beijing certainly does not want it to happen. and there are supported by the international community. as we have seen before, north korea goes ahead and does things that others in the region simply do not want to happen. >> martin, thank you for joining us on gmt. as jamie was saying earlier in business news, there is more tough economic news from britain this morning. particularly belgium is bleak, predicting stagnation for the country's economy. bankruptcies are at record levels, and there are growing concerns about unemployment and poverty. our europe correspondent, matthew price, reports. >> the fire has been burning for three months now, warming the striking workers here. they are the latest victims of europe's economic crisis. say goodbye to the sprawling ford factory in eastern belgium. it is shutting down. with europe in recession, ford is not selling enough vehicles. >> 11,000 jobs are lost here, so we hope there will be more jobs. >> i am feeling very insecure for the future. >> insecure and angry, which is why the work

"the beijing news" did not. the daily eventually ran part of the editorial a day later, after repeated requests by authorities. and an online posting alleged that government officials threatened to close the newspaper if they didn't comply. the publisher of "the beijing news" says he planning to resign. a photo linked to the internet showed employees crying after as they listened to his announcement. postings are often deleted soon after they appear. chinese official seem to be on even higher alert against the spread of social unrest. takahumi, nhk world, beijing. >>> authorities in china are trying to show the public they are listening to concerns on another issue. they disciplined more than 150 former government and communist party officials for corruption and abusive authority. abuse of authority. this has resulted in mounting frustration among the public. government and party agencies say the figure was up 12.5% from 2011. among those disciplined were bo xilai. and former railway minister and liu zhijun. bot

gloria riviera, abc news, beijing. >> and another note about this. when our team visited china two years ago, we noticed the difference between the polluted air outside in beijing and how we felt when we walked inside the american embassy, where the air is much cleaner. well, we were told that the pollution is so severe there, because of health issues, the embassy creates special filtered air for embassy workers. so, they'll have air as clean as the air here back home. >>> and we have two notes tonight about the war on terror and another western nation stepping up to take the lead. france. they are launching air strikes against the al qaeda affiliate in the west african nation of mali. and in somalia, a french commando captured in a raid this weekend has died. today, the militants declared on twitter, quote, a return of the crusades, but the cross the commander was wearing could not save him from the sword. >>> and one more note back here at home tonight, we want to tell you that after seven weeks, president george h.w. bush has left a houston hospit

by beijing standards, these streets are practical empty. many of the 20 million residents are heed ago government alert to stay indoors. air pollution has been at dangerous levels since friday. cold weather and light wins are preventing pollutants from sfursing. the index runs from steer to 500. air quality is considered good when the index is below 50, and it is hazardous when readings heed between 300 and 500. but weekend levels have gone off the charts with beijing now recording readings above 700. the severe conditions are being blamed on a variety of usual suspects, more traffic, factories and cole burning for -- cole burning for the winter. >> according to beijing city government's time line, we need more than 20 years to get better air quality. that means a whole generation will pay for our quality. people not only like trying to protect themselves, they also petition for a quicker time table for blue skis. >> nearby provinces are shrouded. it has forced the closures of several highways and airport. many people have taken to voicing

the beijing news ran text of a speech. it linked it to a brave heart that can soothe souls in the depth of winter. >>> chinese maritime authorities have decided to conduct regular patrols around a group of disputed islands. china and taiwan claim them. >>> china's state media reported on a government meeting to discuss maritime policy. state oceanic administration chief said china faces a complicated situation. he said his office will assume greater responsibility for maintaining the country's maritime interests. the participants decided to conduct regular patrols around the islands they call daiyou. china has been sending patrol boats and aircraft around the islands since japan nationalized them last september. the officials also agree to continue patrols in the south china sea where china is engaged in similar island disputes with the philippines, vietnam and other countries. >>> japanese officials say more than ten chinese planes, including military aircraft, approached japan's air defense identification zone over the e

