09/03/2012 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Zeinab Badawi. The shelling the

in Homs goes on and Valerie Amos says she still does not know enough

of what is going on in the country. We still need a more robust

engagement that will enable us to have more information about what is

happening. New pictures of the house where the British and Italian

men held hostage in Nigeria died. Italy wants answers from Britain

why they weren't told about the failed operation.

13 million people in Africa's Sahel region could just be months away

from a full blown food emergency. Also coming up in the programme:

New research uncovers a controversial remedy. Could

psychedelia's drug of choice, LSD, be a treatment for alcohol

addiction? Hollywood's voiceover artistes.

They sell us the promise of a great film, but do the voices have to be

Hello and welcome. The United Nations Humanitarian Envoy, Valerie

Amos, who's just visited Syria, says the Syrian authorities have

agreed to join UN agencies in making a limited assessment of the

situation in the country. Speaking in Turkey, Baroness Amos repeated

her call for unhindered humanitarian access to Syria. This

a video claims to show shelling in Homs. A cameraman says that the

minarets bore the brunt of the bombardment. We cannot verify these

pictures independently. These pictures from Damascus to show an

anti-government demonstration. Here, protesters burn the pictures of

President Assad's predecessor, his father. The UN's humanitarian chief,

Valerie Amos, visited Syria earlier this week. She is now in Turkey and

has called on the Syrian government to provide free access to those

areas worst hit by fighting. government have agreed to a limited

assessment exercise to be conducted by UN agencies and the Syrian

authorities. This would give us some information about what is

happening in the country. We continue to need a more robust

engagement that would enable us to have more information about what is

happening. What to do about Syria is a topic for the EU foreign

ministers here it meeting for talks in Copenhagen. Ministers reject

calls for foreign military action. The first goal is to stop violence.

The second is to bring in humanitarian aid. And the third is

a peaceful transition and this is what we want to reach. The UN's en

voyage is due to arrive in Syria on Saturday. He has called for a

political settlement to the crisis. The UN humanitarian she has been

talking on the telephone to the BBC after her visit. She told us that

not enough aid is reaching the people. Homs itself, the part so

visited, are extremely quiet, shops are not open. There are one or two

neighbourhoods where shops are open and there are more people. There

are estimates that only about 50 % of those who live in Homs are still

there. The neighbourhood in Homs is completely devastated, destroyed.

There is evidence of heavy artillery having been used. There

is not a single building in the area that I visited that had not

had any impact of this. You can see large holes, you can see evidence

of tanks having rolled through the neighbourhood in for a march on the

road. It is a terrible situation to see. I spoke to a couple of

families who had basically gone back to get what they could from

their homes, to salvage what they could. There are few men on the

streets who said that people were very fearful and that people had

fled to family and friends. We are trying to negotiate with the

opposition to see some people who I understood had been displaced, but

eventually we had to give that up. We were not able to negotiate to

get into that the opposition held area to see them.

The Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has expressed his anger

with the UK. He said it is inexplicable that Britain had not

informed Italy before it started a mission to free a British engineer

and his Italian colleague held hostage in Nigeria. Both men died

during the rescue attempt carried out on Thursday by British special

forces and the Nigerian military. Here's our security correspondent

Gordon Corera. The house in north-west Nigeria at

the centre of yesterday's failed rescue attempt. Inside, evidence of

a fierce gun battle. The battle ended with the news that the two

hostages had died. Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara had been held

for 10 months by a violent Al-Qaeda linked itself. Italy's President

today asked why his government had not been consulted before the raid.

