been clearly articulated. >> one thing people may find

surprising is the arab league has asked how moss -- hamas, a palestinian group, to intervene. is this desperation? >> it is an intriguing move. when united states, all the arabs tried to convince syria to change its ways, but failed, i am not sure how hamas, which is a guest on syrian territory at the end of the day, could do better. >> and the u.s. state department. if the arab league and the international community at large is failing to make an impact, what prospects for peace is there in syria? is war inevitable? >> we are already heading in the direction of civil war. it is not premature to say we're in that state of civil war. i keep repeating myself when i

say before we explore options by the international community, we need to of a very, very clear message on the part of the opposition of what we want. unfortunately, they are divided and those divisions and weaknesses are becoming more apparent. >> thank you for joining us. >> sure. >> now to libya where concerns are growing about the inability to rein in issues from the old regime. our correspondent in tripoli takes a closer look at just how difficult it is to convince rebels to lay down their arms. >> patrolling the power base. ex-rebels, still armed and still in control of key sites.

here, at tripoli airport, they have significant power in the new libyan hierarchy. sacrifice their blood vessels to protect the revolution. if we leave, there will be problems in here. >> there have been sporadic clashes in recent weeks. an obstacle to stability here. the unwillingness of groups to hand over their weapons is a key test for libyan -- for libya's new government. time is running out to create a national unified security force that can take back control from still powerful militias. just west of tripoli, that

process has begun. these ex-dy to join a national army when it is created. the government to -- the government plans to train them, integrating them with the promise of a stable salary. this 24-year-old is one of them. >> i am happy to serve in an army with former pro-gaddafi fighters, as long as they do not have blood on their hands. >> the defense minister says that that kind of sentiment is a rare. >> the main problem is most of the former rebels have not accepted to work with fighters from the old regime. once the national army is in place, the rebels will have to give up their arms to deal said. >> the legacy of libyas uprising

weighs heavy. colonel gaddafi kept his army weeak for fear of a coup. libya will have to start from scratch. bbc news, aaa. >> in other news, a hot air balloon has crashed in new zealand. the crash happened about 8 kilometers east of the capital of wellington. is a region known for -- is a region known for hot air ballooning. witnesses saw the balloon in plans. the 100th birthday for the party of nelson mandela. there will be a three-day celebration in -- celebration for the milestone. they are now facing an entirely different struggle. >> we've come to a small,

struggling south african town. corrugated homes, sewage on the streets. 1 tap shared by a whole neighborhood. >> this is more than 10 years. >> people here expected more from freedom and the governing party. the ruling party is corrupt, he says, and it is time for change. >> bacon not even provide -- they cannot even provide for their people. we do not want it to be like it was in libya and even to ni -- tunisia. >> africa's greatest liberation movement led to years of street

protests, armed rebellion, and negotiations, but for nelson mandela became south africa's first democratic -- before nelson mandela became suburbs first democratic president. now the party celebrates its 100th anniversary.with presiden- jacob zuma. >> so much today, they seem weighed down by corruption. that is because of history and loyalty still count. >> many have perished, have died. >> but is the party of revolution in taught? at a golf tournament, a man in

prison with nelson mandela acknowledges mistakes. >> there is a bit of corruption. we have not as yet delivered the required services fully to the people of sap r a. >> for all its faults, they keep winning elections. ana says it simply "they gave us freedom." andrew harding, bbc news, south africa. >> finally good news today when it comes to the u.s. economy and the all-important jobs picture. figures for december showed the unemployment rate has fallen to 8.5%, the lowest level in nearly three years. almost to under thousand jobs were created in december and the news cannot come -- 200,000 jobs were created in december and the

news cannot come at a better time for the white house. thank you for turning the. were the jobs come from? is this a sustained recovery? >> this is not a good month in terms of where they are coming from. we're seeing recovery in manufacturing, seasonal areas, things that might not last beyond december. overall this is a good report because it not only in terms of job creation, a meaningful number considering where we have come from, it brings the unemployment rate back down to where we were nearly three years ago, which is an important milestone politically and economically. the problem is, 2000 jobs a month is not enough. we need to see numbers around 300,000, 400,000 jobs a month. if we continue this base, it will take a decade to get back to where we were before the

recession started. it is not fast enough. >> still a glimmer of hope for the obama administration which is being blamed for its response. how does this play out for the republican primaries? >> first, the obama administration has been making the case they inherited a weak economy, which is true. they have been building it back up very slowly, but still building it back up. the gop, the republicans up and arguing it is not fast enough and obama is not capable bringing the economy back deepening it is hard to argue on economic terms in a campaign if the economy is getting better. on the other hand, at the white house is not going to be celebrating too soon. we have seen this in each of the prior years -- the economy was improving, jobs were being

created, and problems elsewhere in the world at the u.s. >> problems elsewhere in the world -- of course, the eurozone crisis. when you look at those numbers, that backdrop, do they mean much in terms of the global economy? >> is shows the u.s. is healing, but there is this rift coming from europe. everything in the world is tied to europe and there is no escaping that. will start with numbers from europe singing the economy there, unemployment is rising. there is no way the struggling economies of europe will be able to recover and deal with budget problems while their economies are falling apart. if they get budget problems and economic problems, that will spark the financial crisis and hit the u.s. just like it did in the prior two years. if anyone thinks this is the start of a new era for the u.s. economy has to stop and think a little bit more.

