06/02/2014 BBC World News

The first event is underway at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, but the US

raises new concerns about airline security for flights to Russia.

Captured by the Taliban - a dog stroll from US troops in Afghanistan

is now a canine prisoner of war. And it has been called the Ray

Charles effect - how scientists reckon temporary blindness can boost

your hearing. Media reports from Pakistan say that

for the first time, the government is finally meeting representatives

of the Pakistani Taliban. The first attempt to bring the two sides

together failed on Tuesday for procedural reasons. The fact that

these three Taliban representatives are at last meeting four government

officials at a secret location could be a major development towards

ending a decade-long insurgency. Asked which, prime minister Nawaz

Sharif told Parliament there were two option is, either peace talks or

a military operation. Our correspondent is following

developments from Islamabad. I asked him what is known about these talks

now that they are finally underway? We know there are four members in

the government nominated team. There are three in the Taliban nominated

team. They are meeting in an undisclosed location. These talks

were supposed to be held two days ago. They didn't, because of some

procedural hang-ups. But they are now finally underway. Many people

see it as the start of a possible peace process in Pakistan. These are

preliminary talks, indirect talks. So it is not the government side

meeting the Taliban side, but but these are teams nominated by the two

sides and holding negotiations. Is there a real belief in Nawaz Sharif

's government and the military and the ISI, the military intelligence

organisation, that this kind of contact can produce a peace

agreement eventually? There are people in the government of Nawaz

Sharif who have invested quite a bit in this process. They think it can

yield results. A lot of Pakistanis are not so hope. There is deep

scepticism about these talks, mainly because previous efforts to

negotiate with the Taliban at local level in tribal areas has not

produced much results. Many peace deals were broken by the Taliban,

and they are not seen as reliable negotiators. But the government has

said time and again that it prefers talks over military action. It will

be clearer in the days to come what it is that they are negotiating

about. The Taliban have said they want to see the imposition of

sharia, Islamic law, across Pakistan. They want Americans to

leave this region, and the terms of reference for these talks are not

clear. It does not seem transparent at this time.

Now, the first competitive action is underway at the Sochi Winter

Olympics, head of Friday's opening ceremony. First up, the men's low --

snowboard slopestyle or fire. The women's qualifying is also being

held today, but no medals until Saturday at the earliest, the

morning after the opening ceremony. Well, the games are the pet project

of Russia's president Vladimir Putin.

Yes, welcome to Sochi, where tomorrow, the Winter Olympics are

going to start . But Sochi is of course well known to Russian as a

Black Sea resort, a subtropical paradise of sun, sea and sand where

they come to enjoy the glorious weather in the summer. It is also

President Putin's favourite resort. It was he that decided that this

should be the location, the place where Russia should did for the

Winter Olympics. It may sound strange, but the reason is that

actually, only 50 kilometres away are the Caucasus Mountains and some

fantastic skiing which, when the weather is right, will produce

absolutely superb conditions. But of course, these Olympics are not just

controversial for the weather, they are controversial because President

Putin has wanted to use them to project Russia as a modern nation, a

nation fit to stand alongside countries of Western Europe and

North America. And yet, he has been dogged by allegations of locking up

members of his opposition, allegations of harassing activists

who have been concerned about the environmental damage that the

Olympics have caused, and for the new laws passed by the Russian

parliament last year which effectively ban what is called

propaganda about nontraditional sexual activities to children under

18. It is those laws which have been projected as anti-gay laws which

have landed Russia in the most controversy and which have gone on

reverberating in the build-up to these games. Russia will be hoping

that once the opening ceremony is out of the way, people will get on

and enjoy the sport, but they are going to struggle. Also hovering

over the whole games are the concerns about security. The

Caucasus Mountains are the scene of one of the most serious insurgencies

in this part of the world, Islamist 's trying to build an Islamic

caliphate in the Caucasus Mountains. Some of them use suicide

bombings as a tactic and have vowed to disrupt these games.

