04/08/2016 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today, with me Geeta Guru-Murthy.

With one day to go, the International Olympic Committee

clears 270 Russian athletes to compete in the Rio Games.

The International Olympic Committee says it will confirm the final

But IOC president Thomas Bach warned athletes who dope that they will

We want to keep the cheaters away from the Olympic Games.

The message is clear, there is no place to hide for cheats.

I'm Chris Mitchell in Rio, where the opening ceremony

is only 24 hours away and excitement is growing.

The Olympic flame has almost reached its destination. Next it will be the

athletes. As local election results come in,

South Africa's ruling party looks set for its worst poll since taking

power in 1994. Caring in a conflict zone -

as the battle for Syria's largest city rages on,

we hear from a doctor on life in one 60% of us here in the UK are hooked

on our digital devices, but how do you take a break

from the online world? With the opening ceremony

only 24 hours away, the International Olympic Committee

has been giving more details about which Russian athletes can

take part in the Rio Games. According to the head

of the Russian Olympic Committee, around 270 athletes

have been cleared. Amongst that number

are 29 Russian swimmers. The IOC is also letting the Russian

women's water polo team compete in Brazil,

and its synchronised swimming team. Elsewhere, and 11 Russian boxers

have also been cleared, but appeals And all 18 members of the Russian

shooting team will be allowed The World Anti-Doping Agency has

again criticised Russian competitors Meanwhile, the Olympic torch has

made its way to some of Rio's beaches ahead of the opening

ceremony on Friday. But demonstrations have continued,

with police having to use tear gas. Organisers say more than a million

tickets for the Games remain unsold. A short while ago the president

of the IOC defended the decision not to impose a blanket ban

on Russian athletes. The IOC Executive board has reversed

the presumption of innocence for every Russian athlete,

and to make him or her bare the collective responsibility

for the alleged failures Nevertheless, natural justice does

not allow us to deprive a human being even of the right

to prove their innocence. And this is why the IOC granted this

right to the Russian athletes, and imposed, at the same time,

very strict eligibility The IOC itself has taken,

after its three-step procedure, the final decision on whether this

criteria has been met. The IOC has been guided

by the advice of independent experts from the Court of Arbitration

for Sport, as you know, Let's speak to our sport

correspondent Chris It's just a day before the Games

and only now are we learning which Russian athletes can compete

and which can't. It could be described as shambolic

by those who disagree with the chorus that the IOC took but it was

interesting, at this news conference where Thomas Bach was talking he

made a very long preamble. He defended what they had done, what he

had decided to do. That was not issued a blanket ban, to let

individual sporting federations mag up their own mind and come back with

a list and get that ratified by the IOC three-man panel. Thomas Bach

would say they took the course of justice to ensure that only clean

athletes compete, but critics of this will say the Russians were only

going to bring a team of 350 odd athletes anyway and it looks as

though when we get this final confirmed list they will be taking

270. Where is the punishment in that? You have to remember that in

the McLaren report, they found evidence of state-sponsored doping.

