14/01/2014 BBC World News

Hello. This is BBC World News. Our top stories. Egypt goes to the polls

over a new contusion but Muslim Brotherhood supporters boycott the

vote. Just before voting started, a small

bomb exploded outside a court in Cairo, but no-one has been hurt.

A Chinese doctor, who stole babies from a hospital and sold them to

child traffickers, has been given a suspended death sentence.

More than 200 people escaping violence in South Sudan have died

after an overcrowded ferry sank. And, will French President Hollande

comment on his alleged affair with an actress when he places the

world's media later today? Hello. Egyptians have started voting

on a new constitution which will remove the last traces of Mohamed

Morsi. There have been no reports of

casualties as of yet after a small bomb.

It would restrict the President to serving two four-year terms. Islam

would remain the religion of the state but freedom of belief is

protected. It also says there will be no religious political parties

which seems to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice

Party. Our correspondent, James Reynolds is in Cairo for us. Lots of

people behind you. What is happening? How good sted turnout

there today? -- good is the turnout? Well, this is meant to be a

referendum, of course. Outside this particular polling station, it is

more like a political rally. A rally in favour of the Armed Forces and in

particular in favour of the head of the Armed Forces, General Sisi, also

the most powerful man in the country. He said a few days ago that

a commanding yes vote here would encourage him to run for President.

These people believe that is exactly what should happen. There are

hundreds of people over there in the women's queue. Hundreds in the men's

queue. It suggests a high turnout here and it also suggests and will

confirm what we saw inside it'll take a long time to aprocess each

vote. People will be queueing up for hours but let's not get carried

away. There are a lot of people not voting. They will not queue up to

vote no. They are following the advice from the Muslim Brotherhood

to boycott the vote. What will it mean on how power will be

distributed if it goes through? Essentially it will be a

presidential system and it'll entrench a powerful president for

the military, judiciary and police. It is very important, that, because

those institutions, the military, Jew dishry and police oppose the

Muslim Brotherhood. So guaranteeing their power will prevent the Muslim

Brotherhood from winning power in the future. I think that maybe the

hope of some of the drafters of the constitution. The military gets

guarantees over its own budget and the eye deptedity of the defence

minister. -- identity. And it would get to decide, in some Ince stances,

that civilians get tried in military courts. -- in some instances. What

do the people there say they hope to gain from this week? Why do they

feel they have to come out and show their support? What they say and

bear in mind this is one part of Egypt's pop laying. They stay they

want be state and -- stability and democracy. They believe the Armed

Forces is the institutions to provide that. I should say the armed

forces have been out in force. We have seen their Chinook helicopters

in the science million triconvoys go by. The military isn't neutral in

this, it wants people to vote yes. -- in the sky in military convoys.

Two quick questions: We are curious as to why there is male and female

separate voting going on in Egypt today? Is that the normal practice

there? Also, is there a sense that the Muslim Brotherhood has really

been finally quelled now? This is pretty standard. This is pretty

standard practice here. The police are coming through with a loud

speaker trying to get people to move away from here. It is standard

practice to have men on one side and women on the other, which haven't

been a particular issue. The Muslim Brotherhood has insisted on a

boycott of a vote and they are saying there is no point in

campaigners coming out. The Government has outlawed the Muslim

Brotherhood and it has used a new anti-were test law it take down any

no posters and stop any no campaigning. Essentially most of the

people you see here are willing to queue up for several hours and they

are those who are willing to cast yes for a billion ot. The Government

hopes that the turnout for this referendum beats that under a

previous referendum under the Morsi government in which the turnout was

33% of the vote. They'll be hoping for more this time. Thank you very

much. Now, a doctor in northern China has

been given a suspended death sentence for stealing new born

babies and selling them to child traffickers. The object trigs

convinced the parents their -- obstetrician convinced the parents

their babies had serious health problems and should be cared for by

the state. I spoke to Celia hat Hatton. This doctor worked in a

northern province. She was quite a well-respected doctor and won awards

for her care. She seems to have abused that trust and those honours.

