12/01/2016 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Karin Giannone.

The Headlines - a suicide attack hits the heart

Turkey's prime minister says it was a Syrian bomber

from the Islamic State group who killed ten people,

As tensions continue in Germany over the influx of migrants,

there's new plans to make it easier to deport those who commit crimes.

The media magnate and the model - Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall

announce their engagement in the Times newspaper.

Archaeologists find a bronze age settlement in the UK. They're

calling it Britain's own Pompeii. We start in Turkey,

with a bomb attack in the heart At least ten people

were killed in the explosion - Turkey's prime minister says it's

believed a Syrian suicide bomber from the so-called Islamic State

group carried out the blast. The area targeted is the historic

Sultanahmet district. It's a magnet for foreign visitors

from around the world. The explosion was close

to the world famous Blue Mosque. The Haghia Sofia Museum

and Topkapi Palace are also Mayhem in the heart of Istanbul,

the old town rocked by a massive Security forces rushing to the scene

as casualties mounted. Police quickly cordoned off the site

evacuating the area and feeling I ran down the street

when it happened. When I went down, I have seen

where the people were lying down. Yes. 11 were killed,

mostly German tourists, The government blamed a suicide

bomber, a Syrian man who they said The quick identification suggests

he was known. As with all terrorist organisations,

we will not hold back against Daesh The networks and connections will be

revealed and punished It is the fourth attack in Turkey

blamed on IS in the last year, a country accused of being too slow

to clamp down on the group allowing jihadists and weapons

to cross its border into Syria Turkey was long considered

the pillar of stability in a volatile Middle East,

but in the past year there have been attacks across the country,

soaring violence in the mainly Kurdish south-east and now a suicide

bombing in Istanbul's to this top. The country's image has suffered

terribly and they feel more Tourism, vital to the country's

economy, will take a hit, but those we met say

they are determined to stay. I am proud a lot of people

are showing up and showing solidarity, because if people start

to panic and not to visit Turkey, Tonight, the area is still closed

off, Turkey on the highest alert. One of the world's great cities

now feels vulnerable. Lets talk to Mark live in Istanbul.

How much of a shock has this been? It has been a shock even know for

many weeks, people had said they thought there would be a big attack.

A lapse on the Metro system, and as Turkey has been drawn more into the

anti-Islamic state coalition, and is an active member having been

reluctant member, it is very exposed. Added to that, there is

growing violence with the PKK Turkish militants and attacks from

the home-grown, so Turkey doesn't feel particularly unsafe but there's

a feeling of insecurity in some parts and people are worried about

security issues that is going to have a big impact for Turks in their

daily life but also for tourism. 12 million came here last year and

there is a growing reputation of the city of having security problems,

that is going to be a very serious problem. And the scenes in such a

famous part of Istanbul's old city, this was really a targeted place to

hit? Very much so, but one note of solace is this, that on Tuesdays,

some of the sites around here are close, so there are worth fewer

people in this area. Than on some of the other days, so that is why the

numbers of those killed was actually lower than it could have been. Still

devastating consequences, at least ten killed, but had it happened on

another day, potentially it could have been even more full of

tourists. That is the one little bit of comfort Turkey will draw from

this, but clearly a very serious attack in the heart of the old city

of Istanbul. That will have very big consequences for how Turkey responds

to the security threat and how the clamp-down evermore on Islamic

state. It has spoken clearly against IS today, saying they will not draw

back, and the attack today will reinforce them.

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has expressed her

sympathies for the victims of the Istanbul bombing

and their families, and promised Germany would continue

Today, it was stunned the law. Before that, Paris, Copenhagen,

Tunis and many other places. The goal is always the same, it is our

free life and free communities. The terrorists are enemies of all free

people. Yes, enemies of all humanity, whether Syria, Turkey or

in Germany, but this freedom and our resolve to fight these terrorists

with our international partners will continue. Thank you for talking to

us. How has the news of the last been met? Clearly, it is a human

tragedy, we're not quite clear yet how many Germans have died, and the

last reports count eight, but several more were severely injured

so perhaps that could even rise. A difficult time for Germany with two

major issues, the other one being the aftermath of the attacks in

Cologne. How much pressure as she under? The pressure is rising and

the mood is changing. While has been for months now great support for her

attitude towards the refugees, taking in as many as possible,

Cologne has... I believe we have lost him. We will try to make

contact with him again but sorry about that. Let's move on.

