Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20180127

After she beats simona halep in the final of the australian open. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. Three teenage boys have been killed after they were hit by a car in west london. It happened last night in hayes. A man aged 28 who was in the vehicle is under arrest in hospital. The police say theyre investigating an altercation that is believed to to be linked. Ben ando reports. Friends, classmates, mourners. Three, two, one. Grieving together an improvised memorial for a tragedy as shocking as it was unexpected, to mark the deaths of three teenagers struck by a speeding car in hayes, middlesex yesterday evening. The teenage boys have not been formally identified, but named locally as george, harry and josh. Two were 16, the other 17. Earlier their families had visited the bus stop where the boys had lost their lives. Jake webb was one of the first on the scene immediately after it happened. I could see the incident in front of me. I had called them at that point. There was a bus driver in front of us. He came over and said, there is someone dead in the road. At that point i relayed that to 999. Within five minutes, an ambulance arrived. Friends of the boys say they were walking on the pavement in this direction, going to a party, when a car struck the pavement about here. Seconds later, it hit them. The car, a black audi, smashed into a lamp post before coming to a halt in the road. This image shows the force of the impact. Eyewitnesses said afterwards a man who had been in the car was attacked in the garage forecourt nearby. Some locals say speeding cars here are nothing new. It is a 60 mph road. Cars and vehicles drive up and down here sometimes like it is a speed trap. This road is busy 24 7. If im totally honest, im surprised there has not been more accidents along it. Police believe two men were in the crashed car. Of the many people heading to the same party, they want any witnesses to contact them. All current rape and serious Sexual Assault cases in england and wales are to be reviewed as a matter of urgency, following the collapse of several recent trials the director of public prosecutions. But the governments chief Legal Adviser says there is no evidence of widespread malpractice or dishonesty in the prosecution system. Clive coleman reports. Disclosure of evidence in some recent highly publicised rape cases has gone badly wrong. But how widespread is the problem . In december liam allan was acquitted of six counts of rape and six of Sexual Assault when it emerged evidence on a computer disk which police had examined showed messages from the alleged victim pestering him for casual sex. And the number of prosecutions in england and wales that collapsed because of a failure by police or prosecutors to disclose evidence has increased by 70 in the last two years. Now the director of public prosecutions, alison saunders, has ordered an urgent review of all rape and serious Sexual Assault cases, and conceded its likely a number will be dropped. One of the major problems is the amount of evidence on digital devices, such as mobile phones and social media. Its very apparent that in some cases mistakes have been made that simply shouldnt have been. It is important that when you look at that kind of case that the prosecutors and investigators look at social media traffic, look at Text Messages that have passed between the two individuals, because they can put whats happened in a very significant, different light. A National Disclosure Improvement Plan has been published. It includes a review of disclosure training, developing a group of specialists in every police force, and all multimedia evidence to be provided to the defence digitally. Yesterday, here, a people trafficking case not a rape or Sexual Assault trial collapsed because prosecutors failed to disclose Critical Evidence to the defence. Thejudge has demanded an urgent explanation in a case made even more shocking by the fact that one of the young female defendants was held in prison for 13 months, during which time she gave birth. This problem is systemic and endemic throughout the criminaljustice system. Its been known about for many years and its a result of chronic underfunding of police, the Prosecution Service and particularly defence lawyers who have suffered years of cuts to legal aid. If Public Confidence in our fair trial system is to be maintained, fixing disclosure is now the criminal justice systems biggest challenge. Clive coleman, bbc news. Were joined now by nazir afzal, former chief prosecutor for the crown Prosecution Service. Should we be concerned by what has taken place in ourjudiciary . Absolutely. Public confidence has been shaken by a series of cases we re very been shaken by a series of cases were very basic things such as disclosure. The most basic thing is providing the defence with a case against them and the evidence you have that may assist them. The fact it has not been happening in these very high profile cases, and the one that ive mentioned yesterday, suggests to me that something is amiss and it needs to be remedied. We have heard the dpp say she wants every single case to be looked at afresh by a more senior lawyer. The question clive asked, that i asked as well, is what about other cases . It doesnt have to be just rape and sexual offences. Disclosure impacts on all serious cases, everything. There is no current proposal to look at all such matters. We have got a situation where juries hear the evidence. They dont know now whether it is all the evidence. They dont know what is happening. And i think, is one of your contributors said, the issue is resources. It is not just money. It said, the issue is resources. It is notjust money. It is experience. A substantial number of Serious Police officers have left the service, experienced Police Officers have left, and there is less supervision. And so cases are being prepared not as well as they could be. It means justice is not being done all the time. When we hear the phrase failed to disclose, are they saying that teams were aware that the evidence was there and theyjust didnt bring it forward, but they hadnt got to it forward, but they