09/09/2014 BBC World News

Brought down by high energy objects that pierced

the plane - investigators release the first official report into

Rescue workers try to reach flood hit areas of Pakistan and India

A man's killed in a shark attack in a popular tourist spot in Australia.

And concern over a potential flashpoint in the South

China Sea - we have a special report from the Spratly islands.

As you can see, it has been transformed into a construction

site. And this is where the Philippine government thinks that

China might be building and your base. -- and here base.

A report on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster in eastern

Ukraine says it was probably caused by the aircraft being struck

by multiple high-energy objects from the outside.

The report by Dutch officials says there are no indications that

the crash was due to a technical fault and there was no evidence

The report has found the pattern of the wreckage

on the ground suggests the plane broke up during the flight.

All 298 people died in the crash in July.

This report doesn't blame anyone directly.

Meanwhile a top rebel commander in Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko,

has reiterated the separatists' claim that they

never had the air defence capability to shoot down a commercial jet.

I asked our correspondent Anna Holligan about the findings.

Under normal circumstances, an aviation investigation would start

at the scene of the crash. But these investigators were not allowed to

access the site. The Dutch government was afraid that their

presence might jeopardise the forensics team's effort to recover

the bodies. The evidence used to compile today's report includes the

black box flight data recorder, satellite images, information from

Air Traffic Control, and photos from the scene. This is the headquarters

of the Dutch safety board which has been leading the international

investigation. Experts from the UK, the US, Germany, Russia, Ukraine,

Malaysia and Australia have been collaborating on this case. This is

not the final report. That is due out sometime next year. But the

preliminary report is significant, because it is the first account of

what actually happened. So far, more

than 220 coffins have been returned to

the Netherlands. An unknown number of

people have been identified. From the moment the first bodies were

repatriated, the Dutch authorities have sought to restore the honour

and dignity stolen from the families. One of the main purposes

of this preliminary report is to give relatives conclusive answers to

The military in Ukraine says there's been further

fighting with pro-Russia rebels in the east of the country.

A spokesman for the defence ministry said four government troops had

been killed since a ceasefire deal was signed with the rebels.

In another statement, the government in Kiev confirmed that 648 prisoners

who were held by the rebel forces have been released -

with negotiations ongoing to secure the release of a further 500.

Meanwhile Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the ceasefire

He said he hoped talks between the Ukrainian government

and the pro-Russian rebels, which had been agreed in principle

But he added that Russia was worried about a heavy concentration

of Ukrainian troops in parts of Eastern Ukraine.

Rescue workers are struggling to reach thousands of people stranded

400 people are thought to have died in severe flooding

in the two countries, most of them in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The floods are described as the worst in the area

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumdar joined a relief operation in Jammu State

I'm on an Indian helicopter carrying relief supplies to flood victims. We

have just taken off from Jammu and are flying over the mountains

towards the Kashmir valley to a place, one of the worst affected. We

have supplies of food packed inside his sex. Tomatoes, eggplant,

onions. -- inside the ease sacks. These communities are desperate for

help. We have now landed at the meaning your base. -- the main

airbase. Apart from vegetables, there are also cartons of milk and

chickens that have been brought by other flights. All of this will be

loaded onto military trucks and driven to the villages in the

mountains and beyond. Ordinarily, these would have come by road from

the main highway but that has been washed away. So there are no

supplies getting through to the market. The only way to get this to

the community is this way. Lots of help urgently needed there.

In other news, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says it is

being "completely overwhelmed" by the growing number of Ebola

MSF says its main treatment centre in the capital Monrovia is having to

turn desperate people away every day and describes the situation

New figures from the United Nations suggest the amount of carbon dioxide

in the earth's atmosphere hit a record level last year.

The World Meteorological Organisation also said

concentrations of greenhouse gases rose at their fastest rate since

1984, and called for a new global treaty to tackle climate change.

