:00:09. > :00:10.This is BBC World News Today with me, Ben Bland.
:00:11. > :00:14.They are coming in their thousands...
:00:15. > :00:17.Syrians are making their way to the border with Turkey to escape
:00:18. > :00:18.intense fighting near the city of Aleppo.
:00:19. > :00:21.Zika is found in human urine and saliva, raising new fears over
:00:22. > :00:27.WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, speaks from the balcony
:00:28. > :00:30.of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after a UN panel rules
:00:31. > :00:37.This is a victory that cannot be denied.
:00:38. > :00:40.Also coming up, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari defies the critics
:00:41. > :00:45.who say he hasn't done enough to fight corruption.
:00:46. > :00:58.We have not done much yet. Because we're waiting for documentation so
:00:59. > :01:00.that those who have tried to be too clever or too hard can be
:01:01. > :01:02.prosecuted. And why are so many
:01:03. > :01:04.sperm whales dying? Almost 30 have now been found along
:01:05. > :01:07.beaches in the North Sea in the worst series of whale
:01:08. > :01:32.strandings in 100 years. At least 15,000 people in Syria have
:01:33. > :01:36.gathered at the Turkish border after heavy fighting
:01:37. > :01:38.near the city of Aleppo. So far they're not being allowed
:01:39. > :01:40.to cross the frontier. But Turkish aid workers have gone
:01:41. > :01:43.into Syrian territory to provide The Turkish prime minister says
:01:44. > :01:47.he believes tens of thousands of more refugees may
:01:48. > :01:48.be on their way. They are said to be heading
:01:49. > :01:51.towards the Turkish city of Kilis. Aleppo is a mere 60
:01:52. > :01:53.kilometres from Turkey. And these latest pictures show
:01:54. > :01:56.people said to be on the move They're being driven out
:01:57. > :02:00.by the intense fighting which is going on in
:02:01. > :02:02.Aleppo province. Syrian Government troops have been
:02:03. > :02:03.making significant advances, Live now to our
:02:04. > :02:19.correspondent Selin Girit. Selin Girit, what is the latest on
:02:20. > :02:23.the situation at the border? At the border, the crossings are not
:02:24. > :02:31.open on the Turkish side. We were at the border as the BBC team today,
:02:32. > :02:38.for a few others, not all day. All that we saw was eight trucks going
:02:39. > :02:43.in and a few ambulances and that was it, we did not see any survey in
:02:44. > :02:48.side of the border, it is a no man's land as you might convert between
:02:49. > :02:53.the two border crossings. -- cockpit. Thousands of Syrians
:02:54. > :03:01.waiting on the Syrian side of the border, we could not see them
:03:02. > :03:05.ourselves. Reportedly, the union has said there are 15,000 people waiting
:03:06. > :03:09.at the border on the Syrian side of the border and the top SRR has said
:03:10. > :03:16.that there are plenty more, thousands, tens of thousands more on
:03:17. > :03:19.the way from Aleppo to Kilis into Turkey or at least trying to make
:03:20. > :03:23.their way there. Today we have not seen anyone coming in but the Prime
:03:24. > :03:29.Minister has said that Turkey is ready to give food and shelter and
:03:30. > :03:35.will not leave Syrians without food and shelter but he did not specify
:03:36. > :03:38.whether the talk is government is prepared to take these new refugees
:03:39. > :03:47.in because we must remember that Turkey already holds over 2 million
:03:48. > :03:56.Syrian refugees within its borders. Accepting more will seriously
:03:57. > :04:00.maintain another burden on Turkey's finances, a country that has a Lady
:04:01. > :04:05.spent over 10 billion dollars to accommodate these refugees. But the
:04:06. > :04:08.Prime Minister has said they will accommodate the shelters and we have
:04:09. > :04:15.seen pictures on the other side, we have received pictures coming from
:04:16. > :04:18.the Syrian side of Turkish aid agencies, holding tents on the other
:04:19. > :04:24.side of the border for the survey messages. So, shelter is being
:04:25. > :04:29.provided, food is being provided, but whether they will make their way
:04:30. > :04:34.into Turkey remains a big question. -- Syrian refugees.
