>> 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. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you?

>> and now "bbc world news." >> u.s. secretary general accuses syria of crimes against the civilian population. >> u.s. forces have committed gross human-rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity. >> of photographer who escaped from homs speaks of the atrocities he has witnessed. >> it is a systematic slaughter of the civilian population. >> tornadoes and high winds hit the southern united states causing several deaths and widespread damage. hello, welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to our viewers on pbs in america and also are around the globe. he is russia's strong man,

vladimir putin. he rallies supporters as he anticipates a return to the presidency. let the good times roll. the cuban cigar festival celebrates the island's iconic export. hello again. four weeks after the assault on the syrian city of homs began, the un secretary general ban ki- moon has described it as atrocious. he is also accused the syrian government of systematically attacking its own people. jeremy bowen reports. >> this was an anti-regime protests in a town just north of homs. it was attacked.

and the panic subsided, activists claimed there were 12 killed, some of them blown to pieces. the seizure of baba amr is over, but the fight for syria goes on. syrian state television showed baba amr. yuen said it had unconfirmed reports of summary execution -- the united nations said it had unconfirmed reports of summary execution. >> the people have not received any assistance, humanitarian aid or help in weeks. the situation was difficult. it was very serious. it is even worse now. >> bashar al-assad can still shelter behind russian diplomatic cover, but he had an uncomfortable nudge when the russian president refused to say whether mr. assad would stay in power. information is still coming out about what happened in baba amr

well as under siege. yuen rights watch has -- un rights watch has released this chart. this is taken on a 25th of february. the shelling did not stop for another five days. among the dead was the sunday times reporter and a french photographer. their bodies have now been handed over to damascus. a photographer would end in the same attack is now back in london. bj wounded in the same attack is now back in london. -- wounded in the same attack is now back in london. >> we will make sure ithat there is a day of reckoning for those responsible. i have a clear message for those in authority in syria.

make a choice. turn your back on this criminal regime or face justice for the blood that is on your hands. >> at the united nations in new york, the syrian ambassador said his government was being slandered on no evidence other than opposition rumors. the international criticism is not going away. >> protesters in syria want weapons for the free army. potential suppliers abroad, gulf countries as well as western ones, might prefer not to listen. they have condemned the regime's actions, but they do not want to fuel a full on civil war either. jeremy bowen, bbc news. >> more than 70 tornadoes have hit the mid-south of the united states, killing at least six people, according to the latest figures. the state of tennessee, kentucky and indiana have been battered by powerful storms and large hailstones. one small town in indiana is

said to have completely gone. let's speak to chad hinton who joins us from indiana. chad, i want to ask you first of all about these pictures you have sent us of this big tornado. tell me where you were when you took it and where you going to? >> yes, i was heading home from work, and i was just driving home to take shelter because the advance notice of the severe weather coming in. i was about two miles away from the tornado which, in my photos and video, it is over the henry bell, marysville area that was devastated. >> why are you not trying to get away? clearly, i understand that you live there, but were people not moving away from the area? this is not the only tornado. >> right, there were a lot. basically, you're told to seek shelter in your basement. in between work and home i was trying to get to the nearest

point and get into the basement of the home. of course, we did not know exactly where the weather was. it was very rapidly developing. >> have you been able to get out and about? have you been able to see what sort of devastation this weather pattern has been causing? >> well, the storms came through probably a couple hours before evening, before 9 fell -- night fell. emergency officials are asking everybody to stay in their homes at this time. darkness is causing a lot of problems with search and rescue efforts. we have 10 fatalities confirmed so far from our local news agencies. i know that the emergency officials are working now in the dark to search for other survivors. >> how bad is it compared to what you have seen before? >> we had a pretty bad tornado country the same area in 2004 and it did damage and destroy

some businesses, but nothing like this. this really far outweighs the 2004 storm. this is the worst i have seen. >> be a just seen a picture of a home which appears to have been made of wood. i have been to the united states, and in areas there are homes that you can put on the back of a pickup truck and take anywhere. do you think it is time for house is to be built more solidly? >> there are some homes that might be manufactured to lesser specifications, but for the most part, homes in this area resist regularly, over 20-30 years, 60- 70 m.p.h. winds that comes through every year. this is just -- the magnitude of this storm and storms like this, unless you have seen it or experienced it, it is hard to imagine the power and what these things do. it basically only leaves the

foundation, even of well- constructed, wooden buildings. the only thing left is the foundation. >> we appreciate your time. to try to stay safe. thank you very much indeed. iranians have voted for the first time since the disputed presidential elections of 2009. the opposition, which is known as the green movement, and of course it was the focus of the government crackdown back in 2009, has actually boycotted parliamentary vote. the vote is being seen as a test of strength between the ayatollah and the president. our world affairs editor john simpson reports. >> the key to this election was always going to be the turnout. the government was desperate that it should seem high. with the reformists and the opposition green movement boycotting the polls, it was a battle between the top figures in government.

