Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20170220

Good evening and welcome to bbc news. As the House Of Lords began debating the brexit bill today, they had a rare visitor. Theresa may sat in on the session, the first time in nearly 20 years that a Prime Minister has done so. No. That have a hue people with cvs that have a huge weight of experience. They are leading people in various fields. Probably not intimidated, but at the same time, they would be the tff to n, fifgf the tff to be fifgf the tff to be hearing the tff to be hearing the g did not even need to be hearing the message articulated out loud by the Prime Minister making such a rare visit to sit there and watch. The whole tenor of the discussion of the debate building up to the House Of Lords scrutiny of the bill has all been about the legitimacy of the House Of Lords. There is the question of revising the Second Chamber that is not elected. And given the will of the people in the referendum, and given the overwhelming endorsement of the bill in the House Of Commons, the expectation has been that the House Of Lords should get on with it. They have a constitutional duty to perform, and they should get on with it. And theresa may sitting there watching, albeit for rent watching, albeitfor not long rent. And watching, albeitfor not long rent. Watching, albeitfor not long rent , it ti . Houset of i biiii same fiavisg bill be some aavigg bill be won ii i immediately. Or the m that the House Of Commons suggestion that the House Of Commons on the House Of Lords should get a vote on the whole visit of the brexit deal that the governor secures before it is too late for that bill to be tweaked. But in all likelihood, after all of these hours of debate, and yes, it will be exactly the same tomorrow, and then a bit more in the week after, and the week after that, as well, any changes at the House Of Lords do suggest, if they can get them through, are likely to be overturned by the House Of Commons, and then the whole thing will end up on the statute book, and become law. So this is a great opportunity for people with lots to say, and interesting things to say, to have their say, but ultimately, interesting things to say, to have theirsay, but ultimately, probably wont change anything the anti Prime Minister will be up to trigger article 50 and study breaks are processed by the end of next month, and she has long promised. Each of the adjoining a script. I know you will be watching the debate until the stroke of midnight. Thank you for joining the stroke of midnight. Thank you forjoining us, chris. Theres been ferocious fighting between iraqi forces and so called Islamic State as troops battle their way towards the city of mosul. Their Helicopter Gunships now control the skies, but the road to iss last stronghold in iraq is littered with Roadside Bombs. To win back mosul is crucial, as its iraqs second largest city an offensive on the east of mosul began last october. Now, iraqi troops, supported by british and American Special forces, are trying to take control of the west, where 750,000 people and thousands of is fighters remain. Our middle east correspondent Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Nikki Millard are the only internationaljournalists embedded with iraqi forces. And their report now does contain some graphic images. Iraq says its mosul operation is the dawn of victories and on the second day of their offensive, its troops again prepared to face the so called Islamic State. An armoured force, set on the citys west. Yesterday, iraqi forces moved like a blitzkrieg through this terrain. Today, its a bit slower. The reason being, all along this route, there are suspected Roadside Bombs laid by Islamic State. Slowed to a crawl at times, Bomb Disposal Technicians inched along the road. But above, they have full command of the skies. In their sights, a small is held town, abu saif. Emptied of people, every home there became a target. The town of abu saif is under attack. Its all that lies between these men and mosul city proper. They managed to get here in record time and now, from the air, and from land, theyre trying to take abu saif. And heres why. For the first time, these forces have sight of mosul. For colonel fallah ali wabdan, it is an important prize and critical to the campaign