05/08/2014 BBC World News

Hello. Welcome to BBC World News.

A three-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is underway in Gaza

while the Israeli military says all its troops have been withdrawn

The World Bank promises $200 million to help fight Ebola in West Africa -

a leading immunologist tells the BBC he hopes to have a vaccine by 2015.

Prosecutors say they would accept an offer of $100 million from Formula

One head, Bernie Ecclestone, to end his trial on bribery charges.

Testing the waters ahead of the Rio Olympics.

With just two years to go organisers battle to overcome a host

We start in Gaza where a three-day ceasefire between Israel

and the Palestinian militant group Hamas seems to be holding.

Israel says it has withdrawn all its forces from the Gaza Strip.

These pictures show troops on the Israel-Gaza border in Southern

This was the scene in Gaza - residents taking advantage

of the ceasefire to go out and buy food and get supplies.1,800

Palestinians have been killed since the operation began three weeks ago,

Israelis have been killed, all but three of them soldiers.

I spoke to our correspondent in Gaza. No question it is quiet. But I

am not going to predict, cease-fires have come and gone. But the

difference with this cease-fire is the Israeli military have pulled out

of Gaza, so they will no longer be operating inside the Gaza strip and

that reduces the chance of clashes between Palestinian militants and

the Israeli military. For that reason, I think many will be

thinking this cease-fire has a better chance than the ones before.

This is not an end to the fighting, it is only a three-day cease-fire.

We understand there will be talks in Cairo and they will try to negotiate

a long-term truce to the fighting. I think for most people, they are

taking the opportunity to get out on the streets, stock up on supplies

and to try and make some sense of the death and destruction we have

seen in Gaza over the last four weeks.

The BBC's Bethany Bell is in Jerusalem.

What do we know from the Israeli side about this cease-fire and why

it is happening? Israel, the Army, says it has completed its task of

destroying 32 cross-border tunnels, through which Palestinian militants

have been trying to enter Israel. It has said that task was identified as

its main task in this conflict. It has withdrawn its troops back to the

border although it says it is ready to respond to any rocket fire that

may come from Gaza into Israel. It also has to be pointed out, it is

possible there are other tunnels the Army has so far not been able to

detect. It is likely it will be concentrating on looking for

possible evidence of more tunnels. But for the moment it appears this

temporary cease-fire is holding. We have just seen live witches from

Gaza looking quiet at least in that shot. -- live pictures. What do we

know about a potential, longer cease-fire negotiation? What is the

Israeli position? Israel has left its options open. A few days ago it

did not go to join negotiations in Cairo, a Palestinian delegation is

also there. But it did not close the door to that either. There is

speculation and Israeli delegation may be preparing to go. If it does,

we don't know when it will go, whether they will wait until the 72

hour cease-fire is over, whether they go before that, or whether they

go at all? There is a lot of international pressure on Israel to

come up with a negotiated, long-term end to this conflict, given the

incidents at the UN schools over recent days and the mounting

civilian casualties in Gaza. Is Israel worried? We have seen the

public support holding up, it seems, but calls for Israel to be

referred to International Criminal Court 's, increasing international

condemnation. What about public support now for Benjamin Netanyahu?

It seems to be holding up. The sense here is this country has been under

attack from rockets. The question of the cross-border tunnels is

something that touched a deep nerve, lots of concern about that. There

has been a lot of support for what the Army has been doing here. I

think what Israel has been saying over recent days is they will return

quiet for quiet. So if it does, December -- temporary cease-fire

does hold, there is a possibility of a negotiated solution. People will

be waiting and watching. The other thing that remains, if the

underlying causes of this conflict are not tackled, the fear is that

even if there is an end to this fighting now, it could be just a

matter of time until the next round comes. Thank you very much.

Well in another development, a British foreign office minister

has resigned her post over the Gaza conflict.

Baroness Warsi, who is one of Britain's most prominent Muslim

politicians, said she could no longer support the British

government's policy on Gaza and that she was leaving with "deep regret."

There is more reporting and background about the conflict

There are eyewitness reports from our correspondents

on the ground and expert analysis as well as a special report

One of the world's leading immunologists

has told the BBC he hopes to develop a vaccine for the deadly Ebola virus

The World Bank has now announced that it?s allocating $200 million

in emergency assistance for West African countries battling to

The money will be distributed to the governments of Liberia,

More than 880 people have died from Ebola. The worry now is as more

people contract the disease it will start to spread outside West Africa.

