>> 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 can 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? >> and now "bbc world news. >> orders a retrial for the activists jailed after last year's protest.

among them hunger striker abdulhadi al-khawaja, but they will remain in jail until they appear in court. his wife says he should be free now. >> they have been through a lot, they have been tortured. they have been denied all their rights. so they have to be free. >> hello and welcome. the world of news and opinion. also in the program, reports of friends of the escaped activist are coming under pressure from the chinese authorities. britain's olympic association is told to lift its lifetime ban on drug. do offenders deserve a second

chance? midday here in london, 7:00 in the morning in washington and 2:00 in the afternoon in bahrain where the country's highest appeal court has ordered a retrial for 21 pro democracy activists jailed last year by a military court. they'll now appear in a civilian court. among them is abdulhadi al-khawaja who has been on a hunger strike for almost three months. but the decision to keep the men in custody until they're in court again has been condemned by opposition groups, including al-khawaja's wife. >> if you know the judicial system in bahrain, you will know it's the same judges and the military court and the civilian court but with different clothes. it's just bad. nothing will change. the judges are all egyptians who are being paid by the government. so nothing will change. it's the same system. they're just biding time and they want to tell the media they

are doing something positive now. if they wanted to do this, they should have decided on the second, not the third one. and secondly they should let them free as they said they would be and not keep them in jail and retrial them again. they can't go through this again. they have been through a lot. they have been tortured, they have been picked on, they have been den.i.d. all their rights so they have to be free. >> put some of those points raised through a spokesperson ba rain government in a moment, but first let's take you over to bahrain. we've got some latest pictures, not live, that we have from the capitol of bahrain. they appear to show small but vocal protests being staged by supporters of activists. they are calling for the release

of all of them, we heard that voiced by al-khawaja's wife a few seconds ago. well, as i was saying let's put some of those points, and a we have a spokesperson here with us. thank you very much for being here with us. now, if these men, these activists deserve a retrial, don't they deserve to be free while waiting for that retrial? >> well, i think that's a question a court should decide. they will be guaranteed due process. in the high court of appeal. so i think it's a positive move over all. >> well, there are people, including al-khawaja's wife, the man who's on hunger strike, who is skeptical about the next trial, if that is what it is. what i'm putting to you is, if

the appeals court is decided that the first decision was worrying enough to order a retrial, why are these men still in custody? >> two things. number one, the court looks at at has the law been applied and has procedure been properly followed. i don't think that's something that is alarming. in fact it's reassuring. the rights they can always have and -- >> i know that, you each jumping onto the next stage. what i'm asking you is while they're waiting, if there is a worry about the initial military court decision, why aren't these men free? just answer that for me? >> i am answering that question. what i'm telling you is that a, courts of national safety, but not military courts. secondly the decision for them to remain in custody or leigh

custody, being released. these are questions for the court. in the decision today one of those 21 accused. one of them had his sentenced reduced from two years to six months. he will be released shortly because he has done that time. now, regarding other things that miss al-khawaja has alleged, i think it's very inaccurate and it's wrong frankly. the integrity in the court has never been doubted. only a few hard liners kind of carry that belief. it's important to note that it no allegation has been pointed at the existing judicial -- in fact it's quite the opposite. >> all right. >> specifically -- >> we have to leave it. thank you very much for being

with us. thank you. still no word on the exact where abouts of the the prominent chinese activist who escaped house arrest last week and is believed to be under protection in beijing. reports that there's a crack down going on on friends and supporters of the escaped activist. can you confirm that? >> well yes, that certainly seems to be the case. what we've seen according to friends and associates of mr. chan is that family members have been detained by authorities, including his brother and sister-in-law. we also understand one of his nephews is on the run following his remarkable escape to beijing last week.

so certainly authorities do appear to be moving against his family and people who may have helped him during their escape. >> martin i just said the where abouts are known. can you shed any light on this? is he indeed in a u.s. embassy? >> well, we spoke to several activists, and told us he was under the care of the u.s. embassy, the protection of u.s. embassy. now whether that means he's actually in the building itself isn't clear. it's also not clear what demands, if he indeed is at the american embassy, will be making. he did release a video a few days ago when he called the premier to protect his family because he was worried about

reprizals. it does appear that authorities are tracking down on those closest to him. >> thank you very much. let's take a look at some of the other stories making headlines. reports from syria say at least eight people have been killed and many more wounded in a northern city. two suicide bombs were detonated near state intelligence buildings. the british prime minister david cameron has said the killing of a british aide worker in pakistan was shocking and mercy less. he was found dead in the outskirts of a town on sunday. he had been abducted in january. australia is officially free of the drought for the first time in over a decade because of extra rainfall. last year was the wettest since 1970. they suffer drought on average once every 14 years.

