tv BBC News BBC News December 4, 2018 2:00am-2:31am GMT
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a very warm welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name's mike embley. our top stories: a crucial summit on climate change, a warning that our civilisation, and much of the natural world, risks collapse. a call to action from the naturalist and bbc presenter david attenborough. if we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. president trump pays his respects to george hw bush, whose body is lying in state in the us capitol rotunda. british mps are to vote on whether the government is in contempt of parliament by not publishing the legal advice it's received about the prime minister's brexit deal. mexico's new president creates a truth commission to investigate the kidnapping and killing of 43 students. and a rapturous reception, as michelle obama visits the london schoolgirls she first met when she was first lady. hello to you.
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he's spent his long life studying nature, he rarely speaks out so openly about what climate change is doing to the planet, but today sir david attenborough told world leaders the collapse of our civilisation and the extinction of much of the natural world are on the horizon. at the start of the annual united nations climate conference, in poland, sir david said time was running out to combat what he called the greatest threat to humanity for thousands of years. our science editor david shukman was there. it's been a year of deadly fires and record heat. and also, new warnings from scientists about the dangers of living in a world of rising temperatures, with the risk of many more scenes like this. a social media campaign has gathered voices from around the world,
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calling on governments to take action. please welcome sir david attenborough. the campaign spokesman was given a rare chance to appeal directly to this global forum. right now, we're facing a man—made disaster of global scale. our greatest threat in thousands of years — climate change. if we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. there was applause, but not much. maybe because tackling climate change is so difficult. poland, like many countries, depends on coal. we went down a mine to see the grim process of getting it out. thousands here think a green future
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threatens theirjobs. what would you say to a polish coal miner about his future, given what's being discussed here in this conference? well, all you can say is that things change. and there's a process of history which is now moving to its end. and that you will have to find... your children will have to find new ways of living. so as the conference continues, there will be some tense arguments over what to do. with so many countries represented here, and thousands of delegates, together with incredibly complicated negotiations, it's easy to forget what this is all about. so, let me show you what's happened to global temperatures.
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there's one stripe here for each year since 1850. blue is for below average, orange is for above average, and the most recent years are the hottest, so they're marked in red. and the big concern is where the world is heading next. stronger storms and the sea—level rising are growing threats. small island states feel the most vulnerable. what kind of effort must be put into rebuilding when your entire economy is wiped away? imagine, what if the entire economy of ireland or england was washed away, where would you start? and that is the reality of climate change. tomorrow is a special holiday for miners here and, although they're celebrating, they're angry about the talks. at this conference, one miner told us, "the ecologists should take a look at themselves and ask who contributes more to the world, them or the miners?" but as the evening coal fires burn, each one pollutes the air. scientists say this must be phased out. it'll be a huge challenge. david shukman in poland.
