19/04/2016 World News Today

New York is holding presidential primaries key for both Republican

and Democratic frontrunners after their recent defeats.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump need wins to secure their positions

at the front of the pack, and put them on the road

An explosion in Kabul has heralded the start

Nearly 30 people are killed, over 300 are injured.

Also coming up, a replica of a 2,000-year-old Syrian arch

destroyed by the Islamic State group is being put up in

And, 400 years after William Shakespeare's death,

the stage now extends to the digital world,

It's primary day in New York State, where the two frontrunners

in America's presidential race are hoping to get their

In the Republican contest, Donald Trump leads Ted Cruz,

He needs 1,237 delegates to automatically clinch

the nomination, and New York, with 95 delegates at stake, would be

John Kasich is just hanging in third place.

He needs something really special to stay in the race.

For the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton is almost 700

He needs a strong victory in New York, where 291

delegates are at stake, if he is to overtake

More about the numbers in a moment but first,

let's not forget that New York City is Donald Trump's hometown.

Nick Bryant reports on how his politics can be traced

His name is emblazoned all over the city.

This is where he built his corporate brand, but the politics

of Donald Trump can also be traced back to New York and the seismic

events that had such a traumatising effect.

Manhattan Island was not only the site of the destruction

of the Twin Towers in September, 2001, but also the collapse

of Lehman Brothers in September 2008.

All these years on from 9/11 and the financial crash,

-- those two massive convulsions continue to shape the contours

of American politics and Donald Trump has exploited fears

about Islamist terrorism and frustrations about the economy.

Take the ferry to Staten Island where you'll find a blue collar

"Make America great again" is a slogan that sounds

His auto repair business is yet to rebound from the great recession

and, like so many other working Americans, his income

I have a business and you see it every day, people come in,

to repair their cars or whatever they're going to do.

It is always, I just haven't got it right now.

They're just trying to make ends meet and I can understand that.

I think we've got a good guy going there.

Friday prayers in Uptown Manhattan, where worshippers come dressed

No city has a richer tradition of ethnic diversity but the memory

9/11 continues to stir fears of the other,

A recent poll suggested a majority of voters support Donald Trump's

proposed ban on foreign Muslims entering the country and that's made

these Americans feel like outsiders in their homeland.

I think he is trying to do what he wants to do to get votes.

He's trying to pander to his audience.

New York has always stood as a symbol, not just of America's

brash self-confidence, but its optimistic spirit.

Fear and frustration have propelled the presidential ambitions of one

of its most famous sons, but not enough perhaps to take him

Let's cross live to New York and speak to our

A highly populated state with a lot of delegates up for grabs. How

crucial is New York? It is crucial on both sides of the race. The

Democratic and Republican side. I am at a polling station, a synagogue in

midtown Manhattan where Donald Trump himself voted a few hours ago and

now rumours that his wife is going to be voting here in the next few

minutes. We'll bring that to you if it happens. New York is significant

for Donald Trump because if he wins over 50% of the vote across the

state in every district and then he would win all native five of the

delegates up for grabs and bring him closer to the magic figure of 1237,

and make it more likely to avoid the possibility of a contested

convention, the idea he could be up against Ted Cruz and after a first

ballot delegates would be able to cast their vote for whoever they

wanted. For him to win back tonight would be highly significant for the

momentum of his campaign going forward. How much enthusiasm do you

sense for this primary and what have been the biggest issues? There is a

lot of enthusiasm. When I left my home this morning, I walked past the

polling station after I dropped my children off and there were so many

people voting. Walking across Manhattan to this polling station,

there were Bernie Sanders supporters outside one of the Donald Trump

hotels, there is a lot of enthusiasm but the question is whether it will

turn into a big turnout and that is crucial for Bernie Sanders in the

race against Hillary Clinton. He has drawn thousands of people with his

populist anti-Wall Street message but the rules are very strict in New

York in who can vote in a primary, what is called a closed primary, and

you have to be registered to a party by March or you cannot vote. The

question is if Hillary Clinton could win big and get a big proportion of

the 291 delegates then it would allow her to claim she is the

candidate in waiting. And that people could say Bernie Sanders'

