tv BBC News BBC News January 18, 2021 11:00pm-11:30pm GMT
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this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm tim willcox. detained for 30 days within hours of returning to moscow. opposition leader alexei navalny urges people to take to the streets "for the future of russia". the fbi vets all 25,000 national guard troops on duty in washington for wednesday's inauguration looking for possible right—wing extremists. once in the white house, what will a biden presidency mean for asia and us leadership in the region? a special bbc report from inside the royal london hospital, where staff treating coronavirus patients are stretched to the limit. and risking temperatures of up to —70 to scale the world's second highest mountain. a nepalese team talk of their relief
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at making it back safely. hello and welcome — whether you're watching in the uk or around the world. stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. russia's most prominent opposition figure, alexei navalny, has urged people to take to the streets "for the future of russia" after he was arrested on returning to moscow for the first time since being poisoned last year. mr navalny was speaking at a court hearing which took place inside a police station. he'll be detained for 30 days and another hearing at the end of the month could result in a lengthy prison sentence. from moscow, our correspondent steve rosenberg reports. chanting
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they shout. mr navalny�*s supporters came to the police station where he was being held. a makeshift court room had been set up inside. it would rule on whether the kremlin critic should be sent to jail. in a freezing cold russian winter, piping hot tea was a welcome relief. it's bitterly cold here. it's -20. but supporters of mr navalny are waiting for the result of the court hearing and shouting, "let him go." in a video message from the court room he denounced the hearing as a mockery ofjustice. after he was ordered to be kept in custody for 30 days he called on russians to take to the streets. and not stay silent.
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he is the russian opposition leader most capable of organising large scale antigovernment protest. it's why the kremlin sees him as a threat. he is number one danger in russia. —— for —— foeradimir putin. it's very difficult to fight against massive public protests. mr navalny is convinced it was the kremlin that ordered his poisoning by nerve agent. the russian agency deny any connection. but the decision to contain him will have been taken at the very top. for now he is going to jailfor a month. that could turn into years. and if it does, the authorities risk turning him into a political martyr. something the kremlin
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always wanted to avoid. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. two days ahead of the inauguration ofjoe biden as the 46th us president, he tightest security measures in recent memory are in place in washington. officials are determined to prevent any repeat of the events of january the 6th, when the capitol was stormed by a pro—trump mob in a failed bid to prevent mr biden�*s victory from being certified. already huge sectors of the capitol have been shut down. this entire area — highlighted in red — is closed to traffic. and non—scalable fencing has been put around the us capitol and national mall. there is a razor wire on the top. in the blocks beyond — highlighted in green — only vehicles belonging to local residents and businesses are permitted. all 25,000 members of the national guard, who'll be deployed for the event, are being vetted by the fbi, over fears of the risk
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of "insider attacks". joining me now is colin p clarke, a terrorism expert and the director of policy and research at the soufan centre. his research focuses on domestic and transnational terrorism, international security, and geopolitics. and this vetting procedure being carried out because of some security personnel we saw were linked to militias during the capital riots butjust militias during the capital riots but just talk us militias during the capital riots butjust talk us through these vetting procedures. beforehand would have been done by the military and with that have been as strict as the fbi? ., , _, fbi? certainly upon entering the national guard, _ fbi? certainly upon entering the national guard, each _ fbi? certainly upon entering the national guard, each one - fbi? certainly upon entering the national guard, each one of - fbi? certainly upon entering the i national guard, each one of these individuals would have been vetted and likely screened, had their tattoos and screened to look for extremist insignias, neo—nazi, with the princes and others, their social media would have likely been observed. that doesn't preclude them going to morph range of sites where we know many people do engage in
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conversations —— more extremist sites. while the scrutiny might be more intense from the fbi, you are talking about 25,000 national guard centres in a really short amount of time. it can only really be a cursory review at best. anyone who is smart about _ cursory review at best. anyone who is smart about it _ cursory review at best. anyone who is smart about it will— cursory review at best. anyone who is smart about it will have - cursory review at best. anyone who is smart about it will have kept - is smart about it will have kept quite a low profile for the last six months, year or longer. i quite a low profile for the last six months, year or longer.- quite a low profile for the last six months, year or longer. i was trying to exlain months, year or longer. i was trying to explain this _ months, year or longer. i was trying to explain this the _ months, year or longer. i was trying to explain this the other— months, year or longer. i was trying to explain this the other day - months, year or longer. i was trying to explain this the other day to - to explain this the other day to somebody and i said growing up in my neighborhood, the guys we feared the most were the ones that were not talking, not running their mouths. i think the same applies here, you are talking about people who if they were truly determined to attack and even just a little bit smart, were truly determined to attack and evenjust a little bit smart, they are not going to be talking about this and putting it out there on social media. they are going to carry out their plans. they are likely trained in tradecraft and operation security and those of the people we have to worry about the most. they're also the most difficult to detect.— most. they're also the most difficult to detect. and we saw a
