this is bbc america, and now live from london, "bbc world news." >> hello, i'm geeta guru-murthy with "bbc world news." our top stories. the u.s. increases security at its embassies and bases around the world ahead of the release of a cia report detailing its controversial interrogation methods. a south african judge will decide whether prosecutors can appeal against the sentence for oscar pistorius. t the. australia avoiding climate

change. and 63 seconds of applause for phillip hughes. tributes to the batsman. hello. it's been the subject of much debate, controversy, and even an oscar-winning movie, and yet there is still more to be told about the cia's interrogation program in the aftermath of 9/11. a report by the u.s. senate into the agency's techniques, which critics call torture, is due to be released later and america is bringsi i bracing itself for the backlash. the report is the result of years of research by the senate intelligence panel. and it is 6,000 pages long, but

only a 480-page summary of the report is due to be made public. it's expected to document harsh methods, including waterboarding, slapping, sleep deprivation, and exposure to the cold. it's also expected to say how valuable the information proved to be or not to be for the nation's security. and just how much the white house knew about the cia's methods. here's richard forest with a background to the cia's interrogations program. >> reporter: the aftermath of the terror attacks on september 11th 2001, as rescuers search the rubble for survivors, u.s. security services begin their own search for information to try and stop any potential future attacks. and under president bush, the central intelligence agency launched an interrogation program. >> if a captured terrorist has information about a plot against our homeland, we need to know what he knows. >> reporter: al qaeda terror suspects were held at guantanamo

bay in cuba, and other military bases around the world. a senate intelligence committee report will now detail the controversial methods used, how extensive and how severe they were, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation and containment. it's also expected to say those interrogations failed to deliver useful results, and further, that the cia failed to keep the white house fully informed, findings that could provoke a backlash. when president obama took office in 2009, he halted the program and acknowledged the techniques amounted to torture. some will argue that spies did what was necessary to protect the public. others will argue they went too far. richard forest, bbc news. in the past half-hour, a judge in south africa has delayed a ruling on whether to allow oscar pistorius to appeal against his five-year prison sentence for killing his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. the athlete was sentenced in october after being found guilty of culpable homicide.

he was acquitted of murder. judge masipa adjourned the appeal hearing until wednesday. why this delay now, milton? >> reporter: the judge has adjourned the court because she wants to go and consider the points made by gerrie nel and by barry rue. essentially what is happening here today in pretoria is that the prosecution led by gerrie nel wants to appeal the verdict of acquitting oscar pistorius of murder and they also want to appeal the sentence, which he got of five years imprisonment. oscar pistorius is serving that five-year sentence in a prison not far from here. so the prosecution believes that if another set of judges in an appeal court could hear the case that we followed throughout the

year, they would probably arrive at a different conclusion. because as far as the prosecution is concerned, this judge misinterpreted the law, and that is the basis of this application for leave to appeal. and we hope that tomorrow judge masipa, when she returns in the court here behind me in pretoria, she will have made the decision that the appeal should go ahead. >> milton, thanks very much. we'll speak to you tomorrow. thank you. now, a report which looks at the efforts of different countries to avoid climate change has ranked australia as the worst performing industrial country this year. it said its poor ranking was partly down to decisions taken by the current coalition government, which has reversed a number of environmental policies. the climate change performance index ranks emissions of the 58 highest co2 emitters worldwide.

are you surprised that australia has done so badly, professor? >> well, not really. when you look at what's happened the past year, there have been a couple significant policy shifts. one is the carbon price, that has been scrapped. but also, there's been a review of the renewable energy target, and that has dampened the climate for investment in large scale renewable energy systems down here. what this means is that our emissions from the electricity sector are turning upwards again, make it harder for us to make even a modest target of 5% emission reduction. there have been significant changes over the past year. >> what will this mean in real terms, in terms of the climb change impact? >> well, again, you've got to look at that in the longer term. our electricity sector, one of the biggest emitting sectors in

the country, had been on a downward trend in terms of its emissions the past several years. part of that was due to the fact that renewable energies were becoming more prominent with the 20% renewable energy target for 2020. in other words, it was mandated that we had to produce at least 20% of our electricity in 2020 by renewable sources. and that was driving munitions down. but with the review of that policy by the new government, that's changed the investment climate down here and we've lost a lot of investment over the past year. it was looking like coming in on renewable energy, which means that that's really slowed down, and that means emissions are going back up. >> what about countries like china, india, and america, who again, have long been facing pressure to do more? >> well, a lot of the things we've seen in the past several months is the announcement by the usa and by china that they're going to take more

