>> "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, 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." >> a top priority. president obama calls on the senate to back a nuclear arms reduction treaty with russia. tackling ireland's financial crisis. talks with international officials are underway in dublin about a rescue package. and strong rebound for shares in general motors as the companies relives on the stock changes. what does it mean? welcome to the "bbc news." also coming up in the program, the islamic insurgence in pakistan. russian forgses are engaged in

fierce fighting. and the strongest hint yet about the venue for the royal wedding. bride to be kate middleton is snapped outside westminster abbey. >> president obama says ratifying a new yuke arms reduction treaty with russia is a top priority and has expressed confidence he will get enough votes in the senate to make it a reality. he described it as a cornerstone for u.s. relations with russia. it calls for the countries to cut nuclear weapons by 30%. >> it is a national imperative that the united states ratify the new treaty this year. there is no higher national security priority for the lame

duck session of congress. the stakes for american national security are clear, and they are high. >> our correspondent in washington told me earlier why senators disagree with president obama. >> the alps' chief objection is there simply isn't enough time in this lame duck session. there is so much other legislation that needs to be debated and pushed through that it wouldn't get the attention that it needs. they are also calling for additional funding for the nuclear arms industry in the united states. they see even as the armentments are reduced, longer term investment needs to be done to restructure and maintain some type of strategic nuclear deterrent. >> the united states making clear that it can't afford to gamble with russia's nuclear arsenal. >> yes. president obama and i think many on the democrat side see

the republicans stalling on this not an issue of concern about this matter getting full debate but rather part of their broader stalling tactic and saying no to any legislation brought forward by the obama administration. they are very concerned that they are perhaps playing politics with this. he said this was a matter of national security, and he has called for the treaty to be ratified as soon as possible. >> what is the situation at the moment? the treaty expired last december, didn't it? >> one of the chief issues for concern is not just the matter of nuclear disarmament is not moving forward, but an inspection regime is currently on hold. there are no american inspectors monitoring russia at the moment, and that is one of the chief concerns and why president obama wants to get this ratified as qukly as

possible. >> ian mckenzie. ireland apparently will inside financial help to solve its crisis. officials are in dublin to thrash out the terms of a bailout, which could be as large as 80 billion euros. from dublin, mark simpson has this report. >> demonstrators gathered outside the dublin department of finance as ireland's grip on its own financial affairs started to slip. before today, ireland had been saying it didn't need emergency european aid. but this morning came the first sign that the irish government would now accept. >> it would be a large loan because the amounts to be vancsiked or made available to be borrowed is to show that ireland has successful firepower to deal with any concerns of the market. so we are talking about a substantial loan for sure, tens of billions, yes.

>> talks all day involving officials from the european central bank, the commission, and the international monetary fund. >> we are looking at the best options for ireland and the euro area in general, and they want to be constructive with that enare engagement. they will make decisions based on the outcome of discussions today. >> ireland's closest neighbor is the u.k., and the government is ready to help. >> our banks are connected to the irish banks. we have an interest in not only the euro zone being a success, but in ireland being a success. so i certainly don't want to rule things out. >> ireland's budget deficit is currently 32% of its g.d.p. ireland is expected to ask for a loan of between 80 billion and 100 billion euros. the interest rate is expected

to be around 5%, well below the current bond market rates. some believe that ireland will pay a high political price for any funding from europe. >> the idea is now that you have and will have maybin for the next five years from the european union and i.m.f., people literally looking over the shoulders of irish bureaucrats making decisions about taxation and spending. i think it is deeply shameful. >> on the-iron streets, the days of high spending is over. shopser being forced to cut prices. in this family-run business in dublin, they have survived 40 years of ireland's economic ups and downs. but not quite like this. >> it is horrible. we were so high and proud of where we are, and feeling that we should be apologizing for where we are at.

it is simply bad government. but we will be back up there again. >> if the irish economy is going to recover, it is likely to late for the curent government. it only has a three-seat majority in parliament. the expectation is the government will fall early in the new year. it's only hope of survival seems to be to get a good deal from europe. that is why the ongoing talks are so crucial. mark simpson, "bbc news," dublin. >> one of the giants of american industry, general motors, has successfully resumed trading its shares on the new york stock exchange. it was saved from bankruptcy by a $50 billion bailout from the u.s. government. here is our report from new york. >> it's a new day. >> that is an understatement for a company that only a year ago was in bankruptcy, brought down by a high-priced labor force, health care cost and poor sales.

