23/10/2013 World News Today


23/10/2013

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This is BBC World News Today with me, Philippa Thomas.

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And exclusive investigation into the British link to Al-Shabab. The BBC

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uncovers the identity of around 50 Britons with links to the Al

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Qaeda-affiliated group. What threat do these people post here and

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abroad? The hunt goes on for the real

:00:24.:00:27.

parents of the Roma girl named Maria, as it's revealed another girl

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in Ireland does belong to her parents.

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Also coming up - the Pope takes the shine out of the man dubbed the

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Bishop of Bling. The German Catholic is suspended over allegations of

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excessive spending. And christening for a future King - of private

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services held in London for the three-month-old Prince George.

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Hello and welcome. The BBC has established the

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identities of 47 people from Britain who have links to the militant

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organisation Al-Shabab. The group, based in Somalia, has claimed

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responsibility for the Westgate massacre in neighbouring Kenya last

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month. Lawyers for the family of one British member are investigating

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claims he was killed in a raid involving British military

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personnel. Al-Shabab is a militant organisation

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with links to Al-Qaeda. In a propaganda video released last

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week, there was praise Roger had is said to have travelled from the UK

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to Somalia to fight and die Al-Shabab. Jihadistss. Among them,

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this man. He talks about his roots in Tower Hamlets. The people of

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Tower Hamlets, I call on you to come for jihad. The BBC has established

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this man's real name. In 2008, he left the UK to travel to Somalia. He

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fought with Al-Shabab for four years. In 2012 he was killed. His

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death has been confirmed by the foreign office. In Tower Hamlets we

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have spoken to a former schoolmates of the man. He was aware of his

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transition from teenage gang member to political extremist. He does not

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want to be identified. In gang culture, street cred is what gives

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you self-worth. So for someone who has got lots of releases --

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religious zeal and passion, to go and fight on a battlefield that

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would be the ultimate street cared. -- street cred. There are Somalia by

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witnesses who identified those involved as British personnel. For

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those reasons we think that further enquiries need to be made, the

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family has lived omitted -- legitimate questions that need to be

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answered. His former schoolmates as reflecting on his death. Many think

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he wasted his life. What did he achieve? What did he get out of it

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at the end of the day? Some of us think he was used. Many Britons who

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go abroad as to how deeply Mac are never heard of again. -- as

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jihadistss. Richard Barrett is a former head of

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counterterrorism at MI6 and the UK. He is now senior vice president of

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the Soufan private security group and joins me from New York. Welcome

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to World News Today. We are looking at perhaps around 50 Somalis here in

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Britain or British Somalis. We should not assume this is a network

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or an organisation of course. Yes, I think people will go to Somalia

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because they are in contact with someone else. Just to turn up would

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be difficult, although theoretically you could go to Kenya and across the

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border. Other areas like Syria, it would be more likely that people go

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as individuals. When the security services are trying to uncover these

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identities, how extensive is that surveillance likely to be? I think

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the concern is what I these people going to do if they come back.

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People going to Somalia, if they get involved in something like the

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Westgate shopping centre should elect last month, that is serious.

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There have been few examples of foreign fighters going to Somalia

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and engaging in terrorism. In Westgate, I do not know they were

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foreigners. In Syria there is more of a risk that those who have gone

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there are -- may come back and cause problems in the UK. You have

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extensive experience as the former coordinator of the UN's Al-Qaeda and

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Taliban monitoring group. Either lessons from that work that can be

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drawn or can be useful now as you look at the young men going to fight

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in Syria? I think certainly, yes. Syria and Somalia are not the only

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two fronts. There are other areas that attracts people from Europe and

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the UK. The things that we learned is that if you can keep sharing

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information with your colleagues, you can make an assessment if they

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will be a problem when they come back. It is quite time-consuming and

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difficult, I have to say. I wanted to ask you how much further it goes

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than online surveillance. Our families, educational institutions,

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mosques, IV tractors wealth West remark -- are the tract as well

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There is a lot lot of online surveillance that can be done.

