Venezuela earthquake death tool nears 2,300

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0:40Hello and welcome to News Hour Live from the BBC World Service in London. I'm Rebecca Kesby and we begin the programme in Venezuela. It's now a week since twin earthquakes, just seconds from each other, reduced entire communities to rubble. The Venezuelan authorities have just released new figures of those known to have been killed. They say nearly 2 ,300 people are dead. But even now, the full extent of the destruction isn't known and thousands of people are still unaccounted for. In a moment, we'll hear from UNICEF, the UN's children's agency, which is warning that children separated from their families or orphaned are particularly vulnerable, including to trafficking.

1:24First, though, let's get a sense of the situation along that northern coastline of Venezuela, the worst affected area where our correspondent Will Grant has met up with relatives still desperately searching through the rubble for their loved ones and where anger in some areas is growing as people feel let down by the authorities.

1:48Almost a week on from the dual earthquakes which flattened entire communities of northern Venezuela, 15-year-old Samuel Ordóñez is still calling out his older brother's name into the rubble. Edward is somewhere inside, entombed in the concrete and broken glass of a collapsed 12-storey housing block built by the government of the late socialist leader Hugo Chávez. Edward isn't alone in there. His wife and their two children, aged three and four, are also missing.

2:23We know we've found his apartment, Samuel tells me. We've found his crockery, pointing at a set of broken purple bowls and plates at our feet. Samuel, his young face stained with dust and ash, says the responsibility of crawling into dangerous spaces searching for his brother's family should not fall to a teenager.

2:46I'm 15 and I'm giving it everything I can, he says. But you need to hire earth-moving equipment and all of that has been used on the houses of the rich and important people. But these are people in here too, not dogs or animals, and they deserve help. That sense of anger at the authorities will be particularly acute among one set of relatives. In the morning of the earthquakes, a deportation flight returned to Caracas from the United States with 147 Venezuelans, of which seven were children. The authorities took the deportees to a hotel near the airport, which is where they were housed when the earthquake struck and the building crumpled.

3:28Only 12 of the deportees have been found alive. As we drove up to the site, we were stopped by the security forces. Not generic National Guard troops, however, but officers of the Sebin Intelligence Police. No one was authorised to visit the site, they said. The hotel's name, with terrible irony, was El Santuario, meaning the sanctuary.

3:56An unknown number of the deportees and the residents of the Chavez housing complex have ended up at the port in La Guaida, now a makeshift morgue. Inside, on the open courtyard, body bags are laid out one after another. Family members are driving up. There is a constant flow of hearses or of vans that are being waved in. I spoke to one official, asked him to give me some kind of indication of how many bodies are coming in, and all he would say is, Muchisimos. Lots and lots.

4:35Back at the devastated housing complex, silence has been called for so that rescue workers can listen carefully for a voice or a sound to confirm life prevails beneath the cement and metal.

4:49As we wait for an answer, one woman spots my microphone and asks to say her piece.

4:58I think I'm going to say something quite strong, she says but these buildings were cages of death She is Lorena Lair and is digging in the ruins for her father, stepmother, 14-year-old brother and 6-year-old sister Lorena says the buildings, built by Hugo Chavez and donated to the poorest were simply not up to code They put the poorest in here but the structuralists, engineers and officials who signed off on the plans are largely the reason that today we're looking for our loved ones. The silence has gone on for several minutes with no answer from the rubble. It is another false alarm. The families get back to their search.

5:44Most have vowed to keep looking until all hope is lost. there will be many more raised spirits and broken hearts in La Guaida before they're finished. The BBC's Will Grant reporting and Will has actually come up on the line from Caracas. What is the latest on the search and rescue efforts? Are emergency teams getting to all areas and is there still any hope of finding people alive? The difficulty of getting to all areas, Rebecca, is just how widespread this impact from these dual earthquakes is. It really does take in several states at once. The worst affected, of course, as you've heard, is La Vida.

6:25But it's a long stretch of coastline that's been hit, and some of them are hit so severely, it becomes quite difficult to describe. The comparisons are with things like Haiti in 2010. Then when you're standing in the midst of where I was standing with that young man, Samuel, you can't really take in the scope of the devastation. There are so many families still digging in the dust, in the rubble for their loved ones, as you say now, a week on. And the hope is forlorn. They do know that, but they simply can't abandon it until they have some kind of resolution, either a genuine one because their family members have been found and extracted from the rubble or simply one in their hearts where they accept that their fate has been seen.

