28/12/2017 BBC World News

This is BBC World News.

Our top stories.

Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels

carry out what's being described

as the biggest prisoner exchange

since the conflict began.

In Syria, the first evacuations

begin from a rebel-held

suburb near Damascus.

But there's no relief

for the hundreds more

trapped in Ghouta.

An arctic cold snap brings heavy

snow falls to large parts

of north-east America and Canada.

Meanwhile, in the UK,

snow and ice cause widespread

disruption to travel

on the roads and in the air.

Also in the programme:

The military-style tactics

to protect Chad's elephant

population against ivory poachers.

We have a special report.

The Ukrainian government

and Russian-backed rebels have

completed the biggest prisoner

exchange since the conflict began

nearly four years ago.

The Red Cross says more than 230

people have now crossed a checkpoint

back to rebel held territory.

Andrew Plant reports.

In the war-torn east of Ukrainian,

carried on buses, hundreds of

prisoners are headed home, some

after years of captivity. More than

300 people, in one of the biggest

prisoner swaps since the Ukrainian

conflict began, the first such swap

in September last year, arriving

with no belongings, shivering in

temperatures close to freezing, but

glad to be finally free so be

TRANSLATION:

I am very happy that I

am going back to Ukraine, and I

thank everyone for the work that has

been done to be able to see my loved

ones again.

TRANSLATION:

I want to

believe people are tired of all

this.

They must find strength to

engage in a dialogue, because

without that, we will be in a

deadlock with no way out.

The

prisoner trust boards arrived in the

early hours in the east of

Ukrainian. -- transports. It

happened watched by tight security.

Ukrainian armed forces on one side,

on the other, the Russian backed

eastern militia. The conflict began

more than three years ago soon after

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea

peninsula in 2014. The UN estimates

more than 10,000 have since died to

be the latest on Wednesday, a

soldier, the first death since Chris

the ceasefire started last Saturday.

-- Christmas. A late present for

families and loved ones who have

spent many months campaigning to

have them set three. But this

exchange has been smaller than many

had four. -- free. Hundreds more

prisoners are still held by both

sides. -- hoped for.

Michael Bociurkiw is

a Global Affairs Analyst and former

spokesperson for the Organization

for Security and Co-operation

in Europe or OSCE's Special

Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

He's near Santa Barbara

in California.

You have just recently got back from

Ukrainian. You know the region very

well. I am sure many people gave up

their Christmas to make this

exchange happened. How significant

would you say it is?

It is good to

be with you. It is a very positive

development in an otherwise very

bleak situation. Do not forget, this

conflict has gone on for four years,

one of the longest running complex

in Europe the Second World War. --

conflicts. Even though the Christmas

ceasefire did not hold for more than

a few hours, the exchange showed the

two sides could make their guns

silent enough for this swap to

happen. There are others behind both

lines that need to be treated. And

also, this is an important component

of the Minsk agreement, that

prisoners are swapped. The most

important thing at the end of the

day is that the ceasefire takes old.

Very important to that Donald Trump

has provided lethal weapons to

Ukraine, which deepens their

involvement. It may strain relations

with Russia. Is it a game-changer?

Not yet. Do not forget, the amount

of weapons are limited, a lot of

training will be needed to use them,

especially for anti-tank weapons.

You can see Russia is taking this

seriously. The attack on the

Poroshenko administration and Donald

Trump administration took place.

Buddy gives them the ability to

secure positions and not let the

Russian backed separatist take more

down the ground.

-- but it. All of

this rhetoric coming from Russia

happens in the context of the

elections in Russia. President Putin

needs to show himself, he has not

much to show, as a strong man,

having the ability to fight and get

more territory from Russia.

There

has been a lot of bloodshed in

Eastern Ukraine in recent days. I do

not think the Christmas ceasefire

last that long. Is any movement on

anything good news?

Absolutely. The

death toll is well over 10,000 now.

Several million displaced, including

some in Ukraine. It has been bad.

The busy Christmas season right now,

many people cross the long contact

line to visit friends and relatives.

That is important. One more thing,

all indications are that the rebels

are weaponising for more conflict.

Early surveillance is detected,

believe it or not, aerial military

schools the rebels can activate at

any time. That indicates to me at

least they are willing to use new

ways to show the Ukrainians,

including from the air possibly.

Thank you very much.

In Syria, aid workers have started

to move critically ill children

from a rebel held suburb

near the capital, Damascus.

Four patients were taken out

of Ghouta on Tuesday night.

Another 25 are expected to be

moved in the coming days,

although hundreds more

are in urgent need of treatment.

Some 400,000 residents have been

under siege by government

forces since 2013.

From Beirut, our correspondent

Martin Patience sent this report.

