03/02/2014 BBC World News

Hello, I am Geeta Guru-Murthy with BBC World News, our top stories: An

armed teenager in Moscow has burst into his school and killed two

people, but all the children Article eight safe. Tributes pour in for

Philip Seymour Hoffman, the 46-year-old actor who was found dead

at his home in New York after an apparent drug overdose.

Who knows what he would have been able to? But we are left with a

legacy of the work he has done, and it all speaks for itself. He will be

greatly, greatly missed. Viktor Yanukovych is returning to

work after four days of illness with opponents still demanding he give up

power. And abortion returns centre stage to

Spanish politics with proposals to tighten the law, causing outrage and

dividing the ruling party. Hello and welcome. Two people have

been killed by an armed man believed to be a student who took 20 other

pupils hostage at a school on the outskirts of the Russian capital,

Moscow. Police say they have captured the gunman and that all the

hostages are out of danger. With me is Famil Ismailov from the BBC

Russian Service, thank you for joining us. Alarming to see this in

the run-up to the Sochi Games, but no link to terrorism, a localised

problem. Absolutely, I mean there are reports that the teenager was

angry with teachers, although the headmaster says there was no

conflict between the boy and the biology teacher who was killed, or

the geography teacher who was threatened to be killed. The boy

studied at the school, a sixth form as we call it in the UK, his tenth

year in the 11 year Russian school, and he was about to graduate with

good grades, but he was angry that he was not given a good grateful

something. He entered the school with rivals belonging to his

father, he made several shots, he shot policeman, one died, and the

teacher who happened to be in the corridor while he was walking to the

classroom also was killed by the boy. Police clearly on the scene

fairly quickly, it seems. There was an alarm button that the guard at

the school managed to press before the boy could proceed into the

building. The guard could not stop him, because he was not armed. The

boy proceeded, but the police was alarmed, alerted, and they arrived

very quickly. Shots from the helicopter there in the suburb which

we are talking about. We have talked about security in the run-up to the

Sochi Games, you cannot secure every area, every school, but we have seen

attacks in schools in Moscow and Russia elsewhere. Well, at schools,

attacks are very rare. We have seen attacks in offices, we have seen

attacks in shops, for example last year there was an attack at a shop

where a person killed three people and two bystanders, a few days

later, he was apprehended by the police. These schools are usually

secure, there is an entry from, a card entry system, but the boy was

studying there so he easily entered the building. What is the mood

across the country ahead of the Games? The mood is celebratory

because of the Sochi Games, but they are tightening security in schools,

and the mayor of Moscow has announced a review of the security

systems and the rules that the schools abide by. OK, Famil

Ismailov, many thanks. And unspeakable loss for all who

know him, that was the reflection of Kevin Spacey on the death of his

fellow Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose body was found in his

New York apartment yesterday. The biggest names in film and theatre

have been paying tribute to him today, it is thought he died of a

heroin overdose. From New York, here is Nick Bryant.

This is the Greenwich Village apartment building where the body of

Philip Seymour Hoffman was discovered on the bathroom floor of

its own. Yesterday morning, he had been expected to pick up his

children, but when he failed to show, friends went around to his

home, where they found him lifeless. New York police recovered a syringe

from the scene and two small plastic bags containing a substance thought

to be heroin. He apparently died from a drug overdose. What scares

you so much about travelling into the past? Are you afraid that we

might discover that our past has been reshaped? After struggling with

substance abuse in the past, the 46-year-old actor had not used drugs

for over 20 years, but last year he checked into a rehabilitation clinic

after turning to her own. Friends thought he was back to his old self.

