>> west african leaders threaten force against laurent gbagbo if he does not step down as president of ivory coast. christians around the world began to celebrate christmas. and snow continues to paralyzed parts of europe. the cold snap continues into christmas. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. coming up later for you -- white church leaders in iraq urged worshipers to keep -- why church leaders and iraq urged worshipers to keep celebrations low-key. and could shoppers and commuters benefit from two lanes of pedestrian traffic?

the west african regional grouping ecowas has given the incumbent president of ivory coast and ultimatum. laurent gbagbo has been told to stand down or face "legitimate force." this came after disputed election results last month. ivory coast is locked in an election standoff in which 200 have been killed. we of this. >> in the un-protected enclave, military action has been called for to drive laurent gbagbo from power. >> violence has resurfaced in our city. serious violations of human rights have been reported. during the curfew, people were abducted and executed by elements of the republican guard. i have asked the international criminal court to send a mission

to our country in the next few days. >> but that would be a risky strategy. their other main weapon is to make it impossible for the current president to govern by turning off the economic taps. the key decision was thursday, by finance ministers from the african economic military union. they transferred state accounts to mr. ouattara. now it will be extremely difficult to pay civil servant salaries, including government soldiers. laurent gbagbo still has the public backing of the army, but the moment he cannot pay their salaries, he will be weakened. december is the busiest month for cocoa exports which will provide the incumbent with much- needed revenue. but the harvest is coming to an end. the economy has come to almost a

complete halt over the last few weeks. many foreign businesses like france telecom have it sent expatriate staff overseas. of course, the people worst hit will not be the politicians, but the ordinary citizens. when it becomes apparent laurent gbagbo's administration lacks the financial power to govern, many hope a political settlement can be reached. bbc news, ivory coast. >> after making an unprecedented appearance on british airways, the pope is facing more outcry as he opposed mass. we have this. >> they say is the largest turnout in a decade. thousands converged in bethlehem. jerusalem's latin patriarch will

be holding a mass at the church of the nativity, where jesus is believed to have been born. over in rome, the pope is leading proceedings. he is celebrating mass in st. peter's basilica, of late renaissance church situated in the vatican. earlier, he appeared on of flagship british radio show. the broadcast was secure after months of negotiation between the bbc and the vatican. >> i take this opportunity to greet you once again and all listeners everywhere as we prepare to celebrate the birth of christ. >> and now he hopes the message of peace will reach here and here. already the palestinian president has expressed hope for the new year. >> seeking peace, and the

master and this is jesus. we wish that next year will be the year of peace by establishing the independent palestinian state with jerusalem as its capital, living side-by- side with the israeli state in peace and security. >> the focus remains on the future with a celebration of the past. bbc news. >> those religious celebrations are ongoing. we will take you live to the church of the nativity in bethlehem where thousands have been converging on the west bank. the most senior roman catholic cleric in the middle east is celebrating mass at the church, built on the site where christians believe jesus was born. he is thought to offer a message of peace. meanwhile at the vatican, pope benedict's is celebrating mass at st. peter's basilica. they were in a festive mood in

the italian capital. children were eating candy floss. the key things going on in bethlehem -- what has been going on for the last several months now -- the iraqi christian settlements have come under attack. 50 killed in the month of october when security forces attacked a church in baghdad to free dozens who had been held hostage. those are the latest pictures from bethlehem and rome as well. staying in europe to, snow continues to paralyzed transport. passengers were evacuated as a precautionary measure because of too much snow on the roof of the terminal building. icy weather conditions that disrupted flights in belgium with severe delays in germany and poland. james francis kelly reports. >> this is christmas 2010 in

charles de gaulle airport. blankets have been brought in for stranded passengers. >> we've been cost to arrange accommodation for people -- we have been asked to arrange accommodation for people stuck in the airport tonight. >> around 35 flights were canceled this afternoon. authorities say there is a shortage of deicers for the planes. to add to their problems, passengers were asked to leave the terminal while staff removed ice from the roof. in 2004, the roof collapsed. >> i am tired and worried, especially for the babies because they have not slept well. we do not know when we will get away. >> air france's head of operations at charles de gaulle

has apologized to customers and staff. >> and the city -- and as a help sorry i can to passengers and stopped. i can assure you i have not seen anything like this and in the past 10 years, but we are doing everything we can to get things moving. >> at brussels airport, a similar mood of frustration and disappointment. heavy snowfall caused numerous delays and cancellations. the authorities said only one runway was opened. >> despite our efforts, there is nothing we can do to change the fact that there is no all over europe. there are capacity problems. even if flights can take off to other airports, they will not necessarily be able to land on the other side. >> some passengers give up all hope of a christmas family reunion. >> for the first time in my life and what to spend christmas with my grandchildren, and i cannot. and it is bad.

