15/01/2014 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Philippa Thomas. An epidemic of

child abuse, online and to order. Our report uncovers widespread sex

abuse and the Philippines. It is an industry driven by poverty and the

local police say the abusers in the Philippines are often the victim's

families, working for paedophiles abroad. The pattern from the other

side of the world gives the orders. More than $2 billion was raised to

help Syrian refugees at an international donor conference.

There are warnings much more help is needed.

They say they will stay put until the Prime Minister goes. The

continued protests in Thailand. The government say the general election

will go ahead as planned. And should the trike's artworks be sold? --

Detroit's. Hello and welcome.

We begin with a special investigation into webcam sex

tourism which reveals shocking details about the skill of the

industry. Last year the BBC's Angus Crawford reported on a sting

operation in which a computer-generated image of a child

in the Philippines, and image cold-macro one, was used to expose

thousands of paedophiles. No Angus reports from the Philippines were

real children are being abused. You may find some of his report

disturbing. This street holds a secret. It

children were sexually abused and raped by their own family. The

children were -- room where police say the abuse was broadcast by

webcam to foreign paedophiles. This British man, Timothy Ford, directed

the abuse from his home in the UK. The police raid in the Philippines

last year sparked by what was found on Timothy Ford's computer. He was

sent to prison for 8.5 years. 12 children, the youngest to survive,

were taken into care. Some of the children are now back in the

community. Her parents are still in jail. -- the youngest, just five.

Ford plan to buy a house and open Internet cafe here, for him and

other paedophiles to use. But we have discovered that Ford is just

one of thousands. They call it cybersex. We travelled across the

Philippines and found some neighbourhoods have been virtually

taken over by it. The abuse of children online has become an

industry, driven by poverty. The families are involved in this

business. This is in the south of the country.

It has become notorious for this kind of crime. This is, in effect,

the epicentre of the cybersex industry. It takes place in rooms,

in houses around here, undercover. All they need is a laptop and a

USB. One recent survey showed that 80 houses were involved here with

the families check -- selling their children for sex online. This kind

of webcam abuse has become rooted in the culture here and local charities

find it difficult to convince families of the harm it causes. The

client from the other part of the globe gives the instruction to touch

this and touched that, kids this and gives that. And even send sex toys

to these children so that they can use them. It is amiss -- a myth that

there is no touching. Some of the birds are relatives are the ones

touching them. A couple of streets away another home raided an entity.

A two-year-old was rescued here. But some -- it is something no one wants

to talk about. How do I know when their house is closed? I did not get

inside their house and see what they were doing. This is where our

children live. Some children to escape the abuse. Here to a shelter

where they can start to recover. They feel small and dirty about

themselves. Many are deeply traumatised, some of -- talk of

seeing on the computer screen, the man paying them to be touched.

Thousands of children are thought to be victims of online sexual

exploitation. At least now police here and around the world are

tackling what charities call an epidemic of abuse.

We've got a Dutch charity who exposed sex tourism on computers.

They identified 1000 paedophiles. Looking at this report, what is it

about the Philippines, do you think, that has allowed this to take hold?

It started about a couple of years ago. We noticed that the children

were working from Internet cafes, not so much hotels and cafes any

longer. What contributes as the poverty and that English is a second

language. It is easy for them to communicate with Westerners. And

thirdly the Internet coverage which is easily accessible, not just in

cities, but in rural areas. That makes the Villa team so important

for this particular crime to stop you looked at this issue across

Asia. That is correct. We have been working there for more than a

decade. As far as we can tell it has not been introduced in other

countries yet. But there is no reason to believe it will be

restricted to the Philippines only. We are worried that, given the

enormous demand of Westerners to engage children in sexual activity,

that this for nominal and will take place in other places. The most

shocking detail, I think is that families enabling and sometimes put

as a beating and abuse. Did that surprise you? Not really. Most of

the time these people are desperate to get out of their poverty traps.

-- and participating. It is not unusual for Filipinos because the

family ties are very strong, that the Asp family members to sacrifice

themselves for the greater good of the family. -- Aske. This goes

really far and I am sure that families do not want to do it, but

they cannot see a way out of their poverty. When we started to

investigate this issue a few years ago, we were estimating a couple of

hundred in Manila and the other major city in the Philippines. Now

according to latest estimates were talking about thousands of children.

So it is taking on epidemic proportions. The only way to put a

stop to this is to do something about the demand, make it more

complicated for men to get access. You with Sweetie, the sting

operation, managed to identify 1000 paedophiles. There have been

prosecutions proving there can be something done about this? Our main

objective was to demonstrate how widespread this for nominal and has

become in a short period of time, in 2.5 years. The second point was it

is so easy to identify victims. That is as far as we can go. Police and

law enforcement can go beyond. It is easy to identify perpetrators and

scare them off. Where has that been taken particularly serious? In the

UK the authorities are alert to the problem. The Sweetie project has

contributed to more awareness. Everywhere as far as we can tell all

of the world governments and law enforcement are now looking again at

this particular phenomenon and seeing what possibilities they

have, what kind of mandate is required to tackle this problem.

