tv BBC World News PBS December 22, 2010 2:30pm-3:00pm PST
2:30 pm
>> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news."
2:31 pm
>> having voted in the affirmative, the resolution of ratification is agreed to. >> the u.s. senate votes to ratify a key arms treaty with russia. the united nations warns ivory coast may be headed once more for civil war. in an exclusive, we joined the secret mission to keep a convoy of dangerous nuclear material out of criminal hands. >> inside of two and a half tons of radioactive material, including highly enriched uranium, which could be used for a nuclear bomb. >> welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. coming up later, look at her now. russian agent anne chapman gets a new role in her country's youth movement. and the origins of man. fossilize evidence of another human species is discovered.
2:32 pm
hello to you. the united states senate has voted to ratify the nuclear arms reduction treaty, which will cut the number of warheads deployed by 1/3. has been one of president obama's major policy objectives. the boat is a considerable victory for his administration, the second in a few days. after much talk of opposition, 13 republicans voted in favor, more than enough for eight 2/3 majority. this was the moment where the vice president read out the tally. >> the vote on this resolution are 71 yeas, 26 nays. having voted in the affirmative, the resolution of ratification is agreed to. >> in washington for us now is our correspondent, steve
2:33 pm
kingston. often these kinds of treaties go through on the not. this one was much more difficult. >> it became very political. the republican leadership were opposed to aspects of the treaty itself. they felt that the preamble of it mentioned america's missile defense plans for eastern europe, which they felt was a concession to russia. they felt that russia was trying to link missile defense on the american side. republicans were not happy with that. they were not happy, either, with the timeframe in which this was being pushed through congress before the numbers change at the end of the year. republicans will have many more people in congress from january. for the time being, democrats are in charge of both houses of congress, and republican leadership would have preferred to wait. they would have been in a stronger position to debate this as of january, but in the end,
2:34 pm
it did go through. 71 votes in favor. 26 votes against. >> that new congress that you mentioned has had two substantial victories for the obama administration. >> there were some very glum faces in the white house on the night of those midterm elections. republicans took control of the lower house of congress and gained in the senate as well. a lot of people were starting to write president of all off, but the seesaw as did -- has tipped back in his favor with these two big victories. before this, over the weekend, the senate approved the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," a clinton-era piece of legislation which effectively forced gay servicemen and women to stay in the closet if they wanted to be in the military. the pentagon still working on the detail of this, but the principle has been approved, signed off by the president this morning. gay service people will be able to work openly for the u.s.
2:35 pm
military, so that is a major victory, and it will curry favor, i think, with people on the left who have become rather disillusioned with barack obama. >> it is way too early to talk about a new spirit of cooperation. that just must be in excess of christmas spirit. >> the white house and republicans point to the fact that they did a deal on extending the bush-year tax cuts, something there were deep divisions over. although the president did compromise. it remains to be seen whether he will be able to do deals with his republican opponents, who will be much stronger in congress as of january. >> many thanks indeed. i should tell you president obama is due to hold a media conference in just the next half hour. we will bring it to you as soon as it starts. now, an exclusive story that sounds like the plot of a thriller, but for real. a secret convoy of nuclear material just arrived in russia. it has been travelling across europe for the past month.
2:36 pm
its route is classified to avoid it being hijacked. the cargo could be used to make a dirty bomb, but it is being shifted as part of a scheme to move nuclear material to a safer place. ours was the only journalist allowed to follow-up on its results. >> a secret operation in the dead of night -- tight security preparing for the departure of its most deadly of cargo. inside the blue container is nuclear material, the tight terrorists have long wanted to get their hands on. at 2:00 in the morning, the president of serbia turns up in the woods just outside of belgrade. >> we have significant security here. this is extremely important because of organizing this very specific transport. >> we were taken to see the aging reactor where the material was stored. >> this is --
2:37 pm
>> in the cold war, russia and america supplied many countries with highly enriched uranium to help develop scientific expertise. here, it came in the form of these fuel rods, film by inspectors. now, getting this material back and to save the has become a top priority. because of its poor security, this site was top of the list. behind me, a convoy of trucks are beginning a long odyssey across europe. inside, are 2 1/2 tons of radioactive material, including highly enriched uranium, which could be used for a nuclear bomb. >> as the convoy heads through the gates, we join it as it makes its way north, snaking through a deserted belgrade. roads have been closed and guards flying the route. the journey, which will take more than four weeks in all and cover more than 7,000 miles, begins with the lorry driving from belgrade toward a town near the hungarian border.