The behaviour of the British government in not informing Italy

is inexplicable. A political and diplomatic clarification is

necessary. Officials at the Foreign Office say the decision to send in

troops had to be made fast. So fast that the Italians could only be

told after it had been made. So why did it happen so quickly? The

Nigerians confirmed the hostages location after arresting a suspect

in the last few days. But there were concerns that the kidnappers

were alerted to a possible rescue and the hostages in danger of being

moved or killed. Under pressure the Prime Minister authorised the raid

yesterday morning. And then he informed the Italians. The British

Special Boat Service went in first in a daylight raid, killing one

gunman as they entered. But they then found the hostages had already

been murdered by the time they reach them. We had to make a

decision very quickly and we had to go ahead with this operation with a

very limited time. That constrained how much we were able to consult

others. We were able to inform the Italian government as the operation

got under way. Today, Chris McManus's former colleagues paid

tribute to the 28-year-old from Oldham. My reaction was devastation,

Chris was a very good individual and a great team player. We were

distraught. Chris McManus's family said that they believed everything

that could be done had been done. But at this box a diplomatic row.

Now a look at some of the days other news.

Afghan and US military officials have signed an agreement on

transferring control of the US-run detention facility at Bagram

airbase to the Afghan authorities. At a formal signing-over ceremony

US officials agreed that the Afghan government would take charge of

about 500 prisoners over the next 45 days and assume full control of

the facility in six months. A US drone killed at least eight

militants in Pakistan. The latest job figures from the

United States show that nearly a quarter of a million jobs were

created last month. But the unemployment rate, which is based

on a different survey, remains unchanged at 8.3%.

Oxfam is warning the drought in the Sahel region of West Africa could

turn into a humanitarian catastrophe if urgent action isn't

taken. The aid agency says more than a million children are at risk

of severe malnutrition in Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania,

Niger and northern Senegal. As many as 13 million people could

be affected in the Sahel, the semi- arid area bordered by the Sahara

desert in the North and the wetter regions of equatorial Africa to the

south. The situation has been compounded in some areas by a

refugee problem, recent fighting between Tuareg rebels and the army

in northern Mali has caused more than 100,000 people to flee their

homes. I've been talking to Penny Lawrence from Oxfam, who's in the

capital of Mali, Bamako. She set out the main reasons why there is a

food crisis looming in this part of Africa: The rain fall has been very

little and it was very little two years ago as well. People have not

had a lot of time to recover from one drought. Food prices have

increased greatly. In the north- west, food prices have doubled in

their last six months. If you cannot grow enough food and you

cannot buy it, you will have a real problem managing. When you have

spoken to the authorities and all of these countries, do they say to

you that they're in desperate need of help and they cannot manage?

they do. They are doing everything they can that they are poor

countries and poor governments. The international community also need

to support them. It means governments giving money but it

also means the public giving as well. We need to prevent this

crisis turning into a terrible catastrophe. What are you looking

for and what have you got? We are looking for �23 million to help the

one million at most abjectly affected by this food crisis. At

the moment, we have a significant gap on that. We are hoping that

people will give generously. But it is not just these reasons you have

set out. In Mali there is a conflict which means that people

are fleeing their homes and they cannot plant any more. That is just

up in the north. The food crisis affects a wide area. Yes, there is

also a conflict. If you can imagine those people who have not any got a

food crisis on their hands, but are also fleeing from fighting, too, it

means that we need to double our efforts. We are working with some

very brave local partners and we are able to get support to those

people. What kind of time frame are you looking at? For the clock is

ticking and we have two or three months in which to really make sure

that we distribute food, distribute cash to help people over this

difficult period otherwise we are facing a terrible catastrophe.

The Greek finance minister Evangelos Venezelos has said it's a

historic day for the Greeks. The deal reached with Greece's

creditors today means the Greek debt mountain is reduced by more

than 100 billion euros. But although this is the biggest ever

restructuring of government debt, nothing much will change for

ordinary Greeks. The country is still suffering from a lack of

growth and productivity. Here's Mark Lowen in Athens.

