24/09/2012 BBC World News

The former police chief at the centre of China's biggest political

scandal in decades is jailed for is a years.

The BBC is given rare access to the heartline of the Alawite Muslim

sect in Syria. Another young man buried, another

soldier dead. But in villages like this, some

things have not died, there is support for their President, Bashar

al-Assad, and their love for Syria. Former England captain, John Terry,

quits international football. He says the racism accusations against

him make his position untenable. Welcome to BBC World News. I'm

David Eades. Coming up: Foxconn Technology halts production at a

northern Chinese plant after fighting breaks out amongst 2,000

workers. When luxuries become an economic necessity, can Prada defy

the sales slip in China to raise Good morning.

China's biggest political scandal in decades has claimed another

scalp. A senior police chief has been jailed for 15 years for trying

to cover up the murder of the British businessman, Neil Heywood.

He was killed by the wife of one of the country's most powerful

politicians, Bow bow. She has been given a suspended sentence.

It's a hard fall from grace for one of China's most senior and high-

profile police chiefs. As he began his 15-year prison sentence, Wang

Lijun was contrite. TRANSLATION: I would like to

express my regret for the crimes I committed. I will spend the rest of

my life repaying the party. But a line has not been drawn under

the scandal it rumbles on because of the still undecided feat this of

man, Bo Xilai, one one of China's most powerful politicians.

Earlier this year, his police chief sought refuge at this US Consulate

and told officials an extraordinary story. He alleged that Gu Kailai

had murdered her British business partner, a man called Neil Heywood.

For his visit to the US Consulate, Wang Lijun has been accused of

trying to defect, along with the charge of corruption and another

relating to his role in covering up the murder, he could, in theory,

have been given the death penalty, but he has been shown leaniansy.

Had he not blown the whistle it is likely that the crime would never

have come to light. As a rut of his evidence, Gu Kailai

was convicted of poisoning Neil Heywood. Her husband, while he

waits to hear if he too will face a criminal court, has been suspended

from his seat on the country's powerful Politburo. He was once

tipped for an even higher position when the Communist Party apoints

its new leadership later this year. China's whistle-blowing policeman

has altered the political landscape, raising skes about corruption at

the highest level and unsettled what was supposed to absmooth

political transition. In Syria, they say that the number

of dead in the last 18 months is now reaching 30,000. Most of them

are civilians. The Syrian army is lose aggroing number of soldiers,

many from Syria's western coastal region of Latakia. This is the

ancest ral home of Bashar al-Assad. A stronghold for the minority

Alawite Muslim sect. The BBC's Chief International Correspondent,

Lyse Doucet, has been given rare access to visit the area. She

reports from the village of Addalia. Ola Zahir is burying her husband

today. The light from her eyes has gone,

she had wailed. Her husband was in the army. So was her brother, she

buried him not long ago. 26-year-old Flight Lieutenant Adi

Ahmed died when his helicopter crashed. The military has brought

his coffin home. The entire village turns out.

The men fire guns, the women throw rice.

It's the 17th time that this village of Addalia has lost one.of

its own. In this area not a day goes by

without a funeral. This is the heartland of Bashar al-

Assad and his alwielt community. -- Alawite community. Here, far

from the front lines, there is space enough to mourn his troops.

Many Syrians who die at their hands don't get that chance. Flight

Lieutenant Adi Ahmed makes his final journey up the steps of his

family home. His mother waits... But in this war grief is not just

personal. TRANSLATION: He is not her son nor

mine. His mother is Syria. As grief wells up, so does the

anger. TRANSLATION: We are good Muslims.

Those who slaughter, they violate every religion.

For many here this war threatens their very identity.

That is why members of this minority sect are ready to defend

it and their President with their lives.

Another young man buried, another soldier dead.

But in villages like this, some things have not died. There is

support for their President, Bashar al-Assad, and their love for Syria.

I'm interup theed by the soldier's teacher.

There are two sides, the conflict is severe and violent and we don't

like it. We don't like it, we don't want it, but we are forced.

Syrians are dying every day, many more on the other side. Everyone

says they want peace, but with each new grave it seems further away.

The next funeral in this village starts in an hour.

Time to catch up on the business news. Aaron is here. The timing is

perfect. We have been waiting for Prada's results to come out. To see

if the Chinese problems are hitting the luxury market? Not a bit of it.

