>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, focus features, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you?

>> and now "bbc world news." hello, and welcome to "newsday" on the bbc. >> here are the headlines -- an arab league observer in syria resigned as more rocket attacks leave nine dead, including the first foreign journalists. iran says the united states and israel are behind the killing at of a nuclear scientist. washington categorically denies involvement. >> a top defense official accused of misconduct, and michelle obama odd denies claims that she has been battling her husband's top aides at the white house. >> we're broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the world. this is "newsday."

hello again. an arab league observer in syria has resigned, describing the mission there as a farce and accusing the authorities in damascus of committing war crimes. nine people including a french to journalists have been killed in a central city. our correspondent reports from neighboring turkey. >> explosions, then chaos. the residents have adored it fear of blood shed for many months. few foreign journalists have shared that fear. now a french reporter has lost his life in a mortar attack, adding to a death toll that exceeds 5000. there were many other casualties. gilles jacquier was a veteran of

many foreign countries, and his death underlines that there is no safety in today's syria. we may never know who fired the shell that killed him. the violence has only gotten worse since an arab league monitoring mission arrived last month. there were supposed to confirm the syrian government's fulfillment of promises they made to stop shooting and pull back their troops. but that has not happened, and now one of the team has given up in disgust. >> i stepped down because i felt i was serving the syrian regime. i did not feel like i belong to an independent body monitoring the situation. that is why i step down. i was giving the regime a greater chance to continue their killing and i cannot prevent that. >> u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton applaud the efforts of the arab league, but suggested its initiative in syria is running out of steam.

the colleagues seem to agree. >> we cannot accept to allow the situation as it is in syria and people being killed by their own government. i think it is the arab responsibility and also an international responsibility in the end. right now, the government is not helping us, the syrian government is not helping us. >> president hassani made his second public appearance this week, this time before a huge crowd in damascus. once again, he was defiant, offering no compromise with the protesters, dashing the hopes of the arab league and many other states that there can be negotiated and to this conflict -- end to this conflict. >> robert is a former u.s.

department official responsible for near eastern affairs and gave me his opinion on the escalating violence in syria. >> it is becoming more intense and the president is taking offensive. he gave a defiant speech next -- yesterday, and i think his visit to the square today was also an act of defiance, to tell the world i am staying here, i'm moving forward as i have been proceeding, and the arab league can do what it likes. >> away from the personal tragedy, the death of the french tv cameraman, what significance does that moment have, do you think? >> it appears that he was on a government-sponsored tour, and right now we have the government and opposition each accusing the other for the killing. both can support their narratives.

the president keeps accusing terrorists of trying to thwart the situation in syria, and having an attack on a government-sponsored tour would support that. conversely, it would be easy to see that the regime one attack its -- that the regime would attack its visit and kill the journalists. it is brittle and miscalculated, which characterizes the difference between the president and his father. heat packs recklessly and miscalculates. his father was a shrewd and knew how to handle a situation brutally. >> anti-government protesters have told us they did not believe the arab mission. is there presence going to stop the violence? it clearly has not yet, but will it? >> no, to the contrary, the

presence of the monitors has increased the violence. it is estimated 40 people have been killed per day since the era of the monitors arrived the day after christmas -- since the arab league monitors arrived the day after christmas. their presence has increased the violence and are being prevented from doing their work. originally, the syrian government agree to them bringing in 500 observers, and so far they have only allowed 150 into the country. they are tightly monitored, the monitors that is, and they're not able to do much. another top nuclear scientist has been killed in iran? >> that is right, washington has involved any involvement in the death of the scientist, who was killed when two motorcycles attached a magnetic bond to his car, -- a magnetic bomb to his car.

>> this is how the careers of iran's nuclear scientists sometimes end. this morning, the scientist cannot even make it out of his car. >> it was about 7:00 in the morning. i was taking a taxi to work and i heard a blast. i told the driver to speed up. later, a person told me that a person on a motorbike attached a bomb to the car. >> he was a supervisor at the uranium enrichment facility in central iran. nobody has claimed his killing, and in a covert campaign, nobody ever does. israel's military chief said that iran could expect a natural events in 2012. this may be the first. one of iran's main suspects said it had nothing to do with the attack. >> i want to categorically deny

any united states involvement in any kind of act of violence inside iran. >> this morning's attack is the latest in a series of bombings and explosions in iran. two years ago, a civics professor was killed as he left for work. in november, 2010, motorcyclists bomb to two prominent nuclear scientists and capital. and it ought to go, a large explosion killed 17 soldiers at -- and earlier this year, a large explosion killed 17 soldiers at a military base. iran said they would not be put off, a point they made. they hide their worries behind displays of power. >> the more that iran moves in the direction of developing these weapons, the closer we get to more course of actions. more course our actions. >> iran's governments can

survive attacks on its nuclear scientist, but its nuclear activities are also prompting sanctions against valuable oil exports. for iranian leaders, that is a much more serious threat. the u.s. treasury secretary timothy geithner will put pressures on iran over its nuclear ambitions. fresh american sanctions target iran's oil industry, which supplies japan with 10% of their oil needs. for more on this issue, we're joined from singapore by the senior vice president and director of the energy consultancy company. thank you for joining us, john. what cannot support will the americans get from the international community, in particular three of asia's top economies -- china, japan, and india? >> they will get more support than in the past.