:04:35. > :04:35.Thank you for that report. Mohammed Yehia from BBC Arabic says
:04:36. > :04:43.conditions for people stuck The Turkish authorities have not
:04:44. > :04:48.opened up the border yet to them, they are preparing accommodation for
:04:49. > :04:53.them. They are trying to make relocation arrangements for them. It
:04:54. > :04:57.is not that may be up to 70,000 people could be on the move in the
:04:58. > :05:03.Aleppo suburbs area, trying to flee the very determined attempts of the
:05:04. > :05:10.Russian air strikes and the assault by the Syrian Army that is backed by
:05:11. > :05:14.foreign militias from Hezbollah and Lebanon and Iranian forces. One
:05:15. > :05:20.major goal we had this conference in Geneva that another really took off.
:05:21. > :05:23.-- never really. Simultaneous with the start of this conference, there
:05:24. > :05:30.was the start of this very determined offensive by the Russian
:05:31. > :05:35.air force and the Syrian Army to target the Syrian rebels. The
:05:36. > :05:42.Russian assault, the air strikes, they were described as unprecedented
:05:43. > :05:44.in the intensity, hundreds of air strikes that were accompanied by a
:05:45. > :05:53.ground assault by the Syrian Army and its militias. They cut off the
:05:54. > :05:58.main supply route for the rebels in Aleppo that was linking Aleppo with
:05:59. > :06:05.Turkey. This was a major blow for the Syrian rebels and what they are
:06:06. > :06:09.now trying to do, the Syrian military, they are trying to
:06:10. > :06:15.reinforce a complete siege around the northern countryside of Aleppo
:06:16. > :06:23.to be able to totally besieged Aleppo, a city that is to have 2
:06:24. > :06:26.million people, know it is divided between the eastern part which is
:06:27. > :06:32.under rebel control and the western part which is under the control of
:06:33. > :06:37.the government. By cutting off these main supply lines, the Syrian Army
:06:38. > :06:42.appears to be moving to a new stage, where thanks to the writing --
:06:43. > :06:46.Russian air support, it has been able to turn the tide and instead of
:06:47. > :06:51.what we have seen into into 15 when they were losing ground, they are
:06:52. > :06:55.starting to now gained ground and make advances with the optimum goal
:06:56. > :07:06.of isolating the rebels in pockets that they can manage. -- 2015.
:07:07. > :07:10.That was our colleagues speaking to my colleague a little bit out there.
:07:11. > :07:15.-- a little bit earlier. More than 4,000 babies in Brazil
:07:16. > :07:18.have been born with the condition It causes them to be born
:07:19. > :07:21.with abnormally small heads. Health experts believe the rise
:07:22. > :07:24.in cases is due to the Zika virus, which is spreading rapidly
:07:25. > :07:31.through South America. The BBC spoke to Dr Wilson Savino,
:07:32. > :07:34.a senior immunologist and director at the Oswaldo Cruz Medical Research
:07:35. > :07:36.Centre in Rio de Janeiro. He gave this analysis
:07:37. > :07:45.on the transmission of the virus The significance is that so far the
:07:46. > :07:52.genetic material of the Zika virus had been identified both then the
:07:53. > :07:57.Rhine and the saliva. But now the research done shows that this is not
:07:58. > :08:05.only just the genetic make a real but there is a virus able to infect
:08:06. > :08:11.cells in systems and subcultures. -- you're in. This is capable of
:08:12. > :08:14.affecting people. This is completely different from only the
:08:15. > :08:18.identification of the virus itself. It means that the virus is
:08:19. > :08:23.functional. The principal precaution is something that should be in mind
:08:24. > :08:35.and I would address, particularly to pregnant women, to avoid in terms of
:08:36. > :08:43.sharing, let us say cuts or nice, etc, with someone who has clearly
:08:44. > :08:49.been affected with the symptoms. These type of precautions should be
:08:50. > :08:51.taken. But I think that people should continue to live normally. --
:08:52. > :08:53.knives. The BBC's Julia Carneiro joins me
:08:54. > :09:05.from Rio de Janiero. This latest finding about bodily
:09:06. > :09:11.stewards and saliva, has this changed the plan to combat it? --
:09:12. > :09:17.bodily fluids. Not at all, the plan is told to
:09:18. > :09:20.eradicate the mosquito that transmits the Zika virus because it
:09:21. > :09:29.is not yet clear at all if this finding that this research Institute
:09:30. > :09:37.announced today whether this means that the saliva is spread through
:09:38. > :09:41.saliva or you're in. It has been found in these fluids and its active
:09:42. > :09:46.form, so there is the potential that could be transmitted to other
:09:47. > :09:51.people. -- you're in. It must be investigated to find out whether it
:09:52. > :10:00.can be transmitted and those other variables that must be studied to
:10:01. > :10:04.assess if that is possible or not. What advice is being given to people
:10:05. > :10:09.to help slow down what seems to be the rapid spread of it through Latin
:10:10. > :10:15.America? Well, there's lots of advice given,
:10:16. > :10:18.especially to pregnant women but in general, to the population using
:10:19. > :10:23.mosquito repellent is, to pregnant women covering themselves up before
:10:24. > :11:16.leaving home and this new finding comes just
:11:17. > :11:24.Exchanging fluids in any way with other people. It is another set of
:11:25. > :11:29.recommendations for people to be careful.