The International Cricket Council has suspended Pakistan off-spinner

Saeed Ajmal from bowling in international matches

after his bowling action was found to be illegal.

Tests showed Ajmal, who's currently the best one-day

bowler in the world, was flexing his arm more than the laws allow.

He won't be allowed to bowl in international matches until he

After much haggling and brinkmanship,

the Iraqi parliament has approved a new, inclusive government led

Jobs for ministers have been assigned under a power-sharing deal

between the Shia majority, the Sunnis and the Kurds.

A credible government is considered crucial to the struggle

against the jihadists of the group Islamic State.

The BBC's Jim Muir is in Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.

He told me more about the reaction to the announcement

And would say that all around, there's cautious relief that they

had last have a government in place. -- I would say. But nobody has any

illusions about the task that lies ahead. The Sunnis are involved, yes,

and most of the Kurds are back, who had pulled out of al Maliki's

government. But that does not mean that they will stay. The Kurds have

said that if their demands are not left, they will walk out. -- demands

are not met. The question is with the Sunnis, whether they will be

given a degree of autonomy, at least control over their own security, and

finance, and the kind of devolution that will be needed to defuse the

ban sectarian tensions that are now raging on the ground, especially

after the latest upheaval of the last three months, which have turned

Shia against Sunni, Sunni against Kurds and so on. It is a vicious

situation. It is not a solid platform for launching a unified

attempt to root out Islamic State from the communities where they had

been able to establish themselves. A huge amount of work has to be done.

Just having some ministers in a cabinet in Baghdad is only the

beginning of a long uphill struggle. More on our breaking news this

morning, on the report into the MH17 plane crash. And we have had a

statement from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, that go to our

correspondent in Kuala Lumpur. Tell us more about what the Prime

Minister has said. -- let's go to our. The Prime Minister says that

the report confirms what Malaysian officials have been saying all

along, that the plane did not enter into restricted airspace, that the

aircraft itself was fit to fly, and that the crew had acted properly. In

other words, the national carrier did nothing wrong. He also says that

the report suggests that this was a missile attack but he adds Cotchin,

seeing that further investigative work is needed. -- urges caution. He

says that the Malaysian officials need to go down to collect

additional evidence from the site. He has promised the family members

of the victims that they will get to the bottom of this and all those

accountable. In fact, there is a Malaysian team already in Ukraine

trying to gain access to the crash site, not only to collect remains

but also to collect evidence and today we saw two more bodies being

returned to Malaysia with full military honours. It is incredible

that it has taken so long. Very distressing for the families. There

has been general criticism about the route and the fact that Malaysian

airlines flew through Ukraine. Is that mentioned in the report? And

what is the response more generally to the publication? Malaysian

officials have said strongly all along that they were cleared to fly

over that airspace. It is considered one of the highways of traffic from

Asia to Europe. They have said that they were flying well above the

recommended height, and that they were not in the wrong. It seems that

the Malaysians have generally accepted that. What they want is

someone to be held accountable. We cannot forget that this country is

not facing just this one a disaster. They are looking at another one, for

which there was no conclusion and no evidence. So Malaysians are very

anxious to bring closure, at the very least, to one of these airline

disasters. And they are looking forward to the investigative team

finding more, and to hold those accountable, as the Prime Minister

says. Really, we were reporting on the missing flight, the previous one

earlier this year. -- briefly. What about people's confidence in flying

with Malaysian airliners? Malaysia airlines has taken a beating from

these disasters. We saw a drop on passengers. They are currently

selling a lot of advertising for cheaper airfares. And there is a

movement among Malaysians after MH17 that they feel that they should

support the national carrier. Right now, the government has taken it

back to restructure it, but have to remind you that the airline itself

had been facing problems financially long before these disasters. It is

not necessarily mean that it cuts into the quality of its flying or

any safety features, but it does mean that the airline is looking at

extensive restructuring, and they are looking at job cuts amounting to

about 30% of their staff. Thank you. Yemeni soldiers have opened fire

on protesters attempting to storm the cabinet building

in the capital Sanaa. Latest reports say four people were

killed, and several more injured. Protesters have blocked

the main road to Sanaa's airport and for weeks have held sit-ins

at ministries in an attempt to oust the government

and reinstate fuel subsidies. Our correspondent is in Sanaa. This

is a country that people have been worried about for many years. Bring

us up to date on recent events. Let me start with today. Reports say

that there have been clashes with protesters and government forces.

