30/08/2012 BBC World News

Welcome to BBC World News. I'm Babita Sharma at the BBC studios

overlooking the Olympic Park. Competition is beginning for the

first medals of the London Paralympic Games after a

spectacular opening ceremony. In all, more than 4,000 athletes from

165 nations are competing in the And I'm Martine Dennis. Also in

this programme: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

denounces his hosts in Iran for threatening to destroy Israel and

for denying the Holocaust. Under fire. Banking giant Barclays

chooses one of its own staff - Antony Jenkins - to be its new boss.

And keeping an eye on the storm. An overnight curfew in New Orleans as

Welcome to Day One of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. We're back

at our studios overlooking the Olympic Park and the same electric

feel good feeling that surrounded this part of London two weeks has

returned for these Games and indeed marking a special return of the

Paralympic Games to their spirtual roots. Last night, London staged

the biggest opening ceremony the Paralympics has ever seen.The

80,000 spectators in the Olympic stadium in Stratford, East London,

were told they would be inspired, dazzled and moved over the next 11

days. David Bond reports. Can any sporting event have received a lift

of quite like this? Two weeks after the Olympic party ended, London was

again the centre of the sporting world, as the Paralympics burst

into life. As with Danny Boyle's celebrated show, this ceremony also

started with a fly-past. In so many ways, it was to be a very different

kind of show. Watched by 18,000 people, there was a lead role for

Professor Stephen Hawking, chosen as the guide for a story which

focused on the role played by science in pushing the boundaries

of human knowledge and Endeavour. While these Games are ultimately

about world-class sport, they are an invaluable opportunity to change

the way disabled people are feud. For the Queen, no daredevil

entrance. Her arrival was a more traditional affair. Other members

of the Royal Family were also here. It was over to the athletes - more

than 4000 from 164 countries - who will make this the biggest sports

event after the Olympics. For the British contingent, this is their

chance to follow the record- breaking lead set by Team GB during

the Olympics. On a night which constantly challenged attitudes

towards disability, of the Stella moment was left to the end. The

honour of rewriting the cauldron fell to Margaret Moore, who won

Britain's per -- first Paralympic gold medal. It was a spectacular

finale to a ceremony that entertained and engage the mind. It

is up to the sport and competitors to continue that theme. In the

aquatic centre, just down there, some of the gold medals will be

given out to date in the swimming discipline. 28 goals medals up up

for grabs. -- 28 gold medals are up for grabs. Well, earlier I spoke to

Conrat Atangana, the first and only athlete to represent Cameroon at

the Paralympics. His team leader HE SPEAKS FRENCH. The preparation

has got that high. I have had good preparation with my coaches and so

on. I am privileged to represent Cameroon. That was a little earlier.

Thibaut said when they went into the stadium for the opening

ceremony, they were completely wowed by what they saw. They said

they were in traditional Cameroon dress. The temperature dropped a

little bit in London and they were cold. It is looking cloudy at the

moment but the rain has subsided for a while. 165 Nations are here

to experience the weather and Paralympic Games. More than 4000

athletes are taking part. Our correspondent has this guide on who

to look out for. Now it is the turn of the Paralympians to take centre

stage -- stage. 2.5 million tickets have been sold. There is an

estimated television audience of a billion. Who should we be looking

out for? Here at the athletics stadium, one of the most eagerly

anticipated events is the men's 100 metres. Locked in battle will beat

the current Paralympic champion, Oscar Pistorius. Up against him,

Jerome Singleton. Those could be pipped to the post by the Briton,

Johnny Peacock, the new world record holder. Here at the Aquatics

Centre, 148 medal events will be taking place in cinema - as I go

swimming and diving. Britain's Ellie Simmonds, who was 13 when she

won two golds in Beijing and the American, who has been breaking her

records recently. Competing in her last Games, the South African, who

will be hoping to add to her collection of 10 Paralympic medals.

