16/03/2012 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today was me, Zeinab Badawi. The special envoy to

Syria, Kofi Annan, speaks publicly after his visit to Damascus and

calls for unity from the United Nations. Mr Annan was briefing the

Security Council following his talks with President Assad. He

urged against any action that could escalate the conflict. Concern

goads be on Syria itself because the crisis can have a serious

impact for the whole region if it is not handled effectively. Flags

fly at half-mast and church bells ring in Belgium on an official day

of mourning for the bus crash victims. The Afghan President

accuses the United States of not co-operating with the investigation

into the killing of 16 Afghans by an American soldier. Also coming up

in this programme, swapping Anglicanism for academia. After a

decade as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams is

stepping down at the end of the year to take up a post at Cambridge

University. And the Little Master finally reaches that big milestone.

Tendulkar hits his 100 international century amidst scenes

Hello and welcome. The special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, has

said the priority on Syria is to get humanitarian aid into the

country. And you UN team is due to arrive in Syria this weekend to

discuss practical steps for a monitoring mission in the country.

He was speaking after breaking the United Nations Security Council and

Mr Annan also said it was important to establish democracy in the

country but he said Syria must be handled very carefully, since any

miss steps would have a severe impact in the region. From

neighbouring Lebanon, Jon Donnison has the support.

In the northern city of Idlib, opposition protests early this

morning. This, in a place where the government was believed to have

regained full control. They are calling for immediate foreign

military intervention. And in the capital, Damascus, more

demonstrations. They chant, Assad is a God's enemy. We support the

city of Idlib. They have made placards sake, we call on Russia

and China to get Assad out of the intensive care room so that he can

die in peace -- behind made placards. Later, after Friday

prayers, the numbers grew. In this town video posted by opposition

activists showed thousands of people marching and then apparently

government troops opening fire. Meanwhile in New York Kofi Annan,

the international envoy to Syria, briefed the UN Security Council on

his progress in pursuing the peace plan. I discussed with the council

proposals I made to the Syrian government that was aimed to number

one, stop the violence, accelerate humanitarian assistance and

establish credibility and confidence for the political

process when it is initiated. I will be sending a team in this

weekend to pursue the discussions and the proposals we left on the

table and at the appropriate time, when I'd been sufficient progress

has been made to, I shall be prepared to go back to the region.

In my discussions... He spoke of getting strong support and despite

differences of opinion from Russia and China he said he hoped the

council would soon speak with one voice. He warned of a serious

impact on the region if the crisis was not handled carefully. But he

offered no immediate solutions. And on the ground there is no end to

the violence in sight and political talks seem equally far off. Much of

the Syrian army's focus this week has been on the southern town of

Deraa. And opposition activists say these pictures show security forces

opening fire on protesters in Syria's second city, Aleppo,

yesterday. The UN will send a humanitarian mission to Syria over

the weekend but it can only get fade-in if it is safe to do so. --

it can only get aid in if it is safe to do so. To discuss this be

joined by ambassador Nancy Toad -- Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, who

served as the US representative to the United Nations under President

Clinton. The Kofi Annan show, the only one in town, you reckon?

