Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20171014

And. Click goes inside the Fukushima Nuclear power plant, where robots are helping to clear after at the nuclear disaster. Thats in half on hour here on bbc news. Good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. A canadian man, kidnapped and held for five years in afghanistan, along with his pregnant wife, says she was raped and her baby daughter murdered. Joshua boyle and Caitlin Coleman were freed earlier this week along with three children born in captivity. As john mcmanus reports, mr boyle revealed the details after returning home to canada. Afghanistan, parts of the country remain in the grip of islamist militants. Canadianjoshua boyle and his wife Caitlin Coleman, came here, he says, to carry out aid work. But instead the couple were kidnapped by members of a Haqqani Network linked to the taliban. Over five years their captors released a series of videos. One of them showed their children born in captivity. On wednesday, the family were finally freed by pakistani forces. They arrived in toronto late last night where joshua boyle outlined their grim ordeal including the horrific murder of his daughter. The stupidity and the evil of this Haqqani Networks kidnapping of a pilgrim and his pregnant wife in taliban controlled regions of afghanistan was eclipsed by the stupidity and evil of authorising the murder of my infant daughter. Joshua boyle also said his wife was raped by the militants. The canadian government welcomed the familys safe return home. Im going to ask people to respect their privacy and understand that they have been through an extremely difficult period right now, but i can certainly say that were pleased that the ordeal they have been through over the past years has finally come to an end. Questions have been voiced by the couples decision to go to afghanistan at all. They really will not. Butjoshua boyle says he hopes his surviving children can regain some of their lost childhood. More on that during the course of this news. The home office is planning tougher prison sentences to tackle acid attacks. The number of incidents has more than doubled in britain in the past five years. Ministers are proposing a minimum six month jail term for people whore repeatedly caught carrying acid or other corrosive substances in england, wales and scotland. Alexandra mackenzie report begins with pictures showing the physical injuries some victims have been left with. Acid attacks can have devastating consequences. There were more than 400 in the uk between november 2016 and april this year, according to police figures. The government wants to give police more powers to prevent such assaults. I think its really important that we send out a very strong message that carrying a corrosive substance in a public place, unless youve got a really good reason to have it, is just totally unacceptable. Speak to any victim of an acid attack and they will be living with lifelong scars. Its absolutely right that we take this as seriously as any knife attack. Under the home office proposals, it would be an offence to possess a corrosive substance in public. There would be a ban on the sale of such substances to anyone under 18, and people caught carrying acid twice in public would receive a mandatory minimum six month prison sentence if over the age of 18. The proposals and the consultation around them, what it will do, it will allow us to bring more charges and convictions when it comes to carrying the substances, even before they are being used. At the minute, we have to prove the intent, the fact why are you carrying that substance. These proposals change that and put the onus on the person carrying it to explain why they have a reasonable or lawful excuse to have it in a particular set of circumstances. In london, police are being issued with test kits to check the contents of suspicious bottles of liquid. They are also being given protective gloves and Water Bottles so they can treat victims quickly. Together with the proposed new laws, officers hope it will help prevent more attacks. A former senior Civil Servant in the department for International Trade has warned leaving the eu without a trade agreement would be a very serious outcome for the uk. Sir Martin Donnelly said a no deal scenario could harm the uks ability to strike trade deals with other countries. The labour leader, jeremy corbyn, has also warned that conservative infighting over brexit was putting britain on a path to economic disaster. I spoke to our Political Correspondent earlier and asked if this is significant. Someone who was, until recently, right at the heart of the department for International Trade. Thats the department which liam fox is in charge of as the secretary of state and tasked with post brexit, striking new trade deals with Different Countries around the world. Also having a hand in negotiating britains future trading relationship with the eu specifically. Now hes a former Civil Servant. Hes not crashing in here and using undiplomatic language and causing a row, he is choosing his words carefully to set out what he sees are the disadvantages, the dangers of ending the brexit negotiations with no deal. Hes been clear to say this would lead to a huge amount of legal uncertainty. It will be bad for business, forjobs, for investment in britain. He also was at pains to point out it