30/09/2013 World News Today

Up in Washington, it is countdown to shutdown - without a budget deal by

of the US Government will stop. shutdown - without a budget deal by

of the US Government will stop. The House as two responsibilities, a

budget and to pay the bills. Inside Syria, the BBC has been back to

budget and to pay the bills. Inside scene of an horrific chemical attack

Also coming up, autopilot is one thing, but how would you feel if you

in the cockpit? And bangers, beer thing, but how would you feel if you

in the cockpit? And bangers, beer midnight East Coast time, the US

Government faces a shut down, and it would be the first in nearly two

decades. And many government workers will stop getting paid. So what

decades. And many government workers will happen? This is how we are

explaining it on the BBC website. might and might not close down,

clearly a lot at stake for American citizens, and in the past hour

president of album-macro has said he Republicans can work together to

I have said before that we have Republicans can work together to

responsibilities, a budget and to pay the bills. And I am not only

negotiations around a long-term budget that make sure that we are

investing in middle-class families, helping the economy grow, giving

people who are working hard a leg stability, and deals with some of

the long-term challenges in terms of stability, and deals with some of

security and stability. But the stability, and deals with some of

way to do that is for everybody stability, and deals with some of

meaningful negotiations under the government shutdown, and certainly

meaningful negotiations under the economics and trade correspondent

with the Financial Times. Thank economics and trade correspondent

James. Thanks for having me. We economics and trade correspondent

heard President Obama talking about economics and trade correspondent

good faith, but there is not a lot economics and trade correspondent

deal. The last time we came close to stroke of midnight tonight. And

deal. The last time we came close to turning again? -- and if government

shuts down. It is very interesting, a lot of government agencies have

already spent tonnes of money and a lot of effort preparing for a shut

down, not knowing whether it would or would not happen, and so once you

shut it down, I imagine it would be very difficult to get things going

again. As you said, of course, the workers there are really hoping

again. As you said, of course, the not only is the shutdown avoided,

but that if it happens, it will not only is the shutdown avoided,

as little as possible, because they Meanwhile, you have this fight going

on on Capitol Hill between the White Congress, but give us an idea of

what is driving those Republicans who say, better to have a shut down

and stick to our principles, there arguments. There is a lot of anger

at President Obama and in particular the 20 day health care reform law,

described by some as Obamacare. the 20 day health care reform law,

2010. This year they see that as a huge government intrusion in the

economy, and they are trying to delay it, and they are using these

budget negotiations to essentially cram one of the president's main

domestic accomplishments. Why are they so powerful? This is not the

vast majority of congressmen and women, why is the tea party movement

still so powerful? They have a lot of power because first of all they

control one of the Chambers, the house of representatives, so that

gives them the power to propose house of representatives, so that

approve legislation, but also the structure of American politics is

conservative Republicans are safe in their own districts, they are not

worried about challenges from the far right, and they are looking

worried about challenges from the their shoulder. You have this huge

Dens Park drama where you are and on Wall Street and markets well beyond

political agreement over this. that. People must be wringing their

political agreement over this. Absolutely. Goldman Sachs back in

2011 estimated that a government shutdown would cost about $8 billion

US economy. And not only would a per week, a significant hit to the

US economy. And not only would a they are facing a new deadline in

three weeks, by which the US needs ceiling. If they don't do that,

three weeks, by which the US needs US risks default, which has the

market even more nervous. James Politi, thank you for throwing some

market even more nervous. James Now, chemical weapons inspectors are

ports tonight does come from inside Turkey and Iraq are calling for

ports tonight does come from inside from a school dealing with the

aftermath of a chemical attack. from a school dealing with the

report contains images you might This is the camp in northern Syria

gates are closed, and the people here cannot travel the final few

doctors, 2000 miles from home. No water, apparently. They are here

because they want to bring relief to some of the nearly 5 million people

in Syria who have lost their homes in the brutal conflict that rages

here. The doctors are working with Hand in Hand for Syria, a UK charity

that helps set up the camp. Every tent holds a tragic story. Ahmed's

six-year-old daughter was killed, his home destroyed by government

Travelling around Syria has never been more dangerous. Both foreign

journalists and aid workers have been targeted, some killed. Rival

other, as well as the government, and more and more foreign extremists

This is a group representing the they are affiliated with Al-Qaeda,

increasing numbers of jihadis have come here, they are setting up

checkpoints, so it means foreigners in particular travelling around

checkpoints, so it means foreigners country run the gauntlet of these

checkpoints every few miles also. The worst thing about driving around

is you are never sure what lies behind the next corner. Last month,

we were filming the doctors working at this hospital when victims of an

