>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies.

what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> i am in singapore. >> and i am in london. here are the headlines. a deceptive use of force. after nine months of protests and bloodshed, the president of yemen has bowed to public pressure and has agreed to step down. >> a blitz that terrorized a community. members of an amish sects phase hate crime charges in the u.s.. and a man appears in court to face eight counts of murder. it is 12:00 noon here in singapore. >> when a broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and elsewhere around the world.

-- we are broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america. hello, and welcome. thousands of protesters are still in tahrir square. these are the images as the protesters away the break of dawn. they are awaiting the end of military rule. the council has insisted that the parliamentary elections will be going ahead as planned on monday, but there is mounting pressure on that council. "excessive force" has been said to have been used. we have this report from cairo. >> this street, running down from tahrir, the frontline since saturday.

there are organized football fans with long experience of taking on the police. the gas keeps them back from the interior ministry, which is a symbol of the old regime and the new egypt. life has not offered these young men any favors. this is not the politics of next week's election for them. the gas slows them but does not stop them. they believe it is a system that was billed to benefit others. they have got good control, and they show no desire to leave, short of the army stepping down. i cannot say a political deal that could get them out easily. >> these are wounds from police shotguns,e is proud of them. everyone points out that these

are made in america. here on the streets, some of the young, poor, and angry increasingly see the western allies as enemies. "we were marched out at." one man threatened, it "if anyone comes on my property, i will kill them." one man was clearing his warehouse off of the street. it means more damage for an economy battered by revolutionary turmoil. they carried out some three the tear gas. many egyptians yearn for certainty. they just dream these days. then, suddenly, in mid- afternoon, a truce. time to dampen down the gas, and

here on the street, it felt like a victory. they changed their frontline and moved back towards tahrir square. they do not like being filled. a vacuum. the political and groups in the square are not united. the clashes started again after dusk. the way out of this will be very hard. the demonstrators attract a leader of the muslim brotherhood, the most popular party, when we came here, for being too close to the military. in tahrir, they want a general out of power, and they do not want to go. deadlock, despair, and more violence. bbc news, cairo. >> and there have also been

protests in other areas, also in the second largest city, alexandria. our correspondent is there and have sent us this update. >> alexandria. they have been just as passionate, and occasionally violent, as they have been in the capital. but they say they will do this until the leader has agreed to leave altogether. they want the council replaced now by a civilian organization. some cities protests have to and now, and these demonstrators must go home. a chance to recover, to get back on the street. above all, they want a peaceful environment. for a parliamentary election to take place here and in cairo

next monday. >> in yemen, after months of unrest, the president, ali abdullah saley, -- saleh, will be stepping down. gaining immunity from prosecution, that is something the protestors in yemen are not happy about. this report. >> after months of protests in yemen, president saleh has finalize the agreement under which he will step down. he is planning to turn the government over to a deputy. a government of national unity will be formed, and there will be early presidential elections. the president has come close to signing the deal several times in the past, only to pull out at the last minute. in the capital of yemen, sanaa,

they were welcoming today's news. "the international community will continue to support the process," he said. the mass protests in yemen began in january and have continued on and off for one year. the president has insisted on clinging to power, and there has been a parallel power struggle for those in the elite. this was mr. saleh when he returned home after being injured in a rocket attack that was widely seen as an assassination attempt. he said he was committed to a golf-arab-sponsored deal for a peaceful transfer of power, -- he said he was committed to a gulf-arab-sponsored deal.

it is said the leader of yemen will now fly to new york for further medical treatment. bbc news. >> and we will stay with the middle east because we have more news from the region. >> that is right. this time, from bahrain. the american secretary of state hillary clinton says she is deeply concerned about human rights abuses in the country. the government is accused of using "excess of forster " mrs. clinton says she hopes an independent report -- the government is accused of using "excessive force." mrs. quinn said she hopes an independent report will help. >> it looked a little bit like the king was accepting a reward, but the words inside this 500- page tome are explosive. deeply uncomfortable.

