:00:11. > :00:14.Hello. This is BBC World News. Our top stories... Over 100,000
:00:15. > :00:17.anti-government protestors surround government house in Bangkok, despite
:00:18. > :00:20.the Thai Prime Minister's offer of new elections. In Ukraine's capital,
:00:21. > :00:23.Kiev, riot police have been deployed as the government demands protestors
:00:24. > :00:29.disperse after blocking government buildings. North Korea confirms a
:00:30. > :00:35.powerful uncle of president Kim Jong-un has been dismissed. He is
:00:36. > :00:41.hauled out of a party meeting and accused of committing criminal acts.
:00:42. > :00:42.South Africa pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, as world leaders prepare
:00:43. > :01:02.for tomorrow's memorial service. Protesters in Thailand have
:01:03. > :01:06.surrounded Government House in Bangkok as they continue to rally
:01:07. > :01:09.against the government. The Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has
:01:10. > :01:13.dissolved parliament, to help bring an end to the country's political
:01:14. > :01:19.crisis. A government spokesman says general elections will be held on
:01:20. > :01:23.second February. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are on the streets
:01:24. > :01:28.of the capital, vowing to continue their fight. They say Ms Yingluck's
:01:29. > :01:33.government is controlled by her brother, ousted leader Thaksin
:01:34. > :01:43.Shinawatra. The BBC's Jonathan Head sent this report from one of the
:01:44. > :01:45.rallies in Bangkok. The protest leaders called for the largest
:01:46. > :01:52.possible turnout today show disapproval of the government, in
:01:53. > :01:57.the hope that it would make an impact. By and large, it seems to
:01:58. > :02:00.have succeeded. They are now heading off towards the same targets they
:02:01. > :02:04.were aiming for last week, the Prime Minister 's office, a symbolic
:02:05. > :02:09.capture for them, if they can get in there. Question is, what would that
:02:10. > :02:14.achieve? They have already managed to get in once. But more than that,
:02:15. > :02:18.the Prime Minister has now called for an election. She is dissolving
:02:19. > :02:22.parliament. A lot of people here have been calling for that. Others
:02:23. > :02:26.say that will not enough. We do not know yet what the Prime Minister has
:02:27. > :02:31.decided today, and whether it will be enough to take some of the sting
:02:32. > :02:40.out of this movement, but it is a dramatic development. We want her
:02:41. > :02:45.and her family to go out of our country. That is what we want. So,
:02:46. > :02:51.an election is not enough? An election is one path, because if
:02:52. > :02:58.there is another election, and she and her family is still here in the
:02:59. > :03:03.country, she will be behind everything, her family will be
:03:04. > :03:07.behind everything. We are now walking towards central Bangkok and
:03:08. > :03:11.it is where all of these protesters are expected to gather and put on
:03:12. > :03:14.this tremendous show of force. They have been trying to get together, to
:03:15. > :03:19.make a difference. The problem is, what do they do now, with nearly two
:03:20. > :03:25.months until the general election is due to be held? They have actually
:03:26. > :03:28.succeeded in part of what they wanted, they have persuaded the
:03:29. > :03:32.government to Buckler. And so I think the mood is a bit confused at
:03:33. > :03:38.the moment. This has all been very impressive, but they know that when
:03:39. > :03:44.it comes down to an election, the chances are, the Prime Minister's
:03:45. > :03:49.party will still win. It has won the last five elections. The people know
:03:50. > :03:52.that the things they complain about, the corruption, the weakness
:03:53. > :03:58.of the Parliamentary system, these have not yet been addressed. I
:03:59. > :04:01.suspect even after the Prime Minister's dramatic this vision
:04:02. > :04:03.today, these will not be the last protests that we see. -- dramatic
:04:04. > :04:11.decision. Riot police have moved into the
:04:12. > :04:13.centre of the Ukrainan capital, Kiev, where protesters have been
:04:14. > :04:16.occupying a city administration building and a central square.