An American Doctor Who was in fact did with Ebola has already flown

back to the US. His colleague also has the disease. She is expected to

arrive back in America on Tuesday. Symptoms of Ebola include high

fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding externally and

internally. On Monday, doctors at Mount Sinai hospital in New York

said a man arrived in the emergency room showing symptoms. He is now in

isolation. Officials said his symptoms could be from any one of a

number of diseases and they will not know for 24, 248 hours whether he

has Ebola or not. The fact there are two people with the disease and

another possible victim on American soil has caused alarm in some

places. But Doctor Williams Schaffner, a specialist at

Vanderbilt University says there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

This virus is not one readily spread, it is not close, prolonged

contact with body fluids to acquire the infection. There is no chance it

is going to be embedded into the United States. The $200 million

pledged by the world bank will be split between the governments of

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea as well as the World Health

Organization. The cash will be used to pay health workers and help those

who are sick. Some of it will be used to fund a campaign to inform

people about the disease. This pay-out still has to be approved by

the World Bank's board of us, but it is the hope it is the first major

step to bring the Ebola outbreak under control.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the Director of the US National

Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said clinical trials of

We are working on a vaccine. We have done it in animals and it looks very

good. We will start trials in September on humans. If it looks

good we will stop reducing it and hopefully by the middle or the end

of 25th team we will have a vaccine to at least vaccinate health workers

who put themselves at risk when they take care of these patients. We are

getting breaking news out of South Africa. The AP News Agency is saying

there has been an earthquake in Johannesburg and Goldings have been

shaking. There have been no reports of any casualties. -- buildings. The

only line we have on it at the moment. We will confirm that as soon

as we can. In other news Turkish authorities

have arrested dozens of police officers accused of illegally

wire-tapping Prime Minister Recep Teams stormed police lodgings

in Istanbul and 13 other cities. Last month,

police detained more than a hundred A record rainfall in southwest

Florida has caused major flooding Weather experts said the city

of Naples received more than 16.5 centimetres on Monday making it the

rainiest day in August in history. The former White House press

secretary, James Brady, He survived an assassination attempt

on President Ronald Regan in 1981, but was left with serious injuries

and spent the rest of his life Mr Brady launched

a personal crusade for gun control. A federal law requiring

a background check on people buying The UN in Ukraine has told the BBC

that the Kiev region is now overloaded with refugees who've left

their homes in the east Only 2000 had fled the fighting in

eastern Ukraine and move to another part of the country now that figure

is fed -- raised up to 100,000 people. They are moving to cities

like Edessa in the East, and some of them come here to the capital, Kiev.

At first glance, life appears normal. But that warehouse in the

background is where these families now live. People forced from their

homes either fighting in eastern Ukraine. This family have lived here

for more than two months. We have a roof here and there aren't

bombs falling from the sky, she says. Our kids cried. Where would

you liked to be, she asks her five-year-old daughter. At home, is

her reply. It is intense living here with so

many other people. You cannot relax, like you would at home, he says. No

one here knows for how long this will be their home. If ain't the

fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine. 190 people are living in

this building, and they are conditions in these bunk beds. One

UN official told me the key every gin is now overloaded because of the

number fleeing the fighting in the East. And the United Nations said

buildings like this one will not be suitable when the winter sets in and

temperatures drop below freezing. But while the number of families,

including disabled and elderly people who need help, keeps rising,

the UN says there are others in eastern Ukraine who wouldn't or

couldn't leave. Some of these people who are fleeing the fighting, they

tell me of who they left at home and usually the people who were left

there, they are the most fun Rebels. They are either people who could not

walk, or too old to move or sick. -- the most vulnerable. It is tragic.

Those are the areas where there is nobody there to help. These families

living here on an industrial estate full of signs of everyday life, are

in some way the lucky ones. Their futures are uncertain and their

conditions are basic. Their only comfort, they now live far from the

war. Although conditions in that factory

far ideal, the United Nations says conditions in shelters near the

conflict is owned, near Donetsk are more primitive. The UN says there is

a shortage in those areas of ASIC things like mattresses, bed linen

and hygiene items. The UN is particularly worried about the

winter in Ukraine. Though it is several months away, and

temperatures are high at the moment, it says the amount of sheltered

accommodation people can go to will be dramatically reduced.

It's the second day of a landmark US-Africa summit in Washington.

Not far from where the discussions are taking place is one of America's

largest and most well-established African communities,

While questions about development and democracy dominate official

talks - issues of identity are top of the agenda for Ethiopians living

In United States, Lee's American Ethiopian kids are at summer camp.

-- like millions of children in the United States, these American

Ethiopian kids are at summer camp. They are trying to maintain a

connection with their roots. They are speaking their language, hearing

folktales and learning traditional dance moves. You need to know a lot

about your culture because you cannot just learn about another

culture and think, I am from that culture. You have to think about old

culture. The camp is organised by Washington's Ethiopian community

centre. Carmella has been running it for 20 years. She is aware of the

world that the children live in. I think it is an important thing for

kids to have their own identity. They are here in the United States,

they are American children, but still they have to keep their

identity and heritage. It is very important. Ethiopians have put down

strong roots here and while young people at the summer camp have been

exploring the emotional and cultural relationships, there are also plenty

of people in the yuppie in diaspora making an enormous financial

investments back home. -- Ethiopian diaspora. A group of Ethiopian

doctors have put together a plan to build a multi-million dollar private

hospital in the capital, Addis Ababa. It is hoped it will be up and

running by 2020. The risen emotional attachment to the country. -- there

is an emotional attachment. The latest headlines, the Israeli

military says it has withdrawn all its forces from Gaza as a cease-fire

appears to be holding. As the World Bank announces $200

million to help fight Ebola in West Africa - a leading immunologist says

he hopes to have a vaccine by 2015. A couple of breaking news stories.

