Transcripts For BBCNEWS 100 Days 20170425

To defend her fathers record on womens rights. Not everyone in the audience was convinced. Im katty kay In Washington. Christian fraser is in london. A Us Nuclear Submarine pulled into a south korean port today. A us Aircraft Carrier arrives there soon. And tomorrow, all 100 us senators have been invited to the white house for a really unusual secure briefing on the crisis. Is the north korea situation at a tipping point, or is this political theatre from the white house . Earlier today, pyongyang carried out a major live fire Military Exercise to mark the 85th Anniversary of the founding of its armed forces. It is thought to be planning a sixth nuclear test mr trump says it is time to take off the blindfolds and solve the problem. According to the New York Times today, heres what the Trump Administration may be looking at. For more, i spoke to former Us Ambassador to the un just a short time ago. Governor richardson, how urgent do you think the north korean situation is at the moment . Has it become more so is at the moment . Has it become more so just recently . Is at the moment . Has it become more sojust recently . It is at the moment . Has it become more so just recently . It has become more urgent recently because the possibility of a Tinderbox Conflagration is increased because now the skirmishes may be hopefully not between north korea and south korea with artillery shells, with conventional weapons. I recalled yea rs conventional weapons. I recalled years ago there was a brush up because a north korean vessel shot a south korean vessel, if fishing boat. This is the danger of conventional miscalculation, conventional miscalculation, conventional mistakes. Adding to that the prospect of an exhilarated nuclear programme. Do you think mr trump can do what he says and accelerated nuclear programme. Can he solve the north korean issue . Well, it remains to be seen. First, the us needs to develop an overall strategy. I dont think they have won. Secondly, they have to speak with one voice. You have too many cabinet members saying different things. Third, there has to be an injection of diplomacy into this, a diplomatic deal of some kind. We dont have that. And fourth, i think we have to let china to find north korea and see if it works. I dont know if it will work, but if they put more sanctions on china, coal exports, while exports reductions, that might help. That seems to be pa rt that might help. That seems to be part of the Trump Administration strategy, and its what he says he told xijinping, chinese strategy, and its what he says he told xi jinping, chinese entities have got to enforce these sanctions all we will take action against those chinese entities. But chinas interest in north korea not the same as the United States, and at some point could diverged. Thats right, andi point could diverged. Thats right, and i believe giving china some incentives, it seems President Trump is doing that, not naming them currency manipulators. Maybe some trade benefits, maybe some other cooperation we dont know about. Instead advised china to help us. Because in the past they havent helped us. They like the turmoil on the korean peninsular because it causes problems for the United States. They dont want North And South Korean unification, they dont wa nt south korean unification, they dont want them getting together, they like the turmoil. But maybe they are changing, because kim jong un, like the turmoil. But maybe they are changing, because kimjong un, with all of these threats and weapons and Ballistic Missile that missiles, conventional warfare, maybe nuclear weapons. The region is very unstable. The opinion of scientists more involved about Nuclear Matters than i am sojust more involved about Nuclear Matters than i am so just that about 2020 north korea could resolve the issue of how to get a missile to the United States and a warhead that survives that journey, United States and a warhead that survives thatjourney, they could solve our problem. That would be under solve our problem. That would be undeer solve our problem. That would be under mr trumps what. Is this the new Foreign Policy challenge for the new Foreign Policy challenge for the new president . This is more than syria, more than the middle east. More than canada and mexico. It seems that is kind of falling apart too, the relationship. But i think this involves china, one of our biggest competitors, geopolitical. I wouldnt call them friends, but geopolitical challenges. And north korea with nuclear weapons, going after our friends korea with nuclear weapons, going after ourfriends in korea with nuclear weapons, going after our friends in japan and korea with nuclear weapons, going after our Friends Injapan and south korea with 20,000 americans, 30,000 American Troops in south korea, 50,000 American Troops injapan. This is a brush fire that could happen with a little miscalculation. That is why we have to be very careful. I want the Trump Administration policy to work, but i think they should call down the rhetoric, cool down, lets have it pre Emptive Military strike on the table, dont say that. Just by. Just