Outside the Cabinet building in Sanaa. And this has all happened

after police opened fire on protesters. As you mentioned, there

are reports of several deaths and injuries. These protests have

actually started a few weeks ago. In the capital, Sanaa, after these

demonstrations were staged, following the government's decision

to lift subsidies on fuel. Now they are demanding the government stepped

down and revoke their decision to lift fuel subsidies. Of course, we

have seen in the past of the US involved in Yemen. How do you sum up

the political stability there at the moment? Yemen has been going through

a transitional period ever since the 2011 revolution. This transitional

period has been backed by the Gulf Corporation Counsel in the region as

well as the UN. This resulted in a national dialogue and the government

was in process of them committing these outcomes. The 30s are saying

that this government is not actually going forward in influencing what

had been agreed upon in this national dialogue. -- the

protesters. You can see that there are political tensions between

different factions. We are seeing some of the pictures that have been

coming in over the last day or so. In terms of these current protests

and what has happened today, how worrying is it? Well, no one knows

really what is going to happen next. But this is a country that is

heavily armed. Most households here carry weapons. People say it is a

miracle that it has not escalated into a Civil War after the first

revolution. So people cannot really expect... There is a sense of worry

and concern that if the situation is not contained, it could escalate

into a white skill complex. Good to talk to you. Many thanks. --

widescale complex. Could you do this now or let alone

when you are more than 80 years old? We meet the British choreographer

still teaching today. Here in the UK all eyes are

on opinion polls which suggest that next week's

referendum on Scottish independence The debate is being closely followed

by our European partners, France and Scotland have

a historical relationship going So how has that long-standing

friendship shaped attitudes in France today towards Scottish

independence? Hugh Schofield has been to

central France to find out. What are Scottish pipe bands doing

parading in July through the middle an obscure Central Frenchtown? Here

they have annual festivities to mark the Auld Alliance. In the 100 years

War, Stewarts from the Scottish royal family Ford near here

alongside the French against the English. They were rewarded with the

lordship and the local chateaux, which stayed Scottish for nearly 400

years. Enthusiasm for things Caledonian here extends to the

culinary. This is French haggis. The bond is heartfelt. It is a question

of love. -- blood. Scottish people bled for French people and French

people bled for Scotland. What else? Whether it is the Auld Alliance and

their common antipathy towards the English, or whether it is just that

both countries like to share a drink, there is clearly deep simile

for the Scots across France. As for Scottish independence, we carried

out an impromptu poll with the audience. The result was clear

enough. A report

by Dutch investigators appears to confirm that Malaysian Airlines MH17

was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Thousands

of people are still stranded after Countries have wrangled over

territory in the South China Sea for generations,

but a recent upsurge in tension has sparked concern that the area is

becoming a serious flashpoint. The Spratlys are an island chain,

situated in a key shipping route, This is how the islands would be

divided up between neighbouring countries if a 200 mile,

global exclusion zone is applied. But China believes this red line,

which stretches hundreds of miles from its own coastline,

gives it control of the Spratlys. The BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes

travelled to the Gaven reef in the Spratlys,

where he found China has a new way On a fishing boat in the middle of

the South China Sea, I am on the hunt for the Spratlys. I want to

find out whether claims that China is building new territory out

whether claims that China is building new territory and here, are

true. Then on the horizon what looks like land. An island where there

should not be one. On my GPS, and this has the latest software, it

says elevated house with the mark of a reef. It is very clear that this

airhead is not a reef. It is an island. And that Ireland was not

there a few months ago. As we moved closer, the weather closed in. The

new islands disappeared behind the rain. We plough on South and the

rain gradually clears. After four hours, we spot a Vietnamese fishing

boat. And then dead ahead, another island. This one even bigger. It is

a hive of activity. This place behind me is called Johnson South,

and until a few months ago there was a Chinese control submerged reef.

