i'm david eades. our top stories. just 1% earn more than all the rest of us. oxfam warns of staggering global inequality and it's challenging the world's business and political leaders to act on that now. claim and counterclaim in ukraine. government forces and pro-russian rebels both say they've taken control of the airport in donetsk. and pictures from a moment of history. we meet the man who took some of the most iconic images from the

u.s. civil rights movement. also in the program, aaron's here taking a look at deal that could create 50,000 jobs. >> and who's saying that? it's the big boss of uber? he tells a tech conference in munich, he wants a new partnership with european cities and we want to take a look at how realistic it is for a company that's drawn massive criticism across the world. hello. it's midday here in london 3:00 p.m. in qatar, the richest country in the world, 1:00 p.m. in the central african republic the poorest by head of population. just two illustrations of what oxfam says is the growing inequality between those who have and those who have not. it says more than half the world's wealth will soon be in the hands of just 1% of the

world's population. and it's taking that disturbing message to the world's business and political leaders, who meet soon at the annual world economic forum in davos. now, the oxfam warning is based on data from the bank credit suisse and we can have a look at some of the numbers involved.

>> well some pretty big figures there. you know what they say about statistics theo. but what do these figures really tell us do you think? >> these figures are drawn from the credit suisse report which looked at wealth and inequality around the world. and came to the conclusion that the richest wealthiest 1% control 48% of global assets. and that trend of inequality is continuing. oxfam has extrapolated that data and suggested by 2016 the richest 1% will own more than half of global assets and therefore have more than the rest of the population combined. but we do have to have a little bit of a caveat here. between 2000 and 2009 this measure of inequality was

actually forming. the share of global wealth had by that richest 1% was falling. what we're looking at here is really the picture since the financial crisis since 2009. so it is a partial picture. >> right. and might i even ask, how relevant is it to talk about the richest 1%? what is sort of the figure for the average in that 1%? >> well surprisingly enough you don't have to be super rich to get into that 1%. the figures that credit suisse came out with was approximately $800,000. now, the average price of a property here in london is about that. so if you own a property in london, without a mortgage you could be on the cusp of being into that 1%. so there are billionaires in there, but it's not all about billionaires. >> yeah i imagine some schoolteachers would fail to fall in the super rich area. we had figures to this about a year ago. oxfam made a big deal about it a

year ago. why is it it seems there's more emphasis on it now than ever though? >> i think this has been a growing trend since the financial crisis. we live in a period of austerity, cutting budgets, cut public services, and so on. and there is a growing public perception, whether rightly or wrongly, that the people at the very top have not been feeling the same amount of pain as the rest of us. so the rich are getting richer, everyone else is suffering. that is the perception. and that's been growing. on top of that we've had the publication of the book that made precisely that argument that we're heading into a new age of inequality, where having wealth is more important than it used to be and the distribution is changing. so it is a sign of the times. and then of course we've got the world economic forum in davos, which begins later this week. all the rich and powerful will be there. and oxfam makes sure that inequality as an issue, becomes one of the key issues of debate. >> made a pretty good start of it. thanks very much indeed for

that. in just a moment i'll be speaking to the documentary maker, zack peretti, who's just made a bbc series it's called "the superrich and us." first of all let's have a look at a bit of the program. >> what is clear is that some of the 99% believe that it's time to confront inequality. and even the super rich themselves are taking it seriously. >> you show me a highly unequal society, i will show you either a revolution or a police state. >> nick was one of the first investors in amazon and sold his company to microsoft for $6 billion. >> somebody like me earns $10,000, $20,000 an hour. you know that creates a very different life from the life that ordinary people have to

live. >> right, well as i said the documentary maker, zach peretti, is with me now. you put this documentary together, "the super rich and us." the inequality is clearly there. but what is your worry -- >> it's not really my worry. >> the one you perceive? >> it's been shared by the united nations, nasa even the omd, who have all written reports, even before the crash, talking about growing inequality and it being theest biggest threat. the ims says this is the biggest single threat to capitalism in the 21st century. and what's really fascinating globally, is that within countries, we internationally, we're becoming more equal. so countries are becoming more equal between one another. but within countries, we're becoming more unequal. so this is a trend that is global and within each country. >> that's an argument that both sides will make. and actually inequality within