No, the reason we were worried as Burberry gave a profit warning on

September the 10th to say that China was slowing that it could

affect their bottom line, but we are watching the Prada numbers, but

they are quite different. Prada came out in the first six months of

the year, the net profit jumped 60 Mersey -- 60%. It is a good

indicator that although China is slowing, the rich in China are

still buying the particular products. These are very well-known

luxury goods products, like Prada. Good news forally too.

Let's have a look at how this sector is detailed. In the past

week the stars of Italy's fashion industry have had a chance to

dazzle the world at the Milan fashion shows with dozens of fresh

designs it is hard to make sales in Europe, but that is more than made

up for by the race for luxury items amongst the new rich of China.

Prada has been one of the winners. In June it said sales in China had

risen by 40% over the year, but on September the 10th, Burberry warned

that sales in Khan were stalling. Over the following week, the share

price plunge by a fifth. The share prices of Prada and Vuitton also

fell. A sign of investor doubt by the luxury sector as a whole.

When a big brand like Burberry warns of a drop in sales, it puts

fear into the market. They have been big drivers for the

businesses. The new wealthy find these brands aspirational, so the

fear is that the economic shroth is growing. So the growth for these

companies is to grind to a halt. But Burberry's bad news may not be

the same for others. Burberry only recently climbed into the category.

It was seen before as somewhere at the higher end of the mass retail

markets. So it is no surprise to fall out of favour with the Chinese

luxury buyers. More established luxury brands like Prada may keep

their love for longer. You may argue that Prada is more of

a stayer. That people will increasingly say if you want true

Western luxury, there are a few brands that really matter, Prada is

one of them. Prada as opened no fewer than 25

stores in China. Whether or not the Chinese economy

is now slowing, it musttown making big sales fo there for that

investment to pay off. Let's move on. The Taiwanese giant

Foxconn Technology have halted production after a fight broke out

among the workers. Foxconn Technology are big tech

giants, making products for Apple, hfpl P and Microsoft.

There was a spate of suicides amongst the staff, but this time it

says that there was a personal dispute among the workers,

escalating into a fight involving some 2,000 workers.

Our correspondent said that the firms of high-profile customers

will be watching this incident closely.

That is the concern. Apple, it does not want headlines of suppliers

fighting and brawls at the factories. As you were saying,

Foxconn Technology is an absolutely massive supplier and massive

employer in China. They have 1..2 million employees in China. It is

that supply chain which make it is difficult for the companies simply

to go elsewhere at a moment's notice. Especially if you are like

Apple and you are bringing out new products every month. It is the

expertise that Foxconn Technology that will be valued by the

companies. A few other stories making

headlines: Toyota has resumed all operations in China after protests

of territorial dispute. The Japanese car company showrooms

were vandalised and attacks, the demonstrations against Japan buying

in the country. And despite the slump in car sales, the company

executives meat the -- met the European Mario Monti to outthe

future of European plans. Now, in Germany, the region's

biggest economy, the big confidence is measured by the EFO institute,

it fell for a fifth month in a row. Mario Monti tries to revive the

rescission-hit-economy, they are looking at ways to boost

competitiveness and to create jobs. Then focus shifts to Spain. On

Thursday the government is to unveil the 2013 budget and

structural reforms to the economy. Then to update us on the health of

its banks and the markets will be keen to hear how France is dealing

with its debt. It is unveiling its budget course

on Friday. It is said that investors in Spain

may ask also for a full-blown bail out.

The indicator is what happens to the interest rates. At the moment

they can afford them. If they go back up again, they would need a

bail out. It is interesting, what is Mariano Rajoy going to do in his

budget on Thursday? Will he put in measures that mean he can go to the

EFS -- EFSN in the future. He says he will not go for a bail out that

requires spending cuts to pensions. Aaron, thank you very much.

Thank you for watching BBC World News. I'm David Eades, more to

bring you, including when sorry is not enough. We have the latest on

the row over what the Conservative said to the policeman at Downing

Street. Also Mad Men is toppled as the

American TV series Homeland takes the big prizes at the Emmys.

The daughter of South Korea's former military strongman, Park

Geun-Hye has apologised for the human rights committed during his

rule. We have this report. I should tell

you there is flash photography in Just weeks into her presidential

nomination, South Korea's first credible female candidate is

apologising. Not for herself but for her dad.