Seven-year-old Imjy is preparing

for a short journey,

and it will almost certainly

end up saving her life.

She is suffering from haemophilia,

but last night she was among four

critically-ill patients to be

evacuated to Damascus

for life-saving treatment.

This is what she's leaving behind.

Eastern Ghouta is one of the last

remaining rebel strongholds,

fighting the government

of Bashar al-Assad.

It's been bombed and besieged

for four years, with fighting

intensifing in recent weeks.

I think it's a combination

of everybody's efforts,

that at this really low time

in Syria there is a ray of light,

and it's the children.

It's the children who are missing

growing up in Syria -

we must sort them out,

to give Syria a chance

of a prosperous and peaceful future.

But food is hard to come by.

Malnutrition is now widespread.

Human rights groups accuse

the Syrian government

of trying to starve

the rebels into submission.

This evacuation may

have the appearances

of a humanitarian gesture,

but that's simply not the case.

We've been told by two sources

that the Syrian government

only agreed to it as part

of a prisoner exchange.

The main rebel faction

in Eastern Ghouta agreed to free 29

Syrian government hostages,

and in return the same number

of critically ill patients

are being allowed to receive

urgent medical care.

But the United Nations says hundreds

of others need to be evacuated.

Among them, three-month-old

Karim, who was injured

by government shelling.

He lost his left eye.

His mother was killed.

Despite a prominent social media

campaign, he is not being allowed

to leave Eastern Ghouta.

TRANSLATION:

Karim is injured,

he's going to lose his sight.

Here in the Ghouta

he can't get treated.

The doctor wants to perform

an operation, so that he doesn't

lose the sight in his other eye.

For some there is now hope,

but for most, help is not

coming any time soon.

Martin Patience, BBC News, Beirut.

We will keep on following that story

for you, of course.

Let's take a look at some

of the other stories

making the news.

Peru's culture minister has resigned

as the controversy continues over

the president's decision to pardon

the country's former leader,

Alberto Fujimori.

It's not clear why the minister,

Salvador del Solar, a former actor

and film director, left his post.

But he had been under pressure

from Peruvian artists and opposition

leaders, to stand up

for human rights.

A court in Bosnia has

sentenced a Croat woman,

known to her victims

as the "mistress of life and death,"

to 14 years in prison for atrocities

committed during the Bosnian war

in the 1990s.

Azra Basic, a former member

of the Bosnian-Croat forces,

was found guilty of war crimes,

including murder and the torture

of ethnic Serb civilians.

There's been another day of protests

in the Moroccan city of Jerada

following the deaths of two brothers

in a disused coal mine.

The mine had been closed for years,

but the protesters said many young

people have no option but to carry

on working below ground.

They demanded action

against unemployment

and rising living costs.

An arctic cold snap is bringing

sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow

to large parts of north-east

America and Canada.

Temperatures have been reported

as low as -15 in Toronto.

While the US lakeside city of Erie,

in Pennsylvania, has had a record

1.5 metres of snow in 48 horus,

with more on the way.

Laura Podesta from CBS News reports

from New York Times Square.

Residents of New York started

digging after three feet of snow

fell overnight leading officials to

declare it a state emergency. It

continued on the Wednesday.

I have

lived here my whole life and have

not seen for a few years. It got

bigger this year.

Records were

broken in Erie, Pennsylvania. Five

feet fell over the past few days.

Snow has given way to bitter cold.

In Minneapolis, single-digit

temperatures froze this area. A

bridge in Green Bay became stuck

because of the cold. And this is

pancake ice in Michigan. People are

bundled up in York Square. They are

getting ready to watch the ball

drop. How many layers will you were?

A lot. Two pairs of pants, two pairs

of socks, thermal.

Preparations are

under way to make sure it goes

smoothly. It is built to withstand

extreme weather. CBS News, New York.

The BBC's weather presenter, Ben

Rich, explained why this particular

snow storm has been so severe.

North America is used to cold

winters but they rarely bite quite

as hard as this.

Temperatures are well below

average and some places,

particularly on the eastern

shores of the Great Lakes,

have seen a huge amounts of snow

courtesy of something we call

lake-effect snow, it happens

when cold winds from the Arctic blow

across the slightly less cold

waters of the Great Lakes.

That slightly less cold moist air

rises, it forms clouds

which are then blown

into the eastern shores

of the Great Lakes and that moisture

in the cloud is released not as rain

but as huge amounts of snow.

Over the next few days we can expect

more of this because of the cold air

that is sitting in place is not

going anywhere fast and the winds

will still be blowing down

across the Great Lakes picking up

that moist and slightly warmer air

and delivering it in the form

of snow fall across

the eastern shores.

Perhaps not in the huge amounts that

we've been seeing over the last few

days but any further snow

across this part of the world

will not be welcomed.

