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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> e. coli outbreak, they blamed a highly toxic strain of the disease. people say it is time for him to go. sonny under attack again, more than 1 million passwords from its website. welcome the bbc news broadcasting to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. they kidnapped a 11 year-old girl and held her kidnapped for 18 years. a former governor says he wants to be the next president of the united states.

a new highly toxic strain of e. coli has killed the least 80 people in europe and made 1600 others ill. global health officials are racing to contain the disease that is centered on germany. >> this is the front line on the battle against the bacteria where some of the victims. he has emerged from a source that is still unknown. there was a fear among the staff, says this person. nobody knows where this is coming from or where it will lead. identifying the bacteria is the

first task, one that has never caused an outbreak before. analysis has reviewed -- revealed its virulence. the quicker that is done, the faster it can be brought under control. >> it is not quite the biggest ever in terms of number of cases, but it is the biggest in terms of health impact and complications. i am afraid it will probably be the biggest in terms of number of deaths as well. >> for women are most vulnerable, no one knows why. it is a hybrid. a means to other types of nikolai combined to produce its might make it more dangerous. and there produced the toxins in the range of effects. the first is diarrhea, but more serious conditions can follow. so how can it be tackled?

antibiotics might not work. strict hygiene keeps being stressed, and the incompletion. is a days, the number of new cases should fall pretty soon. so what are the risks of its spreading? this lab in london is on standby. the least 10 countries now have cases, but they all got it in germany. >> other member states within europe, have all travel to germany. >> tracking the bacteria involved detective work. where they got it from and how the contamination started. it will be a long process. >> will have more later on in the program. opposition groups have called on the president to resign

immediately and make way for a transition to democracy. mostly exiles rejected dialogue and amnesty. the security forces have continued their violent suppression. >> from a distance, the unmistakable sound of gunfire and shelling can be heard. reports say more than 15 people were killed on thursday, around 50 killed since the military operation began last week. now the fighting has provoked a response from the exiled assyria opposition. a range of ethnic and religious groups gathered in turkey with a clear message. >> as we are offering him to resign immediately. as well as authorities so that

the syrian people within a year can prepare themselves for a democratic process. if not, we will support the revolution in order to force him to leave syria and. >> and the meeting was the first of its kind since the anti- government uprising began in march. there rejected the offer of amnesty but said they were not a government in exile. >> we have taken an of. everyone of us, >> despite growing pressure from washington and elsewhere, the regime is showing few signs of stepping aside.

more than 1000 people have been killed over the last 11 weeks. protesters fear there will be more bloodshed before any kind of a solution is reached. >> then maybe a year-and-a-half ago before the next u.s. presidential election, the candidates are limbering up for the fight. ms. romney has thrown his hat into the ring with the announcement in new hampshire. the one republican really wants to know about is the one that is keeping everyone guessing. >> i believe in america and i am running for president of the united states. >> the man with immaculate here and immense wealth is running for the presidency of the united states. he has been a governor, and he has run a successful business and he has the right credentials. >> we wished him well and hope for the best. now, in the third year of his

four-year term, we have more than slogans and promises to judge him by. barack obama has failed america. >> why doesn't he sounded? as he says, these are serious times, where damaging is this history of one of the biggest issues. health care. the plan he introduced is almost identical to the 1 barack obama introduced to america. the plan much hated by republicans. he is trying to run from his past policy, but that have been a changing position led to a flip-floping in the 2008 campaign. he left the republican front- runner, but this woman was due in the same stake.

if she also runs for the presidency, all bets are off. david, a senior editor is there for us. let's pick up where the report ended. how worried should he be about sarah palin's intentions? >> of the other declared candidates have reason to worry because you just love that the amount of attention she receives, she is not campaigning or with any official business. she is sucking up all of the political oxygen. it is cause to worry for these other candidates including governor romney if she chooses to run? >> it went to john mccain, her present position of flip- floping on gay-rights, abortion,

etc.. he says if it gets into the white house, who will work to repeal the health care reform. the question really is, is he going back on his ideals of the game this nomination? >> he is betting the social issues will be off of the table and is making a calculated risk that he got over that hurdle in 2008. he is really trying to emphasize economic ones, that the unemployment rate is startlingly high and it is something that the president has not addressed. the health-care issue could be a big obstacle for him. this is an issue that a lot of republican primary voters have a philosophical contention with, and the government mandating health insurance for all americans a.

it is a big hurdle for him to overcome. >> of the phrase was made famous. >> americans usually vote on economic matters with a few notable exceptions. unemployment is hovering around 9%. it is not looking like it is going to be very good. the last president to when re- election with of limitless that was ronald reagan. the of one of dreyfus 7.2%. that is something the obama team is well aware of. >> i clearly wasn't calling you stupid, thank you for your time. back to the middle east. in yemen, have engaged in heavy class's -- clashes with

government forces. tonight, witnesses report they have fired live bullets of protesters. >> rebels in the streets. their position is well defended. they are advancing. the aim is to push the president out of power. the cost in lives is high. many hold the bodies of fighters. the pictures are too graphic to show. tonight, just 4 miles away in the center of the city, you can feel the fear. soldiers are on the streets of in the hold of the rebels back.

