07/01/2014 World News Today

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

Two fronts, one battle - the new threat from Al-Qaeda

In the Syrian city of Aleppo, Al-Qaeda linked militants are

accused of executing 50 prisoners, including rival fighters.

In Iraq, they've overrun the city of Fallujah.

A right royal scandal - the daughter of Spain's King Juan Carlos

faces accusations of fraud and money-laundering.

Coming up: A brutal blast of Arctic air heads east in North America.

I'm Nada Tawfik in Central Park where the temperatures have been the

lowest they have been since the 19th Century.

And if stepping up your fitness was a New Year's resolution, then how

about using one of these? We check out the latest wearable gadgets

as the world's biggest electronics show gets under way.

Hello and welcome. We start with the resurgence of Al-Qaeda linked

militants in the west of Iraq - which is seeing some of the heaviest

fighting in years. Islamist militants have seized territory

there and across the border in Syria. And as Iraq's Shia-led

central government gets military support - ironically - from both the

US and from Iran - the BBC has heard that hundreds of civilians are

fleeing Fallujah, fearing they may be caught in the crossfire of an

offensive designed to retake that strategic city.

Mike Wooldridge has more on Al-Qaeda in Iraq - and the backlash.

Iraqi government reinforcements on the way to Anbar after militants

captured ground in the province and held it for the first time in years.

They will be joining other government troops who are battling a

resurgence of Al-Qaeda linked militancy and what appears to be an

attempt to create a Sunni Muslim state straddling the frontier with

Syria. The western Anbar Province has seen some of the heaviest

fighting for years. Government troops are battling the Islamic

State of Iraq and the Levant. The fighting began last month in Ramadi

after government troops broke up Sunni protest camps. The town is

being controlled by Sunni tribes. The Islamic State of Iraq and the

Levant is fighting government forces in Syria and it's being attacked by

Syrian opposition groups in Aleppo. This amateur video purports to show

the clashes between Al-Qaeda linked fighters and other rebels in Aleppo

in the past few days. Analysts say behind such clashes lies competition

for the control of Syria's opposition-held areas and a desire

to regain Western support after a suspension of aid. At least 34

jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, none of them

Syrians, were killed after clashes with other rebel movements in Idlib.

So, on different fronts, in two countries, there is a new and

complex element in the tension and fighting across this volatile region

reflected in Iraq in the stand-off in Fallujah, fiercely fought over

and currently resembling a ghost town. Aid for civilians who have

been caught up in the clashes in Fallujah, many have fled their homes

in the town and from other places. The US is expressing increasing

concern. Isolating extremists seen as a priority now and that's as much

a political as a military issue. If we zoom out to the Islamic state

of Iraq, I think we should be careful before attributing blame to

any states. Many of the Islamist groups in Iraq and in Syria receive

funding from private donors from the Gulf, countries like Kuwait, Qatar

and Saudia Arabia. I'm not of the opinion that Al-Qaeda in Iraq is

receiving funding from Saudia Arabia to give Iran a bloody nose. I don't

think that is Saudi policy, that Saudia Arabia is willing to take the

risk of backing Al-Qaeda outright. They may of course be backing

extremist groups in Syria that are short of Al-Qaeda. I think we have

to remember Al-Qaeda has been a resurgent force inside Iraq for the

entirety of the past 18 months. This is nothing new. Most of the causes

of this are really internal to Iraq, not external. Yet, the fighting in

Syria and in the west of Iraq, clearly one source of turbulence

feeds off the other? Absolutely. We are certainly seeing Al-Qaeda's

resurgence within northern Syria, at least until recent weeks, sweeping

aside moderate rebels having an effect on activities inside Iraq.

You are seeing the region become awash with weapons, weapons captured

within Syria can be used within Iraq. You are seeing movement of

fighters across the border as well. It has boosted their opportunities

within Iraq. It's also changed the sectarian climate within Iraq. It's

made more and more Iraqi Sunnis feel that their government is backing a

regressive, brutal state next door. So, I think the events are also

deepening Iraq's own political divisions. The White House spokesman

said today they are trying to take - I think he called it an holistic

approach towards Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the area. How do you

see American aims here? I think what it means is we want to give weapons

to the Al-Maliki administration to fight Al-Qaeda, but we don't want to

give them so many weapons they feel they can bomb their way out of this

problem and they have no need to reach out to the countries aggrieved

Sunni population. It is saying arms are part of the answer, but they are

not the only answer. In positive news from Syria, there's

been a significant development in the process of destroying the

country's chemical weapons. The first load of highly toxic

chemicals has been shipped out of the port of Latakia, a week after

the formal deadline expired The UN has confirmed that a small

number of containers are now on board a Danish cargo vessel - the

first instalment of around 1,300 tonnes of weapons and

precursors - which are due to be transferred to an American ship and

destroyed at sea. Now to a new scandal shaking the

Royal Family in Spain, where the King's youngest daughter -

Princess Cristina - has been named as a suspect in a tax fraud

and money-laundering investigation. It's the first time that a member of

the Spanish Royal Family has been directly implicated in a corruption

investigation. She'll appear alongside her husband

in court in March. He's been under investigation over

his business dealings since 2010. The Spanish journalist Miguel-Ansho

Anxo Murado is following the story. I imagine this is getting quite a

reaction in Spain? Yes, of course. This comes amid a string of, in some

cases, scandals, in other cases I would call them mishaps which have

to do with the Royal Family and with the king. It comes two days after a

poll indicates that this is denting the prestige of the monarchy in

Spain. That prestige has already been dented by the king himself?