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Ultimately, I think any successful counterterrorism policy has engaged

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the local community. It is the people in the local community in --

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that'll know if someone has gone off to fight somewhere. And if they will

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pursue a political agenda in their home country. Goods relations and

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good interaction with the schools and mosques, that is the way

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forward. Thank you for joining us. We are going to bring you some

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breaking news, the German authorities say the suspect that US

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intelligence agencies may have been spying on Chancellor

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Anglo-American's mobile phone calls. She has spoken to President Obama

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asking for immediate clarification about what has happened or what

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could still be happening. Let's get some more from our correspondent who

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is in Washington. We are just getting this news through. What more

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can you tell us? The news has come from Merlin, the German Chancellor

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rang President Obama to complain about these reports, that her mobile

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phone has been eavesdropped upon by the National Security Agency. It is

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not sure where these allegations have come from, there is a strong

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suspicion that it has come from a German magazine that has been

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publishing a lot of these revelations. She told President

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Obama that she wanted immediate clarification. That news broke as

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the White House was holding its daily briefing. Mr Carney was asked

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why -- what the response was. He -- she said that President Obama

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assured them that they are not monitoring her mobile phone. When

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asked if some of her communications had been intercepted as part of a

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broader sweep, he did not answer that question. This comes on the

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back of some French anger about diplomats communications being

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intercepted. There is some European touchiness now about the NSA or

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other US authorities playing fast and loose with their privacy? There

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is. There is some Latin American touchiness as well. Germany adds to

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this that started with France. President Obama had a conversation

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with the French pack -- president. He spoke about this allegation that

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was published on the front page of a local newspaper. It included not

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only people involved in terrorist activities as. By the NSA, but those

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in the political community. There have been angry complaints as well

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from Mexico and Brazil, the former Mexican president was believed to

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have been eavesdropped upon. So too was the Brazilian president. She

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actually cancelled a trip to Washington as a result and lectured

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America. There really is a very serious diplomatic backlash now

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emerging because of these revelations. Thank you very much.

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Italy is to push for an overhaul of Europe's asylum laws when a meeting

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of the European Council gets underway tomorrow. Italy is a key

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destination for migrants crossing the Mediterranean and all this week

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we have been telling some of their stories. Reports of trace the path

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through North Africa and the danger is generally across the

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Mediterranean to ports such as Lampedusa and then further north

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will stop but where do they end up? In 2012 most asylum applications

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were received in Germany and France was reading just behind. The BBC's

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Chris Morris has been to Stockholm to find out why.

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At the end of a long journey, new arrivals in Sweden from Syria. This

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is a migrant reception centre where fingerprints taken and asylum claims

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are assessed. Numbers having creased dramatically since Sweden announced

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last month Syrians seeking asylum would be given permanent rights of

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residence. No other EU country offers that. We are just looking for

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somewhere safe and the only safe place in Sweden. I decided to leave

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Syria because it is becoming more dangerous. This man got here on

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Sunday after a two-week journey from Syria via Turkey and Greece. It was

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not cheap. He wants to remain anonymous as he waits for a news

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about his family. After two months they will give me a presidential --

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residential permit. After that I can apply for my family full top after

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two months they will be here. And then you start a whole new life in

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Sweden? Yes, hopefully. We are looking for peace and this is a

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peaceful country full. Anyone getting here and gaining permanent

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residents can bring their dependents officially from Syria, making Sweden

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Europe's most sought-after destination. For us when we take the

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decision it is legal. It is easy if you want children to reunite with

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their parents, it is a moral question, so I think there is a

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great need for European solidarity as well. At the Swedish parliament

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there is strong backing for this generous policy. But from a far

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right party, there is criticism We think it is Riddick jewellers. No

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conflict is permanent. -- ridiculous. This is totally crazy.

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But Syrians are starting to put down Swedish roots. Here in learning the

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language at a local community centre. There are still huge

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concerns about family back home Understandably only few are willing

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to be filmed. This man is worried about is the own sake, hoping soon

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to bring her to safety. If we get married, I think she will come here.

