this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. did australian forces commit war crimes in afghanistan? australian prime minister scott morrison is set to present to present the findings of a long awaited inquiry. the race for a coronavirus vaccine clears another hurdle. pfizer says its vaccine is almost 95% effective. more than a quarter of a million americans have died from the virus. we'll hear from the man whose job it is to tackle the pandemic. we're working very hard to get those vaccines deployed so people can start benefiting from them. in the us, officials in georgia say they've almost finished their presidential vote recount, but they don't expect to state's result to change.

hello, and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. the australian defence force is due to release a long—awaited report detailing allegations that its special forces committed war crimes during multiple deployments to afghanistan. let's cross over to hear the chief speaking live now. we should be proud of their contribution as they should be proud of their contribution. while the inspector general finds is greatly at odds with that good effort. and damaging to our moral authority as a military force. his report details credible information regarding deeply disturbing

allegations of unlawful killings by some. i would respectfully ask australians to remember and have faith in the many. i assure you i do. to the people of afghanistan, on behalf of the australian defence force, i sincerely and unreservedly apologise for any wrongdoing by australian soldiers i've spoken directly with my afghan counterpart to convey this message. such alleged behaviour profoundly disrespected the trust placed in us by the afghan people, who had asked us to their country to help them. it would have devastated the lives of afghan families and communities,

causing immeasurable pain and suffering. and it would have put injeopardy our suffering. and it would have put in jeopardy our mission and the safety of our afghan and coalition partners. and to the people of australia, i am sincerely sorry for any wrongdoing by members of the australian defence force. you are right to expect that your defence force will defend your nation and its interests in a manner that accords with our nation's values and laws. turning to the inspector general‘s report, he found none of the alleged unlawful killings were described as being in the heat of battle. none were alleged to have occurred in circumstances in which the intent of the perpetrator was unclear,

confused or mistaken. and every person spoken to by the inquiry thoroughly understood the law of armed conflict and the rules of armed conflict and the rules of engagement under which they operated. these findings allege the most serious breaches of military conduct and professional values. the killing, the unlawful killing of civilians and prisoners is never acceptable. it is my duty and that of my fellow chiefs to set things right. accountability rests with those who allegedly broke the law and with the chain of command. responsible for the systemic failures involved. which enabled those alleged breaches to occur and go undetected. in

order to deal with what happened, we need to understand how it could have happened. i will offer a per luminary view. based on both the inspector general‘s findings and my own professionaljudgement. it sta rts professionaljudgement. it starts with culture. the report finds that some special air service regiment commanders in australia fostered within the sas whatjustice burton terms a self—centered warrior contract —— culture, a misplaced focus on prestige and power, turning away from the regiment‘s heritage of military excellence fused with the quiet humility of service. the report notes that distorted culture was embraced and amplified by some

experienced, charismatic and influential noncommissioned officers and their proteges. who sought to fuse military excellence with ego, elitism and entitlement. as units became consumed with preparing for and fighting the war, much of the good order and discipline of military life fell away. cutting corners, ignoring and bending rules was normalised. what also emerged was a toxic competitiveness between the special air service regiment and the second commando regiment. destructive of trust, cohesion and mission and a disgrace to both. not correcting this culture as it developed was a failure of unit and higher command. turning now

to the challenging counterinsurgency environment of afghanistan. people detained would be released if there was no formal link that linked them to insurgent activity. catch and release, as it came to be known throughout the coalition, was frustrating and carried with it some risk. but it was also understood to be a necessary measure, a point of balance between the needs of security and the needs of justice, both essential in a counterinsurgency campaign. in this context, it is alleged that some patrols took the law into their own hands. rules we re into their own hands. rules were broken, stories concocted,

lies told, and prisoners killed. and once that rule was broken, so too for some was any further restraint. those who wish to speak up were allegedly discouraged, intimidated and discredited. here i want to emphasise again that the overwhelming majority of special forces personnel did not choose to take this unlawful path. no matter the stress and the strain of battle, they remained true to our values and our loss. they are truly special. special because of the self—discipline and the courage they constantly displayed. they upheld our culture of service over itself.

