>> this is "bbc world news." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, sony picture classics "blue jasmine," and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their it worked hard to understand the industry you are operate in. key provide capital for strategic decisions. we offer tailored solutions in a wide range of industries.

what can we do for you? and now, "bbc world news america." president obama announced his government surveillance program and assesses this deteriorating relationship with russia. >> we're doing things that are good for the united states and hopefully good for russia as well. but recognizing there are going to be some differences. we will not be able to completely disguise them. >> hiding in plain sight. this sicilian mafia boss was living in italy for decades. italy wants him back to serve his time. it is summer. it must be time for that vacation souvenir. we will trace how the trinkets have become big business.

onwelcome to our viewers public television in america and around the globe. today president obama held a wide ranging press conference at the white house on the eve of leaving for his summer vacation. on the agenda was announcing new oversight and transparency in the surveillance programs that have come under fire. relations with russia were also front and center. presidenturged clinton to think forward instead of backward. tourged president putin think forward instead of backwards. u.s. foreign and defense secretary set down with their russian counterparts, the focus was on finding common ground in strained relationships. >> we are both old hockey

players. we both know that diplomacy, like hockey, and sometimes result in the occasional collision. >> the two sites have had their fair share of collisions. recently president obama called off planned talks with vladimir putin. one reason was the russian decision to grant temporary asylum to former cia contractor edward snowden who fled the u.s. after leaking government secrets. despite agreements to reduce nuclear weapons, america's plans for a missile defense shield on russia's doorstep has anchored moscow. the most contentious issue is how to resolve the debt the conflict in syria. russia is a key ally of president assad's regime and the u.s. wants him out. the russians are optimistic, so much so their foreign minister was even taking john kerry's advice. >> how believe they can make a difference in russian-american relations if we act as adults.

that is what we're trying to do. >> senior officials might have met in washington, but the fact president obama called off a planned summit with vladimir putin is a sign of underlying tensions. many say this is not just about politics, but personality. and as long as barack obama and leonard could remain in office, tensions between america and russia will continue to exist. the men get on? at a white house press conference today, president obama gave us some insight. >> i know the press likes to focus on body language. slouch likekind of the board kit in the back of the conversation. the truth is when we're in conversations together, it is often very productive. >> body language aside. right now, there are no plans for a summit between these two men.

the talks are being seen as a positive step in u.s.-russia relations. i discussed u.s. relations with russia with the former u.s. defense secretary william cohen. and i asked just how bad the relationship is. >> it has gotten very cool in the last several years, but since putin came back into power to be for sure. there were some helpful provisions and incentives to get back together. i think it has reached below this point has been in some time. it is important united states and russia find a way to move forward. i think it was important president obama not attend the summit under the circumstances because he would look like he is going hat in hand to president putin at a time when he had granted asylum to snowden. it would have been difficult for the president given the problems

in syria, with iran, afghanistan, to then go and meet with president clinton under those circumstances the president putin under those circumstances. >> if this is a personality problem, can improve? kennedyld ask president and khrushchev. there was obviously no chemistry between them. it is important. it is nice if you can have a good relationship and the chemistry works. but nonetheless, even if it does not, we still have an obligation to do business with the russians. they are not a superpower, but they are in power. they have the energy. they have missiles. they have technology and interests. >> you also mentioned syria and containing a nuclear iran. can the u.s. act on these issues

without russia? >> it will be very helpful to have russia. the u.s. cannot act alone if we want to preserve peace. the russians have a key role as to the chinese in persuading them to forgo the nuclear program. israel could take action absent that. the u.s. could be drawn into that. if we want to see this resolved peacefully, russia and china both have important roles to play. it is important to continue to talk to them and try to make sure it does not get out of hand and we do not see a war with iran. >> one of the problems causing tensions is edward snowden. should edward snowden have leaked what he did is beside the point, but it has prompted the president to carry out these reforms. is that going to be enough to restore public confidence in this country and abroad?

>> i think the administration has an obligation to explain the program to the american people and our allies abroad. in terms of the world in which we live, small groups of people can cause or horrific damage. intelligence gathering becomes important to all of us. the question is whether we can strike a balance between privacy and personal security and national security. i think the president's statements today are important. i hope the balance will be struck. ands up to the president congress who have oversight over these programs. the congress has not been diligent enough in overseeing the programs. if there are questions about it, they are the ones to raise it and not mr. snowden. if every individual who has access to the information decides to release it to the world, we are in a world of trouble. i think there is a process.

