>> this is "bbc world news." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives.

we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america." hard enough being a syrian refugee in normal weather. it is miserable in this. the worst winter storm in decades sweeps across the middle east, delaying aid supplies. north korea says it has executed chang song-thaek, the once- powerful uncle of the leader. the man hired to sign nelson mandela's memorial speaks out after sparking a global controversy.

angels. >> welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. snow was falling in the middle east tonight, and millions of -- for millions of syrian refugees it is deadly. the worst winter storm in decades is sweeping through the region. the united nations has already delayed one airlifted a into syria and says it is particularly concerned about the risk to children. the valley in eastern lebanon, with 125,000 refugees living in tentes, -- tens, has been one of the hardest-hit by this storm. our middle east editor sends this report. >> winter came in a hard and fast. more snow is forecast and more

war a few miles away in syria, which means more refugees, more people in tents, more cold, more misery. two week ago it was still warm enough in lebanon to not have to worry about having a jacket. some syrian children are still virtually barefoot. turning the camps to mod. the lebanese government does not allow aid agencies to build properly-run camps. they don't want the syrians to be like palestinian refugees, who were still there in camps 65 years after their grandparents fled or were ejected from israel in 1948. a farmer from the aleppo countryside was trying to restore power to his family's shelter in one of the 250 in formal refugee settlements in the valley. he and his wife had had -- have had some help from britain, but

not enough. his eight children have plastic sandals. inside, he says the problem is that they do not have a proper roof. it is made of old cardboard boxes. the shelter had in earth for turning steadily -- an earth fl mud.urning steadily into the last two nights, it has been too cold to sleep. the family has a small stove, but the air is dank. the only light came from torches. lebanese army with the u.n. gave out some bedding. 4 million lebanese sheltering almost one million syrian refugees. it is the same as britain taking in 15 million people. even with international help, it is an immense strain. >> we understand it is a big challenge. we hope we can cover everyone, but the numbers are rising on a daily basis and these settlements are our biggest concern. refugees were angry

because there were not enough mattresses to go around. winter supplies still have not reached many of them. countries have given a lot of money to help syrian refugees, but the problem has always been that there are so many of them by the funding has never kept up with their needs. as fighting goes on not far from here, on the other side of those mountains, more seriously their country every day. as long as the war goes on, this is a problem that will only get worse. over the border, in syria, this is homs. international attempts to stop the war failed. in lebanon, refugees are being helped. but so much more could be done. jeremy bowen, bbc news. ago, i spokeme with jeremy in lebanon, talking -- with the latest. jacket, loves,r

you name it, and there are children walking around virtually barefoot. you can imagine the risk of respiratory illness they could get. that colts, pneumonia, asthma, all kinds of things that would affect the older adults as well. all that could come at a time when many complain they don't have the money to buy the kind of food that they need. there are no fat people in these camps. there are people who are absolutely living on the minimum. >> jeremy, it is still snowing there now. what is the forecast like? >> more of this. or snow. the thing is, in this part of the world they always have quite a tough winter. snow is quite common here. it was not as if this has come as a surprise. the severity of this storm is certainly extreme, but every winter they have snow. it is something that had to be expected. even though they had been trying to deliver winter supplies for

these refugees, it is very difficult. they have not reached them and only have gotten around half the people here in the valley. it is a real problem for them. there are many dedicated people on the aid operation, and there's quite a well-established operation. the difficulty as there is always a funding gap between the needs of the people and the money that is available. because so many people keep crossing the border, there will be more coming over tonight, as there were last night, all that means that they struggle to catch up. they can't keep pace with what is needed. as a result, people who already suffered a great deal are suffering more. >> jeremy bowen there, for us in lebanon. jeremy, thank you very much for your reporting. as we look at the difficult situation of refugees in this conflict, the united nations is reporting tonight that it's weapons inspectors have found that chemical weapons were used in five out of the seven attacks

that they have been investigating in syria. late today, the north korean state news agency reported that the uncle of leader kim jong-un has been executed. the former general, who was ousted last week, has been a very powerful figure inside the regime. according to the news agency, he was purged for corruption and executed after a special military trial. a short time ago i spoke to bbc's lucy williamson in seoul and asked her how close chang song-thaek was to the seat of power. >> very close. very influential. he was not only the uncle of kim jong-un, he held various senior positions, military positions and party positions. he was the guy who was given the responsibility of overseeing the transition to power from the father to the son. a very key role at the heart of north korean politics. which makes what has happened the last few days so striking. those pictures you might have seen on our coverage of him

being pulled from the party meeting i armed guards, literally holding him up under his arms and dragging him out, it is the kind of thing you just don't see in north korea. the fact the country is publicizing his fall from grace like this is very striking. here again, we are learning about the military tribunal that took place on thursday, december 12. in morees were listed detail. we are being told he was appointed to responsible post that abused the responsibility and attended to overthrow the state and was guilty of having political ambitions of his own. we are told he was executed straight after the tribunal, during which he admitted to those crimes. >> lucy, it is always very difficult to try to interpret what is happening inside north korean politics. how significant, though, do people think this execution might be? >> i think it is hugely significant. firstly, because he was really