culture also affected reporting. the inspector generalfinds reporting. the inspector general finds that troop, squadron and commanding officers of some special operations task group rotations indirectly contributed to alleged criminal behaviour. this occurred in a number of ways. but particularly by accepting deviations from professional standards, by sanitising or embellishing reporting to avoid attracting attention and by not challenging or verifying accou nts challenging or verifying accounts given by those on the ground. oversight mechanisms such as legal reviews, operational assessments and inquiries took place. but they we re inquiries took place. but they were not sufficiently rigorous or independent. individuals and processes we re or independent. individuals and processes were either suborned into the culture that had

emerged, obstructed by it or frustrated by the silence it bred. this inquiry found no evidence that there was knowledge of or reckless indifference to the commission of war crimes on the part of troop, squadron and commanders of special operations task groups and higher command. however, being unaware of or even deliberately kept unaware of actions, unlawful actions, does not relieve commanders of moral responsibility. and the report finds that task group commanders bear responsibility for what happened under their command. higher arrangements for command and control were found to be too dispersed and too distant to consistently give effective direction and control to special operations

task groups. while commanders at many levels described the status of special operations command as it stretched but manageable, none appreciated that reporting and governance systems which routinely describe the extraordinary performance were no longer reflecting the whole truth on the ground. reporting was positive and soldiers and feel commanders alike showed genuine enthusiasm for their campaign and for their part to the patient in it. nevertheless, at higher command should have recognised sooner. that the units of special operations command were unable to sustain all the demands placed upon them. justice burton considered in detail 57 allegations of incidents and issues. he found

there to be credible information to substantiate 23 incidents of alleged unlawful killing of 39 people. by 25 australian special forces personnel. predominantly from the special air service regiment. those alleged to have been unlawfully killed were all people under control, in lay terms prisoners, farmers or other civilians. this shameful record includes alleged insta nces record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to issue a prisoner in order to achieve that soldier's first kill. in an appalling practice known as blooding. further to this,

throw down weapons and it radios also were reportedly planted to support claims that people killed were enemy killed in action. some of these incidents took place in 2009 and 2010, with the majority occurring in the latter years of 2012 and only 13. alleged perpetrators deployed between one and five special operations task group rotations over the period 2006—2013. i have accepted all of the inspector general‘s findings. and a comprehensive implementation plan is being developed to action his 143 recommendations. and any additional measures necessary. i will lead this effort, supported by the chief

of army and other senior defence leaders. we will report progressively on a quarterly basis to the minister for defence. the independent afghanistan inquiry implementation oversight panel will have complete access to our work. the recommendations deal with three main issues. culture, command reporting and governance, and within that wider context, individual and collective accountability. firstly, in terms of culture, army has in parallel with this inquiry driven up comprehensive reform programme within special operations command over the last five years. this programme focuses on ethical leadership, good governance and command responsibility. while much good

progress has been made, the report notes that elements of resista nce report notes that elements of resistance to change and professionally corrosive attitudes or behaviours persist. the inspector general positive recommendations will strengthen and accelerate army's reform of special operations command, which will continue. the allegations contained in this report are a tragic reminder of why the authority military excellence and small team autonomy so necessary for special operations are only secondary factors in our military success. prime always is the nurturing of character and culture. so that our people derive the strength to do what is right in the most difficult of circumstances. defence senior leadership are committed to sustaining and promoting

good culture based on defence values and behaviours. that empowers and enables military capability. we have no tolerance for anything else and we will strengthen and drive ethical leadership training across the force. secondly, our command reporting and governance will be improved. by strengthening command and governance arrangements within and of special operations command. by revising the australian defence force's model of command and control arrangements of a special operations within coalition operations. by enhancing the record of action for special forces patrol operations through the use of digital technology. by improving the capacity, continuity and independence of review and