The last few months have been some of the darkest in Greek's modern

history. The recession has deepened as has the despair and anger of the

Greek people. Writing, poverty and loss of faith in leaders have

pushed this country to the brink. Now, a rare glint of hope. The deal

struck to less than Greece's burden. This agreement we have reached with

the private sector is excellent. It is an historic day for Greece, for

the Greek parliament, for the Greek people and for the national economy.

This is the largest debt restructuring ever recorded. 107

billion euros of debt will be written off as old bonds are

exchanged for new. Over 80 % of bondholders have agreed to it.

Securing the deal was essential for Greece to get its next bale-out,

130 euros, that it needs within weeks to avoid bankruptcy. But the

Greek crisis has not been resolved. The country just have an

opportunity and it has got on the right path. Debt relief for the

government, but among ordinary Greeks, few feel relieved.

Austerity has pushed unemployment to record highs. With wages already

slashed, some individual bondholders say they will not

The fundamental problems here are still remain, a lack of growth and

productivity, and without solving them, this country will struggle to

pull itself out of the worst recession since the Second World

War. Once again, Greece has teetered towards the edge. Once

again, it has been saved. But when will the next crisis moment come,

and will this exotic country have the strength to keep fighting? --

exhausted country. In Japan, 100,000 people are still not been

able to return to the homes they fled after the disaster at

Fukushima. Thousands more are afraid to return to areas that have

seen radiation levels increase. The Government has begun an operation

to try to decontaminate thousands of kilometres of land. We have been

back to see how the fall-out has transformed two communities close

to the planned. Absorbed by the trees, the radiation threat is all

around us. Everyone had to evacuate. This is where nobody was. A year

ago, this was home to thousands of people, 25 miles from the the Vichy

much power plant. Today it is to radioactive to live here. -- of the

Fukushima power plant. There are thousands of square miles of

contaminated land all around here. No one knows whether it can be made

for humans to live in again. This professor has tried to work out how

to remove the radiation that the disaster spewed out. It carried

over and career twice the size -- it carried over an area twice the

size. The government say they will decontaminate everywhere, but I do

not think they can do it. It will cost a colossal about.

Fukushima's reactors are still fragile, so many were still too

fearful to live in the shadow of the nuclear cloud. Just miles away,

Minamisoma is in an exclusion zone. 25,000 people who fled last year

from here have not returned. Across the town, the top five centimetres

of soil is being removed. More radioactive particles keep falling

from the trees. At this nursery school, they now take radiation

readings every day, and then swap the playground Queen -- clean

before the children can go out to play. They all wear masks. The

school is one of the few places that has been completely

decontaminated. A counter installed on the playground shows that

radiation is a little above normal but within safe limits. They have

cleaned up our nursery and playground, that is all. We cannot

even take the children out of the front gate. Our life is limited to

these tiny spaces. So even when levels are low, many parents will

not bring their children back here. Living with radiation is a risk

they do not want to take. A year on in priggish enough.

Researchers in Norway have -- a year on in Fukushima. Researchers

in a way have been studying result from a selection of trials

undertaken in the 1960s regarding alcohol and other intoxicants.

Without this man we may never have heard of LSD. In 1943, this Swiss

scientist was working on a chemical, when he started feeling strange.

kind of dream world appeared. A feeling of being one with the world.

A very strange experience. Saying, LSD had been bottled up, and had

found its way -- is soon, LSD had been bottled up and given to

patients. This hospital even had its own LSD block. The CIA were

conducting their own experiment to see whether the drug could be used

to control minds, or as a weapon to spray on enemy troops. The

recreational use of LSD soon became apparent. In 1955 a British MP was

there and using the drug. -- was filmed at using the drug. The

results were obvious, so much so that the film was not shown for

another 30 years. Around the same time, a writer was beginning his

experiments with LSD, culminating in his popular essays. It was not

until the 1960s that LSD usage exploded, with a new generation

looking to use the drug to free their minds and bodies. By this

time, the negative affects had become apparent to many. The drug

could cause extreme paranoia and leave its users exposed. They could

also trigger a prolonged mental illness.