say all options are on the table. I have negotiated with the north koreans, they are unpredictable. It is a cult of personality. They dont react the way that we do, they dont negotiate the way that we do. You put their back against the wall and they may do something stupid. Paul richardson, thank you very much. Its very interesting, but richardson is not the only person i have heard saying that the president is painting himself into a corner, katty, with some of the rhetoric he is using. What do you think is going on tomorrow, the fact that he is inviting all 100 senators to the white house, thats pretty symbolic. Why wouldnt he go to the senate himself . Yes, it is notjust symbolic, it is almost unprecedented. I have lived here for 20 years and i have never seen Something Like this, a president inviting the entire senate to the white house for a Security Briefing that they could, as you say, have in the senate as well. They have secure facilities in the senate for the spread of purpose. This is what is leading some observers here In Washington question about whether thatis washington question about whether that is an element of, you know, tv performance. The sight of all of these Senators Group so my trooping into the white house will be filmed on television, it adds to the sense of urgency surrounding the crisis. They wont get any different information in the white house than they would get in the senate where it would usually happen. The issue still is what does the president do to solve this . As he has now said he wa nts to to solve this . As he has now said he wants to do. Because the military side has all of the same perils that its had forever. A strike against north korea is, as Bill Richardson was suggesting is still something thatis was suggesting is still something that is very difficult. And putting pressure on the chinese is something that has been tried before and hasnt been successful either. It will be interesting to see whether the president , with this height in pension coming out of the north, manages to come up pension coming out of the north, manages to come up with different solutions. So this heightened tension. Donald trump is denying that he has changed his policy on building a Controversial Border wall between the United States and mexico. Last night he suggested demand for initial funding of the wall could be pushed back to september so that congress can avoid a government shutdown. But in a tweet earlier today, the us president said dont let the fake media tell you that i have changed my position on the wall. It will get built and help stop drugs, Human Trafficking etc. Congress might pay the initial up front costs, but the president is insisting that eventually mexico will foot the bill. Today, i sat down with mexicos secretary of the economy, ildefonso wahardo, who is here in the uk to talk about a post brexit trade deal. What does he make of the threat of new tarrifs, and the president s rhetoric on the wall . I began by asking him about the nafta Free Trade Agreement between mexico, the us and canada. Donald trump has now opposed tariffs on canadian lumber. Will he do the same to mexicos or industry he has imposed tariffs. You have to remember that todays trade between the us, mexico and canada is regulated by nafta. You are looking at day to day issues that we have to face. Lumber is not the result of nafta, it is the result of a long term dispute that has been persistent in the us, and canada, the process. Having a Trade Agreement does not mean that you will have not have trade disputes, you have a framework of how to solve trade disputes. Today probably you have learnt that the wto have been favouring mexico in a Tunnel Dispute with us. What happens if tariffs are imposed on some of your exports to the United States . We have been very clear, basically saying that we need to improve nafta, renegotiate nafta. With a view to really create value. We will not increase tariffs and consider trade management techniques. To start with, the order to co nstru ct techniques. To start with, the order to construct from nafta is not to think about tariffs or quotas. Complicating the relationship of course is the wall. He has been tweeting about it again today. If a border tax is brought in to pay for it, all these fees are raised, what with the repercussions by . The wall has been there from the beginning in terms of the decision that the new president is making. As long as they do it in their territory, with their own financial sources, it is their own financial sources, it is their own sovereign decision to do it. We dont like it, we do not believe the walls are a solution for issues, there are better ways to handle things. But if they decide to do it is is in their own sovereign right. The only thing that is clear is that there is no way mexico is going to pay for it. You think for instance that they are going to impose a specific tariff on imports, at the end of the day, it is us consumers that will pay for it. And any other idea that comes to mind, you have to review precisely at the end of the day who will be carrying the burden of that decision. But you are quite clear, and i