21/05/2014 World News Today


21/05/2014

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This is BBC World News Today, with me, Philippa Thomas.

:00:00.:00:07.

News of further attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria - does the Islamist

:00:08.:00:11.

militant group have Nigeria's government and military on the run?

:00:12.:00:16.

They follow the devastating double explosion in

:00:17.:00:20.

the city of Jos - where the death toll has now reached more than 120.

:00:21.:00:27.

dollar, three-decade gas deal - it's been ten years in the making.

:00:28.:00:32.

The former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to three

:00:33.:00:36.

And why being happy got the makers of this YouTube video

:00:37.:00:48.

arrested by police in Iran and paraded on State TV.

:00:49.:01:02.

As Nigerian rescue workers comb through rubble searching

:01:03.:01:12.

for bodies after the bombings in the Nigerian city

:01:13.:01:15.

The Islamist group Boko Haram has been accused of killing at least

:01:16.:01:27.

27 people in attacks on two more villages in north-east Nigeria.

:01:28.:01:30.

The attacks happened here in Alagarno and Shawa.

:01:31.:01:32.

In Alagarno, Boko Haram fighters reportedly spent hours killing

:01:33.:01:34.

As you can see the attack was very close to Chibok

:01:35.:01:39.

where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped more than a month ago.

:01:40.:01:42.

As I mentioned it comes just a day after twin blasts in Jos

:01:43.:01:46.

killed more than 120 near the city's Terminus market and the University

:01:47.:01:49.

So this year alone, more than 1,000 people have been killed

:01:50.:01:55.

The Nigerian government has been quick to condemn the attacks.

:01:56.:02:02.

But its ability, and even willingness, to put an end to them

:02:03.:02:06.

Scenes of panic in Jos when the two bombs were detonated.

:02:07.:02:17.

Terrified, they ran for their lives in search of safety.

:02:18.:02:24.

These were two extremely powerful blasts, the aim clearly to kill

:02:25.:02:28.

as many people as possible in the crowded market.

:02:29.:02:31.

An indiscriminate attack which killed Christians and Muslims.

:02:32.:02:37.

Amongst the chaos, the emergency services tried to help

:02:38.:02:42.

Many had open wounds, fractures and burns.

:02:43.:02:47.

Although it is not known who carried out the attack,

:02:48.:02:50.

the Islamist extremist group known as Boko Haram has targeted Jos

:02:51.:02:53.

before, bombing churches in what was then seen as an effort

:02:54.:02:56.

For more than a decade, the middle belt of Nigeria has been the scene

:02:57.:03:03.

They are often described as religious clashes but are in fact

:03:04.:03:08.

rooted in competition for land, resources and political power.

:03:09.:03:11.

The bombs in Jos follow the recent past in the capital Abuja as well

:03:12.:03:15.

The Islamist extremists are still holding more than 200 schoolgirls

:03:16.:03:21.

Just hours after the bombings in Jos, another attack took place,

:03:22.:03:31.

this one in the rural north-east, in a village.

:03:32.:03:35.

There Islamist militants fighters went in, looted, killed

:03:36.:03:38.

at least 17 people, and then set fire to almost the entire village.

:03:39.:03:43.

They were there for several hours throughout the night.

:03:44.:03:47.

And then they left and vehicles that they stole.

:03:48.:03:51.

There is no sign that the authorities have the capacity

:03:52.:03:54.

to turn the tide against this brutal campaign of violence.

:03:55.:03:57.

That is what terrifies many Nigerians.

:03:58.:04:05.

With me is Alice Ukoko, a lawyer from Nigeria who runs

:04:06.:04:08.

Thank you for coming in. You have published an open letter to the

:04:09.:04:22.

