03/05/2014 BBC Weekend News

are released by pro-Russian militants a week after they were

taken captive in Eastern Ukraine. Tensions remain high in the region,

as further fighting breaks out between government forces and their

opponents. In the south of the country, the authorities try to

maintain order after dozens died in violence yesterday. K.

In Afghanistan, 2,000 people are feared dead, after being buried by

landslides in a remote part of the country.

And Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams is preparing to spend a fourth night in

police custody, where he's being questioned over a murder in 1972.

Good evening. The United Nations has welcomed the release of a team of

international observers in Eastern Ukraine. The monitors had been

captured more than a week ago by pro-Russian activists and held

prisoner. Meanwhile there's been more violence today in the city of

Slaviansk and nearby Kramatorsk. It follows the deaths yesterday of more

than 40 people in a fire that was started during clashes between

government supporters and opponents in the southern port of Odessa. From

there, Fergal Keane sent this report - and a warning: it contains some

disturbing images. These are the moments that have

plunged Ukraine into a new and perilous phase of conflict. Here, a

Ukrainian militant firing at pro-Russians taking refuge in the

burning building. Help us please, a woman pleads from the window, call

the fire brigade. Come down, the man replies. They're on the way. Some

Ukrainians went to help those who jumped. But as police arrived,

others taunted and threatened. They pulled the heads off our activists,

this militant says. Today, we saw the make-shift ropes hanging from

the windows where people had tried to escape. An eyewitness told us how

a mob mentality had taken over. There was clearly a blood lust. The

police had not come for an hour-and-a-half. Even there, with

the crowd, they did almost nothing to stop any of the violence. There

was one piece of good news today, these international military

observers, taken captive a week ago, were released by rebels, along with

five Ukrainian officers. For one observer, intense relief. It feels

great. We're very relieved. We're longing to get back home to our

families and loved ones. As that news was being welcomed, there was

fresh fighting in the east. These images apparently from the town of

Kramatorsk, close to where yesterday's military offensive by

the state began. The government says it's retaken the town and blames

Russia for instigating the violence here and in Odessa. A line echoed by

a leading Kiev politician. TRANSLATION: Putin commits these

terrorist acts against every Ukrainian by planning and executing

special operations like the one that took place in Odessa yesterday. He

wants to set our people against each other. He wants that we shoot at

each other, kill each other, that we split the country. Back in Odessa,

the entrance to the burned out hallway, riot police looked

uncertain, some dejected. They face the anger after the tragedy of the

night before. Pro-Russians have gathered to mourn the dead. People

had been expecting some kind of trouble in Odessa, but nothing on

the scale of what's happened. There's real anger here, but also,

more than anything else, a profound sense of shock. Most people I spoke

with said they weren't separatists, but they feared their ethnic Russian

culture was going to be destroyed by the government and Western

supporters. Anastasia is an ethnic Russian and English teacher. What do

you think could happen to you? Well, anything. Anything. There is no law

now in the country, no law, I tell you. And nobody will answer for what

happened yesterday, nobody. The government denies this, but it will

be hard to calm such fears. But today the overriding sense was of

the anguish of a nation. Where each side mourns its martyrs as they're

being pulled ever deeper into conflict.

Rescue workers have abandoned their search for any survivors who may be

buried under two landslides in north eastern Afghanistan. 350 bodies have

been recovered so far, but officials say more than 2,000 people are

feared dead. Our correspondent, David Loyn, travelled to the remote

village of Ab Barik and sent us this report.

The houses on the right survived, those on the left have gone, after

the side of the mountain collapsed. And the people who lived here are

buried deep down underneath tens of metres of mud. Rescuers have given

up digging, knowing that none is left alive. A new landscape has

emerged here as farmland collapsed onto the homes of the farmers who

planted the fields. The ground underneath my feet has a curiously

springy feel. The mud is unstable, unsettled and beneath it lie the

bodies of thousands of people, which will probably never be found. The

event happened in two phases. When houses were first buried, hundreds

ran to help, and then more mud came down. This man was one of them and

scrambled to safety. Many others did not. Around 600 people, when they

went to rescue those families who were trapped and the mud and debris

and everything, so unfortunately, then there was another land slide.

