>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global

expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> simply unacceptable. the u.k.'s deputy prime minister nick clegg hits back at french criticism of the u.k. economy after the latest attack from their finance minister. accused of leaking classified documents to the website wikileaks, the american soldier bradley manning makes his first appearance in a military court. european police break a pita file ring ay stretching across 22 -- a ped feel ring across 2 countries. coming up a little later, the supreme court in the democratic republic of congo confirms joseph cabill oovings as the winner of last month's disputed election. japanese engineers is the nuclear plant is stable.

hello, welcome once again. with the middle zone in the middle of a financial crisis, nick clegg has told the french prime minister that recent remarks about the british economy about his government are unacceptable, and that he should calm the rhetoric. french officials have been arguing that their country is in better economic shape than britain. here's gavin hewitt. >> for a second day, senior french ministers have been criticizing britain and its economy. it has now led to an open row between the two countries. this was the french finance minister on national radio this morning. >> we don't have any lessons to give, but we don't want to be given any lessons either. the economic situation in great britain is very worrying, and from an economic standpoint, we prefer being french than british. >> stroll back to yesterday and

it had been the turn of the governor of the bank of france who suggested that ratings agencies should start by downgrading britain. then the french prime minister in brazil said that the ratings agencies don't seem to have noticed, but britain is more indebted than us. it began to look like a coordinated attack on the british economy. later the french prime minister placed a call to nick clegg, the deputy prime minister, to, in his words, clear up misunderstandings. but nick clegg said the comments have been simply unacceptable and steps should be taken to calm the rhetoric. and later, number 10 downing street said the french comments had not been helpful in any way. >> french officials very well know how acute their problems are and how damaging they could be. what they're trying to do here is deflect attention away from their own problems. >> and here's the background to this row. france has long been sensitive

about any downgrading of its credit rating. if it were to happen, it would be a vote of declining confidence in the second-most important economy in the euro zone and it would force us its borrowing costs. so how does the u.k. compare with france? this year, british growth is forecast to be about 0.8%. france is about the same. but while the u.k. government has to pay just over 2% interest to borrow over 10 years, france has to pay almost 3%. why? because financial markets think france's banks are more exposed to the euro zone crisis. relations between david cameron and nicolas sarkozy chilled after last week's summit when britain had vetoed a new treaty to enforce greater budgetry discipline in the euro zone. tonight, one ratings agency warned again of a possible french downgrade and gave this

negative assessment. a comprehensive solution appeared beyond reach. gavin hewitt, "bbc news," paris. >> the american soldier accused of supplying the wikileaks website with thousands of confidential u.s. diplomatic cables, videos, and also military reports has appeared in court in maryland. private bradley manning was arrested in iraq last year. from maryland, our north america editor has sent this report. >> private bradley manning divides america. an atheist from a small evangelical town. an unhappy misfit. he exposed america's secrets. to some, he's being martyred for revealing the truth. to others, he betrayed his country. this is the first time manning has been seen in public since his arrest, a slight figure, flanked business his civilian and military lawyers, he said yes, sir crisply to a couple routine questions.

surprisingly, it was the man in charge, the investigating officer, who faced cross-examination. manning's lawyer said he was biased. a former military judge, now a prosecutor for the government. he called for him to step down and said his case would be that manning's actions are not serious. where's the damage? where's the harm, he said? supporters outside the military base said he did the right thing. >> to me, he's a great hero. he should be given the medal of honor, he should be released and we should continue to try to bring about a transformation of our government where secrecy is not overused. >> this was manning's first leak of the classified information. for him, it was only the beginning. there's never been anything like it. the largest disclosure of secret information in american history.

a quarter of a million cables from embassies all over the world. almost a half a million military records from iraq and afghanistan. although there's no single stunning revelation, it ranged from details o'american military tactics to the names of afghan informants. but the main impact was that u.s. diplomats were embarrassed. having their private thoughts made public. >> it was a very unfortunate and damaging action that -- actions that were taken, to put at risk individuals and relationships. >> the case being heard here is not so much about the facts of what bradley manning did, but about why he did it, his motivation, whether he's hero or traitor, and how much harm he's done his country. and bound up with that is how he was treated after his arrest. this film made by supporters dramatized his detention in solitary confinement, which

amnesty called harsh and punitive. p.j. crowley lost his job at the state department when he said it was ridiculous and counterproductive. >> it was my judgment that the last thing the united states needed at this point in time was another detention issue, after guantanamo bay, even though this involved one of our own citizens, we already had enough notoriety. >> this is about the fate of one man who faces life in jail, but also about how the world sees america. mark mardell, "bbc news," fort meade. >> police arrested more than 100 people in 22 countries across europe after a year-long investigation into child pornography. but the european police force has warned that increasingly complex computer technology, that that means combating the spread of child abuse is becoming even more difficult. anna reports from the hague. >> it was one of the biggest investigations into child pornography conducted by europe. the organization intercepted a

