:00:00. > :00:07.I'm Karin Giannone, this is BBC World News.
:00:08. > :00:09.Help for Syria's refugees that couldn't come soon enough.
:00:10. > :00:13.Turkey says tens of thousands more refugees from war-torn Syria
:00:14. > :00:17.are heading for its border as they try to escape fighting
:00:18. > :00:21.Here in London, world leaders pledge more than ten billion dollars
:00:22. > :00:26.to help civilians displaced by Syria's civil war.
:00:27. > :00:29.Our message to the people of Syria and the region is clear.
:00:30. > :00:32.We will stand with you and we will support you for as long as it takes.
:00:33. > :00:39.He's been holed up Ecuador's London embassy for more than three years.
:00:40. > :00:42.Now, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange receives the backing
:00:43. > :00:52.He's one of the world's most famous "friends",
:00:53. > :01:06.and now he's taking the wheel on the BBC's Top Gear show.
:01:07. > :01:10.We start with the conflict in Syria and its impact on civilians.
:01:11. > :01:13.International donors meeting in London have pledged more
:01:14. > :01:16.than ten billion dollars to help people displaced by the fighting.
:01:17. > :01:19.Neighbouring countries are bearing the immediate brunt
:01:20. > :01:24.Turkey says tens-of-thousands of refugees are heading
:01:25. > :01:27.for its border as they try to escape fighting north of the Syrian
:01:28. > :01:34.Over the past few days intense Russian air raids have helped
:01:35. > :01:37.the Syrian army make advances in the area.
:01:38. > :01:41.The Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu has bitterly
:01:42. > :01:44.criticised Moscow's involvement, saying that both the Russians
:01:45. > :01:46.and the Syrian government were guilty of war crimes.
:01:47. > :01:49.On Wednesday, efforts in Geneva to negotiate an end to the conflict
:01:50. > :01:52.In a moment we'll have more on the refugee crisis.
:01:53. > :01:55.But, first, the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent Bridget Kendall
:01:56. > :02:06.Camps in Jordan stretching into the distance.
:02:07. > :02:09.Across the region, Syrian refugees may soon number over
:02:10. > :02:12.four and a half million, with 13 and a half million more displaced
:02:13. > :02:23.So, today, in London, there was a feeling this pledging
:02:24. > :02:28.Syria's neighbours say they are near breaking point.
:02:29. > :02:33.Soon, Lebanon will no longer be able to contain an eruption that
:02:34. > :02:39.could involve further migration to distant shores,
:02:40. > :02:42.decivilisation and devolved security threats.
:02:43. > :02:46.Looking into the eyes of my people and seeing the hardship and distress
:02:47. > :02:54.they carry, I must tell you we have reached our limits.
:02:55. > :02:59.Last year, the world only gave the United Nations half
:03:00. > :03:04.So, in the end, food rations to refugees had to be cut.
:03:05. > :03:07.One reason so many decided to move on to Europe.
:03:08. > :03:10.Which means today in London there is new self-interest.
:03:11. > :03:13.Give aid to ease conditions in the region, and maybe stem
:03:14. > :03:19.There have been previous donor conferences.
:03:20. > :03:22.Isn't there a danger the same thing is happening this time around
:03:23. > :03:26.and all your impressive pledges will ring rather hollow?
:03:27. > :03:30.It will make a difference in terms of saving lives,
:03:31. > :03:34.in terms of providing medicine and shelter and food.
:03:35. > :03:36.These are important because we are fulfilling
:03:37. > :03:40.our moral responsibility as countries to those people
:03:41. > :03:43.who were caught up in this terrible conflict.
:03:44. > :03:46.Of course, announcing all these big pledges of aid here in London
:03:47. > :03:59.Anyway, everyone agrees that all these promises to give
:04:00. > :04:02.humanitarian and long-term development help all very well,
:04:03. > :04:05.but what's needed is a way to stop the war.
:04:06. > :04:10.On the ground, the bombardments from Russian air strikes
:04:11. > :04:13.backing Syrian government troops have just got heavier.