She h convinced the parents of these babies they were seriously ill and

if they signed over the care of these babies to the government, the

state would pay for their medical bills and then she sold the babies

on to middle men and profited handsomely from this, earning

thousands of dollars. We have had a decision today, what more on that

and what about the general public reaction to this? Well, she has been

given a suspended death sentence. In China that means that if she serves

the first two years of her sentence in prison and shows good behaviour,

her sentence will then be changed from the death penalty to life in

prison. So she will certainly be spending quite a few years behind

bars. There has been a relatively muted reaction to this case. It

definitely got a lot of attention when the doctor first went to trial.

But today, particularly on weibo, people are passing on the news, some

are calling for a harsh sentence. They feel she should have served the

death penalty outright for this crime. What does it say about how

these things are monitored and regulated throughout the country?

This case is about child trafficking but I know a lot of people have

adopted Chinese children in the past. What does this say for the

regulations after they are born and trafficking after that? Child

trafficking is a serious problem. Thousands of children every year are

trafficked and bought around the country. However, this case is quite

unusual. It did get a lot of acontinuation when it first came it

trial. Because -- attention. Because most children are simply abducted

off of the streets in China. That's how most children are stolen. So the

fact that this doctor abused her position, she was able to convince

parents to sign away their children. She was able to convince them they

were deathly ill when in fact they weren't, most were quite healthy. I

think that's what separates this case from other cases of child

trafficking. In other news today: Detectives in

Brazil say they are considering whether police officers may have

been responsible for the deaths of 12 people killed in the space of

three hours on Sunday night by gunmen in vehicles. A US airline has

suspended two pilots who landed their plane at the wrong airport.

The Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago should have stopped at

Branson in Missouri, but instead touched down at a smaller airport,

which has a far shorter runway. None of the crew or passengers was hurt.

It is the second jet to land at the wrong airport in the US since

November. More than 25,000 people have fled

their homes in Indonesia, following a series of eruptions from a volcano

on the island of Sumatra. The authorities say everyone has been

evacuated from within a five-kilometre radius of Mount

Sinabung, which has been active for the last two weeks. The volcano was

dormant for 400 years before it began erupting in 2010. Reports from

South Sudan say Reports from South Sudan say more

than 200 people have drowned in a ferry accident on the Nile. Women

and children were among the passengers on an overcrowded ferry.

They were trying to get away from fighting near the city of Malakal.

Nearly 400,000 people are thought to have fled their homes since the

conflict began. President Salva Kirr is expected to address the nation on

Wednesday. Peace talks to end the conflict are taking place in

Ethiopia, in the capital Addis Ababa. The BBC's Anne Soy is there

and joins me now. Bring us up-to-date on how the talks are

going? Well, they have delegates have just gone back in for another

round of discussions. They were indications earlier today that the

deal was going to be signed today but so far we haven't had anything

from they will. They still continue to many Tyne their different

positions with the government side maintaining the government is not

going to release the political prisoners. This has remained the

bone of contention. The delegates representing the form former

vice-president have said this is' one condition that must be met

before this deal is signed. Do we have any further idea as to what

sort of shape the deal could take? Well, we can only wait to see if

there are going to be any concessions made from either side. I

spoke to the Information Minister. He says that the political prisoners

who were arrested have to face the law. But then one of the delegates,

represent representing that we spoke to, said that he reads that the

government is actually trying to use this issue to delay the talks, to

stall the talks as they try to gain some military ground and as they try

to retake the areas the rebels are holding at the moment. Thank you

very much. Stay with us on BBC World News. Much

more to come. Day 2 of protests against the government on the

streets of Bangkok as Thailand faces political limbo and why Michelle

Obama's dress sense is making fashion history?

Now, the Australian open has been unfolding, of course, in the last

few days or so. And it's been a pretty straight-forward day for the

seeded players. Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Mykola

Azarov - and Victoria Azarenka have booked their place through to the

next round. While rain may stop play at

Wimbledon, at the Australian Open the sun causes headaches. Australia

is experiencing a heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 43

degrees centigrade over the next few days.ments it's boiling. I'm

sweating real bad. It is hot. It is warm, we shouldn't complain. We

didn't come here to be hot. It is good. Ry u louse. Almost unbear

unbearably hot -- it isry Dick u louse.

-- ridiculous. There are plenty of places to keep

cool in Melbourne Park as this ball boy is demonstrating. There are

drinking fountains all over the park and plenty of shade as well, which

is great for the supporters. The players, though, aren't so lucky.