individual countries is being affected here in the uk at the moment is shrinking. and that in itself would seem fine. does it matter what the inequality is if the level of poverty is improving? if, you know those at the bottom are beginning to lead a better life. which we're told time and again, is the case. >> i think the key thing here if you talk to economists across the board, both left and right, what they talk about is the key impact on the middle class. the middle class being the engine of the economy. you know we had a welfare state in a post-war world, that was created around full-time employment, upon taxes being paid, and not paying for a welfare state. with the hollowing out of the middle class and that being kind of a global phenomenon that's the key concern. what you're seeing is a peeling away from the 1% and literally everyone else, which includes the middle class. >> but, again, i ask, why that needs to be a problem, beyond the fact of you know, no one likes to see people with ridiculous amounts of money doing things they completely

didn't like maybe the rest of us think we can live. but of itself is it a problem? why is it a problem of itself? >> because what happens to the economy, it becomes a s as a wheel stuck in mud. what you're seeing is essentially a process that no one, no government can deal with. jobs are being created, but they're low-pay jobs. people aren't paying their taxes, so what you're finding is that the revenue simply isn't coming in and at the top end, because of britain being made a sort of tax haven, essentially, post-war for the super rich we're not seeing taxes being collected there. so you're seeing a kind of fatal hole appearing. and that's the problem, economically. >> and from the documentary you've put together and you've had a lot of occupy wall street protests within there, can you see something emerging that would redress this? i mean people are growing political sense, that this imbalance is getting dangerous, even. >> tomorrow, obama, the state of the union is going to put on the table a redistributed tax, on

the 1% to deal with working families in america. >> let's see him get that through congress? >> he won't get it through congress, it's very much a political move. but, of course what's interesting is the degree to which huge global financial institutions are now trying to deal with it. banks are looking at this. citigroup, the guy who runs city group, one of the four biggest banks in america, they analyze inequality five years, four years, before the crash, as being this incredible thing, but of course they serve as a business opportunity. but, you know, they say, this is the reality of where the economy is going. i think what has to happen is we have to involve business we have to involve the banks, and we have to deal with this on a global level. another question. >> a big question jacques, thanks very much indeed. we'll be talking a lot more about the global economy and the issue of inequality from wednesday. that is when we kick off our series "a richer world" on "bbc

world news." we'll be looking at who are the winners and losers in this world of wealth and connectivity and precisely where the power lies these days. you'll also be able to follow our coverage at b brks bbc.com/richerworld. some other stories for you now. the european union are working out how best to address the militant attack in france and the discovery of a jihadist cell in belgium. they're calling for countries to share information. an arrange tyne special prosecutor who just last week accused the president of a cover-up has been found dead in his home. he was investigating the 1994 jewish center bombing. on wednesday, he accused cristina fernandez of being

involved in a plot to hide his alleged role in that bombing. here's a question. who controls donetsk airport in eastern ukraine? on sunday government officials said they'd taken it after intense fighting. now, pro-russian rebels are claiming they've seized it. it comes after a counteroffensive launched over the weekend by troops trying to reclaim lost ground. and we're getting reports that the fighting is still going on there. fresh clashes near the airport. kiev says three soldiers have been killed in just the last 24 hours. with me now is the bbc's olexy full benco. it is a pretty confused pictures in a critical moment isn't it? >> it is a critical moment and a confused picture. and we probably will not know for certain who is in control of the airport. however, the airport is only a little speck on a very very long demarcation line separation line between the two warring parties. the pro-russian rebels and the ukrainian government forces.

and i looked today at the map officially released by the ukrainian security and defense council. fighting is going on across the whole area. so we're talking about really very, very important spike in hostilities, and it comes after a relative lull. but now it seems to be that the situation is getting out of control. >> and we've spent all this time, with both sides, accusing each other of being the source of all evil, effectively. but i saw russian officials saying, president will not talk about it. >> they sent a letter from president putin who was sent to president poroshenko of ukraine, presenting the withdraw of heavy weaponry from both sides. it's not clear whether the ukrainian government agreed to that but had a counter plan saying, let's go back to the agreement that was reached in minsk in september.

