28/02/2012 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Tim Willcox. One injured Western

journalist is rescued from Syria - another remains unaccounted for.

The British photographer Paul Conroy is smuggled out of Homs -

but his rescuers pay a heavy price at the hands of the Syrian army.

They have a cordon of snipers, so it really was an incredibly

dangerous operation. Many activists died in pursuit of it.

Inside the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant - one year after

Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

There are blots here, a surgical mask, and of course, they fought

face mask to protect us from anything in the air.

Occupied - now vacated. The tented protest camp around London's St

Paul's is cleared. Also coming up in the programme: In

the final run-up to Russia's presidential vote - a musical

message to Vladimir Putin. It's loud, and it's angry - how

music is competing for the hearts A fine line between business

success and failure in the world of Hello and welcome. The injured

British photographer Paul Conroy, who'd been trapped in the Syrian

city of Homs since being wounded last week, has been smuggled out to

Lebanon - but at a great cost. The group that facilitated his rescue

said a number of its volunteers died in the process. There remains

confusion over the whereabouts of the wounded French journalist Edith

Bouvier - it's thought she too was evacuated to Lebanon, but that

hasn't been confirmed. Paul Wood reports from the Lebanese capital

Beirut. The shelling of Homs, unrelenting

today as it has been for three weeks. In the middle of this,

activists tried again and again to bring out the injured to must score.

Three volunteers died in the attempt, they say. Another 10

reportedly killed, bringing in medical suppliers to wounded

Syrians who remain. A British photographer is in Lebanon now. His

paper said he was in good shape and in good spirits. His family said

they were overjoyed and relieved. We heard he is out, we don't know

where he is. I'm happy that he is out. One week here and on the phone

or he comes in person, will be so happy. Edith Bouvier was with him

in the makeshift hospital. There is confusion over her apparent

whereabouts. There are two additional term this there as well.

They were in this area of Homs. After leaving, they had to get out

of Syria. Harassed by the government, they became split up.

This activist helped them to flee. TRANSLATION: They were coming under

a lot of fire. They had to travel on foot and move from house to

house. There were rockets and tank shells fired at them. The

evacuation took three or four hours. Despite the successful rescue,

Marie Colvin died in planes -- Homs. Her body apparently remains their,

along with that of the French photographer. His goal from pleaded

for his remains to come home. TRANSLATION: The loss of your

boyfriend is terrible, but the waiting is insufferable. All

religions recognise that to say goodbye unique a body and today we

are unable to grieve. I had promised everybody, his friends and

family, but I will not leave him there. The plight of civilians in

Homs remains desperate. Rescue workers are trying to rescue a

little boy here, trapped in the rubble of his home destroyed by a

shell. He apparently survived. Many others died today as every day.

Efforts by the Red Cross and Red Crescent to get a temporary

ceasefire have so far failed. The global campaigning group Avaaz

says it was involved in coordinating the operation to

evacuate the journalists. Earlier I spoke to the group's executive

director, Ricken Patel, who explained to me what happened.

We have a network of journalists and activists for trousered --

throughout Syria. They volunteer in this operation and over 23 of them

died over the course of it. The operation began a few days ago when

they had to run the cordon of the trench the Syrians had dark with

snipers and shelling. In that attempt, the group was split. Paul

Conroy was able to go ahead and the other journalists had to go -- a

turnaround. We are happy to hear that he has made it completely out

of Syria into Lebanon. Was this operation compromised because

people were reporting that they were being evacuated during the

operation? The operation, the riskiest part of it took place a

few days ago so at that time, it was not compromised. We were still

unhappy to see media coverage in the last 24 hours because there are

still the terrorists inside Syria and we want to get them out safely.

How difficult is it to extract people through this route? Explain

the terrain you are going through? It is tremendously difficult. Even

in peace time, Syria is a police state with spies every word. In

this situation, they have hi-tech surveillance equipment, they have a

drone that may be provided by Iran or Russia, they have a cordon of

snipers, a news around the next up the town so it was dangerous. Many

activists died. The fact that 23 activists have been killed in this

operation, does that mean that this route will be unable to be used

again? We saw that the route it was not entirely safe several days ago.