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few da s difficult to detect. and we saw a few days ago — difficult to detect. and we saw a few days ago a _ difficult to detect. and we saw a few days ago a reservist - difficult to detect. and we saw a few days ago a reservist and - difficult to detect. and we saw a l few days ago a reservist and white supremacist has been arrested for attending that riot. when you look attending that riot. when you look at the militias involved in the capitol riots and you look at people on the national guard, they are effectively reservists and will be trained to the sort of limits and levels, one say, as the police who are part of the capitol police squad there. is there the sphere in terms of knowledge and equipment and body armor and weapons? you have two almost equally matched sides. to almost equally matched sides. trr almost equally matched sides. trr almost equally matched sides. trr almost equally matched sides and if you consider the fact that the united states has been in were at iraq and afghanistan for the last 20 years, you are talking about guardsmen and women with combat experience that were deployed and actually thought. in that respect, actually thought. in that respect, actually more experience than many of the police. we are talking about
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a real challenge here in washington but ijust want a real challenge here in washington but i just want to point out as well as the capitol in dc as hardened as as the capitol in dc as hardened as a target, we should be wary of what goes on in the state capital in places like virginia and pennsylvania where i live, in michigan and elsewhere. find pennsylvania where i live, in michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the riaht michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the ri . ht to michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the right to bear _ michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the right to bear arms _ michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the right to bear arms and _ michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the right to bear arms and some - michigan and elsewhere. and indeed the right to bear arms and some of l the right to bear arms and some of those states as well. just briefly, you are a member of q and on for example or another group which of course trump, the proud boys has acknowledged, standby, sandown, is that something with which will get you thrown out of the national guard? —— you thrown out of the national guard? -- qanon. you thrown out of the national guard? —— qanon. i you thrown out of the national guard? -- qanon.— you thrown out of the national guard? -- qanon. i think we are movin: guard? -- qanon. i think we are moving toward _ guard? -- qanon. i think we are moving toward really _ guard? -- qanon. i think we are moving toward really much - guard? -- qanon. i think we are| moving toward really much closer scrutiny of people's ties to some of these existing extremist groups. we also have the oath keepers, the three presenters, the domestic far right extremists seem in the united states is quite broad, and it is
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growing exponentially.- states is quite broad, and it is growing exponentially. colin p clarke, thank _ growing exponentially. colin p clarke, thank you _ growing exponentially. colin p clarke, thank you very - growing exponentially. colin p clarke, thank you very much l growing exponentially. colin p - clarke, thank you very much indeed forjoining us here in bbc news. let's turn to events out in the uk. the rate of coronavirus infection has begun to fall, in response to new lockdown measures. in the past 2a hours, less than 40,000 new cases have been recorded, the lowest daily number so far this year. it follows a rapid rise in december and cases peaking earlier this month. but there are more people now being treated for covid in hospitals across the uk than at any point in the pandemic. ten hospital trusts across england say they now have no spare critical care beds — despite extra capacity already being added. so on the front line — it's a relentless struggle to save patients. clive myrie has this special report from the royal london hospital. there are those who must look into the abyss —
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to spare all of us. how many floors are taken up by covid patients here? we've got patients on the third floor, fourth floor, sixth floor, seventh floor, eighth floor... of 548 beds at the royal london hospital, 420 have covid patients. for ten days, we joined staff in one of the uk's biggest intensive care units... yes, still coming. go, go, go. ..at the peak of the second wave... he could die from this, by the way, i'm sorry to have to say that. - ..as a new variant of covid—i9 forces a reckoning for our health service... sorry! so we're now going to run into a problem because we haven't got any beds. ..and a reckoning for us. nobody wants to go through this. i wouldn't wish this on anybody. this really is horrible.