the number two man in north korea. has is a state that really stability as its overriding aim. it is significant for lots of reasons. because of what it might say about what is going on. you are right, it is very difficult to know, but some things have been thrown about here in south korea at least. wasis that chang song-thaek responsible for relations with china, had a great deal of responsibility for the economy, and it is rumored he quite admired some of the ways in which china had gone about its austerity. it could be that there was some kind of ideological split. more likely, many feel that given the strength of language we got from the north korean state media, more likely there was some kind of if not power struggle, some kind of action, some kind of challenge or perceived threat to the authority of his nephew, kim jong-un, and this has led to him being very publicly crushed lake this. chang song-thaek has been purged before, but he has come back. now it seems that this is

something, whether it is true or whether it has been manufactured to sideline him, he is now being publicly humiliated and executed to be sure he can never come back again. >> lucy williamson from seoul. the man accused of faking sign language at a memorial service for nelson mandela says he has schizophrenia and was hallucinating during the event. while he was standing right next to world leaders, he said he was experiencing a breakdown the cost and to see angels. he admitted sometimes his condition even makes him violent. here is our africa correspondent. >> he not only embodied the principles -- >> sharing the stage with barack obama come a man who now says he was in the middle of a schizophrenic episode. languages erratic sign that first raised concerns. experts describing it as jim risch. -- gibberish.

when the bbc tracked thamsanqa jantjie down to his so wet so the mansoweto home, says he was simply ill. , i had a was speaking breakdown where i saw angels come from the sky. , you must ask yourself about your safety and security of people around you. >> were mr. obama and others at risk? it is hard to prove. -- to know. he has worked at prestigious events. the only hostility on stage was the booing at south africa's president. insistede government nobody had been in danger.

be. have no reason to ven if anything happened -- >> this might seem like a relatively minor incident. inevitably people are making -- comparisons between nelson mandela and the current leadership. a broader sense that south africa may be losing its way. but today also proved what a unifying force mandela remains here as vast crowds lined up patiently for a chance to say goodbye. andrew harding, bbc news, south africa. >> still a lot questions surrounding this very curious story. news from around the world. the leader of thailand's main opposition party has appeared in court to face murder charges in connection with the military crackdown when he was prime minister three years ago. he has denied the charges and was granted bail.

the highest court in australia has overturned a law allowing same-sex marriage in canberra. the court ruled only federal legislation can redefine marriage laws. this shatters the dreams of more than 30 same-sex couples married in the territory over the past week. a's presidentkeny called for africa to be treated fairly on the world stage on the 50th anniversary of independence from british rule. tens of thousands rallied in nairobi. acer kenyatta said it was important for foreign powers to realize africa has come of age. and opposition leader can -- convicted of war crimes in bangladesh during the 1971 war of independence has been neck secured. the supreme court cleared the way for6's -- for abdul kader mullah's death sentence.

>> the man accused of being the butcher, executed by hanging just hours after the supreme court rejected his last-ditch appeal. mullah was convicted of crimes against humanity by a special war crimes tribunal, but he always denied the charges. his party says the death sentence was politically motivated, and they have already called for protest, prayers, and the general strike over the weekend. hours before his death, his family paid him a final visit. some say his father was proud to be -- his son said his mother was proud -- his father was proud to be a martyr to the islamic cause. there have been years of tension here. police and military guards were to play throughout the country as soon as -- deployed throughout the country as soon as the ruling was announced. in three major cities, party activists make clear their

anger, clashing with police and torching vehicles. here at the center jail, after hours of speculation the man convicted of massacres of unarmed civilians during a war that brought independence to this nation was executed. her many bangladeshis, it is the beginning of the end of a long path to justice for atrocities committed more than four decades ago. closure is coming at a high cost. this execution complicates an already critical political situation in bangladesh. the opposition alliance is boycotting the elections due to help -- due to be held next month. for tonight, at least for some people, there is a sense that justice has finally been done. >> tension in bangladesh. .eporting for us you are watching "bbc world news america."

still to come, should you be able to talk on your cell phone during flights? washington is weighing in. russia's president putin has cast his country as a bastion of traditional values in his annual state of the nation speech. bridget kendall reports for us. always a grand occasion, the president of russia's vision of the year ahead. an occasion to glean where mr. putin thinks he is taking russia. on ukraine, he insisted he put no pressure on president? to back out -- on the president to back out of a eu trade deal in favor of closer ties with russia. the last-minute u-turn that led to massive protests in gf -- kiev. the latest news is the president may be changing his mind again. vistaprint and said there was no

rivalry between russia and the you -- mr. boudin said there -- putin said there was no rivalry between russia and the eu. like the arctic north, increasingly a zone of geopolitical attention because of its rich resources under the ice. the treasury opened up by global warming. just this week, mr. putin ordered plans to upgrade russian military bases there. also this week, he declared he was abolishing a respected russian news agency, maybe in part because of their relatively objective coverage of ukrainian protests. the new editor in chief whose task is to sell russia to the world more effectively is well- known known for his conservative attitudes. in the kremlin today, president putin said there was nothing wrong with conservative values, which distinguished between good and evil.

