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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> here are the headlines. half a trillion dollars of cuts and a switch to asia, what will the new u.s. military strategy mean for the world? 73 dead in another day of bombing. >> anas calls the reports from inside syria, we travel with the arab league monitors. suu kyi said she believed burma will become a democracy in her lifetime. >> broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the world.

>> after a decade of war in iraq and afghanistan, the denied the state's is embarking on the biggest change in military strategy -- the united states is embarking on a the biggest change in military strategy. cuts of half a trillion dollars, thousands of job losses in the military, and a shift in emphasis to the asia-pacific region. we have this report. >> since the cold war, america has fought with overwhelming power. in afghanistan and iraq, over the last decade, the u.s. fielded a huge armies. this huge machine faces its greatest challenge economics. >> three years ago -- >> president obama says the huge deficits are a chance to repair ties. he admits defense cuts of the

least $450 billion over 10 years and possibly as much as a trillion will hurt. >> the military will be leaner, but the world must know that the united states is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible, and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats. >> the army and marines will bear the brunt of the cuts with large reductions in the numbers. the rise of china made the shift in focus to the asia-pacific region. there will be continued investment in high-tech weapons. america's military future is being watched closely in places like annapolis, md., a town with a history of training new recruits. in this diner, we found most of the regular is worried a smaller military between bigger risks.

>> we are more likely to have terrorist activity. >> we cannot do this. >> why not? >> because of what china is doing. >> i do not ever think we should be spending trillions of dollars on more. -- on war. >> when the world's dominant power and its biggest military spender announces considerable budget cuts, it is not just towns like this that take notice. there are consequences for america's allies. what does that mean for nato? it is a question i put to britain's defense secretary, in washington to meet his counterparts. >> not all nato members have an equal level of enthusiasm to engage. in theory, we have access to

very large numbers of deployable troops. it is about translating the theoretical capabilities into actual deployable capabilities. some of our allies could do more in that department. >> even after the cuts, america's military will remain the biggest and best funded on earth. wars like the one just ended in iraq have become a thing of the past. >> from the china institute of international studies in beijing. he does not believe there will be any immediate response from the chinese government. >> to the domestic development this is the number-one job. of course, we will take a very close eye on these developments. we will be well prepared for any threats or potential threats

to chinese security. >> do you think the united states will try to drive a wedge between china and its current partners or will america tried to enhance its own relationships that already exist in the region? >> i think one part of a obama's new policy toward all the countries in the world, including china, traditional allies like japan, south korea. this is not an issue of military, but also political, economic is used. we're all facing -- issues. we're all facing the same challenges.

the enhancement of the u.s. deployment in the asia-pacific region will be a coin would two sides. on one side, there will be stability in this region. on the other side, some other countries will be a little bit worried about the development. we're paying attention to this. >> another day -- and other bloody day in iraq. 72 civilians were killed. the largest -- baghdad came under attack also. a sharp rise in sectarian violence in iraq is taking place amid a political price is -- political crisis. we have this report from baghdad. >> the attack struck shiite areas in southern iraq and baghdad and left dozens dead and

injured. roadside bombs were used, according to the iraqi minister of interior. the targets were all civilians. this explosion hit a group of shiites passing through a police checkpoint. although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, shi'ite pilgrims and the police have been frequently targeted by al qaeda and -- in iraq. the shiite neighborhoods came under attack. there has been a surge in violence in iraq since the departure of the last u.s. troops a few weeks ago. on the 22nd of december, a wave of attacks similar to these most recent blasts struck a different areas in baghdad, killing and injuring dozens. al qaeda said they carried out the attack, rising political parties have been exchanging

accusations over who they say is to blame. >> the prosecution in turkey has asked for the former head of the armed forces to be remanded in custody as part of an investigation into alleged attempts to overthrow the government. he is the highest-ranking officer to be linked to accusations that an ultranationalist group tried to topple the government. we have obtained an exclusive report from inside syria. >> that is right. an exclusive report after the head of the rubble free syrian army has called on the arab league to admit the mission has failed. the arab league and monitors arrived in syria 11 years ago to try to assess after months of violence. one journalist has been given access to one team of observers in the capital damascus.