:11:30. > :11:32.The Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, has welcomed a UN
:11:33. > :11:33.ruling which says he's been 'arbitrarily detained'.
:11:34. > :11:36.He says he should be allowed to walk free from Ecuador's embassy
:11:37. > :11:40.He's been there since 2012, after an extradition
:11:41. > :11:42.That followed a rape allegation that he denies.
:11:43. > :11:46.In the last few hours he's spoken from the balcony of the embassy.
:11:47. > :11:57.Still officially on Ecuadorean soil, still threatened with arrest,
:11:58. > :12:00.Julian Assange emerged onto about Kenny this afternoon
:12:01. > :12:04.for the first time since 2012, the year he sought sanctuary at this
:12:05. > :12:17.This is a victory that cannot be denied.
:12:18. > :12:22.The UK and Sweden have had this judgment for the past two weeks.
:12:23. > :12:30.They did not file an appeal in that two-week period.
:12:31. > :12:38.Julian Assange now says he has international law on his side,
:12:39. > :12:40.but the self-styled champion of free speech and accountability did not
:12:41. > :13:00.He detailed the UN findings, that the detention was arbitrary.
:13:01. > :13:04.They also decided he has an enforceable right to compensation
:13:05. > :13:15.The opinion in itself is an opinion, and it is legally binding
:13:16. > :13:23.to the extent that it is based on international human rights norm,
:13:24. > :13:32.From the UK Government, a furious response.
:13:33. > :13:34.He can come out onto the pavement any time he chooses.
:13:35. > :13:43.But he will have to face justice in Sweden if he chooses to do so.
:13:44. > :13:45.Today, these police outside the embassy were for crowd
:13:46. > :13:47.protection, but the police operation to prevent his escape cost
:13:48. > :13:56.This evening, the lawyer for the alleged rape victim put out
:13:57. > :13:59.a statement in Sweden saying that she was glad the UN call
:14:00. > :14:01.for his release was not legally binding.
:14:02. > :14:03.It is time, she said, that Assange packs his bags,
:14:04. > :14:08.steps out of the embassy and begins to cooperate with the police.
:14:09. > :14:10.His supporters are relishing this moment, a dramatic day
:14:11. > :14:19.in an extraordinary international saga.
:14:20. > :14:21.But it does not end the long-running stand-off.
:14:22. > :14:24.For now, he is back inside, and still no one knows
:14:25. > :14:53.A man has been shot dead outside hotel in Dublin. Police and
:14:54. > :14:57.investigating if it was connected to criminal gangs. The boxing that was
:14:58. > :14:59.due to take place on Saturday been cancelled.
:15:00. > :15:00.Now to Nigeria, where President Mohammadu Buhari's war
:15:01. > :15:02.against corruption is gathering momentum.
:15:03. > :15:04.Millions of dollars have been returned by some of the people
:15:05. > :15:08.President Buhari has been speaking to Focus on Africa's Peter Okwoche.
:15:09. > :15:16.They began by discussion how much of that money has been recovered.
:15:17. > :15:28.Because we're waiting for documentation, so that those
:15:29. > :15:31.who try to be too clever or too hard, we can prosecute them.
:15:32. > :15:34.Now, to prosecute them successfully, we have to produce evidence,
:15:35. > :15:36.this is the evidence we have built up collectively.
:15:37. > :15:40.It is not easy, especially in the petroleum industry.
:15:41. > :15:48.They have literally declared their assets and they are
:15:49. > :15:54.So it would be unfair, you know, before the deal is...
