tv BBC News BBC News January 6, 2020 8:00pm-9:01pm GMT
8:00 pm
this is bbc news. the headlines at 8pm. the most prolific rapist in british criminal history is jailed for life. reynhard sinaga drugged his unsuspecting male victims, and then filmed his assaults. we believe there's over 190 victims that have been involved with reynhard sinaga, and 70 of them are still to be identified, approximately. huge crowds gather in iran to mourn at the funeral of the iraqi military commander killed by a us air strike. the former hollywood producer, harvey weinstein, faces new charges of rape and sexual assault, as his trial begins in new york.
8:01 pm
the volunteer firemen leading the fight against the devastating fires in australia. it's like they said, people, they call us crazy. it's true, everyone runs away from it and we run into it. we do it because no—one else will. the golden globes goes to feedback. , fleabag. and a great night for british stars at the golden globes in los angeles. good evening. police have called him the most prolific rapist in british criminal history. ajudge has called him a monster who should never be released. reynhard sinaga has been sentenced to a minimum of 30 years
8:02 pm
after being convicted of 159 offences 48 victims. all his victims were men, the vast majority were heterosexual. over several years, sinaga lured men from outside manchester nightclubs back to his flat, where he drugged and assaulted them — filming the attacks. police believe there are far more victims though, at least 190. they are appealing for anyone who thinks they may have been attacked to come forward. judith moritz reports. this is reynhard sinaga as he wanted the world to see him. his social media accounts full of grinning photos of a student having fun, but sinaga has many faces and behind the mask lies the truth. a depraved monster, said by prosecutors to be one of the most prolific rapists in the world. the total number of offences that we've prosecuted is almost 160, over 48 victims. as far as the judicial process — probably anywhere in the world —
8:03 pm
is concerned, he's probably the most prolific rapist that's come through the courts. in the world? i would say in the world. certainly in the british courts. night after night, sinaga would leave his manchester flat to go and find victims. he took advantage of living in the city centre, amongst the nightclubs and bars, and he made the streets outside them his hunting ground. sinaga would often wait for drunk men to come stumbling out of this nightclub and then entice them around the corner to his flat, which is just next door. he'd offer them somewhere to have a drink or phone a taxi and, on one occasion, it took him just 60 seconds to pick up a victim. nearly 200, mostly heterosexual, men made thisjourney, disappearing inside sinaga's apartment block. then they'd be offered drinks spiked with a drug like ghb, and that was the last they'd remember.
8:04 pm
unconscious, the men were raped on this grubby mattress on the floor. when they woke up, they had no memory of what had happened. sinaga would text his friends, boasting of sexual conquests. they thought he was joking when he quoted song lyrics about using a secret potion of which "0ne drop should be enough". but, in fact, the drug wore off early on one man who woke up whilst being raped. he fought back. and when the police were called, they seized sinaga's phone. they couldn't believe what they saw on it. the rapist had filmed each of his attacks. they found hundreds of hours of video. this is an absolutely unprecedented case. looking at that amount of evidence is challenging in itself. that's equivalent of 1,500 dvd films. we believe there is over 190 victims that have been involved with sinaga, with reynhard sinaga, and 70 of them are still to be identified, approximately. the men who were traced
8:05 pm
were given support at this centre in manchester, helped to cope with the trauma of being told they were the victims of rapes they can't remember. some men found it very difficult to process. some men have suffered with their mental health, to the point where some men have been suicidal. how is it possible that someone could be assaulted like this and not know? you may have had alcohol, you may have had a drug and you may have been sexually assaulted, but there may not have been any physical injuries to see. and if you haven't got any physical injuries, then you may not even suspect that you've been sexually assaulted. reynhard sinaga has shown no remorse. the judge remarked that he seemed to be enjoying being sentenced in court. he came to the uk from indonesia on a student visa and is said to have applied for permanent residency. but his victims have said they hope he never leaves prison and rots in hell. he prowled the streets for years before he was caught. he has never explained his crimes. the rapist considered a mystery
8:06 pm
as well as a monster. judith moritz, bbc news. alex feis—bryce is the chief executive of survivors uk, a charity which provides support for sexually abused men. thanks for coming into talk to us. 0ne thanks for coming into talk to us. one of the most troubling aspects of the case is that we are talking about men who may not know they've been attacked, so how do you support them? i guess for us and organisations like ourselves, we must raise awareness and encourage people if they feel something might have happened, to seek help and support. doesn't have to be reported to the police in the first instance, it could be an organisation like ours, survivors manchester. speaking out, even if you don't know what happened, speaking out at the start. so if someone approaches you, what would you say to them? we would, you
8:07 pm
