In the dark, and few of them believe that the truth in the german pianist doing his bit to protect the environment. Hello and welcome. Welcome to the programme and we start with the news that the United States has recorded the highest number of covid 19 deaths anywhere in the world almost 3,000 in a single day the equivalent of two deaths every minute. The mayor of San Francisco along with political leaders across the bay area are imposing new lockdown orders and business restrictions to try to contain the surge of infections, saying its time for action. The measures we have tried so far simply have not bent the curve the way we needed to. We have to do everything we can to prevent this from being a Holiday Season that we look back on as one of sickness and death, especially now when we have vaccinations that are really within sight. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Erin allday is the Health Correspondent for the San Francisco chronicle. She gave us her assessment of the situation in the city. Its pretty bad. I think what were really concerned about here is as the pressure on our hospitals and especially the intensive care numbers get higher than they ever have been at any point in the pandemic and we have tried to restrict things, we have tried to hold back this latest swell and nothings worked, and we just keep seeing these numbers climb and of course, what is especially concerning is we just had thanksgiving here in the states and we have not even seen the infections come up from that holiday, which almost certainly will have resulted in a lot of new cases. Give us a flavour of what restrictions now will be in place and if you think, well, if they go far enough. I think that is the question. So the new order that will be put in place in San Francisco and other parts of where im living in northern california, they will be put in place on sunday. It is essentially a throwback to march and april and the very earliest stages of the pandemic when we were really fighting hard to try to stop this thing in its tracks. So its the most restrictive measures we have had in many, many months. Its essentially a broad stay at home order, telling everyone to stay at home as much as possible and dont go out and dont interact with others and just kind of only go outside and go about your business if there is something you really need to be outside and doing, so it is very dramatic. I think the people are not really looking forward to this coming into effect and it will be in effect through the end of the year, so that is through the Christmas Holidays and all of the other holidays so you know, it is definitely really impactful. As for if it helps, you know, i think thats what were all kind of fingers crossed at this point. This is all weve got, right . Like, there isnt anything more that we have got kind of in our pocket to throw at this. Nobody really has an appetite for even more extreme kind of lockdown where you start arresting people on the street situation. So were going to just have to hope that this is going to be good enough. Just for our viewers, erin, around the world, give us an idea about how San Francisco and the area there fits into the broader us picture. Is it one of the worst areas . And how is the rest of the country feeling . Well, the strange thing is we are actually one of the better areas. I mean, were doing better than a lot of a lot of areas are even places in california and we doing a pretty good job of keeping our cases pretty in check, relatively low. The problem we ran into is we have always had a pretty good baseline of virus around here, it has never really gone away completely and nobody knows, you know, why, whether it is geography we were one of the first places to be hit by the virus in the United States and it has kind of lingered but we have had, you know, pretty serious restrictions in place kind of all along. And we do have, especially in San Francisco, the lowest fatality rate of any major city in the United States. I think some of these restrictions we are seeing are about kind of maintaining that record. We dont want to look like some of these other parts of the country, or even the rest of the state, that have experienced really, really bad and awful situations where their hospitals have been overrun and you see People Democrats in the us house of representatives have voted to decriminalise the use of cannabis. The first time the measure has succeeded in congress. The legislation would bring federal law in line with more than a dozen states. But the bill stands little chance of passing if republicans manage to hold onto control of the senate in elections next month. Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to the president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, later on saturday to try to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations on a post brexit trade agreement. Talks were put on hold after a week of intensive discussions in london failed to resolve key sticking points, including fishing rights. 0ur Political Correspondent leila nathoo reports. There is just four weeks to go until the brexit transition period ends and whether there isa period ends and whether there is a trade deal or not, there will be changes to how goods move between the uk and eu. Will be get a deal . A determination. But despite a week of intensive talks in london, last night negotiations we re london, last night negotiations were suspended. The uks chief negotiator lord frost and the man on the east eu side said the conditions for an agreement we re the conditions for an agreement were not met due to significant divergences. They agreed to pause the talks in order to brief their principles on the state of play of the negotiations. The main issues still to be settled i how any future deal will be governed, their competition rules for businesses operating in each others markets and fishing rights. 