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 work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> the former prime minister of ukraine says back pain is the

result of rough treatment by prison guards. a blind chinese human rights activists has escape from house arrest. police warned the public not to approach the suspect of a double murder as the manhunt continues in the northeast of england. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, not so warm welcome. passengers arriving at london's heathrow airport. what next for barcelona. the successful coach confirm he is standing down. hello again. the ukraine's former prime minister is on trial for charges of tax evasion later on

saturday. already serving a jail sentence after convicting of -- and -- after she was convicted of abuse of power last year. she refuses to appear in court and started a hunger strike. she claims authorities have beaten her while she was in prison. >> she is our president was a chance that rang out as thousands marched through the streets on friday. some held prison bars, demanding that the former prime minister be released from jail immediately. tymoshenko is serving a seven- year sentence for abuse of power. she claimed last week that she was dragged off her bed and punched an estimate by prison guards when they transferred her to a hospital against her will. the ukrainian authorities denied the allegations. on friday, tymoshenko released photographs showing bruises on

her arms and stomach. to protest against the alleged beatings, tymoshenko has been starving herself for more than one week. despite appeals from her daughter and other family members. >> we ask her to stop the hunger strike because of her health problems and her weakness. it has given more opportunities for the regime to destroy her. she refused that and she said, this is the only way. i have power to show an protest. it is the only thing i can do within my power. >> the charges against tymoshenko date back to the 1990's. she and her supporters claimed they were politically motivated, payback for victory in the presidential race. to it -- if she stands guilty, she could face 12 extra years in prison. >> also in ukraine, for

explosions were an act of terrorism. at least 27 people, including nine children, were injured. the president described the blast as a new challenge to the nation. the u.s. state department has refused to confirm or deny that the prominent chinese activist chen guangcheng has taken refuge at the u.s. embassy in beijing. he is a blind lawyer who is one of china's most prominent activists. in the video, he asked the premier to ensure the safety of his family and asked to investigate local officials and clamp down on corruption. this report is from beijing. >> he has been blind since he was 2 years old. chen guangcheng has become an icon in china. on the internet, hundreds copy his image, appalled that a sightless man was locked up for

the past seven years for exposing abuses like abortions under the one child policy. he and his family were under a legal house arrest. up to 100 guards watching his every move. he smuggled this video out last year so they beat his family savagely. western nations have called for his release. today, out of the blue, this. >> i have escaped, speaking directly to china's leaders. he demanded that those responsible for those going without food and hospital care go punished. when the bbc tried to contact him, we could not get near. how did a blind man escape all of these watchers?

we have been giving this photo of him now free. >> first, he tried to dig a tunnel. it failed. when the guard was not looking, he scaled a series of walls, fell and hurt his leg. he called a supporter and was driven hundreds of miles to beijing. the authorities giving chase to the american embassy. >> from u.s. officials, there has been no comment. hillary clinton is due here next week to meet with china's leaders. they are already mired in their own in fighting and scandals ahead of a major leadership changes this year. chen guangcheng's escapes is a new embarrassment. he may be safe. reports that his relatives and those who has -- who helped him are now being rounded up. >> the police manhunt continuing in northeast england following the murders of two people. more than 100 officers involved

in the search for the suspect. he is a known drug user with previous convictions for violence. police have continued to receive calls throughout the night but have still not located him. ed thomas reports. >> police patrol the empty streets. tonight, people have been told to stay inside, close their windows, and lock their doors. all because of this man, james allen. two people have been murdered and detectives say he is dangerous and violent. >> we are putting absolutely everything in defining him, tracking him down, bringing him to justice. again, i would appeal to people, if you see james allen, idal 999. do not confront him. >> this is an investigation that covers most of the northeast of england. on monday, and 81-year-old was found dead in his cell three on wednesday, 30 miles away, the

body of judy davis was discovered by her sister. today, police said james allen knew colin. 12 months ago, he lived next door to him. the detectives still do not know why he was killed or if he had a problem with james allen or if anything had been taken from his home. it was here, at this local working man's club, where colin would meet his friends. the same friends who rang police when he stopped coming. >> as soon as he was caught -- >> armed police have joined the search for james allen. they hope will end quickly. >> leading politicians from the west african state of guinea- bissau has been allowed to leave -- to leave the country two weeks after a military coup.

they have now arrived in the ivory coast. reports said the leaders have agreed to a 12-month transition period to restore government. at least nine people killed in an explosion in central damascus. the tv station blames the attack on a suicide bomber. activists believe the government is staging it. this came after the united nations secretary-general warned the government was in contravention of the arab league peace plan. three men arrested in denmark on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. the trio include -- included a jordanian and turkish nationals. the latest in a series since the complication of controversial photos of mohammad and a gain -- in a danish newspaper. newly released figures showed that nearly a quarter of the work force is jobless in spain, the highest level in 18 years.