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That is your plan? Yes. Sweden has a long tradition of offering asylum

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and it has already taken in more Syrian refugees than any other

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country in the EU full up when you look at the total numbers that have

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reached Europe, it is little more than a drop in the ocean. There will

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be many more to come and Europe needs a policy to deal with them.

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We can speak to EU home affairs spokesman Michele Cercone who joins

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us now from Brussels. Thank you for being with us. It is the eve of an

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important summit and do you think we will see the start of a change in

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policy towards illegal migrants and asylum seekers? We hope that from

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the council we will see a clear signal for EU solidarity and

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support. Of course the European Council is the gathering of EU

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leaders and they are usually there for giving political input. So I do

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not think it will be expected, concrete or detailed measure

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decisions. But we hope that the political input would be to words

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direction that would be commissioned has already pointed out, especially

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the more surveillance to save lives in the Mediterranean. And more

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dialogue and cooperation with countries of origin and transit of

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the migrants and silence seekers that would on one hand better fight

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the smugglers behind these deadly journeys and to also open up more

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channels for regular migrations -- asylum seekers. You talk about the

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Borders agency, Frontex, it has seen its budget slashed in the last two

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years. Is that technology is being our mistake? We have been very clear

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in the fact that there were more and more requests for Frontex to help

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and support member states. This means that if the EU is asking the

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European commission to do more, we will reiterate our request to all

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member states at the next council in the beginning of December to make

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resources available for this big operation that could prevent deaths

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and the Mediterranean and could save many lives. There has been a

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powerful statement from the Italian prime ministers this week, saying

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that the European Union's immigration policies are not

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adequate. Do you think that among all the leaders, there is a

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recognition that there should be more of a share of the burden,

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taking the burden from countries like Italy, Greece and Malta to ?

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Southern countries are under the pressure of immigration. They need

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to take management of their borders. If they talk about EU policies, we

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can say that as for asylum, we have the just defined and agreed a new

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common European system that aims at giving refuge -- refugees and asylum

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a uniform approach. At the same time, we certainly have to do more

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to try and define a common migration Odyssey, which is the area where

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more is to be done. Thank you. Almost inevitably, he has been named

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the Bishop of Bling. The leading Catholic Church men who racked up a

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bill in Germany. Franz-Peter Tebartz van Elst spent $20,000 on a bust of

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and $34,000 on a conference table. In Germany, they call him the Bishop

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of Bling or sometimes the Bishop of luxury. Franz-Peter Tebartz van Elst

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is accused of spending more than 31 million euros on renovating his

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official residence. Now Pope Francis has stepped in. The tone of the new

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papacy is humility and reaching out to the poor and the German bishop

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has fallen foul of that. The Vatican spokesman says in the dioceses at

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the present time, a situation has been created web Bishop Franz-Peter

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Tebartz van Elst is not able to carry out his Episcopal Ministry.

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The length of the suspension has not been made public. In Germany, many

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Catholics issue that the issue of Limburg will not return to his post

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will stop outside the cathedral people expect some sad is action

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that he had been suspended. -- some satisfaction. This man said that he

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is glad there was a decision and some calm had returned. He said the

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bishop cannot return, too much damage had been done. He said that

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he has done too much damage here, everyone agreed.

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The Catholic Church has been rocked by scandal before, due to

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allegations of sexual abuse. Franz-Peter Tebartz van Elst has

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denied any wrongdoing but his spending does not fit in under the

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austerity of the new Pope and of the world as is a whole.

