Romney promises US 'real change'

26 October 2012 Last updated at 20:39 ET

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Mitt Romney pledges big change that, he says, will restore certainty for the middle class

Republican nominee Mitt Romney has called for "real change" against President Barack Obama's "status quo", on the final stretch of an election race that is too close to call.

Mr Romney dismissed the Democratic incumbent as a shadow of his former self, in an economic speech in the key battleground state of Iowa.

On Friday, new figures showed US gross domestic product grew by 2% in the third quarter, exceeding expectations.

The US goes to the polls on 6 November.

In a speech seeking to outline his core economic argument, Mr Romney said: "This election is a choice. A choice between the status quo, going forward with the same policies of the last four years, or instead choosing real change. Change that offers promise, promise that the future will be better than the past."

The former Massachusetts governor also accused Mr Obama of distracting the nation's "attention from the biggest issues to the smallest".

Climate 'crucial'

Mr Obama was taking a break from the campaign trail on Friday, after an intense 48-hour eight-state tour earlier in the week.

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He spent the day in Washington, recording interviews and meeting fellow Democrats.

In one interview with radio host Michael Smerconish, Mr Obama stressed he would work with Congress to pass a budget deal to reduce the country's deficit and debt.

"I'll go to Capitol Hill, I'll wash John Boehner's car, I'll walk Mitch McConnell's dog," Mr Obama said, referring to the Republican House Speaker and Senate minority leader respectively. "I'll do whatever is required to get this done."

In a later interview with MTV, Mr Obama emphasised the importance of voting for young adults, saying "there's no excuse" not to and attacked Mr Romney on climate change, calling it a "critical issue" for MTV viewers.

"[Romney] says he believes in climate change... but he says he's not sure man-made causes are the reason," Mr Obama said. "I believe scientists, who say we're putting too much carbon emissions into the atmosphere and it's heating the planet and it's going to have a severe effect."

Disputing the data

Mr Romney's comments in Iowa come as the Department of Commerce figures showed the US economy grew at an annualised rate of 2% in the three months to September.

The Obama campaign said the data showed the economy was moving in the right direction.

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It wasn't exactly the 'major' economic speech trailed by the campaign, but Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's speech in Iowa was important"

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"While we have more work to do, today's GDP growth report, showing the 13th straight quarter of growth, is more evidence that our economy continues to come back from the worst recession since the Great Depression under President Obama's leadership," it said in a statement.

Democrats also pointed out that Mr Romney spoke in Iowa outside Kinzler Construction Services, which benefited from more than $650,000 (£403,000) in stimulus funding from the 2009 law Mr Obama signed into law - the same stimulus the Republican nominee often criticises.

At a campaign stop, Mr Romney broadly attacked Mr Obama's record. "Despite all that he inherited, President Obama did not repair our economy, he did not save Medicare and Social Security, he did not tame the spending and borrowing, he did not reach across the aisle to bring us together."

An average of national opinion polls released on Friday show Mr Romney opening a modest lead of 0.9% over Mr Obama. Mr Obama is leading slightly in the key election states of Ohio and New Hampshire, but trailing slightly in Virginia and Florida.

In other news on Friday:

• Former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu retreated from his comments suggesting that former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Mr Obama because both men were black
• Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the Republicans' top donor, has given $10m (£6.2m) to a group supporting Mr Romney
• The presidential campaigns' combined fundraising total has crossed the $2bn mark, on track to become the most expensive race in history.
• Mr Romney and Vice-president Joe Biden both cancelled campaign appearances on Sunday because of the threat to the US east coast from Hurricane Sandy.

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Deadly storm batters Philippines

27 October 2012 Last updated at 02:51 ET

At least 24 people have been killed as a result of tropical storm Son-Tinh in the Philippines, the government says.

The death toll was updated after casualty reports were received from the central and southern Philippines, officials said.

About half of the victims were killed by landslides and by drowning, while others were hit by debris or electrocuted.

More than 15,000 people are sheltering in government evacuation centres.

At least six people remain missing.

The Philippines see between 15 and 20 major storms or typhoons each year, that occur mainly during the rainy season in the summer and autumn.

The storm is heading westward towards Vietnam at 22km/h (14mph) per hour and is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon.