Nigerian president calling on him to step aside. You see a potentially

:04:23.:04:27.

great nation is on his knees. Why should he go? The evidence is so

:04:28.:04:31.

clear. If you look Nigeria, one may argue that they

:04:32.:04:37.

have come and take an over. Nigeria, one may argue that they

:04:38.:04:43.

point is security is nonexistent across

:04:44.:04:53.

point is security is nonexistent problem. We see Nigeria

:04:54.:04:56.

point is security is nonexistent electricity. There is no evidence of

:04:57.:04:56.

governments in Nigeria. The issue of electricity. There is no evidence of

:04:57.:05:01.

corruption is backbreaking and electricity. There is no evidence of

:05:02.:05:03.

obviously there is a electricity. There is no evidence of

:05:04.:05:10.

is going on there. What should be electricity. There is no evidence of

:05:11.:05:14.

Nigeria, there is no education, no water, no resemblance of governments

:05:15.:05:20.

in Nigeria. So many issues. If we look at security. What

:05:21.:05:23.

in Nigeria. So many issues. If we with the military, do you think it

:05:24.:05:31.

cannot deal with those endured -- insurgency or is there no willpower?

:05:32.:05:38.

People are not thinking in terms of the country. They are pursuing their

:05:39.:05:45.

personal goal, that is their personal path. They do not care at

:05:46.:05:51.

all. What we are seeing is not... We are dealing with a government that

:05:52.:05:57.

lacked the will or as is divorced but lacks the ability to keep

:05:58.:06:06.

Nigerians say. Dash-mac a security force. If we wind up back, and go to

:06:07.:06:17.

the state of emergency that was declared in those three states in

:06:18.:06:21.

May last year, you will find for that alone, the president should

:06:22.:06:30.

step down. The civil politicians should also the site. One of the

:06:31.:06:36.

issues is if you want to crack down on people and criminals in a

:06:37.:06:41.

particular place, for instance criminals come to your home, what is

:06:42.:06:46.

the first thing you do? You lock your door. Then you deal with them.

:06:47.:06:52.

But what we have seen in all year, we have seen since May last year,

:06:53.:06:57.

that this government declared a state of emergency in three states.

:06:58.:07:03.

Broke off this social fabric in the States and put out the security

:07:04.:07:06.

forces that were there killing nobody but civilians opened the

:07:07.:07:12.

borders so Boko Haram and the terrorists were going and coming as

:07:13.:07:17.

we like. Do you think there is any hope of getting the girls back? You

:07:18.:07:26.

could take each topic in this and ask the president to step away. To

:07:27.:07:32.

allow, if you look at the kidnappings in the first place, they

:07:33.:07:41.

are saying first, the security forces were lacking. They were told

:07:42.:07:45.

that the schools were going to be attacked, nothing will happen. The

:07:46.:07:52.

girl who came outside, the vehicle broke down and they were there

:07:53.:07:57.

trying to fix it which gave the girl the opportunity to escape. All of

:07:58.:08:01.

that, there was no security person to comment and challenge them in

:08:02.:08:07.

that broken down vehicle. We have to leave it there. There are so many

:08:08.:08:10.

problems that we need to talk about. I appreciate you coming in.

:08:11.:08:16.

Now finally Russia has signed a 30-year gas deal with China.

:08:17.:08:21.

The agreement - estimated to be worth $400 billion -

:08:22.:08:23.

hands Vladimir Putin a diplomatic and economic boost, at a time

:08:24.:08:27.

when Russia risks losing European gas customers, due to sanctions over

:08:28.:08:29.

The deal was signed in Shanghai, where

:08:30.:08:33.

the Russian President was attending an Asian security conference.

:08:34.:08:35.

From there, Damian Grammaticas reports.

:08:36.:08:37.

China is rising, and taking it all in, Russian naval officers, today

:08:38.:08:44.

The two sides fought 50 years ago but now they are friends.

:08:45.:09:05.

To seal that growing friendship, the biggest deal

:09:06.:09:08.

China will buy hundreds of billions of dollars of Russian gas.

:09:09.:09:12.

Vladimir Putin looked delighted and well he might.

:09:13.:09:17.

Just as Europe is talking of buying less gas from him,

:09:18.:09:20.

The bargaining has taken 10 years and went on even today

:09:21.:09:28.

behind-the-scenes as the leaders met at this security summit in Shanghai.

:09:29.:09:35.

