29/01/2013 BBC World News

This is BBC World News. Our top stories:

French-led troops fighting is almostists in Mali face no

resistance as they recapture the historic town of Timbuktu. Egypt's

army chief warns the state could collapse if the political crisis

continues. A sobering tale from Afghanistan. We meet the six-year-

old girl sold into marriage to pay her father's debts.

And more on Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Who, after more than

30 years on the throne, has decided Britain is to send around 40

military advisers to the central African state of Mali. The British

Defence Minister will give more details soon, when he briefs MPs in

the House of Commons. Meanwhile, a force of mainly French

troops is consolidating its hold on the remote desert town of Timbuktu.

They took the town without firing a shot. They are now searching for

Islamists hiding inside the city. For the people of the fabled city,

it was relief, and joy, after months under the Islamists'

suppressive rule, they were free. French soldiers, alongside a few

Malian units moved into the town without firing a single shot. They

face nod resistance as they recaptured the city. As they

continued to sweep for mines and booby traps, the fear remains that

some rebels are still hiding out there. Some have melted away into

the surrounding desert and the troops know, tracking them down in

that vast area, will be a huge task. France insist the pan-African force

will take the lead soon but may well find itself on the frontline

of this operation for a long time yet. African forces are being

deployed to Mali, but slowly. Of the 7,000 troops promised, not even

half are in the country. Although Downing Street says there's still

no question of British forces taking on a combat role, there is

an offer of more help. Most likely in logistics, surveillance and

transport. A British contribution to an EU military training mission

is already being discussed. Talks about the numbers for that

operation will be held in Brussels today.

Officials in Somalia say at least two people have been killed and

dozens more wounded in a suicide bomb attack neither Prime

Minister's office. The bomber blew himself up in the compound in

Mogadishu, which houses the Presidential Palace. One of those

who died was a bodyguard for the Prime Minister.

Abdullahi Abdi is with the BBC's Somali Service and has been

watching developments from Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya.

Yes, the details we have is that the suicide bomber tried to reach

the office of the Somali Prime Minister. But those guiding the

premises stopped him and tried to check him. He blue himself up and

in the process a soldier was killed and the suicide bomber was killed

and several more wounded. This is a frtified area, the Presidential

Palace -- a frtified area. It is where the key premises of the Prime

Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament and key diplomatic

officers are placed. The head of the Egyptian military

has said that political conflict in the country could lead to the

collapse of the state. His comments come after five days of violent

were tests. Thousands of demonstrators defied a sur few on

Monday night it stage more protests against President Morsi. -- a

curfew. Our correspondent gave me this

update. It had been extremely tense for a few days here in Suez. This

is where the deadliest opposition protests to the President took

place last Friday. The nine people at least were killed then. Most of

them protesters, but also a security guard as well. And when

people said here - and we were with them yesterday - opposition people

said they were going to defy the first full night of curfew, there

really were worries of violence because the troops, the Egyptian

troops have been deployed here. We can see them all over Suez. But

when it happened and when we were out on the streets, as the curfew

passed, there were thousands of people but for the most part the

soldiers stood to the side and allowed them to protest. They were

chanting against the President. We are see similar protests in Port

Said and Ismailia. But we are hearing that while thousands defied

the curfew, it was peaceful. Brazilian authorities have now

arrested four people in connection with a nit club fire in which more

than 230 people died. -- nightclub fire. Two of the clubs owners have

been detained with two members of the band which was playing at a

mainly student venue. Now health of safety executives are investigating

safety rules in a country which is preparing to host the Olympics.

Another day of unfathomable grief. Families and friends of those who

died in Sunday's tragic nightclub fire gathered together to mourn.

The funeral here for a 36-year-old woman. A cash year who worked in

the club, and a mother of two. -- cashier. Her life cut short by a

preventable disaster. More than 60 victims of the fire were buried in

this cemetery alone on Monday. These people dressed in white are

volunteers. Doctors, nurses, psychologists, who came to offer

them support and help the families cope with the tragedy.