The escape for the second time of the Mexican drug trafficker

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was a huge embarrassment

He disappeared down a manmade tunnel leading out from his prison cell

But his recapture last week is a source of pride

for the authorities and they've not wasted time

The marines invited our correspondent Katy Watson on a tour

of his last hideout in the seaside town of Los Mochis in north-western

This house has danger written all over it. The heavy military presence

and also heavy media presence. Everybody wanting a piece of El

Chapo and to see what is inside. It's an unbelievable story but

inside the house the gunfight between El Chapo's henchmen and the

Marines seems very real. The whole house turned upside down. The first

thing you see when you come inside is the kitchen that has been turned

totally upside down. Cannons that have exploded and bullets in the

waltz. If you look there, it is still an active crime scene with

blood on the floor. We were told this was an active crime scene but

surprisingly we were still free to explore the house. This may have

been his bedroom complete with walk-in wardrobe. There's a floor

length mirror what they had on board and the Marines didn't spot this

straightaway, but it was here that he escaped. Speak to people here and

they cannot quite believe he was hiding out here. It's a very quiet

part of town and a nice place to live. About six months ago, you

could see mounds of earth about a metre and a half height. We never

saw people outside and has taken everybody by surprise, that without

even knowing, a hugely important person was there. About one

kilometre away, a petty ordinarily Junction, but when the marines came

and El Chapo escaped, he escaped through the storm drains and came up

over there. It is an extraordinary tale and one the government want to

tell now that El Chapo is locked up. Every twist and turn is more bizarre

than the last. Taking it to obey house that was the scene of a

violent stand-off with one of the world's most wanted men adds to the

bizarre feeling, and meanwhile neighbours keep watching, fascinated

by the media parried. They've being described as the 'best

preserved Bronze age dwellings ever Archaeologists in Cambridgeshire

in eastern England have discovered the remains of a settlement

of circular wooden houses, The site holds clues

into what people ate and what clothes they

wore 3,000 years ago. Under a giant white tent perched

on the Cambridgeshire fens lies an extraordinary Bronze Age Time

Capsule, dubbed Britain's's Pompeii. Must Farm is a settlement thought

to be 3,000 years old. A dramatic fire destroyed the site

and the wooden round houses built on stilts were claimed

by the prehistoric waters. The condition of the surviving

material is so good archaeologists say it is the best preserved

Bronze Age site in Britain. We will be looking at the contents

of the pots and tell you what was in them

the day it burnt down. We will be able to tell

you what they were wearing. We are finding

fragments of furniture. I am already building a picture

of a society from 3000 years ago that feels like it

was just yesterday. The Bronze Age in Britain

began in 2500 BC. It came after metalworkers

discovered that adding tin to copper produced bronze, which was more hard

wearing for tools and weaponry. This is how Must Farm dated

towards the end of the era, Collections of huts

like these formed settlements although not all of them

were built across a river. It was the water here

which is partly responsible for the site's good condition,

offering a frozen moment in time. Normally when we dig archaeology,

we see the decay of a settlement, we see it going out of use

and the slow filling of the pictures This is almost like the opportunity

to peek through the curtain and see people in the daily moments,

and as archaeologists we are all just really nosy

and we just want to be able to see What really excites the team is that

some things are so well preserved they offer an insight

into what domestic life We have got a dagger

and then this sword, and then if you take a look here,

there are glass beads from some If you just look at these clay pots,

they are in such good condition somebody has left

their dinner inside! Whether the fire was an accident

or an intentional end still remains a mystery, but after 3000 years,

the life of our prehistoric President Obama will deliver his

seventh and final State of the Union Rajini Vaidyanathan looks back

at his previous addresses and what we might

expect from this one. I don't think I have been more

optimistic than I have been. The road we have travelled in these last

seven years. Seven years ago when Barack Obama took office, the

country was at the height of a financial crisis when millions lost

their homes and jobs, and brought the focus was on lending America's

involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, things look

different and the economy is starting to pick up and gay marriage

is legal. The health care system has been reformed and the president

faces new challenges. Back then no one talked about Islamic state and

the decades-old issues of race in America have only resurfaced.

Despite those challenges, the president was upbeat on last year's

address. The shadow of crisis has passed and the state of the union is

strong. But how strong? Critics point out that the gap between rich

and poor has widened. Efforts to bring in a minimum wage has stalled,

and they won claims to close Guantanamo Bay have still not

materialised. One former adviser says his policies have made a huge

impact and mortars to come. I do not think this president will go quietly

into the night. I think this state of the union will prove that and if

you look at where we are today compared to one year ago, one year

ago people said he was dead in the water and he would get nothing done.

Pushing change through has a battle. The Democratic party held both

houses of Congress when he was elected but now the Republicans do.

