04/03/2013 BBC World News

Hello, this is BBC World News. The top story: millions of Kenyans are

casting their vote in the first elections since the country

exploded in violence five years ago. Hailed as a breakthrough, doctors

think they have cured a baby girl born with HIV.

The search for the next Pope, cardinals are in Rome to find a

successor to Benedict. And Queen Elizabeth Spencer second

day in hospital. It is her first stay for 10 years -- spends a

Hello. Millions of Kenyans have been queuing since before dawn to

cast their votes in the General Election. It's the first poll under

a new constitution, intended to create a fairer system of

government. Security is tight, and at least 12 people are reported

dead in two separate attacks near the coastal city of Mombasa. Voting

this morning has been peaceful. The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse sent this

report from a polling station in one of Nairobi's slums - the scene

of much of the violence in the last elections five years ago.

I have covered a number of elections in my time but I have

never seen crowds quite like this. These people have been standing

here since long before polling stations opened. It was still dark.

In other places, where there are single lines, I have seen queues

that stretch for a kilometre or more. And despite the nervousness

in the run-up to the poll at the end of campaigning, I would say the

atmosphere amongst the crowd is pretty upbeat. Oh, I came at 7am.

7am? That makes it three-and-a-half hours, maybe four. About four hours.

What is the mood in the queue? How are people feeling? People are

motivated, we want to vote. We want to make sure that we also vote and

we want to be involved in the new leadership. This is a very calm

election. I think everybody is willing to support one another.

are voting in peace. We are waiting up to the evening so we can see how.

We have had no hope for the last five years. We hope for the best.

You hope for the best? Yes. This is the first time that Kenyans are

voting under their new constitution, which came in in 2010, and it has

made it quite a complicated process, because these voters are being

asked to cast no fewer than six different ballots. We can see the

ballot boxes over there, they are voting for local representatives,

women representatives, governors, MPs, as well as, of course, the

President. Those votes go into this white box here. This is, of course,

a crucial race. There are eight candidates standing, but really it

is a two-horse race between the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and

Uhuru Kenyatta. Mr Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's founding father,

John Kenyatta, and he has been indicted by the International

Criminal Court in the Hague over his alleged role in the violence

last time around. He denies the charges and says he will co-operate

with the court, but the real key for this vote will come after the

ballots have been cast and when the results are announced. The real

test will be whether all sides respect the outcome or at least to

take their grievances to the court, rather than to the streets.

Sophie Ikenye is in Nairobi. We got a sense there are people's patients,

ready to wait. I saw one tweet from a voter that said they had waited

for three hours, verification was three minutes and voting was one

minute. If it carries on like that, most people will be pretty happy.

Most people will be pretty happy, David, but we have been speaking to

some of the people who are queuing and they say they have been there

for over five hours and are still waiting to cast their ballot. You

must understand, this process is going to take a little bit of time,

because Kenyans are voting in six officials to government offices,

including the President, a new president. And that is what

electoral commission has been intimating, that the voting process

might go on until midnight before we start seeing at least the first

signs of a result coming in. A huge number of police officers out and

about in the country, trying to keep order. A lot of international

observers, as well as election monitors on the ground. I guess

that will have an impact? That will definitely have an impact, because

we have never seen such a number of observers. We are talking about

22,600 of them in the country, come in all the way from the African

Union, the Commonwealth, the European Union, so a lot of

observers. Security has been put into place. 99,000 security

officers across the country. Hot spots, as the police commissioner

said earlier, have been taken care of. Security has been put in place.

So Kenyans also hoping we will not see a repeat of what we saw after

the last elections, when it was disputed. I must add that the

independent electoral boundaries Commission has been a very strict,

that they are going to follow the rules and they are asking Kenyans

to follow the rules that they published and once you have voted,

get out of the polling station, go home and wait for the results. The

police have also said that if they see any kind of trouble, they will

be dealing with it as best as they can. So some pretty clear messages.

Sophie, thank you very much. Scientists in the US believe they

may have cured a baby girl who was born with HIV.