We had activists killed while using it. In acts of bravery, they still

decided to run the risk and use the route. In that particular column

that was shelled, we have breed activists die and six to die at

returning the journalists. People are still running risks and

choosing to run them. Thank you very much.

Now a look at some of the days other news. At least 16 people have

been killed in an attack on a bus in Pakistan. Gunmen opened fire on

the vehicle in the Northern district of Kohistan. The bus was

carrying passengers from Rawalpindi, the city which is headquarters for

the Pakistani military. The French President Nicolas

Sarkozy has ordered his government to draft a new law punishing denial

of the Armenian genocide. It comes after the French Constitutional

Court ruled the law was unconstitutional as it infringed on

freedom of expression. Ireland is to hold a referendum on

the treaty which would tighten EU control of its finances. It will be

the first popular vote on plans for stricter budget discipline, agreed

by 25 member European states - but not by the UK or the Czech Republic.

A crippled Italian cruise ship with 1,000 people on board is being

towed to the main island in the Seychelles, Mahe, by a French

trawler. The owners reversed an original decision to take Allegra

to a smaller island because there weren't enough facilities there.

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are going head to head in the US states

of Michigan and Arizona to choose the Republican presidential

candidate. The latest opinion polls suggesting Mr Romney has a marginal

lead in Michigan. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are also candidates in

both states. An independent report on last

year's nuclear disaster in Japan has accused the owners of the

Fukushima Nuclear power station and the government of being 'panic-

stricken', after an earthquake crippled the plant. It said the

authorities had only narrowly avoided a meltdown, which could

have forced the evacuation of Tokyo. Today international journalists

were allowed into the Fukushima plant for the first time since the

disaster. Reporting from inside Fukushima, here's Roland Buerk.

Every day, around 3,000 people on average work inside the figures

seem a plant. Before they going, they have to come here. This is the

sitting up room. What you have to wear to face of radiation? First,

aplastic boiler suit. I have got a double layer, plastic boots on as

well, there are blocks. A surgical mask. Of course, a full face mask.

-- there are blocks. It is to protect us from anything that could

be there. We were been taking to the planned.

The first group of foreign journalists allowed in. Through the

exclusion zone, 12 miles of abandoned homes and fields, to the

heart of nuclear disaster, a source of fear for the Japanese for almost

a year now. This is where the fight back is being co-ordinated. The

control room at the power station. Minute by minute, they are

monitoring the reactors, mouse stabilised. The air has been

scrubbed by filters to keep the radiation out. TRANSLATION: All we

have in mind is to prevent the release of radioactive gases that

leaked outside the power station which happened before. March last

year, when the power station was rocked by explosions. Beat tsunami

had triggered not down to three of the reactors. Japan's leaders

feared they would have to order the evacuation of Tokyo.

It is only when you come here that you can appreciate the strength of

the explosions. You can see a few men are belt working. These

reactors are now in a state of fault shut down. It remains highly

radioactive here. They had to decontaminate this area, dismantle

be the power station will stop it could take up to 40 years.

We were driven right past the reactors, scarred by what happened.

In places, it is too radioactive for humans to venture. Elsewhere,

the workers were busy, maintaining the cooling systems vital to

keeping the reactors under control. TRANSLATION: I worked here before

the disaster cert since my plant is in this condition, I think this

stay here. As for my health, my dose exposure is within the legal

limit. I have no concerns about health.

What they fear it is another earthquake, a second soon army. It

could tip the nuclear disaster once again. No one needs reminding now

that sitting on the edge of the Pacific, the crippled reactors are

One of Britain's biggest banks, Barclays, has been ordered by the

UK Treasury to pay almost $800 million in tax which it had tried

to avoid. The tax authorities have outlawed two types of tax avoidance

schemes, which were legal when Barclays set them up, calling them

highly abusive. Barclays has expressed surprise at the

government's decision but says it respects it. The Treasury is now

expected to earn billions of dollars more in future taxes from

banks. The man leading the race to become

France's next president is proposing a drastic tax hike on top

earners there. Francois Hollande believes those earning over one

million euros a year - that's about $1.3 million - should pay a 75%

rate of income tax. The Socialist Party candidate has promised that

if elected, he would undo tax breaks brought in by Nicolas

Sarkozy, who he currently leads in the polls.