>> just as i was starting to get optimistic. thank you very much indeed. >> thank you. >> you are watching bbc world news america. still to come -- one orchestra is still getting in tune, but to hear them, you have to go behind prison bars. hungary's center-right government is defending its constitution in the face of criticism it erodes democracy. there are signs that the government in budapest may be prepared to renegotiate some or all of the changes. here's our your co matthew price. -- here's our europe correspondenct, that the price. >> little cheer on the train across the danube. there is little wonder.

some accuse the government of turning back democracy. >> hello. >> this is the new constitution. >> ministers are not shy of showing off their new constitution and for the idea is anti-democratic? >> i think even the question is bizarre. finally we are managing to get that contract. this is for the development of the country. >> that is not how they see it. tens of thousands turned out to protest the new laws this week, claiming the independence of the judiciary and the central bank are threatens. at budapest's food bank, there is concern for the pour. international criticism for the new constitution has put loan that negotiations on hold at a

time when poverty is increasing. back over the danube, but this former empire is heading into the unknown. minister say they will do everything possible to satisfy changes?onal investors. up bbc news. >> a year ago this weekend, gabrielle giffords' life changed forever. the arizona congresswoman was shot in the head when a gunman opened fire at a political rally, killing 6. she has spent the last 12 months making what doctors call a remarkable recovery. there are even suggestions she will run for office next election. we spoke to her husband, mark kelly, as per family prepares

for -- as for family prepares for this weekend's event. how has it been for you? how would you sum up her progress today? >> it is extraordinary. she is in the one percentile of people who could survive this kind of injury. and most of those to not make a very good recovery over time, but in the months afterward, she started walking and speaking and in a year, it is really incredible how far she has come. >> what do you think the turning point was? >> i never really saw a turning point. it has been this gradual climb out of a pretty dark and debilitating place that she was in. she was in a, in the i see you with a gunshot wound to the head -- she was in a coma.

>> it must havecourageous decise cameras to follow her into those dark places, as you call them. how difficult was that for you? there were some very intimate moments you both shared with the public? >> it was not really cameras following her in their. it was actually our camera. we had a home video camera. when we got her to the rehabilitation hospital, just knowing gabby, i knew there would be sunday -- right in the beginning, she would be -- she did not seem to be remembering all that much. she would be saying "was my rehabilitation like?" it was not a hard decision. i never really thought to release it or do much with it. it was just something for her to have for the future. >> as she asked about the

actual tragedy itself? the shooting a year ago? >> she asks about all the time. she sees articles in the newspaper. she will bring it up on her own at times. she will see it on tv. now she understands the details of this as well as i or anybody else does. >> how will she be preparing for sunday's vigil to mark this? >> i think she has been preparing over the prior weeks leading up to a. she is aware that sunday is the anniversary. she has been talking more about. we just arrived in tucson today. -- she has been talking more about it. it was a tragic day. she actually does not remember any of it. in some regards, i think it is

easier for her than other people. sunday will be a day for all of us to reflect on what happened january 8 of last year and also to reflect on the last year. >> mark kelly, thank you for joining us and the very best to your family. >> you are very welcome. >> extraordinary story. classical music is part of the culture of venezuela and one conductor has taken the world by storm. there is one orchestra u.s. probably never heard of and that is because they play behind -->s plenty of time to practice. venezuela, doing time for crimes that range from

murder to drug smuggling. most o it really got my attention, so i joined. now, look, i am at the first violin. >> created 36 years ago, it is famous for its pioneering work teaching children from poor backgrounds of to play classical music. it is the world renowned some on boulevard -- simon bolivar youth orchestra. [cheering] >> more than half the inmates have signed up to join the

orchestra or the choir. all those who take part have to exhibit good behavior and some aptitude for music. eventually, they will be integrated into society. now a free man,still plays the clarinet after picking up the instrument behind bars. >> i am studying the restoration and repair of musical instruments. i study clarinet once a week and practice playing every dead. -- every day. >> amid higher rates of crime and the already crowded jails, the orchestra offers a glimmer of hope. bbc news, venezuela. >> and that brings today's show to a close. i am jane o'brien.

for all of us, thank you for watching and have a very good weekend. >> make sense ofobererntnton i a nenews bbc.com/news. >> fding f for thison is made pw york, stowe, vermont, >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business. offering specialized solutions and capital to meet your growth objectives, we offer expertise and tailored

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