Thai military continues crackdown

24 May 2014 Last updated at 12:34 Damian Grammaticas with protesters in Bangkok: "Rather than restoring peace the military could inflame the situation"

Thailand's military has ordered 35 more people, including prominent academics, to report to them by Saturday afternoon as the post-coup crackdown continues.

The move comes a day after the army ordered more than 100 politicians, including ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, to come to the military council.

Ms Yingluck was detained in Bangkok on Friday and spent the night in custody.

Many on the army's latest list have previously been charged with speaking or acting against the monarchy.

Meanwhile, several hundred protesters have taken to the streets of Bangkok to show their anger at military's seizure of power, defying a ban on large gatherings.

Anti-coup banners were unfurled as they arrived at Victory Monument.

Officials said the former prime minister would not be held for more than a week but insisted that her detention was necessary while matters in the country were "organised".

Ms Yingluck, who had been PM until being removed by the judiciary this month, was ordered to report to the military along with more than 100 other politicians, including acting PM Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan.

Six of Thailand's most senior military officers have been appointed to run the country

Thai military spokesman Col Werachon Sukhondhadhpatipak said on Saturday that the politicians had been detained to give them "time to think".

He refused to reveal where the detained were being held and said that their mobile phones had been confiscated.

Col Werachon said those detained were being encouraged "to find common ground" and that the army wanted "to change their perception."

Despite the detentions, the leader of Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, Charupong Ruangsuwan, was quoted as saying he would not surrender to the military authorities.

There were protests against the military's actions in Bangkok on Friday but they were relatively small

The military spokesman said those named on the new list had until 13:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday to report to the army.

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If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people”

End Quote Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha Head of Thailand's army Among the 35 names are a diverse collection of academics, politicians and activists, including:

Several prominent figures in the pro-government Red Shirts movementA former national police chief and a serving provincial police commissionerAn MP from the Pheu Thai party and a former justice minister

A common thread is that many of those on the list have either been charged with insulting the monarchy or are known for criticising it, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Bangkok. Thailand has draconian laws on lese majeste.

On Friday. army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha met key officials and told them that reform must come before any elections.

Gen Prayuth summoned governors, business leaders and civil servants to the Bangkok Army Club.

Six of Thailand's most senior military officers have now been appointed to run the country, with provincial commanders supervising local government.

The coup has delighted anti-government protesters and many have been posing for photos with soldiers

Unlike in previous coups, there have been no promises of a quick return to civilian rule, our correspondent says.

Gen Prayuth told the meeting: "I want all civil servants to help organise the country. We must have economic, social and political reforms before elections."

"If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people," he added.

Meanwhile, the US has suspended $3.5m (£2.1m) in military aid to Thailand from its overall aid package of $10.5 million (£6.2m) and told the army to restore civilian rule.

Washington also urged tourists to cancel trips and halted non-essential visits by US government officials, following Thursday's coup.

Secretary of State John Kerry said there was "no justification" for the coup but an official said the US would continue joint exercises currently taking place with the Thai military.

Thailand's coup explained - in 60 seconds

Thailand's armed forces have staged at least 12 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

There has been a power struggle since Ms Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by the military as PM in 2006.

Mr Thaksin and Ms Yingluck have strong support in rural areas but are opposed by many in the middle class and urban elite.

The latest unrest began last year, when anti-government protesters embarked on a campaign to oust Ms Yingluck. An election was held in February but was disrupted and later annulled by the judiciary.

Are you in Thailand? What is your reaction to the military coup? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences, using the subject 'Thailand coup'.

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Art school destruction 'prevented'

24 May 2014 Last updated at 12:45 Chief Fire Officer Alasdair Hay: "We took a roll call and we are as confident as we can be that nobody has been injured in this fire"

Firefighters battling the blaze at Glasgow School of Art's Mackintosh building say they have prevented the destruction of both the structure and the majority of its contents.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said more than 90% of the structure was viable and they had protected up to 70% of the contents.

The culture secretary said everything must be done to restore the building.

A church service is due to be held at 16:00 for those affected by the fire.

The ecumenical gathering will take place at Renfield St Stephens in Bath Street.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The important thing is to make sure this building can be restored to its full glory.

"Just how we do that will depend on assessment of the immediate works.

"This is an internationally renowned building and I'm absolutely confident that we can rely on the interest in, and supporters of, Charles Rennie Mackintosh to make sure that we do everything we can."

Ms Hyslop said firefighters had carried out "quite a remarkable job".

"They worked tirelessly to try to protect this iconic building, so important to Scotland and so important to the world," she added.

