>> "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 coporations. what can we do for you?

>> and now "bbc world news." a new era of arms control for america and russia. u.s. senators vote to ratify the start nuclear treaty. south korea it ignores threats from p'yongyang it and plans live military fire exercises on the border with the north. the greek parliament approves new budget measures, but the unions are not happy. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcasting and the u.k. and around the world. also coming up, a convoy of dangerous nuclear material moves is secretly through europe. we have an exclusive report. hundreds are evacuate from their homes in california after a massive storm.

the u.s. senate has approved the new start nuclear arms treaty with russia. it reduces both countries arsenals of deployed warheads, bombers, and nuclear submarines and is seen as a key effort in president obama's efforts to repair the relationship with moscow. we have this report from washington. >> mr. kerry? >> aye. >> on the senate floor to a chorus of ayes, the new start was finally born. >> this is one of their times in the u.s. senate's when we have in our power to safeguard or

endanger human life on this planet. >> it is the biggest nuclear weapons reduction treaty in almost 20 years and it ends a year of atomic limbo. ever since george bush and miguel gorbachev signed start i in1991, the u.s. and russia have to examine each other stockpiles. that treaty expired a year ago. president obama stressed the urgency of a vote. >> with this treaty, our inspectors will also be back on the ground at russian nuclear bases. so we will be able to trust but verify. we will continue to advance our relationship with russia. and it seems so long since the tense days of the cold war, when american intelligence dug a tunnel under the russian embassy in washington in order to spy on the nuclear secrets of their

communist foes. >> if you live in a private home that is well built, the seller is the safest place to be. >> those are the days when public service films call me advised citizens how to survive atomic armageddon. back then, it felt real. in 1989, the u.s. and russia had over 24,000 strategic nuclear warheads. with the signing of start i in 1991, the limit was set -- was set at 6000 warheads. today's agreement brings it down to 1550. >> we want to reset our relationship. >> when hillary clinton pushed the reset button on the relationship with moscow last year, she was laying the groundwork for this vote and bringing the world one small step closer to the president's own vision of a nuclear-free world. >> today i state clearly and

with conviction, america's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. >> but critics of the new start treaty say it gives russia too much in america too little, while failing to address the new nuclear threats. conservative republicans put up more of a fight than the white house expected to defeat the bill. president obama stream of a nuclear world without nukes' may be just that, a dream in our lifetime. as the political year comes to wicklow, president obama has been able to push through key laws, such as ratifying the start treaty ahead of the christmas break. earlier, i spoke with the vice president and director of government studies at the brookings institution in washington about mr. obama's

last two years and what the new year may hold. >> it has been a rough two years for the president. at people were anticipating nothing would happen, that there would be institutional gridlock, but they have given president obama three major victories -- the tax cut legislation, repealing don't ask, don't tell, and now the russian arms treaty. he is finishing 2010 in a very strong fashion. >> which of those three is the most significant victory for president obama? >> the most significant is the tax cut legislation, because the economy is so central to how of voters of value with the president's and it has been a major source of problems for the president. people estimate that because of the tax cut legislation, unemployment may drop up to 1.5%. if obama can get unemployment down to 8% or below, that would

put him in a much stronger position for reelection in 2012. >> three victories under his belt, but what does the new year hold? >> it will be more difficult because a january 3, the new members of congress get sworn in. there are more than 60 new republicans coming into the house of representatives, the republicans will have majority control of that chamber, and it will be difficult for the president to replicate these victories. there may be some issues where republicans will work with him, but in general, the goal of republicans is to make him a one-term president. >> how strong is president obama at cooperating? >> they certainly have been very strong during this lame duck session. but as we move ahead into the new congress, it will be much more challenging for him, with republicans controlling the house of representatives and his

majority in the senate on a very narrow margin. i think it will be very difficult for the president and congress to compromise, given the political pressures each side it is under. international pressure is building to get the incumbent president of the ivory coast, laurent gbagbo, to accept did feet and his elections to his rival, alassane ouattara. -- to accept defeat in the election to his rival, alassane ouattara." wikileaks alleges that the mayor of kingston collaborated for years with an indicted gangster. the cable said he did this in return for lucrative government contracts. the former argentine

military leader jorge videla has been sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity. a court found him guilty of murdering dissidents during the country's military rule between 1976-1983. the general has been accused of being the main architect of what has become known as argentina's dirty war. that and many other stories are to be found on the bbc website. south korea plans to begin its biggest ever winter live fire exercises it shortly, held that a sensitive time as tension has increased since the north attacked south korea's island. earlier, i spoke with our correspondent in seoul about what might happen next. >> today's firepower displayed

is the largest to ever be held for the south. it sounds dramatic, but it is more of a media event involving 800 soldiers at a live firing range 30 kilometers south of the border with the north. it is meant to show the range of weaponry, including tanks, artillery, rocket launchers, and fighter planes shooting live rounds, with invited members of the public watching in the distance, to remind the south korean people that the military can defend the country from further provocation. >> i imagine that north korea has given some reaction? >> from those outside of north korea, it may have seemed like the north and south were heading towards a military conflict, but the level of tension felt in seoul is considerably lower than earlier this week when the military conducted drills on the island.

