13/09/2011 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Kirsty Lang. A brazen attack in

broad daylight. Taliban fighters attack the US embassy and NATO

headquarters in Kabul. The Turkish Prime Minister tells Arab leaders

that Israel is a barrier to peace in the Middle East and they must

pay the price. Can shine they ease Italy's pain?

As his borrowing costs hit a new high, Rome turns to Beijing for

help. Thwarted and bitter? What did

Jacqueline Kennedy really think of her husband's successor? American

television is about to air never before heard tapes released by her

daughter Caroline. She was fond of Lyndon Johnson and found him

amusing and warm-hearted. Degas's obsession with ballet, an

exhibition looks at how the French artist captured the movement of his

Hello and welcome. In the centre of Kabul under the noses of the

Americans and nine hours ago and number of heavily armed Taliban

fighters in suicide vests took over and unoccupied multi-storey

building and started firing rockets at the US embassy and NATO

headquarters. Staff inside are reported to be saved, but at least

seven people have been killed outside. It is thought two fighters

are still holed up in the building. Here is Quentin Somerville with the

latest. We believe that one of the suicide

bombers detonated his best on the 7th floor of the building and we

believe that one or even more attackers are on the night the

floor. It is nine hours since the attacks began, so you get an idea

of the level of resistance these attackers have been put it up today

despite the considerable effort of Afghan and international forces to

dislodge them. Running for cover from a Taliban assault, this type

in the heart of Kabul's embassy district. The wounded and the

bleeding are helped to safety. The insurgents were heavily armed in

one of the City's busiest streets. You can see the smoke from an

explosion behind and there is gunfire all over the area. This is

the US Embassy and ISAF headquarters. It seems like a

significant attack. Gunfire broke out across the neighbourhood, we

headed for cover. This is the aftermath of the rocket attack, a

school bus riddled with shrapnel. The children were in cars and

unharmed. The target was the US embassy. Guards took up positions

on the roof. The police opened fire on the attackers in a building high

above them. The gunfire was heavy and sustained. Helicopters were

called in to fire on the Taliban. This Taliban attacks started with a

suicide bomber at the Abdul Haq roundabout. It was followed by a

series of explosions and gunfire heard in the neighbourhood, it is

home to many embassies and aid agencies. At first it seemed I was

six militants had got into one of the tallest buildings about 300

metres from the US embassy. From there they targeted it and the ISAF

headquarters. The Taliban fought on. Five hours later it is thought at

least one fighter is still alive in the building. Afghan security

forces needed foreign help. They reacted quickly, they brought their

helicopters in, which is the first time the Afghan a store's security

forces used their own helicopters for an operation like this. They

responded very well. It seems as if the situation is winding down at

the moment. The attack would likely have lasted longer without that

assistance. ISAF says it has the Taliban on the back foot, but to

people in Kabul Bhat assessment seems wildly optimistic. The focus

of the attack was here, but the Taliban also sent a number of other

attackers elsewhere in the city. One tried to make it inside the

airport, but he was killed before he was able to do so.

Let's take a look at some of the other news. In north-west Pakistan

gunmen have ambushed a school bus on the outskirts of Peshawar,

killing five children and their driver. They were travelling to a

village from their school. 19 people were wounded. The attack

happened near the volatile tribal belt where Taliban militants are

active. At Taliban statement claimed responsibility.

In Pakistan aid workers say that floods in Sindh province are the

worst that they have seen, even worse than last year. More than 5

million people have been affected. In the city of Karachi main roads

are submerged, while schools and businesses are closed. More than

8000 families -- 800,000 families are still homeless.

Iran says it will release two American hikers it has been holding

as spies since 2009. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced to

eight years in jail last month. An Iranian judge has agreed to bail

them for $500,000 each and once it has been paid, they will be free to

lead. They said they stayed into Iran by accident.

The British artist Richard Hamilton, often described as the father of

Pop Art, has died aged 89. He produced his first collage is in

the early 50s. Much of his work was political, including images of

Northern Ireland and Tony Blair as a cowboy.