the president has proposed reforms. i think those will be important. the obligation is to tell the american people and our allies what we're doing and why we're doing it. hopefully they will accept it. >> thank you for joining us. oppositionws, the movement for democratic change in zimbabwe has launched a legal challenge against the result of last week's presidential election. it wants a court order declaring the result snow and void due to what it says are numerous irregularities. a bangladeshi man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to blow up the u.s. federal reserve building in new york. he pleaded guilty. he apologized to the people of new york and says he now rejected is on. the international olympic committee president has asked russia for further clarification of its new law

ahead of the olympics. for groups have called protests. two pilots working for turkish airlines have been abducted near beirut international airport. the men were taken off of a bus carrying several other people between the hotel and airport terminal. is the highway that connects the airport to the capital of a rout. the turkish airlines crew was on board a bus that belongs to one of the hotels. they had just left the airport this morning. they were only a few meters away from an army checkpoint when they were attacked by the gunman. a previously unknown group has claimed responsibility for kidnapping the turkish pilots and is demanding the release of nine lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in syria at last year by a group that claimed to belong to the syrian opposition. this incident and kidnapping is

an embarrassment for the lebanese state. this highway is meant to be heavily guarded by their security apparatus. this is another indication lebanon is unable to control the ongoing violence directly linked to the conflict in syria. this sounds like a hollywood script. today in britain, a mafia boss has been denied bail. to serve ad in italy seven-year jail term. he was arrested wednesday at his home where he had been living under a false name for 20 years. our legal correspondent was in court and has this report. >> in court and facing extradition, convicted mafia .oss casually dressed he has evaded justice for many years and has been living

quietly in this house in west london under the name mark skinner. neighbors say he was a quiet man the security conscious. >> he always seemed very friendly. did he did move then, he put the big gates of the front. life endedal abruptly when the police arrived here on wednesday. the former teacher was repeatedly known as the professor. he is accused of being the head of the cosa nostra on the island of sicily. he was cleared of mafia allegations at the end of a three-year trial in 1993 after which he came to the u.k. but he was convicted in his absence of mafia involvement and a second trial in 1999. in january of last year, a european arrest warrant was issued. extortion, racketeering, he

is also charged who was involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. >> in court, he was described as one of the heads of the powerful mafia organization in sicily accused of spreading terror and systematically murdering opponents. today fresh mark was -- first one was put out and he was rearrested. his wife and daughter were watching a closely -- anxiously from the back of the court. be fullber, there will extradition hearing. he wanted to leave court with his wife and daughter. his lawyer told the judge his client had a heart condition and would submit to a strict curfew and could not flee as he had no travel documents. but bail was refused. the italian authorities are now

a step closer to bringing one of their most wanted to justice. oprah winfrey is known by millions worldwide. it seems one shop assistant in switzerland did not realize who she was waiting on. now charges of racism have been leveled. she was in town for tina turner's wedding and had picked out a designer handbag worth $35,000. when the assistant said it was too expensive for her, the row began. the shop insists it was a simple misunderstanding. from geneva, we have this report. exclusives most street with this most exclusive shops and a perfect customer. to be presenter oprah winfrey was in town for her friend tina turner's wedding and wanted to buy a handbag to take her big day. >> she refused to get it. she started to show me the other

little bags. time, i said ie want to see that one. she said i do not want to hurt your feelings. i said, ok, thank you. you are probably right. i cannot afford it. i walked out of the store. why would she do that? >> today the shop owner told the bbc it was not racism and she has a message for oprah winfrey. >> i would take you in my arms and kiss you and apologize and tell you it was a misunderstanding and please forgive me. give switzerland a chance. >> oprah winfrey is influential and very rich. her estimated personal wealth is almost $3 billion. her daily talk show ended, but her tv network earned her $77 million last year alone. she could have bought the entire shop, not just the 25,000

pound bag she had her eye on. comes at a very awkward time. immigration is a hot political issue here. new rules are being introduced for asylum seekers. claimhuman-rights groups converged on apartheid. asylum seekers are now banned from using the public swimming pool and sports fields. switzerland is a small country and has a tradition of welcoming immigrants and refugees. the 25% of the 8 million people are now foreign. discrimination is becoming a problem. the debate over immigration and discrimination in switzerland will continue. meanwhile, one embarrassed shopowner in zurich is hoping oprah might pop by for a hug.