:04:17. > :04:25.They're calling for greater ties with Europe instead of Russia. And
:04:26. > :04:28.to show their frustration, demonstrators have pulled down a
:04:29. > :04:33.statue of the communist leader Vladimir Lenin.
:04:34. > :04:39.They're angry about President Yanukovych's decision to reject a
:04:40. > :04:46.trade deal with the EU. We can speak now with the BBC's global news
:04:47. > :04:49.editor. The intention of the Interior Ministry troops is to
:04:50. > :04:53.disperse the crowds, to free the government buildings. However,
:04:54. > :04:57.protesters say they will defend their square, they will defend their
:04:58. > :05:03.right to peaceful protest. How peaceful it will be is not clear. It
:05:04. > :05:05.is a very tense situation. There are lots of bits of information coming
:05:06. > :05:10.in about tube station being closed in the area, troops have been
:05:11. > :05:16.circling. This is a fairly large space, and they are encircling it
:05:17. > :05:21.and would in all sorts of barricades to counter the protesters. There is
:05:22. > :05:24.also talk about European Commission and European Union ambassadors being
:05:25. > :05:29.called to the square. The media are also there. Baroness Ashton is
:05:30. > :05:32.travelling tomorrow. And we have just seen pictures of the protesters
:05:33. > :05:40.pulling down, toppling a statue of Lenin. How significant is that? I
:05:41. > :05:45.think it was the last statue of Lenin in Kiev. Quite a few were
:05:46. > :05:49.toppled 20 years ago, when Ukraine regained its independence. It is
:05:50. > :05:55.symbol to some, and it is very affect on to others. Ukraine is
:05:56. > :06:00.divided. Any in Eastern Ukraine hold the past dear. The Communist Party
:06:01. > :06:05.is currently very supportive of the commonest past, and Lenin. However,
:06:06. > :06:10.the statue was pulled down by some of the nationalist groups. Some of
:06:11. > :06:14.the leaders of the protest were very unhappy about it, because it
:06:15. > :06:19.irritates and offends a lot of people, and does not present a
:06:20. > :06:26.constructive programme for dialogue, or some kind of way out of
:06:27. > :06:29.this situation. The protest started over President Yanukovych' refusal
:06:30. > :06:43.to sign the treaty with the EU, and instead, looking closer to Moscow.
:06:44. > :06:48.So what happens next? It looks like he's going to sign a raft of various
:06:49. > :06:52.agreements with Russia. We do not know exactly the details of those,
:06:53. > :06:57.but certainly, the government is not giving in. Does there is no dialogue
:06:58. > :07:02.between the two sides, it is very difficult to see how it can be
:07:03. > :07:05.resolved positively. I think the two sides are sticking to their
:07:06. > :07:10.positions, and perhaps the European Union will be able to help, perhaps
:07:11. > :07:14.some high-ranking Americans travelling to Kiev will be able to
:07:15. > :07:15.help. Internally, it is a very, very difficult situation. Thank you very
:07:16. > :07:25.much. Pictures showing North Korea's
:07:26. > :07:29.second-most powerful man being forcibly removed from a party
:07:30. > :07:32.meeting have been aired on State TV. Jang Song-thaek is the uncle of
:07:33. > :07:36.North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, and had been given the job of
:07:37. > :07:39.guiding and mentoring the young leader as he assumed power two years
:07:40. > :07:41.ago. The BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Seoul on what led to
:07:42. > :07:54.his dismissal. Money, sex and power are the stuff
:07:55. > :08:00.of headlines in North Korea, just like anywhere else. Or as the state
:08:01. > :08:08.media put it today, corruption, disloyalty and capitalist living.
