Who are facing famine across africa and the middle east. The United Nations says the crisis in nigeria, south sudan, yemen and somalia threatens to be the worst in 60 years. In somalia, conflict and corruption has made the effect of a two year drought even worse. Our correspondent Andrew Harding is in baidoa in the countrys south west. You may find some of the pictures in his report distressing. This is baidoa, a town besieged by two unforgiving enemies. The soldiers are here to guard against al shabab, the militant islamists controlling the countryside in this corner of somalia. But its the second enemy, drought, that is now far more dangerous. Nine year old ali has just been carried into the local hospital. He is unconscious. But its not from hunger not yet. After three years of failed rains, clean water is hard to find. The doctors here believe they are battling a sudden outbreak of cholera. Inside, weak from diarrhoea, dozens of new cases. Many families have walked miles get help. Its a cruel, opening salvo of disease before Famine Marches into town. We are feeling this situation is getting very bad. Out of control . Yes. Due to the disease outbreak, this is totally different. And can you deal with that . With our capacity, no. For now, theres an orderly queue at baidoas well. A nurse has volunteered to oversee the rationing. But every day more people are coming into town from the parched countryside. The famine is going fast, very fast. There isnt enough wheat. There isnt enough water. And the problem is very big. Like any town under siege, this one is digging in and praying that reinforcements arrive soon. As things stand, they only have enough supplies here to help one in ten of those who need it. And theres little doubt things are going to get a lot worse. New arrivals seeking shade on the edge of town. During the last famine in 2011, many left it too late before moving to seek help. So maybe this counts as progress. But its hard to get the timing right in such a gruelling climate. This woman Buried Herfour year old daughter and five year old son on the journey here probably cholera again. And what happens if the aid supplies run out . Those helping say the main lesson of 2011 is to sound the alarm early. What we want to do different is we want to say there is a famine that is coming. We are sure it is going to come, and especially if the april rains fail. So what we are saying is get us help now, get us the resources we need now, and we will Save The Children that need to be saved. And look how easy it can be. After 15 minutes of treatment in hospital, nine year old ali opens his eyes and asks his father for water. In a besieged town, one life saved, many more to go. Andrew harding, bbc news, baidoa. Somalia facing cholera and the threat of famine. Late today, the congressional costing of the Health Care Plan backed by the white house came in. Among the statistics that stick out are that it would reduce federal defecits by more than 330 billion over the next decade. But 1a million more people will be uninsured by 2018 under this plan, and that number rises to 2a million in 2026. The Trump Administration says it disagrees strenuously with those findings. A brief time ago, i discussed the political fight over the legislation with niall stanage, white house columnist for the hill. So these much anticipated numbers are in, and while the deficit goes down, millions more will be an insured, does this make their task more complicated 7 insured, does this make their task more complicated . I think it does, just the fact that so many people would Lose Health Insurance is obviously a political problem, and clearly President Trump did win the election with more low and modest income people than is normalfor a republican. These will be the people who are hurt by this. We have been hearing a conservative outcry that it is 0bamacare light, but we will will now hear from more traditional conservative areas . I think we possibly will, because this is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, between the Free Market Principles that many republicans espouse and the actual effect on the health care market. If you have a com pletely health care market. If you have a completely free market, some will not be able to afford health insurance. The white house was criticising these congressional number crunchers ahead of these coming out, but now the speaker the house, paul ryan, says this is good and it is proving the republicans point. It is an interesting point he is making, focusing primarily on deficit reduction, and this does suggest the deficit will go down quite a lot. But you can adjust cherry pick which findings you want and ignore the ones you do not want. If you accept one part, it seems to me you have to accept the other. And average premiums will go up 15 20 , remember how damaging that was during the election for hillary clinton, when we heard that premiums would skyrocket . Do you think the president will know what changes to the bill . He has definitely telegraphed a willingness to change the bill, more so than paul ryan has, in fact, the bill, more so than paul ryan has, infact, and the bill, more so than paul ryan has, in fact, and President Trump has, in fact, and President Trump has a capacity to detect what is likely to be popular or not, and i think his antenna will definitely be useful in this battle. Today was also the deadline the House Intelligence Committee had given the Trump Administration to provide evidence that phones at trump tower in new york were wiretapped just before the election. Its been over a week since the current president levelled that accusation, but so far no proof has emerged. Earlier, the bbcs katty kay and Christian Fraser spoke to former us Defense Secretary and republican senator William Cohen for their programme 100 days. Is the onus here on the white house to prove that what President Trump accused president 0bama of doing, a crime, he has evidence on that . We are seeing an example of fake news coming directly out of the white house. Just last week, the president was getting compliments for being president ial because he wrote a speech. This is not president ial conduct. The is a tweet accusing