>> and now, "bbc world news." >> hanging on for dear life, she survived, but hundreds are dead in the floods in brazil. tension builds as security forces open fire on demonstrators. the italian front minister suffers a setback after the judge's amend a law shielding him from persecution. coming up later, the rising cost of food and fuel we will report on a global problem, and genetically modified to beat the disease. these chickens are engineered to render a bird flew harmless superior region -- bird flue

harmless. the brazilian president has been to the scene of the flooding that has claimed more than 400 lives. thousands have been made homeless. the mountains around the rio have seen more than a month's rainfall in 24 hours a rate of the death toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers -- in 24 hours. the death toll is expected to rise significantly >> her house collapses. a live line is thrown. she takes the plunge. she is tired on, but the dog is swept away. people played with her to hold on, and astonishingly, she is told to save the carrier the

torrents of floodwater have been ripping through without a warning. >> we shouted please help us very good >> the flooding took only seconds. i lost everything, says this woman. this is a poor region, and a flimsy and buildings did not stand a chance. this man lost his life -- his wife. in one town, fire fighters were overwhelmed. when people heard the sound of cracking in a building, they hurried away. the dangers are far from over. this is a landscape scarred by floods. only last year, mudslide claimed dozens of lives. in january, 60 people died.

the problem is always exacerbated by overcrowding and illegal construction in steve to rain. >> this oil is saturated by too much rain and and and and and and not -- the soil is saturated by too much rain. they are on hillsides, and this is something with those conditions. >> the death toll keeps rising. if there have been some successes. a baby boy was found alive in the wreckage. his father was saved, but the mother is feared dead. >> our correspondent is in the southeast of brazil. >> this may look like a river, but it is not here i get it is a

street. -- it is not. it is a street. notice the windows. they are devastated by the stream of blood that came down the hillsides. this is one of the worst- affected districts. this place is cut off from the rest of the country. there are no phone lines working and no electricity. >> street -- has also been affected by flooding -- sri lanka has also been hit by flooding. the rain has stopped, but water levels continue to rise. 21 people have died. later we will have our report from brisbane and the impact of flooding. end he says he will not seek a

new office in 2013. earlier, security forces opened fire on demonstrators in tunis, killing or wounding several of them. in other towns across tunisia, violence continued, fuelled by unemployment and poor living standards. >> gunfire and violence have shaken the capital of one of north africa because most stable nations. protests and anger from young tunisian who feel marginalized from what they consider to be corrupt rulers. >> none of us have any work or money. we will carry on processing until we bring down the government. demonstrators began a month ago.

today protesters terrorize the center of the capital. this is the combination of years of resentment. many of these feudal our graduates. now they come with no jobs. these people are angry, and they feel the government does not care about them. tunisian authorities say 23 people have died in four weeks. it is many more than that you're a good government attempts have been circumvented by people using social media websites. these pictures have been widely circulated on the internet. after an emergency meeting this afternoon, the president spoke to an increasingly skeptical

nation. he said he told the army not to fire live ammunition and that he would tackle inflation. the price of food has soared. this is evidence that few people can afford to buy fish. people are frightened to voiced dissent. he did not want to show his face. now he said he had no faith in the government because of corruption. there is a dawn to dusk curfew. the source of revenue is now under threat. >> have been more attacked in the ivory coast of the crisis over the disputed election continues.

people love set fire to you in vehicles in the capital. karen allen reports during your -- reports. >> this is the latest trophy, a u.n. vehicle set alight in the commercial capital. these men despise the peacekeeping troops, who they claim are backing a rival. >> it is an opportunity for us to show we can also take action, and this is neither the first or the last, but each day we were here, and we burned 10 cars. >> 3 un peacekeepers have been injured in the past few days, a move that has been condemned internationally. un troops are trying to run the

country from this hotel and now find themselves dragged into the crisis. he is considered by most of the world as the legitimate and winner, but his rival is refusing to cede power. for the last few days the neighborhood has come under attack. people fled for their lives when security forces sealed the area off and moved in with weapons, hunting down rubbles they claim. this has been seen as one of the most provocative aspects of the time the un has been forced to retreat. you in patrols have been restricted. with u.n. forces considered -- you win patrols have been restricted. with un -- un patrols have been restricted. they are meeting to review their

threat, and they face calls for the size of action who keep ivory coast from slipping into action. >> the polish prime minister has admitted: ferris most of the response ability for the air crash that killed -- has admitted that poland takes most responsibility for the aircraft that killed the president. he said he was concerned by the political context of the russian investigation and wanted more polish input. lebanon is the state of political limbo. responses to the resignation of 11 ministers of hezbollah and its allies. the lebanese president has asked the prime minister to stay on as caretaker. colombian police say they can -- they caught someone with links to drug cartels.

the man known as condor was in charge of getting aircraft to land on illegal runways to transport cocaine. the international olympic committee has granted donna. they have tried to persuade it to change -- half b -- have banned. -- ghana. the prime minister berlusconi can no longer benefit from a blanket immunity from prosecution while he is in office. this means corruption trials may now resume. >> this was the piece of paper with the decision on silvio and berlusconi. would it continue his prosecution or lift it, it went for both they treated it as a

victory anyway, saying no one should be above the law, even if they are running a country. the court said mr. berlusconi will no longer automatically be shifted from persecution he will go back on trial for three cases of fraud and -- of fraud and bribery. had he been totally defeated, it might have triggered a crisis. the court passed the matter under the three trial judges theory but it is up to them to decide if the case should be reactivated. he no longer had a blanket exemption his fragile administration will now struggle on. his political liabilities remain

lined up. >> brisbane under water. tens of thousands of australians see their home engulfed by the flood superior -- by the floods. 5000 workers are voting whether to except the radical packet of change. it could close if the workers vote against more flexible rules. >> a candlelight vigil ahead of a two-day referendum that could have a serious effect on the future role. workers are being asked to vote on a plan that would see far more shifts and less benefits in return for a commitment to investments in the development of new models.

