26/10/2012 BBC World News

More than 40 dead as a suicide bomber attacks a mosque at the

start of the Eid holiday. Syria's ceasefire under strain amid

protests in major cities and reports of fierce clashes in the

North. Belgian police confirm a British oil executive has been shot

dead in Brussels in an assassination-style killing.

Welcome to BBC World News. Also in this programme: Relatives of the

Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousufzai, have visited her in

hospital here in the UK. She got the right treatment at the right

place at the right time. Under pressure from shareholders. The

In Afghanistan, a suicide bomber has killed at least 41 people

outside a mosque in the northern province of Faryab. Dozens of other

people were injured in the attack, which happened as people were

gathering at the mosque in Maymana to celebrate the holiday of Eid al-

Adha. Top provincial officials were reported to be inside the building

when the bomber set off his explosives outside but were not

among those hurt. In his Eid address to the nation, Afghan

President Hamid Karzai urged Taliban insurgents to stop killing

other Afghans. Our correspondent in Kabul gave us more details on the

attack. There are some reports the suicide attacker was wearing a

police uniform. The serious question for the Afghan national

security forces remain, by did he manage to breach several layers of

security? The mosque is only 50 metres away from the provincial

governors and -- office. It is a well-known mosque. In the last hour

or so, we have been told that 14 civilians were among 41 people

killed as a result of the attack and more than 50 were injured, some

of them in very critical conditions. What of the senior figures who were

there? Was anyone hurt? According to the deputy provincial governor,

people were inside the mosque distributing money to the poor and

needy when the attack took place. He thinks the target was the police

chief of the province or any other senior official. He was also making

it very clear it was very difficult to set each and every person.

According to him, more than 500 people attended prayers in this

specific mosque. He did not hide the fact there was a serious

security breach. He said there was a lot of intelligence the day

before suggesting insurgents wanted to carry out an attack like this.

An investigation will find out more about all of those details. Despite

the start of a ceasefire in Syria today, there are reports of clashes

around a military base in the north. It is the first major violation of

the ceasefire which was agreed over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Anti-regime protests have also taken place in a number of towns

and cities, including the province of Deraa. It is believed that three

people were injured as police fired live rounds to disperse

demonstrators. James Reynolds is on the Turkey-Syria border. I asked

him the scale of the demonstrations. At the moment, we have not been

given precise figures. If people out demonstrating, they're wanting

to test out the ceasefire to see if it is more peaceful to make their

demands heard. We have heard about clashes in a tan in the north of

Syria along the Aleppo to Damascus highway. That is important. One

report from Damascus suggests that three of four people may have been

killed by a tank or sniper fire. We have been on the border for about

15 minutes. We have heard a number of scattered explosions and the

echo of automatic fire across the valley here. We are about two or

three miles into Syria. Even in Turkey, we can hear the sound of

war inside Syria. It is very difficult to know what impact that

might have on a ceasefire, given the disparate nature of so many of

these rebel groups anyway. Yes. I think it is almost very difficult

to call it a ceasefire at the moment - perhaps a promised

ceasefire would be more accurate. The Syrian Embassy has said it will

obey the truce but many think it will be hard for it to take place.

It says it will respond if there are any attacks. The rebels do not

have a unified single chain of command. Not when Commander says

stop fighting and they put down their weapons. -- one commander. It

is much more complicated than that. There soon will be only two women

running companies in the FT-SE 100. The chief executive of Anglo

American, Cynthia Carroll, has stepped down. She has been boss of

the one of the world's biggest mining firms for more than five

years. But, in recent months, Ms Carroll has come under pressure

from investors over the poor performance of the company's shares.

Since she took over, Anglo shares have lost a third of their value.

Some analysts have criticised the firm for being too dependent on

South Africa where recent strikes have hampered production. Paul

Renken is a mining analyst for VSA Capital. He explained what big

shareholders wanted from Ms Carroll. Heard doing a more -- hers doing

more to deal transactions and leading to more had to the outside

of South Africa, to avoid some of the things that have happened now.

She went into Brazil and had a major project in Rio. She was doing

that. She has been trying to get outside of South Africa. It comes

down to the speed of the accomplishments. Perhaps the

impression is that it was not fast enough given the macro economic

environment. There was a lack of confidence in the share price.

about what she has achieved? thing she stepped into when she

came into the business is that the accident frequency within South

Africa, among their minds, was almost twice what it is now. --

mines. She has done a good job of reducing the number of accidents

and fatalities in mines in South Africa. It was extremely important

for them to have the solid footing they have in production rates in

South Africa. It would have created some large problems for them at

this point in time if they have not done that. Will President Obama get

a last-minute boost to his re- election hopes this Friday? He has

two more opportunities to do so. In a few hours time the US Department

of Commerce releases its first estimate of economic growth for the

three months to September. It is the last major reading on the US

economy before the election on November 6th. Samira Hussain has

In this factory in New Jersey, there is plenty of activity. We'd

do everything from Cabinet treat to architectural pieces. Everything is

done right here. Engineers make the designs and skilled workers create

finished products. There is very little sawdust on the floor. Much

of the work is done by machines. This is what modern woodworking

looks like. Manufactures like this have shown surprising strength.

have built on quality manufacturing. We have lost it in the past decade.