vigorous action on their parts to reduce emissions. i think this is significant in the international context, because it's raising the bar for all the rest of us. australia is a medium level country in terms of its economy, in terms of per capita emissions, so i think this does raise the pressure on our government, on our society to lift our game as well to match what the u.s. and china are doing. >> all of us look at the bush fires that australia gets, the extreme climate changes that we seem to be -- you know, the weather changes that we seem to be noticing in the last few years in many parts of the world. do you think it's as easy to say -- to say yes, that is climate change in action? >> well, the way we put it is can you see an influence of climate change on these extreme events? australia has always been the land of droughts, flooding rains, heat, and so on, but we have very good evidence indeed tla the incidents of heat waves has been on the increase, particularly the last 30 or 40

years. our heat waves are occurring earlier in the season. the hottest days during the heat wave have become even hotter. we're seeing the bush fire season start earlier. we're seeing bush fires that are burning longer and becoming more intense. now, of course these are part of our climate system. but there's very little doubt now that climate change is making these kpraextreme events worse and australians are taking notice. >> thanks for joining us. another big report today, this time on equality. sally. >> yes, indeed. the widening gap between the rich and poor and how it's impacting some of the biggest economies in the world. wealth inequality does slow down economic growth, that's the conclusion from the oecd today. of the 34 countries that are members of the group, the gap between the rich and poor is at the highest level in 30 years, the group is saying. according to its report, rising levels of inequality mean the

british economy is 9% smaller than it could be. the u.s. economy 7% smaller. so later on "bbc world news," we'll be hearing from the oecd to find out what they sort of went into in terms of research to come up with these conclusions. also, we're talking about a form of housing. cheap, strong, and green. shipping containers are fast becoming the building block of choice around the world. in south africa, they're an affordable way to replace the slums and townships of the apartheid era with new modern multi-cultural living. one firm says the recycled materials halve the cost of development. we'll be getting a report from johannesburg as part of a special series on affordable housing around the world. and here's one way to cut through the rush hour. a new zealand company is claiming to have made jet pack travel now viable. and it's asking investors to stake their money on turning a sci-fi fantasy into hard cash.

martin jetpack is selling shares on the wellington stock market this week. we'll be taking to the skies with them to find out whether it really is that viable or not. i'll see you soon. >> it looks brilliant. thank you. >> and we can film you doing it. >> the opening day of the first test between australia and india has ended at the adalaide oval, and australia are 354 for 6 wickets. the match was delayed following the death of bottomsman phillip hughes. jon donnison watched the tributes and the match. >> it was pretty emotional. a difficult day for the players, but i think many of them were glad to get back playing cricket. we had not a minute's silence at the beginning of the game, but a nice idea they had, 63 seconds of applause. a standing ovation for phillip hughes. of course, he was oust out 63 -- not out, rather, when he died a

couple of weeks ago. we heard some nice words from a cricketing great in australia who gave a tribute, broadcast on the big screens. and then they got on with the games. as you said in your introduction, they came out looking pretty determined. 354-6. we had a century from the opener. david warner. the only blemish on australia today is their captain retired hurt, michael clark. >> michael clark, we saw was very emotional and involved with the loss of his friend. have you sensed any sort of, you know, great personal wobbles about these men coming out on the field again? because although this is being seen as a very unusual fatal injury, it still highlights that there are risks in this sport as with many others. >> you certainly didn't detect that from the players today. obviously before the game

started, they were emotional. you saw some of them wiping a tear from their eye, i but once the cricket got under way, i think they were relieved really to get back playing the game they love. when you speak to people who watch cricket and play cricket here in australia, there's nobody really saying that the game needs to be changed. i think most people here accept that this was just an extremely rare, freak accident and that cricket isn't a dangerous game or a particularly dangerous game. there obviously are dangers, but they don't want the game to be changed. and just one thing worth mentioning. today, shawn abbott, the bowler who delivered that fatal delivery, was also back playing. he's just 22 years old. really difficult for him the past few weeks. good to see him playing again. >> absolutely. jon donnison there. stay with us on "bbc world news." much more to come. a dutch explorer has become the first to reach the south pole on a farming tractor.

