

Let's bring in the

BBC's Yogita Limaye,

who joins me from New York.

Welcome to you, Yogita, let's get

first, the talk about the speech

Davos, what did you make of the more

conciliatory tone that the President

struck?

Most people noticed that it

was restrained. He was going to

Davos literally after signing in the

US the approvals on the increase on

the tariffs of sodas and in some

cases it was over %, quite a lot of

money imported into the US.

Sores, that is sort of going to

largely affect countries like China

and South Korea. So the actions were

strong, quite harsh and questions

were put to him about whether or not

he would trigger a trade war, then

goes to Davos to have a speech. Not

a long speech. He stuck to the

script and when he spoke about

America no longer turning a blind

eye to unfair trade practices, it

was restrained in the sense he

talked about America first but

specifically, he said that this is

not America alone. If we grow, so

does the global economy. So it will

benefit everyone. So making a case

and defending his stance.

In terms of the message of

protecting American manufactures, we

are apacting an announcement on

Bombardier, the plane industry,

explain that to us?

Yes, that's

right. In about half an hour we are

expecting the international Federal

Trade Commission in the US to vote

on that. The US commerce department

has told them, or recommended to

them that Bombardier jets, when they

are sold in America, that is a

Canadian company, that when their

aircraft is sold in America, they

should have a 300% tariff imposed on

them. At the centre of the dispute,

really, is a deal that Bombardier

signed with delta airlines in 2016,

where they ordered 75 jets. Boeing

777, a rival company, an American

company, they have disputed that,

saying that Bombardier was able to

sell the jets cheaper, more than 30%

cheaper than the market price

because of illegal subsidies that

they received from the Canadian

government. But Bombardier are

disputing that, saying it is not

uncommon for the companies that make

aircraft to receive subsidies from

the government simply because of the

costs involved in the operations.

And tell us about the American

economy. They have had figures but

not quite the growth that Donald

Trump was hoping for?

That's right,

they were expecting that the growth

in 2017 would come in at 3% but the

number we have seen today is 2.6%.

So it misses that streak that they

were hoping for. It would have been

three-quarters of more than 3%

growth. We did hear Donald Trump

talking of successes there on the

economy, on unemployment, which at

4.1% is at a 17-year low. But many

contest this was a situation, that

this was a position that the US

economy was reaching anyway and that

the President shouldn't take credit

for it.

For example, in jobs, he spoke about

creating lots of jobs in America but

to give you a comparison, in 2016,

that was the last year of the Obama

presidency, the US economy created

2.1 million jobs, in 2017, it was

2.2 million jobs. So not a huge

increase. Unemployment, it was at

4.8%. Yes it is down to 4.1% but

many say these are underlying

factors that are there and we are

only seeing the outcome of it now.

Meanwhile back in America -

reports in several newspapers claim

President Trump tried to fire

the man investigating alleged

collusion with Russia during

the 2016 Presidential election.

It's alleged Mr Trump was only

stopped from sacking Robert Mueller

by White House advisers.

It's a claim the President addressed

head - on, in Davos.

Did you want to fire Mr Mueller?

Fake news. It's called New York

Times, fake news.

It's called New York

Times, fake news.

A short time ago I asked

the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue

who might have leaked this

information, and why?

There were stories at the time last

year that the President had

considered firing Robert Mueller,

the special counsel and since then,

what Robert Mueller has been doing

is interviewing a bunch of people,

we are told that 20 staffers from

the White House have been spoken to

by the special council and spoken to

Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General.

So it is not entirely surprising if

some of that stuff started to leak

out. We have seen the flat denial

from the President if he considered

that but what is new is the idea

that when they floated or supposedly

floated the idea last June that it

was the

was the White House council --

council, the most senior lawyer,

that he was the one that threatened

to resign and this is the new piece

of information. It has everyone

concerned again whether or not he is

still thinking about doing that. And

Democrats have been through to

introduce legislation on Capitol

Hill that would prevent him from

doing that, even though the legal

position suggests he would have a

hard time doing it anyway.