Fire broke out at the listed building at about 12:30.

Eyewitnesses said the fire appeared to have started when a projector exploded in the basement of the building on Renfrew Street in the city centre.

Everyone who had been in the packed building was said to have escaped safely.

Students watched on in horror as the iconic building went up in flames

Final year students had been preparing for their end-of-year degree show in the building when the blaze broke out.

The main blaze was extinguished by about 17:00 but there were still pockets of fire within the building.

The Mackintosh building, completed in 1909, is "unique" in that it is a working art school as well as a work of art.

It has an A list rating, meaning it has been classified by Historic Scotland for its age and rarity.

From the facade to the fixtures and fittings every detail shows the craft of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scotland's most-lauded designer.

It is not yet known how much damage has been caused to the building's library, recognised as being one of the finest examples of art nouveau in the world .

In a statement issued at 21:30, Assistant Chief Officer Dave Boyle said crews had been working "absolutely flat out" in an effort to save "this treasured building and many of the items it housed".

He said: "While the priority from the outset was to save life we have also been working closely with Glasgow School of Art staff to ensure firefighters conducted an effective salvage operation.

"We are of course very conscious the Mackintosh is a world-renowned building that is a key feature of this great city, and that the artworks it stores are not only valuable but also cherished."

Eyewitness Yusuf Masood took this video during the evacuation of the building at about 12:30.

ACO Boyle added: "We are acutely aware this period is the culmination of years of endeavour for students and that their irreplaceable work is inside the Mackintosh.

"Work to save everything that can be saved is ongoing and we will continue to work closely with GSA staff and students throughout this operation."

Fire crews arrived on the scene within four minutes of the alarm being raised.

Search and rescue teams entered the building wearing breathing apparatus and led a number of people to safety. There were no reports of any casualties.

Police cordoned off Renfrew Street, and smoke was also drifting across the M8. Large crowds of students and onlookers gathered near the scene, with several people in tears as they watched the events unfold.

Fire appliances from across Glasgow were joined by specialist crews from other areas of Scotland, with firefighters seen pouring water on the building from a high ladder as flames blew windows out.

Hugh Thornhill, a second year student, said: "I was helping one of the fourth years set up their exhibit and suddenly the alarm went off.

"We didn't think it was anything but we had to go out and then we saw smoke coming out and realised that it was really bad. It got to the point where flames were coming out of the top floor.

"All that effort is gone, everyone's work on that side of the building is ruined. Even if it didn't catch fire it will be damaged extensively.

"The degree show next month is pretty much a bust now, it's sad."

Broadcaster Muriel Gray, a former student and current chairwoman of the school, arrived and burst into tears when she saw the building in flames.

Archive: In April 2013 the BBC got a close-up look at the school's Rennie Mackintosh clocks, which took a year to restore to their former glory

Ms Gray told BBC Scotland she was "heartbroken" to see the "most amazing building in Glasgow" go up in flames.

Speaking later, she added: "It has been a devastating day for everybody involved in Glasgow School of Art. We want to make it clear we are so grateful to the fire service. It's a very black day."

Asked how the building could be restored, Ms Gray said: "We don't know what's been destroyed. It's a waiting game."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said on Twitter: "Thoughts with staff & students at @GSofA - awful to see destruction of this iconic building and students work."

Mackintosh was a 28-year-old junior draughtsman when he drew up plans for the building

Austin Yuill, who works as a chef at the art school, told the BBC: "I was moved two streets away from the Mackintosh building but before we left the place was completely ablaze all down the west side of the building.

"I'm told it started in the basement and it's worked its way all the way up through the five floors.

"As far as I know it started from a spark which has gone on to foam, expanding foam."

Asked how busy the art school was, he said: "It would be very busy because we're working up to the end-of-year assessments, so all the students were installing their work today all over the Mackintosh building. There are a lot of very upset students here."

He added: "Quite apart from it being voted the best building of the last 175 years, it is a major tourist draw and has an incredible reputation as an art school. This is really terrible."

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is lauded as Scotland's most influential architect and designer, with the art school building which bears his name considered by many to be his greatest masterpiece.

Mackintosh was a 28-year-old junior draughtsman at a Glasgow architecture firm when he drew up the designs for the building, which features distinctive heavy sandstone walls and large windows.

The dramatic art nouveau design took about 12 years to be completed, opening in 1909, but it signalled the birth of a new style in 20th Century European architecture.

It is not yet known how much damage has been caused to the library, recognised as being one of the finest examples of art nouveau in the world

The president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Iain Connelly, said the value of the building "goes well beyond Glasgow or even Scotland".

