>> "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." >> an alleged plot to attack high-profile targets across the u.k., nine men appear in court, charged with terrorist offenses. the u.s. and germany voice concern after a court in moscow convicts a russian businessman of embezzlement and money- laundering, mikhail khodorkovsky. and there is snow across the eastern seaboard in the u.s. welcome to "bbc world news." feeling the ashes. england looking to capitalize on their advance ahead of the third day's play. and we visit a village in kenya to find out why it has a proud record of producing champion long-distance runners.

nine men arrested in police raids in britain a week ago have appeared in court, charged in connection with a plot to attack high-profile targets in the u.k. in the run-up to christmas. the court was told the london stock exchange, the u.s. embassy, as well as political and religious figures were all targets potentially. they were charge for also preparing acts of terrorism. three other men charged -- released at the same time were not charged. we have this report. >> the nine men were brought to the westminster magistrate's court this morning after a week of questioning by counter- terrorism officers. those arrested in london with the first to appear. there were three men from cardiff and four from stoke-on- trent.

they gave their names and addresses. they have been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions and engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism. the court was told they are accused of agreeing potential targets for attack, igniting end testing in central materials. it is alleged the london stock exchange was one of the high- profile locations planned to attack. the u.s. embassy is another. there also charged with possessing documents, the newspapers.jihadi they have all been remanded in custody. bbc news, westminster magistrates' court.

>> mikhail khodorkovsky has been convicted of stealing oil and laundering the proceeds. during the presidency of vladimir putin, he was accused of accusing them of corruption. we had a reporter in court, and he sent us this report. >> a forced smile from mikhail khodorkovsky. once russia's richest billionaire, he has already spent seven years in prison, much of it in siberia, and he says this is because he dared to speak out against the kremlin. on the public benches, his mother told me that if the judge remained independent and withstood the political pressure, he would clear her son.

but almost from the moment he started, it was obvious that the judge was going to find him and his business card near -- business partner guilty of embezzling billions in oil and money laundering. many more years of jail lie ahead for the tycoon turned convict. mikhail khodorkovsky has presented this as a struggle. the rule of law. freedom was the chance as 200 protesters braved arrest outside the courts. their suspicions about the independence of russian justice only reinforced by the verdict. among the small crowd, former senior ministers, claiming that he was being targeted for his involvement in opposition politics, not for his actions as the head of russia's biggest oil company.

>> he wants him to be in the prison forever. and this is against russia. this is against russia's future. and it means that this is not a country of law. this is a country of dictatorship. >> two tenths to go in a televised national phone in. the prime minister vladimir putin was asked about it. -- two weeks to go in a televised national phone in. he became a symbol of hope for the opposition, a hope that was dashed again today. bbc news, moscow. >> blizzards have swept north along the eastern course of the u.s., causing the cancellation of flights and disrupting road and rail travel. the new york area was in the eye of the snowstorm and had more than 50 centimeters clubs -- on

sunday. the states of north carolina, virginia, maryland, massachusetts, in maine have all declared emergencies. we have this report from washington. >> remember this? the pre-christmas misery for thousands in europe has hit the u.s., with new york's three airports canceling more than 1000 flights. there was only one place to travel to hunker down, and for those trying to give home after the christmas holiday, there was a lot of bad news around. >> nothing before then? >> nothing before then. >> driving snow grounded flights up and down the east coast in the u.s., where there were in some places 50 centimeters of snow on roads, runways, and railways. this is the thunder snow, as lightning, thunder, and high winds crashed through the skies, leaving roads either impossible

-- >> sometimes you can see nothing in front of you, just out of nowhere. there was lightning and thunder. it is crazy out here. >> this was alabama this christmas. that is right, the deep south of america, known force during summers and warm winters. -- known for searing summers. it is the winds that keeps those flags snapping and cracking, but it was dumped in thick blankets north of here. no form of transport is in years. even if people wanted to drive, many will struggle just to get into their car is. others pushed through on foot. retailers are worried that one of the biggest shopping days is ruined.

