09/02/2018 World News Today

This is BBC World News today. Our

top stories. Victims families

command two members of an Islamic

State execution cell should answer

in court for their actions.

If it goes to trial,

I'll certainly be there.

I certainly want to look them

in the eye and let them know that

I am who I am and they have

destroyed a big part of my life.

Paris closes the Eiffel Tower for

the second time this week as another

blanket of snow covers the French

capital.

Hello and welcome to World News

Today.

The families of the victims of two

British Islamic State

members captured in Syria,

have called for them

to face justice in court.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee El

Sheikh were part of a team of four

IS members whose British accents

earned them the nickname

"the Beatles."

US officials say the group are

accused of executing 27 hostages.

Our home affairs correspondent

Daniel Sandford has more.

They became the most infamous

gang of foreign fighters

in the self-styled Islamic State,

callous torturers and public

executioners of hostages.

Jihadi John, his real name

Mohammed Emwazi, now dead.

Aine Davis, in prison in Turkey.

And the two men captured last

month, Alexanda Kotey

and El Shafee Elsheikh.

The two were detained

by American-backed

Syrian Kurd fighters.

Kotey, the Kurds said today,

was trying to escape into Turkey.

The gang are suspected

of beheading Alan Henning,

a driver and aid worker

from Eccles, and David Haines,

seen here in Croatia,

a former RAF engineer and long-time

aid worker from Perth.

This morning, his daughter, Bethany,

was finally contemplating

what punishment two of his suspected

killers should face.

They should die a long,

slow, painful death.

And I think quite a lot of people

will understand that,

that they shouldn't be

allowed to live.

But realistically, that's

not going to happen.

And I have to come

to terms with that.

And the best thing for them is to be

locked up and throw away the key.

They should never be

allowed back in society,

because they will just recruit

people and they will

just do this again.

And for the sake of her father,

if they end up in court,

she will go to watch.

If it goes to trial,

I will certainly be there,

I will certainly want to look them

in the eye and let them

know that I am who I am,

and they have destroyed a big part

of my life.

And hopefully there will be

some sort of justice.

Some of the gang's hostages

were freed, including

former French reporter,

Nicolas Henin.

He wants them to have

the fairest trial possible.

I would not be happy

if they were just sent

to Guantanamo Bay, because this

is denial of justice.

If we want justice, we need

to give them the trial

that would satisfy them,

but also the victims.

The British men detained last month

are El Shafee Elsheikh,

who arrived in Syria from Britain

in 2012, and Alexanda Kotey,

who left the UK on an aid

convoy to Gaza in 2009,

and also ended up in Syria.

Their gang is accused by the US

of beheading at least 27 hostages,

including Alan Henning,

David Haines and Americans

James Foley, Peter Kassig

and Steven Sotloff.

They are also accused

of water boarding,

mock executions, crucifixions

and electric shock torture.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee

Elsheikh grew up close to each other

in quite a small area of west

London, near to the A40 flyover.

It became infamous as

an IS recruiting ground.

As well as Mohammed Emwazi,

Jihadi John, some half a dozen other

men from these streets died fighting

for IS in either Syria or Iraq.

At El Shafee Elsheikh's house,

his parents, who had another

son killed in Syria,

asked the media to leave.

There's nothing we can say,

no comment whatsoever.

Please, please, let us be in peace.

Their son and Alexanda Kotey

have had their

British citizenship removed already.

Now a trial, possibly

in the United States,

seems the most likely outcome.

Daniel Sandford, BBC News.

Gale of suffering in Syria continues

according to the United Nations. --

the scale of suffering. More than

240 civilians are thought to have

been killed in the besieged areas

this week. After five straight days

of bombing by Syrian warplanes and

artillery. The assistant Secretary

General at the United Nations and

the UN regional coordinator for

Syria explained why he is among

those calling for a ceasefire.

We have seen a massive besiege area

and some 4000 people have been

living in extreme situations. We

have more than 700 medical cases of

people who need to move out. We have

not been able to bring humanitarian

assistance to the besieged places

for over two months. It is a

situation which cannot continue any

longer. We average a point where we

feel enough is enough. It is time to

act in a way that ensures women and

children who are in desperate

situation receive assistance and the

injured are able to come out.