would make it very difficult for britain to agree future trading relationships with countries beyond the European Union, who may see britain as a gateway to the eu in future. He said that agreeing those deals with other countries would be a long, and at times, difficult process. The americans might raise issues like chlorine treated chicken or hormones in beef or access to our health service. The indians might well say, well, we would like more visas for it workers. Some Asian Countries might want more recognition of their safety and product standards. All these raise complex issues, so i think its a mistake to think that there is some quick and easy alternative to the European Union. Obviously over time things change, but thats slow process. When youre talking about agreeing trade deals with other countries, we are not there yet because the uk cant formally start doing that until weve left the eu. The clock may be ticking on those negotiations, but we are not at this no deal scenario yet, not by a long way. There is plenty of time for a breakthrough and for things to fall into place. Labour throughout have been critical of the governments strategy. The labour leader, jeremy corbyn, during a speech in london this morning using some of the strongest language yet to criticise the governments approach saying that in fighting in the conservative party is in danger of sabotaging the negotiations. Lets be clear, no deal is the worst possible deal. It would leave us with World Trade Organisation tariffs and restrictions instead of the full access to the european markets we need. The risk would be that Key Manufacturers leave for the European Union mainland taking skilled jobs with them. In sector, after sector, no deal could prove to be an economic disaster. Theresa mays cabinet of chaos is risking a jobs melt down across britain. In response to all this, the government has said that they want a deep and special partnership with the European Union after our exit. They say thats in everyones interests. Theyre optimistic about achieving it. They say its a duty of a responsible government to plan for all scenarios. As the Prime Minister said often, no deal is better than a bad deal. More now on our top story a canadian man who was held captive with his family for nearly five years in afghanistan has been speaking about their ordeal. Joshua boyle and Caitlin Coleman were freed earlier this week, along with their three children, who were all born in captivity. Ian austen is a journalist for the New York Times whos been covering the story. He joins me via webcam from ottawa. Thanks very much for being with us. Tell us what this family were doing initially, just the couple, what they were doing in afghanistan in they were doing in afghanistan in the first place. This is the big question. I mean forfive the first place. This is the big question. I mean for five years, the first place. This is the big question. I mean forfive years, the story has been that they were there backpacking. It seems an unusual place to go on holiday, but he did have an interest in afghanistan and islamist issues. Last night, however, mr boyle emerged at the airport in toronto and said he was, in his words, a pilgrim and that they were on a mission to reach people in need of help in taliban occupied territory. He boasted, in fact, that they were in areas that government and private aid groups had failed to penetrate in the past. This came out of the blue. Theres never been any suggestion from any aid group here in canada or in the United States that they were affiliated with them, so that they were affiliated with them, so it appears they were on some sort of self styled mission to help people in afghanistan. Its complicated because of his indirect connection with people with quite strong islamist views. His first wife seems to have been an issue, at least for American Security officials. His first wife is an issue for canadian officials as well. Shes the sister of a child soldier taken cap tiff in afghanistan by American Forces and was the only canadian detained in. Now omars father was closely tide to osama bin laden. He is still under a court order that prohirts him having prohibits him having contact with his sister. So they we re contact with his sister. So they were held for nearly five years and clearly that must have had an extraordinary impact on them personally and on their families. 0h, personally and on their families. Oh, it was dreadful for them, personally and on their families. Oh, it was dreadfulfor them, their families, theirfriends. Oh, it was dreadfulfor them, their families, their friends. Miss coleman gave birth to, now it appears, four children while in cap tiffity. We only knew about three who are now back here in canada. The fourth we learned last night was murdered by their captors apparently. In terms of the efforts that have been made by the canadian authorities to get people back over the last five years, how extensive has that been . Well, we never know. The family, members of the family, at times, complained that canada wasnt doing enough. The policy of the canadian government is to never discuss these things. There was no way to independently verify that. On thursday, when i spoke with the pa rents, thursday, when i spoke with the parents, they were full of praise at canadas efforts. Parents, they were full of praise at ca nadas efforts. Its