:08:09. > :08:11.Jang Song Taek, stripped of all of his positions, and publicly pulled
:08:12. > :08:15.out of a party meeting, under arrest. It is the biggest political
:08:16. > :08:22.earthquake in North Korea since his nephew assumed power. Jang Song Taek
:08:23. > :08:27.was Kim Jong Un's Guardian, mental and uncle. Too many, he was the
:08:28. > :08:35.power behind the throne. Perhaps too powerful, or maybe too popular. Few
:08:36. > :08:39.of the elder statesman who walked beside Kim Jong Un's coffin have
:08:40. > :08:45.survived two years of his son's rule. This latest purge is
:08:46. > :08:51.especially startling. Jang Song Taek has already been edited out of
:08:52. > :08:55.official videos. Whether this purge signals personal or political
:08:56. > :08:59.differences, the worry here in South Korea is that Pyongyang could
:09:00. > :09:03.distract attention with military action. The defence Ministry has
:09:04. > :09:09.already warned its troop to be on high alert, with Pyongyang's old
:09:10. > :09:14.guard fading, the game of predicting the regime is getting harder.
:09:15. > :09:18.Step-by-step, Kim Jong Un has demonstrated his hold on power, but
:09:19. > :09:21.also his fear of rivals. If his uncle was truly a threat, could his
:09:22. > :09:31.removal be an even bigger one? Around 60 world leaders will take
:09:32. > :09:47.part in the memorial service or state funeral of Nelson Mandela. At
:09:48. > :09:52.funeral is taking place in the Eastern take, on Sunday the 15th.
:09:53. > :10:01.Our correspondent Mike Wooldridge is in Johannesburg. I believe that
:10:02. > :10:09.Parliament is having a special sitting today? It is indeed,
:10:10. > :10:13.starting shortly, an opportunity for all MPs to publicly reflect on how
:10:14. > :10:24.they see the passing of Nelson Mandela, what he stood for and so
:10:25. > :10:37.on. So, now, it is Parliament's turn. There will be a huge national
:10:38. > :10:44.memorial service in the stadium on the outs but of Johannesburg
:10:45. > :10:47.tomorrow, -- on the outskirts, where Nelson Mandela made his last public
:10:48. > :10:51.appearance, at the end of the 2010 World Cup. And the state funeral
:10:52. > :10:56.will take place in Qunu in the Eastern Cape, but nonetheless, there
:10:57. > :11:02.will still be many important world leaders from around the world at
:11:03. > :11:06.that? I think that is the case. So much of this is just unfolding, the
:11:07. > :11:11.numbers of people who actually will be coming, leaders who will be
:11:12. > :11:15.coming, which events they will go to, the programmes and so on. But
:11:16. > :11:21.that is the impression at the moment, but it is tomorrow's
:11:22. > :11:24.national mourning ceremony which will be the largest in terms of the
:11:25. > :11:28.attendance of foreign dignitaries will stop they are trying to strike
:11:29. > :11:33.this note throughout, a mixture of expressions of grief, but also of
:11:34. > :11:38.celebration, much of it in a very African style, trying to give an
:11:39. > :11:42.identity to it which is faithful to Nelson Mandela and all he stood for.
:11:43. > :11:46.The same will be true, perhaps even more so, in the Eastern Cape, in
:11:47. > :11:51.Qunu, for the funeral and the burial, perhaps many more
:11:52. > :11:56.traditional parts to that ceremony. And guarding all of this, making
:11:57. > :12:04.sure that it passes off smoothly, thousands of police, and also 11,000
:12:05. > :12:07.troops, we are told. It is a huge logistical and organisational
:12:08. > :12:19.challenge, the event in the stadium at soccer city.
:12:20. > :12:28.We will give you complete coverage of all the events in South Africa.