It had been erected outside the iconic landmark of St Paul's

Cathedral in the City of London for exactly for four months and 12 days,

but in the end took just four hours to dismantle. After months of legal

appeals and counter appeals the protest Occupy London camp,

mirrored by other demonstrations against excesses of capitalism

around the world, was razed to the ground overnight, as police and

bailiffs moved in. The BBC's Jeremy Cook was there.

St Paul's Cathedral, a world renowned place of worship. For

months, it was home to the Occupy London encampment. It was on high

alert last night, expecting trouble. Police and bailiffs came in

overwhelming numbers, he to clean a camp which is -- has sharply demand

-- divided opinion. Scuffles, but no real trouble.

After months of tensions, the tents are finally been cleared away. They

are being loaded up into the dump trucks, but the protesters insist

they will remain. The message went out all all

supporters to come and join the cause. The police cordons and

blocked the way. The court order was but the removal of tents and

other structures. The City of London Corporation said it

regretted sending in the bailiffs, but had no choice. As the Terrence

continued, a few of the most committed a protesters manned the

last barricade. Ultimately the result was never in doubt. I think

that this is an opportunity for us to move aside weights and to be

creative and innovative. -- moved sideways. It is the end of the

beginning. With the new day, a combination of the landscape he had

changed. Dozens of tense gone, time for the clean-up operation to move

them. The high-pressure hoses were put to immediate work. Some local

businesses where clearly glad it is all over. It is a good day today

because business is back to normal. Be campaign has been difficult, at

times embarrassing for the Church authorities. Today this was their

response. Last night was about the removal of tense and camping

equipment. It was not about the removal of protest or debates or

ideas. Those things carry on, just as they have for hundreds of years,

but perhaps they carry on in sharper focus. Life is returning to

normal, but the court order applies to tense, not protesters. Many of

them say they and their message Let us speak to Laurie Penny, a

journalist at who joins us from a New York. It is all over. What has

it achieved? To say the occupied movement, if it is a movement, is

over is a bit premature. There are still two camps in London. There is

one in Finsbury Square. The idea that one encampment could somehow

bring down capitalism on its own, that was never the idea, that was

never going to happen. It has never been an agent of change so much as

a helper of change. It has achieved its message already. Look at the

story you ran. It is about people demanding a higher taxes on high

earners, campaigns to fight tax avoidance a month banks. Those

discussions are now in the public's fear. Are you saying the movement

has put that into the public views of politicians have a pressure to

bring about those changes? movement is certainly not the only

actor this campaign trying to bring awareness of tax avoidance and

economic injustice into the public sphere. We had the student movement

last year. Next year, it will be something different. People's

movements always change. This is not an isolated incident. It is

very incident -- very interesting here in America watching the

Republican presidential candidates used the language of the super-rich.

He avoids taxes, he earns a lot of money, this would normally be

attacked. Nobody really knows where this rhetoric has come from. The

movement has moved economic injustice onto the agenda in

America and Britain. But the trouble is, it is all a bit vague.

There is no real clarity of message or strategy. It is a field which

you can take from it what you will. Really? Just the way you are

describing it. But you look at the number of groups outside St Paul's,

there is no clarity of message or strategy that unites all the

protests around the world. This is what journalists have been using to

attack the movement with it for some time. Let us have won a single

message so we can ignore it. We are not ignoring it. What is confusing

at traditional Jenice if the lack of one key idea. -- traditional

journalists. This is about opening up possibilities of change that do

not involve a mainstream politics. You can be cynical about that or

you can be optimistic but one thing is for sure, young people in

particular are starting to think in a different way about politics. Yes,

it is they, people cannot be expected to come out of many years

of politicians to do what they want. -- they eat. This is just the spot

of what will be a political movement. It is a cultural movement.

It is quite frightening for a lot of people in power. Thank you.

It is only a few days and two Russians vote in the elections, a

process that has been controversial since last year's vote which was

alleged to be fraudulent. Vladimir Putin is expected to win. Some of

his critics have been finding unusual ways to express themselves.