more than 5.5 million people looking for work, giving spain the highest on a quiet rate in the eurozone. >> more bad news. the unemployment lines are getting longer. unemployment reached 24.4%. youth unemployment is at 51.1% and the government expects figures to go higher. >> i keep looking and looking but there is hardly anything. i am living day to day. i am single. i have a daughter and i am almost on the streets. >> the economy has been devastated by the bursting of a property bubble. banks are nursing billions in bad loans. the economy is expected to shrink by 1.7% this year while the government is having to cut its budget. >> at this time, we are living in one of the worst moments for the spanish economy. >> if spain needs bailing out, it will be no easy task.

its economy is twice the size of the combined economies of those countries already bailed out and spain would severely test the eu new fund. with the risk that the crisis could then spread to italy. across europe, a political backlash against austerity has started and led to the collapse of the dutch government. hollande says he will make growth his priority, not austerity. after months of protests in greece, it is the anti-austerity parties that are set to do well in the forthcoming election. >> there is a new focus on the need to try to generate growth. a lot of the problems, not only for spain but other euro area countries, is that governments are trying to cut deficits at a time when the economies are in a recession.

>> the spanish government is in deep trouble, tried to slash the deficit with the country in recession. the markets doubt it can be done and have forced up the country's borrowing costs. raising fears spain could be heading for a bailout. >> there has been another rash of long lines at heathrow airport. passengers devoting three hours to clear immigration. the british government's immigration minister has been summoned to appear before the u.k. parliamentary committee to answer questions about the delays. this man arrived at 8:00 p.m. on friday evening and took three hours to get out of the airport. i asked him what it was like. >> it was madness. it stood out because i came from coast arica. when i came back from germany, i was like, not again. what is happening? you get off the airline and you

keep going. the line just keeps stretching. all you can see are despondent faces. you have been waiting for hours and you cannot see the end. what we heard was information that they're here to help. actually, there were trying to create makeshift queues and it was a big mess. and then you have the pr announcements saying that we care about immigration controls. when you get through the queue, it is empty boxes and no one in there. >> this is bbc news. still ahead, the final frontier as america's space shuttle, enterprise, while as the crowd in new york on its very last flight.

headlineswas making around the world with a quick look at the international newspapers. we will begin with the financial times. it has a picture of the chinese minister. heat escape from house arrest in beijing and claims to have saw refuge in the u.s. embassy. the u.s. state department has refused to comment. peace plan for syria is on the brink of collapse. they say damascus have failed to live up to their promises. the edition of the spanish paper sank exhaustion is the reason for calling it a day. his assistant will take over. and the international herald tribune with the striking image of the space shuttle enterprise, making its last trip before becoming a museum exhibit. the paper describing the flight

over the skies of manhattan. this is bbc news. these are the headlines. the jailed former prime minister of ukraine shows injuries that she says are the result of a referee the buyer prison guards. one of china's most prominent human rights activists, chen guangcheng, has managed to escape from house arrest. the question for the death of an mi officer, it would have been impossible for him to lock himself inside a bag. the body of williams was discovered in his bath in august. our security correspondent reports. >> williams, the intelligence officer found in the back. tracing his final movement. a central question, did he get inside the bag himself or was he put there? today, evidence, including his

video. it shows how hard it is to climb into a bag in the bathtub and close it. williams was either placed in the back unconscious or he was dead before he was in the bag. the experts look at whether the bag could be locked from the inside. our witness said he tried 100 times. another 300 times. neither manage it. one said it might be theoretically possible, the other said even houdini would struggle. this call to police after he fell to turn up for one week. >> one of our members of staff is missing. >> when police went to his flat, they found a red sports tag. his body was found curled up inside the bag in a fetal position with no sign of him having struggled to get out. inside and underneath him was a set of keys to the padlock. but that was padlock on the

outside in a way experts found impossible to recreate from inside the bag. the police have said that, from early on, they thought someone else was involved in his death. today, evidence does seem to point to that. it is still not clear who it might have been. when police examined computers found in the flat, they found a large amount of material on women's designer clothing and traces of a small number of visits to websites looking at bondage and people tied up. the inquest will finish hearing evidence next week. >> a wide area of central london shut down after a man threatened to blow himself up. armed police sealed off roads, evacuated buildings, and closed to stations for several hours. >> central london in broad daylight. armed police rushed toward the reported hostage situation.

