24/09/2013 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Philippa Thomas. "The monster of

terrorism is defeated" - the words of Kenya's president, four days

Kenyan forces are said to have killed five militants and captured a

declared. The criminals find us unafraid, as we shall ever be.

A rare glimpse of the attackers themselves. Forensic scientists

A rare glimpse of the attackers now determining if any are American

descend on the United Nations In New York. Will President Obama have

descend on the United Nations In New historic meeting with his Iranian

Himalayas to see how pollution from melting the glaciers which help

Hello and welcome. Kenya's president Islamist militants who stormed a

Nairobi shopping mall have been "shamed and defeated". He says five

captured. There is still confusion, though. Kenya's Foreign Minister

says that a British woman is among the attackers. Other ministers say

six this morning. Some militants were said to be barricaded inside a

casino. Others were thought to be holed up in the main supermarket,

where fires continued to burn. The flames spread through the building

where fires continued to burn. The Andrew Harding reports from Nairobi

of us, least of all the affected. Our losses are immense. To the

honour and memory of those who lost their lives in this attack, I have

declared three days of national mourning, starting tomorrow, during

defeated our attackers. That part of half-mast throughout the country.

defeated our attackers. That part of our task is being completed by a

The Kenyan president speaking there. Room by room, Kenyan troops moving

militants, wary of booby-trapped. Here you can just make out a soldier

And now, from inside the battle scarred shopping centre, a rare

glimpse of the attackers themselves. claimed responsibility for the

bloodshed, say it is genuine. A block away, the city is returning to

life, many here wondering who is behind the carnage. Someone from

information that we have, two or three Americans, and I think so

information that we have, two or British-born woman? Yes, I think she

That sounds like a reference to Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of

one of the London 7/7 bombers. But evidence she is involved. I heard

loud, heavy gunfire. As to whether any women have taken part, this

survivor insists he saw one black woman. She had a skirt to just below

her knees, a headband. She was throwing a grenade at the cafe.

her knees, a headband. She was you sure she was a woman? She looked

like a woman. Meanwhile, purses you sure she was a woman? She looked

mortuaries are preparing to receive more bodies. There is a deep concern

that the death toll from four days of the purist terror could now rise

As President Kenyatta declared three promised a full accountability for

destruction, death, pain, loss and suffering, more harrowing stories

have been emerging about those who were caught up in the shooting.

have been emerging about those who The day after the assault. We still

father. Jenna and her mother from Jenna Bauer, pictured here with

father. Jenna and her mother from British boy was lucky to escape

father. Jenna and her mother from sister, being led to safety by their

mother. Lindsay Qatar, who lives in Nairobi but is originally from South

Wales, was also out doing some outside, just down the steps, and

Wales, was also out doing some her not to watch the news. And I saw

was talking to her that the man behind her got shot as she was

running with the baby. He probably saved her life. Over the past few

days, Lindsay and her family had been able to hear the shots and

explosions coming from the ongoing security operation at the Westgate

Centre nearby. I just want to go home and take my family home. The

situation now, the place is unsafe. It is going to happen again. We

situation now, the place is unsafe. been warned it is going to happen

again. And this time, maybe or maybe not, we will survive it, we might

not. After the attack, most of the attention were brought to this

hospital just nearby, and also the Amongst them, a number of addition

National Civic been caught up in the siege. As well as medical treatment,

some of the survivors have been receiving counselling for their

trauma. But the Kenya Red Cross receiving counselling for their

With me is Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow at the Royal

United Services Institute and expert in counter-terrorism. Thank you

United Services Institute and expert coming in. We are still not clear

about what has happened. But a lot of people were involved in setting

information, I see the financial Times is now saying online that

information, I see the financial militants had rented a shop in the

Westgate mall as part of their planning, and had been smuggling in

equipment. Everything we are hearing points to a long planned operation.

