>> 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, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions in 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." a special report from a rebel-held suburbs of damascus as the united nations debates peace plans for syria. at least 100 killed by faulty medicines and pakistan. if we meet those demanding answers. a two-year trial of burglary and theft, but the law finally catches up with the barefoot bandit. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, stovall collapsed roof tops and brinks transport to a halt -- snowfall collapses rooftops and brings transport to a halt. and what makes for a great olympic ceremony? we speak with people who know.

hello. the united nations security council has been discussing a draft resolution designed to end months of violence and syria. activists inside the country estimate more than what other people have died in the past two days alone. the new resolution backs and arab league peace plan to set up a national unity government. we have this report from a damascus suburb, where it appears that the grip of the saw the government -- of the president sought government is weakening. >> we had no idea what we would find in the suburbs of damascus. we frownefound the free syrian y securing this poor district. they said they were protecting the people who were about to hold a funeral.

they look well established, with sandbags and firing positions. everyone was on edge. for 10 months, the regime's forces have been cracking down hard on private coalitions. this commander said he was a general and the syrian government forces. and man interrupted to pray for the free army. hen, something no one wanted to hear. don't be afraid, said the general, our resistance is strong. some of them got ready to fight. stay with me, he said, don't be afraid. sentries were sending information by phone. all seem to know what their jobs were, moving into position and moving into the suburbs

before the funeral got started. [chanting] it felt as if every man and the town was there. a big sendoff for a person who had been killed by the security forces. across syria, funerals are a focus for opposition. they chanted, oh, god, you are all we have. itgod, we are your men -- god, we are your men. this suburb is just out of the control of president assad. the only way that he can enforce his authority here is by sending an men and using guns and bullets. and for a moment, that is what they thought was about to

happen. it shows the tension, even with the free syrian army close by. it is time for us to go. he warned about snipers. getting out was not easy. the free army controls a surprisingly big area and its surroundings. all of this does not mean the president is about to fall. he has his own strong support and heavy weapons, but the regime's forces cannot be everywhere at once, and the power of the opposition is growing. that is what is happening on the ground. our u.n. correspondent has more on the diplomatic efforts taking place in new york. >> this resolution the security council is discussing would throw its weight behind the arab league peace plan for syria, and a crucial bit of that is the arab call for the president to hand power to his deputies to

oversee a political transition. that is one of the sticking points because some countries such as russia say this sounds a lot like regime change imposed from outside. there is concern from the others this could at open the door, the resolution, to u.n. sanctions, and they are opposed to that strongly. western nations emphasize this is an initiative from the arabs, from the region, and it deserves support for the security council. that is what the german ambassador was saying. >> we underline and contrast that our philosophy, that we perceive as the major approach of the sponsors of this resolution that was ably brought about by our moroccan colleague was arab ownership to resolve the syrian crisis and strong security council support for the

arab efforts. >> while the syrian ambassador was very dismissive, he said this was not an arab league plan, this was the plan of some arab states that are high style towards syria and would do -- and who would hijack the initiative towards their own and. he accused them of a campaign of disinformation to the media. >> since this is the united nations, since this organization is about states, then stop following youtube rumors, stop building a force arsenal of information that is aiming at misleading the international organizations, the international community, and the media. >> next week, senior arab league officials will be coming to the

security council, and countries will ask what the arab intention is. russia has said they will engage with the process, despite their misgivings. western nations said it will intensify negotiations on the draft resolution. we will see that if there is room enough for compromise to finally get action from the security council on syria. andrew is from the washington institute of near east policy. the violence has worsened since the arab league observers arrived. >> president passat is not -- president besotted is not responding to the diplomacy. he has promised superficially to reform. the west has responded to the same thing, diplomacy and action of the security council blocked by russia. each side really has not changed, and each side has not changed its behavior.

of course, the crisis continues and people continue to die. >> we know that russia and china are effectively blocking the u.n. security council's unanimous decision. is there any point in the future where possibly the words "any means necessary" could be used by the security council, which means using force to stop the violence? >> no, not that kind of language. there could be language talking about placing or considering sanctions on syria, but that would even be a stretch. u.s. diplomats and western european diplomats have been working on this for days. they have been talking with the russians. we have to wait and see what happens as they vote next tuesday. it does not look good, and ironically, with the failure of this diplomacy, it has invigorated talks about intervention in policy circles,

and that is currently what is being debated in washington and beyond. >> arab nations themselves are split on using force to end the violence. if they were unanimous, could that make a difference, could that change russian and chinese mines? >> yes, it could, but they're not gone to be because a lot of non and to it -- because 11 non will oppose stronger language. -- lebanon will oppose stronger language. in the end, will cut of resolution we will get to stop the killing, it is clear his mind set from his interviews, from his continued action. assad is a man who is bent on trying to basically stamp out this uprising inside of syria, and the only thing that will clearly clear the streets is a political solution, which he is not willing to offer.