inquiry processes on operations. and by strengthening the inspector general‘s role in operational oversight. thirdly, with regard to individual and collective accountability, individuals alleged to have unlawful criminal conduct will be referred to the office of the special investigator. individuals alleged to be negligent in the performance of their duty will be managed through administrative and is binary processes. where decisions are made in good faith can make individuals and the force will generally learn from this experience. and we will embed this training into our development and education system. as proposed in the report, i will review and make a recommendation to the governor general with regard to the honours and awards received

bya the honours and awards received by a range of officers both in australia and afghanistan. units live and fight as a team. the report acknowledges therefore that there is also a collective responsibility for what is alleged to have happened. with this in mind, i have accepted the inspector general positive recommendation and will write to the governor general requesting he revoked the meritorious unit citation for special operations task groups who served in afghanistan between 2007—2013. separately, the chief of army will today also announce changes to the army's order of battle. that is is organisational structure. while necessary , organisational structure. while necessary, i appreciate that

these latter decisions will be a bitter blow for many. the report includes some very recent lines of inquiry only partially considered byjustice burton's team. if anyone has any new or additional information, i strongly encourage them to bring it to the attention of the office of the attention of the office of the special investigator once established. in the meantime, please pass it forward to the inspector general of the australian defence force. a redacted form of the inquiry report will shortly be available. to ensure the procedural fairness of potential future investigations and possible court proceedings, i cannot however release part two of the report, which deals with specific incidents and individuals. in conclusion, i think the inspector general, mr

jim gaynor, and justice paul burton and his team for your comprehensive and tireless effo rts comprehensive and tireless efforts in bringing together the afghanistan inquiry. i also acknowledge professor david whetten for his important contribution to the inquiry‘s consideration of systemic factors. and i thank everyone who has come forward to speak to the inquiry. your contribution will help make us a better force. i contribution will help make us a betterforce. i would contribution will help make us a better force. i would also like to acknowledge the work of doctor samantha crawford who first brought this issue to hire command attention, major generaljeff siegelman who had the moral courage to confront it, and mr david irvin, who is been assisting us with special forces reform. i know this inquiry has taken a considerable toll on our people and their families. we will continue to support those affected and i encourage anyone

who needs to seek assistance. i again acknowledge and thank those many thousands of australians who served in afghanistan and did the right thing. professionally and with honour. and this includes many, many of our special forces personnel. you did extraordinary work. the actions of some do not represent the integrity and value of your service. you should be rightly proud of your contribution to our nation's history. today marks an important but difficult step forward for the australian defence force and our people. thank you for your continued service to this great nation. ethically, lawfully and ina manner nation. ethically, lawfully and in a manner that speaks to our lived values of service, courage, integrity, respectand excellence. thank you, ladies

and gentlemen. i went out take questions. did you expect this report to be this bad? and secondly what is the future of the special forces, with a bis dent —— disbanded or what could happen? when the rumours were first raised with mignolet in 2015, i had the sense that there was something here. but i never expected to read some of the material that i have reviewed over the last two weeks. of allegations with regard to behaviour of modern professional australian military personnel. the special operations capability is an incredible national asset, but pa rt incredible national asset, but part of it has by allegation

performed in a way of grave concern to us. there is an enormous amount of effort and it has been going on now for five years and will continue at scale. to see that capability returned to what i remember it to be, a munificent capability across the board. today, it is extraordinary but not whole that it must be made whole again and it is what we are going to do. we are listening to general angus campbell, austria's chief of defence, as a long—awaited report into alleged war crimes by australian forces is being given. allegations that 39 afg ha n given. allegations that 39 afghan prisoners, farmers or civilians were unlawfully killed by 25 members of australian forces. we heard there an apology from general