Both China and Russia feel under increasing pressure from the West,

:09:36.:09:38.

that may have been the final nudge to do their deal.

:09:39.:09:42.

And the two sides share common interests - China needs to secure

:09:43.:09:47.

new sources of energy to ensure it will be able to power its growing

:09:48.:09:50.

The pall of smog over Shanghai, a reminder it wants clean fuels.

:09:51.:09:57.

Russia needs the cash and investment China can bring as Western sanctions

:09:58.:10:01.

Economically, both benefit because they need the sale in the bag.

:10:02.:10:08.

Politically it sends a message, that we have closer

:10:09.:10:11.

The deal won't affect Russia's energy supplies to Europe.

:10:12.:10:19.

China's gas will come from fields in Siberia,

:10:20.:10:22.

It's the timing and the symbolism of it all that matters.

:10:23.:10:30.

So President Putin leaves his with a significant deal in his pocket.

:10:31.:10:34.

China may have driven a hard bargain, but for Mr Putin the

:10:35.:10:38.

The West may be trying to isolate him, but this is his riposte.

:10:39.:10:44.

He is building a powerful new relationship here in the East.

:10:45.:10:53.

In Thailand, there's been an emergency meeting of political

:10:54.:10:56.

leaders called by the army following its declaration of martial law.

:10:57.:11:02.

Defying martial law, one local radio station keeps

:11:03.:11:08.

There are hundreds like it run by red shirt activists who support

:11:09.:11:13.

And now they have learnt the soldiers are on their way here too.

:11:14.:11:24.

There is a heated debate among local residents.

:11:25.:11:27.

Should they resist or should they cave in?

:11:28.:11:34.

There has been no violence here to justify shutting it down.

:11:35.:11:39.

We are just ordinary people who have no weapons.

:11:40.:11:41.

Only our hearts calling for democracy.

:11:42.:11:45.

It seems like they are trying to close down our eyes and ears.

:11:46.:11:48.

No one is yet quite sure what the real intentions of

:11:49.:11:52.

the generals are, are they actors, honest brokers, or are they trying

:11:53.:11:56.

But their but their heavy-handed control of the media does risk

:11:57.:12:02.

a public backlash, especially here among the government's supporters.

:12:03.:12:07.

Today the army commander summoned all of the leaders of all

:12:08.:12:11.

of the different groups with some involvement in Thailand's crisis.

:12:12.:12:14.

For the first time, they sat down together.

:12:15.:12:19.

To hear the general tell them he wanted an end to the deadlock.

:12:20.:12:32.

But can what seems very like military rule achieve what

:12:33.:12:36.

The Army is not seen as a neutral party.

:12:37.:12:41.

Back at the radio station, they held a vote to decide.

:12:42.:12:48.

When the soldiers come, would they fight or giv in?

:12:49.:12:52.

A small exercise in democracy in a country where that seems

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For them, martial law is already unacceptable.

:12:57.:13:07.

How many others will follow their example?

:13:08.:13:15.

An Egyptian court has convicted the former President Hosni Mubarak

:13:16.:13:19.

of embezzling public funds and sentenced him to three years

:13:20.:13:22.

The trio were found guilty of spending more than $17 million

:13:23.:13:30.

of public money - funnelled into presidential palaces

:13:31.:13:32.

Hosni Mubarak was looking relaxed as and sent us this report.

:13:33.:13:44.

Hosni Mubarak was looking relaxed as he waited to hear the verdict. The

:13:45.:13:47.

86-year-old who was in a he waited to hear the verdict. The

:13:48.:13:50.

was flanked by his sons in their he waited to hear the verdict. The

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prison whites. The embezzlement was a family affair. The judge said

:13:55.:13:59.

