Transcripts For KQED BBC World News America 20180127

Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. And now, bbc world news. Jane this is bbc world news america. Reporting from washington, i am jane obrien. The u. S. Is open for business President Trump Takes Center Stage in davos to offer his economic message to the world. President Trump America first does not mean america alone. When the United States grows, so does the world. Jane but back home, reports that the president wanted to sack special Counsel Robert Mueller has sparked another firestorm in the russia investigation. My daughter angela was murdered jane and the billboards getting oscar buzz. We speak with the writer and director of the film making its mark. To our viewers on Public Television in america and around the globe. The u. S. Is open for business that was the message the donald trump made loud and clear in davos today. Speaking to the economic forum, he stood by the demands of fair and reciprocal trade, but also said America First did not mean america alone. So what did Business Leaders make of it . Jon sopel is covering it all for us. Jon wherever donald trump has gone in davos, the crouds have gone with him. Wherever the cameras have been, the president has been pleased to oblige. President trump i hope we will bring back many billions of dollars into the u. S. It is already happening. Billions of dollars going back to the u. S. , and it will just continue. Jon how much today . President trump probably a lot. Jon that was the theme of his speech. America first, yes, but in an America Welcoming the world. President trump i will always put America First, just like the leaders of other countries should put their Country First also. But America First does not mean america alone. When the United States grows, so does the world. But at jon but at the end of a week in which the u. S. Imposed extra charges on imported goods from china, he played down talk of a trade war. Nevertheless, there was a warning. President trump we cannot have free and open trade if some countries exploit the system at the expense of others. We support free trade, but it needs to be fair and it needs to be reciprocal. Because in the end, unfair trade undermines us all. Jon some stood to applaud, but it wasnt the ovation given to president xi of china last year. This hasnt been a complete meeting of minds, but it wasnt going to be. That said, donald trump has been more conciliatory than many would have expected, and the audience reacted more warmly. It may be that davos 2018 turns out to be a winwin. The president was in a conciliatory, almost repentant mood, over the antimuslim retweets last year that brought him to blows with the Prime Minister. President trump here is what is fair if you are telling me that they are horrible people, racist people, i would certainly apologize if you would like me to do that. I know nothing about them. Jon so yes, he would apologize. He just didnt actually say sorry. The president has left the swiss alps, and if not a full member of the davos set, he will probably be invited back. There was a lot he like about they liked about what he said, and who would disagree with the central message, that a booming u. S. Economy is good for the global economy. Jon sopel, bbc news, davos. Jane i spoke a brief time ago with the former u. S. Ambassador to nato nicholas burns, who is now at Harvards Kennedy school. Ambassador, thanks very much for coming in. President trump went to davos to sell america, to make it clear that the nation is open for business. Do you think he succeeded . Nicholas i think in one respect he did, jane. He has a story to tell. The American Economy is growing, the economy is at nearly full employment, the stock market is at record highs, we are seeing a reduction in the Corporate Income tax rate. A dramatic reduction that should pull in more direct investment to our economy. I think the president is right to say that the economy is on the right track, and he makes a big deal also saying that he has cleared the way of regulations that have been inhibiting business. He has that line and he was right to deploy it today. Just say 2 things one is that on other issues, certainly on trade, but also on national security, America First still strikes many World Leaders in government and some in business as america declining in its leadership. Jane but he said it doesnt mean america alone. Wouldnt that be reassuring . Nicholas it is a nice statement as a talking point, but when you leave the paris Climate Change agreement and effectively try to leave the Iran Nuclear Agreement and take yourself out of 2 United Nations agencies and a very ambivalent, President Trump, about nato, when you describe the European Union as a competitor to the United States but dont ever talk about the partnership we have had with europe, our greatest ally, it sounds like america alone. I think that is the problem the president has, and he needs to correct that problem. Jane but we didnt hear any of that at davos. Do you think the economic message is Strong Enough to assuage many peoples doubts about the other issues . Nicholas it is a compelling message, and particularly for people at davos. Lets face it, there are a lot of very wealthy people there and leaders of corporations, and reducing the Corporate Tax rate from 35 to 21 is a dramatic change. President trump has his supporters, and they are in the