parents, they were full of praise at canadas efforts. Its very, very difficult to say. I mean, the family had given up hope of any sort of rescue attempt. There had been suggestions in the past that was going to happen. It occurred this week because of american intelligence which was pass add long to pakistan. Passed along to pakistan. Whatever the interest that mr boil had in afghanistan boyle had in afghanistan before he was kidnapped, now he has the challenge of trying to integrate himself and his wife back into a society theyve been isolated from for five years andindeed been isolated from for five years and indeed to introduce their children to a country, a culture of which they have really no knowledge. No, no. I mean, iwould imagine, it sounds their cap tiffity, they were extreme captivity, they were extremely isolated. The children have very little knowledge of any society in general. Their world has been their parents and their captors for their lifetimes to date. Its going to be a very, very difficult time for all of them. And i think, for theirfamily as time for all of them. And i think, for their family as well. Everyones happy to be re united. But tremendously difficult adjustments are going to have to be made by everyone. Thanks so much for telling us everyone. Thanks so much for telling us about this fascinating story. Thank you. Britain has said it will defend the International Nuclear deal with iran, after donald trump decided he would no longer endorse it. The us president said iran had already violated the deal and has threatened to abandon the agreement altogether. All the other signatories including france, china, and germany have said they remain committed to the agreement. As we have seen in north korea, the longer we ignore a threat, the worse that threat becomes. It is why we are determined that the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism will never obtain nuclear weapons. Now to live pictures over new mexico. What a glorious sight. This is the new mexico balloon fiesta. The mass ascent of balloons an you can really, i mean its a strange thing where the aircraft looks like its moving. The balloons look like theyre not moving. Its almost like one of those sd theyre not moving. Its almost like one of those 3d effects you get in the cinema. I promise you, everything in the shot is moving, evenif everything in the shot is moving, even if its only slightly. Hard to think of a more mag any september experience than being up there on a beautiful autumn day and watching the scene below. Hopefully they wont be getting as close to the windows as one hot air balloon did, toa windows as one hot air balloon did, to a stately home in gloucestershire, a few days ago, you may have heard that story on the news, a bit of a shock for the cou ntess news, a bit of a shock for the countess who opened her bathroom windows to find outside, she couldnt quite see the whites of the eyes of the people on board the balloon, but she could see the screens of their mobile phones. Those balloons look safely up in the sky. All imagine tiff sorts of designs you get. They come up with more and more elaborate balloons. Many balloons will be sponsored by commercial organisations and theyll be keen to get their balloon as prominent as possible in the Television Pictures if they can. I dont know how you manage that as a balloon pilot, getting your balloon right in front of the camera at the right in front of the camera at the right time. I guess you have to hope the designers come up with something really spectacular or eye catching. I used to work at the bbc in bristol, it was one of our favourite things, the bristol balloon fiesta, to watch that, particularly when they go up first thing in the morning on a clear day. It looks like they dont have to worry about hour canes in new mexico this weekend. The headlines on bbc news a canadian man, kidnapped with his wife and held for nearly five years in afghanistan has spoken for the first time about the ordeal his family went through at the hands of the taliban. The home office is planning to introduce minimum six month prison sentences for people who are repeatedly caught carrying acid , following a surge in attacks. The organisers of the oscars are to hold emergency talks later to discuss claims of Sexual Misconduct against the Film Producer Harvey Weinstein. In sport, its the return of the premier league after the international break. Crystal palace have taken a surprise lead against chelsea. Their first goal of the season. Chelsea. Their first goal of the season. It was goalless at anfield between liverpool and manchester united. That was the early kickoff. Chances united. That was the early kickoff. Cha nces few united. That was the early kickoff. Chances few and far between. There are five champions cup matches in rugby union. Leinster were winners against montpellier. Leicester are kicking off now against racing. Nadal through to the final at the shanghai masters. He beat cilic in straight sets. Hes chasing his seventh title of the year. Had faces Roger Federer in the final tomorrow. Im back with a full update in the next hour, see you then. 7 the authorities in california are warning that huge wildfires north of San Francisco could spread further, as theyre fanned by dry, windy conditions. 