Australian pair abandon Down's baby

2 August 2014 Last updated at 03:59

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The surrogate mother tells ABC News: "I love him, he's like my child now"

A campaign for a baby with Down's Syndrome left with his surrogate Thai mother by an Australian couple has raised over $120,000 (£70,000).

The six-month-old boy, named Gammy, also has a congenital heart condition and needs urgent medical treatment.

Pattaramon Chanbua was left to care for him after his Australian parents only wanted his healthy twin sister.

She was paid $15,000 (£9,000) to be a surrogate for the couple, whose identities remain unknown.

Mrs Pattaramon was told of the child's condition four months after becoming pregnant and the couple asked her to have an abortion but she refused, saying it was against her Buddhist beliefs.

The 21-year-old, who already has two children, says she cannot afford to pay for the expensive treatment to deal with his life-threatening heart condition.

"The money that was offered was a lot for me. In my mind, with that money, one, we can educate my children, we can repay our debt," she told Australia's ABC broadcaster.

Thai newspaper Thairath published Gammy's story last week and an online campaign to raise money for his treatment was launched shortly afterwards.

So far hundreds of people have donated more than $120,000 (£70,000) towards the fund's $150,000 (£90,000) target.

'Horrible neglect!'

There were also dozens of messages of support for Gammy and her mother, and several expressing outrage at the Australian couple's actions.

"May this selfish and heartless couple be exposed and shamed for this horrible neglect!" one comment read.

A spokesman for Australia's foreign affairs department told the AFP news agency it was "concerned" by the reports and was in consultation with Thai authorities over surrogacy issues.

Tares Krassanairawiwong, a Thai health official, said it was illegal to pay for surrogacy in Thailand.

"Surrogacy can be done in Thailand but it has to comply with the laws. A surrogate has to be related to the intended parents and no money can be involved."

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China factory blast kills dozens

2 August 2014 Last updated at 05:53

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Amateur footage shows smoke billowing from the scene, as John Sudworth reports

An explosion at a factory in eastern China has killed at least 65 people, according to Chinese state media.

More than 100 people were injured in the blast in Kunshan, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

Pictures posted online showed people with burns sitting on the ground outside a factory complex from which black smoke was billowing.

Rescue efforts are under way as officials investigate the explosion.

China Central Television (CCTV) identified the factory as belonging to Zhongrong Plating.

The company manufactures car parts and employs about 450 workers. Its clients include US giant General Motors, CCTV reported.

State media reports say that explosion took place inside a wheel hub polishing workshop and that more than 200 workers were at the site at the time of the explosion.

Industrial accidents are relatively common in China, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai, although figures show safety in some industries has been improving in recent years.

Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at using the subject line 'China'.

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Americans in N Korea plead for help

2 August 2014 Last updated at 06:06

Two American tourists charged with "anti-state" crimes in North Korea have pleaded for the US government to help secure their release.

Matthew Miller and Jeffrey Fowle told the AP news agency they expected to be tried soon and given long prison terms.

The two men said they were in good health and had been treated well but expected conditions to get worse.

They were detained separately in April but both were accused of "committing hostile acts" while in the country.

Mr Fowle, 56, entered North Korea on 29 April and was detained in early June as he was leaving the country

He is said to have left a bible in the toilet of a restaurant in the northern port city of Chongjin but his family have insisted that he was not on a mission for his church.

North Korean authorities say Mr Miller, 24, entered the country on 10 April with a tourist visa but tore it up at the airport and shouted that he wanted to seek asylum.

Speaking for the first time since being detained more than three months ago, Mr Miller said "the horizon for me is pretty dark.

"I don't know what the worst-case scenario would be, but I need help to extricate myself from this situation. I have been requesting help from the American government, but have received no reply," he added.

It is unclear whether North Korean officials were in the room at the time of the interview or if the men were being coerced.

Authorities say they are preparing to bring the men before a court, but the charges or potential punishment have not been specified. The date of the trial has not been announced.

North Korea has in the past been accused of using arrested Americans as diplomatic bargaining chips.

The US wants Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for economic and diplomatic incentives, but talks on a deal agreed in 2007 have been stalled for several years.

Religious activity is severely restricted in North Korea and missionaries have been arrested on many previous occasions.

Kenneth Bae, the highest-profile of the currently detained Americans, was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in May 2013 after being accused of planning to overthrow the government.