try to pressure beijing and what kind of reaction do they want. well i think the u.s. is again playing the city easy ambiguity game by on the one hand saying we're neutral about this and we're not taking sides between china and japan but on the other hand they're saying but we we recognize that japan has a ministry of control and therefore we would be opposed to any. unilateral action so how did your pain get the mystery until the u.s. turn it over to them how do you as originally get them is a ministry of control it was because. after the war were issued us that they can control the nala as well as the chain of islands and including the. same kakul islands so from the beginning to the end the u.s. is really responsible for this particular mess now the u.s. as you say is responsible and president obama has made it a clear objective to boost america's influence in the asia pacific region which is right under his doorstep how does he have the resources to compete with china and even india for that matter yeah well i think the u.s. has this role of being the policeman aro

beijing is also staking its claim in different ways. it is creating a brand new city in the heart of the south china sea. investments pouring in including funds for a new military base. the move has angered china's neighbors that are turning to america for support. >> that is the reason why they are provoking beijing in the south china sea. >> many here believe that china should take a tougher line to protect their way of life. the captain says that troops should be sent in to end the dispute. >> we must take back our territorial waters. i have waited a long time for military confrontation. >> it is this type of talk that is making beijing's neighbors extremely nervous. china's rising power and confidence are sending ripples across the region. >> for more on the pacific we speak to martin, who joins us from the island off the coast of southern china. she is that a naval base in san diego. the one question that everybody in washington and america has, is china militarily expanding? is there something that the u.s. needs to be concerned a

beijing is dealing with its worst smog in years. visibility is down to 200 meters. the u.s. economy has gone into reverse, shrinking 1%. it is the first contraction since the financial crisis started. >> congress was sworn to come to a deal. the row over the fiscal cliff hit business confidence. analysts on wall street were expecting growth of 1%. the symbolism is huge. >> when people see a negative number, you worry if the economy is going into recession. when people look at the details, they see that under the surface, this was not such a bad report. >> there was a cut in government spending, particularly in the sense. consumer, and hence -- there was a cut in government spending, particularly in defense. the fiscal cliff has not been sorted, only put off for a few weeks. there is no sign of a deal between republicans and democrats. >> we need to look seriously at what is done with the government directly and indirectly. we will see some real budget reform take place. we might have a better economy in the future. >> the u.s. has lost its triple aaa credit rating. spending

there are signs that beijing is increasingly irritated. on the other hand, it has more to lose than perhaps anyone else in the region from a sudden change in the status quo. north korean refugees flooding across its borders, a lack of access to north korea's resources, and a lack of a buffer zone against the 28,000 u.s. troops. so, china has a lot of reasons to be cautious even if it is irritated. >> lucy, how about this claim, and that's what it's got to be, this claim that the weapons can reach the american mainland? i guess there must be a lot of experts trying to work out just how credible that is. >> that's right. well, one of the reasons why the satellite launch as north korea billed in was december was such a big story is because the technology uselessed to send the satellite up into space is very similar to that which is used in the intercontinental ballistic missile. the big dnchts is you have to get a melf down again, so that's something that north korea hasn't proved it can do. but it certainly proved it can put a satellite in s

beijing municipal authorities said the air pollution alert is its highest level. they've ordered some schools to keep children indoors and factories to scale back operations. >> translator: we avoid going outside. i never open windows at home. >> hospitals in the capital have recorded an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems. many residents are coping with the pollution by wearing masks. beijing authorities explained in an emergency news conference that fumes from coal-heating devices are mixing with car and factory emissions. they also said weak winds and high levels of humidity in recent days may have made the situation worse. japan, the united states and other nations use strict environmental regulations to control the levels of fine particulate matter. the chinese government set its own standards in february of last year after a wave of criticism both at home and abroad. but public discontent continues to grow, mainly in urban areas, as authorities in china struggle to clear the air. >>> parents wo who last their children in a mass shoot

smog in the capital of beijing has never been this bad. >> beijing authorities ordered government fleets to cut back on driving, but that has had no noticeable effect on the city's dense traffic. no restrictions have been placed on privately-owned cars. instead, residents are being urged to stay home and wear face masks if they must go out. >> i have trouble breathing. today is actually better. we live on the side of the city where the smog is worst. when i open the window, i could not see clearly. visibility was very low. i worry about my family, especially those who drive. >> there are so many charges that -- cars that discharge so much exhaust. it will be better if the government could take control of the pollution. >> levels of particulate matter in the air have come down since the weekend, but remain around 30 times higher than the maximum safe level recommended by the world health organization. authorities blamed the weather. they say wind should pick up by mid week and bring some relief to the chinese capital. >> the u.s.-based parcel service coming u.s. ps, says it is dropping it