>> the army is out in force with checkpoints everywhere. the people of very nervous about what will happen next. >> he is an ally of west, but the country he leads is not stable. and it could mean trouble for powerful neighbors. protesters have been calling for him to go for months. they want real democracy. now the violence is drowning of their voices. and they want yemfacing it. >> still ahead, a nigerian police say they have rescued more than 30 trinity teenagers from what has been described as a baby farm.

more now on the outbreak. russia oppose the ban is totally unacceptable. they consider the impact an economic one. >> today, they dumped vegetables outside a german consulate. german officials wrongly identified spanish cucumbers has the source of the outbreak. a furious spanish government is seeking compensation. it could lead to thousands of layoffs. the problems for europe's vegetable growers deepened today when russia banned all imports from the european union. it is absolutely the right decision. it is worth over 500 million pounds a year, and calls on

russia to withdraw the band. >> it is disproportionate hall and then justified? gosh the warehouses are full of vegetables. officials have warned people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. even though it is affecting people, there is a dramatic decline across europe. at the moment, shoppers have lost confidence. >> it has been going on for a week now. he can't carry-on. had the biggest contract has been cancelled. whether they want most is for the cause of the bacteria to be pinpointed. what they fear most is continued uncertainty.

>> the world health organization says the baby food and tourism in the outbreak is being caused by a highly toxic strain of e. coli that is never been detected before. opposition groups want to make way for a transition to democracy. computer hackers have stolen 1 million passwords of a popular website run by sony. part of the company opposed the american arm is the latest in a series of cyber attacks in recent weeks. the company has not commented on any security breach. highly embarrassing and sony must've been working to beef up

security after that cyber attack in april. >> we're in the stage where this group of hikers have made this claim that they have into sony pictures and took all this information. if you go the web site run by this group, you can see vast amounts of data, names, telephone numbers, it certainly looks like they have gotten hold of the data, but sony has not yet confirmed the hacking. they said it is just looking into it at the moment. >> how stringent as legislation against this type of hacking? >> whether or not there is legislation, the attackers appeared to be undeterred. sony, as you mentioned a few weeks ago had an enormous data and reach, some people call the

the largest ever. where tens of millions have had their data compromise. it is unclear to what degree they will operate and will be any particular legal jurisdiction. the congress is talking about the legislation that would tighten the commitments made by corporations. it is still a ways off. legislatures, parliaments, governments, are struggling to keep up with the speed at which these things happen. >> has there been any evidence so far have for what took place in april that any of that information gathered has been used by them?

making an case of anti-capitalism statement on the internet? >> sonny said today that they thought there had not been abusive use of credit card information that might have been stolen back in april. they seem to be quite confident of that. some of these groups, it appears if you listen, some of these groups are pulling off much more of the anti- globalization and political flavor to what they do. others are criminals. >> let's return to the e coli outbreak because health officials now say that more

people have fallen ill. the executive director of the american public health association will explain a little bit more. >> the real issue is that we need to recognize that we are in an environment in which we have our range of emerging infectious diseases. we have to have our guard up. >> a dozen remain within the area which emerge? and can it spread across vegetables or human to human? >> it can come through the food system the way you have seen. the real issue is, what is causing the contamination? where we produce our food today, you get food from multiple places. so we can have a range of people

infected by this spread out through the whole country because of the way the food distribution system works. >> some people think it is safe the need any raw vegetables at all? >> is important that they identify very quickly what the source of this infection is so that it can give people who could advise as to what to avoid. certainly, they should avoid those suspect vegetables of been identified by health authorities. good hygiene in terms of hand washing and in terms of preparing food. and food that needs to be cut, away from food that doesn't need to be cut to keep from cross contamination. >> and what about people in the united states?

>> we recognize this is a global world. many of us are traveling all around the world, so food that may be infected could theoretically be imported into the united states. i know that our health authorities and border authorities are working very closely with the food. >> nigerian police have rescued more than 30 pregnant teenagers. the girls were apparently being held at a hospital and used to produce babies for adoption. >> of the police have discovered what is known locally as a baby farm. aged between 15 and 17, the local police chief says the women were dutifully paid about a hundred and 70 u.s. dollars each for their babies.

the children were sold for thousands more either for adoption or be killed and used in witchcraft. the owner of the hospital could face 14 years in prison. he said he was running a foundation to help women with unwanted pregnancies. says childn's agency trafficking is widespread in nigeria with poverty and corruption all contributing factors. >> for people have been killed at a chevron oil refinery. police are in the process of informing the next of kin. witnesses described seeing a large ball of fire. it took 90 minutes to extinguish the blaze. a couple that kidnapped a 11- year-old girl and held her captive for 18 years have been told they will spend the rest of

their lives in prison. a judge said their actions were evil and reprehensible. >> life sentences for the kidnap, rape, and 18 years of abuse. philip and nancy amid their guilt. she was just 11 when she was inducted from outside of her home. the little girl and the family video wasn't seen again for 18 years when a chance encounter led police to her home. hidden at the bottom of a garden, they found her. while in prison, she had been raped and had two children by her captors. what when she was just 14. her family released this video of shortly after being reunited.

she has never spoken publicly about what happened and her mother read a statement on her behalf. they stole my life from me, she wrote. i hated every second of every day for those seeking years. i chose not to be here because i don't want to waste another second in your presence. she showed some of motion, but her husband, nothing. the police officer whose austin supported her in. >> how would she want to face this double of the man again? she should move on. that is what she is doing. >> treatment had been evil -- evil and reprehensible.

he will die in prison. the final court appearance brings to an end a story that people used to violent crimes shocked america for its brutality. >> italy has been marking 150 years of unification with a ring of a military parade. it is the national day. that was the day in 1946 that italians voted to become a republic rather than keep the house has its marquee. as a reminder of our main avenues. the outbreak in germany is being caused by a highly toxic strain of e. coli that has never been detected before.

there is plenty more on the web site. >> 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. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.