TRANSLATION: I think incidents in the past damaged constitutional

values and delayed the political development of Korea. I sincerely

apologise once again to the victims and their families who were wounded

by the government. But then Park Guen-hye's father wasn't just

anyone. Park Chung-hee was perhaps South Korea's best-known President.

A military leader who took power in a coup, he is now credited equally

with kick-starting the country's Marichal economic growth and with

trampling the human rights of its citizens. His legacy has left a

long shadow over his daughter's presidential bid. For weeks, Park

Guen-hye has tried to tread a fine line between those two perspectives

on her father's rule. But controversy over the past has

continued to dog her campaign, particularly among younger Liberal

voters who support she needs to win. TRANSLATION: People are well aware

of how difficult it is for Koreans to judge the parents and point out

their errors. However, as long as I'm standing as the country's

presidential candidate, I should be objective and empathise with people.

Park Guen-hye has been battling her father's legacy since the very

beginning of her campaign. The question now is whether her public

apology here at party headquarters will lay that history to rest. More

than 1000 pairs of shoes from the collection of the former

Philippines first lady, Imelda Marcos, have been damaged by rain

and termites. Something like 150 boxes of shoes, clothing and

accessories were transferred from the palace, which the couple fled

during the 1986 revolt, to the National Museum. This was two years

ago. The move was meant to save these items from the mould and

insects that threaten to destroy them in the palace. Instead, the

boxers were left in a padlocked The headlines. A former police

chief at the centre of China's biggest political scandal in

decades has been jailed for 15 years. The former England captain

John Terry appears before an FA disciplinary panel, just hours

after quitting international football. The first results from

parliamentary elections in Belarus indicate that no candidate has been

elected from the country's opposition. The two main opposition

parties boycotted the vote in any case. They said that democratic

elections were impossible and the authoritarian government of

President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Our correspondent is in the capital,

Minsk. Other opposition groups said that

they would not recognise the results, those of the opposition

groups that were actually running. And they are now saying that this

is vindication of their position to boycott the election, saying that

there was no possibility for free and fair elections. They haven't

been free and fair elections, fully democratic elections in Belarus

since Mr Lukashenko took power some 18 years ago.

That said, the view of the Electoral Commission is all the

correct boxes were ticked. Indeed. They say the election was

legitimate. They are critical of the opposition boycotting. They

said that the turnout was 75 %, quite high. There are local

Belorussian observer groups that say that was improbably high, that

it may not have even been 50 %. We have the Organisation for Security

and co-operation in Europe, election monitors will be

delivering their verdict of the elections a little later today.

Britain's former international development minister Andrew

Mitchell is facing harsh criticism and also calls for an inquiry into

his behaviour from the Metropolitan Police Federation and from the

opposition, following his confrontation with police officers

at the gates of Downing Street last week. Mr Mitchell, who is now in

charge of party discipline among the governing Conservatives, he is

what they call the Chief Whip, was accused of calling the officers

plebs, when it barred him from entering the gates on his bicycle.

He stayed he didn't use that word and has apologised for the outburst,

but the issue doesn't seem to go away. Why isn't that apology

enough? They are me grimly joins me now. You are in Brighton for the

Liberal Democrats party conference, but a lot of the focus of attention

back up in Downing Street again, he's given another statement today,

it won't go away. No, it won't. Many people believe that Andrew

Mitchell should resign. The issue has become quite toxic but David

Cameron. That is because the kind of words used were very derogatory.

They were basically about class. Although Andrew Mitchell says he

didn't use those exact words, that is precisely why this has become a

big issue. Because David Cameron has gone out of his way to make the

point that his government is not full of upper-class, posh men. This

really doesn't help him, if indeed it is proved that Andrew Mitchell

did use those words. I should point out that the word pledge is down in

the police notes. That is why it is a tricky one. -- the word pleb.

feels like their dogs with bones here, they are not going to let go.