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this is "bbc world news." i'm gate geet. -- geeta guru-murthy. the u.s. is fearing a backlash over an official report on alleged cia torture. in south africa, a judge will decide whether to grant the prosecution the chance to appeal against oscar pistorius's sentence. the athlete was given a five-year prison term for the culpable homicide of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. now, a dutch explorer has become the first to reach the south pole on a farming tractor. he traveled all the way there from holland, making her way across europe and down through the length of africa. after 25,000 miles on the road, she has now reached the south pole. she joins us now. congratulations.

>> thank you so much. yes, i'm literally standing at the south pole as we speak. >> that pole next to you, does that mark the spot? >> this marks the spot of the south pole, and behind me, the tractor that brought me here. all this way. >> how has it been? just tell us what it's been like. >> will you repeat th-- what ha it been like? >> yes. >> it's such an enormous, barren landscape. and to arrive here has been a dream come true. >> has it been a very hard journey for you? >> i don't know, i think i was so inspired to make this journey possible, that i've just been nf awe that it's actually really

happening. the circumstances have been really hard. i've had temperatures up to minus 56 degrees with a windchill factor. three days ago i drove for hours and only did a few kilometers an hour. unsure if i was able to make it. i'm here. >> why did you choose a tractor? >> i was born in a small village in the east of the netherlands, and a tractor touches my sense of humor. i created a story about dreams, and i believe that for everybody, their dreams are inspiring, but most people don't do them because they're too afraid. and i just thought, let's think of a seemingly impossible dream, impossible story and make it a reality, and maybe it can be an inspiring story, a beautiful story about the world and about dreams that are possible. >> why did you want to get to

the south pole? >> for me, the tractor really symbolizes that if you want to do something, you should just do it. not talk too much about it. but if you keep going you'll get there. and the south pole, because it seemed like i wanted to go to the moon on a tractor. i thought maybe it is possible. so what could be more inspiring than making a seemingly impossible dream become a reality. it has felt like driving across the moon, i must say, or driving a tractor across a frozen ocean, really. >> the pictures look incredible to us from here. just tell me some of your hardest moments, your toughest moments, and some of the highlights for you. >> the final leg of this expedition i think, after three

and a half years of driving. beautiful stories. in all of africa. inspiring stories that i'd like to share. finally now to this final leg. and getting to this surreal landscape, driving the snow with a tractor. that was one of the highlights, seeing it actually becoming a reality and doing it. and the toughest moments, probably -- i don't know. the cold temperatures and the hard drive. i thinking i wouldn't make it. i started driving in the morning. after eight hours, i was still only 15 kilometers away from camp. the tractor was driving 0.5 kilometers an hour in this really deep snow. >> and can you tell us, all of us who probably will never reach the south pole, does it have a special quality now that you're there? >> yes.

so happy that this story has become reality. and now i just wish to tell it. yeah, to be able to make it here, it is, like, magic. >> manon, i can imagine, it looks amazing. congratulations to you. it's an amazing story. i know you've had lots of support and warm wishes. we hope you get back home safely. >> thank you so much. >> fantastic. much more on that on the website, too. now, last night british royalty met show biz royalty, because the duke and duchess of cambridge went to a basketball game in brooklyn as part of their tour of the east coast in the states. the couple had a chat with beyonce and jay-z in the stadium. earlier in the day, prince william met president obama in washington. this report by our royal correspondent does have some flash photography. >> back in new york after his brief visit to washington and

the white house, and reunited with his wife, once again prince william was spreading the message about wildlife conservation. they joined hillary clinton and her daughter chelsea at a reception for wildlife charity supported by william. he spoke about the threat posed by the illegal trade in wildlife. >> they're being illegally butchered. it's easy to blame others for the problem. demand in southeast asia. not enough protection on the ground and so on. but if i may say, we could start with looking closer to home. our own nations still have thriving black markets in these products and we have to raise the game at home as well as abroad. >> william and katherine headed off to a basketball match between the brooklyn nets and the cleveland cavaliers. outside, about 100 or so protesters had gathered to demand justice for eric garner, the man who died after he was forcefully restrained by new york police officers. inside the stadium, william and catherine watched the game, and afterwards met two of the team's supporters, the singers jay-z

