>> "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." >> bp has been sued for damages following the gulf of mexico oil spill. at least 20 refugees die as their boats smashes into an island off of australia. >> and there was nothing we can do. i saw children on that boat. >> the strategy put under the spotlights. welcome to bbc news broadcast our viewers on pbs in america. a war of words between the u.s. and venezuela. washington is planning to rule by decree.

the harrier jump jet, one of the greatest military innovations bows out after 40 years. the u.s. government has announced it is selling bp and other companies over the oil spill and the gulf of mexico. the spokesman for the justice department says it will hold them fully accountable for the billions of dollars spent on cleanup. >> of the explosion killed 11 men. and wrecking the fishing industry. the american government said it happened because of safety regulations were violated. they failed to take safety precautions and failed to use the best available technology

and failed to maintain equipment. >> we intend to prove that the defendants under the oil pollution act. as well as environmental damages. >> president obama's de was criticized, and not looking just for damages, but signs as well. if they can prove gross negligence, and could amount to 13 billion pounds. >> they suffered an enormous consequences. >> of the case against them as expected, and the allegations are just that, claims that have not been proved. the allegations will be answered in a timely manner. bp points out it is already for

-- hoping for the cleanup. -- paying for the cleanup. >> some say bp has been singled out by the u.s. government. >> it is the result of finding someone to scapegoat. and i think that it is really a question of the american people and the u.s. government that we really have no choice but to keep drilling. people idea of putting or more wanting to scapegoat the company should not really be our focus. we should make sure that the operators observe the necessary safety measures. i hope that will be the focus of this. >> have a file of the necessary

safety measures? >> they have the worst operating record of any oil drill. and a long history of poor decisions. i'd think they will get slapped for that. i think they will get some serious damages, particularly since the u.s. seems willing to pursue a unlimited damages. my hope is that they will come away from this with a strong dedication to observe the best safety measures possible. >> how much money will the end of hughes and? >> i find it hard to imagine what that number is. this will be a very long and drawn out process that will be huge for the u.s. legal industry. i think the $20 billion that the government set aside, it is probably conservative.

>> 28 refugees died when a suspected smuggling -- smuggling boats sank. the island is one of the largest detention centers. most said there from indonesia when many people -- we have the dramatic video of the boat. >> residents say they heard the screams of children. they have been dashed against the rocks. the waters were strewn with debris and people doing anything to keep themselves afloat. the men, women, and children were thought to be from iraq and iran, heading toward us trillion

shores in search of a better, safer life. just a few meters from land. >>, there was nothing we could do. obviously, [unintelligible] >> i could hear children screaming. >> they clambered over the razor sharp rocks. navy boats were quick to respond. the rescue workers confronted by the most hellish of scenes. >> they knocked her off, and it was a massive wave. to see what was going on, [unintelligible]

>> medical supplies were rushed from the australian mainland. >> it is believed to the boat was a crude but people smugglers. and was packed with 70 people seeking asylum the. these giant waves have claimed dozens of lives. the journey born of desperation that ended in disaster. >> what about the survivors from sydney? >> they are being flown to the australian mainland, have seriously injured survivors. more survivors are expected to be transferred in the coming days. on christmas island itself, it

is being set up to deal with the bodies and they will be flown to the australian mainland where they will hold an inquiry. >> in your report, they look tremendously rough. was there any way this could have been prevented? >> helen earth did the but managed to get so close to the shore? these boats that were operated by the smugglers were intercepted well before they reach christmas island. the australian border protection agencies are more on the lookout for these kinds of boats that have been coming in increasing numbers. it is a surprise that they managed to get this far. the bad weather conditions contributed to that. people are witnessing -- it is the worst they have seen in

months. it is hard to pinpoint and see this kind. >> believe of the people behind these smuggling boats. >> that is a very lucrative trade. they are notorious for that lack of sanitary conditions, and the overcrowding. the former prime minister of foreign affairs describes these people as the scum of the earth. he used a very strong language. the offer of safe passage to australia. it goes to show it is not very safe and all. in recent times, there has been this influx of people from afghanistan and sri lanka. >> the lower half of congress has voted to overturn the ban

against gays openly serving in the military. a large majority to end the policy known as don't ask, don't tell. the bill will them go to the senate. the senators approved a controversial line from the republicans last week. it will extend the bush era tax breaks to almost every american, including the very rich, something they had opposed. the u.s. security council lifted a series of international sanctions that were imposed during the 1990's. others have been lifted.

president obama will unveil the latest strategic review of afghanistan. the president is expected to say that security has improved enough. still, much depends on the readiness of afghan forces. they look at some of the progress being made. >> there are more american troops fighting in afghanistan than before. the president reviewed says it progressively seeks the caliban -- taliban. >> a year ago, overwhelming

consensus among the talking heads was that afghanistan was doomed. that conclusion has proven false. the momentum of opposition, and in some cases, reversed. >> president obama once combat troops out by the end of 2014. it depends on the readiness of the afghan forces to protect the afghan people. it has been a marked improvement of the afghan forces that are in charge. president obama and is likely to highlight their successes. when it comes to the biggest battles with them, the american

forces will have to do the fighting. >> his government has fallen far short of expectations. >> corruption is widespread. when you don't have a sense of direction, when you don't have a clear vision, the main strength of a nation can't associate in that leads to weaknesses. >> progress seems far less certain. there is a growing impatience with the war and the presence of foreign troops. people here would like to see american forces go home sooner rather than later. >> you are watching bbc news.