He was always very dynamic and layered and supple and, you know,

nuanced. And he had real integrity in his performances, he was an actor

first and a movie star second. New York is a city that is not unused to

see in the lives of its beloved stars end tragically and

prematurely, but there is still a sense of disbelief, especially in

the film and theatrical communities. Philip Seymour Hoffman

had decades of movies and plays to appear in and direct, and there is a

profound sense of artistic loss. Now, Ukraine's president, Viktor

Yanukovych, is returning to work after four days' sick leave with

protesters still demanding he should give up power. One, -- one prominent

activist who said he had been tortured has arrived in Lithuania

for medical treatment. The country has promise to treat any protesters

who have been injured in the crisis, but what do we know about this man

and what allegedly happened to him? He is the leader of an

anti-government protest group who reportedly took to the stage on

several occasions. He vanished on the 22nd of January, but he was

badly injured. He told journalists he had been abducted and tortured

but could not identify his kidnappers other than to say they

have Russian accents. With more from Kiev, our correspondent Duncan

Crawford reports. These are bright police guarding the

road leading up to the President's offers. -- riot police. He is back

in work, no-one is being allowed past the barricades. The president

has been off 64 four days, suffering from breathing problems and he had a

fever. -- off sick four four days. He is under pressure from Russia,

from the EU, and under pressure from demonstrators down the road. Beyond

this checkpoint, Viktor Yanukovych has no control. Just an there is the

main protest camp, you can see that the men here are kitted out for a

fight. The opposition are calling for more concessions. They want to

see detained protesters released, they would like to see

constitutional reform, but the main concession is for Viktor Yanukovych

to stand down. There is no sign of that happening at the moment.

Duncan in Kiev. The mayor of the Japanese city of Osaka has announced

his resignation. He will be seeking re-election in a bid to prove he has

public support for his reform plans. Because controversy last year with

remarks that comfort women were forced to work as sex slaves during

the war were a necessary evil. -- he caused. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes is in

Tokyo. Explain why this figure has been so controversial

internationally. Well, yes, as you say, this story, you know, his

resignation is really a local issue, but Mr Hashimoto has caused a lot of

controversy internationally because of a press conference he gave

weapons went in front of Japanese journalists and said that he thought

the use of so-called comfort women by Japanese soldiers during World

War II in places like China and Korea and Southeast Asia was

necessary, and that, you know, it was a thing of the times, it was

during war and prevented soldiers from going out and raping women, and

so it shouldn't be looked on as being an evil but something that was

necessary. Of course, the response both here in Japan and particularly

from China, South Korea and the United States was very strong

indeed, and he was widely condemned for those from Morse. But none of

that is the reason why he has resigned, apparently. -- for those

remarks. This is classic Hashimoto, he is a populist, a political

maverick. He has been trying to reform Osaka's city government,

trying to merge the city with the surrounding prefecture to create a

larger entity, and he has been stopped from doing so by the City

Council. So he is resigning in this dramatic way, saying, I am going to

the people, I am going to get them to re-elect me and I will have a

mandate from the people to push through my reforms. What is

interesting about this story is how holding the sort of views on history

that Mr Hashimoto clearly does is no barrier to political success in

Japan, and he is still extremely popular down in Psycho. Rupert, in

Tokyo, thanks Ray much indeed, apologies for the crackling on the

line. -- thanks very much indeed. , Dick and disturbing footage has

emerged from Syria, where activists say many civilians have been killed

in Aleppo by barrel bombs. -- dramatic.

Rescuing a neighbour from under rubble, this unverified footage

appears to show the aftermath of air raids on the northern city of

Aleppo. Activists say the Syrian government forces killed 90

civilians in the latest wave of bombing. Another video posted online

shows the moment a government helicopter drops a bomb. It slams

into buildings, sending a pillar of smoke and dust into the air. This

video cannot be verified, but opposition activists say that

government forces have been targeting Aleppo for weeks. The city

has been the focus of bitter fighting between the government and

rebels. The United Nations has stopped updating the death toll from

the Syrian civil war, but as of July last year it said at least 100,000

people had been killed. There have been international

efforts to stop the fighting. After a week-long conference in Geneva, a

UN meeting is taking place in Rome this Monday. But so far there has

been no agreement on a cease-fire. As the government forces launch an

offensive on rebels, the suffering of civilians continues.

We are back very soon with much more, do stay with us. We visited

the Filipino Boot Camp for beauty and try to find out what it takes to

be the next miss world. Tim Ellison was enjoying a

successful career with the British are. Until his Harrier jump jet

crash landed. He broke his spine and was left paralysed. -- with the

British air force. There are thousands of hot air

balloon pilots across the world. Europe has not had a single

physically disabled one until now. Tim Ellison and instructor Brian

Jones went to Italy to escape the British weather and get in the

required flying hours. There is no reason why disabled people should

not be able to fly balloons, they fly aeroplanes and other things, so

I thought, why aren't there more people? It is a nice project. In the

past, equipment was the main obstacle for disabled pilots.