>> you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come, where are all of the bees going? we're telling you why their disappearance may be cause for serious concern. a team of ambitious scientists from the netherlands is preparing to raise thousands of miles across the australian outback power only by the sun. future of the sustainable trouble? cars powered by the sun. these science students are preparing for the world solar challenge. it is designed to test their endurance and the cars' potential. >> it is really cool to run this race with electric cars and show the world our new design. it really drives. it is ready for the race. >> it is a solar positive car.

it produces more energy than it uses. on a sunny day, they can drive for more than 400 miles. that is double the capacity of the nearest electric rival. what is it made of? less than a millimeter of carbon layers. arecomposite materials light-sensitive. still some tinkering to do with the body to ensure it can withstand the 3,000 kilometer journey through the alphabet. the drivers are optimistic. >> i think we're going to win. the car feels great. we have a great team. i think the combination will lead to us winning the world solar challenge. >> for anyone interested in buying, this one is a hand made prototype. the solar panels alone cost more than $4,000.

ofh a bit of skilled production and minor city'sents, the students energy efficient cars could soon be wheeling up near you. >> for people scared of bugs, bees may be unwelcome visitors. but in fact, they are the unsung heroes of the world agricultural system. it pollinates countless crops. without them, hour grocery shelves with locally. these were courses are dying at a rapid rate. the reasons remain mysterious. it is the focus of the current issue. i spoke with the author. thank you for joining us. we have known for some time that bees are in trouble.

how big is the problem? >> it has been almost a decade have been seeing higher than normal losses among colonies in the u.s. and around the world. this past winter, about 1/3 of u.s. colonies died or disappeared. previous0% above the year. it is twice what you see in a normal year. the fact it has been happening for so long is indicating something is going wrong. >> they are the canary in the coal mine. what could be the cause? number ofare a different factors scientists are looking at. one is pesticides. there is one class that seem to evenan impact on the bees at what should be safe levels. they seem to interfere with the ability to fly. it has caused them problems. then you have the biological threats like the mite that kills infants in the hive.

th --is also the fact upse at bees are running out of nutrition. there is less land of wildflowers. you see more land been turned into crops. prices for corn and we are so high. it does not make sense for farmers to plant anything else. >> are bees likely to disappear completely? if they do, what would that mean? >> most likely you will see honeybees pull through. hive that isce a lost. for thery hard beekeepers. it costs a lot of money. 3/4 of all beekeepers have dropped on the business in the last 15 years. continuede to see losses increasing, you would have a hard time meeting pollination demands for crops

like almonds. if we lose any more, we will have a hard time meeting demand. it could affect crops like apples, cucumbers, go down the list. >> consumers will see the difference. there was one store that took the items pollinator off its shelves and lost half of its products. >> they say that these are responsible for one out of every four mouthfuls you will have. they are responsible for pollinating fruits and vegetables. if you do not have enough healthy bees to go to the orchards and farms to help with pollination, you will see prices go a and that will hit consumers hard. >> thank you for joining us. the panda and has created excitement.

the u.k.'s only female giant panda maybe finally pregnant. suggest sheevels could be expecting. zookeeper's will not know for sure until just before she gives birth, which could happen in a month. there cannot be too many in my view. many of us will come home with a coveted souvenir from vacation. these years, -- these days, it usually means a plastic replica. when they first began, tourists often came away with the real thing. a number of these are on display in washington. i took look at souvenir nation. a miniature model of the statue of liberty made in 1885 and the prototype for the millions that followed. like all the objects in this exhibition, it tells the story of our obsessive compulsion to bring back something from the places we visit.

and now in belonging to napoleon, a piece of the berlin wall. brokeniece of marble from the cornerstone of the washington monument. arenot all of them playthings. >> why would anyone keep this as a souvenir? >> it is one of the most personal ways to make a connection with a person. especially one that you wish to remember or celebrate. it is an actual peace of them. >> one of these belonged to george washington. demand for souvenirs' associated with the first president were so great they began to be mass- produced. this is a fragment of the plymouth rock which was not very big to begin with. it was around the late 19th century people started to realize chipping pieces off monuments was not sustainable. that is when a souvenir industry

we know today release started. asvenir shops are almost popular as the monuments and museums themselves. the trinkets the seller usually made elsewhere. -- the trinkets that they sell are usually made elsewhere. >> and a brother and my nephew collect them. i bought the white house christmas ornaments. i also bought refrigerator magnets. >> it shows the white house. i wanted it so i got it. >> we put them on the shelves and reflect. >> these souvenirs' have become part of america's history. a fitting fate for objects whose sole purpose is to evoke the memory of a time, a person, were replaced. >> that is it from us.

have a very good weekend. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, dsony picturen classics "blue jasmine," and union bank. >> your sister wanted nothing to do with you. all of a sudden, she is moving in. >> oh my gosh. >> jasmine is french. a very exotic name. partiesas taken me to and told me that i'm not good enough for you. >> i'm not going to make it. >> "blue jasmine," rated pg-13. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard

to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? wasbbc world news" presented by kcet, los angeles. vo:geico, committed to providing service to

its auto insurance customers for over 70 years. more information on auto insurance at geico.com or 1-800-947-auto any time of the day or night.