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let's get some of the day's other news. 50 wounded houthi rebel fighters have been flown from yemen to neighbouring oman for treatment, smoothing the path for peace talks after years of civil war. the medical evacuation was approved by the saudi—led military coalition, which backs yemen's government in the conflict. two jailed catalan separatist leaders have announced they're going on hunger strike from tuesday, joining two colleagues who stopped eating at the weekend. joaquim forn and josep rull are protesting at the refusal by the constitutional court to let them appeal to european courts against their pre—trial detention. nigeria's president muhammadu buhari has been obliged to deny rumours that he has died and been replaced by a lookalike. rumours that he'd been replaced with a body double called "jubril" from sudan have been widely shared online. mr buhari is seeking re—election next february. uruguay has rejected an asylum
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request by peru's former president, alan garcia. he asked for international protection at the uruguayan embassy in lima. he's accused of taking bribes from a giant brazilian construction company, which he denies. a memorial ceremony is under way in washington dc for the late president george hw bush, who died on friday, aged 94. the 41st us president, he served from 1989 to 1993. his funeral will be in the capital on wednesday, before his burial in texas. this is the scene right now in the capital. the senate majority leader mitch mcconnell the first official to speak here and he said notably 30 yea rs to speak here and he said notably 30 years ago on the west front of the capital george bush addressed the
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nation for the first time as president. he said we meet on democracy‘s front porch, a good place to talk as neighbours and friends. cbs correspondent mola lenghi is in washington for us. mola, good to talk to you. thanks for your time. there was a question about this but president trump and the first lady have paid their respects. that's right, they stopped by about 30 minutes ago here on capitol hill, they came into the capital rotunda, met the flag draped casket of president george hw bush, stayed for a few moments, it was solemn, it was respectful. president trump saluted the casket. the first lady melania trump put her hand on her heart. the president didn't say anything, but didn't appear he had to say anything. spend a few minutes paying his respects before the first couple exited the rotunda, and it came after a day of a who's who of
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washington elites paying their respects. you mentioned senator mcconnell along with many current and former lawmakers. 0f mcconnell along with many current and former lawmakers. of course the bush family, friends, former colleagues, military personnel. really a cross the political spectrum. republicans, democrats paying their respects to president bush. as you mentioned there was a question about whether president trump would stop by. there has been a lot of questions and perhaps even anxiety over the dynamics between how president trump may handle this. it is no secret that the president has had a rocky relationship with the bush family over the last couple of years, from president george w bush two george hw bush, the political wing of the family at least haven't always seen eye to eye with president trump. there is being some hostility on both sides. so
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there had been some questions over how president trump has handled this. up to this point he has been commended for striking the right tone throughout this and making the full resources of the federal government and the white house available to the bush family so until this point it has been a smooth process by their as being much talk of the 41st president of being a reminder of a kind, much talk of the 41st president of being a reminder ofa kind, more civil age in politics, there will be much more talk and much more ceremony to come. absolutely. that is how it has been characterised, that he was sort of the last of his kind. he wasn't alone. he was part ofa kind. he wasn't alone. he was part of a generation of politicians and public servants who acted out of duty more than anything else. it often seems to be lacking in the political climate today. president george hw bush was the last world war two veteran to serve as
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president. really formed by an era of politics. he was among the greatest generation, the world war two vetera n greatest generation, the world war two veteran generation, the greatest generation. it was really formed by an era of politics, you know, things like compromise was not a dirty word. he was obviously a republican, but he did not view democrats as the enemy. he merely view them as his opponents. and so there was a certain amount of respect for collea g u es certain amount of respect for colleagues across the aisle. 0bviously they were all politicians and they acted out of political motives. let's not make them out to be saints. but they approached politics differently in a way that would often seen foreign in our combative and violent environment that we see today. mola lenghi, thank you so much.
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the uk government may be in contempt of parliament by not publishing the legal advice it's received about the prime minister's brexit deal. the speaker of the house of commons has ruled that there is an arguable case that parliamentary rules have been broken. mps will debate and vote on the issue on tuesday. the government's most senior lawyer has addressed the house, urging mps to back the agreement, and insisting there is no cover—up. vicki young reports. parliament is gearing up for one of its most important votes ever. stop brexit! and two and a half years after the eu referendum, the debate is still raging. with just over a week to go to this monumental vote in the house of commons, tensions are running high — arguments between those who think theresa may's deal doesn't deliver brexit in any meaningful way, and those who want to stop it happening at all costs. one major sticking point is the so—called backstop, which is a kind of safety net to ensure there are no border checks between northern ireland and the republic if a trade deal isn't in place. the uk would be in a temporary
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single customs territory with the eu. northern ireland would also have to follow some eu rules on things like food products and goods standards. many mps fear the uk could be trapped in this arrangement. the government's most senior lawyer and an an enthusiastic brexiteer admitted there was no unilateral way out. i am prepared to lend my support to this agreement because i do not believe that we are likely to be entrapped in it permanently. the question for the house is to weigh it up against the other potential alternatives, and to assess whether it amounts to a calculated risk. there was anger too at the government's refusal to publish the full legal advice it's received. the government should do the right thing and make this full advice available. with so much at stake for all our constituents, with eight days to go before the vote on the deal, this house and this country deserves better from this government. it's no use the baying and shouting
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of members opposite. the attorney general insisted forcefully he didn't agree. and it is time they grew up and got real! this house is descending into farce and some kind of amateur dramatics. this is serious stuff. it is a tough time. the prime minister was talking up her deal on the daytime tv sofa. it is a tough time. telling mps they have a duty to deliver brexit. this is a deal that does it in a way that does look after people, does look after people's security and jobs for the future. what i would say to mps is we need to hold our nerve. will you be booking a holiday? do you think you will still have a job in two weeks' time? i will still have a job in two weeks' time. theresa may is under fire from all sides, some want another referendum. the idea of going ahead, particularly with theresa may's deal, is incredibly divisive.