smog in the capital of beijing has never been this bad. >> beijing authorities ordered government fleets to cut back on driving, but that has had no noticeable effect on the city's dense traffic. no restrictions have been placed on privately-owned cars. instead, residents are being urged to stay home and wear face masks if they must go out. >> i have trouble breathing. today is actually better. we live on the side of the city where the smog is worst. when i open the window, i could not see clearly. visibility was very low. i worry about my family, especially those who drive. >> there are so many charges that -- cars that discharge so much exhaust. it will be better if the government could take control of the pollution. >> levels of particulate matter in the air have come down since the weekend, but remain around 30 times higher than the maximum safe level recommended by the world health organization. authorities blamed the weather. they say wind should pick up by mid week and bring some relief to the chinese capital. >> the u.s.-based parcel service coming u.s. ps, says it is dropping it

as beijing worse -- experiences the worst pollution in years, we will be reporting from china's capital of coal. how do you feel growth without wrecking the environment? >> increasingly, it is coming at a huge cost. >> also in the program, we look at what is happening in the world of business. yet another strike in greece. >> the greek tragedy continues as the country comes to a standstill in a massive strike just days after the greek finance minister tells us things are looking good. this is the last year of recession, he said. the problem is that nobody seems to have told that to the millions of greek's on the ground -- greeks on the ground. it is midday in london, 2 p.m. in damascus, where syria has accused israel of carrying out an airstrike in its territory. there has been a reaction from bashar al-assad's allies in moscow. the foreign ministry there has condemn the attack. there is mounting concern about the react -- retaliation in israel itself. there are competing accounts of exactly what the targets were. it is thought that israel was trying to prevent the transfer of weapons t

we have more on the smog in beijing and where the winds will take it next.e have meteorologist robert speta. robert? >> well, gene, over much of the beijing area, northeast china we've been seeing this high pressure in place and it has been acting as a cap keeping the pollutants in the air across much of the region. the high pressure will transport down here towards the south and the winds will shift from the west to the east. what happens is as that does so it will be transporting along much of northeastern china and all those pollutants and aerosols into korea and across japan. even into japan you've been seeing some of this. across western japan as well. so definitely want to watch this. anybody with respiratory issues you need to keep a close eye. stay indoors if possible. also it's going to be continuing to linger throughout your day on thursday and friday then another weather system will be pulling through. that's not only going to bring rain showers but shift these winds from the south and on tokyo on saturday it will be affecting here. more weather i

leading beijing's largest property developer, as well as in shanghai. see you. >> thank you very much for joining us again. how would you characterize things right now? i mean, we've talked in the past about the huge boom that you've seen, whether in beijing or shanghai. then a bust where government was putting rules in place to slow things down. how would you characterize things today? >> i think for the last two years we've been in this slowing mode. clearly every data you're looking at, real estate sales, land sales, transactions, all these data is really coming down. pricing has also been quite capped because of the lack of transaction. the government has been careful in providing lendings to developer or, you know, actually they've had a -- a prohibition of buying. if you own one apartment, you simply cannot buy a second one. that policy has been in place for two years. and my sense is that really if we look at the massive intense period of urbanization for china, it's coming to an end. you know, we live in the world today that production is so fas

some say leung chun-ying is a puppet installed by beijing. the police spokesperson said about 17,000 people participated in the rally. the demonstrators carried banners demanding that leung step down. they fear hong kong's increased dependence on mainland china could undermine their freedom. >> translator: hong kong is unique in china. it's different from other provinces. i hope it keeps the spirit of democracy and judicial independence. >> leung took office last july, but residents have criticized him for a series of controversies. some say he misled them about illegal renovations of his home. others don't like when he tried to introduce compulsory patriotism classes in schools. the new leader of the china communist party met with liu wen last month in a show of support, but many favor a show of democracy for hong kong. the chief executive is chosen by an election committee made up of 1,200 members. >>> kim jong un has delivered the first new year's speech by a north korean leader in 19 years. he said the country should put a priority on hea

