Protests in the suburbs of paris following the alleged rape of a black youth worker by a city Police Officer. And a miserable night for arsenal in tonights Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Coming up in Sportsday On Bbc News more Champions League last 16 problems for arsenal as Bayern Munich take control of the tie thanks to three goals in 10 minutes at the allianz arena. Good evening. President trumps public dispute with his own Intelligence Agencies has intensified. Hes accused them of breaking the law by leaking classified information and he blamed them for the resignation of his National Security adviser, michael flynn. Mr flynn had admitted misleading colleagues about his contacts with russian diplomats. The president is now under even greater scrutiny following claims of repeated contacts between his team and russian officials during the election campaign. Our north america editor, jon sopel, reports. These are not the best of times. Not yet four weeks in, his travel bans been blocked, his National Security advisers been fired and the questions about his links with russia are piling up. And when the president is angry, the place he vents is on twitter and, boy, did he let rip this morning. This russian connection nonsense is merely an attempt to cover up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un american. And, on the reporting of this the Fake News Media is going crazy with their conspiracy theorys and blind hatred. The president of the United States and the Prime Minister of israel. At his News Conference with the israeli Prime Minister, no mention of concerns about links with russia and youd never have guessed that it was the president whod forced general flynns resignation. Michael flynn, general flynn, is a wonderful man. I thinks hes been treated very, very unfairly by the media. As i call it, the fake media in many cases. And i think its really a sad thing that he was treated so badly. I think, in addition to that, from intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked. Its criminal action, criminal act. But on capitol hill theres one central concern among Senior Republicans and democrats, its the administrations links to the russian government. The base issue is getting to the bottom of what the russian interference was and what the relationship was with associates of the trump effort and so that is the big Elephant In The Room that has got to be dealt with in the most appropriate way. The American People need to understand, we need to understand and it needs to be dealt with quickly. So this is what we know. On january 15th, the Vice President went on television to deny that russian sanctions had been discussed in those phone calls. On january 26th, the Acting Attorney General tells the white house actually they were. Thats when the president was informed. But it wasnt until february 9th, when the story was about to break in the press, that Vice President mike pence was told. That means he was deliberately kept in the dark for over two weeks. Listen to the president last friday. I dont know about it. I havent seen it. What report is that . And this was his spokesman yesterday seeking to explain that discrepancy. What he was asked specifically is, was he aware of a Washington Post story . He hadnt seen that at the time. Of course he was involved, ijust said that he was aware of the situation right after the White House Council informed him back injanuary. Its hard to avoid the conclusion that this is an administration that is reeling. Just take Donald Trumps controversial travel ban. He announced at the end of last week thered be a new Executive Order on Monday Or Tuesday to replace it. Its now wednesday, theres been nothing. Work is not getting done because of the turmoil. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. As weve seen, the president has hosted a meeting at the white house with the israeli Prime Minister, benjamin netanyahu. Mr trump seems to have Cast Aside Two Decades Of American Policy In The Middle East by suggesting that the creation of a new Palestinian State alongside israel, the so called Two State Solution, is no longer the only peace plan under consideration by america. Our middle east editor, jeremy bowen, has more details. When mrand mrs when mr and mrs netanyahu arrived at the white house there seemed to be real warmth. Binyamin netanyahu hopes so. He had a sour relationship with barack hopes so. He had a sour relationship with ba rack obama hopes so. He had a sour relationship with barack obama and wants this visit to be a new start. Before he was elected president , mrtrump seemed ready to give israel a blank cheque on the palestinians. Binyamin netanyahu cheque on the palestinians. Binyamin neta nyahu authorised thousands cheque on the palestinians. Binyamin netanyahu authorised thousands more homes forjews in the occupied territories in defiance of International Law within days of mrtrumps inauguration. But now he is in the white house the president has changed his tune. He sees himself as americas greatest deal maker and seems to believe he can make the deal between israel and the palestinians that evaded the last four american president s. But that, he said, means give and take. As far as settlements, id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit. Well work