11/09/2013 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with weapons has been handed over to

In Washington, President Obama has put US military action on hold,

In Washington, President Obama has the bitter disappointment of the

continues - a BBC team has reached the bitter disappointment of the

continues - a BBC team has reached Maaloula, where government forces

but the fight is still going on Maaloula, where government forces

Also coming up - hopes rise for Maaloula, where government forces

infected with the equivalent virus findings suggest human hunters

Hello and welcome. The UN meeting is back on. Members are due to meet

later today to discuss Syria's situation. Russia is reported to

have handed over to the United Syria's chemical weapons under

international control - that's according to Russian media. The

plan will be on the table tomorrow when the US Secretary of State John

Kerry holds talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.

Our World Affairs Correspondent James Robbins begins by asking

address to prepare Americans for strikes on Syria suddenly became

something completely different as President Obama told them military

action was on hold and the new focus was on Russia's plan of for

the UN supervise disarmament of Assad's a pickle weapons. We need

to verify that the Assad regime will keep its commitments. We are

President Obama says it is vital that the Assad regime still stays

the threat of strikes as real. Let me make something clear. The United

message to Assad that no other nation can deliver. But as fighting

a cross Symeou rages, is there any chance of Russia's plan can be

implemented? Can international team John Kerry will meet his Russian

counterpart in Geneva. They are still miles apart from turning

Russia's disarmament plan into reality. At the United Nations

there have been two and a half years of deadlock and it could be

getting worse. On one side the US and its allies front and the United

China. France has drawn up a draft Kingdom, on the Other Russia and

China. France has drawn up a draft chemical weapons. The big five

days. And under Chapter seven of the UN Charter, any failure to

days. And under Chapter seven of undermine the plan. Unless that

Syria it says people are fleeing in devastation and loss. Germany has

started taking in Syrian refugees. example and will give shelter up to

5,000 fleeing the bloodshed. Other European countries will now be

Louay Safi is a spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition and joins

us from Istanbul. Feng KPI for joining us. I do want to talk to

you about the situation on the ground, but first, your reaction to

the regime's admission that it does have chemical weapons. I think this

admission was clearly to show that all the chemical attacks have been

coming from the regime itself. For them to surrender it looks as if

they are accepting the gilts. In Positive if this is only the first

step towards a series of actions by the regime. It could be a ploy,

step towards a series of actions by delayed tactic. -- a delay tactic.

If they are serious they will agree that this is done under article

If they are serious they will agree in that if they do not comply, then

a military action can be taken. in that if they do not comply, then

need to stop the bloodshed, the villages by the regime killing

every day hundreds of innocent international inspectors coming

into Syria to get hold of chemical guaranteed them safe passage? The

rebels would not interfere against mission is to control weapons that

have been used against civilians, that is for sure. But again, we

have been used against civilians, ahead of ourselves. Over 1,500

attacks must be brought to justice. innocent civilians have been killed

attacks must be brought to justice. President, up by using even the

threat of force, has achieved a Russians are acting in good faith?

protection of civilians from all Russians are acting in good faith?

We have many reasons not to trust the Russians because they have been

acting to protect Assad and his regime from any punishment by the

International Community. We have to wait to see if this is a serious

thing, but we are sceptical. When you talk about your scepticism,

your disappointment over Washington stepping back seems clear. I think

we would have wanted to see more decisive action on the part of the

American President. We are pleased that he did threaten the punitive

attack and the Russians have been able so far to delay that, but I am

sure that ultimately, we will have to see the regime complying with

this particular demand as well as the demand to stop using its own

arsenal against towns and villages in Syria. Thank you for your time.

investigators have issued a report today saying that war crimes are

being committed by all sides in today saying that war crimes are

conflict. They say they know who has been carrying out the abuses

and they want the perpetrators to be put on trial. But on the ground

the civil war that has already cost continuing. Our Middle East editor

Jeremy Bowen has been at the scene of fighting today in the Christian

They have planted the Syrian flag on the roundabout, but the fight is

still going on for the rest of the nearly 5 o'clock. A lot of the men

are local. They are members of a sort of territorial army who have

been drafted in to help out the fighting for Maaloula. They have

they have run away like rats, but there is still a hard fight going

on. In the time I have been here, I have seen a lot of people who have

been winded -- winded. They are army and the National Defence are

some formidable adversaries. After clearly organised, they are facing

some formidable adversaries. After has rejected an appeal by a 13-

some formidable adversaries. After state. Our reporter is in Berlin.