hadnt got to it yet . There is a lot of confusion. A bit of both. The disclosure regime is more than 20 years old but social media and the internet isnt. They are trying to catch up with where the technology. In some cases you have to remember the prosecutors dont find the evidence themselves. It comes from the police. The police have not provided, they dont know what is out there, they dont know what is out there, they dont know what is out there, they dont know what is available. There is a significant issue with policing and the need for specialist officers to ta ke the need for specialist officers to take responsibility for disclosure in the same way they do for the investigation itself. Secondly, the prosecutor should be asking questions. The examples we have recently, was the was there anything on her phone, online . Was it answered . Clearly anything on her phone, online . Was it answered . Clearly it wasnt answered. That evidence turned up very late. We cant have a situation where a team doesnt work as a team and the experience doesnt seem to be there. As a result, justice is not being done. What about other cases . Those cases that have been dealt with. What about the rape finalised last week, for example . Are you going to look at the evidence in relation to that . This opens a can of worms when you say you want to look at all current cases. Lawyers and defendants will be asking, what about my case . What about the case you have not prepared . You Say Something is amiss and it needs to be remedied. Are the police who are in charge of collecting evidence like this, they are equipped to do it . We know there isa are equipped to do it . We know there is a problem with resources. Are they equipped to do this . You have special cyber teams within the police and they know how to deal with that, but what about when it comes to Police Officers dealing with Sexual Assault . Technically, only specialist officers should be dealing with sexual offences. Some are relatively new. Some may not necessarily have the contacts within the Telecommunications Industry or the Telecommunications Industry or the internet industry which enables them to get this information. These are basic questions which have to be asked by them. Prosecutors need to asked by them. Prosecutors need to ask the same questions. Technology is there. The expertise is there. Be supervision is poor. The experience levels are poor. As a result we are not getting the service from them, the prosecutors are not giving the service, they deserve. Prosecutors, as diligent as they are, they dont know what they have got and they dont know what they havent got. Thank you very much for that insight. And well find out how this story, and many others, are covered in tomorrows front pages at 10 30 and 11 30 this evening in the papers. 0ur guestsjoining me tonight are nigel nelson, whos the Political Editor of the sunday mirror and sunday people, and the broadcaster and journalist, penny smith. The release of the black cab rapist, john worboys, from prison has been put on temporary hold, following a legal challenge by two of his victims. The 60 year old was jailed for a minimum of eight years in 2009, for the rape and Sexual Assault of women across london. Lawyers representing the women were granted a stay on his release, after making an urgent application to the high court. A bomb in the Afghan Capital kabul has left 95 people dead and more than 150 injured. The taliban say they carried out the attack. An emergency vehicle, packed with explosives, was blown up at a checkpoint. From kabul, Zia Shahreyar reports. An ambulance packed with explosives driven into crowds on their way to work. The force of the blast shook the windows off buildings at least a mile away. Some lower rising structures collapse. A plume of smoke visible across the city. The attacker had driven his vehicle past the police checkpoint, claiming to have a patient inside. When guards at a second checkpoint became suspicious, he detonated the bomb. Translation i was in an armoured plated vehicle when suddenly there was an explosion. I was in the back seat, my driver was blown out on to the ground and injured. The area of the attack is home to foreign embassies and the citys police headquarters. The road had been closed to public transport. The taliban claimed responsibility. This is their second deadly assault on the city in the space of a week. 20 people were killed in an attack on the Intercontinental Hotel last week. This evening, work was continuing to clear the scene of the latest bombing. This is a very secure area and security is very tight here usually and the question will be how they got through this far. The afghan military, backed by us air power, has intensified its campaign to drive out the taliban from its rural strongholds. But, as todays strike proves, theyre still able to mount deadly attacks against civilian targets in the heart of the countrys major cities. Sana safi is a presenter at bbc pashtuns. The first thing is the death toll. It is fairly high. Are there are concerns that could rise . Absolutely. The numbers have already gone up from 95 to more than 100. It is expected to rise. It will go up. And the injured as well. What about the significance of these targets . This is the third attack in a week. They are getting very close to high profile targets. However they achieving this . There are several theories. The timing, the nature of theories. The timing, the nature of the attacks. And the way it has happened. If you look at the last one 01 happened. If you look at the last one or two weeks, this is the third biggest attack, one theory is the afg ha n biggest attack, one theory is the Afghan Government is engaged in rural areas with the taliban and they are trying to push them out. The taliban are feeling the pressure and they are taking the fight to bigger cities, where they could inflict more and bigger pain on people. It is proving to be working. People are panicking. People feel the government is not able to fight for them. People are divided. I suppose it is crucial in that sense, and also, the use of vehicles and the devices that they are using. If you look at the Intercontinental Hotel, they used the kitchen to get