a former president of committing a felony without any evidence whatsoever. It is nonsense to say, congress, please help me find out what is in my own department. All he has to do is pick up the phone and say, tell me what happened. But to shift that to congress to conduct an investigation is sending congress down a rabbit hole. I think this is nonsense. So you dont think the media is wrong to be asking questions about this . Until you have proof of something as outrageous as this, we will cover something else, we will not be diverted, and covering all of this while other things are going on, people are being arrested and moved out of the United States, actions are being taken, attorneys are being fired, rights are being rolled back. We are now trying to find out what he meant, was it surveillance, wiretapping, your phone . This is nonsense. This is 1984 the media has an obligation to tell the president if he has facts, bring them forward. Not tomorrow, next week, next month, do it on your own and do not make comments like this without facts. Essentially, what we are saying is we cannot trust what the president of the United States is saying, and that has big implications not only for relationships internally but externally, his credibility worldwide . Credibility suffers. Not only does his credibility suffer, but that of the United States. We are seeing the us is portrayed as a circus in which people are running around with bells and whistles, trying to find out what the facts are. It is fake news in any event. Facts really do count. The world is turning faster and faster and is becoming more dangerous, and the last thing we need is to be having fake news put out from the white house. Being seen as a circus, thank you very much indeed for coming in to join the programme. Katty kay speaking to William Cohen earlier on 100 days. Tensions between turkey and the netherlands are rising, just two days before a crucial dutch election, and a few weeks before turkey holds a referendum on its president s powers. The animosity increased after the dutch government expelled a visiting turkish minister, whod planned to address turkish residents of the netherlands who could have a vote in turkeys referendum. Turkey is demanding an investigation into what it says is police misconduct, after dogs and tear gas were used to disperse a crowd whod gathered to protest outside its consulate in rotterdam. The turkish president has described the netherlands as a Banana Republic and urged International Sanctions against its government. Turkeys referendum is about turning the country from a parliamentary to a president ial republic. If successful, president erdogan would have greater powers. 5. 5 million turks live outside the country, and president erdogan wanted to hold rallies across europe to get their votes. The netherlands is not alone in its approach. Germany and austria have also banned rallies, citing Security Concerns amid fears of unrest. A short time ago, i discussed it all with soner cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research programme at the washington institute. Soner cagaptay, why has it become so heated, this question of whether turkish officials can campaign in the netherlands in front of the Turkish Diaspora on behalf of president erdogan for this turkish referendum . I see it as being related to the election cycles in both the netherlands and turkey. The netherlands has a far right politician who wants to have a ban against islam, so it fits nicely into his rhetoric, to a confrontational policy, that is wilders against turkey. That is one part of the perfect storm, and the other part is, in turkey, president erdogan is running a referendum he needs to win. His party has maxed out in terms of support in the country, just below 50 , so hes trying to rile up his nationalist right wing base by creating a cause around which turks can band once again. So is this not so much about the votes of the Turkish Diaspora in europe but much more about how president erdogan does at home with this referendum that is about extending his powers . Correct, erdogan has a legacy that he has won elections but on a platform of demonising and brutalising electorates that are not likely to vote for him. But when you add up those groups demonised by him, now they make up nearly half of turkey, so he cant continue doing that at home any more. He needs, quote unquote, imagined foreign enemies, so the confrontation with the dutch is a trap that they walked in, because their own far right politicians wanted to walk in. But erdogan, ultimately, wants to use this to boost his popularity at home among the turkish electorate by this sense of Sensationalist Imagery of turks being attacked by westerners. But now also the rhetoric is becoming more inflammatory with the germans on behalf of president erdogan, what does this do to the Turkish Diaspora, which is pretty well integrated in germany and in the netherlands . That is correct, the Turkish Diaspora in europe has been so far mostly a successful case of integration, and i think although this is about turkeys domestic electoral cycle, about erdogans desire to win the referendum, it is putting the Turks In Europe in a very precarious position. They are now seen as fifth columns, not loyal citizens, and that is extremely dangerous. Not only is everyones policy hurting turkeys nearly four centuries old relationship with the netherlands, the two countries became friends in 1601 and havent had a crisis since. But it also putting this four decade long process of turks integration into europe injeopardy. How much of all of this has got to do with the failed coup against president erdogan and his response to it via this referendum . I think what we have seen in the aftermath of the coup is that it has played into his end, in the sense that it has allowed him to fast forward Power Consolidation, meaning, had the coup plot not happened, i think erdogans goal to become an executive style Super President would have come up the agenda in the next round of elections in 2019. The coup allowed him to fast forward, so what we have seen is a speedier Power Consolidation in the last year than perhaps was the case in the last decade