24/01/2016 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today, broadcasting in the UK

The headlines: Millions in the US east coast begin digging out,

Cities including Washington and New York battle to get

their populations moving again but travel disruption continues.

We want people to stay off the streets, keep their cars were they

are parked. It's very important to recognise there is a lot of work

being done to get the city up and running for Monday.

A boost for Syrian government forces ahead of Monday's planned peace

talks as they recapture the last rebel-held town in the coastal

The message of thousands of Moldovans to the country's

new government: resign and call new elections.

This is one of the largest demonstrations that Moldova has seen

in the last year but what sets this demonstration apart is that it

brings together two groups that were previously in opposition.

How spy cameras in Antarctica are helping to protect and conserve

Tens of millions of Americans are digging themselves out after one

of the biggest winter storms ever recorded in the eastern

At least 20 people have died in road accidents or from shovelling snow.

A state of emergency remains in place in 11 states

including New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey,

where 20,000 are still without power -

another 50,000 have no electricity in the Carolinas.

The authorities are also battling to clear blocked roads,

Our Washington correspondent is Laura Bicker.

It is beginning to look a little bit better, the roads are beginning to

get a bit clearer, the pavements have been cleared and people are

emerging from their homes after two days of hiding from this storm.

Businesses are beginning to reopen, but the public transport system is

still closed. This was billed as an historic storm, they said it would

have the largest snowfall and it certainly has had, since the 1860s.

Now the battle begins to clean up. The snow has finally stopped,

but millions of people woke to mountains of snow on their

doorsteps and the dig-out begins. Those stuck on this freezing

motorway in Pennsylvania have They have been stranded

since Friday night. We haven't had any

food since yesterday. In an icy New York,

where the snowfall broke records, businesses tried to reopen,

and officials lifted a ban on travel If you do not need to be

on the roads, you shouldn't be on the roads, because there

are still dangerous spots, spots with black ice and this

is still about getting the emergency In the nation's capital,

airports remain closed. Thousands of flights

have been cancelled. They are trying to clear runways

but airlines have warned it could be People are beginning to venture out

but that brings further risks. Five people have died shovelling

snow during this storm, Emergency rooms say they expect

to be busier over the next few days. The injuries we expect

to see are the sprains, the strains, or worse, broken bones,

primarily from slipping and falling, back pain related to snow

shovelling, and then the worst we don't want to see

but which does occur, heart attack related

to the strenuous activity. But there is beauty in the aftermath

of this storm, and fun A new landscape has

brought new possibilities And they are enjoying

it while it lasts. Some of the rule areas have been the

hardest hit in West Virginia, they have had over a metre of snow, it

could be sometime before the roads are passable. As you saw a number of

people stuck on waterways for several hours, in fact in

Pennsylvania for a number of days. They have been moved so people have

managed to get on way. But it could be some time before all of the road

networks are back up and running but they are giving it a good go.

ABC's Marci Gonzalez joins me now from New York.

New York is a city that is used to the cold, used to harsh winters, the

mountains of snow I can see behind you, but this particular storm, has

it not to New Yorkers sideways? It really hasn't. I spoke to the mayor

and he said last night that the city had prepared for the worst so they

were ready to handle all of this. We see the big snowdrifts but the

sanitation department did an amazing job of keeping the roads clear and

helping by the travel ban being in effect, drivers were off the road so

they were able to get the snowploughs out and clear the area.

People walking past, so many of them heading down the block to Central

Park to enjoy the snow on the ground. So many families heading out

to sled and have snowball fights, making the most of what mother

nature has left behind. I was reading about a giant snowball fight

breaking out in Times Square overnight. Great people are getting

out and enjoying it, but on a more serious note, how is business

suffering? Is life getting back to normal? Our shops and restaurants

opening again? Very slowly getting back to normal. A few businesses

that I try to visit today, I had some errands to run and I find those

businesses closed. I am ordering delivery that normally takes 20

minutes and I'm waiting an hour and a half for my lunch and it's still

what here! Things are not back to more normal but by tomorrow things

should be more resembling normality. I hope your lunch arrives soon and I

wish you and everyone else in New York the best of lunch.

The US east coast is not the only part of the world suffering

Heavy snowfall and freezing weather in Far East Asia have been breaking

temperature records, as well as causing

Temperatures in China have hit a record low, this cold wave has

brought snow and lots of it. Authorities have issued the

country's weather alert on its four level scale, its coldest weather in

decades. Homes lost power as the weight of frozen water caused bamboo

trees to sag into electricity cables. Cutting the power lines. Icy

conditions in the south-east left several thousand air travellers

stranded overnight. And workers have been left battling to clear the

roads of ice and store. -- snow. Hong Kong has a subtropical climate

but this weekend signatures are plunged to the lowest point in

almost 60 years. Frost dusting the mountain tops. Morning temperatures

dropped below freezing in the mountainous areas around the city

and around three Celsius in urban areas where many of the buildings

lack central heating. But will there be snow? TRANSLATION: From the

weather report it sounded like there might be frost so I came to check it

out but I did expect so much. It's far too cold for me, Hong Kong is

supposed to be warm, this is not Hong Kong! In Japan more flights

forced to cancel and the speed of some of the bullet trains reduced as

heavy snow and gusty winds hit West and central parts. The blanket of

snow even reached as far as Nagasaki. Flights to and from the

popular holiday island halted for a second day. It's in the biggest

snowfall in three decades. Mobile phone footage shot by one of several

thousands of passengers stranded at the Islands airports is more than

500 flights were cancelled. Seriously inconvenient for very many

but also many more are left enjoying the novelty of it all.