Meanwhile, breaking news on another issue at the centre of Russian

foreign policy. It has been reported in Moscow that the Syrian government

and opposition appear to have reached agreement on allowing

humanitarian aid into besieged areas of the city of arms. At issue --

that issue was what negotiators hoped they could achieve something

on at the Geneva talks which ended a week ago. A spokesperson for the

Russian Foreign Ministry said it appears that such an agreement has

already been reached, but did not give any more detail.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has accused the US of interference. Meanwhile, the

Ukrainian activist who claims he was kidnapped and tortured has been

speaking in Lithuania, where he has been getting the treatment. Dmytro

Bulatov said he was systematically beaten and was accused of being a

spy for the Americans. TRANSLATION: They asked me how much money the

American ambassador has given us. They also asked who gave us orders.

They asked me about our relationship with the US. They accused me of

being an American spy. They filmed every interrogation, which lasted

the whole day. The US Assistant Secretary of

State, Victoria Nuland, is in Ukraine, meeting both the opposition

activists and members of the government and parliament in Kiev.

Let's go to South Africa, where rescuers have rescued the bodies of

eight miners after a fire and rock fall at a gold mine near

Johannesburg. One worker is still missing. The accident was at the

Harmony Gold Mine at Doornkop, west of Johannesburg. It the miners were

brought out unharmed from the same mine on Wednesday. They had taken

shelter in an underground refuge. Speaking at a news conference, the

South African minister of mining, Susan Shabangu, said the accident

was a setback to South Africa's mining industry. It is a tragic day

for South Africa to once more experience such an incident. For the

past five years, we have gone through various stages into making

sure that South Africa, when it comes to the safety record of the

mining industry, gets better. When we thought we were there, then we

experience what you have seen here. Now to Nigeria, which recently

passed tough new laws which could mean long prison sentences for

anyone convicted of being gay. But in the northern state of Bauchi, the

punishment for homosexuality can be even worse. An Islamic court is just

11 men on trial for being gay. If convicted, they could be stoned to

death. Our correspondent is there. Face-to-face with modern life and

long-standing tradition on the streets of Bauchi city. They may be

competing for space on the same road, but here the cars are giving

way to a cherished culture. It is a deeply religious and conservative

place, Nigeria. The majority of people in the north are Muslim and

take their faith seriously. It is religion, whether Islam or

Christianity, that shapes strong views when it comes to the issue of

homosexuality. I don't want it. I will not accept it, since my

religion prohibits it. Islamic li, it is very bad and not welcome.

Across Bauchi state, Islamic law is practised, and as well as clamping

down on alcohol, prostitution and gambling, the sharia police have

been going after homosexuals, with help from the local community. We

think the assistance of the community -- we thank the assistance

of the community. People in four must, and then we storm into the

area full of -- people inform us. Nine men are in prison awaiting

trial, face a possible punishment of death by stoning if found guilty of

homosexual offences. Local TV captured some of the tension and

chaos during the last bail hearing at this sharia court. An angry court

called for swift punishment. Rocks were thrown into the courtroom and

police fired shots to disperse the mob and protect suspects. I met a

close relative of one of the men on trial. He did not want his face all

voiced a b.i.d. If I'd. He had been on a visit to the prison. I noticed

that one of the men was not walking properly, so I asked what happened.

Then he showed me the injury on his leg where he had been beaten up.

These trials have whipped up the already strong homophobic attitudes

here. Even if the accused are set free by the judges, they will almost

certainly be forced to leave this part of the country and go into

hiding. They have already been labelled. But where to hide? A new

secular law has been introduced in Nigeria, with homosexuals now facing

up to 14 years in prison. Frightened and feeling hunted, this gay man

from Bauchi tells me he loves life. But now it is difficult to know who

to trust. He tells me he now accepts that he will have to hide away just

to survive. All these moves are hugely popular in Nigeria, unless,

of course, you happen to be gay. North Korea has threatened to cancel

plans to allow families separated by the Korean War to meet up. No

reunions have been held since 2010, as revisions between north and south

have got steadily worse. The agreement to restart the meetings

was reached only yesterday. I put two our reporter in Seoul that this

was just the latest stage of the on off unpredictability of the north's

attitude to the south under Kim Jong-Un. Well, yesterday everything

seemed very positive. It took a series of short consultations

between the north and south Korean sites before they came out and said

the reunions could go ahead. 24 hours later, the career put out a

statement saying it would have to reconsider if South Korea continued

with its lander and its military training drills. The statement went

on to point out that an American B-52 aircraft had been carrying out

a training drill over South Korea, and this had upset the north. But

given the very rocky relations there have been in recent months, what is

the assessment in the South at the way Kim Jong-Un is now playing this?