in egypt, dozens of protesters stormed the syrian embassy, briefly occupying the building. they smashed windows before they were taken away by security officials. the occupation came as thousands of egyptians once again flocked into cairo's square to mark the anniversary of the day of rage, an important milestone in the egyptian uprising. iraqi officials say that nearly 32 people died after a bombing. half of the victims were police officers. 65 others were injured. what is assayed the blast was caused by a suicide bomber driving a car -- witnesses say the blast was caused by a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives. an organization of writers condemned the attacks in mexico. a call for an end to the killing of journalists, impunity, and intimidation.

in pakistan, the scandal surrounding faulty. medications has claimed more lives. more than 100 people have died since december. five pharmaceutical firms are under investigation, one of those had previously lost its license for truck production. -- lost its license for drug production. >> grief for beloved father and grandfather, the latest in a loss of life from the drugs that have caused so much grief. relatives from pakistan and britain gathered today to say a last bid by -- a last goodbye. >> he was smiling until the day he passed away. he always said, i'm fine, don't worry about me, always happy, never complained once in those

days he was in the hospital. >> it was the port received the suspect drugs. 46,000 needy patients. they got the tablets here, the institute for cardiology in december. within weeks, some were dying. initially, doctors suspected and the fever, not faulty drugs. patients were not warned until january 11. >> we have learned our lesson. god forbid it again, we will be much better next time. >> many patients have died. am i know. that could have been saved? -- >> i know. >> could at any have been saved? that we acted as quickly as possible. >> not quickly enough to spare these casualties and a crowd at war across town. doctors say these patients are improving, but could be weeks or

months before they recover. for now, all they can do is treat their symptoms because they do not know the exact cause of their illness. the suspect heart drugs are being and last -- are being analyzed at laboratories abroad. they're calling for answers and justice. one man gave us his prescription. the drug companies have left them bedridden. >> they should hang them publicly and squares like they do in saudi arabia. the patients who died let children behind. what will happen to them? >> those left behind, like the relatives of this person, wonder if anyone will ever be held to account. justice can be elusive here, especially for the poor. doctors warn this tragedy could

be repeated because of lack of regulation and because state hospitals are compelled to buy the cheapest drugs. this time, they were cheap enough to kill. violence has broken out in the capital of senegal after the constitutional court's ruled the president can run a third term. hundreds of protesters stoned police, who responded with tear gas. the president, who is 85, has already served the maximum two terms. the amendment was passed since it was last elected. six months to go before the start of the 2012 olympics, we look at the preparations taking place for the opening ceremony in london.

to south sudan, or just six months after declaring independence, the government says they will completely shut down oil production in just two days. they need to run their oil through their northern neighbors pipelines. there has been a major dispute. we have this report from the sudanese capital of khartoum. >> this standoff is already being called an oil war. last week, south sudan said they would stop oil production after accusing saddam of stealing their oil. both sides were not able to agree how much the new country should pay in transit fees. south sudan gained independence last year, but issues like the borders, citizenship, and oil were not resolved. the main oil producing regions are near the border, but about three-quarters of the oil fields are in south sudan.

as a landlocked country, south sudan depends on its neighbor to transport the oil to the coast where it can be shipped. the longer to the dispute continues, the more tension grew. here in the capital, the economy needs the money. in south sudan, oil accounts for 90% of the budget. -- 98% of the budget. the euphoria of independence has not last that long. south sudan's decision to shut down production has gained support and country, but there are clearly tough economic times ahead. during the long years of war, the south sudanese people manage without oil revenues and they can do it again. that was the gist of the president's message. others fear if there is no agreement on oil, sedan and south sudan could drift into another conflict. and south sudan could

drift into another conflict. this is "bbc world news." these are the headlines -- as violence continues in syria, russia says it cannot support the u.n. resolution that calls for president assad that to stand out. and number of people killed by contaminated heart medicines and pakistan is about 100. the victims are mostly poor patients who received free drugs from a state run hospital. the italian company that owns the capsized cruise ship coasted concordat has offered passengers about 11,000 euros each for psychological fallout and lost baggage. they have also promised to refund medical and transport expenses as well as the cost of the cruise. many say is too soon to tell what is reasonable compensation. >> the cruise ship has just capsized, and now each of those