Thank you very much. You can see more detail from Angus Crawford's

investigation and more background on the BBC website. You can get in

touch with me about this and other news stories on Twitter.

One simple figure today highlights the impact of the conflict in Syria.

The United Nations now says that more than half the population

urgently needs demand to help. It has launched its biggest ever appeal

for a single crisis at a donor conference in Kuwait. It is asking

for a $6.5 billion. Syria's growing desperation has

brought these Foreign Minister is to Kuwait. They came to pledge aid a

year ago. Now the humanitarian crisis has escalated and much more

money is needed. We are bit frustrated because they need on the

ground is much greater than the response from the international

committee. We knew that during this conference there would be some

response and more money will comment. -- come in. Semipermanent

tent cities have grown up outside Syria for the country's refugees.

This one is in Jordan. The US and Kuwait have announced more large

donations and the UK promised another $160 million. In some

besieged areas inside Syria, people are thought to be dying of

malnutrition. Delivering aid to them is almost impossible so cease-fires

as well as money are urgently needed. One UN official described

how hard it is foreign aid convoy to reach a refugee camp near Damascus.

We were given at Gould dies -- bulldozer to go in front to move

deeply. There was water that landed nearby, machine-gun fire, the convoy

had to turn round and comeback. 10,000 polio vaccinations and ten

trucks of food aid had to go back. Western governments have long

condemned the Syrian regime, but in a new development, it appears

Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus to discuss radical

Islamist groups. When these countries as this for security

cooperation it seems to me there is seclusion between the leaderships.

The main Syrian opposition groups sees itself as the conduit to fight

jihad e-groups. It is dismayed that Western governments may be

cooperating with President Assad who they believe is secretly in league

with the extremists. Unfortunately if these reports are true,

intelligence is going to the wrong place. They are going to the Assad

regime trying to get more information. It is a creation of the

Assad regime. This row undermines trust was Syria's opposition at a

crucial time, with key peace talks due next week.

Let's take a beef look at some of the day's other news. At least 75

people have been killed in a series of bombings in central Iraq

according to police and medical officials. 16 died on an attack for

a funeral for approval government 's in the official. -- pro-government.

In Egypt, the polls have just closed after two days of voting in a

referendum on a new constitution. The document was drawn up following

the ousting of the Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The Muslim

Brotherhood has been boycotting the referendum but it is thought the

Army will get the yes vote it desires, a move that could lead to

elections later this year. The American technology company

Apple, has agreed to pay more than $32 billion back to his customers

due to it being used by children without the knowledge of their

parents. There have been tens of thousands of complaints and as part

of the settlement, Apple will have to change as billing procedures.

George Osborne has urged the European Union to become more

competitive and to cut welfare spending. The chief finance minister

said the treaty's -- treaties underpinning the EU are no longer

fit for purpose. The promised to change the relationship with the EU

was supposed to calm rows in the Conservative party but some Tories

are impatient but change and the tone of the debate has riled senior

figures in Brussels. The right of citizens to move freely is a

contentious area. The government tightened the rules on migrants

claiming benefits but today politicians were warned not to

inflame tensions. Let us not use stereotypes. Let's have a rational

debate. Let's not give into scaremongering. Conservatives hit

back, saying they were not out to stigmatise any nationality. He

should be careful not to join others to write the debate down and

accusing people of saying things we have not said. The Bulgarian Foreign

Minister said that offence had been caused. The campaign going on,

especially last year, was, I would say, a bit unpleasant. This

situation, the signals coming from the UK, will be changed and I expect

more positive signals. Almost 100 Conservative MPs called for the UK

Parliament to have a veto overall European Union laws. The Chancellor

did outline a case for reform, but it certainly did not go that far.

Instead George Osborne said it was not about Britain's desires to pull

back from Europe, but being more competitive in global markets. The

biggest economic risks facing Europe does not come from those who want

reform, it comes from a failure to reform. It is the status quo that

condemns the people of Europe to an ongoing economic crisis and

continuing decline. The immediate challenge for the Conservative

leadership is to contain the party's disagreements over Europe.

The government in Thailand said it will stick to a timetable for an

election scheduled for next month, despite protests that have brought

much of central Bangkok to a standstill. Demonstrators demand the

prime ministers stop the election and resign.