0ne others markets and fishing rights. One source on the uk site familiar with the negotiations pointed to demands for eu fishing boats to have up to ten years access to uk waters is one issue that derailed regress. Both sides say they still want to deal but believe the other should give ground. I hope the political intervention, a conversation between the Prime Minister and the european president this afternoon, will provide the breakthrough needed. With me is the bbcs mark lobel. What sticking points . There are several. After a week of intense negotiations, both sides issuing the state saying there are significant disagreements. It appears some members, eu Member States have gotten nervous about some of the concessions that Michelle Barnier has been offering, something they denied. What theyll circle around our issues with vince skirting around, what the eu fishing fleet will hand over for british waters. 8 of quotas or 80 of quotas. Whether when it comes down to the eu wanting to bail out some of the struggling industries that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic that written will be happy with that on competition grounds and it diverges on environmental and labour laws from where they are now, which is the same with equivalence to the eu, whether the eu can punish them for that. Stop whether they can find them on their exports or things like that. Even if there is this deal between the uk and eu, frances come out and said they could still veto at which they have a right to do. Britain has said if there isnt a deal, they might actually unpick some of the legal obligations they have already agreed with the eu last january. All of it sounds more like they are arguing and taking part in this kind of dialogue and although no one has walked away yet. Given all those sticking points you just listed, what other chances like ofa listed, what other chances like of a deal . Most analysts think its not the most likely option but there is the possibility there would be no trade deal when the uk has to leave the customs. Something similar to what australia has with the eu which is no trade deal. To try to break this impasse, Boris Johnson is going to speak to ursula von der leyen, the Eu Commission president on saturday afternoon and we might see a repeat of those scenes when borisjohnson went see a repeat of those scenes when Boris Johnson went for a walk in the park with the former irish taioseach, leo varadkar, but of both of them will be playing to their audiences and they will not wa nt to audiences and they will not want to see any regulatory control ceded to brussels on the other side, eu control ceded to brussels on the otherside, eu Member States that dont want to see a repeat of exit in their country so repeat of exit in their country so they will not want an attractive deal and you have people like fishermen on both sides of the water. Time as well, the uk will want to see this legislation if it goes through past before christmas, the eu will want enough time for the Member States to go through it in detail but right now, if we are going to see any smoke, because of these pressures , smoke, because of these pressures, one will assume it is going to happen sooner rather than later. Time is running out. President trump has ordered the withdrawal of nearly all american troops from somalia where theyve been conducting Training Operations in the fight against al shabaab and Islamic State militants. It follows the draw downs of us forces from afghanistan and iraq. Somali officials described the withdrawal of around 700 us troops as a morale boost for terrorists. The pentagon says the us remains committed to Counter Terrorism operations. Bronwyn bruton is director of studies, at the africa center, at the atlantic council. She says the troop withdrawal will only have a limited impact. My opinion is that the impact will probably be less than anticipated. The us has around 700 troops in somalia and they are mostly engaged in training and elite Somali Special forces unit. They are obviously an important component of us response in somalia but they are less important than the 20,000 peacekeepers currently fighting al shabaab. Those from uganda, kenya, djibouti, ethiopia and other countries. Sorry to jump in there but how strong is the threat from al shabaab and Islamic State still there . Al shabaab has been a powerful actor in somalia since 2007 and nothing that the us has done has changed that. What a lot of folks are saying at the moment is that the Somali Government is incapable of preventing terrorist attacks in somalia without us support but the reality is they have been incapable of preventing terrorist attacks with us support. So the question is not necessarily will al sha baab become massively more powerful but will become marginally more powerful as a result of this withdrawal . It is not a good thing if it does but i do not expect this to be the end of the mission and i do not expected be a significant game changer for somalia either. Interesting. Given that, do you think that the next president , President Biden should reverse the decision or if you think it will not make that much difference, why bother . The us will maintain the potential to continue its campaign of airstrikes against high value targets in somalia and that has been the thing that the American Population cares about the most. As long as they have the capability to conduct kinetic missions, it may be that President Biden will seek to put a few troops back in but i think the main concern is that the Somali Government has not, in the 13 odd years that the us has been attempting to strengthen their army, shown significant progress. So i think the main problem in the us is that they have not had a political strategy in somalia that would make a military engagement effective. And unless biden has an idea for engagement in somalia that is better than the 0bama and Trump Administration approach which were largely the same, then i do not see him putting troops back in. Great to have your thoughts and thank you so much. Bangladesh has transported more than 1600 Rohingya Refugees to a Remote Island in the first phase of a controversial plan to relocate 100,000 people. The move has sparked criticism from aid agencies. They warn the island is prone to flooding and some are relocated against their will. Sergi forcada reports. Crammed in boats, a gruelling 3. 5 crammed in boats, a gruelling 3. 