05/02/2013 BBC World News

$:/STARTFEED. Hello. This is BBC World News. Our top

stories: The first prosecution witness has been giving evidence in

the trial of five men accused of raping and killing a medical

student in Delhi. A five-year-old boy is rescued after being held

hostage for nearly a week in an underground bunker in the US state

of Alabama. The US Government says it will sue

credit rating agency Standard & Poor for its part in the global

financial crisis. And fans are warming up for the final stages of

$:/STARTFEED. The trial of five men accused of the gang rape and murder

of a young woman in Delhi has begun hearing from the first of 80

prosecution witnesses. The case has been fast-tracked following a

national outcry in India about the treatment of women. Key testimony

will come from the victim's male friend who was with her when she

was attacked. She arrived in court in a wheelchair. All five

defendants have pleaded not guilty, the sixth is too young to be tried

in an adult court. Our The first person to take the stand

was the friend of the victim. His testimony is critical. It was him

who provided the early statements to the police, based on which they

arrested the five men now being tried for her rape and murder. 13

charges in all, including gang rape, murder, destruction of evidence and

criminal conspiracy. Now, several other witnesses will take the stand

in the days to come, including key police officers who were at the

scene of the crime, forensic experts, as well as doctors who

treated the woman here in Delhi and Singapore in a last-ditch attempt

to save her life. This comes against the background of many

protests and also the Government trying to respond by changing the

law but still complaints that not enough is being done? That's right.

Ever since the attack, especially after the woman died of her

injuries two weeks after she was assaulted on board the bus here in

Delhi, we have had massive, massive reaction in the way of protests

taking place, not just from activists, but many normal people

taking to the streets very angry at what happened, not just seeking

justice in this case, but as you rightly pointed out, focusing on

how women in India are treated. Over the weekend, the Government

passed a new anti-rape law signed by the President which means it's

already come into fef ect. Under this law, anyone convicted of gang

rape or rape ago minor will face a minimum punishment of prison and in

extreme cases... FBI agents have stormed an

underground bunker in Alabama finally putting an end to a six-day

stand-off in which a Vietnam War veteran's been holding a five-year-

old boy hostage. Jimmy Lee Dykes kidnapped the boy, known as Ethan.

He took the child to an underground bunker at his home after shooting

the bus driver dead. Negotiations deteriorated. Law enforcement

officers stormed the bunker, rescuing the boy and killing his

attacker in the process. Jane Little has the details.

A seven-day stand-off came to an abrupt end when the FBI stormed an

underground bunker here in rural Alabama. Officers raided the bunker

and rescued the boy within seconds after negotiations with his captor,

Jimmy Lee Dykes broke down. Dykes was confirmed dead though no

details were given. The boy, known only as Ethan, was described as

physically unharmed and was taken to a local hospital.

Ethan's ordeal began last Tuesday when Dykes boarded his school bus

and demanded two boys between the ages of six and eight.

The driver, chuck Poland, blocked his path and was shot dead. Dykes

then grabbed Ethan. The 65-year-old Vietnam veteran was

described by neighbours as an angry man who patrolled his property with

a gun. He was facing a court case for threatening neighbours and was

said by one to have Bean beaten her dog to death.

During the siege, negotiators kept talking to Dykes and he allowed

them to pass toys, food and medicine through a ventilation pipe.

Ethan is said to have Asperger's Syndrome.

Over the past 24 hours, our communications with the subject had

deteriorated and we were certainly concerned for the safety of the

child. I can tell you that I've been to the hospital, I have

visited with Ethan. He's doing fine. He's laughing, joking, playing,

eating. The things that you would expect a normal five or six-year-

old young man to do. Vigils were held each day at night

for him. Birthday cards were made for him, it's iz sixth birthday on

Wednesday and now there is cause for celebration -- his sixth

birthday on Wednesday. The US Government plans to sue the

influential ratings agency Standard & Poors over the credit crunch five

years ago. It's accusing the highly respected financial institution of

avoiding triple-A status to mortgage bonds which it knew

weren't a safe investment. The credit crunch and subsequent

financial downturn were triggered by a crisis in so-called subprime

mortgages. Stocks in credit ratings agencies

plunged following the news that the US Government intends to take

action against one of them. For the first time since the 2008 financial

crisis. The key function of ratings

agencies is to assess the credit worthiness of bonds so that

investors know where it's safe to put their money. But the US Justice

Department alleges that Standard & Poors improperly gave high ratings

to some mortgage-backed securities. They then plunged in value, helping

trigger the 2008 financial crash and the global economic problems

that followed. Standard & Poor say they regret some of their ratings

failed to meet the conditions in the mortgage market during that

tumultuous time but that a Department of Justice lawsuit would

be entirely without factual or legal merit.