Even though it was windy, the wind was like hot wind, like I said -

just don't blow it, it is even hotter, just stop. You normally

expect, a little bit of, I don't know, some freshness, I don't know

what. It didn't come from anywhere. I put the bottle down on the court

and it started melting a little bit underneath, the plastic. Get your

sun scream. The Australian Open operates an extreme heat policy

based on the temperature which takes humidity into accounted. Despite

high temperatures and one player fainting and another being sick,

tournament officials decided not to so you spend play. I think they

should have some kind of a rule, you know to help the players who play at

a higher level and to enjoy their time more in court. I don't think

you can really enjoy it when your head is like going to explode.

The weather hasn't put the fans off, who have been doing their best to

keep cool. And they'll have to condition to do so, as the forecast

remains the same for Wednesday and Thursday.

This is BBC World News. The latest headlines: Egypt is

holding a constitutional referendum, the first vote since the Islamist

President, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted by the military and a Chinese

doctor, who stole babies from hospital and sold them to child

traffickers, has been given a suspended death sentence.

Now n what is believed to be the first case of its kind, Britain has

granted asylum to an Afghan man because he has become an atheist.

The man, who hasn't been named, was brought up as a Muslim but gradually

lost his faith after arriving in Britain at the age of 16. He

successfully argued if he was to go home, he would be persecuted for his

lack of religious belief. To Inayatulaq Yasini is a journalist at

the BBC Afghan service. What would happen to someone who was openly an

atheist in Afghanistan? Culturally, leaving our religion is considered

not good. Generally, people are going abroad and attending they

would be prosecuted. I don't know about this case. I myself met a

person who claimed to be a Christian, just for the sake of

getting a visa. There are contradictions in the Afghan

constitution. The cos she should says everything should be based on

Islam -- the constitution says there should be Islam, as well as freedom

of expression, so there is a contradiction. But the constitution

does not explain. They leave it to the judges and prosecutors. They can

define it however they want. Are there any known cases of atheists

being persecuted in Afghanistan? Not atheists, but we do have a Chris

Chin converted from Islam to Christianity in 2006. It was a big

case. His family reported to the police that he had converted. Then

he was put behind bars. His case started going to court. Not even his

lawyers dared to come forward to defend him. What would happen to

them? Is this under sharia law or is it because of the Afghan

constitution? The common mentality of the people, they said they should

not convert to other religions. Before coming to the studio, I spoke

to a couple of religious scholars. They say it is the work of an

Islamic government. An Islamic government has the authority to

punish people with capital punishment if someone leaves his or

her religion. Anything which happens should be on behalf of the

government. Unfortunately, in that part of the world, people take

matters into their own hands. I wonder if there will be more cases

like this now. Thanks very much. Thousands of anti-government

protesters have taken to the streets of the Thai capital, Bangkok, for a

second day. They have said they intend to shut down the city to

force the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, to stand down. Our

correspondent is on the streets in the Thai capital.

As you can see, the trains are still running. Commuters are coming into

the city centre. But there is no doubt that the protests are having a

big impact. Look at this. This should normally be a busy road,

teeming with traffic. But today, it resembles a cross between a

political demonstration and a festival. Here, they are selling

sandwiches for a little less than a dollar each. Further away, they are

selling hats, flags and banners. Tourists are mingling with the

crowds and this is a very good natured, if somewhat noisy protest,

which is why I have to hold the microphone so closely. Look further

down the street, and you can see a large crowd rallying outside a

national police headquarters. This is a dispute in which the loyalty of

almost every institution is being called into question. And always

lurking, the threat of real violence. It may be deliberately

instigated in order to force a military intervention to remove

prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra from power. If that happens, of

course, there is the risk of an equal and opposite reaction from her

supporters, who will claim, perhaps with some justification, that these

people have achieved through mass protest what they cannot achieve by

democratic mandate. This may look like a carnival, but it is a fight

for the heart and soul of Thailand's democracy, and the window

for a peaceful resolution is narrowing.