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i think people deserve a say on exactly what terms we should leave the european union. today they delivered a petition to downing street, signed by more than a million people. just down the road, others complain that theresa may's deal is a betrayal. it doesn't deliver on any of the opportunities that leaving the european union will actually provide and itjust leaves us in a squalid situation. it's neither in nor out but it's mainly in and we don't like it. the protesters camped out here are unlikely to change their minds. theresa may's only hope is that dozens of her own mps will. so, just a week before next tuesday's crucial commons vote on mrs may's brexit deal, mps must first vote, later this tuesday, on whether her government has broken parliamentary rules. iain watson explains. i think it's highly likely that this motion on contempt is passed. it
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then isn't such a big deal because, asi then isn't such a big deal because, as i say, it may lead ultimately to the suspension if that of a couple of ministers. the really big deal is still the meaningful vote in a week's time, but it is potentially embarrassing and a distraction for the prime minister when she is trying to make this deal already against the backdrop of such scepticism. ian watson for us there. you can find background and analysis. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: toa to a rockstar‘s welcome the former first lady michelle obama inspires londoners. it's quite clear that the worst victims of this disaster are the poor people living in the slums which have sprung up around the factory. i am feeling so helpless that the children are dying in front of me and i can't do anything.
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charles manson is the mystical leader of the hippie cult suspected of killing sharon tate and at least six other people in los angeles. at 11am this morning, just half a metre of rock separated britain from continental europe. it took the drills just a few moments to cut through the final obstacle. then philippe cozette, a minerfrom calais, was shaking hands and exchanging flags with robert fagg, his opposite number from dover. this is bbc news. the latest headlines for you:
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delegates at a major climate change conference in poland have been warned not to be the generation to betray humanity. president trump has paid respect to george h w bush, whose body is lying in state in the us capitol rotunda. in one of his first moves as president of mexico, the new president of mexico has set up a commission tasked with uncovering the truth about the haunting disappearance of 43 teachers in 2014. to this day, no—one has been held accountable. family members of the victims have pleaded for justice, and now for the first time, the role of the government and its army will be scrutinised. bbc correspondent will grant reports. the disappearance of 43 student teachers is one of the darkest moments in recent mexican memory. it shocked the nation to its core. now the new president is trying to show the new president is trying to show the victim's families things have changed. he promised them on the campaign trail he would set up a
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truth commission, and they held him to it. translation: with the signing of this decree, we start the process to search for the youngsters from ayotzi na pa. to search for the youngsters from ayotzinapa. that to search for the youngsters from ayotzina pa. that is to search for the youngsters from ayotzinapa. that is what we were committed to do and we will keep our word. the families of the 43 have suffered more than most in mexico. years after their children were abducted, they are no wiser about their whereabouts. translation: we do not want this to go unpunished, we do not want it to be like other cases where there is no solution stop wait president lopez obrador has wasted little time in beginning to implement his agenda. sworn in over the weekend amid great ceremony and excitement among his supporters, he wants to break the politics of the past and begin an anticorruption and austerity drive in government. for example, he has also halted the building ofa for example, he has also halted the
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building of a multibillion—dollar airport expansion in mexico city. the money he said was being wasted and could go to other things. the market and investors, however, have been spooked by his decision. one thing he will not need the airport for though it is presidential plane. he is planning to sell about and travel on commercial flights, in an effort to reduce presidential luxuries. some see such moves as populist and lacking real bite. but few mexicans would dispute an effort to get justice few mexicans would dispute an effort to getjustice for few mexicans would dispute an effort to get justice for the families few mexicans would dispute an effort to getjustice for the families of the 43 was long overdue. an elderly woman is the latest casualty of anti—government protests in france. she died in hospital in marseille after being hit in the face by a teargas canister, as she drew the shutters of her apartment during the rioting. three other deaths have been blamed on the protests. the french prime minister has been meeting political leaders