and beyonce. this morning, there will be a very much more solemn occasion when the couple visit the national 9/11 museum at ground zero and pay their respects to all those who died. nicolas mitchell, bbc news, new york. now, a major campaign has been launched in tanzania to raise funds who protect people who are albinos, which gives you a lack of pigmentation in the skin. in recent years, the country has seen a surge of killings. >> reporter: we're being killed like animals, she sings. please pray for us. an event calling to an end of violence to albinos, who are con stanly reminded of the danger to their lives. this city was once known as the capital of witchcraft, with killings happening almost every month. the most recent, an albino woman

hacked to death in may. ngo figures put the number of people with albinism at 73,000. only ten people have been convicted, and jailed for murder. lack of evidence is an impediment to the prosecution. these kinds of campaigns take place mostly in urban areas, but the message doesn't always reach the remote parts of tanzania, where they're most needed. where discrimination against people with albinism is much more common. this remote island is home to about 70 albinos. its first albino inhabitants were abandoned by their families. many have fled for refuge on this island, but still, they're not safe. in this family, the little boy

who is 4, survived an attempted kidnap when he was just 3 months old. the mother managed to escape to safety by jumping out of the window. the family says more should be done by the government. >> translator: i plead with the government to keep on helping us, as it did in the past when they offered seminars telling the community that these are normal children, just like any other. they only lack some elements in their pigmentation. those seminars helped a few understand the challenges of living with albinism. >> reporter: there are efforts from known governmental organizations to create awareness here, but they are still faced with huge challenges. >> translator: we do not have the capability or means to reach communities at the village level. you'll find that we mainly rely on radio and tv to do that. stake holders and volunteers. we rely on the government are

not able to reach the grass roots because of cost. >> reporter: people with albinism can only hope that the government's latest efforts are moved to the right direction, and that one day they'll be able to lead their lives in safety. that's it from us. we are back very soon. bye-bye. ♪ wellllll... ♪ earlyfit ♪ latefit ♪ risefit ♪ fallfit ♪ ballfit ♪ wallfit ♪ pingfit ♪ pongfit ♪ pingfit ♪ pongfit ♪ rowfit ♪ throwfit

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the united states is tightening security at its military and diplomatic bases around the world, fearing a backlash over an official report on alleged cia torture. a south african judge will decide whether entrepreneurs can appeal against the sentence for oscar pistorius over the culpable homicide of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. fans and players pay tribute to phillip hughes at australia's

first test cricket match since the batsman's death. and inequality between the rich and poor reaches its highest level for 30 years. hello. it's been the subject of much debate, controversy, and even an oscar-winning movie. and yet, there is still more to be told about the cia's interrogation program in the aftermath of september 11th. a report by the u.s. senate into the agency's techniques which critics are calling torture is due to be released later, and america is bracing itself for the backlash, tightening security in its embassies and military bases around the world. >> indications that the release of the report could lead to

greater risk that is posed to u.s. facilities and individuals all around the world. so the administration has taken the prudent steps to ensure that the proper security precautions are in place at u.s. facilities around the globe. >> the report is a result of years of research by the senate intelligence panel and it's 6,000 pages long, but only a 480-page summary of the report is going to be made public. it's expected to document harsh methods, including waterboarding, slapping, sleep deprivation, and exposure to cold. it's also expected to say how valuable the information proved to be, or not to be for the nation's security. and just how much the white house knew about the cia methods. here's richard forest with the background to the interrogation's program. >> reporter: the aftermath of the terror attacks on september 11th, 2001, as rescuers search the rubble for survivors, u.s.

security services begin their own search for information, to try and stop any potential future attacks. under president bush, the central intelligence agency launched an interrogation program. >> if a captured terrorist has information about a plot against our homeland, we need to know what he knows. >> reporter: al qaeda terror suspects were held at guantanamo bay in cuba, and other military bases around the world. a senate intelligence committee report will now detail the controversial methods used, how extensive and how severe they were, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation and confinement. it's also expected to say those interrogations failed to deliver useful results, and further, that the cia failed to keep the white house fully informed, findings that could provoke a backlash. when president obama took office in 2009, he halted the program and acknowledged the techniques amounted to torture. some will argue that spies did what was necessary to protect

the public. others will argue they went too far. richard forest, bbc news. >> for reaction, i'm joined here in the studio from alo. thanks to both of you for joining us. hamid, if i can begin with you. what are your thoughts about the impact of this report? >> i think that the cia have the right to do anything for the security and safety of its people. but they should also respect the constitution of the united states of america. and if they used the method of waterboarding, i think it's a violation of their own laws. it's a violation of the international law. it's a violation of the geneva

convention. and when this story will be out, i have spoken to some human rights activists in pakistan. they say that a pakistani woman, she is in prison in the united states and she has made the same kind of claims that the cia and the u.s. security forces tortured her and undressed her. so i think that this story will make some impact on pakistan, and some human right organizations and her family and some other families. may were on the roads many times in the past couple of years, and after this story, they will protest against this brutal torture of cia with the prisoners of al qaeda. there should be some difference between al qaeda and cia. we say that al qaeda is a terrorist organization. so if you are dealing with terrorism and you want to get

rid of terrorism, you should not use the tactics which the terrorist organization are using. so i think this torture is also terrorism. >> but bearing in mind what happened to you yourself in karachi, if you can remind us very quickly what happened to you, you still think that even if it was to guarantee safety of a public attack, for example, that the u.s. should not go as far as it needs to? >> yeah, you're right. but you see, the situation in pakistan is different. i was attacked many times in the past couple of years, and the last attack was made on april 19th this year. i got six bullet injuries, and this is the responsibility of the state to provide protection and safety to its citizens. but at the same time, the security forces and the intelligence agencies of every

state, including pakistan and the united states, they must respect their constitution. they must respect their law. and if any security agency or intelligence agency in united states of america or in pakistan or in any part of the world, they will use violence and they will use torture for the investigation. i think it's like promoting terrorism. >> you can use the word torture, but if you're exposing someone to extreme cold or extreme discomfort, but in the end you save a lot of innocent civilian lives because you get the information that is important, isn't there an argument that that is justified? >> no, it's not justified because, as my understanding of the law is concerned, it's the violation of the pakistani law, it's the violation of the international law. so it's not justified. >> what is your sense of the reaction that's going to come

from the arab world? >> i would say it's very unpredictable at this stage, but definitely it's going to be used by party which is are against the united states or the influence of the united states in the region. >> even if those governments, some of them are accused of using pretty tough measures themselves? >> well, i'm talking about the non-state actors here, which are basically the ones who are actually affecting the political scene at the moment. let's think about something like islamic state militants, for example. they're always saying that whatever we do is build on what the americans are doing against us, against the muslims, and all around the world. so this definitely is going to help the way they are actually addressing their followers. but, i mean, also for countries which are actually -- if it's been proven that they took part

in this operation by cia, it's definitely going to be an embarrassment for the countries. we just -- i don't think -- i don't know exactly how to think about what they're going to say about any sort of cooperation they had with the cia or with the united states itself. >> hamid mir, that's an interesting question. regional cooperation, and the pink links with the u.s. as well going to come under pressure. can i just ask you one piece of good news that we've got, which is the nobel peace prize. your thoughts on that, and how this week will look by the end of the week when you've got this report. >> are you talking to me? >> yes, sorry. hamid mir, i was just asking you about malala, she's due to get her award tomorrow. i wanted to end this chat on one piece of good news. what are your thoughts about

that? >> yeah, it's very good news. and majority of the people in pakistan, especially the students and especially the young girls, they are very happy that malala yousafzai will become the world's youngest recipient of the nobel prize, and she is the pride of pakistan. she is the new face of pakistan. and only the girls like malala can fight the terrorist organizations like al qaeda and taliban. because she is fighting for the girls' right of education. so we are very happy. it's very good news for us. in 2011, osama bin laden was found in pakistan and osama became the face of pakistan. we are happy that malala is getting this nobel prize and malala is now the new face of pakistan. we are very happy. >> i know you know the family very well, too. many thanks to you.

