:00:00. > :00:07.This is BBC World News Today with me Geeta Guru-Murthy.
:00:08. > :00:13.The headlines - In Paris a warning that more strikes and protests
:00:14. > :00:25.But President Hollande refuses to withdraw the reforms
:00:26. > :00:27.which would make it easier for employers to hire
:00:28. > :00:30.Iraqi government forces are facing ferocious resistance
:00:31. > :00:33.from Islamic State militants in the key city of Falluja.
:00:34. > :00:37.Growing controversy in Pakistan after an Islamic council advises
:00:38. > :00:42.husbands that it's OK to "lightly beat" your wife.
:00:43. > :00:46.We're in the country's highlands finding out why they've produced
:00:47. > :01:08.We start in France, where strikes and protests by workers opposed
:01:09. > :01:12.to the government's controversial proposed labour reforms continue
:01:13. > :01:17.President Hollande has repeated his refusal
:01:18. > :01:21.Two government ministers have appealed for the CGT
:01:22. > :01:26.Let's remind you why the reforms are stirring up such anger.
:01:27. > :01:31.They could end France's cherished 35 hour week and bosses would also
:01:32. > :01:34.have more power to reduce pay and shed jobs.
:01:35. > :01:37.The dispute has been running for two months and could escalate
:01:38. > :01:43.with a national railway strike due to start on Wednesday.
:01:44. > :01:45.Six of the country's eight oil refineries are still halted
:01:46. > :01:51.or running at reduced capacity, and workers on the Paris Metro
:01:52. > :01:57.One CGT union leader wants the government to reconsider
:01:58. > :02:00.the reforms which were pushed through the lower house
:02:01. > :02:06.With France due to host the Euro 2016 football competition next week,
:02:07. > :02:09.tourism officials are concerned tourists will be put
:02:10. > :02:22.The US State Department has just issued a warning that the tournament
:02:23. > :02:27.could also be a target for terrorists. Lucy Williamson has been
:02:28. > :02:32.watching the days events. From France's northern cities to its
:02:33. > :02:36.southern ports. Opposition to these reforms has spread among the
:02:37. > :02:41.nation's industrial planes. The tactics as simple as the simple bash
:02:42. > :02:49.message. Stop. The government says it is trying to unblock France's
:02:50. > :02:54.economy. But union leaders say that freedom comes at the expense of
:02:55. > :02:58.workers' rights. Over the past few weeks the protests have spread. From
:02:59. > :03:04.oil refineries to highways. The transport hopes. There is no shame
:03:05. > :03:08.as a political leader in admitting when you have made a mistake. Then
:03:09. > :03:12.we can work together on creating social progress in this country. The
:03:13. > :03:16.government is admitting nothing of the sword. It has been dipping into
:03:17. > :03:22.the country's oil reserves and removing arcades to keep the country
:03:23. > :03:28.running. The Prime Minister has said compromise is possible but he will
:03:29. > :03:32.not scrap the bill. Blocking the country, stopping the French people
:03:33. > :03:36.from getting around, from living their normal lives, damaging
:03:37. > :03:44.France's reputation, threatening the economic revival which is taking
:03:45. > :03:49.hold is unacceptable. Today, railway workers joined the rolling strikes.
:03:50. > :03:53.40% of high-speed trains are thought to be affected, two thirds of
:03:54. > :03:57.intercity lines. Further strikes are planned this week by air traffic
:03:58. > :04:03.controllers and Paris underground star. Several unions have called for
:04:04. > :04:05.the protest to continue as the clock ticks on to was the start of the
:04:06. > :04:08.European Championships next week. Christophe Premat joins us now
:04:09. > :04:25.with further insight. Thanks very much for joining us.
