07/08/2013 World News Today

me Daniela Ritorto. The headlines tonight...

Diplomatic damage, in the wake of the Edward Snowden saga.

President Obama cancels a meeting with Vladimir Putin, just days after

Russia granted temporary asylum to the US intelligence worker.

A massive fire rips through Kenya's main airport, affecting passengers

and trade to East Africa. Also coming up - a house of horror

is destroyed in Ohio, to the relief of the three women held captive by

Ariel Castro for a decade. It was important to be via today because no

one was there for me when I was missing. I wonder people overreact

to know, especially the mothers, that they can have strength and

hope. And forget about using space rockets

and rovers. We travel to the inner reaches of our own planet, to learn

more about alien life. Good evening. The international

airport in Nairobi has been reduced to each are dreck after a huge fire

ripped through the airport. Passengers are facing huge delays

and diversions. There are reports that international flights will land

again from Thursday. The international airport early this

morning. It is the biggest airport in Africa and it was turned on an

inferno. It happened just after dawn in the emigration section. It spread

quickly. Fire crews battled for hours to bring it under control.

They even ran out of water at one point. For passengers, there was

confusion and dismay, although no lives were lost, many were critical

of the official response. We did not get assistance. I had to go

downstairs. It was not easy with all this smoke. We did not appear to be

any plan of action. People were running from left to right and then

I could see only one Fire Brigade coming and people were very worried.

We have no idea what is going to happen now. We are still waiting to

wait for the officers to open so we can get more information. This is

the impact of the devastation -- everything so in litres of water and

the roof has completely come down. We're not sure when repairs will be

started, but when that happens, it will have a huge impact on the end

of the economy of the area and the region as a whole. The present most

keen to cash as you ever learn of the future of the economy. I will

reassure international passengers that everything is being done to

restart operations. Because of the fire is not yet known. Security

officials say they are waiting to see the damage before the draw any

conclusions. But it may take a bit more time before repairs are

started. And you strain of flu has probably been passed from one person

to the other. More than 130 people in China have been diagnosed with

the new strain. Most cases have been traced to contact with infected

poultry, but no experts say one person who died from the flu seems

to have caught the disease from her sick father. This is the virus -- a

deadly strain of bird flu, no thought to have passed between

people for the first time. Most people who have contracted the virus

had visited the market selling live birds or had contact with live

poultry. The 60-year-old man is the focus of new research published by

the British medical Journal. He regularly visited the life poultry

market in eastern China and became ill in March. His daughter looked

after and before he was taken into intensive care, he later died of

multiple organ failure. She too has now died because of multiple organ

failure. She is not believed to have had any exposure to live poultry.

The virus strains the contracted when nearly genetically identical

and it has the strongest evidence yet of the finest being passed

between humans. 16 years ago, the bird flu virus in 1997 made the

headlines. It has since killed in 400 people. It was only in March

this year that the new virus was detected in eastern China. 133 cases

have now been reported, with 43 deaths, all of them in China and

Taiwan. This is an unusually high rate for a new infection. So how

worrying are these latest developments? Expats in the virus

does not transmit easily. They seem it is not surprising that under

close contact, some transmission is seen and it does not mean the virus

is any closer to starting a pandemic. If the United States had

not made it clear enough that they wanted help in detaining Edward

Snowden, then Russia's move to grant the former intelligence contractor

asylum was the final straw. Now, in a rare diplomatic rebuke,

the White House has announced that President Barack Obama is wiping

from his diary a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in

Moscow. The Kremlin said it was disappointed by the move. The

decision comes after the president appeared on each actual in the

United States saying they were disappointed with the Russian

decision to offer Edward Snow Dome asylum. There are times when they

seem to go back to you a Cold War thinking and Cold War mentality.

say to president Hooton, that is the past and we have got to think about

the future. There is no reason why we should not be able to cooperate

more effectively than we do. White House has released a

He joins me from there now. Thank you very much for joining us. It is

pretty provocative? Yes, on both sides. On one side, the Russians

have signalled that they are just not seriously interested in engaging

with the United States on a number of issues. It is not just Edward

Snowden. We have been trying to make progress on Syria. We have been

trained to make progress on nuclear reductions. The Russians have simply

said no, we're not ready to make progress. It is a lesson we should

have learned before. This is a relationship which goes in cycles of

up and down and we know when we close the door on it, that is just

justifying another down cycle. I am not hopeful. Things look pretty bad

in the short-term. If there are consequences of a breakdown on a

freezing and relations? What is the outcome? The White House have stated

pretty clearly that they do not want the relationship to end, that they

are so disappointed with this nonresponse and non-engagement by

the Russians. They are expecting Russia to throw them a bone on any

issue. Russia is not a society we're decisions get taken a working level.