:15:55. > :15:57.But would you agree to an amnesty for people who return their money?
:15:58. > :16:07.I have to depend on the report and the recommendation
:16:08. > :16:10.of the officials that I asked to do this job.
:16:11. > :16:13.What do you make about the criticism that you only seem to be
:16:14. > :16:15.going after political opponents and not some members
:16:16. > :16:18.of your political party, the APC, who also seem to be corrupt?
:16:19. > :16:21.Yeah, making wild allegations I think is a hobby, I suspect,
:16:22. > :16:28.for Nigerian critics of this government.
:16:29. > :16:35.If they can provide evidence, if they can give me an idea that
:16:36. > :16:51.so-and-so in my cabinet, a member of APC stole so much...
:16:52. > :16:55.If I do not react to credible information, then they can blame me,
:16:56. > :16:57.but they cannot just open their mouths and say that
:16:58. > :17:09.A few months ago, you told the BBC that Boko Haram have
:17:10. > :17:14.So, how can a group that you have technically defeated
:17:15. > :17:19.There were some allegations one week or so ago, not quite allegations,
:17:20. > :17:28.but they were said to have gone and attacked a village.
:17:29. > :17:30.They were said to have burnt 100 or more houses.
:17:31. > :17:32.You know the type of houses that are there.
:17:33. > :17:38.All they needed to do was to strike one match and the whole
:17:39. > :17:53.In that particular attack you are talking about,
:17:54. > :17:58.That does not sound like a group that has technically been defeated.
:17:59. > :18:04.But all I know, that of the 14 local governments,
:18:05. > :18:11.they used to hold, and while they host their flag,
:18:12. > :18:13.they are not in charge of any of those local governments,
:18:14. > :18:16.but they can still regroup and go and attack such targets,
:18:17. > :18:32.Britain's proposed EU reforms have been strongly backed
:18:33. > :18:41.The British Prime Minister, David Cameron's, been in Copenhagen,
:18:42. > :18:43.trying to gain support in advance of a referendum later this year.
:18:44. > :18:46.He also held positive talks in Poland but the Prime Minister
:18:47. > :18:49.there said plans to limit benefits for EU migrants would need
:18:50. > :18:51.Here's our Europe Editor Katya Adler.
:18:52. > :18:58.Warsaw's charming city centre was rebuilt almost from scratch
:18:59. > :19:02.It is a must see for tourists, but not on the regular beat
:19:03. > :19:15.But this is the second time in a matter of weeks
:19:16. > :19:21.Poland is being tricky when it comes to his EU reform proposals,
:19:22. > :19:23.which he needs all the EU leaders to sign up to.
:19:24. > :19:25.Real negotiations take place behind closed doors.
:19:26. > :19:29.In public, it is often what is not said that is significant.
:19:30. > :19:32.Poland's Prime Minister politely praised three out of David Cameron's
:19:33. > :19:34.She didn't mention cutting EU migrant benefits,
:19:35. > :19:43.Is he hinting at what Britain could offer Poland?
:19:44. > :19:48.We want a full strategic partnership between Britain and Poland,
:19:49. > :19:54.and that is because of the shared interests and shared ideals we have.
:19:55. > :19:57.Shared interests in strong defence and supporting Nato in standing up
:19:58. > :19:59.to Russian aggression, shared interests in terms
:20:00. > :20:04.But improving finances for many Polish, particularly the young,
:20:05. > :20:11.Hundreds of thousands have come to the UK, cutting their in work
:20:12. > :20:23.In Poland, it is not easy to find a good job.
:20:24. > :20:25.Salaries aside, they also fear for their security,
:20:26. > :20:31.with aggressive Russia just next door.
:20:32. > :20:33.Last week the British Government pledged 1000 troops to take part
:20:34. > :20:36.Valuable military support for Poland, whose goodwill
:20:37. > :20:43.is vital for David Cameron to get his EU deal.
:20:44. > :20:45.Shuttle diplomacy is intensifying for the Prime Minister ahead
:20:46. > :20:57.His EU reform proposals are welcome here.
:20:58. > :21:00.And most importantly from the Danish Prime Minister...
:21:01. > :21:03.I support all the elements on access to welfare benefits.
