♪ ♪ narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by.. the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum-kovler foundation. pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you, thank you. woman: and now, "bbc world news". york city. this is "bbg world news

america." it is one month since the devastating earthquakes in turkey and syr. more than 1.5 million people are still homeless in the streets of turkey. the challenge ahead is immense. >> you can't deal with the devastation on a scale like this in days, or even weeks. the impact of this is going to be felt by people here in southern turkiye for years. laura: ukraine fears fighting as russian troops advance on bakhmut. russian mercer's accuse moscow of withholding ammunition. we have a special report from the seychelles. the tropical paradise where 10% of people a addicted to heroin. >> welcome to a place that is astonishing. laura: the first time ever, david attenborough looks at the wonders of the natural world in britain. ♪

laura: welcome to "world news america" on pbs and around the globe. it is 1/9 since turkiye and syria where hit by devastating earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people. those who survived now face an uncertain future. psalm 1.5 million people in turkiye are homeless and are living inside the streets inside the disaster zone. . it is unclear how long it will take to find proper shelter. . another 2 million people have left, some living with friends or loved ones elsewhere in the country. our correspondent has been covering the tragedy from the start and reports now from a province in southern turkiye. reporter: surviving in the ruins. turkiye's south is unrecognizable, ripped apart by the power of the quake this new landscape brings new

challenges. those with nowhere to live now sleep where they can. some tried to stay close to their damaged houses. song goal tells me it is all they have left. e earthquake killed 17 members of her family. home is now a tent. . . but she is not leaving. >> having no electricity is a big problem. the fear is too big. all night long, there are nonstop aftershocks. its so hard to sleep. reporter: anger at the slow response has only grown louder. this person complained about the ilding four years ago. . eight people died he. >> help us, save us, they were shouting. arms and legs were dangling out but there was nothing we could do. negligence exhilarated this.

reporter: more and more people have joined this conversation at the building, and they are telling us some of them lived here, they knew it was dangerous. they said they had failed -- filed a complaint. we are finding out why, what they saw and said, in trying to pull together evidence of the conversations they had with the person who owned this building. first, he showed proof of his complaints on the government website. the columns have cracked. no one has shown any interest. i request your attention before any loss of lives. over the next seven days, we tried to get the building's owner to tell us why it was not made safe. he did not reply. this part of the country is not the only place with dangerous buildings. istanbul, turkiye's biggest city, case study just three months ago said a quick here

could kill up to 90,000 people -- quake here could kill up to 90,000 people. his apartment blocks -- block was condemned when it failed its earthquake safety test. he lost family members four weeks ago. now he is losing his home, too. >> a relative called and we all woke up screaming. it is a horrible situation. 3 -- reporter: from north to south, this is a country in shock. rebuilding will take time. healing will take even longer. people here in turkey will feel the impact for years. laura: anna is now in southern turkiye, and she joins us now. are you getting any answers

about why so many buildings collapsed in these earthquakes? anna: there seem to be a few different factors at play. one is building materials. not all of them were built with concrete and metal structures as strong as they should have been that was one issue. another is certain building features that should not have been there. things like overhangs, or something called soft stories, where you get a tall ground floor of the building, and they get smaller you go. that makes a building unstable. these features that are not recommended for use in earthquake zones, and yet they were used in buildings here in southern turkiye. there was also an amnesty a few years ago where people who had built and constructed buildings that did not come up to scratch were allowed to have that put to one side, but theuildings remained. that is why so many of them collapsed. new buildings as well, i have seen myself budings that have only just been completed that should have stayed up, should

have been sturdy and rigid, and instead, were torn from their foundations by the power of this quake. and people who bought those apartments or rented them expecting to be safe, lost their lives. laura: anna foster in southern turkiye, thank you. let's turn to uaine where russia's assault on the eastern ukrainian ty of bakhmut continues. it is one of the longest and bloodiest radel's of the war so far -- battles of the war so far. russia has lost thousands of men, even though the pentagon says it is of little importance. . the head its leading mercenary group has complained of a lack of ammunition in bakhmut, pointing the finger at moscow. from kyiv, here is our diplomatic correspondent, james landau. james: after more than six months of fighting, much of bakhmut lies in ruins. the fighting remains hard. street by street, house by house. for those few civilians who

remain in the city and in villages nearby, conditions are terrible. with little access to water, heat, or power. >> i want peace, silence, columnist. and just to be at home. james:

but at great cost. british miliry officials say some soldiers are even being forced to attack with little more than their spades. while russia's defense ministry shows images of paratroopers supposedly making an assault, russian mercenaries at the heart of the fighting complained they are not getting engh ammunition. >> what if they want to set us up, calling us scoundrels, and that is why they don't give us ammunition? they don't give us weapons and they don't let us recruit more people from amongst prisoners. if they retreat from bakhmut, the whole front will collapse. james: there is not much left to win or lose in the city, but ukrainian forces are defending the streets hard. many russian soldiers are dying, trying to take them. laura: james has more for us now on those strained release and -- relations between the group and russian soldiers. james: there have long been divisions between the russian