You mention the Democrats, and there

have been some political opponents,

say if he were to fire the counsel

it woulding crossing the line and an

abuse of the perhap shall power? It

looks like he would have to get

someone else to fire him for him. It

could be the deputy general. He

could refuse to do that, then Donald

Trump could fire the deputy general

and keep firing people until he

finds someone to fire the special

counsel. But casting your mind back,

Richard Nixon fired special

prosecutor during the Watergate

affair and that didn't do him any

good at all.

Now breaking news. Canadian

pharmaceutical billionaires Barry

and Honey Sherman were murdered. The

couple were found hanged in their

home. Officers ruled out the murder,

believing Mr Sherman killed his wife

and hung her before hanging himself.

The coup's children disputed this

and hired private investigators. Now

the police say that they agree.

No-one has been charged with their

deaths.

-- couple's.

Britain's future relationship

with the European Union is again

causing tensions in the country's

governing Conservative Party.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

Philip Hammond has suggested

the relationship post-Brexit might

only be a little different from now.

That's sparked an angry reaction

from those in the party who want

a clean break from Europe.

The minister in charge

of Brexit has denied a split

and today outlined the government's

plans for the transition period

after Britain leaves the EU.

Alex Forsyth reports.

In Teesside today, the Brexit

secretary was trying to calm

troubled waters. Surrounded by

businesses, dependant on EU trade he

promised certainty and continuity

when we leave. David Davis set out

the government's plans for a

transition period of up to two years

after Brexit.

This is a bridge to a new future

partnership. When crucially, the

United Kingdom is outside of the

single market and outside of the

customs union.

He said that there would be no

dramatic change but the UK would

start to talk trade with other

countries, or to be negotiated with

the EU but for now it is comments by

his Cabinet colleague causing

possible levels. The Chancellor

saying that there could be modest

changes but if the Cabinet can't

agree on its position, how can you

negotiate with Brussels?

I'm in

politics. People debate and have

different views and diversive views

on the subject in all parties, it

doesn't mean that we don't have or

can't have a coherent and forceful

view in the interests of the United

Kingdom.

Ministers don't always want their

divisions laid bare but the

Chancellor insisted he would back

the Government's view.

I was speaking about our trade

relationship with the EU. It is the

Government's policy to maintain the

maximum possible access to markets

and the minimum friction at our

borders.

But the businesses Brexit will

affect say that the political

discord is damaging. This car parts

manufacture in Redcar relies on

being aim to import and export to

the EU, and the boss wants a are

more clarity from the Government

about the long-term Brexit plan.

I think it has been shambolic. I

want them to get on with it. From

the contrary statements coming out

and the infighting that is happening

I don't know what they are expecting

to achieve. I don't know what the

targets are. It is just Werby washy.

Businesses like those here which

rely heavily on trade with the EU

crave certainty. I Government says

that is what the transition phase

will offer, the trouble is that the

Conservative Party cannot agree on

what should come beyond. And as

talks approach future trade

relation, what has been a packagile

truce among the Tories looks rocky.

-- fragile.

-- fragile.

Let's take a look

at some of the other

stories making the news.

Residents in the South African city

of Cape Town have been warned

to "save water as if your life

depends on it" to avoid

the supply being shut off.

A severe drought has seen

consumption limited to 50

litres per person per day.

Now officials are urging people

to switch off their toilet

cisterns and limit flushing

to conserve water.

Formal coalition talks

have begun in Germany

to try to break four months

of political stalemate

following September's

inconclusive elections.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's

conservatives are seeking to form

a government with the country's

second-biggest party,

the centre-left Social Democrats.

Top chefs from as far afield

as the US and Japan have

attended the funeral in France

of one of the prime exponents

of their art, Paul Bocuse.

