24/09/2014 BBC World News

Hello. This is BBC World News. Our top stories.

Fresh air strikes on Islamic State militants in Syria. Washington warns

of a sustained campaign. The extremist preacher Abu Qatada is

released after a Jordanian court Uproar in France -

three suspected militants returned by Turkey walk free after arriving

at the wrong airport. And India makes cut price space

history, putting a spacecraft into orbit

around Mars, on its maiden voyage. Residents living on the Turkish

border with Syria have told the BBC that Islamic State militants have

been targeted Eyewitnesses say they've seen planes

attack just west of the city Tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds

have fled the area in recent days The Turkish government has said

neither its air space nor a US airbase in southern Turkey were used

in the strikes. It comes a day after the first US

airstrikes hit several key towns and cities across Syria,

including Raqqa - Islamic State's Washington says more than 50

countries have agreed to form part of the coalition fighting

Islamic State, and that the air strikes are just the beginning

of a long and sustained campaign. Mark Lowen is on the Turkey-Syria

border and told me what he knows I have just spoken to a refugee

whose brother is still in the town on the Syrian side of the border and

he says that he saw two military aircraft coming in from Turkish

airspace at about 1am local time this morning. He says they dropped

bombs on villages to the west of the town. He says that since that

bombing, the Islamic State fighters have significantly increased their

shelling of the town from three different sides. There is no

confirmation yet about the air force to which the plane belonged. This is

a US-Arab coalition at the moment, with other states supporting what is

happening there. What is happening where you are in terms of the number

of refugees? If the shelling is intensifying, are more people trying

to get across? There is the fear that it could increase the numbers

that have already swelled to almost 140,000 people who have pored over

this border since last Friday. Yesterday, we saw the first tiny

numbers going back towards Syria, hoping that the air strikes might

provide them safe passage to go back to their home towns. These are Kurds

who are largely hostile to Turkey. They fought a civil war for 30 years

until recently in which over 40,000 people were killed and it is a very

fragile peace. That has risen to the surface. You speak to refugees and

they say they want to be able to go back. They have come out of

necessity rather than desire. It is still very small numbers, the

traffic is mainly from Syria into Turkey, and this country is

struggling to cope. They have already got over a million Syrian

refugees. Turkey initially had refused to take part in the military

led coalition. It said it would not allow its bases to be used for air

strikes, it would not take part in combat operations. That was because

49 Turks were being held by Islamic State in Iraq. They were released on

Saturday which could reduce that obstacle to Turkish involvement. It

is not yet clear whether the planes were Turkish but the fact they came

from Turkish airspace may suggest the country is now taking a more

active part in the military led coalition. What about the debate

about and air corridor along the border where you are at the moment?

Is that being discussed at the moment, to give safe passage for

people fleeing the fighting? It was raised by the Turkish government

last week. They talked about a buffer zone in Syrian territory to

help people come out and crossed the into Turkey but given the sheer

numbers who have already come, I think that Turkey does not want to

encourage any more huge influx of arrivals. I spent the last few days

in various parts of the border seeing how the refugees are simple

eating centre where they can in mosques, parks, school buildings.

The conditions are pretty basic. There are medical facilities that

have sprung up to try and vaccinate refugees in fear of the spread of

disease. Only two border prices are now open. -- border crosses. It is

the largest single influx since the Syrian war began three and a half

years ago. With me now is security

correspondent Gordon Corera. Turkey is put in a very difficult

position here but perhaps less so now that those hostages held by

Islamic State have been released. It has always been an interesting

question. What is its involvement going to be in the coalition? Is it

going to allow bases to be used? Clearly those hostages were a

problem for it. We don't know the exact deal that was done. Clearly

some kind of deal was done. We don't know what happened or whether there

was any indications of what it would mean for Turkish policy so we are

still waiting to see whether Turkey shifts its position somewhat. We

have had these reports of planes going over near the Turkish border

but we have not had confirmation of that yet and we have not had that

much detail yet from the US about the air strikes that seem to have

happened in the last night, much less than what we had the night

before. But America talking about a long and sustained campaign. Many

commentators suggesting this will not be achieved without some troops

on the ground. There is no doubt it will require troops on the ground.

