tv BBC World News WHUT September 30, 2009 6:30pm-7:00pm EDT
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is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. the newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now bbc world news. >> a double disaster, hundreds are killed or trapped by a massive earthquake in indonesia. in the south pacific, a tsunami
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does the damage. the un and dumps the deputy en voy to afghanistan. welcome to bbc world news. looking back at the great leap forward, china marks 60 years since the revolution. new discoveries about the most nasty emperor of rome. the asia-pacific region has been battered by a tsunami and an earthquake. a series of natural disasters in no more than 24 hours. huge ocean waves samoa on tuesday. hundrethen a quake hit the indon
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island of sumatra. officials say up to 200 people have been killed. it is thought that thousands are still trapped under rubble. we have this report from indonesia. >> chaos and panic as frightened residents rushed out of their homes after a devastating earthquake hit off the coast of sumatra. the powerful tremors caused dozens of buildings to collapse. officials say many homes, schools, hospitals and hotels have been effected. thousands of people could be trapped under these instructors. the indonesian vice president warns that the death toll is likely to rise. the closest and largest town near the epicenter is the
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capital of sumatra. it is home to let least 900,000 people. disaster teams have been sent to the city. there's concern that it won't get there in time. indonesia is no stranger to tragedies of this scale but it's a emergency teams are often ill- equipped to deal with them. >> while the earthquake was shaking sumatra, people on samoa and tonga were already hitting the -- was already looking at what had hit them. 24 died on american samoa. at least six are reported dead on tonga. >> one great waves have struck already and another is fast approaching. relentless and overwhelming. this is american samoa. this is a few from the radio
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station. the dj is praying for those in danger. they were watching a disaster on fold, the tsunami striking faster than anyone could have expected. >> we wanted people to get to the mountains. we realize we could not get out any more. we're hoping that the building was high enough, the water was about 16-20 feet high. >> the damage is massive, thousands of homes destroyed and a death toll that keeps rising. >> you can imagine the sheer force. this is most distressing to me. i'm trying to come to terms with the event.
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>> some people heard the warning and reach higher ground but there are many stories of those who did not. >> we went to the mountain on the side of the island. the oldest lost their lives. >> scientists say the earthquake that caused the tsunami jolted the seabed not far off shore and the waves gained in height. >> energy is stored in a whole water column even though it is miles deep. all of the water is moving. in the deep ocean, the height of the way this pretty small but when you get me a short, you are compacting that energy into much less water. -- but when you get near the shore, you are contacting the energy. >> an earthquake also struck
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indonesia's, part of the same system of fall winds. another reminder at how volatile this region can be. -- part of the same fault lines. >> the capital of the philippines was hit by a typhoon, then the storm went on to vietnam. 70 people have been killed. israel has said it will release 20 palestinian women detainees in return for proof that a captured soldier is still alive. he has not been seen since he was captured by hamas in 2006. this is seen as a confidence- building measure. the senior american diplomat has held an unannounced high-level talks in havana with the cuban government. they went farther than the planned negotiations. this raises hope of a thaw in
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relations. georgia and russia are opposed claiming to have been vindicated by a report into their war. european investigation found a georgia triggered the conflict by launching an assault on the rebel region of south ossetia. russia was also accused of provoking them and also of responding in appropriately. >> georgian tanks stepped into the breakaway region. it was a fateful move. a day later, they were driven out again as columns of russian armored poured south. within days come the georgian army had been crushed. huge amounts of their territory were under russian occupation. ever since, there has been fierce debate over who fired the first shot. now, there's an answer.
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it was georgia. it was not unprovoked, however. today's report says that russia had been goading georgia. georgia and russia have been quick to use the report to try to grab the moral high ground. >> it provides an unequivocal confirmation of the answer to the question, who started the war? it says squarely that it was the georgian massive shelling and artillery attack. >> the georgian government immediately shot back accusing the russian ambassador of distorting the report. >> i am quite surprised that
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they have an answer for it. this report is not about who started the war, because the war did not start on the seventh or the eighth. there is proof that russia was preparing this war. >> whoever is to blame, one thing is clear. russia won, georgia lost. a year on, it is russia that remains in complete control of south ossetia. >> sharp differences in the international approach to afghanistan have burst into the open with the sacking of the special, on flight. -- with the second of the special envoy.