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to discuss the crisis, and is due to meet representatives of the protesters on tuesday. lucy williamson reports from paris. it began as a challenge to new fuel taxes. by saturday, it was about challenging power. paris hasn't seen rage like this since before the president was born. "mr macron", screamed one front page today, "this needs a response." the prime minister met opposition leaders today for crisis talks. tomorrow, he'll meet a delegation from the gilets jaunes themselves, but on a protest movement with no official leaders and no political affiliation, will these meetings have any effect? what was a security problem for emmanuel macron is now becoming a political crisis too. his young party, seen as fiercely loyal to macron himself, is said to be splintering over how to respond. but some in mr macron‘s party say there are no concessions that will satisfy the protestors, that what they really want is the government to fall. i did propose many times, on this roundabout,
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"what if we raise your wages? what if we cut the taxes?" and they said, "we don't want this. we want something else." "we don't want that, we want something else." so, at the end of the day, what those people want is to take charge, take charges. so that's a political conversation. we first met didier at this protest site a week ago. to stop this saturday's protests, he says, macron must cut all the taxes he introduced, review all pension laws and the minimum wage. another day of action risks catastrophe, he says, and it's notjust agitators who are to blame. translation: it's a mixture of both. you have the rioters, they're getting more violent. but amongst the protesters, that violence is growing even more strongly and very rapidly. they're fed up and they can't see a way out. in front of the national assembly today, ambulance workers staged a separate protest against the government's economic plans.
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president macron, criticised for acting too much like a king, is facing a crucial test. can he show he's listening to voters, without giving up his vision or giving into revolt? lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. michelle obama has said she still sometimes feels like an imposter, she says that it never goes away. the former first lady was speaking to 3000 people at a sold out event in london to discuss her recently—published autobiography. earlier, she returned to a london secondary school, that she first visited in 2009, encouraging the students there to, in her words, "practise sisterhood". our correspondent adina campbell was at the royal festival hall for tonight's appearance. as they queued outside in the cold, expectations were high. i think i'm just really excited to be here. i think what she represents, what she's achieved in her own right — without her association with her husband — has been powerful.
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we've got a family, and a young family, and to see a black family in the white house is empowering for us. applause once inside, michelle obama was welcomed with rapturous applause, in front of an audience of nearly 3,000 people. wow! during the 90—minute conversation, fans of michelle obama heard her talk about a number of issues, but her main message was about empowerment. we assume that working—class folks are not highly gifted in their own right, when a lot of times, your station in life is limited by the circumstances that you find yourself in. how was it? it was amazing. great. she was very witty. like, when someone would say a joke, she would just be automaticallyjust on the ball, always ready. it's just very unique. like, you don't get the opportunity every day to see michelle obama, the first lady. and she's so empowering and great in her own way. and it's just amazing to know that we, as young people, got that opportunity.
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did anyone get really emotional? yes. yes, still red! cheering and applause and earlier today, mrs obama re—visited a school in north london — a place where she says she was first inspired to focus on education during her time as the first lady. it gives me a level of focus and determination in the work that i do when i get to see you all up close. and as i said then, you remind me of me, in all of the fears and all the challenges that you face. it's notjust these girls who are inspired by michelle obama's personal story. herjourney from a working—class neighbourhood in chicago all the way to the white house has captivated millions of people all over the world. it was really good and inspiring. it was just so amazing to see her — to see michelle obama up so close.
