tv BBC World News PBS January 24, 2011 2:30pm-3:00pm PST
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>> this is "bbc world news." 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 business to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news."
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>> an explosion rips through the holes of moscow's international airport, killing 35 and wounding more than 100. protests on the streets of lebanon against plans by hezbollah to form a new group. the family of the man -- the revolt in tuniisa. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast in america and around the globe. save the children once -- warns people will die from preventable diseases unless funding improves. with the royal wedding around the corner, how chinese manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand for memorabilia. >> an explosion at the largest
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russian airport has killed 35 people and injured 130. a suicide bomber is being blamed. the explosion happened in the international baggage claim area at domodedovo airport. president medvedev says those behind the bombing will be tracked down and punished. >> smoke coming dust and chaos. the immediate aftermath of what appears to have been a suicide bomber at moscow's busiest airport. domodedovo was full and several international flights were arriving at the same time. carnage was inevitable. eyewitnesses told us the explosion was in the area where relatives and drivers wait for people to come through customs. eyewitnesses told us before four-o'clock 30 in the afternoon when the baggage area was packed -- told us before 4:30 in the afternoon. the whole building shook and the
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screaming started. one man described what it was like when the dust cleared. >> the ceiling is coming down. then i saw on the exit there was people crying and running away. >> other passengers had lucky escapes. >> we were working -- walking out through the exit of the arrival towards the car. there was this almighty explosion. a huge bang. my colleague and i said that sounds like a car bomb or something. the noise was literally -- it shook it. >> we could see confused people living around. we could see clouds of dust coming out of that area. a lot of people trying to see in that area, but in terms of announcements, there was nothing. that is what we were not sure
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what was going on. >> domodedovo is around 20 miles from the moscow city center. it had become the busiest airport. it is used by major international airlines, british airways and lufthansa. the arrival areas are sealed off tonight as a major crime scene. >> preliminary indications are this is a terrorist act. it is necessary to introduce a special regime at all airports and at stations connecting to airports. >> this is not the worst bomb attack russia has suffered but it has claimed many lives. it has changed many others forever. it is a symbolic strike at the airport favored by many international airlines. >> supporters of the lebanese prime minister say he was to -- they were taken to the streets
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to protest against efforts by the group has blood to form the next government. they have -- efforts by the group hezbollah to form the next government. the former prime minister said he will not serve in a government led by hezbollah. our correspondent joins us from beirut. as far as his concerns a problem is you will be perceived as the loser. >> that is right. this latest political maneuvering and crisis -- he walked out in a disagreement over how lebanese handled the u.n. tribunal with the assassination of mr. herriri's father. they have a deep sense of anger
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for supporters, but somehow given the route cause of the crisis, he should emerge as the loser. protesters see that has a low will be seen as the winner. -- processors see that hezbollah will be seen as the winner. symbolically blocking the main highway that connects beirut to damascus in syria. it will cause -- because syria is one of the main power brokers. this has angered many supporters. they are talking about a day of rage when the new prime minister will become the prime minister, but also a sense of impotence. they are talking about staying on the streets until their demands are met. there is not a pathway for emerging. >> if hezbollah ends up with more influence in terms of the
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government, what does that mean? >> it will be an enormous airport. it will give them powers over the lebanese government. it will lead them more deeply entrenched. it will be difficult for anything to happen the the of which they do not approve. the maneuvering has been successful from their point of view because the it is shiite movement. the lebanese constitution requires the prime minister be a sunni muslim. they have found a sunni muslim who is prepared to work with them who is also acceptable to france. he therefore [unintelligible] so hezbollah will see this as a very successful political maneuvering. there was a lot of talk a day have emerged as a loser.
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it is significant tonight in beirut and elsewhere in lebanon. the stronghold of tripoli -- these supporters are out on the streets. that is a sign when you are out on the streets you are losing the parliamentary gained. -- losing the parliamentary game. >> palestinians have reacted angrily to leaked documents that show negotiators were prepared to make concessions to the israelis over east jerusalem. revelations include allegations of palestinian negotiations agreeing to limit the number of refugees be allowed to return to israel. we have not been able to in dupont -- in dependably verify the documents. -- independently verify the documents. >> the leaked documents say
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while publicly opposing the building of jewish settlements on occupied palestinian land, they have [unintelligible] in sensitive areas like east jerusalem and some of the holiest areas. as increasing frustration is in many palestinian towns with what they see as israeli expansion, while the leadership looks increasingly weak. palestinian negotiators have prepared to make concessions in return for priests is not surprising. but what happened on the ground was the extent of those concessions and the fact that they got nothing in return from the israelis. the already discredited leadership -- some defiance that no leader has the right to surrender the the that belongs to the people. >> as a palestinian refugee, this is a fundamental issue.