think you are on record as saying, that if tariffs were imposed there would be repercussions. Obviously, because it is obvious that if you impose ta riffs is obvious that if you impose tariffs on your imports, the country is being aggregated, it has to analyse and respond to the consequence. Now, we analyse and respond to the consequence. Now, we dont have to anticipate, we are in a point that we would like to look at this constructively. Understanding that there are deep differences in terms of how to view the key issues, like the wall. But we believe there are ways to really try to work constructively and to really think about the new nafta that will benefit both countries. So, if nafta survives, and we must presume that it does, what with the opportunities before the uk . If nafta survives, and we hope that it does, it will be very interesting to look at a nafta agreement with the uk, which will be agreement with the uk, which will be a very strong agreement, because there is a lot of uk investment in mexico, canada and the United States. And it makes a lot of sense to think of these as a way to simplify how north america relates to the united kingdom. Do you know, has it been explored, what sort of value that would be to the uk in terms of comparison with the eu, is it as big a market . Is it a bit, could . What it as big a market . Is it a bit, could . What opportunities it as big a market . Is it a bit, could . What opportunities are there for the could . What opportunities are there forthe uk . Could . What opportunities are there for the uk . You know, obviously the European Union has a value in itself because a Grading Economy Market is extremely important. At the same time, when you are one of the countries that is extremely advanced, the uk Service Sector is very important. And somehow in the negotiations, the balance out of very vulnerable sectors limits the scope of how you can integrate. I think that, regardless of your Point Of View in brexit, now it is a reality, and the uk has a tremendous advantage of hard to do the architecture of agreements that fit you and suit you well in terms of the relevant sectors. You sound like quite a the relevant sectors. You sound like quiteafan the relevant sectors. You sound like quite a fan of brexit . Im not, in fa ct quite a fan of brexit . Im not, in fact what im trying to do is make the most of it. Because mexico has had a very, very dynamic open trade policy. And we do highly regard our relationship with the uk. So, the Economy Minister there. I think it is interesting we are starting to hear other countries talk about how they can replace Trade Relationships with the United States, effectively, with the United States, effectively, with Trade Relationships between each other. He is talking about Trade Relationships with the uk, the canadians are talking to the mexicans as well. Is this going to be the future now, people trying to circumvent a protectionist america . He told me the very thing, when the Mexican President took office, he said to the Economy Minister, i want you to diversify our portfolio so we are not so dependent on bearded states. They are looking at britain pulling away from the eu and see a big opportunities dependent on the United States. He sees a big opportunity in Brexit Committee talks about the Service Sector, he says it is very valuable to our country. He is not the first person who has told me about this new perhaps bigger Trade Agreement between canada, the United States, mexico and britain, the four countries in the new trading block. I dont know what they would call it, i think bafta has been taken it is potentially because they do so much trade between each other, it is a potential is to. That might gather some traction in the weeks and months ahead. Interesting, that is exactly the kind of things mr trump doesnt want, big multilateral Trade Agreements. That is the flip side. The us congress is back in town, and they have quite a to do list before this friday. As weve mentioned, tomorrow senators will have a briefing on north korea, and then well also get new proposals on tax reform. But, probably most importantly, they need to fund the government or risk a shutdown by weeks end. A brief time ago, i spoke with republican congressman dave brat about the legislative priorities ahead. I asked him iasked him how i asked him how he thinks the first 100 days are going. Lets start with the status of the wall, we had the mexican Economy Minister saying there is no way his government is going to pay for it. If mexico doesnt pay for it, you prepared to doesnt pay for it, you prepared to do so . Can Congress Pick up the bill . Yes, we are talking about a dying payment of a few billion dollars, this is one of the signature issues of the president a down payment. Everybody knows the president gets a little leeway in the first year, but not In Washington, dc and not in the swamp right now. We own all three branches of government now and it is a 4 trillion budget and our party, the republican party, is at the mercy of eight senate democrats. And the American People are just exasperated. Burnie on the left was a symbol of that, trump on the