in reaction to those drills, north korea has been more measured and people are carrying on as normal, as the stock market was unaffected if not stronger. >> has there been any development what the u.s. envoy bill richardson to attempt to have u.n. inspectors in north korea? >> the u.s. governor bill richardson said he came back with positive signals from p'yongyang, but the view from officials in seoul is the north is sticking with their two track policy like in the past. on one hand, they are signaling dialogue, but at the same time keeping up the military pressure to remind the u.s. and south korea of a doctor -- of a darker picture. analysts see this as a typical from the north as they jointed walk away from nuclear talks for years what continuing to buy time to develop their nuclear program. the greek parliament has

approved next year's budget which imposes the spending cuts and sharp tax hikes. this was an exchange for 110 billion euros of bailout from the imf and the european union. earlier, demonstrators against the measure hit the streets. >> in the end, their resistance was blown away. all day, they had demonstrated outside of the greek parliament, striking trade union members determined to stop the government's plans for an austerity budget. previous protests had turned violent. at this time, the police took no chances. but their shields were not needed. the demonstrators at anchor turned to resignation -- the demonstrator resignationanger -- the demonstrator's anger turned to resignation. >> it is the difficult moment

ever in greek history. >> the protesters blamed the greek government for the country's economic woes and are furious at its attempt to solve them. public sector workers have seen their taxes rise and wages cut 15%. inside, the parliament mp's voted to squeeze harder. the approved an austerity budget to cut public spending and raise taxes even further. the socialist government's narrow majority was just enough to get it through. >> truly, we have been through hell in 2010, but we have remained standing and our consistency is being rewarded. today we are dealing with this in a manner that is sensible, systematic, and organized. >> despite the pain, crease is still expected to miss its fiscal target.

while the government is relieved to have cleared this hurdle, there is no guarantee that the bitter medicine will cure the country's economic ills. still to come, the banks are moving in. one of the world's most notorious slums is being transformed. the former russian spy chapman is in the spotlight again. she has become a youth leader in russia's ruling party. from moscow, steve rosenberg has this report. >> it was the weirdest party conference i have never been to. the party was vladimir putin's party, or rather its youth wing, and since been uncovered as a spy, and deported from america, anna chapman has shied away from the media, but she cannot avoid the cameras today,

although she tried. she tried, but finally there was no more hiding. as she made her entrance, she had ignored me. then it was up to the stage, declared one of the leaders of the party. from russian spy to superstar, ever since she was deported from the united states, chapman has been a model, an adviser to a bank, and now she is going into politics. in her speech, she called for people to have a more positive outlook on life. for russia's most glamorous sleeper agent, this has been a strange time. she was arrested in the u.s. and sent back to the motherland being part of the biggest spy swap since the cold war. still, the party is pleased to have her. >> she is an example of a brave

person. >> it was a rare appearance. but it was over almost before it began. like a true secret agent, she suddenly disappeared. old habits die hard. you are watching "bbc world news." a new era of arms control for america and russia. senators have voted to ratify the start nuclear treaty. south korea has ignored retaliation threats from p'yongyang and is planning military live fire exercises on the north korean border. a huge storm system has

dumped record amounts of rain on southern california, prompting concern that the poor weather could spread across the u.s. los angeles receive half of its annual rainfall in just six days. it is expected to hit florida by saturday. >> intense rain overwhelmed this upmarket resort of the good of beach in orange county with a flash flood through the downtown, leaving shopkeepers to sweep up wild diggers did their ind. to clear the streets of the the beach and boardwalk was entirely swept away. this was the port at its peak, gushing through the streets before dawn -- this was the port at its peak. >> i stepped into the muddy water. within five minutes, it was up to my hips. >> the water and mud it damaged

their home. at the last 24 hours have been the worst, a culmination of six days of pounding. los angeles has received nearly half of its annual rainfall in less than a week. several people have had to be rescued from swollen floodwaters, and the ferocious weather has up. many trees. -- has uprooted many trees. residents are now bracing for mudslides. the hundreds have been evacuated. >> this will provide more water than we have seen and certainly any of the storms since the station fire and more rain than the last 10 years. >> this house was unoccupied when it was swept away. the huge storm system is now emerging -- now moving further east. zion national park in the small

