24/10/2013 BBC World News

Hello. This is BBC World News. The top stories: Germany summons the

American ambassador following allegations that US spy agencies

bugged the mobile phone of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Attacks on Muslims in Myanmar do not amount to "ethnic cleansing".

Muslims have been targeted. There's fear on both sides.

Reports from the US suggest that senior Pakistani government

officials were aware of and supported American drone strikes on

militants. Six months on, most victims of the

deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh have released no

compensation to them. We have a survivor's story.

Police in California shoot dead a 13-year-old boy carrying a replica

assault rifle which they thought was real.

Welcome. There's been strong reaction to the latest allegations

of American spying in Europe. Germany has summoned the US

Ambassador to answer whether the US surveillance department had

eavesdropped on Angela Merkel. The veteran French EU Commissioner has

declared that enough is enough saying that confidence with the USA

has been shaken. An unnamed d diplomatic source in France say

President Hollande will discuss the scandal with Angela Merkel in a few

hours' time. Toasting an important friendship,

these two leaders see themselves as critical partners. But their

relationship has now hit a rocky patch after claims that the US may

have snooped on Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone calls, claims that the

White House responded to on Wednesday. I can tell you that today

President Obama and Chancellor Merkel spoke by telephone regarding

the allegations that you mention. That the US National Security Agency

intercepted the communications of the German Chancellor. The President

assured the Chancellor that the United States is not monitoring and

will not monitor the communications of the Chancellor. What he didn't

say was whether the US had monitored calls in the past. Judging by a

subsequent statement that was released, Chancellor Merkel's

questions still haven't been answered. It is said if these

practices were confirmed she regards them as "completely unacceptable".

Berlin demanded an immediate and comprehensive explanation and the

statement went on to say that "among close friends and partners, there

should be no such monitoring of the communications."

Trust that President Obama worked hard to build during a visit to

Berlin earlier this year, when memories of surveillance in East

Germany are still fresh, Germans were outraged about leaks coming

from Edward Snowden. President Obama spent time in Germany trying to

justify his spy agency's activities. Germany isn't the only country

that's complained about being at the receiving end of surveillance

activities by America's National Security Agency. Just this week,

newspaper Le Monde reported that the US had secretly recorded millions of

phone calls in France. And the Brazilian President cancelled a

visit to the US in protest over allegations of spying by the NSA in

her country, too. The diplomatic backlash is getting fiercer. It is

certainly not smiles all round for these two leaders at the moment.

Let's bring in our world affairs correspondent, Rajesh Mirchandani.

Understandable anger from the French and Germans and others.

Realistically, what might change now between the Europeans and the

Americans? I think for the short run, there is a frostier

relationship, or a less chumm y relationship. The German Defence

Minister said, "We can't return to business as usual." He also said,

"The Americans are and remain our best friends. This is not right." It

is serious when an ambassador is summoned to answer for something

that their government has done. The Germans and the French are saying,

"We are making a fuss about this right now, but the back picture is

that our relationship with America remains very strong and remains

very, very important." Now, I know that senior members of the British

Government would be worried about using a mobile phone to have any

kind of sensitive conversation on because they are not seen as secure.

Doesn't the leader of every country know that they have to be very

careful because anything they do on a phone line anywhere is going to be

monitored? Well, I think they were expecting the phone of their leaders

were not being monitored by their friends. I think that is why Germany

is particularly angry. The German opposition was saying it was a bit

impudent. No-one is suggesting that European countries don't spy either.

Everyone has their own intelligence operation? There is that, of course.

There is an element of well, the Americans were unlucky to have got

caught here. Everyone is doing it but the Americans were the ones that

got caught. In terms of what actions the Europeans will take. The French

have tabled this for the agenda for this EU Summit. There are calls for

restricting American agencies' access to European data, for

terror-related investigations. In Brazil, they are talking about

forcing internet companies to hold data about Brazilians on servers

that are in Brazil so it is much harder... We do know there are a lot

of countries which data share with the Americans and with each other.