i am disappointed. >> authorities in poland warned of delays because of heavy fog. visibility dropped to 200 meters at one point. published in german icebreaking boats have been out on the river, crushing the water. in germany, 5 to express trains carrying seven under -- 5 express train carrying 700 passengers were stopped overnight between hamburg and berlin. there is little seasonal cheer for passengers facing the prospect of spending christmas day at an airport terminal. jane frances caylee, bbc news. >> more the top stories for you this hour. an explosion in nigeria killed eight. this is an area in nigeria where sectarian clashes have taken place and in the past. details are still coming in. heavy rain has brought further devastation to parts of colo

mbia. at least 12 have been killed in a southwestern town. the country is entering its previous season in 14 years. there have been coordinated attacks along the pakistan- afghanistan border. at least 20 taliban were killed. the military was beaten back. the russian parliament, that is the dim, has given initial approval to the start nuclear arms pact to the u.s. the treaty was ratified by the u.s. senate on wednesday. the authorities in kenya, uganda, tanzania, in burgundy have issued alerts over -- and burundi have issued other to cover possible terror attacks over the christmas holiday. this is because of an islamist group called al-shabab that has

absorbed a smaller rival. >> the struggle for power in somalia has often been a local dispute with neighboring countries increasingly concerned the islamist threat has crossed borders. the two main islamist groups in somalia have fought for territory, but now they have joined. >> after successive meetings of relentless debate between the leadership of both groups, the day which we have been waiting for has finally arrived. i did unity. a day of understanding and gathering and one as. >> the group's control much of central and south somalia. >> this is protected by a 3000- strong african union force, and

the countries that sent the troops that al-shabab as promised a first attack. it is unlikely to make a difference in mogadishu. troops will be boosted by 50%. in kenya on monday, an explosion was blamed on al- shabab. kenya, tanzania, uganda, in burgundy have all issued alerts. -- and burundi have all issued alerts. >> somalia is seen by the west as a breeding ground for islamist militants. that threat was underlined in australia this week were three men were convicted of plotting an attack against the army base.

according to prosecutors, one it visited somalia to seek approval. -- one visited somalia to seek approval. bbc news. >> you are watching "bbc world news." still to come -- how people are coping with this rare condition. >> i would love to have my old voice back, but it goes way beyond. >> police in india have raided the homes and offices of the chief organizer of the delhi the commonwealth games on charges of corruption. ed the western city that he represents in parliament -- the allegations came to light as the budget for the games -- $15 billion, up from an estimated $412 million. from delhi, our correspondent. >> the raids took place on five

different properties. authorities were looking for evidence. this man is at the center of it all. he has been forced to resign from his post and the governing party. but he insists he is innocent. he says he never took any decisions alone, also that he only ever had control of 3% to 4% of the total budget. he is refusing to be the scapegoat. >> he certainly gained a lot of publicity, and that will be helpful for the government. over the past few months it has faced a huge criticism from the opposition that accused it of presiding for -- presiding over a massive corruption scandal. >> third in protest in parliament over allegations that $14 billion were lost and the issuing of mobile phone licenses this.

-- licenses. until recently, the government was feeling pretty confident. the commonwealth games changed that. it was supposed to be india's chance to show up to the world. instead it showed its old weaknesses. bbc news, delhi. >> to check out our website for more news when everyone -- bbc.com/news. you can keep right up-to-date with our future plans. you can check our facebook page. "bbc world news live from london. i am peter dobbie. west african leaders have threatened force against laurent gbagbo if he does not step down from the presidency of the ivory coast. and christians around will begin their celebration. >> we will try to take you back to what is going on in rahm of

the later on "bbc world news." in the meanwhile, will look at many church services in iraq. they have been canceled. church leaders have urged believers to keep services to a minimum after a group affiliated with al-qaeda threatened fresh attacks. iraq's already dwindling christian community is facing an exodus. we have this. >> the congregation is a shadow of what it was. more than 40 worshipers were killed when a suicide bombers stormed the church and the last day of october. since then, many more have left the country. this woman was in church that evening. she saw her husband, her son, her daughter in law, and her three-month old grandchild killed. she says she wishes she had died

as well. >> i am confused. part of me was to stay in iraq, but the other part of me says, no, you have to leave. >> after the attack here at the end of october, they erected a blast walls. they increased security. of course these measures came too late for the worshipers who died here that day in for many other christians it will take a lot more than concrete barriers to convince them they are still safe. >> following a spate of recent attacks, thousands of christian families are said to have fled to the relative safety of the north. those left behind an warned by christian leaders to keep their celebrations low-key. some church services have been canceled.