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US 'quizzes Imran Khan on drones'

27 October 2012 Last updated at 05:29 ET

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan says he has been stopped by US immigration officials and questioned about his views on US drone strikes in his country.

He says he was taken off his flight from Toronto to New York on Friday.

As leader of the Pakistan Movement for Justice party (PTI), he has campaigned for an end to drone strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan.

He says the strikes kill many civilians and foster support for militants.

"I was taken off from plane and interrogated by US Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop," he wrote on Twitter.

He was said to have been questioned for about one hour, and said the delay meant he missed his flight and a party fundraising event in New York, but said "nothing will change my stance".

The US immigration authorities say they cannot divulge any information on particular cases due to privacy laws, according to the Toronto Sun.

"Our dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people, and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals, and contraband," one official said.

Earlier this month, Mr Khan led thousands of supporters on a march to the edge of the restive tribal areas where drone strikes target militants.

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'Truce' hit by more Syria clashes

27 October 2012 Last updated at 05:58 ET

The Syrian army has heavily shelled several areas of the country, say activists, despite a ceasefire marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Shelling and shooting were reported in the capital, Damascus, in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and in rebel-held areas of northern Aleppo province.

The UN-brokered ceasefire came into force on Friday but was soon shattered by fighting and car bomb in Damascus.

Nearly 150 people died on the first day of the truce, activists say.

The daily death toll reported by activist groups has regularly exceeded 150 in recent weeks.

An activist in the Douma suburb of the capital said the army had started firing mortars in the early morning on Saturday.

"I have counted 15 explosions in one hour and we already have two civilians killed," Mohammed Doumany told Reuters news agency.

"I can't see any difference from before the truce and now," he added.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - one of the most prominent groups monitoring Syrian casualties - said eight people had been killed so far on Saturday, and that government warplanes had been seen flying over Aleppo.

'Failure for Brahimi'

The four-day ceasefire had been negotiated by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who hoped it would lay the groundwork for a full peace process.

But both rebels and the army said they would observe the truce only if the other side held their fire.

A commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Aleppo, which holds parts of the city, said the truce was a failure for Mr Brahimi, and had been "dead before it started".

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Syrian state TV showed devastation at the Damascus blast site

"I was on several fronts yesterday and the army did not stop shelling," Abdel Jabbar al-Okaidi told AFP news agency, adding that the FSA had carried out only defensive action to protect civilians.

Mr Okaidi said the Syrian people had become "guinea pigs".

"Every time there is an envoy who tries an initiative, while we know the regime will not respect it."

The Syrian army also said it had only responded in defence to attacks by rebels.

The BBC's James Reynolds, on the Turkey-Syria border, says there were many weak points in the ceasefire so no-one was expecting a sudden halt in violence.

But it now appears to be only nominal and may not continue to be practical, our correspondent adds.

Both sides still believe that force is their best option for winning the conflict, he says - the government because it has the heavier weaponry and support from Russia, and the rebels because they believe they have the backing of the public.

On Friday, a car bomb exploded near a playground in Daf al-Shouk, a residential area in southern Damascus.

State TV reported that five people were killed and more than 30 wounded. It blamed the attack on "terrorists".

Activists said the bombing appeared to target civilians in a largely Sunni area where some have supported the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Later, a car-bomb attack in the southern city of Deraa killed three soldiers, said the observatory.

According to activists, more than 35,000 people have been killed since the uprising began, while the UN estimates that at least 20,000 have died.

The UN and Arab League have tried several times to broker a ceasefire, but the truces have fallen apart shortly after coming into force.

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Sacked S Africa miners reinstated

27 October 2012 Last updated at 07:24 ET

The world's biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), has agreed to reinstate the 12,000 South African miners sacked for taking part in an unofficial strike.

It had agreed to take back the miners if they returned to work by Tuesday, the National Union of Mineworkers said.

South Africa's mining sector has been hit by a series of wildcat strikes, which have cost millions of dollars.

Dozens of people have been killed in strike-related violence.

The miners were sacked three weeks ago.

"They agreed to reinstate all the dismissed workers on the provision that they return to work by Tuesday," NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told the Reuters news agency.

He said he expected workers would return to their posts and "that will mean the end of the strike".

