This is bbc news. Im martine croxall. The headlines at 8 the body of the iranian general assasinated by the us on iraqi soil is returned, as borisjohnson says we will not lament his death. They chant in farsi anti american slogans are heard in parliament in tehran. The United States says it is preparing for any iranian response. There is still risk of attack, of course there is. There is tremendous risk. We are doing everything we can to make sure that we take that down and protect american lives. The australian Prime Minister warns that the bushfire emergency could last for months and announces the creation of a Recovery Agency to help those whove lost homes. I didnt see any flame. I saw this great white ball of fire. That is all i can describe it as, just this white hot ball of fire. The argument about leave or remain is over, says keir starmer, as hejoins the race to be the next labour leader. And the first big event of the awards season, the Golden Globes, takes place tonight in hollywood. And in sport, liverpool beat everton at anfield. Weve that and the rest of the days third round fa cup action. Good evening. Welcome to bbc news. The Prime Minister, borisjohnson, has said he will not lament the death of the top iranian general killed by a us missile strike. But he called for a de escalation of the situaion on all sides. It comes after iraqi mps passed
a resolution calling for foreign troops to leave the country in the wake of the us airstrike in baghdad. There are 5,000 american troops in iraq at the moment and the us is sending 3,000 more to the region. Nato says it will hold an urgent meeting tomorrow. In iran, huge crowds have turned out to mourn general soleimanis death. The country has declared that it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal. 0ur Diplomatic CorrespondentJames Robbins reports. Tens of thousands of iranians are mourning general soleimani and apparently getting behind their leaders promising revenge. The chants are familiar, including death to america, but the context has radically changed. The war of words from both sides is intensifying. President trump has tweeted this threat of massive retaliation. If iran strikes any americans or american assets, he says,
we have targeted 52 iranians sites, some at a very high level and important to iran and the iranian culture, and those targets and iran itself will be hit very fast and very hard. The usa wants no more threats is there still risk of attack . Of course there is, there is tremendous risk. We are doing everything we can to make sure we take that down and protect american lives. That is the mission set, when the president laid out his National Security strategy three years ago, this is all in the context of a larger american strategy to create peace and stability in the middle east. Under enormous american pressure, britain is adjusting its political stance slightly, the foreign secretary sounding more sympathetic to the United States but still withholding outright support. We understand the action they took but we also need to be very clearly focused on what happens next. We want to de escalate the tensions. We want to see a route through this crisis. We do not want to see a major war in the middle east. The only group or players that would benefit from that would be
the terrorists and daesh. Labours shadow foreign secretary said she shed no tears for general soleimani, he had the blood of many people on his hands. However, to take him out at this stage, when there has been escalating tensions, seems to me to not be making the world safer, actually. We are taking a major lurch towards war. In the iraqi capital, baghdad, where the general was killed in the american strike, Iraqs Parliament has expressed its outrage, voting for the removal of all Foreign Forces from the country, although the decision is not necessarily binding. America is busy sending reinforcements to the wider region. In practice, around 5,000 us forces in iraq are unlikely to leave soon, but the Us Led Coalition has announced a pause in training of iraqi forces and operations against is or daesh. The whole focus now will be on protecting its bases. James robbins, bbc news. We have just heard some breaking news from the Reuters News Agency as saying that three rockets have fallen inside baghdads heavily fortified green zone. That is the pa rt fortified green zone. That is the part of the iraqi capital but houses government buildings and Foreign Missions and embassies. Police sources are being courted by reuters. Sirens were sounded, there we re reuters. Sirens were sounded, there were no immediate reports of casualties, but yet more rockets being fired, this time three rockets falling inside the green zone. Well, the Prime Minister has made his first comments on the tensions having arrived back in the uk from his Christmas Holiday in mustique. He said that hes spoken to president trump, as well as Emmanuel Macron and angela merkel. Borisjohnson said that, general Qasem Soleimani posed a threat to all our interests and was responsible for a pattern of disruptive, destabilising behaviour in the region. And that, given the leading role he has played in actions that have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and western personnel, we will not lament his death. He went on to say that, it is clear, however, that all calls for retaliation or reprisals will simply lead to more violence in the region and they are in no one s interest. We are in close contact with all sides to encourage de escalation. 0ur Political CorrespondentJonathan Blake said that the Prime Ministers response was broadly in line with what the government has been saying over the past couple of days. Borisjohnson stressing the threat that this iranian general posed to the stability of the middle east, and the deaths that the uk and others say that he was responsible for, and that key phrase, they are saying that the uk will not lament his death, but then going on, very quickly, to say that calls for retaliation or reprisals will lead to more violence in the region and that they are in no ones interest, so really warning against any further escalation of the crisis which this death has caused, and stopping short,