part of that was control of the border. i think they're very concerned that whatever the rebels say, whatever the russian side says, there seems to be a steady supply of munitions and weaponry, a very steady supply of weaponry across the border and the rebels seem to have that all the time. >> and not just weaponries but uniforms or personnel. we've seen uniforms with russian insignia on them. >> previously the explanation was that you could buy it in a corner shop. yes, some things you can. some of the weaponry we've seen in recent days you cannot. including some sophisticated electronic warfare systems, some tracking radars. this is something very very modern and not something the rebels would produce or manufacture themselves. but i think the important thing, also is that you know, there's a diplomatic dead log, a military dead log, and a high level of civilian casualties a high level of suffering. there's bombing not just in the

military positions, but including areas, both sides accuse each other, but for those civilians who are injured, it's of no conlation. >> olexiy thank you very much indeed. . and do stay with us here on "bbc world news." still to come in the program, is there about to be a coup in yemen? we'll get the latest on very heavy fighting near the president's palace in the capital. you want an advanced degree, but sometimes work can get in the way. now capella university offers flexpath, a revolutionary new program that

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now to the recent israeli attack on hezbollah, in the area near the golan heights. an iranian revolutionary guard general has been killed along with a number of fighters from the lebanese shiite hezbollah group in that israeli air strike in syria. this is coming from an israeli news website. following the zionist aggression against the resistance in syria,

a former commander of the brigade of the revolutionary guard was martyred it says there. obviously, likely to raise questions about the levels of tensions between both israel and hezbollah. there has been heavy fighting, also taking place in yemen, near the president's palace in the capital of sanaa, between houthi rebels and the army. hours ago, both sides said that a cease-fire had been agreed and the president would meet houthi rebels later in the day. but further gunfire has been reported since then. the houthi took over large parts of sanaa back in september. these latest catches follow the publication of a draft new constitution, in which the houthis bitterly opposed. it's about six regions across

the country. saudi arabia, the main power believe they are backed by iran. that's something iran and indeed the houthis both flatly deny. we can bring you the latest situation, because i'm joined from sanaa by web cam from hakim al asmati the editor in chief of yemen post. thanks for joining us. can you first of all give us a sense of what the situation is at the moment? there seem to be so many conflicting reports. >> very very chaotic. yemen has not seen a day like this since 2011. when the they were in power. the army and the military is not winning the battle against the houthis for one main reason. they are not united. he's trying to agree on any cease-fire deal with the houthi militants, hoping this could end

today and not expand to different regions of the country. >> are talks of a coup exaggerated, do you think? >> oh, no it's not. houthi is powerless today. and he i don't expect anyone who will rule yemen over the next couple of years to have authority. so whoever comes to power, the houthis will directly have the authority, whether they are in power or a side of power. >> this sounds evermore like a proxy war, essentially. >> it's not like that. we can't say a proxy war or a civil war. yemenis are not fighting. this is a hadi/houthi war, which could end up as a proxy war between saudi arabia and iraq. saudi arabia is going to lose yemen for the first time in five decades. that is a very big worry for saudi arabia. plus as of now, saudi arabia has not interfered over the last

couple of months in what is happening in yemen. the houthis have continued to grow that influence in yemen. over the last couple of months saudis have yet to move or to racket. this has given the houthis a right to activate and move as quickly as expected before attacking hadi today, they weaken all the power of the country from the president to the islam boko haram party. when they were defeated they only had one target left and that's president hadi and that's what they're doing today. >> well i want to ask you one last question, if i can, briefly, but what is the position and indeed the potential for the former president in all of this? >> president sala is standing neutral in this crisis. he, no doubt, is still the most powerful person in the country. that's mainly because of the failures of the current

president. he has thousands of troops. these troops refuse to fight the houthis today. they refusal to fight the houthis is the reason why they have the upper hand. >> okay thanks very much indeed. hakim is from the "yemen post." now, tens of thousands of people have marched in the russian region of chechnya to protest against the french satirical magazine "charlie hebdo." people in the predominantly muslim region carried posters that read hands off our beloved prophet. teachers and other government workers were bused in from other parts of the country for what was a state-sponsored rally. it's martin luther king day today in the united states. and this year comes around the same time as the release of the oscar-nominated film, "selma," which tells the story of the civil rights march from selma to

montgomery in alabama, led by martin luther king jr. in 1965. one person who was present at the march was steven summerstein, a photographer for a student newspaper. his photos are now on display at the new york historical society. the bbc's nick bryant reports. >> we must march, we must stand up. >> reporter: selma, alabama, 1965. one of the most climactic battles in the struggles for black equality. on what became known as bloody sunday protesters were bludgeoned for demanding the basic right to vote. this is hollywood's take in a movie marking the 50th anniversary. but these images were captured through the lens of steven summerstein, the then editor of a newspaper in new york determined to chronicle the great social revolution of the age. >> i quickly called a staff meeting and i decided i would do the photography. i would bring along a reporter with me and we would leave that night to join them on the buses.