military command and the mercenary group. the leader of the group has been incredibly vocal in criticizingn recent weeks and months, particularly over tactics. but whathe battle for bakhmut has done, is it has thrown those divisions into sharp relief. in particular, now, over the question of ammunition. he is vocal in saying he does not have enough. he uses that phrase "ammunition hunger" for his troops in bakhmut. he is making clear warnings. he ss that he does not get enough ammunition, there is a risk there might have to be retreats by russian forces that potentially, the front in that area is at risk. this in part is not just a reflection of the fact that there might be some ammunition that is not reaching that part of the russian front line, that there are problems with supply chain. it also reflects the fact that for him and the group, their

reputation is at stake. . they have invested a huge amount in winning this battle. if they do not, that is a huge loss of face and reputation, which is why they are concerned. so far, the russian defense ministry has made no comment. it might just be that they are tolerating these complaints because the group has thrown thousands of convicts, soldiers who have been recruited from russia's prisons, to fight in this battle. and it might just be that the russian high command is saying it is worth getting complaints to make the incremental gains they are getting at the moment to try and inch their way forward in the battle for bakhmut. laura: james landau reporting there from kyiv. the supreme leader has called a wave of schoolgirls an unforgivable crime. . more than 1000 girls at schools across the country have been affected by unexplained illnesses since november. some politicians have suggested

religious groups opposed to girls education may be to blame. let's get more from our correspondent. what do you make of iran's supreme leader himself weighg in on these suspected poisonings? >> it comes after almost three months of these pointing's -- poisonings ongoing in schools across the country, shocking the nation. but also a reminder of the fact that sizable portions of iranian society does not believe that the government's hands are clean in this crime. therefore, the supreme leader might be making an attempt to saying we have nothing to do with this, but there is a long history of criminality happening against positn figures, poets, writers, people who have been kidnapped and killed. the supreme leader has come out after it was made clear the had something to do with it to distance himself from those events.

this can't be that different from the past, unless they really arrest people. this is a government, remember, that claims to have complete security control over the country. very hard to believe that they have been letting this go on for three months and not able to arrest those who are responsible. therefore, the onus is on them to prove they have nothing to do with this, and a big portion of the iranian society thinks they have a direct role in these attacks. ura: separately, did iran actually make concessions to the united nations nuclear watchdog at the weekend over its nuclear program, or did it not? >> that remains to be seen. if the steps that the director of iaea said, that iran has promised to take, is taken by the iranian government, by the islamic republic, then this could be seen as a step towards

more visibility into iran's nuclear program. unless that happens, at this point, it is an agreement to talk about the technical details of having much more visits and inspections at the nuclear site, 50% increase. that is significant, if it happens. some cameras that have been turned on -- turned off to be turned back on. . it is a step forward for the iaea to understand to attack any attempt to create that. if it really happens. it remains to be seen if i ran make -- makes promises it intends to keep. laura: thanks so much for that analysis. let's go to mexico now, where four americansave been kidnapped. over -- they were driving when a group of unidentified gunman shot at them and then drove them away. white has is closely following what it called the unacceptable kidnapping.

let's get more from our correspondent, will grant, who is in mexico city. mexico's president has been talking about this kidnapping. what does he say happened? will: as he often does, the president went further than his u.s. counterparts when he spoke at his morning press briefing. . he said the americans have been caught in a confrontation between two gros. he said they crossed the border in order to buy prescription drugs or medication, something that is very common in u.s. border states, where coming into mexico border towns, the prescription drugs are available at a fraction of the cost. that is not something that has been confirmed by the u.s. authorities so far. he said he was hopeful it would be resolved soon, and that of course, all of the federal authorities working alongside the fbi were concentrating on a positive outcome.

but yes, it is a situation that is -- that the u.s. embassy has said is concerning, particularly for the families of the four concerned. laura: what is this going to do to u.s.-mexico relations, which were already pretty tense over the border? will: they were. u.s.-mexic relations have been frayed for a while, on issues like energy policy, things like that. and of course, the border issue more broadly. but this puts a new issue right at the front, certainly for the immediate time being. there is no more important issue between the two sides while this is going on, as far as the u.s. ambassador is concerned. he said it was the priority to ensure the well-being of u.s. citizens. i think it adds additional strain, it adds strain over the issue of security, the americans are not very happy with the mexican government's security

policy, which has not shown great results. president biden was here earlier this year, and he put brave face alongside mr. lop obrador, seemingly very friendly. but we know behind the scenes, there are many questions about the relationship. this security policy that just does not seem to be bringing results, indeed, the security situation getting worse, remains a big thorn in their relationship. laura: will grant, thank you. staying with mexico, and mexican officials say they have found over 340 people crammed into a truck trailer in the state of aircrews. more than 100 of them were children. the migrants from central america will be cared for by mexican social services until their status is determined. people smuggling is a major problem for the u.s. and mexican governments. last year, 53 migrants were found dead in a trailer in texas having crossed the border from mexico. we go to the seychelles now,

known as a tropical paradise with a multimillion dollar tourist industry. the country has the biggest heroin problem in the world. heroin is smuggled via routes that go from asia, to europe and africa. the seychelles government has launched a war on drugs but the country is made up of more than 100 islands, making it hard to police the borders. a former heroin user is now a support worker and has given us rare access so we can learn more about why 10% of the population is addicted to heroin. >> seychelles, we have a reputation for hance -- for fancy hotels and luxury living. behind every corner, this is the reality. just off the main streets, i meet a young guy i know. i used to take heroin with his mom when he was still a little kid. but now, he is all grown up with his own to support. his brother also uses.