town of rockville were evacuated after flooding fears that a dam a burst. local officials are amazed at the deluge. >> that is a couple of years' worth of rain for us. we love moisture, we appreciate the rain, but enough is enough. >> as california residents hope that the worst is over, other americans are bracing for a stormy holiday season that could reach as far as florida by christmas day. the united states has accused china of illegally subsidizing the production of wind power equipment. it argues that china is distorting trade with subsidies that make it tougher for american exporters. the u.s. talked about this at the world trade organization. this is the latest in a long line of trade wars between the

countries. european airports are still tackling the backlog of thousands of passengers were stranded when ice and snow paralyzed major air hubs. schedules are slowly returning to normal, but more cancellations are likely. heathrow and frankfurt airports both say they're working hard to get back to business as usual. the annual christmas lottery in spain has awarded more than $3 billion of prizes. there was jubilation in a town near barcelona after 600 of its residents got the top prize, sharing more than $230 million between them. it is a nightmare scenario facing governments around the world, nuclear material in the hands of terrorists. and international project is under way to remove international -- an international project is

underway to move nuclear material into safe facilities in russia. the details of this shipment and the route was kept secret until now. it is our security correspondent followed with remarkable journey that has this exclusive report. >> a secret operation in the dead of night. tight security preparing for the departure of this most deadly cargo. inside the bomb proof containers is nuclear material, the type that terrorists have wanted to get their hands on. at 2:00 in the morning, the president of serbia turned up in the woods outside of belgrade. >> we have significant security because this is extremely important. >> we were taken to see the aging reactor where the material was stored. in the cold war, russia and

america supplied many countries with highly enriched uranium to help develop scientific expertise. he came in the form of these fuel rods here, filmed by inspectors. now getting the material back safely has become a top priority. because of poor security, this site was top of the list. behind me, a convoy of trucks are beginning a long odyssey across europe. inside, 2.5 million tons of radioactive material, including highly enriched uranium that could be used for a nuclear bomb. we join the convoy as it make its way north, snaking through a deserted belgrade. the roads have been closed and guards lined the route. the journey which will take more than four weeks and cover more than 7,000 miles begins with the truck driving from belgrade toward a town near the hungarian border.

the containers are loaded onto a train. as well as highly enriched uranium, they also contain spent fuel rods, something al qaeda has been looking for to make a radioactive dirty bomb. >> if you had a small fuel element in your hand, it is highly radioactive. if you wrapped dynamite around it, you could slip into your purse or backpack and makes a very interesting dirty bomb, which would create havoc in just about any city. >> this cargo is the largest of its type ever moved. it is too big and dangerous to transport by air. this journey has taken five years of planning. the train travels nearly 24 hours across hungary, its destination a port in slovenia. the nuclear material is being loaded on to this ship, ready for its 20-day journey around europe. it will be tracked at every stage along the way.

somali pirates tried to hijack this ship last year and there are no guards on board, but it will be closely watched. this is part of a much wider rendition. >> there are several more countries that we need to clean out between now and the end of the four year plan. >> the boat makes its way through the mediterranean, past gibraltar, up the english channel, headed for a russian port and the arctic. some countries would not provide permission for the boat to pass through. the material travels by train to a secure nuclear facility, where it arrived today. we agreed not to report the route until complete for fear of an attack. the fuel rods will now be made safe, but the race continues between those trying to secure the nuclear material in those hoping to steal it. in rio de janeiro, the

recent crackdown on gangs have given some of the list a new lease on life. the banks and businesses are moving in and the brazilian government has earmarked nearly $5 million for investments in the area. >> until a month ago, this was one of the most dangerous slums in rio de janeiro, with the most hardened criminals. at the end of november, the gang members and least of violence that claimed the lives of at least 46 people. with the gun battles followed, but the police at won, seizing control and uncovering a cache of drugs, weapons, and stolen vehicles. more than 150 gang members were arrested. armed personnel now patrol, and eventually there will be a 2000 strong peace force. this man says he is well aware

of the challenges involved. >> this population has been held hostage to drug trafficking and violence for a long time. what they need now is respect and commitment. winning hearts and minds is side by side with security. >> with the threat of violence removed, nearly $5 billion has been earmarked for the area and transformed the hillside shacks into safer homes. the banks and businesses are actively looking to open branches. the downside is that those who have been pirating power and telecom connections for decades will now have to pay for those services. but that may be a small price to pay for safety and security. the u.s. senators have voted to ratify the start nuclear treaty, which will cut american

and russian strategic nuclear weapons. you are watching "bbc world news." >> 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, and union bank.

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