5 ourjourney. Crammed in boats, a gruelling 3. 5 our journey. These crammed in boats, a gruelling 3. 5 ourjourney. These are some of the first families to get to bhasan char, a Remote Island in the bay of bengal which may eventually be home to over 100,000 refugees. Translation the Bangladesh Government has given us assurances of a better life there. They will give us a better environment, food and shelter, so were going out. For the past three years, bangladesh authorities have spent 400 Million Building a town made up of a giant grid of houses as well as some schools and hospitals. The government hopes moving thousands of rep disease to this location will ease tensions in the overcrowded ca m ps ease tensions in the overcrowded camps in coxs bazar but aid agencies say the island is not a paradise either. It emerged from the sea 20 years ago and is vulnerable to cyclones and floods. Rights groups have raised concerns that many refugees are being moved against their will. Translation they are forcing my son and his family to go. They didnt want to go but they forced him. I came to see him probably for the last time. United nations claims it has been limited information about the relocations. In a statement, it said local authorities deny transferring anyone forcibly, amid calls from human Rights Groups to start the relocations, officials assure moving to the island is volu nta ry. This is bbc news, our top stories new lockdown orders and restrictions are imposed in San Francisco to help curb a surge in coronavirus cases. Brexit trade talks have been temporarily put on hold without agreement. The lead negotiators say the eu president and the british Prime Minister will talk directly on saturday. Its four months since a devastating explosion tore through the centre of the lebanese capital beirut. A cruise ship was dangerously close to the blast. The orient queen capsized, and two crew members lost their lives. Quentin sommerville has the story of those who survived. A warning some viewers may find images in this story distressing. Lebanon is living in a state of aftermath, a country turned on its head. This was its only cruise ship, the orient queen. Four months ago, it took the full force of the explosion at the port. Only the crew was on board. They watched as a warehouse fire took hold, not knowing what was to come. Explosion. The ships home port, its safe harbour, lay in ruins. The orient queen was upright but the engine room was flooding and crew members were missing. 0n the quayside, chef Michael Villanueva was badly injured. Translation our ships interior was wrecked. We had a hard time getting out. I didnt feel the second blast because i was slammed into a wall on the first one. When i came to, i tried to stand but my leg was shattered. Now back in the philippines, four operations later, they have managed to save his leg. The port and much of beirut was in chaos. At the orient queen, they were still searching for missing crew. It took more than two hours to find the body of haile rette. The ethiopian crewman had been blown off the ship. He was found at a nearby pier. Mustafa airout wouldnt be found for days. His father travelled from syria. His dna was used to identify his sons remains. The explosion tore away any remaining shred of credibility from a government that stored, for years, dangerous chemicals here, in the heart of the city. Its too much for the brain to accept and for the heart to even handle. Hana abou merhi is the ships owner. If this happened to metal and to concrete, can you even imagine . She is seeing the wreckage for the first time. Like many here, she is overwhelmed with anger and disbelief that a disaster so easily avoidable was allowed to happen. I blame every person that knew what was there at the port for not taking action. So many lives, so many innocent people have lost loved ones, have lost their homes, their work, their dreams. Its notjust us, its not just the orient queen, its everyone. Dozens of arrests have been made, but an investigation that was promised to take only days, four months later is still dragging on. This is a crime scene. The government knew that the dangerous chemicals were being stored here. So did thejudiciary. So too did the port authorities. It was only the lebanese people who were being kept in the dark, and few of them believe that the truth will ever emerge from this pit of corruption. The orient queen is lost. She will never sail again. And the reputation of the authorities that allowed this to happen is beyond salvage. Almost 40 years after a shooting in paris that left six people dead, a suspect has been extradited from norway to stand trial. The decision has been welcomed by families of the victims, as Gail Maclellan reports. The historic paris neighbourhood of marais and a delicatessen still bearing the name of the restaurant where 38 yea rs name of the restaurant where 38 years ago six people were killed and 22 injured. 0n years ago six people were killed and 22 injured. On that day in 1982, killed and 22 injured. On that day in1982, a killed and 22 injured. On that day in 1982, a grenade was thrown into jo goldenbergs day in 1982, a grenade was thrown intojo goldenbergs at lunchtime and assailants voted, spraying the pack restaurants with rounds of machine fire. Suspicion immediately fell on the abu nidal 0rganisation, a dissident Palestinian Group that had split from the plo. The extradition of a suspect has been made possible by an agreement between norway and the eu. The director of the French Association for victims of tourism says three other suspects are still at large in the middle east but the families will be glad to see at least one person stand trial. Translation we are going to try and persuade jordan translation we are going to try and persuadejordan and the west ba n k try and persuadejordan and the west bank to follow norways lead and join the fight against terrorism, because the fight against terrorism means never letting crimes go unpunished. We must all stand in solidarity to denounce terrorism regardless of borders. Walid abdulrahman abu zayed, now aged 62, has arrived in paris from 0slo where he has been living since 1991. He denies being involved in the attack, saying he was in monte carlo at the time. The goldenberg killings we re time. The goldenberg killings were pa rt of time. The goldenberg killings were part of a wave of anti semitic attacks in france in the 1980s. Attacks which have again surged since 2015. The trial opens in controversy because of media reports of a secret deal in which french intelligence assured the abu nidal 0rganisation it would not face prosecution as long as it didnt carry out any more attacks on france. The suspect will appear before an antiterrorism judge on saturday. Us president Electjoe Biden has called for urgent bipartisan agreement in congress to help people who have lost theirjobs as a result of the pandemic. 