know, we offer counselling, talking therapies, group work, a group setting but also if people want to pursue a criminaljustice outcome, reported the police, we can support them through that process as well. how difficult is for people, i hesitate to use the word heal, but move forward with their lives, if they don't know what happened? yeah, that's incredibly difficult and i can't imagine what it must have been like to hear from someone else that this happened to you. obviously many of them were drug and the trauma itself can affect memory as well. i guess seeking support is the first step but you know, it's a long journey. i hesitate to say this but i'd be interested in your view, there might be people who think, well, if you can't remember, what's the damage? i think we need to be careful about saying that. yeah. trauma affects people in lots of
8:08 pm
different ways and we aren't always aware of the impact it's having. all the research bears this out, it's not just things we the research bears this out, it's notjust things we are aware of that effect our mental health. notjust things we are aware of that effect our mental healthlj notjust things we are aware of that effect our mental health. i know you became involved because of your experience. can you tell us about that? this case is almost triggering for me because it's similar to what happened to me. i was 18 years old, a student in manchester and i was drugged and raped as well. at the time, the group wasn't in existence then and support for us wasn't available. i think people were less aware that this happened to men. i didn't know it happens to men. even though my logical, sensible faculties told me that what happened to me was right, i almost didn't deal with it in the same sense and didn't see it as that. the idea of reporting it to the police, seeking help, never entered my consciousness. what did you do? i
8:09 pm
told some friends and i think for a while, i almost made a joke about it, it was my way of coping and then over the years, i've worked in this kind of area. i worked on this case. pa rt kind of area. i worked on this case. part of me feels bad for not reporting to the police at the time. maybe in some ways i'm trying to give something back by helping others to do that. i wanted to ask you a final question. i suppose rape can be seen as an issue that mostly affects women, but what about men? 0ne affects women, but what about men? one in six men is affected by it, so i wouldn't want to pit men against women. absolutely not. the awareness that has been raised about rape in general over the last few years has been a massively good thing but we
8:10 pm
need to think about including men in the language, and also transgender men and women who may be don't fit the narrative that people think of when they hear about rape. we're so grateful, thanks for to house. —— to us. greater manchester police has set up a dedicated number to provide support for any affected by this story. there have been dramatic scenes in the iranian capital tehran where huge crowds have gathered to mourn the military commander qasem soleimani who was killed in a us drone attack on friday. iran has vowed "severe revenge" for his death which was ordered by president trump. soleimani's daughter addressed the crowds, warning that a ‘dark day‘
8:11 pm
was coming for america. 0ur middle east editorjeremy bowen reports from neighbouring iraq where the attack took place. enormous crowds on the streets and anger as well here in baghdad. not eve ryo ne anger as well here in baghdad. not everyone feels it because not eve ryo ne everyone feels it because not everyone supports the kind of iran that soleimani represented and tried to strengthen and tried as well to spread its influence around this particular part of the world. but suddenly there were remarkable scenes on the streets of tehran today. tehran's broad avenues were jammed with mourners, estimated in millions. the assassination of general qasem soleimani has inflicted a real shock on iranian hardliners. not all iranians are as distressed as this.
8:12 pm
soleimani was a dominant force in a regime which shot dead hundreds of protesters on iran's streets at the end of 2019. the people who turned out, presumably, approved that he spent vast amounts of the islamic republic's money building up alliances and militias in lebanon, yemen, iraq and syria. many iranians didn't approve, as us sanctions bit into their lives. but iran's elite is badly rattled. ayatollah khamenei, iran's supreme leader, wept as he prayed for his right—hand man. a general who'd become the keystone of his regime's security. qasem soleimani's daughter delivered a fiery operation,
8:13 pm
demanding justice for the father she called a martyr. translation: the families of american soldiers in the middle east will have witnessed america's cruel wars in syria, iraq, lebanon, yemen and palestine and will spend their days waiting for the death of their children. here in baghdad, soleimani, in death, stood like a brother with the iraqi militia leader killed with him by the americans. behind them, and iranian missiles speed to unknown targets. this was organised by the so—called popular mobilisation forces, militias mostly trained and armed by soleimani's operation, now integrated into the iraqi army. president trump's image was there, two and they've tried
8:14 pm
to match his threats. this pro—iranian mp said it would be good if trump sent more troops, so they could send more coffins back to america. there is a lot of quiet anger here and a strong desire to get even, to get revenge. the question is what these iraqis and, also, of course, the leaders of iran do next. two countries' names are mentioned most here and their flags are down there on the street. the united states and israel. the desire for revenge was everywhere, in phases, chants and conversation. it will not dissipate easily. jeremy bowen, bbc news, baghdad.