it is very common to see dependency passed from parent to child. >> [speaking non-englishlanguage] >> around one in 10 people are trapped in the cycle of dependency. at this point in time, per capita, as far as consumption of heroin is concerned, seychelles 's number one in the world. and this is not a statistic that gives me personally great pleasure. it is estimated that two tons of arrow -- of heroin is trafficked into the seychelles every year. most of it comes from afghanistan via iran. smugglers bring it in by boat. with more than one million

square, matters of territorial waters, they have easy access. >> trying to find a small boat. it's difficult. >> in 2020, the government declared a war on drugs. foreign police have been brought in to bolster efforts, but officers have to -- becaus drug-related corruption is rife. rehabilitation is a key part of the fight against substance abuse. but in recent years, all residential rehabilitation centers have been closed. look at the state of the building. it is really sad. this place could have saved lives. >> on the others if the island is the hospital where i recovered. coming here saved my life. now it is deserted.

this was my bed. i remember how tough it was when i first walked in. today, i'm sitting here, i'm off heroin. trust me, it is a feeling that i cannot even express. it's too much. it's too much. it's too much. the president has promised to build a new rehab center. but i worry about how many people will be lost before this promise can be fulfilled. laura: the impact of heroin smuggling on the seychelles. we go now to the latest spectacular film from sir david attenborough, who at the age of 96, is still reporting on the natural world. in his new bbc documentary series, for the first time ever,

sir david looks at the wildlife of the british isles. here is our climate editor, justin rowlatt. david: welcome to a place that is astonishing. nature on these islands can be extraordinary. it rivals anything i have seen elsewhere. it is not far. it's home. justin: at 96 years old, sir david attenborough is back on location to bring you the british isles as you have never seen them before. scenes like this. orca killer whales hunting a baby seal off the coast of scotland. david: their strategy is one of surprise. justin: these programs cost the same as a major international wildlife series, and the sequences they capture are as spectacular as anything you

could see anywhere on earth. david: the orca takes its catch out into open water, and there shows younger members of the pod how to drown it. justin: i think very few people realize that we are globally important for wildlife. we have more ancient oak trees in europe -- in britain then the whole of europe. we have 50% of the world's, and bluebells, a quarter of europe's badgers, most of the world's chalk streams. this -- the series shows animal behaviors that have never been filmed before, like our biggest bird of prey hunting article geese in flight. the goose is so heavy, the young eagle has to struggle to hold on. but our wildlife is at risk. 60% of our flying insects have finished in the last 20 years. 97% of our wildflower meadows since the second world war. wild salmon could be extinct in

the british isles within two decades, the series warns. it prompts an urgent call to action from sir david. david: britain as a whole is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. never has there been a more important time to invest in our own wildlife. to try to set an example for the rest of the world, and restore our once wild isles for future generations. justin: so what can be done? >> can make choices ourselves about what we buy, how we travel, what we eat. we can also put pressure on our politicians at local and international levels, and force them to show the leadership that is required to see big scale visionary changes in how we manage the environment. justin: the message is clear, it is up to us all to save the fragile and beautiful ecosystems

of our island nation. justin rowlatt, bbc news. laura: sir david attenborough joined the bbcn 1952, before the coronation of queen elizabeth. his reign over the broadcasting realm has been long-lasting indeed. we end tonight with more news from sir david's 11 natural world. an american conservationist has bought 93,000 hectares of wildland in chile so that they can become a national park. the stunning landscape in southern chile is important because the area absorbs carbon dioxide from the aosphere, which can help fight climate change by reducing the amount of co2 and lowering the temperature. i'm laura trevelyan. thank you so much for watching "bbg world news america." ♪ narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by.. the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum-kovler foundation.

pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you, thank you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. ♪♪ announcer: usa today calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming." that's because the free pbs video app lets you watch the best of pbs anytime, anywhere. simply download the pbs video app on your mobile or streaming device.

♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: a i'm amna nawaz. on "the newshour" tonight... as the world enters the fourth yearf ling with covid, we speak to the director of the centers for disease control about what we've learned and where we go from here. geoff: how the shifting nature of work during the pandemic led to an unexpected rise in birth rates, with far-reaching implications for the u.s. economy. >> a lot of people were working from home, especially the more educated women. and we thought that this workplace flexibility may have played a role in their ability to both have children and maintain their busy work lives. amna: and... iran's future on the world stage becomes increasingly uncertain amid continuing protests, suspected poisoning of school-age girls, and advancements in nuclear enrichment. ♪