The former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner,

Shimon Peres, has been rushed to hospital with chest pains.

A spokeswoman says Mr Peres, who's 92, will stay overnight

at a hospital in Tel Aviv for observation and testing.

He had a heart operation ten days ago.

The Veteran African National Congress activist Denis Goldberg has

called for leaders of the party to be replaced.

In a BBC interview, Mr Goldberg alleged that the ANC leadership,

locally and nationally, was riddled with corruption.

Mr Goldberg said that leaders' focus on personal enrichment

was threatening freedom in South Africa.

It's not yet clear if he will avoid a run-off by taking 50%. The

country's fragile government might the affected as the president can

dissolve government in a crisis. Iran says it plans to buy more

than 100 Airbus planes. Iranian media say that the deal

will be signed during President Hassan Rouhani's visit

to Paris on Wednesday. It follows the lifting

of international sanctions over Supporters and opponents

of Moldova's new government have taken to the streets of the capital

Chisinau for the third time. The opposition - which includes both

pro-Russian and pro-EU groups - is calling for the Prime Minister

to be removed and new parliamentary The BBC's David Stern

was at the demonstration. This is one of the largest

demonstrations that Moldova has seen in the last year but what sets this

demonstration apart is that it brings together two groups that were

previously in opposition. People who are for closer integration with

Europe and those who are for closer relations with Russia. They have

thrown their differences to the site to come here and demand the

resignation, the immediate resignation of this government. They

say the government is rife with corruption, it is controlled by

millionaires and billionaires and oligarchs as they call them. They

say they want it immediate early elections. The government has not

agreed to this so far but the momentum, the fact these people have

come together is moving in that direction. I come here to hope to

get down our government, politics who pretend to be, to represent

European values, who in true are only Mafia, oligarch, they think

only but for their money, their pocket, not for the people, the

country. The police presence is significant but at the same time it

must be said that so far this has been a very peaceful demonstration.

The protesters themselves emphasise the peaceful nature, that they are

bringing flowers to underline the fact that they don't want to see any

type of violence whatsoever. They also emphasise that this is a

different type of anti-government demonstration than what we saw in

Ukraine which they believe, which they see as primarily ending in

violence and with a violent revolution. They say that's not

going to happen here. We are the people these demonstrators are

shouting as we march through the centre of Chisinau. It's a peaceful

demonstration but there is a great deal of emotion behind it. Moldova

is by some estimates the poorest country in Europe and we have been

hearing over and over from people how badly they are doing economic

clay, how they are barely getting by. In addition to the political

demands that people have been making during this demonstration, there is

obviously a very deep-set discontent, deep-set anger which is

driving this movement forward. David Stern there, reporting

from the Moldovan capital Chisinau. Stay with us on BBC World News,

still to come: All the sports news including Arsene Wenger missing out

on taking Arsenal to the top of the English Premier League

after Chelsea win at the Emirates. Here in the UK, three dead sperm

whales found washed up on a beach in Lincolnshire are believed to be

from the same pod as a whale HM Coastguard say two of the whales

were found on a beach near Skegness last night,

while a third was discovered earlier Members of the public

are being advised to stay away from the whales whilst

they remain on the beach. Experts will examine the bodies

to determine if they are in fact Rob Deaville from the Zoological

Society of London, who's heading the investigation explains how

they'll be able to tell IF the whales are from the same

pod as one which washed There have been suggestions that we

can look at stomach contents and see if they had been feeding on similar

prey species which might indicate if they are part of the same group or

not, but that is work to be done down the line. Tomorrow we will try

to carry out routine and systematic postmortem and try to learn more

about perhaps what was wrong with the Wales and why they might have

stranded. Millions of Americans have begun

digging out after a mammoth Blezard which has paralysed Eastern cities

including Washington and New York. -- blazered.

The government of Syria's President Assad has received a boost ahead

of Monday's planned peace talks in Geneva.