:04:26. > :04:31.What do you make of this action that we are seeing? Do you think it can
:04:32. > :04:34.and should be solved? Shouldn't be sorted out before the big football
:04:35. > :04:40.tournament? It is hard to predict but I would
:04:41. > :04:45.say that we pay the fact that we didn't have any parliamentary debate
:04:46. > :04:49.on this. We paid the fact we leave under an in emergency state. There
:04:50. > :04:55.are a lot of frustrations. The year has been really hard. You have this
:04:56. > :04:59.feeling of frustration coming up now with these discussions. It is too
:05:00. > :05:07.bad we give this image of a Ken Tribbett cannot advance. -- that
:05:08. > :05:12.cannot. We need to go back to negotiation about the explanation.
:05:13. > :05:15.Who are you supporting? New supporting the government and the
:05:16. > :05:19.changes it is trying to implement all those who are protesting? I
:05:20. > :05:24.support the parliamentary debate we didn't have. We owe that to the
:05:25. > :05:31.citizen is because it is important for the future of the country. They
:05:32. > :05:36.understand the government, we have to have a responsibility. I don't
:05:37. > :05:39.think this is the right way to block the country just because of one or
:05:40. > :05:45.two trade unionists and stop we need to have a discussion somewhere in
:05:46. > :05:50.the country. The parliament is the location for that. We should have
:05:51. > :05:55.discussion in parliament even if the government decides not to have a
:05:56. > :05:59.vote. At least, discussion is needed. We have had a few
:06:00. > :06:03.discussions in a few committees but not in a plenary session. How
:06:04. > :06:08.worried are you about the impact of people coming to France for the Euro
:06:09. > :06:14.competition? We've heard from the United States about a potential
:06:15. > :06:21.security threat saying they are worried and are warning all US
:06:22. > :06:25.citizens in your up, potentially including the football tournament,
:06:26. > :06:32.US citizens are the targets. It adds up to a few difficult days for
:06:33. > :06:43.France. We live under an emergency is states. It will be in order in a
:06:44. > :06:47.few days. We have the last game right now, if I may express myself
:06:48. > :06:56.in the loose terms. We need to find out a way, we need a solution for
:06:57. > :07:00.that. Maybe you could try to go back to negotiation. We could have a
:07:01. > :07:06.parliamentary debate in the upcoming weeks. You have different
:07:07. > :07:12.alternatives so I am not worried about that. We should be careful
:07:13. > :07:15.with that because if you have big strikes, people feel you don't
:07:16. > :07:22.control a situation. There is this terror, terrorist threat that we
:07:23. > :07:29.should be able to be together in this event, not just show an image
:07:30. > :07:33.of it country that is divided. That could be bad. I am confident about
:07:34. > :07:40.the situation that it will be solved. How are you confident? In
:07:41. > :07:44.what way can it be solved? You are looking at multiple strikes in
:07:45. > :07:50.multiple different areas of everyday life and a president that has never
:07:51. > :07:54.been popular from the beginning. It isn't a question of popularity, it
:07:55. > :07:59.is a question about the law. We didn't have the debates are we
:08:00. > :08:05.didn't have the space to explain. You have all the trade unions trying
:08:06. > :08:09.to wary about just one particular article, the second article of the
:08:10. > :08:18.law. It decentralised the process of social rejuvenation -- regulation.
:08:19. > :08:25.It was the law but determined the way it negotiated the content of
:08:26. > :08:32.work before. But now it is inside the company. We have to make sure it
:08:33. > :08:39.will be better for workers, it'll be better for the companies that they
:08:40. > :08:43.can try to have a social compromise. That is something that worries
:08:44. > :08:50.French people right now. They think, yes, the government just once to
:08:51. > :08:54.decentralise the decisions and doesn't want to be responsible for
:08:55. > :08:57.that. It is where we have to explain. Many thanks indeed her
:08:58. > :08:58.joining us. Staying with France,
:08:59. > :09:01.the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, has announced plans for what she calls
:09:02. > :09:03.a 'humanitarian camp' for migrants and refugees
:09:04. > :09:06.in the north of the capital. Several hundred migrants have been
:09:07. > :09:10.living rough under railway bridges These people pictured were moved
:09:11. > :09:14.out of their makeshift site near a Paris Metro station
:09:15. > :09:17.earlier this month. The new camp is expected to provide
:09:18. > :09:21.both day facilities and overnight accommodation and is expected
:09:22. > :09:27.to open in the next six weeks. Now a look at some of
:09:28. > :09:31.the days other news. Belgium hit by transport strikes,
:09:32. > :09:35.with France to follow suit as unions protest over pension
:09:36. > :09:49.and labour reforms. The protesters are not happy with
:09:50. > :09:50.the government is's austerity measures.