crucially, of offering full support to the us and their actions in carrying out this drone strike. Because lets not forget, allies of the United States were taken by surprise . Yes, the uk, the Prime Minister or anyone else, was not told of this in advance. We heard from the foreign secretary, dominic raab, this morning, that he found out as or shortly after it had happened, and there has been some disquiet, i think, and some frustration within whitehall and government that the us was not clearer about its actions in advance of this strike, so there has been a sense that the uk has been scrambling a little bit, along with other american allies, to respond, and to say, in some not so Uncertain Terms that the us needs to have a plan as to what happens next, and i think that is reflected in the Prime Ministers words, saying that he is in close contact with all sides to encourage de escalation. What impact has all of this, over the last two days,
had on the threat level, the perceived threat level, to the uk . Well, we have seen the travel advice to iraq, iran and other middle Eastern Countries updated and the Foreign Office gave details of that yesterday, adding to the restrictions and warnings that were already in place for people travelling to the region. We have seen uk warships, a Royal Navy Frigate and a destroyer, deployed to the persian gulf to escort Merchant Shipping there with the defence secretary saying that the uk was ready to do anything necessary to protect its citizens and shipping in the region as well. And then there is also the issue of troops in iraq, which will perhaps be seen as in greater danger from attacks in the fallout and in the wake of this killing of the iranian general, but we will, iam sure, hear more from the Prime Minister in the coming days, and we are told that the National Security council will meet this week. The foreign secretary is, of course, going to washington as well, and parliament will be
updated on tuesday. Earlier i spoke to dr renad mansour, a Senior Research fellow in the middle east programme and project director of the Iraq Initiative at chatham house, a Foreign Affairs think tank. I asked him what he thinks could happen next after iraqi mps passed a non binding resolution calling forforeign troops to leave. This resolution, i would say, is more political messaging, political signalling. Everyone is expecting a response, a retaliation, almost revenge for what happened and the Iraqi Government, and in particular the iraqi Prime Minister wanted to come out immediately with some kind of response, and barring the kind of security, military type of response, this is a political response. It has wide implications on many levels. This is the first time, if it goes through, that the Iraqi Government is foretelling, forcing american troops to leave their territory. Until now, there was a small group of iraqi politicians close to iran
who would constantly be saying this but it was often thought that many of the other sides understood the importance that the us had, the us troops had on the fight against isis and other issues in the country. With this strike, with what the parliament is signalling, even with some of the rhetoric that you see coming out of the parliament, very clearly things have changed. How can the United States be compelled to remove their troops because it seems it is a double edged sword for the americans if they do leave and if they dont . Yes, until now, the Iraqi Government is an ally of the us. They have a forces agreement with each other, they work together. They fought together fighting isis, and in post isis iraq they have been working together. If the Iraqi Government, and again, beyond what happened today, there is a legal process, there will need to be a law that effectively demands that the us leave, the us troops have a decision. If they decide to stay,
they certainly can, but what you start to hear more and more is the word occupier and that they are here illegally and this is the type of rhetoric and this is the type of language that you are already beginning to see from some of those camps in iraq who are anti american and also closer to iran. How difficult a line does the Iraqi Government have to tread then to try to maintain relationships with iran, its neighbour, but also keep the us on side in a different type of relationship . I mean, the Iraqi Government has, for a long time, walked on a very thin line. Somehow, it is a government that is very close to both the us and iran. Over the last few years, i think what we have seen is that change a bit. Where there once was a question, is the Iraqi Government going to move towards the us or iran, over the last few years, the us has lost considerable leverage, the us has lost considerable
