09/12/2013 BBC World News

Hello. This is BBC World News. Our top stories... Over 100,000

anti-government protestors surround government house in Bangkok, despite

the Thai Prime Minister's offer of new elections. In Ukraine's capital,

Kiev, riot police have been deployed as the government demands protestors

disperse after blocking government buildings. North Korea confirms a

powerful uncle of president Kim Jong-un has been dismissed. He is

hauled out of a party meeting and accused of committing criminal acts.

South Africa pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, as world leaders prepare

for tomorrow's memorial service. Protesters in Thailand have

surrounded Government House in Bangkok as they continue to rally

against the government. The Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has

dissolved parliament, to help bring an end to the country's political

crisis. A government spokesman says general elections will be held on

second February. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are on the streets

of the capital, vowing to continue their fight. They say Ms Yingluck's

government is controlled by her brother, ousted leader Thaksin

Shinawatra. The BBC's Jonathan Head sent this report from one of the

rallies in Bangkok. The protest leaders called for the largest

possible turnout today show disapproval of the government, in

the hope that it would make an impact. By and large, it seems to

have succeeded. They are now heading off towards the same targets they

were aiming for last week, the Prime Minister 's office, a symbolic

capture for them, if they can get in there. Question is, what would that

achieve? They have already managed to get in once. But more than that,

the Prime Minister has now called for an election. She is dissolving

parliament. A lot of people here have been calling for that. Others

say that will not enough. We do not know yet what the Prime Minister has

decided today, and whether it will be enough to take some of the sting

out of this movement, but it is a dramatic development. We want her

and her family to go out of our country. That is what we want. So,

an election is not enough? An election is one path, because if

there is another election, and she and her family is still here in the

country, she will be behind everything, her family will be

behind everything. We are now walking towards central Bangkok and

it is where all of these protesters are expected to gather and put on

this tremendous show of force. They have been trying to get together, to

make a difference. The problem is, what do they do now, with nearly two

months until the general election is due to be held? They have actually

succeeded in part of what they wanted, they have persuaded the

government to Buckler. And so I think the mood is a bit confused at

the moment. This has all been very impressive, but they know that when

it comes down to an election, the chances are, the Prime Minister's

party will still win. It has won the last five elections. The people know

that the things they complain about, the corruption, the weakness

of the Parliamentary system, these have not yet been addressed. I

suspect even after the Prime Minister's dramatic this vision

today, these will not be the last protests that we see. -- dramatic

decision. Riot police have moved into the

centre of the Ukrainan capital, Kiev, where protesters have been

occupying a city administration building and a central square.

They're calling for greater ties with Europe instead of Russia. And

to show their frustration, demonstrators have pulled down a

statue of the communist leader Vladimir Lenin.

They're angry about President Yanukovych's decision to reject a

trade deal with the EU. We can speak now with the BBC's global news

editor. The intention of the Interior Ministry troops is to

disperse the crowds, to free the government buildings. However,

protesters say they will defend their square, they will defend their

right to peaceful protest. How peaceful it will be is not clear. It

is a very tense situation. There are lots of bits of information coming

in about tube station being closed in the area, troops have been

circling. This is a fairly large space, and they are encircling it

and would in all sorts of barricades to counter the protesters. There is

also talk about European Commission and European Union ambassadors being

called to the square. The media are also there. Baroness Ashton is

travelling tomorrow. And we have just seen pictures of the protesters

pulling down, toppling a statue of Lenin. How significant is that? I

think it was the last statue of Lenin in Kiev. Quite a few were

toppled 20 years ago, when Ukraine regained its independence. It is

symbol to some, and it is very affect on to others. Ukraine is

divided. Any in Eastern Ukraine hold the past dear. The Communist Party

is currently very supportive of the commonest past, and Lenin. However,

the statue was pulled down by some of the nationalist groups. Some of

the leaders of the protest were very unhappy about it, because it

irritates and offends a lot of people, and does not present a

constructive programme for dialogue, or some kind of way out of

this situation. The protest started over President Yanukovych' refusal

to sign the treaty with the EU, and instead, looking closer to Moscow.

So what happens next? It looks like he's going to sign a raft of various

agreements with Russia. We do not know exactly the details of those,

but certainly, the government is not giving in. Does there is no dialogue

between the two sides, it is very difficult to see how it can be

resolved positively. I think the two sides are sticking to their

positions, and perhaps the European Union will be able to help, perhaps

some high-ranking Americans travelling to Kiev will be able to

help. Internally, it is a very, very difficult situation. Thank you very

much. Pictures showing North Korea's

second-most powerful man being forcibly removed from a party

meeting have been aired on State TV. Jang Song-thaek is the uncle of

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, and had been given the job of

guiding and mentoring the young leader as he assumed power two years

ago. The BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Seoul on what led to

his dismissal. Money, sex and power are the stuff

of headlines in North Korea, just like anywhere else. Or as the state

media put it today, corruption, disloyalty and capitalist living.