American Business community. And the elite Global Business community. But that does not translate into the foreign ministries in europe or Prime Ministers in other parts of the world, because they do worry about old in which the about a world in which the United States has been leading in many respects for 70odd years since the second world war, and is taken a big step back. When you think about the president s speech in davos in his previous speech at the United Nations in september, it is lacking, i think objectively, the generosity of spirit, the big vision that the United States will work with other countries to help them succeed. That is what fdr and jfk and Ronald Reagan did very well. It is not how this president talks to the rest of the world, and that is a weakness on the part of the president. Jane but were always talking about how there are at least 2 President Trumps. Which one is coming out on top at the moment . He does tailor his message for his audience. Nicholas i thought his interviews on various networks and the speech today, it is the trump that is trying to appeal, trying to reach out to people. It is not the biting sarcasm or calling people names. So i think it was maybe the good trump. But you have to judge a president or Prime Minister on his or her actions, and if you look at all of the decisions that the president has made, having the United States step back in its leadership, that is how you judge an american president , and i think he has been the weakest american president towards europe since before the second world war. Jane very briefly, how will his performance be seen in america . Nicholas i think most americans are not paying attention to davos. They are paying attention i think the tax cut was popular and the fact that people will see more in their biweekly income statements, that will be important for people. The stock market is at an historic high. There is some confidence that the American Economy is in good shape. Jane ambassador, thank you for joining me. Nicholas thank you, jane. Jane as the president was promoting his economic message abroad, here at home, news about the russia investigation dominated headlines. Multiple news organizations are reporting that mr. Trump wanted to fire special Counsel Robert Mueller last june but was stopped from doing so when the Top White House lawyer threatened to quit. Joining me is the National Political respondent for the hill. Thanks for coming in. How do you think this might change the russia inquiry itself . It willim not sure change the inquiry itself, but it will change the dynamics of the president s mood and the disposition in the white house. One of the things about the idea that the story came up now, it really did put back on its heels the further on capitol hill among republicans to really denigrate the fbi and to call into question whether, leading up to the election, there was mr. With the foreign intelligence surveillance, and there was a huge drive to get that declassified information out into the public arena. This report in the New York Times and elsewhere put the focus back on the investigation, back on the president s behavior, and i think it will change the demeanor inside the white house about how eagerly they are trying to suggest that maybe all of this information about the fbi should come out. Fbi so explain again the the reports that the fbi had some secret society which later proved to be completely unfounded, but who would benefit from putting those to bed . Alexis well, industry together case, the white house was saying up until this New York Times report that the president was fully engaged in transparency. Although he will not have a role to play in encouraging the House Committee republicans to releasing the information, the president thinks that would be a good idea. That, i thought, was changing the narrative to suggest that there was mr. Happening that the president was invulnerable mr. Happening that the president was a vulnerable to. SaysNew York Times report that the president during the summer was very animated by the idea that he was capable of stopping this. Not transparency, not encouraging this kind of investigation, but actually thinking about a mechanism to stop it. Also opendoesnt this up questions about whether or not he obstructed the course of justice . Alexis well, it raises questions about his interest in interfering. A month after he encouraged the firing of james comey, the thenfbi director. The swirl of events happening in the summer that we are putting all the pieces together with reporting from the New York Times and elsewhere suggests that the president was focused on what anyone would consider interference. Felthenfbi director comey that way, too, was concerned about it and the only reason we have the special counsel was there was concern about that. Capitol hill is back engaging in this discussion about whether legislatively, the legislative branch should put up a barrier around mueller to protect him. Jane how much of a distraction is all of this . Alexis well, for the president committed to continuing and you can see it in his description of calling this fake that his insistence selfdefense is not obstruction but actually just trying to defend against the suggestion he believes that it is all rigged in suggest you should not have been president and that the russians interfered. It is a distraction for him and a huge defection for the