republican side for visible of that. And so i think weve got to plough through the some way. I think President Trump will get burned this one time, but then he will learn the leveraged that he knows so well from new york and learn how to apply that leveraged going forward. You have just come back from your Recess Breakdown in virginia. How do your constituents think the president is doing and how do you think he is doing . I think hes doing fine. I mean, its a new environment for him, right . Weve got the health ca re him, right . Weve got the health care bill, i think were going to get that out next week. Im in the freedom Vice President kayumova, a very good negotiator. The Supreme Court is favourable, the stock market is up, everybody. The biggest deal is the tax package. If that goes through, i think you are going to see an economic pop. The markets or looking forward to that. Like jfk, or looking forward to that. Like jfk, its nonpartisan. Jfk did a tax cut that was similar, regin did the same and he got growth for a decade and a half afterwards. That is what we need more of, and that is what the election was about. If he gets the election was about. If he gets thejob going the election was about. If he gets the job going and the election was about. If he gets thejob going and we are the election was about. If he gets the job going and we are successful, if we dont have jobs and a couple of years the American People are going tojudge us. Up until now, the president has not had a single legislative success. In 90 days, i dont know if duminy legislative su ccesses dont know if duminy legislative successes up here dont know if duminy legislative successes up here in the past, we accumulated 20 trillion in that and put our kids 100 trillion in liabilities. Im not aware of any raving success appear. At least hes trying to move the ball in the right direction. Usually we move it in the wrong direction in this city and we are bankru pting the wrong direction in this city and we are bankrupting the country, we have had 2 Economic Growth in the past two years. Im dying to see some good legislation. I dont know whos doing. I think we are getting on track. What he figures out this piece, i think it will be eight gold mine. A gold mine. I got an e mail today from the white house, it has got quite a long list of what it considers its historic accomplishment leading up to the 100 day mark. Its a really long list. Despite their boss trying to play down the event come the end of the week. So, how will history look back at the last few weeks compared to previous president s . Joining us from austin, texas now is president ial historian douglas brinkley. Mr brinkley, you heard the congressman saying that everything is going swimmingly. You have said it couldnt get much worse. Whos right . Well, its been a very disastrous first 100 days. Theres been no real accomplishment. He pushed through the repeal and replace the Affordable Care act, which was the crown jewel of his first term yelling with congress, and it blew up in his face. Hes also had a problem of the Russian Election probe kind of hanging over him. He never really has been able to get his footing yet, donald trump. You are looking at 100 days, the reason that we do that is that Franklin Roosevelt came in, 15 major pieces of legislation, got the country going. And john f. Kennedy struggled during his 100 days but he decided to unify the countryjust weeks after his 100 days with the moonshot, putting the first man on the moon. Donald trump seems to be kind of having gay Hangover Effect from the 2016 campaign. And the surprise having a Hangover Effect. The surprise is the repeal and replace the Affordable Care act. Give us a sense of Historical Perspective . How much should we judge the ultimate success of an american president on these first few months . Ive never been that keen on the 100 days bid, but its tracking in the 21st century, it is sort of a media term for, you know, doing a quick checkup on how a president has been. Barack 0bama got the 100 days passed, but he passed the 100 days passed, but he passed the Stimulus Package and save General Motors from going bankrupt. You could track achievements. Lets call it 20 years from now, the donald trump president ial library, maybe kids will swoon over the 100 days it was just a time of confusion. And the president stepped on his message a lot with his twitter community, the country right now is more on unified than ever. He never seemed to be able to strike a note is more dis unified. History may seem a lost opportunity, it is not doing jobs and infrastructure, dams, bridges, highways, dumping that may have been able to pull the country together for the Honeymoon Season something that may have been able to pull the country together. Is it possible tojudge, Notjust Pull The Country together. Is it possible to judge, notjust with this president but with all president s, how effective a legislative programme is in 100 days . They all try to rush things through to get some points on the board. Ijust wonder if through to get some points on the board. I just wonder if all legislation suffers as a result . Well, thats a