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as london sleeps, the night shift begins at the royal london hospital. nursing sister carleen kelly makes her way to a job that's crushing her, in the middle of the covid nightmare. sleep isn't what it used to be. there's anxiety when you wake up and you remember what you have to go into. we're fragile and, erm, angry. in the emergency department, consultant nick bunker is up to his neck in problems. so, he's got covid and he's had a stroke. a new covid patient has been admitted for every hour he's been on shift. by 3am, eight. so we're now going to run into a problem because we haven't got any beds. no beds? so, i had five beds to start the night. we've got two patients next door
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who need to come in. just down there. thank you. all right. and here's another. where will he go? just bring the back of the bed up. see if that helps. and is he on 100% now? yeah. in pressurised rooms, the patients receive oxygen through masks, their condition monitored, but who may need more sustained help from a ventilator? sats below 96. one man's breathing badly falters. just do it, just do it, just do it. he must be intubated, fast. and we watch as medics put him to sleep and push a long plastic tube down his throat, hooking him up to his new breathing machine. when he'll wake up, no—one knows. clive myrie with that report.
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the vaccination programme, being rolled out across the uk, continues to offer hope of an end to the pandemic. today the total number of people who've had their first dose of one of the three approved vaccines passed the 4 million mark. and in the last 24—hour period, more than 225,000 people have been vaccinated. in england, those aged 70 and over as well as those listed as clinically vulnerable will now begin receiving offers of a vaccine this week. but as our health editor hugh pym reports, how quickly people get called often depends on where they live. with ten new mass vaccination centres opening today, this one at st helens rugby league stadium, the pace of the roll—out was being stepped up. we're going to be giving you your vaccine today, 0k? and there was plenty of praise from those in priority groups who'd been invited to attend for theirjabs. it's been fantastic, so pleased that it's on the way — for everybody, notjust for me, but for everybody. it was brilliant.
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i'm really surprised how well... ..how turned on it is. i think it's great. the prime minister was visiting 0xford biomedica, one of the companies manufacturing the 0xford/astrazeneca vaccine. he said good progress was being made, but stressed there was no guarantee of a rapid lifting of restrictions. i'm afraid i've got to warn people — it will be gradual. you can'tjust open up in a great open sesame, a great bang, because i'm afraid the situation is still pretty precarious, as people can tell. priority groups in the vaccine roll—out plan are care—home staff and residents, nhs and care workers, those aged 70 and over, and the clinically extremely vulnerable. that's 15 million people being offered a first dose by the middle of february. after that come those aged 50 and over, and younger adults with underlying health conditions. that's an additional 17 million being offered that first dose
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by the spring of this year. so, what happens after that? well, ministers have indicated that teachers, police and shop workers might well be at the top of the list. scratch coming... some vaccination centres and hubs in england have done most of the over—80s in their area and, from this week, will start offering jabs to the over—70s. this gp in kent, though, says he's frustrated he's not yet able to do that. we're still doing the over—80s, and i would like that message to go out there that i know there's been a lot of media attention indicating that the over—70s are going to be invited in but, at the moment, we're not able to do that. not because we don't want to, because we do, it's simply we don't have the vaccine in enough quantity. there are regional variations, although the overall numbers are encouraging. what do you say to local teams who say they can't get hold of enough doses? there are parts of the country that have made very significant progress
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and gone a bit faster than the average, and i thank them. what we're doing now is making sure that whilst they, of course, will be able to move on to the next group, we're prioritising the supply of the vaccine into those parts of the country that need to complete the over—80s. the cabinet minister therese coffey tweeted something isn't quite right in her constituency because in some places, 70—year—olds were being contacted ahead of older age groups. later she tweeted she'd been assured all those in their 80s and 90s who hadn't heard anything would get letters or messages. in northern ireland, 8.7% of adults have had a first dose of the vaccine. in england, the figure is 8%. in both scotland and wales, it's around 6% of the adult population. around 4 million have had theirfirstjab. the plan seems to be on track, but there's still some way to go. hugh pym, bbc news.
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stay with us on bbc news, still to come... what willjoe biden mean for us relations with china and the rest of asia? we'll get live analysis. donald trump is now the 45th president of the united states. he was sworn in before several hundred thousand people on the steps of capitol hill in washington. it's going to be only america first. america first. demonstrators waiting for this rebel cricket team were attacked with tear gas and set upon by police dogs. anti—apartheid campaigners say they will carry on the protests throughout the tour. they called him the butcher of lyon. klaus altman is being held on a fraud charge in bolivia. the west germans went
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to expedite him for crimes committed in wartime france. there, he was the gestapo chief klaus barbie. millions came to bathe as close as possible to this spot, a tide of humanity that's believed by officials to have broken records. this is bbc news. the latest headlines. russian opposition leader alexei navalny has been detained for 30 days within hours of returning to moscow. he's urged people to take to the streets "for the future of russia". 25,000 national guard troops on duty in washington are being vetted by the fbi ahead of wednesday's inauguration. they're looking for possible right—wing extremists. now let's turn to foreign policy.