Jang Song Taek, stripped of all of his positions, and publicly pulled

out of a party meeting, under arrest. It is the biggest political

earthquake in North Korea since his nephew assumed power. Jang Song Taek

was Kim Jong Un's Guardian, mental and uncle. Too many, he was the

power behind the throne. Perhaps too powerful, or maybe too popular. Few

of the elder statesman who walked beside Kim Jong Un's coffin have

survived two years of his son's rule. This latest purge is

especially startling. Jang Song Taek has already been edited out of

official videos. Whether this purge signals personal or political

differences, the worry here in South Korea is that Pyongyang could

distract attention with military action. The defence Ministry has

already warned its troop to be on high alert, with Pyongyang's old

guard fading, the game of predicting the regime is getting harder.

Step-by-step, Kim Jong Un has demonstrated his hold on power, but

also his fear of rivals. If his uncle was truly a threat, could his

removal be an even bigger one? Around 60 world leaders will take

part in the memorial service or state funeral of Nelson Mandela. At

funeral is taking place in the Eastern take, on Sunday the 15th.

Our correspondent Mike Wooldridge is in Johannesburg. I believe that

Parliament is having a special sitting today? It is indeed,

starting shortly, an opportunity for all MPs to publicly reflect on how

they see the passing of Nelson Mandela, what he stood for and so

on. So, now, it is Parliament's turn. There will be a huge national

memorial service in the stadium on the outs but of Johannesburg

tomorrow, -- on the outskirts, where Nelson Mandela made his last public

appearance, at the end of the 2010 World Cup. And the state funeral

will take place in Qunu in the Eastern Cape, but nonetheless, there

will still be many important world leaders from around the world at

that? I think that is the case. So much of this is just unfolding, the

numbers of people who actually will be coming, leaders who will be

coming, which events they will go to, the programmes and so on. But

that is the impression at the moment, but it is tomorrow's

national mourning ceremony which will be the largest in terms of the

attendance of foreign dignitaries will stop they are trying to strike

this note throughout, a mixture of expressions of grief, but also of

celebration, much of it in a very African style, trying to give an

identity to it which is faithful to Nelson Mandela and all he stood for.

The same will be true, perhaps even more so, in the Eastern Cape, in

Qunu, for the funeral and the burial, perhaps many more

traditional parts to that ceremony. And guarding all of this, making

sure that it passes off smoothly, thousands of police, and also 11,000

troops, we are told. It is a huge logistical and organisational

challenge, the event in the stadium at soccer city.

We will give you complete coverage of all the events in South Africa.

Eight US web giants, including Google, Microsoft and Facebook have

launched a campaign for new rules on how governments collect user

information. In an open letter to President Obama they're calling for

a change of law to stop the large-scale surveillance activities

exposed by the former intelligence worker, Edward Snowden. With me in

the studio is Dan Simmons, a reporter from our technology

programme Click. You have been following this story, why is silicon

valley putting on such a united front to challenge Washington? It

seems all these eight companies have been working with the United States

government in providing them the information they requested. Now it

seems they are taking a stand. They think things have tipped too far in

favour of the government as far as privacy is concerned. They want to

protect the privacy of their users more closely. That is to do with

reputation. Who will use a service that gives away all their private

details to the US government. The concern in silicon valley is US

companies will be frozen out in the long term of the technology market

in all the areas the US is so dominant in, if these companies have

to give so much information in a clandestinely fashion. So it is bad

for business? Yes it is. What reception are they likely to get

from Washington? Washington want the right to protect their citizens and

make sure they can have an effective net, if you like, to capture

potential terrorists or anything wanted in their borders, Homeland

Security, if you like. These companies are saying it has gone too

far and it will affect our reputation, not only in the United

States, but abroad as well. Silicon valley matters doesn't it? It is

part of the US industrial offering? It is huge. They control a lot of

how the web is organised and controlled, much to the annoyance of

very many other countries around the world. They say it is because they

have the major players. What these companies are saying is, it is not

we don't want to give information that is crucial to the government,

they are happy to abide by the law and give the information requested.

But they have made a couple of requests, and one is they are

allowed to tell the world what the US government wants from them and

what they have had to give to the US government. And also, let's write

down as to what you are allowed to ask for. At the moment they are

getting a lot of information that users are not aware they are passing

on to the government. Stay with us on BBC World News,

still to come: Thank you very much. It is a month since typhoon Diane

and we go back to the Philippines to see how the survivors are managing

to rebuild their lives. 27 people have been arrested in

Singapore after clashes between rioters and police in a commercial

district known as Little India. About 400 people took to the

streets, as Ashleigh Neem reports. News of the riot came as no surprise

for this man. The 39-year-old father of two was at home with his family

when he heard a commotion out side. He told me he was the first person

to call the police. And this is why. This is the first riot in Singapore

in four decades. All sparked by the death of an Indian national who was

knocked down by a bus. He was hammering with his bare hands on the

coach itself. There was a lot of noise, a lot of cheering. A lot of

screaming also and they were throwing bottles on the roadside.

This shop owner had to close her shop when the violence broke out.