:04:14. > :04:19.Fierce fighting has put under threat fledging peace talks in Geneva
:04:20. > :04:24.And that's even before the outside world works
:04:25. > :04:28.out how to unite against the so-called IS jihadists
:04:29. > :04:33.World leaders this morning said it was time to act, not talk.
:04:34. > :04:35.But whatever is achieved here in London,
:04:36. > :04:44.it seems unlikely it will bring this conflict any nearer to a close.
:04:45. > :04:47.One focus of the conference was to provide education
:04:48. > :04:49.for displaced children - something that could prove
:04:50. > :04:59.Clive Myrie reports from a refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.
:05:00. > :05:03.They've had a rough ride in life, these children.
:05:04. > :05:08.Syrian victims of a war they're too young to understand.
:05:09. > :05:12.In this refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley,
:05:13. > :05:14.they are being given back their childhoods -
:05:15. > :05:19.Meet Mohammed, who is 13, and brother Mostafa,
:05:20. > :05:27.They attend school five days a week, like the 270 of the youngsters
:05:28. > :05:33.But when school is out, they and some of the other kids
:05:34. > :05:40.They work in the brick factory that borders their home.
:05:41. > :05:51.Hard, but necessary work for this family.
:05:52. > :05:58.We work to help our father, Mostafa says,
:05:59. > :06:06.Then they recall the day they fled their home
:06:07. > :06:10.Around sunset when it started getting dark,
:06:11. > :06:13.they started firing, he says, and we ran away.
:06:14. > :06:16.The next day, we came here to Lebanon on.
:06:17. > :06:21.As they toiled and heaved bricks, in London delegates
:06:22. > :06:27.of the conference facility raised more money to pay for the education
:06:28. > :06:31.of refugee children and to create well-paying job
:06:32. > :06:41.Over lunch, the brothers admit life is hard now.
:06:42. > :06:50.The BBC understands that a UN panel has concluded that the wiki founder,
:06:51. > :06:56.Julian Assange, is being wrongly denied his right to political asylum
:06:57. > :06:59.in Ecuador, and is detained arbitrarily in the UK.
:07:00. > :07:02.Mr Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden
:07:03. > :07:06.about a rape allegation, has had the last three and a half
:07:07. > :07:08.years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in order to avoid
:07:09. > :07:15.Our correspondent is outside the embassy.
:07:16. > :07:18.This was Julian Assange back in 2012, the summer he sought refuge
:07:19. > :07:28.And, to the dismay of Britain and Sweden, to the delight
:07:29. > :07:33.of his supporters, and to some surprise, it's upheld his conflict.
:07:34. > :07:37.I really hope that as a consequence of this ruling that Juliancan leave
:07:38. > :07:40.the embassy and go to Ecuador, where he can benefit
:07:41. > :07:47.I think it would be really unfortunate and send
:07:48. > :07:50.a terrible message internationally about our recognition
:07:51. > :07:53.of international human rights legislation.
:07:54. > :07:56.Julian Assange first made headlines in 2010 when Wikileaks
:07:57. > :07:59.began to publish hundreds and thousands of American state secrets.
:08:00. > :08:02.In August that year, allegations were made of sexual
:08:03. > :08:08.Two years later, Ecuador granted political asylum to Mr Assange
:08:09. > :08:12.on the grounds that he risked being extradited home to the US.
:08:13. > :08:15.Last year, police announced that officers would no
:08:16. > :08:18.longer be stationed outside the Ecuadorian Embassy.
:08:19. > :08:21.They had cost the British taxpayer more than ?12 million.
:08:22. > :08:24.This morning, Julian Assange said he would accept arrest
:08:25. > :08:27.by the British police if the UN panel ruled against him.
:08:28. > :08:30.Of course, we now know it has ruled in his favour.
:08:31. > :08:33.One of the things I will be interested to hear from the UN
:08:34. > :08:35.is why they regard this as a detention when,
:08:36. > :08:38.essentially, he is detained at his own hand.
:08:39. > :08:42.The UK has a European arrest warrant for various serious
:08:43. > :08:51.charges from Sweden on a well-respected jurisdiction,
:08:52. > :08:53.and that will still have to be enforced, come what may.