network of abuse that traveled across the continent by the internet. they were using file-sharing technology to send graphic videos to users online. >> the contents of the seized material are beyond imagination. and they portray physical and psychological abuse of the gravest kind. the scale i think is also staggering with hundreds of thousands of hours of movie material that have been uncovered in this investigation. >> the virtual nature of these crimes made it harder than ever to catch those responsible. the footage camtures graphic nature, including babies and toddlers. it will take them months to go through the footage and that they hope to make more arrests in the future. they hope the scale of this investigation will act as a warning to pedophiles, that they can no longer conduct their operations online because the police will find them, even in cyber space. anna holligan, "bbc news" in the

hague. >> the democratic republic of congo's supreme court has rejected challenges to joseph cabilla's re-election. the opposition still rejects the result and says its supporters will be staging demonstrations next week to demand a political solution. >> it took the supreme court less than one hour on friday night to sign off the election results. the judges confirmed the re-election with 49% of the vote. he beat the other, who pulled 34%. mr. cameri challenged the result afflalo call and international observers highlighted widespread irregularities, but the court found he failed to produce economy evidence to back up his claims. a party official says the department on the validity of his re-election was now closed. however, the secretary-general

said he did not recognize the authority of the supreme court and regarded the standoff between the two candidates as a political problem in need of a political solution. he said on the 10th of december that he had won the election an proclaimed himself president amid outbreaks of violence in which more than 15 people have died. >> to north africa, where clashes have continued in cairo after troops try to remove demonstrators from outside the parliament building. the protesters threw rocks at soldiers, who responded by firing into the air. >> when it all started with clashes against protesters. rocks were thrown at each other and it got more serious with the military firing in the air and using water cannon, and they managed to push out the protesters from the city.

but more and more protesters came and there was a long-running confrontation in the street outside. rocks were thrown back and forth. then we've seen an extraordinary scene of thugs on the roof of a government building throwing rocks through the day down at the protesters. thugs who must have been there with the knowledge of the government because they were on the top of the government throwing these rocks at protesters. so very, very damaging to the credibility of the military. who have always said they are protecting the revolution and they've always tried to avoid getting in direct conflict with the protesters. also damaging for the new civilian government, who also said they would not attack protesters under any circumstances. this probably won't prevent the election from continuing. but it does really weaken the credibility of the government, who are trying to run this country in this transition to democracy.

>> france has rejected russia's proposal on the crisis in syria. they second quarterlated a new draft resolution on the crisis, in which they criticized the vie leps but made no mention of sanctions. the french foreign ministry called the paper unacceptable, but did say it was a step that moscow did indeed recognize the u.n. needed to react. the u.s. government has announced a lifting of the sanctions on muammar gaddafi. the move comes as the new government in tripoli not only tries to fix the economy, but also attempts to promote greater national unity. that message, though, is not getting through to some communities that use to support colonel gaddafi and are now coming under attack from michigans. caroline hurley reports. >> after the guns fell silent, so did an entire town.

sign posts have been erased for michigan men from misrata. once home to 30,000 people, now home to no one at all. houses have been ransacked and torched. when gaddafi's forces were defeated, everyone here had to flee. it's extremely eerie being in a place where not a soul remains. every day some of the michigan men come here, ensuring that no man, woman, or child dare return. prayer time at a jail in misrata. among the prisoners, a significant number -- they say they're being well treated now.

but being whipped with electric wars when he was first rounded up in august. i don't know why i'm here, he says. it's those who committed crimes who should be punished. it was under siege for months after it rose up against gaddafi. behind the broken, battle-scarred buildings are many broken lives. this man shows us how his teeth were knocked out with a rifle butt by soldiers who suspected him of being a rival fighter. he told me had 20 men having super strength glue put on the end of their penises to stop them urinating. collectively accused of terrible crimes, they are refugees in their own country. this is a cancer that is placed on tripoli. the new government says it wants national reconciliation, but that won't be done easily when

abuses have been done by both sides. we're scared, she says. we want a solution to our problem and we want to go home. it's impossible to imagine them returning in the foreseeable future, but those far from home, they are at least safe and they sing for us a newly invented protest song. that's something that no one would have dreamt of doing publicly during gaddafi's rule. >> still to come, israeli soldiers break up a protest outside the west bank village. a rescue operation has taken place off the coast of france after a cargo ship ran aground in heavy storms. there were 19 crew members onboard. all air lifted to safety by

helicopter. the authorities are trying to condition taken an oil spill. russell troth has this report. >> help arriving by helicopter for the stricken ship and its stranded crew in stormy weather off the coast of france. the cargo vessel was heading for martel when it ran aground. black fuel was seen washing up on a sandy beach in this picturesque part of the coastline. >> it started to drift. >> for any ship in the channel navigating to 130 kilometers per hour, it was going to be a hard voyage. the spirit from one come