and we went home to our families told my mother leaving for alabama tonight, which came as somewhat of a shock for her. >> reporter: it was in a rally that martin luther king addressed in montgomery, the state capital, that the young photographer captured what became an iconic image. >> i'd been photographing dr. king during his speech from the front of the platform. and i had taken shots on all sides in the front, and when i got to the center one, where i photographed him with the microphone, and sort of a halo around him. i then turned around 180 degrees and looked at the crowd, and saw this huge array of 25,000 people listening to him in rapt attention. and then i turned around and looked at king and i said i know the shot i want. just -- in that instance i

pre-visualized exactly the image that i wanted and i came up with. and i said now i have to do it. >> the exhibition in new york comes at a time of heightened racial tensions across america, following the events in ferguson, and staten island. >> what differs from that period of time and now is that we have worked greatly to expand the franchise to all americans. but we're a human society. and that means we backslide sometimes. and we have to correct ourselves. and then move forward again. and what we're seeing in society today is one that's far and away better than the society that existed back then. but it doesn't mean we are without fault. >> reporter: as the southern writer, william faulkner famously put it the past is never dead it's not even past. nick brian, bbc news new york.

>> great pictures. now, coming up in the next half hour on "gmt," how to tackle terrorism after the attacks on "charlie hebdo" magazine in france. do we restrict personal liberty in the name of security? we'll get both sides of the debate in just a few minutes' time here on "gmt." thanks for watching. i've been called a control freak... i like to think of myself as more of a control... enthusiast. mmm, a perfect 177-degrees. and that's why this road warrior rents from national. i can bypass the counter and go straight

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welcome to "gmt" here on "bbc world news." i'm david eades. in this half hour as europe's leaders discuss how to keep people safe from terrorist attacks, we ask where the line should be drawn between civil liberties and security. are you willing to give up some of your privacy in order to feel safer? we report from guinea where more than a year after the first case of ebola, some still question whether or not the disease is real. also on the program, aaron is here have a look at the haves and have-nots. >> or the haves and have-yachts.

we'll look at the wealthiest 1% who are forecast to own more than half of the world's wealth by next year. so we'll be talking to a former u.s. presidential adviser, who says it is that 1% who drive the global economy. welcome back to "gmt," the government of mali has declared that the country is now free of ebola, saying no new cases have been reported for the past 42 days. mali one of five west african countries to be hit by this deadly virus, which has killed more than 8,000 people so far, according to the u.n. now, most of those deaths have been in guinea sierra leone, andly lyly beerya. medical teams have been attacked and some have been killed.

>> reporter: guinea may be facing its worst health crisis in decades, but in the capital, it looks like business as usual. it's a poor, popular suburb. this is a kind of place where ebola would spread quickly. health workers are telling people here to take special care with hygiene and avoid physical contact, to help stop the epidemic. but there's still resistance. most of these young men are teachers and students. they gather to share a glass of green tea. i ask how many orders share. they tell me, they believe western doctors are lying to them. >> they want the people to -- i don't know how to -- >> domestic. >> i grew up around here.

and this is fairly typical of how people live in guinea. they live very close to each ore and share everything, including food. and as you can see, the market is still open, as usual. so to fight against ebola, you have to honor the culture. one person trying to change attitudes is the local imam. he's just been told that four people who are suspected to have ebola are now in the neighborhood. >> translator: we don't know where these people are right now. for cases like this, to advise people, if you see them, they need to take them to the right place. but, you know, it's god who decides if you are going to die. >> reporter: it was doctors who saved his life in a center run by members. now he works here as a

counselor, using his experience to try to counsel patients and their families. but he still facing old problems. >> translator: lots of survivors are thrown out of their homes. they lose their jobs. it's completely social rejection. once your brother is infected, he is no longer your brother. you don't share anything anymore. >> in a country that is divided by ebola, the future is uncertain, even for those who are lucky enough to survive. right now, we're going to have a look at the problems surrounding the aftermath of events in paris, the "charlie hebdo" attacks, in particular, of course. and what the government should be doing about those sorts of

problems. it's a country very much on high alert. and not only surrounding the return of radicalized europeans, who have gone to fight in iraq and syria. the meeting follows that failed plot in belgium, not to mention the attacks in paris. here in the uk one woman who persuaded her son to return to britain after fighting in syria is now calling for more support for families trying to reintegrate former islamist militants. she says she's been left on her own to deradicalize her son. our special correspondent, lucy manning, has the detail. >> reporter: the issue of british jihadists is all too close to home. her son, one of the hundreds of britons who went to fight. last summer she went to turkey and helped him escape from syria. he has now come home but not, she feels, to any support. >> the government are aware that she went. everyone's been informed.

