:00:00. > :00:00.This is BBC World News Today with me, Geeta Guru-Murthy.
:00:00. > :00:09.Flooding across much of France and Germany
:00:10. > :00:16.France declares a state of natural disaster in the worst hit areas,
:00:17. > :00:23.and the world most visited museum, the Louvre is closed.
:00:24. > :00:32.This is what the heavy rains have done here in this French town. The
:00:33. > :00:37.river has burst its banks. All the homes on one side of the river -- on
:00:38. > :00:41.the side of the river have been flooded. The people have been
:00:42. > :00:43.rescued. The authorities have declared this town to be in a state
:00:44. > :00:44.of red alert. The German Parliament says the mass
:00:45. > :00:47.killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago
:00:48. > :00:49.was genocide - Turkey withdraws its ambassador in protest -
:00:50. > :00:56.how will this further strain ties The world's greatest footballer
:00:57. > :01:01.Lionel Messi tells judges at his trial for tax fraud
:01:02. > :01:04.that he knew nothing Now imagine this -
:01:05. > :01:08.taking your baby home from hospital, only to find that it's
:01:09. > :01:09.the wrong one. We meet the family whose son was
:01:10. > :01:26.swapped at birth in El Salvador. Western Europe is being pummelled
:01:27. > :01:38.by appalling weather, with some areas experiencing once
:01:39. > :01:41.in a hundred year floods. At least nine people have died
:01:42. > :01:44.and several more are missing, while thousands more
:01:45. > :01:45.have been displaced. The floods have prompted mass
:01:46. > :01:47.evacuations in parts French President Francois Hollande
:01:48. > :01:50.has confirmed some of the worst affected areas in France will be
:01:51. > :01:53.declared natural disaster zones - opening the door for much
:01:54. > :01:55.needed relief funding. The town of Nemours,
:01:56. > :01:57.to the south of Paris had The bodies of at least five people
:01:58. > :02:05.have been found in the Bavarian town of Simbach am Inn, where
:02:06. > :02:07.more than 300 schoolchildren Meanwhile Paris's most
:02:08. > :02:10.celebrated museum, The Louvre, has closed to the public as rising
:02:11. > :02:13.waters from the Seine threaten Staff have been preparing to move
:02:14. > :02:21.some of the gallery's There have also been 8,000 rescue
:02:22. > :02:25.operations over two days between the Belgian border
:02:26. > :02:46.and the Burgundy region. The floods hit suddenly. This town
:02:47. > :02:51.in Bavaria was hit. The residents barely had time to react.
:02:52. > :02:57.TRANSLATION: We had any to -- barely any time to
:02:58. > :03:01.react. We saved ourselves by going into the attic and waved cloth. My
:03:02. > :03:06.grandson went onto the roof and the helicopter reacted. Thousands of
:03:07. > :03:09.homes have lost power. The authorities are trying to account
:03:10. > :03:17.for everyone. TRANSLATION:
:03:18. > :03:20.Adenomas, we have people missing in this town.
:03:21. > :03:25.We cannot give you exact amounts because they are constantly
:03:26. > :03:33.changing. The town across in France is dealing with similar scenes. This
:03:34. > :03:37.is what the rain has done in the city of Nemours. The river has burst
:03:38. > :03:42.its banks and all the homes on the side of the river have been flooded.
:03:43. > :03:47.The people have been rescued and the authorities have declared this town
:03:48. > :03:52.in a state of red alert. The centre of Nemours is underwater. The best
:03:53. > :03:59.way to get from one part to another is by canoe. One group of evacuees
:04:00. > :04:07.was taken across by truck. And in central Paris, the river Seine has
:04:08. > :04:10.risen dramatically. The museum the Louvre has taken the decision to
:04:11. > :04:14.remove artwork from its underground storerooms.
:04:15. > :04:17.Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Berlin after a vote by Germany's
:04:18. > :04:19.parliament to declare as genodice the mass killings of Armenians
:04:20. > :04:24.The row comes at a time when Germany is relying on Turkey to stem
:04:25. > :04:27.Armenia says more than one million Armenians were murdered
:04:28. > :04:34.Turkey disputes the figures and rejects the term genocide.