the iconic jump jet is have axed at the top of the defense budget. after a fatal shooting followed by at outbreak of ethnic violence, the russian police are not taking any chances. the rounded up hundreds of people in a massive security sweep. >> on the streets of moscow, there were thousands of police and hundreds of arrests. they were preventing ethnic violence. there have been reports that people would clash here with russian nationalists. it follows riots of the weekend when far right groups attacked from the north caucuses. the russian president has said that the kind of interesting violence that erupted the is the

stability of the state. that is why the police are out in force tonight to prevent more trouble. >> this was last saturday. fascist salutes of the kremlin. thousands of protesters are out in the street. the crowd shouted, russia for the russians. today, fearing a repeat of the violence has been a different part of the city, police were on patrol. they detained anyone suspected of planting trouble ha. the string of defense of rep weapons -- weapons have been

seized. >> that prevented a major violence. abc news, moscow. >> the headlines this hour, the u.s. is suing bp and eight other companies following the gulf of mexico spill. at least 28 refugees have died after their boat crashed onto rocks. >> these the department has criticized the president for planning to rule by decree. have asked congress to grant him an emergency powers which critics say would allow him to govern as an autocrat. things are not likely to

improve have the obama administration accused him of trying to subvert the will of his people. >> the debate has been passionate. tempers have a trade and insulting and fists have flown. the pledge to rule by decree ha, ha the supporter criticized anyone has and the revolutionary. the president himself has asked congress to grant emergency powers saying he needs them to deal with the aftermath that have left tens of thousands homeless. it went overwhelmingly his way.

the final vote on thursday -- in january, it made way for a crop of lawmakers, including many more from the opposition. >> this assembly does not have ethics or morals or the legitimacy to approve this law. many venezuelans haunt you change the assembly because it no longer represents the people. >> the president goes the critics accuse him of bureaucracy held using his powers to bypass the new and potentially hostile congress. he remains as polarizing as ever. the student protests had the chaos come under attack. opponents worry that home to much in the hands of one man

cannot be good. >> in spain, the man that shot and killed four people, the first victims were father and son. the 57-year-old who drove where he killed mroe. -- more. violence between students and police in the turkish capital, the began throwing funds. the students protesting against the prime minister who was attending a science and technology conference. the used teargas to disperse the crowds.

the people of kenya will cooperate with the international criminal court. the violence that follows the country's alexian years ago. the chief prosecutor calhoun has found the men he believes are responsible. >> [inaudible] >> people gather round of tv sets to watch the long awaited announcement. >> [unintelligible] >> more than 1200 people were killed and politicians are accused of instigating the attacks.

the six suspects named by the prosecutor included the finance minister. he is accused of mobilizing a vigilante group. he also named former cabinet member the principal organizer of the violence. many of those killed were shot by police. all attempts to seek justice in kenya have been blocked by the powerful politicians. some say it is the only option to end the impunity. gosh they contributed in the deals. -- >> had taken to be did -- they contributed to the deals. >> [unintelligible]

>> just after he announced his list of six names, the president said that the government here is fully committed to setting up a local tribunal. that will leave some people wondering if the government is really behind this process. there could be many hurdles to come before any of them naked. >> the european court of justice will decide whether they can bounce foreigners from the canada's coffee shop. tourists have unable to buy small amounts of hundreds of coffee shops. this is after a number of related attacks. it was introduced in membership system to keep tourists out. during the falklands war, they were counted in and out. but now they are being scrapped

for british government spending cuts. he took off on a flight for the last time. >> last walk out onto the tarmac. 16 pilots in the 16--- jets preparing for their final flights. they spent years training for this job and it will disappear today. this is the very last time the british carrier jump jets will take on british soil. >> it has become a very privileged icon. most pilots will be redeployed to other jobs. the naval pilots are not quite sure what their future holds. it won't for another 10-years.

they found a way to get out of censorship at the time. >> i can't get them all out and i can't get them all back. >> i think the review was not correctly conducted. and it was done in a hurry, for the wrong reasons, and that should be looked at again. >> the last display of the prowess. >> a final walk of on her home, literally. >> i can't describe that.

world's fair only -- words fail me. not just for me, but for this aircraft. >> it is the end of an era. >> freezing temperatures in the united states have been causing misery for thousands of people. but the web -- the manager -- the weather had a great work of art. the turn of the landmark into a rather stunning ice sculpture. and a reminder of our main news. the justice department has filed a civil suit against bp and other companies involved in the gulf of mexico oil spill and april. at least 28 refugees died.

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