in the last hour, a judge in south africa has delayed a ruling on whether to allow oscar pistorius to appeal his five-year prison sentence for killing his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. the athlete was sentenced in october after being found guilty of culpable homicide. he was acquitted of murder. judge masipa adjourned the appeal hearing until wednesday. >> reporter: yes, the judge has adjourned the court because she wants to go and consider the points made by gerrie nel and by barry rue. essentially, what is happening here today in pretoria is that the prosecution led by gerrie nel wants to appeal the verdict of appealing the sentence he got of five years imprisonment. remember, oscar pistorius is serving that five-year sentence in a prison not far from here. so the prosecution believes that

if another set of judges in an appeal court could hear the case that we followed throughout the year, they would probably arrive at a different conclusion. because as far as the prosecution is concerned, this judge, judge masipa, misinterpreted the law. the opening day of the first test between australia and india has ended at the adalaide oval, and australia are 354 for 6 wickets. the match was delayed following the death of batsman phillip hughes last month. before it started, tributes were paid to the 25-year-old. our correspondent jon donnison reports now from sydney. >> reporter: not a minute's silence in honor of phillip hughes, but a standing ovation. australian players wore hughes's

number on their shirts and black arm bands to remember their former teammate. the crowd at the adalaide oval was asked to applaud for exactly 63 seconds. the 25-year-old batsman was 63 not out when he died. australia's coach darren lehmann has had reason to be proud of how his young team have handled themselves this past week. a short tribute was broadcast on the big screen, and then it was down to business. and australia came out determined in this first test against india. david warner raced to a century, looking to the heavens as if to say this one's for you, hughesy. the skipper michael clark, who's led this team admirably through a differently few weeks, was also going strongly before having to retire injured on 60. how he too would have loved a chance to get 100 on today of all days. the thoughts of many today will have been with shawn abbott, the

22-year-old who bowled the fatal ball. bravely, he too returned to cricket, playing for his club side new south wales in sydney. in this cricket loving country, people have been profoundly moved by the death of phillip hughes, but today, the players sent a message that the game goes on. jon donnison, bbc news, sydney. a german court has thrown out the case against an 89-year-old former soldier accused of taking part in one of the most notorious massacres of the second world war. he was charged over the massacre of hundreds of men, women, and children in a french village in 1944. ss troops murdered 642 people and destroyed the village. the unnamed man admitted he was there, but maintains he didn't take part in the massacre. no surviving witnesses could connect him with the massacre. the village is still in ruins, as you see there, preserved as a permanent memorial.

stay with us here on "bbc world news." much more to come. the duke and duchess of cambridge meet the king and queen of rap and pop in new york. for over a decade,

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this is "bbc world news." i'm geeta guru-murthy with the latest headlines for you. the united states is tightening security around the world, fearing a backlash over an official report on alleged cia torture. in south africa, a judge will decide whether to grant the prosecution the chance to appeal against oscar pistorius's sentence. the athlete was given a five-year prison term for the culpable homicide of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. a major conference is taking place in geneva to urge countries to take in more refugees from syria. the majority of the displaced have crossed the border into neighboring countries and face a bleak winner in camps. let's take a look at some of the

numbers. most syrian refugees have escaped to jordan, lebanon and turkey. nearly 2.9 million syrians now living within their borders. unhcr and other aid agencies are now asking other countries to take 180,000 of them. that's 5% of the refugee population. the uk government hasn't said how many it will take, but according to amnesty international, only 90 syrians have been accepted by september. norway has indicated it could take 1,500 refugees, while france has said it may accept 50. but the biggest pledge so far comes from germany. it says it will take 30,000 syrians. so, what will the influx of refugees mean for germany? jenny hill reports from munich. >> reporter: in a single room, shared with strangers, the family tries to settle in. they've just arrived from syria. they'd have died, they tell us, if they'd stayed. but leaving nearly killed them,

too. "we took a small boat to italy. we were at sea for nine days," he says. "the waves were really high. we ran out of water. it was a horrible situation." germany's refugee camps have been overwhelmed. this year alone, it's thought 250,000 people will claim asylum here. and they just keep coming. germany takes more refugees and asylum seekers than any other country in the european union. even the government here admit it can't go on like this. imagine crossing these mountains on foot. it's how some refugees arrived in this small border town. they learn the language. they hope for asylum. and politicians worry. immigration to germany is at a record high. other eu countries, they insist, could and should be doing more.