white house. Jane and they are trying to get Immigration Reform through. Thats well, any agenda doesnt have to do with the dismal outlook for the election for some republicans and the concern that things get stopped in the senate. The president would like to focus on taxes and what he achieved last year and look ahead. Jane thank you very much indeed for joining me. Alexis thank you. Jane quick look at the dayss other news. Police in toronto say that the Canadian Pharmaceutical billionaires barry and honey sherman were murdered in a targeted killing. The couple were found hanged in their home six weeks ago. Officers originally ruled out murder. According to canadian media, they believe sherman told his wife before hanging himself. A u. S. Trade panel has rejected claims that aircraft produced by canadian manufacturer bombard ea were illegally subsidized by the canadian government. The Aerospace Giant boeing has complained to the u. S. Authorities that lombardi eight was selling its aircraft to cheaply and has called for punitive tariffs to be imposed on imports by the company. Top chefs from as far field as the u. S. And japan have attended a funeral in france for one of the prime exponents of their art. They filled the cathedral in the hundreds dressed in chefs white to pay all much to the man known frenchpope of gastronomy. It has been nearly four months since the kurds in iraq held a referendum for independence for their oilrich region and an overwhelming majority voted for separation, but things deteriorated as iraqi forces took over the city of kirkuk. The kurds, who had been emboldened by their role in the fight against islamic state, but too many as if they may have look to many as if they may have missed their moment in history. This report from kirkuk. Reporter on the road to kirkuk, now back in the hands of the iraqi forces. For the last three years, the city has been under the control of the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, but they lost it in a matter of hours a few months ago. The kurds say they now live in fear. This 25yearold actress says prospects are bleak for the kurds after they voted for independence. Things were stable, and we used to feel safe in kirkuk. Then the iraq he army then the iraqi army came in october and we have been living in fear instead. We had to leave our home and all of kirkuk for a week. Reporter who do you blame for the way things turned out . I blame politicians for how we ended up. Our political leaders did not act responsibly. Reporter the once economically thriving Iraqi Kurdish region is now suffering after baghdads fierce response to their independence referendum. The kurds were emboldened with the key role that fighters played in the battle against the socalled islamic state. They thought they finally had their moment, but it was not to be. Until recently, kurdish flag flew next to this iconic statue in the heart of kirkuk, but it has been replaced by an iraqi 11 Government Forces took control of the months ago. When Government Forces took control a few months ago. Things changed dramatically for the kurds after the independence vote, which was seen as a historic moment at first, turned out to be a political gamble that the leadership took and lost. The outgoing kurdish president remains defiant. I said it before and i will say it again, i dont regret it. I dont regret the vote of 3 million people. Reporter you say it has been successful, but in reality it hasnt, because the Kurdish People have suffered after the referendum, and you didnt do what you wanted. What is happening now is the result of baghdad cutting the budget of the kurdistan people in 2014. Also, the fight against i. S. Came at the expense of development in kurdistan and the dramatic cut in oil prices has cost us a lot. Remember, we have 2 million refugees. That is what caused the current situation, not the referendum. Why should we call it a failure . Reporter while politicians here negotiate with baghdad, many people in Iraqi Kurdistan are struggling to make ends meet. Welders in this workshop come from kirkuks different ethnicities kurds, arabs, turkmen. They have worked together for decades regardless of who is in power. Like many in the kurdish region, they have learned to live with conflict and uncertainty. Jane you are watching bbc world news america. Still to come on tonights program, one year ago he helped to save lives when a gun man entered the quebec mosque. Now the community is rallying behind the man they call a hero. South korean officials have ordered an investigation into a fire that swept through a hospital, killing as many as 40 people. It took firefighters several hours to put out the blaze, the countrys deadliest in over a decade. It started in the emergency room at the hospital in the southern city. It has emerged that the facility , which was built only a few years ago, did not have any sprinklers, that has raised serious questions about safety standards. Laura bicker has this report from seoul. Aura black smoke billowed from the emergency as firefighters tried to get to patients trapped inside. There were nearly 200 people in the building. Many were elderly. Those who escaped needed urgent treatment. In the hospital most from smoke inhalation. Firefighters said they did everything they could. We prevented the fire from spreading to the second floor in the early stages so we could secure