:08:54. > :08:55.Today, a high profile visitor for Mr Assange,
:08:56. > :08:57.in the form of fashion designer Dame Vivien Westwood.
:08:58. > :09:02.The UN panel's decision is a big victory for Julian Assange,
:09:03. > :09:07.and an embarrassment for Sweden and the UK.
:09:08. > :09:09.But unless Julian Assange really is ready to be arrested,
:09:10. > :09:11.for the moment, at least, the Ecuadorian Embassy
:09:12. > :09:15.Per Samuelsson is one of Assange's lawyers.
:09:16. > :09:22.Here is some of what he had to say to Swedish television.
:09:23. > :09:28.If we lose, he will come to Sweden immediately.
:09:29. > :09:31.But if we prevaile, if we win, I think my strong firm
:09:32. > :09:38.opinion is the Swedish prosecutor must cancel the custody decision
:09:39. > :09:42.in absentia and immediately close the case.
:09:43. > :09:44.Close the file and drop the investigation against Julian
:09:45. > :09:56.But shouldn't she care about the alleged rape victim
:09:57. > :10:01.But she should also care about the alleged person,
:10:02. > :10:03.the suspected person, and that is Julian Assange.
:10:04. > :10:05.He has not been served any suspicion.
:10:06. > :10:07.He has called for an interview for five years.
:10:08. > :10:11.He has been in prison for three and a half years in an embassy.
:10:12. > :10:20.Sweden must interpret the European Convention
:10:21. > :10:34.He's best known for his role as Joey in the American sitcom
:10:35. > :10:37.Friends, and today it was announced that Matt LeBlanc is to join Chris
:10:38. > :10:39.Evans as a new presenter on Top Gear.
:10:40. > :10:41.He's already a familiar face on the motoring show having appeared
:10:42. > :10:47.He says he's a "car nut and massive fan" of the programme,
:10:48. > :10:49.which is set to return later this year.
:10:50. > :10:59.He has already had a taste of Top Gear, he was a
:11:00. > :11:06.Matt LeBlanc, Joey in Friends, is the secret weapon
:11:07. > :11:12.A show that was itself relaunched with huge success 14 years ago,
:11:13. > :11:16.with characters such as "the tame racing driver", the Stig.
:11:17. > :11:20.You have to remember this is, or was, the most widely watched
:11:21. > :11:25.programme in the world in 205 territories.
:11:26. > :11:27.Now with Jeremy, James and Richard out,
:11:28. > :11:32.That is worth a lot of money to the BBC.
:11:33. > :11:34.Chris is maybe not known globally, but Matt is.
:11:35. > :11:37.My agent asked me if I wanted to host the series...
:11:38. > :11:39.He has already had a taste of Top Gear presentation
:11:40. > :11:43.Which, as you can see from this BBC promotional
:11:44. > :11:51.Top Gear is, for the Corporation, a way of making money off cars.
:11:52. > :11:55.Here is a bit of motoring history for you.
:11:56. > :12:07.Beautiful cars, although they don't wait make brilliant television.
:12:08. > :12:10.Top Gear was under threat of cancellation a few years ago.
:12:11. > :12:12.What saved it was Jeremy Clarkson and the realisation it was all
:12:13. > :12:19.about the presenters, the chemistry and the comedy.
:12:20. > :12:22.Matt LeBlanc is, of course, an actor.
:12:23. > :12:24.He's going to have to show his real self
:12:25. > :12:27.to the viewer to make this thing work because what the previous trio
:12:28. > :12:31.did was make us feel we knew them very well.
:12:32. > :12:34.They were the people you wanted to sit next to in the pub.
:12:35. > :12:38.Of course, Top Gear has had many presenters.
:12:39. > :12:45.But these days it's no longer just a car programme.
:12:46. > :12:53.The former boss of a pharmaceutical company in the United States has
:12:54. > :12:55.refused to answer questions in Congress about why he increased
:12:56. > :12:59.the price of a life-saving drug by more than 5,000%.
:13:00. > :13:03.Martin Shkreli, who is facing separate charges of securities
:13:04. > :13:06.fraud, exercised his right not to incriminate himself.