Just

last year, the UN only got access to

27% of its request to get access to

opposition areas by the Syrian

government. The UN is failing

miserably in terms of getting a grip

on this.

I would say what is really

happening at the moment is there is

a failure of humanitarian diplomacy,

a failure to bring a solution to a

problem which has been going on for

seven years. It is a country which

has been seriously affected. 30

million people are in need, more

than 6 million people are internally

displaced. It is a situation which

is very difficult. We are able to

help 7.5

million people every month through a

regular programme of assistance

inside Syria and from cross-border

countries. What we are unable to do

is to reach the people in the most

desperate need, in the besieged

areas and hard to reach areas.

Really, something needs to change.

We cannot continue like this not

being able to reach the most

vulnerable within Syria.

But as you

said, this has been going on for

seven years. You have much time to

raise your voice. Are you not put

enough pressure on the regime to get

access to drive humanitarian aid to

those people who need it?

At the

moment we are in contact with the

government of Syria and we are in

contact with every single government

capital we think can be of help, to

help us reach these people who are

in this desperate situation. This is

not happening, this is not moving

any further. Last year we reached

about a quarter of what we should

have done from the Cross line Syria

operations. Within two months this

has come to a complete halt. It

cannot be business as usual. The

reports, the pictures, the images we

are getting every day in Ghouta and

Idlib are really quite dramatic.

Health facilities should not be

targeted, civilians should not be

targeted.

But how effective can you

be if you have Russia continually

supporting Assad? What can you

genuinely do?

We always say the

humanitarian response cannot be a

problem. A solution to what is a

political problem. What needs to

happen is the political will, the

commitment, the consciousness of

politicians and government to bring

pressures so there is an improvement

to people's lives in these

situations. The siege Matt, conflict

is definitely not a way forward.

What we need to see is a ceasefire

so we can bring humanitarian

assistance and also take out the

medical cases of people whose lives

are really on the line.

The

Assistant Secretary-General of the

United Nations is among those

calling for a ceasefire.

President Trump has called the

departure of a former White House

aide accused of domestic violence

very sad and wished him well. Staff

secretary Rob Porter resigned

following accusations he abused his

two ex wives.

He did a very good job

when he was in the White House and

we hope he has a wonderful career

and hopefully he will have a great

career ahead of him. But it was very

sad when we heard about it and he is

also very sad. And he also, as you

probably know, he is innocent and

you have to remember that. He said

very strongly that he is innocent.

But we absolutely wish him well. He

did a very good job when he was at

the White House.

I asked our

correspondent Barbara Plett-Usher to

give more background on this

starting with reports earlier this

week that this White House aide had

abused his two ex-wives.

The White

House defended him. But a photograph

was published showing one of the

ex-wives with a black eye. The

narrative changed in the White House

said he they were taking action

against him and he resigned. The

question of what the White House

knew and when it knew, it continued

to bubble up because the timeline

keeps changing, particularly the

role of the Chief of staff John

Kelly and the communications staff.

These are the people who were

supposed to bring order to the White

House to make it run smoothly and

now they are embroiled in this

controversy.

We heard the president

say this was very sad and he wishes

him well. Is he supporting him?

It

certainly sounds that way. It sounds

like he's continuing to defend him,

wishing him well, saying he hopes he

does well in his career, and rather

than take a stand against domestic

violence, he said remember that Mr

Porter

says he is innocent. This is a

pattern we have seen before when

certain people within his orbit are

accused of egregious behaviour,

rather than condemning the behaviour

he suggests there might be two sides

to the story. This approach is tone

deaf. The president is the top law

enforcer in the country and he is

not calling out domestic violence.

And given the current environment

with Me Too which is in the news at

the moment.

Uber has settled around with the

company Waymo. -- settled a row.

Uber has agreed to give Waymo shares

in its firm worth $245 million but

it could have been worse.

