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>> and now, "bbc world news. >> 11 people have been killed in explosions in the city of ahe willo. greece protests and union call a two-day strike and europe's finance minister says they need deep cuts. >> and a drop of $10 million. welcome to "bbc world news." also in this program on the freezing streets of ukraine we see what those do to make it through the winter, and the africa cup of nations.

>> two explosions have shake at any streets of syria. the first since the protests against president assad's regime began. the state television has blamed the attacks on what it calls armed terrorist gangs and say but opposition activists blame assad's regime. >> state tv has been carrying extremely explicit and lurid coverage of people killed at the site of the explosion near the security building in ahe willo and showing bodies and everything amongst that bull dozed away. there's reports from activists saying the blasts were felt at least a kilometer away.

now the government of course is blaming what it calls terrorists. it's the first of its kind in the city of alepo, the second largest city in syria. but protest activists say there was a clear move by security right before the blasts which made them think something was about to happen. >> and on state television, it said the blast went off near a public garden where children had been playing. how secure are these buildings? how difficult would it be for anyone else to get anywhere near them? >> that, of course, is a question and in damascus itself

there was two supposed suicide bombings carried out and the question was raised how could people driving car bombs get so close to security buildings? so that does persuade people supporting the opposition that this was to discourage the uprising. of course we have to keep an open mind but it hasn't been part of the main stream opposition carrying out bombings like this. >> and russia has accused the syrian opposition for continuing the ongoing violence and accusing the west of being an accomplice that has pushed the regime into further conflict and saying the trolve enter direct talks with the government says they need to

have talks. and public support is at a stand still as workers begin a two-day strike in protest of austerity measures after the finance minister demanded deeper cuts for a second bailout. time running out before greece undergoes a messy debt default. chris no, sir sent this -- chris norris sent this report from brussels. >> as protesters took to the street to protest the new austerity measures, the pledge from brussels is uncompromising. you have to do more. what's been agreed to so far

isn't enough. they sent out three conditions for greece to meet by next wednesday when they'll meet goen decide whether to aprove a second huge international bailout. the ministers are demanding the parliament vote in favor of the austerity measures on and sunday say an additional $325 euros in spending cuts have to be found and want written guarantees from those in athens they won't try to rewrite the deal after elections. european officials have been growing frustrated on greece making promises on which it doesn't deliver. that now has to change. >> no disbursement without this because we can't live in a system where poor decisions are made and repeated and repeated

and if imply menation measures are time after time we are insisting on implementation. >> the sector of a greek default has been hanging over the euro zone for a long time now. the official line from brussels is that that should still be avoided if at all possible, but patience is wearing thin. >> so more work for greece to do. plenty of distrust in the air on both sides and still no idea on whether the terms can be met. it is a mess, but no one ever said this would be easy. >> well angela merkel said allowing greece to default would have uncontrollable consequences. let's look.

these are the pictures coming into us. the start of a 48-hour strike in protest of the austerity measures. government really caught between the demands of the other e.u. members who have got to cough up the cash and the population within it. i mean, that's absolutely crureb, isn't it? >> yes. it's an extraordinarily difficult position this government finds itself in pushed by the e.u. to make further cuts and further assurances so the country can get its 130 billion bailout and the social unrest. you can sy behind me crowds are beginning to gather around the parliament building. the rain has started here but i don't think that will stop any from coming out on the street to express their anger over

what they see as more cuts sending the country into more depression than since the second world war. >> so they basically want greece to need to euro? what are people suggesting, if anything? >> no. the polls show a vast majority of greeks want this country to remain in the euro. it was a source of great national pride when greece joined the euro in 2001. it was at the time greece was validating its credentials and don't want to return to the -- but if it were to default on its debt, then there would be fresh questionsor whether greece can stay in the euro zone. what most of the government is saying is this is now a choice