8:15 pm
let's talk to a professor of iranian studies at tehran university. i wanted to start by asking you about president rouhani's tweet this evening, saying never to threaten the uranian nation. what do you make of the war of words we seem to be involved with? —— the iranian nation. president rouhani is can be described as a moderate in comparison to the hardliners in iran. he seems to be benefiting from the wave of sentiment that soleimani's death has created in iran. i don't know, to be honest with you, who is advising the us president mr trump because the
8:16 pm
remark he made about iranian national heritage is something that played directly into the hardliners in iran because even those iranians who are critical of the islamic regime, they were angry at trump's threatening those 52 places. so president rouhani is trying to capitalise on the propaganda mistake that trump is obviously making. that's very interesting. is that, therefore, the context in which we should view the huge crowds that gathered to mourn the general, that, in some ways, even critics of the hardline regime are now rallying behind the government? yes, i
8:17 pm
suppose you could say that because general soleimani was portrayed as a patriotic soldier, as a nationalist soldier. very much associated with the revolutionary leaders. very much outside the country and trying to defend iranian borders from daesh, the extreme muslims in iraq and operating in iraq and syria. so he was perceived as a national hero, even by many iranians who do not necessarily support the islamic regime. and in terms of iran's options now, what's your assessment of how iran might respond? well, on
8:18 pm
the one hand it's very difficult to see what militarily iran can do against the massive power of, the military power of the united states. 0n the other hand, one after the other, iranian leaders have actually said categorically that revenge, retaliation, that we are going to teach a lesson to the united states that it will not forget. and that actually has created a problem i believe for iranian leaders because they have used the language that they have used the language that they cannot back down. we have to leave it there. good to talk to you. thanks for your time. you're welcome. and we'll find out how these stories and many others are covered
8:19 pm
in tomorrow's front pages at 10:a0pm and 11:30pm this evening in the papers. our guests joining me tonight are the deputy editor of the daily express, michael booker, and the chief executive of the new economics foundation and former labour advisor, miatta fahnbulleh. the headlines on bbc news. the worst serial rapist in british committal history reynha rd the worst serial rapist in british committal history reynhard sinaga has been jailed for life for the minimum term of 30 years. huge crowds gather in iran to mourn at the funeral of the iranian military commander killed by a us air strike. the former hollywood producer, harvey weinstein, faces new charges of rape and sexual assault , as his trial begins in new york. sport and for a full round—up from the bbc sport centre, here's 0li.
8:20 pm
details in a moment of the fa cup fourth round draw. the last of the third round ties is under way, they've been playing about 20 minutes at the emirates. arsenal against championship leaders leeds. let's go there right away. four changes for the gunners, fife, for leeds, including a debut for the goalkeeper. —— five, for leeds. it has been all leeds at the moment. they are well on top. patrick ba mford has hit they are well on top. patrick bamford has hit the bar. just flashed another shot just wide. bamford has hit the bar. just flashed another shotjust wide. it is goalless at the moment. still some third round replays, a bit messy.
8:21 pm
west bromwich looking for a return to the premier league. holders manchester city will travel to neighbours manchester united in the women's fa cup fourth round. that local derby is one of two all—top—flight ties. 14—time cup winners arsenal are away to west ham. you can get the full draw on the bbc sport website. tottenham say they have found no evidence to support allegations
8:22 pm
of racism towards chelsea's antonio rudiger. the claims were made during the premier league encounter between the sides at spurs last month. play was stopped after the defender said he heard monkey noises. spurs responded by launching a full investigation alongside the police. they have been scouring cctv. but they say that they have "now exhausted all avenues of investigation". celtic midfielder ryan christie has been banned for two matches for violent conduct during their defeat to rangers last month. he grabbed rangers alfredo morelos in the groin, an incident that wasn't spotted by the referee. he'll miss a cup match against partick thistle and the prmiership match against kilmarnock. it could be a nervy final day in the second test in cape town. england need eight wickets to win and level the series, south africa need another 312 runs for victory after finishing the fourth day on 126—2. andy swiss reports.
8:23 pm
under the shadow of table mountain, england found their own immovable object. in the fast and flashy world of modern cricket, dom sibley is a throwback to more watchful times. resuming on 85, he set about nudging towards a century will at the other end, ben stokes did but ben stokes does. wow! between them they reduced south africa to frustration. stokes at his blistering best as he walloped the building to all corners of cape town, catching practice for the crowd in a spectacular 72, the bowling all corners of cape town. an eight hour vigil and a first test hundred four sibley. his triumph and tenacity putting england firmly in control. south africa's target, a massive a38 — impossible, surely? but now it was england's turn to toil.