No, I think the opposition know that it would be a very high-

profile scalp if Andrew Mitchell did have to leave. David Cameron is

very reluctant to let go of him. He's only just reshuffled his

Cabinet. He put Andrew Mitchell in this key post precisely because he

was known as the kind of man who would enforced party discipline, so

that in itself is embarrassing because even if he did or did not

use this word, he nevertheless used a string of expletives against the

policeman. That is not in doubt. There for many people think it just

looks really bad and the best thing for him would be to quit before

this story snowballs into something much bigger about the British class

system. A search for three people missing in the Himalayas is

continuing. This is after an avalanche on Sunday. At least eight

people died in it. Their bodies have been recovered to Kathmandu.

Another five who were injured have also been airlifted to the capital.

They were all trying to get to the summit of a mountain when the

avalanche struck. At least nine people have been killed in eastern

India, this is after a stampede at a religious celebration. Eight

women and one man died after thousands of Hindu devotees are

that they didn't Deoghar district. Several other people were injured

and are being treated in hospital. The presidents of Sudan and South

Sudan are attending a key summit between the two of them in

neighbouring Ethiopia. The two countries clashed over bed dispute

border in April. This is less than a year after South Sudan succeeded.

The summit aims at finding agreement on many issues. The UN

has threatened both sides with sanctions if they don't reach a

comprehensive agreement. The former England football captain John Terry

has announced what he says is a heartbreaking decision to retire

from international competition. He said his position had become

untenable, as today he is appearing before the Football Association

accused of using racist language during a match. Terry was cleared

of criminal charges relating to this same incident back in July.

Richard Conway is at Wembley in north London. It all started last

October during that English Premier League game between Queens Park

Rangers and Chelsea. It has taken 11 months to get this point. There

has been a criminal trial in which John Kerry was found not guilty by

a magistrates' court of racially aggravated public order offences.

Perhaps his decision to retire from international football stems from

the fact that on being cleared by a criminal court, he perhaps thought

the Football Association, who are hearing his appeal against this

charge to Gade, would perhaps drop the matter. But this is seen in the

context of it being more akin to a professional misconduct hearing. It

doesn't have a lower burden of proof. It is not beyond reasonable

doubt that would be applied in a criminal court but a balance of

probabilities that would be applied to John Terry. The FA making it

clear they wish to proceed. John Terry, 12 hours before the start of

this hearing, making it clear his unhappiness with the FA for

continuing this process and deciding that he wants to retire

from international football. We've heard from Alex Horne, the general

secretary of the Football Association. He has been telling

reporters that he doesn't understand Terry's position, how he

can be considered untenable. He thinks that Roy Hodgson, the

manager, his trousers have now been limited. This hearing is scheduled

to last for around three days. We should get the result shortly after

that. But the era of John Terry in an England shirt is over. The Emmy

awards, TV' night of the year, have been taking place in Los Angeles.

The big winner was Homeland. It picked up four awards including

Best Drama, Best Actor and Best Actress. It is a psychological

thriller and it stopped Mad Men from making it into the record

books. We reflected that this was quite a night for Homeland. It got

the big award of the night, Best drama. And it walked off with the

two big acting prizes as well, Best Actor and Best Actress for Damian

Lewis and Claire Danes respectively. Somewhat eclipse the Mad Men. A lot

of people saying that Mad Men could be on course to break a record,

that this could be its fifth consecutive Emmy winner as best

drama. That was not to be the case. In fact, Homeland beat it out there.

They are similar in a sense, these series. They are both gritty dramas

on cable television. But what I think Homeland has perhaps over Mad

Men is that it is set in the modern era and it is a new a programme,

this is just its second series. It is slowly but surely building an

audience of to 3 million on cable, which is fairly small, but the Me

voters have always said that Gay Pride quality of programming over

popularity of programming. Dame Maggie Smith winning Best

Supporting actress, that was for Downton Abbey. Less gritty, more

period piece, but many people thought that was going to be a

British night of success but it didn't happen. They did. Downton

Abbey, which is hugely popular here, it is on public service television.

It was up for 16 awards. As far as the acting categories are concerned,

Maggie Smith winning in her category. I have to say, though,

the stars of Downton Abbey just seemed delighted to be here. One of

them, Hugh Bonneville, said that he'd eat his toll if he was to win

Best Actor tonight. I'm very glad to say that his tone remains intact.

But the popularity of Downton Abbey is such that he may not be making

such a claim next year round. prediction from David Willis, we

will hang on for a year and see if he was right. Just to remind you of

our main story, and that is that a former senior police chief in China

has been jailed for 15 years for covering up the murder of a British