:04:35. > :04:38.Damien McGuinness reports from Berlin.
:04:39. > :04:43.It has been a day of commemoration for Armenians
:04:44. > :04:49.as the parliament in Berlin recognise as genocide the
:04:50. > :04:56.mass killings of their ancestors a century ago by Ottoman Turks.
:04:57. > :05:01.is the proof that it will never be forgotten if one commits
:05:02. > :05:06.Support for the resolution was overwhelming.
:05:07. > :05:12.Just one vote against and one abstention.
:05:13. > :05:15.A sign of just how popular the move is with German voters.
:05:16. > :05:18.It is seen as a human rights issue here but also part of
:05:19. > :05:37.In 1915, Germany was an ally of the Ottoman Empire and many of the
:05:38. > :05:51.speeches in Parliament today focused on German
:05:52. > :05:55.But the German government's move is controversial in Turkey
:05:56. > :05:57.where the killings are widely seen as part
:05:58. > :05:58.of the fighting during the
:05:59. > :05:59.break-up of the Ottoman Empire, not genocide.
:06:00. > :06:01.TRANSLATION: Nobody other than historians should discuss genocide.
:06:02. > :06:03.This isn't something you decide in Parliament.
:06:04. > :06:06.But if they say this is genocide, what they have been inflicting on
:06:07. > :06:08.the Turks for years would be the biggest genocide.
:06:09. > :06:10.Even today, there are people committing genocide in Myanmar.
:06:11. > :06:13.That is the worst kind of genocide, and no one even talks
:06:14. > :06:17.If you look at what Hitler did in Germany, what
:06:18. > :06:21.But of course, that would be if we had
:06:22. > :06:24.Turkey's political leaders are now warning that the issue will
:06:25. > :06:27.heighten tensions between Germany and Turkey at a particularly
:06:28. > :06:29.sensitive time when the unique Turkish help to solve
:06:30. > :06:34.TRANSLATION: I've just had a telephone call
:06:35. > :06:38.As a result of this, Al, decision is to recall
:06:39. > :06:52.This is in order to hold some consultation
:06:53. > :06:56.The resolution made by the German parliament will seriously
:06:57. > :06:57.affect relationships between our countries.
:06:58. > :06:59.After I go back to Turkey, we will also evaluate this
:07:00. > :07:03.issue and we will take necessary steps.
:07:04. > :07:04.For German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the timing could
:07:05. > :07:09.Her allies in Berlin hope that because Turkey also wants to
:07:10. > :07:22.make the migrant deal work, that this
:07:23. > :07:24.explosive issue won't get in the way.
:07:25. > :07:29.I want to make clear in the presence of the Secretary General of Nato
:07:30. > :07:31.that there is a lot that binds Germany to Turkey.
:07:32. > :07:34.And even if we have a difference of opinion on an
:07:35. > :07:36.individual matter, the breadth of our links, our friendship and our
:07:37. > :07:45.Starting with defence issues and many other issues.
:07:46. > :07:47.And last but not least, the 3 million Turkish
:07:48. > :07:51.Germany is home to 3.5 million people with a Turkish immigrant
:07:52. > :07:53.background, some of whom have been demonstrating against recognising
:07:54. > :07:59.The worry is that the issue could also create tensions
:08:00. > :08:01.not just between Berlin and Ankara, but also within
:08:02. > :08:06.Germany's vote follows similar resolutions in France,
:08:07. > :08:10.So how is it likely to influence Turkey's relations with Germany
:08:11. > :08:14.Joining me from Washington is Nelli Babayan.
