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

a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america,"reported from washington. i'm katty kay. 50,000 people dead. ar onulf of mexico's wor drugs, where an army crackdown has increased to the violence. >> violence against violence will never solve the problem. >> greece erupts. running battles on the streets of athens at the start of the two-day strike. a thousand-year-old viking boat burial is dug up in britain. will show you the treasury told -- which will show you -- we

will view the treasure it holds. open to our viewers on pbs in america and also -- welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also across the globe. 1000 police officers who failed a lie detector test work filed -- were fired today. 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed since mexico's president launched a military crackdown on drug cartels five years ago. in a few moments, we're going to hear from the former mexican president, vincente -- vicente fox. >> war on mexico is becoming increasingly dangerous -- the war in mexico is becoming increasingly dangerous and bloody. the government on one side and the notorious drug cartels on the other. the people of mexico are caught in the middle of a conflict no one seems able to stop the one that is no longer confined to

the badlands. more than 40,000 people have been killed since mexico's president picked a fight with the drug cartels. criminals have been arrested. drugs have been seized. the military has been deployed. but the violence has only gotten worse. the deaths of ever more gruesome -- deaths ever more gruesome. veracruz used to boast that it was mexico's say this city, but the empty beaches tell a different story. 35 bodies were left on the street in daylight, people who had been downed, tortured, and killed. empty homes have been boarded up after they were used to hide corpses. this is one of three locations where more than 30 bodies were found dumped in house is just a few days ago. it is part of an increasingly vicious battle that has been taking place in mexico. as you can see, the marines have been deployed on to the streets of a city that, until recently,

was perfectly safe. many of those killed are victims in a tit-for-tat between drug gangs, but not all. dirty tricks and political cowardice means some innocent men are wrongly accused. speaking out is a rare and dangerous thing to do in mexico, but we met janet figueroa, who is prepared to take the risk just to clear her father's name. he was mechanic caught in the crossfire of a gun battle. janet says the state fabricated evidence that he was a criminal. >> is used to be a really safe city. i never imagine something like this could happen to me. i am scared the government might do something in the revenge, because they do not want this to be talked about. we have even received threats, but i have to speak out to prove their statistics are not real, that civilians are being killed in this drug war. >> the grandeur of the state capital, the blame falls

squarely on the drug cartels -- in the grandeur of the state capital, the blame falls squarely on the drug cartels. the spokesperson for the government insists that strategy is not to blame. the war on drugs has left a deep scar across the region. every time the cartels, under real pressure, the problem starts to move. the one constant in all of this is the demand for drugs in america, britain, and elsewhere. unless that changes, the deaths will almost certainly continue. >> we will talk about the demand for drugs in just a minute with former president isn't a fox. -- vicente fox. want to start of -- i want to start with the news of 1000 police officers who failed the lie detector tests. how much of our problem is police corruption? -- a problem is police corruption? >> the military being deployed is not just because they have

the force. it is generally believed that they have cleaner hands than the police, some of whom have been tainted, some of whom have acted effectively as go-betweens. have allowed the drug cartels to transport jet -- to try have allowed the drug cartels to transport cocaine and cannabis -- they have allowed the drug cartels to transport cocaine and cannabis. you get the sense that this is a battle mexicans have thrown everything at to try and win. they have had successes. what it has done is move the problem from one area to another. those people caught in the middle, as we saw in the report, are mexican civilians. >> the number of people who have been killed has risen to give me since president calderon started his military crackdown -- risen significantly since president calderon started his military crackdown. >> vicente fox had also tried to

tackle the drug cartels, but this was a tangible stepping-up of the process. that 50,000 number is from the start date of 2006, 50,000 in around five years. that is why this is going to be a big factor in the mexican presidential election. if you talk to people on the streets, people could isolate themselves -- it is something that affected the border region. that is no longer the case. places like acapulco and veracruz are affected. >> thank you 3 much. for more on this, i spoke -- thank you very much. for more on this, i spoke a short time ago to former mexican president vicente fox. you have called for an end to the war on drugs -- because the tactics are not working? >> i am trying to solve this mammoth problem we have been in

mexico with crime. it is really an eroding the future of mexico. we have to get out of that trap. need new ideas to finish with that war in mexico and come -- we need new ideas to finish with that for the mexico and come back to growth -- that war in mexico and come back to growth. >> lives against violence will never solve the problem. -- violence against violence will never solve the problem. violation against human rights, violations of due process, do judicial process -- due, judicial process. we must come with intelligent ideas, like, for instance, withdrawn the army out of the battle. no. two, legalizing the production, distribution, and consumption of drugs. all together, for all drugs, all the way. >> you have been very critical of american policy.