Baroness Warsi has resigned over the government's policy on Gaza. George

Osborne, the Finance Minister, he has said that her decision to resign

is disappointing and unnecessary. That is a pretty strong verdict on

her decision. Resignations are often a bit more diplomatically handled.

Some anger within government about that resignation by Baroness Warsi

in the UK. Also, another breaking news line of South Africa, we told

you an earthquake in Johannesburg will stop more detail for you, it is

a magnitude 5.3, according to the Reuters news agency, and it has

shaken central South Africa. Felt in the financial district. No word on

injuries or people caught up in that of the financial district will

obviously be populated, if indeed that is the area hit. More on that

as it comes in. Another news line coming in. A suspected green on blue

attack coming in from Afghanistan. at the officers' academy near Kabul

run by the British army. Lets get the very latest from

our correspondent David Loyn who Within the last few minutes it has

been confirmed that several, they say, several foreign soldiers, up to

four, had been injured in this incident when an Afghan soldier

turned his gun on Afghan commanders and foreign soldiers at this

training Academy. Earlier, we heard that the commanding officer, the

commander of the training Academy had been injured in the incident.

Maybe four or five people, that is the indication. This may not have

been inside the training Academy itself. The training Academy is

modelled on Sandhurst in Britain, and it is only one part of a huge

site. The National defence University has a large American

facility and some other separate training facilities. There is

enormous political sensitivity in this, if it was a green on blue

attack. It will be the only British military legacy in Afghanistan when,

operations and this year. -- end this year.

German prosecutors say that they will accept closing Bernie

Ecclestone's bribery trial in exchange for a 100 million dollar

I asked our sports correspondent John Acres what Mr

He has been accused of bribery and incitement to breach of trust. This

has been going on for some time. This is the end of a long and

arduous court case for Bernie Ecclestone, who is now 83. He is

accused of paying a banker 44 billion dollars eight years ago, so

this obviously brings to an end. The court has announced that they will

accept the $100 million. -- $44 million. He has obviously got to the

age when he feels that time spent in court is time that he could be

better spending elsewhere. He is a billionaire, so this money will not

be something that breaks the bank for him. And he will be able to

continue in Formula 1. The banker himself was allegedly paid by Mr

Ecclestone to ensure that a Formula 1 stake stayed with him. That was

eight years ago. That banker is now in prison and this brings to an end

a long court case. It is a record, that $100 million, in Germany.

The Chinese authorities say they are investigating a Canadian couple

for the suspected theft of military and defence secrets.

The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, named the couple as Kevin

It said they were being investigated by state security officials

in Dandong City on the border with North Korea.

Our correspondent in Beijing Celia Hatton gave us the latest

I've spoken to the eldest son of the Garretts. He said he was shocked by

the allegations and the cold them a joke. He described his parents as

being completely normal, kind, loving people, who ran a coffee

shop. He said that they loved interacting with customers and

holding immunity events. Why have they been picked up? The

government is painting a different picture of the family. The Ministry

of foreign affairs has released a statement saying that Kevin Garrett

and his wife are suspected of collecting and stealing intelligence

materials related to Chinese military targets and imported

Chinese National defence scientific research programmes. The government

is painting a different picture of this couple. It is very difficult to

know at this point what is going on. We believe that they had been

detained but we're not sure about their whereabouts. The difficulty is

that anything deemed a state secret in China is classified. So this

trial, if it goes ahead, will be conducted behind closed doors.

Exactly two years from now, the Olympic torch will be lit

in Rio's iconic Maracana stadium, opening the 2016 games.

The first of 45 test events started at the

Sailors from around the world tested the waters of the Guanabara Bay,

The first official test event and the first Olympic athletes in town.

A taste of the games that will start here in two years time. But there is

still much work to be done all over town. As the sailors can see for

themselves in the Bay. Floating debris could be a potential hurdle

in the quest for Olympic. Pollution is a chronic problem here and

Olympic officials say that making significant improvement is a

priority. Obviously, it is a concern. We are not hiding the fact

that there is an issue but we're using this event to see how much we

can make it better within the next two years. We are concerned about

the safety of the athletes and their health, and the risk of debris to

their boats. We're working hard to reduce the risks as much as

possible. This is what the Olympic park will look like in two years

time. For now, it is just a construction site. A double shift of

workers is racing to finish the venue and authorities say that

everything is just about on schedule. After criticism that the

tickets to the World Cup matches were too expensive for most

Brazilians, the mere announced that his government would distribute over

1 million tickets for free to city residents. We are going to use our

school systems. We have 700,000 kids in the schools, mainly poor people

who go to public school. So this will let the Olympics be much more

of a games of integration and participation. High-speed bus

corridors will connect distant areas and improve mobility in a city that

suffers from gridlock on a daily basis. For now, traffic is only

getting worse and residents are left hoping that the time passes quickly

and leaves the city with a legacy of improvements. That is it from me.

ABC News continues throughout the day. See you tomorrow. -- BBC News.