8:24 pm
removing only dean elgar to the thinnest of edges and hamza to a rather more obvious one. the hosts 162—2 at the close. england are clear favourites, but a gripping final day is the only guarantee. after the day's play, dom sibley said he was still trying to take in his first test century. this ground is amazing and scoring a hung, and the atmosphere as well. ben stokes said to me, take it in, enjoy it. it seems a bit of a blur now. i enjoyed it at the time. it is still goalless between arsenal and leeds in the fa cup third round. we'll have more in sportsday at 10:30pm. looking forward to it! hollywood film producer harvey weinstein has been hit
8:25 pm
with fresh charges of rape and sexual assault in los angeles in relation to two separate incidents in 2013. the charges against the disgraced movie mogul came as he appeared in court in new york today more two years after allegations of sexual assault emerged against him. jurors will be selected tomorrow in the trial which relates to two women, but some 80 women have accused mr weinstein of sexual misconduct. he denies all the charges against him. 0ur north america correspondent nick bryant reports. it's awards season in hollywood. in the world he used to dominate, he'd be wearing a tuxedo and parading down the red carpet. but the swagger is long gone. he walks now with the help of a frame. harvey weinstein cut a feeble figure as he arrived for his trial in new york. just watching him enter a courthouse provided a moment of catharsis for some of his female accusers. the women who spoke out, the women who upended his world,
8:26 pm
the women who ignited a global movement, and the women who won't get their day in court. today, ladyjustice is staring down a super predator — you. you thought you could terrorise me and others into silence. you were wrong. we rose from your ashes, we rise together. as we stand here at the beginning of a new year and a new decade, time's up on sexual harassment in all workplaces. time's up on blaming survivors. time's up on empty apologies without consequences. and time's up on the pervasive culture of silence that has enabled abusers. the movie mogul has been charged with raping a woman he's pleaded not guilty, and repeatedly denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.
8:27 pm
this feels much more momentous than the trial ofjust one man, it's a culminating moment in the global #metoo movement. a milestone event that will be watched by women and men all across the world. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. well, let's speak to nada tawfik, who's at the court in new york. i know that you're in new york but i wa nted i know that you're in new york but i wanted to talk to you about these additional charges that harvey weinstein is now facing in los angeles. do they have any bearing on what's happening where you are? what's interesting is thatjust as the trial was getting started, they we re the trial was getting started, they were announced and harvey weinstein's lawyers clearly knew they were coming.
8:28 pm
she essentially said she wanted the jury she essentially said she wanted the jury to be kept unaware of those but what's interesting is that in los angeles they said one of the victims in the case will testify in the new york trial. let's look at the charges. in los angeles harvey weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting two women there in 2013. they apparently came to authorities in los angeles in 2017 to tell them about their case and prosecutors say that they had told one other person about the alleged accusations as well. here's the la county district attorney jackie lacey as she laid out the charges. i'm here today to announce that my office has charged harvey weinstein with sexually assaulting two women in los angeles county. we believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then committed
8:29 pm
violent crimes against them. harvey weinstein will have to go to a los angeles court and face those charges. they say that when the trial in new york has finished. what's also interesting is that there are three other incidents they are still investigating in los angeles so there could be additional charges and harvey weinstein faces 28 years in prison in that la case. they've set bail at $5 million. none of that will take place until everything here in new york is com plete everything here in new york is complete first and that could take a few weeks, even up to two months. thank you. i want to bring you a brief update on the situation in the middle east, where of course we've been reporting that huge crowds gathered in iran to mourn at the funeral of the military commander killed by a us air strike in iraq on friday. yesterday the
8:30 pm
iraqi parliament urged the government to expel foreign troops. we are hearing that the washington post newspaper is reporting that it has received a letter that has said that us troops, quoting, will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement. we can't verify this at the moment and we don't know exactly what it means but we'll be talking to a guest from washington in a quarter of now or so. hopefully we can get some more clarity on what those reports involved. australia's prime minister, scott morrison, has promised over a billion pounds in aid to help his country recover from the continuing bushfire crisis. fires have so far ravaged an area around the size of ireland, with several smaller fires in the states of new south wales
8:31 pm
and victoria threatening to merge to create mega—fires. mr morrison has been heavily criticised for his response to disaster. last week, he had to cut short a visit to the town of cobargo after angry locals heckled him. clive myrie sent this update. so many little towns and villages like this right across south—eastern australia, hit hard by the bushfires, that need government help and they needed quick. places like this, population little more than 600. the fire swept through on new year's eve, yet there is no power, little food, little water. people feel ignored. they've been left to fend for themselves, basically. while the government has been attacked for its response, the firefighters, particularly the volunteer force that tried to tackle the blazes, have received universal praise and i've spoken to one of the men willing to put their life on the line. it's... you are fighting a losing battle
8:32 pm
against some of these fires and, sadly, that's just the way it is. some of these fires arejust too big now. all we can do is just keep protecting homes as best we can, keep protecting life as best we can, without losing our own lives at the same time. yeah, it's gut—wrenching when you see it. but, you know, you are doing everything you can, there's not much more you can put into it. i've been keeping my gear here with me... tristan lees has been a volunteer firefighter for more than two decades. so, yeah, these are it, jacket, pants. this has seen a lot of service this bushfire season. this has. this self—sacrifice runs in the family. his late father, as well as mother and brother, also served. the current crisis, the sternest test. terrible. very terrible. in 21 years i've been in, i've never seen it this bad. it'sjust phenomenal. i don't know what else to call it,
8:33 pm
to be quite honest. and there is a guilt. for not always being able to help when needed. he has a dayjob that pays the bills. what are you going to do? lose your own home, lose your family, because you can't pay for anything? because you can't pay your bills? or go to work and then sit at work feeling guilty because you are not out helping the rest of your firefighters? it tears you apart, because you want to be in two places, but you can't. ah, yes. you remember seeing that one? yes, i do remember seeing that one. yes, because that truck actually got destroyed. the video we watched captures the horror of trying to tame a wild fire. the men are trapped in their cab. all survived. but this hot season, volunteer firemen have died and the fires still burn. it's gut—wrenching. it rips you apart knowing there is good people gone, they've left family and friends behind. it's...