something out. But i would like to see a deal being made. Ithink out. But i would like to see a deal being made. I think a deal will be made. As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises. You know that, right . Both sides. But in a middle east that is often chaotic, Binyamin Netanyahu east that is often chaotic, Binyamin Neta nyahu sees opportunities. East that is often chaotic, Binyamin Netanyahu sees opportunities. For the first time in my lifetime, and for the first time in the life of my country, arab countries in the region do not see israel as an enemy, but increasingly as an ally. And thats because israel and the arab and thats because israel and the ara b states and thats because israel and the arab states in the gulf have a common enemy. Its iran. It it is seen as common enemy. Its iran. It it is seen as a common enemy. Its iran. It it is seen as a big threat in the region. But other arab countries of the gulf are also suspicious of the iranians. Prompting that talk of a broader regional deal. Now among these are smaller nations, such as bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and among them crucially is irans main regional rival, saudi arabia. Israel has settled 600,000 jews on a shared land. Israeli right wingers do not like President Trumps call to stop expanding settlements. They prefer his backing away from a Two State Solution an Independent Palestine alongside israel. Many people on the ground believe the likeliest outcome is no solution at all. Jeremy bowen, bbc news. President trumps new defence secretary, james mattis, has warned members of nato that america could moderate its commitment to the alliance if they fail to boost Defence Spending by the end of the year. General mattis, speaking in brussels, insisted that nato was the Fundamental Bedrock of co operation and security and he claimed mr trump was a strong supporter as our defence correspondent, jonathan beale, reports. After years of fighting in deserts, the us marine after years of fighting in deserts, the Us Marine Corps are back in europe. Wejoined them in norway learning how to survive and fight in cold weather. All part of reassuring allies, especially those like norway, that share a border with a more assertive russia. But this defence co operation is far from guaranteed. With President Trump having questioned natos relevance. European allies not spending enough is an issue where you are from, some people say its obsolete, whats your view of nato . I think nato has a Great Partnership with us. We are here today because nato has asked us to be part of that. We are part of nato, nato is part of us and were working together. Today, the new us defence secretary, himself a former marine, arrived at natos headquarters to restate that commitment but it came with a warning. Its a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom. In private, General Mattis was even more blunt giving his allies effectively an ultimatum. He told them the us would moderate its commitment to nato unless they set out plans to increase their Defence Spending by the end of the year. Americas defence budget dwarfs its european allies. The us, one of only five nato countries including the uk, that meets the alliances own target of spending 2 of gdp or National Income on defence. The vast majority of nato countries are still well below that goal. Even though they all made a commitment two years ago towards spending that 2 . Secretary mattis made it very clear speaking to the Nato Alliance today that the patience of the american taxpayer is now at an end. We do need to step up. General mattis has not said what will happen if they dont. This isnt the first warning. But under President Trump allies cannot take this kind of defence support for granted. Jonathan beale, bbc news. Live to washington and our north america editor, jon sopel. What is your sense of the kind of scrutiny this administration is now under tonight . I am sure there are times when donald trump sits in that famous house and thinks i am the most powerle man in the world, the king of all i survey. And there are other times when he thinks i am besieged on all sides, i have quarrelling within the white house, i have Government Departments that are opposing me, i have got agencies that are leaking against me, i have a hostile press, it all feels pretty unfriendly, i cant get anything done. Certainly the transition from campaigning to governing is proving far more difficult than he probably imagined. I have seen some commentators saying he is not going to last four years, he will be impeached, this is going to end in tea rs. Impeached, this is going to end in tears. I think that is a wildly premature, because the basic maths havent changed. He has a republican house, a republican senate. He can govern, but hasnt got off to a very rocky start, you bet it has. It seems there could be more turbulence to come. Thank you very much. The ruling body of the church of england, the General Synod, has in effect rejected a controversial report which insisted that marriage in church can only be between a man and a woman. The report had been produced by the House Of Bishops and the archbishop of canterbury had appealed for it to be approved as a way of continuing the debate on sexuality and same sex marriage. 