Snow and ice have also been causing

disruption in many parts of the UK,

with thousands of homes

without power and dangerous

conditions on the roads.

The runway at Stansted Airport

was closed twice on Wednesday

with a number of flights cancelled.

Our correspondent, Phil Mackie,

reports from Warwickshire.

HORN BLASTS.

The motorway at a standstill.

It's always busy here anyway,

but throw in five centimetres

of snow and you've got chaos.

On the A14 things were even worse.

This lorry span out of control,

leaving drivers stranded.

Good morning.

It's just gone past 10

o'clock in the morning.

As you can see, we're

stationary here on the A14,

not going anywhere.

I've been here for

five hours, and...

..so have these!

My name is Tara, I'm

on the A14 trying to go

eastbound to Northampton.

I set off from my house in Hinckley

at 6am this morning,

I've been on the A14

for three hours now.

As you can see, there's nothing

going in the other direction.

I'm a bit cross, I'm Canadian so I'm

used to this kind of weather.

I know you guys aren't.

In the end, they were stuck

for seven hours before

the road was cleared.

And it wasn't just the roads.

Stansted Airport had to close twice

to clear snow from the runway.

Birmingham Airport had to do

the same for a short while too.

And the weather kept ground

crews busy, as planes had

to be constantly de-iced.

A swathe of central and southern

England was worst affected,

from Gloucestershire,

to Warwickshire, to the Chilterns.

And it didn't just lead

to hazardous driving conditions.

Thousands of homes lost power, too.

Obviously the snow came in, it

settles on our overhead conductor.

Then, with the cold wind chill,

that freezes into ice and therefore

that takes the conductors down.

Likewise, it's the same

with tree branches.

Normally they would not be

near the line but they've

taken our conductors down.

As the snow started to melt,

there was a new danger...

Flood warnings followed the thaw

as streams became swollen and rivers

started to rise.

That meant more hazards

to negotiate, and not

everyone made it...

Another warning tonight

as temperatures are falling.

Snow and slush beginning to freeze.

Stay with us on BBC

World News, still to come:

This crocodile was found wandering

the streets of Melbourne

at Christmas and now the hunt

is on to find its owner.

The most ambitious financial

and political change ever attempted

has gotten under way

with the introduction of the euro.

Tomorrow in Holland we will use

money we picked up in Belgium today

and we will use the same

money in France.

It has got to be the way to go.

George Harrison, the former Beatle

is recovering in hospital

after being stabbed

at his Oxfordshire home.

A 33-year-old man from Liverpool

is being interviewed by police

on suspicion of attempted murder.

I think it was good.

Just good?

No, fantastic!

That's better.

This is BBC News.

The latest headlines:

The Ukrainian government

and Russian-backed rebels have

carried out the biggest prisoner

exchange since the conflict began

nearly four years ago.

Syrian volunteers have evacuated

the first group of critically-ill

children from a rebel-held

suburb near Damascus.

How do you stop poachers

from devastating wildlife in

remote parts of Africa?

One solution is military-style

training and tactics.

It's being used in the

vulnerable state of Chad.

Zakouma National Park has lost 90%

of its elephants over the past 40

years, at one point there were less

than 500 elephants left.

Alastair Leithead travelled

to the remote park where

the population is finally recovering

and tourists are now helping fund

the conservation work.

They were the herd

heading for extinction.

But the elephants of

Zakouma National Park have made

a dramatic recovery.

TRANSLATION:

Before,

there used to be elephant

carcasses everywhere.

So what has been the difference,

since African Parks took over?

TRANSLATION:

Since African Parks

arrived here, we no longer see

carcasses of elephants in the park.

Across the continent, a private,

not-for-profit conservation group

called African Parks believes it has

the answer to saving Africa's

disappearing wildlife.

And it's controversial.

They are arming rangers and giving

them military-style training.

In some places, it's become

a war against poachers.

Adoum Allam is a sniper with fast

response unit Mamba Number Two.

His father was killed

by poachers in this park.

He jumped at the chance to join.

"It's a very dangerous

job but I love doing

it", he said.

It's a good income.

But it's also personal.

This was Zakouma, ten years ago.

Decades of poaching killed 90%

of the park's elephants

and many rangers as well.

But, today, it's a much

healthier picture.

They haven't lost an elephant in two

years or a ranger since 2012.

And last year, the population

started to grow again.

There were more than 20,000

elephants in this park just

40 years ago, but now

there are just over 500.

What's encouraging, though,

is that they've now got babies,

they're reproducing,

their numbers are starting to go up.

And if the poachers can be kept

at bay, the population

is going to recover.

This is the best way to counter

raids from the heavily

armed Sudanese horsemen.