8:34 pm
and it makes you feel even more, because you know what you are going into. so i can say, people, they call us crazy, it's true. everyone runs away from it, we are the ones who run into it. and we don't do it for the love of it, we do it because no one else will. dressed they are speaking to me today. australia's firefighting forces ashley the biggest in the world, their incredible men and women. they stayed behind to defend town in the festive season, as the fire swept through, many houses survived as a result of this. this one behind it was destroyed, by the other price that was paid was that two people died. that was clive myrie in australia, a little closer to home now, philip avery has the weather. once again, monday should be seen as a transition day
8:35 pm
between the quiet weather of the weekend and something very wet and windy during the course of tuesday. the rain band has worked its way from west to east during the course of the day. it will complete its journey later on tonight. then a lolling proceedings, skies clearing and showers fading, turning dry. it will stay that way across the south—eastern quarter. hence temperatures are down two, three, 4 degrees but before the night is done we'll see the return of wet and windy weather into the north—west court of scotland and through the morning, ever more extensive, that rain, across all parts of scotland, through northern ireland and getting into the north of finland, wales, perhaps the south—west. some dribs and drabs further south and east but the real concern is about the strength of the wind. this may be disruptive weather across the northern half of britain, 50—80 mph gusts. wherever you're spending the day, temperatures will be well above the seasonal norm.
8:36 pm
hello, this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines... the most prolific rapist in british criminal history is jailed for life. reynhard sinaga drugged his unsuspecting male victims, and then filmed his assaults. we believe there's over 190 victims that have been involved with sinaga — reynhard sinaga. and 70 of them are still to be identified approximately. huge crowds gather in iran to mourn at the funeral of the iranian military commander killed by a us air strike. the former hollywood producer, harvey weinstein, faces new charges of rape and sexual assault, as his trial begins in new york. and coming up: three seaside caravans are teetering on the brink of a cliff, after a landslide the size of two football pitches. as we've been reporting, as tensions simmer between the us and iran, the prime minister,
8:37 pm
the foreign secretary and other key officials met this afternoon to discuss the uk's response. afterwards, the foreign secretary said the priority was to try to defuse the situation. foreign minister, there's been a meeting between cedar ministers and the prime minister. what have you actually decided to do in terms of taking action? ijust come from the meeting that the prime minister chaired between key ministers and officials. and clearly, ourfirst priority is to make sure that uk national citizens and military personnel are safe. we changed our travel advisory, we will be reinforcing the royal navy protection for shipping, and on the diplomatic front, our overwhelming message that the prime minister and i conveyed to our counterparts, are european and american counterparts, and also our partners in the middle east, is the importance of de—escalating the tensions and
8:38 pm
finding a diplomatic way through this crisis. and i will be talking further with our european partners, or middle eastern partners, and i will be travelling to the us and canada by the end of the week. you've chosen your words quite carefully so far, but it has now been a few days since this action was taken. having considered what was taken. having considered what was done over the last few days, was the action right or wrong? general soleimani was a regional threat, he had a track record that was his job description. as the prime ministers said, lament is passing. but the key message we've got to all our american partners, but critically also to the iranians, the iraqis, and all those effect in the region is it is important to defuse and de—escalate. and and i had a conversation with foreign minister zarif this afternoon where we conveyed that message as well. what is your response to donald trump osmotic threat to target
8:39 pm
cultural sites, something clearly banned in the geneva convention cancelo we would expect that to be respected. let's talk to suzanne maloney. she's a senior fellow at the centre for middle east policy at the brookings institute, and joins me now from washington. we are we a re really we are really grateful for your time, and i'd like to pick up on some news we've been bringing viewers just some news we've been bringing viewersjust in some news we've been bringing viewers just in the last few minutes or so that there appears to be a letter — and i don't know if you're aware of it, that the us military has informed its counterparts in baghdad that it was preparing for movement out of iraq. can you tell us any more about that? because as far as we us any more about that? because as faras we are us any more about that? because as far as we are aware, the pentagon has not confirmed this.|j far as we are aware, the pentagon has not confirmed this. i have seen a copy of the letter circulating on social media, both in english and in arabic. and i have seen some suggestions that in fact, both the pen to pentagon and iraqi forces have authenticated its authenticity.