Getting agreement in areas like immigration and gun control has been

tough. In guns, he recently used his presidential authority to bring in

some changes but critics said he has governed without compromise. The

expectation when he came in was he would build that consensus and that

has not been the case and we find ourselves more divided than when we

came in. In just over a year's time someone else will be in office so

this beach and the months ahead are President Obama's last chance to

shape his legacy. White House officials say this will not be a

to-do list and will focus on consolidating promises the president

has already made. Is this going to be a different kind

of state of the union address? That is what he says, that it will not be

a wash with the policies that he would like to get enacted but rather

he will look at three or four big ideas about where the country is

heading. One will be the issue of political polarisation and it is

kind of ironic that President Obama was elected back in 2008 on the

promise of making Americans less polarised and in fact this is a

Congress and White House that is more polarised. I think, than

anything I can remember. He has two thread quite carefully between

saying I have done a very good job and here is my legacy and remember

my successors, and yet understand that many Americans do not feel that

way. Many people will be asking how much can be realistically get done

in just 12 months? I think very little with Congress which is why I

don't think his audience are the people in the room who he is talking

to, I think he is talking to the 30 million Americans who will be

watching and million Americans who will be

of the things he has achieved, the nuclear deal and the bipartisan deal

with nuclear deal and the bipartisan deal

He is saying, I know polls suggest the lot of Americans feel

disgruntled and seven in ten do not leave the country is going in the

great direction, but here is what I have achieved. This is about laying

the ground for his legacy for future generations. And tell us about the

choreography of the night. It is also all about the guests. It is all

about the guests who set with the first Lady in the box. There will be

a Syrian refugee, an empty cheer for the victims of gun violence, and

this has become a tradition of the state of the union, to remind the

viewers of the issue is he thinks are important, and it'll be

interesting to watch the members of Congress. We have had moments of

detente were Republicans and Democrats have sat together but this

year they will be firmly divided. The Democrats will applaud at

various moments and it'll be interesting to see whether the

Republicans are applaud at any moment during the speech and the

White House will be watching that too.

Now a look at some of the day's other news.

The UN says the suffering in the besieged Syrian town

of Madaya is the worst it has witnessed during

Reports say twenty-eight people have starved to death in the rebel-held

town, which has been cut off for six months by the Syrian government.

Some food and medicine has now arrived and more is expected

South Korean school pupils who survived a ferry disaster that

killed many of their classmates two years ago have taken part

in an emotional low-key graduation ceremony.

The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it sank off the southwestern

island of Jindo in April 2014, killing 304 on board.

Most of those who died were children at Danwon High School, near Seoul.

Following the ceremony, some of the students visited

a nearby memorial and laid their diplomas in front of framed

A number of victims' parents also attended the event.

More than 45 short-finned pilot whales,

stranded on a beach in Tamil Nadu in southern India, have died

Marine biologists say the whales may have been following a distress call

At least 36 other whales have been pushed back into the sea

It's news that has gossip columnists around the world reaching

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has announced his engagement

The couple were first seen in public together last October.

Our Entertainment Correspondent David Sillito has more.

Jerry Hall, model, actress, former partner of Mick Jagger.

Rupert Murdoch, three times married global media tycoon.

Page 53 of today's times, the happy announcement,

It was only a few weeks ago that Jerry Hall was practising the wicked

laugh for her role in the panto snow-white.

Her next engagement, to be the future Mrs Murdoch.

There were immediate congratulations on Twitter from Joan Collins,

who posted a photograph of the future Mrs Murdoch,

Of course that's not the first we've known of the relationship.

The couple have over the past few months been seen out

and about at the Rugby World Cup and this weekend's

The media has been abuzz with speculation that the 84-year-old

They were expecting a takeover proposal rather than

Of course, it is not first time around for the happy couple.

Rupert Murdoch's previous wife Wendi Deng leapt to his defence

when a custard pie headed his way at the Commons select committee.

Jerry Hall was before Mick Jagger the partner of another rock star,

They have between them more than enough experience,

glamour and wealth, what else do you need?

Let's return to our top story. The Turkish government says a suicide

bomber from the Islamic state group in Syria has carried out a suicide

attack in Istanbul which has killed at least ten people. How serious is

this for Turkey? The latest in a string of attacks. Let's just be

clear that Isis has not claimed this attack, but any radical militant can

actually perpetrate an attack in the heart of Istanbul that targets

tourists as well, so we knew that militants had the ability to do this

for the past year. They have infiltrated a variety of cities in

Turkey, and we have always been advising clients that this is a

risk, but the fact they have now chosen to perpetrate an attack is

very different to just having the capability, and as you said, you

analyse risks for economic investment in all sorts of areas of

the country, and how worried are Turks for the future of the

country's stability? At -- now, they are worried, and not just because of

events in eastern cities but also the two attacks that turkey

experienced, so this is just a continuation or an intensification

of risk and in security that will undoubtedly influence confidence.

And what part in mitigating that risk does the role of the government

play? We saw today this media blackout but apparently that was

nothing new. This has been used before, this sort of tactic. It is

only the responsibility of the government to be able to manage

these threats and what we are seeing is a pretty big failure of foreign

policy on behalf of the government, because we have seen an infiltration

through the borders over the last few years of refugees but also

militants, and it is not enough to change tactics to increase a

crackdown on Isis related militants just in the past few months, and

when this kind of change happens, any sympathisers domestically can

increase their activity and actually perpetrate attacks, do you think

what has happened will change the Turkish government's approach to the

rest from Islamic state? This is in part, F actually perpetrated by

Isis, in part a reaction to the change in the government stands

already. So you think the change already and the pressure has put on,

even though many say that is not enough atoll? It seems the reason we

are seeing a lot of pressure from abroad is because this is a bit too

late coming from the government, and that is because we have seen Turkey

wanting to take even more of a stronger stance in what happens in

Syria diplomatically and militarily. They also had to crack down

domestically on Isis and that of course has changed the game

domestically. Thank you very much. And just to remind you, all our

stories have more details on the BBC's website and you can get in

touch with us Twitter and the weather is coming next but from all

No doubt you will have already sense that things have turned colder

across the