Unfortunately I think he is on his own in terms of Russia and China

but he does have the moral support of the United States. This is the

most distinguished diplomat we could possibly cent, the most

accomplished negotiator. If anyone Cup -- if anyone can pull a rabbit

out of a hat it will be Kofi Annan. But I am afraid the conditions are

not yet sufficient for the Syrians to agree to any real dialogue. More

has to be on the table. You talk about the road blocks, from Russia

and China, but there has been a softening in the Russian's position,

saying we're not just historic allies of Syria all the time. Do

you see room for manoeuvre? I don't see any real change in the

Russians' actions. They are still equating the protesters to

protesters, they are still sending arms to the Syrian government, the

regime that has killed over 8,000 people. What is going on is the

world is not ready to intervene seriously in this conflict. The

Russians are successfully dividing the Security Council. It is up to

the Arabs to step up to the plate and put troops on the ground to

stop the killing. Qatar is talking about it, Turkey is talking about a

buffer zone. It is the region that will bear the brunt of this and it

is the region that needs to step up. I think the Arabs should move

forward. That would give the tipping point to Kofi Annan to

finally get this regime to recognise the game is up. When you

have the French Foreign Minister saying that the arming of any of

the factions in Syria would lead us of all war, do you think, don't you

agree with that? The introduction of arms would create greater

conflict not only in the country but the region? That is already

happening. They are in a civil war and the region is arming the

opposition. We don't know how much but it is happening and you have a

civil war. This has been going on for a year. I don't know how much

longer the international community can decide when it is ready to act,

the time is now to act, give Kofi Annan the force to back the post of

diplomacy. This regime is living in fantasy land. Look at the e-mails

they are sending about shopping at the same time they are slaughtering

8,000 of their peoples. Arming the opposition is a cop-out. It will

not happen fast enough, we don't know who they are, there are bad

consequences. This is a very tricky situation. Doing half measures will

not stop it will only get worse, it is time to put the troops into the

ground, protect the people and give Kofi Annan some quivers, some

arrows in his quiver. It sounds briefly as though you were

suggesting the path of diplomacy and to negotiations is a waste of

time? Not at all but it does at times, I have said through the

genocide in Rwanda, Srebrenica, Darfur, until the international

community steps up to the plate it will not get a deal. What is

happening here is Assad has basically been saying I am not

going to negotiate, have any dialogue well there are terrorists

operating. These are not terrorists, the opposition who want democracy.

The international community and Arabs need to step-up, p to fund

stand up to Assad. He will then back down and you have the

conditions. Kofi Annan is doing everything he can, getting a

ceasefire, getting monitors on the ground. If anyone can do it, he can,

he is the best diplomat the world can offer but right now this regime

is not negotiating. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, sent to the

joining us from Washington. Belgium has held a day of national

mourning to remember the victims of the bus crash in Switzerland

earlier this week. 28 people, most of them children, died when the bus

taking them home from a skiing holiday hit the wall of the tunnel.

Flags were flown at half mast and church bells rang as Belgium

observed a minute's's silence for the victims. Chris Morris has the

story. At 11 o'clock in the morning a

minute's silence to remember those who died. At this school in

Heverlee, to which seven children and two adults never returned,

pupils gathered in the playground. Many of them too young to

understand. Across the country flags were at half mast. In

government buildings, in railway stations, even in local factories,

people stopped for a moment of contemplation. From another school

in Lommel near the Dutch border, 15 pupils died. All of them are only

about 12 years old. They run no words for it, there is only silence.

-- There are no words forehead. We can hope that parents and

grandparents become better after some time but I think it will last

20 years. In Heverlee balloons were released in that act of remembrance.

And on the school gates a list of names of those who died, among them

Sebastian Bowles, an 11-year-old boy was a British father and a

Belgian mother. And still people are looking for answers. Why did

the bus crash in Switzerland? So there is -- so far there is nothing

to suggest the driver was suddenly taken ill. The investigation

continues. More people will be leaving their own personal tributes

here over the next few days and soon we will have a series of

heartbreaking funerals. It is the loss of so many young children, who

should have their whole lives ahead of them, which is making this

tragedy so difficult to accept. And now those who died have been

brought back home. Coffins emerging from military aircraft, one by one.

Hard for everyone to take. A sombre ceremony as Belgium searches for

some way to bring some comfort to the bereaved.

A day of national mourning in Belgium. Now let's take a look at

some of the other main news in brief. The United States has

denounced the plan by North Korea to launch a long-range rocket to

put a satellite in orbit. It said the move was a threat to regional

security and was inconsistent with North Korea's recent agreement to

suspend missile and nuclear tests in return for food aid. North Korea

says the launch next month is part of its space programme to mark the

centenary of its creation as a nation.

In China, millions of microblog users, but his websites where

people post their thoughts in just a few lines of text, are facing new

rules from today. It is an attempt by the authorities to try to

prevent the spread of what they call unfounded rumours. Users of

the sites in the capital Beijing now have to register with their

real identities in order to post online. A Turkish military

helicopter has crashed into a house on the outskirts of the Afghan

capital Kabul, killing 16 people. 12 of the dead were Turkish

soldiers on board the aircraft. The other four where Afghan civilians.

The Turkish government says it appears the helicopter crashed

while trying to make an emergency landing.

The President of Afghanistan had -- Hamid Karzai, has accused the

United States of not co-operating with the investigation into the

killing of 16 Afghan villagers by an American soldier last Sunday.