0ur religious affairs correspondent, martin bashir, reports. In the house of clergy, 93 in favour, 100 against, with two abstentions. And with that, General Synod delivered a devastating blow to three years of deliberation on the issue of same sex marriage. So the motion was lost. The debate itself, which lasted more than two hours, contained passionate and sometimes painful disclosures on both sides of the argument. Outside of these walls we are being heard as lacking in love. Its purpose was not to please everyone, but rather to give a steer to the way we order our lives as gods people. Please do not vote for this measure, we deserve better. Your lgbt sisters and brothers deserve better, both here in the church and in the country. All sexual expression outside the lifelong and Permanent Union of one man and one woman is sinful. Lesbian and gay christians who held an all Day Vigil Outside church house broke into song as news of the results filtered through. I think what weve seen is a breakthrough of understanding of love and people coming together, really understanding the lgbt community. Just before the debate, Archbishopjustin Welby held a private meeting at this church in an attempt to persuade members of synod to vote with him. But he was ignored and so were his fellow bishops. The fact the synod has chosen not to take note of the report means, effectively, that the last three years work is now rendered null and void, isnt it . I absolutely disagree. What certainly is happening is the report we have just presented will not be considered again as a report in these five yea rs. But the process of shared conversation which has been such a good process of listening and Mutual Understanding will continue. And so after three years of discussions, and passionate debate, and a personal plea from the archbishop of canterbury, the General Synod has voted against the report. It is an embarrassment for the House Of Bishops, following a fraught process. Tonight, the bishops say they will reflect carefully and prayerfully on the result. Martin bashir, bbc news, at church house. A brief look at some of the days other news stories. The Employment Rate edged up to a record high of nearly 75 at the end of last year. Overall, there was a small rise in the number of workers born outside the european union, but a small drop in the number of workers born in other eu countries. Thousands of tata Steel Workers in the uk have agreed to a less generous Pension Scheme in return for a £1 billion investment in the company and a commitment on jobs. Unions called it a tough decision, but the only viable way to secure the future. The uk has been given a final warning by the European Commission over its failure to address harmful levels of toxic air. Legal Air Pollution Limits have been surpassed in 16 areas, including london, birmingham, leeds and glasgow. If the government cannot show its taking action, it could face millions of pounds in fines or be taken to court. The socialite Tara Palmer Tompkinson died of Natural Causes from a Perforated Ulcer and did not have a brain tumour, according to her sister. The author, santa montefiore, posted a series of tweets thanking people for their support. The 45 year old was found dead in her flat in South Kensington last week. Police in malaysia have arrested a 28 year old woman in connection with the suspected poisoning of kimjong nam, The Half Brother of north koreas leader, kim jong un. Kim jong nam died yesterday after he was attacked at kuala lumpa airport. Hed been critical of the north korean regime and had been living in exile after being passed overfor the leadership. Our correspondent, karishma vaswani, reports from kuala lumpur. Its Business As Usual in pyongyang, everything moving at clockwork precision. Today, north koreas reclusive leader, kim jong un, made an appearance at a rally celebrating the 75th Anniversary of his fathers birth, but away from the pomp and the pagentry, a tale of murder and mystery. This man, kimjong nam, is the north korean leaders exiled older half brother, hes believed to have been murdered at an airport in malaysia on monday. Between the hours of 9. 00am to 10. 00am in the morning, on monday, the man believed to be kim jong nam was attacked in this crowded, busy airport. Police say that he was accosted by at least one woman who covered his face with a cloth, filled with some sort of burning chemical. Malaysian police say these pictures may hold the key to what happened. These cctv images have been broadcast on some malaysian media networks. Police have arrested one woman carrying a Vietnamese Passport who they say is connected to this case. Kim jong nam, seen here as a child with his father, kim jong il, was the favourite son and next in line to take over until he fell out of favour and spent several years overseas in exile. Its not clear why or even if kim jong nam was murdered and while south korea says it was definitely pyongyang that ordered the hit, it could also have been a disgruntled business partner, chinese triads or a jilted lover. Whoever killed him. That is one possible threat to kim jong un removed and even if it was not pyongyang that ordered the killing, i doubt if therell be much morning in pyongyang, the two half brothers didnt really get on. You will find some people who will tell you they never actually met. North