this is bbc america, and now live from london, "bbc world news." be. >> hello, i'm david eades with "bbc world news." our top stories, ukraine can follow poland's example with the west's support. the message president obama is expected to deliver in a speech in warsaw shortly. freedom after five years held in eastern afghanistan. the taliban released video showing the handover of u.s. soldier bowe bergdahl. chinese forces on display in tiananmen square 25 years after the crushing of the pro democracy movement. this is the scene live in west minister where the queen prepares to outline the british

government's next legislative program amid it the traditional pomp and ceremony. hello. thanks for joining us on "bbc world news." president obama has met is the president elect of ukraine petro poroshenko on the second day of his trip to poland. he said they discussed a plan for reducing ukraine's energy dependence on russia and how the u.s. can help train the ukrainian security forces. this all comes ahead of a major speech that mr. obama is due to make in the next few minutes, in fact, as part of a ceremony to mark 25 years since the end of communism in poland. this is the stage setting. come rove ski, poland's

president speaking now, cataloging poland's move, transition from the communist ear rat which ended precisely 25 years ago to today when it can count itself among the market democracies showing huge signs of stability over the course of the last 25 years. it is a timely moment for president obama to be in eastern europe, given the travails that have faced ukraine in the last few months. the tensions with moscow once again, and an opportunity once again to reassure perhaps central eastern european countries that this part of the world still remains as mr. obama said yesterday, sacrosanct in washington's mind. our correspondent adam eaten is in warsaw following events. >> president obama has chosen warsaw to come here to deliver a speech because of its symbolic

nature. 25 years ago, poland overthrew the dominance of moscow. it held the first partially free elections in the former soviet bloc. the pro democracy movement solidarity won all the seats that they contested and communism was over in poland. within months the berlin wall had collapsed. for president obama, the message today is going to be that that story, that polish success story has resonance for the region today, especially for ukraine. for example, in 1990, the ukrainian and polish economies were about the same size but with the consolidation of democracy in poland, with the support of the west, economic growth and prosperity for polish people, the economic -- the economy of poland is now three times the size of ukraine. and so president obama will be saying that if democracy can be consolidated in ukraine, the unity of the country can be kept

intact and with the support from the west, then ukraine can also emulate this polish success story. >> in warsaw as cam rof ski continues his address, not just to president clinton who is in the audience but indeed, clearly to the nation and probably to the west, as well. he's just thanking president obama at there point. perhaps we can listen in for a moment to what president kom ror mof ski is saying. >> translator: our actions. i also wish to thank the ones who helped us to manage our freedom wisely to reinforce it. i wish to thank the people who lived in the free world and who believed in us, who lent us

support in our endeavors to have poland -- in the western world through the membership of nato and the european yoon. i wish to thank all free people nowadays, the ones who show understanding to those fighting for freedom and sovereignty. >> come more rove ski speaking ahead of an address which has been marked as a significant moment for president obama in his efforts to reassure central eastern europe that their part of the world still very much on america's map, and we will pick up with president obama as soon as he takes to the stage there in warsaw. let's catch up on other news. the taliban have released a video showing the moment the american soldier sergeant bowe bergdahl was handed over to u.s. forces in eastern afghanistan.

he is seen dressed in traditional afghan clothing sitting in a pickup truck. he was held for nearly five years after being seized by taliban militants in june, 2009 as emily buchanan reports. >> reporter: the handover choreographed and filmed by the taliban. somewhere in the remote borderland with pakistan, sergeant bowe bergdahl arrived blinking after five years of captivity. he's guarded by heavily armed members of the haqqani network, a pakistan-based group closely allied to the taliban. then a black hawk helicopter lands. two of the fighters lead the soldier towards his countrymen. this is thought to be the first

time the americans have met with the haqqani network. it the commentator said they wanted to have a little exchange, but the americans were taking no chances. there was no conversation, just a handshake. it's impossible to know what sergeant bergdahl may be feeling. his release is not straightforward. members of his platoon say he was a deserter, and the exchange with five leading insurgents from guantanamo has boosted taliban morale. the video ends with the warning if he comes back to afghanistan, he will be killed. emily buchanan, "bbc news." >> china has deployed thousands of police and pair military forces in tiananmen square and across the capital beijing on the 25th anniversary of the brutal repression of student protests there. hundreds were killed as their