It Regime forces have recaptured Rabiya, the last rebel-held town

most likely the talks will take In the last hour I spoke

most likely the talks will take place, there has been too much

invested politically, diplomatically to have the talks take place. What

counts is what happens on the negotiating table when the talks

start. Two years ago we were all congregated in Geneva and it was the

first time you would have the opposition sitting with the regime

or certain parts of the opposition sitting with the regime and it fell

through quickly because there was no real political will especially on

the part of the President Assad regime and the opposition wanted the

fulfilled early on and it wasn't possible. It's the same thing, now

they are table, there is more political will,

eight Security Council resolution calling for political solutions so

they have all the work which has been done on the ground in terms of

the diplomatic push but in reality militarily speaking both sides are

still fighting quite strongly, and especially as we

Russian military support they are likely to be less

compromise, they still think they compromise, they still think they

can win this mill and Ali. -- militarily. What does it do in term

of the power table? This is the first time all

the major stakeholders sitting around the same table, how

do you see that playing out? How will it affect the effectiveness of

the talks? In a way it is good you her having the different opposition

groups come together with the Syrian regime, at least the majority. You

still have certain elements who would be at the table. After all the

diplomatic work which was done with the Iranians and Saudis along with

other regional powers and European American support. But in reality

since last September when the Russians started

inside Syria the Russians have taken an active military role

and making them feel this regime is indispensable. So that's given them

a moral boost which was not their two years ago. On the other hand you

have the Iranians who are now out from the cold diplomatically, the

nuclear deal has come in. was a priority for America. These

dynamics can either negative, it's hard to guess before

people get to Geneva to talk but the real point I

Op. It's what actually is going to happen.

Since the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq's Shia Muslim majority have

largely held the power, sidelining many Sunnis,

This month an attack on a cafe in the town

of Muqdadiyah killed nearly 30 people -

many of them Shia - and was followed by revenge attacks

Our correspondent Jim Muir reports from there.

Life seemed to be more or less back to normal on the surface.

So-called Islamic State said they did it.

Clearly the aim was to provoke trouble between Sunni's and Shia.

They come from rival branches of Islam whose differences

are sharply dividing the whole region.

It's in mixed areas like this that the future of Iraq

is being decided, if coexistence between Sunni and Shia does not work

here the chances of it working elsewhere do not look good.

Across the road the result of an outburst of revenge by angry

Two journalists from a local TV station who tried to film

Less than an hour's drive away Sunni families were on the move

but they are not fleeing, they are coming back.

These people ran away two years ago when the militants took over.

Now they feel safe enough to come back, encouraged by the government

and the Shia factions who drove IS out.

TRANSLATION: I have got three kids, the two older ones remember

the house here and are excited to come back to it.

There was a big reception to welcome hundreds of Sunni families home.

The head of the biggest Shia armed faction told them

But in Iraq it is actions which count.

Iraq's future will only be assured when all those who were operated

And there are more than 3 million of them.

Defeat for Arsenal today which has brought to a close another wonderful

weekend for the Premier League leaders Leicester City. Arsenal

would have replaced them at the top of the table if they had beaten

Chelsea but instead they lost the Emirates. Arsenal played much of

the match with ten men after Per Mertesacker was sent off in the

first half for a challenge on Diego Costa who then scored the only goal

of the game a few minutes later. Leicester remain three points clear

at the top of the table. It was a very harsh decision but we had to

cope with it. I do not know exactly what to say because it's a few games

now that that happens. The one thing I think which is certainly clear

having looked at it a few times is that Diego Costa made a lot of it.

Would you agree? Yes, of course. But that's a bit of the game of the

strike are you now? And Diego Costa is good at that as well. An

important win Swansea City in the other match this afternoon, under

new head coach Francesco Guidolin for the first time Swansea beat

Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park a result which moves them four points

clear of the relegation zone. England's cricketers are struggling

to remain unbeaten in the Test series against South Africa. They

trailed by 100 is the five runs in the fourth and final test. -- 175

runs. Joe Root continued to play some

impressive cricket on day three and soon completed his half-century.

Alastair Cook's stay was cut short by Monre Morkel. After that a flurry

of wickets for South Africa. Rabada dismissed Joe Root, James Taylor and

Jonny Bairstow in no time. The rain gods then took over and play was

stopped due to bad weather conditions. Ben Stokes collected

some quick runs but he too was sent back to the pavilion by Rabada. He

managed to pull out his best figures in tests by taking seven wickets in

one innings. Moeen Ali took charge with the bat and scored a much 54

England. In the end he was trapped by Monre Morkel and England were

bowled out for 342, 133 runs behind the hosts. South Africa started the

second innings under gloomy conditions. Jimmy Anderson's play

was bright, Dean Elgar took an edge into the hands of wicketkeeper Jonny

Bairstow. After that Hashim Amla and Stephen Cook kept the guards up

until play was indeed you to bad light. South Africa 42-1. Novak

Djokovic has survived a scare at the Gillian open, he needed five sets to

beat the Frenchman Giles Simon in his fourth-round match. -- the

Australian open. He made a total of 100 and forced errors before

eventually serving at the final set 6-3. He will play eight seed Kei

Nishikori in the quarterfinals. I don't think it can get much worse

than this, 100 and forced errors per match is really to amend this for me

and my style of the game. I am aggressive but still I like to

construct a point, it's too many unforced errors today. I will make

sure I increased that number at least more than half and hope the

best. It was pretty easy for the top women, Serena Williams, she will

play Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals.

Southern Alaska has been rocked by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake,

- 7.1, though there are no reports of injuries or serious damage.

The epicentre was in the Kenai Peninsula,

where buildings were shaken, knocking items off walls

A number of homes were evacuated in Kenai after reports

There's some damage to roads and power cuts have been reported

From me and the rest of the team, goodbye.

It was exceptionally mild to end the weekend, 16 degrees to the

north-west of London but in the United States it's been all