:12:29. > :12:30.Eight US web giants, including Google, Microsoft and Facebook have
:12:31. > :12:33.launched a campaign for new rules on how governments collect user
:12:34. > :12:36.information. In an open letter to President Obama they're calling for
:12:37. > :12:39.a change of law to stop the large-scale surveillance activities
:12:40. > :12:45.exposed by the former intelligence worker, Edward Snowden. With me in
:12:46. > :12:53.the studio is Dan Simmons, a reporter from our technology
:12:54. > :12:55.programme Click. You have been following this story, why is silicon
:12:56. > :13:02.valley putting on such a united front to challenge Washington? It
:13:03. > :13:06.seems all these eight companies have been working with the United States
:13:07. > :13:11.government in providing them the information they requested. Now it
:13:12. > :13:17.seems they are taking a stand. They think things have tipped too far in
:13:18. > :13:21.favour of the government as far as privacy is concerned. They want to
:13:22. > :13:28.protect the privacy of their users more closely. That is to do with
:13:29. > :13:33.reputation. Who will use a service that gives away all their private
:13:34. > :13:36.details to the US government. The concern in silicon valley is US
:13:37. > :13:44.companies will be frozen out in the long term of the technology market
:13:45. > :13:48.in all the areas the US is so dominant in, if these companies have
:13:49. > :13:54.to give so much information in a clandestinely fashion. So it is bad
:13:55. > :13:58.for business? Yes it is. What reception are they likely to get
:13:59. > :14:04.from Washington? Washington want the right to protect their citizens and
:14:05. > :14:09.make sure they can have an effective net, if you like, to capture
:14:10. > :14:15.potential terrorists or anything wanted in their borders, Homeland
:14:16. > :14:18.Security, if you like. These companies are saying it has gone too
:14:19. > :14:23.far and it will affect our reputation, not only in the United
:14:24. > :14:28.States, but abroad as well. Silicon valley matters doesn't it? It is
:14:29. > :14:34.part of the US industrial offering? It is huge. They control a lot of
:14:35. > :14:39.how the web is organised and controlled, much to the annoyance of
:14:40. > :14:45.very many other countries around the world. They say it is because they
:14:46. > :14:49.have the major players. What these companies are saying is, it is not
:14:50. > :14:55.we don't want to give information that is crucial to the government,
:14:56. > :14:59.they are happy to abide by the law and give the information requested.
:15:00. > :15:05.But they have made a couple of requests, and one is they are
:15:06. > :15:08.allowed to tell the world what the US government wants from them and
:15:09. > :15:13.what they have had to give to the US government. And also, let's write
:15:14. > :15:17.down as to what you are allowed to ask for. At the moment they are
:15:18. > :15:20.getting a lot of information that users are not aware they are passing
:15:21. > :15:28.on to the government. Stay with us on BBC World News,
:15:29. > :15:32.still to come: Thank you very much. It is a month since typhoon Diane
:15:33. > :15:41.and we go back to the Philippines to see how the survivors are managing
:15:42. > :15:44.to rebuild their lives. 27 people have been arrested in
:15:45. > :15:47.Singapore after clashes between rioters and police in a commercial
:15:48. > :15:54.district known as Little India. About 400 people took to the
:15:55. > :16:01.streets, as Ashleigh Neem reports. News of the riot came as no surprise
:16:02. > :16:05.for this man. The 39-year-old father of two was at home with his family
:16:06. > :16:12.when he heard a commotion out side. He told me he was the first person
:16:13. > :16:19.to call the police. And this is why. This is the first riot in Singapore
:16:20. > :16:25.in four decades. All sparked by the death of an Indian national who was
:16:26. > :16:31.knocked down by a bus. He was hammering with his bare hands on the
:16:32. > :16:37.coach itself. There was a lot of noise, a lot of cheering. A lot of
:16:38. > :16:41.screaming also and they were throwing bottles on the roadside.
:16:42. > :16:47.This shop owner had to close her shop when the violence broke out.
