21/03/2017 BBC World News America

Reporting from Washington, I'm Tim Willcox.

Shoes off, no liquids, and now, no laptops.

Why Britain is joining the United States in banning some

electronic gadgets on certain flights.

From bombs to the ballot box - Northern Ireland's Martin

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam welcomes home two stolen paintings

Welcome to our viewers on Public Television in America,

For millions of airline passengers long haul flights could soon

It follows US authorities announcing a ban on laptops, iPads,

cameras and other devices bigger than a mobile phone being allowed

The order, based on unspecified threats, affects passengers on US

bound flights from certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

And now Britain has tightened its aviation

Our security correspondent Frank Gardner has more.

Jamelia, tedious, time consuming. Getting laptops and other devices

through airport security on flights from the Middle East to the UK is

Anything bigger than a smartphone Anything bigger than a smartphone

will now have to go in the hold. British Airways, easyJet and four

other UK airlines are affected, so too are Middle Eastern and North

Africa and carriers. It follows a similar measure by the United

States. The Government has said the security of the travelling public is

its highest priority. What has prompted this? Last year's laptop

bomb aboard this flight out of Somalia raised a lot of concerns.

Smuggled aboard by the group, Al Shabab, it made a hole in the plane.

The pilot was able to land safely. The year before so-called Islamic

State put a bomb onto a passenger jet coming out of Egypt, killing

everyone on board. That device was in the mould with a new ban does not

apply. In Whitehall, the BBC understands there were concerns

about introducing the band. It does not relate to a specific plot. There

was bound to be a commercial and diplomatic price for this. It is

also yet one more incumbents for air passengers. The scope for disruption

is immense. People will get the wrong end of many sticks. They will

think it applies to all flights from the UK, as well as these six

countries. People will have organised only hand baggage flights.

They will suddenly need to check things in. It is going to be, I'm

afraid, and a mighty muddle, until we get used to the idea. Business

travellers who need to work on the flight will be especially

inconvenienced. There is no end to the ban in sight. The ban on liquids

over 100 Mills is still in place. For more on this spoke a short time

ago with Matthew Levitt, who heads the Counter-terrorism

programme at the Washington How effective will this be? What it

will effectively do is get these items into the hole. The idea is

that there is better and easier screening of devices that can go

beneath and it is harder to do those above. They are interested in the

size. It is about how much explosive can be fitted in. What do you mean

the screening is more effective question what do they go through

bigger machines? Will banks have to be unpacked by more airport workers?

There is easier and better technology. When there are

questions, there will be workers to go through. You have probably

travelled and checked bags underneath and there is a tag on

their saying, we have had to go through your bag will stop that will

happen. It is only from certain countries, probably where the Intel

is coming from. It is unclear how long it will last. The trend is for

miniaturising agent of devices. We saw in that report the laptop and

the group claiming responsibility for that. It really is about the

evolving threats of explosives and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

has a bomb maker who has been very creative with the types of

explosives, what they are made out of a where he puts them. Inside a

person boss Max physical being in Saudi Arabia. It is the extent to

which they have been able to miniaturise that explosive. Is there

anything that can be done to the aircraft itself to sustain or

withstand the small explosion? You don't want any explosive to get onto

the plane. You do not know where it will be. It is true that our

passengers in the immediate area, if there is something small, it will

have less of an effect. The do not take that risk. You want to put

things down there so it can go through more security checks.

Airports around the country, they are really close allies to United

States for that Turkey is a member of Nato. Earlier on Turkey said it

would appeal for study in the lobby any movement on that front all, is

the risk so grave, that the countries will have to follow suit?

We do not know the nature of the intelligence was that it is possible

there will be other checks will carry on baggage to enable these

things to go back at the carry on. There are flights from certain

places like United States. It is less likely that this will be

something we will have 11 years on, as we do with the liquid gel will

have to see how the threat pans out. Thank you very much.

On Capitol Hill here in Washington, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch

today faced more hours of questioning from lawmakers.

The topics ranged from US policy on abortion and torture,

to allowing cameras in the courtroom and Gorsuch's own past rulings.

But perhaps foremost on lawmakers' minds was the issue

of judicial independence, and whether Judge Gorsuch

would operate separately from the politics of Washington.

Let's go live to Laura Trevelyan on Capitol Hill for us now.

Very keen to make people realise he is his own man. Absolutely. In doing

so, he is blunting one of the key lines of the attacks from the

Democrats. They want to stress how important judicial independence is

under this president. Neil Gorsuch said he believed in the separation

of powers he said they gave me a gavel and not rubber-stamp. He said

no man is above the law, not even the president. On the hot button

issues which could camp up in front of the Court, a Republican senator

had this to say about what resident tramp said about abortion in 1973.

-- president Trump. I would have walked out the door. It

is not what judges do. I don't do it at that end of Pennsylvania Avenue

and they should not do it at this end.