We were talking in the region of

more than $1 billion if the jury

ruled that these trade secrets had

been stolen and used. It is that

crucial part that using them was

what Waymo was trying to prove over

the course of the trial. There was a

suggestion that the reason these two

companies have come to this

settlement is because it is mutually

beneficial. On Uber's side they can

put this behind them. They can move

on and not worry about this case

going on and airing any more dirty

laundry. On Waymo's side, they get

an increased stake in Uber. They

already have small ownership, now

they have a bit more. And also they

can keep an eye on what you've is

doing himself driving technology

which has been their aim all along.

This is about making sure for Waymo

but they stay ahead in the race to

bring self driving cars and the self

driving fleet of taxis to the roads.

They were trying to slow down Uber's

progress by accusing them of getting

an unfair advantage by stealing

these trade secrets. They were not

doing a particularly good job in

court of convincing the jury. I

don't think those trade secrets were

used. So a settlement like this has

benefits for both parties.

So what

impact apart from the awkward

situation of the accusations of

stealing trade secrets, what impact

has had on both businesses?

I think

for Uber it has been a huge

distraction. The new chief executive

wrote a letter today to investors

and employers and in that he said he

regrets what happened although he

was not at the company at the time.

He also apologised to staff for the

big distraction this had caused, ie

the people working on the self

driving team, have essentially had

to put down their tools because of

this case, and only now can they

start working on it again. I think

the immediate impact will be that

Uber can begin its work in self

driving once more. Also looking

ahead a little bit. Many people

predict that Uber will become a

public company, perhaps in 2019.

This case and the potential damages

was hanging over the company. Now

they have managed to put this behind

them and I think the idea that it

could go public in 2019, becomes a

lot more likely than it was before.

Dave Lee reporting from sunny San

Francisco.

We will report on all the sport

including the latest from

Pyeongchang as the Winter Olympics

have got underway.

This is BBC News, our main story

this evening: victims families

demand that two members of an

execution cell should answer in

court for their actions.

Let's get the sports news with

Lizzie Greenwood Hughes. We have had

the fireworks, now for the sport in

Pyeongchang.

Yes, the legendary downhill skier

Lindsay Vaughan admitted this might

be her last games. She took gold in

Vancouver eight years ago but her

career has been plagued with injury

and she says it is the memory of her

late grandfather whose Birsa on --

Lindsey Vonn.

It is good because it

is not about me or my career, it is

about my grandfather. I will lay it

out there. I will give it everything

I have. And whatever happens will

happen. I am not going to be

nervous. I know he's looking out for

me and I think that actually gives

me a lot of peace of mind. I always

feel privileged to be able to

compete in the Olympics and just as

in 2002 I was soaking in every

moment because it was my first time

and I could not believe I was there,

I had worked my whole life for that

moment, I'm still in that position

right now. This is probably my last

Olympics. I am soaking in every

moment. I am in of being able to

represent my country.

Nathan Chen is the only athlete to

have landed five different quadruple

jumps.

My name is Nathan Chen, I am

a US figure skater. Figure skating

is a combination of artistry and

athleticism in a really cool

package. Everything is super precise

about our sport but there is a lot

of emotion in our programmes and it

will definitely be a sport to watch

in the games. The quads I am

planning, any quads take a lot out

of everybody. You put all your

exertion in a split second and it is

all technical and timing. Right

after that jump you are pretty

exhausted and you have to do it

again, again, again and again

throughout the programme. That

stamina work will be huge in my

preparations. I remember I was three

years old, I did not state, I stood

on the ice. I wanted to skate more.

There is an interesting quote at the

US Olympic training Centre and

basically the idea is, yes, we are

trying to strive for these gold

medals but at the end of the date is

the friendships, the relationships

and the journey that matters the

most and that is what you will

remember and what your legacy will

entail. I have wanted to make an

Olympic team my whole life. I have

wanted to stand on top of that

programme the macro podium and that

would be the pinnacle of my career.

Head of the big match between

England and Wales in the Six Nations

the England coach Eddie Jones has

been questioning whether the Welsh

fly half Rhys Patchell has the

bottle for the games. This is what

the captain had to say in reply.

People forget Rhys Patchell has been

in the squad for a good few years

now. He would probably like a few

more caps but he has experience of

being around the camp. It is a step

up, no one will deny that. But he is

ready for that and focused on the

job at hand.

That is all the sport

for now.

Thank you.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator,

Michel Barnier, has issued

a stark warning to the UK -

effectively telling the British

government, you can't

have your cake and eat it.