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DNA results have confirmed that a girl taken from a Roma couple in

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Dublin is their daughter, whereas the girl named Maria taken from

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another couple in Greece is not This has raised issues of missing

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children but also of anti-Roma prejudice. What is your view of what

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is happening in Europe? At the European Roma Rights Centre,

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we are concerned at the way this is being reported. We are concerned

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that one individual case, we don't even know the facts yet is being

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used to tarnish the entire Roma community. What assumptions are

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being wrongly or prematurely made? These are age-old assumptions about

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the way Roma families work, about the fact that... The idea that Roma

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children trafficked their own Jordan -- their own children but there is

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never a direct link between ethnicity and criminality. When you

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look at the idea that a child is found with people who make made up

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not be their own parents, is it contrary to the case that children

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go and stay with friends and extended family? Are the

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explanations that are more forthcoming to you? This is true in

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any society. In all societies. But they Roma society can be more

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mobile. That may be the case will stop but there is nothing specific

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about how the Roma treat their Jordan. They are the same as

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everyone else and they find solutions for looking after

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children. It is true that in Roma society there is a very strong

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importance placed on the family Family is key. Certainly, a lot of

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Roma people in Europe are in dire conditions and family is what helped

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keep them going. It is the same for any community. When a child needs to

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be looked after, the community steps in. We have heard about Roma in

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Greece and Ireland in recent days but you are in touch with

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communities across Europe. Is there a sense of fear now? There is. What

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we are hearing frightening stories. We have heard about one case in

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Serbia where there were skinheads threatening a family, saying they

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have a child that did not look like them. They would take them away We

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have heard of a right-wing group in Germany, saying that the children

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should be taken away. It is not necessary. This taking one case and

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generalising seems to be something that is quite specific to the Roma

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community. It is unfair and puts people in fear that they will not be

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able to continue to lead their family lives. Thank you.

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Let us take a look at another news story. Russian news agency have

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reported that parity judges have been dropped against 30 Greenpeace

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activists arrested after protesting against oil drilling in the Arctic.

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The group will instead face the less serious charge of hooliganism.

:23:54.:24:03.

He is set to spend a lot of his life attending official ceremonies and

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today he attended his first. It was the christening of Prince George at

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St James's Palace in London. He is three months and one-day-old.

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It was his big day. He first so many. Not that will remember

:24:20.:24:22.

anything. Around the third in line to the throne were the second in

:24:23.:24:26.

line to the throne, his father Prince William. The first in line to

:24:27.:24:36.

the throne, Prince Charles. And the Queen. A proud great-grandmother

:24:37.:24:44.

dressed in blue. Catherine's family were also there, Michael and Karen

:24:45.:24:50.

Middleton and Pippa Middleton and James Middleton. There were seven

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godparents, only one from William's family, Zara Tindall. Two

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significant choices, the man on the right here, a former SAS officer who

:25:03.:25:07.

became William's private secondary in 2005 and two has been a source of

:25:08.:25:15.

valuable advice. And the patron of a child breathe and charity and a

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friend of Princess Diana, a key choice for William.

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It was here that Diana's Coffin rested before her burial. The

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service is taking place behind those windows and is now entirely private.

:25:41.:25:43.

There will be no visual record of it at all.

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After the service, the Queen led the principal guests to another room so

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photographs could be taken. They will be released tomorrow night As

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for George, he seems to be taking it all very calmly, dressed in a

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replica of a christening gown using the reign of Queen Victoria, a young

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prince who will take the monarchy on towards the 22nd century.

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Just remind you of our breaking news. The White House says President

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Obama has told the German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Americans are

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not monitoring her communications. The German government had earlier

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said it suspected US intelligence agencies could have been spying on

:26:25.:26:31.

her mobile phone calls. Mrs Merkel spoke to President Obama today and

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amounted an explosion. That is all from us. Next, the weather. Goodbye.

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Hello there. A lot calmer tonight, compared to last night. Clear spells

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for most places, the winds continuing to die down. That means

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there will be one or two mist and fog patches. The stormy conditions

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from last night caused by an area of low pressure - that is now clearing

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away. But there is another load looking to the south-west, which

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will bring more wet and windy weather for Friday. But for

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Thursday, most places are dry and bright. Still blustery through the

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night and during the morning in the north of Scotland with the odd

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scattered shower. More cloud in the South and the West and we could see

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a few showers here and there. But for most places, it will be a dry

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and bright day. A little bit of early mist and fog but that should

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clear away. And then with lightish winds, temperatures by the afternoon

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up to a pleasant 13 to 15 degrees. There

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