Now, he was nicknamed Mr normal and came into office on the promise that

he would put an end to bling-bling politics. But now France's

president, Francois Hollande, faces intense pressure over the state of

his private life. He is due to make his first public appearance since

allegations surfaced that he has been conducting a secret affair with

actress, Julie Gayet. France's official first Lady, his partner

Valerie Trierweiler, is still in hospital, suffering from stress. She

may stay there for several more days. A short while ago, I spoke to

a supporter of President Hollande, Socialist MP Axelle Lamaire, and

Gaspard Koenig of the think tank Generation Libre. He used to be a

speech writer for Christine Lagarde, now head of the IMF. I asked Axelle

Lamaire first if she's embarrassed by Mr Hollande's behaviour. Not at

all. I am a supporter of the president, and I consider that what

the man does is not my business. Just as the rest of the 77% of the

French people who see is a private issue, personally, I do not want to

see politics run by celebrity magazines. But doesn't it tell you

something about his her? He was married. He then took up with the

current first Lady while he was still married, and now there are

accusations of another affair. Doesn't that tell you something

about the man, and therefore, isn't his rival at life relevant to his

public office? No. I am sorry to say, I think this is a very bit -ish

way of seeing things. -- it is a British away of seeing things. What

is important is the announcement he will make this afternoon concerning

French people, jobs, the economy, investment, the fight against

unemployment. That is what people care about. Let me turn to Gaspard

Koenig, with us in the studio from the opposite viewpoint. Do you think

it has harmed him or helped him? I think he would rather boost his

popularity, because then the French people would see him as more normal.

All our French presidents have had the same kinds of scandals.

Journalists in Paris will all to you, of course we knew. It was well

known. So we ask them, why didn't you say it? It falls to a tabloid

like Closer to disclose the story. That tells you a lot about the

establishment in France and how they preserve their family secrets. And I

think it is relevant. If mainstream journalists know, they should

disclose it to the public. But that has not been the French way, am I

right? It is a minor issue in the current situation with the French

economy, spending nights with a lover at an apartment in the Elysee

and being on disguise on a motorbike. It may boost French

morale to know that! You don't think it is a distraction and will be

politically damaging to? He has been massively under fire for his

handling of the economy and huge taxes etc. He is the most unpopular

leader. We will see how the first girlfriend will react. We are

awaiting her reaction with impatience. I don't think it will

change much. The main problem is that Francois Hollande never fully

embraced the market economy. I think France could be blossoming if the

right government was put in place. Axelle Lamaire, it does make your

president something of a laughing stock, doesn't it, all those

pictures of him on a motorbike? And also, if the current first Lady does

launch a vicious fight back, isn't that again a huge, humiliated

distraction to the office of resident? That is how you see it.

That is how it will be seen around the world. What it says about the

world today is that it is increasingly difficult to draw a

line between public life and private life. This may be a concern for all

politicians. But again, what he does at night does not have any effect on

what he does during the day. But in an age of Twitter... Wear every

telephone has got a camera, we have seen people such as Bill Clinton

have their presidency massively hamstrung by their private life.

Doesn't it reflect on his judgement? No. We are not the United States. It

is France, we have privacy laws. We are very protective, clearly more

than in the US or the United Kingdom. You have to respect the

fact that this is a different tradition. I am not here to comment

on his private life. I would like to talk about the economy, and the

young people who are unemployed and hoping for announcements that will

help them. What do you think he should come out today to see in this

address? It will obviously be focused on the economy, but he can't

escape this issue. What could he said to try and wireline under this

if that is possible? I think it would be a mistake to start

answering the questions of curious journalists. I think he is there to

put forward his policies and explain what he was planning to do in the

second half of his term. The priority will be put on increasing

the competitiveness of companies. It is going to be tricky. He may be

tempted to answer questions after the official press conference. But

again, I suppose we are just waiting for time to pass. He needs to square

his personal situation with his girlfriend, and that is it.

That press conference will be covered here live on BBC News.

Now, America's first Lady is in the news, but for very different reasons

today. The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, which collects each

first Lady's first inaugural gown, has broken with tradition by display

the dress that Michelle Obama wore for her husband's second

inauguration. Those usually just go on display in presidential

libraries, but such is the interesting Michelle Obama's fashion

sense that I have got this up for everyone to look at. This is BBC

World News. I'm Geeta Guru-Murthy. Thanks for being with us today. See

you soon.