even so, they enjoy cordial relations with beijing. in recent years, chinese authorities have made efforts to strengthen ties with the resource-rich nation. china's interest became clear with the series of visits by premier wen jiabao in november 2011 and the foreign minister in august of last year. economic relations are booming. within an hour's drive of central brunei, here's the construction site of the highway. as you can see, the construction is taking place in the middle of the jungle. a chinese state-owned company is in charge of constructing the bypass. its main purpose will to be reduce traffic congestion between the capital and the western suburbs. brunei has a strong incentive to develop bilateral ties. it's anxious to prepare for the future when it can no longer depend on fossil fuels. oil and natural gas represent more than 90% of exports. securing alternative sources of income from abroad is a national imperative. this company produces -- that's prepared in line with islam tradition. it aims to sell its products in china

nhk world, beijing. >>> wildfires have broking o brn 130 places in australia. the southern island of tasmania has been hardest hit. flames burned down 250 buildings and policere still trying to locate dozens of missing people. >> reporter: the fires have covered tasmania in shrouds of smoke. the temperature in the state capital hit a record, 131 degrees celsius. a heat wave, dry air and strong winds made for a disastrous combination. >> we didn't know it was going to be so sudden. it was horrendous. it was just unbelievable. just all totally devastated now. >> reporter: the fires have destroyed hundreds of buildings, a police station, a school, homes. police say thousands of people have been stranded. prime minister julia gillard saw the devastation firsthand when she visited a township. she met with the people in charge of fighting the fire. she said the government would be there to help those who need it. >>> came to tasmania to say that the nation is standing with them at this very, very difficult time. we'll be standing with them in every way. >> reporter:

in fact, in beijing it is in the hazardous level. we're going to take a break here.oss the northeastern areas of china due to that low pressure bringing some snow or mixed precipitation, but otherwise, still looking at a hazardous level of polluted air quality in beijing. very unhealthy level in shanghai. the level only goes up to 500. this is around 450. we may even need a new chart for this one. so this kind of condition continues for a little while longer due to the air stagnation across the area. you can see nothing much is happening except for south of yangtze river where wet weather will continue making flooding to trigger easily. shanghai 8 degrees. chongqing 11 degrees for your high. ulan bator. looking at minus 16. tokyo at 9 degrees. here across the europn continent a potent system moving in bringing snow to southwestern areas of the uk. sea effect snow continuing on the east coast here but the iberian peninsula even will be looking at some snowfall. northern madrid about 50 centimeters. additional amounts of five centimeters possible. winds really strong p

. >>> be glad you aren't breathing the air in beijing today. china is battling dangerous levels of air pollution. the u.s. embassy in beijing is recording pollution levels exceeding even the worst category on the air quality index. last night it scored 755 out of 500. the city is expected to stay clouded in smog until winds pick up on wednesday. last year smog and hazed forced cancellation of almost 700 flights at the airport in beijing. >>> today, unexpectedly heavy snow in japan paralyzed public transit and caused serious car crashes. about 3" of snow fell in the tokyo area and more than 15" about 50 meals west of the city. japanese tv network says more than 250 people were injured in road accidents. hundreds of domestic flights canceled and some train lines altered, as well. >> you think of japan, you don't think of snow. >> that's what it would look like here if there was snow in san francisco. >> i got news for you. it felt like it. if we had a little precip, we would have had snow. >> we didn't get that. we had a little frost. nice clear

they can get a server in beijing. what difference does it make year or $3,000 buys 10,000 computers for 30 minutes. nobody has ever been given 10,000 computers for 30 minutes for $3,000. it is in the question that they looked at me at that stage and went, "what would i do with that?" that is the seat of the next step. there are lots of examples already happening around us, but this is the magic. as soon as the smart kids out there start figuring out what you do, we ignite this thing with a rocket ship. this has nothing to do with total cost of ownership or any of that. it has to do with being able to do things we economically could never do before. i will conclude i see the floor. >> thank you, tim. simon. >> well, now you know all about how computing. [laughter] let me give you a slightly different angle. i think of the cloud as being roughly categorized into two worlds. there is the clout as envisaged and manifested within the enterprise, which includes the city of santa francisco. large organizations of people who