There is one person deciding. His name is Vladimir Putin. By not

engaging at the highest level and thinking that it is not worth it

because they cannot predetermine that things will have a positive

outcome, there is a fear to take any risk to invest in their

relationship. If they do not have the guarantee that there will be a

positive outcome, the did not seem interested. There is not going to be

another reset. You cannot do that once in an administration. That

opportunity has come and gone. It is not all bad. John Kerry is still

meeting with his counterpart on Friday at the lower level. It would

appear that it is business as usual they are. Maybe. But business as

usual has not been a good thing. has seen a failure to communicate on

issues we had taken four counted. Look back at the Boston bombings in

April. We found out they had connections with Russia and the

could have been better intelligence sharing with them which could have

saved American lives. We really should have received a memo from

them at that time. You cannot take a temporary pause in United

States-Russian cooperation. The problem with the meeting on Friday

is that we have cancelled the summit and that is predetermine the outcome

of Friday. It is not going to be productive. What are they going to

propose, knowing that from the top, the signals are negative? Thank you

very much for joining us. As that diplomatic spat plays out,

efforts have been made today to smooth over tensions between three

European partners. David Cameron has phoned up his Spanish counterpart to

talk about the controversy over the British territory of Gilbraltar,

which sits just off south Spain. Last weekend, there were long delays

at the border crossing. The rigorous Spanish checks followed Gibraltar's

move to create an artificial reef in disputed waters. Tom Burridge

reports from the tiny British territory. Today, more delays from

those crossing into Gibraltar. The rock on the southern tip of Spain.

The waters around Gibraltar are disputed. Near the coastline of the

coastline of this British territory and though the sport. This is the

focus of the road. The Gibraltar government said it would an

artificial reef and the water to protect marine life. Spain said they

were dumped to stop Spanish boats fishing year. Gibraltar often feels

very British. The words of the Prime Minister today will be welcomed

here. After speaking to his Spanish counterpart, David Cameron

reiterated his commitment to Gibraltar. He contended delays on

the border, but said both countries would need to seek a solution to the

fishing dispute. For the 10,000 people who live in Spain but what

can Gibraltar, in places like this restaurant, perhaps some relief.

Almost everyone living on either side of the border has been

affected. The problem is the frontier. When there is a political

situation like this, their reactions are extreme, the result is that

innocent people have to suffer. Why? At least there is no talk, but a

solution to the escalating tension has still yet to be flown to the

waters around this disputed region. Letters have a look at some of the

other news. . Yemen is conducting a massive

security operation to protect government buildings and other key

targets against possible attacks from Al-Qaeda. A Yemeni government

spokesman says authorities have foiled a major plot to seize ports

and blow up oil pipelines at the end of Ramadan.

Egypt's interim government says international efforts to resolve the

stand-off with the Muslim Brotherhood have collapsed.

Negotiators have been trying to broker a deal in Cairo, after

Mohammed Morsi was removed from power last month by the Egyptian

military. More than 100,000 people have been

killed since Syria's conflict began in March 2011. Just today, activists

say the army has killed 62 rebel fighters in an ambush in Damascus.

Trying to figure out precisely what is happening in the country is not

easy. Our World Affairs correspondent has been piecing

together the information coming in from both sides of the conflict. The

fighting in Syria rages on, with both the regime army and the

opposition troops claiming parts of the country. Letters take a look at

the map. Now, remember where the initial conflict was focused, the

Syrian army was able to reclaim it with the help of the Lebanon on

militant group Hezbollah. Now, letters take you to the area of the

capital. Areas in the east of the country are -- the city are in rebel

hands. But there are fierce battles going on in Damascus in the north

and south of the area. The regime are wanting to reclaim districts

close to the road to Jordan. Let us know take you to the city of horns.

Shelling as a daily occurrence in this part of the city. The

government has reclaimed a couple of districts. Person 's will and is in

these uses are still is a difference you are a visual and hope all is the

film 's is a It is significant that the rebels have control in the

north, over the Turkish-Syrian border, as as well as some parts of

Deraa, on the Jordanian border in the south. Fair and in a The key

thing is, the government controls some of the major roads - for

example, from Damascus to Jordan, and from Damascus to Beirut and

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 40 seconds

Lebanon. Full and well and you... Is this is a little so is this - - the

government is trying to have some breakthrough. The situation is, the

concept of victory for both parties is different. The victory for the

regime is controlling every single village in the country, so it is

geographic. On the other side, for the opposition, seeing Assad ousted

is the end of the war, regardless of any geographic victory. There is a

big difference between both sides. Meanwhile, they are trying to gain

more ground and preparing themselves for the future. It is difficult

financial is winning and who is losing. The objectives of both sides

are different. Yes, definitely. And especially the opposition is now

divided into different parties. The Islamists have different names. In

you have the FSA, fighting against the regime. This is all affecting

everything. What is going to happen next? It is difficult to predict.

can see there is no breakthrough so far, and the end of the war should

go through an international understanding between the big

players. We will see. Very good to talk to you.