They have asked us not to reveal where they are. All who they are.

It is all very hush hush. But not for long. This punk band are

rehearsing their latest song about a Vladimir Putin and you do not

need to understand Russian to realise they do not like him very

much. Here, they hope he will soon be chased from power. Why? This

singer says she believes he cheated in last December's parliamentary

election. That is why she wants him out. When they perform in public,

they select high-profile venues, like this roof opposite a jail

where anti-government protestors have been locked up. Earlier this

month, they conquered Red Square and sang Putin has wet himself.

Because it only lasted a couple of minutes before the police turned up.

A protest songs on the Kremlin was I'd do a step, it shows how the

political scene had changed. -- Kremlin APPLAUSE doorstep.

It was Knowles -- are not so long since Vladimir Putin was on top.

Milibands sang his praises. We want a strong man, they once sang. --

and girl bands sang his praises. Critics welcome the change.

more people criticise the power, the better it is for society

because that makes power realise they are vulnerable and they have

to be vulnerable. They are not invincible. But there is still one

band that is backing Vladimir Putin. These are wrapping Russian

pensioners have become an internet sensation with a song about how

clever and a -- about how clever at the Vladimir Putin is. He will be

hoping, election day Russian voters will be singing the same tune. --

on election day. The British animation industry which has

spawned favourites such as Wallace and Gromit to Bagpuss and Bob the

Builder claims it is up danger of terminal decline. Our is urging the

Government to introduce tax breaks in next month's budget. -- and

Animation UK. We asked one animator to illustrate the problem for us.

An animator in England comes up with a new idea for a programme. He

takes it to a financier who loves it. But then he started to lean the

sums. You realises if the programme came from Ireland, 28% of the cost

would come in a tax break from the Government. It came from France,

20% of the cost would be paid for by the French government. There are

similar tax breaks around the world but not in England. This means more

and more animation is done overseas so the English animator was told,

"Thanks but no thanks". Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions co-created

Teletubbies and a recently The Adventures of Abney and Teal. She

is with me now. When you look at the figures, how on earth do you

survive? With great difficulty. We have subsidised our own work for a

long time and hope for international sales. Sometimes we

do, sometimes we do not. You are taking a huge financial risk as

well as a creative one. It is becoming, particularly in young

children, even more difficult because there is a feeling the

smaller the child, the smaller the Budget. At a time of austerity,

what chances are you offered? should be given tax breaks because

the potential... Of up to 40%? would be great. For various reasons.

Not least because of the export potential of animation from the UK.

There ought children's programmes, it is very high. -- for the

children's programmes. We are not able to find ourselves to the

extent we did now. What about copying other businesses and

outsourcing this? You think about mobile-phone businesses with call-

centre as overseas. A people forget we are doing art. It is an art form.

Of course you can find superb technicians... I tried it once. I

sent work to India and it was a disaster. What came back looked

completely different from what we sent out and then we have to send

someone to look after it. They became more expensive. The only

time I have done it successfully was years ago with Poland where we

had some animation done there. Again, we had to send someone out

there. Aid is not a used -- as a straightforward, because it is art.

Have things deteriorated over the years? Was it a better environment

years ago? My company is 27 years old. If I was trying to do it now,

I would not. In the old days, you had full production costs. You

could live. You did not have to go out there and sell toys or what

ever to raise 80% of the budget you have to raise. The most you will

get from a broadcast in the UK is 20% of your budget. Costs have

risen. It cost just as much to make animation for a small child as an

animated film. Thank you. That is We did not quite break our record

for Scotland. Nonetheless, we reached 17 in degrees. As we look

up to tomorrow, high pressure is still in charge. South Western

winds would keep it mild. A grey start tomorrow morning. The cloud

will break up. Scotland will see some of the brighter spells.

Temperatures will rise. You could see 12 degrees in Leeds. We will

see some brighter spells in the south-east corner, a top

temperatures of 15 degrees. For better breaks in the cloud in the

south-west. Up a bit more sunshine here. Still staying cloudy isn

Cardigan Bay. Moving further inland, you might see better brightness. It

will stay dry. Some at sunshine in Ireland. It will be damp in north-

west Scotland. That will move further south through Wednesday