the u.n. secretary bambam has made an historic address. the first foreigner to ever do so and to visit the once isolated nation since a reformist government took office a year ago. he has called on aung san suu kyi. >> a welcome return. the last time ban ki-moon was here, burma was ruled by a dictatorship. now he's helping his country dunn the road. he's taken great political risks in opening his country to the outside world but it's beginning

to pay off. how is this? >> much different. >> a short distance away, burma's fledgling parliament was finding its voice. this the first since historic elections. the opposition led by aung san suu kyi. it is here that the nuts and bolts are being pieced together. the opposition being led by aung san suu kyi is refusing to take its seat because they don't want to swear that reserves a quarter of the seats here for men in uniform. at headquarters in rangoon, things were shifting. aung san suu kyi unexpected announcing that she and her elect would after all swear the oath and take their seat.

we decided to compromise, she says, because we don't want to become a political problem. she calls the decision a respectful gesture. but it looks like an uncharacteristic retreat. aung san suu kyi will now have to make her voice heard here. so today m.p.'s were in listening mode. ban ki-moon, the first foreigner to address parliament. the road ahead is exciting, he told them, but it will not always be easy. you can count on the united nations he said, and you can count on me. >> the path of change is still fragile and uncertain, but it is indeed too narrow to turn back. >> ban ki-moon has made history here today, but it isn't helping to shape burma's future that he hopes to make a lasting

impression. >> i'll be speaking to the southeast asia expert about what impact ban ki-moon's words will have in burma. that there be in about 15 minutes. now, still to come on g.m.t., the russian riders crossing their way to london for the queen's diamond jubilee. a few jobs ar as physically demanding as being a professional dancer. many struggle to get the medical treatment. but in the u.k., a new specialist clinic is about to begin work. our health correspondent has been to see it. ♪ >> leaping, stretching, pushing their muscles and bones to the

limit. maintaining the flexibility they need. this is part of a daily routine at the dance company. if these dancers are injured they get help from the company. for others, an injury can mean the end of their working life. >> now just bend back towards me as far as you can. >> this doctor specializes in dance injuries. he's been involved in setting up a new national institute of dance medicine. as part of that, for the first time, they will offer dancer specialists treatment. treatment which puts the injuries and the demands of their job. >> there is some injuries which are almost unique to dancers, you don't see them elsewhere. in those sort of situations, having the specialist clinic, be able to pick them up very, very quickly. get them back to full fitness in the shortest possible time. >> he has spent his life dancing from music videos to big dance productions. andre was on stage when an ankle

injury forced him off. he spent months trying to get help. seeing one of the specialists in the new clinic got him on the road to recovery. >> the doctors helped me get that process just within less than a year, within less than a half a year i was back to walking again. >> the hope is to set up network of m.h.s. dance clinics, supporting dancers through their pain. >> the headlines. the wife of abdulhadi al-khawaja has told "bbc world news" that a courts' decision to review his case doesn't mean anything. she called for his immediate release. still no word on the exact where abouts of the prominent chinese activist chang, he escaped house

arrest last week and is believed to be under u.s. protection in beijing. the obama administration in america has just renewed a special forces mission to help in the hunt for wanted warlord joseph koney. he was made infamous in a youtube video that went viral. koney has waged war in central africa for more than two decades, operating in remote areas among the heavily forested borders. the u.s. base is where one journalist is able to visit. >> in this town, daubo was abducted by koney's army in

2008. he escaped. now he's calling on others to give themselves up. joseph koney was chased out of uganda in 2006. he reached this remote community two years later. >> they attack several villages and took 76 people. most escaped but there are still some out there. >> evading armies in the region, so the u.s. has sent a hundred special forces soldiers to coordinate the fight against the l.r.a. >> medical capabilities, communication, planning, operations and also incorporating intelligence into the operation to make them more effective. >> what about the legendary american electronic surveillance? >> that's what we're not here to bring. we're here to bring our experience to the table, combine

it with what they know about the region and come up with the solution that's going to fit. >> one farmer fears the l.r.a. will be back, boosted with weapons from sudan's president. because koney's making trouble too in south sudan. >> they may come back. >> there are dozens of conflicts, and others in this area. joseph koney is the most volatile fuel on the flier. that explains the u.s. involvement. a hundred soldiers for now. but if they can't help the local armies catch koney, will they send more? >> it's time for the business news with erin. this is something everybody feared, but the figures out of spain are not looking good and those two words bailout.