korea has yet to comment on the murder, but Embassy Officials spent hours at the hospital, reportedly objecting to a post mortem examination that could determine how he died. Theyve also requested that the body is released to them right away, but malaysia has refused. Karishma vaswani, bbc news, kuala lumpur. The Prime Minister has been campaigning in cumbria today ahead of next weeks parliamentary by election in copeland. Theresa mays visit is being seen by some as rather unusual because the seat has been held by labourfor the best part of a century. Our political correspondent, ben wright, was there, he sent this report, which contains some flash photography. The tories Election Machine is on the move, with a visit that could spell trouble for labour. Theresa mays dash to copeland a labour held seat for over 80 years proves the Prime Minister thinks the conservatives can win it next week, and she tried to reassure voters a new Nuclear Power station, planned for the constituency at moorside, would be built. Its the conservatives who are committed to the Nuclear Industry in the uk. Weve agreed the first new Nuclear Build in a generation, here in the united kingdom. We recognise and trudy harrison, our candidate here in copeland, has made very clear to me the importance of moorside and the importance of the Nuclear Industry. This Cumbrian Constituency relies on the Nuclear Industry forjobs, sellafield is already here. Thats one reason labour might struggle to keep this seat becauseJeremy Corbyn has spent his career sounding pretty cool about Nuclear Power. So its just about the importance of the hospital. So labours Campaign Focus is on the local nhs. We are having a threat of Vital Services being ta ken away from our hospital, relocated into carlisle, a0 miles away, and its not safe. But isJeremy Corbyn a hindrance to your campaign . Hes got a muddled message on nuclear energy, does he speak to communities like this in copeland . Look, im behind the Nuclear Industry, no ifs, no buts. Close to sellafield is seascale, Jeremy Corbyn has said he backs the new plant, and it seems he needs to. I dont think hes pro nuclear, in spite of everything he says, and this is our livelihood. Itll all comes down to the Power Station at moorside, but both parties are for moorside. Does the Nuclear Issue sort of shape everyones Politics Around here . It is, particularly the moorside at the moment, the way its going on about it, it is bothering people, but it is the life and the soul of the place, isnt it, you know . Thats the jobs. Labours majority of 2,500 could be squeezed by smaller parties, too. Im a maths teacher, ive done the numbers. Labour have moved to the left, the tories have moved to the right and there is a substantial vote in the middle from people who are looking for a pragmatic mp who talks about the real world. And its a seat that voted strongly for brexit. We would abolish hs2 for a start off, its not going to benefit this area at all. We want to press to leave the eu because the sooner we do, the more well have more money for investment locally. I wonder ifJeremy Corbyn will come again . This vast constituency covers a swathe of the Lake District and theres one party with a very distinctive nuclear message. Were obviously trying to promote something else, all the other candidates are pro the new Nuclear Power plant. We think its time to try to bring other businesses to copeland and to bring something thats going to benefit everyone here. Theresa mays visit to copeland is a confident, if risky move, shes staking her name on a win. But that would be a coup for the conservatives because a governing party hasnt gained a parliamentary seat in a by election since 1982. For labour, the result will be seen as a crucial test of the partys leadership and message, in a part of Northern England that has long been seen as its heartland. Ben wright, bbc news, copeland. Here is a full list of candidates standing in the copeland parliamentary by election which takes place a week tomorrow. The list is there. You can also find out more by visiting the bbc news website. The list is there too, plus background and analysis. Take a look at that. Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of paris this evening to show their support for a black youth worker who claims he was raped by police earlier this month. Theres been growing tension in some of the citys suburbs since the 22 year old was arrested and allegedly assaulted a fortnight ago. One Police Officer has been charged with rape and three others with assault. But as Lucy Williamson reports from paris, the president s appeal for calm is not being heeded. Anger is spreading along frances urban veins. Tonight, chants of police, rapists, murderers rung out just south of the sacre coeur. This is a protest about power. The power of individuals, their community, the state. France has been living with it for years, but in the last fortnight the story of theos assault, in a rundown paris suburb, has reignited it. There are long standing divisions rising to the surface here. The deepest anger in these protests has come from different people who say they feel ignored and left behind. Who feel that the french establishment is remote and those in power abusive, corrupt and self serving. Amateur footage of theos arrest shows him being