Clearly an operation of this size and scale is something that requires

a lot of reparation ahead of time. To get a cell of six people into

this area, to have weapons and enough equipment to be able to

sustain themselves for a long period of time, and detailed knowledge

sustain themselves for a long period the site itself. This requires

reconnaissance trips. So this is probably an operation that was

planned for some time. And we know Somalia, but this is also important

on the wider stage. There are a been threatening to do this for

on the wider stage. There are a is also something Al-Shabab talks

about a lot. It talks with the rhetoric of Al-Qaeda. The other

element is that within Al-Shabab we have sued been seeing something

element is that within Al-Shabab we power struggle happening of late, so

it is possible we have seen that a group taking over the organisation

is showing that it is running and group taking over the organisation

able to conduct these sorts of international attention for days.

services involved. It is something we look at Al-Shabab historically,

they have previous form with using operations. In modern -- Mogadishu,

there was an attack against the Supreme Court by Al-Shabab, and

there was a Canadian national used in that. So they do have form of

using these people, so it wouldn't be surprising. What you make of

using these people, so it wouldn't way the Kenyan government forces

have respond -- responded? They way the Kenyan government forces

repeatedly declared this to be over when it is not quite. But from what

we have seen, what do you make of their handling of this? They are

dealing with a difficult and dynamic situation. They had a dedicated

dealing with a difficult and dynamic who had been training of this for

awhile and hold themselves up in what they saw was an easy place

awhile and hold themselves up in secure, and they have hostages as

perspective, this is a difficult situation. So they have had to

even from what President Kenyatta has been saying, it is possible

even from what President Kenyatta is not completely over, maybe some

people have slipped out. So I think to do forensic examinations of how

they conducted themselves is may be premature. Understood. Thank you for

Iran's foreign ministry says the country could be at the beginning of

a new era in relations with the West. There are hopes for progress

during a meeting at the UN this West. There are hopes for progress

about Iran's nuclear programme. West. There are hopes for progress

a great deal of talk about whether Iran's new president Hassan Rouhani

will meet the US leader Barack Obama - even for a moment, even in private

- at some point today. Nick Bryant reports from the UN. The United

gathering of over 100 world leaders, whether the length of your motorcade

as part of your power. Barack Obama has become more reliant on diplomacy

challenges of Syria and Iran. On resolution, enshrining the chemical

weapons handover deal agreed with America and Russia. If we cannot

agree even on this, then it will show that the United Nations is

incapable of enforcing the most basic of international laws. This

confronted by an Iranians president, basic of international laws. This

walk-outs from the hall. Now a very Matt made Ahmadinejad, promoted

walk-outs from the hall. Now a very different leader, Hassan Rouhani, is

nuclear programme, that can serve different leader, Hassan Rouhani, is

the possibility of a brief encounter towards a different relationship.

the possibility of a brief encounter since the 1970s have the leaders of

face-to-face. History may be in since the 1970s have the leaders of

researcher on Iran at the Carnagie Endowment for International Peace.

Washington. Thank you for joining us. President Obama they're saying

meaningful agreement. Can we get to a meaningful agreement? What does he

mean by that? Meaningful agreement would mean Iran making meaningful

compromises on its nuclear programme in terms of capping its production

exhibiting greater transparency in terms of capping its production

exchange for meaningful sanctions relief from the United States, from

the European Union and the United Nations. And what would leader to

this would be some sort of meeting between the two leaders today, a

feeling that everything is in play again. So even though we won't get a

photograph, how important would again. So even though we won't get a

a brief meeting be? If there is again. So even though we won't get a

handshake or a meeting, it would significant diplomatic encounters

between Washington and ter an since the 1979 revolution. I would make

the argument that there has never be four been an administration in

diplomacy with Iran than President secretary John Kenny -- John Kerry.

And in Iran we have never had a group more amenable to diplomacy to

Rouhani and his Foreign Minister. So opportunity which both sides are

trying to seize. It could be that President Rouhani is being led to

economic situation in Iraq. Does it matter what the motivation is as

long as there is a result? That matter what the motivation is as

Rouhani's mandate was to assure matter what the motivation is as

well-being of Iranians citizens matter what the motivation is as

reducing international sanctions. In order to do that, it would require a

nuclear deal. The big question here President Rouhani. There is a lot of

other actors at play here, including the US Congress, which would have to

relief, Ayatollah, nay, the supreme leader who has long been cynical of

with Obama and President Rouhani. leader who has long been cynical of

discussions. This is probably the are quartered. There must be lively

discussions. This is probably the in the last 50 years since the

discussions. This is probably the revolution. I would describe it

discussions. This is probably the think anyone necessarily thinks

discussions. This is probably the overnight, but never before had

discussions. This is probably the path towards some type of peace

presented itself and I think the Obama Administration is taking it

very seriously and they wanted to resolve. Thank you. Let's give you a

brief look at some of the day's other news. Russian prosecutors

brief look at some of the day's charged with piracy, a charge that

carries a jail term of up to 15 years. The campaigners have been

detained since their protest last Thursday. Two activists tried to

platform in a protest against oil Lawyers for four men sentenced to

death for raping and murdering a young woman on a Delhi bus have

convictions. All death penalty cases in India must be confirmed by a

higher court. It could take weeks or arguments, review evidence and

consider the appeals before deciding whether to confirm the execution

A powerful earthquake has struck the people. The quake was felt as far

away as Karachi, forcing people people. The quake was felt as far

Geological Survey measured the tremor at a magnitude of 7.4. The

devastating suicide bombing at an Anglican church in Pakistan on

Sunday, in which more than 80 people died, has led many to question the

government's policy of trying to start a dialogue with the Taliban.

