28/02/2014 BBC World News

Hello. Our top stories... Crisis in Ukraine. Armed activists take

control of two airports in Crimea fuelling greater fears of Moscow's

intentions. Because of Crimea, the Ukrainian parliament calls on the UN

Security Council to monitor the crisis after the Interior Minister

describes it as an armed invasion. Uganda says it is being blackmailed

by the international community, as the World Bank decides to postpone a

multi-million dollar loan because of the new Ugandan anti-gay laws. And

it is believed to be the biggest ever international crackdown on the

fraud. Over 100 people are arrested for selling bogus shares.

We begin with a growing sense of crisis in Ukraine, where the

Interior Minister has described this as an armed invasion. Groups of

armed men have taken over two airports in Crimea, a largely

Russian-speaking part of Ukraine which is also home to a massive

Russian naval base. This is Simferopol, Crimea's capital. But

who are the armed men in battle fatigues with no insignias? They are

saying nothing to reporters. But flights are still operating in and

out of the civilian airport as normal. The situation is less clear

at nearby Sevastopol. It is a military airport which belongs to

Ukraine. But the country's Interior Minister says it has been taken over

by unidentified armed men. You can see here close up some of the

Ukrainian operated defence warplanes sitting there on the tarmac. Our

world affairs correspondent as the latest. Unsettling images for the

new authorities in Kiev and for many more looking anxiously in the

outside world. Armed men on guard at the airport at Simferopol in

Crimea. They are in uniform but without identifying markings. With

word of similar developments at the military airport at Sevastopol

whether Russian Black Sea fleet is based, the new Interior Minister has

spoken of an armed invasion. Outwardly, it looks calm in

Simferopol. The airport has been operating more or less normally.

Whoever they are they are making clear their unhappiness with the

upheavals that have taken place elsewhere in Ukraine.

TRANSLATION: Radicalism and fascism are not

welcome. This is our slogan and we do not want radicals to visit us in

Crimea. This is fuelling fears of increasing frictions between the

regions of Ukraine. In Kiev, the Ukrainian parliament has just

installed a new pro-Western government. It has appealed to the

UN Security Council to monitor the situation. On the streets of Kiev,

new unease among protesters. The situation is very complicated. If we

look at the law seriously, we have to take strict measures and this

might stir up trouble. On the other hand, if we take a very soft

approach, we might lose Crimea. Word of the Kremlin really stand? It has

made clear its unhappiness with the turn of events in Kiev and tensions

have been rising. It has given sanctions to be formally Ukrainian

president. He is talking of cooperation with international

bodies on much needed financial support. We will be hearing from our

reporter at Sevastopol Airport shortly. An armed invasion says the

Interior Minister. This indication there are Russian elements who are

taking over Ukrainian facilities at their airports. Let me tell you what

Russian authorities are saying. A spokesperson for the Black Sea fleet

has denied they are involved in any way in the arcade of the military

airport near to where they are. In Moscow, the Foreign Ministry and the

Defence Ministry have been asked to comment. They have said nothing. Up

until now, the position of the Russian government has been rather

ambivalent when it comes to Ukraine. With the new government in Kiev,

they have said, we will wait and see who is nominated and what policies

are. They have always been very supportive of Russian speakers in

the Ukraine and the Crimea. This morning, President Putin is later

today going to have a meeting with senior parliamentarians. He has kept

his distance. He has not said anything in public. He said Ukraine

would not be top of the agenda with those talks. One senior

parliamentarian, who was close to the Kremlin, and sometimes act as

the foreign policy envoy of the Prime Minister, has come up with

comments which do sound rather hostile. Certainly antagonistic. He

says it is not clear the decision to removed the president was valid nor

that the new government is legitimate. He argued that crowd

rule in Kiev and the self-styled militias who support the opposition

could lead to a change of government. Also a change in the

country 's future. Why could Crimea not do the same thing? If that

reflects the policy formulated in the Kremlin, it could mean that

Vista Putin and his Foreign Minister had been in touch with Western

governments throughout the crisis and have been trying to reassure

them that the Kremlin has no negative intentions towards Kiev. It

is a little difficult to read what is coming. The way it is moving, the

omens are not encouraging. The interim government in Kiev has said

it will ask for the president to be extradited from Russia. This is an

hour before he appears just north of the Ukraine order to put his

position. I do not suppose the Russian authorities will respond to

that favourably. The fact that they have given sanctuary here in Russia,

have allowed him to have a statement read on Russian television, in which

he declared he is still the lawful president of Ukraine. There is this

press conference being organised and that does suggest they are

sympathetic towards him, and are prepared to look after him.