They filled Lyons cathedral

in their hundreds, dressed

in their chefs' whites,

to pay homage to a man nicknamed

the Pope of French gastronomy.

South Korean officials

are investigating a fire that

swept through a hospital,

killing as many as 40 people.

It took firefighters several

hours to put it out.

The fire is the country's

deadliest in almost a decade.

It's now emerged the building didn't

have any sprinklers -

even though it was built only

a few years ago.

Laura Bicker reports from Seoul.

Black smoke billowed

from the emergency wing,

as firefighters tried to get

to patients trapped inside.

There were nearly 200

people in the building.

Many were elderly.

Those who escaped needed

urgent treatment.

Others died on their

way to hospital, most

from smoke inhalation.

Firefighters said they did

everything they could.

TRANSLATION: We prevented the fire

from spreading to the second floor

in the early stages,

so that we could secure the second,

third, fourth and fifth floors.

As crews inspect the blackened

shell of the hospital,

it was revealed that no water

sprinklers had been installed.

This is the deadliest blaze

in a decade in South Korea,

and the government said

there would be a thorough

investigation.

TRANSLATION: The president has

ordered an investigation to figure

out the exact cause of the fire

and come up with measures to prevent

more fires at building complexes,

as well as preparing support

measures to promptly cope

with the personnel and property

damage caused by this fire.

Just last month, 29 people

were killed in a fire

in a sports centre in Sejong.

An inquiry found there were too

few emergency exits,

and it had been built

with flammable materials.

Questions are now being asked

about safety regulations

in South Korea, and what needs to be

done to prevent something

like this happening again.

Laura Bicker, BBC News, Seoul.

It's been nearly four months

since the Kurds in Iraq held

a referendum on independence

for their oil-rich region.

The referendum's result came

with an overwhelming majority

voting for separation

from the rest of Iraq.

But things quickly deteriorated

from then, as the Iraqi forces took

control of the city of Kirkuk

from the Kurdish fighters.

The Kurds had felt emboldened

in recent years due to their role

in the fight against so-called

Islamic State.

But it now seems as though they have

missed their moment in history.

Shaimaa Khalil sent this report

from Kirkuk with this report.

On the road to Kirkuk, now back in

the hands of the Iraqi forces. For

the last three years, the city has

been under the control of the

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters but then

lost it in a matter of hours a few

months ago. The Kurds here say that

they now live in fear. This is a

25-year-old actress, saying that

prospects are bleak for the Kurds

after they voted for independence.

TRANSLATION: Things were stable and

we used to feel safe in Kirkuk, then

the Iraqi Army and the popular

mobilisation forces came in October

and we live in fear since then.

We have had to leave home.

Who do you blame?

I blame the

politicians for how we ended up. Our

political leaders did not act

responsible.

responsible. If

The once thriving

Iraqi/Kurdish region is now

suffering after the fierce response

to the referendum.

The Kurds were involved in a key

role that in the battle against the

so-called Islamic State. They

thought that they finally had their

moment but it was not meant to be.

Until recently, a Kurdish flag flew

here but it has been replaced by an

Iraqi one when the government forces

took control. Things have changed

dramatically for the Kurds after an

independent vote. What seemed an

historic moment, turned out to be a

political gamble that the leadership

took and lost. The outgoing Kurdish

President, however, remains defiant.

TRANSLATION:

I said before and I

will say it again, I don't regret it

I don't regret the vote of 3 million

people.

You say it's been successful but in

reality it has not as the Kurdish

people suffered after the referendum

and you didn't do what you wanted?

TRANSLATION:

What is happening now

is the result of Baghdad and the

budget for the Kurdish people of

2014. Also, the fight against Daesh

came at an expense and the dramatic

cut in the oil prices has cost us a

lot. Remember, we

lot. Remember, we also have around 2

million

INAUDIBLE

So why call this a failure. Many

people in the Iraqi Kurdistan are

now struggle to make ends meet.

