10/04/2012 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Tim Willcox. Continued fighting

in Syria after a UN deadline for government forces to start

withdrawing. Despite the bloodshed, the architect of the international

peace plan refuses to admit defeat I believe it's a bit too early to

say that the plan has failed. If for it is too early to say the

plan has failed. A The plan is still on the table and it's a plan

we are all fighting to implement. European human rights judges decide

5 terrorist suspects including the radical preacher Abu Hamza can be

extradited to the United States. From favoured son to the political

wilderness - Bo Xilai is expelled from China's Politburo, his wife

now under investigation over the murder of a British businessman.

Also coming up in the programme: worrying new research into patients

with computer-controlled medical implants. The message - beware

hackers who could cost you your life.

And a hundred years to the day since the Titanic left Southampton

- the city remembers its 500 residents who perished when the

Hello and welcome. It was a deadline that came and

went. The supposed Syrian withdrawal of heavy weapons from

civilian areas - replaced instead with shelling and helicopter

gunships attacks on Homs, Hama and villages near the Turkish border.

Despite Syria's Foreign Minister claiming the withdrawal had begun

the White House claimed it had seen no evidence to that effect.

International envoy, Kofi Annan, however maintained the

international peace plan can still be implemented by Thursday's

deadline of a ceasefire on both sides. Our correspondent Fergal

Keane reports from the Turkey-Syria border.

If the piece is about to dawn, there is no sign of it in Homs.

This is the voice of a cameraman record in the violence. It is being

destroyed by random shelling, 10th April. God is great! In Homs and

other towns, the destruction seemed to be escalating. With time running

out, Kofi Annan came to visit the refugees of the violence. There was

a welcome. Most of these people have fled from the North with

stories of killing and torture. All day, the cavalcade moved from camp

to camp. Some of the refugees we met clung to the hope the mission

might work. TRANSLATION: May be something would happen in Syria.

And we can go back to our families and children. Kofi Annan has been

asked for solutions he can't deliver. It is a question of

achieving a ceasefire and going home. A growing number of voices

are demanding the opposition the armed and achieve a military

victory. The mood of militancy is growing. These men told us they

were from the free Syrian army with little faith in Kofi Annan.

TRANSLATION: We want NATO to come into Syria and give weapons to us

and we want to liberate so we can free the country.

As the clock ticks on the deadline, Kofi Annan's mission looks forlorn.

He continued to press Damascus to push forces back. Let me appeal to

the Syrian government and parties to cease violence in accordance

with the plan and I believe there should be no preconditions for

stopping violence. In Moscow where he met his Russian counterpart,

Syria's foreign minister said they were abiding by the agreement.

TRANSLATION: We have withdrawn of military units from some provinces,

we have allowed a more immediate challenges -- channels to enter and

have reached agreement for humanitarian aid for the needy.

Kofi Annan asked what the world we do if the plan failed. It is a

question bearing down with growing agency. -- what the world would do.

Jonathan head joins us on the border. Pessimism on most fronts

with a surreal will comply, is there a change in thinking on the

Turkish position about buffer zones?

Kofi Annan was here and Turkey reiterated its support his mission.

The truth is they support the mission because it's the only

internationally backed one but they do not believe in it. Because they

did believe, given their proximity and shared border they have to plan

for alternatives. They talk about other steps that must be taken.

They will not give details, they were considering as a last resort

the idea of using their army to establish buffer zones to protect

civilians. Originally they feared they would be flooded by a larger

numbers of refugees. Hundreds of thousands but government officials

are saying it's not just about that, it's now protecting people if the

slaughter continues. We would have to see what happens in the next 48

hours. If the government complied, though the mistrust and the ability

to cheat. A lot of the forces are not in uniform and the plan could

falter even if the deadline which has been stretched by Kofi Annan to

6:00pm on Thursday when the fighting should stop, even if that

happens, Turkey will consider alternatives. Sending their army

over the border is a drastic step and they may plan for it but were

not be in a hurry to put it forward. Also visiting, Julie Sharman and

John McCain and the public response to their message more positive.

lot more from the refugees. There were roars of cheers as John McCain

moved around among the refugees. Kofi Annan was there a long time

and he had a polite protest. People appreciate what he is doing but the

international community has let them down and nobody has any faith

in the Kofi Annan plan because it relies on the good faith of Syrian

government, good faith that has not been to straight -- displayed a to

this conflict. If you have been on the receiving end of the army, you

do not expect people to have any faith in him. They want him gone.