Any hope? Which was more severe than the first one. Any hope for the

people under the mud? Unfortunately, no. Most of the survivors and there

are not many, now have tents, provided by aid agencies, but some

are still exposed on the open hillside. Blankets have arrived and

basic food aid from international and local agencies. As the second

night fell, the only sound that could be heard was of women quietly

weeping for the dead. The Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams,

is preparing to spend a fourth night in custody. He's being questioned in

connection with the murder of Jean McConville, a mother of ten killed

in 1972. He denies the allegations against him. At a rally today Sinn

Fein's Martin McGuinness said the arrest of Mr Adams was the result of

political policing, but Northern Ireland's Justice Minister has

defended the decision to question him. Nick Higham reports.

On -- in West Belfast police close the street while Martin McGuinness

laid into their employer. For the third day in a row he attacked some

members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for what he claimed

was the politically motivate add rest of Gerry Adams. No police force

anywhere in the world is immune from criticism, if it is acting in a

politically biassed and criticism, if it is acting in a

fashion. The arrest of Gerry Adams is the evidence of that, the fact

that there are people in the PSNI who are against the peace process

and who hate Sinn Sinn Fein. Was the unveiling of a new mural hailing the

Sinn Fein president as a peace maker. Supporters like these are

angered by his arrest. Despite that, Martin McGuinness says there's no

threat to the Northern Ireland peace process. Sinn Fein backing for the

Police Service of Northern Ireland has been an important plank in the

peace process. If that were to be withdrawn, it would be a serious

blow. Significantly, Martin McGuinness this afternoon has not

threatened to withdraw the party's support. Gerry Adams has been

questioned about the murder of Jean McConville in 1972. The police

insist they have a duty to investigate serious crime

impartially. Today they got backing from Northern Ireland's Justice

Minister. I've been Justice Minister for four years, since justice was

devolved to Northern Ireland. I've seen no sign of political policing.

What I do see is politicians from both sides seeking to interfere in

the policing process. Meanwhile, Gerry Adams remains in custody here

at Antrim police station, where he's being questioned for up to 17 hours

a day. He vehemently denies any involvement in Jean McConville's

death. A woman has been arrested on a

suspicion of assaulting a resident at a care home in Essex that was

featured in the BBC's Panorama programme. The documentary led to

seven members of staff at the Old Deanery Care Home being sacked. It

showed residents being taunted and humiliated. The woman who was

arrested was later released on police bail, pending further

inquiries. The Foreign Secretary William Hague

says he's deeply concerned about the harassment and detention of

journalists in Egypt. His comments came ahead of the latest court

appearance by three journalists from Al Jazeera's English channel,

accused of terrorism-related offences. The journalists, including

the former BBC correspondent Peter Greste, deny the charges. From

Cairo, Orla Guerin reports. Coming to plead his case, Al-Jazeera

producer. He stead was his job to have contacts across the political

spectrum from the now banned Muslim Brotherhood, to the police and the

army. He told the court it was world press freedom day. The judge offered

his best wishes, but refused bail. Soon he was back behind bars,

alongside his fellow producer and the Australian reporter Peter

Greste. The trio have already spent four months in jail, accused of

broadcasting misleading stories and joining or aiding the Brotherhood.

The court is now in recess and we've managed to speak to the journalists

who are still here in the cages. Peter Greste told us, "You can't

have a free press in Egypt, as long as journalists can wind up in jail."