There will be those out there that will continue to say throughout

these Games that the IOC took the easy way out. And you are right,

less than 24 hours to go before the game kicked off with the opening

ceremony and we still don't know. In fact there are still athletes who

are having their cases heard in Rio right now. Given the lengthy

preparations and this crisis, how are other athletes from competing

nations going to feel about the numbers of the Russian team that are

still going to take part in this? I have spoken to members of the

swimming community that are incredulous that it looks as though

the Russians will have a large swimming team. The breaststroke

champion having her case heard right now. I think more broadly, the

sporting community is incredulous by the whole situation that they find

themselves in. It isn't the fact that they will be perhaps performing

alongside athletes that have served doping bans or have question marks

over them, it is more the fact that there will be definitely other

athletes here at the Games who have served bands that aren't Russian

that are competing. Look at the swimming for example. A couple of

long-distance swimmers from China, Korea, who will be swimming, coming

here after doping bans. If they were Russians they wouldn't be allowed. I

wouldn't say the athletes I have spoken to are particularly

pinpointing the Russians. They are angry about the whole process that

this Olympic games has been taken through. I don't know if it is easy

to answer this but how much do people there feel that this is all

part of a bigger political deal? That wider political considerations

with Russia on the international stage part of this, because globally

there is an acutely difficult period in many parts, also right for you

are, there must be some excitement about the torch coming and the Games

kicking off? There is. I saw the torch today go through one of the

tourist areas down by the beach and it was very peaceful. There weren't

that many people there. A huge security contingent, no protests,

all very nice indeed. Everybody enjoying the sunshine after a couple

of grey days. There are rumours abound about insider deals and the

machinations of the IOC. Russia's relationship and Vladimir Putin's

relationship with the IOC. Then you have to factor in who sponsors these

individual sports and how much money has been invested in them and you

could write a James Bond novel, I am sure. The truth is, stood here right

now, I can just tell you there are lots of people out there in the

Olympic Park behind me who questioned this whole situation and

do often tell you, you have to follow the money. We don't know. All

we know is Thomas Bach has sat there today and tried to ensure the world

that what he wants is a cleaning Games delivered here in Rio and that

everybody is happy. He is certainly feeling the pressure. That news

conference to date was packed and he took a long time before he said

anything justifying his position. Very good to talk to you. Lots more

to come. And you can keep up-to-date with all

the latest from the Olympics Simply go to bbc.com/olympics

for the latest news, Plus analysis from our

correspondents on the ground. South Africa's governing

African National Congress appears to be headed for its worst election

result since it came With more than 80% of votes counted

in local elections, it's leading nationally but has lost

support in key cities. The main opposition

Democratic Alliance has taken a significant lead in Port

Elizabeth. Our correspondent Karen Allen

is in Pretoria for us, where she has Just bring us up to date on where

the results are at the moment? We have got about 80% of the votes that

have been counted. If you the big green map over there on the left of

the screen, you see a lot of green. That is the sorry the ANC want

people to remember that it is winning 54% nationally. The story

the Democratic Alliance once told is the story of all the yellow dots at

the bottom. They have taken control of one of three of the key

municipalities that the ANC was hoping to keep control of. It

includes the city of Port Elizabeth in the Nelson Mandela Bay

municipality. In the past couple of hours, the leading mercy Armani, a

new black leader for a party that many people once considered a party

that was too white, declared victory for that. That'll be a significant

blow for the ANC because what it does show is that support cannot be

taken for granted right across South Africa, that the ANC is facing

opposition, nibbling into its heartland. This may be an indication

of the direction of travel in the future when we have general

elections in 2019. What are ANC members they are saying about this?

Will force internal change with the party? How much this is a reflection

of confidence in Jacob Zuma? It depends who you speak to. There are

some that will point us to the 54% lead and say the vast majority of

voters are still on side with the ANC project. They want to give us

more time to be able to complete the work they are doing. We heard a

little earlier from the Justice Minister and he made the point that

it was now going to galvanise the ANC into accelerating its programme

of providing better public services which 22 years, he said is a very

short time to be able to make the changes that are required in South

Africa. The Democratic Alliance, we have spoken to Missy I am Mane, he

said this is a new tip of politics in South Africa, the wind they have

had down in the south represents a generational shift but also a shift

among a group of black voters that no longer are afraid to stray away

from the party of liberation. They want to see delivery of services and

corruption being tackled and the worry is about corruption and not

only in the municipalities but right at the very top. They say that

ultimately that reflects in the victory that they are celebrating

tonight. Thank you very much, life as in Pretoria. -- live for us.

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

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a US citizen

was killed and five others were injured in a knife

Police said they believe Wednesday's attack was "spontaneous"

and that the victims were "selected at random."

The woman who died was thought to be in her 60s.

Israel has arrested the head of the World Vision charity in Gaza,

charging him with funnelling millions of dollars to the

Israel claims that Mohammed Halabi was recruited by the movement

World Vision said it had no reason to believe the

Officials in Afghanistan say Taliban militants have attacked a group

of tourists in the west of the country.

Six foreigners are said to have been wounded when their minibus

was targeted in western Herat Province in the attack,

A Japanese government survey has uncovered the highest levels

Welfare officers handled 103,000 cases of abuse last year,

Cases involving psychological abuse comprised half the total,

with many children witnessing domestic violence in their homes.

The city of Aleppo has come to represent the sheer

hell of Syria's war, now in its sixth year.

Government forces surround the city, and daily life for those

The BBC has managed to speak to a doctor running one

of the few remaining hospitals in the rebel-held areas.

Dr Hamza al-Khatib gives us this account of treating patients

So, what's being done to achieve at least a pause in the fighting,

The BBC's Yogita Limaye is following developments

The head of the UN humanitarian task force in Syria has today said that

nowhere is in more urgently needed than in the Morpeth besieged parts

of Aleppo. He has said there are continuous and intense discussions

between all parties and that the UN hopes will be some progress made in

the next two days the organisation is calling for a pulse in fighting

and also for two-way humanitarian corridors to open up so that aid can

be taken into besieged parts of the city but also people who want to

voluntarily leave these areas will have a way out. The UN estimates

there are about a quarter of a million people living in these

areas. These are in the heat of the city, they are held by rebel groups.

These parts have been encircled by forces of the Government and its

allies. The UN estimates that supplies will only last for three

weeks and according to the information it has, the last batch

of supply actually went in at the end of June. Last week the Syrian

military had said that all supply lines to these areas had been cut

off. While there is a deepening crisis in the east of the city, what

the UN has also said is because of the increasing violence, we have

seen over the past three days, there have also been lots of people now

leaving other parts of Aleppo and moving towards the western side of

the city. The UN today also stressed on the increasing number of attacks

that we are seeing on medical facilities in the country of Syria,

they said they are looking into reports of 44 hospitals, clinics and

health posts that have been targeted in the month of July alone.