call for democratic reforms was met with thanks and bullets. chinese authorities are preventing any commemoration of the anniversary and have detained more than 60 activists and blocked access to social media sites. i spoke to the china editor carrie gracie in beijing and jewel and nap lu in hong kong. i began by asking whether there was any outward recognition at all of what happened in beijing 25 years ago. i understand and here he is, president barack obama is just moving center stage in warsaw, 25 years since the end of communist rule in poland. an opportunity for him to restate america's commitment to central and eastern europe. >> hello warsaw. [ speaking foreign language ] hello, warsaw. [ speaking foreign language ]

mr. president, mr. prime minister, madame mayor, heads of state, and government, past and present, including the man who jumped that shipyard wall to lead a strike that became a movement, the prisoner turned president who transformed this nation, thank you lech walesa for your outstanding leadership. distinguished guests, people of poland, thank you for your extraordinary welcome and for the privilege of joining you here today. i bring with me the greetings and friendship of the american people. and of my hometown of chicago, home to so many proud polish americans.

in chicago, we think of ourselves as a little piece of poland. in some neighborhoods, you only hear polish. the faithful come together at churches like st. stanislav koska. we have a parade for polish constitution day. and every summer, we celebrate the taste of poe loania with our kielbasa and pierogis. and we're all a little bit polish for that day. so being here with you it feels like home. now, 25 years ago today, we witnessed a scene that at had once seemed impossible. an election where for the first time the people of this nation

had a choice. the communist regime thought an election would validate their rule. or weaken the opposition. instead, poles turned out in the millions, and when the votes were counted, it was a landslide victory for freedom. one woman who voted that day said there is a sense that something is beginning to happen in poland. we feel the taste of poland again. and she was right. it was the beginning of the end of communism. not just in this country, but across europe. and images of that year are seared in our collective memory. citizens filling the streets of

budapest and bucharest. hungarians, austrians cutting the barbed wire border, protesters joining hands across the baltics, czechs and slovaks in their velvet revolution. east berliners climbing atop that wall. and we have seen the extraordinary progress since that time. a united germany, nations in central and eastern europe standing tall as proud democracies, a europe that is more integrated, more prosperous and more secure. we must never forget that the spark for so much of this revolutionary change, for this

blossoming of hope was lit by you, the people of poland. [ applause ] history was made here. the victory of 1989 was not inevitable. it was the culmination of centuries of polish struggle. at times, in this very square. the generations of poles who rose up and finally won independence, the soldiers who resisted invasion from the east and the west, the righteous among the nations, among them john car ski who risked all to save the innocent from the holocaust. the heroes of the warsaw ghetto who refused to go without a fight.

the free poles at normandy and the poles of the home army who even as the city was reduced to rubble waged a historic uprising. we remember how when an iron curtain descended, you never accepted your fate. when a son of poland ascended to the chair of st. peter, he returned home, and here in warsaw, he inspired a nation with his words, there can be no just europe without the independence of poland. and today, we give thanks for the courage confident catholic church and the fearless spirit of saint john paul ii. [ applause ] we also recall how you prevailed 25 years ago. in the face of beatings and

bullets, you never wavered from the moral force of nonviolence. through the darkness of martial law, poles lit candles in their windows. when the regime finally agreed to talk, you embraced dialogue. when they held those elections, even though not fully free, you participated. as one solidarity leader said aid at the time, we decided to accept what was possible. and so poland reminds us ha sometimes the smallest steps, however imperfect, can ultimately tear down walls. can ultimately transform the world. [ applause ] and, of course, your victory that june day was only the beginning. as your president just

indicated, democracy is more than just elections. true democracy, real prosperity, lasting security, these are neither simply given nor imposed from the outside. they must be earned and built from within. and in that age old contest of ideas between freedom and thor tearism, between liberty and oppression, between solidarity and intolerance, poland's progress shows the enduring strength of the ideals that we chir risch as a free people. here we see the strength of democracy. citizens raising their voices free from fear. here we see political parties competing in open and honest elections. here we see independent judiciary working to uphold the rule of law.