because in beijing this week where there are no regulations against any of the sort of koch industries you could spill any toxic chemicals waste anything well you people are having to walk around with gas masks on beijing municipal environmental monitoring center says levels of two point five tiny particulate matter had reached more than six hundred micrograms per square meter in many areas and reporters said it had even hit nine hundred is worse ever reading the world health organization considers a safe daily level to be twenty five so tens and tens of times more than is safe right so did the scorched earth policy the libertarian the austrian school to some degree obliterated the earth's ability to generate a viable economy and now they're worried and they're frightened they're building castles to live with the land back and give birth to incestuously effective little babies now finally fed orders j.p. morgan to fix risk after a london whale no fine for them now no danger no risk for them of any consequence to their actions and in fact this mass comes back in for the final headline j

we have the before and after of beijing. hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo. you want to see something cool?napshot, from progressive. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switch. unless you're scared. i'm not scared, it's... you know we can still see you. no, you can't. pretty sure we can... try snapshot today -- no pressure. >>> alabama hostage standoff. a tense situation continues in midland city. that is where police say a 6-year-old boy is being held in an underground bunker by a man identified by neighbors as jimmy lee dikes, 65 years old. now, this story started late yesterday. police say dikes took the child off of a schoolbus at gunpoint and killed the driver. george howell is about a half a mile from where the boy is being held. it's hard to understand the bizarre and scary story, but we know police are now talking to the suspect. what are, what's happening? are they making progress? what are they talking about? >> reporter: no headway at this

this that's what we're breathing in beijing. >> jon: don't wipe that away. the chinese character for wash me is the same as the character for em if a -- emphysema. china has bad air, but our school lunches should be healthier. no imagery whining audience member you don't get it. >> a factory fire went unnoticed for three hours because it mixed right in with the smog. >> jon: three-hour fire, no one knew. the only reason they noticed, someone wondering why billowing clouds of fresh air were rising. does everyone understand how much worst situation is in china than america? does everybody understand that? >> excuse me, jon? >> jon: what is that? [cheers and applause] that's weird. it's renowned astro fizzists physicist -- i forgot you were staying in the studio while they spray your apartment for bed bugs. trying to wrap my head around -- i overheard you sneak speaking, i'm trying to wrap my head around the magnitude of chinese pollution problem. could you help me out. >> jon: explain it in terms you understand. >> yes. >> jon: try this. >> the record air poll

>>reporter: sun was shining in beijing today but you wouldn't know it.g outside can make eyes itch and throat burn. this could be my lung tweeted one can chinese resident. time lapse showed how clouds make window disappear. zero whipped freezing temperature and factory full tilt made this week a perfect storm for pollution. at its peek plugs hit 7 55 in beijing. making breathing extremely hazardous. by compare sont worst polluted city in the u.s. bakersfield, california, hit a high of 159 last year. super toxic air. >> particle pollution like that can cause heart attack and stroke that can kill people. it's lethal. >>reporter: this photo from green peace study shows what air filter looks like after 24 hours in beijing. wipe a thin layer accumulated on most cars. that is soot and grime. this is my own air purifier. watch this. that's what we are breathing bay jeng. it's like becoming an instant smoker, beijing did issued emergency warnings first time ever this year. seems of government can't avoid problems everyone can see. >> immanuel one third of the u.