and some are in misery as their train broke down, and they spend more than six hours in the carriage waiting for recovery. clearing up the snowfall will take time and patience. bbc news, washington. >> live to washington, has this storm system actually moved away? >> it appears that the worst of it has passed now. we have heard from the new york mayor michael bloomberg, and there was no that was dumped on the city, and it the storm was still inching of the northeastern coast. in fact, forecasters are predicting that the rest of the week will actually be quite a nice week, so in terms of the rest of the weather, officials are dealing with the aftermath. >> new york, boston, southern tibet, of course, all areas used to cold weather, which southern

tibet -- southern quebec, of course, all areas used to cold weather. >> some more information, it was said that they did put as many contingency plans in place. their advice still is too long in a very necessary journeys. however, the hundreds that were out on the streets overnight in anticipation of that blizzard, he says it helps keep the roads somewhat clearer, and he hopes that by the end of the week in the next few days, things will be running up in the city. of course, thousands of flights from delays. john f. kennedy airport and newark are both due to reopen. of course, there is a huge backlog. this time of year, flights are already at full capacity, so

when it comes to passengers trying to rebooked, having their flight we canceled, they can find it very difficult. >> a correspondent in washington. thank you. >> in russia, it is the unusual mild winter. rain is causing the city to ice over. thousands of passengers were stranded old -- stranded, as well. >> feelings of got a little heated. >> the toilets are not working. there is no water in the sinks, no coffee and no teeth. there is only bitter water and fear. >> it is not the snow that has caused the problems but unseasonably warm water.

that allowed rain to fall, which froze on the power cables. it cost them to snap, leaving the airport in the dark. a solution to the improvised. >> they have installed a diesel generator. >> the rain it froze where it fell, cars crashing, bridges falling from trees, and well over 1000 people hospitalized. the last time the capital and endured a winter like this was more than 30 years ago. the city usually prides itself on the way it copes with tough conditions, and its new mayor is under pressure to act, but for now, officials are predicting that things will be back to normal within a couple of days. bbc news. >> bomb disposal experts have defused a parcel bomb sent to

the greek embassy in rome. similar bombs exploded at two other areas. david reports from rome. >> police and bomb disposal experts arrived within minutes of the alarm being given in the embassy quarter. the greek ambassador ordered it -- ordered evacuation. >> we were working with the appropriate services, and the bomb was neutralized. >> suspicious packages were examined by police and other roman embassies. a shattered the italian group claimed responsibility for the last parcel bombs, which injured two people -- a shadowy italian

group claimed responsibility. there were things sent to silvio berlusconi and others. they are monitoring contacts between greek anarchist's. -- anarchists. those sent to italy were designed to apparently name whoever opened them. -- mame whoever opened them. >> this is "bbc world news." a tirade at an umpire. fuel prices have been increased by more than 70%. this is in bolivia. they say the state subsidy can no longer be afforded, as much

of it ends up going to foreigners. >> for bolivia's, it is a most unwelcome christmas present. gasoline prices up 73% and diesel prices also up. the government controls the energy industry, and they say the heavy subsidies can no longer continue. profiteers' often take advantage by smuggling be cheap fuel out of the country and selling it in neighboring nations. the subsidy has gone from $80 million in 2005 to $380 million in 2010. that money, instead of going abroad, should stay in the country to benefit oblivion's. so what does it mean for bolivia and consumers? a liter of regular gasoline has gone up to about 91 cents, and one of diesel has jumped to about 96 cents. there are announcements of

higher food prices and inflation in one of south america's poorest countries. the exploitation of the bolivia oil and gas reserves has long been a contentious issue. >> the production of fuel has gone drastically in the country. you must remember that in bolivia, oil companies receive about $20 per barrel to produce. meanwhile, outside our borders, three times as much was paid. >> they are looking to freeze utility bills to mitigate the impacts. but previous impacts have led to mass protests. jonathan joseph s., bbc news. >> this is bbc news. nine people have been arrested

trying to bomb the stock exchange and the u.s. embassy. last summer, millions of people across pakistan were displaced by devastating floods. now, there are some small signs that life is getting back to normal. there is a project to replace some items. they are being reconnected. we have a report from the valley. >> this will be a very welcome sight for a lot of people. a bridge is being put in place in the valley. they have driven the length of the country to get there.