What Kofi Annan seemed willing to see signs of hope, he has been more

robust in a letter he sent to the UN Security Council. Let's get the

latest from Barbara. How much further has he gone in the letter?

Well, the main thrust of his comments was the same as his public

ones, the absolute imperative to press on both parties the need to

stop violence by Thursday morning. He is saying we can still salvage

the peace plan and salvage the efforts to stop violence and both

sides must be impressed upon to do so but he went into more detail

about the Government's performance so far saying it failed to send a

signal of peace in the days leading up to today's deadline for ended

military operations but it had introduced a new conditions which

were not part of the plan and which put at risk the cessation of

violence and although it made some withdrawals in essence it was still

continuing military operations against the people. The Security

Council chose to emphasise to final points in a letter, the president

stressed it wanted to emphasise Kofi Annan's statement that the

government in the next 48 hours had to change its military posturing

around the country. It was essential the government changed

its military posture in a way we could be verified and was

indisputable. The opposition also should stop any violence in order

the government cannot not have any excuse. The other. It emphasised

from the letter was it was deeply concerned about the implementation

of its obligations which were deeply inadequate and also that it

wanted to impress on both parties to keep his Thursday deadline for a

ceasefire. Are there any signs Syria's main backers are shifting

their position, Russia and China? Russia and China have backed

statements from the Security Council so they want pressure on

the government and opposition for a cessation of violence by Thursday.

Anything more than that, it is too early to say.

Now a look at some of the days other news: Court-appointed

psychiatrists in Norway say the right-wing extremist Anders Breivik

is sane. That means he could be sentenced to life in prison for

killing 77 people in Oslo and on the island of Uteoya last July.

Breivik's defence team said he was pleased with the evaluation.

A court in Egypt has spent as a court to draft a constitution.

There was a complaint filed by secular members of parliament

saying the commission is just five -- dominated by his illness. It was

supposed to make important decisions about Islamic law in

Egypt. An old car that previously belonged

to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has been put up for sale on

the internet. The Volkswagen that Mrs Merkel bought in the early 1990

has sparked enormous interest with over 150 bidders already offering

more than two hundred times the amount cars of the same make and

vintage would fetch. Five terrorism suspects living in

Britain have lost their battle to avoid extradition to the United

States. They include the radical cleric, Abu Hamza, who's facing 11

terrorism-related charges. Babar Ahmad, who's accused of raising

money for terrorist groups. And two men allegedly involved in US

Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. The ruling by the

European Court of Human Rights said the suspects' human rights would

not be violated by possible life sentences and solitary confinement

in a US "supermax" prison. The A typical Abu Hamza tirade urging

followers to kill. He has been convicted in Britain of inciting

murder. Now, he is one of five suspects facing American justice.

Europe has cleared the way for them to put on a plane acknowledging

they could face life in prison. A I welcome the decision taken by the

European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This allows the

extradition, the extradition would not be a violation of the human

rights and we will be working to ensure we can hand over these

individuals including Abu Hamza to the United States soon as possible.

As for the charges, he is said to have been involved in a plot to

kidnap Westerners in Yemen, four Britons died. Inside the US,

conspiring a training camp in Oregon. For years, his power base

was Finsbury Park mosque stop in the late 90s this man worked as an

informant gathering intelligence for the police and MI5. I describe

Abu Hamza or as a terrorist in Chief. Very dangerous person.

Abu Hamza in charge, Finsbury Park mosque was a breeding ground for

extremists. Some fell under his influence committed acts of

terrorism. The same oarsman, one of the 217 terrorist cells who failed

to cause carnage for a second time on the London transport system.