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jerusalem is for the palestinian people. no leader has the right to give jerusalem away. >> but one negotiator today dismissed the leaked reports as baseless. he said these documents are not true. the palestinian problem is difficult, especially jerusalem. we condemn this release. resigned to another time with little or no progress in peace talks with israel, you people on the palestinian street seemed to have any faith in their political leaders. >> two car bombs exploded in iraq today killing 25 people. women and children among the victims. the bombs went off in the city of kabul where shi'ite pilgrims were gathered report a religious ceremony. a second bomb was in the south of the city. leaders of one cocoa industry --
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his call for a ban on cocoa exports could have a disastrous consequence. the price of cocoa shot up over uncertainty on whether his plan could be enforced. he wants to cut off the main source of revenue for his rival. he has refused to give up the presidency. flooding is once again causing chaos in australia. this time it is not victoria. 5000 people are already forced to abandon their homes. a lake is spreading north of the capital. waters are expected to peak later this week. >> over 50 miles long and 20 miles wide, this is the sea threatening world communities in the northwest of victoria. -- threatening rural communities
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in the northwest. right now the rising waters the the of this river are threatening the community in nearby. 210 miles away from the state capital. they have already affected over 75 towns. victoria with over 1700 properties hit by some kind of water damage. with the floods not expected to peak until the middle of the week, several hundred residents have evacuated their homes. others have been sandbaggin the town. queensland remains the worst affected state. the cleanup operation is still continuing in the state capital. with some 28,000 homes suffering water damage, the reconstruction bill will run into millions. the country's prime minister who was in prison today with her flood task force is considering -- who was in brisbane is
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considering a tax to meet the cost of the bill. >> of course we have to be very clear here. the federal government will step up and do everything they need to do to rebuild queensland. >> with all the muddy water and debris flushed into the ocean, there are fears for the great barrier reef. this is the main tourist attraction. sediment and pesticides pose a threat to the court -- pose a threat to the coral reef. >> still to come here on this program, -- >> i am in kenya where a vaccine is introduced against the world's biggest killer of young children, pneumonia. join me in nairobi. >> battalion bishops are meeting to discuss the latest
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allegations surrounding silvio berlusconi. he is under pressure to resign after get more accusations about his private life, including paying for sex with an underage girl. duncan kennedy reports. >> after the battering of last week silvio berlusconi is struggling to regain his credibility and his political supremacy. a series of sordid allegations about his sex life emerged after prosecutors revealed they were investigating him over underage prostitutes. they claim he abused his power of office by forcing police to release one of them from custody. that woman was the other face of this scandal now universally known by her facebook name, ruby." prosecutors say she was 17 when silvio berlusconi paid her for sex. she and the prime minister have
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repeatedly denied there was any intimate contact or exchange of money. she is at least one of 14 ministers -- people that entertain the prime minister at his home. some have come forward to say they were paid for sex. silvio berlusconi said if those allegations were true he would have to have the stamina of superman. public officials must rediscover their moral roots said the pope. other senior figures have gone further. the italian bishops' conference is due to discuss the issue on thursday. does this mean silvio berlusconi is on his way out? almost certainly not. the prime minister's coalition partners will ultimately want him to stay. duncan kennedy, "bbc world news."
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>> a top stories for you this hour. a blast at the biggest russian airport in moscow has killed 35 people and injured more than 130. protests on the streets of lebanon against plans by has blood to form the next government. -- plans by hezbollah to form the next government. revolution started recently when a young fruit seller set himself on fire after he was humiliated by authorities. my colleague who has been to the city to see what people are saying today. >> market stayed in the city. once a weekdays lanes are bursting -- once a week these lands are bursting with people, but one young man is gone. five weeks ago he would have
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noticed. mention his name now and it is immediately draws a crowd. have you heard of mohammad? what do they think about what he did? >> [unintelligible] [applause] >> when he set himself on fire after another humiliating run in with the authorities, he went from being just a face in the crowd to an icon and inspiration. >> we dream for freedom, justice and liberty. all of these people trained to do it, but now by him we can speak. now i can dream to find work. >> how did one young man aconite a revolution? perhaps because this is not just a story about mohammad. it is also about a port town where people have few prospects.