She and her family hid inside, trapped with the fear the rioters

could break in. They were breaking cars and they were attacking the

police vehicles. Last night, all of this produce was scattered on the

ground outside. The owners say rioters use these vegetables as

weapons to push back the police. They believe they could have lost up

to $15,000 in lost produce and sales. But it is not just the

economic impact, they fear there could be long-term issues with the

Indian communities. I don't want to cast this as foreign worker versus

our situation. Or try and overlay a racial tone to it, because I don't

believe that is the case. The Minister believes the rioters anger

was fuelled by alcohol. A proposal to set up alcohol free zones has

been on the table for some time, but he wants them to be made even

tougher. Others say Singapore's South Asian workers must be given

fairer terms and better pay. This they say will go a long way to

removing tensions with each could threaten Singapore's reputation as a

safe and stable society. This is BBC World News. We are just

getting some news from the Ukraine that the president has agreed to

hold talks with three X residents, in order to defuse the stand-offs

amid the mass protests. We have been reporting to you this morning that

riot police have been sent into Independence Square. So the

president has agreed to talks. We will renew more on that as we get

it. In the meantime we can look at a new story. The pressure group

Transparency International is encouraging the UK to do more to

recover assets from foreign residents living in London who are

suspected of corruption overseas. Its report, published on Monday,

points to the example of France, where prosecutors have launched

investigations into some of the wealthiest individuals living in

Paris. They include the ruling families of Gabon and

Congo-Brazzaville and the son of the President of Equatorial Guinea.

Naomi Grimley went to Paris to find out more.

Paris, one of the most sought-after addresses in the capital. But last

year, number 42 drew special attention when the police raided

it. The owner was the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea and a

minister in his father's government. Poverty levels are high and one in

eight children die before the age of five. He spent a lot of time in

Paris and his lavish residence impress visitors. I had the

impression he is the type of individual that likes to show what

wealth he has. He would throw money in the disco and pay for everybody.

When the police raided number 42, they discovered an Aladdin 's cave.

They found fine wines, antique furniture and they took away a

statue. It was a highly unusual move for the French authorities, given

the owner of all this was a serving minister in a foreign country. These

are some of his fast cars being towed away by the police.

Anti-poverty campaigners believe he could not have afforded all this on

his ministerial salary alone. But his lawyer says it is nonsense and

the property was acquired legitimately. He has some cars, yes

it is true. He has some houses, yes it is true. The money is coming from

his business. Other residents of the wealthiest neighbourhood are under

investigation. The ruling families of Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville are

under investigation. There is a new wind blowing in the world. What

happens in France should happen in London and Brussels as well. It

remains to be seen if these cases will lead anywhere, but they are

being watched closely by other cities which attract foreign elite,

seeking second luxury homes. It has been one month since Typhoon

Haiyan devastated much of the central Philippines, killing more

than 5,500 people. Many more are missing and bodies are

still being found as the survivors struggle to clear away the wreckage

of homes and buildings that were destroyed. The scale of the

destruction means rebuilding is going to take years, even though

many aid agencies are helping with the relief effort. The BBC's Rico

Hizon has returned to the city of Tacloban which bore the brunt of the

typhoon. Looking for solace during a time of

mourning. For the people gathered here for a special Mass at the

Parish Church, religion has a crucial part of the recovery

process. After losing their family members, homes and livelihoods to

Typhoon Haiyan last month. During this Sunday, that has a mass.

It is the only one I have now. During the storm, around 250 people

hid in this church, hoping for divine intervention. They all

survived. But nearly 6000 others did not make it with over 1700 more

still missing. And for the traumatised community of Tacloban,

the church has become their main refuge. This is where many of the

many remaining residents of Tacloban will gather at Christmas. It is the

most important religious holiday in the Philippines which has the

biggest Catholic community in Asia. But this year it is not about

exchanging gifts or having big dinners, but for many survivors

here, it is all about faith. The city has slowly started to get back

on its feet. There is running water and electricity in some areas. But

when night falls, most of the devastated areas look like this,

shrouded in black. Parishioners have tried to lift their spirits by

hanging lanterns. They say it helps to give hope in times of darkness.

Reports of Indonesia are reporting that ten people have died after a

commuter train hit a fuel tanker. A witness has been speaking to the BBC

and they said the train was full of passengers and loud explosions were

heard. Most of the passengers were women.

As the South African Parliament prepares to pay tribute to Nelson

Mandela, the BBC has spoken to the former president's daughter. She has

been telling us about her father's elastase.

You try to say to him that people were outside the house singing,

putting cards and flowers. I do believe he heard. We were all

saying, he had opened his eyes. He had the... Smile. Someone was saying

to me, and I said, I believe he still hears me. Because every day I

would say to him, even if he has all of those tubes, I would kiss his

cheek and said, every day, for the past month, I would say, " I love

you daddy". Maybe he would open his eyes for just a second and close

those eyes. So, for me until the last moment he heard us. You know.

The children were there, the grandchildren were there. We were

always around him. In the last moments, we were sitting with him.

The whole day. That was Nelson Mandela's eldest

daughter speaking to our correspondent in Johannesburg. They

are preparing for the memorial service to take place tomorrow.

Let me remind you of the main news this morning. And that is the

Ukrainian president has agreed to a round table of talks and also three