The Velodrome is the venue for the cycling. The British are expected

to dominate the track. Lookout for the Czech Republic competitor. He

needs two more medals to become the most successful Paralympian cyclist

in history. One of the events to be staged at the basketball arena will

be wheelchair rugby. Not for the faint-hearted. The hot favourites

are the Americans. Expect to see sparks fly when a clash with the

runners-up from Beijing, Australia. -- they clash. That is just a few

of the individuals and teams to keep an eye out for. Many more will

have the chance to make a name for Last night's opening ceremony

culminated in that Paralympic torch, which has been doing the rounds

over the last week. It was actually carried by Joe Townsend, who was

injured in Afghanistan. He carried it by the zip wire to the centre of

the Olympic Stadium. That ceremony was watched by 80,000 people. We

have plenty more to come on day one of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

In the meantime, lots to tell you on the business. Barclays is one of

the world's biggest banks. A new man was announced as chief

executive. Anthony Jenkins is his name. Let's have a look. Not a

stranger to Barclays. He was the boss of the retail side of business.

Many will consider that the boring side of banking - the nuts and

bolts of banking. It is a U-turn for the bank. He replaces Bob

Diamond. Bob Diamond came from the investment side - the side that

makes a lot of money. It is the riskier side of the bank. The bank

is trying to get back to basics and makes sure it has two distinct

separate operations. It comes at a time when his plate is very full.

Late last night, the Serious Fraud Office launched an investigation

into the way but is Macro raised money back in 2008, at the time of

the financial crisis. -- Barclays raised money. Instead of getting a

government bail out, it went to raise money in the Middle East, and

there are allegations of bribery. A lot at stake. Ralph Silva is a

banking analyst. He thinks Mr Jenkins is the right man for the

job. He has actually taken over command of the Titanic after it has

hit the iceberg. I think he can plug these holes. He comes from the

retail side. The biggest problems is the brand. -- prop -- problem.

They need to get the public to believe in it. I think this is the

right choice. Is it also a part of the direction of the bank? The

investment side is always the riskier side of the business. Many

core retail banking, boring banking. They are becoming more measured.

They are becoming better in making sure they do not have all their

eggs in one basket. When the economy recovers, investment

banking makes the most amount of money. Retail banking is the safe

bet. That is put in safe hands. Barclays will be better because it

is more divided. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called on struggling

European nations to get their finances in order. His comments

followed a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing

today. In a press conference after the meeting he said that he was

worried about the eurozone crisis. Our correspondent in Beijing,

Martin Patience, explained why the Chinese are so concerned about

Europe's troubles. China is the biggest exporter in the world. It

is facing a slowdown in its own economy. Why? One of the large part

of the reason is we're seeing a drop in demand from Europe and

elsewhere. China wants Europe to get back on its feet as quickly as

possible. What role they will play in that is not clear. They have

said they will continue to invest in government bonds. A few months

back when there was talk of Beijing investing in a bail out fund. No

word on that. Japan Airlines plans to raise more than $8 billion by

selling shares on the stock market. JAL went bankrupt in January 2010

and has been reorganising its business since then. Cost cuts have

helped the company return to profitability and, if all goes to

plan, its shares will start trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on

September 19th. There could be disruption to services at Lufthansa

on Friday. Cabin staff are planning to walk out after wage talks failed.

The union is not saying which airports will be affected, or when,

until six hours before the industrial action begins. Cabin

crew want a 5% pay rise after three years of zero increases. The

airline has offered 3.5%. Hyundai Motor has reached an agreement with

South Korea unions leaders to end strike action. Under the tentative

deal the company is scrapping night shifts from March of next year. To

compensate it will invest more than $250 million in factories to help

boost output. Unions say that in return staff will halt strikes that

Bad is it for the business news. Reports from Australia suggest that

16 more people have been plucked from the ocean after their boat

sank off Java. Earlier, six others had been picked up after spending

nearly 24 hours in the sea. It is thought the boat may have been

carrying up to 150 people in total. Rescue services are all looking out

for more survivors. A major summit of the world's non-aligned nations

is taking place in Iran. The Egyptian President has used a

speech to condemn the Syrian government of President Assad.