Tell us more about the issue here. The issue is the insistence by the

German state that schools have to have lessons including swimming

German state that schools have to those lessons are compulsory. But

on the other hand, the right to religious freedom is enshrined in

the constitution. This 13-year-old girl said that by having to have

swimming lessons with boys in the violating her religious freedom

swimming lessons with boys in the be a Muslim. She took herself out

of their swimming lessons and by doing so she lost marks. She had

good grades in her other subjects, but this brought her down because

she did not to be swimming lessons. The whole thing escalated and ended

up in the highest court in Germany. The judge that there had to be a

compromise and that compromise was a compulsion for her to do the

lessons, but she could do than wearing and all over divers outfit

that is loose fitting. That was wearing and all over divers outfit

compromise that he said needs to happen. A compromise between the

religion and the state's decision that you have to take part in these

What has been the reaction? It reaction so far. Some teaching

clarity because we did not know reaction so far. Some teaching

to deal with these situations. And remember, something like 4% of the

population in this country have remember, something like 4% of the

Turkish background, so you can see the situations cropping up in all

some of the public swimming pools have days reserved for women. They

are getting around it that way. have days reserved for women. They

was a difficult problem and at religion and sport colliding where

segregation has been requested? You just have got to go through

life. In the gym I go to there You just have got to go through

section for women where there is You just have got to go through

area is only for women and that You just have got to go through

are not welcome there and should not go in there. That is because

some of the women you talk to say look, it is a gym and I want to

men ogling at me. There are some look, it is a gym and I want to

Catholic schools in the south of then the issue is a lot bigger.

segregation of gym lessons. That then the issue is a lot bigger.

Operations will resume next week at an industrial complex on the border

of North and South Korea, which became a flashpoint during high

tensions on the peninsula this April. The Gaesong complex lies

just inside the territory of the north but is run jointly by both

states, bringing together South Korean manufacturers and North

Korean labour. From Seoul, Lucy Five months ago this was as close

as South Koreans could get to the factories inside the north. From

Monday those factories will begin operations again after an agreement

to re open the joint industrial process. But it went look as it

to re open the joint industrial before. Foreign companies will be

invited in to share the site. South Korea says it hopes for foreign

mobile phones and internet access will be introduced, despite being

Negotiations to open the joint project took many weeks. It was

Negotiations to open the joint first time that political tensions

had arisen. More than 120 South Korean companies have factories

incentives for them are strong. After the suspension of the past

The blast is the latest in a series of sectarian violence in Iraq.

investigation into the 1978 murder of an axe aisle to dissident on

Waterloo Bridge in London. -- Exide identified his killer as an agent

named Piccadilly at the agent has There has been a double suicide

attack in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. There has been a double suicide

People across the US are marking the 11th attacks 12 years ago. The

official ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York took place

silence marked the moment when the planes crashed into the towers.

President Obama has also attended a planes crashed into the towers.

ceremony at the Pentagon. Families Lyoo Russell Keenan the third. And

my uncle, Peter, you were taken Lyoo Russell Keenan the third. And

us too soon. Today we celebrate Lyoo Russell Keenan the third. And

In Spain, hundreds of thousands Lyoo Russell Keenan the third. And

people have formed a human chain in Catalonia to secure their support

for independence. It is Catalonia's national day and the local president

has reiterated his plan to hold national day and the local president

referendum on independence next year. The Spanish central government

People in Catalonia have celebrated their national day for centuries.