The lawsuit would bring civil, rather than criminal charges,

against the agency, but if eventually found guilty, Standard &

Poors could face fines and limits on how it does business.

It's unclear why regulators are focusing on Standard & Poor's, but

this case could set a precedent of Government action against other

major Wall Street players. Bangladesh's real jous party says

it will protest against a tribunal which convicted one of its leaders

of war crimes. Abdul Quader Mollah was jailed for atrocities carried

with the Pakistani Army more than 40 years ago. His party, Jamaat-e-

Islami, says the party is politically motivated.

Our correspondent is in Dhaka where he's been following the case. The

international crimes trubyuenl set up by the Bangladesh government has

found Mr Abdul Quader Mollah, the senior leader of the Jamaat-e-

Islami, guilty of mass murder. He's been sentenced to life in prison

for the crimes he committed in 1971. The courtroom was packed with

observers, lawyers and media, as the judge read out the verdict. Mr

Abdul Quader Mollah shouted slogans against the judge as and when the

judgment was read out. This trial's divided the nation. The main

opposition Nationalist Party describes this as a short trial and

the ruling party was carrying out political - however, the Government

says there are many families in Bangladesh who want answers for

what really happened in 1971. Official estimates say more than

three million people were killed during the war. That's why the

Government here set up this International Crimes Tribunal in

2010 to try those Bangladeshis accused of collaborating with

Pakistani forces and carrying out atrocities. The supporters of

Jamaat-e-Islami have been holding violent protests for the last few

months, demanding the release of the leaders and also they warn that

the trial could be stopped as more witnesses are expected in the

coming months, there is concern that it could lead to more violence.

Stay with us. Coming up on BBC World News. Smile for the camera.

We will report from the Oscar nominees traditional lunch in

Beverly Hills two weeks before the big night.

Now, they were branded Ireland's fallen women from single mothers to

victims of abuse. Thousands were sent to wash away their sins in

institutions run by nuns. The Magdalene Laundrys claim to have

been been helping troubled girls, instead they were forced to work

without pay and held without their consent. An official report reveals

how much successive Irish Governments knew. This report from

Dublin. This is how life in the magistrate la din Laundrys was

presented to the outside world -- Magdalene laundry. The reality was

different. Some fell pregnant, often through abuse, others were

simply recruited for their labour. Everyone was taken from me, my name,

my rights as a child to play with other children outside, my rights

to communicate with others. forgotten corners of Irish

cemeteries lay the few memorials to the thousands of women who lived,

worked and often died in the labour laundrys of Ireland. They were

nicknamed the Magdalenes, often portrayed as prostitutes, when in

reality they were anything but. Patricia's sister-in-law was never

told why she was taken. She was effectively kidnapped in so far as

she was driven by a policeman under false pretences to do 20 years of

effective slavery and incarceration. The report will concentrate on what

the authorities knew about what was really happening. The state was

involved in numerous respects. They were not only sending in girls and

women through the courts, through mother and baby homes, they were

also ignoring the fact that these women were kept, there was no

follow-up to see if they were released. Vital to the victims is

recognition that they didn't deserve to be imprisoned.

Members of Cambodia's Royal Family have scattered the ashes of the

late person who died. It was his cremation in Phnom Penh yesterday -

- King Norodom Sihanouk. The former King, a towering President during

the six decades of his nation's history died of a heart attack at

the age of 89 in Beijing in October This is BBC World News. The latest

headlines for you: The first prosecution witness has

started to give evidence in the trial of five men accused of raping

and killing a medical student on a bus in Delhi. A five-year-old boy

held hostage for a week has been freed unharmed after police killed

his captor in the US state of Alabama.