:08:15. > :08:22.She is with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
:08:23. > :08:28.Thanks for joining us. The timing is extraordinary. Why was it put before
:08:29. > :08:36.Parliament at this moment, given what else is going on? In terms of
:08:37. > :08:39.the migrant deal and so on. It was a strong symbolic gesture and it may
:08:40. > :08:45.serve as an example for other states. Germany has come to terms
:08:46. > :08:50.with its past and recognise its behaviour and it is part of
:08:51. > :08:52.reconsideration and progress in international relations. The
:08:53. > :08:56.resolution does not condemn the Turkish people or the current
:08:57. > :09:03.government. And this post was originally scheduled for last year
:09:04. > :09:10.but was put on ice due to Germany's coalition apparently due to worries
:09:11. > :09:17.about annoying the Turkish generations. Turkey decided to
:09:18. > :09:25.recall its ambassador but they did the same when France recognise the
:09:26. > :09:30.genocide and Russia. But history shows they send back the ambassadors
:09:31. > :09:35.after a few weeks. So do you think this will affect the long-term
:09:36. > :09:42.relationships between Germany and Turkey, or not? I think the answer
:09:43. > :09:48.would be that it will not affect the relations. Because of course Germany
:09:49. > :09:55.and the European Union benefit from the refugee deal but Ankara also
:09:56. > :10:00.benefits from that deal. It receives additional funding from the European
:10:01. > :10:07.Union and it may receive Visa free travel and eventual European union
:10:08. > :10:12.membership. It will not have strained relations with Germany. If
:10:13. > :10:17.it is rational. But people feel these things on an emotional level.
:10:18. > :10:22.Obviously, all sides who are involved in this and this is a very
:10:23. > :10:26.fragile moment, it could not just affect Germany's relations with
:10:27. > :10:30.Turkey but also the wider EU relations, with the Brexit vote here
:10:31. > :10:36.in Britain and Turkish freedom of movement throughout the continent,
:10:37. > :10:40.it is a potent question. And also a reminder of previous trains between
:10:41. > :10:46.Muslims and Christians. I wouldn't go that far to say this is a drain
:10:47. > :10:53.between Muslims and Christians. It may slightly strain German- Turkish
:10:54. > :10:56.relations, but I don't think it will strain relations with the European
:10:57. > :11:01.Union and the representatives of the EU today said that they will work
:11:02. > :11:05.with Turkey based on the march agreement of the refugee deal and
:11:06. > :11:09.this is a symbolic gesture by the German parliament. It does not
:11:10. > :11:10.condemn neither the Turkish people nor the Turkish government. Thank
:11:11. > :11:12.you very much. Now a look at some of
:11:13. > :11:19.the day's other news. A court in India's Gujarat state has
:11:20. > :11:22.convicted 24 people over The incident at the Gulbarg housing
:11:23. > :11:26.complex, happened during weeks of the inter-communal riots
:11:27. > :11:28.in Gujarat, that saw more India's Hindu nationalist Prime
:11:29. > :11:31.Minister, Narendra Modi, led Gujarat at the time
:11:32. > :11:33.of the riots. He has denied persistent allegations
:11:34. > :11:39.that he condoned the violence. In France, rail strikes over
:11:40. > :11:41.the government's proposed labour reforms have continued
:11:42. > :11:43.for a third day. Fears of complete transport chaos
:11:44. > :11:45.eased when air traffic controllers called off a walkout and a subway
:11:46. > :11:48.strike in Paris France is hosting the Euro 2016
:11:49. > :11:52.football championship later this month where millions of fans
:11:53. > :11:57.are expected to attend matches. A study has found a strong link
:11:58. > :12:00.between a man's waist size and his chances
:12:01. > :12:02.of developing prostate cancer. Researchers say men are more at risk
:12:03. > :12:05.if they measure at least 37 inches That's about 94 centimetres -
:12:06. > :12:13.which is the average in the UK. Football star Lionel Messi has
:12:14. > :12:15.appeared in court in Barcelona today The Barcelona and Argentina player
:12:16. > :12:21.is accused of having hidden money from the Spanish authorities