That was the BBC's Yogita Limaye in Beirut.

Melania Trump, the wife of the Republican Presidential

candidate Donald Trump, has rejected suggestions

that she violated visa rules when she first started working

Mrs Trump had said that she began working in 1996.

But nude photos published at the weekend appear to have been

It comes as the Republican candidate appears to be sinking in the polls.

Are you addicted to your mobile phone?

Do you find yourself using a tablet or phone so much that it's

Adults in Britain are now spending an average of 25 hours a week online

More than half of them say they're hooked on their devices,

as our business correspondent Emma Simpson reports.

Nothing beats getting away from it all.

But can we really switch off from our phones and devices?

If I Google that, we'll be able to look today.

I find it totally impossible just to put it away and not

I like to keep in touch with everybody and I like to be able

to post on my photos to Facebook so my friends can see where we are.

I'm usually on Facebook, a bit of Instagram,

Sadly, I do have to admit I check my e-mails.

I appreciate that my family don't always approve when I do that.

I think, in industry today, there is a requirement

We are now spending on average 25 hours a week online.

But we are also becoming aware of the drawbacks.

A third of adults, 15 million people, said they had gone

on a digital detox or break to strike a healthy balance.

For instance, 16% of us have deliberately gone on holiday

Over on pitch 108, the Woodwards from Merseyside left

There is a lot going on in the world and different things at that.

Two weeks of the year you can chill out and forget about everything.

Many parents are making kids take an online break.

Nearly two thirds have been digitally grounded.

I don't find it something you need everyday.

I am more than happy biking up and down.

We're better connected than ever before but the challenge from it

seems, is to make sure our obsession does not negatively affect our

I had a 24 hours the talks this week, it was lovely. -- detox.

When the Rio Olympics officially begins tomorrow,

there'll be one factor the athletes will have at the back

Rain, wind, sunshine - they can all make

So what can competitors expect in Brazil?

It's the greatest sporting event on earth. Rio 2016, the summer Games in

Brazil. But did they know you are actually taking place in real's

winter. This is the coolest and driest time in the city, a time of

year when he met the is at its lowest. In some time the weather

would be significantly different and arguably much harsher. In August

daytime temperatures in Rio reach a height of 26 Celsius and rarely fall

below 19 Celsius at night. Average monthly rainfall is 50 millimetres,

similar to London. But because of the local mountains and the

proximity of the sea, weather conditions will vary across the

city's Olympic venues. The tennis tournament will be taking place at

the Borough Olympic Park on the western side of Rio. With the word

humility, the ball tends to suffer more drag, flying fraction of the

slower as dry air is heavier than dense air. It could come down to the

look of the draw as we saw recently at the open in Troon. Playing

conditions could be much more difficult in the afternoon if

stronger sea breezes develop. Many of the football matches will be

staged in other cities around Brazil. In Salvador, temperature and

humidity will be greater than Rio. Playing in higher humility is

particularly draining as the foggy has to work harder to keep cool.

Heat stress is less of a concern for Rovers. And direction has a much

bigger impact on these competitors. A crosswind in particular could

Labour team is closest to the wind with choppy conditions for those

further across. For archers, the biggest concern is also the wind,

strong gusts could see archers missed the target is altogether.

Competitors will prepare both mentally and physically for the

conditions, choosing a heavier blow if the wind is blowing hard. Sailing

is also hugely affected by wind speed and direction. This board

should have made at the Athens Olympics in 1896 but bad weather put

paid to that. So there sailors need detailed forecasts to plan their

tactics, but sea breezes in Guanabara Bay or win for disruption

from the nearby mountains could make the conditions. The cycling gets

underway with the road races and as we have seen from the recent Tour de

France, competitors would prefer light wind and dry conditions. Chris

Froome will be hoping to make history and avoid hitting the

tarmac. A hidden portrait by

the French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas has been

revealed by scientists. Here's the original picture,

called Portrait of a Woman With a Black Bonnet,

painted in the late 1870s. This is the image underneath -

a ghostly image of another model Researchers in Australia used x-rays

to bring it to life. The woman with auburn hair bears

a strong resemblance to a model called Emma Dobigny -

who features in several With the opening ceremony

only 24 hours away, the International Olympic Committee

has been giving more details about which Russian athletes can

take part in the Rio Games. According to the head

of the Russian Olympic Committee, around 270 athletes

have been cleared. We are waiting for confirmation from

the IOC. South Africa's governing

African National Congress appears to be headed for its worst election

result since it came With more than 80% of votes counted

in local elections, it's leading nationally but has lost

support in key cities. And that's from me,

Geeta Guru-Murthy. Get in touch on Twitter. We are back

tomorrow. Thanks for watching. Sport coming up.

tomorrow. Thanks for watching. Sport coming up.

Good evening. It has been a day of sunshine and showers. Some heavy