What made many people here cautious all along was the fact that the

reunions were scheduled to take place at the same time as a

large-scale military drill carried out here by South Korean and US

forces. These drills tend to irritate North Korea significantly

every year. So the fact that the reunions were going to take place at

the same time had many people here cautious about what would happen.

The fact that North Korea has made this stand over what appears to be a

lone aircraft carrying out a training exercise seems to suggest

that the north is again trying to tie in the family reunions to other

issues between North and South Korea. We have seen this happen

before, and it seems that Kim Jong-Un is repeating that cycle.

This is BBC World News. Still to come: David Beckham tells us about

his new soccer team in the US, but he is not impressed with our

reporter's suggestion for a name. We have got a few names. We have not

decided. I have personally decided on one. Miami spice? No. Somebody

said Miami Vice FC, but I don't dig it will be that. -- I don't think it

will be that. Lands to expand the Panama Canal

have hit troubled waters. The waterway provides a short cut

between two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is being widened for

larger ships. There was a problem over who will foot the bill. It is

the latest twist in the ambitious plan to widen the famous waterway.

Work to build a third set of locks in the canal began five years ago.

But it soon began to run over budget and now an argument has begun over

who should pay the extra $1.6 billion in costs. On one side is the

Spanish led consortium carrying out the work. They said that Panama

Canal authority should foot the bill and warned 10,000 jobs are at risk.

Panama objects to such threatening language.

TRANSLATION: I don't want to suggest the next steps will be easy or

risk-free. What I want to make clear is we will not yield to blackmail.

The canal, which handles around 5% of all maritime trade, only

currently has capacity for ships carrying 5000 containers. A wide and

can now could accommodate vessels carrying much more. Why some have

cast doubt on the work been finished by the deadline, the Panama Canal

authority are adamant they are still on course.

TRANSLATION: the Panama Canal will comply with all of the important

stages of the contract. It will be finished in 2015, with or without a

Spanish led consortium. By their own admission, both sides

know the window of opportunity for agreement is closing fast. For now,

the plan for a wider Canal, a dream almost as old as the shipping route

itself, has run aground. This is BBC World News. The

headlines: The first formal meeting between the Pakistan government and

Taliban representatives is underway in a secret location.

The first events of the Winter Olympic Games are now underway in

Russia. But with a US security warning about possible use of

toothpaste on flights heading for Russia.

Now to the discovery that could lead to therapy is helping blind people.

Researchers in the United States have found that temporary blindness

can alter the brain and boost hearing. The scientists say the

discovery could lead to therapies for helping deaf people. With me is

James Gallagher. What has been discovered? It is research in mice.

You have Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, some people think their spectacular

music abilities are partly to the fact they were blind and had

improved hearing as a result. They are trying to go down to this core

idea that if you are blind does it improve your other senses? They

locked these mice away in darkness for a week. They did brain scans and

they said there were changes in the brain that were enhancing the

ability to hear sound. Now, no one is suggesting you should lock your

grandparents away in a darkened room for a month, children or anybody who

is deaf, but the point is the brain is plastic and flexible and can be

trained. The idea is if you can train it better, you can maybe

alleviate some hearing problems. Is there any indication Ray Charles,

Roy Orbison, it gets better over a considerable time, or can it be done

quickly? This is the problem, you have had people who have been blind

since early childhood so it is hard to determine. We know there is

improved hearing ability in people who are blind. We don't know how

fast. In this study it showed it inside a week. But we don't know the

equivalent time frame in human beings because a human brain and a

mice brain are different. But, the advantage is if you can find someone

who is willing to lock themselves up for more for a week in a darkened

room, you could find out. Have you found anyone who admitted it would

be possible? Would you like to do it? I am sure there are some people

who would like to lock me up and leave me there for years.

The Egyptian army has dismissed a newspaper report that Field Marshal

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has confirmed he'll run for president. The reports

came from the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah. But in a statement on

Facebook, an Egyptian army spokesman says the story is inaccurate. Any

announcement, it added, would be made in front of the Egyptian

people. The BBC's Orla Guerin is in Cairo.

