31/05/2013 BBC World News

This is BBC World news. The top stories: Feedback get tough on

racism in football, but will it Unemployment hits a new record high

in Europe. Zairean rebels appealed for help after President Assad

tightens his grip. NASA warns, astronauts could risk high levels

Welcome. Racism in football has long been a problem on and off the

pitch. Today, the governing body of football has voted to bring in

difficult new sanctions for fans and players alike. They are holding

their annual conference in Mauritius. Perhaps the luxury of

setting oil the wheels of football diplomacy. Will these new penalties

actually work? Sepp Blatter urged delegates to make a statement of

their support. The chairman of the task force has asked us to stand

against racism, so please stand against racism. Everybody stand.

The there is also scepticism about how far the changes will go.

sports reporter Richard Conway is at the conference, he explained the

new rules. FIFA say this is a historic day for football. They

have voted in favour to enact these tougher penalties for racism and

discrimination on and off the field of play. We will see a five game

minimum ban for players who racially abuse opponents, and teams

whose supporters commit offences will face penalties such as having

their ground closed, sections of their ground closed, if they

offences are repeated, things will get bigger, relegation, points

deductions, elimination from competition such as the World Cup.

They want to see these regulations enforced worldwide, they are

calling on members' associations, all 209 of them, to get tough, two

these rules. We will have to see what happens. The Football

Association in England have taken their own action. A European

Association has imposed at 10 game ban. As the global governing body,

FIFA wants to see this enacted throughout football. They say this

is a historic day. The hunt is on for the 1% of associations who

voted against this measure. Sepp Blatter said this was probably a

voting glitch. A former political prisoner took to the stage to

congratulate the delegates on taking the decision, but he warned

that the 1% showed there was still a fight. Strong words from him,

strong words from Sepp Blatter. Football will look to get tough

against racism, and it believes it has the power to make a change.

figures for unemployment in Europe are out today, and they make

depressing reading for those looking for jobs and for government

also. The latest results show the unemployment rate reaching a record

high of 12.2% in countries that use the euro. Our Economics

Correspondent is here. The overall figure is especially bad for the

young, people coming out of school and university are struggling to

get a job, literally thousands of applicants for one job. It is much

worse than it is for the adult population. It is very nearly 25%

of young people who would like to work are unable to get jobs. In

some countries, the figures are much worse than that. One thinks of

Greece, where it is over 60%, and Spain, where it is over 50%. People

speak about the lost generation, and it is easy to see why. The fact

that the numbers have gone down in Germany will surely make people say

this demonstrates the unfairness of the eurozone. It's certainly

demonstrates that it is very difficult to make the eurozone work

when you have countries that have developed very wide differences in

competitiveness. Some people will say it is an indication of the

unfairness of it all. I suspect ultimately, we may well see some

significant financial transfers when from Germany to the likes of

Greece before this crisis is over. In the meantime, we are going to go

through a very painful adjustment period, where things are not too

bad at all in the likes of Germany and Austria, and things are really

painful for others in the likes of Greece and Spain. Some countries

going through this adjustment have made progress. Ireland, for example,

one of the countries receiving a bail-out, has seen unemployment

come down in the last 12 months by 1.1%. It is the exception. Most of

the countries in the firing line have seen their unemployment rate

rise. We are just going to take you to Woolwich, because Woolwich

barracks in London, south London, the Queen has been visiting the

barracks. We have just been getting live pictures in, I don't know

whether we can get those to you. This is the place in London where

Lee Rigby was murdered last week. The Queen has just gone into the

barracks, we have missed those shots of her. The royal visit was

planned before it the murder took place in Woolwich. It is thought,

given what happened in the last few days, the Queen will have a private

meeting with the soldiers, senior officers, along with others

involved in co-ordinating the barracks. We will try and get you

the latest pictures of when the Queen emerges. Some more top

stories: China's new president has been denounced by families of the

victims of Tiananmen Square. He was publicly criticised for failing to

put in place any political reform since taking over in March. Scores

of democracy protesters died during protests in the Beijing square in

1989. The surviving Boston Marathon suspect has recovered enough to

walk. He is currently being held in a prison hospital. His elder

brother was shot and killed in a police manhunt during the blast.

Nigeria has improved a parliamentary bill that would make

gay marriage a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in

prison. Any public displays of affection would be banned. The bill

needs to be endorsed by the President before it becomes law.

There is fresh evidence that President Assad is tightening his

grip on Syria, bolstered by fighters from Lebanon. The BBC has

been told up to 600 people are trapped in rebel areas with no

access to medical help. In an interview with the Lebanese

television channel, President Assad has claimed his army now holds the

balance of power in the country. Outnumbered, not just by government

forces but by foreign fighters from the Lebanese militant group.