of this vigil, at least one major union was adamantly opposed. >> workers need to know we will not sign this agreement and will always fight against it. we are always with them. >> at the heart of the proposal if the need to fight in the core european market and to boost productivity at plans that are -- at plants that are lossmakers. the head says he aims to invest 20 million euros to achieve the goal, but for that to happen, it is workers like these that will have to agree, and some will not. >> work is a sacred right, but are we man? if he wants to go, he should go, but the factory will remain with us. >> they are reducing rights, so they need to come out onto the

streets. >> he says he will not carry out the planned investment if a majority of the five and a half- dozen workers reject the plan. analysts suggest that is not likely to happen, and the next 48 hours will be key. >> the top stories this hour, an uneasy of's president of 23 years says he will not -- to miyisha -- 2 miyisha's president of 23 years says he will not be -- tunisia's president says he will not seek reelection. in australia, floodwaters have peaked, and tens of thousands of people have seen their homes engulfed by muddy water. of 25 people have died,

including a boy who asked rescuers to save his younger brother before they saved him. >> in the suburbs but line of brisbane river, a massive cleanup of abrasion -- cleanup operation has gone under way. a huge financial and emotional blow. this is the kind of home people talk about when they speak about the great australian dream, a luxury with a barbecue pit for entertaining, and yet the family has come back today to find it completely covered in floodwater. the family does not even have insurance. >> it is very frightening, and we got out and came back, and we are sad about things like our garden. i am sad about my garden more

than anything. >> we lost some of the plants. >> in this town, the harrowing story has emerged. a 13-year-old was given the chance of being rescued but insisted his 10-year-old brother should go first. by the time his turn came, it was too late. >> it was terrible. i kept telling the boy it was going to be all right, and it was not. >> he was feeling very sorry for himself. >> soldiers have joined the search for dozens of people missing from the flash floods earlier in the week, including two entire families. and of death toll is certain to rise. >> as we need for what we have lost and as we grieve for fred -- as we week for what we have

lost and we grieve for family and friends, i want us to remember who the are. >> authorities are talking about a reconstruction effort of post-war proportions, but the situation could have been so much worse, and that for some is cause for celebration. >> more on that story on the web site, bbc.com. we are focusing on inflation and the soaring price of everyday food stock. key crops have been affected. in india, many people spend over half their income on food, and they have been hit hard by increase in the sale of the onion. how a fivefold increase in the price of chile's is causing great anxiety.

>> apprised fruit is an essential ingredient in kitchens. it has prompted the president to urge indonesian's to grow their own to beat inflation. >> that would be a great idea when i went to denmark i saw so many people planting their own food for dinner. >> higher food prices helped push the inflation to almost 7% at the end of last year. the storm ruined crops and hampered supply. analysts believe public anger will not boil over. >> this is something they have been used to.

the problem is unless the government takes the appropriate steps this will not go away. >> indonesia and's government says the rising price of food is a short-term problem. >> indonesian are addicted to spicy food. they a to well over 1 million tons of chile, that gave flavor to breakfast, lunch, and thinner. >> there could soon be some relief for struggling households. the cost of rice, wheat, and soybeans is expected to fall. as for the future price of those, they now cost more than meat and remain at record

levels. >> the residents of this building in northern mumbai have taken a radical decision. it is not an easy task as onions are essential to the cuisine. a sea onion prices more than doubled, making an -- greasy onion prices more than doubled, making it tough for the family. >> i cannot afford to buy onions at these prices, so we have given them not. the food tastes pretty bad, but we have no choice. >> onions are only part of the problem. people are cutting out other items from the monthly shopping list. food prices have been a main driver, and in recent months, increased demand and bottlenecks

in the supply chain have made things worse. over christmas, onions were 82% more expensive than a year earlier. the price of eggs, meat, and fish were up by 21%, and vegetables were up by 59%. the government is trying to solve the problem by putting in various measures. another staple is not allowed to be exported during your they will try to sort of thing issues. in the government is hoping prices will come down in a couple of weeks. they hope to reduce the pressure to raise interest rates. experts say until the agricultural sector becomes more and the fission, people will have to get used to the

price tag. >> the first chickens to be genetically modified have been investigated by scientists. a mutated for flu --bird flu could claim millions worldwide. >> with a growing demand for meat such as shaken, scientists have to find new ways to feed the world -- as shaken, scientists need to find new ways to feed the world. the -- as chicken, scientists need to find new ways to feed the world. this genetically modified chicken that is immune to the bird fleu. >> it will protect a whole flock. this is really exciting, because shepard flew region -- bird flu

is a real problem. this will protect our crops from avian influenza. >> anyone coming into contact with the birds has to scrub thought puree give researchers say the technique could be used to protect any -- have to scrub up. researchers say the technique could be used for any animal. this could be the first of a generation of farm animals that has been genetically modified. this has the potential to boost food production and reduce costs to the farmer, but is it something consumers can expect? " the poultry industry has given a cautious response perspective -- prospective animals paraded >> they need to look at 51 these animals, even

if they want these " tech -- they need to look at these animals, even if they want these benefits. >> a say it is better to have the disease then to have modified animals. >> we believe organic husbandry does not encourage this season, and they live in a natural environment and eat foods grown on the farm, and a lot of the diseases prevalent in conventional farming should not be apparent to us at all. >> despite reservations, many scientists believe gm animals will be needed to feed a hungry world. >> you can find that story and many more via our web site, bbc.com/news.

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