and nobody's been forthcoming with any kind of offer of help or support. >> reporter: returning fighters from syria are a clear security concern. the foiled plot in belgium involving those who have come back to europe. around 600 persons have gone out there, and around half have returned. how to reintegrate them the issue, so an attack on home soil isn't the outcome. >> there's no point in us as a society denying the presence of all these people who are coming back because they are coming back and ignoring the problem isn't going to make it any better and i feel that these people are just left unattended not helped no supported, the potential to society could be devastating. >> the home office says those who return from syria are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and they certainly seen some prosecuted. for those who aren't they could

be monitored by the security service. some have been referred to the government's deradicalization program, others given help by social services and mental health teams, but some could be judged to not need any further intervention. >> in my opinion, every single person that comes back from iraq and syria now should be put through the program, so that they don't fall into the patterns that they fell into before. >> linda says her son is no longer a threat. as a parent she says she forgives him. but british authorities can't afford to forget what those returning have learned in syria. lucy manning, bbc news. >> with me now is margaret gillmore a security analyst for the united services institute, and evan wagner a human rights activist here in london. margaret, let me start with you. is it a simple equation, do you think, as the anxiety and perhaps the risks grow. governments simply do need more

power to monitor and manage what's out there, the intelligence, to work out what's going on. >> i don't think they should have unlimited powereded powers and i don't think they should have powers to go after personal things unless they have a warrant. but we are in a different age. we're no longer where we were 30 years ago where it was a letter or phone call being intercepted, to find out who's networking with who if they happen to be a terror suspect. now it's a case of they're using the internet they're communicating on the internet, in very sophisticated forms. part of the problem is whatever laws we have currently in the uk some of the big internet companies, particularly in america, simply will not adhere to those uk laws and will not handle the information about terror suspects even though there is a warrant. and so we need greater powers so that the intelligence agencies can do what they need

to do, the powers they need in order to make these big internet companies abroad cooperate more. >> it's unlikely but a fact of life. they need more control over us. >> i think that remains to be seen. i think there's a false dichotomy here between liberty and security which is where this debate is set up or the way many of these debates are set up. the human rights framework has no issue with anti-terrorism laws as such. of course, the most basic human right is the right to life. the key question is how you balance the different rights proportionately. so how do you balance the right to life, protected by the police, by the security services say, the right to privacy. >> but marg's point is that we're in a slightly different era and the sense of threat is greater than it's been for a long time and of a different order. >> it's the cyberissue we're in the cyberage now. and that's making -- >> i think we've been in the cyber age for quite a long time. the september 11th attacks were

planned online. so the security services have had plenty of time to think this through. and they already have extremely onerous powers of data mining and data surveillance. there's a real question here as to whether current powers orred a adequate. and of course with the changing nation of the threats, with more sophisticated terrorists you're always going to have to review that. but on the other hand you have to be extremely careful and cautious and make sure the debate being had in parliament or in the public is a proper one, and let these things pass by. >> and do you need margaret here in the uk david cameron threatening to close down the likes of what's app and snap chat, that are used by millions of people in a very informal casual manner? that's very unnecessary and heavy-handed. >> i think he needs to make sure that the intelligence agencies have the power, preferably, not a politician, but a judge, that's where i would differ with what he's saying that they have

the power to go into snapchat what's app, messaging service on facebook, or any other part of the web with the dark parts of the web, as the head of mi5 put it a few weeks ago, in order to pursue someone they think is a suspect. last week when the paris sieges were ongoing, there's little doubt that all sorts of internet powers were being used to track associates of those two who were on the list at that point, to make the connection with the third guy. >> but how much is this about the ability of intelligence services to perform, because you could take the belgium example and say, because of the intelligence they had, they cracked it. >> as uk in the last three months they've cracked three plots and there would have been deaths if those plots had got through. >> so do they need -- >> well yes, clearly you do. there is this issue over the internet companies -- some of them some of them are