Now, British mms gets their first chance to vote later today on

whether to legalise gay marriage. - - British MPs. Reports suggest more

than 100 of David Cameron's MPs are opposed to it that they may vote

against. Now to Paris, because there's been issues there, protests

for and against new legislation on the same subject. First of all the

debate closer to home with our Political Correspondent, nay Joe

mist grimly. -- Mayo mist Grimley. The -- Naomi

Grimley. It's thought when this vote takes place, as many as 100

MPs from David Cameron's Conservative Party might rebel

against his wishes. That's because they're traditionalists and believe

that marriage should, strictly speaking, be between a man and a

woman. They don't buy David Cameron's argument that extending

it to all couples would help stabilise society.

Hugh sew field in Paris, we have seen people on the streets of Paris

-- Schofield. On this issue, how widely is this felt to be of real

concern? It's a very devisive issue and the fact that we are in the

middled of a marathon two weeks of debates in Parliament with special

weekend sittings and late-night sits and very venomous language

from both sides in the chamber shows how devisive and sensitive

the issue is. There are some differences with Britain, but

broadly it's a similar kind of debate which divides the country

down the middle. The differences are that in Britain you have a

split in the Conservative Party but here in France, it's pretty much a

left-right ding dong, the left and ruling left are behind the measure

to extend marriage to gays and adoption rights to gays and broadly

speaking, the centre right is against it. In Parliament, we'll

seek a very, very bitter Parliamentary battle going ahead

last week and lasting for another week to come -- see a very, very

bitter Parliamentary battle. this believed to be a moral

principle or is this politics because David Cameron's trying to

position to reformers who want to take on the right-wing of his own

party? He's inCesc tent that he believes this in his heart of

hearts and he says that it's a moral issue about modern equality.

Of course, it does help him as well because he's always tried to define

himself as a moderniser in a traditional party. So he believes

he can afford to have this row with his own MPs because he believes

that in future, the British public just won't worry about this, indeed

the polls suggest that broadly people are in favour. Here in

France, is there a sense that the changes are going to come at some

point down the track? We have seen the debate in other parts of the

People look back at the movement for civil partnership which is

started in France 15 years ago. They happened and there was not a

huge social crisis afterwards. The centre-right, the opposition, would

say at some point you have to say too much. We are tankering with

ancient institutions and it is dangerous. The centre-right would

also argue there is a certain degree of deception in what the

Government is doing, because there's been removed from this Bill

other aspects far more controversial, such as the right

for assisted child driverry, sperm donors and they will say there'll

be these other step which is are not included in the Bill for

political reasons. Thank you both very much indeed.

A week after the horrific fire which killed 237 people in Brazil,

the university where most of them studied has reopened. Santa Maria

University says it will now build a memorial to those who died in the

fire at a local nightclub. Alpa Patel reports. Most walked in

silence. Some carried signs. All grieving for the friends they have

lost. The first day back was never going to be easy. Most of those

killed in the fire over a week ago were students from this university.

This mother of a university student says they are crying, they are too

young to be hurting. As they gathered in prayer they remembered

their friends. One professor here lost more than 15 students from his

class. TRANSLATION: It is a semester which will end in a very

unusual way. We will have to work very hard at being flexible and

introduce alternative activities so we can remember the people that

passed away in a positive way, and what they represented to the

university with their dreams for the future and their willingness to

grow. The blaze was one of the deadliest in Brazil's history. And

it has brought the safety of public buildings into sharp focus.

Hundreds of places have been temporarily closed for not

complying with safety rules. Brazil is working hard to restore

confidence. But it seems the damage caused by this fire may take some

time to repair. To football now, and preparations

are getting under way for the semifinals of the Africa Cup of

Nations on Wednesday. Focus on Africa's Peter Okwoche has been to

Durban's beach zone to find out what Mali fans think of their

forthcoming match against Nigeria. Out, out, in. We all thought Ghana

would make the semifinals. There are two other teams still in it.

Mali the third best team in Africa, and my side, Nigeria. There is an

old saying that says know thine enemy. I'm about to meet some Mali

fans to find out what they are all about.