In this report, a BBC reporter looks at the debate on how to bring an end

In one violent moment, this family was torn apart. This Christian that

lost six relatives in the attack on the church. TRANSLATION: There is no

substitute for the brothers I lost. families here dealing with their

sudden losses. Over 80 people are now known to have died when two

suicide bombers blew themselves now known to have died when two

amongst the congregation that had just finished Sunday Mass here.

Christian protesters have since directed at the authorities are

Christian protesters have since giving them protection but also

Christian protesters have since politicians who have been calling

TRANSLATION: The Prime Minister politicians who have been calling

thousands of civilians and soldiers preparing ground for dialogue with

thousands of civilians and soldiers violence, they feel here is that

position. Whether it is Christians this country is still grappling

position. Whether it is Christians of tiny cooking stoves in Pakistan,

Bangladesh and India is causing of tiny cooking stoves in Pakistan,

UN's climate panel - meeting in Stockholm - will say soot in the

smoke darkens white glaciers, making them absorb more heat. Campaigners

promote the use of new clean cooking protect millions of people from

promote the use of new clean cooking disease. Our environment analyst,

The Himalayas. People have had an centuries. No pollution is changing

the landscape here. By heating the claimant. We travelled far into

the landscape here. By heating the mountains to see how global warming

is melting glaciers. We have come to join this scientist on a trek to a

certain glacier. There it is, in the windswept distance, at 17,000 feet,

a great slab of ice clinging to windswept distance, at 17,000 feet,

mountain. The doctor and details to a satellite map of the glacier

valley. All glacier is grow in winter but received in summer but he

can tell from rock deposits that this glacier is shrinking overall

deposits on the left bank and the right bank. These are deposits which

have been left by the glacier after it has melted. We approached the

glacier's gleaming snout, full of dust and rock. Scientists say the

worldwide are shrinking like this and will continue to recede if

greenhouse gases heat the planet as predicted. It matters. Here is why.

Glacier is like this one further throughout the summer, precious

water that is used for people to irrigate their fields. There is

millions of people across northern India who depend on meltwater from

the glacier 's. In the nearby town, they relied on clay seal meltwater

to swell the famous apples during the dry season. The traders say

to swell the famous apples during the glacier is disappear, their

crops will suffer. Now scientists have identified a new threat to

glaciers, smoke, the filthy smoke pollution cloud, stretching across

the cloud fall on glacier 's and the Himalayas. City particles from

the cloud fall on glacier 's and turn them darker, that makes them

who cannot afford a modern cooker. well as the environment. This woman

who cannot afford a modern cooker. TRANSLATION: The mud store turns my

who cannot afford a modern cooker. house or lack, it makes me cough,

Their neighbour purchased his four daughters a new clean stove as part

of a British government aid scheme. He can protect women and glacier is

from cooking smoke if there is a will. The picture on global climate

sign that things will improve. about endangered species that we all

baby pandas in China will make many animal lovers very happy. The cubs

were shown to the public at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base.

Tiny and clinging to survival, just being born is a triumph for these

pandas. 14 new arrivals in the past three months. At ten's giant Reading

Centre in Chengdu, this year has been the most successful in two

decades. They were all conceived artificially, pandas are notoriously

bad at reproducing Natalie. It is Another, their habitat is shrinking,

even here in the high mountains Another, their habitat is shrinking,

Sichuan, you cannot escape the population. Tourists come by the

millions and do not see any pandas. All that remains are the souvenirs

animals in zoos. And only one panda born in captivity has ever been

taken to the wild and reintroduced successfully. So China's breeding

programme is not going to repopulate its parts with pandas. What it does

do is keep the species alive and earn China a lot of money. To hire a

pair of growing pandas, a zoo like per year, so these new arrivals

pair of growing pandas, a zoo like extremely valuable. No wonder they

Just to remind you of our main news. Kenya's president said the Nairobi

completed. He has declared three days of national mourning. At least

including five militants, 11 others, he says, are in custody. That is all