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he took in more tough line than his boss from norway. i was told earlier about this. >> the secretary-general issued a start statement which thank peter galbraith for his work and he was being recalled in the best interest of the mission. the u.n. mission has been in the spotlight over the past couple of weeks because of this very public row between peter galbraith and his boss, galbraith. they were lookin-- and his boss. galbraith wanted to an investigation and to take a much tougher line on the election. kai eide wanted to avoid the appearance of international interference. it is believed that kai eide
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took sides with hamid karzai and he turned a blind eye to election fraud. galbraith believes he was fired because he disagreed with his eide took sides with hamid karzai and he turned a blind eye to election fraud. galbraith believes he was fired because he disagreed with his boss. >> does this has implications for western policy in afghanistan? >> the u.n. says this is a personality clash and it will not affect the elections process. i think whenever the case, it will certainly high lead questions and criticisms about the credibility of the election process and the credibility of the government that is then put into oupower. hamid karzai has been criticized and if he is declared the
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winner, there's the issue of the lack of confidence. >> that split at the u.n. is something that president obama could have done without as he reviews policy on afghanistan. what should define military success? we have been with u.s. marines and commanders believe they have the answer. >> it doesn't look like the most dangerous place on earth but something unusual is happening here. while the insurgency rages all are around, boys and men play as a holiday approaches. if you want to see what the american version of success looks like, this is that. -- is it. the biggest danger for these troops is being surrounded by children who want gifts.
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this is a market three years ago, shot up and abandoned. today, u.s. troops have driven them away and this is held up as a success story. security remains a problem. these are the men running this war, implementing the new strategy. the colonel talks about securing the population and giving them hope. what he calls on social work. >> the way that we root them out is not to security and enhanced police work but the delivery of government. if they have something positive to offer the people, that is how we truly when the fight.
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in many cases, we will not have to kill the taliban. in many cases, they can put down their weapons and rejoin society. >> the colonel guys ice cream for a group of visiting generals. this gives people what they need and not necessarily what they want. this is a sign of progress. the marine success is in part due to size. the commander of the nato mission says he needs more troops within a year or the mission could fail. the obama administration has already had one review of afghanistan policy and most likely is looking at it again. at a time when these troops are trying to convince afghans that they are here to stay, this raises real doubt about their commitment to the mission. this runs the real risk of raising the hopes and expectations of the people they're trying to fight, the
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taliban. the union flag still flies in the marine base. this is a reminder of those who were here before and the sacrifice they made. if america and the rest of nato is willing to spend more blood and treasure, then the sacrifice one have been in vain. >> stay with us. still to come. from communism to consumerism, 60 years of the revolution in china. the world's lender of last resort, the imf says the global financial crisis is stabilizing but once governments cannot get complacent about recovery. they are highly influential in shaping national economic policies. >> extreme risks abated but too
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much complacency over repairing and the banking system. that is the opinion of the imf. they are worried that the system and not provide enough credit to. >> there are challenges still being faced. we are looking at systemic risks and even the prevailing economic recovery. >> the imf has had the governments to try to coordinate their actions. the bank balance sheets and a strained credit channels are most worrisome to the imf. >> there are global writedowns for banks and former nonbanks are rising from the crisis now stands at $3 or $4 trillion.