8:40 pm
waiting to see how the iraqi government might implement the vote taken government might implement the vote ta ken yesterday government might implement the vote taken yesterday is taking initiative to begin withdrawing american forces from iraq. and that is of course a momentous implications both for the security of iraq and for the wider region. and how surprised are you if it turns out to be true that the americans have decided to take this action? as you say, it is in the light of the iraqi parliament yesterday ordering the expulsion of the american troops. it is quite surprising in some respects because, of course, we have learned from very ha rd of course, we have learned from very hard experience that when the united states it didn't maintain some military presence in iraq, what we saw was the rise of a sectarian terrorist force that affected not just iraqi and american interests, but also the freedom and prosperity of the entire region. and it was a very hard —fought battle of the entire region. and it was a
8:41 pm
very hard—fought battle to evict the islamic state from iraq and summarily defeat it, and one would hate to see that situation recur. 0n the other hand, i think that there is some element of predictability in all this. it has been quite clear from the start of the trump administration that this is a president that doesn't relish american intervention in the middle east, that has no enduring support or interest in trying to solve the problems of the middle east, that he has focused particularly in a year of reelection campaign on making his case to the american people that he is investing american blood and treasure here at home. that's really interesting, so therefore i suppose it raises the question in my mind why donald trump decided to assassinate this general in the first place? was it a hot—headed reaction to a threat? it sounds like you tend towards that view rather than passive a wider policy thought out initiative? i think we're still learning about the decision—making process such as it was that went
8:42 pm
into the decision to strike the convoy and kill general soleimani last week. the original excellent nation was that there was an imminent threat of an operation that would've caused great harm to americans in iraq and the wider region. as we are learning more, it is not entirely clear how immanent that there it really was. and from my read, this is in fact consistent with the trump administration's approach to the middle east. there has been a preference for disruption, for taking unprecedented actions like moving the american embassy to jerusalem, such actions like moving the american embassy tojerusalem, such as walking away from the iran nuclear deal. and the presumption of the administration is that these actions have in fact succeeded at least politically at home, and they haven't brought about the backlash that many predicted. i fear they may be wrong with the latest move. that's interesting, so what is your assessment of what iran's retaliation might be? my own interpretation is at the iranians
8:43 pm
will bide their time. first they will bide their time. first they will have to re—consolidate. general soleimani was a key figure within the security bureaucracy. and while there are many others within that bureaucracy who can replace him, this certainly came as a blow to the senior iranian leadership. what they've done over the past three daysis they've done over the past three days is to consolidate their own position at home, to rally the nation behind the proceeding chemical regime only two months after the most severe and violent protests in the history of the entire regime since 1979. that is a win for them, at least temporarily. they will take their time in terms of finding they will take their time in terms offinding an they will take their time in terms of finding an opportunity to retaliate against the united states and the trump administration very specifically. what we've seen most immediately is further steps to walk away from their obligations under the nuclear deal, which is very consistent with the types of actions they've been taking over the past six months, specifically in retaliation for the trump administration's withdrawal from that deal and repositioning very
8:44 pm
severe economic sanctions. really good to talk to you, thanks so much for joining good to talk to you, thanks so much forjoining us. thank you. the labour party's ruling body has agreed the rules for the forthcoming leadership contest nominations will close on 13 january. people can pay £25 to become a registered supporter, allowing them to vote in the leadership election, but aren't classed as party members. and the ballot will run from 21 february until 2 april, with the winner announced on four april five mps — emily thornberry, clive lewis, lisa nandy, jess phillips and keir starmer — have so far entered the running for the leadership of the party. 0ur political correspondent jonathan blake is at westminster. hejoins us now. i'm interested in your thoughts on the timetable. is there a sense that this ruling may perhaps favour some candidates over
8:45 pm
others? the timetable has been kept largely as it was last time it was in 2016 when 0wen smith challenged jeremy corbyn for the leadership. then there is a two week window from the start of the contest for new members tojoin the start of the contest for new members to join the party and be able to take part in the leadership contest. and as a further 48 hour shorter window, which we talk about just they are, where so—called registered supporters can pay a one—off fee of £25 to have a temporary membership and take part in this contest. in the meeting at which this timetable was decided today of labour‘s ruling national executive committee was watched very carefully for a ny executive committee was watched very carefully for any changes to that set up. because as you suggested, it could be seen, if there were changes to the rules, as favouring one candidate or another. as the system is, ithink candidate or another. as the system is, i think there's a general view within labour that it is more helpful to those candidates more closely aligned to jeremy corbyn. helpful to those candidates more
8:46 pm
closely aligned tojeremy corbyn. so rebecca long bailey, if and when we expect in the coming days she announces her candidacy, along with keir starmer, can perhaps take advantage of the membership and the machine as it exists already. those who have been more critical of jeremy corbyn, the backbencherjess phillips and lisa nandy, may well ta ke phillips and lisa nandy, may well take the view that this set up is perhaps less supported and less helpful to them. that's why we've had just phillips's backers and others in the past few hours calling on people tojoin others in the past few hours calling on people to join the party and help them join it to change it. so they recognise that if they're going to make the system work for them, they need to appeal to a broad new membership and try to get new people tojoin the party membership and try to get new people to join the party to help them reach the further stages of the competition and potentially win. because it's not just labour competition and potentially win. because it's notjust labour members who have a say in this contest, but in the early stages, it is about support from labour mps and trade unions, and local constituency
8:47 pm
labour parties as well. jonathan blake, good to talk to you, our political correspondent in westminster. thanks. let's return to our main news on the uk's worst serial rapist, rainhard sinaga, who's been given multiple life terms after being convicted of more than 150 sex offences against men who he drugged and attacked while they were unconscious. following the sentencing, the home office has called for an urgent review into whether controls for drugs like ghb are tough enough. it's the drug sinaga is believed to have used on his victims. in the decade up to 2017, 201 deaths in england and wales were linked to ghb. for 84 of those deaths, it was the only drug involved. but it's believed that there may have been more fatalities over and above the official figures. june kelly has more.