>> translator: we take a lot of refugees already. we take 40% of those arriving in europe. but at some point, you run into difficulties explaining all this to the public. >> reporter: especially, it seems, in bavaria. it has one of germany's largest refugee populations. "there's no question we should take them in and help them," she says, "but there are a lot who try to cheat the system." "it's hard for the refugees, but it's hard for us, too. we have space, but not that much." for every suitcase, there's a story. "they were killing the children," he says, "no one cares." i asked mohamed what he most enjoys about life in germany. his answer, i just feel safe. jenny hill, bbc news, munich. now, countries around the

world are being urged to do more to close the widening gap between the richest and poorest in society. the organization for economic cooperation in development says inequality is at its highest level for 30 years and it's damaging economic growth. according to the oecd's new report, rising levels of inequality since 1985 have shaved ten percentage points off growth in mexico and new zealand. the british and norwegian economies are 9% smaller than they could be had inequality differences been smaller. whilst the usa is 7% smaller because of its inequality gp. the oecd says it's standing in the way of education of those who are disadvantaged and it lowers social mobility. their suggestion is to raise taxes for higher earners. with me is professor john weekes. thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you. >> why is the gap getting worse? >> well, i think it's a number

of things. one thing which the oecd notes is the weakening of trade unions. i think what should be stressed is the rise of finance. a redistribution from industry, from all types of production, to finance. and with not only the famous people that earn millions and billions in hedge funds, but in general. that is a relatively unproductive activity. i would also emphasize and i think it's quite important that when there is a redistribution towards the wealthy, the nature of consumption changes. so we've actually got a decline in mass consumption. not just to the very poor. they never consumed that much anyway. but the bottom half of the income distribution then becomes able to consume less. as a result of that, there's less demand in the economy. tendency to hire unemployment. less investment and slower growth. >> okay, so it's because the bottom half is falling. so the bottom half is falling

because there is less normal industrial production. >> i would say it's that. also incomes, wages are going up slower. in britain, for example, the result that's being caused by the growth of low wage jobs. a very large proportion of the growth of jobs over the last three or four years has been part-time and in low-wage jobs. in the united states, real wages have fallen since 1978. think about that for a moment. we're talking about 35, 36 years. then in developing countries, say like mexico, india, peru, all over the developing world, there has been a decline in agricultural incomes. and that's where a lot of very poor people are. and as for the middle class, the weakening of bar beguning power in the industrial sectors has

led. it's not just wages. we're talking about everybody from zero up to the top 60 percentile. so we're talking about the vast majority of the population. >> just very briefly, does it matter? and what should be done about it? >> you say what does it matter? it's just a statistic, isn't it? whether the top 10%, or more than that. the reason it matters is it shifts political power. to me, that's the most important thing. you have a situation in which very wealthy people have very great political power and they are able to perpetuate their position, to prevent rising taxes, which would stop this process, to prevent the social welfare measures, which would redrib income more than is being done now. so i think it's a question of the shift in political power. that's why it's different. what can be done about it? i think that we need political

parties to take a strong position against austerity measures throughout the word. the public expenditure actually helps distribution. >> i'm so sorry, we're out of time, there's so much more to say. thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> thank you. well, we move certainly to the other end of the scale, because british royalty met show biz royalty last night when the duke and duchess of cambridge went to a basketball game in brooklyn as part of their tour of the east coast of the states. the couple had a chat with beyonce and jay-z in the stadium. earlier in the day, prince william met president obama at the white house. this report from nicolas mitchell does have some flash photography. >> reporter: back in new york after his brief visit to washington and the white house, and reunited with his wife, and once again william was spreading the message about the importance of wildlife conservation. they joined hillary clinton and her daughter chelsea at a reception in aid of wildlife charities supported by william. and once again, he spoke about

the threat posed by the illegal trade in wildlife. >> they're being illegally butchered. it's easy to blame others for the problem. demand in southeast asia. not enough protection on the ground and so on. but if i may say, we could starting with looking closer to home. our own nations still have thriving black markets in these products and we have to raise the game at home as well as abroad. >> reporter: william and catherine headed off to a basketball match between the brooklyn nets and the cleveland cavaliers. outside, about 100 or so protesters gathered to demand justice for eric garner, the man who died after he was forcefully restrained by new york police officers. inside the stadium, william and catherine watched the game and afterwards met two of the team's supporters, the singers jay-z and beyonce. this morning, there will be a very much more solemn occasion, when the couple visit the national 9/11 museum at ground zero and pay their respects to all those who died. nicolas mitchell, bbc news, new

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hello, you're watching "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm lucy hockings. our top stories. preparing for the release of a detailed report on the use of torture by the cia after the 9/11 attacks. american embassies are on high alert amid fears of a backlash. graphic details are expected into the dark practices used against al qaeda suspects. more than three million syrians are now refugees. why are richer countries outside the region not