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when president—elect biden is sworn in on wednesday, many leaders in asia will be asking what the change of american leadership and a biden presidency will mean for the region. to help get some idea of what may be in store, i am joined by melissa conley tyler who is a research fellow at the asia institute at the university of melbourne. he has a big domestic crisis to focus on as well with coronavirus and covid but he will have many other leaders as well. where do you see his main priorities and perhaps rebalancing and reconstructing america's link with the region? you're right that the immediate focus of the biden administration is going to have to be domestic and on healing, literally healing a country that has been ravaged by covid but also metaphorically dividing a deeply divided party and i think
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that means foreign policy will be something of a luxury item. it may be more responding to events than pushing an agenda. the exception to thatis pushing an agenda. the exception to that is climate change and the biden administration has made very clear that on day one it is going to rejoin the paris accord. within 100 days it's going to host a summit to put pressure on carbon emitting countries have higher aspirations for some and that will be really exciting to see the us instead of doing the better deal for america, taking the big common global challenge of our time and showing leadership. challenge of our time and showing leadershi -. ., ., , . ., challenge of our time and showing leadershi -. ., ., , .., ., leadership. china has committed to some pretty — leadership. china has committed to some pretty ruthless _ leadership. china has committed to some pretty ruthless carbon - some pretty ruthless carbon emissions reductions as well by the year 2060 but focusing on china and its increasing assertiveness, militarily and trade wise, what do you think will happen there? i think on china us — you think will happen there? i think on china us relations _ you think will happen there? i think on china us relations it _ you think will happen there? i think on china us relations it will - you think will happen there? i think on china us relations it will be - on china us relations it will be pretty much a continuation of what
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we have seen. there is a bipartisan consensus in washington about the contestation with china, whole of society contestation. i don't think braden is going to bring particularly new approach to that. —— biden is going. when he would do is manage diplomacy in what i see is a more conventional or normal way and if you look at his picks for the positions, they are the sort of people that are experienced and knowledgeable and the sort of people who used to be put in those roles and who are now back running things. but i expect a lot of continuity rather than change.— but i expect a lot of continuity rather than change. what will the trade were _ rather than change. what will the trade were continued _ rather than change. what will the trade were continued as - rather than change. what will the - trade were continued as aggressively or will there be a more multilateral trade policy perhaps with the rest of the region? i trade policy perhaps with the rest of the region?— trade policy perhaps with the rest of the region? i think some of the elements of— of the region? i think some of the elements of the _ of the region? i think some of the elements of the trump _ of the region? i think some of the elements of the trump trade - of the region? i think some of the elements of the trump trade war| of the region? i think some of the i elements of the trump trade war will be relaxed a bit and that could be part of the way that china tries to build its relationship with the
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biden administration to talk about the things where it can collaborate on for example dealing with climate change or on global health and use that to try to roll back some of the more extreme trump trade measures. i want to come to north korea in a moment butjust in terms of the regional architecture, so the transpacific partnership is gone, america has lost out on so many things that trump didn't even go to an asian summit. presumably biden will and will he try to get back into those business groupings? i think we will see under the biden administration a much more normal us approach to foreign policy which relies on building relationships and building relationships with allies and partners. that can be done multilaterally but also bilaterally. by multilaterally but also bilaterally. by contrast the trump administration was very negative about allies and partners, essentially accused them all of being freeloaders and tried
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to change the basic relationship. so if you look at for example japan or south korea, they are going to find a very different approach, much more traditional approach of trying to build up relationships and with allies and partners.— build up relationships and with allies and partners. melissa conley t ler, allies and partners. melissa conley tyler, interesting _ allies and partners. melissa conley tyler, interesting to _ allies and partners. melissa conley tyler, interesting to speak - allies and partners. melissa conley tyler, interesting to speak to - allies and partners. melissa conley tyler, interesting to speak to you, | tyler, interesting to speak to you, thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. italy's prime minister giuseppe conte has won a crucial vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament after the italia viva party of his predecessor matteo renzi quit his coalition. mr conte won by 60 votes, a bigger—than—expected margin of victory. but he faces a tougher test on tuesday in the upper house, or senate, where his government has only a slim majority. a team of nepalese climbers has safely descended after becoming the first ever to reach the top of the world's second highest mountain k2 — in winter. k2, along the pakistan—china border, is notoriously challenging with hurricane—strong winds and sub—zero temperatures.