there was a bridge here in the past, but that was one of around 300 that were completely swept away by floods at the end of july, and since then, people have had to struggle with makeshift bridges, and it has been very difficult, indeed, for vehicles to cross the river is at all. this is one of the first of around 50 bridges that the british government is going to fund and construct here in pakistan. of course, in the summer, during those monsoon rains and heavy floods, many people lost their lives, their homes, their livelihoods. this is a sign that some progress is being made, and millions will be hoping for much more in 2011. >> it is an epidemic slowly spreading worldwide. but obesity figures are starting to explode everywhere.

the problem has been well documented in the states, of course, and new research suggests that the british, too, have been getting heavier over the past two decades. >> the festive season is a time to enjoy food, but also wants the plates and left doors are clear, a time to reflect on overindulgence, and today, a warning about eating too much and exercising too little. a research study suggests that in 1.5 decades, the average weight of british men went up more than one stone. >> large numbers of people are presented with diabetes and arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers, and these are largely preventable if we could deal with the increased problems of overweight and obesity. >> the research published in a journal showed that the average

wait for women was over a 14- year. . over the same time, many gained on average 7.7 kilos, and the trend continues upward. 24% of men are not classed as obese. it suggests that the more accounts for around two-thirds of the weight gain in men. the other is that jobs and become less active, with many people's spending the working day behind a desk. and campaigners say that makes all the more important that public health messages on obesity are heated. -- heeded. >> the only answer is perseverance. >> they will be sending out more details on making it a priority in a document due to be out in spring. bbc news. >> a village in the canyon valley has got a track record of

creating world champions. as dawn breaks, the streets are filled with runners. in our latest series, we went there to see what makes this village such a success. >> dawn, and out of the cloud cover or duma, athletes are at their daily ritual. this is a small village high in the valley, the capital of kenya and running. it is said that in peak season, the iten population can double, as people come to train here, and the come from around the world, lured by their reputation. >> to make it as a top distance runner, and also my friends in

the world of cross-country convince me that can is the place to come in train. >> the 10,000 meter champion and another winner followed the brother moses here, some three hours away. iten is now their home and training base. >> a lot of people come here to iten. >> the defending champion. there is pressure paid >> a big pressure on you? >> yes. >> at the heart of the village is st. patrick's, a boys' boarding school set up in the 1970's, and now synonymous with kenyan running.

here, every set is treasured. no one to be a they have produced two olympic champions, a world champion, and countless record holders. key to their success has been an irish missionary who moved here to teach 30 years ago. although now retired, he still coaches many young runners. >> i think there are a lot of conditions around here that are conducive to talents being explored and developed, and the altitude of the place, a thousand feet above sea level, kids grew up in a fairly disciplined and tough environment, so they are highly motivated. >> they call this area at st. patrick's the field of dreams. as you can see, it is already a bit crowded.

>> i have been successful in some competition, 800 meters. >> from the valley, the road to london 2012 is a long one, but expect many to make it. bbc news, western kenya. >> staying with a touch of sports news, moving on to the cricket, england having a commanding lead heading into the third day against australia. the inga and lead is already at 346 runs. -- the english league is already at 346 runs. -- the english lead. james spears is in melbourne. >> the big talking point in the second day of this match is a competition between two players.

they were not very keen to talk about their experience, at all. one said he could talk about another situation against australia. >> there are different circumstances and problems. they are pretty special. boxing day, the support that you receive. it can leave you right up there. >> no doubt a play of the day. peter held on for two catches. this was his take on the second day. >> it was a tough day. it is hard work.

we sort of contain the information of the day. it is positive for us. hopefully, yes, we will come up tomorrow morning and do the same thing. >> on day 3, australian batsmaen will be called back into action. if they have any chance of winning the ashes, they will have to play their way out of trouble. bbc news, millburn. >> a happy ending in the u.s.. look at this car, stranded on a frozen pond. he was slipping and sliding around. this was being filmed by a helicopter called in to help. the draft was enough to push the animal across the ice. whoops, the ice cracked. everyone is ok. the car made it to dry land.

do not forget to go to bbc.com/news. >> 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 global

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