inside the hotel. In this attack the car was painted to look like an and villains. Like an ambulance. The way things are working, the intention is to literally tell the afg ha n intention is to literally tell the Afghan Government that they are capable, the taliban are capable, to carry out large scale attacks. Telling the international to minute to they are a force to be reckoned with, they are still there, they cant be ignored are sidelined. And also to create that panic, that fear among people, that we are seeing through social media. People are calling it a barbaric attack, it is hell, life is not the same. What they wanted to achieve they are achieving in some ways. Thank you for that. The headlines on bbc news three teenage boys have been kille dwhen they were hit by a car in west london. A man has been arrested. The attorney general has acknowledged that very serious mista kes over the disclosure of evidence by prosecutors have led to the collapse of recent trials in england and wales. At least 95 people have been killed, and more than 150 wounded, in one of the deadliest attacks on the Afghan Capital, kabul, in recent months. Paris is on alert as the level of the river seine has continued to creep higher, with forecasters warning the river could stay high throughout next week. Leaks have started to appear in some basements, while many residents on the citys outskirts have been forced to travel by boat through waterlogged streets. Our correspondent, kevin connolly, reports. On patrol on the rising waters of the river seine. A Police Launch on the front line of the flood defences of paris. Water levels are expected to peak this weekend. Tourist boats are tied up. They cant pass under the bridges on the swollen waters, leaving tourists to make the best of things. Its scary, because you dont know when its going to stop. Im not really worried. I think we have reached the maximum for the moment. I mean, its natural, for the moment you have strange things going on on the planet. For me, thats natural and i dont think it will go to a higher level. Parisians have been bracing for this High Water Mark for weeks. Its only rained this heavily over the new year period in france three times in the last 100 years. They measure the river level here by this statue of a soldier that commemorates the crimean war. In the worst flooding in history, it reached up to his beard. Its been raining relentlessly in france for weeks, but its eased off today. And it does now seem that theres a chance that the river seine will reach its peak without quite flooding into the streets of paris around it. We should know by the end of the day. Kevin connolly, bbc news, paris. Lets find out whats been happening on the ground. James barisic is a lecturer in paris hejoins us from there via webcam. James, it all looks very calm behind you. How bad is it . Well, it is high but it is not causing any great panic. It is saturday night, the bars are open, the cafes are open, we havent run out of wine or copy. We getting out of on with things. What are the parisian saying . To be honest, i have spoken to some. The people i have spoken to today, staff at the school, there has not been great concern. They are seeing it rise, there is information on the Paris Government website. And that is showing that there is a risk of some flooding predominantly locally to the sellers in some of the buildings. They are now used for parking. People ive used moved stuff out. Frankly its the weekend and theres nothing you can do. There is a feeling that there is nothing that can be done so why worry about it . I believe youre quite close to the river seine. Could we have a look to give us an update . That is notre dame over there. We are currently. You see, that should be able to get a boat under it quite comfortably, and it really cant, as you can tell. It is extremely, extremely high. My understanding is that it is going to continue going up a bit until tomorrow and then it will go down again. Its not been raining at all today. I suppose its all the water flowing through. Are you worried . Do you have plans in place should it burst its banks proper . No. I dont live here. I live in brittany, where it is perpetually wet anyway. Im not particularly concerned. Im getting on the trains tomorrow. The trains will be running. I wasnt planning a walk down the side of the river. Your viewers may know, ijust wonder over here, they may know there is a walkway that goes down there is a walkway that goes down the side of the river. That is the walkway. It doesnt exist. For most people its not having much of an effect. Other than to come and have a look at itjust as a spectacle. But apart from that i think most people are quite relaxed about things at the moment. Well, youve got your wine, it should be fine will get by. James, thank you very much. Bon voyage back to brittany. Thank you. We will keep a very close eye on the river seine in paris. The Prime Minister of ireland has told the bbc he will campaign for the countrys near total ban on abortion to be liberalised. Leo varadkar had previously said the laws were too restrictive. A referendum will take place this summer on whether to repeal a constitutional amendment that effectively bans terminations. The Prime Minister has welcomed a landmark ruling by trade authorities in the us, overturning a decision to impose huge tariffs on planes which are partly built in the uk. The Aerospace Firm bombardier won a surprise victory in its dispute with the American Company boeing, about selling its passenger jets to us airlines. The wings for the planes are manufactured in belfast, as our ireland correspondent, chris page, reports. Workers, politicians and Business Leaders had feared one of bombardiers biggest projects would be grounded. The firm in belfast has 4,000 employees and a quarter of them work on the c series jet. But the programme was under threat after boeing claimed it was unfairly subsidised because of financial help from the canadian and british governments. The authorities in washington initially proposed to impose tariffs ofjust under 300 on imports of the c series. But last night, the Us International trade commission decided not to go ahead with the tariffs. The four