The to roll from Mississippi received a cocktail of drugs when

she was born and has been off medication for around a year -- the

two-year-old. Researchers say it's a potentially ground-breaking case

which could pave the way for eradicating HIV in its youngest

victims. More than three million children are living with HIV. Every

day, more than 900 children become newly infected with the virus. So

far, of those who've gone on to develop AIDS around, 25 million

people, have died. I spoke to Jane Anderson earlier. It is very

exciting for this family and for this child, but I want to be clear

and manage expectations, this is not the end of Aids, this is not

the end of HIV. This is the beginning of a very interesting

scientific dialogue. It seems almost an oddity, as well. One out

of the blue, one individual case that we are hearing about. We are

hearing about it because there is a large conference in Atlanta at the

moment and the main data about this will be presented later today, so

we will know more, but it appears that this particular child was

found to have HIV at birth and was treated intensively and, for

various reasons, they stopped treatment and they found that the

HIV, although still present in the body, appears not to be active. And

that is a very exciting moment, but the HIV has not gone away. Is the

key to this case the method of treatment or the fact that they

have got it right at virtually the point of birth, effectively?

think the fact that it is so early is important but I think the main

issue is that this is showing us a proof of principle, a proof of

concept. At the moment, HIV is still rife throughout the world and

I think the most important message that we really have to get across

is that mother to child transmission of HIV is entirely

preventable, and so we should not have babies being born with HIV and

the -- need these interventions. If women living with HIV across the

world, particularly in Porritt settings, have proper care and

management, then babies born with HIV will be a thing of the past.

Nonetheless, in terms of this treatment, I suppose the other

messages for all of those people who have HIV and are not newborn

and Friends, this is not an answer -- newborn infants? Again, all of

these steps take us down a scientific path and science is

quite a slow-moving creature and we need to move in incremental steps,

so we have the Berlin patient, the man who had a bone marrow

transplant and after that, we found his HIV was also quiet. So there

have been two proofs of concept which are extremely exciting, but

it is a very long journey to take proof of concept through to

something that is going to be universally applicable. Professor

Jane Anderson, talking to me and are.

If British troops murder up to 20 Iraqis captured in the war in 2004?

A public inquiry is opening today into one of them are serious

allegations of the war a decade ago. It is claimed the men may not have

been killed in battle but after they were captured in southern Iraq.

The Ministry of Defence insists the claims are unproven but has

promised full co-operation. Almost 10 years since British

troops invaded southern Iraq, there have been mounting allegations of

abuse. This is the second inquiry to take place into claims made by

Iraqis of unlawful behaviour. It has been set up to uncover exactly

what happened after a fierce firefight, which took place here,

after Iraqi militiamen ambushed a British patrol. What is not in

dispute is that the bodies of 20 Iraqis were handed over by British

soldiers. The army says all of them died on the battlefield, but the

Iraqis believe that some were killed after capture, including

Hamdi Al-Sweady, who have the inquiry is named after. They are

the most serious allegations against the British Army for a long

time, and certainly, the clients in Iraq are desperate to find out what

happened to their family members on that day. Detainee is captured at

the time went on to say they would be struck -- mistreated in custody.

Complaints were made to the Red Cross. The MoD's failure to

disclose this to the courts for stick to concede to this costly and

complex inquiry. It has been described as unprecedented, because

the events in question are still so hotly-contested. The challenge for

this inquiry, and it is quite an unusual challenge for a public

inquiry and a difficult one, is for the chairman to decide what did

happen. The inquiry is expected to last for around a year.

Roman Catholic cardinals have begun meeting in Rome ahead of the

conclave which will elect a new Pope.

But as the church's most senior figures arrived, attention was also

on the news that Cardinal Keith O'Brien is expected to face a

Vatican inquiry. He has stepped down and admitted on Sunday that

his sexual conduct had fallen below the standards expected of a priest.

Alan Johnston is watching it all in Rome. Given the latest date went

there from Keith O'Brien -- statements, there is so much more

to consider in this conclave, in this free conclave discussion than

the name coming out of a hat. -- pre-conclave. That is right, after

they drama of the exit of Pope Benedict, we get the second act. As

I speak, the cardinals are in what will be closed-door preliminary

meetings at which they discuss all of the problems that the Catholic

Church faces. And the starkest reminder of one of the most serious

problems before the Church coming overnight, in this admission from

Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland that the allegations against him

were, it seems, true, and he had, in his words, for the short and his

sexual behaviour had not been what was required of a man of his status

-- fallen short. Of course, that will be playing very heavily in the

minds of the Cardinals. One of the Italian papers, capturing a bit of

the mood, saying that the Keith O'Brien affair held up a mirror to

the cardinals and that the cardinals and the church had a

choice, it could either clean up the affairs surrounding the sexual

scandals or it could continue trying to cover them up. They have

got a big decision to take, obviously, over the next few weeks.