:09:51. > :09:52.Poland launched a fresh bid to extradite Oscar-winning director
:09:53. > :09:55.Roman Polanski to the United States at the request of the country's
:09:56. > :09:58.justice minister who appealed to the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
:09:59. > :10:01.The US had requested that the Oscar-winning filmmaker be
:10:02. > :10:07.sent back to face sentencing over a 1977 case if statutory rape.
:10:08. > :10:10.The trial of Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi on tax fraud
:10:11. > :10:16.Messi and his father Jorge, who manages his financial affairs,
:10:17. > :10:20.are accused of defrauding Spain of more than four million euros
:10:21. > :10:26.The authorities allege that the two used tax havens in Belize
:10:27. > :10:31.and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.
:10:32. > :10:35.A top EU court advisor says that employers in the EU may be able
:10:36. > :10:39.to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves to work
:10:40. > :10:41.as long as it is part of a general prohibition
:10:42. > :10:46.The opinion was issued by Juliane Kokott, an Advocate General
:10:47. > :10:50.It came after a Belgian court sought clarification on what is banned
:10:51. > :10:54.In the Belgian case, a receptionist was fired for wearing
:10:55. > :11:02.Pakistan's human rights commission has condemned a draft bill
:11:03. > :11:05.from a group of Islamic religious advisors which says a husband can
:11:06. > :11:10.The controversial proposal was a response to a women's
:11:11. > :11:13.protection law passed by the Punjab government in March.
:11:14. > :11:16.Pakistani religious groups called the bill un-Islamic.
:11:17. > :11:22.BBC Urdu's Iram Abbasi reports from Islamabad.
:11:23. > :11:24.Maria has been coming to this court for two years.
:11:25. > :11:28.She wishes to remain anonymous fearing social persecution
:11:29. > :11:35.for speaking out against domestic violence.
:11:36. > :11:38.Translation: After our first daughter was born, my husband would
:11:39. > :11:43.beat me every second day for hours, pulling out my hair and slapping me.
:11:44. > :11:48.He was upset I hadn't given birth to a boy.
:11:49. > :11:52.Human Rights Watch estimates that between 70% to 90% of Pakistani
:11:53. > :11:55.women face domestic violence and self harm.
:11:56. > :11:58.In a conservative Pakistani society it is an
:11:59. > :12:04.honour will be maligned if a woman can't sustain her marriage,
:12:05. > :12:10.thus forcing her to stay in an abusive relationship at all cost.
:12:11. > :12:13.Earlier this year in a landmark move, Pakistan's parliament enacted
:12:14. > :12:17.the protection of women against violence Bill.
:12:18. > :12:20.This legislation set out penalties for crimes including
:12:21. > :12:22.domestic violence, psychological and economic
:12:23. > :12:29.But hopes were quickly dashed as the Council
:12:30. > :12:33.of Islamic Ideology rejected the law declaring it un-Islamic.
:12:34. > :12:36.The council is a constitutional body with advises parliament on religion
:12:37. > :12:41.and offers recommendations on how laws can conform with the
:12:42. > :12:44.conservative form of Islam, sharia law.
:12:45. > :12:48.After it rejected the women's protection bill,
:12:49. > :13:05.The council says it doesn't have a final draft but it
:13:06. > :13:09.hasn't denied media reports that a man can lightly beat his
:13:10. > :13:16.Translation: Whether it is the father or husband,
:13:17. > :13:19.he's not allowed to hit a woman where she suffers a bone
:13:20. > :13:26.The proposals have generated anger across Pakistan.