great question. And you said it perfectly. Yes, people try to put points on the board. Im simply saying, donald trump didnt put any point on the board, it doesnt mean he wont come before. But some president s have successful out of the gate runs, some dont. I mean, Ronald Reagan was beloved after his first 100 days, but the country kind of pulled for him to heal after he was shot, he had very high public approval ratings. It is a kind of rough barometer, but it is important when you campaign and say you are going to build a wall, he said he was going to repeal and replace 0bamacare, said he was going to repeal and replace 0bamaca re, they said he was going to repeal and replace 0bamacare, they have got the white house and they couldnt get thejob done, that looks white house and they couldnt get the job done, that looks like incompetence or at the very least the inability to tally votes properly before you put all of your chips on something that goes that he wires. Douglas brinkley, president ial historian, thank you. On something that goes haywire. Donald trump has often used his daughter ivanka as a surrogate, attending events and defending his record. That was her Mission Today at a g20 summit in berlin. But it didnt really go down so well with the crowd. Ivanka sat alongside the german chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the imf chief, christine lagarde, and defended herfathers record on women and families. At which point the audience groaned. Hes been a tremendous champion of supporting families, and enabling them to thrive. In the new reality of. You can hear the reaction from the audience. So i need to address one more point. Some attitudes towards women your father has publicly displayed in former times might leave one questioning whether hes such an empowerer for women. How do you relate to that . I think the thousands of women who have worked with and for my father for decades when he was in the private sector are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women, and their ability to do the job as well as any man. What do you make of that . She was good, she is an impressive speaker on the public stage. She does make a case for his her father. On the public stage. She does make a case for his herfather. His record is mixed. He has passed an Executive Order, bills to try and get more women into science. But he has revoked a fair pay order that helped women. And earlier he signed an Executive Order stopping federal funds for International Groups that perform or advisable shunt. Womens groups are saying it is a mixed record. Or advise abortions. The International Reproductive fund is what he cut, which is crucial. It focused on women in africa, that hardly empowers them. They dont have control over reproductive rights in that sort of thing. Just separate to that. What about Angela Merkel in fighting her, as with the regime she has, to berlin . Inviting her. They are trying to make the point, there is a lot of data on this, that there so many global studies now that show that companies that employ more women actually make more money. This study has been done by columbia, imf, goldman sachs, that was the point of this gathering. But it got hijacked by the politics of donald trump, i think we are living in that kind of era word, you know, you try to talk about issues and donald trump comes into the picture. That is what ivanka found out in berlin today. But not a bad channel for Angela Merkel to aim at, she has a route into the white house. Youre watching 100 days from bbc news. Still to come for viewers on the bbc news channel and bbc world news. Now its down to two, who will the supporters of the ousted president ial candidates cast their votes for . Weve some new polls to share with you. And, a post promoting President Trumps florida resort finds its way onto State Department websites. Should it have been there in the first place . Thats still to come on 100 days from bbc news. Good evening. Quite a mixed bag of weather across the uk earlier on today. In Northern Scotland it was like we jumped back into the middle of winter with widespread snow, even slowed further south in staffordshire. It was lying on the ca rs staffordshire. It was lying on the cars and roofs. A bit of sign trying here as well and sunny spells and showers in dudley. A real mixed bag. We started on a decent note with some sunshine, but showers developed quite widely and spread south on a cold wind coming down from a long way north. Another cold night ahead. A frosty night for many of us, and we are not done with the wintry showers yet. The next few hours have a good crop of them, they tend to fade away from western areas, we will keep a few going along the eastern coast, where it stays windy. Further west where the skies are clear and winds are lighter, that is where we expect the lowest temperatures, the blue tinge shows a widespread frost, just a degree or two a bove widespread frost, just a degree or two above freezing, below freezing in roar spots. But a lot of sunshine, just the odd Shower Clipping the tip of cornwall. Cloud in the midlands and the east generally. Showers in east anglia up into yorkshire, more wintry over higher ground. The north west and much of scotland and northern ireland, a cold but a bright start with a good deal of sunshine. 