This has been billed as a grilling of Neil Gorsuch. The atmosphere has

seen quite -- seemed quite warm at stages. There is no disguising the

fact that Democrats are sought about the fact that President Obama's

nominee never got the chance to have the nomination hearing that Neil

Gorsuch is going through. They are divided as to how far they can go in

opposing him, given that Neil Gorsuch has shown himself to be

erudite, highly qualified, able to cope with the pressure. He seems

barely to have put a foot wrong. It is a big dilemma for Democrats. Do

they throw the kitchen sink at this? It is difficult for them right now.

Thank you very much. The other big story on Capitol Hill

is the fight over the new health care bill. It is close. The real

winners and losers could be those in states like Pennsylvania. This was

such a huge issue for Trump on the campaign trail. He is finding that

health care is Commper gated. We all remember that rallying cry on the

campaign Trail to repeal and replace Obamacare. He is repealing a banner

care. We saw that as an executive order on day one. -- Bama care. He

has come up with some will call Trump care. It looks slightly

different, very different if you are a Democrat. President Obama help the

most vulnerable and the sick. A lot of that will be shrunk and withdrawn

foot. Making insurance is compulsory and stop insurers having to find

insurance premiums for their workers for the bidders more market-driven

and there is less subsidy. The funding is through tax credits for

the bus is very much a businessman's. He has come up with

something in the past month that everyone has hated. The moderate

Republicans have been very spooked by anon parties and budget office

saying millions of Americans could be uninsured over the next decade.

On the right of the party, the real conservatives, they say they hate

it. They think it does not repeal enough and that it will be too

expensive for the Government. Just very briefly on the numbers, it will

be tight, will it? The numbers on Capitol Hill. We talked to

congressmen there this morning, some on the right of the party. They

think it will not pass. All he needs to lose our 22 votes. We think the

numbers against him are between possibly 25, 30 five. He might try

to cancel the vote on Thursday altogether. It does not look good if

you are President and cannot get the first piece of legislation through.

Rebel and jihadist forces in Syria say their latest

assault on the capital, Damascus, is sending a powerful

message to the government just days before another round of peace talks.

They say it shows they can still mount a major attack

on what is regarded as Syria's most heavily protected city.

The Syrian military response has included moving dozens of tanks

into the city centre, airstrikes, and artillery fire.

You're watching BBC World News America.

Still to come on tonight's programme:

We'll speak with the US negotiator of the Northern Ireland peace

South Korean prosecutors have spent 14 hours questioning

the former President, Park Guen-haye over her involvement

in the growing corruption scandal that led to her impeachment.

Ms Park travelled voluntarily from her home to the prosecutor's

She's always denied wrongdoing but as she arrived to be

interviewed, she apologised to the country.

Hidden in the motive Cade, Park Guen-haye. As an ordinary citizen,

the prosecutor calls her in and she complies. I am sorry, she said, to

the Korean people. But it is not clear what she is sorry for. Two

weeks ago, when she was evicted from the presidential palace, she was

defiant. Her innocence, she said, would emerge. Others are also facing

the heat, like the patriarchs who control the biggest businesses in

South Korea, the head of some sun is on trial. The ex-president's best

friend has been charged accused of getting money from business. Park

Guen-haye is said to have favoured donors in return. Outside, her

supporters, angry at what they call political persecution. This

symbolises the whole division of the country. There will be an election

in two months' time. There may well be a movement to the left of the

Government. Even after that, the divisions will remain. Park

Guen-haye still has her fans. The prosecutor probably is not one of

them. Martin McGuinness, the former IRA

leader turned deputy first minister of Northern Ireland has died

at the age of 66. He'd been suffering

from a rare heart condition. From one of the Provisional IRA's

most senior and ruthless commanders, responsible for many deaths and acts

of terror he went on to embrace electoral politics and became

a principal architect of the peace process that led to the 1998

Good Friday Agreement. To paint a true picture of Martin

McGuinness, you have to accept contradictions. He was a

paramilitary who once embraced violence but also a peacemaker who

reached out to rivals. A man who could be seen in very different

lights. Born in Londonderry into a large Catholic family, Martin

McGuinness came of age as Northern Ireland's divides became prevalent.

In that time, he joined the IRA, quickly rising through its ranks.

Can you say whether the bombings are likely to stop in the near future in

response to demands? I would take into consideration the feelings of

the people. He became one of the faces of ruthless Irish

republicanism and was jailed for terrorist offences in Dublin. He

changed considerably from the own man he is to swagger around the no

go areas in Londonderry as commander of the provisional IRA. What started

as a fight for civil rights has become a vicious battle. Alongside

the many bombings and shootings, Martin McGuinness sought

opportunities for Sinn Fein, the political party linked to the irony.

Even then, the language remain. We don't believe winning elections and

any amount of votes will bring freedom. In the end of the day it

will be the cutting edge of the IRA who will bring freedom. After years

of chaos, in the 1990s, the ceasefires offered the opportunity

for talks between unionists and Republicans. Would you like to shake

hands? There are no guns here. Not only would they shake hands, after

the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, they joined each other.

Eventually at its head was the murky partnership of two former enemies.