>> in the suburb on the outskirts of damascus, a crowd is growing. three arab league observers in their bright orange vests make their way end. they are broken off from their scheduled program in order to be on hindered by syrian security forces. the first time that has happened since they are right in the country 11 days ago. the pictures were filmed by a journalist to has been given iraq access. and anti-government activists have accused the president and his government of misleading the arab league monitors by taking them only to pro-government areas. during the visit, the demonstrators in circle at the three algerian diplomats, many of them giving their own eye witness accounts of what they have seen. >> these women said one of their two brothers has died trying to save the other from being taken

hostage by security forces. this man said his son had been shot by a sniper and then knifed to death as he was leaving a mosque. suddenly, while filming, a masked man drives up to distribute placards and banners carried this is the last one to be taken out says, observers, please help us. the monitors may have seen them. during their visit, they saw no violence. this was the same place at a different time of day. the pictures were filmed by an anti-government group. they shall locals running in panic as gunfire breaks out. this is what those opposed to the government wants the arab league monitors to seek honest concerns that they have failed and their mission.

that is a sentiment being expressed by some members of the leak. -- the arab league. >> the prosecution and the trial of each of former president mubarak has called for the death sentence. mr. mubarak is accused of ordering the killing of demonstrators during last year's protests, which forced him from power. one of the prosecutor said he was directly responsible for the deaths of anti-government demonstrators. a gunman in nigeria has killed at least six people in an attack on a church in the northeastern city. the church pastor said his wife was amongst the dead. it is the latest in a series of attacks targeting christians. the authorities in chile said six firefighters have died battling a blaze in the south of the country. several others were badly burned when the crew was engulfed by flames.

multiple forest fires have ravaged large areas of central and southern chile. we are live from singapore and london. still to come, treasures from the titanic will soon go up for auction a century after the ship went down. >> her pictures turned stars into icons. eve arnold has died at age of 99. in afghanistan, a security company has been disbanded after some of its employees were found to be illegally transporting weapons in the capital. all the weapons have now been seized. two britons and two afghans were arrested by local police. many of the weapons did not have serial numbers. >> in the basement, police

headquarters, they are showing up their latest polls. more than 30 illegal guns seized from an international security company. >> here are the weapons which have caused all the trouble. there are ak-47s, about 30 of them. the problem is that half of them did not have serial numbers. none of these weapons have any documentation. in the corner facing the wall, the accused men. to british security contractors and their afghan colleagues. they were caught with guns in their car. not at this time, said one of the man. if found guilty, they could face lengthy sentences. afghan security forces will soon take over from private operators. the government says private security firms are wanted, not needed. >> to secure afghanistan.

they are not helpful. they do things they are not supposed to do. they commit crimes. >> the government says it will send police the streets and is calling on the remaining armed security firms to lay down their weapons and leave afghanistan. >> these are the headlines. president obama has unveiled a new defense strategy with a focus on the asia-pacific region. despite large budget cuts, the u.s. will retain superiority. >> a series of bomb attacks in

iraq targeting shiite muslims have killed at least 73 people. sectarian tension and violence have increased in recent weeks. the british foreign secretary has said he believes the civilian-led government in burma is sincere about reform. he was speaking during a two-day visit to the country, the first by a british foreign secretary in more than 50 years. this report contains flash photography. >> these are brighter burmese days. a country isolated, now opening to the world. today, the first visit and half a century by a british foreign secretary. he pressed the reforming president to free more political prisoners. the president did not speak publicly, but privately promised more reform. >> the president said the progress of democracy is

irreversible. the words are there. we also need to see further action to release other political prisoners. free and fair elections. and in the world will believe that. >> it is a long way from all of this. brutal crackdown, shootings, and disappearances. it is quite extraordinary to be able to come back here and work openly as a journalist and burma. the most profound change is the essential dynamics which drove burmese life for so long is fading away. changed here is usually driven by regional reality. the burmese have long depended on china for investment. the fear of being dominated by