Mubarak had a family affair. The judge said

:14:00.:14:02.

sons the freedom to take whatever they wanted from the public 's

:14:03.:14:05.

money. All three were sentenced to jail but

:14:06.:14:14.

money. All three were sentenced to served. Outside,

:14:15.:14:26.

money. All three were sentenced to said. Supporters claimed

:14:27.:14:33.

money. All three were sentenced to understand me? He is a hero, I used

:14:34.:14:37.

to dream of him. I used to follow him. This is not fair. Because of

:14:38.:14:43.

politics. him. This is not fair. Because of

:14:44.:14:47.

more. These him. This is not fair. Because of

:14:48.:14:48.

vocal but only a tiny number have him. This is not fair. Because of

:14:49.:14:52.

come here today. The reality is Egyptians appear to have lost

:14:53.:14:58.

interest in the former leader and his legal problems. He is facing

:14:59.:15:04.

many more days in court. He is being retried for complicity in the

:15:05.:15:06.

killing of protesters and the 2011 revolution. After the brief hearing

:15:07.:15:13.

behind these walls, the deposed president was returned to a military

:15:14.:15:18.

hospital. Sources say doctors will decide if he is well enough to go to

:15:19.:15:20.

jail. Now a look at some of the day's

:15:21.:15:26.

other news. The Pakistani military say 60

:15:27.:15:40.

militants have been killed after after fighter jets bombed suspected

:15:41.:15:42.

militant positions in the north of the country, close to

:15:43.:15:45.

the border with Afghanistan. say a number of those killed were

:15:46.:15:48.

important commanders and foreign fighters in the tribal region of

:15:49.:15:51.

North Waziristan. The internet auction site eBay says

:15:52.:15:53.

it's asking its users to change their passwords after hackers

:15:54.:15:56.

attacked a database, compromising its security. eBay, which has 128

:15:57.:15:58.

million users worldwide, says the database contained encrypted

:15:59.:16:01.

passwords, plus personal information - including postal addresses. The

:16:02.:16:03.

company says it has no evidence that The company says it has no

:16:04.:16:06.

evidence that hackers accessed The US Coastguard says it?s covered

:16:07.:16:09.

nearly 3,000 square miles in the search for four British sailors

:16:10.:16:14.

missing in the Atlantic. Their 40ft yacht, the Cheeki Rafiki,

:16:15.:16:16.

was sailing back to the UK from a regatta in Antigua when it got

:16:17.:16:20.

into difficulties on Friday. A UK military plane has also joined

:16:21.:16:23.

the search, which resumed yesterday. The French train operator SNCF has

:16:24.:16:32.

discovered that hundreds of new trains it ordered

:16:33.:16:34.

at huge expense are too wide The embarrassing blunder has so far

:16:35.:16:40.

cost the rail operator more than almost 70 million dollars, but those

:16:41.:16:44.

costs are likely to rise further. Construction work has begun

:16:45.:16:48.

on altering hundreds From Paris, our correspondent

:16:49.:16:50.

Christian Fraser sent this report. The rail operator in France has

:16:51.:17:01.

just found out the hard way. Before train company SNCF ordered

:17:02.:17:06.

hundreds of new traits, they asked the operator RFF to measure the

:17:07.:17:09.

space between platforms and tracks. The dimensions they were given

:17:10.:17:12.

were from those platforms built 30 years ago, but some 1,200

:17:13.:17:15.

platforms date further back. The new trains are too wide

:17:16.:17:18.

for some stations. The local authorities that paid

:17:19.:17:20.

for them can't believe it. "It is outrageous", said this

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councillor in Toulouse, "we will be returning any bill

:17:24.:17:25.

they send us. "We are not paying a centime

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towards it." The new rolling stock is only ten

:17:29.:17:32.

centimetres bigger on each side, Long stretches of platform

:17:33.:17:35.

will now have to be modified. RFF say they budgeted

:17:36.:17:41.