the beijing news carry the cryptic story on wednesday. writers link the dish to brave hearts that can soothe souls. nhk world, beijing. >>> chinese maritime authorities have decided to maintain regular patrols. china and taiwan claim the senkaku islands. china's state media discussed maritime policies. the head of the state oceanic administration said his office will assume greater responsibility for maintaining the country's maritime interests. the participants decided to order regular patrols around the islands they call dalew. japan nationalized them in september. china has been sending ships to the area ever since. china's long-time territorial disputes with other countries. the chief cabinet secretary said japan cannot accept china's decision. the islands are inherently japanese territory. he says that's been shown through history and international law. he said the government will continue air and sea surveillance to protect areas around the islands. japan maintains an air defense idtificaon zonoverhe east china sea just outside the

beijing has slammed washington for its latest comments on china's territorial brawl with japan in the south china sea saying the u.s. should be more carefully careful with its words and stay away from the regions matters that is after statements made by u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton who are sure that tokyo of american support and want to china against any unilateral action in the dispute both beijing and tokyo lay claim to a string of uninhabited islands that are said to be rich in natural resources george cooder founder of international strategic alliances believes the u.s. is stoking the conflict between the two asian powers. let us created this mess and i think the u.s. is continuing. the problem between or between europe and china u.s. is again playing the search easy and being the game by all and one.

"the beijing news" did not. they ran a part of the editorial a day later after repeated requests by authorities. an online posting alleged the government threatened to close the newspaper sta didn't comp. the publisher of "the beijing news" has reportedly said he plans to resign. someone uploaded a photo to the internet that apparently shows employees crying as they listened to his announcement. postings of this nature are often deleted soon after they appear. chinese officials seem to be on even higher alert against the threat of social unrest. >> authorities in china are trying to show the public they are listening to their concerns on another issue. they disciplined more than 160,000 government and communist party officials in 2012 for corruption and abuse of authority. the situation has resulted in mounting frustration among the public. government and party agencies say the figure was up 12.5% from 2011. among those disciplined were liu ijun.f bo xii an both were expelled. part of the news conference was bro

calling it again from beijing. operation blue sky, as he calls that, may be the next frontier in the gaming industry there. duncan, thank you very much. appreciate your time. >>> we've got consumer credit and borrowing/lending figures out of the u.k. better than we expected. net consumer lending up 1.7 billion. it was up .1 billion, about 100 million in november. mortgage approvals, 55,-785. 54,000 in november. that's the highest since january, 2012. stronger than expected, as well. signs, perhaps, that funding for lending has had an impact on margins. we mentioned mortgage approvals, it's better than expected. 55,000 still on a circle basis is a weak number. >> right. >> but maybe signs for lending is starting to -- >> this fits in with the stronger employment figures, you know, that the whole debate -- let's ask jane sort of where the market is coming down today. >> saying seven, spiking off on the session lows. >> exactly. the dichotomy between weak output, stronger figures at least in terms of employment and th

about a dozen gathered in beijing to show solidarity with the reporters. back in the city, more than 30 police officers arrived to keep the demonstrators away from the newspapers. they removed the flowers away from the protestors. >> translator: if we do not stand for this newspaper now, we won't get support next time. >> reporter: a new group of leaders took control of china's communist party last fall. the demonstrators and members of the media are finding out some of the old ways are still in practice. nhk world, beijing. >>> social workers offer vital support to the survivors of the 2011 earthquake. it's a tough job and some say they need help themselves. >> reporter: every morning social worker visits all the units of this temporary housing unit. she is checking on the residents health. she has been doing this job since september last year. during the day she works out of housing unit's meeting area. she tells the local officials what they want and need. she's a disaster survivor herself applied for the job hoping to help others. >> translator: i feel

for the territory demanding the resignation of the chief executive who they see as a pickup tote beijing. >> your credibility decides whether the public should support you or not. if you don't have credibility you will lose the confidence of the public. >> if the government lacks integrity how can they have authority to govern hong kong. we must take to the streets and make our voices heard. for the people living here their way of life is influenced by the west and had been for over a century. doncht those on the mainland. so the chinese leadership agreed to keep hong kong but overseeing it all would be a leader backed by beijing. today that leader elected by a committee loyal to china's central government is under increasing pressure to give up his post. protesters clashed with police after a relatively peaceful day of demonstrations. whatever their issue is with the current leadership it is outweighed by their desire for democracy. we have been asking for more than 20 years. >> china promised that this will happen in 2017. until then the issue of how the territory is governed remains d