Americans realise that loss is difficult to swallow. Everybody

cannot make money in the service industry. Making things is what

generates income for a nation. Making things is what pulled this

country at of a recession. Exports are languishing and businesses are

pulling back. Those factors will be reflected in Friday's GDP numbers.

There are plenty of challenges ahead. The most likely outcome for

the US economy is a continued sub par growth performance. There are

plenty of risks and opportunities on the up and down sides.

upside, recent housing numbers suggest the economy will show some

strength but not enough to push the US beyond a lukewarm recovery. With

the DU -- with the US jobs report due next week, they will be paying

close attention to the last set of economic data. Despite the

uncertainty ahead, this factory owner remains optimistic.

Manufacturing will find a rebirth in America. President Obama hopes

more American share that optimism when they go to the voting booth.

quick look at some of the other business news. And Spain's

unemployment rate hit yet another record high in the three months to

September. The jobless rate rose to 25% from 24.6% in the second

quarter. Analysts say labour reforms have made it easier to

dismiss workers and a worsening recession has made jobs even more

scarce. South Korean tech giant Samsung has posted record quarterly

profits. Strong sales of Galaxy smart phones helped boost net

profit to almost $6 billion in the July to September quarter. That is

nearly double the same period last year. Research firm IDC estimates

it sold 58 million smartphones in the three months to September -

twice as many as US rival Apple. Apple made profits of $8.22 billion

in the three months to September, up some 24% on the same period last

year but less than analysts were hoping. Sales of the current iPad

have been hit by consumers holding out for the new mini version, which

Anglo American shares are really benefiting from the news of the

stepping down of the chief Relatives of the Pakistani

schoolgirl who were shot by the Taliban have been able to visit her

in hospital in the UK. The 15-year- old were shot in the head earlier

in the month. That was because of her campaigning for girls' rights

to education. She is being treated in Birmingham because the care was

not available in Pakistan. A short while ago, her father gave the

response -- this response. doctor told you about her health.

She is improving with encouraging speed. We are very happy. I will

tell a few more things. When she fell, I mean, the person who

attacked her wanted to kill her. She will rise again. She can stand

now. When she fell, Pakistan's did. -- Pakistan's stood. This is a

turning point. That is why I am thankful to all the people all over

the world. Regardless of faith, creed, country, age, sex. Everyone

across the world has condemned the attack in strong words and they

have prayed for my daughter. relieved and very emotional father.

Stay with us on BBC World news. Much more still to come. As we

heard earlier, Spanish unemployment figures have just come out at 25% -

just Ovett in fact. In some regions, it is as high as one in three

people without a job. In one of the poorest regions, in the south-west,

the situation is particularly bad. Very few people live in these flats.

They are a product of the Spanish property boom. Others, on the same

development, I'll call it off and empty. This was where they were

going to build a school. -- are cornered off. This region is where

the hangover from the Spanish construction bubble is being

acutely felt. Take this come -- company. They employed 180 people

five years ago. Now have 10 people work here. If the firm, which makes

the metal foundations for buildings, fails to get another contract in

the next few weeks, they will have to close. The Government has not

just cut investment in building. This business receives public money

to train the unemployed. In four years, the income from the regional

government has dropped by half. The Government cuts are increasingly

unpopular. They are hard felt in his region. One in four people in

Spain are out of work. In this region, it is one in three. Because

the public sector is so important for the economy, austerity and the

cuts to government spending mean Iraq even fewer jobs and less money

If Spain is to ask for a second bail-out, there will be more cuts

on the way. And we have had the occasional rough landing and take-

off in our times, but look at this. This is just frightening. It is a

Russian aircraft taken -- taken off from the Siberian town. The runway

is right on the banks of the victim river which has clearly spilled,

and that is the mother as a result. The good news is it does actually

get off safely -- and that is the mud all there. This is BBC World

News. The headlines: In Afghanistan, 41 people have now died after a

suicide bomb attack at a mosque in the northern province of Faryab. A

ceasefire in Syria for the Muslim holiday of Eid, but there are

already reports of protests and A British oil executive has been

shot dead in Belgium in an assassination-style killing. It

happened in Brussels two weeks ago but details are only just emerging

now, because of a news blackout. The victim, Nicholas Mockford,

worked for Exxon Mobil and he was shot as he left a restaurant with

his wife. Police in Brussels say they initially thought the shooting

was part of an attempted car- jacking.