An investigation is under way to find out how the tragedy in the

Kiss nightclub happened and why so many people died while trying to

escape. I was dancing with my friends when

the music stopped My friend grabbed and pushed me and started shouting

"run, run." That's when the confusion started, people running

and stepping on each other. question of who is to blame for

this damage is becoming more insistent, as is the call for

improvements to Brazil's safety regulations. Meanwhile, the

nightclub has become a grim pilgrimage site. Residents visit it

throughout the day, wanting to see the damage with their own eyes,

trying to grasp that this really happened.

A British man who lives in Bali has been sentenced to six years in

prison for possessing cocaine. Julian Ponder, seen here arriving

at court, was arrested in May. He was cleared of drugs smuggling

charges, but now faces six years behind bars for the lesser charge

of possession. His case is linked to that of another British citizen,

grandmother Lindsay Sandiford who was sentenced to death for drug

smuggling just last week. Our correspondent was there. He says Mr

Pond her feared a tougher sentence. As the judges delivered their final

verdict Julian Ponder looked visibly relieved. Throughout the

course of the hearing and it took 45 minutes for the judges to go

through the various twists and turns of his case, you could see

the tension on his face. He was clenching his fists, gritting his

teeth and running his fingers through his hair, listening

intently to what his translator was telling him about what the judges

were reading out. But finally, after they delivered their verdict,

it became apparent that Julian Ponder was going to get six years

in prison for the possession of drugs. Now, remember, the

prosecution had actually asked for a seven-year sentence and $100,000.

This sentence, this lighter sentence comes on the back of

Lindsay Sandiford's death sentence last week where prosecutors had

asked for a 15-year prison term for Lindsay Sandiford. Many thought

perhaps there would be a precedent set and that Julian Pond weir get a

harsher sentence as well. -- Julian Ponder would get.

The Greek minister has told the BBC that this would be the last year of

recession in his country. Stuenstuenstuen has told the become

-- Yannis Stournaras has told the BBC's Athens' correspondent that

they are two-thirds to the way of reaching their target and the

chances of them being thrown out of the euro are very low. 2013

involves wage cuts, pensions cuts in the public sector, and certain

tax rises, so it is a difficult year. But from the point of view of

the markets, there is much more optimism. We have covered two-

thirds of the distance to the final target, which is a great

achievement, in the midst of a recession. So we have only one-

third left. Has the fear of default, an exit from the euro faded,

disappeared? The probablability of this happening now is very, very

small. We have managed to turn the economy around, yes. So, I'm very

optimistic that we have avoided the risk of Grexit. Do you want - are

you pushing for European countries to forgive, to write-off a portion

of Greek debt? I would welcome a reduction of the level of debt. But

I do not want to inflict to our peer countries damages, so this

should happen in a which that minimises the loss of the counter-

parties. We started 2012 talking about Grexit. We are starting 2013

talking about Brexit, Britain's potential exit from the European

Union. How would you feel if Britain were to leave the EU?

Britain belongs to Europe, politically, financially and from a

cultural point of view. I think, all in all, that it would be a

grave mistake if Britain decides to get out of Europe. Would Greece

accept Britain trying to renegotiate some terms of

membership to get a looser relationship with the European

Union? No, that would open Pandora's Box. Everybody would like

to do the same. That would spell the end of it. The end of the

European Union. The Greek Finance Minister talking to our

correspondent Mark lowen. Now what would drive a family to

sell a six-year-old girl into marriage? Every year hundreds of

young girls in Afghanistan become child brides. The practice is

illegal and something that generally happens in rural areas.

But, it does happen, even in the of a begun capital, Kabul. Thousands

of people have moved to makeshift camps there to try to escape the

fighting else where. Our reporter first visited the camps a month ago.

Now he's returned to meet a family who've decided to sell their six-

year-old daughter as a child bride. For the 10,000 people living in

Camp Kumbar winter is a time of misery. Last year 26 children died

here. This year four people have become the latest victims of the

cold. I visited the camp a month ago to

talk to a man who has been living here for the last five years.

Taj Mohammed fled to escape the fighting. Earlier this month his

four-year-old son diefpltd now life is even worse for the family. --

died. Poverty has forced him into a painful decision. TRANSLATION:

story is I owed people $2,500, so I sold them my daughter. They wanted

to take her more me now. She's only a child.