50 million euros. French reports say

:17:42.:17:44.

the costs will go far higher. They are saying that this will not

:17:45.:17:48.

lead to an increase in the cost The finger of blame is being

:17:49.:17:56.

pointed in all directions. Having first admitted it had

:17:57.:18:08.

realised its mistake a bit late, the rail operator is now saying

:18:09.:18:12.

it's inevitable that platforms will have to be adjusted

:18:13.:18:15.

when new rolling stock arrives. Through the years,

:18:16.:18:19.

the French have invested billions in the fast TGV, but the provincial

:18:20.:18:23.

connections are not as good. The opening event of Madrid's

:18:24.:18:29.

bullfighting season has had to be cancelled after three matadors

:18:30.:18:51.

were gored by bulls. The worst injuries were suffered

:18:52.:18:53.

by David Mora, after one of the animals rammed its horn into

:18:54.:18:56.

his leg and threw him into the air. It's the first time in 35 years

:18:57.:19:00.

the event has been suspended. Tell us about this sequence of

:19:01.:19:16.

rather gory events, Tom Burridge. We can show you some dramatic photos of

:19:17.:19:21.

this bull fight, which had to be called off. As you say, it is

:19:22.:19:28.

extremely rare, normally there are six bulls in a bull fight, and three

:19:29.:19:34.

matadors. These pictures show how seriously these three bull-fighters

:19:35.:19:40.

were injured, the first, David Mora, particularly badly injured, caught

:19:41.:19:48.

twice in the leg and the arm and then two other bull-fighters that

:19:49.:19:57.

stepped into the ring also got caught in serious incidents. A very

:19:58.:20:02.

rare incidents that all three would be injured so much that it had to be

:20:03.:20:09.

called off. How many are actually staged in Spain each year? It is

:20:10.:20:14.

fewer and fewer, the number of bull fight is in decline. Many are

:20:15.:20:17.

indifferent to bull-fighting, some are obviously opposed. There is a

:20:18.:20:22.

core contingent in this country and it cuts across the political

:20:23.:20:27.

spectrum of people on the left and the right. It is particularly

:20:28.:20:32.

popular in the south and it is connected to the festivals in Spain,

:20:33.:20:39.

Pamplona in the north, down in the south, in Seville, there is a

:20:40.:20:45.

festival, and here in the capital of Madrid. So bull-fighting still has

:20:46.:20:51.

its fishy in orders, the hard core of supporters. It is with some

:20:52.:20:56.

people a culture and tradition --has its officiant orders. For people

:20:57.:20:59.

outside of Spain, it can be gory and evil and cruel, but it is still

:21:00.:21:03.

going strong to a certain extent but generally speaking it is on the

:21:04.:21:05.

decline. Tom Burridge, thank you. Prince Charles has criticised

:21:06.:21:08.

President Putin, between Russia's role in Ukraine

:21:09.:21:09.

and Germany under the Nazis. He made his remarks

:21:10.:21:15.

during a private conversation on a trip to Canada, but the apparent

:21:16.:21:20.

readiness of the King-in-waiting to voice political opinions has once

:21:21.:21:23.

again proved controversial. Here's our Royal Correspondent

:21:24.:21:25.

Nicholas Witchell. , packed with 40 engagements.

:21:26.:21:37.

Literally hundreds of brief conversations with strangers. In

:21:38.:21:48.

Nova Scotia, in Halifax, Prince Charles had met Marion Ferguson and

:21:49.:21:52.

she told him how her and her sister had lived in Danzig, in Poland, and

:21:53.:21:57.

were Jewish and fled for their light ahead of the invasion by the Nazis

:21:58.:22:00.

and their leader, Adolf Hitler, an invasion which led to the Second

:22:01.:22:04.

World War. In his conversation over a cup of tea with Mrs Ferguson,

:22:05.:22:08.

Prince Charles evidently drew a comparison with what the Nazis did

:22:09.:22:12.

in Europe then and what the Russians, under Vladimir Putin, are

:22:13.:22:17.

doing now in Ukraine. The precise words are disputed but a Daily Mail

:22:18.:22:20.

reporter who was present, that is her behind the pillar, claims the

:22:21.:22:26.