on whether greece can stay in the euro zone. >> thank you very much indeed. we've got -- greece has got until next wednesday to meet the demands. what are the specific concerns of brussels? >> well, they have been trying to work it out at the moment. they said they have got 10 to 15 major issues. that's interesting, because the point they were making is that they feel they were doing more than enough because the current astairty measures are already hurting and more would cut right through it. a 22% drop in the minimum wage and firing 15,000 civil servants and job provisions no longer guaranteed. many say they have cut deep to the bone already but if they

can't resolve, this they are going settle within the financial markets. but you've even had some e.u. officials say maybe we have to have a separate account for greece to actually repay this money. that takes up the issue of financial independence. sovereignty. >> and banks still across are concerned on the rumbles. >> yes. briefly they had a pretax $4 billion in the last few months of 2011. that's a pretty impressive figure and a 3% drop on the previous year below analysts' expectations but they have had a drop on the bonus. but the really interesting thing what's gone up is the capital rate the amount of money they put aside to help them through financial difficulties.

that's gone up 11%. >> now two men allegedly hired by a man to kill his bride while on his honeymoon in south africa are in court. both are charged with murdering 28-year-old annie -- in the back of a taxi during a staged highjacking. joining me from cape town -- can you tell me what's happened in court? >> well, for the first time the two accused have arrived here in the high court in cape town. they have both been accused of being accomplices of the bride. they don't have a court date when the full trial will be heard but are expected back in court on april 13. this was a pretrial hearing and one of the accused was particularly disoriented and

shortly after he was charged he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and today in court his lawyers reminded the court that he was a very sick man. they are accused of being hired by the groom trying to fight extradition. his lawyers say if he were to come to a south african jail his life and health would be in danger. his two co-accused say they want separate charges and don't want everything held up based on what the good many is facing in the u.k. and are trying to press for a swift conclusion on the trial. >> it's windy there. but thank you very much. here with a question? >> yes.

what is -- that's never won? >> the davis cup. roger federer returns to the davis cup today in a tie against u.s.a., perhaps that decision has been speeded up by the notion that rafael nadal not playing in the davis cup this year. so roger federer this year could win singles olympic gold at wimbledon. >> the match i think is going to be a tough tie regardless. i think all the matchs are going to be extremely close. i don't see this should be an easy one as obviously only top 20-30 players are involved here. that makes it extremely difficult for both teams, but though it's a pleasure playing in america, great memories in 2001 in my hometown, i hope i

can play as good as i did back then. >> always confident, roger federer up against the giant john isner who stands nearly 6'10". but it's one of these things that will always be held against him if he doesn't make an effort at the davis cup. because stan what you where i thinka -- >> you're watching "bbc world news." coming up, the temperatures plummet in the ukraine. those down on their luck are being -- we see how they are keeping. >> a quick look at some of the stories making headlines around the world. the front page those european union flag flying over the acropolis in athens. they are trying to agree on

austerity measures there. and moves by the arab league to trecks syrian council as the official representative of the country's people. and the times stays british prime minister wants a swedish plan to cut domestic costs and some say he's cashing in on the black market for hired help. and the international herald tribune shows a barge in paris pushing through the ice. that's a quick look at some of the stories making headlines in the newspapers today. >> this is "bbc world news." these are the headlines. 11 people have been killed in two explosions in syrian's second city. aleppo. and greece is protesting

austerity measures with the e.u. wanting more austerity measures. and two brorse on the run have reportedly been shot dead. there have been a wave of protests with protesters setting themselves alight. hundreds of tibetans as -- took to the streets calling for tibetan freedom and from the province, a warning, there are some distressing images in this report. >> it's china's latest crackdown. we were caught up in it trying to reach tibetan areas. a massive mobileization of security force, an area the size of england cordened off. the police held us there for nine hours and tried to force

us to sign a document promising we would not try enter tibetan areas and when we refused, they let thened us. what so unnerves china is the new protests by tibetans sacrificing themselves saying they face horrific representation. this is a 35-year-old none -- nun burning himself alive. this man recordeded his reasons. china, he said, should let the daly llama come home. it's our spiritual leader. and now just what china feared. the protests seemed to be spreading. this shows angry tibetans besieging a police station. china's response has been this. an even harder crackdown what