and with good reason. they stand accused of overseeing systematic human rights abuses. the king himself put a brave face on it. "if we take to heart the findings of this report," he says, "we can make this a day to remember in this nation? " but sitting next to him is his stony faced uncle, a man many people blame for the abuses. but will be chinalco? -- will he now go? finding the government guilty of a string of abuses, including illegal arrests, torture, forced confession, and the failure of senior government officials to hold those to account. speaking after reds, the man who led the after -- led the investigation said they must now be punished -- speaking after

words, the man who led the investigation said they must now be punished. >> there is no doubt that there have to be senior people involved. there is just too much that has taken place 40 along a period of time for senior persons to say, "i do not know what took place." >> in february, there was a focus of protests. today, it is gone, but the site remains ringed with barbed wire. there is a majority. a shiite teacher was tortured, forced to confess, and sentenced to prison or a crime she says she did not commit. now, she is looking to the king for justice. >> and all of my colleagues in the educational sector, but i do

not know. when we read the things and see what is going on -- >> the royal indeed in bahrain can choose to except today's report and change -- the royal elite in they run it can choose to except today's report and change. -- elite in bahrain can choose. >> it is said that some should be allowed to put the son of moammar gaddafi on trial. they are still investigating the crimes committed under the rule of moammar gaddafi. they say that he can be tried with the cooperation of the icc. foreign based opposition to president assad said france will press the u-2 open humanitarian corridors in syria to help

protect civilians and deliver aid. the united states has called for its citizens to leave the country immediately. activists say more than 40 people have been killed in the last 48 hours. a general strike has begun in portugal. public transport and schools are expected to be affected. austerity measures, they say they will ruin the country. and the european commission president has thrown his weight behind the idea of eurobonds. they are looking to pool debt. german chancellor a angela merkel is opposed to the deal. you are watching the bbc, from singapore and london. still to come on the program, how a haircut equals a hate crime. lifting the lid on the scandal that rocked the amish community. >> on a holiday island, an

explosion caused by leaking gas leaves five seriously injured. in italy, three people have been killed after torrential rains caused flooding and landslides outside of sicily. more than 20 people have died after severe weather across the country in recent weeks. the north and central regions were the worst affected. here is our reporter. >> in the path of though raging water, the town, hours of torrential rain, and then this. as the roads turn to rivers, everything was swept downstream. people were dying here. in the bloody aftermath, it became clear that a 10-year-old boy had been killed in the town along with a 50-year-old man and his son.

others say they were lucky to escape with their lives. >> there was a huge roar, and then there was a collapse, and my house filled with mud, and for a moment, i believe i would die. >> nearby towns were also engulfed. the storm over sicily was just the latest in a series that have hit italy this autumn. the flash floods ripped through genoa, doing terrible damage. more than 20 people have died in scenes like these in recent weeks. alan johnston, bbc news, rome. >> in northwestern france, 12 arrests, where protesters were trying to work on a train

carrying waste. the are trying to block railway tracks. -- they were trying to block tracks. >> i am in singapore. >> and i am in london. these are the headlines. international pressure is mounting on the military, as violent clashes continued in alexandria and cairo. >> after nine months, the president of yemen has bowed to public pressure and has agreed to step down. >> we get some opinions about what is happening on -- in tahrir square. >> this is one of the busiest neighborhoods.

this is second-hand clothing. these are people who are basically trying to make ends meet, and there are millions of them across egypt at a time the economy is suffering from all of this uncertainty. how are you? how is business these days? >> [speaking foreign language] >> it is sold. >> why is it sold? >> it is because of the protests in tahrir. he needs to go home so he can go back to business. >> [speaking foreign language] . -- >> we are young people.

we want to get married and what like to go on. >> do you also agree? >> [speaking foreign language] >> he is trying to keep the faith. >> and what about tahrir? >> [speaking foreign language] >> it is very, very confusing. it gets very confusing. >> do you want them to stay there or to go home? >> [speaking foreign language] >> i want things to go back to the way that they are. >> let's ask all of these people. should they all go back?