The six-year-old has been sold as a bride. She's now engaidged and will

be taken in a year unless her family can find the money to delay

the marriage until she is 14. Transrapbz When we arranged the

marriage, the children told her - your father has sold you. She

started crying. She didn't say yes or no. She doesn't understand. She

started crying and left the room. She was just a baby when she came

to this camp. She told me she likes going to school, playing and

spending time with friends. This is the man who bought her, to

marry his 16-year-old son. The deal is illegal but has been approved by

tribal elders. TRANSLATION: It is illegal. The

Government doesn't allow it but I consulted the tribal elders and

this is their decision. Like her grandmother before her,

she will be a child bride. Across the generations, their Afghanistan

is unchanged. A young girl's fate is sealed. Her

future traded away. A distressing story there from

Afghanistan. More on the website and the rest of the news today.

Stay with us on BBC World News. Coming up: we take a road trip with

some very dedicated Ghanaian if the ball fans.

Caterpillar. Stkpwhroo do you know what, I've had something to eat

today already, thank you very much. And find out if our correspondent

manages to resist those fried cat pit ass?

First a heatwave now torrential rain has brought severe flooding to

parts of the Australia. In the worst-affected town, helicopter and

boat crews were called in to rescue more than 100 people stranded on

rooftops. The flooding has been caused by a tropical cyclone. This

a beach in New South Wales where beach-goers are enjoying the

This time the muddy waters are even higher than two years ago. We are

expecting a minimum of 9.5 metres coming through the river.

waters are fast-moving and fast- rising. These are the most

treacherous of conditions. Over 2000 properties have now been

flooded. 750 people have been forceded -- 7,500 people have been

forced to leave homes. Helicopter crews had to rescue almost 100

people stranded on roof-tops who had no other means of escape.

Transport Transport planes from the Australian defence force have been

brought in to airlift out patients at the city's hospital. At least

the state capital, Brisbane, looks to have been spared the worst of

the floods, with a river peaking at a lower level than anticipated.

Still, it was here that a fourth person lost their life as a result

of the wild weather. A three-year- old boy who suffered head injuries

after being struck by a falling tree.

The weather system has now moved south affecting northern New South

Wales, a state which has been battling massive bushfires. This

town is worst hit, where levees are struggling to contain the Clarence

River. Residents have been ordered to evacuate in low lying areas. Two

kwraoebgs ago much -- weeks ago much of the state was sweltering.

Now it's been hit by some of the heaviest rain. It's been estimated

thousands have been isolated by the flood waters. Australia's extreme -

- climates are being experienced to the full.

This is BBC World News. The headlines: French-led troops

fighting Islamists in Mali have retaken the historic city of

Timbuktu without a single shot being fired.

The head of the Egyptian military has said political conflict in the

country could lead to the collapse of the state.

Within a day of Queen Beatrix announcing plans to and by indicate,

all eyes have turned to the future King's glamorous wife, Maxima. Who

is she? Meet Maxima, a Royal expected to rival the UK's Kate in

the glamour stakes with some websites already comparing her to

popstar Britney Spears and others celebrating her style. The future

Queen has a controversial past. Her father was a member of the

Argentinian cabinet during the country's dirty war. Though he has

never been charged, at the Royal wedding in 2002 he was not on the

guest list. Back in Argentina today, though, Maxima is making headlines.

One of our representatives in the world at this level in the

hierarchy, I love it. Truthfully, I don't feel it's very relevant here.

It doesn't influence anything, absolutely nothing. If it helps

foreign relations, well that's good. But I feel it's totally irrelevant.

Maxima is one of the few Royals to openly support gay rights. She used

to work as a banker in New York and is fluent in Dutch, English and

Spanish. She met her husband at a Spanish Festival, apparently she

had no idea he was a Prince. The couple have three girls. Their

eldest will become heir apparent. In her and by and -- and by

indication speech the Queen said he was ready to become King. The

surprise announcement came a few days before her 75th birthday.