:13:07. > :13:09.One congressman accused him of taking blood money
:13:10. > :13:12.from the pockets of hard-working Americans.
:13:13. > :13:17.After Thursday's hearing, Mr Shkreli made use of Twitter
:13:18. > :13:19.to describe members of Congress as "imbeciles".
:13:20. > :13:23.Do you think you've done anything wrong?
:13:24. > :13:26.On the advice of counsel, I invoke my
:13:27. > :13:30.Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination
:13:31. > :13:33.and respectfully decline to answer your question.
:13:34. > :13:38.Now for a look at some of the day's other news.
:13:39. > :13:41.The government of Poland has opened a new investigation into the plane
:13:42. > :13:43.crash in western Russia six years ago, which killed the President,
:13:44. > :13:46.Lech Kaczynski, and more than 90 other people.
:13:47. > :13:48.Announcing the probe, the Defence Minister appeared
:13:49. > :13:52.to contradict the original findings, saying the plane had disintegrated
:13:53. > :14:00.An Israeli man has been sentenced to life and another man has been
:14:01. > :14:02.given a 21-year prison term for burning
:14:03. > :14:07.Mohammed Abu Khdeir was abducted in a street in East Jerusalem
:14:08. > :14:10.and killed during a cycle of violence in the run-up to the war
:14:11. > :14:14.The men haven't been named because they were boys at the time
:14:15. > :14:22.Moscow has reacted angrily to a BBC television drama that imagines
:14:23. > :14:24.a future war with Russia, that leads towards nuclear confrontation.
:14:25. > :14:29.The Russian Foreign Ministry said the programme, titled
:14:30. > :14:31.World War Three, Inside the War Room, took British
:14:32. > :14:34.propaganda to a level of aggression beyond even Cold War standards.
:14:35. > :14:37.The condition of an Italian actor left in a coma after a hanging scene
:14:38. > :14:41.went wrong during a play is said to be worsening.
:14:42. > :14:43.27-year-old Raphael Schumacher was appearing in a production
:14:44. > :14:46.in Pisa when an audience member realised he was in pain.Police
:14:47. > :14:49.launched an investigation after sealing the theatre
:14:50. > :14:59.Initial inquiries found the actor hadn't been wearing a body harness.
:15:00. > :15:02.Outrage has erupted in France after a language moderator approved
:15:03. > :15:05.In Germany, there's a heavy police presence on the streets of Cologne
:15:06. > :15:07.as the city celebrates its annual carnival.
:15:08. > :15:09.More than 2,000 police officers are out in force.
:15:10. > :15:12.It's the first major public event there since New Year,
:15:13. > :15:14.when many women were victims of sexual assaults and muggings
:15:15. > :15:15.which were blamed largely on migrants.
:15:16. > :15:18.Our correspondent, Anna Holligan, is there for us.
:15:19. > :15:24.It's traditionally one of the most raucous days in carnival season.
:15:25. > :15:28.But first something on the back of everyone's mind this year,
:15:29. > :15:45.Carnival this year is being seen as a big test of the authorities.
:15:46. > :15:51.TRANSLATION: This is probably the safest carnivore there has ever
:15:52. > :15:53.been. There is zero tolerance this year for anybody who wants to cause
:15:54. > :15:57.trouble. -- safest carnivore. After those attacks at New Year,
:15:58. > :15:59.dozens of people of North African and Arab origin
:16:00. > :16:02.were arrested and it has led to some tension with the immigrant
:16:03. > :16:04.community here. Something that we're
:16:05. > :16:06.hearing from a lot of women is that they are slightly
:16:07. > :16:08.anxious of this year. They are determined
:16:09. > :16:11.to celebrate this massive Today it's rainy.
:16:12. > :16:20.It's not too nice. It doesn't matter
:16:21. > :16:29.whether you are brown, It's not normal, we don't
:16:30. > :16:39.do that every day. So, I think they know
:16:40. > :16:41.what's happening here. Outrage has erupted in France
:16:42. > :16:56.after a language moderator approved changes to the spellings
:16:57. > :16:59.of thousands of French words in an attempt to
:17:00. > :17:01.simplify the language. At least 2,400 spelling changes
:17:02. > :17:07.will be implemented. However, the change that has sparked
:17:08. > :17:10.the most fury is the removal of the traditional
:17:11. > :17:12.circumflex accent. With me here in the studio this
:17:13. > :17:25.French commentator Jean Jaffre. We are talking about the circumflex.