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-- poor town. his own neighborhood is drab, and remarkable. the only sign a local hero once lived here is the political graffiti on the wall. the demotion still so role inside his home. the emotions still so raw. his widowed mother still breaks down at the mention of her son. an uncle and daughters are at her side. he was the only one who was working to support this family of seven children. they show us his room. the few things he own. -- the few things he owned.
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this 8-year-old boy arrives. he shared this room with his older brother. >> he always worked so hard. he suffered a great deal from bad treatment from all the authorities. it was a very dignified way trying to overcome poverty. >> i am very proud of what happened. i am very proud of this. everyone who has been suffering from inequality has the chance to stand up for his own rights. >> in the city there are still daily protests calling on the ruling party to go. they marched past the government building where mohammad set himself on fire. if these protesters had not taken to the streets from that
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first day his story may not have traveled so fast so far. >> the trigger was in the city. people here showed they were no longer afraid. people were ready. >> these young boys will come of age in a different time. it is not certain what kind of change this revolution will bring them. but the young men buried here who cut short his own life will only be remembered as the man who changed everyone else's. >> the indian sports ministry has sacked the man who caired the games. he denies any wrongdoing. an official investigation is
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still under way. the games were tarnished by delays and allegations of corruption is. pneumonia kills almost 2 million children under age 5 every year. it is the biggest cause of infant mortality across the world. a simple vaccine to prevent the disease is routinely administered across the developed world. but continents such as africa are left to cope without the vaccine. kenya is starting to roll out a brand new vaccine starting in my note -- starting-nairobi. >> at this health center in nairobi they are very busy because 60 mothers have brought their infants in to be immunized against pneumonia. pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children under 5. about 1.7 million children across the world are killed every year. all of these infants will receive a shot against meningitis.
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they will also get the same ones children in the u.k. and throughout europe get. that is going to be administered in the room now. we will see if we can squeeze in and see how they are getting on this morning. they have already done half a dozen children. there are more mothers waiting for their turn. the shot itself in this box needs to be kept at a cool temperature for it to remain effective. it costs about 2.20 pounds. it makes it the most expensive childhood vaccine, far more expensive than tetanus. but this comes at a time when there is a real funding shortfall for global immunization. about 500 million pounds a year. save the children, the charity is calling around governments around the world to fill that
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funding shortfall. it has launched a campaign. don't let us interrupt you. this campaign is no child born to die. there will be a meeting in london in june where world leaders will come along and will be pressure put on them to try and make sure that this new vaccine and another new vaccine against diarrhea are used. because if they were widely used, it is reckon about 1 million lives a year could be saved. there has been a lot of progress on child mortality. it has been cut by 4 million in the last 10 years, but there was a commitment given for the turn of the millennium in 2000, but it will be cut by two-thirds by 2015. there is still a long way to go. it will only be back scenes like this that will enable that goal to be achieved. -- it will only be back scenes like this that will enable that
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goal to be achieved. >> many companies are hoping to cash in for the royal wedding by making special memorabilia. many of its is made in china. factories are struggling to keep up with demand. >> starting an opportunity is something [unintelligible] the average salary here is $15 a day. some are not quite sure [unintelligible] >> i heard it is for the wedding of a prince and princess. i am not sure which country they are from. >> the british press and his fiancee. they look like -- the british prince and his fiancee. they look like a beautiful couple. deals were being struck here in china for royal souvenirs. they were approached by u.k.
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designers because they make the finest bone china in china with prices competitive in the west cannot match. each of these plates cost less than $2 to produce. they had to screen this order in because their ovens are always busy firing exports to places in america and europe for high- quality souvenirs' for rich foreigners. this is what they are used to making, a special commemorative making porker the chinese president -- to member give work. the factory can only make half the number. demand for this might outstrip supply. here are some more of its made to order china. this was for the people's liberation army. this is a famous chinese television presenter. he was once a worker in a ceramic factory.
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she now turns over $3 million of business a year. last year she made this giant plate for a present to sweden pross brown chris victoria. -- sweden's crown prince victoria. we will make a special place for him, too. it is a treasure. >> this is not the only firm hoping to cash in. others are getting copies of the royal engagement ring. their big day is already meeting big money. >> you can get your headlines on line with our one minute on-line summary. you could also a bbc.com to. 35 people have been killed in a bomb explosion in moscow. a russian official said the blast was caused by a suicide
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bomber. >> 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. new man's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies, from small business to major corporations. what can we do for you?
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