[chanting] >> it is like this in egypt. they want to tell you what to think. whatever has been achieved, they want to get back to some semblance of a normal life. >> this was in cairo earlier on wednesday. let's show you this. dawn is breaking, 18 minutes past 6:00, and clearly, there are still plenty of protesters there. there was a temporary truce on wednesday, but that was broken. a dr. earlier was telling us, who has been working in a mosque in ut-tahrir square -- in tahrir square, there is a particularly

bad form of tear gas. he was there in february during the protests that ousted hosni mubarak, but this year gas seems to be stronger than what was used in february. now, hate crimes after a spate of attacks on fellow amish members. the seven belong to a breakaway group and are alleged to have cut the beard of amish men and to have cut women's hair. >> in ohio, victims included a 14-year-old girl and 74-year-old man. they were allegedly held down while their hair or beard were cut off, and now, police have charged seven men with an amish splinter group with hate crimes.

they described the leader, sam mullet, as evil. he allegedly has forced people to sleep for days in a chicken coop. and they were looking at cleansing people of the devil with sexual acts. tightknit, self-sufficient grounds. violence is rare, but these highly unusual attacks undermine the conventual image of a community living in harmony. bbc news. >> we have got some details of a court case in australia that is getting plenty of interest. >> that is right. eight counts of murder charges in court. nine elderly residents were killed, and a dozen more are in

intensive care. a remembrance took place in sydney, in remembrance of the dead. we have more. >> it was a service that brought a shaken community together in a collective act of remembrance. at times a reflection for the lives lost. the people of this suburb still cannot absorb the shock. the horror of the passing of so many elderly lives in what should have been their peaceful passage into old age. >> home should be a place where you feel secure and loved. that has been stolen for us. our staff just what the residents home. our residents want to come home, but i cannot bring your home

right now. i am sorry. we will not forget you. and i cannot bring everyone home. i know that. we will bring home those that we can. >> the nursing home ablaze needed nearly 100 firefighters to control. the flames creating chaos and gravity -- and tragic. many victims suffer from dementia. one of the nurses is charged with multiple counts of murder. he was arrested soon after the fire started. police say he may face many more charges. one man chose not to enter the court room. he was charged with eight counts of murder. they told the police they had three months to carry on their investigation.

one officer was speaking outside the court. he said the inquiry was proving to be onerous. with the death toll mounted almost daily, it is one of the worst institutional fires in the country in recent times. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in sydney. >> at least five people have been injured in an explosion in the canary islands. one is described as critical. the blast happened at a tourist to tell in the southwest of the island. they believe a gas leak was to blame, and an investigation is already underway. >> it is an idyllic spot and popular with tourists, but the holiday turned into a nightmare. confused guests port of the hotel -- poured out of the

hotel. >> we did not know what it was. we sat down. the smoke was coming up, and everybody was a bit excited, but we started eating and were told to leave the hotel. >> they believe a leak from a gas truck caused it. >> there was a lead that led to an explosion. four workers were injured. a norwegian guest was also badly injured. >> at least 17 people are being treated for burn injuries at mobile hospitals. two have burns on a large part of their bodies. many guests have been temporarily evacuated from the hotel, but they oppose that will be able to return soon to enjoy

the rest of their holiday. >> finally, let's go to the united states and introduce you to the party, who is probably the world's luckiest turkey, certainly the luckiest in the united states, because he was pardoned by president obama at the annual white house a thanksgiving ceremony. president obama said this was one act he could perform with out and obstructing congress. >> you are hereby pardoned. give him a round of applause. [applause] two were scared from the knife to live out their lives at mount vernon, virginia. the president was with his daughters at the ceremony. >> a reminder of the main news. international pressure on the

military with violent clashes continuing in cairo and alexandria between security forces and protesters. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank.

>> union bank has put its global strength to work for a wide range of financial companies. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news was presented by kcet los angeles.