you have said that america is tipping mexico with $500 million and that mexico is paying in the blood and dead bodies. >> 50,000 killed, 15 to 25-year- old. >> and you hold america responsible? >> of course. either we legalize consumption and we can move out of the enforcement and dedicates the money, the efforts, and the public policies to attending a health program like this nation did back 100 years ago. that was until provision was eradicated. then the solution came. >> mr. fox, aren't you being unrealistic? america is not want to legalize all drugs. >> this nation, contrary to what you're saying, is about to change. there is a gallup poll, national, that just came out of days ago.

now 50% of u.s. citizens accept legalization of drugs. one who is blind is the government. the government is saying commendatory commendatory, but -- saying no, no, no. people in the whole of the united states are for legalizing. >> president fox, thank you very much. ian also asked to speak to president felipe calderón on this policy of having large numbers of troops on the streets of mexico in the fight against drugs. the president has turned us down. inside the greek parliament, lawmakers voted in favor of more spending cuts. on the streets outside, protesters while police fired stun guns and tear-gas grenades.

this is a 48-hour strike that has brought most of greece to stand still. >> petrol bombs and rocks rain down on the riot police of the country begins a to the -- a two-day general strike. police threw grenades. perhaps more stunning is the sheer numbers of protesters taking to the streets to protest the austerity. the resistance is spreading. this is inside the finance ministry. it is now occupied. given in the courts -- even in the courts, magistrates are operating a ghost load. dionysus is a teacher. salary cuts have changed their way of life. >> we lost money. i lost my job. the taxes have been going up. we check out the prices on

fruits and milk. everything. >> if families are not spending, then close our -- stores are closing in record numbers. many stores -- are many stores closing down here? >> we had almost 100% of the stores -- around 440 stores have already closed down. >> the worry that greece is trapped in a cycle of economic decline and cannot -- many worry that greece is trapped in a cycle of economic decline. >> the more medicine is being applied on the patient, the deeper the coma is becoming. among the foreign minister insist the policy of reducing the deficit -- >> the foreign minister insists the policy of reducing the deficit is working. >> people understand that these measures, as terribly difficult as they are, are necessary and

will guarantee a better future for themselves and their families. >> this will rattle europe's leaders. they raised the question of whether policies of cots and exchange -- in exchange for bailout funds will enable greece -- policies of cuts in exchange for bailout funds will enable greece to overcome. implementing austerity changes will be very different -- a very different matter. it underlines the fact that the greek problem remains unresolved. gavin hewitt, bbc news, athens. >> at issue, spending cuts, growth, causing violence on the streets of athens, and protest around america as well. in other news around the world -- violence erupts in britain. please have clashed with angry protesters -- police have

clashed with angry protesters who refused to leave their homes. they lost the legal battle over the land last week. police are clearing the site by force. they come up with -- they came up against stiff resistance, but were eventually able to take control of the property. in thailand, flood waters continue to ravage the country with concerns they could get into the kind -- the capital of bangkok soldiers are shoring up defenses, hoping to divert water around the central -- the capital of bangkok. soldiers are shoring up defenses, hoping to divert water around a central area. the delay, for recent spat -- the dollar llama -- the dalai lama for a recent spate of suicide. he denies his enouragement --

any involvement. kurdish rebels have attacked military installations in turkey, killing at least 24 soldiers. the kurdish rebels have stepped up their attacks. the turkish president has promised revenge. we now reports from istanbul. >> a loss this great as provoked an inevitable response from the turkish military =-- has provoked an inevitable response from the turkish military, starring -- pursuing the insurgents who carried out the attack. this is a conscript army, and public emotions will be fired up by the deaths of so many young soldiers. >> our pain from yesterday and today is great. i would like, first of all, to ask for god's mercy for the soldiers, policemen, and

civilians who lost their lives in these terrorist attacks. my condolences go to their families and to the nation. nobody should forget that those who have inflicted the pain on us will suffer sharp, severe pain as a consequence. >> a strong showing by kurdish parties in the general election four months ago raised hopes of a more political approach to the war which has blighted southeastern turkey. the conciliatory gestures from the turkish state have been scarce. hundreds of kurdish politicians have since been jailed. armed militants are inflicting a steady toll, which affects -- put prospects for further peace out of further reach. the army has acted many times against the kurdish national movement without success. now it looks set to try again. abc news, istanbul.