36 people are known to have been killed in the past week and many more are missing. From california, dave lee reports. These fires have choked california, displacing 90,000 people and destroying more than 5000 buildings. Sir, you have got to go this footage shows a Police Officers view on sunday. He was in the safety of santa rosa helping terrified residents evacuated. The next day, the city looks like this. We walk and see our neighbourhood flattened. It looks like a bomb has gone off in our neighbourhood. Its so heart breaking. The smoky air can be smelt as far as 100 miles away. This is where we made all our wines. The harvest was pretty complete. So all of our grapes were in. Over there is our press and crush pad. The tanks and that was all outside. Obviously you can see its completely destroyed. Police are having to deal with looters, seeking to capitalise on block after block of empty homes. Some of the biggest fires are showing signs of being contained, thanks to the efforts of more than 8,000 firefighters drafted in to help. These firefighters are bracing themselves. Weather forecasts suggest more high winds are on the way. This is already the dead least wildfire in the States History and its not over yet. At least four people have died after a cargo plane has crashed into the sea off the shore of ivory coast. It had taken off the from the main airport in the city of abidjan during a heavy storm. Six other people, including french nationals, were injured in the crash of the antonov aircraft which had ten people on board. Hundreds of onlookers gathered at the beach near the crash site, as emergency workers tried to rescue those on board. The aircraft was carrying supplies for the french military. St helena is getting its first commercial airline flight. Its been a most inaccessible locations. New Airline Service will link it to johannesburg transforming the territory into a potential tourist hot spot. The governor told us more about the significance of that first flight. About the significance of that first flight. She did tell us, but we havent got it to play you. We may play it for you later. A new £600 million toll bridge over the river mersey opened earlier this morning. The mersey gateway route is the largest Infrastructure Project in england outside london and connects runcorn and widnes in cheshire. Andy gill reports. Hundreds of people lined the banks of the mersey to watch a spectacular firework display a few hours before the new bridge opened. It links widnes on the north bank and runcorn on the south. Tolls aside, the locals approve. Its very smart. It reminds me of the one in america. I think its brilliant. A long time overdue. Yeah, its a fantastic development. And just past midnight the bridge was opened. Hundreds of bikers among the first to cross. The mersey gateway bridge is the biggest Civil Engineering project in the country, outside london. The total cost is more than £1. 8 billion. 20 million vehicles every year are expected to use it and its 810 miles of cable would stretch from lands end tojohn ogroats. The old Runcorn Widnes bridge now closes for a year for repairs. When it opens, both mersey crossings will be tolled. Locals can travel free if they pay a registration fee, but theres real anger among the individuals and businesses wholl have to pay. The transport secretary says the bridge should be free to use once it is paid for in 2042. Therell be an emergency meeting today, involving the organisers of the oscars. Theyll discuss the disgraced film executive Harvey Weinstein. The academy of Motion Picture arts and scienses has awarded 81 oscars to films produced by his company and say the claims are repugnant. Facing possible expulsion from the organisation that catapulted him to stardom, Harvey Weinsteins future is hanging in the balance. Normally known for its glitz and glamour, the academy which organises the oscars will hold an emergency meeting later, rocked by allegations that the man behind some of hollywoods biggest films sexually harassed and assaulted dozens of women. He is someone who is different from the person i knew and the person who was involved for many years in democratic politics, for me and for barack obama and so many of us. He was very helpful and it is just appalling, what is coming out now, and i want to commend the women who are finally stepping forward. The us Actress Rose Mcgowan is the latest woman to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape, while some of hollywoods other big names have made sexual assault, groping and harassment allegations, leading to Police Investigations in both the uk and us. Its opened questions about what young, aspiring actors are faced with, ina young, aspiring actors are faced with, in a fierce industry in a cut throat culturement with, in a fierce industry in a cutthroat culturement before you step into the room, am i the right look . Are they going to like me because of this, i dont have that. What if they ask me to do that . i cant do that. Ok, maybe i shouldnt go. It sounds crazy, but that is literally the conversation that goes on. In your head. Harvey weinstein denied allegations of non consensual sex and is now believed to be getting therapy in arizona. Rumours are swirling that his Film Production company could soon be closed or sold. In a statement his brother bob has rejected those claims, saying, business is continuing as usual. 