Iran's state TV said they had to leave for a media interview. That

might have been just an excuse. Ban Ki Moon is also in there -- no mood

to play around. He has been denouncing the attitude of Iran

towards Israel. Claiming that Israel does not have the right to

exist, or describing it in racist terms, it is not only utterly wrong

but undermines the very principles A massive fences being built across

the Sinai desert. And we hear from one of Britain's

most successful paralympian medal- winners, Baroness Tanni Grey-

Thompson. In the United States, Mitt Romney's

running mate has promised that Republicans will create 12 million

jobs in the next four years if they are elected. Paul Ryan told the

party's convention that they would hold down spending and accused

President Obama of a line government debt to spiral.

Businessman, Governor, troubleshooter, husband. The CV is

well known but somehow, questions still persist. Who is Mitt Romney

and what does he stand for? On the second night of this convention, it

fell to his youthful running mate to provide an answer. The man who

will accept your nomination tomorrow is prayerful, faithful and

honourable. Not only a defender of marriage, he offers an example of

marriage at its best. Not only a fine businessman, he is a fine man.

And after four years of getting the runaround, America needs a

turnaround and the man for the job is Governor Mitt Romney.

Tampa this week is a curious mix. The convention and the less

conventional. We canvassed voters in a hit Cuban enclave which once

made Tampa the cigar capital of the world. What comes into your mind

when I say Mitt Romney? I am unsure. Why are you unsure? Neither of them

will give me any information I want. The stuff I am hearing is just

rhetoric and I want to hear something positive. I do not think

he is very genuine. If he would be more genuine, I think he is saying

what people want him to say. I do not think he is for the common

people. In a world where thousands of jobs were destroyed...

Throughout the summer, Mr Romney has been defined by his opponents

as the Obama campaign ploughs thousands into adverts portraying

him as an out of touch tycoon. And yet they are neck-and-neck in the

polls. Tonight, up on that stage, Mitt Romney will have his best

chance, perhaps his last chance, to define himself on his terms. He

will be talking not just to the partisan audience in this hall, but

to the millions of Americans back home. Just over two months from now

will decide his fate. These are the top stories here at

BBC World News: The biggest Paralympic Games ever held are

under way here in London. Speaking at a conference in Tehran, the UN

chief Ban Ki-Moon has reprimanded Iran for denying the Holocaust and

Israel's right to exist. Tropical Storm Isaac is still

lashing New Orleans and its surrounding areas. The storm has

now been downgraded from a hurricane but it is still causing

havoc as it moves slowly across the region. Levees ins low-lying New

Orleans have stood firm but sea water has breached barriers in a

town south of the city. Alastair Leithead reports.

Hurricane Isaac battered New Orleans, seven years to the day

since Katrina had devastated the city. It did not have the same

power, but dumped her a lot more rain. This time, the ladies held.

Billions have been spent in improving defences and this time,

the city centre was not badly hit. The conditions here are still

appalling. We have driven half-an- hour out of the centre of New

Orleans to a community called Braithwaite which has been one of

the worst affected near the city centre. This community of 2000

people felt just the wrong side of the flood defence wall that was

built. When the storm hit, the levy burst, the water flooded over the

top and this is the level of people's houses. They had to be

rescued. It was different outside the protective walls. Dozens of

people were trapped after water flowed over the levees and quickly

inundated homes. Many had to be rescued from their attics or

plucked from the rooftops. This parish was badly hit, as were other

areas outside the city's main flood defences. Let me focus in this

parish. On the east bank there was over topping near Braithwaite of a

non- federal levy. This was an area where there was a mandatory

evacuation called at noon on Monday. The force of the hurricane was felt

all the way along this section of the Gulf coast. As the storms well

flooded coastal areas and winds back to be sure. With the rain

still falling and the high winds battling the region for the second

night, the full extent of Isaac's impact is still not certain.