:16:48. > :16:53.She and her family hid inside, trapped with the fear the rioters
:16:54. > :17:00.could break in. They were breaking cars and they were attacking the
:17:01. > :17:04.police vehicles. Last night, all of this produce was scattered on the
:17:05. > :17:09.ground outside. The owners say rioters use these vegetables as
:17:10. > :17:14.weapons to push back the police. They believe they could have lost up
:17:15. > :17:19.to $15,000 in lost produce and sales. But it is not just the
:17:20. > :17:24.economic impact, they fear there could be long-term issues with the
:17:25. > :17:32.Indian communities. I don't want to cast this as foreign worker versus
:17:33. > :17:38.our situation. Or try and overlay a racial tone to it, because I don't
:17:39. > :17:46.believe that is the case. The Minister believes the rioters anger
:17:47. > :17:50.was fuelled by alcohol. A proposal to set up alcohol free zones has
:17:51. > :17:56.been on the table for some time, but he wants them to be made even
:17:57. > :18:01.tougher. Others say Singapore's South Asian workers must be given
:18:02. > :18:04.fairer terms and better pay. This they say will go a long way to
:18:05. > :18:19.removing tensions with each could threaten Singapore's reputation as a
:18:20. > :18:25.safe and stable society. This is BBC World News. We are just
:18:26. > :18:31.getting some news from the Ukraine that the president has agreed to
:18:32. > :18:38.hold talks with three X residents, in order to defuse the stand-offs
:18:39. > :18:43.amid the mass protests. We have been reporting to you this morning that
:18:44. > :18:50.riot police have been sent into Independence Square. So the
:18:51. > :18:55.president has agreed to talks. We will renew more on that as we get
:18:56. > :19:02.it. In the meantime we can look at a new story. The pressure group
:19:03. > :19:05.Transparency International is encouraging the UK to do more to
:19:06. > :19:10.recover assets from foreign residents living in London who are
:19:11. > :19:14.suspected of corruption overseas. Its report, published on Monday,
:19:15. > :19:16.points to the example of France, where prosecutors have launched
:19:17. > :19:20.investigations into some of the wealthiest individuals living in
:19:21. > :19:22.Paris. They include the ruling families of Gabon and
:19:23. > :19:27.Congo-Brazzaville and the son of the President of Equatorial Guinea.
:19:28. > :19:36.Naomi Grimley went to Paris to find out more.
:19:37. > :19:42.Paris, one of the most sought-after addresses in the capital. But last
:19:43. > :19:52.year, number 42 drew special attention when the police raided
:19:53. > :19:57.it. The owner was the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea and a
:19:58. > :20:03.minister in his father's government. Poverty levels are high and one in
:20:04. > :20:09.eight children die before the age of five. He spent a lot of time in
:20:10. > :20:15.Paris and his lavish residence impress visitors. I had the
:20:16. > :20:24.impression he is the type of individual that likes to show what
:20:25. > :20:28.wealth he has. He would throw money in the disco and pay for everybody.
:20:29. > :20:34.When the police raided number 42, they discovered an Aladdin 's cave.
:20:35. > :20:40.They found fine wines, antique furniture and they took away a
:20:41. > :20:45.statue. It was a highly unusual move for the French authorities, given
:20:46. > :20:54.the owner of all this was a serving minister in a foreign country. These
:20:55. > :21:00.are some of his fast cars being towed away by the police.