The issue is, whose troops? Are they going to be the moderate rebels that

America want to train in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere? Who America

refused to help. Whether it is the Iraqi security forces. The plan is

to use those ground troops rather than American ground troops, which

President Obama has ruled out. Perhaps as been suggested, provide

training in Iraq to some of the Iraqi troops out there. How long it

is before we get more sense of how effective that policy is, that is

going to take a long time to get that option going. The air strikes

is really just the start of this process. Is there a suggestion that

behind-the-scenes, as unpalatable as it might be publicly, America would

want to get the support of President Assad to fight alongside against the

Islamic State? This is where it gets very complicated. American officials

are very careful to say they are not trying to work with President Assad.

They said they enforced him -- informed him so that they did not

engage and shoot down their jets. They are trying to back rebels who

are committed to overthrowing President Assad so the Quebec city

of being seen to get too close would cause problems with their allies on

the ground. You can see the real issues for America in trying to

gauge its relationship with President Assad and the regime in

Damascus. And another appearance or sound from one of the hostages

threatened with being beheaded. This is Alan Henning, the British taxi

driver who was captured. His wife said she has received an audiophile

him pleading for his wife -- life. This has not been made public, I

should say. She continues to plead for his release. Clearly, the

situation is very serious and there is a lot of concern but a court held

by the Islamic State found that he was not a spy and so she has caused

for his release because he was on a humanitarian convoy into Syria. But

there is no more news from Islamic State at this moment about those

hostages. Thank you. In the last hour, the radical cleric

Abu Qatada has left a Jordanian prison after being found not guilty

of terrorism offences. He had been accused

of being involved in a thwarted plot aimed at disrupting the millennium

celebrations in Jordan. Abu Qatada was deported from the UK

in July 2013. Our correspondent June Kelly

has this report from Amman. Abu Qatada in the cage-like dock of

the court. This was two weeks ago when a verdict was expected in this

terrorism case. The panel of judges announced they will be delaying

their decision and today they finally came to a conclusion. They

have found the radical cleric not guilty. He has been cleared of being

involved in a plot which was thwarted because the conspirators

were under surveillance. This leading hotel, a man was a potential

target. Just one of the attacks planned against Western and Israeli

interests in Jordan to coincide with the millennium celebrations. At the

time of the plot, Abu Qatada had left Jordan and was based in London.

An extremist preacher of international influence. He was said

to have advocated killing Jews and attacking Americans. Although he was

branded a threat to UK national security, he was never put on trial

in Britain. Last year, after a prolonged legal battle, the UK

Government finally succeeded in deporting him back to Jordan to

stand trial. While declared innocent of terrorism charges, Abu Qatada is

a long-standing supporter of Al-Qaeda. At his last court

appearance, he railed against the now prominent violent extremist

group Islamic State, condemning them for murdering journalist. Could the

authorities in Jordan now try to harness his opposition to IS? He

could be used against IS by the Jordanian government but he is

certainly no friend of the Jordanian government. He is committed to the

overthrow of the Arab monarchy and the establishing of a caliphate. He

openly supports Al-Qaeda. After years of detention in the UK and in

his home state, Abu Qatada will now be free to air his views publicly

again. Whatever his future, the British government has made it

plain, there will be no return to the UK.

France's defence minister has called it a muddle and a mess after three

suspected jihadists sent back from Turkey walked free from Marseille

airport. Police were waiting for them at an airport in Paris.