that neighbor has since the opening to the west. with a young population, burma needs the prosperity only political stability can bring. the opposition talks warmly of the country's president. boards unthinkable in the old days. >> the most important thing by the president is that he is an honest man. he is an honest man. he does not make big promises that he will be incapable of keeping. >> it has been 17 years since i sat in this room listening to speak of hope. there have been many false starts since then. can you really believe that what is happening in burma is going to end in a democracy? >> i of always said that hope it should be joined to endeavor. you can only help if you work very hard. we have been working very hard in the last 23 years. this is why we have the right to

hope. >> will it happen in your lifetime? we will see a full democratic election? >> yes, i think there will be a full democratic election. i do not know how long i will live. if i live a normal life span, yes. " tonight, the opposition leader that the secretary. there seems to be the days of isolation must be banished forever. >> conventional wisdom would have believed the planet's rain forest are being destroyed as never before. the amazon rainforest has been the focus of intense international concern as the brazilian economy goes away.

>> for years, the received wisdom has been the type of destruction in the amazon cannot be changed. it seems it can. in the last seven years, brazil has cut deforestation by 70%. >> i moderate with the brazilian environment agency. the officers captured five loggers and their vehicles, just one battle in what brazil describes as its war on deforestation. a war held by new satellite technology. >> we can arrive there and punish the people that are doing this. >> you stop them just as they begin to cut the forest. >> yes. >> it is not just the attitude of the government that is changing. farmers and ranchers used to be the bad ones in the story.

>> i have 33% of forest now. i planted the trees. the attitude of the farmers has really changed. now we want to do the right thing. >> part of an organization run by this man. he is a tax an ex-u.s. special ops soldier turned amazonian rancher. he is now working to improve environmental management on farms in the amazon. >> our whole desire is to do something the consumer can trust. there will become a time where we will have enough of volume. it came from property that is actually producing life. >> there are other more unexpected initiatives, too. >> ok. >> this is wild rubber tree.

creating an assistant -- an incentive for the local people to protect the forest. what has made it profitable again? a giant condom factory in the middle of the john doe. -- jungle. these initiatives are working. the lowest rate of in the 1980's. an incredible achievement. >> the amazon -- brazil needs to be commended and applauded. this is a huge accomplishment. >> protecting the forest is a continual process. brazil will need to stay vigilant. >> treasures from one of the world's most famous iraq's.

-- wrecks. >> almost 100 years after the titanic was sunk by an iceberg, it was on its maiden voyage to new york, preparations are underway to auction some object retrieved from a raft -- the wreck. >> the titanic at the bottom of the atlantic ocean. the grant should kid an iceberg. the biggest ocean liner the world has ever seen is rusting away. objects retrieved are now going to be sold. a moment in time when the titanic was the last words in luxury. the belongings range from the fashionable accessories to the wealthy to this waistcoat. the owner was william allen, a machinist.

>> he had a rather exciting, bought -- cravat. from what we have, we're trying to find out more about them. try to find out more about the people. >> because of the historical significance, the 5.5 -- the items from the ship must be sold as one lot to a buyer that gives the public access to the collection. guiding two. -- diving 2 miles beneath the ocean surface. paul henry led six of the expeditions. >> it is always a time capsule. you see the ship frozen in 1 seconds.

it is easy to a imagine that people are still there. >> the collection has been valued at $189 million. potential buyers might include museums or philanthropists. this is where the survivors from the titanic finally came ashore. the ship itself slowly disintegrated on the ocean floor. 100 years on, the story of the collision between technology continues to fascinate. >> eve arnold has died at the age of 99. she captured images of many celebrities and political figures, but it was her iconic photos of marilyn monroe that made her famous all over the world. let's have a look back at some of her most memorable pictures. ♪

♪ >> you have been watching "newsday." >> after a decade of war in iraq and afghanistan, the united states is embarking on the biggest change in military strategy in a generation. it is shifting its emphasis towards the asia-pacific region.

>> make sense of international news. bbc.com/news. >> funding is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> you are no longer in the service. only an outsider can find the double agent. >> i'll do my utmost. >> from john le carre -- >> all i want from you is one code name. >> it will take a master spy -- >> you are alone. >> you can't mention me. >> to catch a spy. >> you have to assume they're watching you. >> what the hell are you doing up here? >> things aren't always what they seem.

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