7:11It's desperate scenes, Will. And some of the people you were speaking to there were talking about the quality of the buildings that had been destroyed and some concerns about building regulations. Is there the anger on that growing criticism, gaining momentum there? Yeah, I think it is actually, because it wasn't the only place where the government housing schemes had been affected. I was in another place outside Katia Lamar called Playa Grande. It was called the Hugo Chavez housing complex. And that had two elements. Some of these large tower blocks, these apartment blocks that are 12, 14 stories high that are completely collapsed.

7:54But also these lower rise buildings that were built in conjunction with the Turkish government, prefabricated structures, but built above a top floor, a ground floor. They had all sort of crunched down on the lower floors and the families in those homes at the bottom, many, many of them had been killed. All of these were made as part of Orgo Chavez's drive to get the poorest into cheaper social housing, to give them homes. But there is this accusation among many of the residents that they were the poorest and they faced the biggest challenges in Venezuela and they were actually put in homes that weren't up to scratch.

8:33Very briefly, Will, I guess the authorities will start to become worried about things like disease in the days going forward. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I agree with that. I think that's now going to very, very soon turn into the biggest issue. my fear of that is you just need to walk around Rebecca and the stench of death of putrefaction as you walk around some of these areas is so overpowering that it is very very clear that what you mentioned there disease public health threats are going to become a serious concern very very soon that's the BBC's Will Grant reporting there from Caracas in Venezuela Well, as I mentioned earlier, the United Nations Children's Agency, UNICEF, is warning today that the double earthquakes may also plunge many children into dangerous circumstances where they could be exploited or even get caught up in child trafficking.

9:31Joe English is UNICEF's spokesperson, so what are his concerns for young people as a result of this disaster? We know that whether it's earthquakes or conflict or other disasters, they undermine children's most basic sense of safety. You know, beyond, as Will was reporting, children losing their homes, their schools, access to safe water and medical support, when children lose contact with parents or caregivers amid the absolute chaos of this kind of situation, that kind of separation is exactly when children become most vulnerable. So the risk of exploitation, abuse, including trafficking, as you say, that rises.

10:06And particularly this is the case for children who are unaccompanied or separated from children. And that's why the rapid identification of these children, that's what UNICEF is doing, and getting them into safe spaces with proper protection support is one of UNICEF's most urgent priorities. And are you able to work with the Venezuelan authorities quite effectively? I mean, we've heard earlier that there's been some confusion in the country, not least since the The United States seized the president of Venezuela earlier this year. These kind of responses are always complex and they're always challenges.

10:39And UNICEF, one of our strengths is we've been working in Venezuela for almost 60 years now. So, yeah, we're working with Venezuela's National Child Protection Authority on identifying unaccompanied and separated children. We had missions going out, you know, in the first days, making sure that we're identifying them, you know, strengthening referral pathways, all of these things which are absolutely critical in terms of making sure that children who have been separated can be home with their parents if that's possible or with extended family if not, you know, and making sure that they are safe.

11:09And this system is the protection against exploitation. Right. I mean, there does seem to be a lot of chaos, though, around in vast areas of the country at the moment. And one of our reporters has said that, you know, there are reports locally that people have already seen, you know evidence that children are being trafficked or ending up on websites I don't know whether you can tell us about the the issue of child trafficking in Venezuela before this disaster and what your concerns might be as a result of it yeah what I can speak to is is that this is the risk in any kind of crisis and we don't wait for proof that it is happening before we act prevention is the absolute key so when I was in Poland and Ukraine when the conflict started we were doing work to make sure that children who had been separated or unaccompanied were protected when i was in turkey and syria after the earthquakes there we were doing exactly the same work so this is work that we do in crises all around the world and in effect it is quite simple it is providing safe spaces where parents know that they can come where children know that they can come where there is you know the un sign a sign which is internationally recognized and we have child protection specialists we have counselors on hand to identify children who may be unaccompanied or separated or who may have gone through traumatic experiences and make sure that they are receiving the help and support that they need.