increasingly, his message seemed to be that he wants russia to offer the world and alternatives and going -- alternative standpoint that challenges what he sees as europe and america's over-liberal attitudes. >> tonight in washington, hundreds of people have gathered at washington's national cathedral to mark the first anniversary of the massacre which took place on december 14 at sandy hook school in connecticut. 20 children and six staff died when adam lanza open fire -- opened fire with an assault rifle. it prompted a campaign for stricter firearms controls, but one you're on little has changed, as our north america editor reports. >> it is a week of memorials at washington's national cathedral. with the message that the epidemic of gun violence must stop. away from the capital, outside

newtown, the bereaved remember. >> lighting a candle for our sweet son, daniel. >> lighting a candle for our gorgeous daughter. >> we will be lighting a candle for our europe russell benny -- irrepressible benny. >> the massacre was carried out by 20-year-old adam lanza, armed with a military-style rifle legally owned by his mother. some parents have become campaigners. she says the murders have made america reflect about its guns. rememberer dylan -- dylan every day. i will never know what he could have been. but i remember how he liked to cuddle, how he felt. -- to honor him died andthers that

the thousands upon thousands of others that die in this country every year. >> as new town braces itself for the anniversary, change is as far away as ever. president obama said america has to ask hard questions on proposed new gun laws. >> the wave of revulsion spreading out from this town has made tighter gun control a possibility, but it has not happened. proposals have been blocked by congress. >> they think it is an evil rifle. >> this gun shot just 40 miles from newtown was packed with customers who worried their favorite guns would be banned. all editions are concerned about the power and money of the gun lobby, but individuals are also passionate about guns. >> is a horrible thing that happened to those children, but

why are we going to ban in object? why don't we go after mental health? what the real issue is. >> but dillard's mom doesn't even want a ban on these guns, just background checks on people buying them and a ban on large magazines holding over 10 bullets, something that has happened in this day. >> -- this state. >> so moms and dads don't have to feel the weight me and my husband do -- way me and my husband do. that something positive comes from the tragedy. i went dylan's name to be linked to that positive change that saves the lives of others. >> everyday is hard for the bereaved, but this weekend will be worse as there is still little should -- little sign their loss will make a difference to the law. bbc news, newtown. >> remembering the 20 children and six staff who died in that terrible shooting in connecticut. now, if you are like me, the prospect of being able to use cell phones in-flight is a disaster.

i relish the chance to be disconnected, if only for a few hours. many people, though, think it is a great idea. today the u.s. government and -- voted to launch a review of the rules that currently ban cell phones on planes. one of the most heated debates around. for more, i spoke with our business correspondent in new york. >> is the ftc about to make me very unhappy? [laughter] >> the vote today is actually a vote on a proposal. they have opened it up to public comment and debate, and there is a lot of debate. on whether or not people should be allowed to make voice calls on mobile phones. originally the ban was put in place because the worry was that it would interfere with cellular networks on the ground, but the technology has changed so much that really the fcc just wants to get with the times. now, to be clear, what they're doing here is they are just opening up this debate, and they are only going to be ruling on whether or not a ban should be lifted.

so really, it is still going to be up to airlines whether or not they're going to allow their passengers to use mobile phones on planes. a group of people visiting the studio today, they all think it is a great idea. is this just a generational split? >> i am not really sure. of course, what is a journalist to do but take the question to the streets of new york? which is what i did. asking new yorkers whether or not voice calls should be made while in-flight, i think i may have even caused a marital spat. >> we should be able to do it. >> i don't think so. >> i think so. >> at least be able to text here he >> ok. but when it comes to, if you are flying all the way to europe you don't want people sitting there on their phones. it is annoying. you want to sleep. >> i will be talking. >> you are going to be annoyed.

>> i don't mind. i really, my question is, already pay quite a bit for my mobile phone bill every month. how much are the international roaming charges going to be at 30,000 feet? >> i am exactly on your side. all these reasons. thanks very much for joining me. the kids who came into our studio were adamant this was a great idea. which do you prefer? now, with the holidays around the corner, someone may be getting a very nice gift. bracelete cartier belonging to the duchess of windsor has been auctioned for more than $300,000. that is significantly more than expected. it is part of a selection of her since sheby was the american divorcee who king edward the eighth famously advocated to marry. if you have rather a lot of money to spend, perhaps that is

what you could get somebody for christmas. that brings the program to the close, but continue watching bbc news. in your local listings, you will find the channel number. for all of us, thank you for watching. i will see you here tonight. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide

capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news america" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: the house is poised to pass a bipartisan budget deal today despite opposition from conservatives. we talk to one of the architects of the compromise, washington democratic senator patty murray. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. also ahead this thursday: a new series of interviews with lawmakers on government surveillance. tonight, margaret warner talks to the chairman of the house intelligence committee, michigan republican congressman mike rogers. >> ifill: and the story of the families of children killed in newtown, turning their loss into a call to curb gun violence one year after the tragedy. >> my way of grig