:13:27. > :13:28.Many have taken to social media to protest.
:13:29. > :13:30.The human rights commission has said the
:13:31. > :13:38.No woman or sane man in Pakistan do not accept this.
:13:39. > :13:41.First of all, the Council of Islamic Ideology has
:13:42. > :13:45.overstepped its constitutional mandated and its jurisdiction.
:13:46. > :13:54.I demand a constitutional amendment to disband CII.
:13:55. > :13:55.The government can ignore the council's
:13:56. > :13:58.recommendations and has done in the past.
:13:59. > :14:07.A small victory for Pakistan's many domestic violence victims.
:14:08. > :14:10.Iraqi forces trying to fight their way into the key city
:14:11. > :14:13.of Falluja say they have repelled a four hour counter attack by
:14:14. > :14:19.Iraqi commanders say they have started probing the city's defences.
:14:20. > :14:22.As the fighting continues, aid agencies are increasingly
:14:23. > :14:26.concerned for the safety of up to fifty thousand civilians
:14:27. > :14:30.trapped in the city which was seized by IS more two years ago.
:14:31. > :14:41.Shi'ite militia and Iraqi government forces are now moving ever closer
:14:42. > :14:45.to the city of Fallujah itself, having fought their way
:14:46. > :14:51.through the surrounding countryside over the past week.
:14:52. > :14:54.There's been fierce fighting this morning in a key southern suburb
:14:55. > :15:02.and government troops claim they may enter the city itself later today.
:15:03. > :15:06.Fallujah lies less than 50 miles from the capital Baghdad
:15:07. > :15:09.and Islamic State has been in control of it
:15:10. > :15:19.Retaking the city is a key goal for the government.
:15:20. > :15:22.But as the final assault on Falluja draws closer, concern
:15:23. > :15:25.about the fate of the civilian population is intensifying.
:15:26. > :15:27.These refugees are amongst the lucky ones.
:15:28. > :15:31.They managed to get out of the city in time.
:15:32. > :15:35.This woman says there is no food or medicine in the city and says
:15:36. > :15:39.Islamic State militants had taken their men away.
:15:40. > :15:42.She doesn't know if they are alive or dead.
:15:43. > :15:48.Aid agencies say, so far, only around 4,000 civilians have
:15:49. > :15:57.That leaves more than 40,000 still trapped inside the city.
:15:58. > :16:02.And there are reports Islamic State is preventing people from leaving.
:16:03. > :16:05.We are extremely concerned that the 50,000
:16:06. > :16:08.individuals that are still trapped inside Falluja.
:16:09. > :16:10.We have also, I have been talking to families that
:16:11. > :16:13.have managed to get out, tell us that, Isis came to my house
:16:14. > :16:17.and threatened us on our lives if we had any plans of escaping.
:16:18. > :16:20.No doubt, we are extremely concerned.
:16:21. > :16:22.And while these children and their families are now safe
:16:23. > :16:27.there are more reports of civilian casualties inside the city
:16:28. > :16:30.due to heave shelling by government forces including seven members
:16:31. > :16:43.Peter Hawkins is in Erbil, about 350 kilometres north of Baghdad.
:16:44. > :16:46.He's part of the UNICEF team providing humanitarian relief
:16:47. > :17:01.Thanks for joining us. You have been into which, your organisation has
:17:02. > :17:10.been interred should with those who have escaped. Can anyone reach those
:17:11. > :17:14.who are trapped? Know and we haven't for over a year. The last time we
:17:15. > :17:18.were able to send in any assistance was this time last year when we were
:17:19. > :17:24.able to undertake the vaccination campaign for children. How worried
:17:25. > :17:28.are you about those who are in the city and what are you hearing about
:17:29. > :17:34.those who have managed to get out? We're very concerned for all the
:17:35. > :17:37.civilians in the city, particularly the children who must be going
:17:38. > :17:44.through a horrendous experience as the bombs descend upon Falluja
:17:45. > :17:48.especially in the dark. You have the sounds of the explosions. This is on
:17:49. > :17:53.top of period whereby they have not had the basic needs for a long time.