It is nice to see the competition still alive and well.

I knew they would be here. It's the Mali fans chilling on the beach.

You guys had better pack your bags and go home. My friend, do you

honestly believe that the Eagles of Mali can defeat the Eagles of

Nigeria? We can beat them, we can wipe them 3-06789 my friend, I

think you are wasting your time in South Africa. We shall see on

Wednesday, good luck. Bon chance. Those guys are clearly nuts and

have no idea what they are talking about, but before I meet them again

at the semifinals I have to head across town for one final piece of

business. One of the problems that the organisers of this competition

have faced is the state of the pitchs. Some of them are truery

awful, so I'm here at the moetzs Stadium to -- Moetzs Stadium to --

Moses stadium to find out what the pitch is like. I'm a man in a hurry

and the guys have told me this is the best way to inspect the pitch.

3, 2, 1 go! No, don't let anyone tell thaw that was me screaming up

there. One thing I can tell you is that that pitch is in top shape.

Bring it on! Peter Okwoche there completely unbiased and we hope he

enjoys the party! It may sound like something from a

science fiction novel, but scientists have succeeded in

building a bionic man, and it turns out he was considerably cheaper

than $6 million. Complete with working organs, synthetic blood and

functioning limbs, he'll go on display this week at the Science

Museum in London. Our reporter, John Maguire, has been to meet him.

The Bionic Man, build cost around $1 billion. We reckon he is the $1

billion Dollar Man. His artificial heart is pumping the artificial

blood all around his system. Some of these medical organs are ufpltd

some of them are going through clinical trials. We have a lung, a

pancreas and artificial limbs, all put together as part of a special

project. Rich Walker is the robotics man. You've drawn these

elements together. How significant is he? We found this project really

significant. When we started, we had no idea just how close we had

got to rebuilding a human being and being able to pick and choose

between the body parts available to put together something just like a

human was really a powerful experience for us. We've been

saying it is a little light science fiction, but some of this equipment,

the limbs most obviously, are in use right now? Yes, some of these

parts are on people who are walking around because of these parts. The

artificial retina is in use throughout the world. From the

state of the art in robotics and medicine we've given this amazing

hybrid. Professor From the University College London, this is

your bit here I think. Describe to us the elements that you've worked

on, and with your elements they've been used? We made the trachea and

we put it in the patient. The patient is now about 18 months

alive, healthy, in Iceland. And we made our synthetic material. We put

them together. Also we make arteries for hearts. We make

arteries for legs and so on. They are going for clinical trial in six

months' time. And we make also the ureter and the plaider here. -- and

the bladder here. You are used to working on some of those organs in

isolation. What's it like to see the components asemled in this

replica? -- assembled in this replica? The hands and arms and

face together and I was putting everything inside together. It was

really exciting not just for me and my research team, but to look at

all these different organs coming from different countries. He to

test it and put them together. Incredible.

They are all live and kiblging in Hollywood. -- kicking.

The Hollywood awards season is in full swing, and this year's Oscar

hopefuls gathered in Beverly Hills for one of the movie industry's

traditional set pieces - the nominees' luncheon. It's an annual

ritual that gives the stars a break from the serious business of

competing. Peter Bowes reports. The ultimate power lunch. More than

160 Oscar nominees enjoying their moment in the spotlight and a class

photo. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally

Field leads the pack with 12 nominations. Alongside the veterans,

nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis. She's the youngest ever nominee for

Best Actress. I'm happy and excited but it is something that you never

think will happen at your age. a science fantasy adventure...

Affleck's Argo is favourite. He says he is just happy to be at the

party as a producer. I don't get into worrying too much about who

got wide and who got wide - and who didn't get wide. I've had many

years watching at home. Most girls dream about their wedding dress but

I always dream about the Oscar dress. This year I thought, suck it

up, wear a corset. I'm going for fashion this time. At this stage in

the Oscars race, all the nominees are treated like winners. But

there's still two weeks of campaigning to go before these guys

are handed out on Hollywood's biggest night.

I want to show you pictures from the Antarctic. A brand-new British

research station has opened today, 100 years after Captain Scott's