the u.s. has never reported iranian crude for over two decades, and they're trying to expand and that to more poor countries, including india, china, and japan, and they're getting some degree of cooperation in all of those places. >> what do the americans and european countries want? did it want to close the oil pass, or just squeeze them? >> up until now, the american sanctions avoided crude because they did not want to disrupt oil on the markets. if they close things completely, there is not enough crude to supply the missing oil and it gives iran no known incentive to cooperate. >> what does that mean for global supply? >> what i think will happen is we will get some reduction of output, perhaps some reduction of price because they cannot sell for a high price.

we are looking for some support on prices. we're seeing some strengthening out in part because of the situation, and hopefully that continues. >> is there a chance the u.s. will win support of china and japan? >> i think they will get support. how much is another question. i don't think the japanese or chinese could turn off the tap. the japanese are more likely to do that. the chinese are more likely to reduce it. they have reduced their iranian crude volumes already this year. >> what if the sanctions materialize and we see a shortage of iranian oil in the international markets? will iran still be able to market and sell their embargoed oil to other countries? >> it is very difficult to squeeze things off completely. the u.s. is trying to look at how the money gets back to iran. there will be another way for the money to flow, but it will

be more difficult and in smaller volumes. i will see a reduction in volume, not the complete elimination. >> was all an iranian embargo from 1979 to 1981. prices went down because iran was able to sell their oil to other key customers. >> other places to take the oil, smaller markets, less desirable markets, more difficult to get them the money. that is what we expect. >> thank you, sir, for your insights. a bangladeshi tribunal has jailed the head of a party, pending a trial on charges he responsible for crimes against humanity during the country's war for independence 40 years ago. he is accused of alleged war crimes and atrocities, including killings and rapes. he is almost 90 years old and is set to be in poor health.

nike said it will pay over $1 million to their workers in asia for two years worth of overtime. this comes after year of negotiations between the companies and trade reunions -- trade unions. this reflects overtime over the past two years to over 4000 workers. china has warned the united states not to interfere in a religious affairs. they have insisted they respect the basic rights of ethnic minorities, including their religious beliefs. you are watching "newsday," live on the bbc. still to come, the cold war and the korean peninsula, a special report on the south and its military. and haiti's prime minister tells the bbc how his country is recovering from the earthquake. four people have been shot

dead in the north of nigeria. eight people were killed, including police officers tuesday night, and across nigeria at the unions are continuing their strike over fuel prices. >> day 3 of the strike that has brought most businesses in the country to a standstill. the stakes have been raised on both sides. today, there were talks of a gradual process that could lead to the slowing of oil production in the country. unionized workers said are actively shutting down the oil output. nigeria is africa's leading oil producer and one of the largest in the world. if the strikers are successful in during oil exports, it could bring the economy to its knees and have an effect on global oil prices. politicians have ratcheted up the pressure on protesters.

the message from the rallies is the fuel subsidy must be reinstated, but it is also a platform for people to vent their theory on other issues, resources and the hands of too few and far too basic infrastructure. the reason, they say, is corruption. this is the leader of the radical islamic group. it is the first such video released after the bombings of churches in december that killed at least 25 people. he rejects president good luck jonathan's remarks. in a chilling warning, he said his forces are far more powerful than the state's. in the past two weeks, at least 15 people have been killed in the country. president good luck jonathan faces battles on two fronts.

this is "newsday," on the bbc. >> these are the headlines -- an arab league observer in syria resigns as more rocket attacks leave nine dead, including the first foreign journalist. >> iran accuses israel and the west of a secret war, another iranian scientist is killed. pakistan's prime minister has fired his defense secretary and accused him of gross misconduct, a move that is an arranged army and comes out -- has enraged the army. it has increased fears of more instability in pakistan, as daniel griffith reports. >> heading for a showdown with politicians? that scenario came a step closer tuesday after the prime minister sacked the defense secretary.