:21:01. > :21:06.Anti-poverty campaigners believe he could not have afforded all this on
:21:07. > :21:10.his ministerial salary alone. But his lawyer says it is nonsense and
:21:11. > :21:17.the property was acquired legitimately. He has some cars, yes
:21:18. > :21:25.it is true. He has some houses, yes it is true. The money is coming from
:21:26. > :21:34.his business. Other residents of the wealthiest neighbourhood are under
:21:35. > :21:41.investigation. The ruling families of Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville are
:21:42. > :21:51.under investigation. There is a new wind blowing in the world. What
:21:52. > :21:57.happens in France should happen in London and Brussels as well. It
:21:58. > :22:02.remains to be seen if these cases will lead anywhere, but they are
:22:03. > :22:13.being watched closely by other cities which attract foreign elite,
:22:14. > :22:17.seeking second luxury homes. It has been one month since Typhoon
:22:18. > :22:19.Haiyan devastated much of the central Philippines, killing more
:22:20. > :22:22.than 5,500 people. Many more are missing and bodies are
:22:23. > :22:25.still being found as the survivors struggle to clear away the wreckage
:22:26. > :22:28.of homes and buildings that were destroyed. The scale of the
:22:29. > :22:31.destruction means rebuilding is going to take years, even though
:22:32. > :22:35.many aid agencies are helping with the relief effort. The BBC's Rico
:22:36. > :22:37.Hizon has returned to the city of Tacloban which bore the brunt of the
:22:38. > :22:39.typhoon. Looking for solace during a time of
:22:40. > :22:43.mourning. For the people gathered here for a special Mass at the
:22:44. > :22:49.Parish Church, religion has a crucial part of the recovery
:22:50. > :23:00.process. After losing their family members, homes and livelihoods to
:23:01. > :23:13.Typhoon Haiyan last month. During this Sunday, that has a mass.
:23:14. > :23:20.It is the only one I have now. During the storm, around 250 people
:23:21. > :23:26.hid in this church, hoping for divine intervention. They all
:23:27. > :23:33.survived. But nearly 6000 others did not make it with over 1700 more
:23:34. > :23:36.still missing. And for the traumatised community of Tacloban,
:23:37. > :23:42.the church has become their main refuge. This is where many of the
:23:43. > :23:46.many remaining residents of Tacloban will gather at Christmas. It is the
:23:47. > :23:50.most important religious holiday in the Philippines which has the
:23:51. > :23:55.biggest Catholic community in Asia. But this year it is not about
:23:56. > :24:01.exchanging gifts or having big dinners, but for many survivors
:24:02. > :24:05.here, it is all about faith. The city has slowly started to get back
:24:06. > :24:10.on its feet. There is running water and electricity in some areas. But
:24:11. > :24:15.when night falls, most of the devastated areas look like this,
:24:16. > :24:20.shrouded in black. Parishioners have tried to lift their spirits by
:24:21. > :24:31.hanging lanterns. They say it helps to give hope in times of darkness.
:24:32. > :24:39.Reports of Indonesia are reporting that ten people have died after a
:24:40. > :24:44.commuter train hit a fuel tanker. A witness has been speaking to the BBC
:24:45. > :24:47.and they said the train was full of passengers and loud explosions were
:24:48. > :24:53.heard. Most of the passengers were women.
:24:54. > :24:58.As the South African Parliament prepares to pay tribute to Nelson
:24:59. > :25:03.Mandela, the BBC has spoken to the former president's daughter. She has
:25:04. > :25:08.been telling us about her father's elastase.
:25:09. > :25:13.You try to say to him that people were outside the house singing,
:25:14. > :25:25.putting cards and flowers. I do believe he heard. We were all
:25:26. > :25:33.saying, he had opened his eyes. He had the... Smile. Someone was saying
:25:34. > :25:44.to me, and I said, I believe he still hears me. Because every day I
:25:45. > :25:55.would say to him, even if he has all of those tubes, I would kiss his
:25:56. > :26:05.cheek and said, every day, for the past month, I would say, " I love
:26:06. > :26:10.you daddy". Maybe he would open his eyes for just a second and close
:26:11. > :26:21.those eyes. So, for me until the last moment he heard us. You know.
:26:22. > :26:30.The children were there, the grandchildren were there. We were
:26:31. > :26:38.always around him. In the last moments, we were sitting with him.
:26:39. > :26:42.The whole day. That was Nelson Mandela's eldest
:26:43. > :26:47.daughter speaking to our correspondent in Johannesburg. They
:26:48. > :26:51.are preparing for the memorial service to take place tomorrow.
:26:52. > :27:00.Let me remind you of the main news this morning. And that is the
:27:01. > :27:02.Ukrainian president has agreed to a round table of talks and also three