Other US detainees in North Korea

• Eddie Jun Yong-su: Businessman detained for six months in 2011, freed after a visit led by US envoy Robert King
• Aijalon Mahli Gomes: Teacher and Christian jailed in 2010 for eight years over illegal entry via China - freed after ex-US President Jimmy Carter visited Pyongyang
• Robert Park: US activist crossed into North Korea via China in late 2009 - freed in 2010 by North Korea
• Laura Ling and Euna Lee: Journalists jailed in 2009 for 12 years over illegal entry via the Chinese border - freed after ex-US President Bill Clinton met former NK leader Kim Jong-il

US citizens held by N Korea

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Taiwan probe after deadly gas blast

2 August 2014 Last updated at 09:40

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Drone footage shows the chaos of the gas blasts, as Cindy Sui reports

Taiwanese authorities say they are stepping up inspections of underground chemical pipelines after a series of explosions killed at least 26 people.

The underground blasts rocked the southern industrial city of Kaohsiung late on Thursday.

The search for two missing firemen is continuing, though there is little hope that they will be found alive.

Taiwanese authorities have rejected accusations that they were slow to respond to reports of leaking gas.

Kaohsiung's mayor, Chen Chu, said the explosions had "shocked residents tremendously".

"I instructed relevant units to thoroughly inspect the pipelines and call for the central government to review how to properly locate them so residents do not live under invisible threats and to prevent another tragedy", she said in a statement.

Almost 300 people were injured in the explosions, which left a trail of devastation in the centre of the city.

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Cindy Sui reports: ''The strength of the blast was so powerful that it tore up this entire street for about one kilometre''

Witnesses reported huge fireballs soaring into the air. Officials said there were at least five blasts.

"The local fire department received calls of gas leaks late Thursday and then there was a series of blasts around midnight affecting an area of two to three sq km [one sq mile]," the National Fire Agency said in a statement.

Mourning

The city lies close to a huge petrochemical complex, with many pipelines running under the city.

The blasts are believed to have been caused by propylene gas leaking from the pipelines.

Taiwan's Premier Jiang Yi-huan announced three days of national mourning, to start on 5 August.

Flags will be flown at half-mast at government buildings and schools, to mourn both the Kaohsiung blast victims as well as the 48 people who died in a plane crash last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the search for two missing firemen is continuing, our correspondent Cindy Sui reports.

Sniffer dogs and sensor equipment are being used to search the rubble on one of the streets where the explosions took place.

Cindy Sui, BBC News, Kaohsiung

The area where the explosions happened is just a short distance from the Kaohsiung City Hall, the popular Guanghua Night Market, the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store and at least one major hotel.

Eyewitnesses and local residents reported smelling a strong gas odour about three hours before the explosions occurred. Many of them were worried and went outside.

One person wrote online that he called Kaohsiung City's hotline for residents but was told that firefighters had arrived on the scene and to go back home.

As he expressed anger to the hotline operator, he saw a large explosion. Manhole covers were blown three stories high. Many people lay injured on the street.

Another resident who lived nearby said that he thought it was an earthquake at first and then he heard something like a bomb. The electricity was cut off. He immediately woke up his wife and children and they quickly left their home.

Taiwanese fearful after pipeline blasts

Are you in Kaohsiung? You can send us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Kaohsiung".

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Massive landslide near Nepal capital

2 August 2014 Last updated at 10:00

A massive landslide has buried dozens of homes in Nepal, with eight people confirmed dead and many missing.

The landslide has blocked the Sunkoshi river, east of the capital Kathmandu, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground.

Officials said army technicians were trying to unblock the river and allow the water to run off.

There are fears that the death toll will rise, as rescue work continues in the district of Sindhupalchowk.

Sindhupalchowk is 120 km (75 miles) east of Kathmandu.

"Police and army officials are trying to find the missing people and evacuate the villages on the riverside" a police official told AFP.

Officials said dozens of people were still missing.

The Arniko highway to Tibet has been closed and the area declared a "flood crisis zone" by the government.

Landslides are common during the June-September monsoon season in Nepal. Dozens of people die every year from flooding and landslides.

Are you in the region? Have you been affected by the landslide? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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Ukraine rebel admits 'executions'

2 August 2014 Last updated at 10:43

A senior adviser to rebels in eastern Ukraine has confirmed that extrajudicial killings have been carried out "to prevent chaos".

Igor Druz told the BBC such "executions" sent an important signal to the rest of the rebel forces.

He also said Ukraine's government was a "terrorist" organisation, committing war crimes against civilians.

Meanwhile, forensic experts are carrying out a second day of work at the site of a crashed Malaysian plane.

Some 70 Dutch and Australian experts are scouring the vast crash site where Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed after reportedly being brought down by a missile.

More than 1,500 people are believed to have been killed in the conflict which erupted in east Ukraine in April, after rebels declared independence from the new government in Kiev.

Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in March, has been accused of arming the rebels and has been targeted by US and EU sanctions. Russia denies the accusations.

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Investigators released footage from their first full day at the MH17 site

Analysis: Dina Newman, BBC News, Donetsk

Igor Druz is advisor to the rebels' military commander Igor Strelkov, and a senior spokesman for the rebel-held territories of Donetsk region. He is in charge of the ideology of the eastern Ukrainian rebel movement. In an interview with the BBC in Donetsk he outlined his vision of the so-called 'state of Novorossia' they hope to build here.

He says he is a strong supporter of Orthodox Christian morality and family values, and opposed to homosexuality. He hopes to legalise death penalty for the most serious crimes and he is sure that most rebels will support him in this initiative.

Mr Druz told the BBC: "On several occasions, in a state of emergency, we have carried out executions by shooting to prevent chaos. As a result, our troops, the ones who have pulled out of Sloviansk, are highly disciplined."

Sloviansk was a key rebel stronghold before it was recaptured last month by Ukrainian government forces.

Mr Druz said the rebels wanted to establish a socially responsible state that would protect Christian values.

He also said the Ukrainian government was "totally illegitimate".

Mr Druz said: "These people have come to power by committing murders and staging an armed coup. Now they are committing war crimes. They are bombing our cities. They shell cities and then blame it on our fighters. This is nonsense. Why would we shell cities which are under our control?"

Refugees fleeing the fighting in the east have told the BBC they believe the Ukrainian government is shelling residential areas, and complain they had to escape at short notice with no warning from the government.

Work is continuing at the crash site of MH17, which came down on 17 July with the loss of all 298 passengers and crew, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The BBC's Jonathan Beale, at the scene, says local people have come to a cross near the crash site where flowers have been lain in memory of the victims, and a local priest is conducting a memorial service.

The US and Ukraine say pro-Russian rebels probably shot down the plane with a missile supplied from Russia.

The rebels say it could have been brought down by a Ukrainian fighter jet.

Most of those who died were Dutch nationals.

More than 220 coffins have now been sent back to the Netherlands.

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Tom Burridge in Kiev: "Taking control of Donetsk from rebels will be a difficult task"

On Friday, US President Barack Obama expressed his "deep concern" over the Ukraine crisis in a telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Obama later said: "I think that we have done everything that we can to support the Ukrainian government and to deter Russia from moving further into Ukraine.

"But short of going to war, there are going to be some constraints in terms of what we can do if President Putin and Russia are ignoring what should be their long-term interests."

The Obama administration on Friday also notified Congress it intended to spend $19m (£11m) training the Ukrainian national guard.

Earlier Mr Putin condemned fresh US and EU sanctions.

He called them "counterproductive, causing serious damage to bilateral cooperation and international stability overall".

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Pistorius' brother hurt in car crash

2 August 2014 Last updated at 11:21

Carl Pistorius, the brother of South African athlete and murder accused Oscar Pistorius, has been "badly hurt" in a car accident, his family said,

Local media report that he is in intensive care after a head-on collision near Pretoria.

The incident comes six days before Oscar Pistorius' murder trial is set to resume.

Oscar Pistorius denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, saying he shot her believing she was an intruder.

On Friday it was announced that the athlete had sold the Pretoria house where the shooting took place to help cover his legal fees.

The house sold for 4.5-million rand ($418,000; £249,000), slightly below the estimated value of 5-million rand.

'Father figure'

Carl Pistorius, 29, "was badly hurt but we are thankful that he is out of danger" his family said in a statement.

His car had been hit by another vehicle which had swerved from the opposite side of the road, the statement added.

South African media reported that he sustained multiple fractures and suffered internal bleeding.

Carl Pistorius has been a near-constant presence at his younger brother's murder trial.

The athlete has described how Carl became a "father figure" for himself and his sister after their parents' marriage broke down and their mother died.

In May last year Carl Pistorius was acquitted of culpable homicide over the death of a motorcyclist in South Africa in 2008.

The Oscar Pistorius trial is set to resume on 7 August, with both teams expected to present their closing arguments.

The prosecution says the athlete deliberately shot her dead after an argument at his home on 14 February 2013.

If found guilty of murder, the 27-year-old, who went on trial on 3 March, could face life imprisonment.

If he is acquitted of that charge, the court will consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could - if convicted - receive about 15 years in prison.

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Fresh Gaza strikes amid soldier hunt

2 August 2014 Last updated at 12:16

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Fresh strikes are taking place amid the hunt for the missing soldier, as Martin Patience reports

Israel has carried out fresh attacks on Gaza and militants have launched more rockets into Israel as a hunt continues for a missing Israeli soldier.