2:38 pm
hear, the containers are unloaded onto a train. as well as highly enriched uranium, they also carry spent fuel rods, something al qaeda has been looking for to make a radioactive so-called dirty bond. >> if you had a small fuel element which fit in your hand which would be highly radioactive, and you rub a couple of sticks of dynamite around it and you did slip it into your purse or backpack, makes a very interesting during bomb, which would create havoc in just about any city. >> this cargo is the largest of its type ever moved. it is too big and too dangerous to transport by air. in all, the journey has taken five years of planning. the train travels for nearly 24 hours across hungary. its destination is in slovenia. the nuclear material is being loaded on to this ship, ready for its 20-day journey.
2:39 pm
it will be carefully track at every stage along the way. >> somali pirates tried to hijack the ship last year, and there were no guards on board, but it will be closely watched. this is all part of a much wider ambitions. >> this is the fifth country we have cleaned out of highly enriched uranium since the president's speech in 2009 in prague, but there are several more countries will need to clean out between now and the end of the plan. >> the boat makes its way through the mediterranean, past the gibraltar, and up through the english channel. the roundabout route is because some countries would not provide permission for it to pass through. the material then travels by train to a secure nuclear facility where it arrived today. we agreed to not report the route until complete, for fear of attack. these fuel rods will now be made safe, but the race continues between those trying to secure the nuclear material and those hoping to steal it. >> more top stories for you now
2:40 pm
-- european airports are still tackling the backlog of thousands of passengers left stranded when ice and snow paralyzed major air hubs. airports schedules are slowly returning to normal, but more cancellations, more delays are likely. london's heathrow and frankfurt airports but say they are working hard to get back to business as usual. striking transport workers have brought the greek capital to a standstill in a protest against privatization on wage cuts. it coincided with a vote in parliament on next year's budget that will impose more spending cuts and tax rises on a country already enduring severe austerity measures. thousands of italians didn't have been marching in protest of a new university reform law. in the sicilian capital, there were clashes with police. the government says the new education law will strengthen its university system. critics argue it will only cut funding. and the ivory coast is on the
2:41 pm
brink of civil war. that is the gloomy assessment from the united nations. the world has been almost unanimous in pressing the president to give up his seat and go with last month's election, but with support from the army, he is refusing to oblige. now, what has happened today and what it means for the region as a whole. >> united nations peacekeeping mandate has been extended for another six months. united nations says things are getting more and more dangerous. they protect the hotel sheltering the opposition government while at the same time, they have a role in protecting the civilian population. the president told the board to leave immediately, something they refused to do. in the eyes of supporters, that means they are now rebels. >> what we see so far is a tragedy booked to strangle and
2:42 pm
to provoke the mission. it appears to be hitting violence against unicef personnel. they're being pushed out of their homes. >> the president for the past 10 years gave his first television address since the election on tuesday evening. he said there should be no doubt that he had won the election. >> on thursday, the second of december, 2010, the head of the electoral commission went to the gulf hotel, the headquarters of my calendar. there, going against all the walls of our country, he announced the results of the election, which were incorrect. now, the international community has accepted these fake results and declared war on the ivory
2:43 pm
coast. >> he has the support of the country's constitutional council, which canceled more than 500,000 votes. meanwhile, amnesty international reports continued human rights abuses against opposition supporters targeted in nighttime raids. united nations as a least 50 people have been killed so far. the crisis has been bad for business. in west africa second-largest economy and the world's biggest cocoa producer, is an extremely fragile region. the success of neighboring countries economies and political stability depend on -- depend heavily on what happens years. this is a region tentatively trying to recover from some of africa's worst civil wars. liberia and sierra leone to the west, while neighboring guinea is looking to leave behind that gets of military rule. the renewal of conflict would unravel a lot of work. the money invested in liberia,