from the fifth floor of this building, computers and office equipment thrown onto the street below. it started at lunch time when a man entered the offices of a company that offers courses for would be lorry drivers. the man said he was a client and appeared to have explosives strapped to him. >> basically, he threatened to blow us up. he did not care about his life or anything. >> as a large part of london's neighborhoods were cordoned off, workers were led to safety. suddenly, it was over. the man was led out of the building in handcuffs. a few hours after it began, this incident brought to a successful conclusion. with the olympics just three months away, the last thing the organizers wanted to see is

insecurity in the center of london. tonight, police still questioning the man arrested at the scene. >> the u.s. economy slowed in the first quarter of this year. figures on friday suggest the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.2%, down from 3.3% in the final quarter of last year. not hot enough to make a substantial difference for the country's unemployment problem. romania's president has nominated a member of the opposition to the prime minister after the center-right government fell in a no- confidence vote. the leader of the left-wing alliance has been asked to leave the government until elections later this year. many visitors to the city of amsterdam are familiar with its interest coffeeshops where people can buy and smoked cannabis. although that industry is under threat because cafe owners have lost their court battle against the government plan to ban

tourists from the cafe's. >> the netherlands is famous for its liberal approach to soft drugs. while it is not strictly illegal to smoke cannabis, its use is tolerated. the dutch government decriminalized the possession of less than 5 grams of cannabis in 1976. cannabis cafes or coffee shops saw a major spike in most cities and a major attraction for tourists. now the government wants to tighten the restrictions. >> i think it is ridiculous. it is a shame because i believe that the world really admires the dutch for their pragmatic and forward-thinking view on how they handle what they consider soft drugs. it just seems that they are

literally going back in time, digressing. >> the new law is designed to cut the numbers of drug tourists, who some residents complain create nuisances like traffic jams and an increase in drug dealers on the streets. it is also designed to cut crime caused by foreigners coming to the netherlands to buy their drugs and returning to sell them illegally at home. from the first of may, coffeeshops in three southern provinces will become members only clubs. only those with membership cards or we'd passes will be issued for residents over 18. it will come into effect across the country by the end of the year. there are around 700 coffeeshops in the netherlands. owners fighting the ban say the new law discriminates between eu

citizens on the basis of where they live. some claim the new rules will cost up to 90% of their business. >> it is disappointing for everybody. nobody sees the problem. there is no problem. we do not have problems with tourists who smoke a joint and then go to the museum. >> in amsterdam, about one-third of tourists are attracted by the opportunity to be able to smoke cannabis. with new legislation, it could have a huge impact on tourism. the mayor is voting to negotiate some kind of deal with the government to ensure that tourists attracted by cannabis can keep on coming. >> the european football champions, barcelona, are about to lose their coach. he has confirmed that he will be leaving at the end of the current season. >> it seems the pressure of modern-day football can get the better of a man with 13 major

trophies in less than four years. after the chevy inslee, playing second fiddle to real madrid at home, he has decided to walk away from barcelona despite being the most successful coach in the club's history. >> the reason is simple. it has been for years and with time, everything wears down. i am worn down. i need a break. that is the main reason why i told the club in september or october that my time was coming to an end. >> as a player, he spent 21 years at barca, 26 league titles and the champions league. he left in 2001 but returned six in a letter to take charge of the b team. 12 months after that, he became the first team coach and his impact was immediate. winning the domestically before beating manchester united in the 2009 chevy and leave final. two more league -- in the 2009 champions league final.

r sablan as brand of passing and movement thrilled fans around the globe. some declared them the best team ever. this season, things changed. madrid's win last weekend ensured parts alone will not win a fourth straight premier li. chelsea gave them their champions league blow. the pressure is seemingly too much to bear. >> in the last few weeks, it was agitated. the local germans were pushing and pushing him. part of it was thinking, this guy has been the most is as a manager in the last four years. he deserves more respect. part of me was thinking, levels of demands of success are so high, they have every right to push the manager. >> his assistant will take charge for next season.

he inherits a great squad and greater pressure. where he lands next remains to be seen. >> not so special for enterprise. some of manhattan's best known landmarks. the 747 carrying the enterprise landed at jfk airport and the enterprise will move to the intrepid museum. >> atop a jumbo jet, the enterprise was given a proper course in its hometown. after taking off from washington dc, the retired shuttle flew past the statue of liberty and down the hudson river. from below, new yorkers watch the spectacle with excitement. it was their first, but not last, a glimpse of the shuttle that was part of nasa history for over 35 years. enterprise was once a fixture at the smithsonian institution in

d.c. after being replaced by the discovery shuttle, new york wanted it here. and so, at john f. kennedy airport, it received a great welcome. >> just about every major city in the country wanted the enterprise. but new york has the right stuff. and we won. so we say, welcome, enterprise, you are right to love it here in new york. we are so proud to have you here. >> in a few weeks, the shuttle will be carried once more. this time, down the hudson river to its final destination, the intrepid air, sea, and space museum. >> do not forget our website for 20 more. thank you for your company. 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 work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.

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