Our house work former American bus driver held three women for a decade

has been demolished. Ariel Castro was jailed for life last week after

pleading guilty to several hundred counts of kidnapping and rape.

Michelle Knight watch the demolition. She was one of the women

abducted by him. Nobody was there for me, and I want the people out

there to know they can have strength, they can have hope, and

their child can come back. It is a question we have often asked. Is

there anyone out there? Learning whether extra-terrestrial life

exists is one of the biggest challenges of science, but now it

seems the best place to learn about this could be right here, in the

rocks beneath the Earth. Scientists have started a new research project

deep underground in England's north east. And as Rebecca Morelle

reports, it could hold the key to finding out whether life could

thrive on other planets. On a journey beneath the Earth. A

descent into one of Europe's deepest mines. We're more than a kilometre

underground. Here, miners have been extracting salt and pot ash since

the 1970s. But these underground rocks hold something more. Down

here, it's dark, it hot, it's dusty. You can even taste the salt in the

air. But this kind of extreme environment is just like those found

on other planets, and scientists say that studying the tiny organisms

that live here can help them find out whether life can thrive up there

in space. What we've got here is salt in contact with water. It's

essentially table salt. It might look barren, but this place is

teeming with life. Microbes invisible to the naked eye are

everywhere. If you look at Mars, you will find salt on the surface of the

planet. If you look at Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, you will

find a salty ocean beneath an icy crust. There are salts everywhere in

the universe. If you want to understand whether life might be

able to originate and grow in some of these extraterrestrial

environments, you need to come to a dark, salty environment. The salts

are taken to the subterranean laboratory. It's early days, but

genetic tests are revealing unusual species in the mine. The hope is if

life can cope with the tough conditions here, perhaps it could be

found in harsh environments beyond the Earth. It does seem a

contradiction that you can do that, and you've got the big questions

about what the universe is made of and is there life on other planets,

and yet here we are, standing underground. This sort of

environment allows you to do that sort of study. Scientists say the

best way to understand extraterrestrial life is to start in

places like this. While there might be intelligent advanced beings out

there, the chances are, any aliens would be simple bugs like the ones

found here. For 20 years, an abandoned series of

factory buildings in Long Island City in New York has been one of the

world's prime legal outdoor graffiti spaces. But soon artists may have to

take their spray cans somewhere else. There are now plans for the

site, called five Pointz, to be demolished to make room for two

high-rise towers for residential flats.

Most cities, like, every city has a Hall of Fame, so I would say five

Pointz is, like, New York's Hall of Fame. I mean, five Pointz is by far

the biggest graffiti convention, we'll say, where anyone can just go

and paint. Five Pointz is the largest legal aerosol art centre in

the world. We get an average of seven to eight tour buses, 51 to 61

seaters, every week. Every major tour operator brings people here.

The owner of the building purchased it in the early '70s and at this

point, he wants to cash in, and he wants to put up two towers and

destroy the building. We never gave the buildings to the artists. They

have always been our buildings. However, over 20 years, the artists

have been here working on the walls without any trouble. They've always

had the freedom to do what they wanted to do. Now, we want to do

what we want to do with our property, and that is to build two

towers and grow with the growing neighbourhood. We've been a part of

the fabric of Long Island City for 40 years. We understand and listen

to the community and what they have to say. But, you know, it's time.

The committee is changing, and I don't think they understand this is

our property and we would like to do what we think is right for the

neighbourhood and for ourselves. developer is talking about 1,000

apartments on that site. In the New York City real estate economy, that

is potentially going to net the developer, after expenses, after

construction costs, something probably in the order of $300

million. So, that's the mathematics. Technically, we never allow any

political content or religious content or pornography or anything

offensive on the building. Luckily for us, they never look at the wall

and they have no understanding of the art form. It basically says, eat

or be eaten. At the end of the food chain is a corporate looking guy

with a briefcase in the suit, and the artists came all the way from

Germany and Austria. Five Pointz is a snapshot of this moment in time.

New York's population is growing, its economy is growing, and anything

that is less than economically the highest and best use of a piece of

property has a very difficult time holding on.

A reminder of our main news: President Barack Obama has cancelled

a planned meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow

next month. It follows Russia's decision to

grant temporary asylum to the fugitive American intelligence

analyst, Edward Snowden, which the White House said had further

strained relations. Moscow said it Goodbye for now.

Temperatures will be falling sharply over the night. Another chilly start

tomorrow morning. Temperatures fall away. There is no real weather

systems close by. This weather front will change things a little bit

during the latter half of Thursday, bringing some cloud from the West.

Foremost, it is dry night and a fine day tomorrow. We will see a few

scattered showers developing. Very much hit and miss. Temperatures will

still get up to 20 degrees or more. Public right across East Anglia and

the south-east. Highs of 2324. The south-west, cloud will increase.

Rain edges its way towards Pembrokeshire. For most of Wales, it