gavin hewitt, bbc news, luxemborg. >> thousands of people forced to leave their homes after days 6 -- after days of flooding in china. >> china's rainy season has arrived. this is the result. rivers turned into rapids. massive flooding caused by days of heavy rain. the flood waters tore through roads, bridges, homes. power lines are down, and water supplies have been effected. more than 60,000 people have been evacuated, but many are still thought to be stranded. some of the worst areas are in the town of quay jo. nearly half a million people have been affected. a disaster for what is already one of the poorest parts of the country. china has one of the poorest army -- largest armies in the world. they will shoulder the burden of helping people to safety, and beginning the slow difficult job of getting people help. others are trying to clear roads. but rains have just started. months of misery lie ahead for millions of people across china. daniel griffeth, bbc news. >> the soyez has carried a three-man crew. after traveling for two days they will dock at the international space statio

that was our correspondent reporting from luxemborg. a court in tunisia has sentenced the former president, zine el abidine ben ali, and his wife each to 35 years in jail and has ordered them to pay nearly 50 million euros in fines. (the verdict came down as the couple was tried in absentia in a one-day trial. they were accused of numerous crimes, including drug possession. ben ali was accused of attempting to note change the conversation. another will face trial later this year. hosni mubarak was removed from power months ago and is said to be suffering from cancer. the president of syria has once again promised reform. bashir al-assad told the country on monday that changes will come within months, but he also blamed saboteurs for the under arrest, and he vowed not to deal with a gunman. >> for president bashir al- assad, the unrest in syria is the work of a small group of extremists. it is not the first timehe president has blamed this on saboteurs, as they suffer through the most serious challenge to the leadership in nearly 40 year