0ne ireland, a cold but a bright start with a good deal of sunshine. One or two showers in the north west. The main focus for showers through wednesday will be central and eastern parts of england. 0ne wednesday will be central and eastern parts of england. One or two of those will be heavy with thunder and hail mixed in. Showers are few and hail mixed in. Showers are few and far between in the western areas, reasonable day with a few spells of sunshine. Northern ireland, only eight or 9 degrees. In 11 or 12 for cardiff and london. Through the evening, still a few showers for the first part of the evening, but they become fewer before fading away. Cloud is gathering in the north and west without bricks of ring. That will be if each of things as we get on into thursday. A week Weather Front is slipping south, bringing cloud and rain. Behind that we have slightly less cold or even milder air. Temperatures rising by a degree or so in england and wales, the effect will be noticeable in scotland and northern ireland. Cloud and patchy rainfor northern ireland. Cloud and patchy rain for england and wales, dries up in scotland and northern ireland. Glasgow and belfast to 11 or 12 degrees. Welcome back to 100 days, im katty kay In Washington, Christian Fraser is in london. Our top story. A Missile Armed American Submarine has arrived in south korea as a former un ambassador warns President Trump to be wary. This is the biggest Foreign Policy challenge for the new president , more than syria, more than the middle east. And the uks Opposition Labour Party clarifies their position on brexit. The french president Francois Hollande has called for unity in the long, difficult fight against terrorism. He made the remarks at a public memorial for police officer, xavierjugeles, who was shot dead on the Champs Elysee in paris last week 500m where we were broadcasting at the time. Emmanuel macron and Marine Le Pen also attended that ceremony. 0n policy mr macron, is an advocate of open borders, and has urged people not to give in to fear. Ms le pen however wants france to reintroduce Border Controls and to deport all foreigners on the terror watch list. When you left paris yesterday to what extent was this playing into the final round of the election. What extent was this playing into the final round of the electionlj think the final round of the election. think terror will come into the debate quite strongly next week when they sit down for this televised debate on wednesday. Last night actually Marine Le Pen stood away from the National Front, actually Marine Le Pen stood away from the nationalfront, she actually Marine Le Pen stood away from the National Front, she stood down as their president. I can see why she did it, but i think the problem for her if she is synonymous with the National Front brand. The pen name is synonymous with that. But she is trying to stand as president ial candidate rather than National Front candidate. I president ial candidate rather than nationalfront candidate. I looked at some opinion poll figures last night, from one of the Polling Agencies had done for the magazine paris match. Theyre looking at where its supporters are going from other camps especially from Jean Luc Melenchon. 51 would go to macron and just 19 to le pen. The economic platform is virtually the same for Jean Luc Melenchon and le pen. Platform is virtually the same for Jeanluc Melenchon and le pen. Just to distance yourself from the party name, is that going to do it for her . I think she is going to say forget the National Front, her . I think she is going to say forget the nationalfront, im in line with your anti globalist, nationalist economy view of life. You are voting forJean Luc Melenchon for those reasons but not for me because you do not like the National Front for me because you do not like the nationalfront brand. For me because you do not like the National Front brand. If you look at the supporters of Francois Hollande, one third will go to Marine Le Pen, the Roman Catholic vote, 41 , more right, going for the centre and macron then for le pen. So shes trying to say i am the mother of the nation and bring Back Nationalism to friends and i will get rid of the elite that have performed so badly over the course of the last ten yea rs over the course of the last ten years and mr macron is more of the same so vote for me and not for the National Front necessarily. It will be very interesting to see whether making that move and take myself out of the party will actually persuade voters. Lets move on to the british election. Today theresa may took the uk general Election Campaign to wales, a labour stronghold, where she said this election is about giving her a clear mandate through the brexit talks. Every single vote for me and the local conservative candidate will be a vote for a stronger wales, for a stronger united kingdom, and, as i say, will strengthen my hand in those important brexit negotiations. And a vote for any other party would be a vote for a week and failing jeremy