Zairean rebels have been under attack in recent weeks. -- rebels

in Syria. People are trapped there, and there are continuing calls to

negotiate. This is the most pressing crisis in world affairs

today. The continued flow of weapons to the regime, the

difficulties and disagreements about attending the Geneva talks,

do not help all to resolve this crisis. It is the potential flaw of

these types of weapons into Syrian government hands that the

international community is worried about. Russian surface-to-air

missiles that enabled the Assad regime to shoot down incoming

missiles. In a recorded interview, President Assad said Russia is

fulfilling its missile contract with Syria. It seems the air

defence system has not yet arrived. We are negotiating with the

Russians. We are continuing to implement these contracts. The

Syrian meeting in Istanbul dismissed another claim by

President a sad that peace talks would need to be approved in a

referendum. It said the opposition was stepping up its approach.

now have more than 100 Free Syrian Army fighters across Syria heading

to join fighters to defend the city. The clashes continue, and so do the

deaths. Reports overnight suggest an American woman who had converted

to Islam was killed while fighting Stay with us on BBC World news.

Still to come: Cutting back on lighting up. Can Russia's many

smokers cope with new curbs on their habit? Travel to the red

planet could prove a step too far, NASA warns astronaut could risk

Government forces in led the are trying to regain control after

militia groups killed two members of security patrols. Since the fall

of Colonel Gaddafi, Benghazi has been awash with weapons, making it

difficult to impose order. Now the authorities are fighting back. A

major show of strength. The sirens in this impromptu Parade are

relentless. It is an attempt by a weak government to make its

presence felt on the streets. The newly equipped and heavily armed

security forces a rare sight for the people Benghazi. This is what

prompted it. A string of explosions in the city, including this police

station. It was blown up twice in less than one week. The

perpetrators are still at large. have a problem with the spread of

weapons in the city. The criminals are better armed than we are. This

is the reality in Libya. This is a stark illustration of what the

police force are up against here. convince the people Benghazi they

can take charge of security. For the last two years, the militia has

roamed the streets. Many of them fought against the Gaddafi forces

during the Revolution and now they refused to handed their weapons to

a government they say they cannot trust. No one has handed over their

weapons because the state of Libya is yet to be established. Many

supporters of Colonel Gaddafi still work in government, which is why

the fighters are keeping their weapons. There have been many

demonstrations against the power of the militia and their refusal to

give up arms. People say they have had enough. They what official

forces in charge. Now the Government has finally responded.

The special forces of the army have been deployed and about applying --

now deploying -- now patrolling the streets. How long can this last?

More than anything, people long for security. Well there is a general

sense of relief now that the government forces are on the

streets, there is a feared this will not last long, and the City

could once again descend into This is BBC World news. The latest

headlines: FIFA adopt tough measures to stop racism in football.

New sanctions could mean a ban from future World Cups. Bad news on the

jobs front for Europe. Unemployment So many of those unemployed in

Europe will be in Greece. It has the highest jobless rate in the

region and it is the young who are affected the most. More than 60% of

the under 25s art out of work. They are the crisis generation,

school leavers who dreamt of a stable job, of a future full of

opportunity, but instead unemployment and uncertainty

Beckham. How to stay positive is the hardest problem to solve.

not fair what the future of Greece will hold. A lot of unemployment,

not good opportunities, so we have to go abroad. It will be very

difficult to find a job in my country, but I will try hard. And

with the help of God, I think, I will find a job. Before Greece's

first bail-out three years ago and the spending cuts that followed,

unemployment was only 12%. Now it has gone up to 27%. And among young

people it was 31.2% and today it is a staggering 64.2%. Recession has

hit hard, but it is the austerity demanded by Greece's international

lenders that has had such a devastating impact. And so the

brightest light Christian I leaving. Greek emigrating to Germany rose by

over 42% last year. She plans the same. The brain drain well make it

hard for Greece to recover. I do not want to leave my family, my

mother and my father. I will not have friends. At least in the first

year it will be difficult to find friends. But I have no choice.

it is a sacrifice you are willing to make? Yes. But some are fighting

back. This youth start-up trains volunteers for events and

exhibitions. At 22 years old the entrepreneurs want to inspire

others with their spirit, refusing to accept the scourge of

unemployment. Many people think that today's time, the financial

crisis, is like death. I believe we can shape our future in the way we

want to shake it. The young people have to show the way and lead to

the path, we have to become the leaders of Greece. A small success

story in an otherwise bleak climate. Greece meets his youth to rebuild

it in years to come, but for now they are too often the victims of

the country's economic collapse. Smoking has been banned in lots of

countries, but Russia, which has one of the highest smoking rates

and the world, has been reluctant to follow up. On Saturday a new law

restricting smoking in some public areas and a ban on advertising

comes into effect. We went to the city of Yaroslavl to see if it will

have any effect. At the Yaroslavl cigarette factory

another batch of tobacco leaves hitched -- hits the production line.

Tobacco was once forbidden in Russia. 400 years ago people who

were caught smoking had their noses cut off and were exiled to Siberia.