attacks on her are damaging her hopes. There was an unfortunate

gaffe by Donald Trump on social media, so will that dent the day for

him? At a rally in Buffalo he talked about 7-11 when he meant the date of

9/11, the terrorist attacks here in New York City but remember that gas

is it is not dented his popularity. His supporters are very loyal and if

attacked the rally around him. It will be fascinating for Donald

Trump. He is leading in double digits to swamp Ted Cruz, who marked

New York values, which Donald Trump has made hay with. And how will John

Kasich du? Will he do well in the boroughs north of New York City for

people who feel Ted Cruz is too conservative and they are worried by

what Donald Trump represents? Could John Kasich do well? All things to

watch for. And we've got plenty more on both

parties' tense race for Just go to BBC.com/US2016,

where you'll find interviews with New Yorkers about why they're

backing their chosen candidates, and a video explaining just why

the state is so important To Afghanistan now,

where the Taliban have killed almost 30 people and injured at least 300

in an attack right in the heart The insurgents struck at the height

of the rush hour, targeting offices Let's show you more closely

where this attack took place. It happened near the Defence

Ministry and the Presidential It's the most deadly single attack

in the Afghan capital since 2011. A fierce firefight in the centre

of Kabul at the height The attack began with a suicide car

bombing at the entrance to the headquarters

of a Special Forces unit that TRANSLATION: While I was inside my

office, a very big It hit the walls, glass

and windows of our building. As you can see, there is some

suicide attackers in the area. That first attack was quickly

followed by another, as more fighters and

suicide bombers stormed The car bomb went off close

to houses and Government buildings. More than 300 are said

to have been injured. The smoke was seen rising

close to the US embassy, which did sound the alarms,

they there were not under attack. TRANSLATION: The windows

and glass fell on people. Several were wounded in the market

where I was. TRANSLATION: We received 19 wounded,

some in serious condition. Our services are ready

to treat their injuries. The Taliban has claimed

responsibility, just a week after announcing the beginning

of its spring offensive. The insurgency has been gaining

strength since NATO troops withdrew. Even as the Government

in Kabul tries to bring them Some say the group is stronger today

than since it was driven Record rainfall has hit Houston

in the United States, resulting in flash flooding

and rivers bursting their banks. Five people have been killed

and more than 1,000 rescued The Texas governor has declared

a state of emergency and thousands have been left

without power as well. Wading through waters

in the north of the city, families used what they could find

to bring people to safety. Some had to be more

inventive than others. Nearly 70 horses got caught up

in the rising waters. Rescuers pulling them to dry land

one by one. This rainfall is being described

by some meteorologists as historic. Caught on live television,

this reporter pulls a man What were you thinking in the moment

that water started going up? How can I get out of here,

can I open the door? I opened the door and you were kind

enough to tell me to swim and that's Following the heavy rainfall,

five people have died, around 1,000 homes flooded,

and nearly 70,000 people There have been some areas

that received at much as 10 inches of rainfall,

some 12 and many in the northern end As roads became rivers

it was a race to rescue some. Others had to make their

own way to dry land. We are still recovering

from last year. Despite the city being prone

the heavy rain, this People are being evacuated and

advised not to travel in the city. Please remember the easy phrase,

turn around, don't drown. But as more rain is expected,

communities are stepping in to help, no matter how

unusual the help may be. In Ecuador, at least 413 people

are known to have died and more than two thousand have been injured

in the earthquake that struck The 7.8 magnitude quake hit

on the Pacific coast - Pedernales was one of the towns very

close to the epicentre - The government is now continuing

to search for survivors and says the cost of rebuilding could run

into the billions of dollars. Let's have a listen

to one of the survivors - and a Red Cross worker

about their experience TRANSLATION: We have no house,

that's why we are here since Saturday night. We came here because

people were running this way. TRANSLATION: We are coming and going

with patients. The problem will come later after a week or eight days. We

hope people don't forget about them because all the authorities are

working hard. Now a look at some of

the day's other news. Aid supplies airlifted by American

military planes are beginning to arrive in areas hit

by earthquakes in Japan last week. 100,000 people have

been left homeless. Many are sleeping at evacuation

centres and in cars. More bodies buried under mudslides

have been recovered, meaning the official death toll

of 44 will rise further. Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm

Turnbull has confirmed a general Angry protesters took to the streets

of Cairo after police shot dead a protest after what witnesses say was

over the price of a cup of tea. A senior police officer confirmed the

argument was over how much of a cup of tea cost.

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed a general

election will be held on the 2nd of July.

It comes after Parliament rejected legislation aimed at changing labour

laws for unions in the construction industry, the second time

Chinese state television says a computer specialist has received

the death sentence after being found guilty of espionage.

Local TV said Huang Yu worked at a research agency in southern

China's Sichuan province, specialising in government

It said he sold secret documents to unnamed foreign

In the German city of Dresden, a court case opened today

against the founder and leader of Germany's anti-Islam

of inciting racial hatred after he referred to asylum

seekers on Facebook in 2014 as "scumbags" and "vermin".

Mr Bachmann says someone else wrote those derogatory comments.

But at the same time in a statement to the court, he said freedom

of speech should allow such opinions to be expressed.

Our correspondent Damien McGuinness has more from Berlin.

Lutz Bachmann turned up to court this morning with his eyes covered,

a mocking symbol of how he believes he is censored by German media.

"We are the people," supporters chant.

A phrase used by the protest movement against Communism

in eastern Germany during the 1980s, but which has now been taken up

by Mr Bachmann's anti-Islam Pegida movement.

These people accuse the German establishment of suppressing free

speech, but Germany's authorities say Mr Bachmann's comments have

whipped up anti-foreign hatred and xenophobic sentiments.