2:44 pm
for instance. united nations now say liberian mercenaries make up part of the on support. the head of government says force is the only option left to dislodge the president. both sides digging in after an election that seems to have fuelled tensions, rather than bringing peace. that led to stay with us if you can on "bbc world news." still to come, we're on the streets of baghdad to find out what the new political reality might look like in iraq. first, though, in sri lanka, 160 people describe as hard-core members of the now defeated tamil tigers have appeared in court. it is claimed they were arrested in displaced people's camps after the government to victory over the tigers in may 2009, but i in an extraordinary twist, a police spokesman has flatly denied that anyone was brought to court. >> ever since 300,000 tamil
2:45 pm
civilians fled the war zone last year and would take into government-run camps, there have been allegations that some among them have been taken away by the security forces. family members of some tamil tigers had said that their relatives were seen as the war ended but then went missing. a group of 160 young men have appeared in a colombo court room. that happened with a smaller group a few weeks ago. they are described as hard core tamil tigers who were arrested by the security forces within the camp and subsequently held until now by the terrorist investigation division. they appeared in court without lawyers, although their names were read out. there have not been any charges as yet, but the magistrate are you -- or that they be remanded in custody until january 3, pending instructions from the attorney general. a lawyer who has represented tamil tigers in the past told the bbc that even though it had taken a year and have to get to the situation, a year-and-a-half in which they were detained, it was to be welcomed and that
2:46 pm
there was now illegal process under way. another lawyer said he believes the appearance in court was due to international pressure and the fact that a united nations panel appointed to look at possible war crimes in sri lanka's is likely to visit the country quite soon to make submissions to a government- appointed panel looking at the final years of the war. in a bizarre twist, later, a police spokesman here denied that anyone had been brought to the court room at all. the bbc was unable to contact the terrorist investigation division for comment. >> good to have you with us on "bbc world news." our top story this hour -- senators in the u.s. have voted to ratify a nuclear arms treaty that will pave the way for new cuts in american and russian nuclear arms levels. relations between the u.s. and russia look to have taken a step forward, but the news feels like a throwback to the past.
2:47 pm
since their deportation from the u.s., russian agent and anne chapman has kept his distance from the world's media, but she made a rare appearance today, there probably becoming one of the leaders of the youth movement linked to russia's party of power. our moscow correspondent was there. >> it was the weirdest party conference i had ever been to. the party was vladimir putin's party, or rather its youth wing. since being uncovered as a spy and deported from america, and chapman has shied away from the media, but she could not avoid the cameras today, although she tried. she tried. finally, there was no hiding as she made her entrance. he completely ignored me. >> bbc news. >> but it was up on the stage to be declared one of the few leaders of the party. from russian spy to superstar,
2:48 pm
ever since she was deported from the united states, anna chapman has been a model, an adviser to a bank, and now, she is going into politics. in her speech, chapman calls for people to have a more positive outlook on life. funny that because for russia's most glamorous sleeper agent, this has been a year to forget. she was arrested in the u.s. and sent back to the motherland, having been part of the biggest spy swap since the cold war. still, the party is pleased to have her. >> she is like an example of the brave person, a girl who is working for russia. >> it was a rare appearance. but it was over almost before it began. like a true secret agent, chapman suddenly disappeared. old habits die hard.
