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>> tens of thousands stranded in australia as a town is completely cut off by flood waters. allies of of rape coast leader china says it has the technology to reprocess spent fuel providing energy for its future. welcome to "bbc world news". later, is the full face veil a threat ? the man steven spielberg called the best actor in the world died at age 64.

cost -- in australia, floods have turned parts of queensland into a lake. 200,000 people affected so far. rivers are still rising. the town of rockhampton is looking like an island. >> this is supposed to be the sunshine state. it is beautiful one day and perfect the next. that must sound like a sick joke now to the people of 20 towns and cities. in rockhampton, a coastal city of 75,000, waters from the river closed the airport and cut the main highway leading to the

state capital. with the city cut off from virtually every direction, rockhampton looks almost like an island surrounded by an inland sea. the flood waters have not peaked. that will happen over the next $36 -- 36 hours. planes are delivering vital supplies. >> contingency plans are being made to move food by barge or helicopter in. >> residential streets have been turned into lagoons. though locals are able to get about using local boats. >> the street is lined with the community is ruined remains. >> these images were sent in by an english teacher. as he returned to what is left

of his and rolled home. >> will not able to live here. this house is ruined. >> pete -- three people have been killed and 10 have lost their lives since the rain started in november. this has been a slow building crisis. now it is reaching its peak. >> police in israel have arrested two palestinians working for the british consulate in easter's lun i am connection with an alleged terror plot. they're accused of buying weapons for and report -- an attack on a stadium. >> a spokesperson for the foreign office confirmed to employees who worked at the british consulate in east jerusalem did not have specific high security clearance. they have been arrested.

the arrest was subject to a gag order. there were concerned with specific alleged plot to organize some sort of rocket or missile attack on a football stadium in the heart of jerusalem. the home of the local football club and a number of other sporting activities go on there. police say a number of people in the last few weeks were arrested. even though this club never got past the planning stage, two of those were employees at the british consulate in east jerusalem. >> we will leave it there for the moment. thank you for that update. >> acceptant amnesty and step down or face military action. that seems to be the message from ivory coast neighbors to laurent gbagbo who has been

refusing to accept the loss. his spokesman has warned the region will burn if foreign troops are sent in to overthrow him. >> ivory coast has been a country with extravagant protocol. this in the african leader -- visiting african leaders have a tough message. it almost became political theater. visiting presidents became plain earnest and were greeted with a characteristic embrace. hear, the men and women hold cabinet meetings as though there

were running the country. this is also theater. he may have been condemned by the international community but he still holds most of the reins of power in this country the situation has become a test of the commitment to the outside world, especially to africa. leaders have taken on a high risk strategy by calling on laurent gbagbo to leave and threatening military action if he does not. what do africa's leaders do next? if they follow through on using force, civilians could suffer. african governments who contribute to military force could cause a backlash against their own citizens.

>> some other news for you. pakistan's prime minister is meeting opposition leaders to head off a possible no- confidence vote. a key partner has left the coalition. the government faces losing its majority. the party has announced it is going into opposition. the emergency talks have been held. 80 people were killed and three survivors found.t the yemeni government said most were illegal immigrants. a judge has ruled in favor to set up media companies from outing homosexuals. china has taken a step forward.

it i it is building several power stations. >> chinese scientists have been working on this technology for 24 years. state television says they have perfected a procedure that would allow them to use recycled fuel. china is not the first country to develop its own processing facility. france and india are countries that already have their operations. this will have major implications in china. they're building a number of new power plants in an effort to diversify energy sources.

it mostly relies on cold. this latest development could help its nuclear power program. the country currently has claimed that its process could mean the uranium supply will last thousands of years. quex in the u.s., california has sworn in jerry brown as its governor. is not entirely new to this job. he was the youngest governor california had ever had. california has a history of electing powerful leaders. he warned of austere times ahead and a different leadership style. one of france's most notorious politicians is retiring. he managed to win th.

the battle is on to succeed him. the name of one has a familiar ring. >> for 50 years, he ruled one of the most successful and feared ultra-nationalist movements. now at the age of 82, is ready to step aside. >> we are carrying on this fight. i do not think anyone can do it. >> he is not the first chance of the ultra-catholics.

she is pro-abortion. she is personable and difficult to dislike. there is someone to stand in her way. hthey are the same on immigration. >> we think it is normal that the french are preferred to aliens. >> some of the traditionalists prefer him. it is his daughter who could one day achieve the unthinkable. the nightmare scenario for opponents is one of these candidates could progress to the second round.

in 2002, center left voters voted for jacques chirac. in the past, the nationale was happy being a party on the fringe. >> to win the presidential election is the goal. to come to power with new ideas. >> a recent poll suggested they would come third. onebetter than her father in 20.