:12:22. > :12:23.by using tax havens Lionel Messi is accused of having
:12:24. > :12:34.knowingly avoided paying over $4.5 million in taxes relating to money
:12:35. > :12:38.earned from his image rights between The money in question was sent
:12:39. > :12:45.abroad to countries such as Belize and Uruguay,
:12:46. > :12:48.meaning the Spanish authorities The player appeared in court
:12:49. > :12:53.alongside his father, Jorge, who has handled his finances
:12:54. > :12:56.in the past and is also Lionel Messi has already
:12:57. > :13:02.paid back the money to the Spanish Treasury
:13:03. > :13:05.as well as a fine. However, he has insisted
:13:06. > :13:07.he did not realise he was doing something illegal
:13:08. > :13:09.and it was his father This trial will decide
:13:10. > :13:16.whether or not the Argentine forward, who recently won
:13:17. > :13:18.the Spanish league and cup titles with Barcelona,
:13:19. > :13:21.consciously broke the law If found guilty, the five-time world
:13:22. > :13:28.Player of the Year could face a 22-month prison sentence
:13:29. > :13:37.although he would not be expected to serve it, given that it
:13:38. > :13:40.would be a first offence. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel
:13:41. > :13:47.says Britain will have a better deal if it can wield power,
:13:48. > :13:49.and influence, from within the European Union,
:13:50. > :13:51.rather than from outside. Speaking at a press conference
:13:52. > :13:53.in Berlin, she said it was obviously up to the people of Britain
:13:54. > :13:56.to decide whether to remain But she pointed out that London
:13:57. > :14:01.needed to be at the negotiating table, helping to make the rules,
:14:02. > :14:04.if it wanted to get the full TRANSLATION: I believe that
:14:05. > :14:11.when we sit together within the European Union,
:14:12. > :14:14.all the different national states, the UK and all the others,
:14:15. > :14:18.can input what is important to them So it is much easier to negotiate
:14:19. > :14:30.with them than from without. Staying with the EU referendum,
:14:31. > :14:36.a group of more than 140 prominent Europeans have signed
:14:37. > :14:38.what they describe as a "love letter" to the British people to try
:14:39. > :14:41.and persuade them to vote to remain part of
:14:42. > :14:43.the European Union. The signatories include scientists,
:14:44. > :15:01.sports stars, actors, They said it certainly isn't a
:15:02. > :15:07.manifesto Oriole look lecture -- or a lecture. They are calling it a
:15:08. > :15:11.love letter. Signatories include football manager Arsene Wenger,
:15:12. > :15:16.actress Isabella Rossellini, and a member of the pop group ABBA. They
:15:17. > :15:20.say they respect the right of the British people to decide whether to
:15:21. > :15:24.stay or leave the EU, but they stressed they are bonded to the UK
:15:25. > :15:30.not just by treaties but by admiration and affection. Will
:15:31. > :15:34.Britain decide to cut its ties with the European Union? You'll just have
:15:35. > :15:42.to wait until 24th of June to find out.
:15:43. > :15:48.Our political correspondent Rob Watson joins me now.
:15:49. > :15:58.Who is on this list and is anyone going to pay any attention to them?
:15:59. > :16:05.I'm not going to saying. Let me deal with Angela Merkel while we're doing
:16:06. > :16:10.with European interventions. One wondered if she was going to
:16:11. > :16:14.interfere, and does this indicate a certain nervousness in Berlin? But
:16:15. > :16:19.onto the letter, I never thought I would use this word "Sweet" in the
:16:20. > :16:24.context of the European referendum but this does seem a rather sweet
:16:25. > :16:31.letter. One of the signatories is Raymonde blog, -- Raymond blanc, who
:16:32. > :16:35.started his first restaurant near where I'm sitting now. I will say
:16:36. > :16:40.one thing about the intervention from Europe and the letter. I
:16:41. > :16:43.suspect that this letter reminds people that the debate isn't just
:16:44. > :16:47.about immigration and economic, there is an element of the human
:16:48. > :16:52.bond but I suspect that it reaches out to people who have already made
:16:53. > :16:56.up their minds to stay. I suppose it may have some effect on the fringes.