Already it's generating talk of a Royal domino effect with other

Europeans asking how long before their monarchs give way to future

generations? A celebration of the first King to

rule the kingdom of the Netherlands in more than a century.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is to be given a multi-million-dollar

facelift and the luxury fashion house Fendi is footing the bill.

It's not the first time big business has rescued Italy's

artistic treasures. Our Rome correspondent, Alan Johnston has

the story. The Fendi fashion house has its

roots in Rome and it seems delighted to be involved in the

effort to restore the huge fountain which has a cast of marble figures

and horses crashing through sparkling waters. Fendi's creative

director, the designer Karl Lagerfeld said the Trevi was as

much a symbol of Rome as the Colosseum. It's a symbol of Rome

like Colosseum or St St Peters and I am happy we can all help to do, I

am happy to photograph the fountain to make a book about that called

The Glory of Water. In fact, they are there to glorify water.

There's been growing concern about the state of the fountain. In

recent months, chunks of stone have fallen away. The city council says

that support from the private sector for restoration work is

essential, that without it there wouldn't be the money to save

Italy's rich cultural heritage. A jeans company is already funding

renovation of a bridge in Venice. A luxury shoe-maker plans to pour

tens of millions of dollars into the restoration of the Colosseum.

But some conservationists are uneasy about turning to big

business like this. They fear that buildings that are symbols of

national pride might be degraded by advertisements for the firms that

have come to their aid. In the case of Fendi's Trevi Fountain project,

for four years after its finished a small plaque at the site will

express the city of Rome's gratitude for the work done by the

fashion house. Some news coming in to us from

Syria. The Syria Observatory for Human Rights says the bodies of

dozens of young men all executed have been found in a river in a

rebel zone of Syria's Aleppo city. A rebel Free Syrian aoerpl Captain

-- arm Captain says -- army Captain says bodies are being dragged from

the water. Opposition members saying a number of young men all

seem to have been killed there. We've seen pictures from Mali of

people cheering troops as they re- take Timbuktu. But they have also

been cheering in Mali because their football team are through to the

quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Ghana has

also qualified for the quarter- finals, after their final Group B

games this Monday. Mali came second in the group, after a 1-1 draw with

Democratic Republic of Congo. Damian Johnson was at the match in

Durban. Here in Durban Mali are through to

the quarter-finals, finishing second in their group after a draw.

They fell behind to a penalty but equalised. 1-1 was enough to take

them through to a game against the hosts South Africa here in Durban

at the weekend. The other game in this group, Ghana comfortably went

through and they face Cape Verde. Plenty of football on Tuesday.

Slowly but surely the line-up for the quarter-finals of the 29th

African Cup of Nations starting to take shape.

Ahead of Zambia's final group stage game against Burkina Faso, Peter

Okwoche has met up with a group of travelling fans of the defending

champions. He's been finding just how far some people have to travel

to follow their teams. The distances fans have to travel

at this Cup of Nations is mind- boggling. I have come from Port

Elizabeth to here, around 1,000 kilometres. To give you an idea of

what it's like to be a travelling fan I have hitched a ride with

these guys, supporters of Zambia. They're going to take us to the

stadium for the next group game. Hello guys. Nice to meet you. How

far have you travelled to get here? We travelled kilometres and

kilometres from Zambia, coming over here, it's taken us two days and

two nights. Two days?! That's amazing. What have have you been

eating on the way? Traditional Saddam byian Tradition -- Zambian

food. Maybe you can take a test. This is caterpillar. You know what,

I have had some today already, thank you very much! It's nice,

take something. Don't worry about it. Two days, how did you entertain

yourself? Music, like you can see there's music there playing on the

bus. And we have been singing. Maybe we show you how we sing. Go

We have arrived at the stadium. I have spoken to the head of the fans.

Let me speak to the guys themselves. How do you think your guys have

been performing? Like champions so far. We are going straight to the

quarter-finals. I have asked this question of the fans. I am going to

ask you, do you think they can retain the trophy? All the way. We

are in the quarter-finals. Our top story: In the last few

minutes a conference of African leaders has pledged more than $450

million towards a operation in Mali. They had been wanting around double