Others include the only person convicted in relation to 9/11,

Richard Reid, the shoe bomber and another jailed over the rice in a

poison plot. Four of the men could end up here, Americas modern-day

Alcatraz. A super prison in Colorado court ADX Florence. Abu

Hamza or were not be sent here because he is disabled. He has lost

both his arms and is blind in one night. The five facing extradition

are wanted on a range of charges, including supporting terrorists and

bombing US embassies. One is accused of over 269 counts of

murder. Let's speak to Professor of Law at

the University of Essex. How surprised were you by this ruling?

Not at all surprised on one level because in some ways sending people

to a maximum security prison in the United States from a prison in the

UK with the assurances obtained wasn't necessarily going to raise

so many issues with article 3 of the human rights. What's surprising

is in some ways is some of the statements made by the European

Court of Human Rights with respect to the experiences they would have

once in the United States if they are convicted and then sent there.

Talk us through those comments that were made. They are talking about

solitary confinement, the European Court of Human Rights has a string

of cases dealing with solitary confinement and how it can amount

to inhuman or degrading treatment. One of the things they talk about

his social isolation yet in the judgment it says even when they are

in their cells and that is for the majority of the time they will be

there, they can still communicate even if it's only through the

ventilation system. But to me does not sound like a proper means of

social interaction. If they can talk freely in a recreation periods

and the court accepted this was raised from five hours a week to 10

hours a week and that seemed to There are some cases in America

where people have been held in solitary confinement for 40 years.

Yes. The problem with solitary confinement is the nature of that

confinement. There are various degrees of solitary -- solitude.

The most extreme cases, yes it is degrading and inhumane and it can

swiftly lead to psychological breakdown. What the court has said

is that the experience of solitary confinement still allows for some

and sufficient it is -- social interaction. Does this really clear

the last obstacle to the extradition of Abu Hamza or? First

of all, let me reiterate that Abu Hamza will not be sent away because

of his medical conditions, but no, it doesn't, the case could go to a

grand chamber. How rare is that? is not that rare, in very important

cases, and it depends whether this is seen as such a significant

decision that a whole grand chamber should sit and come to a conclusion

regarding the extradition to a maximum-security prison. Thank you

very much.. In an ultra networked world,

medical science, in particular it medical implants, have flourished.

This is not without risks and research suggests that implants

which communicate wirelessly with systems outside the body could be

vulnerable to hacking. Professor Kevin Fu is a computer scientist

and joins us now. Has this happened or is this just a fear? Could

evening. The good news is that there are no reports of incidents,

security incidents, against medical devices. The real questions is

about insurance for the future as these devices become interconnected

in our daily lives. So what are the risks? If you are looking at

insulin, a malicious hacker could do real harm. In the world of

medical devices, there is a careful risk benefit trade-off. The risks

and the consequences did not require too much imagination, for

instance, an incident on could release insulin more quickly than

necessary. What is harder to understand is the proper balance,

because at insecurity can sometimes make it more difficult to make

devices remained simple. I think you have been working on a shield

to block out anyone else trying to target this device, but are we

looking at a design fault? The people who designed these implants

did not realise understand or plan for what might be happening a few

years down the line. That is a good question. In my view, many of these

devices both in planted and none in planted were designed for the

disconnected world, and they are safe and effective in that world.

The problem is that these devices are increasingly becoming networked

and having path ways to the internet, which brings a different

kind of scenario. Before the internet, there was very little

computer viruses that could spread as quickly as they can today.

Dutch -- can't you download remotely, like we do with our

phones and computers? Could some sort of software be sent by the

very means by which the threat arises? It would be nice to be able

to quickly update software on a medical device for potential

viruses. I do not think that is going to happen soon. Right now,

one makes an appointment with their electric physiologist to get end

update -- an update. Thank you very much.

A minute's silence has been held in the English port of Southampton to

remember more than 500 people from the city who died when the Titanic

sank 100 years ago. A recording of the ship's whistle was played to

mark the moment that the Titanic set sail on her doomed voyage.

The sparkling waters of the dock where excited crowds watched a

giant prepare for C. A century on, Southampton Pause to Remember the

disaster which followed five days later. The city was filled with

excitement. 500 locally recruited crew members crowded the gangways.

