>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu focus features newman's own foundation and union bank. >> at union bank, our to know your business. offering specialized solutions and capital to meet your growth 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 "news the" -- "newsday" on the bbc. the u.s. military says they have identified two of the four marines who were filmed urinating on taliban fighters. the huge profits from afghanistan's opium trade. india marks a year without a single recorded new case of polio. >> broadcasting to our viewers on pbs and around the world, this is "newsday."

>> the american military has identified at least two of the four marines saying urinating on the corpses of taliban fighters. american and afghan officials have called the video deplorable. the defense and secretaries of state have called this deplorable. >> this is an appalling violation. in this video, a small group of marines gather around the bodies of dead afghans and urinate on them. this harms america's attempt to rebuild its image in the islamic world. the military officials have told the bbc at least two of the marines have been identified. they are believed to be based

in north carolina. the condemnation has been universal. >> this is absolutely inconsistent with american values, with the standards of behavior that we expect from our military personnel and that is the vast majority of our military personnel, particularly our marines, hold themselves to. >> this is not the first time the troops have been accused of breaching the rules of war. they are investigating it and going to punish those responsible. containing the damage to their reputation is harder. this man says that u.s. troops have committed a crime and should leave the country. the president has demanded an investigation. the biggest fear is that this will damage the talk of peace talks with insurgents but the taliban says that the political process is separate and still stands. tens of thousands of american troops have served in

afghanistan and iraq over the past 10 years. there have been times of excess and moments of abuse. we asked one military veteran to look at the video. >> the sort of things happen in combat. they're not supposed to happen. you are in a position in work where you have to kill people and you have to very quickly make that decision. >> whatever the fact of this case, it will harm america's regimentation overseas -- reputation overseas. america has reduced numbers in afghanistan and pulled troops out of iraq. they're trying to deal with the damage but do not expect any change in policy. >> there is news of another legal issue involving u.s. armed

forces. the military is suggesting a court-martial for bradley manning. reasonable grounds are present to say that he did commit what he is accused of. >> he is serving in iraq and he is accused of taking classified documents and leaking them to the website, wikileaks. this includes classified cables and what are called the warlocks. he is accused of taking and leaking a video that shows a helicopter attack in iraq. he has been in custody in a military facility since he was arrested and now he has been facing what is called an

article 32 hearing. this is whether he should stand trial. the hearing, the priding lost the presiding officer has recommended that bradley manning should face a full court martial. -- the presiding officer has recommended that bradley manning face a full court martial. if he's found guilty, he could face life in military confinement. >> members of the british secret services work implicit in the torture of two men. prosecutors say that the claims associated to be examined now. no charges were brought against and my-5 and am i-six officers -- has no charges were brought against mi-5 and mi-6 officers.

>> they have been investigating whether the officers were criminally involved. there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone. they claim to that mi-5 officers have questioned him between bouts of torture in pakistan. this will be met with relief at the domestic security services. it just down the river, the news is not so good. one case against them has been closed but today, we have two new high-profile investigations. both of those center on libya. intelligence files after the fall of tripoli last year revealed that mi-6 played a role

in the transfer of a suspect and his wife. the intelligence behind a transfer was british. a man said that he was hung from his wrists and beaten in libya. >> what happens to me is illegal and it deserves an apology. >> the prosecution service said the allegations in this and the other case where so serious that it was in the public interest for them to be investigated by the police. >> both of these men were kidnapped with their wives. they were taken to gaddafi said

he could torture them. you cannot avoid the fact that you were deeply involved. >> speaking just over a year ago, the chief of mi-6 said that torture was not part of his organization's business. >> we have nothing whatsoever to do it. if you believe that action by nestle's to torture taking place, we are required to avoid that action. >> britain's involvement in what has occurred is now under police investigation. that could delay a planned government inquiry and no one knows for sure where the trail will lead. >> we have some breaking news from tokyo and the prime minister is reshuffling his cabinet. is looking to gain more support from the opposition as he attempts to raise the sales tax.

the he only took power in september. he is the sixth prime minister in five years. it has been a year of profit for anyone involved in afghanistan's opium trade. there has been a big increase in the price of afghan opium. the income received grew by 133%. we have more now from cnn. >> united nations says there has been a dramatic increase in be price and production of afghan opium. the latest report by the u.n. office will make worrying reading printed it says that opium farmers probably earned more than $1.4 billion in 2011.

that is equivalent to 9% of afghanistan's gdp. there has also pinned a big increase in opium production. prices began rising in 2010 after diseases wiped out much of the poppy crop. as a result, higher prices were predicted in 2011. many farmers said they want to plant more opium poppies because of the high prices. u.n. officials say that opium is a significant part of the afghan economy which funds the insurgency. at around 90% of the world's opium comes from afghanistan and the claims tens of thousands of lives every year.

>> indian health officials say the country has been free of new cases for a year. the world health organization this tribes the statistics in the milestone to eradicate polio. it was one of the most deadly diseases of the 20 century. 8 particularly affected children. 8 -- a vaccine was discovered in the 1950's. in the late 1980's, it was intimate in many countries. a concerted effort was made to battle polio. in 2009, 739 indians fell sick with the disease. the following year, that figure fell to 42 and now it has gone down to this area. afghanistan and nigeria still

have an endemic problem. we're speaking now with the project manager at the national police surveillance project. how did the country makes a much progress in eradicating polio in india? >> it has been a long battle. we have had the mobilization of resources. also, we have had high quality surveillance and monitoring.