Welders in the workshop come from

there different ethnicities, Kurds,

Arabs and Turkmen.

Like many in Iraq's Kurdish region,

they have learned to live with

conflict and sun certainty.

Hundreds of people have been

evacuated from their homes in Paris

as the city braces itself

for more flooding.

Tunnels and roads have been sealed

off and the bottom floor

of the Louvre was closed.

Residents of this suburb

in the south of the city

were among the worst affected.

It follows the wettest

January in Northern France

for over a century.

And it's not over yet -

flood waters are expected

to peak this weekend.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield has been

stepping out to bring us the latest.

For the second time in a

year-and-a-half Paris is waking up

with its feet in the water. It was

June 2016, we were reporting almost

exactly the same story - heavy rain

upstream from Paris, the train wares

of the filling up with water, and

then this mass of water coming down

here to create localised flooding

here in the 16arondissement. Here

the ground flats have been boarded

up. These were flats. People lived

here, they have had to move out.

Across here, the commuter Network

Rail work comes in. This has been

shut down as it is flooded.

And the museum, the Louvre have once

again started to move precious item

from the basement to higher levels.

Every time there is a inadequate in

Paris, they ask if this is the big

one, there is a bigger one. Like in

1910. This peaked at six metres, it

is the norm, it is not the big one.

it is not the big one.

In just under a month's time,

the winners of this year's

British Academy Film Awards

will be announced.

Incredibly, former students

from just one British School have

received ten individual BAFTA

nominations - for films

including Darkest Hour,

Star Wars and Bladerunner 2049.

The BBC's Chi Chi Izundu went

to the National Film

and Television School to meet some

of the nominees

and current students.

The 1979 release of Alien,

the first film a graduate

from the National Film

and Television School

won a BAFTA for.

Skip forward to 2018 -

studying their craft

is very hands-on.

The courses here are so practical

93% of graduates get

a job in their specialism

within the industry,

just like Jessica Jones,

who graduated in 2016,

and is now nominated for a BAFTA

that's part of the music composition

team for Darkest Hour.

Lots of people don't know about it,

and it's sort of tucked away

in the middle of the country and,

yeah, but I think it used to be

studios so it is definitely the kind

of place where you meet

lots of different people

and you learn your trade

and you meet people learning

their craft, so you'll

meet cinematographers

and producers and editors,

and I'm still really close

with all those people now.

Our island, whatever

the cost may be...

Then there's the alumni.

The school maintains links

with those working in the industry

who regularly come back

to teach, like Oscar-winning

composer Dario Marianelli.

But I think the uniqueness

of the film school is

that the composition students

will work alongside the production

students and the director

students, and the writers.

Think of every big

British blockbuster,

from the Harry Potter franchise

right through to the Wallace

and Gromit animation series.

This school and its students

have had a hand in it.

The students even get to learn how

to build a set like this.

So far, graduates have managed

to scoop ten Oscars and 129 BAFTAs,

but for the first time the school

itself will be acknowledged

for its contribution.

It's not just film

and TV production.

Gaming, animation and model-making

are also points of pride

for staff and students.

To win the Outstanding Contribution

to Cinema Award, it's unbelievable,

and it's such a vote

of confidence in the school.

You know, for 47 years we've really

worked hard to provide the people

of the future of the film,

television and now games industries.

Britain still attracts

foreign film investment,

which is largely thanks to the broad

skill base of British movie-makers

which this school plays

a crucial role in providing.

Chi Chi Izundu, BBC News,

at the National Film

and Television School.

A discount on Nutella has led

to violent scenes in a chain

of French supermarkets,

as shoppers jostled

to grab a bargain.

Intermarche

supermarkets offered a seventy

percent discount on the

chocolate hazelnut spread.

Similar scenes have been reported

across France, with some

being described as "riots".

Don't forget you can get

in touch with me and some