relationship with the Iraqi Government. Keep in mind, there was a time when the us president used to, on a weekly basis, speak to the iraqi Prime Minister, but the Trump Administration has refused to invite the iraqi Prime Minister or the iraqi president to washington dc for a meeting, so there has been a while now that the Iraqi Government has kind of moved closer towards iran, sort of in that sphere, iran, but it has maintained some sort of relationship with the us. The Iraqi Government is under pressure now. There are many people wanting to see what type of retaliation there will be, and as i say, those voices that used to demand americans leave were very low voices. They have become suddenly louder after this strike. More breaking news. This time from kenya. The us military have told the Reuters News Agency that a member of us military service, we do not know which one, and two contractors have
been killed today during an attack ona been killed today during an attack on a military base in kenya. The attack was carried out by the al shabab militant group which have their roots in somalia. The statement went on to say that two americans from the department of defence were wounded in the attack. They are currently in a stable condition and will be evacuated. 0ne member of the us military and two contractors have died following that attack by somalias al shabab. Australias Prime Minister has warned that the bushfires emergency could last for months. Scott morrison announced that a Recovery Agency would help those whove lost homes and businesses. The fires are blazing around the country, but amongst the worst are in australias most populous state, New South Wales. There has been some rain, but not enough to extinguish the flames. Phil mercer reports. The damage inflicted by australias bushfires is immense. Lives have been lost, while a growing number of homes and businesses have been ruined. Trapped by the fires under ominous orange skies, people in eden in New South Wales have sought to escape by sea. There is stress, fatigue, and fear. Cooler conditions and some rain are helping the firefighting effort, but the danger is far from over. Many blazes continue to burn and the land still smoulders. This long bushfire crisis is inflicting deep scars on australia, and theres no end in sight. Lives have been turned upside down. In kangaroo valley, ken stewart lost his home to the fires that raced through this part of New South Wales. Hes lucky to be alive. Next minute, i looked up, and i didnt see any flame. I saw this great white ball of fire. Thats all i can describe it as, just a white hot ball of fire. I had to drive up that driveway, and by the time i got up to our bottom gate, the entire driveway was lit up with fire, both sides. Parts of sydney have also been threatened. The fires are an unpredictable enemy. No one knows for sure when, where or if they will strike. Australia is fighting back, but its impossible to tell when the battle will be over. Phil mercer, bbc news, kangaroo valley. At the same time as those fires rage in south east australia, extreme weather has been unfolding 3,500 miles away in indonesia, where floods have killed 60 people and displaced thousands from the capital, jakarta. Duncan kennedy reports. For six days, indonesia has been deluged with heavy rain, taking out bridges and roads. The capital, jakarta,
has had its most intense rainfall in a quarter of a century. The number of dead is continuing to rise. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes, many forced to haul themselves across swollen rivers. The ones able to get back to their neighbourhoods have formed human chains to remove the water and mud. This was an area outsidejakarta, which was one of the worst affected. Translation the water level was pretty high, reaching five to six metres, and it could have reached the second and third floor. It was raining all day, from morning to evening, so the water level soon increased. This is the rainy season in indonesia, and jakarta does see annual flooding, but the heavy downpour of the past week has been the most intense in decades. Rescue crews have been trying to get people to safe areas, but the rains arent due to peak until next month, and long range forecasts
suggest more is on the way. Duncan kennedy, bbc news. You are watching bbc news. The headlines tonight. The body of the iranian general assasinated by the us on iraqi soil is returned, as borisjohnson says we will not lament his death. The United States says it is preparing for any iranian response. The australian Prime Minister warns that the bushfire emergency could last for months, and announces the creation of a Recovery Agency, to help those whove lost homes. Sport, and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, heres. Hello. A wondergoal from 18 year old curtisjones has taken liverpool into the fourth round of the fa cup, as they beat their merseyside rivals everton by a goal to nil at anfield. Jurgen klopp made nine changes from the team that beat Sheffield United in the premier league on thursday, but his young side got the job done,
as alex gulrajani reports. Theyre one of the most decorated clubs in World Football and liverpool have their eyes on a prize slightly bigger than the fa cup this season. For city rivals everton, this competition mayjust mattered that little bit more. They made those intentions clear from the off. Adrian in the liverpool goal mo