>> this is "bbc world news america." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs and hong kong tourism board. >> want to know hong kong's most romantic spots? i will show you. i love heading down to a cool space for an evening stroll. it's a perfect, stunning backdrop for making romantic moments utterly unforgettable. i have lived in the city for years, but hong kong still makes me fall in love with it time and again. >> and now, "bbc world news

america." anchor: after ramadi was reclaimed, islamic state fighters have launched an offensive on a nearby army base. barack obama has indicated he will take unilateral action to tackle gun violence in the u.s. before the end of his presidency next january. president obama: we know we cannot stop every act of violence but what if we try to stop even one? what if congress did something, anything to protect our kids from gun violence? unforgettable in every way ♪ cole hasnatalie ha died at age 65. a manhunt continuing in tel

aviv for gunmen who has opened fire, killing two people and injuring seven others. for people said to be in serious condition. the attack happened in the center of tel aviv. -- at a busyairs thoroughfare. the gunmen escaped on foot. forensic officers are carrying out a detailed examination and hundreds of armed police are searching the area. you may find some of these images in this report disturbing. video cameras captured the moment of the shooting. the killer raising his weapon and opening fire. killedrea of tel aviv was packed bars and cafes, it was a terrifying moment. the gunmen escaped on foot and a huge manhunt began. the security forces quickly sealed off the scene, working to

save the seriously injured inside the shattered our -- bar. armed police units have been combing tel aviv. it is not clear if there have been credible sightings of the gunmen since the attack. the father of one of the victims saw his son's body on the ground. his older brother ran to him, he said. the motive for the shooting was not clear. there was speculation he was linked to criminality. even a hate crime against the gay community but gradually it identifiedice have the suspect and the killings were almost certainly linked to the long-running dispute between israel and the palestinians. the day ended with winter rain. mourners remember the loss. for months tensions between israel and the palestinians have been rising but the legacy single attack is this

palpable sense of shock and grief among those left behind. anchor: fighters from islamic state have attacked a base near ramadi. in the biggest assault it has launched since it was captured by government troops earlier this week. suicide armors and fighters wearing explosive belts led the attack. it comes as iraqi forces try to consolidate their hold on ramadi itself. wasrter: much of ramadi reduced to rubble in the ferocious battle to win it back from islamic state fighters. caught in the middle, were civilians stranded between the two sides. families have been bringing their young, old, and wanted out of the buildings were they tried to take shelter.

they are not muslims, they are beasts. one man told journalists in anger and grief. another said seven people were killed by i.s. fighters when they refused to move with them to another area. there were reports that i.s. from was preventing people leaving or rounding them up and using them as human shields. explosions show the battle is by no means over. iraqi soldiers have been moving carefully through the center of the city to clear it of booby-traps and bombs. on the outskirts of the city and the areas beyond it an unknown , number of i.s. fighters remain. a potent threat. the recapture has been portrayed as a victoryment for their soldiers. notable by their absence with -- were there shia militia who played a role in battle against i.s.

in his friday sermon, iraq's most senior shia cleric warned that residents and tribes of areas liberated from i.s. must work with the security forces to ensure that the jihadists cannot return. as the new year begins the war against i.s. is taking a new turn. there is talk again in iraq of winning back mosul, the group's biggest stronghold there. but any celebration may prove a richer. it is a key, the next up is securing ramadi and returning a sense of belonging. ran overn france a man a group of soldiers with his car. the driver.opped he was seriously injured. the incident took place outside the city's mosque where soldiers had been deployed as part of

heightened security measures in plants -- in place since last year's attack. officials said the man tried twice to run over the soldiers. >> it was during the second attack that a soldier used his weapon after warning the attacker. after ordering him to stop his vehicle. he was shot in the arm and leg. other parts of his body were not hit. he was subsequently stopped. anchor: police in germany say the terror alert was based on concrete information about the planned suicide attack. a tipoff from the french intelligence service suggested there were up to seven suspects including syrians and iraqis linked to the so-called islamic state. our security correspondent has more detail. reporter: minutes before midnight, forces ushered people away from the busiest rail stations. intelligence received hours earlier suggested a group of

between five and seven iraqi and syrian suicide bombers would attack new year's crowds here. with a level of detail including names coming in from two separate foreign countries, german officials said they had no choice but to act. >> it was not a false alarm. it was an information and we have to do our part and investigate this and we have to guarantee the security and safety for our people. reporter: the stations are open again. a police presence visible although authorities say they cannot be sure of the attackers really are in the city or even in the country. new year's celebrations have been the focus of real security concerns. it was not only germany with the closure of rail stations in munich. two days ago, turkey arrested two men in ankara said to be planning a suicide attack on celebrations. the belgian capital brussels canceled its fireworks after a