It has taken the Army some time to respond to this report that was in

the newspaper. But now it has issued a statement saying the story from

Kuwait was what it called journalistic conjecture and

extrapolation. It said they were not direct quotes and it said any

decision on whether or not he would run for the presidency would remade

by him in front of the great Egyptian people. Interestingly, it

is saying this is not the announcement the QA team newspaper

report is exaggerated. But it is not saying he will not stand for the

presidency. It would be a great surprised if it turned out he was

not a candidate. All the indications in the last few weeks have been that

he will be running for the presidency. We saw the Army Council

giving him the green light publicly at the end of January, saying the

trust of the people was a call that must be heeded. They promoted him to

the highest rank of Field Marshal, which was seen by many as a farewell

gesture because he will have to step down from the military in order to

be a candidate. So still no statement from the Field Marshall

himself. Diplomats who have met him in recent weeks have said he is

troubled by this decision, conscious of the burden that will be on his

shoulders and aware of the pitfalls and the challengers on the

economic, political and security front. But he has said consistently

that he would heed the call of the people, listen to what the people

wanted. Certainly there is a perceptible clamour on the part of

many to see him standing in the election and becoming president of

Egypt. By the end of this year all

international combat troops will be out of Afghanistan. But the

propaganda war continues. The Taliban have been parading what they

say is evidence of a new military success. They say they've captured a

dog from US troops. It's name is Colonel. It was wearing a GPS

tracking device and harness. From Kabul, David Lyon reports.

One mournful dog the Taliban says is called Colonel being paraded for a

Taliban cameraman. Its new master showed off what he had taken from

the dog, a GPS tracking device. He said there had been a torch mounted

on its back with a camera on it. The Taliban showed off weapons they had

seized, including two assault rifles of the type used by US special

forces and hand grenades, also of the sort used by US troops. They

said the dog came across to their side after US troops raided their

base at night. Everything about its new live is different. From the

haircut to the men it is with to the new sights and sounds. But Afghans

in general are not known as a dog lovers and sadly once its trophy

value has been exploited, Colonel's future does not look good. But that

now, he is Afghanistan's only canine prisoner of war.

Now, Spend it like Beckham. The footballer turned global celebrity

has confirmed his latest business venture. He is to become the owner

of a Major League Soccer Team. Beckham is exercising the right to

set up a club. This was part of his contract at LA Galaxy when he joined

in 2007. His chosen city? Miami. It's a big departure from his

previous business interests. Those include endorsing clothing and

grooming products, as well as the academy football school which bears

his name. Nick Bryant spoke to him at the launch in Miami.

As a player, over the years to sit back now and see my career that I

have done and the teams I have played for and the players I have

played with, and the countries I have played in, and now to be

standing here and being an owner of a team, it is a dream. I personally

think it is a great example for kids. I have had the career I have

had, worked hard and done a lot of great things in my career. Now I am

sat here and the owner of 18. Nobody without your fit -- skills on the

field, what about your skills in the boardroom? It is about making tough

and big decisions. I have made big decisions over the years. Personal

decisions and business decisions. I am ready for that. It is all very

new to me to be in an ownership position. But I am ready for that.

What will you call the team, David? We have got a few names. I have

decided on one. Miami Spice? No, somebody said Miami Vice. But I

don't think it will be that. There are a few options and that is the

great thing about starting from the ground up.

As he mentioned a previous attempt to bring Major league soccer team I

am a failed. But this venture looks set for success. David Beckham is

lost among the crowd which was supposed to be a photo shoot. He had

been due to play football with the children's team in Miami but the

police said it was too dangerous. The children posed for the picture

anyway. How'd do you deal with an escaped

gorilla rampaging through a zoo? Tokyo zoo has been testing its

emergency procedures for dealing with escaped animals. This one is a

member of staff dressed up. The plans seem to work well. First

containing the fugitive with barriers and then firing a

tranquilliser dart before deploying these nets and a truck to take the

caged zoo employee back somewhere... Let's hope the real gorillas know

what is in store for them if they ever break out of their enclosure.

The Roman Catholic Church has many holy objects but nothing like this

until now. A Harley-Davidson presented to Pope Francis is being

auctioned in Paris to raise money for charity. The motorbike, which

has been signed by the Pontiff but never ridden by him, has a very

reasonable estimate of about 16 to $20,000. It actually raised 210,000

euros.