8:48 pm
it's been described as a party drug. ghb is said to reduce inhibitions and increase sexual pleasure. but as reynhard sinaga has demonstrated, it can also be a weapon in a rapist‘s arsenal. it often originates from a colorless liquid, which can then be used to spike drinks and knock a victim unconscious. and in higher doses, it can kill. eric michaels was murdered by a serial offender with an overdose of ghb. he linked up with gerald matovu view through the gay dating app, grindr. matovu was a prolific thief who drugged the men he meant to steal from them, the dose of ghb he gave eric michaels proved fatal. he was a good person and he was taken advantage of. eric michaels family are campaigning for ghb to be reclassified, it's currently a class c drug. ghb is a really, really dangerous drug.
8:49 pm
it's the drug that killed my dad, and it killed multiple other people. it needs to be changed to a class—a drug. now, there will be a review of weather controls on drugs like ghb are tough enough. it was ordered today by the home secretary in response to the sinaga case. it's all about the dose. professor simon elliott, an expert on ghb, says this criminal case has highlighted the dangers for recreational users. there is a very fine line between a sleepy dose, essentially, and a dose that could cause deep sedation — potentially stop you breathing. especially if it's mixed with alcohol or other drugs. detectives have found no evidence that reynhard sinaga killed any of the men he targeted. but the unprecedented scale of his offending has exposed a dark world and the dangers of ghb. june kelly, bbc news.
8:50 pm
bosses of britain's leading firms will be paid more within three working days of 2020 then the average employee's annual wage, according to research. the average full—time annual salary is £29,559. in the report from the chartered institute of personnel and development and the high pay centre says the chief executives of ftse 100 companies only need to work untiljust 100 companies only need to work until just before 100 companies only need to work untiljust before 5pm this afternoon to make the same amount of money that the typical full—time employee doesin that the typical full—time employee does in the entire year. it's the beginning of the year, and with that comes new year's resolutions. while some might be looking to save money or get fitter many have decided to cut out animal based products for veganuary. it's estimated there are 600,000 vegans in the uk.
8:51 pm
with sales of meat—free foods in the uk coming in at £740 million in 2018. many people have signed up to veganuary this year — 87% of participants last year were female. it's certainly been made easier with many well—known food chains launching meat—free choices. last year, it was gregg's vegan sausage roll, and now it's burger king, who have launched a new plant—based whopper. but there's controversy, as it's not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. that's because its cooked on the same grill as meat burgers. it's being aimed at "flexitarians" — people who are trying to cut down on meat. well, let's get reaction on this from dominika piasecka from the vegan society. shejoins us now. very good evening to you, thanks forjoining us. would
8:52 pm
you eat a rebel whopper? to you, thanks forjoining us. would you eat a rebel whopper?” to you, thanks forjoining us. would you eat a rebelwhopper? i thinki would. in the reason is because for me, it is about the animals, not about my personal preference. so even though the whopper is cooked on the same grill as meat, when you look at the ingredients, everything is vegan. 0bviously look at the ingredients, everything is vegan. obviously i would order it without mayonnaise because that is not suitable for vegans, but having said that, it is such a great option for flexitarians like you were saying and people who don't mind this occasional cross—contamination, although i know that lots of vegans have a problem with that.|j although i know that lots of vegans have a problem with that. i wanted to ask you that. presumably there must be some vegans who don't want their food to be contaminated with meat in anyway? yes, and i understand this i used to be like that and i used to dislike cross—contamination. but like i said, the burger itself is a vegan burger, so a lot of vegans would be trying it out, but having said that i think most of them may be are a bit disgusted by the idea of
8:53 pm
cross—contamination with meat products. but then again, maybe it is not aimed at vegans but people who are trying to consciously reduce the amount of meat, dairy and eggs in their diets. presumably from what you are saying, it will work very well for those people. do you think it will perhaps even encourage more people to try a more flexible approach? it is actually wonderful when big chains, especially meat chains, are providing vegan options. it isa chains, are providing vegan options. it is a sign of the changing times. and during times like now, veganuary, it is actually the perfect timing for people to try things like that. we've also seen kfc, with new vegan options, as well as mcdonald's. greg's has more vegan options, pizza hut. so they are all coming out with new food options, so there's really so much to try. we are spoiled for choice and i strongly encourage everyone to try vegan options this veganuary. how vegan options this veganuary. how vegan does something have to be to