But this year there are again strong calls for a vote on independence

cannot vote, and that should not be acceptable for the rest of the

world. The feeling is greater than ever and I think we will succeed. A

pro-independence Catalan flags. ever and I think we will succeed. A

people, hundreds of thousands, creating a human chain, a protest in

favour of the idea of an independent Catalan state. The human chain

stretches 400 kilometres, weaving its way through many roads Tom and

eventually reached the border with France. Here it travels through

eventually reached the border with you went in the other direction

eventually you would end up in a Spanish region. Earlier the Catalan

president told me his plan was to hold a referendum on independence

Spanish government but Madrid is unlikely to agree. We do not know if

the Spanish government will accept not, I have another tool in my

the Spanish government will accept Catalan president says he will turn

the Spanish government will accept regional elections in two years

the Spanish government will accept a vote on independence from Spain.

unclear. Spain shows no sign of a vote on independence from Spain.

unclear. Spain shows no sign of despite the large number on the

unclear. Spain shows no sign of street, if there was a rough --

unclear. Spain shows no sign of vote the result would be difficult

unclear. Spain shows no sign of There is a vaccine that appears

unclear. Spain shows no sign of be effective against the primate

monkeys showed up clear of the simian immunodeficiency virus and

this raises hope that a similar approach could be used for humans.

Very similar. HIV actually derives from the simian immunodeficiency

virus. It crossed species from monkeys to humans. They both affect

the body in the same way, attacking the immune system and leading to

AIDS. A particular form of the simian virus they were looking at is

a very virulent form, about 100 times more deadly than HIV. It can

kill monkeys within two years. If we are looking at this really nasty

vaccinate against it, perhaps you can use that for less virulent forms

like HIV. Have they quantified how well they have been able to tackle

vaccine they have put together users belonging to the herpes family,

vaccine they have put together users deliver the virus. It uses the

infectious nature to spread through the body and kick-start the immune

system. They vaccinated 16 monkeys and exposed them to the simian

immunodeficiency virus and they found it that -- that in half of

them the vaccine is very effective. Although the virus spreads through

the body, the vaccine hunted out and is really good at hiding itself

the body, the vaccine hunted out and in tissues but this one managed

the body, the vaccine hunted out and eradicate it. That raises hope,

could be potential cure cross over to humans? Researchers must be

thinking about this. We are a long way off but researchers have been

creating an equivalent vaccine which through a lot of safety tests before

it can go to clinical trials but they expect them to start in the

next two years. Whether this will eventually help to vaccinate against

HIV in humans remains to be seen eventually help to vaccinate against

much success at all. 20 -- two years years, and not many have had very

much success at all. 20 -- two years we will have to have you back here.

The last woolly mammoth disappeared from Earth nearly 4000 years ago. It

is long thought that early humans were the main factor killing them

world warming up after an ice age. were the main factor killing them

world warming up after an ice age. There is plenty of evidence that

humans hunted woolly mammoths. Many believe it is this that led to the

scientists studying their remains are seeing a different picture.

scientists studying their remains drilling into their tasks, they

scientists studying their remains extracted DNA. -- tusks. If the

scientists studying their remains from each animal is very different,

there were lots of them. If there are signs of inbreeding, there were

few. The frozen remains of woolly mammoths have been found across

few. The frozen remains of woolly world. DNA from their bones and

few. The frozen remains of woolly their hair shows that their demise

was mostly down to a change in climate. It began 20,000 years ago.

The ice age was at its height. It mammoths because the cold pressed

the plant growth they depended on. That was the start of a long process

that would lead to their extinction. Then it became too warm for them.

They were gigantic. A woolly mammoth was about the size of a modern-day

elephant. It is thought they at 40,000 years ago there was lots

elephant. It is thought they at grass for them to eat, shown here in

green. As the ice age ended the grass disappeared and so did the

mammoth. These great beasts were forced north as the grassland was

replaced by forests. One clear message is that mammoths do not

replaced by forests. One clear the warm, they get going, move

northwards. Once they got there the warm, they get going, move

went extinct. All that is left of these once magnificent creatures is

Amazing fossils, what they can reveal. Next it is the weather.

Amazing fossils, what they can me and the rest of the team, had