taken to the car, moments after allegedly being raped with a police baton. The Police Watchdog last week described it as a serious accident, not a deliberate rape. Translation i havent been able to sleep for the past five nights. The medication they give me isnt enough. Its a very difficult ordeal for me. It was quick, said a neighbour. He was lying here. They were hitting and kicking him. They brought him here behind the wall because its out of sight of the cameras. The names of other young men who died while being chased or arrested in the suburbs north of paris are repeated like a mantra of mistrust in the police. They want us to just shut up, ok . They dont want us to express in any shape orform of protest, ok . And thats how i feel about it. Its not like theyre here to protect us. Theyre just here to shut us down. Over the past two weeks, the protests have grown, spreading to lyon, marseille. This is no longer a case of one man, in one paris suburb. Its a reminder of frances deep divisions, and a test of the trust between people and power. Lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. Professional footballers who repeatedly head the ball during their career could be more prone to long term brain damage. Thats according to a new study which looked at the brains of six former players all known for their skills at heading the ball. They all developed a form of dementia in later life before they died. The Football Association has welcomed the research. Our health editor, hugh pym, has been looking at the findings. Commentator astle, nodding it on. Jeff astles Heading Ability was well known, but he couldnt have imagined the long term consequences. The west brom and england footballer developed dementia and died in 2002, at the age of 59. A coroner said he had an industrial disease. In other words, heading a ball made a significant contribution to the cause of death. Since then, jeff astles family have campaigned for more research on the impact of heading heavy, often waterlogged footballs in that era. Jeffsjob killed him. I knew the dayjeff was diagnosed because why else would a man, you know, physically fit, only 55, suddenly overnight, virtually, it came on so rapidly, be diagnosed with dementia . The astle family was told at the time by the football authorities that a Research Programme had been started, but it was dropped because of technical flaws. Now, 15 years on, theyre angry that nothing more has been done. For too long, its been about protecting the product of football and what it should be doing is protecting its players and i think theyre terrified that if the results come out and its shown that football could be a killer. The new study examined the brains of six former players whod developed dementia, seen here in these images. Four had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also seen in former boxers. The Football Association, based here at wembley, which covers england, said it took concerns about Head Injuries extremely seriously. It said it was committed to supporting further research which had to be seen to be independent, robust and thorough. Play on. So what does it mean for the current generation of players and is it safe for children to head the ball . The Study Authors make clear theyre not drawing any conclusions. I think the risks in heading the football are likely to be quite low and i think that we need to engage with more research into finding out ways of making the game safer but, overall, we think playing football is a safe thing to do. But with children under 11 in the United States banned from heading a ball in practice, theres an ongoing debate about modern football and Head Injuries as well as the game in previous decades. Hugh pym, bbc news. Arsenal look almost certain to be knocked out of the Champions League after they were heavily beaten in germany this evening. Despite scoring an away goal in tonights first leg, Arsene Wengers side fell apart in the second half, eventually losing 5 1 to Bayern Munich. Our correspondent, david ornstein, was watching the match. For arsenal a familiar stage, 1a straight years through to the Champions League knockout phase, but that is where it tends to end. For Arsene Wenger, would this be a final tilt at European Glory . The way his team started was ominous, allow arjen robben time and space and witness the stunning result. Arsenal barely had a kick in the opening half hour until this poorly timed kick gave them a life line. Alexis sanchez was denied from the spot, though deadly from the rebound. It was a precious away goal, but after half time, arsenal capitulated. Robert lewandowski rose to restore bayerns lead and, just three minutes later, thiago raced clear to make it 3 1. Thiago then added a fourth and the rout was completed was by thomas muller. Arsenals european campaign, once again, in tatters and Arsene Wenger staring at a potentially defining defeat. David ornstein, bbc news. Newsnights about to begin over on bbc two in a few moments. Heres james obrien. Tonight, President Trump attacks his own Security Apparatus and the us media on twitter. Where will the Russia Row Go next . Join me now on bbc two. Thats newsnight with james obrien. Here, on bbc one, its time for the news where you are. Have a good night
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