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one of the leading members of the team is a former gurkha and british special forces soldier, and he's been speaking to our correspondent, secunder kermani. conquering the so—called savage mountain in the depth of winter. for decades, it defied the world's toughest climbers. now, this former gurkha and british special forces soldier... this is my team here in the tent, hello! ..along with a team of other nepalese mountaineers has made history. it was super cold, and every step we climbed was an effort. so, you know, when we got to the summit, what we did was just ten metres before the summit, the whole team stopped together and, yeah, we sing the national anthem of nepal, and we made it to the summit together. some of the, obviously, team members were very emotional as well, including myself. there are 1a mountains in the world higher than 8,000 metres. k2 was the only one yet
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to be scaled in winter, because it's so challenging. dozens have lost their lives on the mountain. k2 is super steep, you know. either you have to go through, you know, blue ice or rock, so it's very technical. on top of that, if you add, you know, the temperature, up to —65 degrees, you know, even —70. what kept everyone going was, everybody wanted this to their bone. the men began as members of different teams but banded together to reach the summit. a huge success for nepal, whose mountaineers have often worked out of the spotlight supporting western climbers. secunder kermani, bbc news, islamabad. 20 more stories on the website if you're watching a —— 20 more. if
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you're watching a —— 20 more. if you're watching a —— 20 more. if you're watching in the uk, i am back ina you're watching in the uk, i am back in a few minutes' time. goodbye. hello there. storm christoph has been named by the met office and it will bring a double whammy of severe weather and disruption in the next few days. first up is the rain and flooding. this is rain accumulating in the next three days, and the bright colours show where we are expecting the heaviest of the rain. it will be very wet in the welsh hills, but the main concern is the amount of rain expected in the southern pennines and northern peak district. we have an amber rain warning here that has been extended into the midlands, and parts of eastern england as well. river levels already very high, and to the ground is very wet as well. we've got rain developing at the moment across much of england and wales. keeping it mild as the wind picks up. further north, though, it's much colder. frost and some icy patches in northern scotland.
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but the rain is still around during tuesday, and it will rain all day, pretty much, across northern england and northern ireland. further south across england and wales, after the overnight rain it should be dryer for a while but we will see more rain coming in, especially across wales and the south west. some of that rain pushing into southern scotland bringing the threat of sleet and snow in the southern uplands. it is certainly colder across scotland with a few showers and some sunshine in the north. much milderfor much of england and wales. 11 or 12 degrees with some wind and, of course, some rain. that rain continues, actually, on tuesday evening, tuesday night and into wednesday as well. particularly across england and wales. it should dry off a bit across northern ireland. more wet weather coming into some southern and south eastern parts of scotland threatening some more snow over the high ground as well. again, it's quite cold across scotland and northern ireland, much milderfor england and wales with more rain on the way. that rain coming from storm christoph, that's the centre of the storm there. it is actually going to strengthen during wednesday night to most of the winds are really
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going to pick up as it moves northwards into the colder air there will be more snow falling overnight and into thursday morning. especially in scotland, could be a0 cm of snow and perhaps as much as that over the high grounds, some snow over other hills of scotland and the northern pennines. drier further south, but it will be colder, and it will feel colder in the wind as well. so two main areas of concern, really, the wet weather of the next few days bringing flooding. especially across parts of northern england, the midlands and eastern england. and then as if that was not enough we've got this increasing risk of snow, particularly in scotland with some blizzards and drifting of the snow in the hills.
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this is bbc world news, the headlines russian opposition leader — alexei navalny — has been remanded into custody for 30 days. he was arrested hours after returning to moscow for the first time since being poisoned last year. mr navalny has called for street protests. the fbi is vetting all 25 thousand national guard troops in washington providing security for wednesday's inauguration ofjoe biden. they're looking for possible right wing extremists who may be plotting an insider attack. the rate of coronavirus infection has begun to fall in the uk, as a result of new lockdown measures. in the past 2a hours, less than 40—thousand new cases have been recorded, the lowest number so far this year. the world health organisation has warned that we're on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure over the way vaccines are shared out. it says the current approach will delay the delivery of vaccines to poorer countries.
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