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this is around $600 billion lower than the last year largely as a result rising security values. >> the u.s. is further down the track, halfway toward a recovery in 2010. european banks have seen them get their houses in order. all of this is said to cut revenues with banks have been completed their transactions with more capital and spending more to insure themselves. >> the latest headlines for you on bbc world news. officials are saying up to 200 people may have been killed by a massive earthquake on the indonesian island of sumatra. in the south pacific, it is a tsunami that has done the damage. 60 years ago, chairman mao
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looked over the agent and he declared the people's republic. since then, there has been rapid industrialization and brutal repression and this has given rise to a very different situation. china prepares to celebrate the 16th anniversary and it will rival the celebration of the olympics. >-- china prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary. >> few countries have risen to prominence so quickly. each year, the flag raising ceremony since to get more grand. it was on this spot 60 years ago that the people's republic was born and the declaration of
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chairman mao, captured on a photograph. >> our country was born at today. we took our place in the international arena. we were no longer oppressed. >> in faded by japan and torn apart by civil war, china has put up with decades of suffering. in new at the film has been released as part of the anniversary celebrations. it is showing on practically every cinema in china and with over 100 of the biggest movie stars. this is to get people excited
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about the birth of the republic. the presence of stars like jet li makes sure that the film will be a hit. >> this raises our self-respect. >> a final run through of the plate. for all of its imperfections, 60 years of communist rule be celebrated here. at the moment when china stood up, when a country was born. >> many in the west see china as a repressive country with global ambitions. how do those born in their see the relationship between east and west? we have been meeting students at georgetown university. >> the students come from across china and they are steady and across disciplines. they all have a lot in mind
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about what china has achieved. >> i believe that china has undergone tremendous changes in the past 60 years. from a week underdeveloped country to increasingly [inaudible] world power with a better reputation. >> what about what is coming ahead? >> how can people be prepared? every year, we have 8% or 9% growth in gdp. the know that this kind of pace cannot be going on forever. >> -- we know that this kind of pace cannot be going on forever. >> can you tell me once and i should know about china.
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maybe something that the outside world doesn't know about your country. -- can you tell me one thing i should know about china? >> the nation's is getting more and more confidence. there is more and more coexistence. we have more chances to go abroad. we are diplomats for china to help bridge the perception. >> there is a long way to go in terms of transparency but do you feel that compared to your mom and dad, you have more political freedom? >> yes. when my parents were young, they were taught to obey the older people, to update the existing authority like the teachers, the
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headmaster, the leaders. but now, we're taught to challenge ideas. to think about things and to challenge our own thoughts. that is a big difference. >> as we are looking ahead, do you think that china mobile overtake the u.s. as a global power? >> as far as i can predict, i don't think so and i don't think that this is a question we should think about. we are more focused on cooperation and collaboration. >> i really appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> a canadian circus tycoon has blasted off to the international space station.
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he is said to have paid $35 million for his nine-day stay. it is one of those things that you tend to remember from school history, the roman emperor nero had issues but he did like a good party. now, archaeologists have discovered just how lavish celebrations were. they found a dining room that he built that imitated the movement of the earth. >> the heart of ancient rome is still given up its glorious secrets. the latest of which is leaving seasoned archaeologists amazed. this is said to be emperor nero's rotating dining room. it followed the movement of the earth.
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the archeologists and they found evidence of a mechanism that would have moved to the floor. -- moved the floor. >> we went to read about this at the ancient sources. it moves continuously night and day. >> enero was known for his extravagant lust, but now it has extended to his dining room. they think that the ceiling might have had ivory panels to shower the gas below with flowers and perfume -- our the
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guests -- shower the guests with flowers and perfume. >> this is quite extraordinary. we have never seen this kind of structure before. this is probably what to the engine text talk about. -- engineancient texts talk abo. >> a historian from the time of narrow cause him a megalomaniac. it seems that he did not have much time to enjoy this chall. he was killed during an uprising in the city. >> the asia pacific region has been battered by an earthquake
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and tsunami. the death quake in indonesia has risen to 200. -- the death toll has risen to 200. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. the newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> i'm julia stiles. >> i'm kevin bacon. >> i'm kim cattrall. >> hi, i'm ken burns. >> i'm lili taylor. >> i'm henry louis gates jr., and public broadcasting is my source for news about the world. >> for intelligent conversation. >> for election coverage you can count on. >> for conversations beyond the
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