america's biggest car maker returned to wall street with the largest sale in u.s. history. the director, who used to run coca-cola, is also excited. >> this is a whole new general motors. this is a 102-year-old company that sadly went through a bankruptcy process and is being reborn, and reborn based on what is important, and that is the designing, the building and the selling of the world's best cars. >> but bankruptcy has left scars. now free of debt, the financial officer says the company is more focused. >> the whole idea is to have a business model that is sustainable and have a balance sheet and cost structure to maintain sustainability. we have been through bad times. we under the stood bankruptcy. we want to have a business

model that works. >> and to the president, the rebirth on the capital market was proof. >> there were doubters and nay sayers who said it couldn't be done who were prepared to throw in the towel. independent estimates suggested, however, that had we taken that step, had we given up, we would have lost more than 1 million jobs across all 50 starts. >> g.m.'s stock a sale is an important milestone for its dealerships, which suffered. this specific dealership in new jersey, they sell chevrolets. they used to sell sat urns, one of the brands the company eliminated. through thick and thin, for 34 years, they have been a g.m. dealer. >> did you buy stock? >> michelle, i wish i had the

money to buy the stock. but my money is in this dealership, and i'm invested representing the best way i can to my customers. >> it is a "bbc news," new york. >> german authorities say bolivian police have intercepted a suspicious object in a suitcase being loaded on to a passenger plane bound for munich. the bag was detected during screening in bolivia's capital. >> the air berlin flight did finally reach munich many hours late after and the serious security alert. a bag was deemed suspicious. police said an x-ray scan revealed what look like a bomb. the bag, thought to be a laptop

bag was held for further examination in the capital. >> he says yesterday ahead of an air berlin flight, a case was recognized as not having been examined thoroughly and in which batteries, cables and similar things were found. it is still being investigated to see if this was actually made as a bomb. heavily armed police have appeared on stations and at airports because the jerpian government says it has concrete information about a planned attack at the end of november. germany has so far been spared the bloodshed wreaked on madrid, london and new york. but they fear that islamist militants who disappeared from a mosque may be secretly back in the country prepared to use the deadly training they had in camps in pakistan and afghanistan. stephen evan, "bbc news,"

berlin. >> still to come, height of romance. we hear from the couple at the center of a record-breaking love story. >> the italian government says it has captured 28 of the country's 30 most-wanted mafia criminals, and police are said to be closing in on the remaining two at large. there is some flash photography in this report from duncan kennedy. >> antonio, known as "the baby." the latest high rfc ranking alleged mobster captured this week, believed by police to be the brains behind a famous clan. they called a news conference to announce the extraordinary progress being made by law enforcement in the fight against organized crime in the past two years. >> a number of mafia members

arrested, and totals 6,724, 28 of which are on the list of most dangerous criminals. only two are missing from that list, and the net is tightening around them. >> and these are the two missing from that list. one a leading member of the brazilial costa roca and this one. so why are police being so successful against organized crime now? one reason is rubbish, literally. police surveillance teams are using fake bin bags to plant hidden cameras and microphones to record mob members talking to each other. tricks of the trade like that are part of a much wider program of police activity. the italian government has made the fight against the various forms of the mafia a priority.

no one here is saying that organized crime has been defeated. it is now targeted and under effective pressure. "bbc news," in rome. >> you are watching "bbc news." >> a top priority, president obama calls on the senate to back a nuclear arms reduction treaty with russia. as the e.u. and i.m.f. hold talks in dublin, the irish finance minister has admitted his country needs financial assistance to help solve its financial difficulty. >> protests linked to the outbreak of cholera in haiti have come to port-au-prince. more than 1,200 people -- 1,100

people are known to have died from the outbreak, and at least 17,000 cases have been reported. >> donald trump says he is thinking seriously about running for the u.s. presidency. he said he had no choice but to make a bid for the white house because other countries were ripping off the u.s. mr. trump made his money in property but has also starred in a reality television show, the apprentice. two members of the panel that will decide where the fifa world cup will be play in 2018 and 2022 have been suspended among allegations they offered to sell their votes. they will not be allowed to days patriot in football activities for three years. amos adamu and naurnaur.

>> a pentagon spokesman said it was hoped that afghan forces would be in control of most areas by the end of 2014. meanwhile, 29 aid agencies have released a report urging them to do more. we can speak to the author of the report, thed head of policy in afghanistan. ashley. >> ashley, tell me about the findings of this report? >> i think what we found over the past year is that -- afghans are in a worse position that they have been in 10 years. as nato looks to transition, we are very worried that there aren't sufficient accountability things in place to ensure that when they take

over, they are capable of taking over operation ns a way that respects afghan rights. >> you said it is the deadliest years regarding civilian deaths. are they not mostly down to insurgents? >> that is true. three quarters of the civilian defendanting are due to insurgent actions. but nato and afghan forces could be doing more to reduce their share or to better protect civilians. >> what do you think is the most serious risk as we go through a proposed transition period? >> too fast, too soon is the most serious risk. you have a massive, rapid stale up with ambition targets for security forces. meanwhile, 14% of afghan forces can actually read or write. up to 40% of the police now use narcotics on a regular basis. there are some significant

challenges. and we are also seeing that they are relying on our quick fixes such as arming and training militias to fight the began -- taliban. they are not very accountability. regular army groups. >> ashley jackson in afghan. thank you very much for joining me. a senior russian official has told the bbc that an islamist terrorists are trying to tear the whole of the new york caucuses away from russian. it has become the epicenter with almost daily shootings, bombings and killings. our reporter reports from there. >> it's the new front line in russia's war on terror.