group of men were arrested also said to be plotting to strike targets. in new york, the fbi arrested one man said to be planning a knife attack on a restaurant to demonstrate his support for so-called islamic state. paris had canceled its usual fireworks instead projecting a video amid tight security. warnedsident of france the threat was still at its highest level. >> i go you the truth. we are not done with terrorism. the threat is still there. it is at its most strong. we regularly foil attacks. reporter: in central london, 3000 police were on duty including a visible armed presence but last night's celebration passed without incident. europe has been on edge and while you -- new year has passed

peacefully concerns for the year ahead will still remain. anchor: in other news, two people including a 12-year-old boy have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a restaurant in the afghan capital kabul. 15 people were injured. the taliban said they carried out the bombing. the announcement comes after a referendum that approves constitutional changes that allowed him to run for three further terms. he could stay in power until 2034. a blaze broke out in a luxury hotel. shortly before a new year's eve fireworks display. the investigation is expected to focus on the materials used. to cloud the outside of the 63 stories of the downtown hotel. the office of the turkish president has responded to criticism about comments he made

citing hitler's germany as an effective exemption -- example of a presidential system. a state official said it was unacceptable to say this was positive. but rather as an example that presidential systems could be misused. he said there was no let up against the pkk. two police officers and a soldier and 12 pkk fighters were killed. in the past 48 hours. an operation currently underway. >> in 2015 the number of terrorists who were neutralized during operations inside and outside the country is 3100. our greatest source of sadness is the 200 who were martyred as well as citizens who died in those events. anchor: stay with us on bbc world news.

still to come. delly takes one million cars off the road to clean up its notoriously polluted air. >> the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got underway with the introduction of the euro. >> we will use money we picked up in belgium and then it will be the same money. it has got to be the way to go. >> george harrison is recovering after being stabbed. a 33-year-old man is being interviewed on suspicion of attempted murder. >> it is good. >> just good? >> no, fantastic.

anchor: this is bbc world news. the latest headlines. israeli police say two people were killed when a gunman opened fire with an automatic rifle on a crowded bar in the center of tel aviv. several others were wounded. after ramadi was reclaimed by iraqi government troops earlier this week islamic state titers -- fighters have launched an attack on an army base near to the city. president obama hinted that he will soon unveil measures to try and table gun violence in -- tackle gun violence in america. in his radio address is said he met the attorney general to discuss actions he could take. he described it as unfinished business.

president obama: last month he thirdremembered the anniversary of newtown. and i recall my friend gabrielle giffords. for people who have lost others to gun violence are forced to mark such awful anniversaries every single day. and yet congress has not done anything to prevent what happened to them from happening to other families. three years ago a bipartisan commonsense bill would have required background checks for virtually everyone who buys a gun. keep in mind there is a policy that is supported by 90% of the american people. it was supported by a majority of nra households but the gun lobby mobilized against it in -- and the senate blocked it. since then, tens of thousands of our fellow americans have been mowed down by gun violence. tens of thousands. it's time we are told that

commonsense reform by background checks might not have stopped the last massacre or the one before that so we should not do anything. we know we cannot stop every act of violence but what if we tried to stop even one? what if congress did something, anything to protect our kids from gun violence? a few months ago i directed my team at the white house to look into any new actions i can take to help reduce gun violence. on monday i will meet with our attorney general to discuss our options. because i get too many letters from parents and teachers and kids to sit around and do nothing. anchor: our guest is an expert on the history of gun control in america. from fordham university. thanks very much for joining us. what sort of actions could president obama take on monday? guest: he is limited without congressional support but the one thing we think he is likely

to do is to redefine how many guns a store has to sell before they need to get a federal license. if you are federally licensed you are required to run a check. if you're selling guns of the and show or out of the back of your car there is no requirement you do a background check. i bet most of your listeners how they are not aware that in america currently there are over 100,000 federally licensed gun dealers. there are more licensed gun deals in america than there are supermarkets. anchor: can he do this without the support of congress because he has tried before to bring in tougher background checks after newtown. guest: the one thing you might be able to do through executive authority and administrative functions that are attached to the executive office is to redefine what a licensed firearms dealer has to do in terms of business before crosses

over big between being a hobby -- between being a hobby, if you sell 500 guns are you in the gun business as a hobby or are you actually a gun dealer? anchor: president obama told the bbc in an interview a few months ago that being unable to bring tougher gun control was one of the biggest frustrations. of his presidency. is this going to be enough to satisfy him and those who want tougher gun control? butt: this is a small possibly significant step forward. what we have seen is we have not seen much change but we have not seen much of the federal level in a variety of areas. we have seen america's shifting into completely opposite directions. some states have loosened their regulations after newtown and other states have tightened