TRANSLATION: Dresden state prosecutors have

We accuse the defendant of insulting asylum seekers and refugees

in a publicly accessible Facebook comment.

In addition, he is said to have denied them

The reason why this is such a serious charge is that

Mr Bachmann's critics say his comments have

helped spark violent attacks on asylum seekers.

Last year, there were almost 1,000 offences committed

against migrants and refugees, including 76 cases of arson

At its high point, Pegida's weekly anti-Islam marches in Dresden

attracted 25,000 participants last year, but the movement appears to be

losing steam, with only a couple of thousand now

But Mr Bachmann enjoys the role of martyr and, if he is convicted,

that could well give a boost to his supporters by

playing into their claims that they are being victimised

A replica of a 2,000-year-old arch destroyed by so-called Islamic State

in Palmyra has been unveiled in central London.

Last month, forces loyal to President Assad recaptured

During the ten months it was under IS control,

many buildings were destroyed, and artefacts stolen to be sold

But now the Syrian government is back in charge, the work

of restoration has begun, as Naomi Grimley reports.

Liberated from a brutal occupation, but still hauntingly beautiful,

this aerial footage shows the ruins of Palmyra, a desert oasis,

which has stood for hundreds of years on the ancient Silk Road

Last year, so-called Islamic State took control of the city

and threatened to destroy all the irreplaceable monuments

which make this a World Heritage site.

But in the last few weeks, Syrian government forces,

backed by the Russians, have regained the city.

Senior archaeologists have been quick to return to assess

I found Palmyra was in a good situation in general.

It gives us hope to restore some buildings destroyed

IS have often filmed themselves smashing up

antiquities in Iraq and Syria, so many feared Palmyra would be

That's why a group of archaeologists have been experimenting with this,

a computer-controlled drill, to produce a replica of an arch

The project's leader says it is incredibly precise.

It got to the point where we were trying to decide

whether to include cobwebs, bird nests, moss that

was on the structure, in the reproduction

We use 3D renderings of these images derived from thousands of 2D and 3D

images to produce the most accurate possible rendition of

The replica arch has now been put up in Trafalgar Square for all to see

It has to be said not everyone is a huge fan of this project.

Some classical scholars believe it's inauthentic,

But, if nothing else, the supporters say, it is an act

of defiance against those who are trying to destroy Syria's history.

Palmyra's experts hope they won't need to rebuild

arches from scratch, but some of the new technology

could still be invaluable as they piece together the rubble.

Shakespeare has been adapted to pretty much every media over

the last four centuries - books, film, radio -

there's even a board game, not to mention endless

Now he's entered the realm of virtual reality,

with an immersive video game developed by the University

Jane O'Brien went to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts,

near Sacramento, to see it in action.

Who knew Shakespeare could be so much fun?

They are not watching the performers, they are

looking at the screen, because Play The Knave is a new type

of theatre in which the players control avatars through motion

capture cameras to create an animated film, a sort

But don't be fooled by the technology.

The exaggerated gestures are very Shakespearean.

This, in fact, is an old style of acting, a declamatory style

of acting that was used during Shakespeare's time and came

from older oratorical methods of delivering speeches.

So I think it's really interesting that the technology is bringing back

Wave your arms gently while walking towards the camera.

The concept is irresistible, even for somebody like me who - gasp

You choose your costume, your stage and,

This is the bit where Lady Macbeth realises everything has gone

horribly wrong and starts to have a nervous breakdown.

Colin is the doctor who will be charting my mental disintegration.

What need we fear when none can call our power to account?

Yea, who would have thought the old man to have had

There is a serious side to this, sort of.

Play The Knave was devised as a teaching tool to make

Shakespeare more accessible in a digital age.

When you are looking at the screen then you're not thinking

about your classmates, you're not thinking about the teacher,

you are thinking about, "I am Falstaff."

Maybe they don't really understand the language yet but they want

You get a better feeling for what's going on as you are performing it

because you have to think about the body language.

So here we are in the first Elizabethan theatre

Game players may soon be able to use the Folger Theatre in Washington,

Pretty much every media form since the printed book has

experimented with Shakespeare, whether that's radio,

Now we've got virtual reality and it's not surprising that one

of the first places we go to see what this technology

Purists may still prefer the real thing but this game

raises the question - what is the real thing?

As Shakespeare himself said, "All the world's a stage,"

and that today must surely include virtual worlds.

I think she found her true calling there.

This year's winners of the Pulitzer Prizes,

the most respected awards in US journalism, have been announced.

Photographers from the New York Times and from news agency Reuters

shared the Breaking News Photography prize for their work documenting

Let's take a look at some of the winning images.

Some of the winning Pulitzer prize images from this year. Let's go back

to our main news, voters from New York State are taking part in

primaries which are key to both Democratic and Republican

frontrunners. Bernie Sanders needs a strong victory in a New York state.

291 delegates are up for grabs. Hillary Clinton is almost 700

delegates ahead of them. It could be critical for both candidates and

crucial to the way this race will go. Stay with us on BBC world News.