It is a little different now. 400 billion cigarettes are produced in

Russia every year. It is a giant industry run by multinational

companies. You can see why Russia is such an important market for

tobacco companies by comparing the global figures. In the UK, on

average 37 packets of cigarettes are smoked per person per year. In

the United States it is 51, but a rush and smoked double that amount,

139 packets of cigarettes every year. And that has consequences for

public health. It is estimated every year up to half a million

Russians die from smoking-related diseases. That is the equivalent of

the entire adult population of PowerMac wiped out every single

year. At the regional hospital they are offering free check-ups to

encourage smokers to kick the habit. TRANSLATION: All we can do is

inform patients of the consequences. Doctors do not have the power to

ban smoking. But the authorities are trying to restrict it. From

June 1st, Russians will not be allowed to smoke on buses or trains

or within 50 metres of the entrances to airports and railway

stations. I will give up smoking -- I will not get up smoking. I will

watch out by the police. I cannot give up smoking says step Lanna, I

have got such a stressful job, I have to deal with people all day

long. Under the new law street kiosks must stop selling cigarettes

a year from now. Prices will rise. All restaurants must become no-

smoking. Vladimir is unimpressed. TRANSLATION: There is an oil

refinery just down the road and I am sure it is a million times more

harmful to people than cigarettes, but no-one is going to close that

down, are they? But will the law reduced rations' addiction. In a

country where 40% of the population smokes, it will not be easy to

change the bad habits of a lifetime. The destruction of tropical

rainforest is having an even worse impact on the environment than was

previously thought. Deforestation in Brazil is causing trees to

produce smaller, weaker seeds that are less likely to succeed in

repopulate in the species. They think this has been triggered by

the loss of large birds from the forest which have beaks a large

enough to disperse the seeds. A hurricane in southern Mexico has

forced thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes.

Hurricane Babara hit land on Wednesday causing widespread

destruction and flooding. Three people were killed and 12 fishermen

were reported missing. It has been downgraded, but forecasters are

warning it could return. Homes under water, possessions

destroyed. The storm may have passed here, but the clean-up is

just beginning. Where to start when you are faced with this? This

woman's house is one of at least 200 affected in the town of San

Pedro. The roof blew off, she says, and water came into my house.

Everything got wet. Hurricane-force winds map of up to 95 kilometres an

hour hit southern Mexico on Wednesday. The heavy rain that came

with it flooded whole communities. The hurricane has suddenly crept up,

this woman says, and they evacuated us. In some areas people had no

choice but to leave their homes and many have not been able to return.

TRANSLATION: We have five communities which were evacuated

and we have an average of 1000 people staying in shelters.

devastating start to what forecasters are predicting will be

an extremely active hurricane season. Hurricane Barbara could be

back. The US National hurricane centre has predicted it could hit

Mexico again. As we reported earlier, Queen Elizabeth is

visiting the barracks in London where sojourn Drumoak Lee Rigby was

murdered last week. She arrived a few moments ago and it is thought

she would have a private meeting with the soldier's senior officers

along with others involved in co- ordinating the response to his

death. He was attacked as he returned to the barracks in which

after working at the Tower in London. This visit by the Queen was

pre-arranged before any of this happened. His Brazil ready to host

next year's football World Cup? That is the question many in the

game were asking after a judge suspended the match due to be

happening between England and Brazil. He said the stadium was

unsafe despite an expensive refurbishment. That decision has

been overturned, but few are reassured. England's footballers

arrived in Brazil yesterday after a long transatlantic flight knowing

there had been concerns about the stadium readiness, but unaware that

their match might be in jeopardy. We have had a lot of reassurances,

but our main priority is to be here this week and to be as open and as

accessible to people as we can be and to enjoy the experience. As the

England players loosened up on the beach a Brazilian judge issued an

injunction suspending Sunday's game, the first official match due to be

played at the new stadium. He ruled there was simply not enough public

safety guarantees at the stadium which has just undergone a $400

million refurbishment. Although the pitch and the seating had been

completed, the judge referred to a significant amount of rubble still

relying around outside the stadium. But later last night the relevant

safety requirements were satisfied and the game would go ahead. But

this is a huge embarrassment for Brazil ahead of next year's World

Cup. FIFA has repeatedly criticised slow progress, not just here, but

at several other Brazilian stadiums which are blighted by building

delays, roots damaged by rain and contractual disputes. Sending

someone to walk on Mars has been the dream of many scientists for

decades. When the Curiosity Rover landed there last year it seemed it

might be a step closer to be possible. But data gathered by the

robot has concluded what many suspected, that astronauts would

suffer from dangerously high levels of radiation. Myers is the next

frontier for human space exploration, but this adventure now

carries a serious health warning. Using instruments on Nasa's

Curiosity Rover scientists have measured the radiation and a

astronaut would receive. They found a journey to the Red Planet would

be the most dangerous part of the mission. Aston us would be

bombarded with cosmic rays from space and it would increase their

chances of getting cancer and could damaged tissue in the brain. For

NASA that does is so high it is above their current safety limits,

but now private companies have also set their sights on the red planet

and are searching for volunteers. Also for the glory of being first

to Sept Look on Martian soil it could be a risk some people are