Italy, which has one of the biggest debt problems in Europe, has turned

to China for help. Italian officials have confirmed talks were

held in Rome last week with representatives from China's

sovereign well-thumbed. Italy is hoping Beijing will buy large

quantities of Italian bonds and invest in its companies. The lower

house of the Italian parliament is debating a package of austerity

measures. Chris Morris reports from Rome.

It takes a lot of bottle to save an economy and 10 million roll off the

production line here every year. But the sovereign debt crisis is

forcing Italy to face uncomfortable truths. While this family and

distillery lives within its means, the country does not. Will the

political class finally persuade Italians they mean business. They

Government has to give them an example, they are the first to make

sacrifices and the Italians will follow. You cannot ask people to

make sacrifices when you keep your privileges. We have a very

difficult moment, but I believe Italy can survive. Some things in

Italy never seemed to change, but looks can be deceptive. The economy

had been sluggish for years and the sweet life is already coming to an

end. Just like in Greece or Portugal,

but on a bigger scale, this is not about a few cuts here or there. It

is about changing the way the Italian economy has operated for

decades and that is why there has been and will continue to be so

much resistance to reform. This was the reaction as the Government's

austerity package passed through the upper house of parliament last

week. All sorts of entrenched interests are trying to protect

their own turf. Some unions complain in particular that the

burden of change is falling disproportionately on the poor.

There is nothing in terms of growth or employment, nothing in terms of

a recovery. At the other end it is unequal because all the burden is

put on the shoulders of the workers, the pensioners, the young people.

But the past also tells a story. Romans had been around for long

enough to know that things cannot always stay the same. It is not

just external pressure for elsewhere in Europe which is

forcing that conclusion. Italians usually are able to address

problems and solve them at the last minute. We are now at the last

minute. Italy in a sense is too big to fail. Nobody me really help

Italy for a long time, except Italians. I think some Italians,

most Italians, have understood that. Nestling in the hills outside Rome,

in this village there are preparations for the annual

mushroom Festival. In a makeshift tent the cleaning and cooking has

begun. Country Life is a long way from political scandals and

parliamentary boats in the capital, but nowhere is entirely immune.

TRANSLATION: We are less affected than people in the City, but all

the news we hear is worrying. It makes us feel less serene about

life. Out in the woods the search for mushrooms goes on. There are

hidden treasures in the economy as well, but austerity will bite much

deeper before signs of recovery. There is a big challenge, the one

thing that Italy needs above all, to create growth.

For more on this I am joined by Charles Jenkins who is with the

Economist magazine Intelligence Unit. Is this an act of desperation

by Italy? I think it is pretty desperate. It is an act of

desperation. But China is probably genuine in being willing to

consider helping Italy. I would only go so far as that. It will

look carefully at what it is investing in. I would be surprised

if there was anything at all significant in Government bonds

until Italy has got a much more coherent programme and the

Government agree on such a programme. Is that the problem at

the moment as a big stumbling block to Italy? The Government does not

seem to agree on the austerity plan. The Prime Minister keeps changing

or else one of the coalition partners says no to pension reform,

or there is a revolt by MPs. This is at a time when there is a real

crisis. You expect that to galvanise any normal Government

into doing something really serious and put it aside their small

differences, but in this case they do not seem to be able to do so.

One must wonder whether it is really possible for this present

problems. It is the last chance saloon. Do you think the Chinese

might, for instance, maybe not go into the Government bonds, but

invest in Italian companies? Yes, they could invest in companies

which have been partly privatise. That would be a better bet from

their point of view, because these companies are viable and reasonably

well run. But there is opposition from within the coalition, from the

Northern League. It is a sign of how the present Government is

failing to work together. The key members of the Government, Silvio

Berlusconi, the finance minister and the leader of the North League

used to be able to put some kind of an act together, but they do not

seem to be able to do so at the moment will stop they would not be

the first European country to turn to China. Several others have,

including Greece. China has an interest in seeing the European

economy back on its feet. Yes, it has got an interest. It has got

huge investments overseas and it would like to diversify from the US

to some extent. Therefore, it would like the euro-zone economy to be a

reasonably viable place in which to but invest. Whether it will prove

to be remains to be seen. I think China, like everyone else, will

look carefully before its steps. cautious investor.

Ordinary Americans are also continuing to suffer in the

downturn. New figures out today from the Census Bureau revealed

that nearly one in six Americans are now living in poverty. Despite

the sluggish recovery, average household income as it fell last

year by more than 2%. We can now cross live to New York and Our

correspondent. A very interesting figure. They certainly are very

worrying. Perhaps not surprisingly... I am really sorry

about the terrible sound quality. Let's move for now to the Turkish

Prime Minister. He has renewed his attack on Israel, claiming that it

is the main barrier to peace in the Middle East. In a speech to the

Arab League, Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of behaving like a spoilt

child. Turkey was until recently a close friend of Israel, but the

speech is another sign that Turkey is repositioning itself as a

leading power in the region. Egypt is the first step on his tour,

I apologise. We have been struck tonight. First losing New York and

now problems with that report. We will come back. Ballet dancers

backstage at the Paris Opera House, pulling up their stockings and

bending down to tie their shoes. That is what the French

Impressionist Edgar Degas painted. Not many people know his work was

influenced by new techniques in film and photography, which was

found shocking at the time. Edgar Degas was the master of

movement. You can almost feel the strain and aching limbs. The

movements are familiar to our former ballerina, Darcey Bussell.

But the dancers? Today, a dancer is very thin. Here, they have to be

soft. Their muscles were soft. They were not sinewy And strong looking.

If they came on the stage looking too thin, they would be booed off.

How did he do it? It is shown that in later life, with film and

photography, he could see what the eye could not see. Fleeting motions

were frozen. But it was something else in works such as this that

caused a stir. The life of a dancer in the 19th century was hard.

Polite society felt that this image of a dancer was... A sign of

depravity. She was not nourished. A girl from the gutter. She came to

the Paris Opera. A wealthy lover would ensure her lifestyle for the

rest of her career. So it captures beauty and the grim reality. A

lifetime of work -- freezing defeating world of dance. We can

return to the Turkish prime minister who has renewed an attack

on Israel. They are calling him a leader who

cannot be rivalled. He is not even an Arab. But the prime minister of

a country that once ruled Egypt. Until a decade ago, Turkey turned

its back on its Arab neighbours the stock to date it is rediscovering

the links to the old empire. This is a memorial for Ottoman troops

that died in Egypt. Mr Erdogan's popularity is about today's events.

He was given the honour of addressing the Arab League and he

made a tough attack on Israel and its international backers. As long

as the international community and United Nations tolerate Israel's

spoilt behaviour, they, too, of perpetrators of its crimes. That is

the kind of talk that has made him so admired here and elsewhere in

the region. His warning to Arab rulers not to ignore the will of

the people would have been uncomfortable listening for some

members. The Turkish government was among the first to back the protest

movement in Egypt and demand the resignation of its president. It

also supported the uprising in Libya after some initial hesitation.

It sent eight ships to evacuate the injured to Turkey for treatment.

And it has condemned the rulers in Syria after protests there. It has

offered sanctuary to Syrian refugees. He is seen as a leader

endorsing change, a novelty in the region. Turkey and its business

sector will be prime to profit once the dust from the Arab uprisings is

tackled. Libyan rebels fighting to overthrow

Colonel Gaddafi have been accused of unlawful killings and torture.

Amnesty International made the accusations after a report that

undertook three months of research. A family day out in central Tripoli.

In a heart of the former regime, the Gaddafi compound. Today, it is

a place where thousands of ordinary Libyans go to witness the enormity

of what their revolution has achieved. There are many ways the

revolution could go wrong now. The detention of men suspected of

fighting for Colonel Gaddafi is a concern. These prisoners are being

taken away to and one -- an uncertain fate. Amnesty says some

have been tortured and killed by rebel fighters. Despite the

challenges they have, it is important to prioritise the

situation in the detention centres. People are being beaten and it

happened also effectively in our presence. People are at risk of

abuse. There is no judicial process. It is important now that a central

authority takes care of all detention centres. In an important

step in establishing an authority, the leader of the interim

government last night gave his first speech. Free weeks after the

capital fell. He appealed for unity. He said there should be no revenge

and people should not take matters into their own hands, otherwise, he

said, the revolution could falter. 18 of British detectives has

arrived in Kenya to investigate the murder of the British Tourist David

Tebbutt and the kidnap of his wife. They have expressed fears for the

safety of Judith Tebbutt after she was taken away in a speedboat. It

happened in Kiwayu Safari Village, close to the Somali border.

As we approached the Safari Village by boat, men in suits were leaving

the crime scene. British authorities indicated investigators

would be sent. They checked into the cottages, very different from

the usual type of visitor. They are here to work rather than relax. The

room in which they were staying has been cordoned off. David Tebbit was

shot dead and his wife taken away by the gunmen in a speedboat. This

is what the Foreign Office has said about the kidnap. Officials believe

the attack was planned and Western tourists deliberately targeted. It

is suspected that an al-Qaeda link group may have done it. In these

isolated communities along the Kenyan coast, there is little that

goes unnoticed. That could help the investigators as they tried to

piece together what happened on Saturday night. A Kenyan man has

reportedly been arrested in connection with the attack. People

in the village next to the resort earlier said he had been forced at

gunpoint to leave the gang to the tourists. This man did not want to

be identified and said that to carry out the raid he knew

Whitney's local help. They would show them the way. -- you would

need local help. From where Judith Tebbutt worked, there was a

statement that she was a dedicated worker and hope that she will be

released soon. There is no word of a ransom demand. Reports suggest

that Judith Tebbutt is profoundly deaf. That will make her ordeal

more challenging. Now, for the first time. We hear

Jacqueline Kennedy in her own words. In 1964, the former First Lady

recorded a series of interviews with Arthur Shlessinger, the

historian and former aide to her husband. But only on condition that

they would not be released until 50 years after her death. Her daughter

Caroline decided to release them now. The interviews took place four

months after her husband was assassinated and focused on

Jacqueline Kennedy's most memorable experiences in the White House. We

report from Los Angeles. It is Jacqueline Kennedy in her own words.

An Oral History in recordings that have not been heard before Until

this exclusive. It is 1964, a recently widowed first lady

describes her years in the White House. She recalled begging her

husband to let her stay with him during the Cuban missile crisis.

Even if there was not room in the bomb shelter, I supplies, could I

be in a laundry bag. I want to be with you and die with you, and the

children do, too. She revealed her husband did not report -- support a

Lyndon Johnson presidency. She was fond of Lyndon Johnson. Daughter

Caroline compiled the recordings. can hear her voice in my mind. I

think it is important to realise the value as well as limitations of

this history. Once you start making changes, what do you do? It is not

my oral history. There are moments that show what life was like in the

White House with children. thought it was so funny for people

who used his bathroom. All along of the Bath were floating animals.

As a reminder of the main news. Taleban fighters carried out

attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul, including the district where

foreign embassies are located. Militants wearing suicide for tests

carried out assaults on police buildings, while others armed with

rocket-propelled grenades targeted the American embassy. At least four

policemen and two civilians were killed as well as six Taleban

fighters. The Turkish Prime Minister has

renewed his attack on Israel saying its government's mentality is the

main barrier to peace in the Middle East. In a speech in Cairo, he said

Israel behaved like a spoilt child whose irresponsible actions had

left it isolated. He said that Palestinian state had was not an

Hello. After a windy day we will finally see the winds easing

through the night and into tomorrow. It will be mainly dry tomorrow. It

is not a completely straightforward story. We have a weather front that

is heading south. It will bring rain through the night to northern

England. To the south, it should be dry. You can see this cloudy his

own. The rain will be with us across Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Under the cloud, temperatures up to 17 degrees. In the sunshine, up to

19 degrees. It will feel warmer than it house. South-west England

will be dry. In Wales, the best of the brightness, but in the North it

will be overcast. In Northern Ireland, it will have sunny spells