Egypt has reportedly withdrawn several tanks near the Israeli Gaza

border. They were deployed their earlier this month as part of a

military operation against militants in the Sinai peninsula.

The BBC's Middle East correspondent reports from the Israeli Egyptian

border. If good fences make good neighbours,

Israel and Egypt are starting to look like a very good neighbours.

The Israeli government is working on a 240 kilometre fence. The aim,

to keep the uncertainties of the Arab Spring safely on the other

side. On the Israeli side, they are working the potato fields as normal,

or what passes for normal here. Earlier this month, heavily armed

Islamist extremists in a stolen Egyptian armoured vehicle, crashed

through the fence near these fields. They were intercepted and killed,

but the attack has changed the atmosphere. This was always called

the Peace fence. We have never threatened from Sinai and we hope

this was an isolated incident and we hope it will not happen again.

For more than 30 years, Israel's peace treaty with Egypt kept this

border quiet. Never produced warm, deep relationships, but it did mean

an absence of conflict. Now as the Arab Spring continues to evolve,

things are beginning to look much more uncertain.

Four times, Israel and Egypt went to war in the Sinai desert. These

images from 1967. When they finally stopped fighting and signed a peace

treaty in 1979, it brought a kind of stability to the Middle East.

The frontier between Israel and Egypt is long and lonely. Israelis

see it as a soft target for any extremist planning to cross it off

fire rockets over it. They trusted the ousted Egyptian President Hosni

Mubarak to keep this border quiet. Now that Egypt has a President

drawn from the Muslim Brotherhood, they are not so sure. At Israel's

Red Sea resort of Eilat which is right on the border, for now, it is

business as usual. Above the town and Iron Dome anti-missile battery

keeps watch. The town's mayor says he piece suits everyone not just

Israel. Egypt has put billions of dollars of tourism in Sinai he says,

I hope they protect that in this me we will certainly protect ourselves.

Israel got decades of stability out of peace in the Sinai. A diplomatic

achievement that transformed the Middle East. Now on the border,

they watch anxiously for signs of change.

The London Paralympics are well under way. They started this

morning. There was the opening ceremony last night. In the middle

of that ceremony was Britain's most successful Paralympian, Baroness

Tanni Grey-Thompson. A short while ago I asked her if she felt these

Paralympics were about more than just the sport. It is about one

person winning and everyone else not, but the Paralympics has a

really strong secondary message which is about changing attitudes

towards disabled people. We have seen it in a lot of countries

around the world, countries which do not have social programmes for

disabled people do not send teams for the Paralympics. I was a wonder

couple of years ago. They are still dealing with the aftermath of the

genocide. Three Sport they brought the two sides together. Sport is a

powerful to break down barriers. How would you assess British

attitudes to disabled people and to disability as an issue? How would

you access -- how would you assess the UK's attitude right now?

think it is difficult because disabled people are either shown as

potential paralympians representing their country and winning gold,

which is very powerful, or a lot of the media coverage is that disabled

people being cheats and benefit scroungers. Neither of that is the

reality. I think one of the things the Paralympics does he start to

allay some of those fears that disabled people scrounge off

Society. There is still some discrimination out there. It is not

perfectly at. Physical access is getting better but there is a long

way to go and whether that his transport or buildings or education,

we could do more. I think if people get behind the Paralympics and the

athletes, that means we have an ability to keep fighting for some

of those changes. Finally, you what a wheelchair racer, your Britain's

most successful Paralympian, are you missing not completing this

time around? Not really. There was a little bit when I saw the team

last night that made me think, it will be great to do and I'm sure

when I go to the athletics and sees some of the British guys winning, I

would like to do that. But you can only do that if you train 15 hours

a day it every week and I cannot do that anymore. I am much happier

watching from the sidelines now. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Now, here is a bit of good news. Eating chocolate can help prevent

strokes, according to new research in Sweden. They found that men who

had a little more than a standard chocolate bar every week were 17 %

less likely to have a stroke than those eating none at all. However,

you are not supposed to eat too much because that is equally