He added: "It is a work of architectural heritage of world renown and its influence on 20th century architecture is immeasurable. Scotland has seen the loss of an international treasure which reflects the genius of one of our greatest ever architects."

In recent years, Glasgow School of Art has produced many of the UK's leading contemporary artists such as Douglas Gordon and David Shrigley and three recent Turner Prize winners: Simon Starling in 2005, Richard Wright in 2009 and Martin Boyce in 2011.

Other former students include actors Robbie Coltrane and Peter Capaldi and artist Peter Howson.

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Filipinos ignore Catholic teaching

25 May 2014 Last updated at 01:23 The Roman Catholic church has deep roots in Philippine society The Catholic church plays a powerful role in the Philippines but last month it lost a significant battle in its bid to prevent a government-backed family planning programme. Aurora Almendral asks if the church is losing its grip on the islands.

In the last five years, Jennievic Betana, who is just 24 years old, has been pregnant four times.

She lives with her three surviving children in a small, crumbling cement-block house together with two brothers and husband, Buboy, in the vast slum of Bagong Silang in northern Manila.

Buboy, a barber, earns about 300 pesos (£4, $7) a day, two-thirds of which goes to feeding the family. The burden of the extra mouths to feed is considerable.

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I want to use birth control but after paying for food, electricity and water, there's nothing left ”

End Quote Jennievic Betana Mother of three To avoid adding to their family, Jennievic and her husband rely on the calendar method, an arrangement that nevertheless resulted in the last two unplanned pregnancies.

A practising Catholic, Jennievic knows that contraception is a sin in the eyes of the church, but says she is willing to take the spiritual risk for more immediate financial concerns.

"I want to use birth control," Jennievic says, "but after paying for food, electricity and water, there's nothing left. I'll use it, even though I know it's a sin.

"If [the Church] were to help us once the children are here, then sure, I'll have more children. But they don't."

Jennievic's story is typical of many in the Philippines which has one of the highest population growth rates in Asia.

Currently, the country is adding nearly two million people every year to its 100-million-strong population. This is putting a massive strain on resources, especially for the poorest among whom much of the recent growth has been concentrated.

There is also the issue of illegal abortions, of which there are an estimated 600,000 a year. Some 90,000 of the women having these procedures are later hospitalised and about 1,000 die.

Jennievic Betana and two of her children Ugly episodes

This issue was recognised many years ago, when the Reproductive Health Bill was introduced in the Philippine congress back in 1999.

Its aim was straightforward, to provide contraceptives to those who wanted and most needed them. But it has proved to be one of the most divisive issues to have been debated by congress in recent history.

Conservative politicians opposed the bill and were backed by a horrified Catholic Church which fought against contraceptives from the pulpit and in the streets.

"There were some ugly episodes," says Risa Hontiveros, a former congresswoman, women's rights activist and prominent supporter of the bill.

Priests denied communion to community health workers, campaigned against politicians supportive of the bill, and even threatened President Benigno Aquino III with excommunication.

The ensuing battle dragged on for years.

With 81% of Filipinos defining themselves as Catholic, the country's culture and society is intimately intertwined with the teaching of the church.

Laws are often framed around Catholic values. Alcohol and cigarettes are taxed for being "sins".

The battle over legislation providing contraception to the poor was hard-fought

Abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage are deeply frowned upon, and the Philippines is the only country in the world, besides Vatican City, where divorce remains illegal.

Fight from the pulpit

The Church has long wielded much more than spiritual influence.

In a show of formidable political power, the Church rallied the faithful to help overthrow Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, a feat it repeated in 2001 to oust then-president Joseph Estrada.

When the church's final legal challenge to the bill was overturned, the defeat had some in the Catholic Church, worried.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who has twice served as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the church's governing body, admits that the passing of the bill "shows that the church is losing influence over its members".

According to Allen Surla, professor of political science at De La Salle University, a Catholic institution, this is to do with the changing media landscape.

Under the Marcos dictatorship, he says, the pulpit was the main source of information, dissenting or otherwise.

The church campaigned against the bill in the pulpit and the street

These days, the church's teachings are vying for influence with many other sources of opinion in newspapers, radio, TV and the web.

"People are much more socially aware now than they were 20 or 30 years ago," says Prof Surla.

Church 'too controlling'

Despite its efforts to demonise contraception, widespread support for the church's position never materialised. A poll taken in 2010 found that 70% of Filipinos supported the bill.