China is blocking a report from the New York Times which claims that

Prime Minister Wen Jiabo's family amassed almost $3 billion since

he's been in office. Meanwhile, disgraced politician Bo Xilai has

been expelled from Parliament. He will now face criminal charges of

corruption, abuse of power and perversion of justice in connection

with his wife's murder of a British businessman. The BBC's Martin

Patience reports from Beijing. He was one of China's most powerful

and charismatic politicians, but now stripped of immunity from

prosecution, he faces the prospect of jail. Chinese state TV announced

he had been expelled from Parliament, paving the way for

charges. It is a remarkable fall from grace for a man who had once

been tipped as one of China's future leaders. The political

scandal broke after the politicians police chief try to attack the

consulates in February. It was said that his wife had murdered Neil

Hayward, the British businessman. For once there was no word of Mr

Bo's fate, but now he is likely to face several charges, including

corruption. The Chinese premier has been outspoken on the issue. He has

warned that corruption poses the greatest threat to the roar of the

Communist Party. But the New York Times has alleged that the

Premier's own relatives have amassed huge fortunes while he has

been in power. The newspaper Web site is now blocked in China, but

the allegations are likely to damage a leader who has cultivated

an image as a man of the people. China will start installing new

leaders in just two weeks. It was supposed to be a smooth process,

but instead it has been marred by scandal and damaging revelations

Two Iranian dissidents have won the prestigious Sakharov human rights

prize which is awarded by the European Parliament. Film-maker

Jafar Panahi, seen here, and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh have been

recognised for their work to promote human rights and democratic

values. Sotoudeh is currently serving an 11-year sentence in Iran.

Panahi is free but faces a six-year sentence and has been banned from

making any more films. Bethany Bell joins me from Strasbourg in France.

Bethany, what was the explanation and justification for awarded the

prize to these two? -- awarding the prize. The President of the

European Parliament said the decision to award the prize to

these two people was a unanimous one. It has been seen very much as

support for the fight for human rights in Iran. It was one lawyer

who is in prison at the moment, and she represented opposition

activists after the disputed 2009 presidential elections in Iran. And

also to the film-maker. He won the Golden Camera in 1995 for his film

the white Balloon. His films have given a humanistic portrayal of

Iran. He is currently under house arrest and his latest film, a

documentary he made in 2011, had to be smuggled out of Iran on a USP

At least 20 people are now known to have been killed by Hurricane Sandy

as it swept across the Caribbean. It's currently raging across the

Bahamas and American forecasters are warning much of the US East

Coast could soon be hit. Florida is already under a tropical storm

warning. James Kelly has the latest. I'm joined here in the studio by

the BBC's weather presenter, Sarah Keith-Lucas. We are told the

Bahamas, it has certainly been on the rampaged they, how much to

come? It is still a lingering around the Bahamas and it will

bring torrential rain and the next 12 hours. It is weakening a little

bit. It is not a category to Hurricane and it has been

downgraded. But it will push very slowly northwards. It is slowing

down and lingering around the Bahamas but over the next couple of

days you can see the storm of moving in a northerly direction.

Very strong winds struck -- swirling around. The eastern coast

of Florida is next in the firing line, then through the Carolinas

and into next week it has its eye on places like New York and Boston.

We could see some very Severe weather as it bumps into cold air

towards the north-east state. nice climax to the election

campaign. That will not help to get the voters out. Give us an idea for

this hurricane season, has it been average? It has actually been very

active. Hurricane Sandeep is the 18th storm of the seasoned --

hurricane that Sandy. The hurricane season runs right to the end of

November, so it's likely the next five weeks we could see yet more

tropical storms. We could get to the end of the alphabet.

Archaeologists in Guatemala so they have found one of the oldest Mahan

tombs ever discovered. It is said to be the tomb of a religious

leader who lived 2000 years ago. Carbon-dating indicates the tomb

was built between 407 hundred BBC - - BC. They are hoping that it will

shed more light on the formative years of the culture. Experts say

the rich array of jade articles in the tomb could also provide clues

about production and trade patterns. A famous London landmark,

commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria,

has been sold off for just under $100 million. Developers are hoping

to turn it into a luxury hotel. More from our reporter, Adam

Fleming. If it is a royal occasion, it's got to be Admiralty Arch.

Built a century ago to one of Queen Victoria it is also been the

housing for the Navy's top brass, offices for civil servants and,

briefly, a homeless shelter. Another government has sown the 99

year lease to a property firm who will turn it into a high-end Hotel

and Apartments. To mark the occasion we were given rare access.

The view is stunning. Nelson, on one side, Buckingham Palace on the

other. Inside, more Civil Service drabber than five-star luxury. Them

new owners have had to satisfy English Heritage but they will look

after it architecturally and the governed had to give the go-ahead

in terms of security, and Buckingham Palace has had a say as

well. So far, there is no planning permission or an opening date, but

the deal is earning the government �60 million as they tried to reduce

their property bill. The main purpose with reorganising the

property is to get out of under- used properties. In Bristol we

discovered that central government occupies 115 different buildings,

which is insane. And they are throwing this in for free, a bronze

nose stuck to a building by the artist, that the developers say

they will keep. -- an artist. Breaking news coming from Delhi.

This is from the AFP news agency, saying that the Indian foreign

minister has resigned, according to senior government ministers. The

foreign minister has resigned, said an official at the Ministry, and a

scheduled visit to lay-offs has been cancelled. He was meant to

accompany the Prime Minister. So it seems that India's foreign minister