tiny figures is scrambling for their lives. terrified women, children, old people, all hoping they will reach the boats. out of sight, down in the dark flooded text of the hall, -- of the hull, some passengers are drowning. at least 16 people will die. scenes from earlier, the ship only starting to sink, but already the faces tell the story. people realizing that disaster is coming. now all the drama is over, but if you had been on that ship, if you had lived through that night, how much compensation do you think you deserve? the cruise operator is offering 11,000 euros, just over 9,000 pounds. >> there are 3000 passengers, and they should take advantage of this offer. the big thing is they could get

an immediate response and incur no legal expenses. they can put this whole thing behind them. >> italians remained fascinated by this story, and today they watched the ship's operators trying to deal with the compensation question as fast as possible. the company will be desperate for its passengers to accept its offer because it knows that around the world, lawyers are urging survivors to press for much, much more money. >> we are very keen to ensure that our clients receive full compensation for their claims, and that needs to be carefully assessed, and it is too early to do that assessment at this stage. >> the costa concordia's disastrous final voyage only lasted a few hours, but for her operators, at a much longer journey through the courts may lie ahead. the man who has become known

as the barefoot bandit has been jailed for a two-year spree of break-ins and thefts. they chased him across the united states and canada. the federal judge sentenced him to 6.5 years. prosecutors say that he stole cars, boats, and planes, before he was caught in the bahamas. we have more details from los angeles. >> it was an extraordinary crime spree, lasting two years. he was known as the barefoot bandit because on occasion, he did not wear shoes when he carried out his crimes. he even left footprints and an outline around the footprints on the ground for the authorities to find. and he stole boats and cars and airplanes. what he crisscrossed the united states, five single engine aircraft. it was the final one that he crash landed before he was finally caught, and that was a dramatic scene in the middle of

the night. he was about to escape again on a fast boat, and the police caught up with him and actually shot into the engine of the boat to stop him. that is when he surrendered. >> did the judge give any indication that he was taking into account his age? he is just a teenager. >> he was, and that is all the more remarkable, he was in his late teens when all of this happened. he took five aircraft and he did not have any formal training as a pilot. he was self-taught. the judge did not say he was taking his age into account, but almost seemed to have sympathy for him. he had a very challenging childhood, which in alcoholic mother, and he has expressed some remorse. he spoke in court to say that he was remorseful, effectively sorry, but he has also been accused of bragging about what he did, describing his feats as

amazing. some emails were released where he seemed to write in some detail about what he did. snowstorms and subzero temperatures in parts of southeastern europe, leaving at least one person dead and thousands more without power. the blizzard have also cost of travel chaos, as daniel griffith reports. >> sweeping across southeastern europe, blizzards and subzero temperatures. much of the region is going nowhere. some areas are now under meters of snow. trouble but all -- travel all but impossible. at the airport, many flights were canceled, train services disrupted. conditions on the roads are not much better. many are impassable. some drivers stranded, others simply gave up. emergency services are facing a huge challenge.

the snow has been falling in some areas for weeks. we have a state of oregon state employees from when the snow started to fall, now it is more than three weeks. we are helping people and bringing them food and medicine. there is little prospect of an improvement, with more snow forecast. an aide to the australian prime minister has been dismissed. it emerged that he leaked information to aboriginal protesters which resulted in scuffles with the police. he is said to have told the protesters out thought of australian parliament the opposition leader was eating in the same restaurant. the protesters marched on the restaurant, forcing the police to rush both politicians to safety. the opening ceremonies of the london olympics are just six months away. the showcase event will be called the isles of wonder. it will involve 15,000

volunteers, the largest bell anywhere in europe, and a group of british nurses. >> the opening ceremony of the beijing politics was a statement from the chinese hosts, but it was also a question -- how do you follow this? the man in charge of london's opening ceremonies gave us an answer. the theme will be the isles of wonder, a history of british revolution and innovation. >> you could already feel what was unique about the stadium was the intimacy. is the same number of people as beijing, but it is half the footprint. they are concentrated on just making it a stadium of people. the architecture is people. we won at the ceremony to reflect that intimacy, not just be an extraordinary spectacle, but for the people in the stadium that it would be to have a good laugh. >> the shape of the athletes'

village is much more clear. the competitors accommodations have been delivered on time and on budget. these will be the homes for all 16,000 competitors and coaches and managers and doctors. >> i'm relaxed because i know the best team of people have been assembled to deliver this complex pressure project is complex project. they are here, we have made the right decisions, but we have a mountain of work. >> london's appearance at the beijing ceremony was widely seen as setting are so low that was practically subterranean. now with the opening and closing shows doubled, the ambition could be scarcely higher. two canadian teenagers have sent a lego man into the stratosphere. it was fitted with cameras that recorded every minute of the 90- minute trip.

15 miles high traveled above the earth, then a landing safely back on solid ground. -- and landing safely back on solid ground. >> 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. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions in 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? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.