commissioners all voted in bombardiers favour. Workers and their representatives were surprised but very pleased. The workforce has stood squarely behind this, put their shoulder to the wheel. Weve seen politicians nationally give up the ghost saying this is something that cant be overturned, but weve demonstrated tonight the power of trade unionism globally, we worked with our colleagues in canada and the us and this is a victory for workers tonight. The Prime Minister spoke about the dispute to donald trump at the World Economics summit in davos this week. Theresa may tweeted she welcomed the decision as good news for british industry. People here had been prepared for more bad news from across the atlantic but are delighted with this unexpected result. After months of worry, bombardiers victory in this trade dispute has brought a great sense of relief. Chris page, bbc news, belfast. The entire us gymnastics board is to resign because of its handling of the sex abuse scandal involving the former team doctor, larry nassar. The countrys Olympic Committee had threatened to strip the organisation of its powers if the directors failed to stand down. Nassar has been given a prison sentence of up to 175 years for abusing more than 150 female gymnasts. Peter bowes reports. As larry nassar begins to what amounts to a life sentence, the fallout from the abuse scandal has been swift and decisive. The entire board of usa gymnastics has gone and there have been other resignations too. Mark hollis was the Athletic Director at Michigan State university when nassar worked there. He and another official have decided to quit. Its been an absolute honour to guide the Athletic Department for the last decade. That being said, today im announcing my retirement. Im not running away from anything, im running towards something. Comfort, compassion and understanding for the survivors in our community. Togetherness, time and love for my family. There have been reports that Michigan State university and usa gymnastics knew of the abuse claims but failed to take action. Theyve both denied there was a cover up. With several investigations into abuse in us sport now under way, the recriminations are onlyjust beginning. Peter bowes, bbc news. A mural by the world famous graffiti artist banksy has appeared in hull. Hundreds of people have been turning up to see it on a disused bridge in the city. The artist has appeared to confirm its his work on social media. Not everybody is happy about it one city councillor said today, its vandalism and should be rubbed off. Matthew bone has the story. The bankside area of hull is no stranger to graffiti, but this latest addition is a little different. The artwork certainly looks like a banksy, and the artist seemed to confirm its identity on social media. It has caused a lot of interest. This is a quiet, Old Industrial part of hull, but ever since rumours of the banksy appeared last night, a steady stream of people have come here today to check it out for themselves. Its really good. Fantastic. I like the way that the writing on that is like on a chalkboard or a school. I like his shoes. He has got a nice pair of shoes on. Youve got to wear a nice pair of shoes. Of the hundreds of people who have come along to see it, gavin is more excited than most. A lifelong banksy fan, he works around the corner. For me, the culture i grew up with, it is a dream come true. What does the mural mean . It depends who you ask. The bridge is raised. It is the drawbridge. For me, hundreds of years ago we never let the king into hull. Sort of defiance, a sort of challenge. It could have been to do with us voting out, for brexit. It is all about pulling up the drawbridge again. Not everyone is happy to see the graffiti appeared. One conservative councillor has an idea of what to do. Record banksys contribution to that piece of work. Then clean it off. It is graffiti. All graffiti is damage. If banksy wants to create real art, and im sure he does, then perhaps it might be a good idea to buy some canvas. The graffiti has already been graffitied, with some green spray just nicking the toe of the mural. This afternoon, new fencing was put up to prevent people from getting up close. Lets go to china, where a giant panda has been having fun in the snow. Heavy snowfall across the country has made the panda very happy. The four year old has been displaying her gymnastic skills. She has performed a series of forward rolls, a slide. Very impressed. And there she goes. Yeah lets find out how the weather is looking. Is it too early to say that spring has sprung . Yes it is stop it its still january, for Goodness Sake by wednesday there may be some snow in the north west of scotland. That is no great surprise. It is very mild at the moment. We are going to see those temperatures rising even higher on sunday. We have got some clear skies at the moment. A little bit cooler. Very windy in the far north of scotland in the next few hours. We also see cloud coming back into which will lift temperatures. Very gloomy and wales and the south west. We will see more rain coming back towards Northern Ireland and particularly into scotland, central and southern scotland staying wet all day. Improving for Northern Ireland. Still damp and dreary around the hills of england and wales. For the most part it will be dry. Cloudy, very mild though. Some sunshine to the east of high ground. It is turning cooler as we head into monday. The rain that was in the north by this stage is moving south across england and wales. Highest temperatures across southern england. Further north, some sunshine and wintry showers in the far north west of scotland. This is bbc news, our latest Headlines Police say a car involved in a fatal crash, which killed three teenagers at a bus stop in west london last night, is believed to have been travelling at high speed. A man has been arrested. The attorney general has acknowledged that very serious mistakes, over the disclosure of evidence by prosecutors, have led to the collapse of recent trials in england and wales. A bomb hidden by the taliban in an ambulance in kabul has killed at least 95 people and left more than 150 injured. It comes a week after a Major Taliban attack on a hotel,