Palestinian officials said 55 people had died in Israeli strikes on Saturday, most in Rafah, where the soldier, Hadar Goldin, went missing.

A series of rocket attacks into Israel was reported on Saturday morning.

Some 1,655 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 65 Israelis, all but two soldiers, have died in the conflict.

A Thai worker was also killed in Israel. Some 8,900 Palestinians have also been injured, the health ministry in Gaza says.

A 72-hour ceasefire had been agreed, starting from Friday morning, but collapsed hours later.

Hamas accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had been forced to respond to militant rocket fire.

On Saturday, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi insisted an Egyptian ceasefire plan offered a "real chance" to end the bloodshed.

'Time is decisive'

Palestinian officials said that there had been a series of Israeli air strikes around Rafah since midnight, killing at least 35 people.

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The BBC's Bethany Bell in Israel says there is an "enormous sense of solidarity" with soldiers on the front line as the hunt for Lt Goldin continues

They said that across Gaza overnight, 40 homes, three mosques and the Islamic University were hit.

The IDF said the university housed a "weapons development centre".

Israeli media said that after a relatively quiet night, a number of rockets had been fired on Saturday morning, including at Tel Aviv.

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it had fired three rockets at Tel Aviv.

At least two were reportedly shot down by the Iron Dome missile defence system.

Egypt's state-run news agency Mena reported on Saturday that Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza had been reopened for humanitarian reasons, to help the casualties.

Mr Sisi, in a news conference, said: "The Egyptian proposal is the real chance to find a solution to the crisis in Gaza and to end the bloodshed.

"Time is decisive, we have to take advantage of it quickly to douse the fire... and to stop the bloodshed of Palestinians."

Qassam Brigades' statement

The Qassam Brigades meanwhile said it had no information about the fate of 2nd Lt Hadar Goldin, 23.

Israel said he may have been captured during an ambush in which two other soldiers were killed.

In a statement early on Saturday, the Qassam Brigades said it lost contact with a group of fighters in the area where the soldier went missing, saying: "We believe they were all killed in the [Israeli] bombardment.

"Assuming that they managed to seize the soldier during combat, we assess that he was also killed in the incident."

US President Barack Obama on Friday called for the release of Lt Goldin.

Mr Obama said: "If [Hamas] are serious about trying to trying to resolve this situation, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released, as soon as possible."

The capture of soldiers is a particular concern for Israeli authorities. Conscript Gilad Shalit was held for five years before being exchanged for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Mr Obama also urged the protection of civilians.

He said: "We have been clear that innocent civilians in Gaza caught in the crossfire have to weigh on our conscience and we have to do more to protect them."

The US Congress on Friday passed a $225m (£134m) bill to help restock Israel's Iron Dome defence system.

Israel began an aerial campaign on 8 July with the intention of halting rocket attacks from Gaza, and later launched ground operations to target rocket launching sites and tunnels use by militants to infiltrate Israel.

There have been numerous attempts to hold ceasefires but none have lasted, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the truces.

Are you in Gaza or Israel? Have you been affected by the violence? You can send us your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Gaza Israel". If you are willing to feature in an interview, please ensure you include your contact details and a photograph of yourself to help us illustrate the story.

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Militants 'seize Israeli soldier'

1 August 2014 Last updated at 13:04

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Martin Patience in Gaza: ''There is surprise that it has crumbled after just four-and-a-half hours''

Israeli forces are searching for a soldier believed captured, as a Gaza truce with Hamas collapsed just hours after it began.

The Israeli military said the soldier went missing during an attack on forces trying to destroy a tunnel from Gaza built by militants into Israel.

Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the 72-hour ceasefire.

Palestinian sources said at least 35 people were killed by Israeli shelling in the southern town of Rafah.

In 2006 Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years until November 2011. He was released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied the latest capture.

Some 1,460 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the latest conflict and 63 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

The ceasefire had been brokered by the US and UN to give civilians a reprieve from the violence, and had been seen as an unforeseen breakthrough after days of diplomatic deadlock.

Also on Friday, Palestinian and Israeli delegations arrived in Cairo, Egypt, with the hope of negotiating a longer-term cessation of hostilities, but Egyptian officials said the talks had now been postponed.

Analysis: Martin Patience, BBC News, Gaza

The clashes in Rafah came just four hours into what was meant be a 72-hour ceasefire, reinforcing just how difficult it is to get truces to last beyond a very short time. Both sides will have expected such violations.

While it held, much of Gaza was relatively quiet compared to the violence in recent weeks. The streets were slowly returning back to life as shops began to reopen. People had been taking the opportunity to stock up on much-needed supplies.