:17:26. > :17:30.It would be described as a little hat which goes over a vowel. What
:17:31. > :17:51.purpose has it served so far? For most, some words come from Latin
:17:52. > :17:58.words. The circumflex accent... Sometimes it is illogical.
:17:59. > :18:03.The French Academy said it would approve the circumflex was removed
:18:04. > :18:05.in certain situations back in 1990. It has only taken until now for this
:18:06. > :18:23.to come into French schools. It is only for 4% of the vocabulary.
:18:24. > :18:27.But similar reform has been implemented in Canada, for instance.
:18:28. > :18:30.Because of a change in the curriculum, the publishers of
:18:31. > :18:36.textbooks have decided to introduce this reform, maybe to make more
:18:37. > :18:40.money with new books. In the situation where it really
:18:41. > :18:41.does change the meaning, it is going to stay. They won't have this
:18:42. > :18:59.ambiguity. In certain circumstances it will
:19:00. > :19:03.stay. So certain words won't look like the
:19:04. > :19:08.same words, there will still be a difference.
:19:09. > :19:18.The Education Secretary is very unpopular. She is a young woman and
:19:19. > :19:22.was born fiercely -- and was fiercely denounced. Since the
:19:23. > :19:29.Socialist party came to power, they introduced the form which displeased
:19:30. > :19:34.a lot of people. Some say education is being dumbed down.
:19:35. > :19:40.It is safe to say the has-been outrage on social media.
:19:41. > :19:46.Sometimes when I read tweets I think people who are writing, sometimes
:19:47. > :19:54.they missed a lot of words. It is amazing.
:19:55. > :19:59.I think it is the convention. Spelling is a convention and people
:20:00. > :20:03.should try to spell correctly. What is important, especially at school,
:20:04. > :20:14.is to allow children to express themselves and to be creative. As
:20:15. > :20:22.they get older they will become more correct. My brother was suffering
:20:23. > :20:29.from dyslexia. Now, his writing is very good and he expresses himself
:20:30. > :20:33.very well. Sometimes it takes time to simulate the spelling of words.
:20:34. > :20:36.Thank you very much. Spanish officials say a pregnant
:20:37. > :20:39.woman is among the seven people identified as being infected
:20:40. > :20:41.with the Zika virus It's thought that the woman
:20:42. > :20:46.who is in her second trimester of pregnancy showed symptoms
:20:47. > :20:48.after travelling to Colombia. There are fears that
:20:49. > :20:50.the mosquito-borne Zika virus In the United States,
:20:51. > :20:57.the two front-runners for the Democratic nomination
:20:58. > :21:00.for president have been sparring over who is the real
:21:01. > :21:02."progressive" in the race. Former Secretary of
:21:03. > :21:04.State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
:21:05. > :21:06.criticised each other's credentials during a question and answer
:21:07. > :21:21.session in New Hampshire. Campaigning in New Hampshire,
:21:22. > :21:26.Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been taking swipes at each
:21:27. > :21:30.other. All day on Twitter and by e-mail -based barred about who is
:21:31. > :21:35.the real progressive. I said I am a progressive who likes
:21:36. > :21:39.to get things done. And again in the evening on stage.
:21:40. > :21:43.Bernie Sanders thinks his opponent is not a liberal enough.
:21:44. > :21:48.I do not know any progressive who has a super pack and takes $15
:21:49. > :21:53.million from Wall Street. The Vermont senator may have lost
:21:54. > :21:57.narrowly in Iowa but is leading by a wide margin in New Hampshire, his
:21:58. > :22:03.backyard, and the gloves are coming off will stop we are taking on the
:22:04. > :22:11.most powerful -- gloves are coming off.