:17:54. > :17:58.Their medication on these have been put on hold, all they want to do is
:17:59. > :18:06.come out and lead a normal life. Do you think it is possible for this to
:18:07. > :18:11.resolve with the Iraqi government forces driving out IS without
:18:12. > :18:17.further civilian casualties? It is precarious at the moment. We call on
:18:18. > :18:23.all sides to protect all civilians especially children who were not
:18:24. > :18:27.party to this conflict. The situation has been precarious over
:18:28. > :18:35.the past few months, over 60,000 people have been displaced. Unicef
:18:36. > :18:43.have been providing water. A lot of the people have been displaced
:18:44. > :18:46.multiple times. There is always hope when heavy situation like this that
:18:47. > :18:49.once displaced and they are able to return back to their homes their
:18:50. > :18:55.normal lives will be able to continue. Some people might ask,
:18:56. > :18:59.Falluja is a city that has had a lot of problems for a long time, why
:19:00. > :19:04.people didn't get out earlier. It is difficult. Many B but did get out
:19:05. > :19:10.but those who were unable to leave have been stuck there for now for
:19:11. > :19:13.over two years. Many people further up the river have been stuck and
:19:14. > :19:19.unable to go back. This is where they live, this is their land, this
:19:20. > :19:23.is where their houses are and where their future lives. They are trying
:19:24. > :19:24.to stay as close to that as they can. We were not needed there. Many
:19:25. > :19:26.thanks. California Governor Jerry Brown
:19:27. > :19:28.on Tuesday endorsed Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential
:19:29. > :19:32.nomination, saying it was the only way to keep
:19:33. > :19:35.Republican Donald Trump out Mr Brown said he believes this
:19:36. > :19:39.is the only way forward to win the presidency and stop
:19:40. > :19:42.the dangerous candidacy He also said Hillary Clinton had a
:19:43. > :19:57.huge lead. Leading architects from across
:19:58. > :19:59.the globe are showcasing their ideas Among them is Lord Foster who,
:20:00. > :20:02.having already designed the world biggest airport in China,
:20:03. > :20:05.has taken up the challenge of building the world's
:20:06. > :20:07.smallest in Rwanda. The aim is to create a network
:20:08. > :20:10.of droneports to deliver medical supplies to some of Africa's
:20:11. > :20:13.most inaccessible locations. Lord Foster has been
:20:14. > :20:15.speaking to our Arts Editor, You could envisage a future perhaps
:20:16. > :20:24.where there were so many of these that the final footprint was bigger
:20:25. > :20:29.than the biggest airport. You look at the structure,
:20:30. > :20:32.you just think, compare it with a traditional structure,
:20:33. > :20:38.concrete, steel, thick, this is one It could be built locally,
:20:39. > :20:50.literally digging it out of the ground because it
:20:51. > :20:52.is only 8% concrete. What is the cultural
:20:53. > :20:53.and architectural I think the perceived answer
:20:54. > :21:04.to the needs of emerging communities has been to ship a ready-made
:21:05. > :21:11.solution and in a way to impose it, and that is not really sustainable
:21:12. > :21:18.in terms of transportation and there is no buy in so you either
:21:19. > :21:24.accept or reject it. It might be a tin shed,
:21:25. > :21:28.a prefabricated this or that. Think of a community,
:21:29. > :21:32.able to create something, to learn skills and to have
:21:33. > :21:37.ownership of it. Does this mark a moment
:21:38. > :21:44.in architecture where we are seeing the perfect marriage
:21:45. > :21:47.of the modern and ancient? What is interesting is that this
:21:48. > :21:55.fusion of tradition and cutting edge technology has produced something
:21:56. > :22:01.which is very delicate. It is beautifully thin and it seems
:22:02. > :22:06.to almost float on the ground. We think of of the drone
:22:07. > :22:11.as a killing machine. Here we think of it
:22:12. > :22:16.as a living machine. The lack of roads and railways