We can speak to a professor who is also a psychiatrist who used to

advise the Government on drugs policies. You have looked at this

research. They apparently -- and apparently won a single dose up LSD

can have an effect on alcoholics which can last month. Are you

convinced? I think it is completely credible. We know that drugs like

LSD induce very profound changes end in sight. Most of the great

things we used to cure alcoholism are about changing inside. It is an

understanding about life beyond alcohol. I think it is part of a

psychotherapeutic intervention in a protective environment and that

psychedelic drugs have quite a role in various therapies for various

problems. We are beginning to do a research -- report on the effects

on people with depression. How does this help combat alcoholism? We do

not know exactly. The work on the projects stopped in the 1960s out

of fear that young people were going to use it. We have not

actually put LSD through a modern brain or imaging techniques. We

have seen that the chemicals and LSD switch off parts of the great -

- brain that are overactive when people get locked into thinking

repeatedly about the press of plot or craving alcohol. What the

chemicals deal -- repeatedly about depressive thoughts or craving

alcohol. But people could go from alcohol to LSD. But people do not

get addicted to LSD. It is not addictive. Eight pre-tax against

addiction. -- eight pre-tax against addiction. Are you not worried

about how harmful it can be? We can do a risk assessment. All I can say

is that psychedelic drugs have a much greater role in the treatment

of addiction is that we have allowed them to be tested for her.

I think it is a disgrace that we have to wait 40 years to try this

again. They could have revolutionised the treatment of

disorders like alcoholism and save hundreds of thousands of lives. The

reason we are not doing it is because we think that it will stop

young people from doing it. Are you convinced or do you think there is

more research to be done? We have to do this today. All of this

research was done in the 1960s. We need to do trials now using the

different side Alex in the proper way in a modern situation. --

psychedelic us in the proper way. One of the last things in Hollywood

that is a last fashion is was ever trailers. -- voice over trailers.

Recently, a female voice over artists have been trying to get in

to the act without much luck. We take a look inside the voice in the

studio. In a world within our world, they created a world unlike any

other world. But for these make believed Euros... -- make believe

he rose... It is a male dominated field. They tend to go with man.

There had been occasions where there have been women but it is

rare. What is it about men? physicality of men's voices carry a

presence, especially in a theatre where there are noises and special

effects. Welcome... To paradise. Tasia Valenza is one of the few

people who have -- who has voiced a trailer. She believes that the male

voices can sell a movie but thinks that male voices -- male voices

might be better for specific kinds. It is a specific to a type of the

genre. When it comes to chick flicks or her romantic comedies, I

think women do it very well. Opinion appears split. I think

women should do voice-overs. It would be quite appealing. I think

guys do it better. By a lot of people would disagree. Oh, well.

Science has been used to justify excluding women from the business.

While men and women like listening to female voices, they trust a

man's voice more. Many believe that women's voices can do the job.

evolves. I think it is the next frontier and I think women have

that at their door front. But it is still a man's will? Yes. Experience

the adventure of a lifetime. change is likely to be incremental.

In the meantime, we will have to deal with the rich baritones

beckoning us to future attractions. That is all from the programme. Was

that deep enough for you? Thank goodness there are women

presenters! From myself and the rest of the team, enjoy your

rest of the team, enjoy your weekend.

High pressure is going to get us find whether this weekend and

through much of next week as well. A cloudy day today it will

gradually brighten up tomorrow. Here is the big picture going into

the weekend. As you can see, it is still quite breezy across northern

areas, but elsewhere, like winds, and the pressure is suckling things

down. Sunday morning starts out bash progress Saturday morning

The cloud will thin and break as it rolls over into the east of the

Pennines. The sun makes all up the difference. In London, we could see

16 degrees. Into Wales, there will be some cloud and you might

encounter some drizzle. North and east Wales will be getting some

sunshine. Some brightness on the southeast of Northern Ireland.