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and how did you find today's assembly? it was really inspiring to look up to her as a role model and to remember the past memories that she created with us in our school. a role model for girls past and present. she may no longer be the first lady, but michelle obama continues to be an inspiration for many. adina campbell, bbc news. just finally, at three astronauts adopted the international space station on the first rocket launch since the dramatic failure in october. a trio from the united states, canada and russia will spend the next six and a half months on board. the previous mission in october was aborted when a boost failed, forcing the two astronauts to make a very hasty emergency landing. authorities blamed an emergency sensor landing. authorities blamed an emergency sensor damaged during a landing in kazakhstan. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter, i'm @bbcmikeembley.
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thanks for watching. hello. a quieter, colder spell of weather for tuesday, but then the weather gets more active again from midweek. yes, it'll get milder, but it'll also turn wetter and windier once again. but at least for tuesday, we are in a gap between weather systems. here's the next one coming in, really isn't much of an issue though until we get to tuesday night and wednesday. but in that gap between weather systems, temperatures dropping away to give a widespread frost for tuesday morning, as low as —6 in highland scotland. a few mist and fog patches around as well, and ice a potential hazard across northern and western parts of scotland, where we've seen a few showers overnight, wintry on hills, and more to come, at least during the first parts of tuesday. but for many for much of the day, it is dry, it is sunny, but yes, it's cold. the cold enhanced by the increasing cloud, though, across southern and south—western parts. as we go on through the day, some rain into the far south—west by the end of the day may see double figures here,
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but most of us around four to seven degrees. but again through parts of highland scotland, there will be some places hovering close to freezing. and on through tuesday evening and night, here comes the rain, slowly pushing northwards through more of england, wales, into northern ireland. ahead of that weather system, temperatures are dropping away again, for a frost, coldest again in highland scotland. some fog patches, it becomes less cold though from the south, where you see that rain moving in. and then for wednesday, there's some uncertainty about how far north the wet weather will get. could well see some snow though into the pennines, the southern uplands, and if it gets that far north, into the higher ground north of the central belt. elsewhere, it is less cold where you're seeing the wetter, breezier conditions. the rain will clear away from northern ireland, but a big range of temperatures from north to south across the uk. now, as we look at the bigger picture for thursday and friday, further weather fronts on thursday, so further outbreaks of rain pushing eastwards, but we're really focusing on friday as a deepening area of low pressure comes across the northern half of the uk. so it's here we're going to see
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the strongest winds, particularly affecting parts of scotland, northern ireland, northern england, irish sea coasts, with gales or even severe gales in places, potentially destructive winds, and along with that, there'll be some more wet weather around as well and some snowfall, particularly into the hills of scotland. so we are monitoring that weather system very closely. i will provide you with further updates. but this is how the rest of the week is shaping up. after the colder, drier, sunnier tuesday, it's going to be turning wetter, windier, potentially stormy at the end of the week, but it will be turning milder for all of us for a time. the latest headlines for you from bbc news: the un secretary general, antonio guterres, has told an international climate summit that the world is way off—course in its plan to prevent catastrophic climate change. he warned heads of state and government at the un climate conference in poland that they were still not doing enough or moving fast enough. president trump has paid his respects at the us capitol rotunda where the body of former president george hw bush is lying in state. mr bush, who served
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as the 41st us president between 1989 and 1993, died on friday at the age of 94. he will be buried on thursday. mexico's new president, andres manuel lopez obrador, has signed a decree creating a truth commission to investigate the kidnapping and killing of 43 students four years ago. the incident sparked weeks of protests against the impunity of people in power in mexico, where prosecutors accused the security forces of involvement. it's just gone 2:30am in the morning. it's time now for monday in parliament.
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