Bangkok, on day three of what is supposed to be a shutdown. Although

it is only in the city centre that the protesters run the show. And

where there'll leader still makes his triumphant marchers. But where

is he leading them? You are pushing this country towards a dangerous

conflict, are you worried about that? Not at all, we are fighting

peacefully without weapons and we do not use violence, you concede that,

we are here, with just our bare hands. -- you can see that. Nobody

seems to concerned about what the other side thinks of the

insurrection, but perhaps they should be. While this protest leader

has Bangkok under his spell, the rest of the country, much of it,

still supports the government. How will they reacted he achieves his

goal and forces the Prime Minister from power? To find out, you do not

have to travel far from the capital. Half an hour away is a stronghold of

the pro-government redshirts. When hard-core protesters came here last

Friday, this is what happened. GUNFIRE. Somebody pulled out of

assault rifle. Customers of this shop cowered behind the tables. The

shop is owned by this person. The shoot out has really on nerve to

her. She said business is terrible now, people got hurt. My customers

are worried it will happen again. The man who confronted the

protesters is the local redshirts leader. He has erected a wall of

steel plates to protect his roadside base from the now nightly gunfire.

He brought out the weapons donated by supporters, he said, for self

defence. For now, he has been ordered to stay put, do nothing. But

if the government is forced out, he plans to use whatever he has two

fight back. TRANSLATION: I will collect my people and we will try to

fight in the open. If we cannot win now, we will go underground. One of

his guards is lying in the local hospital, lucky to be alive after

last week's shooting. There are similar casualties on the other

side. That still has not deterred them. They like to call their

uprising a peaceful one, but with so much at stake, more violence is

probably unavoidable. The trial of four men accused of

involvement in the attack on the Westgate Mall in Kenya has opened.

Gunmen killed 67 people in September. The court heard testimony

from a guard outside the shopping mall in Nairobi when the attack was

launched. They are not the Westgate conmen,

but they are as close as the authorities have got to establishing

a possible network behind the attack. Four men of Somali origin in

court and charged with helping it happen. They face charges such as

harbouring the gunman, contacting them, and holding. Humans. Witnesses

were called, both security guards. They told us what they saw that

fateful day, the attackers arriving, plumes of smoke and explosions. 40

witnesses will be called, and all defendants have pleaded not guilty

in a trial that is likely to last a week. It is almost four months since

Westgate, a favourite of high society, came under attack.

Governmental rampage, holding some hostage and executing others. Almost

70 were killed, some trapped by collapsed floors. The Islamist

militant group Al Shabana Shebab. Claimed responsibility. There were

allegations of looting by soldiers. It was said the government had hired

space in a shopping mall to prepare the attack. The question remains

what happened to the gunman? The Kenyan government says they are

likely to have died in the siege, but intelligence reports suggest

they could have escaped. As one analyst put it to me, if they had

perished, the authorities would have rushed to provide forensic evidence

from the bodies, but, so far, there has been none.

If you had a priceless art collection and were billions of

dollars in debt, would you sell the pictures? That is what some think

should happen in Detroit, which is $18 billion in debt. The story home

of the American auto industry and Motown records now has the dubious

distinction of being the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history

and it is under emergency management. They are now looking to

recoup cash at the Art Gallery, which is home to a collection valued

between 400 million and $800 million. This week, foundations have

stepped in with cash offers to save the art for the city. But they have

fallen short of the figure and we think the museum's future is still

up in the air. We can speak to the director of the Detroit Institute of

arts. Can you remind us of some of the highlights of the collection

that is so much more than a city Museum. We have four van Goghs, the

self-portrait, the first van Gogh to enter the US public museum. Matisse.

That was also the first in 1922. We have a second cast of Rodin. We have

a Rembrandt, Picasso, almost all of the great names. How many of these

pieces now risk being sold to help pay debt? It is a complicated

situation. For reasons that have not been explained to me, but I can

guess, the emergency manager asked Christie 's to evaluate those works

of art that have as a credit title a city of Detroit purchase and those

are the works, when you mentioned 600, 800 million, those are the

works that constitutes that value. The total collection is 65,000

pieces, which, of course, as with many American museums, nine tenths

of the collections come as gifts is, rather than Museum purchases. Given

that Detroit is in dire straits and basic services do not function in

some neighbourhoods, why does it matter so much if it leaves

Detroit? The Institute is one of the country's greatest collections,

encyclopaedic museums. It is an extremely important factor in the

cultural life of the region. For example, it is one of the things

that could be cited when, as is always the case, individuals try to

bring business to Detroit. It is a glorious collection. It belongs,

really, to the people. The fact it is owned by the city of Detroit is

almost a fluke of history. Our position is that it is in fact,

non-league, it is a public trust and therefore cannot be liquidated to

settle any debt. -- nominally. Have the people shown you they want the

art to stay? Yes. We had a make over of the institute some years ago.

There was a vote to tax themselves to keep it going because we operate

as a private institution and not a city department. There was an

opinion poll of residents of residence a few weeks ago, where 78%

said they wanted to keep the art untouched. 70% said that

pensioners. The museum, we know, people feel strongly about the

collection. It is of deep significance for the city in this

region. Thanks for joining us. You can talk to me on Twitter about

this or any of the other stories. You can also read more on the BBC

News website. For now, from B and the rest of the team, thanks for

being with us on World News Today. -- from me.

We have not seen much sunshine across the British Isles today but I

am hopeful we will see more tomorrow. We are anticipating some

showers as well, particularly to the south and west. This weather front

behind