here in poland, we see a vibrant press and a growing civil society that holds leaders accountable because governments exist to lift up their people, not to hold them down. here we see the strength of free markets and the results of hard reforms. gleaming skyscrapers soaring bob the city and superhighways across this country, hi-tech hubs and living standards that previous generations of poles could only imagine. this is the new poland you have built. an economic miracle. [ speaking foreign language ] here we see the strength of free nations that stand united and across those centuries of struggle, poe land's fate too

often was dictated by others. this land was invaded and conquered and carved up and occupied, but those days are over. poland understands as few other nations do that every nation must be free to chart its own course, to forge its own partnerships, to choose its own allies. had year marks the 15th anniversary of poland's membership in nato. and we honor polish service in the balkans and iraq and afghanistan, and as americans, we are proud to call poland one of our strongest and closest allies. [ applause ] so this is the poland we celebrate today. the free and democratic poland that your forbearers and some who are here today dreamed of

and fought for and in some cases died for. the growing and secure poland that you, particularly the young people who are here today, have enjoyed for your entire lives. it is a wonderful story, but the story of this nation reminds us that freedom is not guaranteed. and history cautions us to never take progress for granted. on the aim day 25 years ago that poles were voting here, thanks were crushing peaceful democracy protests in tiananmen square on the other side of the world. the blessings of liberty must be earned and renewed by every generation, including our own. and this is the work to which we rededicate ourselves today.

our democracies must be defined not by what or who we're against but by a politics of inclusion and tolerance that welcomes all our citizens. our economies must deliver a broader prosperity that creates more opportunity across europe and across the world especially for young people. leaders must uphold the public trust and stand against corruption, not steal from the pockets of their own people. our societies must embrace a greater justice that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human being. and as we've been reminded by russia's aggression in ukraine, our free nations cannot be complacent in pursuit of the vision we share. a europe that is whole and free and at peace. we have to work for that. we have to stand with those who

seek freedom. [ applause ] i know that throughout history, the polish people were abandoned by friends when you needed them most. so i've come to warsaw today on behalf of the united states, on behalf of the nato alliance, to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to poland's security, article 5 is clear, an attack on one is an attack on all, and as allies we have a solemn duty, a binding treaty obligation to defend your territorial integrity, and we will. we stand together now and forever for your freedom is ours. poland will never stand alone. but not just poland. estonia will never stand alone.

latvia will never stand alone. lithuania will never stand alone, romania will never stand alone. these are not just words. they're unbreakable commitments. backed by the strongest alliance in the world and the armed forces of the united states of america, the most powerful military in history. and you see our commitment today. in nato aircraft in the skies of the baltics, in allied ships patrolling the black sea, in the stepped up exercises where our forces train together, and in our increased and enduring american presence here on polish soil. we do these things not to threaten any nation, but to defend the security and territory of ourselves and our friends.

and yesterday, i announced a new initiative to bolster the security of ournate oh allies and increase america's military presence in europe, and with the support of congress, this will mean more prepositioned equipment to respond quickly in a crisis and more exercises and training to keep our forces ready, additional u.s. forces in the air and sea and on land, including here in poland, and it will mean increased support to help friends like ukraine and moldova and georgia provide for their own defense. [ applause ] just as the united states is increasing our commitment, so must others. every nato member is protected by our alliance and every nato member must carry its share in our alliance. it is the responsibility we have

to each other. and finally, as free peoples, we join together not simply to safeguard our own security but to advance the freedom of others. today, we reaffirm the principles for which we stand. we stand together because we believe that people and nations have the right to determine their own destiny, and that includes the people of ukraine. robbed by a corrupt regime, ukrainians demanded a government that served them, beaten and bloodied they refused to yield, threatened and harassed they lined up to vote, they elected a new president in a free election because a leader's legitimacy can only come from the consent of the people. and ukrainians have now embarked on the hard road of reform. i met with the president elect poroshenko this morning, and i told him that just as free

nations offer support and assistance to poland in your transition to democracy, we stand with ukrainians now. ukraine must be free to choose kits own future for itself and by itself. [ applause ] and we reject account zero sum thinking of the past. a free and independent ukraine needs strong ties and growing trade with europe and russia and the united states and the rest of the world. because the people of ukraine are reaching out for the same freedom and opportunities and progress that we celebrate here today. and they deserve them, too. we stand together because we believe that upholding peace and security is the responsibility of every nation.