:22:12. > :22:14.We know what will happen. Mrs Clinton has been downplaying
:22:15. > :22:18.expectations in New Hampshire but is still hoping to narrow the gap in
:22:19. > :22:22.this state. She was asked about faith and she spoke of the parable
:22:23. > :22:27.about the prodigal son. I read that parable and there was a
:22:28. > :22:32.line which became a lifeline for me. It basically is practised the
:22:33. > :22:39.discipline of gratitude. This race is heating up and on
:22:40. > :22:42.Thursday the two candidates will face off against onstage in a
:22:43. > :22:44.televised debate all-star campaigning continues.
:22:45. > :22:46.A solar farm, designed to become the largest in the world,
:22:47. > :22:49.has officially been opened in Morocco by King Mohammed.
:22:50. > :22:51.The plant in the Sahara desert, south-east of Casablanca,
:22:52. > :22:54.will generate 500 megawatts when it reaches full capacity -
:22:55. > :23:00.It's designed to store power when the sun isn't shining.
:23:01. > :23:03.It takes around two hours to walk around the array of half a million
:23:04. > :23:12.parabolic mirrors, that focus heat to provide steam for the turbines.
:23:13. > :23:15.Shakespeare's Hamlet has been performed to hundreds of migrants
:23:16. > :23:19.at a refugee camp in Northern France.
:23:20. > :23:21.The show was part of the Globe Theatre's world tour
:23:22. > :23:24.which has already seen performances at refugee camps in Jordan,
:23:25. > :23:28.Thomas Morgan went along to see the show at the camp they call
:23:29. > :23:42.The crew were here at the break of dawn, hard at work building their
:23:43. > :23:47.stage. They have been touring for quite a while now and have performed
:23:48. > :23:51.in over 150 countries. They have an aim to have been all over the globe
:23:52. > :23:57.by the end of April. Back corner, stage left.
:23:58. > :24:02.But it is windy and cold in Calais, so theatre is probably not at the
:24:03. > :24:12.top of people'swish lists. Many migrants don't even know who William
:24:13. > :24:15.shakes a or what Hamlet is. Have you ever seen Shakespeare
:24:16. > :24:21.before? No. This is my first time.
:24:22. > :24:28.So, why bring this production to the Jungle?
:24:29. > :24:32.We found that it works. Even if English is in their first language.
:24:33. > :24:34.And it works if people don't know the story of Hamlet or don't know
:24:35. > :24:39.what Shakespeare is. We the story of Hamlet or don't know
:24:40. > :24:44.doing this in a lot of countries where there is not a big tradition
:24:45. > :24:47.of performing Shakespeare. With free popcorn on offer, the
:24:48. > :24:53.audience flocked to the ready-made venue. The 150 migrants that have
:24:54. > :24:57.come to watch the play here today may not understand the whole of
:24:58. > :25:02.William Shakespeare's Hamlet, but it is engaging them and that is one of
:25:03. > :25:03.the main aims of the production staff, breaking up the monotony of
:25:04. > :25:18.their daily routine. With laughter and applause all
:25:19. > :25:21.around, it was a successful day at the box office.
:25:22. > :25:26.We are delighted to be performing here for you!
:25:27. > :25:29.The next stop in the tour will be in Malta for Libyan migrants before
:25:30. > :25:34.finally heading home to London in a few months' time.
:25:35. > :25:36.Mexican prosecutors have issued an order for the actress,
:25:37. > :25:39.Kate del Castillo, to be located and to testify as a witness
:25:40. > :25:42.over her links with the imprisoned drug baron, Joaquin "El Chapo"
:25:43. > :25:46.The Mexican actress set up a meeting in October between the Hollywood
:25:47. > :25:49.star, Sean Penn, and Guzman, who was on the run at the time.
:25:50. > :25:51.Mexican prosecutors say she may have received money from Guzman
:25:52. > :25:53.to launch her tequila business last year.
:25:54. > :25:58.Kate del Castillo has denied any illicit links with Guzman.
:25:59. > :26:00.For me and the rest of the team, good night.
:26:01. > :26:15.So far this week we have seen wet weather, windy weather, bright
:26:16. > :26:22.weather. Tomorrow it looks mostly cloudy once again. Outbreaks of
:26:23. > :26:23.rain, heavy in places. For the time being we are between two fronts.