12:30But again, let me be clear, we do not wait for verified cases before this work happens. The prevention is the key. And just briefly, are you finding that it is possible to reunite children with their parents? Is that if you had many successes so far? So this is a long process and, you know, UNICEF is one part of this, along with the authorities and then I will also say with local communities. You know, with earthquakes specifically, the chaos is huge, but often people remain within their local area. And so often you see community networks spring up. But one of the things that we do to prevent that risk, as you say, of trafficking or exploitation and abuse is we work with the groups on the ground to make sure that child protection is at the absolute heart of what they do to make sure they are working effectively and efficiently to keep children safe.

13:17And that was UNICEF spokesperson Joe English speaking to us a short time ago from New York on their concerns around young people being affected by the double earthquake in Venezuela a week on.

13:37Coming up later in the programme, a new law in China has come into effect, making Mandarin the only official language. For many years, there have been 11 different languages recognised. Well, we'll hear from a Uyghur activist based here in London who says minority rights are being eroded in China. It's the fear. It's paranoia. It's not justified. There's no justification for Uyghurs. How many percent of the entire Chinese population? Uyghurs don't have army. We don't have anything left but our identity. Now they're attacking that identity. One other headline from the newsroom, German media are reporting that prosecutors have charged the Ukrainian man suspected of leading attacks that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines nearly four years ago.

14:37You're with NewsHour live from the BBC. I'm Rebecca Kesby. Next we head to South Africa, where police say they've arrested more than 900 people on Tuesday during protests in cities across the country. Thousands took to the streets to demonstrate against what organisers were calling illegal migrants. Anti-migrant groups had set Tuesday as an unofficial deadline for foreigners to leave South Africa, and many already have, reporting that they're fearful of violence and intimidation. The protests were largely peaceful during the day, but tensions did escalate in some areas as the day went on, and the army was deployed in parts of Johannesburg and Durban.

15:18The BBC's Pumza Falani followed one of the main gatherings in Johannesburg.

15:29protest organizers had been touting their unofficial deadline for weeks calling for those without documentation to leave and on the 30th their supporters answered that call in their numbers in major cities across the country in south africa's economic hub johannesburg hundreds of protesters, some adorned in the country's flag, sang enchanted liberation songs. Their clarion call, Abahambe, meaning they must return home, was a regular feature throughout the hours-long marches to various parts of the city. One of the organisers, Ngizu Mkunu, explains why they called the gathering and what they want the government to do.

16:15I feel very frustrated to see that our government has caused so much mess that we have to control as the leaders of this march. But I'm very proud of South Africans where they can stand up and resolve issues without violence. We appreciate those countries that have responded positively in the manner that they've taken their own people. Police say at least 25 ,000 immigrants have been repatriated to various countries in recent weeks, including Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe. This was with the help of their governments. But for some, the waiting continues. Under the watchful eye of local police to ensure calm.

17:09I'm outside the Malawi Consulate General in Johannesburg. Straight ahead of me, I see dozens of people sitting with the little belongings they could gather. These are Malawian nationals who say they have been in limbo for days as it stands. The people here, we understand, are waiting to be processed. And that seems to be a mission that the South African government will have to facilitate. We understand that the plan is to transport some of them in police or municipal vehicles to Lindela. a repatriation centre where they can be processed and then the process of then returning them home can begin.

17:51While at the makeshift camp, I speak to one man whose identity is being protected. I'm never coming back here, he tells me in local language, Isizulu. He's been living in South Africa for almost three years, but without a work permit, believes his prospects here are over. Do you feel safe here at the moment? I know. The group waiting to be processed include the elderly, young men, women and children, many of them toddlers. Local aid workers have been providing food. I've seen some medicine being dispensed, water, as well as some blankets to keep, especially the little ones, warm. Critics of this ongoing campaign say concerns about worsening unemployment and the pressure on overstretched public services expressed by many South African protesters are valid.

18:52But turning those frustrations on foreign nationals may be scapegoating and will not solve the country's main challenge, a stunted economy. That's the BBC's Pumza Folani reporting there from Johannesburg in South Africa.