:16:57. > :17:00.But for those who have really made up their minds the other way, to
:17:01. > :17:09.leave, they are more worried about the hundred and 50,000 net migration
:17:10. > :17:14.from Europe than the 150 people who have written the letter. It is
:17:15. > :17:21.interesting who is also on board, the RSPB got on board, saying that
:17:22. > :17:29.they felt nature benefited by Britain staying in the EU. They
:17:30. > :17:35.remain camped -- the Remain campaign have had a big push on immigration
:17:36. > :17:39.this week. The two campaigns, they have focused on their core messages.
:17:40. > :17:51.The Leave campaign has focused rain much on immigration -- has focused
:17:52. > :17:55.very much on immigration. And as you would imagine, those championing the
:17:56. > :18:00.cause of stay keep going on about the economic, saying come on, it
:18:01. > :18:03.would be absolutely crazy to leave the single market. And I think you
:18:04. > :18:08.will hear more and more of that and a bit less of the love letter 's and
:18:09. > :18:13.the RSPB and any other animals in the three weeks to come. Expect lots
:18:14. > :18:20.and lots on immigration and lots and lots on the economy and not much
:18:21. > :18:24.singing. And the BBC asking Boris Johnson, who is spearheading the
:18:25. > :18:29.Leave campaign, that he seems to be setting out an alternative set of
:18:30. > :18:32.ideas and policies, lots of people saying obviously if David Cameron
:18:33. > :18:37.loses this vote, he is out and borrowers could be the next British
:18:38. > :18:41.Prime Minister. A lot hinges -- and Boris Johnson could be the next
:18:42. > :18:48.British Prime Minister. In lot hinges on this boat. Yes, you could
:18:49. > :18:52.say that David Cameron is treading a fine line between triumph if he wins
:18:53. > :18:57.this referendum as well as the one on Scotland, as well as disaster.
:18:58. > :19:03.Britain Mace is a big choice, we have faced a choice like this since
:19:04. > :19:07.1975, the last referendum. But alongside that is this huge
:19:08. > :19:12.political turmoil that could follow a vote to leave or possibly a vote
:19:13. > :19:18.to stay. So it is not just about Europe, it is about domestic
:19:19. > :19:24.politics and an enormous amount of stake there. That is why everybody
:19:25. > :19:25.is trying to stay -- everybody is getting heated, we will try to stay
:19:26. > :19:28.calm! A British father and his wife
:19:29. > :19:31.who were given the wrong baby by a hospital in El Salvador have
:19:32. > :19:34.finally been allowed to return home Richard Cushworth,
:19:35. > :19:39.who lives in America, and his Salvadoran wife Mercy,
:19:40. > :19:42.had DNA tests carried out to prove the child they were given
:19:43. > :19:44.last May wasn't theirs. Now, a year later they've finally
:19:45. > :19:47.got a birth certificate It was only when they landed
:19:48. > :19:53.in Dallas that it sank in. A year after their son had been
:19:54. > :19:56.taken from them, nine months after they had been reunited,
:19:57. > :20:00.they were finally back home We are overwhelmed,
:20:01. > :20:07.we are happy, we feel safe. She had given birth in her native
:20:08. > :20:11.El Salvador to this child but he was taken to the hospital
:20:12. > :20:15.nursery and the next day the wrong The child did not look like them
:20:16. > :20:22.and four months later she took It was impossible
:20:23. > :20:32.that that was your son? Impossible.