Our deputy political editor,

John Pienaar, reports.

Brexit is coming and

time is running short.

Just 13 months before

Britain is officially out

of the European Union,

and today the EU had

a sharp warning.

Sort out key sticking points,

or there will be no

deal and no transition.

Britain's Brexit Secretary met

the EU chief negotiator

in Downing Street on Monday.

Friendly enough, but just weeks

to thrash out the shape

of a Brexit transition.

Today, with a big EU summit next

month, Michel Barnier

had a blunt message,

in terms easy to understand.

If these disagreements persist,

the transition is not given.

So much to sort out,

and talks are getting prickly.

On the rights of migrants who arrive

after the Brexit date,

will Brussels block trade if Britain

breaks EU rules?

The Brexit secretary

called it discourteous.

Mr Barnier disagreed.

TRANSLATION:

Throughout these

negotiations, my attitude has

not been in the least

discourteous or vindictive.

We have never wished

to punish the UK.

It is totally foreign

to my state of mind.

And how to leave the EU

without bringing back a hard

north/south Irish border.

Nobody wants that but...

It is important to tell the truth.

A UK decision to leave

the single market and to leave

the customs union would make

border checks unavoidable.

It is not just a political

problem at this shoe shop

in Newry, Northern Ireland.

These shoes are meant for walking,

on both sides of the border.

Customs and tariffs could mean

a business like this

running into trouble.

We need easy access

from the factory to our shop floor.

If there is a hard border,

there will be hold-ups all the way

along that we cannot predict.

But the Unionist party shoring up

the government in Parliament says

Tonight, the Brexit secretary

is saying he is surprised that

Mr Barnier is not clear that Britain

wants to go on trading as now

during a transition.

The government is hoping

for compromise in negotiations,

but if there is no transition deal

next month, ministers will have

to prepare Britain and British

business for the possibility

of a cliff-edge Brexit.

If there is a transition

deal it is onto deciding

the ambitions for Brexit,

which divide Parliament,

Tory MPs and the Cabinet.

One day, one crisis at a time.

Now let's take a look at some other

stories.

President Trump has signed in new

spending bill into law ending a

brief government shutdown. Congress

passed the legislation after a

midnight deadline was missed. Fiscal

Conservatives had not liked the

bill.

India's competition commission said

Google was indulging in practices of

search buyers thereby harming its

competitors and users.

Researchers at Edinburgh University

have grown human eggs in a

laboratory for the first time. They

say the breakthrough is an

opportunity to explore how human

eggs develop, much of which remains

a mystery for science. The findings

may lead to a new way to preserve

women's fertility.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris has been

shut for the second time this week

because of snow and black ice.

The French capital is covered

in a heavy blanket of snow that has

brought some parts of the transport

system to a halt.

But not everyone is complaining.

Here's our correspondent,

Hugh Schofield.

For the second time this week,

snowy weather has blown

into Paris from the West,

setting off to good

effect for tourists,

some of the most popular landmarks.

The city was just getting over

the previous heavy fall on Tuesday.

That caused some disruption

to transport on road and rail.

Parks were shut as freezing

temperatures overnight

turned slush to ice.

I love it.

I'm used to coming to

Paris when it is sunny.

I have never been here

in the snow before.

As a tourist I don't like it

because lots of things are closed

but it is beautiful.

You cannot not enjoy it.

TRANSLATION:

I think some roads

should have been cleared quicker,

but then that is the weather,

nothing out of the ordinary.

I think we should look

at the positives.

Snow is actually quite beautiful.

At this airbase just

west of the capital,

snowploughs have been brought out

to clear the runways.

And one adventurous soul had a flaky

answer to the transport problem.

Now there is a skiing fan.

Yes, flaky indeed! Just time to tell

you that all good fairy tales say if

you kiss a frog you could end up

with a prince. But one young lover

in Bolivia is hopping for a

different result. Meet Romeo a water

frog who has been calling for a mate

for the past nine years. Now a

dating website has created a profile

to help him look for love. They will

have to be quick. Conservationists

warn that frogs like Romeo only live

to age 15. Let's hope he does not

croak it before he