the days of empires and spheres of influence are over. bigger nations must not be allowed to bully the small or impose their will at the barrel of a gun. >> president obama in the polish capital warsaw offering reassurances to countries of central and eastern europe on american commitments. you're watching "bbc world news." he couch, you could be hanging ten. what are you waiting for? seize the summer with up to 40% off hotels from travelocity. so here's the story of new lancaster. the year is 1890. milton hershey has a killer recipe for caramel. flash forward milton's recipe is reimagined into buttery rich, smooth, surprisingly soft cremes. it's new lancaster. it's caramel reimagined. still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables

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paul, obviously he likes his history and he's dwell the on that for a while. i imagine poles in particular will be looking for the real specs, the nuggets within be that, as well. >> indeed. i mean you're right. this is a man who adores history. he's a man who brings historians to the white house periodically to get their perspective how he's doing and what the future holds. and, of course, this was the perfect spot at a perfect moment to talk about the situation in eastern europe and to talk about that and also of course, about ukraine. and that was the central point of his speech. that much reference to solidarity using the name of the party that won the election 25 years ago as the very principle on which the west should be responding to the crisis in ukraine. of course, the poles do want some specifics. we know there's a certain amount of impatience in the polish

government, the foreign minister sec core ski has talked about some of this talk about beefing up america's military presence as i think the phrase he used was virtual deployments. the poles would like to see slightly more concrete perhaps even permanent u.s. presence. >> do you think they've got anything to be a bit more satisfied of that. there was a talk of more american soldiers in poland. >> yeah. the one thing there is not going to be is the establishment on the soil of the former eastern bloc of permanent u.s. military bases. that would be a step too far. so that's not going to happen, but he is talking, president obama that is, about this european reassurance initiative up to a billion dollars if congress approves it to help a number of countries in the region. he mentioned moldova and georgia in that list to beef up their security. it comes on top of the white house saying that they're going to improve the level of military

assistance to the government in key eb, including for the first time night vision equipment and body armor. so it does feel like a stiffening of u.s. resolve. >> and i suppose also the reference to article 5 in nato which effectively means you attack one of us, you attack all of us, we'll always come to your defense, that received a resounding round of approval, didn't it. >> it did. >> as you would expect but still important. >> yeah, and including in that reference to article 5 estonia, latvia, lithuania, romania, all other countries in that eastern region who might be feeling a degree of understandable apprehension at what's been going on in ukraine. i think behind all this of course of, is a very concerted level of u.s. diplomat sit, you know, they can beef up their military presence in eastern europe. they can talk about the next round of sanctions but they're holding off for now because all the focus is going to be on efforts to get vladimir putin

and the u ukrainian president to meet and it's thought that the americans are trying to push for that possibly to happen in france during the d-day celebrations at the end of the week. vladimir putin is going to be there. the americans haven't said if president obama is planning to meet him. it's thought that angela merkel, probably david cameron and francois hollande will be there. but i think what the americans would like is some show that vladimir putin can hold a dialogue with the new ukrainian government of president poroshenko. if that were to happen in france at the end of the week, i think that would be a rather more telling event than anything that happened in warsaw today. >> just one last reflection on president obama perhaps, and he has not had a comfortable foreign policy ride, has he, in the course of his time in the white house? i suppose his supporters would see this as another opportunity to put the right foot forward and to show leadership

because.would say that is what has been lacking in the american approach under obama. >> i think what his critics have said among republicans and some others for a long time now is here is a president who is retreating. a president who is extracting the united states from those long and costly military engagements in iraq and afghanistan. rightly so. but also not showing the necessary resolve as they saw it in response to the arab spring and also perhaps not showing sufficient backbone when it cops to this crisis in ukraine. i think the president would argue that the world is a slightly more complicated place than it was when george bush was running u.s. foreign policy and that a degree of subtlety even if that sometimes feels like weakness and compromise is frankly the order of the day. >> paul, thanks very much indeed for that. a bit more ceremony for you now because here in the uk,