weirdly, in this context at least, president ahmadinejad is slightly more moderate, a little less confrontational to the west, than the man whose power he unsuccessfully challenged a year ago. this man, iran's religious leader, ayatollah khamenei. high seeming turnout would strengthen him, not president ahmadinejad. elections have always been important to our country, he says, and the more enthusiastically people participate, the better for our country. at the london studios of the bbc persian service, televise to iran, i watched their election program going out live. audience figures have doubled in the last six years. this was their election phone in

program with callers ringing in from inside iran itself. many people were analyzed that a former president -- were an elite that a former president had voted when he said he wouldn't. meanwhile, others were trying to jam the program electronically. what is at stake in this election? a biographer of ahmadinejad working for the bbc explained. >> the choice today is between hard-liners and more hard liners, if you like. if you have the more hard- liners' coming in, probably more hard-line iran will emerge. >> the opposition in iran is just watching this election from the sidelines. only three years ago, it looked for a moment as telling you revolution was under way in iran, but it was brutally repressed. this young woman one of just

dozens murdered. president ahmadinejad, the man accused of stealing this election, was the loser today, but the winners are more extreme still, the religious leadership. john simpson, bbc news. >> two men have been found guilty of stealing from a malaysian student who was hurt during the summer riots in london. the men were caught on camera taking items from his bag while they were pretending to help him. photos of the incident became one of the defining images of last august's riots in england. >> cameras recorded thousandshed that his job has been broken in two places. as he tries to recover from the assault, and that helps him to his feet. it looks like an act of kindness, a good samaritan

helping an innocent victim. but a few seconds later, both he and a second and set about robbing the student, stealing a sunny place station and a handful of games from his rustic. -- from his sack. the two men in a video have today been convicted. prosecution says what they did was despicable. >> is on the floor, defenseless. they appear to help him, help him up, but then the rod from him. it really is the lowest of the law -- then they rob from him. it really is the lowest of the low. >> back in august, he spoke of his ordeal just a day after undergoing surgery on his job. >> i felt sorry for them, but it was really sad because they are children. >> he was attacked here as he was on his way to see a friend

nearby. she had phoned him to say that she was scared about the rioting in the area. he was on his way to comfort her. it today his father told the bbc that he now has a phobia about crowds. families are pleased by today's verdict. >> i am very satisfied by have the british government has handled this case. i also hope that they will look after people safety so that this will not happen again. >> the callousness captured on film provoked widespread outrage. they have been told they can expect lengthy jail terms. been keegan, bbc news. >> european nations have signed a new treaty designed to implement budgetary discipline and present -- prevent in the e. as leaders gathered in brussels, it emerged that some member states could be close to breaking the new rules. gavin hewitt has the latest.

>> the whole point of this new pact is to restore credibility with europe having much tighter control over budgets. those who break the rules would actually face sanctions. within hours of this new pact being signed, it emerged that spain this year would fail to meet its target for reducing the deficit. spain said there were exceptional circumstances. it also emerged that the netherlands tuesday might this year failed to meet its target for reducing -- netherlands too might this year failed to meet its target for reducing the deficit. the big dilemma is this. when this pact eventually comes into force, will they take out sanctions against spain or in the end, countries in difficulty, will it turn out as before that day and up resisting brussels? >> gavin hewitt. you are watching bbc news.

let's have a quick look at some of the stories making headlines around the world. we will begin with the french newspaper. the french journalist who was injured covering the uprising in syria has been giving her account of how she survived the shelling. the financial times writes about the situation in europe. europe is finally emerging from its two-year sovereign debt crisis. tensions between iran and the usa. president obama has stressed that iran cannot develop a nuclear bomb and that he is not bluffing. here in the u.k., the guardian is considering a controversial plan regarding the police. companies could take responsibility for investigating crimes, patrolling neighborhoods, and even detaining suspects. the daily mail claims some british banks are going to raise interest rates.

there currently at half of 1%. this is bbc news. these are the headlines. the united nations secretary general ban ki-moon accused the syrian government of committing crimes against the country's civilian population. five american states have been hit by tornadoes. indiana is one of the worst hit. at least six people have been killed. more on syria. two weeks ago, the british photographer paul conroy was working with marie colvin, who was killed alongside a french journalist. mr. conroy is back in a london hospital. he has been telling the bbc about the moment he was rescued. >> there was a lull in the shelling. it was the free syrian army.