Amplats said in a statement: "Employees who do not return to work on Tuesday... will remain dismissed and/or be subjected to the illegal strike disciplinary action and will not be eligible for any of the benefits mentioned above."

The company said it was offering the miners a one-off hardship payment of $230 (£140) to facilitate their return.

Strikes at South Africa's platinum, gold and coal mines are estimated to have cost the country more than $1bn.

More than 40 people died in violent clashes between police and striking workers at a platinum mine in August.

South Africa is one of the world's biggest producers of precious metals.

Analysts say workers across the industry are disaffected with the NUM and other mainstream unions, regarding them as too close to the employers.

The workers had been demanding 6,000 rand ($1,800; £1,100) in monthly pay, more than three times their current average salary.

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Church bid to strip Savile honour

27 October 2012 Last updated at 07:27 ET

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has written to the Vatican to ask if Jimmy Savile's papal knighthood can be posthumously removed, the Church has confirmed.

The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, asked Church officials in Rome to investigate the matter, recognising the "deep distress" of the late presenter's abuse victims.

Police confirmed Savile could have sexually abused some 300 people.

Savile was granted the honour in 1990.

Meanwhile, a statement released by Savile's nephew, Roger Foster, described the family's "despair and sadness" over the revelations, adding "our feelings are in turmoil as we await the next turn of events".

'Exceptional request'

Savile was made a Knight Commander of St Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II for his charity work. It is one of the highest awards the Pope can bestow.

There is no established process to remove a papal knighthood posthumously because the honour dies with the recipient.

However, a spokesman confirmed Archbishop Nichols "wrote last week to the Holy See asking the competent office to investigate whether the papal honour awarded to Jimmy Savile for his charitable works could be posthumously removed and its effects nullified".

The spokesman said the Archbishop's letter was written "recognising the deep distress of all those who have suffered abuse and the disquiet at Mr Savile's name remaining on papal honours lists".

He said the move was "clearly an exceptional request".

"The Church invites all those who have suffered abuse to come forward to the appropriate authorities," he added.

The Holy See is the supreme government of the Roman Catholic Church, which operates from the independent territory of the Vatican City State in Rome.

The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal inquiry into the allegations against the former BBC presenter and DJ, who died in October 2011 aged 84, describing him as a predatory sex offender.

They are following 400 lines of inquiry and believe he may have sexually abused many young people and children, sometimes on BBC premises, over a 40-year period.

BBC under fire

The BBC has been criticised for failing to stop the alleged abuse during Savile's long career at the corporation.

It is also under fire for axing a 2011 Newsnight report into the claims and its handling of the subsequent scandal.

On 13 October, BBC director general George Entwistle apologised to the women involved and announced two inquiries surrounding the allegations.

An inquiry into why the Newsnight report was dropped is already under way, led by the former head of Sky News, Nick Pollard. The results are expected in December.

The second investigation will look at whether culture and practice at the BBC at the time enabled Savile to carry out the sexual abuse of children.

This will be on hold until the police give the go-ahead and will be led by former Appeal Court judge Dame Janet Smith.

A separate review will examine the BBC's current sexual harassment policies.

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Famed German composer Henze dies

27 October 2012 Last updated at 08:14 ET

Celebrated German composer Hans Werner Henze has died at the age of 86, his publisher Schott Music has said.

"Hans Werner Henze, one of the most versatile and influential composers of our time has died," Schott said in a statement on its website.

He died in Dresden on Saturday, it said.

One of the most influential composers of the late 20th century, Henze wrote 10 symphonies and was especially known for his works for music theatre.

He was noted for his many operas and ballets, and for a commitment to political art, which informs much of his work.

Born on 1 July 1926 in Guetersloh, Germany, the son of a schoolteacher, Hans Werner Henze was initially educated at schools with a socialist outlook.

But, following the Nazi Party's ascent to power in 1933, he lived a dual life. While dutifully studying the official curriculum at school, he also played chamber music at a partly Jewish family house and there steeped himself in proscribed literature.

Henze's father was killed on the Eastern Front and Hans was conscripted into the army in 1944, ending the war in a British prisoner-of-war camp. His experiences left Henze with a lifelong hatred of fascism.