incendiary bomb attack on a school playground started pouring in. Their

Burns suggested the bomb was filmed with a napalm like substance. It is

just absolute chaos and carnage here. We have had a massive influx

of what looked like serious burns, scenes like it must be some sort of

chemical weapon, I'm not really Today was like something out of

flipping Armageddon. Out of all most haunting images was of a boy we

out of all the war zones. One of the most haunting images was of a boy we

Described as a hard-working boy most haunting images was of a boy we

a smiley face, he is 40% burns to say it will take weeks before he is

victims of a war that shows no sign also struggling to recover. They are

victims of a war that shows no sign of ending, unable to forgive or

Now, we have talked already about the looming US budget crunch, but

this is another reason for market nerves right now. Investors are

this is another reason for market fretting about the fragile state of

Italy's government. Enrico Letta's coalition is hanging in the balance

after Silvio Berlusconi ordered ministers from his centre-right

party to resign. We have this report A man looking for a solution as

party to resign. We have this report government falls apart, this appeal

from Prime Minister Enrico Letta came at a meeting on peace and

dialogue. TRANSLATION: Let me tell you, if you say prayers for Italy in

the next few days, it will certainly eurozone's third-largest economy is

without a functioning government. Enrico Letta's uneasy coalition

without a functioning government. elections in February. It was always

fragile, but now relations between Berlusconi's centre-right party

fragile, but now relations between reached rock bottom. Tensions had

been rising for weeks following moves to expel Silvio Berlusconi

from Parliament after his conviction for tax fraud. Then, on Friday,

ministers failed to agree on a vital package of budget measures. --

Cabinet unity. That provoked Mr administration, effectively bringing

down the government. A confidence vote will be held in Parliament

down the government. A confidence Wednesday. Enrico Letta says he

down the government. A confidence resign if he does not win the vote,

majority in the lower house, and if you can gain support from opposition

groupings, or a few dozen senators in Berlusconi's party, he could

groupings, or a few dozen senators a new government. The political

pressure has been relentless and it has hindered efforts to enact the

economic reforms which are badly problems, recession and high youth

Staying in Italy, the retrial has problems, recession and high youth

Staying in Italy, the retrial has begun of Amanda Knox and her former

boyfriend for the murder of the British student Meredith Kercher.

The pair were jailed for the killing Supreme Court ordered the retrial,

saying the acquittals were flawed. Supreme Court ordered the retrial,

contain some flash photography. in court today. We have a report

contain some flash photography. The emotion showed on Amanda Knox's

appear. In a recent interview, she The emotion showed on Amanda Knox's

appear. In a recent interview, she with Amanda Knox in Perugia in

that at the time of the killing with Amanda Knox in Perugia in

was with Raffaele Sollecito, her today, the lawyer for the Meredith

Kercher family says she is certain the pair are guilty. TRANSLATION: We

are convinced because we know the trial very well. We have always

maintained they were guilty and trial very well. We have always

they were present at the crime scene. The retrial was ordered by

the highest court in Italy, blaming what it called deficiencies and

contradictions in the decision to acquit. If Amanda Knox is found

guilty for a second time, Italy Now a look at some of the day's

In Iraq, about 50 people have been killed and more than 130 injured in

a wave of car bombings, most of which have targeted Shia areas of

the capital, Baghdad. Police said the explosions hit outdoor markets

and car parks during the morning rush hour. The deadliest attack

and car parks during the morning said to have been when a car bomb

exploded in a crowded vegetable market in the eastern neighbourhood

of Sadr City, killing seven people investigation into the attack on the

Members of the defence committee are visiting the Westgate centre to

Members of the defence committee are for themselves the aftermath of

Members of the defence committee are interrogate security chiefs about

failures. The MPs will also consider the government's overall handling of

the four-day siege, which ended the government's overall handling of

the deaths of at least 67 people. north-eastern Nigeria are under

targets by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. Just this weekend

50 students at an agricultural college in Yogi State were killed

during their sleep. The Nigerian authorities have admitted there

during their sleep. The Nigerian no extra security at the college in

brought to this hospital, after identify their loved ones after

brought to this hospital, after Some survived, but only just. The

more action. We are seeing lots written in the newspapers, but no

was no security at the school. The written in the newspapers, but no

was no security at the school. The In fact, Boko Haram's campaign of

violence has threatened the security of the entire region. Although a

spokesman for the president said progress is being made even though

the task is very difficult in terms of security. These are Nigerians,

they are not foreigners. They are not easy to discern, it is difficult

to know who is in Boko Haram. The Government has indeed deployed extra

trips to confront Boko Haram, but this has not brought an end to the

killings. For many, their fear is not if there will be more violence,

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament has rejected new

proposals to set limits on how long pilots can fly for without a rest.