Does the now retired Pope Benedict had any influence? Well, of course,

he has had huge influence already. The majority of the cardinals in

the college were actually chosen by him. You can have no doubt that

they were men of a similar Conservative, for the most part,

cast of mind, and they are the figures who will gather, we expect,

next week some time in the Sistine Chapel and cast their ballots for

the new man. We expect them to see more in the way of continuity than

change. As one of seven here has put it, the singer may change, but

the source -- the song is likely to remain the same. Do you read

anything into that as to how long the process might last? At this

point, we cannot even tell you when the conclave that is gathering will

begin. We are hoping we will hear in the next few days a date, it may

be a week today but it is speculation. The last hope was

elected within 24 hours, but there are cardinals that are saying it

may take longer. There are just no clear front-runners and it may take

a little longer this time to arrive at a figure who they believe is the

best person to lead the Church into Coming up, conservationists calling

for more action amid signs that Troops and tanks have been sent

into a slum in the Brazilian capital, Rio, part of a clean-up

operation ahead of the FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. 17 tanks,

more than 1000 police, deployed to a shanty town notorious for drug

violence. It looks like they are heading to a

war-zone. But, in fact, these tanks are rolling into a neighbourhood

near Rio's airport, trying to wrest it from the control of drug gangs.

Some 20,000 people live here. But this slum has long been a no-go

area for the security forces and outsiders. Police will die, this

graffiti says. But the soldiers do not encounter any resistance and

start seizing drugs and weapons. The TRANSLATION: The importance of

this action today is to boost the confidence of the population, which

has been lost over the years because of crime, the presence of

drugs and arms in this area. Today, we are doing more than pacifying a

neighbourhood. We are rescuing the people. Those that live here look

on. After years of living under the reign of drug gangs, they are too

intimidated to say whether they think things will change for the

better. TRANSLATION: I believe they will. But it is very difficult to

speak. People that live in the slums cannot say anything.

flags of Brazil and Rio are raised to show that this favela is now

back under the control of the state. A community police unit will stay

here to protect the people and ensure that there are basic

services like health centres and a formal electricity supply. So far,

30 other favelas have been pacified under the Government programme. But

critics say that while this might make parts of the City say fair, it

is not tackling the underlying problems and that the criminals and

the violence will just surfaced in Hundreds of Venezuelan students and

opposition members have taken to the streets of Caracas in a protest

demanding full details about President Hugo Chavez's health. He

returned to Venezuela last month after being treated for cancer in

Cuba. He has not appeared since and officials say he has been governing

from his hospital bed, despite This is BBC World News. Voting in

Kenya is largely passing off peacefully. There have been reports

of sporadic violence. Roman Catholic Cardinal from around the

world have started a week of closed-door meetings in Rome before

choosing a successor to Pope Benedict.

Schools and businesses have closed and the Pakistani city of Karachi

following the deaths of at least 45 people in a powerful bomb blast in

a mainly Shia Muslim area. Dozens of others were wounded in the

explosion on Sunday night. No group has yet admitted carrying out the

attack. The strike has been called across Sindh province in mourning

for those that died. 94 people have gone on mass trial

in the United Arab Emirates, accused of plotting to overthrow

the Government. The suspects, including 12 women, are said to be

members of an Islamist organisation. Many of them are doctors, lawyers

and academics. If convicted, they will face up to 15 years in jail

with no right of appeal. With me is the BBC's security correspondent

Frank Gardner. Tell us a bit more about this trial. Sure, these 94

are all citizens of the United Arab Emirates. They were rounded up last

year and they include doctors, lawyers, judges, human rights

activists. Also, their relatives in some cases. Their defence lawyers

were only given the documents in the last few days, which didn't

rights groups say is simply not giving them enough time to prepare

for this very crucial mass trial. 94 people went on trial today.