:21:04. > :21:06.It is no coincidence that the Prime Minister chose
:21:07. > :21:10.to hold a press conference in Denmark, and not to take any
:21:11. > :21:12.press questions in Warsaw, where things could have got
:21:13. > :21:20.David Cameron's EU reform proposal is a political hot potato
:21:21. > :21:23.which he hopes will be signed off at a summit in two weeks,
:21:24. > :21:28.Expect a roller-coaster of headlines between now and then,
:21:29. > :21:42.predicting triumph, concession and even defeat.
:21:43. > :21:44.In a historic step to heal the 1,000-year-old rift that split
:21:45. > :21:47.Christianity, the first ever meeting between a Roman Catholic Pope
:21:48. > :21:50.and a head of the Russian Orthodox Church will happen in a week's time.
:21:51. > :21:53.Pope Francis will stop over in Cuba on his way to Mexico to meet
:21:54. > :21:56.Patriarch Kirill for private talks, in an attempt to begin bridging
:21:57. > :21:59.The announcement came in separate press conferences in Moscow
:22:00. > :22:13.The meeting of the leaders of the Roman Orthodox and Catholic churches
:22:14. > :22:17.which has been prepared for a long time will become the first one in
:22:18. > :22:20.history to mark the important stage of relations between the two
:22:21. > :22:27.churches. The Holy See and the Moscow
:22:28. > :22:35.representative for that it will be a sign of goodwill to all people. They
:22:36. > :22:45.invite all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this
:22:46. > :22:47.meeting and that it may be fruits. -- bear all the fruits.
:22:48. > :22:55.Almost 30 have washed up on beaches along the North Sea over the past
:22:56. > :22:58.few weeks but why are so many sperm whales dying?
:22:59. > :23:00.They've been found stranded on beaches in the UK,
:23:01. > :23:02.Holland, France and German and tests have now been carried out
:23:03. > :23:05.on the latest arrival here in Britain to find out why
:23:06. > :23:08.Our correspondent Danny Shaw has been investigating.
:23:09. > :23:11.It's been a traumatic couple of days on this North Norfolk beach.
:23:12. > :23:13.A sperm whale was stranded here yesterday, alive
:23:14. > :23:18.There was a glimmer of hope as it showed signs of moving,
:23:19. > :23:22.But last night it died, the latest in a series of whale
:23:23. > :23:30.Initial findings show that it was starving and dehydrated.
:23:31. > :23:33.All the whales we examined, at least our end, no evidence
:23:34. > :23:42.There has been what we call bile staining the intestines and that
:23:43. > :23:45.indicate it's gone through a period of a lack of feeding and starvation.
:23:46. > :23:47.That would make the animal more compromised.
:23:48. > :23:49.Why have so many of these huge animals, all young males,
:23:50. > :23:52.Experts say bachelor pods are normally found
:23:53. > :23:54.in the North Atlantic, feeding off deepwater
:23:55. > :24:00.But they've ended up in the waters of the North Sea,
:24:01. > :24:03.which are on average, 98 metres deep and too shallow
:24:04. > :24:08.Over the last few weeks, 29 have been found stranded
:24:09. > :24:12.on beaches in the UK, Holland, France and Germany.
:24:13. > :24:17.This is the German operation to move them.
:24:18. > :24:20.They can become a health hazard if left on the sands or mud flats.
:24:21. > :24:23.Experts say collectively, this is the worst series of whale
:24:24. > :24:31.And the concern is more of these will turn up on North Sea coasts
:24:32. > :24:38.But how much detail is really known about what's going on under water?
:24:39. > :24:43.An incident like this almost heightens the need for us
:24:44. > :24:53.all to learn more about these enormous and fantastic creatures.
:24:54. > :24:56.This may look like a scene from the days of whale hunting,
:24:57. > :25:02.but these animals have to be examined if answers about why
:25:03. > :25:25.they end up in the wrong sea are to be found.
:25:26. > :25:27.A Ferrari built in 1957 has just sold
:25:28. > :25:34.at auction in Paris for more than thirty-one million dollars.
:25:35. > :25:37.The red 335 Sport Scaglietti won the 1958 Cuban Grand Prix,
:25:38. > :25:40.and set a lap record at the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
:25:41. > :25:42.It was driven by top drivers, including Britain's Stirling Moss.
:25:43. > :25:51.When the auctioneer's commission was added,
:25:52. > :26:04.But for now, from me, Ben Bland, and the rest