:22:17. > :22:21.and to be able to deliver cargo and medical supplies and do it
:22:22. > :22:27.quickly and cheaply using drone technology, which is now moving
:22:28. > :22:31.at such a fast rate. Bekoji, a small town
:22:32. > :22:41.in the highlands of Ethiopia, has produced some of the best runners
:22:42. > :22:46.in the world, including 16 Olympic medals and dozens
:22:47. > :22:49.of World Championships. The town of just under 20,000
:22:50. > :22:53.people is the home of some of Ethiopia's most renowned
:22:54. > :22:57.athletes, all discovered and trained by one man,
:22:58. > :23:00.coach Sentayehu Eshetu. The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza has
:23:01. > :23:05.visited the town to go for a run The new breed of young athletes
:23:06. > :23:12.in Bekoji begin their routine under the keen eye of coach
:23:13. > :23:15.Sentayehu Eshetu, a man who was discovered and trained four
:23:16. > :23:19.of Ethiopia's gold medallists. Today he has invited me to take part
:23:20. > :23:22.in the session. Three times a week they come to this
:23:23. > :23:26.forest that has previously been the training ground
:23:27. > :23:29.for the likes of Tirunesh Dibaba The training is intense,
:23:30. > :23:33.lasting up to an hour and a half. Some of these girls
:23:34. > :23:38.are as young as 11 and 12. But you can see their fitness levels
:23:39. > :23:42.are very high. They have been going down the slope
:23:43. > :23:47.for at least five times only Coach Sentayehu says the secret
:23:48. > :23:55.for Bekoji's success in athletics is the high altitude
:23:56. > :23:58.of about 2800 metres above sea level which helps in endurance,
:23:59. > :24:03.discipline and hard work. Already, he has seen potential
:24:04. > :24:07.in this group he trains Translation: We want them to be
:24:08. > :24:11.good athletes competing at the international level,
:24:12. > :24:14.representing their country. We will first get them in clubs
:24:15. > :24:17.and if they are capable of representing their country we will
:24:18. > :24:20.let them compete at a national level and then they will move
:24:21. > :24:24.on to the international arena. This place is, therefore,
:24:25. > :24:30.where they start by journey. But the training here is about much
:24:31. > :24:34.more than producing gold medallists. Coach Sentayehu is part
:24:35. > :24:37.of the unique scholarship programme that aims
:24:38. > :24:41.to give young female athletes life skills and an opportunity
:24:42. > :24:44.to further their education. Translation: I started running
:24:45. > :24:47.at elementary school When I finished school I joined
:24:48. > :24:51.athletes at the camp. Before leaving the camp I spoke
:24:52. > :24:54.to the manager to be part of his team because I wanted
:24:55. > :24:58.to have an opportunity to participate on the
:24:59. > :25:01.international stage for my country and to change the livelihood of my
:25:02. > :25:04.family. In future, I want to reach
:25:05. > :25:08.the highest level and help my family Coach Sentayehu acknowledges
:25:09. > :25:15.not everyone here will turn professional but it shows how
:25:16. > :25:19.a positive impact sport can have on the community,
:25:20. > :25:23.something this town Emmanuel Igunza, BBC
:25:24. > :25:32.News, Bekoji, Ethiopia. Now, after six decades in football,
:25:33. > :25:49.the only player ever to have won Strikes are causing disruption right
:25:50. > :25:52.across France. President Holland is refusing to withdraw the reforms
:25:53. > :25:57.which would make it easier to hire and dismiss workers. The writer
:25:58. > :26:01.states has warned of potential terrorist attacks during the
:26:02. > :26:07.football championships. Five. -- United States.
:26:08. > :26:14.Hello. They were big contrast of weather across the UK, some were
:26:15. > :26:18.fine and sunny and some of us were quite wet. Scotland and Northern
:26:19. > :26:22.Ireland will see the best of the sunshine on offer tomorrow. Here is
:26:23. > :26:26.the big picture through the middle of the week. Whether frustrated
:26:27. > :26:28.across England and Wales bring that cloud and