2:49 pm
>> right. as promised, let's take you straight away to washington where president obama has just started his pre-christmas media conference. this after a series of victories in congress. here is the president. >> the treaty will enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them. a strong bipartisan vote in the senate sends a powerful signal to the world that republicans and democrats stand together on behalf of our security, and i especially want to thank the outstanding work done by vice president joe biden, the chairman of the foreign relations committee, senator john kerry, and the ranking republican for their extraordinary efforts. i just got off the phone with dick lugar and reminded and the first trip by ever took as senator was with him to russia to look at nuclear facilities
2:50 pm
there. i told him how much i appreciated the work he had done and that there was a direct line between that trip we took together when i was a first-year senator and the results of the vote today on the floor. this all speaks to a tradition of strong american leadership around the world, reinforced by the fact that the new treaty on the backing of our military and our allies abroad. in the last few weeks, we also came together across party lines to pass unemployment insurance that will spur jobs and book. the package includes a payroll tax cut that means nearly every american family will get a tax cut next year of about $1,000 delivered in their paychecks, and it will make a difference for millions of students, parents, workers, and people still looking for work. it has led economists across the political spectrum to predict
2:51 pm
that the economy will grow faster than they originally thought next year. in our ongoing struggle to perfect our union, we also overturned a 17-year-old law and a long standing injustice by finally ending open " don't ask, don't tell." as i said earlier, this is the right thing to do for our security. it is the right thing to do, periiod. in addition, we came together to pass a food safety bill, the biggest upgrade of food safety laws since the great depression, and i hope the house will soon join the senate in passing a 9/11 health bill that will help cover the health care costs of police officers, firefighters, rescue workers and rescue workers who inhaled toxic air near the world trade center on that terrible morning and the days that followed. so i think it is fair to say that this has been the most productive post-election period we have had in decades, and it comes on the heels of the most
2:52 pm
productive two years we have had in generations. that does not mean that our business is finished. i'm very disappointed congress was not able to pass the dream act so we can stop punishing kids for the actions of their parents and allow them to serve in the military or learned education and contribute their talents to the country where they grew up. i am also disappointed we were not able to come together on a budget to fund our government over the long term. i expect we will have a robust debate about this when we return from the holidays, a debate that will have to answer an increasingly urgent question -- how do we cut spending we do not need while still making investments that we do need? investments in education, research and development, innovation, and the things that are essential to grow our economy over the long run, create jobs, and compete with every other nation in the world. i look forward to hearing from folks on both sides of the aisle about how we can accomplish that goal. if there is any lesson to draw
2:53 pm
from the past few weeks, it is that we are not doomed to endless gridlock. we have shown in the wake of november's elections that we have the capacity not only to make progress, but to make progress together, and i'm not naive. i know there will be tough fights in the months ahead, but my hope heading into the new year is that we can continue to heed the message of the american people and hold to a spirit of common purpose in 2011 and beyond. if we do that, i'm convinced that we will live up our middle class, rebuild our economy, and make our contribution to america's greatness. finally, before i take questions, i want to send a message to all those americans who are spending christmas serving our nation in harm's way. as i said in afghanistan earlier this month, the american people stand united in our support and admiration for you.
2:54 pm
in this holiday season, i would ask the american people to keep our troops in your prayers and lend a hand for this military families who have an empty seat at the table. with that, i'm going to take some questions, and i'm going to start with karen. >> thank you, mr. president. you rack up a lot of wins in the last few weeks that a lot of people thought would be difficult to come by. are you ready to call yourself the comeback kid? and as you look ahead to 2011, are you worried that a bipartisan agreement will be a lot harder to reach on issues like deficit reduction and maybe even tax reform? >> as i said right after the midterm elections, we took a shellacking, and i take responsibility for that. but i think what has happened over the last several weeks is not a victory for me. it is a victory for the american people. the lesson i hope that everybody takes from this is that it is
2:55 pm
possible for democrats and republicans to have principal disagreements, to have some lengthy arguments, but to ultimately find common ground to move the country forward. that is what we did with taxes. those arguments have not gone away. i still believe that it does not make sense for us to provide tax cuts to people like myself who do not need them when our deficit and debts are growing. that is a debate that is going to continue into 2011, and i know republicans feel just as strongly on the other side of that. i think we are still going to have disagreements in terms of spending priorities. it is vital for us to make investments in education and research and development, all those things that create an innovative economy. while at the same time cutting those programs that just are not working. they are going to be debates between the parties on those issues.
2:56 pm
but what we have shown is that we do not have to agree on 100% to get things done to enhance the lives of families all across america. if we can sustain that spirit, that regardless of how the politics play out in 2012, the american people will be better for it. that is my ultimate goal. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> i have a couple of questions. first of all, congratulations. what was your -- >> we are going to leave our coverage there. president's news conference in washington. you will get much more detail on bbc.com. we are on twitter and facebook as well, of course. thanks very much for being with us.
2:57 pm
>> is it intellectually consistent to say that gay and lesbian -- >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its
2:58 pm
financial strength to work for a wide range of companies from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center. >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home. >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.
174 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
KQED (PBS) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on