He said he and his colleagues had as journalists can wind up in jail."

suffered a massive injustice. He said access to their lawyers had

been virtually non-existent. Outside, relatives insisted the

trial, which began in February, has gone on far too long. They're award

winning, highly reden shalled journalists, to see them here and

the trial continue is a shame. It's really, they don't deserve to be

there. Back in court, a parting message from the accused as they

were led to their cells. Happy world press freedom day.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken of the hurt

suffered by supporters of female priests. His remarks came during a

service at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the 20th anniversary of women's

Women priests, once unthinkable, now ordination.

Women priests, once unthinkable, now indispensable to a church making its

way in an unequal society. Women make up a third of the church's

clergy, never before have so many gathered in one place. A mother and

daughter say gathered in one place. A mother and

the church has been a long battle. The early years were a struggle,

the church has been a long battle. I continued to be inspired by Jesus,

who valued women, respected what they had to offer. I'm incredibly

grateful to the pioneers who have pioneered the way forward and for my

generation of women. A marching band pioneered the way forward and for my

led them to pioneered the way forward and for my

joy, a rocky road lies ahead, a high proportion of women

joy, a rocky road lies ahead, a high unpaid and the recruitment of

joy, a rocky road lies ahead, a high women has dried to a trickle. For 20

years women priests have been told not to celebrate their achievements

too loudly for fear of alienating those who still oppose them. Today,

they say, represents the church's first formal public recognition of

their status as priests and their permanent place in the Church of

England. At St Paul's, a woman priest

presided, the Archbishop of Canterbury her assistant. In his

south-easterlion, he -- sermon, he apologised for his part in hurting

women priests. It hasn't always been easy for the church to change. Now

with all the day's sport we go to the BBC's sports centre. It's been a

day of drama at the top and the bottom of the Premier League. Match

of Day and Sportscene follow the news on BBC One, so if you don't

want to know what happened, you know what to do. Manchester City remain

want to know what happened, you know in charge of the title race after

beating Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park. Two goals from Edin Dzeko and

one from Sergio Aguero have lifted them back to the top of table on

goal difference. But Fulham have been relegated after suffering a

heavy 4-1 defeat at Stoke. Their fans were left in tears at the final

whistle, as their 13-year stay in the top flight came to an end.

They'll be joined in the Championship by Cardiff, who lost

3-0 to Newcastle United. The Welsh Club came into the game bottom of

the table and drop down after just one season in the Premier League.

Both their fates one season in the Premier League.

Sunderland's shock 1-0 win at Manchester United. Sebastian Larsson

scored the only goal of the game at Old Trafford, as Sunderland took

another big step towards safety. Elsewhere Aston Villa beat Hull 3-1.

Ricky Lambert scored a 90th-minute winner for Southampton at Swansea

and West Ham beat Tottenham 2-0. In the Championship the Birmingham City

manager Lee Clark celebrated his team's survival on the last day of

the season with a run into the stand. He'd just watched his side

score in the 93rd minute to come back from 2-0 down against Bolton

and secure the point they needed to escape relegation. If you get a goal

in the last ten minutes, you can always put pressure on. To be honest

with you, we deserved to win the game, but we've done what was

necessary. We've done it in a way that I only believed was in dreams.

And there was also a dramatic end at the City ground where Brighton came

from behind against Nottingham Forest to secure the last play-off

place. Leonardo Ojoer scoring the winner in stoppage time. Brighton

now face Derby in the play-off semi finals. Celtic are still on course

for a record tally of 100 points in the Scottish Premiership after they

beat Aberdeen 5-2. There's a real battle going on in

the World Snooker Championship semi-final between Mark Selby and

Neil Robertson. The players resumed tonight's final session tied at 12

frames all. Selby leads 16-15. Ronnie O'Sullivan awaits the winner

in the final. That's all the sport. That's all from me. Good night.

Good evening. Daytime temperatures will ton rise through -- will

continue to rise through the bank holiday weekend. It will be cold

tonight across parts of the south, with clear skies. Further north it's

a different night to last night. More cloud moves in bringing

outbreaks of rain. That keeps temperatures up. It turns misty and

murky too. Many