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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> terror alert on capitol hill. police in washington are arresting and they said was but a suicide bombing. authorities in italy seized fake u.s. treasury bonds worth trillions of dollars. rupert murdoch is launching a new the sunday newspaper. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. a dutch prince is buried by an avalanche and seriously injured. living below the poverty line in russia, we have a special report how the economy is affecting the needy in siberia.

police in at the united states have arrested a man they say was planning to designate what he thought were explosives near the u.s. congress building. officials said a man of moroccan descent was the perpetrator. >> a few meters away, the parking garage where amine el khalifi was arrested. he believed he was wearing explosives from al qaeda. in fact, it was harmless. it was all part of an elaborate sting operation involving agents that have been on a 10 him for more than a year. -- had been monitoring him for more than a year. he appeared in court in virginia charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and intending to detonate a bomb and shoot people.

if convicted, he faces life in prison. this is the latest in a series of similar fbi operations in washington in recent years. officials say that at no time was there a threat to the public or the u.s. congress. >> italian police have seized fake u.s. treasury bonds worth six trillion dollars in what they believe is the internet -- the biggest international counterfeit operation of its kind. the amount is half of the entire u.s. national debt. 8 people have been arrested. >> they are calling this the largest ever seizure of its kind, fake u.s. treasury bonds worth a staggering six trillion dollars. enough, the italian prosecutors say, to endanger the stability of the international credit system. it has emerged they were found in these trunks in a warehouse

in zurich back in january. using phone tap information, the italian police helped their swiss colleagues make the find. this was a sophisticated plot that unfolded across several countries. the italian authorities began unraveling it more than a year ago. they were investigating a mafia groups suspected of loan sharking. fake u.s. bonds were found in a raid on a suspect's home and suddenly the police realized that the gang had the grandest ambitions. >> a bomb blast in northwest pakistan has killed at least 24 people. more than 40 people were injured in the explosion. local officials said that the blast was caused by suicide bomber targeting shia muslims.

german president christian wulff has resigned. he said that confidence in him had been damaged. he claimed that he had always acted honorably. rupert murdoch has confronted the growing crisis within his empire by telling staff that he is launching a new sunday newspaper. the announcement comes after he was forced to close the news of the world because of the phone hacking scandal. he told journalists that a sunday version would be appearing very soon and that the tabloid was one of his proudest achievements. >> a tabloid newspaper might have called it, the redtop rescue. mr. murdoch landed late last night in britain, the troublesome outpost of his global media empire. the expectation that he was here to reassure the troops.

he must have known what was coming. there is no doubt, the hacks were hacked off with murdoch. information has been passed to the police by a news corp. committee. perhaps to boost morales before stepping into the newsroom, rupert murdoch gave staff two pieces of news. -- perhaps to boost morale before stepping into the newsroom. he said that they would be opening a new newspaper. the photographs were all smiles. staff know a committee and another part of news corp. is tasked with handing over any incriminating evidence with the police. >> i feel completely and

utterly betrayed. i feel that they have been thrown to the wolves. this is a company that bet on placating the hostility among the american investors and this is another act of damage limitation in precisely the same way the closure of the "news of the world" was. >> the e-mail message made the position clear, "the sun is part of me. we will obey the law. illegal activity cannot and will not be tolerated." he did stress that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. no one has been charged. as for the sunday sun, this was one reaction from a victim. >> this is deeply cynical. news international say that they are trying to drain the swamp. i think that the swap will bring forth a new creature that we

don't want to see on the streets. >> rupert murdoch will always be controversial owner. he stressed his relationship with british tabloids. some are stressing that news corp. has had enough. >> everyone i have talked to thinks that they would be sold shortly after rupert murdoch steps aside or dies. that is a reality people are facing on the board. people have always felt very protected by murdoch. this really changes that dynamic and it puts them in a situation where it is the their their reputation or his. >> as rupert murdoch left the building, his staff is fearful of the weekend. saturday is the favorite day for police to raid a journalist homes. >> the british prime minister met the french president for a summit which was aimed at

patching up their differences over europe. a new defense agreements were signed. david cameron says the relationship has never been stronger. president sarkozy says the differences have never been personal. >> it was not so long ago that the french president called david cameron to shut up and called him obstinate. david cameron began by wishing the man he called his friend all the best with his reelection campaign. >> i admired nicolas sarkozy's leadership, courage. he has achieved great things for his country. >> president sarkozy was in a generous mood. >> i speak from the heart when i say that i wish to pay tribute to the courage of the british prime minister. >> the prime minister, who was joined by members of the cabinet, said that britain and france enjoyed the closest

relationship since world war ii with a new deals on nuclear power and military projects. the two leaders had been close allies over libya and david cameron gave president sarkozy a shell from that operation. the leaders expressed their frustration that they could not do more over syria. >> i am not satisfied that we're taking all of the action that we need to. >> the message to the syrian opposition is that if a united, it would be easier to help them. >> tell us how we can help you and that is what we will do. >> a meeting at the palace made clear that the conditions were not right for foreign intervention. the issue of course that complicates this relationship and occasionally turns to test the is europe. president sarkozy has said that he understood that the british have read the lines over europe and david cameron believes that this relationship was strong enough to get over the occasional bomb and the road.