campbell, saying i sincerely and unreservedly apologise for any wrongdoing of australian soldiers. let's go back and listen to with the general is saying. midi or public attention to this issue is additional people coming forward. rather than assuming ethically and strongly encourage people to do so if there is anything that they wish to race with the special investigator. in terms of knowing, i thinkjustice burton indicated in his report quite an effort to ensure people did not know, which is in itself a damning statement for command at many levels. we'll start here and come down. the report says that there are 39 people that have been unlawfully killed and in some cases calls

for immediate compensation that is provided before any possible criminal prosecution by us. how much money are you planning to give these families after their relatives were killed for no good reason? that's clearly something that will work with both the wider government here in australia and also the afg ha n in australia and also the afghan government and elements of afg ha n afghan government and elements of afghan community to determine. the chief of the australian defence force, general angus campbell, speaking as his solenoid report is being released. 55 incidents and carried out by elite soldiers serving in afghanistan over 11 years from 2005. the general admitting there was evidence that australian troops killed 49 afghans and he also issued an apology saying he was

sincerely and unreservedly wanting to apologise for any wrongdoing by australian soldiers. breaking news there here on bbc news and of course lots more to come in the next hour. hello there. much colder today than it has been of late thanks to an arctic blast, but this arctic blast is going to be quite brief because milder air looms in the atlantic and will arrive on friday for many areas. so today, cold. it will be windy as well to start with, and we'll have a mixture of sunshine and showers. the pressure chart shows why it's windy — northerly winds, lots of isobars across northern and eastern areas, hence the gales — but this ridge of high pressure will continue to nudge in through the course of the day, so the winds becomes lighter and will also kill off many of the showers, too. behind me there is that milder air with the frontal system that will start to make inroads on friday. so, today starts cold, windy, gales across northern and eastern areas, wintry showers continuing across scotland. these will tend to ease down. and we'll have some showers across england and wales, these becoming confined towards the south east. many places seeing a lot

of sunshine into the afternoon. the cloud will start to thicken up, though, across northern ireland ahead of this next frontal system. a chilly day to come, much colder than of late. temperatures are 4—10 degrees, but when you factor in the wind, certainly across northern and eastern areas, it's going to feel much colder than those values suggest, perhaps even subzero across central and eastern scotland. now, as we head on into tonight, it turns cold across central and eastern areas with a touch of frost. rain will start to push in to western areas. could see a few showers moving in ahead of it. and these will be wintry with some snow over the scottish hills as it bumps into the cold air. temperatures slowly recovering out west with the rain, but it stays quite chilly further east. but that cold air gets pushed out of the way as we head through friday, as the milder west to south—westerly winds move in off the atlantic. so it's a chilly start across northern and eastern areas, dry, too, but the rain out west will slowly spill its way eastwards. could see some transient snow over the scottish mountains as it moves its way eastwards. behind it, it turns a little bit drier for northern ireland, for wales and the south west

of england by the end of the day. and here, at the end of the day, it'll be much milder — 12—13 degrees. still fairly chilly across the east — 9—11 degrees. now, as we head on into the weekend, it stays pretty unsettled. low pressure to the north of the uk, higher pressure to the south. across the north, it's going to be windy with gales on saturday across scotland with some showers, but lighter winds for england and wales, perhaps one or two showers on sunday. i think it's going to be mild for many of us on saturday. turns colder, though, across the north of the uk on sunday.

this is bbc news.

our main headlines: a report into war crimes by australia's special forces in afghanistan outlines dozens of "unlawful killings". the australian military issues an apology to the afghan people, saying military discipline broke down. news data from pfizer and biontech says their coronavirus vaccine is 94% effective in the over—65s and works well in people of all ages and ethnicities. the firms say they hope to get approval as early as mid—december. the us death toll from covid—19 has passed 250,000. it comes as new york city says it's temporarily closing public schools again from thursday over fears of a second wave. and a recount in the state of georgia — which is due to be completed today — is not likely to change the result that gave the president—electjoe biden victory there.

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