The President was speaking after meeting victims'' relatives. Some

of whom said that more than one killer was involved. The soldiers

suspected of carrying out the attack was flown out of Afghanistan

on Wednesday and is being transferred to a military prison in

the United States -- soldier. Lyse Doucet has sent this report from

Afghanistan. Tribal elders in villagers came

from Kandahar in the south to talk to the President. Hamid Karzai

called them to the Palace to help him understand what happened when

16 Afghans were killed in the early hours of Sunday morning. The

Afghans at this table spoke with anger and emotion. He describes how

his love of people died in one house alone. -- Hull 11 people died.

President Karzai listened and took notes. When he rose to Levi called

out to question. Do you accept the official American

Account but only one American soldier was involved in these

killings? The story of the village elders is entirely different. They

believe it is not possible for one person to do that. In his family,

in four rooms, people were killed, children and women were killed, and

they were all brought together in one room and put on fire. That one

man cannot do. And the army chief has just reported, I don't know if

you heard his report, that the after an investigation team did not

receive the corporation that they expected from the United States.

There for these are all questions that will be raising and raising

very loudly and raising very clearly. What do you do next, sir?

It is by all means the end of the rope. The end of the road? The end

of the rope. Nobody can afford such luxuries any more, if you can call

it a luxury. Does that mean your relationship with your United

States is at the end of the road? This form of activity, this

behaviour, cannot be tolerated. It is passed, past, passed the time.

But you cannot fight the Taleban on your rain, with your own forces?

That is a different question, right now we are addressing this issue

and we will look it up in an extremely diligent and forceful way.

Thank you. The US has been trying to contain the damage from this

latest violence but the President's condemnation strains an already

troubled relationship at a very The leader of the worldwide

Anglican Communion, Rowan Williams, has announced that he is to resign

at the end of the year. Dr Williams, who as Archbishop of Canterbury, is

also the spiritual leader of the Church of England, has been in

office for 10 years. He will take up an academic post as Master of

Magdalene College, Cambridge University. Our religious affairs

correspondent Robert Pigott has Even as he demanded to be let into

Canterbury Cathedral for his enthronement, Rowan Williams was a

reluctant leader of the Church. This is why the Christian will

engage with passion in the world of society and politics. Out of a real

hunger and thirst to see God's image, but destiny of human beings

to become got's sons and daughters. Dr Williams said he wanted to

capture the imagination of the public for Christianity. Let us

greet our newly enthroned Archbishop with quake that mess.

From the start, he had to contend that divisions in the Church of

England and the worldwide Anglican Communion about homosexuality.

is unfortunate that he came to the Archbishop at a time when the

communion was being driven apart by issues of human sexuality. I think

what he has tried to do is to hold the Church together, whatever his

own personal views. The ordination of the Bishop of New Hampshire

threatened the communion that disintegration, a crisis which Dr

Williams has had to manage for a decade. He has had to deal with the

tension. He is not only working in this country, with Western liberal

people, but internationally as well. He has had to keep a communion --

minion together of American liberals and African Conservatives.

Anglicans reveal the charismatic archbishop, but many resent the

Liberal the interpretation of the Bible the EC in the West. It was Dr

Williams' it greatest achievement that he -- he held the community --

the Communion together. It became clear he would not stay much longer.

I did not particularly want to be President of the next conference, I

have done that. The next one will be in 20 team. Between now and

then,... I can understand why after a long time in that very important

job, he wants to move on. I pay tribute to the service he has given

to the country and the church. He leaves the Church still in grave

danger of division. Anglicans know he will be very hard to replace.

Joining us now to talk some more about this is Ruth Gledhill, the

religious affairs correspondent from the Times newspaper. Ruth, is

Dr Rowan Williams going to go down as one of the great Archbishops of

Canterbury? I think he well, in history. But there will always be

talk about the issues he has had to face. Issues unlike any other

Archbishop in modern times. Because he has had to cope with

unprecedented division and schisms in the church. Different parts of

the Church in different parts of the world changed, according to

their secular context. The Anglican Communion has many different

promise since -- provinces. Some are Conservatives and others are

very liberal. There has been very far from a meeting of minds, there

have been fractures and splits and Rowan Williams has been trying to

manage them as well as keep things together on the home front. It has

been an almost impossible job. His successor will need to have for a

constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros. Do you think he

just got fed up managing all these divisions? In his statement, he's

certainly indicated the degree of weariness. He talked about crisis

management and how he found it rather enervating. But he also

talked about the good things that have happened and the achievements

he felt he had managed. Many achievements on the international

front, is remarkable visit to Zimbabwe, the way he called Robert

Mugabe to account. He has had a big effect in the Sudan and other parts

of the world. For Christians are really suffering and other faiths

are suffering due to war and poverty. He has had a strong impact

in preaching the Christian gospel at a time of economic difficulties.