Today, descendants exchange stories of that spring morning, of those

they last and the few who survived. He was a book Stewart. Booked

Stewart. He was in charge of life by five. We believe he saved

somebody's life. I feel that what happened that night to him and to

so many others, I have a connection and they just want to be there will

for him. -- Ian Ayre for him. THEY SING.

News of the disaster brought despair to the port. Day and night,

the crowds strange to read the casualty lists. A century on, the

hubbub of a busy port was still as despairing community turned his

thoughts to the horrors of one night on a distant ocean.

SHIP'S HORN BLOWS. Silence broken by a sound which has

not been head since it echoed across the rooftops a century ago,

when the Titanic set her farewells. OTHER SHIPS BLOW HORNS IN RESPONSE.

From around the sprawling docks came the response, as one by one

the visitors laid their tributes and looked back to that departure.

On Southampton Water, the took Calshot, a survivor from that era,

let the flotilla away from berth 44. Away from Southampton, news that

the MS Balmoral, which is retracing the Titanic's route across the

Titanic, has been forced to turn back because of a medical emergency

on board. The ship will return to the Irish coast so that the

passenger can be evacuated. Balmoral is expected to reach the

wreck site to run -- to hold a commemorative service this weekend.

In Southampton, Titanic's loss will be a painful part of the city's

history forever, and families will return home to buy knowing that

this story is still being told. It is more than five years since

the notoriously brutal rebel group Lord's Resistance Army left Uganda.

The rebels have continued to commit atrocities and cause displacement

across the Central African Republic, Eastern Congo and South Sudan. The

North of Uganda is enjoying peace for the first time in decades. Our

correspondent has returned to Kitgum, from where he reported for

the BBC at the height of the conflict.

There is laughter in the dawn chorus these days. Unlike five

years ago, when the war was on, the children of Northern Uganda are now

safe. May we standstill for the national anthem! The hunger to

learn is strong, but it is not interrupted by the terror of

marauding rebels. During that time, they had the trauma of running here

and there, especially if there are gunshots. That was a time when many

young children were defeated. I was here at the height of the

conflict, at this time of day when the sun was setting, there was an

extraordinary spectacle. We're going to leave that. We're

taking you to a press conference been given by Rex and Doran, the

presidential candidate, he was giving this statement. His daughter

has been in hospital for the weekend. We were very concerned

about our role as being the best pair as we possibly could to our

children. We want to make sure they have a country where the American

dream is still possible. A lot of concerns that we had for our family

were that with what is going on in Washington DC and all of the

problems you have heard the talk about on the campaign trail, that

American Dream was slipping not just from the hands of average

Americans, but from all Americans. As good parents, we had to go out

and do what we could, to take on that responsibility for our

children and four children across this country. We started out almost

a year ago now in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and I told my story.

The story of our family, of my grandfather, he came to this

country and worked in the coalmines, and my father, he served our

country in World War II. Throughout the course of this campaign, we

have talked about my stories and stories of our families, but after

a while, as it became less about my stories and more about what kept us

going to weigh your stories. Stories of people across America we

have the privilege of getting to know and to interact with. When you

travel around, one such story was a guy named Chuck who had a pick-up

truck and has joined our team and drove us around for months on end

as a volunteer, because he believed that we provided the best

opportunity to turn this country around. I met a lot of folks in

eyewear who I'll never forget. Talking about his three-year-old

daughter who has been in hospital. He was worrying about what has been

Heavy showers tomorrow. We will have sunny spells as well. We have

low-pressure sitting to the North East, bringing in come the air.

They eat at the sunshine gets clouds bubbling up on Wednesday

morning. That will produce heavy showers. They will be slow moving.

The winds on Wednesday afternoon will be light, which means that the

showers will take a while to be fair way. It is hit and miss. In

between, there will be lengthy spells of sunshine, with

temperatures rising to 14 tree Celsius on Wednesday afternoon.

They are likely to start in western areas and move eastwards. Things

should be dry and brighter by Wednesday afternoon. For Northern

Ireland, sunny spells and scattered showers. A similar fate across, and