>> hundreds of former palestinian prisoners have been enjoying their false -- bbc news, istanbul. >> hundreds of former palestinian prisoners have been enjoying their first day of freedom. our god as a correspondent has spent the day with some of the palestinians released -- our gaza correspondent has spent the day with some of the palestinians released. >> up until yesterday, all these children had of their grandfather was a stern-faced photo. today, he is back with his family. 25 years ago, as a hamas militant on he was given four life sentences for killing is released. -- is released. -- israelis. the gilad shalit deal brought him home. he is unrepentant. he offered this advice. he tells me he has sympathy for

gilad shalit and his family, saying he will pray for the young soldier's release. he said it was israel that put shalit in that situation. would he want to kill israelis again? >> if they leave me alone, i will leave them alone, too, he says. >> but not all the palestinians who were released have a home to go to. insider over 100 militants from the west bank who were sent -- inside are over 100 militants from the west bank who were sent instead to gaza. they were presented with a goodie bag. hamas will prop them up and give them money. this man was released eight years into a 37 year sentence for preparing suicide bomb attacks in israel. he is happy to be out, but it will be very difficult for him

to see his family. >> i wish to be [unintelligible] i wish to come back to rmallah -- ramallah. here, i don't know anything. that is my dream. >> hamas feel strong after this deal. they may even call for fresh palestinian elections. they won back in 2006, beating their rivals, fattah. they may feel they can win agani. -- again. life is still a struggle for most gazans. hamas did this deal to boost its popularity, but their sudden shine could easily wear off. >> the prisoner swaps that

israel calls "a very high price." the loot of a viking warrior. we look inside the 1000-year-old burial chamber discovered on the scottish coast. it sounds like something from a spy novel. a young russian woman working as a researcher for british politicians who sit on an influential committee admits to sitting -- admits to having an affair with her boss. she has been accused of spying for russia. >> this woman, -- was this woman a russian spy who set a honey trap for a middle aged british politician? she denies she was an undercover seductress who said about infiltrating the house of commons. britain wants reported, saying she embarked on a four-year affair with this man, a liberal

democrat and he -- liberal democrat mp, in order to pass on intelligence information. lawyers for the home secretary say the russians would have been interested in him because of his position on the defense committee in the house of commons. they say his personal life would have made him a target. at the tribunal, a government lawyer cross-questioned the 26- year-old russian about whether she had exploited the parliamentarian's weakness for women. "you knew that mr. hancock's private life might make him potentially vulnerable," the lawyer said. she replied, "i did not know of his private life until our relationship." he had other affairs -- she had

other affairs. per ability to form relationships would have been very useful -- her ability to form relationships would have been very useful to the russians. naomi grimley, abc news, westminster -- bbc news, westminster. >> hundreds of wild animals have been shot dead in ohio after being released from a private zoo. local residents were encouraged to stay inside as police with assault rifles and did down tigers, bears, and gi -- hunted down tigers, bears and giraffes that escaped near zanesville. a -- >> a bear gets a taste of freedom, but a lion is shot dead. when police arrived at the wild animal preserve, they found the

owner, terry thompson, dead. they believe he killed himself after opening all of the cages. and we're not talking about your normal, everyday -- >> we are not talking about your normal, everyday house cats and dogs. obviously, public safety is my number-one concern. i gave the order that, if animals looked like they were going out, they went down. >> motorist saw these bizarre and frightening alerts -- motorists saw these bizarre and frightening alerts. about 50 animals were on the loose. and that it is scary. you do not know where they are @ -- >> it is scary. you do not know where they are. >> in the dark, it is considered too risky to use tranquilizer shots. the deputies were given orders to shoot on sight. some of the animals, like this lion, were retrieved by trophy hunters. jack hanna, a celebrity

zookeeper, supported the sheriff. >> this is not just a nightmare. it is like noah's ark wrecking here in zanesville, ohio. all of ak crashes and, sudden, they are out there. >> it has prompted an outcry from campaigners who said that ohio's loss -- laws are too lax. schools are closed and residents are encouraged to stay indoors as officials continue to haunt the last of these -- hunt the last of the animals. >> archaeologists say they have uncovered one of the most important biking burial sites found in britain -- viking boat burial sites found in britain, thought to be more than 1000 years old.

>> they are the weapons of a viking warrior, knife, axe, sword, encased in centuries of mud and rust. x-rays reveal more details of the items beneath, including a bronze ring pin. >> this may have held the shroud that he was buried in together. it was connected to his body. it also connects the biking -- viking boat burial out to the irish sea. >> the grave was discovered here on the remote ardnamurchan peninsula. it was unearthed during a recent archaeological dig. those involved described it as an incredible discovery. >> i think it has absolutely been a hugely successful find. viking boat burials are extremely rare in terms of the british mainland.

>> these now fragile weapons need careful screening by experts -- cleaning by experts. the raider had likely traveled, fought, and been buried in this area of scotland, once terrorized by vikings. >> cannot wait to see what they look like when they are cleaned up to queen elizabeth's -- cleaned up. queen elizabeth is visiting australia. she flew there with her husband. she was met by students, who gave her gifts, including a bouquet, paper crown, and stuffed dog. her tour will be 11 days, 15

cities. you can find constant updates on our web site. get on touch with me and most of the news came -- team on twitter. see you tomorrow. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. union bank. and shell. >> this is kim - about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell, we're developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy resources. let's use energy more efficiently. let's go.

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