That has to continue for all sorts of reasons. Every government wants

to keep channels open? That is the reality of the situation. That is

why the Defence Minister was saying these are our best friends, they

have to share a lot of information, they are reliant for security on

sharing a lot of information with the Americans and also for trade,

don't forget. But they are annoyed about this particular episode. Thank

you. In other news: Heavy rain and high winds have hit

Japan's Pacific coast ahead of arrival of Typhoon Francisco. It

will be the second major storm to hit the area this month, where

emergency teams are still dealing with the devastation caused by

Typhoon Wipha. Vulnerable residents on the island of Izu Oshima have

been evacuated to the mainland. Police in Thailand say more than 20

people were killed when a tour bus plunged into a ravine. The bus was

carrying worshippers returning from a temple at the end of a Buddhist

retreat. The driver was among 16 people injured. He is facing charges

of causing death by reckless driving.

Rival demonstrations staged in Budapest have been dominated by

party politics. 200,000 rallied to hear the Conservative Prime Minister

liken his opponents to the Communists. You might have seen our

floor manager in shot just bringing in our guest on our next story. We

move you to Burma. Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San

Suu Kyi has warned that her country still has a long way to go before

becoming fully democratic. In an interview with the BBC's Mishal

Husain, she talked about ongoing ethnic violence, saying Buddhist and

Muslim communities live in "fear", but has denied the existence of

ethnic cleansing. With me now is the BBC's Burmese Service Editor. The

interview that we saw was very interesting. What was new in it?

What was new in it was that she mentioned about the ethnic rights

into Burma and she said there is a fear factor. The fear factor when

she mentioned - she talked about global Muslim power. There is a

perception about it. That is very interesting. This is the

Nationalists' view inside the country. Many people are talking

about. If you do not make sure the Muslim population is contained,

there is a serious problem that the country may face in future. She is

referring to that. What is the serious problem that people fear?

That is something nobody knows. When the violence took place last year in

March, in the central area of Burma, a lot of people said this has never

happened before. She herself, in the interview, she said they are

moderate Muslims, they are well integrated. When this violence

began, a lot of theories are behind it. This is to undermine the

president. There is an element within the government who do not

want to support the reforms, or there are theories that this is to

undermine Aung San Suu Kyi. Soon after that, there is a lot of people

talking about introducing a law that will require a Buddhist woman if she

wants to marry a Muslim, she will need permission. So that law, they

want to introduce a law. That has been supported by many people. One

of the theories is this is to undermine Aung San Suu Kyi. We don't

know what is happening within the government. This is very complex.

Whatever it is, what is interesting is, when a Muslim during the riots,

the Muslims who are accused of creating the unrest, when they are

given sentence, they face very heavy sentences like 14 years in prison.

The Buddhist-Burmese, who are involved in this violence, they got

away with lighter sentences. The interview is on the website. Can I

ask you to explain what is the root cause of the tension between the

Buddhists and the Muslims there? This is a very long history. In the

western part of Burma, indigenous there are Buddhists. The area was

flooded with people crossing the border to Burma, they very much

control, their movement has been controlled by the military

government. They are very unwelcome by the indigenous people. There has

always been tension between the two and, not long ago, about a

year-and-a-half ago if I can get - I think so - a Buddhist girl was

sexually assaulted and she was sexually assaulted and she was

murdered. It happened to be - the attacks were from Muslims. We will

have to leave it there. Thank you. An American newspaper says it has

secret government dock pts that show senior Pakistani government

officials both knew about US drone strikes - and gave their backing for

them. The revelations came a few hours after Pakistan's Prime

Minister said he'd urged President Obama to stop the attacks. The UN

says more than 2,000 people living in Pakistan has been killed by drone

strikes in the past decade. I spoke to Amber Shamsi who is in the

Pakistani capital and she told me more about the paper's claims. They

have also been involved in selecting certain targets as well, the

military especially. If this was to be admitted, it would be profoundly

difficult for the Pakistani government, wouldn't it? Pakistan

has taken that position that drone strikes must end. This is not the

first time that these leaks have happened. Now, drone strikes are

incredibly unpopular in Pakistan. Currently one of the main opposition

parties has conducted a campaign against it. The Prime Minister has

also said that is one of the agendas that he will be taking to the US -

which he did. He put it before US President Barack Obama. He's stated

that drone strikes must end, they fuel terrorism and the civilian

deaths are difficult and they will also fuel terrorism.