them. we have drifted into a blue america and red america and they are going in opposite directions on the gun issue. anchor: you talked about the shift between republicans and democrats. guns are very divisive issue and many people believe that more guns are the answer when it comes to reducing gun violence. that is part of his problem it , is a very divided issue. >> one of the great tragedies is this issue used to be a bipartisan issue. if you look at richard nixon or ronald reagan, they were responsible for interacting very strong gun control. the republican party is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the nra. it is astonishing but like something after newtown or the most recent shootings in california some people think the solution is to our more people. -- arm more people. anchor: we will find out and on monday with the president

decides to do. more than one million cars have been forced off the streets of the indian capital of delhi at a start of a two week trial to clean up up one of the world's most polluted cities. our south asia editor. >> this is what pollution in delhi looks like. the result of many factors including coal-fired power station, the burning of crop waste, the proximity to a desert and the sheer number of vehicles in its choked up streets. the world health organization says it is the world's most polluted city. that has grave implications for the health of those living there. little wonder city authorities want to act. new year's day, vehicles with an even number on their plate are supposed to stay off the street while on even dates like saturday it is the others that must languish at home. volunteers are boosting the

campaign and it has plenty of public support. >> if the number of cars is by half and people, [indiscernible] it should make a difference. reporter: it has fallen to the police to monitor compliance. there are surprisingly few violators but the scheme has its pitfalls and critics who are not happy about the many exemptions given including two vips judges, women driving alone, and motorbikes or two wheelers. >> because of the sheer numbers are a major contributor to pollution in the city and therefore if you are letting them off than the effectiveness of the program will be compromised.

reporter others like this man : say it will be better to force all cars away from petrol or diesel to cleaner fuel. or like this man that only common people will suffer as the rich can buy a second car. the chief minister said he was overwhelmed by the good public response. a government agency said air quality remained poor as atmospheric conditions did not allow pollutants to be dispersed. clearer results will emerge in the coming days. anchor: in the 1950's music lovers found a way to continue listening to their favorite tunes that were recorded onto x-rays. a practice known as music on the bones. >> ♪

reporter: on the turntable is a n x-ray of a human rib cage. they are making a recording of a leading russian player. >> ♪ reporter: this is an x-ray audio exhibition and demonstration from the 1940's and 1950's. on the bone music. the bootleg recording pressed onto the discarded x-rays are music band in the ussr. this machine from the 1930's and 1940's is a german machine i found in berlin but it is very much the same kind of machine, very much similar to what they would have used in the 1940's

and 1950's in soviet russia to record x-rays. i am used to buying my copies from ebay, from america but people started to find them for me. some hospitals in europe and holland and germany have stock and they gave them to me. they took the details off of them. the exhibition has come together as the result of research of a musician who found old x-rays in a flea market while playing some shows in the city eight years ago. >> we managed to meet people from the era, someone who is making these records. a bootlegger in the we met 1950's. people who were younger who were buying them and recorded their testimonies and then photographed as many examples as we could. a sort of archive.

we had an exhibition, a small one. what we thought was a small story, of interest to vinyl or geeky type people. it turned out to be a story that is of interest to many more people and i think that is because it is a story that is about human endeavor. it is about when is it really mattered. reporter: the x-rays reveal the resourcefulness and ingenuity of music lovers preserving their favorite melodies. anchor: natalie cole, the grammy-winning daughter of nat "king" cole died on thursday from complications due to ongoing health issues. her greatest success came with her 1991 album, "unforgettable with love." she explained how it came to be recorded.

that clings to me, how the thought of you does things to me someone beenhas more ♪ ♪ unforgettable in every way ♪ >> i was talking to my manager. i started to think i wanted to do a record of my dad's music. my manager was pretty flexible. he said that is not a bad idea. i went to the record company and they said the last record i had done was so-so. i was not even that happy about it. it was called "good to be back

." and this is as i got out of rehab, got myself together, the record company said, well, you should be coming off of a hit record before you do a record like what you're talking about, this tribute to your dad. i said what if i do not have another hit record? no one could answer that. basically i was able to get out of my contract. and fast-forward to the grammys, the night when "unforgettable" everything. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs, and hong kong tourism board. >> ♪ >> want to know hong kong's most romantic spots? i will show you. i love heading down for an evening stroll. it's a perfect, stunning

backdrop for making romantic moments unforgettable. i have lived in the city for years, but hong kong still makes me fall in love with it time and again. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. >> ♪

smeets ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ hello everyone and a happy new year to you all from imperial vienna. i'm julie andrews, and i'm so excited to welcome you to another new year's celebration! once again, the musikverein resounds with the music of austria's waltz king - johann strauss. today, the celebrated maestro mariss jansons conducts the vienna philharmonic. and the vienna boys' choir join them in the golden hall, while the vienna state ballet waltzes into the new year right here in schoönbrunn. from vienna: the new year's celebration 2016 is next.