19:12Now then, back in 1988, representing Switzerland, Canadian singer Celine Dion won the Eurovision Song Contest. Now there's an opportunity for her to compete again under a Canadian flag because Canada has just become the latest non-European country to be included in the Eurovision Song Contest. William Lee Adams is a BBC journalist and also founder of Wee Wee Blogs, the world's most followed independent Eurovision channel on YouTube. And I asked him first to talk us through that decision to allow Canada to join Eurovision when it's not even in Europe. You're absolutely right. But the EBU, the European Broadcasting Union, they would say this is not a contest between countries.

19:56It's a contest between broadcasters. So in this competition, admission to the club isn't defined by borders. It's defined by bureaucracy. So if you have a broadcaster that's a paying member, full member of the European Broadcasting Union, and you follow certain rules, you're eligible to participate in the contest. That's why we see Australia competing, for instance. We see Israel, which many people don't consider geographically in Europe. And now we're going to have Canada. OK, just did a little bit of research as we were planning to speak to you, William. Celine Dion is not the only Canadian who's competed in Eurovision, being Canadian, but competing under another flag.

20:37There's been singers who have represented Luxembourg, France, Greece even. Talk us through the history. Sure. You know, if you've been following the World Cup, you might see that countries often field players who have connections to their country, but they were born abroad. Perhaps their parents are from a country. And you see that at Eurovision as well. It's called the World Cup of Music for good reason. The fact is each country can decide who it sends, and they can set the rules. Some countries, they typically choose citizens of their country. They have rules that, you know, require songwriters or artists to be citizens of their country.

21:12But other countries, they leave it open. And this can also change from year to year. Canada has an interesting history at Eurovision, as you say. It's seen the very highs with Celine Dion, perhaps the biggest winner ever of the contest, but also the lowest lows. Back at Eurovision 2016, there was a singer named Rika. She's Canadian, but she sang for Switzerland as well. And she came dead last in her semifinal, despite having blue hair and smoke emanating from her bra. Goodness me. Well, I mean, it is all about the music and the showmanship, isn't it? But it does get political, the Eurovision. And this year we saw countries like Spain and Ireland left Eurovision.

21:50That was in protest of Israel taking part. Does Canada joining actually make it more likely that other countries may join? It's a really good question. And there are a few things going on here. I think, first of all, we should look at Canada's reasons for joining. The fact is, this is symbolic. They're looking away from the United States and toward Europe. It's no secret that diplomatic relations with the U.S. have soured under the current Trump administration, from Trump, you know, opining on his desire to annex Canada and make it a 51st state, to him imposing controversial tariffs on Canadian exports like steel, aluminum, copper, lumber, etc.

22:27So Canada is sending a message here. The state broadcaster is saying, look, we have other allies in the world, and many of them are in Europe. The slogan is united by music, but also you have to think, united with who? It seems like they're saying Europe. And a second kind of reason for Canada to join is that they're asserting their global identity. Too often people think that singers, their favorite American singer is from the United States. But it often turns out, hey, that singer is actually Canadian. You know, Shawn Mendes, Sarah McLachlan, Brian Adams, The Weeknd, we can go on and on and on.

22:57All of that to say, you know, if Canada fields a big star, it brings prestige to the competition. It will help bring more viewers back because Eurovision lost 31 million viewers with the withdrawal of five countries last year. And it all comes down to the viewers, of course. William, lovely to speak to you. Thanks so much for that. William Lee Adams there.

23:38We answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 2.50. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

23:56Next to Ukraine, where some women say the wearing of makeup has become something of an act of defiance four and a half years into the war. It can be hard to keep up morale, particularly recently after waves of Russian heavy bombing of Ukrainian towns and cities. But despite the danger, for many women it seems, beauty and fashion provide some refuge from the chaos, as well as a means of protest against the Russian invasion. Isabella Joule reports from Kiev.

24:26When we are expecting mass attacks, I take shower, use all my most expensive skincare products, use perfumes and wear pyjamas because, you know, I want to look the best. Just before I met Irina, Russia staged one of its largest overnight strikes on Kiev, killing at least 22 people. It may sound weird, but it's a part in my life when I can take under control at least something. We're in a shopping mall in Kiev, looking at pyjamas. For Irina, it's about more than style and practicality. So I want to send a message to Russia that we still keep going. Beauty might not sound important with a war going on, but it does play a crucial role.