2. 3 million more people have become long term unemployed over the past three months. Mr biden says americans need help now, especially as many covid relief measures are set to run out at the end of the year. If congress and President Trump fail to act by the end of december, 12 million americans will lose their Unemployment Benefits they rely on. Merry christmas Unemployment Benefits allowing them to keep food on the table, to keep the lights on and the heat on, pay their bills. Emergency paid leave will end. A moratorium on evictions will expire. States will lose the vital tools they need to pay for covid testing and public health. In germany, a group of activists are trying to stop the destruction of an ancient forest and they had a guest to help them. The bbcs tim allman explains. So renowned and so respected is pianist igor levit. Plays piano. He can sometimes be found in the studios of the bbc. Plays piano. Here he is rehearsing for an appearance on bbc news in 2017. A very different kind of performance, though, taking place in the wilds of central germany. Plays piano. A rendition of danny boy in memory of the dannenroder forest, some of which is being torn down for a road extension. Translation even though the occasion is very sad, and just now during the rehearsal, ifeel like im playing a swa nsong for something that leaves us, im still thankful, happy and content to be here with you. Shouting in german. Protests have been going on here for more than a year. Environmental groups, trying to preserve the countrys habitat, the authorities determined to allow lawful construction work to go ahead. What is happening here is quickly reduced to a conflict between activists and the police, this protester says. This is an attempt to defend and protect ecosystems and our livelihoods so that we can survive. Theres something almost deeply poetic about it. The presence of igor levit certainly attracted some attention, but the felling of trees continued. For these demonstrators, the day ended on a sad note. Just before i go some dramatic footage to share with you now from minnesota, in the us, where a light aircraft was forced to land on a busy highway at night. This video shows the single engined planejust managing to fit in between cars driving along the road at night, with very little margin for error. It appeared to have suffered an engine failure. The landing led to a minor collision with a car, but no one was injured, although it took several hours for officials to clear the damage and re open the road. Thats it from me. This is bbc news. Hello there. Its been a wintry scene for many parts of the uk. We started with some widespread snow in scotland. That then turned to rain and so the most of any snow thats falling right now is really over the higher ground. But, more recently, there has been some snow through the midlands, particularly over the peak district. But its been a messy picture because weve had these bands of cloud bringing wet weather swirling around an area of low pressure together with some stronger winds. That low pressure, though, will tend to move down into france, so, for a start, the winds will ease and through the weekend we should be turning drier as well. But were still in cold air. With some clearing skies by the morning across some parts the midlands, eastern england, we are likely to find a frost and likely to find some icy conditions as well. Elsewhere across the uk, it wont be quite as chilly, not going to be as cold as last night in scotland. Theres more cloud around, theres wetter weather too. And the wetter weather across wales, western england will become confined to the south west. We have a few showers breaking out, running into some eastern coasts of england but for many, it will be turning dry with some sunshine. The weather improving in Northern Ireland as well and those showers in scotland becoming fewer with sunshine especially in the south west. Another chilly day, not as windy as it was on friday but those temperatures 4 7 degrees. Heading into the evening, clearer skies in the evening allowing those temperatures to fall quickly but we are likely to find some cloud and wetter weather just running into the far east of scotland and into the north east of england as well. Thatll keep the temperatures up here, perhaps, but elsewhere were likely to find frost, probably more widely, and it brings the risk of some icy patches as well. Not only that, but quite foggy by the morning and across the south east of england, east anglia. That should tend to lift, perhaps only into low cloud, mind you. And we will still keep some cloud coming into the north east of england, perhaps the midlands, bringing with it a few showers. The odd shower around elsewhere but also some sunshine. Probably the best temperatures will be in wales and the south west, 8, maybe 9 degrees but in the cloud further east, its going to be colder, around 4 celsius or so. Early next week, weve got one area of low pressure running to the south west of the uk, another one threatening to come in off the north sea. And that will bring some wetter weather probably on tuesday into parts of scotland, but early next week, generally it is going to be dry. It is going to be cold and could be quite grey, with some patches of persistent fog. 00 29 24,335 2147483051 51 26,882 the relocations. In a 2147483051 51 26,882 4294966103 13 29,430 statement, it said
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