queen elizabeth is opening a new session of parliament. it's a ceremony always rich with pomp and pageantry. this is actually going to be the queen's last speech before the next general election which is in may 2015. the government's draft legislation to include reforms to pensions and child care subsidies as well as give voters the power to remove failing members of parliament. that may prove to be a popular decision. let's just listen in to the queen's speech. >> my ministers will implement measures to increase further the personal allowance and to freeze fuel duty. measures will be brought forward for a married couple's allowance which will recognize marriage in the tax system. legislation will be introduced to help make the united kingdom the most attractive place to start, finance and grosjean a business. the bill will support small

businesses by cutting bureaucracy and enabling them to access finance. >> the sequin there running through the list of legislation that will be brooched over the course of the coming session. let's get some more on that because we can speak now to rob watson who joins us from west minister. rob, we enjoyed the ceremony always. it's quite a thin old speech in certain respects this time, isn't it? too. >> it is. i have to say david, it is the pomp and ceremony. you've missed the best nonpolitical bits, the bits where they search the palace of west minister to make sure no one's plotting to blow them back up. so you've missed all that. we'll bring you right up to speed. >> we have to blame president obama for that. >> he didn't know. he's a great admirer of this kind of ceremony himself. you've missed some of those bits but it will happen next year and the year after. to get to your question, thin in

some regards, yes. it's not absolutely packed with brand new laws but i think the way to see this, to set this in context is if you like it, it's a book mark. this marks the beginning of an extremely potentially interesting year in british politics because if you think about it, what we have between now and the next 12 months, a referendum in scotland, something that could profoundly alter the constitution, the shape of this country, something to bear in mind on a day like today, a ceremony gag back to the 16th century and, of course, we have a general election. so what's been in the queen's speech is the government framing if you like the hand that it's offering to the voters saying look, the committee in britain is on the right track. it's pretty bad in other parts of the world. stick with us. we've got some good things going. the job isn't done yet. so this with all the ceremony and all the pomp and everything else, actually this year it really does mark the beginning of a lot of interesting politics. >> it's a good point.

if the referendum in scotland is a decision ultimately to break away from the uk, would that mean that the queen's speech per se is virtually irrelevant to the scotts? >> you would be getting well above my pay grade there, david. no, i don't think so, not in the first instance. you have to remember certainly what those campaigning for a yes in scotland don't want to get rid of the queen at all. they would very much want to retain her as their head of state. and, of course, this ceremony would continue. but i think we're getting way ahead of ourselves. plenty of campaigning still to go in scotland. some 16 weeks, and the polls suggesting that for the time being at least if the polls are right that the queen will remain at the head of a united kingdom. >> rob, thanks very much indeed. rob watson. maybe we'll have that discussion in a few moments time. >> absolutely. okay. the taliban have released a video showing the moment the american soldier sergeant bowe

bergdahl was handed over to u.s. forces in eastern afghanistan. he seemed dressed in traditional afghan clothing sitting in a truck where he would held for nearly five years in all after being sized by the taliban in june 2009 as the bbc's emily buchanan reports. >> the handover choreographed and filmed by the taliban. somewhere in the remote border land with pakistan, sergeant bowe bergdahl arrives. blinking after five years of captivity. he's guarded by heavily armed members of the haqqani network, a pakistan-based group closely allied to the taliban. then a black hawk helicopter lands. two of the fighters lead the soldier towards his countrymen.

this is thought to be the first time the americans have met with the haqqani network. the commentator said they wanted to have a little exchange, but the americans were taking no chances. there was no conversation, just a handshake. it's impossible to know what sergeant bergdahl may be feeling. his release is not straightforward. members of his platoon say he was a deserter and the exchange with five leading insurgents from guantanamo has boosted taliban morale. the video ends with the warning if he comes back to afghanistan, he be killed. emily buchanan, "bbc news." >> the military in pakistan say two soldiers have been killed and another three wounded when two border posts with afghanistan in the ba jar tribal district came under fire early on wednesday. it follows an incident on sunday

when pakistani forces killed 16 suspected militants after a series of attacks on military checkpoints near the afghan border. the bbc has more on the attacks. >> actually, there have been some updates today, as well. the pakistan foreign office has just come out with a strong statement. they're calling the attacks on the side of the border unprovoked and also asked kabul to you know, to take some steps to stop the use of its territory against pakistan. so we've seen skirmishes like this across the border in the past, as well. it's a very porous border. what often happens is it leads to an exchange of words and a blame game between the two countries. >> but is this getting worse, or is it just this on going rumble of trouble? >> well, as i mentioned the skirmishes do take place from time to time, but this is the