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Burma images 'show mass burnings'

27 October 2012 Last updated at 08:11 ET

A human rights group has released satellite images of what appears to be the destruction of a coastal Burmese district riven by ethnic unrest.

Human Rights Watch says the images show that more than 800 buildings and houseboats were burned to the ground in Kyaukpyu, in western Rakhine state.

It says the victims were mostly Muslim Rohingyas, targeted by non-Muslims.

The president's spokesman acknowledged that whole villages had been burnt down and that more troops could be deployed.

Officials say 64 people have died in recent unrest, but HRW says it fears the figure could be much higher.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the violence showed that Burma's government "urgently needs to provide security for the Rohingya" in Rakhine state, which is also known as Arakan.

"Unless the authorities also start addressing the root causes of the violence, it is only likely to get worse," said Mr Robertson

'Bodies at sea'

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The US-based group compared satellite images of the Kyaukpyu district taken on 9 and 25 October.

On 9 October, hundreds of closely packed houses can be clearly seen in rows along the peninsula - which sits at the mouth of an inlet - as well as scores of houseboats along the northern shoreline.

But in the image taken on Thursday, few boats remain and the 35-acre district is almost entirely empty of houses.

HRW said many of the inhabitants are thought to have fled by boat out to sea.

A local reporter who visited the site told the BBC's Burmese service the area had been completely destroyed, with some buildings still smouldering. The reporter said the district was also almost totally deserted.

Officials said there were no new reports of violence since Friday and that they have restored order in Rakhine.

Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Burmese President Thein Sein acknowledged "whole villages and towns being burnt down in Rakhine State while we could not provide full security in some areas".

"That's why the government is strengthening security. If necessary, we will send more police and military troops in order to get back stability," he said.

At least 64 people were killed this week, officials said, in the first serious outburst of violence since June, when a state of emergency was declared in Rakhine.

At that time deadly clashes claimed dozens of lives and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes - many are yet to return.

The UN earlier warned the country's reform programme could be put at risk by continued communal violence between local groups of vigilante Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas in the western state.

HRW said it feared the death toll from the latest unrest could be much higher, based on witness reports and "the government's well-documented history of underestimating figures that might lead to criticism of the state".

Eid plans cancelled

Non-Muslims are reporting that this time they too were fired on by government forces during the unrest, and suffered many casualties.

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What sparked the violence in June?

The rape and murder of a young Buddhist woman in Rakhine in May set off a chain of deadly religious clashes.

Why was a state of emergency declared?

A state of emergency allows the introduction of martial law, which means the military can take over administrative control of the region.

Who are the Rohingyas?

The United Nations describes Rohingya as a persecuted religious and linguistic minority from western Burma. The Burmese government, on the other hand, says they are relatively recent migrants from the Indian sub-continent. Neighbouring Bangladesh already hosts several hundred thousand refugees from Burma and says it cannot take any more.

The government has declared a curfew in the affected areas, but its response since the violence first broke out in June is being widely criticised as inadequate, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.

On Friday six towns were hit by clashes and a night-time curfew is in place in several locations including Min Bya and Mrauk Oo where the latest spate of violence began.

It is unclear what prompted the latest clashes. The Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims, believed to be mainly Rohingya, blame each other for the violence.

In Bangladesh, border officials said they believed several boats with Rohingyas on board were waiting to try to cross the river from Burma. One official said 52 Rohingyas had been sent back in the last few days.

Muslims throughout Burma have abandoned plans to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Adha because of the violence.

There is long-standing tension between the ethnic Rakhine people, who make up the majority of the state's population, and Muslims, many of whom are Rohingya and are stateless.

The Burmese authorities regard the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and correspondents say there is widespread public hostility to them.

In August, Burma set up a commission to investigate the violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the west of the country. Authorities earlier rejected a UN-led inquiry.

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DR Congo rebels kill park rangers

26 October 2012 Last updated at 07:52 ET

Two rangers and a soldier have been killed by rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo's famous Virunga National Park, officials say.

Five rebels were also killed in the attack in the park, which is one of the world's last refuges for mountain gorillas.

Some of eastern DR Congo's numerous armed groups are based in the park, where they often poach animals.

More than 130 park rangers have been killed in the park since 1996.