the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors. Laura as crews inspect the blackened shell of the hospital, it revealed that no water sprinklers were installed. This is the deadliest blaze in decades, and the government has said they would be of further investigation. The president has ordered an investigation to figure out the exact cause of the fire and come up with measures to prevent more fires at building complexes and cope with the Property Damage caused by the fire. Month, 29t last people were killed at a fire in a sportscenter and an inquiry found they were too few emergency exits, and it had been built flammable materials. Questions are being asked about safety regulations in south korea and what needs to be done to prevent Something Like this happening again. Laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. Jane it was a year ago that gunfire rang out in a mosque quebec city mosque in quebec city, leaving six people dead. The toll could have been much worse if it had not been for the actions of a man shot seven times as he tried to protect others and woke up in hospital two months later to learn he was paralyzed from the waist down. Now the community is rallying behind him, raising funds for a home modified to meet his needs. Tonight he tells us his story. So i was staring at him, at his face. I saw bullets coming towards me. I was unconscious. A story of a man who recently wants to be able to find somewhere to live to return home with his wife and three young children. Now, three billboards outside ebbing, missouri is the story of a grieving mothers fight for justice. It has been nominated for seven academy awards, and after her best actress win at the golden globes, star Frances Mcdormand is getting plenty of oscar buzz. Arts editor Will Gompertz has been speaking to writerdirector martin mcdonagh. My daughter angela was murdered will Frances Mcdormand as the uncompromising, unflinching, and very angry grieving mother. She rents three billboards outside ebbing, missouri, the fictional town created by martin mcdonagh, the londonborn irish writerdirector. Martin mcdonagh has gotten a nomination for his writing but not his directing. I wonder if he is disappointed. Martin no, not really. The mates got nominated in the other categories. It wouldve been nice, but seven is good. You get over here. No, you get over here. All right. Will one of the criticisms three billboards has is the sam rockwell character, who is a racist, is treated sympathetically by you. Martin he is definitely a racist and a bully, and i would not say treated sympathetically. I tried to see the hope in all of these people. If you say that is treating him a character sympathetically, to a degree it is. But the point of the film and the thing i hope people come away with is the possibility of change in people. I started the database. I would stick him on it, and as soon as he had done something wrong, i would crossreference it and make 100 certain it was a correct match and kill him. Will many features from many people in the movie industry saying it is time for a change. Do you think it is lip service, or do you think something actually quite fundamental is happening . Martin it feels like something really new and really great is happening. I have been in the room for the last couple of awards things, it is palpable and it does feel angry and it does feel like it is not going to go away, and i think that is great. It feels like a changes probably happening. Will the oscar ceremony at the big enough march might well point towards that change with surprising winners and possibly an acceptance speech from this lady. Will gompertz, bbc news. Jane that peace has made me realize how much film watching i have to catch up on before the oscars. You can find much more on all the days news on our website, and to see what we are working on at any time, check out facebook. I am jane obrien. Thank you for watching world news america. Have a good weekend. With the bbc news app, our vertical videos are designed to work around your lifestyle, so you can swipe your way through the news of the day and stay up to date with the latest headlines you can trust. Download now from selected app stores. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, and kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. Planning a vacation escape that is relaxing, inviting, and exciting is a lot easier than you think. You can find it here in aruba. Families, couples, and friends can all find their escape on the island with warm, sunny days, cooling trade winds, and the crystal blue caribbean sea. Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. Bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles. Captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc woodruff good evening. Im judy woodruff. On the newshour tonight President Trump denies he tried to fire the special counsel investigating any links between his campaign and russias government. This as the president speaks at the World Economic forum, declaring America First does not mean america alone. And, its friday. Mark shields and david brooks analyze another full week of news. Then, how did the United States become the hip hop nation . The evolution of a musical genre, ahead of sundays grammy awards. Many people thought, they dont know their grammar, they dont know their language. When in fact, theyre playing a game with it, and theyre playing it beautifully