the security forces are battling islamic militants across this country. troops call these special operations. the insurgents hit back with suicide bomb attacks and targeted killings. >> the aim of the strecksists is to tear the caucuses away from russia. many of them have been to taliban training camps in pakistan. they want to turn the whole region into an islamic state, but we will defeat them. >> russia feels more at risk in the mountains. villages like this are viewed as a hot bed of islamic fundamentalism. it was a rebel from this village that was thought to have organized the attacks on the moscow metro here. people here are saying they are being persecuted.

his son was killed by the security forces. he claims his son was tortured to death. >> what the authorities want us to do, he says, is to turn our backs on fundamentalist islam. then they will leave us in peace. but we are not going to. >> what's happening here is happening across the north caucuses. radical islam is spreading from the mountains to the cities. the result is a religious war against russia. >> in bagstan's largest mosque, the imams preach tolerance. it is not only religion that is feeding the conflict. this police captain agreed to tell me what he thinks is behind the violence. fearing reprifles, he he asked

his i'd did i identity be concealed. >> the authorities leave them no choice but to fight. there are no decent jobs. there is no independent court system. armed confrontation is the only way people can defend their rights. >> moscow blames outside forces for war in these mountains. but russia has its own problems here it needs to solve if there is to be peace in the caucuses. "bbc news," bagistan. >> speculation as to the venue and date of police william's wedding has intensified after his fiancee visited westminster abbey in london on wednesday night. our correspondent is following the story. >> it is not conclusive, but it certainly seems to be pretty close. kate middleton emerging from a side door of with minister abbe quench last night, shown around

by officials, just to get the feel of this centuries old church. if it is to be the abbey, then it will be a choice in keeping with centuries of royal traditions. >> the church of kings is where many royal weddings and funerals have taken place. many kings and queens are buried there. it is entirely appropriate that the heir to the thrown should take place there. >> westminster abbey was where the funeral took place of william's mother. he was a 15-year-old boy grieving alongside his younger brother, hairy. yet william has returned to westminster abbey on a number of occasions. he was there a few weeks ago to mark the 70's anniversary of the battle of britain.

he wore his uniform. then there is the trickier question of finding a convenient date. march has been tipped, and certainly for the queen, the month is relatively clear, though there is the possibility of an historic state visit to the republic of ireland. the first part of april is fairly clean. then on the 21st of april, it is the queen's 85% bd and then easter. may is also a possibility, and dates will be being looked at then. but from june, the royal direy looks crowded. june 10, prince philip celebrates his 90th birthday. and from the 14-18, it is royal ascus. then on the 28th of june, it is prince william's 29th birthday. that leaves the big issue of who will foot the bill. security for the big day will fall to the police and

military. but in all probability, most of the other significant costs of the wedding will be covered privately either by the prince of wales or the queen. >> it's a headline writer's dream. an american couple has been recognized as the tallest couple. she is only two meters tall, and he measures two meters and seven centimeterers. it wasn't love at first sight. here is our report. >> like most couples, in seven years of marriage, they have had their ups and downs. but from most people's postseason, they all look like ups. wayne and lori are tall, jaw-droppingly tall. and the reason for the crick in the cameraman's neck? on thursday they arrived at their own awards ceremony to

receive the title of world's tallest married couple. >> standing an amazing 13 feet, 4 inches, a new guiness world record. congratulations. >> a bride who stands taller than most male basketball players. it is safe to assume she didn't buy her dress off the peg. >> buying clothes is always bit of an obstacle, but we figured that out. it is a whole different perspective up here. we can find each other quite easily in a crowd. >> we can see several people going bald that might not know it at the moment, things like that. quite fun. >> wayne was immediately smitten with her when they first met. she says he got off to a shaky start by making some ill-advised equips about, of all things, her height. but love won out, and now their marriage is a record-breaker,

and they hope their new-found fame will lead to a reality tv show. "bbc news." >> plenty more on the "bbc news" website. see you soon. >> 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, union bank. ♪

>> union bank offers unique insights and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you? ♪ >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. it is the kennedy center and a club in austin. it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. pbs, the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the

arts home. >> "bbc world news" was >> "bbc world news" was presented by