According to Reuters news agency, the M23 rebel group which has bases in the park, recently allowed tourist visits to resume.

This year's rebellion by the M23 has caused some 500,000 people to flee their homes.

Park director Emmanuel de Merode said the rangers, who were travelling with an armed escort were ambushed by members of the Mai Mai militia.

"They came under attack from a quite substantial Mai Mai unit... It was very heavy fire received," he told Reuters.

In July, armed groups fighting in the area agreed to let a search for mountain gorillas to proceed.

Virunga is home to 480 of the world's 790 remaining mountain gorillas. It is one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and is on the UN list of World Heritage sites in danger.

The mountain gorillas have been threatened with extinction because of expanding human settlements, the long-running conflict in the region, and possible oil exploration in the park.

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Obama casts early vote in Chicago

25 October 2012 Last updated at 20:06 ET

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President Obama: "I can't tell you who I voted for"

President Barack Obama has cast his vote in his hometown of Chicago as his campaign seeks to boost early ballots in a neck-and-neck election race.

Mr Obama, who is on a two-day campaign marathon across eight states, is the first president to vote early.

His Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, is in Ohio, a swing state which could hold the key to the White House.

Thirteen days from the election, a new national poll says Mr Romney has 50%-47% support among likely voters.

The survey, produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, finds that when asked about which candidate they would trust more to handle the economy, 52% backed Mr Romney versus 43% for Mr Obama - the first time a candidate has held a clear lead on the issue.

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Widespread early voting, as well as postal voting changes the game"

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The president's ballot casting on Thursday was part of his campaign's wider effort to encourage early voting, with many states holding open in-person polls this week.

First Lady Michelle Obama voted by absentee ballot on 15 October.

It is estimated that 7.2 million people have already cast early ballots, and that about 35% of the electorate will have already voted by polling day.

The Obama campaign also announced on Thursday that it backs gay marriage laws in three states that are holding referendums on the issue in November.

In Maryland and Washington, ballot measures are seeking to overturn gay marriage bills that were signed into law earlier this year. Meanwhile, Maine is voting on whether to reinstate a gay marriage law that was overturned in a popular vote in 2009.

Mr Obama first voiced support for the right of same-sex couples to marry in May.

Key states

Because the US election is a state-by-state contest, a presidential candidate must win key battlegrounds like Ohio, Virginia and Florida, which do not reliably vote for either party. No Republican has ever won the White House without taking Ohio.

The Obama campaign recently won a court ruling to keep Ohio's early voting open through the weekend before the election.

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Obama spoke about the Mourdock controversy on late-night TV

Former Massachusetts Governor Romney made three stops across the Mid-Western state on Thursday, while his running mate Paul Ryan spent the day in Virginia.

But they have been distracted by the fall-out from a fellow Republican candidate's remarks on Tuesday night that pregnancy from rape was part of God's plan.

The Romney campaign has said it disagreed with the comments by anti-abortion Indiana Senate hopeful Richard Mourdock, although it did not withdraw support from him.

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"We disagree on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest, but still support him," a campaign spokeswoman said.

Republicans running in tight contests elsewhere have repudiated Mr Mourdock's remarks.

Mr Obama criticised Mr Mourdock on a US late-night talk show on Wednesday.

"I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas... rape is rape. It is a crime," Mr Obama told host Jay Leno, adding that politicians had no business making decisions for women about their bodies and health choices.

On Thursday, the president makes campaign stops in Florida, Virginia and Ohio. On Monday, he will appear for the first time at a campaign event this election cycle with former President Bill Clinton.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Mr Obama indicated what issues would be his priority in a second term, including a budget deal to reduce the US debt, as well as immigration.

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Mr Obama received a boost from Colin Powell, formerly Secretary of State for Republican President George W Bush, who endorsed the president on Thursday.

Mr Powell, who also backed Mr Obama in 2008, cited recent improvements in the economy and Mr Obama's guidance of the US military as reasons for his renewed support.

"I also saw the president get us out of one war, start to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars." Mr Powell said, adding that under Mr Obama the US economy was "out of the dive and starting to gain altitude".

He also expressed doubts over Mr Romney's approach to foreign policy, saying the candidate's policies were a "moving target".

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