that was stormed by militants. several gunmen burst into the intercontinental hotel on saturday evening, shooting at guests and staff and detonating grenades. at least five people have been killed and eight wounded. the siege is ongoing. armed security patrolling the roads around kabul‘s intercontinental hotel. these pictures taken at midnight, three hours after the shooting began. officials said four gunmen began firing on saturday evening, shooting at staff and guests. translation: at first i heard some gunfire and after 15 minutes, a worker from the hotel approached and said suicide attackers entered the hotel. local media reports say several people have been killed. it's unclear how many, yet it is believed the security guards at the entrance to the hotel may be among those injured. the intercontinental hotel in kabul is popular with foreign guests, situated on a hilltop outside the city and has been the target of an attack before in 2011 when 21 people died. security forces said two of the gunman had been shot and killed. two more are thought to be hiding in the building with reports they had taken hostages on the upper floors. local officials say 100 guest have been released. the attack comes days after the us embassy in kabul issued a warning about hotels in the city, saying extremist groups may be planning an attack and saying hotels as well as public gatherings could be potential targets. it is still not clear how many people have been injured in this attack or how many guests and staff are still inside the hotel. turkey has begun a new intervention in the conflict in syria — by launching an offensive against kurdish held territory near its border. it has long fought kurdish separatists within its own country and is now shelling kurdish militia in the afrin region of northern syria. bill hayton reports. heading to the border, a turkish invasion force is getting ready. so far, these tanks have not crossed into syria. the turkish government wants the world to see what it is doing, releasing this video of leaders directing the operation. translation: depending on the developments, our land forces will carry out necessary activities as well. apart from the turkish armed forces, there are also components of the free syrian army participating in this operation. these are some of those free syrian army fighters moving through turkey to join the battle. just like the turkish government, they are opposed to the kurdish ypg setting up enclaves inside syria. some of the fsa factions have already joined the fighting against them. turkey sees a huge threat in northern syria because of the kurdish forces and these forces are supported by a us—led international coalition which includes britain and some european countries. they see a threat in that region. this is what they are fighting over, the area around afreen. —— afrin. the ypg has been expecting an attack for almost two years and they are well prepared but turkey has a power and artillery on its side and it's pounding the kurdish positions. this battle pits two american allies, the ypg and turkey, against each other and trapped in the kurdish enclave, more than1 million people waiting for peace. bill hayton, bbc news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. thousands of anti—government protestors have held rallies in cities across romania. they're angered at what they see as attempts by the governing coalition, headed by the social democrats, to dilute judicial independence. the largest demonstration took place in heavy snow in the capital, bucharest. two people have died and several others were injured in a fire at a hotel in central prague. the fire occurred at the eurostars david hotel, a block away from the vltava river and near the czech capital's national theatre. the cause of the fire is not yet clear. heavy snow has disrupted traffic and left thousands without power and water supplies in many regions across ukraine. buses and trucks were restricted from travelling in several cities, while the highway between the capital kiev and odessa was temporarily closed. more snow is forecast over the next few days. both us houses of congress will be back in session on sunday to try to rectify the failure to pass a new spending bill. a vote in the senate is then scheduled for one in the morning local time — or earlier if democrats and republicans can find agreement. if the vote is passed it would end the current shutdown allowing government services to begin working normally on monday morning. our washington correspondent david willis reports. marking the first anniversary of president trump's inauguration, protesters took to the streets here in washington and across the country, as the government of the largest economy in the world went into shutdown. the yays are 50, and the nays are 49. a stopgap funding measure came up ten votes short. that, after the democrat leader in the senate, chuck schumer, met with president trump at the white house. progress was made, he said, before the dealmaker—in—chief changed his mind. negotiating with this white house is like negotiating withjell—o. it's next to impossible. as soon as you take one step forward, the hard—right forces the president three steps back. the white house branded the democrats "obstructionist losers" what we've just witnessed on the floor was a cynical decision decision by senate democrats to shove aside millions of americans for the sake of irresponsible political games. the government shutdown was 100% avoidable. as the vote collapsed, outside on the streets of the capital were the people whose fate democrats wanted to tie to this funding agreement — young people brought into the united states illegally, whom president trump is threatening to deport. republicans want their fate linked to funding for a wall along the mexican border, a pet project of president trump. members of congress are working over the weekend to try to find a solution to the crisis. hundreds of thousands of nonessential government workers will be placed on temporary unpaid leave. and not even members of the military will be paid until a breakthrough is