Reportedly they have said they would give him protection from what he

says are extremists in Kiev. I do not think they will respond to a

request for extradition from the Kiev authorities. Thank you for that

insight from Moscow. Let's return to Sevastopol, to what is essentially a

Ukrainian military airport, outside the north of the city. It is being

patrolled by men reported to be wearing Russian military uniforms.

Our porter tried to get through one of the barriers earlier. -- our

reporter. The control tower is behind me. There looks to be a

military base around it. On the road, we are 500 metres from the

main gate, there are barriers stopping anyone from entering.

Another couple of hundred yards on, a very professional looking unit.

These men are carrying high-powered assault rifles. They are in Kevlar

uniforms, Kevlar protected gear and helmets. There are soft skinned

personnel carriers as well. They have not talked to us so we do not

know who they are. Clearly we are not allowed to go beyond this

point. Let me show you what is in front of the barriers. This is what

he would call a civilian home card. This man says he is a Ukrainian who

speaks Russian. He says he is here to protect the status quo. The flags

that of flying on the roadside after lines of Russian sympathisers. They

do not want to talk to us at all and do not particularly like the

presence of the Western media here. We are seeing a pattern across the

Crimea region, we came to a roadblock last night. It was quite a

significant roadblock. They were stopping all cards coming to

Sevastopol. There was an unknown unit within the Simferopol

Parliment. There has been a takeover of the airport in Simferopol. It is

a sense of sabre rattling. No one is saying who they are. The difficulty

is there is no insignia on the uniforms of these men and no

insignia on the vehicles. Looking at the Facebook page of the Interior

Minister, he is under no illusions as to who they are. They are working

to the Russian Federation and, in his words, this is a military

takeover. To find out why Crimea is such a focal point of this crisis,

you can go to our website where you'll find special reports and

analysis on Ukraine. More than 100 people have been arrested across

Europe and the US, in a massive police operation against so-called

boiler room scams. That's where criminal gangs trick people into

investing in bogus stocks and shares. Thousands of people get

caught out each year by Boiler Room frauds. Many are elderly and are

persuaded to part with their life savings. Robert Hall reports from

Spain, where many of the fraudsters are based.

On a quiet street in the centre of Barcelona, the Spanish fleet serious

crimes unit target the scam which has ruined many lies. This team is

working with colleagues from the financial crimes unit in London.

They have gone to an anonymous office, the base what they believe

is a boiler room. This is a fragment of an operation extending across

Europe and the antic. There are 300 Spanish officers deployed across

their country. -- the Atlantic. There are further arrests taking

place in the UK, the United States and Serbia. The city of London force

has 40 officers in Barcelona. Boiler room scams involve individuals cold

calling and using high-pressure sales techniques to persuade victims

to buy into bogus investments. Most never see their money again. This

pensioner from the Midlands says he was groomed to part with his

savings. Or we want is 22,000. For the next three weeks, we were

devastated. We were in a comfortable position and now we are broke. We

are broke. City of London force has played a major part in this

crackdown. The aim, they say, is to decimate boiler room Ford by --

fraud. This is a crime which ignores global boundaries. It ignores

international borders and operate across the world. We have shown we

are able to do that as well. In Barcelona, five people were taken

away to join more than 100 others arrested in simultaneous raids. This

scan has not been eradicated. It will offer reassurance to victims

and severely damage the ability of the boiler room to operate. Stay

with us on BBC World News. An audience with the Pope. Sending the

president to your movie. We show you the extra length taken to try to

obtain that all-important Oscar win on Sunday evening.