It has got all the hallmarks of a real mess. We have just heard from

one of the lawyers that the three men have now walked into a police

station near Toulouse where they live. They knocked on the door of

their own free will, apparently. The police station was closed but an

officer did come out to see them and they are now being questioned by the

officers there. Just explain the background to this. They had been in

Syria or were attempting to get into Syria? According to the family

lawyer, these three men had been in Syria. They had gone allegedly to

fight with Islamic State militants there. They discovered it was not

quite what they imagined, they had fallen foul of the Islamic State

fighters and were now trying to flee back to France. That was the story

one of the lawyers associated with them said. As they were coming

through Turkey, the authorities pick them up and inform the French

authorities and put them on a plane to Paris. The authorities were

waiting for them at the airport for a very long time. It turns out the

Turkish authorities had changed the plane and they were dropped off in

Marseille instead. They walked free from the airport. There was quite a

lot of criticism this morning from Cabinet ministers and the opposition

party, calling for an enquiry, asking how this could have happened.

Those French law allowed the French authorities to prosecute people who

have gone to fight in Syria? The French authorities have been

tightening up recently on this kind of situation. The parliament has

passed a raft of new laws tightening up what actions the police can take

to stop people who are suspected of wanting to fight with Islamic State

and to deal with them when they get home. Because these three men were

suspected by the Turkish authorities of taking part in fighting with

Islamic State, that would be the reason why police wanted to talk to

them. But the men have now reportedly, according to their

lawyer, gone to a police station and they are being questioned.

Stay with us on BBC World News. Still to come.

For Melinda Gates and Graca Machel, empowering women around

the world starts with alleviating poverty, promoting education

Police in Thailand say they're close to making an arrest in connection

with the murders of two British tourists on the island of Koh Tao.

Hannah Witheridge, who was 23, and 24-year-old David Miller were

found dead with severe head wounds near where they were staying

Police are trying to track down a Thai man who left the island

He's believed to be hiding in the capital, Bangkok.

He is allegedly related to the family owning the bar on the island.

Our correspondent Jonathan Head is in Bangkok with the latest.

There is a very powerful family that owns the bar at which the two young

people were in the hours before it they were killed and are reported to

have got involved in an argument. A lot of people talk about bad bar and

the family very quietly because they are powerful. Members of the family

were questioned for the first time yesterday. The owner and his brother

who police say were identified in CCTV images. The man they are

hunting in Bangkok is believed to be related to the bar owner, some

people said they might be an assistant and he vanished within

hours of the bodies being discovered and police say a manhunt is now on.

When they find him, they will need to question him and take DNA samples

from him. They clearly believe this is a lead. Until they happen and had

taken DNA and they must analyse the samples taken from other members of

the family, they cannot positively identify him as being did with the

murders. But there are optimistic signs. -- being connected. Some

breaking news. The Turkish President has, for the first time, said his

country could provide military support to the US led international

coalition. He spoke to reporters in New York. It follows reports from

correspondence on the ground and on the border between Syria and Turkey

that there had been reports of air strikes in the last few hours. Some

people on the ground said the flights were coming from Turkish

airspace. Turkey has denied that. But the first time the Turkish

President says the country could provide military support to the US

led international coalition. TRANSLATION: We are liaising in

detail. Talks will continue and we will do whatever we have to to fight

against terrorism and take the necessary steps. I will hold talks

with the government after I return. We will consider providing support.

Will you give military support? We will give the necessary support to

the operation, military or logistics.

Indian scientists are celebrating an historic moment

for the country's space programme, after it successfully placed

The probe arrived in orbit early on Wednesday following

Prime Minster Narendra Modi congratulated the team

and said India had achieved the "near impossible".