He has been taking the Government to task over Iraq, for example.

clearly, you have given us some long list. In terms of who will

succeed him, Archbishop cent Gamu it -- John Sentamu of York, is the

money going on him? He is the strong favourite. He has expressed

some surprise that there should be the case but I took -- I think the

public would love him. The Bishop of Bradford is also in the frame.

He is very bright and very politically able. He would

certainly be a man able perhaps to manage the Church politically and

are more adept way than the very spiritually inclined Rowan Williams.

There are other bishops such as Graham James, the Bishop of

Worcester, so I think there are few people, there are quite a few

potential candidates and it will be interesting, and interesting six

months as the Church decides which one of these it wants to be the

next Archbishop. Ruth, thank you so much.

The Oscar-winning American actor George Clooney has been arrested

following a protest outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington. He

was among demonstrators protesting about a blockade that is preventing

food and aid getting to more than a quarter of a million people. He was

arrested for defying a police order to leave the grounds of the embassy,

but has now been released. Paul Adams reports.

Amid the sort of publicity few can muster, George Clooney pleading his

case, standing outside the Sudanese mission with some simple the month.

We need a humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Sudan before it

becomes the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Immediately.

The second thing we are here to ask, it is very simple, is for the

Government in Khartoum to stop randomly killing its own innocent

men, women and children. He has spent much of the week in

Washington, including an appearance on Capitol Hill, arguing for action

to stop Sudanese attacks. We found children filled with shrapnel. He

is just back from the border region and a secret trip into the affected

area. This club was shown to senators. George Clooney has

political cloud and access, among the guests at the White is for once

the's state banquet in order of David Cameron. You will be arrested.

Today's outcome was never in doubt. George Clooney and his father and a

dozen other activists, deliberately defying the police, knowing well

what would follow. Mr Clooney shows no sign of giving up. The arrest

and the least of George Clooney. -- and released.

For more than a year now, India has been holding its breath, but today,

Sachin Tendulkar allowed his nation a collective sigh of relief. The

Indian batsman and the country's undisputed hero made his 100th

international century against Bangladesh in Dhaka. It made him

the first to do so and sparked scenes of jubilation at home as

well as tributes from around the globe.

The magic moment, surging to do car getting his century against

Bangladesh. It has been a while coming. The immediate reaction was

one of relief. Already, there is an outpouring of praise, acknowledging

the monumental achievement. It is an amazing achievement, without

precedent and very unlikely to be achieved again. It just shows a

rare combination of amazing skill, huge application, a great drive and

desire, but also being able to keep a calm head when there is huge

expectation. For more than two decades, he has entertained cricket

lovers around the world. But in India, where the game is religion,

he is the undisputed God. For his fans, this latest record

underscores his greatness. I cannot think that anything could be better.

Finally, he did it. Everyone was relieved. It is a proud moment for

the nation. It this adulation that has made him one of India's biggest

stars, endorsing everything from beverages to banks. It has also

made him one of the world's richest sportsman. At the age of 38, there

are almost no Matins left for him to scale. He has got his 100th

century. He does appear as if his glorious career is nearing its end.

Until this moment, everyone will savour every moment.

A reminder of our main news: The UN and Arab League envoy on

Syria, Kofi Annan, says he is sending a delegation to Damascus

next week to discuss setting up a new monitoring mission there. After

a briefing the UN Security Council on his recent talks with President

Assad, Mr Annan warned that the situation in Syria needed to be

handled very carefully. That is all for now, from me and

It will be a mixed bag in the UK this weekend, some frost in the

North, some rain to come, we are seeing that moving southwards

tonight following a scattering of showers. The rain is set to weaken

as it crosses England and Wales but it will be five to 10 mm across

southern and eastern areas. Behind that, the shores will follow. A

cold and frosty start in the North. We will have this rain affecting

southern and eastern parts of England. Behind it, heavy showers

with a lot of cloud keeping things cool in the North East of England.

That rain can be seen across parts of East Anglia. Some uncertainty

still on its exact position. Stay tuned to the forecast if you have

plans. These showers across the south-west of England and Wales

could be accompanied by some gusty winds. The risk of hail and thunder,

and over the hills, the risk of sleet and snow. For Northern

Ireland, it looks brighter, some sunshine but also some showers or

stop that wintry next in Scotland over the hills. Unsettled for the