he is this man, a former soldier with close ties to the military. officially, he has been fired for gross misconduct and the legal actions, but this is the latest incident in a growing fight between the government and army that centers on this unsigned memo leaked in october. it appears to show pakistan's civilian leadership asking the west for direct intervention to help weaken pakistan's armed forces. the sacking of the defense secretary will only add to the tensions. pakistan's prime minister has defended his decision. >> tell me when we have not stood by our military and the past. as far as the rules of business are concerned, there should be no violation. >> the army has warned of grievous consequences, fuelling speculation in the media and on the streets at what happens next. >> if anything unconstitutional

happens, it will be wrong and push the country towards instability. it will create more problems. pakistan already has some any problems. if the constitution is not followed, the consequences could be very bad. >> the controversy is nothing new, but there is no sign of how or when the latest standoff will end. south korean analysts have warned of what they have called the military eggs adventurism -- military adventurism from north korea. officials in the south have focused on the country's military readiness. our correspondent has been out with south korean special forces. >> on south korea's snowy peaks, special forces are training, as they do every year, to infiltrate their communist neighbor. this drill simulates a risky mission, but it also be used in

the event of an all-out war behind enemy lines inside north korea. the countries have never signed a peace deal and there are regular military clashes along the line of demarcation. with the sudden change of power in north korea last month, the forces have been placed on higher alert. >> in the wake of kim jong- death, nobody can anticipate will happen, but we have to be prepared. the best we can do is be ready. >> north korea over the past few weeks has. their army and public squares. south korea at with fewer soldiers is offering a different image, a military that it once to be slim and strong, relied more on skills than simple numbers. it is rare to be allowed to get

this close to special korean -- south korea's special forces, but this art -- this is a new time. the sudden change in leadership in north korea has meant pressure to prove they are fully prepared. even the soldiers have to begin with the basics. first-class military skiing, for beginners. south korea relies on, scripps. every male citizen it is meant to serve for two years, a steady supply of cheap soldiers, but it also means that few of them have much experience. as south griot watches the signs of military changed -- as south korea watches the signs of military change across the border, they are still training. it is two years now since the devastating earthquake in haiti. >> yes, january, 2010, and magnitude 7 earthquake hit the central american country and killed thousands of people,

decimating 1.5 million homers -- homeowners. many are still without living in camps. -- many are still living in camps, and they were demanding new homes and hardship many are facing. the question was, what has changed since the earthquake? >> things are changing and moving. the last three months, we have moved people out of the camps. now, we go buy some parts that two months ago it was just tents and people, and today there are kids playing soccer, playing basketball. we are ready to move. >> what you say to the people who were living and the camps

who you have not identified as a priority for moving people out of? >> they are a priority. >> how long can you say that? >> it is not like having a magic stick and here is what i wish i can do. across the world, we need of funds, and we need to identify and rehabilitate the homes and neighborhoods these people will be moving into before we can just jump into decisions. we want to move fast, but we also want to do with it right. >> billions of dollars was pledged to haiti in the wake of the earthquake. how much of that money has been spent? >> well, if we had to talk about this, it would be a very long story. after today, haitians are not aware that much of what was

allocated. there is rumored that all of the money pledged to haiti, one cent on every dollar was given to the haitian government. so if we want to go back and complain, we lose more time. >> what is the priority now? >> right now, we have started sending kids to school free. although we understand to develop haiti, you need faster roads, we also believe it is time to help haitians. michelle obama has challenged that account of her in the white house that appeared in a new book. she also denied that she had been battling her husband's top aides and the white house. steve kingston reports. >> she is a trend setter, role model, and working mother.

but what does michelle obama really think about life in the white house? speaking with cbs news, she dismissed claims she had been on unhappy. >> i love this job. there are challenges about being a mother, and i worry about that. if there is any anxiety, it is because i want to make sure my girls come out on the other end of this whole, but me and barack are grown ups. all the ups and downs, we take it on. >> she granted the interview as a new book was making waves in washington. written by a "new york times journalist," it said that relations were strained between the first letter and her husband's closest advisers. it is a claim that she denies. >> that has been an image that people have tried to paint of me

since the day that barack announced, that i am some angry black woman. >> how do you deal with that image? >> i just try to be me, and my hope is over time people get to know me. there will always be people who will be disappointed. there will always be people who do not like me, ever. >> does that bother you? >> no. >> the book also says the first lady discovered a sense of mission in london when she was received by schoolgirls during a visit on the sidelines of a summit. now she looks relaxed and confident, ready to be at his side for another four years if that is what america decides. you have been watching "newsday," from the bbc. >> just a quick reminder of our main news -- a member of the arab league observer mission in syria has resigned, citing the

mission there as a farce. i >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was 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 the bestseller by 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. >> "tinker tailor soldier spy." rated r. >> bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles.