23/01/2016 Reporters

Welcome to Reporters. From here in the world newsroom we send out

correspondence to bring you the best stories from across the globe. In

this week's programme, Turkey's people smuggling mafias as record

numbers enter the country over the last month Fergal Keane goes

undercover with the ruthless traffickers in human misery.

Is Poland being Putin eyes to? Sweeping new powers imposed on the

media and courts. Katie Russell asks if the new government is eroding

democracy. We are afraid to fight for our country for all that we made

in the last 25 years, and we don't want to reverse that. Tonga's weight

problem, Katie Watson reports on one of the world's worst health crises

where 90% of people are obese or overweight. This is the cue for the

daily diabetes clinic. The biggest queue by far here at the country's

main hospital. The country has one of the highest levels of type two

diabetes in the world. Simon Cox reports now matches at Wimbledon and

other tennis tournaments have been investigated over suspicions of

match fixing. I am Chris Rock and hosting the Oscars. And they have a

black host but no black actors among the nominees. James Cook in

Hollywood asks, are the Oscars to white?

It now rivals the drugs trade in the scalability illegal profits.

According to the head of the law enforcement agency Europol people

smuggling netted criminal gangs more than $6 billion last year. This year

is only getting worse. More than 23,000 people have been smuggled

into Europe from Turkey in the past three weeks. Be you has pledged more

than $4 billion in aid to Turkey to tackle the problem, but as Fergal

Keane ports, this hasn't stopped the ruthless gangs determined to make

even more money from the trade in human misery.

By the time they get here there is one choice: Refugees must pay the

criminal gangs or get stuck in Turkey. So far in 2016, the numbers

trying to cross to Europe have tripled compared to last year. With

rough winter seas, prices have more than halved to around $700.

The smuggling Mafia has offices in the centre of town, where we

secretly filmed this man, who calls himself to .Mac and boasts of his

connections. -- cult insult Abu Saif.

We have discovered that even children have been recruited into

the trade. These Syrian refugee boys were selling life jackets, the

oldest no more than 13, the youngest about eight.

Then the older one offered to organise a crossing for our

undercover reporter. And the boy assured us there would

be no danger of the boat breaking down. But boats do sink. The

drowning of three-year-olds either Khadiza September sparked brief

outrage, but the trade continued. Overcrowded boats sinking on rough

seas as refugees try to steer themselves. Resisting smuggler's

orders can be perilous. This woman was afraid to travel on an

overcrowded dinghy and told me what happened next.

And we would discover just how dangerous and brazen they are. Under

the light of a thunderstorm we waited at a beach. More than 30

people drowned here all week earlier. Suddenly, the lights of a

smuggler's coach carrying refugees. As the sun rose, we found the people

on the beach. They were readying themselves. Soon the smugglers would

return with boats. The majority here are women and children from Iraq.

TRANSLATION: We are Iraqis, we still love our country but we left, the

man says, when I left home I cried and cried, my family and children

left and I was alone there. The people here are now waiting for the

smuggler's boat to arrive. It is a journey of about two and a half

hours to Greece and once they are there, the journey into Europe

begins. The police came. Turkey says it is clamping down on smuggling.

There have been dozens of arrests. But not this time. The police went

away. Then four bands appeared, the Turkish smugglers and there

inflatable boats. Seeing us, they became angry. Off-camera, one

pointed to his gun. We hid behind rocks and witnessed

the loading of the refugees. As the boats are launched, a smuggler jumps

off. The people are on their own. One boat breaks down. A man

desperately tries to restart the engine. The other boat moves towards

Greece. After nervous minutes, the second boat is on its way again. War

and the failure of governments have left the vulnerable at the mercy of

criminals. Fergal Keane, BBC News, western Turkey.

Is Poland being Putin eyes? It was one of the big achievements of be

you with its transition to democracy and strong economy but is now being

accused of flouting European law by imposing far ranging measures which

are seen as anti-democratic. The new government elected not overcome

effectively now hire and fire head of public TV and TV and radio and

has limited the power of the country's Constitutional Court. The

president of the European Parliament has described the situation as a

dangerous Putin eyes age and of European politics with reference to

be increasingly authoritarian Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Katie

Russell went to Warsaw to find out if Poland is now a threat to the

European union. The atmosphere in Poland is shifting fast. For the

first time since the end of communist, a democratically elected

government has a majority and is busy implementing its own brand of

patriotic Christian conservatism. We are afraid, afraid for our country.

You don't really know where this politics is going. Two. So is that

true? Put several decades Poland has been the poster nation for European

success. But it's new government has set it on a course that now sees it

accused of eroding the progress made here over the last 25 years. It has

only been in power for two months but already the ruling law and

Justice party here has made significant changes, pushing through

reforms to increase its influence over the highest court in the land.

It has sacked managers and reporters that state-owned TV and radio

stations and is purging the civil service, and it has boosted

surveillance rights for the police and secret services. For the law and

Justice party this is about leaving behind what they depict as the

liberal, corrupt elites they say ruled Poland for too long.

TRANSLATION: But tens of thousands do not buy

that, and have taken to the streets to protest, many for the first time

since the collapse of communist and. We are afraid, afraid for our

country, for all that mean we made for the last 25 years, and we don't

want to reverse that. Some of those who oppose the new government blamed

themselves in part for what has happened.

Poland is the sixth largest economy in the European Union. It could have

its voting rights suspended if the government is found wanting. In

reality, though, it is unlikely there is a will to pick a serious

fight with a country that is so important to the union.

The lifting of international factions against Iran has been

hailed as marking a new era in relations between Tehran and

Washington but is also likely to significantly impact Iran's regional

neighbours including Afghanistan. Banking restrictions imposed under

sanctions make trading with a run difficult but now local economies in

Afghanistan are confident that business and job opportunities will

pick up. Justin roll-out has travelled along the ancient trade

route between Afghanistan and Iran to have wrapped to find out more.

Herat was once a staging post on one of the greatest trade routes in the

world, the ancient silk Road between China and Europe. Iran is less than

100 miles away. The border never actually closed but lifting

sanctions is going to make trade much easier, increasing competition.

Already it seems virtually all the products in the market are either

made in a run or come through a run, so let's look. Where is this from?

This is Iranians. What about this stuff? Iran. What about the soap,

this is Afghanistan. So some are from Afghanistan but obviously this

competition makes it difficult for Afghan manufacturers the other side

of the coin is a cause that it is great for consumers because

competition tends to mean lower prices. In fact the whole world is

already feeling the effects of new competition from Iran. Fuel prices

are falling in anticipation of a run opening up the taps on its vast

supplies of oil. Many business people here say they relish the

challenge of uranium competition. The most important thing is that we

will be able to transfer money by the banks. That is going to make it

easier for us to buy uranium goods. More importantly I hope it will make

Afghanistan a transit point for trade with other countries. Perhaps

that would make what used to be known as the Imperial road a bit

more imperious. Because trade across the entire region is expected to

pick up now. The commander at the border tells me the workforce will

travel to 6000, meaning they won't want to join the Taliban, he told

me, evidence of just how closely entwined economics and politics can

be. Part of the rationale of lifting sanctions is to draw Irani, a pariah

states just a few years ago, back into the game, knitting it more

closely into the economics and politics of this troubled region.

The hope is it could become a powerful force for stability, and

that would benefit us all. Justin Rose at, BBC News,.

The South Pacific may be known as a tropical paradise but some of its

island are suffering the worst health crises in the world. Tongans

are among the most obese anywhere and illnesses like diabetes are

putting a strain on the government's health services. As Katie Watson

reports, authorities are using desperate measures to tackle the

problem. Every morning Tonga's fishermen bring their catch to the

local market but it is getting harder to sell to customers,

especially when there is competition like this on the other side of the

harbour, cuts of imported meat such as these fatty mutton flaps have

become a Tongan staple in recent years. With globalisation trade has

become easier and food cheaper, supermarkets stocked with tinned and

frozen meat from abroad and local produce relatively costly. The

foreign food is bling baying for our health crisis here and across the

Pacific Islands, a crisis not just costly for health but for the

government's finances as well. This is the cue for the daily diabetes

clinic, the biggest queue by far in the country's main hospital. 90% of

Tongans are obese or overweight and it has a massive health impact. This

country has one of the highest levels of type two diabetes in the

world. Doctors are working flat out. Despite government initiatives to

make people aware of the danger of the city and diabetes it is yet to

make a big difference here. Where we are, we still continue to see so

many people living with diabetes. Our workload is not easing up. If

anything it is expanding. This family have been through a lot. One

lost her leg several years ago because of combinations with

diabetes, but she is not the only one suffering. It started with my

grandma, now my mum, my dad, two of my sisters and now me, and we have

gone from just eating whatever to watching what we eat. Some

scientists believe Tonga's problem is partly down to genetics, that

Pacific Islanders in the past survived long periods without food

so their bodies are programmed to cling on to fact. But diet plays a

huge role and in a deeply religious country where feasting and food are

central to live here, it is a hard message to sell. Even Tonga's health

Minister thinks people could do more to help themselves. Charging for

health care may be unpopular but he thinks it could make a difference.

They know that if they do this they will end up in hospital, and if they

end up in hospital they have to pay. But right now that is not the

mentality of people, we do what we do, we won't be charged. While the

politicians work on how to prevent the problem, the doctors are working

on the kill, but as one doctor pointed out, this is a disease that

will get worse before it gets better. This health crisis is far

from over. Katie Watson, BBC News, in Tonga. The BBC has learned that

Wimbledon championship matches have been investigated over suspicions of

match fixing. Documents obtained by the BBC and the website Buzzfeed

news described strong evidence linking betting syndicates to

players, but they were not pursued by the anti-corruption body for

tennis. Over the last decade there have also been concerns about as

many as 16 players including winners of grand slam titles. Simon Cox at

this exclusive report. Tennis is a big deal for the

gambling industry, with billions betting on the sport each year. It

needs to be whiter than white. In 2007 an investigation was launched

into suspicious betting and match fixing. Mark Phillips was part of

that investigation. Yan lists and investigators handling the players

with the gamblers, and that was one of the reasons we believe this

evidence was so strong. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for

tennis to charge players, complete the investigation, get through the

disciplinary system, then create a strong deterrent. The BBC and

Buzzfeed News obtained documents from tennis insiders, including the

investigation carried out by Mark Phillips and others. They identify a

series of betting syndicates linked to players. A Russian group who bet

on five suspicious matches and 1/200 and ?50,000, North Italian group

placed bets on 28 matches and 1/600 and ?50,000. A Sicilian syndicate

bet on 12 games including three matches at Wimbledon, and one

?650,000. This syndicate targeted Wimbledon more than any other grand

slam. The documents we have obtained also show that the former top 50

player Martin The Faldo Wellow exchanged 82 texts with a Sicilian

gambler before a match in 2006. Investigators retrieved parts of

them. In the morning the gambler text at him: He responds: Before the

game, he gambler again. The gambler's syndicate went on to win

over ?250,000 on the match. We put this to Aguero, but he declined to

comment. We have learned of repeated alerts about 16 top level players

involved in suspicious matches sent to tennis's integrity unit over a

number of years. Some of those players will be on court this week

at the Australian Open. Tennis is just a hobby now for this former

player, the first to be banned for match fixing, which he denies. He

told me about approaches to fix matches he had received and refused.

In Chennai they offered me 50,000 to lose against Abidine ko in the first

round. In Paris they offered me double money to lose in straight

sets, and also a bigger amount than $50,000 against Tipp Sara vitch in

Moscow. Those in charge of the game are adamant they had taken

corruption seriously. We are aware it is there, I think it is at an

incredibly small level, and it is our business going forward that we

keep acting upon this in the best possible way. One of the architects

of tennis's integrity unit is critical of the way the sport has

tackled match fixing. There is an element of actually keeping things

under wraps. Nobody likes doing Meadow to washing in public. If they

were serious about dealing with this then they really need to create an

integrity unit with teeth. In order to keep people playing and watching,

the sport must prove it is doing all it can to protect the game. Simon

Cox, BBC News. Is Hollywood racist? In the absence

of black actors among the nominees for the Oscars for the second year

running has led to calls to boycott this year's ceremony. The Academy of

motion picture arts and scientist says it is looking into the

diversity of us membership, which is over 90% white and has an average

age of over 60. James Cook has been to Hollywood to find out if the

Oscars are too white. I am Chris Rock and I am posting the Oscars.

They may have a host but the Hollywood elite doesn't look like

him. Nominations for the Oscars are decided by some 6000 members of

motion picture arts and scientists, overwhelmingly white men over 50.

Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio this year or 20 performers up for an

Oscar have one thing in common: Again. For 20 opportunities to

celebrate actors and actresses of colour to be missed last year is one

thing. For that to happen again this year is unforgivable. GANGSTER WRAP.

Also missing is this film, straight at Compton, about hip-hop in LA,

critically acclaimed but Oscar-nominated not as best picture

but for its white screenwriters. In Compton today dismay about the Oscar

nominations runs deep. For many people here what is happening in

Hollywood is symbolic of a continuing fight for equality half a

century on from the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. I think it

is wrong, I think when you have 40 actors over two years and not one of

colour, not even nominated, we are just saying being nominated, I just

think it is wrong. Yes, I think it's reality, it happens, but it's not

right and it's time for someone to speak at. What should happen? I

think they should look deeper into the actors and dominate black

people, why not? So does Spike Lee. He is boycotting the ceremony

calling the Oscars Lillywhite, and the only black film-maker ever to

win a best picture Oscar has told the BBC the problem is bigger than

the Academy. I think racism has a lot to do with the Academy and the

Democratic, one could talk about it, but that for me is beside the point,

it is about getting things made. The president of the Academy says she is

heartbroken and frustrated, but... It helps that everybody understands

this organisation is completely committed to turning this narrative

around. Too late for this year's Oscars, already drowned out by the

question, is Hollywood racist? James Cook, BBC News, Los Angeles.

That's all from Reporters for this week. From me, goodbye for now.

It's pretty benign our weather, in comparison with the other side of