it calls separatists intent on splitting tibet from china. as we flew higher, closer, china says the implaces of terrorism. but it wants to keep it's crackdown secret. police warranty betens not to talk to us and watched us everywhere. >> this is another one of the police cars that's been trailing us and one, two, three, four policemen who followed us all the way around this village, and one has been in our taxi, because down here we found this, his police i.d. badge and our taxi driver, they have been speaking to him. he is spooked and our taxi driver wants nothing more to do with us. >> now they hustle someone

trying to talk to us away. as we left the police chased us, and detained us and tried to get us to hand over what we had filmed. even here china is a state oppressed with security. tibetan grievances seem to be growing. "bbc news." >> now there's little sign of the misery of this -- syrian officers continue to bottom bard -- president obama condemned the actions but what does israel make of the events in syria? >> israel is no friend of syria's regime. it has been in conflict with

syria and syria has been in contact with hamas and other groups that do not recognize israel's right to exist. it's ironic therefore that this country is extremely nervous about the demise of the assad regime. the border between israel and syria has been quiet and the president assad has shown no interest in striking any strife with israel. >> i think is israel doesn't know how the deal with syria. but because everything there is changing, i think that it could be complicated for us to deal

with them in the future. >> perhaps we can be friends, if they are taking him out of power, new power could always be better and they should support democracy, because two democracies never fight each other. >> on the syrian ground i was thinking we should do something, possibly provide humanitarian assistance to syrian refugees. >> that's what's going on in that region. now the ukraine is one of the hardest hit by the cold of europe. 140 people have died in the last 14 days. among those suffering the most are the country's homeless. we have more.

>> this morning, it is a frigid minus 17 degrees. but that does not stop sergiy. every day he stands outside the main train station, one of the main gathering points for day laborers looking for work. sergiy left his home in the eastern ukraine three weeks ago. he says the job market there is terrible but in kiev, it's not much better. >> there isn't that much work right now, because it's so cold. i'm hoping once it finally gets warmer, there will be more customers and more work in general. >> he stands outside the train station until he can't bear the cold any longer and then returns to his home for a moment. a heating shelter set up by the ukrainian government. there are some 3,000 of these

tents across the country. 10 in kiev alone so the homeless can get a hot meal and a warm place to sleep. before it opened, sergiy slept in the train station. kiev's homeless population numbers more than 10,000. there may not be enough places in the shelter for everyone. over half of those who perished have died on the streets. some experts blame the ukraine government for the high death toll, but others say the country is suffering from the weak economy and about normally subzero weather. >> this is a popular pass. at night the temperatures here can reach minus 10 but as you can see some are also forced to make this their home. >> ukraine is used to cold winter weather. but the degree and duration of

this cold spell has taken many here by surprise. right now from in ukraine, especially those on the margins of society, spring seems a disassistant prospect. david stern, "bbc news," kiev. >> now the african cup of nations is nearing its close. they have used the teevepbt try boost its profile to make improvements to the country. but as reported, it's a difficult journey. >> this was the stadium which was supposed to stage the finals in the africa cup of nations. construction delays meant those plans were abandoned. it tip phis -- in its place a venue built by the chinese free of charge. everything it seems here was left to the last minute and people acknowledged the pace only picked up when the current

president succeeded his father and took control. >> we succeed because we are all together in this. very few -- [inaudible] the majority was behind it. and i feel that behind me. >> staging the africa cup of nations is a strategy to cut a new path for the country's economy. oil supplies are dwindling. so they need to find other ways of making money. they want to see more plants like which processes its own timber instead of exploiting raw materials for a lower return. >> another element of the government's master plan was to turn it into a major tourist destination. people do come here on holiday but not in large numbers. places like this are getting a makeover.

no doubt hosting the africa cup of nations has given it a boost of help. but they need more. >> 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 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? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.