>> back in december, there had been frosting is between the two leaders after david cameron used his veto. president sarkozy said he would have defended britain's interests in the same way. >> i have always been of the view that europe needs britain. >> the strength of the relationship is when you can have disagreements but actually then be able to go on working together on all of the areas that you agree. >> their vision of europe is different and it is part of the british-french relationship that there will be occasional fights. this underlines a deepening relationship between the two countries. >> pakistan has told afghanistan it is preposterous to think that is lombok can deliver the taliban leaders to the negotiating table. they want their neighbor against ridiculous expectations about the peace talks but that came

after a summit in the pakistani capital which included moment -- which included mahmoud ahmadinejad. >> if there is to be peace in afghanistan, pakistan have to be on side. the public messages now harmony. behind the scenes, afghan delegates said that the president rowed with his pakistani counterpart saying that pakistan was not doing enough to bring the taliban to the table. >> we said, whoever he wants. if you're asking to get a particular group at the'the table, it would be impossible for pakistan. >> the summit was ultimately dominated by this man. president mahmoud ahmadinejad clearly relished and

opportunities to speak on an international platform. he talked of the west's determination to control and supplies the region and he said it was foreign interference that had caused all the problems here. he said that pakistan, afghanistan, and iran has made a pledge to stand united. [applause] he got the photo opportunity he wanted as well. [applause] year in pakistan, there is support for iran and its nuclear endeavors. -- here in pakistan, there is support for iran. >> we are supporting their right to pursue nuclear strategies which they say are peaceful. >> we are a nuclear power, america is a nuclear power also. if we have more nuclear power in the world, this will balance it in a way.

>> at time when washington is trying to persuade other countries to put more countries on tehran over its nuclear program, pakistan has agreed to go ahead with a deal to buy billions of dollars worth of gas from iran. that and today's show of brotherly affection will make many in the west nervous. >> this is "bbc news," still ahead -- a greek tragedy. how armed robbers stole prices objects from a museum in olympia. the home secretary is to travel to jordan to discuss the deportation of the radical islamic cleric. britain would like to remove him because he is considered a threat to national security but that extradition has been blocked by the european court of human rights. a woman and her grandson had been found in a lake.

her body was found on thursday nights. the price of diesel has reached a record high prompting calls for an official investigation into fuel prices. the retail motor industry says that the average pump price is a disaster for motorists. they have asked the office of fair trading to look into unfair pricing taxes by supermarkets and oil companies. these are the headlines. american police have arrested a man who allegedly wanted to blow himself up near the congress building in washington. 8 people have been detained in italy after the discovery of six trillion dollars worth of fake u.s. treasury bonds.

armed robbers have taken dozens of ancient artifacts from their museum in olympia, that was the birthplace of the olympic games. the highest appears to have taken advantage of cuts which have been imposed on the museum service by the greek government. >> one of greece's most treasured sites reduced to a crime scene. ancient olympia with the first to live again took place, its museum the subject of a violent armed robbery. two men led the highest. this ancient site is more used to tourists than police has been cordoned off as the investigation goes on. a senior member of staff warned the government that budget cuts have reduced the personnel to a point at which the security of the museum with a longer be insured. the mayor says there is a direct link between what happened

today and greece's financial crisis. the significant cut have an impact, he says. we don't have enough staff to guard of the museum. what we have here belongs to the whole world. it is also the responsibility of the international community to look out for it. the minister of culture has tendered his resignation. the thieves have taken about 70 bronze objects. they are a huge archaeological importance but not of great monetary value. the investigation continues. this raises more questions about museum security just weeks after the national gallery in athens was burgled and a picasso taken there. greece is left wondering if the economic crisis is taking its toll on the country's ancient treasures. >> a member of the dutch royal

family has been seriously injured after being buried in an avalanche in the austrian alps. he was on a holiday. >> it happened here in the heart of the austrian alps. the prince here shown with his wife and children was on a family holiday. the dutch royal's often spend their winter breaks at this ski resort that is popular with the rich and famous. it was around lunch time when the avalanche struck. the prince had gone off east where the snowfall was the best. he was trapped under the snow for about 50 minutes. he was eventually rescued, resuscitated, and brought to the intensive care unit. he has stabilized but he's not out of danger. his wife and his mother are by