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. The firebrand and Unionist radical

Republican became so close they were nicknamed the Chuckle Brothers.

There were Republicans who continue to threaten that political progress.

When a police officer was killed, the then Deputy First Minister stood

side by side with the chief Custer Paul to condemn the dissident

groups. -- Chief Constable. They are traitors to Ireland. Alongside the

words there were reactions from all sides. The Queen was a cousin Lord

Mountbatten was killed by the IRA. After the troubles, they put their

differences aside. Relationships at Stormont always seemed strange. As

Ian Paisley stepped down as First Minister to be replaced by Peter

Robinson and then Arlene Foster. His ill-health became obvious. Martin

McGuinness walked out of government. The boy's from the Bogside retiring

as First Minister after years in the irony. It breaks my heart. My heart

lies in the Bogside and with the people of Derry. The past actions of

the IRA will colour many people's you of Martin McGuinness. As a

Republican who work towards reconciliation, he will be

remembered as a key figure in a changing Northern Ireland.

The Queen has sent a message of condolence to the widow of Martin

McGuinness. Another prominent figure in those

peace talks was George Mitchell, the US envoy to Northern Ireland

during that pivotal time. He knew Martin McGuiness well,

and earlier my colleague Katty Kay spoke to him as part of the BBC"s

100 Days programme. Senator Mitchell, when you went to

Northern Ireland in the mid-90s and you started to deal with Martin

McGuinness, what made you think that you could trust him, given his past

record? He was obviously a political leader, chosen by the people of

Northern Ireland. When the peace talks began, all of the delegates

were elected. They represented the people of Northern Ireland. So it

another, it was wanting to accept another, it was wanting to accept

the will of the people of Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness was

intelligent, articulate, a strong and effective leader of the

community and his point of view. In that way, along with leaders on both

sides, they helped to reach the decision to end the violence and

move towards democratic and peaceful ways of resolving disputes. Of

course he is a controversial figure. Many would say he had blood on his

hands. Whilst you were in the process of negotiating with him

during the years leading up to the Good Friday Agreement did you ever

discuss his past actions with him? I never discussed past actions with

Martin or any other participant in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Many of them were in a similar circumstance. The problem was, they

were embedded in the past. I was trying to get them to look to the

future. The last thing I wanted to do was to get them focus on and

talking about the past when I was trying to get them to talk about the

future. But this transformation from leader of the IRA, as somebody who

have been convicted in the 70s for crimes related to the IRA and

actions related to the IRA committed being seen today is one of the key

peacemakers, I think that is what people struggle with in Martin

McGuinness personally? Were you convinced that was a genuine

transition and had really been made? You'll occur I did not make

judgments of that kind. What I did was tackle each problem on a daily

basis. Participate and try to get them to look forward and understand

that whatever the circumstances of the Democratic peaceful future work,

they would be better than returning to the conflict that had dominated

society. Martin McGuinness accepted that challenge was instrumental in

bringing his community and his side along in the peace process. That is

why I think he will be remembered. I think that the ultimate, iconic

picture of the Northern Ireland peace process will be Ian Paisley as

the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness as Deputy

First Minister, embracing each other, serving the people of

Northern Ireland through a democratic process and appearing to

enjoy each other at the same time. Art lovers in Amsterdam

are celebrating the return, and re-hanging of two paintings

by Vincent van Gogh. The images, a seascape,

and a depiction of a church attended by the artist's father,

were stolen in 2002 on the orders They were found last year

during a police raid in Naples. The BBC's Anna Holligan has

more from Amsterdam. After 14 years and a traumatic

journey, the paintings Now protected by thick screens,

they're not taking any chances. Two early works by one

of the Netherlands' We have no idea what happened

to them in the intervening years. In this beach view, a small

piece in the lower left But it does not really disturb

the image as such too much, and the small church

is practically unharmed. It took opportunist thieves less

than four minutes to break in through the roof using

a rope and sledgehammer, rip the paintings from the nearest

wall with brutal force, and escape before the police

arrived, leaving a hole Italian police arrested

two men in 2016. They'd been investigating

allegations of drug trafficking, but apparently one detainee

confessed that the network The Italian authorities

were proud of their work. These two works are of vast historic

and sentimental value. The Sea View at Scheveningen is one

of only two seascapes painted by Van Gogh during his time

in the Netherlands. The wind was so blustery that day it

blew tiny grains of sand The Congregation Leaving

the Reformed Church in Nuenen was a gift for Van Gogh's mother

after she'd broken her leg. He changed it after his father

died to include images The museum is deliberately

displaying the paintings as they were found, with slight

damage representing Now, anticipating the moment they're

back in the admiring public eye. inside the Van Gogh

museum in Amsterdam. That is it. You can find plenty more

on the website. And to reach me and most of the BBC

team simply go to Twitter - For all of us here at

World News America, thank you for watching and please

tune in tomorrow. More spring sunshine on the way by

the weekend and into next week as well. On Tuesday we seem to jump

back into winter.