cooperating, but some particularly those that are not cooperating when it comes to giving details about what's going on between networks of suspects abroad. >> do you think, adam this sense of the liberal democrats here in the uk this fear of almost a police state of grabbing hole of all our information, do you think that's shared by the public? in these very worrying times? >> i think the public are largely unconcerned, it seems to me, which is odd. >> it worries you? >> in america, they're a lot more concerned. and that's why there's an extra responsibility on both the media and parliamentarians to make sure that these laws aren't just given to security services particularly in the wake of a terrorist outrage. now, remember that these current laws were before paris, that they were debated after paris. that just goes to show the problem of this dynamic, where people are frightened and therefore it's very difficult to stand up in parliament and say, i want less protections for the

public, because that's how it sounds. but the reality is if the lawyers, the judges and in the end, the mps, you have to pick up the pieces when bad laws are drafted and when there's too much power given to the security services. >> we'll have to leave it on that note. adam wagner and margaret gillmore, thank you so much. do stay with us here on "gmt," because coming up in a moment, the bbc is launching a special award. in honor of our komla, dumor who passed away just a year ago.

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hello. i'm david eades. the top stories this hour. oxfam warns of staggering global inequality. says more than half the world's wealth will soon be down to just

1% of the population. ukraine government forces and pro-russian rebels both say they've taken control of the symbolically important airport in donetsk. well aaron's with us with all the business news. aaron, wealth. >> yeah, another number that came out in this report that by next year 80 of the wealthiest people will own more than 3.5 billion people, collectively. let me explain. thanks very much david. hello there. yes, wealth amassed by the richest 1% of people in the world will overtake the amount of wealth owned by everyone else in the world, according to the study by oxfam. the study comes just a day before president obama's state of the union address, in which he will call for tax increases in the wealthy, and will certainly help the middle class. according to oxfam, the top tier will see their share of global wealth increase to more than 50% in 2016 at the current rate of

growth. now, how do you get into that 1%? it works out to be $2.7 million u.s. per adult. the bottom 80% of the population, by contrast, account for just 5.5% of global wealth. and their average wealth well, it's set at $385 per adult. he rejects the argument that the wealthy are needed to create and provide jobs. listen to this. >> 30 years ago, there were plenty of wealth creators or fantastic companies creating lots of wealth millions of jobs, and they also paid their taxes. it's an absolute myth that this global elite, some have to pay no tax, some have to pay lower taxes in order to create wealth for the rest of us. they can pay their way. if i can pay my tax, if the cleaner in the street can play

their tax, so can the plutocrats. they need to pay their way, pay their fair share in society, and be members of society, and not sit on the top on a mountaintop and get away with nothing. >> max lawson speaking to me a little earlier. pippa, great to have you with us on the program. i'm hoping you could hear that. do you agree, oxfam says that this trickle down of wealth theory is absolutely nonsense. >> i think max has it wrong on one respect, and that is if you're talking about the bill gates of this world, yes, they can afford the most expensive lawyers that drop their tax rates down to nothing. but when we say we're going to raise taxes on the rich that's not who we're talking about. we're talking about the people who are running businesses and investing. and typically, 60% of all the net new jobs are created by firms that employ less than 50% people. so we've got to be careful, how

hard can we hit that community that can't afford the lawyers to get them out of the top tax rate. that's a very important distinction. >> we're talking in some aspects, and correct me if i'm wrong, about the middle class. some say, it is the middle class that's the engine of the economy, right? >> exactly. and i think the critical problem is that the size of the debt burden is now so great, that you could tax 100% of the population 100% of their income and you still wouldn't fix the problem. and that's why we keep thinking if we just tax the rich a little harder, we can somehow make up the gap. but the problem is it's not true. you can't. what you do need to do is generate the next wave of growth, jobs and gdp. so my personal view is we have to skew the system. instead of being in favor of the hyperwealthy, it starts to be in favor of the people we think of as wealthy, but who are running real businesses and encourage

that entrepreneurial response function which i think is very real, especially in britain. and it's working super well here. and that's what's coming from abroad like crazy. >> i'm curious, the imf says this is the single biggest threat to capitalism. but i'm wondering, is capitalism the best way to fight poverty? >> well so far, capitalism sure beats communism so the flavor is what brand of capitalism depending on what country you're in. i think part of what we're going through right now in our society is a big discussion about what the definition should be. what's the appropriate way in which to balance the interests of the payers versus the receivers, the benefits the wealthy versus the ones who don't have any assets. and though this is the central social issue of our time. >> it is a big issue, indeed.