A famous cave in Spain is again open to the public. People will be able

to marvel at the ice age paintings again. Dozens of sensors will be

monitoring the changes in the temperature of the cave to see if

more visitors will be allowed in. It is not a lottery ticket but it is a

chance to secure a rare opportunity to see some of the world 's oldest

art. These are the lucky few who got their chance to make history and see

it. The first visitors in 12 years to the Altamira cave. The drawings

within are so delicate, even human breath could damage them. You could

see this wonderful, local bisons. Artists have used the humps and

bumps to create the shoulders and big hindquarters of these animals.

When it was first Darren, it was in the flickering lights of fat lamps

and torches. In the moving night, the animals could almost read. --

breeze. It makes your hair stand on end. I have been impressed by the

colours. It is as if they were painted yesterday. This replica in a

museum nearby is the closest many will come to these paintings. Very

small groups will be allowed to visit the cave until August when it

will be reassessed for any damage. This really is an opportunity of a

lifetime for a handful of people to get to see some of mankind 's oldest

and best preserved art. You are with BBC World News, with

me, Nik Gowing. The headlines: Ukraine accuses Russia of carrying

out an armed invasion as two of its airport are guarded by unidentified

men. The Ukraine's Parliament calls for a special session of the UN

Security Council to monitor the changing situation in Crimea.

Uganda says it is being blackmailed by the international community after

the postponement of a multi-million dollar loan from the World Bank. The

bank decision comes just days after the Uganda president signed new laws

which govern the penalties against, sexuality. The bank says it needs to

consider whether the health projects it finances could be harmed by a

clause which criminalises homosexuality. Joining me on the

line from Kampala is a government spokesman, Ofwono Opondo. Why do you

think this decision is blackmail? Thank you so much. First of all,

Uganda is a sovereign country, and we should be allowed to enact laws

which we think are right for Uganda. Secondly, Uganda should be treated

fairly. Three, the law was not introduced last night, it was

introduced in 2009. All stakeholders had the opportunity to engage on the

proposed law. There is no reason why we should be exposed to blackmail.

But let me put this to you, though, that there are certain conditions

always attached to any loan from any bank in any part of the world. It

does not matter if it is West, east, North or South, and what they are

saying is that this law is not conducive to balanced, equitable

development, and that is the role of the World Bank. Well, first of all,

this is about the single issue of gay rights, and we think it is

inappropriate for the World Bank to single out one kind of issue, gay

sex, and then they withheld the loan. And we think that is the

reason why we call it blackmail. Uganda will not accept it. If

anybody has a reason, they should take it to the court of Uganda.

Ofwono Opondo, spokesman for the Ugandan government, thank you for

joining me here on BBC World News. In Turkey, after the emergence of a

recording of an alleged phone call in which Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells

his son to dispose of millions of euros in cash, he says it was

fabricated. It is one of a string to emerge since December when a number

of the Prime Minister's allies were detained on suspicion of corruption.

James Reynolds reports from Istanbul.

In Turkey, you can spend your life on the phone. For the country's

Prime Minister, that has now become a personal problem. In the Istanbul

neighbourhood of Bishop Das, many condemn their leader's alleged

private words. -- Besiktas. It was not a big surprise, because we were

being asked why the right-wing parties are always involved? It was

not a surprise, I was expecting this, they have not done anything to

stop corruption. I am really sad, because a country like Turkey

doesn't deserve this. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated life in this

country for more than a decade, and his supporters wanting to keep

going. They want to run for president in this summer's

elections. But the wiretapping allegations might complicate that

ambition. You would not know it from seeing the Prime Minister at work.

In front of a loyal crowd in central Turkey he told supporters that the

wiretapping was fabricated by a network inside the police. He,

police, he taunted, which country are you working for? The Prime

Minister has taken his counteroffensive here to the private

gardens of the parliament in Ankara. He has used his majority to

win greater control of the police and the judiciary. This worries

opposition MPs. The government is trying to cover the allegations of

corruption, and by doing so Turkey is getting further away from

democracy, Turkey is becoming more and more authoritarian. That is as a

result of the measures taken by the government to cover up the lateral

allegations. -- collateral. Those allegations have prompted new

demonstrations, so far a small echo of last year's protests. Their Prime

Minister might be facing trouble, but he refuses to give way.