The European Commission had wanted to tighten and standardise flight

time limits, which currently differ welcomed the Committee's rejection.

It argued the new regulations would increase the risk of plane crashes

by making pilots more liable to fatigue - claims dismissed by EU

officials. There will now be a vote in the full European Parliament

officials. There will now be a vote With me is Jim McAuslan who's the

General Secretary for the British Airline Pilots' Association, BALPA.

For a lame man, it is a little confusing, but basically you were

not happy with this plan. You didn't think it did the job of making our

flight experience safer. No it didn't. You talk about tightening

and standardising rules across Europe. It certainly standardised

them, but it would not tighten them. What the UK would experience was a

relaxation of its rules, which is Parliament and commission to yes,

get standardised rules, but at a higher level of safety than was

British rules tend to be tighter being proposed. Is this because

British rules tend to be tighter than in other parts of the European

Union? Yes, that is the case, but even the UK rules at present I

causing fatigue. The UK has a pretty good record of standards. Standards

which are used in other parts of the world. But they were going to be

which are used in other parts of the torn up to achieve UK harmonisation

at a lower standard than what was previously the UK standards. In

recent days and weeks we have heard cockpit being asleep at the same

pilots were reported to be a sleep there are more instances like that?

pilots were reported to be a sleep crossing the Atlantic coming from

Miami to London. The regulator in the UK said that was exceptional.

The following day we were completing a survey independently run by a

pilots admitted to having fallen those said that they woke up to

pilots admitted to having fallen the other pilot asleep. So it is

certainly not exceptional, the way in which our regulator portrayed it.

Over this weekend we have gathered a dossier of other examples of both

pilots falling asleep that we are ready to present to the European

Parliament to say this is a serious issue. The proposals that have come

from the commission are going to make matters worse. Do you find

from the commission are going to certain groups come up again and

again? Are the particular pressure points for pilots? Coming from the

east coast across to the UK has points for pilots? Coming from the

a problem, but also the number of early starts, pilots waking at three

o'clock in the morning to set off at five o'clock that morning. And at

present UK rules would limit that to three, but under EU rules that would

increase to seven. Scientists say that flying at night should be ten

hours maximum, but these rules were brought in something over 11 or

hours maximum, but these rules were hours in certain circumstances.

hours maximum, but these rules were is accommodation of fruits, types of

schedule, types of roster that pilots are on. -- a combination

schedule, types of roster that How British is Britain? New analysis

of the latest census here reveals that the older generation who lived

through the Second World War and watched the sun set on the British

Empire are least likely to tick watched the sun set on the British

box marked "British" to describe their national identity. It was

box marked "British" to describe much more attractive description to

the young, and to the UK's ethnic minorities. Our Home Editor Mark

Easton has more on an intriguing This is the most English place in

England. In the last census, for them first time, people were asked

Canvey Island, eight out of ten people chose England, the highest

proportion anywhere. Why England and not Britain? Because I am English. I

more, Britain is three or four different countries. There is so

minorities? The census invited much patriotism. Would you get the

minorities? The census invited example English or Welsh. Do you see

yourself as British or a mixture? of ten people say simply English, in

The results show in England six of ten people say simply English, in

Does that mean that Britishness of ten people say simply English, in

dying? Intriguingly, older people are less likely to say they are

on the Empire at the least likely of generation that watched the sunset

their grandparents? The answer may all to say they are Brits. Is said

their grandparents? The answer may be found in the most British place

their grandparents? The answer may in Britain, Harrow, but it is far

less -- nothing to do with Winston explanation is diversity. Only

less -- nothing to do with Winston British, were -- the most British of

all, the Asians. 56% would pick British as their sole identity.

Would you ever say you were English? Never, I still trust myself as

tend to classify that as white ethnic majority, whereas Britain

multicultural. Scottish bagpipes at an Indian wedding in north London.

What could be more British than cosmopolitan society it seems that

the British identity finds itself A reminder of our main news, a US

Government shutdown is looming. A reminder of our main news, a US

first since the days of President Clinton. Democrat and Republican

lawmakers remain unable to strike a deal on a new plan to continue

funding Government operations. These Senate, and if Republicans and

agreement by the night as seems likely, the US Government will be

forced to close all nonessential staff could be sent home on unpaid

leave, with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over. Many

leave, with no guarantee of back pay question of whether there will be a

shutdown, they are speculating how long shutdown could go on for. We

have been covering the politics long shutdown could go on for. We

also the possible economic impact from what is happening right now in

Washington. The U.S. Senate, we from what is happening right now in

hearing, has just rejected the latest draft bill, so a shutdown is

looking likely. You are watching World News Today, thank you for