A steady stream of cars headed towards evacuated neighbourhoods close to the Israeli border. People here want to see if their houses are still standing and to try to salvage what's left of their belongings.

The BBC's Bethany Bell, in Jerusalem, says there had been enormous international pressure for a 72-hour lull to allow people in Gaza to bury their dead and restock with food.

During the morning life appeared to be returning to some kind of normality in Gaza, with many Palestinians heading towards heavily shelled areas to see if their homes were still intact.

But the Gaza health ministry reported that at least 35 Palestinians were killed and up to 100 injured in an Israeli attack near the southern town of Rafah after the ceasefire began.

A senior Israeli official said Hamas had breached the ceasefire and Israel's response would be "crushing".

Earlier, Israeli foreign affairs spokesman Yigal Palmor told the BBC that Israeli forces had retaliated after being attacked in what seemed like a planned move by Hamas.

"There was a full-scale attack on an Israeli unit and this unit had to respond," he said.

"After it responded, Hamas started firing rockets on Israeli territory again and therefore the fighting resumed all along the line.

But Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoun said: "The Israelis are the ones who breached the ceasefire, and the Palestinian resistance acted in a way that ensures its right of self-defence."

Another Hamas official said the announcement of the soldier's capture was "a justification for Israel retreating from the truth and a cover-up for massacres".

Palestinian media reported that Hamas had called for a "day of anger" across the West Bank.

Ceasefires timeline

• Saturday, 26 July: 12-hour humanitarian truce observed by both sides from 05:00 GMT (08:00 local time) till 17:00 GMT
• Israeli cabinet agrees four-hour extension until 21:00 GMT while it considers UN request for 24-hour extension, but continues operation against "terrorist" tunnels
• Hamas rejects extension to 21:00 GMT because it wants "complete" stop to fighting and end to Gaza blockade
• Israel announces extension of ceasefire for 24 hours till 21:00 GMT on Sunday
• Sunday, 27 July: Israel resumes operation in response to "incessant rocket fire" from Gaza. Hamas declares 24-hour truce, but continues rocket fire, and Israel rejects ceasefire
• Friday 1st August: Israel and Hamas agree 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire from 05:00 GMT, but Israel resumes operations within hours accusing Hamas of violations

Gaza-Israel conflict: What is the fighting about?

Gaza crisis: Toll of operations in Gaza

Are you in Gaza or Israel? Have you been affected by the violence? You can send us your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Gaza Israel". If you are willing to feature in an interview, please ensure you include your contact details and a photograph of yourself to help us illustrate the story.

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Sudan 'apostasy' woman arrives in US

1 August 2014 Last updated at 02:51

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Meriam Ibrahim was greeted by supporters in New Hampshire

A Sudanese woman who fled to Italy after being spared a death sentence for renouncing Islam has arrived in the US.

Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag arrived in New Hampshire on Thursday evening with her American husband and her children.

Welcoming her on a brief stopover in Philadelphia, the city's mayor, Michael Nutter, described her as a "world freedom fighter".

There was global condemnation when she was sentenced to hang for apostasy by a Sudanese court earlier this year.

Mrs Ibrahim's father is Muslim so according to Sudan's version of Islamic law she is also Muslim and cannot convert.

She maintains she was never Muslim having been raised by her Christian mother.

Mrs Ibrahim flew from Rome to Philadelphia with her husband and two children, en route to Manchester, New Hampshire, where her husband has relatives and the family hope to settle.

While in Philadelphia, Mr Nutter said people would remember her just like "others who stood up so we could be free".

He compared her to Rosa Parks, who became a symbol of the civil rights movement in the US when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Alabama.

And he presented Mrs Ibrahim with a small replica of the Liberty Bell, a symbol of American independence.

Her next stop was Manchester, and there were about 40 relatives and supporters at the airport to greet her, some of them chanting "Long Live America", says the BBC's Gringo Wotshela, who was at the scene.

He said her husband said a few words, in which he thanked the US government for its strong stance, the New Hampshire senators who worked hard to arrange her asylum and the people of Sudan for their support.

Mrs Ibrahim's husband, Daniel Wani, also a Christian, is from South Sudan and has US nationality.

Their daughter Maya was born in prison in May, shortly after Mrs Ibrahim was sentenced to hang for renouncing one's faith.

Under intense international pressure, her conviction was quashed and she was freed in June although she was initially stopped from leaving the country and the family took refuge at the US embassy in Khartoum.

When in Rome, she met the Pope, who "thanked her for her witness to faith", according to a Vatican spokesman.

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Mrs Ibrahim and her family meet Pope Francis at his Vatican residence

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