Stay with us. Still to come: Six months on, most victims of the

deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh are yet to receive any

compensation. We have a survivor's story. I would ask them to give the

compensation they have promised. If I am successful some day, I would

like to help them out, A drug smuggler is killed by a gunman

dressed as a clown in Mexico. All this month, we're running a

special season on the challenges facing women today. We are nearing

the end of the season and, this Friday, 100 inspiring women from

around the world will gather for a unique event here at the BBC. One of

these women is a British stage designer Es Devlin. From the London

2012 Olympic closing ceremony, to designing a Lady Gaga concert or an

opera, her work crosses ranges and boundaries. Her overpowering fear

though was to lose her creativity once she'd become a mother. Here, in

her own words, she tells us how she finds balance between work and home.

I am Es Devlin, a stage designer, I work in opera, theatre, dance, pop

music and Olympic ceremonies. Only now, after 16 years, do I have the

confidence to say to Kanye West autosave to Kasper Holten or two

Bono, that is a great idea but I disagree. The older I get, the less

I compromise. Having children is part of that. When I made the

decision to have children, I was ready to stop doing everything. It

was difficult for me to have children, it took six years of

treatment. I was desperate. I was worried that the creative energy I

had would get diverted into having children, preparing their parties,

making their cakes. When the first child came, it became clear to me

that, in order to be a good mother, I needed to This is BBC World News.

The latest headlines. Germany summons the American ambassador,

following allegations that US spy agencies bugged the mobile phone of

the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi tells the BBC that attacks

on Muslims in her country do not amount to ethnic cleansing.

A 13-year-old boy carrying a replica assault rifle has been shot and

killed by police in California. Officers in Santa Rosa say they

opened fire when the boy refused repeated orders to drop the rifle,

which they thought was real. The shooting, which happened on Tuesday,

is now being investigated. Alistair Leithead reports VT.

It was here in Santa Rosa in Northern California where two

sheriff's deputies saw what they thought was a man walking down the

street carrying an assault rifle. It turned out to be 13-year-old Andy

Lopez. And the rifle was a fake. He was also carrying a plastic handgun.

The deputies said they repeatedly ordered him to drop the rifle,

before opening fire a number of times and killing the boy.

It doesn't make any sense. My son lost his life. He's not alive any

more, just because of a mistake by somebody.

Friends and neighbours gathered around a small shrine on the spot

where the boy died. He was a really good friend of mine.

Knowing now that he is gone, it is really hard.

Please don't let your children play with toy guns, period.

Police are carrying out an investigation into the shooting.

It was one of the worst workplace disasters in history. More than

1,100 people were killed when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed

in Bangladesh. It was six months ago to the day, and talks over

compensation for staff and their families are still ongoing. The

story of one survivor, Reshma Begum, grabbed the world's attention at the

time. The BBC's Mahfuz Sadique in Dhaka has been to see how her life

has changed since. A miracle. 17 days after a clothing

factory Comdex came crashing down. Pulled out alive from the rubble,

her story was one of hope amidst death and despair. Six months on,

with a job at a luxury hotel in the capital, Reshma is slowly rebuilding

her life. TRANSLATION: A lot has changed. I

have a better life. I am learning English and computers. My mother has

suffered a lot. Now I have a good job, as a daughter, I want to look

after her. Sometimes even now in my sleep, I have nightmares I am

trapped in rubble. It scares me a lot.

Reshma has moved on. But millions like her still make cheap clothes

for Western consumers in unsafe conditions. What about them?

TRANSLATION: Their salary should be increased, whatever it is needed to

make their life safer must be done. They work very hard and suffer a

lot. These clothes are bought by foreign buyers. If I am successful

Sunday, I would like to help them out too.