and i can only imagine it hopefully will be on the table at davos this week. pippa, great stuff. appreciate your time. okay. let's talk about this, the chief executive, the big boss of the online taxi sharing firm uber says that his firm could create 50,000 jobs as part of a new partnership with european cities. uber, which i'm sure you know but i'll remind you, uber which helps users summon taxi-like services on their smartphone it started four years ago, now operates in 250 cities worldwide. the start-up also is now valued at $40 billion, but, boy, it's drawing huge criticism across the world from regulators and, of course, established taxi operators. the ceo of uber he made those comments at a tech fair or tech conference at munich in germany. jenny, great to have you with us on gmt. i guess you're going, really?

i mean is this realistic? i mean 50,000 jobs. and i'll be asking are these new jobs or will these be jobs that have to come from other areas? >> sure. but the numbers are huge aren't they? in germany this morning, this has been describe as the uber charm offensive. speaking at this large conference, in fact, it's germany's largest gathering annually of technical and media executives, he made these claims. he's essentially saying if you let us in, if you let uber operate in your city we'll bring in thousands, tens of thousands of jobs not to mention higher tax revenues. analysts are saying that the chief executive is trying to strike more of a conciliatory tone. and as we know uber has been very controversial here in europe, here in germany, where they were banned for a little while. that ban has been overturned. but that over issues that they didn't have appropriate permits to be operating as taxi drivers

here in the country. we've seen drivers out on strike in berlin a similar situation in a number of other european cities. it will be interesting to see whether he can live up to when he's offering. and certainly, these 50,000 jobs, that does equate to the number of equivalent full-time jobs. >> and also, you know, as you mentioned, lots of criticism, part of some of this criticism was that this is a company that grew so fast that in some areas of the world, it kind of let slip perhaps, or relax on the security checks the safety checks on possible new drivers. now they're talking about another boom hopefully, to them and an expansion. people will be watching that part of it very closely. >> they will. and this is back in the headlines, because perhaps you'll remember, an indian woman has alleged that she was raped by an uber taxi driver. and uber themselves admitted they haven't been carrying out background checks on their drivers in new delhi, which is where this was alleged to have happened. the taxi driver it transpires

was actually on bail for a sexual assault at the time. this indian woman says she'll sue uber and she has reportedly engaged a very high-profile lawyer. the lawyer in fact, who represented a hotel maid who made an allegation of sexual assault against the former imf chief, dominique strauss-kahn. so that's likely to be in the headlines. uber has said they're not going to comment on that particular case and that they're in negotiations with the government in new delhi to see whether they can restart their operation in the city. but we're going to be hearing a lot more about uber in the weeks and months to come i suspect. >> we sure are. jenny, thanks for that update. jenny hill in berlin. follow me on twitter, tweet me i'll tweet you back. you can get me @b brksbcaaron. and that's it for the business. the bbc is launching an award in honor of our much-loved presenter and friend komla dumor after his unexpected death at the age of 41. he made a real mark both in africa and around the world.

>> reporter: komla dumor was the journalist of africa. >> i'll just tell you, i'm in mali. >> reporter: his passion was to tell african stories to the world with honesty and integrity. >> i was going to ask you about this plan. >> reporter: it's a legacy that the bbc wants to continue. we are proud to announce the launch of the bbc world news komla dumor award. we're looking for a journalist living and working in africa who displays exceptional talent. we're looking the for someone who embodies the spirit of komla. through the award, we'll invest in the future of african journalism by offering the winner a chance to come to the bbc and share africa's stories with the world. for more details on the award and how to enter, visit bbc.com/komladumor.

>> there you are. so keep an eye out for that if it's something you would like to follow on. we've got "impact" coming up in a moment so stay with us for that. on a day when oxfam says that 1% of the richest could soon own as much as all the rest of us. thanks for watching "gmt." you want an advanced degree, but sometimes work can get in the way. now capella university offers flexpath, a revolutionary new program that allows you to earn a degree at your pace and graduate at the speed of you. flexpath from capella university.

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hello, viewersrs, and welcome to "man lab" series two, where we continue our quest to equip the modern male with all the skills he needs to overcome the obstacles that life places in the path of his progress. our workshop is fully equipped. our kitchen is open. our bar is fully stocked. and, most importantly, our sitting area is very, very comfortable indeed. excellent. right, let's get on with something useful.