partment fuels tanks, so it should be limited. maritime authorities are trying to empty the remaining tanks, which contained 220 tons of fuel. the storm has already cut power to 400,000 homes along the coast. and it's heading towards belgium. it shows little sign of abating. >> parts of southeastern brazil are in a state of emergency after heavy rain there caused flash flooding. the it has been worst affected, but 13 other cities are also struggling to cope. residents are leaving saying they have no idea what to do. some started protests, angry that their city lacks the necessary infrastructure to deal with such heavy rains. this is "bbc news." these are the headlines. the deputy prime minister nick clegg has told the french prime minister that his government's

criticisms of the u.k. economy are simply unacceptable. bradley manning, the american soldier accused of leaking classified documents to the wikileaks website has made his first appearance in a military court. 10 people have been killed. several others injured in western kazakhstan. clashes took place between police and strike oil workers campaigning for higher wages since may. >> this is a celebration that the authorities were hoping to see. scuffles between protesters and police turn into the deadliest unrest in kazakhstan's recent history. the protesters are oil workers who have been on strike since may. the oil company, the main employer in this town, declared their action illegal and fired them. in protest, the workers have been occupying the main square since july.

the frustration boils over on friday, when local government burst in to halt independence day celebrations. they set a christmas tree on fire. a number of government buildings were also set ablaze. the authorities say the protesters attacked police officers who were forced to fire back. >> according to initial data, 10 people were killed as a result of mass disorder. there are also some wounded, including police officers. >> communication with the city has been limited. mobile phones and the internet are down. and for now, the full extent of the damage and injuries remains unknown. >> israeli soldiers have broken up a demonstration by hundreds of villagers and peace activists outside the west bank village one week after a protestor was killed during a similar protest.

every week for the past three years, the villagers have protested against what they see as the theft of their land. rupert winfield hayes joins the protesters. >> this is a big protest. every friday for the last three years, the residents of this tiny west bank village have marched down this hill to try and get to their fields. they lie just across the valley. and every friday, they meet. >> this was a minute ago a completely peaceful protest. the villagers try to come down the road here in their weakly symbolic protest to get to their land. the israeli ministry has responded with barrages of tear

gas breaking up the protest. there was no stone throwing. it was completely peaceful. last week, the same protest here turned deadly. this is the moment last friday the 28-year-old was shot and killed by a tear gas grenade. you can just see the riot gunpointing out of the back of the land rover. his father is still dazed by grief and anger. he believes the israeli soldiers have orders to get tough on the villagers. >> after three years, they have trying to scare people, to stop these demonstrations. >> the israeli military says it believes the death was an accident. >> every week in protests throughout the west bank, officers fire tear gas directly at protesters.

this is in violation of the open fire regulation. it's extremely dangerous and led to one death and many injuries. some of them very severe. >> hundreds and hundreds of tear gas and stun grenades. >> a foul-smelling liquid that sticks to everything. >> rupert winfield hayes, west bank. >> now, it's nine months since a giant tsunami swept across northeastern japan, killing more than 15,000 people. it also caused a meltdown at the fuke she ma nuclear plant.

now the japanese government says the damaged reactors are stable and people evacuated from some of the less contaminated areas may be able to return home. here's roland burke. >> explosions, as japan's nuclear crisis began nine months ago. the plans have been engulfed by a huge tsunami, pushing it into meltdown. the workers became known as the fuke she ma 50, men who risked radiation to save japan. >> since i took office, i've been saying that for japan to be reborn rukushima needed to be saved. we've been working to get the

reactors under control. >> today's news is encouraging for the authorities at the plant. it is kept cool with water, otherwise it will melt. that's what's happened at least partly already. now the reactors are said to be in cold shutdown where cooling water remains below boiling point. preventing the nuclear material from heating up out of control. it is likely to remain off-limits for years. homes lying empty. farm animals left to fend for themselves. a new generation born in a nuclear wasteland. a plant on the 26th floor of a 20th tower block is where they live now. the view is good, but it can't replace the garden. they plan to spend their retirement tending.

>> we are alive. we don't know where we belong. so i cannot discard away our house and garden. they are waiting for us. >> for japan at the challenge now, the challenge is to keep the lights on in its great cities like tokyo. local fears mean nearly all of the country's reactors are offline. the government must either persuade people they can be operated safely or find alternatives sources of power. at fukushima, the plan now is to dismantle the plant, but the workers who tamed the reactors will be old or gone before the job is finished. it could take more than 30 years. roland burke, "bbc news," tokyo. >> you're watching bbc. of course, there's plenty more on all our stories on the bbc website. have a look, and there you'll

find details of the row between britain and france that's developing. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. >> and union bank.

>> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.