reached. president trump took issue with that today, tweeting that democrats are holding the military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration, can't let that happen. the last government shutdown here, in 2013, caused the closure of national parks and led to around 800,000 government workers being placed on leave. nobody here wants to see history repeat itself. a year ago, the president was celebrating sweeping to power on the platform as the ultimate deal—maker. he starts his second year with the government in shutdown and his approval ratings at an all—time low. david willis, bbc news, washington. i would like to show you some pictures that have come into us here from bbc news. this is afghanistan and the ongoing siege at the intercontinental hotel. it has been going for quite a few hours. afghan security forces are trying to regain control of the hotel after it was stormed by gun men. the hotel managers say they came in through the kitchen and again shooting at guest, detonating hand grenades and there are reports the fighting is ongoing, floor by floor. the afp newsagency is reporting that at least five people have been killed and eight wounded. over 100 hostages have been released but it is thought more are in there. you can see from the pictures there, the afghan security forces on the streets. so far there is no claim of responsibility but this is not a rare occurrence in kabul where the security situation remains somewhat precarious. these picturesjust coming into us here at the bbc. the siege is ongoing at the intercontinental hotel in kabul. pope francis has celebrated a huge outdoor mass in peru's northwest coastal region of trujillo, which was badly hit by floods last year leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless. from there he headed to lima — the final stop on his week—long south american tour. tim allman reports. devotion, dedication and worship. by the seaside. an estimated 200,000 people turned out for this open—air mass on a beach in trujillo. a festive, joyous spirit, almost a year after much of this area was devastated by flooding and landslides. a desperate situation recognised by pope francis. translation: you know the power of nature, you've experienced its force, you had to face the brunt of el nino, whose painful consequences are still present in so many families, especially those who are not yet able to rebuild their homes. afterwards the pope visited buenos aires, not the argentinian city of his birth but another town in this region which was badly affected by last year's catastrophic weather, some hoping his visit will bring a new sense of optimism and renewal. "i am really happy," said this woman. "we were able to come and see him and be here "with all our brothers and sisters. "i think they needed it. "the fact the pope chose this community is a blessing "for everyone. " a little stumble but soon the pope was back in the capital, lima, for the final stage of his trip. on sunday, more huge crowds are expected for another open—air mass. tim allman, bbc news. there are changes afoot at facebook. there are changes afoot at facebook. the vast and all powerful social networking site has over 2 billion users but has been criticised for spreading unreliable information and relentless advertising. the ceo has announced plans to fix the problems. when facebook launched, the platform became the one place for social interaction. for many people, it was a chance to stay in touch with friends and family around the world. but now, that same social networking site pushes a lot of advertising — that's how it makes $500 billion. and it's been heavily criticised for allowing stories thatjust aren't true to spread. last week, ceo mark zuckerberg said the site will make posts from businesses, brands and media much less prominent. news content will soon make up around 4% of what appears on your newsfeed. it's down from 5%. to order from 1800 flowers... and on friday, the company said it will prioritise trustworthy news sources on its newsfeed. for many emerging news organisations, websites such as buzzfeed. it rode the wave of social traffic that no—one had heard of it when it emerged. imagine if it came out today and a user on facebook was asked for a trusted news source. people have not heard of it. so how will they get the chance to become big? there upsides and down sides. the interesting point, however, is facebook saying they do not want to be in the business of something they are already doing. it's going to use surveys to let users determine which news outlets they find reliable, but it will not make the results public. some worry that big—name media brands, like the bbc, will do better than other new names that may be just as rigorous in theirjournalism. tiffany sweeney, bbc news. this is bbc news. stay with us, still become. the rustbelt towns that helped put donald trump in the white house. what voters think of his progress so far. the people of saigon have just heard that, at last, there is to be a ceasefire. the reaction of american servicemen was predictable. i'm going home. demonstrators waiting for mike getting and his rebel cricket team were attacked with tear gas and set upon by police dogs. anti—apartheid campaigners say they will carry on the protests throughout tour. they called him the butcher of lyon. klaus altmann is being held on a fraud charge in bolivia. but the west germans want to extradite him for crimes committed in wartime france. there, he was the gestapo chief klaus barbie. millions came to bathe as close as possible at this spot, a tide of humanity that is believed by officials to have broken all records. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: gunmen have killed at least five people and wounded eight others in an attack on kabul‘s intercontinental hotel — the 11 hours—long siege is continuing. turkey says the first day of a bombing campaign against kurdish militants in northern syria has seen its airforce hit more than 100 targets. well let's get more on the turkish air strikes on kurdish positions in northern syria. the bbc‘s mark lowen explains why they are happening now. let's just say, the turkish government doesn't see it that way. turkey feels threatened by the kurdish militia in syria, known as the ypg, and insists they are linked to the outlawed kurdish militant group in turkey, the pkk, which has been fighting an insurgency here since the 1980s. the ypg have been the main force fighting the islamic state group. they have cleared the jihadists from vast swathes of syria, increasing their own territory. the kurds now control a huge strip of the border with turkey, including the enclaves of manbij and afrin. in that worries the turks who fear the ypg linking up with other areas turkey has been incensed by us support for the ypg which it sees as terrorists. it says american arms given to them end up with kurdish militants across the border in turkey. the ypg are effective fighters, as seen by their pummelling of is. they've got their american support. washington wants ankara to pull back and turkey risks a major confrontation with its nato ally. russian forces control the skies over afrin and have have co—operated with the ypg and they have their own military personnel on the ground. the assad regime says it would shoot down any turkish jets and would see a turkish offensive as a violation of syrian sovereignty. and there are civilians in afrin and manbij who would be at risk from a new offensive. no, turkey has form in this. in 2016, operation euphrates shield, led by turkish troops and syrian rebels, cleared is from jarablus, al—rai and al bab, and also hit ypg positions. turkey says this offensive will be a continuation with syrian rebel support. what it boils down to is yet another front in the syrian conflict. a seven year long civil and proxy war that has killed an estimated half a million people. tens of thousands of women have been protesting in cities across the united states to mark the first anniversary of president trump's inauguration. in washington, demonstrators heard speeches by a number of politicians, including hillary clinton's running mate, senator tim kaine. there's been a march in new york too. but the total number of participants was much lower than the estimated five million who marched on january 21st last year, one of the largest protests in us history. well, one year on from president trump's inauguration we're looking back at his first year in office. pennsylvania was one of the key states in delivering his victory. he inspired hope among many working class voters in places like bethlehem, a former steel town that hadn't voted for a republican for president since the 1980s. nick bryant went there to see how people rate his performance so far. it was rust—belt towns that helped put donald trump in the white house — one—time steel powerhouses such as bethlehem, pennsylvania, which hadn't gone republican since the 1980s. democratic strongholds that became trump country. so, all this is new? all this is new, all this is new. keith hornik runs his own construction firm and has built 300 new apartments since donald trump became president. he knows there's been a rise in business and consumer confidence. it's seen him double his workforce. as long as i see builders happy, shovels going in the ground and there is work ahead of me, i'm happy. you're seeing a trump bump? absolutely. 100%. no doubt in my mind. this is a direct result. he might turn out to be one of the greatest presidents we ever had. joe d'ambrosio runs a barber shop but keeps a close eye on the stock market, which has reached record highs and has risen about 30% since this time last year. a registered democrat, he is proud to have voted for the billionaire. he's getting all of the politicians shook up. no business as usual. and i like what he's doing. what about his behaviour? well, you know... what are you going to do? i mean, you don't like his tweeting — nobody likes his tweeting — but in my mind, for my customers and everybody else, it's what everybody‘s thinking but won't say. but there are people in bethlehem who regard donald trump not as a messiah, but a pariah. pensionerjulie rhea is worried about the new president's temperament. it's a common complaint from republicans as well as democrats. i don't think he has a real grasp on any kind of reality, in a way. you know, in a theatrical reality, yes, he's great, you know, but as far as leading our country, i think he has no clue what he's doing, and i don't think he realises the seriousness of it. people in these communities aren't consumed by the fire and fury gossip coming from the white house. they are not following every twist and every tweet. manyjudge this presidency with an economic yardstick and, financially, many feel better off than they did this time last year. for all the chaos and controversy in washington, there's a sense of resurgence in the rust belt. nick bryant, bbc news, pennsylvania. paul bocuse, one of france's most famous chefs has died aged 91. his restaurant held a 3—star michelin rating for more than half a century — earning him the nickname: the pope of gastronomy. rhodri davies has more. paul bocuse was lauded for most of his life as a great of french cuisine. he was twice named chef of the century, he was a moderniser of french food, and he revolutionised the idea of the chef. and those in power, and in kitchens, are feeling his loss. the country's president tweeted that chefs throughout france are crying in their kitchens. spanish—american chefjose andres said the angels will have a feast today, while celebrity chef anthony bourdain said bocuse was a hero. he reportedly died in his restaurant, l'auberge du pont de collonges, near lyon, where the insignia reads "at the bottom of the pot lies the truth". truths learned at home. bocuse inherited the restaurant from his father — part of a family whose cooking was known since the 17th century. this long lineage led to his restaurant having three michelin stars by 1965. ten years later, he received france's highest award, legion d'honneur. that's after pushing forward nouvelle cuisine that advocated reducing calories and portion sizes of france's traditional dishes. ahead of his