The main perpetrators who've been

poaching ivory here for centuries.

But now, both sides

have automatic weapons.

And local communities

are a key to success.

Schools are being built, kids

are learning about conservation.

Villagers now often

tip off the rangers,

if poachers are seen nearby.

African Parks take

on delegated management

of protected areas in Africa.

Normally where public sector has

failed, African Parks will step

in and, with donor funding,

will then manage protected areas.

But eventually it

should pay for itself.

Zakouma is now attracting high-end

adventure tourists who cover one

third of the park's budget.

Other, marginal reserves in Africa

will never make money.

Animals have to be worth

more alive than dead,

not just to rich Westerners,

but to local people as well.

Alastair Leithead, BBC News,

Zakouma National Park, in Chad.

The former US president Barack Obama

has issued a warning

about the irresponsible

use of social media.

In an interview with the BBC

by Britain's Prince Harry,

Mr Obama said such actions

were distorting people's

understanding of complex issues.

He did not mention Donald Trump,

his successor, by name.

But he emphasised that people

in positions of leadership should

exercise care when posting messages.

Our Royal Correspondent,

Nicholas Witchell has the story.

Prince Harry, first of all.

You are very welcome to our studio.

Good morning.

Joining the Today programme

for the day had been

a big learning curve,

Harry said, but he had enjoyed

being the interviewer rather

than the interviewed.

It was quite fun, especially

interviewing President Obama.

His principal scoop had been

to persuade Barack Obama

to give his first interview

since standing down as US president.

The word "Trump" was never mentioned

but may have been in Mr Obama's mind

when he warned about

the use of social media.

All of us in leadership have to find

ways in which we can recreate

a common space on the Internet.

One of the dangers of the Internet

is that people can have entirely

different realities.

They can be just cocooned

in the information that

reinforces their current biases.

Harry had also

interviewed his father -

the main focus had

been on climate change.

The issue Prince Charles has

championed for decades

and for which he was

sometimes derided.

Maybe now, some years later,

they are beginning to realise

that what I was trying

to say may not

have been quite as dotty

as they thought.

I mean, the issue really that has

to go on being focused on,

big time, I think,

is this one around

the whole issue of climate change

which now, whether we like it

or not, is the biggest

threat multiplier we face.

And then, at the end

of the programme,

it was time to face questions

rather than ask them.

First about his fiancee,

Meghan Markle,

and her first

Christmas at Sandringham.

She really enjoyed it.

The family loved having her there.

And yeah, it's...

There's always that

family part of Christmas.

There's always that work element

as well and I think,

you know, together we

have an amazing time.

Great fun, staying with my

brother and sister in law.

Harry's commitment to issues

he cares about like the Armed Forces

and mental health had

come through strongly.

So how does he see his future?

Part of my role and part of my job

is to shine a spotlight on issues

that need that spotlight,

whether it's people,

whether its causes,

whether its issues, whatever it is.

So I will continue to play my part

in society and do my job

to the best of my ability,

so I can wake up in the morning

and feel energised, and go to bed

hopefully knowing I've done the best

that I can.

Not so long ago, Harry admitted

to having doubts about a royal role.

Clearly no longer.

Nicholas Witchell, BBC News.

Police in Melbourne,

Australia are searching

for the owner of a one-metre-long

freshwater crocodile,

found wandering the footpaths

on Christmas Day.

Authorities are unsure

exactly where it came from,

but are presuming it's a pet.

Alyse Edwards reports.

Working off Christmas dinner

with an evening stroll

through the streets of Melbourne.

But this freshwater

crocodile's festive frolic

did not last for long.

9:20pm, I had a call from the police

saying there was a crocodile walking

through the streets of Heidelberg

and If i could get there ASAP.

Getting some alone time can be

difficult at this time of year.

This escapee was cornered

and he was caught.

I attended and found five

Victoria police members

with a freshwater crocodile.

We presume it was

a pet at some stage.

It's a long way from

any bodies of water.

You can legally keep a crocodile

as a pet in Victoria

and other parts of Australia.

I saw it on Facebook,

50% off and I thought, cool.

A Northern Territory crocodile farm

sold about 100 crocodiles

as Christmas presents this year.

But with no information

about where this runaway reptile

came from, it may be a very lonely

New Year unless the owner

snaps it up soon.

As a hero to pulling a woman out the

river on his later works of the US

helped by another man with his bare

hands, he broke a path through the

ice and the jump into the freezing

water himself to haul the woman out.

We are told she had a sharp and hot

drink and returned to work. We

understand that the woman is

recovering well.

Don't forget you can get in touch

with me and some of the team

on Twitter - I'm @BBCMikeEmbley.

Thank you to much for watching. Come

again. -- very much.