Corazon Quinalayo, 52, a homemaker just leaving mass at Quiapo Church, one of Manila's most holy sites, says she does not support the reproductive health bill, but nor does she agree with the church hierarchy.

She believes making contraceptives available for free is an endorsement of promiscuity and a waste of government funds.

But she says the church is "being too controlling. It's like they're not giving people their freedom."

Quinalayo adds that, however misguided, "the government is just trying to help".

The 9 April decision of the Philippine Supreme Court to unanimously uphold the constitutionality of the law is seen as a victory in the eyes of women's rights activists and other supporters, who rallied outside the courthouse.

Risa Hontiveros says the mood after the announcement was "ecstatic".

"There was cheering, crying and unadulterated joy. This was the fight of our lives," she says.

Big fights ahead

As a Catholic herself, Hontiveros says it was painful to see the church try to assert its power over women's bodies, but says she never felt conflicted about her support for the bill.

"This will assist the majority of Filipinos who are poor," she says.

"They won't be overwhelmed by too many children. They won't be snowed under by the demands of the every day. It will improve maternal health and allow women to pursue more education or livelihoods."

Meanwhile, the church, licking its wounds, is looking ahead to other battles to fight.

"Contraception is no longer the issue. It's passe," says Archbishop Cruz, predicting further fights over divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage.

"I'm looking forward to it," he says, "because it's going to be a big fight."

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Prince makes Leeds concert debut

24 May 2014 Last updated at 14:21 By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter Prince, pictured here in 2012, asked fans to leave their phones and cameras at home Prince wrapped up the second leg of his UK Hit and Run tour on Friday, with his first concert in Leeds.

The rock star played a two-hour, 33-song set, with many of his biggest hits reinvented to suit his new, all-female band 3rdEyeGirl.

"If you haven't noticed there's been a turn towards the guitar these days," he said.

"That's because of this wonderful band behind me."

Prince performed with his new all-female band 3rdEyeGirl

Often underrated as a guitarist, Prince played a succession of blistering solos, combining the fluency of Carlos Santana with the raw power of Jimmy Hendrix.

After one such display, the star misjudged throwing his guitar into the wings, causing a technician to take a running dive across the stage.

As he caught the instrument, he won one of the biggest cheers of the night.

'Too many hits'

And he wasn't the only member of the crew to be kept on their toes. Prince constantly shouted commands to the sound and lighting crew - at one point plunging the First Direct Arena into darkness.

"You don't need to see me" he told the 13,500-strong crowd. "You need to dance."

And dance they did.

Prince and his new band 3rd Eye Girl performed several shows in London in February

In the most comprehensive overview of his back catalogue since 1988's Lovesexy tour, the star played dozens of classics including Let's Go Crazy, Raspberry Beret, Alphabet Street, Sign O The Times, When Doves Cry, Diamonds and Pearls and Purple Rain.

"I got too many hits," he teased. "We'll be here all night."

The star also incorporated b-sides (She's Always In My Hair), songs given to other artists (Nothing Compares 2U) and fan-favourite album tracks (Hot Thing).

The crowd, dressed in a pre-mandated purple, were thrilled, bringing the star back for three encores.

"Seriously?" he inquired as he returned to the stage for a final time, closing the show with a mournful Sometimes It Snows In April.

The concert concluded the second UK leg of his Hit and Run tour, which began with a series of surprise shows in London and Manchester in February.

Prince, who recently re-signed with his former record label Warner Bros, is due to release a new album, Plectrum Electrum, later this year.

He goes on to play shows in Europe over the summer.

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Winter Sleep wins Cannes' Palme d'Or

24 May 2014 Last updated at 20:21 Nuri Bilge Ceylan directed domestic drama Winter Sleep Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan has won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his film Winter Sleep.

Briton Timothy Spall was named best actor for his portrayal of the British artist JMW Turner in Mr Turner.

Winter Sleep, a domestic drama telling the story of a family running a hotel in the snowy Turkish mountains, beat 17 other contenders to the top prize.

Ceylan dedicated the award to "the young people in Turkey and those who lost their lives in the last year".

A coal mine explosion in Soma in Turkey recently killed 301 workers.

Timothy Spall picked up his prize from actress Monica Bellucci

Mr Turner, directed by Mike Leigh, had been tipped for an award after being lauded by the critics at Cannes.

Spall has said he was ideally cast to play the artist because "he was a funny-looking, fat little man and so am I".

"I've spent a lot of time being a bridesmaid", he said, reading his speech from his mobile phone.

"This is the first time I've ever been a bride".

The best actress award went to Julianne Moore in David Cronenberg's Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars.