Strapped into a wicker basket, you cannot reach all the controls. A

specially designed chair solved the problems. Once you are in the chair,

sitting next to an able-bodied person, it gives you a great feeling

of freedom, and you don't get that everyday when you are on the ground.

Airborne, it gives you a fantastic sense of achievement. After days of

flying at passing the necessary exams, the last stage for Tim was to

fly unaccompanied. I have absolutely no problem sending you out so low.

You need to fly for 30 minutes, OK? Happy?

It is a big test. Half an hour later, he has done it. Back on the

ground, safe, sound and successful. It was really good, beautiful day,

beautiful flight, really enjoyed it. It is a very special moment for any

pilots to do their first solo, I am really proud of him, of course, my

first disabled student, who wouldn't be? The first qualified disabled

balloon pilot in Europe. This is BBC World News, I am Geeta

Guru-Murthy with the latest headlines. An armed teenager in

Moscow has burst into his school and killed two people. The authorities

say all the students are safe. Tributes have been paid to the

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead in his

New York apartment. Police say he died of a drugs overdose.

A draft law in Spain which would ban abortions except in cases of rape

and when a mother's help is at serious risk has called outrage

amongst women's groups. It is also caused an unusual level of dissent

within the ruling popular party. Recent reports say it will lose the

party boats, so why has the issue returned to centre stage of Spanish

politics? Tom Burridge, he told me more from Madrid.

Spain was a dictatorship nearly 40 years ago. Under the dictator,

abortion was illegal. Since then, Spain has had rapid social change,

but for some people, particularly conservative groups and the church,

things have moved too fast. That is why we saw, late last night, five

women, naked from the waist up, cost the head of the Catholic Church in

Spain, who has spoken out in favour of the government's draft law on

abortion. They shouted out to him that abortion is sacred. That was a

day after thousands took to the streets in Madrid, protesting

against the new law. It shows you the strength of feeling about this

debate, but the justice minister who drafted the law has just been on

Spanish TV, defending the law. He says the law should be defended not

only in the terms of the rights of women, but also the rights of the

foetus and the unborn child. It is an emotive image, linked to an

emotive debate which has resurfaced in Spain. For me, it was one of the

more difficult experiences I ever had. You have to decide to stop a

life. Laura, not her real name, already has two children. Several

weeks ago, to her surprise, she fell pregnant again. She and her partner

decided to have an abortion. We cried a lot. But then I was also

thinking that I had a family and I was going to have more time to

dedicate to them. For me, it is not a doctor or a politician who has to

decide whether I have a kid or not. But that decision would not be

available to law under the Spanish government's proposed new law on

abortion. Under the current law in Spain, any woman can decide to have

an abortion within the first 14 weeks of her pregnancy. But under

the new law, an abortion would only be allowed in cases of rape or when

the mother's health is at serious risk. If the foetus developed

abnormalities, the mother would no longer be able to abort. Women's

action groups in Spain have rallied against the draft law. All the

statistics say that it is not because a law is more restrictive

and the number of abortions goes down. It is because there is a good

sexual education and good access to Contras tips. It is not because they

make a law more restrictive -- good access to contraceptives. As well as

opposition on the street, there has been red division within the ranks

of Spain's ruling Popular Party. The government has hinted that it will

modify the draft law, which still has to be passed by the parliament

here. But the opinion polls suggest that the policy will lose the

government of votes, because many people here see it as a step

backwards after decades of social change in Spain. But pro-life groups

say it is a step in the right direction. The main point is not

just to punish those who are having abortions. It is to have a social

climate in favour of life. Spain's Conservative government is under

Russia from Catholic groups to change the law on abortion -- the

government is under pressure. But it will have to do so in the face of

strong opposition. Spain's parliament will not even

vote on this law for several months, but there is a battle already going

on. The justice ministry have told me they will modify the new law. But

for a lot of people here, the question is, by how much?

Now, with most of the votes counted in the presidential election in El

Salvador, the leading candidate, Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the

governing FMLN party, has an unassailable lead over his main

opponent, but no single candidate has enough to avoid a second round

run-off in March. After a day of voting and a night of

vote counting, the country's vice president, Salvador Sanchez Ceren,

has a lead of more than ten points over the second placed candidate.