Their relatives were bussed in, but the international observers, of

which Tehran about 200, were banned from attending. -- of which there

are about 200. Many people would say there is no chance of a fair

trial, why are they going ahead with it at all? This is something

of a litmus test for a country that is trying to be very much a 21st

century nation. You have been to Dubai and you have seen what a

progressively modern place it is on the surface. It is about saying if

they can really balance that with human rights and democracy. Critics

say it is a backwards step, they have over-reacted. The supporters

of the Government say that these people are totally unrepresentative

of the population, that they were trying to forge links with the

Muslim Brotherhood and set up a secret cell, that they were looking

to seize power. Human rights groups, including human Rights Watch, say

there is no evidence of that. Others have said to me that,

actually, the trial is very much based on false confessions,

confessions extracted under duress. It is awkward, in a way, for John

Kerry? New US Secretary of State, going into the UAV next week?

think he will be wishing he had chosen a less controversial time to

be there. It's one of his first trips as the Secretary of State and

people like human Rights Watch are urging him to raise this issue with

their rulers. We had a similar situation in November, when I was

covering David Cameron's trip to the Emirates. At the time, there

was this issue bubbling to the surface. How do Western governments

balance their desire to be very close to these countries, forging

major defence partnerships, not just about holding arms but

operating, holding back Iran, while at the same time promoting

democracy? In terms of public perception, I think the authorities

have scored an own goal by barring international observers like

Amnesty International. It gives the impression they have something to

hide. We are very picture-light on the story, as we say in television

terms. But we will make sure we have a good look at it.

Nine people have died in blizzards on a northern Japanese island. A

family of four died in their car, completely engulfed in snow. People

say the blizzard is the worst they can remember. Zero visibility in

places, winds of more than 130 kilometres per hour.

The trial of eight South African policemen accused of murdering a

taxi driver has been postponed until Friday. The officers were

filmed handcuffing a suspect to the back of a police vehicle and

dragging him along the street. It is an incident that has been

condemned by South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, and the

Democratic Alliance has called for a judicial inquiry into police

brutality. Despite decades of campaigning by

conservation groups, the rate of slaughter of endangered animals is

actually accelerating. Elephants and rhinos are romanced those most

frequently killed. Their tusks and horns can be sold on. Tackling the

illegal trade has been the focus of talks among 200 countries are

meeting in Thailand. I should tell you that some scenes in this report

may be upsetting. Behind the scenes that Bangkok

airport, the terminal is a hive of activity. For many years, this vast

hall was notorious as an easy what for smuggling. For drugs and

something that has become almost as valuable, the body parts of

endangered animals. Customs officers show off one of the most

recent calls. This ivory from Kenya was intercepted on its way to China.

The authorities say seizures like this prove how they are now

clamping down on this gruesome and illegal trade. This is just part of

one load. But it involved the slaughterer of 79 elephants. Demand

for ivory is really from China, where it is seen as bringing good

fortune. Prices just keep going up. This one piece weighs just over

three kilograms and can be sold here for about �4,000, about $6,000.

It can be sold for double or treble that in China. Prices are now so

high that the poachers are not just cutting the tusks of, they are

gouging them out to get the root of the task as well. Ivory has just

become so valuable. The trade begins with a long, dark trail of

blood in the African bush. The scale of the slaughter is now

alarming. 25,000 elephants killed in 2011, almost certainly more last

year. Because organised crime is involved, it will take a

sophisticated effort to beat it. That is why this new specialist

laboratory has opened in Bangkok. It is dedicated to wildlife

forensics. It is one of I handful of laboratories around the world

hunting for clues about crimes involving endangered species.

Samples are brought in and DNA is extracted. But it is a struggle

because the gangs have friends in high places. TRANSLATION: We know

that the people behind the trade are mostly influential and powerful,

including politicians. We do what we can. While we were filming, a

load of ivory was intercepted in southern Thailand. The man caught

driving it was a police officer. Campaigners say the trade will

never be stopped unless the kingpins running at ad court.

poachers get arrested and convicted. You might get the odd middle man

arrested and convicted. But the guys that Mastermind the efforts,

the guys that invest in the operations to acquire large amounts

of ivory, they have never been intercepted. Rhino horn, hidden

inside a toy hippo, caught at Bangkok airport. 40 years ago,

governments agreed to fight this trade with a convention. The latest

talks are under way in Thailand now. As more cargo arrives, cases are

run through an X-ray machine. The technology helps. There are some

successes. But there will have to be far more political will to stop

Time to remind you of our main news. Kenyans are voting in an election

which observers described as the most important in the country's

history. It is the first General Election and the Kenya's new

constitution, designed to prevent a repeat of tribal violence nearly

five years ago in which more than 1000 people died. 12 people have

died in separate incidents around the coastal city of Mombasa. But

there have been no reports of violence at polling stations

themselves. The current prime minister and one of the key

presidential candidates has cast his vote. He said after that, I

will accept the results and congratulate the winner. He also

added, this will be a first round. There will be no extra time or run-

off, contrary to what other people have been predicting. We will keep