8:54 pm
be considered vegan? it is not black or white, but rather a grey area. if you are a vegan and or white, but rather a grey area. if you are a vegan and you want to be very strict about it, it sounds quite complex to knock gnabry out there? it is definitely not a black and white picture. we define veganism as a way of life that avoids using animals as possible. and that will be different for many people, one such example is when you have to take medicine that has been tested on animals. then of course you cannot make exceptions there, and you have to make use of animals in that case. but if it is choosing whether to eat plants or animals, the end —— than it is really easy to make that. same with cosmetics not being tested on animals, or zoos and circuses. these are all things at vegans engage in, because those sorts of scenarios do exploit animals, and we as vegans want to avoid this happening. thank you so
8:55 pm
much forjoining us from the vegan society. thanks. a chunk of east anglian coastline has crumbled into the sea today — leaving caravans at a holiday park on the brink. the landslip happened in the early hours at trimingham a few miles east of cromer. two people had to be evacuated from one of the mobile homes and coastguards are warning people to stay away from the wider area. gareth george reports. these pictures showjust how much of the cliff here fell away. the coast guard estimates it was an area the size of two football pitches. it's left three caravans teetering on the brink — one was occupied by a woman and child, who were led to safety. the cliff here is still slipping and sliding. the coast guard says anyone who gets to close is risking their life. you've got to steer clear. you can't tell or predict when the next land fall might happen, you can't predict if this one is finished. so we will be looking at it over the next 2—3 days to see
8:56 pm
if that's remained unstable. and this can happen along any part of the cliff. so as a point of safety, if you're going to walk your dog on the beach in the mornings, then i would suggest that you stay as far away from the bottom of the cliff as the cliff is high. so if the cliff is ten metres high, you need to be ten metres away. and if you can't quite manage that, then i would find somewhere else to walk. meanwhile, one dog walker said she would be heeding the warnings. christine colborne said this cliff fall was the most dramatic she'd seen. we've had a few cliff falls in the last few years, but that's really as bad as i've seen it. i've not seen encroach onto the beach quite as much as that. i mean, anybody in their right mind wouldn't go anywhere near that. i knew a couple years ago, a lady got stuck in a slide further along. yes, i do walk my dogs here every day. but we won't be anywhere near that. this landslide was captured on film. it happened this summer, four miles
8:57 pm
along the coast at sidestrand. it was triggered by heavy rain. and the coast guard say recent downpours because last night's landslide, too. there's relief it happened when no dog walkers were on the beach, but at any moment, more of the cliffs could collapse. now it's time for a look at the weather with phil. hello, once again monday should be seen as a transition day between the quiet weather of the weekend and something very wet and windy during the course of tuesday. the rain band has gradually worked its way from west to east during the course of the day, and will complete its journey later on tonight. then a little in proceedings, the skies will clear, showers fading, and it will clear, showers fading, and it will turn try for a while. they stay that way across the southeastern corner, temperatures down here it 2-4dc. corner, temperatures down here it 2—4dc. before the night is done, we will see the return of wet and windy weather into this corner of
8:58 pm
scotland. through the morning, ever more extensive that ran across all parts of scotland to northern ireland, eventually getting into the north of england and wales, perhaps to the southwest, the odd drip and drop further southeast. but our real concern is about the strength of this window. this could be disruptive weather across the northern half of england. up to 80 mph gusts, and wherever you are spending the day, damages will be well above the seasonal norm.
9:00 pm
hello, i'm ros atkins, this is 0utside source. huge crowds have attended the funeral procession of the iranian military commander who was killed by the us on friday. this was the scene in tehran earlier, where huge crowds turned out for qasim suleimani, with many people chanting "death to america". his daughter addressed the crowd. translation: crazy trump, arrogant, and a plaything of zionism. don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom. meanwhile in the us questions are being asked about the justification for the drone strike, and president trump has again said cultural sites in iran could be targetted. and we'll have the latest on the australian bushfires — there's a fear a number of fires could merge to form what's
84 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
BBC News Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on