this woman decided at the last moment not to attend that faithful service two months ago. the christmas decorations here are hidden behind closed doors. across iraq, christians face a terrible dilemma -- stay and face the possibility of attacks, or leave the country of their birth. officially, the church says they should stay, but for priests and parishioners come up the situation is nearly impossible. >> if i say you should stay, then they ask, can you guarantee my safety? my family's safety? that up my children? but -- that of my children? what can i say when i cannot guarantee my own safety? >> there have been christians here almost since the birth of the religion itself. people still face terrible daily

violence, whatever their creed. gabriel gatehouse, bbc news. >> for many, it is the last date for christmas shopping, but can you bear to do elbow to elbow battle on a crowded paybacks the problem -- on a crowded pavement? the problem arises when people want to window shop. one solution might be a slow lane for shoppers and a fast lane for commuters. >> though, dear. christmas and new year. not a good time to use the pavement if you are a commuter, because there are too many shoppers. not good for shoppers either, really, because, well, there are too many commuters. so an idea -- how about a shopping -- a slow lane for shoppers and tourists and a fast plane for everyone else? for a nation that loves to

queue could it be a sensible solution? or is it frankly balmy? we took over one of the busiest streets and in the world to find out. >> shoppers in the slow lane. commuters on in the fast lane. >> i think we went down the wrong lane. we went down the fast lane, didn't wait? >> take the slow lane. >> very good idea. people are walking four abreast. >> please do not go out more than 4 miles an hour in the slow lane. madam, you're going to slow. you're in the fast lane. >> would you go into the lane you were told to go in? >> i would go into the lane i thought was appropriate, not necessarily where i was told to go. >> ridiculous as it may seem,

the idea is actually a serious proposition. the company that represents the big shots your once be fast and slow lanes to be made permanent. >> they cannot enforce said. we are not a local authority. we can educate people. i think this experiment seems to be successful and popular. more of that and less of this. >> you're going to fast for the slow lane. thank you. >> you can get around people. it is fine. >> indeed, while the authorities decide whether the idea is anything more than a bit of fun, shoppers may pass a verdict by voting with their feet. bbc news. >> question time -- how would you feel if he woke up with a voice that made you sound like you had a foreign accent? that is exactly what happened to

k. russell from the u.k. our reporter has been back to meet her and a friend who shares the same rare neurological condition. >> in january this year, something extraordinary happened to kay russell. after a serious migraine attack, she will be speaking with a french accent. >> my voice is deeper than a used to be. i know it sounds totally different. >> to get an idea how she used to sound, she sent me a d d from a few years ago. -- dvd from a few years ago. >> when i see that, i see the person i used to bait. it is not my voice. i would love to have my old voice back. but it has gone way beyond my

voice. >> kay has a foreign accent central, a neurological disorder. it happens when people suffer damage to the part of the brain that controls speech. the condition is actually a speech impediment that the listener interprets as a foreign accent. since we first broadcast her story, others have come forward with a foreign accent syndrome. >> it was nice to see there was somebody else with this condition. >> sarah caldwell from plymouth speaks with what sounds like a chinese accent. >> people make you feel very bad. i cannot fit in. it is not just about the accent. you can not express yourself.

when you do this, you sound foreign as well. >> how does it make you feel? tell me how you feel about this. how do you think i feel about this? >> a meeting. >> good to see you. >> sarah and kay have become like sisters, talking to each other several times a day. >> it is good to have someone understand what it is like to have this condition. she knows how i feel. she knows what i think, knows what i feel. she is there. >> agreed to exchange a lot of laughter as well -- we do exchange a lot of laughter as well.

the important thing is to laugh with each other. when we get angry is when people laugh at us. >> they have now started the foreign accents and drum association, a charity to get help to other the sufferers. >> i do not want anyone else to be any situation where they find themselves, they wake up one day, or you know, find themselves with foreign accents and drug and not have any access to information, not know what is wrong with them. >> there is no cure for foreign accent syndrome, but thanks to sarah and kay, there is hope. >> we will wrap up this half- hour of "bbc world news." we have live pictures from the church of the nativity in bethlehem. the palestinian president hopes

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