Now it has been transformed into a giant construction site. This is

where the Philippine government thinks China may be building its

South China Sea airbase. These aerial photos show what this place

looked like a year ago. And in February, and finally March this

year. Millions of tonnes of material have been pumped into the reef to

create new life. Her Filipino captain is shocked.

We used to come here all the time to fish, he says. Now with all this

construction, it won't be long until we cannot come here any more.

As if on cue, the Chinese start firing flares into the sky, warning

us it is time to leave. China claims the entire South China Sea,

including all the Spratlys. Beneath this vast claim may lie billions of

oil and gas. -- billions of tonnes. Early next morning, a new silhouette

appears on the horizon. A rusting World War II hawk stuck atop another

reef. -- hulk. This is the Philippine Navy ship. OnBoard, a

tiny garrison of ten Philippine Marines, all that stands in the way

of another Chinese takeover. Just beyond the reef, two Chinese ships

Rome burned down. The coast of the Philippines is about 220 nautical

miles in that direction. The coast of China is 800 miles in that

direction. But those two Chinese ships are here to enforce Beijing's

claim that this submerged reef is actually Chinese territory.

For the last year, the Chinese ships have been blockading the Sierra

Madre, trying to stop fresh supplies and wearing down the Marine's -- the

Marines's morale. Our families are far away, he says. It is a big

sacrifice. Food is limited and it is difficult to avoid boredom and

sadness. While these Philippine Marines live in peril of falling

through their own rusting deck, Beijing's ambition to turn this is

seeing to it Chinese lake moves on word, almost unopposed.

A man has died following a shark attack off

Officials say the man was bitten on his leg at the popular tourist

Features open closed for 24-hour is and people have been told to stay

out of the water. -- beaches have been closed.

Could you do the splits when you're 88 years old?

The renowned British dancer and choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne

was just 17 when she was sent to perform for troops fighting

David Sillito went to meet her to find out about the secret

Up, down, up again. Change this, do that. The lady with the restless

energy is Dame Gillian Lynne. She is recreating a ballet from her youth,

a ballet about working-class life in Glasgow that was performed near the

battlefields of Germany to soldiers fighting in the Second World War.

This is quite able raunchy little sequence. 70 years on from from --

from when it first appeared. That is me. On the end! And here she is,

aged 17. Gillian Lynne performing in 1944. These people you were playing

for, they had probably never seen done it before. I think most of them

had not. Most of them had not. And I am quite sure there was quite a bit

of swearing about, oh, is that all we have got to see? For the results

were wonderful. Then they became fans. The question on my mind was a

how, at 88, does she keep so active? The answer is in her morning

routine. You notice I get down in a funny way that is because of the

metal hips. You have two metal hips? Yes. And this Ford has got two huge

nails through it because it is fused. I had 35 springs on it. You

have to keep these legs limber. You have to keep your crotch open. And

you don't give up. If you wake up and think, I am too tired to do it

today, that is the beginning of the end, especially for an older person.

Are you going to retire? No! I den not. -- I dare not.

So now you know. To create something like this at 88, you need to start

the day the Dame Gillian way. Sadly that is never going to happen

in our household. She looks absolutely amazing. We are very

impressed. We are going to leave you with a story about Justin Bieber.

Persecutors in Canada have dropped assault charges against him. The

case relates to an alleged assault last December in Toronto when he was

picked up from a nightclub in a limousine. People weren't -- police

were investigating claims he had the driver in the back of the head. The

charges have been dropped because there is no reasonable prospect of

conviction. That's it