While he accepted that he was short of an outright victory, he was

bullish about his chances of winning a second round run-off in March.

TRANSLATION: We were supported by entrepreneurs, women, men and youths

have supported us. Workers and civil society. The people of El Salvador

have made this victory real. It was possible because of the people of El

Salvador. His nearest opponent, the right-wing candidate, was blamed for

the margin -- he has blamed the margin of his loss on a poor turnout

which he says was caused by image him -- intimidation by the

country's drug gangs. The vote itself was conducted in an

atmosphere of calm, but amid tight security. Hardly surprising when one

considers that El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the

world and a huge problem with street gangs. Combined with a weak and

faltering economy, whoever eventually wins the presidency faces

a massive task. Job creation and improved wages are chief among

voters' concerns, as well as tackling crime. TRANSLATION: I hope

for more jobs for young people and an increase in salaries. I want

everything to change. But many ordinary Salvadore and seem to have

been an inspired by the candidates. Between now and March, both men will

hope to encourage those who stayed away from the polls to come out and

cast their vote. Now, for much of Europe, it has been

relentless. Day after day, seemingly week after week of bad weather. In

the UK, January was the wettest on record. Forecasters say there is

more to come across the continent, with wind, storms and possible

flooding. And if it is not rain, it is snow.

Snaking through the bleak landscape of Northern 's Serbia, a line of

cars and buses stranded in the snow. The army had to rescue at

least 1000 people here as snowdrifts caused chaos and disruption. This

had been, by local standards, a fairly mild winter, but not any

more. In West Wales, this bus had ten people on board when it was hit

by a huge wave. They made it to safety, but more bad weather is

heading this way. Strong winds and high waves caused destruction in the

Basque country. Here, parts of the seafront were torn up. Now locals

begin the clean-up operation. Even the breakwater designed to hold act

the elements failed here. In Italy, they have had rain and snow,

flooding, landslides and households turned upside down. At the Vatican,

Pope Francis offered prayers for all those affected. Down below, perhaps

appropriately, a sea of umbrellas. Now, the Philippines is the current

holder of the Miss world title and the country's success in this and

other international duty pageants has sparked an industry geared

towards training young hope falls. The head of one of the most

successful beauty queen training camps, Jonas Gaffud, also mentored

the latest Miss world. He has been telling us about the beauty frenzy

in the Philippines and what it takes to become the most beautiful woman

in the world. I am Jonas Gaffud. I train and

mentor beauty queens from the Philippines to compete abroad.

Hello, I am just Dean. I am 19 and I am here because I want to be the

next Miss Philippines of 2015. Models do that, but queens don't do

that. We are in a camp where we have mentors who will train us. The first

part of our training is the posture and the walking. From there, you

learn how to walk well, be graceful, to be regal and

sophisticated. To have the power when you enter a room. It started as

a challenge when I graduated from university in the Philippines.

Suddenly, a girl of ours made it into the top five and the

Philippines went crazy about it. So it started from there. I saw that

there is so much hope in something where I could be able to teach more

girls to achieve their dreams. Don't try to look like a foreigner. You

are different. You have to be proud of your own race, your colour. I

wanted to become a beauty queen. I decided this, because I know it is a

great self-development thing. You know, it can help you used your

self-esteem and also, you promote yourself as a Goodwill Ambassador to

other people. You have to go to the gym four times a week. And they have

to undergo training for interviews. So before they join the local

pageant, we train them for six months. When celebrities are paid

more than doctors, lawyers and engineers, it says that society is

quite shallow. In your answer, you should have something like a

solution or a proposal. Be more proactive.

We celebrate beauty pageants because we have been winning. There is so

much interest. We got the grounds for Miss world last year. There is

too much pressure in this universe. You do have to sacrifice a lot of

things, but you have to discipline yourself, especially with your

health and diet. You have to be very focused with what you are doing,

because if you really want this, you have to do whatever it takes. Some

of the winners of beauty pageants would say, just be yourself. I think

that is a cliche. You have to show off. You have to be different than

being just the shy girl. Because a beauty pageant is a show.

Let us know if you don't quite agree with all that. A reminder of our

main story today: Russian police say a man has shot head to people,

including a biology teacher, at a high school on the outskirts of

Moscow. The gunman is believed to be a student from a senior class in the

school who has been captured.