time, he was also a great self publicist and his stature grew to global fame. that led to having the bocuse d'or competition, or so—called chef olympics, named after him. he inspired people across generations and borders — from france to japan and the usa. he really changed the perception for chefs. for years was kind of considered to be the role of, like, a domestic servant, he really thrusted, or evolved that perception as, of a chef to be elevated at a very prestiged level which so many of us today have, really, him to thank for that movement. i mean, he looked at the role of a chef very differently than anyone else ever did. bonjour. ca va? a large but disarming personality who was also known for his affairs — at least two long—term ones and many others. bocuse died aged 91 after several years with parkinson's disease. rhodri davies, bbc news. six women from the british army have become the largest all—female group to ski coast—to—coast across antarctica. the ice maiden team began the 1,000—mile expedition on november the 20th. they've been battling winds of up to 60 miles per hour and temperatures as low as minus a0. one of the ice maidens, major nat taylor, has been speaking gunmen have killed eight people and wounded others in an attack in an hotel in kabul. the siege is continuing. and finally we'll leave you with these unusual pictures from northeastern china where high humidity and very low temperatures have recently turned a section of songhua river in jilin province into a fairytale setting. hundreds have visited rime island, to witness a rare natural phenomenon with tree trunks, branches and vegetation wrapped in crystal ice. light rainfall in extremely cold weather has formed the crystal—like ice droplets and silver thaws. hello. there is something milder on the way through the coming days but with how we are starting sunday morning, you may need a bit of convincing of that because cold air is still very much in place. mild air, though, trying to push in from the south—west but as it does, it's bringing a band of rain. and this could be quite a troublemaker, actually, because running into the cold air, it is going to bring some snow and, indeed, some ice — particularly across central and northern parts of the british isles through the day ahead. so that could cause some travel disruption — bear that in mind if you do have plans to get out and about. so this is how the day shapes up then. this wet weather pushing northwards and eastwards — anywhere from north wales, the midlands, northwards, especially over high ground, there's likely to be a spell of snow, much of that though, turning back to rain by the end of the day as the milder air begins to win out and pushes in from the west. at 3pm, there will still be significant snow falling across a good part of scotland but down to the south—west, something more mild, turning the wintry weather back to rain and a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow across northern england, down into east anglia, could be some icy conditions also. temperatures two, three, four degrees. a chilly six in london. but mostly, it will be rain here. certainly rain across the south—west of england, some heavy rain continues through the afternoon but look at the temperatures, 12 degrees for plymouth. windy weather here, 9 in cardiff, some wet and windy weather into south wales, and for north wales as things turn more mild in the afternoon, there'll be some mist and fog likely to develop across parts of northern ireland as well. as we get through sunday night, we will push away the rain and what is left of the snow. many areas will end up dry. a fair amount of cloud around. this area of rain always close to the south coast and certainly the channel islands so some wet weather continuing and look at the temperatures for monday morning, 1—10 degrees, a much less chilly start. monday will bring this rain scraping perilously close to the south of england. otherwise not a bad day. a fair amount of cloud, some sunshine about, always patchy rain at times for hills and coasts in the west. temperatures 5—10. just the first sign of the milder air winning out and it will continue to do so for the most part through the week ahead, something colder never too far away from northern areas so temperatures in the north will tend to go up and down but not as cold as it has been. certainly mild further south, 12— 13, but with the mild air, we will see some wet and windy weather continuing at times through the week ahead. that's all from me for now. this is bbc news. the headlines: gunmen have killed at least five people and wounded eight others in an attack on one of kabul‘s top hotels. local special forces are still trying to secure the building. the gunmen burst into the intercontinental hotel, shooting at guests and staff and detonating bombs. turkey has carried out air strikes in northern syria against more than 100 targets belonging to kurdish militants as it opens a new front in the syrian conflict. the turkish military said that dozens of war planes were involved in the attacks against the syrian kurdish ypg militia. after intense negotiations, republicans in the united states have scheduled a new senate vote on spending to try to end the government shutdown by monday morning. a bill to fund the federal government for the coming weeks did not receive the required 60 votes by the deadline of midnight on friday. now on bbc news, click.

Related Keywords

United Kingdom , Czech Republic , Spain , Ankara , Turkey , Romania , Jilin , China , Ukraine , Prague , Praha , , Peru , South Wales , New York , United States , Kabul , Kabol , Afghanistan , Kiev , Ukraine General , Bolivia , Washington , Mexico , Afrin , Lab , Syria , North Wales , Pennsylvania , Vltava , Antarctica , Bucharest , Bucuresti , Lima , France , London , City Of , Russia , American , Turkish , Syrian , Czech , Afghan , Turks , French , Mexican , British , Russian , Spanish , Tiffany Sweeney , Nick Bryant , Hillary Clinton , Al Bab , Paul Bocuse , Klaus Barbie , El Nino , Chuck Schumer , David Willis , Tim Allman , Lyon Klaus Altmann , Tim Kaine ,