>> that is the question indeed. have to be a mighty bailout. we sat here last week talking about it but today it's official. spain is back into a recession. if second recession in three years. but george, if we look at the horrid stories of spain over the last few days on friday, the government said the unemployment with up 24.5%, more than 50% under 5 don't have a job. on thursday, credit rating was down graded. here's the problem though, you've now got the euros fourth largest economy with a rating that's only three notches above jupping status. the property muck continues in turmoil, foreclosures are on the rise, spanish banks are in the worst financial situation than previously thought of. the s&p downgraded and on top of all of that, the deficit, the government deficit continues. >> the list is endless.

>> the question is is spain imploding before or very our eyes. >> all the figures you reported are absolutely, unfortunately absolutely right. but i don't see this economy imploding. major quarterly growth rate on a yearly basis. the same as the previous quarter so we're not seeing the previous situation deteriorate. in fact the signs we're seeing leading indicators tell us that this situation will probably remain for a while. we're not seeing the whole house of cards collapse. >> the whole house of cards hasn't collapsed yet but when you mention the word bailout, let's remind everybody that the spanish economy is double the size of all three. ireland, portugal, greece, combined. >> national labor organization talking about unemployment on a much wider scale. >> well the warning today is the

global employment situation "is alarming" that's what the i.l.o. came out. and perhaps even more worrying, they said the situation isn't going to improve. in fact it will get worse as the global economy slows down. in particular, very bad situation in the developed economy. this is the picture. the i.l.o. says they won't grow fast enough or big enough to fill that job's deficit that we already have. let alone to take into account the extra 80 million people that will be joining the jobs market over the two years. and the finger they point at os os er thity. let's have a listen to what they think of it. >> it is counter productive. it is counterproductive in terms of jobs, it is affecting the economy. and in particular the job market. but it's ironic because even from the point of view of cutting the budget deficit.

it is not improving either. so there are no positive results. we need an alternative. >> need an alternative. >> and i don't know what that is, but i think that's enough for me with the doom and gloom. >> all right aaron, thanks very much. now the russians are famed for their horse riding skills and one top team from the presidential cavalry unit and the kremlin riding school showcase some spectacular cossack riding skills at the queen's jubilee. >> at first glance it could be a circus. in fact, this is a rare chance to see the art of stunt riding invented by russian cossacks. to do this, every strap needs to be in place.

they have spent months getting ready for a very special performance. 12 horses with their riders are taking part in the queen's diamond jube he palace. >> performing is always difficult and requires a lot of practice and responsiblity. moreover, we'll be representing all of russia. >> horses from the kremlin riding school have spent five days and change three means of transportation to reach britain. 2,500 kilometer trip is a big challenge for the animals, but the rider says such a big event is worth the effort. the show is called traditions of russia and is packed with the most physical stunt from horseback helps to create the renowned horsemanship of russia. for them a horse as hauls been much more than just a way of

getting somewhere. stunt riding was once used to scare the enemy or simply to hide. cossack warriors were able to shoot from any position, and carry the wounded from the battlefield. >> first of all, it is our her taj we need to save. our main goal is not to show ourselves, but russian's horse riding divisions. >> the tanks and machine guns long ago, but this remains the trademark of the cossacks. >> now, the football manager alex ferguson has described the match against manchester city as the biggest in his 25 years at

the club. the two teams are sitting at the top of the table and the winner is expected to go on and win the title. city, who hasn't won a top flight league title for 48 years trail united by three points with three games remaining. victory for them will see them go. now australia's much loved co walla bears have been listed as a threatened speeshes. they said the population in queensland, new south wails were very clearly in trouble because of hob at the lost and urban ex peanings, as well as the presence of cars, dogs and disease. they eat only the leaves of theu clptus tree and sleep for 22

hours a day. before we go, a court in bahrain has ordered a retrial in the case of the hunger striker abdulhadi al-khawaja who was convicted of leading last year's pro democracy protest in bahrain. he and 20 other activists convicted by a military court last year will have their cases reviewed by a civil court. but the decision to keep the men in custody until they're in court again has been condemned by opposition groups. that's all for the moment. stay with us though here on "bbc world news." we have plenty more to come.

>> make sense of international news at bbc.com/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 expended 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 presented by kcet los angeles.