it was a last ditch. they had wounded of their own to get out. they knew we were in bad shape. it was a last ditch attempt. it was a proper american helicopter out of the embassy type of we have one shot at this. they drove across the city through snipers. there was still shells going off. half of us got out and then the government attacked and shot a lot of people on the escape routes including the spanish journalist who was shot but not fatally. a lot of people lost their lives. they just aren't piling bodies in who were shot through the head. -- started piling bodies in who were shot through the head. every person in there is a hero, but these people especially put their lives on the line. i can only say the biggest banks

to the syrian people. >> just about -- biggest thanks to the syrian people. >> have you gotten all the shrapnel out of your body? >> there are still a few bits. they will have to get them with tweezers or something. i do not know how it comes out. >> they will wait till you are feeling better. >> this is a present, probably from the russians, this one. you know really, syrians have been fortunate -- have an unfortunate situation where they happen to be under siege during certain's election campaign. election campaign. >> you must think a lot about marie. >> yes, we were extremely close friends. a journalist of standards unsurpassed.

i do not know anyone who had the tenacity, the bravery, all in one package. she would not let go. i have really got to tell this. she was the best of the best. i worked all last year in libya with her. we worked in iraq 10 years ago together. the world -- we have all lost a good friend and one of the best has been taken from us. i salute her and i will go back and get her when the time is right and bring her home. >> paul conrad. the russian prime minister, vladimir putin, is almost certain to win this sunday's presidential elections. daniel center reports. >> -- daniel stanford reports. >> vladimir putin confidently striding to victory at the only election rally of his campaign. in control of the voting system and most of the media, he is certain that he will be

president again. he blames the recent mass protests on america and the west, declaring, we will never allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs. more often isolated in his security bubble, his response to the huge demonstrations has been to nearly tweak russia's deeply flawed democracy. >> we are facing a gap between the level of development that once more of the same political life. >> vladimir putin has created a system that he calls on managed democracy. it is managed by him. we joined him several times during the campaign but rarely saw him meeting ordinary voters. he took no part in political debates and gave interviews to russian media. his image as that of a strong man who brought stability.

after 12 years in power, his key selling point is more of the pain. away from moscow, that message sells well. to order miles northwest, after the chaos of the post-soviet 90's, things now feel more secure. it is here in small-town russia that vladimir putin gets his greatest support. their choice is to stick with what they know. but even here the support is qualified. we found tonya waiting for a bus. she said she is voting for putin, but this should be the last time. >> we can let him to another term, but no more than that. 12 years would be too long. >> in moscow, protests have continued through the campaign, and will start again on monday

straight after the election. one emerging new leader optimistically told me that vladimir putin will be gone within 18 months. >> what we need to do now is to return the power to the people. >> inouye internet video shows a computer-generated putin -- a new internet video shows a computer-generated putin heading for the dock. in truth, he is headed for the kremlin again. >> the cuban cigar festival is underway. sarah reports. >> the tobacco fields of cuba yield a precious crop. these deliver the world's finest cigars, revenue for the economy, and a decent living for farmers.

>> we cannot complain. if you care for tobacco lovingly, it will yield results. >> the cuban climate and soil add up to a unique product formed here for generations. but some things are changing. it is 520 years since europeans first discovered this of the. western europe is still the key market for the cigars, but with the economic crisis and all of the anti-smoking laws, the island is looking farther afield to newmarket's. with its growing middle class, russia is one of them. these have than a -- these have then fans are visiting -- havana fans are visiting. >> tell me what the russians like to smoke.

>> monte christo. >> they like the nice expensive ones. >> of course. >> all this week, cuba has displayed its finest, most exclusive brands like precious jewels. china is also developing a taste for the cigars, a major factor that is helping to keep sales steady. crags we aren't doing the same growth -- >> we are enjoying the same growth as the luxury industry worldwide. emerging markets, high growth countries like russia, china, brazil. >> as economic problems and tighter regulations have increased the number of stakes

on the market, sellers come up with new priorities. this festival is the classiest, most glamorous event on the social calendar. this year, there is even a celebrity guest from america. a trade embargo has not stopped people from acquiring a taste for them. >> cuba makes the best tobacco and the entire world. for a cigar smoker, this is a mecca. >> is a reputation built four centuries that it is anxious to hold onto. >> thank you very much. you are watching bbc news.

>> 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. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network 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.