>> there are major challenges going forward. what needs to be done to keep these polio cases where they at -- where they are at? >> they can be eliminated. they can come back into india. india is already at a high level. we have the vaccines to make sure that if needed, anyone coming in, we can vaccinate them.

>> thank you so much for joining us. you are watching "newsday" on the bbc. the voters in taiwan, do they want to cozy up to beijing or give it the cold shoulder? the transplantation of vital organs to hospital. burma may have moved closer to an easing of international sanctions by signing a ceasefire credit with the karen rebels. -- a cease-fire agreement with the karen rebels. >> it is just a photograph but it could come to symbolize so much. burmese government ministers and

karen rebel leaders are raising their glasses and toasted the future. they have been fighting on and off for more than 600 years. a long and difficult struggle. human-rights groups have accused soldiers of a litany of abuses perpetrated against many of the ethnic minorities. could that be coming to an end? there is a legacy of deep mistrust to be overcome. resolving the long-running ethnic conflict is a key demand of western nations that the british foreign secretary made clear during his recent visit to burma. the opposition leader stressed the need for all the peoples of burma to be included in the evolving process. the early signs of reform from the government are encouraging, she said, in a recent speech. the outside world should remain vigilant. >> now that burma is on the verge of a breakthrough to

democracy, they are on the verge of making a break through. in the major cities, the hope is replacing long-term fear. that needs to spread throughout the country to all ethnic areas if they want to enjoy it peace and prosperity. the cease-fire might be a small but significant step towards that. >> u.s. military says that it has identified at least two of these marines seen in a video apparently urinating on the corpses of a taliban fighters. an investigation will be launched into whether the secret service was the implicit in the

torture of two libyan men. taiwanese voters go to the polls to elect their leaders. >> the president is running for reelection. there are improving relations with beijing. his main opponent is one about going too fast. >> getting a taste of taiwan. sales of the store have gone up 10 times since they opened the stores to china. thousands of chinese tourists flood in too much day. flood into the stores each day.

-- a flood into the storage each day. >> we're worried that our industry will be affected. that is a lot of money worth investing. so, we support our candidate. >> he has adopted a friendly approach towards china, shipping links, and trade unions. now he wants four more years in office to further ties and possibly reach a peace treaty. the president has brought taiwan closer to china that has been in 50 years. many feared that it would take taiwan down a path of return. standing in his way is the leader of the opposition. for supporters like this, taiwan

is its own country with a distinct culture. to her, this is taiwanese, not chinese food, she thinks that the opposition group will prevent taiwan from being swallowed up by china. >> she will protect the sovereignty. she makes me feel that we will not become part of another country. that is what i care about the most. we definitely don't want to be a part of china. >> she is new to politics but her grass-roots campaign has managed to tap into widespread frustrations about the economy. there is discontent over low wages and high prices. too would become the first female president. >> -- she would become the first

female president. >> negotiations led by the nigerian president are resuming on saturday in the wake of a general strike in the oil industry. the industrial action began four days ago. they said it was up oil and gas production unless the government reinstates fuel subsidies. this has more than doubled the price of petrol in nigeria and brought protests across the country. iran's parliament speaker has accepted the turkish offer of talks. the announcement comes days after it denied nations confirmed that tehran was producing 20% in rich uranium. the election campaign website of the russian prime minister has

been flooded with calls for his resignation. they blamed the messages on a hacking attack and they have been removed. this follows the wake of unsuccessful protests against the prime minister. three people have been killed and dozens more injured in clashes in the east of the country. local residents confronted police which follows a decision by a judge to reinstate the local mayor despite allegations of corruption. a former member of the british foreign -- royal family has fallen afoul of the authorities. >> they are laying charges against the duchess of york, sarah ferguson, for secretly filming orphanages in turkey.

she was accused in absentia of violating the privacy of five children. the duchess would face a maximum term of 22 and a half years in prison. chris was part of an undercover team that accompanied at the dutchess which made the film in 2008. he has also been charged by the turkish authorities with the invasion of privacy and trespassing. >> i went to a number of investigations and remain here in 2006 just before they were about to join the european union. one of the conditions was too improve the situation for the children. sarah ferguson wanted to do something about it and campaign. to do that, she won a credibility. she wanted to see the situation firsthand. she bravely agreed to join me and the undercover team to

remain here and revisit some of those orphanages. she also went to turkey, another country that would like to become part of the eu. one of the conditions is to improve its human-rights record. but we found were abhorred conditions for thousands of disabled turkish children who had been placed where -- placed there by their parents. >> a team of medical workers in mexico were caught on camera trying to rush aid donor heart for a transplant. it did not go according to plan. >> this was done unusually tense journey. they have precious cargo on board. on this journey across the country, on a private jet.

they went towards the clinic where the life of a 20-year-old woman waits for the arrival. then, a helicopter. this was with heart stopping accuracy. they don't have far to go. how could such a carefully planned journey go so wrong? the vital organ is brought back up and then worry damage may have been done, the dax shares -- the doctors sprint the final few hundred meters. the man who was caring and then dropped the heart, said it was a bit scary. it was protected in three layers of plastic. now, an operation similar to this one has made the journey

worthwhile. >> the foreign minister probably had his heart in his mouth when he bungee jump off of the bridge. he was trying to prove that this is still safe because of an accident on new year's eve in which a bungee jumpers line snapped during her diet. -- her dive. this is something that i never want to experience. you have been watching "newsday" from the bbc. >> the american military says it has identified two of the four marines in the video that shows them urinating on the corpses of taliban fighters. u.s. officials have decried this

as utterly deplorable. >> make sense of international news. bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation 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 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.