Yes, I was referring to mishaps. I think that more damaging than this

case in which the king is not involved. He's not involved in these

legal cases. Probably more damning to him was the mishap of what

happened during his infamous, let's call it, hunting trip to Botswana

where he was - well, people learned in Spain that he was hunting

elephants, that he was there without the Queen. A series of things that

were so far removed from the image he enjoyed among the Spanish

population, that actually that cost, I think - that was quite a

disappointment to many people. I think what these polls reflect is

more of that than this case in which her daughter could be allegedly

involved. Let's come back to Princess Cristina. Do you think the

authorities will charge her? It's difficult to say. A previous summons

to court was dropped by a higher court and this one is going to be

appealed by the lawyers of Princess Cristina. So, we have to wait and

see whether she appears in court. Even if she is charged by the judge,

there are still lots of things, a range of things they can do to avoid

being tried. Even though this story has been going on for three years,

Spanish justice is painfully slow, we are at the beginning or at the

beginning of a very long process. Where do the polls have the Spanish

Royal Family? Well, this poll that was widely circulated by the Spanish

media two days ago shows something astonishing. In 12 months, the

King's popularity has dropped from 60% to 40%. Probably more worrying

is the fact that most people interviewed believe that he cannot

restore the prestige of the institution and they are already

thinking of the Crown Prince Felipe, who is more popular than his father

- this is another extraordinary turn of events - he could take over and

become the King. The King has clearly said he doesn't want to step

down. Crown Prince Felipe also says he doesn't want to step in. But the

fact that we are discussing these things is really an extraordinary

thing in Spain, a country where, until recently, the monarchy was not

discussed in public, never criticised indeed. Thank you.

Forecasters say parts of North America are facing dangerously low

temperatures - not seen in more than 20 years. The blast of polar

air that's hit the Midwest is spreading to the south and east,

America's deepfreeze - more than half of the country's enduring some

of the coldest temperatures felt in decades. It is freezing, man! It's

cold! It's colder than it's been forever. But I've got more layers

on! The cause of this unusually cold spell is what forecasters in the US

are calling a polar vortex, an Arctic blast which has brought with

it sub-zero temperatures. Days of snow have been followed by these

high-speed gusts of wind. The result? Travel misery. Treacherous

roads and thousands of flights cancelled, trains were also brought

to a halt. Hundreds of passengers near Chicago were forced to spend

the night on board. You are unsure of the unknown. The water has frozen

over here in the centre of Washington DC. It is so cold I can

barely feel my fingers. We have a reading of 10 Fahrenheit, that is

-12 Celsius. If you want to get an idea of how cold it really is, then

take a look at this. We poured water on a T-shirt less than five minutes

ago and now it is solid! The mercury has been so low that parts of the

east and Midwest have been colder than much of Antarctica. Doctors

have warned people to stay indoors to avoid frostbite. Some have no

choice, like John Willis. You have a face mask. My moustache keeps

freezing! Schools and offices remained closed across large parts

of the country. The crippling cold weather is forecast to last for the

next few days. Nada Tawfik is in New York. You are in Central Park. What

is it like in the city? Well, the deepfreeze has certainly reached New

York. It is painful to be outside. People have really been staying

indoors. We have only seen a few people out in the park. Forecasters

have called this "Weather whiplash". It was 13 degrees Celsius yesterday

and now it is -14 Celsius. So the temperatures here are dangerously

cold. That, of course, is because of this polar freeze that has come down

from the Arctic and gripped the Midwest states, all the way to the

east coast, even down to Florida, where they are not used to these

cold temperatures. Officials have warned people to stay indoors

because besides the travel disruptions that we heard from in

that package, people have died. This has been a deadly cold freeze

gripping the United States. Four men in Chicago died of heart attacks

trying to shovel their driveways of snow. So, I suppose, it's meant a

lot of normal life, like schools, have had to be shut down?

Absolutely. Across the nation, several businesses and schools had

to be closed. Especially in parts of the south where they are not used to

these cold temperatures. In New York, the Governor declared a state

of emergency because they are concerned about people being outside

for too long and getting frostbite. Frostbite can occur in minutes

because of the temperatures. So, they are urging people to stay

indoors, but if they have to come out, to cover their skin, to wear

layers and the city has also been around scouring for anyone who might

be homeless out on the streets to make sure that they are safe

indoors. Thank you. JP Morgan Chase has agreed to pay

$1.7 billion for its involvement in the Bernard Madoff scam. The

American company was his main banker for two decades and US

prosectors claimed that it turned a blind eye to his suspicious

activities. When Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme came to light five

years ago, his comapny claimed to have assets worth $65 billion

despite only having about Two managers being held captive by a

Goodyear tyre factory in France have been released after the police

intervened. The workers' union wants to discuss a redundancy plan.

One of Asia's most influential film moguls - Run Run Shaw - has died

in Hong Kong at the age of 107. He founded the Shaw Brothers Studios

which popularised kung-fu movies around the world.

He produced almost 1,000 films, including the classic Blade Runner.

Fitness fans are getting the chance to try out the latest wearable

technology gadgets, which have been unveiled at the world's biggest

consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. Technology giants like Google

and Samsung use the event to showcase their latest innovations

and our technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones,

wearable tech. Whether that hope and hype comes to frui wigs, we will --

fruition, we will wait to see. Will it ever appeal beyond a band of

fitness fa Nat ticks determined to log their every? One of the new

products may breakthrough from the pack, but there's plenty of

competition. Epsom launched these reality glasses which allow you to

watch HD movies or receive information. Technology giant

Samsung unveiled a huge TV whose main attraction is the curved

screen. There was a curved smartphone from LG. A tiny British

firm was preparing its assault on Las Vegas, with a 3D printer. This

is a huge deal. This is the first time that Robox has been seen by

anyone, so we are keen to show the public and everybody what we can do,

what Robox can do and how it can make 3D printing simple. Here is

another technology that is big in Las Vegas this year. Unmanned aerial

vehicles, commonly known as drones. People are finding all sorts of

commercial uses for them. Amazon have already said they want to use

drones to deliver parcels, but other uses may be more realistic. There's

a lot more uses for it say like agriculture, monitoring crops.

There's uses for search and rescue. You are able to throw something up

in the air quickly without having to get a fully manned helicopter out

there. Las Vegas this week is the place to see the big picture of what

is new in technology. But remember, not all of the bright ideas hatched

here will take off. With me is the technology journalist

and gadget guru Caramel Quin. There is so much we can talk about.

The curved smartphone. This is made with guerrilla glass? Yes, you see

that on the front of iPhones. They can make it in 3D shapes like

curves. So why would you want a curved phone? I don't know. It could

be more ergonomic or it could be because you can. And wearable? You

could get a flexible guerrilla glass as well, so it could be fold open to

be a bigger screen. Because it can be done, it will be done. The ball

of power, Intel, it allows you to throw all your devices in there?

Yes. It's a concept right now. The technology is available. It's

inducktive charging so, at the moment, you can buy cases for your

phones so you can lay them on a special mat to charge them. They are

trying to build the technology into each gadget and you could get one

bowl or device like this. So our children will say, "You plugged them

in?" There are two rival formats for doing this. The smart money is on

waiting to see which one wins the format war. A few more. Swimming

goggles, now they are using the colours? You buy the blue thing and

it clips on to your favourite swimming goggles. It gives you a

display here. A colour will indicate what your heartbeat is like. It has

a heart rate monitor here. Serious training gadget? Very clever stuff.

It will tell you how many laps you have done, how fast your turns are.

The next one is about health. It is about a bracelet that can warn you

of what? How much UV you are getting. Whether you have had too

much sunshine. This is really good for kids? Yes, it is good for

anybody really to know. You don't keep track of it. It looks really

nice. That is the big challenge with wearable technology. It is looking

so nice that you want to wear it. A jeweller designed that. You could

spend all your money on all of this. Perhaps, just wait and see to find

out which ones are real goers? Yes. Thank you.

Now to this week's series on emerging artists from the BBC's

Sound of 2014 new music list. Today we're looking at the British

electronic producer and singer-songwriter Sampha, whose

use of sparse beats and mournful piano chords have already seen him

compared to James Blake. BBC News went to meet Sampha at his brother's

flat - a place he says has inspired a lot of his music.

This is my brother's flat. This is where I come to have a laugh. #6

this is my -- this is my brother. This is like an inspirational place

for me. a Celine Dion song. My mum loved it.

I was getting a reaction. I was young. My mum was, like, "I love

that." From there or nothing, I figured out harmonic progression.

When I saw him perform live, it blew me away. And that was Sampha. Then

this guy was on stage. It was so powerful. I had to hold back the

tears a little bit. The music I make is honest music, I guess. I don't

know how to describe myself. I went around to a friend and Jessie Ware

was there and I sort of, like, was like, just spending time with them

and he decided to making a track. Sampha there. We will have more from

the BBC's Sound of 2014 tomorrow. The main news: Fears of a sectarian

war in Iraq as Islamist militants overrun Fallujah. In Aleppo

Al-Qaeda-linked militants execute 50 prisoners.

Thank you for being with us on World News Today.

Hi, there. We have a risk of further flooding as we head through the

night-time. Hi, there. We have a risk of further

flooding as we head through the night-time. Southern counties of

England have the highest number of flood warnings in