corbyn, propped up by a coalition of chaos which would risk our national future. But on the labour side today they were clarifying their position on brexit. The Shadow Brexit secretary sir keir starmer said labour accepted that Free Movement of people could not continue but suggested eu nationals could still be allowed in if they had a guaranteed job offer while taking aim at the prime minister. If theresa may gets another five yea rs if theresa may gets another five years in power, shell take it as a green light to sideline parliament, ignore opposition and drive through a reckless tory brexit. Joining us now from westminster is the bbcs eleanor garnier. To pick up that quote from keir starmer, people with a guaranteed job offer could come to the uk. Are we saying could or will . I think we are saying should, if that helps. What he was saying today was that he understands that labour understands that with the current membership of the Single Market it would mean Freedom Of Movement would have to end that he said we need an Immigration System that works for the economy so there needs to be into the uk to support business. So if you have a job offer you can come here. How that is managed in terms of permits and work visas are still something to be sorted out but he said the last thing we want is for businesses to go bankrupt here so heres a few and that of the whole Shadow Cabinet as he said, the top tea m Shadow Cabinet as he said, the top team of the opposition parties, he said was their view that those with work permits could come over here. I think it is to be seen whether the whole of the Shadow Cabinet are signed up to that position but that is how he put it today. We have said during the programme that labour has just clarified its present position. We are edging up towards half a million new registered voters now. If those voters, some of them want to ta ke if those voters, some of them want to take a stand against brexit still, do they have any other clear option other than the Liberal Democrats. I think that is what the Liberal Democrats want to hear, theyre the only pro European Party out there for young people especially to look to. But i think what the Labour Party Needs to do and what they have tried to do today is show they are pro european and also flexible when it comes to the negotiations. The short brexit has been huge for weeks and months. And i think it has come to just weeks before a General Election and labour is trying once again to clarify its position. The referendum was almost one month ago so it is a difficult task for keir starmer and the labour party to do when we are so close to the election. And when theresa may is putting out a clear message, saying no to the Single Market, noted the customs union, note of Freedom Of Movement. And note of the European Court of justice. Freedom of movement. And note of the European Court ofjustice. So unless the labour party manages to put the issue of brexit to bed, it is not going to get a hearing on the issues it wants to talk about such is the nhs, being an anti austerity party, social care, unless it manages to draw a line under brexit and present something that is palatable and clear to the electorate. Then it is not going to get traction on those other issues and i think it has left it late in the day to convince the voters that it knows what it is talking about when it comes to brexit. Thank you very much. On monday night arkansas carried out back to back executions, becoming the first us state to put more than one inmate to death on the same day in 17 years. The deaths came after Numerous Court challenges and as the state races to use a part of the three drug protocol before it expires. The bbcs Aleem Maqbool has covered this story extensively for us and joins us with the latest. This morning i was reading there we re this morning i was reading there were a number of stays of execution but eventually two men were executed on the same night. Yes it was an extraordinary evening and has been so much drama around these executions. But as you said this started because arkansas wanted these eight executions to happen in ten days because one of the drugs expires at the end of the month. Some of the legal action to hold off these executions was about how effective this drug was because there have been several cases around this country where this legal Lethal Injection Cocktail has not worked. In one case a couple of yea rs worked. In one case a couple of years ago in arizona man took almost two hours to die and in another case in oklahoma man took 43 minutes. Yesterday it looked like the first execution of a man named jackjones, a convicted rapist and murderer, had passed off 0k. He came into the chamber and it took him apparently 14 minutes to die. But then when the second man was brought him he was in the execution chamber, on the padded bed, and suddenly at that point he was told that there was a stay of execution because there had been problems with the first execution according to lawyers. You have been down in arkansas covering the story, i know our viewers around the world will look at this and think it is barbaric. So many execution is