In me and Mark, the government has suspended the operations of Medecins

Sans Frontieres, one of the biggest agencies working in the troubled

Rakhine state. -- Myanmar. MSF is the biggest provider of health care

in the area. Rakhine state has seen frequent outbreaks of violence

between Buddhists and the rest of the publishing.

Something different now, and when the trophies are handed out at the

Oscars, they will in theory go to those who have displayed excellence

in the eyes of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but the

outcome of some awards races might be determined by campaigns. This

year, efforts to influence Oscar voters have been intense, with

claims that even President Obama and Pope Francis have been drawn into

campaigning activities. Ron was Angeles, Tom Brook has the details.

-- from Los Angeles. It was international news, the Pope

granting an audience to Philomena Lee, whose story has inspired the

Oscar nominated film Philomena starring Dame Judi Dench. In the

1950s, she had been forced to give up her child for adoption by Irish

nuns, which caused great anguish, but she has always maintained her

fate. Meeting the Pope was a big moment. In the US, Philomena is

distributed by the Weinstein Company, and Avi Weinstein is seen

as the master of aggressive campaigning. -- Harvey Weinstein.

Having an audience with a powerful person like the Pope finishes the

story that you are compelled to be part of it, and that will translate

the boats no question that he engineered the meeting with the

Pope, no question. The man is very political. But Harvey Weinstein has

been adamant in stating that he had nothing to do with Philomena Lee

meeting the Pope, pointing out that it was set up by her charity. For

Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, it is not the probe but the President.

He reportedly presented Barack Obama with a copy of The Wolf Of Wall

Street. He has been appearing at screenings, making television

appearances and talking to journalists, but he does not think

the campaigning makes much difference. I don't think you can

change anyone's mind, I really don't. My mind is set on what I

think is good and what is not, what is deserving of an award, and no

amount of campaigning is going to change that. Any Academy member who

says that they are not influenced by these campaigns is probably saying

something that they are hopeful for all they wish would happen. But

there is no question that you are influenced by these. The big

question is, has campaigning now reached a point where you can

effectively by an Oscar? In other words, if you have a lot of money

and a good strategic campaign, can you guarantee that a sufficient

number of academy members will pass their votes your way? I asked Harvey

Weinstein about that, and he said, I can spend a lot of money to make

people want to see my movie, I can make them see my movie, but I cannot

make them like it, and I think that is true, I don't think anybody ever

voted for a film they didn't feel good about. The movie-going public

might like to believe that it is really because of talents that

people end up on the red carpet. Talent certainly plays a big role,

but some contenders are there because of multi-million dollar

campaigns, and campaign is clearly believe that in a close race these

tactics can be decisive in bringing about a victory.

Many people pay a lot of money to go to Norway or Iceland to see the

Northern Lights, but clear skies across many parts of Britain have

given a glimpse of the phenomenon. Viewers have sent us their own

pictures of the aurora borealis. It is unusual to see the lights this

far south, look at those amazing colours. The display is caused by

electrically charged particles from the sun, entering the earth's

atmosphere. The particles are usually pulled towards the north

pole, but if there are enough of them, they will travel further down

towards the equator, causing these lights. Wonderful! The main news of

this hour: From Ukraine and Crimea, the parliament has called for a

special session of the UN Security Council to discuss what is a new

dimensions to the crisis. That is after unidentified armed men took

over two airports in Crimea, which is an autonomous region of Ukraine.

It has been described by the Ukrainian interior ministry as an

armed invasion. No-one knows quite who the men are, they have no

insignias on their shoulders. These pictures show the civilian airport

outside of Simferopol, 50 armed men carrying Russian flags took over at

the airport in the middle of the night. Flights are still operating

in and out, the situation is less clear at a military airport in

nearby Sevastopol. The Ukrainian interior ministry has accused the

Russian military of stationing trucks outside the base which houses

some of Ukraine's 29 fighter jets. The Ukrainian prosecutor general has

reportedly said that it wants Russia to extradite Viktor Yanukovych, who

will be giving a press conference in an hour.