third incident across border attack to happen the last ten days and also we've seen a number of changes with the pakistani taliban just about a week ago, they factionlized into two groups and you know, the military has last week launched major air strikes you know on alleged taliban sanctuaries killing almost 60 suspect suspected militants. there has been an expectation tensions would increase. >> the latest there. president due ma rousseff is warning that her government in brazil will simply not tolerate turmoil during the world cup. it starts in just over a week's time. protests have been taking place nationwide as well as at a friendly match with panama. the authorities are doing what we can to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes which overshadowed the con federation cup a year ago as alpha patel reports. >> tensions are running high in

brazil. this is the car park outside a world cup stadium in the central city of guyiania. the brazilian team are playing a friendly against panama, but the mood is less than friendly outside. this banner reads too bad brazil, but i cheer for education. even the media aren't -- protesters accuse the police of being heavy handed. they use weapons that cause injuries. they spray pepper spray in my eyes. that's no good. but the country's president had stern words for anyone trying to disrupt the tournament. >> translator: we won't allow there to be any kind of turmoil to impede people from going to the world cup. the demonstrations are completely lawful. what is not lawful, what is not democratic can rioting, destroying private and public property. >> preparations for the world

cup have been beset by anti-government protests mainly because of its price tag, around $15 billion mainly from the public burst has been spent. protests ares are angry that more money wasn't spent on health care, education and housing which they say would help address deep social inequalities and poverty. this is what the government is trying to avoid. a year ago, the con federation world cup was marred by demonstrations and violence. that strength of feeling was not seen here. but with just over a week to go, there is real nervousness that the headlines also once again be dominated by events off the pitch. alpha patel, bbc news. >> you're watching "bbc world news." coming up in a moment, why the mayor of venice has been arrested along with dozens of other officials. it's all to do with new blood barriers built to protect the city.

you're watching "bbc world news" with me david eades. the latest headlines is, president obama has hailed poland as a democratic example for ukraine to follow in a major speech and celebrations in warsaw to mark the 25th anniversary of the end of communism in the country. the taliban have released a video showing the handover of the u.s. soldier bowe bergdahl to american forces after five years of captivity in afghanistan. >> china has deployed thousands of police and paramilitary forces in tiananmen square and indeed across the capital beijing on the 25th anniversary of the brutal repression of student protests. hundreds of people lost their lives as the call for democratic refors was met with thanks and bullets. the chinese authorities are preventing any commemoration of

the anniversary on the mainland and detained more than 60 activists and blocked access to social media an sites. i spoke to carrie gracie in beijing and to julianna lu in hong kong. first i asked carrie if there was any recognition at all as to what happened in beijing 25 years ago. >> the only recognition is in the noncelebration as you've been describing or the noncommemoration of that will anniversary. the fact that the square is so heavily peopled with police, there's a little bit however on social media in terms of commemoration on we chat people posting messages to mark that 25th anniversary. but openly, it's a too dangerous for those who would wish to commemorate it, and also many people just getting on with their life 25 years on, some of the younger generation simply don't know that there was such an event in chinese history or else they don't know the much about it, and others are know

about it but some take the view even those who were there at the time some take the view that it's too far ago in history. it's not wise to reopen the wounds. they need to get on and live for today. >> carrie, you tweeted the political theater of the absurd i think was the phrase you used to describe the way in which the authorities are cracking down on social media. what sort of lengths are they going to in is. >> well, all kinds of expressions are being blocked on social media. images of candles, the number 6 and 4, even expressions like between spring and summer. references to blood, references to a square, references to tank man. of course, the iconic picture of one unarmed protester standing in the way of a column of thanks. so anything that the authorities think could in any way be regarded as relating to the events of june 4th is blocked today. >> carrie, thanks very much