his side. it is likely to be a few days before doctors can give a clear assessment of his condition. >> russia's presidential election takes place in two weeks. vladimir putin is expected to return to the top job although there is evidence of public anger that will cost him some support. his party has been named the party of crooks and thieves. we have travel to siberia to see how people's lives are being blighted by crooked officials. >> this woman caring for her father in the last few days of his life. he fought for his country in the second world war but even he became a victim of russia's rampant corruption. when vladimir putin promised all veterans a new home of their choice, corrupt officials stole half of the money he had been given, are around 50,000 pounds.

he ended up in a tiny flat with his dying wife and daughter, all living and sleeping in just this one room. he had no choice and no dignity in death. >> no one asks him what he wanted. they just gave him this and everything keeps falling apart. >> his dream had been to spend his last days in one of the traditional wooden houses in his siberian village but that dream was taken from him. after we visited, local officials threatened his family for talking to journalists. he died a few days later. >> the corruption in russia is like fascism. when they are stealing from war veterans, this really is fascism. treated people like people while these officials have no boundaries.

>> in the nearest big city, fury at be an ending corruption has started to spillover. people don't just blame officials, many by moscow and the man at the very top, vladimir putin. there is so much disillusionment that back in december, vladimir putin united russia party was beaten into second place by the communists in every part of the city. the corruption contagion can affect anyone, rich or poor. this man is a wealthy executives but his son was arrested for dealing drugs which seem to have been planted. he has been sitting in prison for a year and a half. his father has been asked to pay a bribe of 300,000 pounds to set him free. >> i get the impression that no one cares about people. the only think about themselves. it never occurred to me that some would try to get to me

through my son. >> all this corruption makes people feel powerless like these campaigners fighting against an office block being built on their child playground. they even wrote to vladimir putin but he never wrote back. in the city, the third largest, they're preparing to punish him in the elections. >> thousands of passengers have been stranded after the budget airline carrier air australia with a bust on friday. they could not afford to refuel one of their planes and they immediately grounded the rest of their fleet. >> just three months after tehran australia took off, the honeymoon is over. -- just three months after air australia took off, the honeymoon is over. customers were stranded. >> no one is here to help us.

>> we tried calling, no one is answering. >> what can you do? >> the alarm bells rang when the airline could not afford to refuel one of their planes in thailand. the company went straight into voluntary administration. >> my immediate concern today is not only for the working people caught up in this circumstance but also the passengers who were caught up. i want to say to the administrators that they need to do everything they can to ensure that people who have been passengers with this airline get back home. >> tehran australia was pitched as the carrier to rival airlines like qantas when it launched in november of last year. today, it was qantas offering to fly to the rescue of its customers. they offered additional flights to get them home. >> my mother book a flight for me in the morning to see our friends.

that is in singapore. then i will go to melbourne. >> once passengers are dealt with, the and administrators will be looking for a buyer. >> we will see if we can find a white knight. >> the 300 staff are counting on it. >> two scientific studies which show how the bird flu virus might be deliberately mutated to affect humans will not be published for the time being. security officials demanded the ban. they argue that it could use as a biological weapon by terrorists. >> a bomb into vietnam earlier this week and the authorities fight another outbreak of bird flu. the virus has claimed more than 300 lives. the big worry is that it will mutate and start a pandemic which raises a really

challenging question, how best to tackle it. today, in geneva, a emergency talks discussed the latest research because scientists deliberately engineered the virus to see how it could be passed between people. they have called to that work to allow for a public debate. >> there is a concern that viruses could be purposely misused by a group and could be purposely created to cause trouble. >> the scientists believe it is vital to investigate how a virus could become more dangerous and they want to release their findings to help other researchers develop a vaccine. tonight, the editor at a leading scientific journal said he wanted to publish the details. >> from the standpoint of advancing knowledge that helps us defend ourselves against future pandemic, open publishing

has gotten many advantages. >> there is a dispute over how to fight the virus. on the one hand, a basic principle of science is to share findings. on the other hand, there are fears that the judge could get into the wrong hands. in 2001, anthrax was used in attacks in the united states. several terror groups have explored biological weapons but far more dangerous are the natural mutations that the bird flu can go through. >> we need to get prepared for those. >> we need to be aware of what could make the virus more dangerous. >> in vietnam, their backs and the chickens against the virus. -- they are vaccinating the

chickens against the virus. >> you are watching "bbc news," thank you very much for your company. >> 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 understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries.

what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.