Leviathan, a Russian film about corruption, was named best screenplay, while Bennett Miller won the award for best director for his wrestling drama Foxcatcher.

Ceylan, who noted that his award came on the 100th anniversary of Turkish cinema, had previously won awards at Cannes for his films Uzak, Climates, Three Monkeys and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia.

Winter Sleep, which runs for more than three hours, stars Haluk Bilginer - who once appeared in BBC One soap Eastenders - as a wealthy retired actor living with his younger wife and his recently-divorced sister.

Director Jane Campion, who led the jury, said the film was "masterful" and "ruthless".

The jury prize was shared by the oldest and youngest directors at the Cannes festival: Mommy, by 25-year-old Xavier Dolan, and 83-year-old Jean-Luc Godard's Goodbye to Language.

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Yacht's skipper 'dearly missed'

24 May 2014 Last updated at 18:11 James Male, Andrew Bridge, Steve Warren and Paul Goslin (l-r) were all experienced yachtsmen Cheeki Rafiki skipper Andrew Bridge will be "dearly missed by everyone who knew him", his family have said after the yacht's wreck was found.

The upturned hull of the 40ft vessel was found in the Atlantic on Friday with its life raft still on board but there was no sign of the four crew.

The yacht began taking on water on its way to the UK after an Antigua regatta.

In a statement, Mr Bridge's family said they were "shocked and deeply saddened by the news".

They added: "We would like to thank everyone who's helped in the search for Andrew including the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, the RAF, Merchant vessels, the yachting community and the British and American governments.

Overwhelmed and strengthened

"We have been overwhelmed and strengthened by the public support we have received and would like to thank the media for their support and treating us in a respectful and dignified way."

The crew got into difficulties on 15 May.

They were Mr Bridge, 22, from Farnham, Surrey, Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel, Somerset; Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater, Somerset; and 22-year-old James Male, from Romsey, Hampshire.

A US Navy helicopter crew discovered the wreckage about 1,000 miles (1,600km) east of Massachusetts on Friday after the search for the missing men resumed three days earlier following an official request from the UK government.

Mr Warren's uncle, Albert Davey, told the BBC: "It's not the ending we would want but we have got to gain some small consolation that Steve was doing what he thoroughly enjoyed doing and I think we have got to cling on to that."

Mr Warren's family added in a statement: "We are very sad that the US has now suspended the search.

"From the beginning we, together with the other families involved, have continued to hold out hope that he would be found alive."

They paid tribute to the US Coast Guard for leading an "exceptional search".

They added: "This is now an incredibly difficult time for all the family. We would therefore request that we are given privacy to come to terms with today's decision."

Boating community

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "It is very sad news. It was an awful moment yesterday to discover the life raft was still there in the boat."

Many private boats taking part in the ARC Rally across the Atlantic had diverted to help in the search. The event's organiser, the World Cruising Club, is now asking the 120 sailors from 16 nations taking part - as well as other sailors - to observe a minute's silence at sunset.

The Royal Yachting Association said the search efforts of sailors and merchant ships "has been a powerful reflection of the spirit that binds the boating community".

The US Coast Guard issued photographs of Cheeki Rafiki's upturned hull showing its keel had broken off Mr Bridge's family said they were shocked and deeply saddened

A US Navy boat crew was deployed after a helicopter sighting of the wreckage and found the cabin of the yacht was flooded and its windows shattered.

A surface swimmer then identified the name on the back of the boat and knocked on the hull but there was no response.

An image showing the life raft still in position had been "shared with and acknowledged by the [men's] families", the US Coast Guard said.

An RAF Hercules C-130 plane operating from the Azores had been due to continue its search on Saturday.

The Foreign Office said: "In light of the US Coast Guard's decision to suspend their search for the crew following photographic confirmation that the life raft is in the hull of the boat, the C-130 will now return to the UK."

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Warning issued of more heavy rain

24 May 2014 Last updated at 14:50 Flash flooding affected roads in Cardiff causing problems for traffic Forecasters have upgraded a yellow warning of heavy rain for much of Wales and southern and central Britain.

The Met Office said the heavy rain could cause local disruption to travel and outdoor bank holiday events.

The warning, valid until 20:00 BST on Saturday, says some areas may see up to 30mm of rain in a few hours.

The forecast says south west and south Wales are likely to experience most rain, where the showers are slow-moving.

On Thursday, flash flooding affected roads in Cardiff causing traffic problems.

An elderly couple had to be rescued from their home as storms and intense downpours caused flash flooding across south Wales.

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