:20:33. > :20:34.0.0%. And how did you feel at
:20:35. > :20:36.that moment? The thought that the baby I had been
:20:37. > :20:47.nursing, taking care of, loving him, bathing him,
:20:48. > :20:54.that he was not mine. Then I had another thought
:20:55. > :20:59.which came with it - He was in El Salvador
:21:00. > :21:04.with another family. The children were
:21:05. > :21:07.switched back last year. It has taken the Cushworths
:21:08. > :21:10.since then to get Moses' birth Taking nine months to get paperwork
:21:11. > :21:16.for this child has been probably the most painful part
:21:17. > :21:19.of the entire process. It has forced our families to be
:21:20. > :21:24.separated for nine months. It has almost bankrupted us
:21:25. > :21:28.financially. They still want answers as to why
:21:29. > :21:34.the babies were swapped US media is reporting that tests
:21:35. > :21:52.show the singer Prince died The 57-year-old was found
:21:53. > :21:57.dead in April at his The day before his death Prince had
:21:58. > :22:02.sought help from a specialist doctor The official autopsy and toxicology
:22:03. > :22:11.results are yet to be made public. A dagger buried alongside the mummy
:22:12. > :22:15.of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun was made with iron that came
:22:16. > :22:17.from a meteorite, The weapon was one of a pair
:22:18. > :22:25.of daggers discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1925,
:22:26. > :22:28.but the origin of its unrusted iron blade has baffled scientists,
:22:29. > :22:31.because such metalwork Dr Joyce Tyldesley is
:22:32. > :22:46.an expert in Egyptology Thanks very much for joining us. How
:22:47. > :22:53.do they know that this was from a meteorite? By testing the content of
:22:54. > :22:57.the iron, we can see it is very rich in nickel. I'm from meteorites is
:22:58. > :23:02.rich in nickel so that shows it is from a meteorite rather than from
:23:03. > :23:06.terrestrial iron. There is terrestrial iron in Egypt, but at
:23:07. > :23:11.this point it was not being used at all. And how significant is this
:23:12. > :23:15.finding? It is interesting, because we have always wondered about this
:23:16. > :23:22.dagger. There are other iron objects in Tutankhamen's two, and they are
:23:23. > :23:29.not very well made and very small. This is beautiful and very well
:23:30. > :23:34.made. If it had not been made in Egypt, it could have been made by
:23:35. > :23:38.people outside Egypt and sent to him as a gift or even to his
:23:39. > :23:41.grandfather. We know from diplomatic correspondent at the time that his
:23:42. > :23:47.grandfather was sent a beautiful dagger. There is a lot of mystery
:23:48. > :23:57.around the death of Jews in common. I have visited the extraordinary
:23:58. > :24:08.sight -- of Tutankhamen. I have visited the extraordinary Cyril
:24:09. > :24:15.site. And as -- the extraordinary sight where he is buried. They were
:24:16. > :24:19.from iron from the sky and they believed it was some sort of message
:24:20. > :24:22.from the gods. They also believed in the Egyptian history at some point
:24:23. > :24:28.that the bones of the gods were made from metal so maybe this metal was
:24:29. > :24:34.connected to a God, maybe the got Seth. It would have been very
:24:35. > :24:36.precious material and also a religious material and also
:24:37. > :24:41.practical because it was a cutting-edge. To have these so close
:24:42. > :24:46.to Tutankhamen, in sizes bandaging, maybe it is there because it is an
:24:47. > :24:54.heirloom and very valuable, but also it could be because it was very
:24:55. > :24:59.valuable -- used in his mummification. Thank you very much.
:25:00. > :25:02.The final design for a plastic ?5 note has been unveiled
:25:03. > :25:05.It features Britain's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill,
:25:06. > :25:07.and will go into circulation in September.
:25:08. > :25:10.For the first time, the notes will be made of plastic,
:25:11. > :25:15.The Bank says the plastic banknotes will be cleaner and more durable,
:25:16. > :25:18.and harder to counterfeit than the current paper notes.
:25:19. > :25:20.It does admit that they may initially be prone
:25:21. > :25:40.I wonder if we will be talking about that for as long as Tutankhamen's
:25:41. > :25:41.dagger. We have a lot more in the next 30 minutes. We will be going to
:25:42. > :25:43.the United States. Hillary Clinton,
:25:44. > :25:44.the Democratic Party's frontrunner for the presidential nomination,
:25:45. > :25:47.is about to make what's been billed as a major speech on foreign policy
:25:48. > :25:50.at a rally in San Diego, We'll be bringing you that live
:25:51. > :26:02.on BBC World, so stay with us. Hello, as has been the case
:26:03. > :26:06.so often in recent days,