indeed. julianna in hong kong. you know, we've just seen pictures of nothingness really coming from the mainland. what can we expect in hong kong? >> well, david, it's a completely different picture here. hong kong is a chinese city but it's also a special administrative region and under the terms of its return from britain back to china in 1997, it maintains a high level of autonomy. there's freedom of speech and freedom of expression here and in just a few hours we're expecting tens of thousands possibly hundreds of thousands of people to flock to victoria park for the annual candlelight vigil remembering tiananmen square 25 years ago given it's a special anniversary this year, we're expecting to see more people than we have in other years, and there they will be listening to speeches by pro democracy leaders here in hong kong. there will be bands singing pro democracy songs. so the people here in hong kong

are very proud of the fact they're able to mark such a sensitive anniversary on chinese soil. >>ulian na liu in hong kong also speaking to carrie gracie. if you go on to twitter, go to carrie's account @bbc carrie. you can see her 25 tweets on why tiananmen still matters. the mayor of venice along with 30 other people has been arrested over corruption allegations. mayor george ji orsoni is being claimed over claims of bribery during the public tender process for new flood barriers built to protect the city. almost 80 of these barriers will be used to shut off the venice lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and storms. the city can suffer from flooding several times in a year. alan johnson spoke to me about those arrests just a short time ago. >> we're talking here in this

flood barrier project of a really coloss sol scheme, hugely important, $7 billion worth of engineering, the biggest project of its kind ever undertaken in italy and for about three years now, the financial police here in italy have been looking into what they believe is the mishandling of some 20 million euros which they believe were directed to pay bribes to politicians and others and this morning, italians waking up to the realization they really do have a major bribery scandal on their hands in the ancient city of venice. the mayor arrested and at this moment under house arrest along with him another 35 people detained and 100 more apparently being investigated. we're expecting a press conference fairly soon, and i should say that the mayor's lawyers are protesting his innocence. >> alan, i guess it's fair to say italians are not unused to corruption scandals and

allegations. is this one really off the scale? >> you're absolutely right, david. italians painfully familiar with almost any major public works project ending up tangled up in the most appalling bribery allegations being dragged through the courts for years. this is an endless source of shame right at the core of the italian malaise, if you like. but this is something a little extra perhaps even by italian standards. there was huge affection for venice, a great sense it needs to be protected from the ravages of the sea not just for italy but for the world. this is an extraordinary city. it's sinking very slowly into the mud of its lagoon. there's talk of rising sea levels and so on and these barriers are designed to favor. the people most closely associated with the project have been simply raking off cash be. >> campaigning is kicking off in indonesia to elect a new president to lead what is

southeast asia's largest economy. the race is heating up it seems. jakarta's governor seen as very clear favorite is now facing a tough enough challenge from the former general. our correspondent has the details. >> this is a gathering of people who are involved in the student activism in 1998 that brought an end to a dictatorship in indonesia and led to the birth of democracy. so these people, the choice between the two candidates is clear, the man they're supporting widoro will be making an appearance here shortly is seen to be a humble man of the people who is approachable and willing to listen to the people. the opponent former general sobianto was the head of the army's special forces under the

dictatorship of so har toe. people here say he should have been held responsible for some of the human rights abuses committed by the special forces under his command. he has denied all the allegations and even reinvented his reputation to a certain extent as someone who fights for the poor. much like the candidate haas being endorsed by people here. so while the background and personalities of the two candidates may be vastly different, their policies and visions seem to be quite similar. so i asked some people around the city what they expect from their new leaders. >> translator: i want a new president to make the country better. do not sleep on the job and not be corrupt. >> translator: i want the new president to be closer to the people. as a candidate, he seems to be doing it, but i don't know whether that's just for the campaign. i hope whoever wins will actually listen. >> a lot of expectations from

particularly young people here for whoever gets to be the next leader of the country to do something different from what their predecessors have done. two candidates have one month to try rye to convince the voters they're the right man for the job. bbc news, jakarta. >> we'll stay with us here on "bbc world news." gnt with tim kill cox coming very soon. you need to see this. show 'em the curve. ♪ do you know what this means? the greater the curvature, the bigger the difference. [sci-fi tractor beam sound] ...sucked me right in... it's beautiful. gotta admit one thing... ...can't beat the view. ♪ introducing the world's first curved ultra high definition television from samsung. ♪ 800,000 hours of supercomputing time, 3 million lines of code,

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