happening so fast because the drug about to expire. But the Drug Companies are distancing themselves from what arkansas is doing as well. That is why i think it will become even more difficult for states to put people to death. Not only was that action about the fact that there are suffering involved for some of these people but now the Drug Companies are saying we do not wa nt to Drug Companies are saying we do not want to sell these drugs to states any more because now we know what theyre used for. They were sold to be states on a medicinal basis because they were going to be used for therapeutic uses. Now they find out what theyre used for they do not want to sell any more. There had been stays of execution on that basis but the Supreme Court in the end ruled that the executions could go ahead. That is what arkansas had this problem because after the drug ru ns this problem because after the drug runs out they do not know where theyre going to get it from. Donors at a conference in geneva have pledged nearly one point One Billion Dollars thats 857million pounds to yemen to help relieve what the un is calling the Worlds Largest humanitarian crisis. The United Nations had previously asked for more than Two Billion Dollars as aid groups warn the country is on the brink of famine. Two years of war between a Saudi Led Coalition supporting yemens government and Houthi Rebels have devastated the country. And sir eltonjohn is recovering at home after cancelling a series of shows in america due to whats been described as a potentially deadly bacterial infection. Sir elton whos 70 fell ill while on tour in chile earlier this month. The president calls his Mar E Lago Resort in florida his winter white house. But of course he shares it with his paying guests. It is part of the trump business empire, the fees have gone up since he became president , and every time he stays there, his brand gets some more valuable publicity. And what if the federal government was also marketing the president s hotel . Well that is exactly what happened. The Us State Department was forced to react quickly this week to criticism of a blog on its website that was promoting mr trumps florida estate. Whats more, several american embassies republished it. We did try to take a look at that blog on the us embassys uk page, and this is what now comes up. Yes the State Department has taken it down, saying that it regrets any misperception. The white house said they had no idea that this was going up. Lets do some marketing of our own and tell viewers that were going to be carrying on after 100 days. We have a special programme on friday, days on friday. 99 days. We will be here on monday as well and we hope you will be with us tomorrow as well. We will be back at the same time. For now though, from katty kay In Washington and me Christian Fraser in london goodbye. Hello. This is bbc news. The headlines. Theresa may says every vote for the tories will strengthen her hand in the brexit negotiations as she campaigns in labours heartlands in south wales. The Shadow Brexit secretary says labour would scrap the prime ministers brexit plans and unilaterally guarantee the rights of eu citizens in the uk if it wins power. The liberal democrat leader tim farron says he does not think gay sex is a sin clarifying a question he had refused to answer several times so far during the Election Campaign. And a look at the market numbers. A small rise in london today and likewise on the dax. Strong rise on the dow index at the moment. Trading is still going on there. Lets return to the election now. Labour says it would scrap Theresa Mays Brexit plans and unilaterally guarantee the rights of eu residents before talks start, if it wins power. While accepting the uk was leaving, Shadow Brexit secretary sir keir starmer said labour wanted a deal which prioritises jobs and workers rights and used his speech to attack the pms brexit plans. If theresa may gets another five years in power she will take it as a green light to sideline parliament, ignore opposition and drive through reckless tory brexit. Richard brexit. Richard brexit. She would isolate us from our nearest partners of strike trade deals with any country that will talk to us no matter what the consequences for workers rights and Environmental Protection or our place in the world. The only way to stop that and Build A Fairer Britain is to elect a labour government. Well we can now speak to the political commentator vincent moss, who joins us live from our westminster studio. What is your assessment of the labour Party Approach to brexit on the strength of what we heard today . A difficult day, labour party trying to get some clarity on its brexit position, it is seen as divided on theissue position, it is seen as divided on the issue and keir starmer attempted to do that today. Some points were clear such as the promise that eu citizens in the uk would get the right to remain but still questions over issues like Freedom Of Movement. Keir starmer seems to be accepting that would have to go as a consequence of brexit but many people in the labour party especially the london mps are pretty much wedded to the idea