under erdogan. Soner cagaptay, thank you forjoining us. My pleasure. Some other news now from around the world. Unicef says 2016 was the deadliest year yet for children in the war in syria. The agency says more than 650 under 18s were killed, mostly by shelling and air strikes. Hundreds more are thought to have died of preventable diseases. An egyptian prosecutor has approved the release of the countrys former president hosni mubarak. It means he could be out in a day or two. Hes currently confined to a Military Hospital in cairo. It comes after a court ruling earlier this month, which ordered the dropping of charges that linked mubarak to the deaths of dozens of protesters in 2011. Youre watching bbc world news america, still to come scotlands leader delivers another twist to britains eu exit drama, announcing shell seek authority to hold a new Independence Referendum in the next two years. Last year, the British Public chose the name Boaty Mcboatface for a new Polar Research ship they were voting online. But the uk government simply couldnt give a prestigious vessel such a silly name. The name does live on, however, in the form of a mini yellow submarine, which is about to leave for its First Expedition to antarctica. 0ur science correspondent Rebecca Morelle reports. Getting ready to take a dip. This is Boaty Mcboatface. At the national 0ceanography Centre in southampton, the Robotic Submarine is being put to the test before it heads out to sea. This submersible has been kitted out with the latest underwater technology, but now scientists have decided that one Boaty Mcboatface isnt quite enough. So instead we have not one, not two but three subs a fleet of boatys ready to explore beneath the waves. This new vehicle can stay out for weeks to months at a time. It can be deployed from close to shore or from the shoreline which means we actually dont necessarily need a ship to go and do some of the measurements that this vehicle can make. And the benefit of having three of them is it means we can cover a number of different projects at the same time. There is an awful lot of sea out there, and having three vehicles means we can get a much better understanding all at once. The subs will eventually work alongside this, the uks new Polar Research vessel. It was almost called Boaty Mcboatface after a public vote, but that was deemed too silly and the vessel is now named after sir david attenborough, with Boaty Living On through the subs. And antarctica is the first destination. One of the boatys has just set off to dive into the coldest waters on earth to learn about how they affect the worlds climate. It wont be long now before the other submarines head out too, so stand by for more on the adventures of the boatys. Rebecca morelle, bbc news. The British Government has condemned the announcement of plans by the Scottish First minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to call a second referendum on independence from the united kingdom. The Prime Minister, theresa may, described the move as deeply regrettable, saying it would create more uncertainty and division. The bbcs scotland editor, sarah smith, reports. Since she was 15, Nicola Sturgeon has dreamed of an independent scotland. Now brexit may provide the chance. As she says it means scotland must be given a fresh choice. What scotland deserves, in the light of the Material Change in circumstances brought about by the brexit vote, is the chance to decide our future in a fair, free and democratic way. There should be a referendum, she says, before the uk leaves the eu, some time between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019. 0pinion polls still dont suggest more than 50 of the country would want to vote for independence. The economic circumstances are much harderfor you than they were in 2014. Do you really believe you could win another referendum . Yes, i do. Absolutely. I believe that. It would be wrong for scotland to be taken down a path it has no control over, regardless of the consequences for our economy, our society, our place in the world, for our very sense of who we are as a country. That would be wrong, and therefore my judgment is that we should have that choice. A referendum could have been avoided, she says, if the uk government had been prepared to allow a separate brexit deal for scotland. We have worked hard, really hard, to try to find agreement. The Prime Minister and her government have been given every opportunity to compromise. Our efforts have instead been met with a brick wall of intransigence. In the scottish parliament, a majority of msps do support another Independence Referendum. But the snps opponents will try to stop it. I think this was a deeply irresponsible action from the first minister. She has given up any pretence of acting for all of scotland and is purely pursuing her own partisan ideals. She has no mandate for a second referendum. She lost her majority at the last scottish referendum. The people of scotland have told her time and again they dont want to be dragged back. Nicola sturgeon tells us she is forcing this debate because of brexit how can creating more division and uncertainty be a good thing . Nicola sturgeon has seized the initiative today and taken theresa may by surprise. She did not know this announcement was coming. But Nicola Sturgeon will need the agreement of the uk government before she can have another Independence Referendum. Theresa may could refuse to allow it, or she could insist any vote takes place after brexit is complete, after the whole of the uk has left the eu. When the Prime Minister first met the first minister here in edinburgh injuly, she said she wanted to reach a uk wide agreement on brexit. That clearly failed. So now they will have to get together and try to agree the terms for another Independence Referendum. Their predecessors negotiated and signed a deal for the last referendum. It may not be so amicable this time around. There is a lot at stake. Their example shows what happens to leaders who lose referendums. There are some in scotland who cant wait for another referendum, already preparing for another yes campaign. 0thers positively dread the prospect. 