65 year old weinstein has already been suspend pd from the british film academy, bafta and may face the same fate or worse from the academy later. Lets talk to simon thompson, a Showbiz Reporter based in los angeles. Thanks very much forjoining us. Let me ask you first of all about this meeting of the academy. Its not a kind of company or a conventional organisation. What options are on the table do you think . The options on the table obviously are the two main ones are to do exactly what ba fta main ones are to do exactly what bafta have done and shelf his membership. You can also, when youre a member of the academy, if youre a member of the academy, if you have the right to vote, you can rescind those rights as well. You have the right, as with any ofgs, if you believe that someone has acted inappropriately and its within your guide book, the rule book, you can dismiss them from the organisation. The problem here is the fact that these are allegations against Harvey Weinstein. He has said that he denies many of the ones levelled against him. The issue here is what the Industry Needs to do with this problem, which we have talked about over the years in many different situations is just as a problem over the years in many different situations isjust as a problem in itself, when you have someone whos accused of Something Like this, if you do effectively ostracise them in the industry you move them out of the industry you move them out of the picture. It doesnt solve the issue. The only thing that will solidify this is something that is something of potential to move forward is if it become as criminal case, otherwise its a he said, she said situation. At the moment, presumably that depends on both the Crown Prosecution Service in britain, for actually deciding or i should say offences committed in england, and the different attorneys, the district attorneys in the United States in places like new york or los angeles, where these offences a re york or los angeles, where these offences are alleged to have taken place. Absolutely. That really is the next step. Because otherwise as i say, you continue with the he said, she said. A number of people have come forward. There are well over 30 women now who have come forward. We heard from colin firth the other day, he was saying he had an actress he starred with who told muslim about an incident that a p pa re ntly muslim about an incident that apparently happened or she claimed happened between herself and Harvey Weinstein. This was sophie dix. She told him at a party maybe a couple of years after this happened and the incident happened in 1990 at the savoyin incident happened in 1990 at the savoy in london. She calls it the single most damaging thing that happened in her life. He regrets that he didnt do more. The argument is what could he have done. That argument could be applied to lots of people across the industry. Absolutely. The thing is, its still up absolutely. The thing is, its still up to the individual to go forward and make this a criminal case if thats what they want to do and they feel there is enough evidence. Your point is really important. Because when you come up against this, this isa when you come up against this, this is a hypothetical situation, when you come up against someone who has great power, if you know that they are doing something that is inappropriate or unacceptable, whatever form that takes, who is the first person to blow the whistle . Do you want to be that person . Because you want to be that person . Because you might raise the alarm in any situation and it might come to nothing, then you put yourself in a situation. What were seeing now is a case of a game with numbers. There area a case of a game with numbers. There are a lot of people whove come forward , are a lot of people whove come forward, which will perhaps persuade more people to take their own action. Thanks so much for speaking to us. Lets have a look at the weather forecast. Warm weather and windy weather to come over the next couple of days. Its been warming up in southern areas particularly today. Especially where we had some sunshine and sunny skies by day will translate into clear skies overnight with a few patches of cloud and maybe the odd mist patch as well. For Northern Ireland and scotland, more cloud. Outbreaks of rain. A strong wind, could be Gale Force Gusts for some exposed spots and temperatures of 12 to 1a degrees, a very mild night indeed. Tomorrow then, quite a breezy day, particularly up to the north west. Outbreaks of rain spreading slowly southwards and eastwards across Northern Ireland and scotland. For england and wales, a cloudy start for many. Things brighten up, especially for central and eastern areas, where we get the best of the sunshine, your temperatures could get as high as 22 or 23 degrees. But for the start of the new week, were looking at this, hurricane ophelia currently in the atlantic. It wont bea currently in the atlantic. It wont be a hurricane as it reaches our shores, but could still bring very windy weather indeed. Particularly in the west. The end hello. This is bbc news. The headlines. A canadian man, kidnapped with his wife and held for nearly five years in afghanistan, has spoken for the first time about the ordeal his family went through at the hands of the taliban. Ita it a important that we are able to build a secure century for our three children to call a home and focus on edification and to regain some