Since April, global retailers and the Bangladesh government had

pledged to make factories safer, but the fatal fire is two weeks ago,

again highlighting how Little things have changed on the ground. Reshma

is one of the lucky ones. Having survived one of the world 's worst

industrial disaster is, she has been given a second chance. The families

of many fellow workers who perished, and those who live with disabilities

six months on and without proper compensation, the Rana Plaza

nightmare is not yet over. An aeroplane fighting bushfires in

New South Wales has crashed killing its pilots. The military has

apologised for starting one of the biggest fires.

This firefighting effort has taken a tragic turn. A water bombing

aircraft has crashed south of Sydney. It is thought one of the

wings fell off before it hit the ground, sparking yet another

bushfire. More than 50 fires continued to burn across New South

Wales. Australia's most populous state. It has emerged one of the

most destructive fires in the Blue Mountains was started as deadly by

the military during a demolition exercise using explosives. The army

has said sorry, but local civic leaders want to know why such a

risky drill went ahead in dry and windy conditions. I am not out four

a witchhunt and demand retribution. On behalf of my community, we need

knowledge so I can say we have learned lessons to prevent this

happening again. The threat to life and property across the mountainous

region is using banks to cooler weather. As the immediate danger

recedes, some residents are returning to what is left of their

homes. Resilience and togetherness are part of the community. They will

need every ounce of that fortitude to rebuild, and also to face the

threats that may come in the future. Japan is scaling down the planned

main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after criticism it's too

expensive. The minister in charge of sports says the futuristic-looking

stadium, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, would cost $3

billion, much more than originally estimated. We were originally told

at the time of the vote last month that the stadium would cost 1.5

billion US dollars which would put it pretty much up there with the

most expensive in the world. Today, the minister said, including the

surrounding facilities, it would come to 3 billion US dollars, by far

the most expensive stadium in the world. Three times as much as

London's Olympic Stadium. In the same speech, he said this is too

much, the stadium is too big, these plans have to be adapted to fit the

times, modest times. Japan doesn't have as much money as it used to.

There have been complaints from architects saying it is too big to

have a stadium of this size right in the middle of one of the most

historic districts of Tokyo. In Mexico, around 500 clowns have

held a "laugh-a-thon" rally for peace, as part of their bid to deny

any involvement in a shooting. Last week, a convicted drug trafficker

was killed by a gunman wearing a clown costume. Clowns from across

Mexico and Latin America gathered at their international meeting, to make

clear that no member of their profession would commit such a

crime. With the story, here's Emily Thomas.

It is a funny kind of protest. It might not look like it but hundreds

of clowns in Mexico City are getting serious. They laugh the 15 minutes

to demonstrate against violent crime.

TRANSLATION: We want peace. There is so much violence here. We spread

happiness, laughter, smiles, that is why we are clowns. Last week in a

Baja California beach results, a convicted trafficker was shot to

death by men wearing clown costumes. Clown leaders say professional

clowns were not involved. If they had been, their costumes and face

painting would have made them easily identifiable.

TRANSLATION: We don't want any violence. Now there are people who

have used our costumes to kill a drug trafficker but we are not those

kind of people. Clowns from 12 countries have

gathered for this annual convention. TRANSLATION: We come to change

ourselves so there will be work. We are not worried, we only start dying

from hunger when there are no children left.

There is plenty of showing off but, foremost, it is not simply a

laughing matter. There are 10,000 professional clowns registered in

the country. Pulled up at any traffic light in Mexico City and you

will find one for just a few pesos. Giant mirrors installed on a top of

a hill in Norway have been used for the first time, to bring sunlight to

a valley town in the dark winter months. The mountains surrounding

the city of Rjukan are so high that they obscure the sun all winter. But

now, the three mirrors, which cost more than $800,000 dollars to build,

will finally bring the sun down to the town's main square. The

Pakistani foreign office has put out a statement on the report that the

government knew and was cooperating with the Americans on Jones, they

say they will not comment but say the Jones must stop.