Prince said in relation to the Ukraine "and now Putin is doing just

:22:27.:22:31.

about the same as Hitler". Charles has met blood Amir Putin several

:22:32.:22:35.

times in the past and in a couple of weeks, they were both be attending

:22:36.:22:42.

the 70th anniversary of D-day -- Vladimir Putin. Any connection

:22:43.:22:44.

between him and Hitler will be seen by the Russian leadership is deeply

:22:45.:22:46.

offensive. You can't be much more insulting

:22:47.:22:52.

about a Russian than comparing them to Hitler, because Hitler, of

:22:53.:22:55.

course, killed 26 million Russians, and I suspect that privately he

:22:56.:22:58.

will be rather angered by it. Political leaders here are divided

:22:59.:23:05.

over the remarks. The Deputy Prime Minister said he was entitled to say

:23:06.:23:06.

what he did. Prince Charles is is able,

:23:07.:23:08.

I would have thought, to be free to I don't know exactly what he did or

:23:09.:23:12.

didn't say in that conversation, because he thought it was

:23:13.:23:17.

a private conversation. The Leader of the Opposition

:23:18.:23:19.

said the Prince has a point. I think he has got a point

:23:20.:23:22.

about President Putin's actions and he is absolutely entitled to say

:23:23.:23:24.

there are real concerns about that. But Nigel Farage said the Prince

:23:25.:23:30.

should keep quiet. Sometimes,

:23:31.:23:32.

there are issues that it would be better if elected governments dealt

:23:33.:23:34.

with more than the monarchy. Interventions by Charles has

:23:35.:23:42.

certainly raised eyebrows before, but as he moves ever closer to the

:23:43.:23:48.

throne, they pose obvious risks, as the Prince knows. One point of view

:23:49.:23:51.

is that Charles was merely articulating what many people have

:23:52.:23:54.

said in private. The question, though, is whether it was wise for

:23:55.:23:58.

the future king of the United Kingdom to share such views with a

:23:59.:24:02.

complete stranger. Or might it may be more prudent for him to follow

:24:03.:24:06.

more closely the example of his mother?

:24:07.:24:17.

Next the story of six young people in Iran who were arrested

:24:18.:24:20.

for posting a video of themselves dancing to the hit "Happy" by the

:24:21.:24:24.

Police in Tehran said the film showing

:24:25.:24:27.

women without headscarves dancing with men, "hurt public chastity".

:24:28.:24:29.

Latest reports from Iran say some of the dancers have now been released.

:24:30.:24:33.

The video that has gone viral since it was first uploaded a month ago.

:24:34.:24:41.

It shows a group of young Iranians dancing on the rooftops of Tehran to

:24:42.:24:45.

Like many other Pharrell fans around the world, they made

:24:46.:24:52.

On Tuesday night, Tehran's police chief Hossein Sajedinia said they

:24:53.:25:07.

But the pictures and video were blurred for people watching in Iran.

:25:08.:25:15.

The detainees confessed, saying they were deceived into making the video.

:25:16.:25:19.

Following the State TV programme, a huge campaign started on social

:25:20.:25:22.

#FreehappyIranians is now trending on Twitter and Facebook.

:25:23.:25:31.

Pharrell Williams has also made a statement

:25:32.:25:33.

Experts say on the face of it, the reason they were arrested was

:25:34.:25:45.

because the women weren't wearing headscarves

:25:46.:25:47.

But today, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted an excerpt

:25:48.:25:53.

from a speech he made last year, in which he said happiness was a right,

:25:54.:25:57.

though hardliners are worried about the potential use of social media to

:25:58.:26:01.

whip up support for causes they don't agree with.

:26:02.:26:05.

Latest reports say the men and women have been released on bail.

:26:06.:26:17.

And just time to remind you of our main news. The militant Islamist

:26:18.:26:23.

group Boko Haram has been blamed for attacks on to remote images in

:26:24.:26:27.

north-eastern Nigeria, in which 27 people have been killed. This comes

:26:28.:26:31.

after twin bombs on Tuesday claimed at least 122 lives. The Government

:26:32.:26:38.

has blamed the Islamic group of the attack. Rescue workers searched the

:26:39.:26:46.

central market today. I am Philippa Thomas, thank you for being with us

:26:47.:26:48.

today. Hello, once again. After a pretty

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decent day in many parts of the British Isles, except the North of

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Scotland, it has to be said, tomorrow could come as

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