0pinion polls suggest voters are fairly evenly divided. So both Nicola Sturgeon and theresa may know that, whenever it happens, this is a vote that really could go either way. Sarah smith, bbc news, edinburgh. Every day, the internet bombards us with thousands of images. Some we ignore, others we share. But what impact do they have on the way we think, and how do they influence the world around us . At the International Center of photography in new york, theyre exploring the power of digital imagery to promote Social Change. Jane 0brien has more. I look for you in magazines. Yanis marshall is a french choreographer whose exuberant high heeled dance videos went viral. His work is included in this exhibition, perpetual revolution, to show how Internet Imagery can help break Gender Stereotypes and lead to positive Social Change. Within traditional photography, Social Change generally meant that the photographer was photographing something that was negative in the world, famine orwar, with the idea that somehow the images would help promote change. Now people are photographing themselves and creating their own kind of change, so its fantastic that gender queer people and trans people have had this mode of communication in order to build community and represent themselves. Gender is just one theme. The exhibition also explores the impact of web imagery on perceptions of refugees, social justice, Climate Change and more. But there is a Common Thread that anybody who spends any time on social media will grasp immediately, and thats the power of the networked image pictures we create or find online and disseminate to others in an endless cycle of sharing. But what long term impact they are actually having on us, and perhaps more importantly, how are we using them to influence others . There is, of course, a dark side. The Terrorist Organisation so called Islamic State or isis now produces patently false but tweetable images of a utopian society under its rule. Isis is the one instance in which the Social Change is bad. They make propaganda in a variety of different languages. A lot of it ends up being translated into english. But they are aiming at anyone who might come and join their cause. This exhibition shows how digital imagery reflects society, but in a world that often feels in flux, it also shows how we can use our visual culture to reinvent ourselves and even create a new reality. Jane 0brien, bbc news, new york. The power of social media bringing todays broadcast to a close. But you can find much more on all the days news at our website. And to reach me and most of the bbc team simply go to twitter, im lauratrevelyan. For all of us here at world news america, thanks for watching and please tune in tomorrow. Hello, a very mild start to the week, a springlike look and feel the things, and with 16. 6 celsius, monday was northern irelands warmest day of the year so far. On tuesday, South East England could see 18 orfor the tuesday, South East England could see 18 or for the uks tuesday, South East England could see 18 orfor the uks highest temperature of the year so far, but contrast that with this house in New York State after several days of arctic winds. My gran used to say, what they get in the usa eventually comes to the uk. We are not going to see this, but the weather in the north east of the usa will impact our weather later this week. High pressure will be giving us fine conditions, patchy rain through Northern England and wales to begin the day, following that brighter skies for scotland, plenty of showers in the far north with strong winds gusting in excess of 70 mph, impacting on travel. Central part of england seeing the best of the sunshine, possibly 18 celsius or more in South East England. As we go into wednesday, High Pressure bulges back northwards again, so a lot of dry weather, cloudy again, outbreaks of rain in northern scotland, the lions share of the sunshine will be in northern and Eastern England on wednesday. 0n in northern and Eastern England on wednesday. On thursday, many of us start dry, the Weather Front Weakening as it pushes southwards, but stronger systems to come, as the weather turns more active at the end of the week and for the weekend. Why . We go back to what is going on in the usa, and this is The Big Picture for tuesday, this storm drags loads of moisture into colder in the north east of the usa, Producing Copious note, up to 20 inchesin Producing Copious note, up to 20 inches in new york with a Blizzard Warning in force for new york city. A load of cold air in place across canada and the usa, quite a tight thermal gradient, that is the change of temperature over a distance, not just at the surface but higher in the atmosphere, add jet stream level, and that thrives on the thermal gradient. As it comes across thermal gradient. As it comes across the atlantic through this week, the jet stream will get stronger, taking a more direct track toward the uk, bringing systems our way, turning things cooler. Not a huge amount of snow, but it is likely in the scottish hills for a time. We will notice Weather Systems coming across the uk, for the end of the week and into the weekend, stronger winds, lower temperatures, and wetter weather for many of us. So this is friday, the first of the more powerful systems on the Jet Stream Diving Southeastwards across the uk, into South East England. Temperatures coming down, then a windy picture at the start of the weekend, and if you are not getting rain, you will get some showers at some stage. But going into the start of next week, it looks like although there are Weather Systems still coming our way, they may not be as powerful, and there will be bigger gaps developing in between these Weather Systems. So although there will be spells of wind and rain across northern parts of the uk, next week there will be drier, brighter spells that may last a bit longer in between, and with the drier and brighter spells, quite chilly with a touch of frost. Although temperatures are up and down, looking quite average. So there you are, a hint that what is happening in the usa mayjust have an impact on our weatherfor a time. Maybe my gran was onto something after all
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