India is the only country to have reached the

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder says India's space programme has a lot

The space programme has tremendous support. There is the sense it has

helped the country's development. It has a strong history of sending

satellites into space. They have been used to track floods and other

natural disasters and has been used for communication. It has been used

by farmers, not just to communicate but get a better sense of how to

place their businesses. There is the sense that the space programme has

often build the country out and help did in moments of need. That is the

sense here. -- helped it. It is all seen as part of a larger game plan

in which India progresses. The Supreme Court

of India has cancelled nearly all of the country's coal-mining

licences allocated by the government In a ruling last month, India's

top court declared the licences to be illegal, saying they had been

awarded in an arbitrary manner. Companies have been given six months

to wind down their operations. NATO says there's been a significant

withdrawal of Russian conventional troops from inside Ukraine but

a spokesman added that some still remained there, although the numbers

were difficult to ascertain, as the border is was largely controlled

by Moscow-backed rebels. He also said many thousands

of Russian troops still remained One of Britain's largest haulage

companies has told the BBC that the number of migrants trying to

enter the UK illegally is the worst it's ever seen, and that it fears

for the safety of its drivers. It follows several clashes

between French police 30 miles from Calais and Craig

Birkenshaw is checking his lorry They hang onto the underside

of the trailer and the rear axle. Like many drivers, he will not

be stopping beyond this point. Refuelling and parking around Calais

is a total no-go They are desperate to get

England they are taking unnecessary risks climbing aboard my vehicle

and other people's vehicles. The past six months

it is getting out of control. Earlier this year, a BBC team

filmed the desperate risks people A driver and their employer can each

be fined up to ?2000 per illegal passenger and can have

their operating licence revoked. Last year,

the Home Office issued penalty notices totalling ?1 million,

not just to British companies. If not,

your truck cannot go to England What do you say to the British

government? My driver checked his truck

and he did not see anybody on For me, it is an English problem not

a French problem, the driver As we approach Calais we see more

and more people by the side of the Some on railway tracks,

some approaching lorries that have I respect the position they are

in but first and foremost, my responsibility is the protection

of myself and my load. They are employing methods

to try and slow you down, standing in front of the truck

on the main road, pushing prams in front of trucks, anything to slow

you down to try and gain access. Earlier this week the government

pledged ?12 million to help French But for many,

action is long overdue. Just days before we filmed,

clashes broke out in Calais And not for the first time,

Craig's company had to divert Customers want stuff in as quick

as we possibly can get them. If we have to start diverting

vehicles through what is happening in Calais and driver security,

just makes things more difficult. Those found hidden

in vehicles or trailers trying to enter the UK are

classed by the Home Office as clandestine passengers. Two years

ago just over 11,500 Everyone is just washing

their hands of the problem. The French are blaming the British,

the British the French. It seems to be

the driver is always to blame. Back in England,

journey over and a final check to ensure

the lorry was not tampered with. It is a clear, but for more

and more lorry drivers journeys are As world leaders gather in New York

this week, one of the topics up For Melinda Gates and Graca Machel,

empowering women around the world starts with alleviating

poverty, promoting education The two of them sat down exclusively

with the BBC's Laura Trevelyan to World leaders are meeting in New

York this week and the main topic is air strikes in Syria. As advocates

for the rights of women and children do you worry about the impact on the

most honourable? -- most vulnerable. I am always worried about war and

the impact on women and children. The world community has learned they

will pay the highest price. Women, girls and children. I do worry.

Whether it is the Taliban or other groups it seems as if the right to

girl's education is under threat as never before. How do you worry about

these? Melinda and I were above these -- were among the first people

to raise awareness of the crimes against women in Nigeria, for

instance. We do not only worry, I think that his too short to call it.

We are outraged. This is being done to girl simply because they must

educate themselves. What can be done to combat this? I think the thing we

must talk about its health and I think you must say have we made

progress but people in health? If you do not grow up healthy you do

not get a chance at education. The truth is we have had childhood

deaths so now there are 6.3 million children dying under the age of five

but others have to audit was in 1990. But is huge. We have had

poverty. People are feeding their children and now they can finally

talk about education. Your late husband Nelson Mandela said after

ending apartheid the second biggest mountain to climb was ending child

poverty. Is progress being made? Progress is slow. Progress is

uneven. If you talk globally, yes there is progress. We have had so

many countries in the last 20 years move from low to middle income and

there will be a whole post more and that moves up the lives of everyone.

That's all for now. Goodbye.