a new country joins the performance car club. latvia has suffered one of the worst economic crises in europe but it has found a new way to pull in foreign money. >> opulent architecture is not the only thing here. foreign property buyers can also get a you residency rights enabling free travel across europe. the owner of this building tells me russians have reacted particularly enthusiastically. the hope is that cash from abroad can help them cope with tough austerity measures. nex>> who will pay those taxes?

foreign buyers. >> the new law has had a big impact on the property market, giving it a real boost. almost half have sold. most of these are russian buyers. these nationalists say there is an influx of russian investment witwhich will increase russia's influence. some worry that free travel could be abused by criminals. >> we are giving people opportunities to reside here for people who will do it. >> are the property buyers are

vetted, the law remains controversial. money from abroad is helping. >> let's bring you up-to-date on the latest headlines. australia's military aircraft are flying in aid to areas of flooding. african leaders have been asking laurent gbagbo to step down. coptic christians are on high alert. sunday's suicide bombing in egypt is the latest in a series of attacks. anti-terrorism police are investigating threats made against coptic christian churches. they have received threats on

line. clashes overnight with police. >> she is burned over much of her body. the nurses have to move her. it is not easy to watch. in the next bed, her mother is suffering her own agony. >> whoever did this, they're not human beings. they're not people. they are animals. >> dr. samir shows me the bits of shrapnel he has removed. the bomb was packed with nuts and bolts. this was the moment on friday when the bomber struck. inside the church, the explosion near the blue in the doors.

outside in the street, carnage. 21 allied dead. 90 others were injured. today, the churches sealed off behind a wall of hundreds of riot police. too little, too late, according to most christians. there has been sporadic violence between agents muslims and christians for years but never before has there been an attack on the scale that took place here saturday morning. whoever planted the bomb outside the church behind me appears to have wanted to have deliberately inflamed tensions and hatred between the 8 million christians and 70 million muslims. elders made a public display of unity. they're blaming the bombing on foreigners. and on the streets, the crowds of protesters or in no mood to hold hands. they're angry and they want

revenge. a few days away, the fear among egyptian christians is the bombers may be prepared to strike again. >> like so many governments around the world, syria is taking action against what it sees as islamic conservatives. they have been excluding teachings and banning the full face veil in university classrooms. the government is worried an islamic revival may threaten secular identity. >> it is the end of the four days and today, she is writing about children rights. -- reading about children's rights. >> the government wants to

promote a more secular education. this may be a one-party state with a secular government, but most people are still muslims. with little political freedom, more young people are turning to religious leaders for answers. students from different backgrounds mix freely. muslim women are increasingly choosing to cover their heads. it is the full face veil that is of concern. its growing popularity has led the government to ban it in the classroom. >> this decision should not have been taken. i was really upset at first.

it is a personal choice to wear the become -- veil. >> there are different views from different backgrounds. almost everyone concerned said this is a personal choice. some people here think that by this decision, many women who wear it may be prevented from continuing their higher education. they have a secular identity. >> as you know, we live in a country which you may find 1 million people descended from 30 solicitations -- civilizations.

>> secular young people are enjoying the seasons. this has become a popular place to meet visitors. playing with sick in public -- music in public. >> if you have a few hundred thousand dollars to spare and you are looking to pay for a super car, consider a small company based in russia. we have been checking out how it measures up to the more familiar names like sorey and porsche. >> cheap, economic, unreliable, and fashionable. things might be about to change.

different in appearance and size. this is the first ever all luxury sports car. and here, buyers are lining up. with $132,000 price tag, this car is cheaper than many other high-end sports cars. >> the phrase "russian super car" seemed absurd. the russians are capable of producing something that nice. >> error dynamic and sleet. -- aerodynamic and sleek. there is extra toys. cameras that transmit live

images inside. the technology is not all russian. compared to traditional cars, this is a business. it might be if easier to find business. >> pete postlethwaite has died at the age of 64. he was once described by steven spielberg as the best actor in the world. his response was typical of the man. nex>> pete postlethwaite was bon

in warrington and got his taste for performing when serving as an altar boy. he trained dent bristol before moving to a theatre. instantly recognizable, he stood out as a character actor. his presence elevated the role he played. you simply could not miss him. he was always in demand on stage and screen. he was nominated for an oscar. he went on to star in a string of films that were critical and successful.

steven spielberg described him as the best actor in the world. he left off, saying, it sounds like an advert for lager and it is one man's opinion. he had he was a great talent an irreplaceable. >> wildlife experts in arkansas are solving the mystery of what killed thousands of birds in b eebe. the bodies are being tested to find out the cause of death. much for four -- much more for you on the international news.

>> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations.

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