>> this is "bbc world news america." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, and kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's 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. >> and now, "bbc world news." laura: this is "bbc world news america." reporting from washington, i am laura trevelyan. multiple people are dead after a train derails on its first run on a faster route in washington state. president trump declares russia and china are america's rivals for global power, but he cast his national security strategy as a break from past failures. president trump: we will stand up for ourselves and we will stand up for our country like we have never stood up before. laura: and going the distance in

their golden years. as people live longer, science and exercise are hoping some stay ahead of the rest. >> i've been beaten by an 84-year-old, but i've been beaten by a super ager, and i think that is pretty inspiring. welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. multiple people were killed when an amtrak train derailed as it traveled through washington state. officials have not yet said how many passengers or crew died in the accident. the train was on its first run on a new faster route when it came off the tracks and crashed down onto a major highway. president trump said the incident highlights the need for a new infrastructure plan. the bbc's james cook starts our coverage.

emergency. we are on the ground. james: the engineer calling for help on the radio has just survived a deadly high-speed crash. >> hey guys, what happened? >> we were coming over the corner to take the bridge on i-5 and we went on the ground. >> is everybody ok? >> i'm still figuring that out. we have cars on the highway. james: other survivors spoke of a rocking and creaking noise, followed by turmoil. >> i just grabbed onto the chair in front of me for dear life. my laptop when flying, phone went flying. people were screaming. it was crazy. james: some passengers were asleep, others were sitting coffee when the train careened off the track onto my five below. >> multiple cars were struck by train cars that left the train tracks and went down onto the road. the people who were in all the

vehicles, even when you see the pictures, it is pretty horrific -- at this point nobody in a vehicle was fatal. james: the express is taking a new faster route from seattle to portland for the first time. safety concerns were still being raised as recently as two weeks ago, and people who live nearby are demanding answers. >> i'm just wondering if they did any dry runs on this before the passengers were on board. that is my only concern. yeah, it is a terrible thing. james: this is the latest in a series of deadly rail accidents in the united states. president trump's initial response had been to use the crash to push his plan to improve american infrastructure. it is far too early to say what actually caused the tragedy. james cook, bbc news, los angeles. laura: for more on the investigation already underway, i'm joined from chicago now by deborah hurston, who formerly served as chairman of the national transportation safety

board. you have seen many crashes in your time. when you look at these pictures, what is your reaction? deborah: certainly the first thought is for those families that have been impacted so close to the holidays. it is very tragic and unexpected event. but as investigators on the ntsb team who are going to be working to collect the perishable evidence and the reporters as quickly as possible, that i-5 highway corridor is very busy and has to be reopened as soon as possible, so it will be a lot of pressure to work quickly. laura: this train was on a new route from seattle to portland. what question does that raising your mind? it was the debut run. deborah: yes, first revenue trip, but this was not the first trip that had been taken on that route. there are a number of qualifying runs that i have to do that they have to make sure that engineers are familiar with operating over the territory, the condition,

the speed. they have to inspect those routes. that track was for 79-mile per hour service. they have to make sure it is rated and graded properly. laura: so the new route and the track would have been checked repeatedly before taking passengers for the first time? deborah: it certainly should have been, that is one of the things that i know that the ntsb is going to be looking very closely at. probably a number of entities had to bless this line before open and served passengers. laura: how important will dispute that the train was going be in the investing -- the speed that the train was going to be in the investigation? deborah: always critical to look at speed. speed will determine the severity of the event. one train involved, not a collision. although speed could be an issue , there was a lot of interviews talking about coming around the curve. but they also have to rule everything out to make sure that

it wasn't a defect in the track or a malfunction with respect to equipment. with that philadelphia crash in 2015, trains are supposed be fitted with firmer tracks and safety agreement to stop them going too fast. would you expect this train in washington state and the track to have had these controls? deborah: so very disappointing in this situation that they did not have positive train control on this set of cars and the locomotives and the tracks. positive train control is a backup to the human being, and they can stop trains with colliding with each other, or prevent overspeed events when the trains are going to fast for the rated track. i was actually something that 2008ess required back in after 25 people were killed in southern california, and it was postponed -- the requirement was postponed a couple of years ago when they knew they were not going to meet these deadlines. that is a real concern.

every year they delay the positive train control requirement in the u.s. is another year that passengers are vulnerable. more deaths will occur until this technology is online. laura: well, does not prove the president's point that the crash and shows why america needs new infrastructure? , theah: well infrastructure bill is absolutely critical. in the u.s., we need to invest in long-term success and viability of our infrastructure, not just the physical infrastructure, but the equipment come and invest in safety. positive train control would certainly do that. an,ra: deborah hersm thank you very much for joining us. deborah: thank you, have a safe day. laura: today president trump outlined -- unveiled his national security blueprint. he also took aim at russia and china, saying they were competitors looking to challenge u.s. power. the bbc's north america editor jon sopel reports.

jon: for two years now, donald trump has talked incessantly about america first. today in unveiling his national security strategy, he sought to give the slogan flesh and bones. what he was keen to do was to stress what a break from the recent past his election represented. he was the change maker. president trump: with the strategy i'm announcing today, we are declaring that america is in the game and america is going to win. but to seize the opportunities of the future, we must first understand the failures of the past. our leaders engaged in nationbuilding abroad while they failed to build up and replenish our nation at home. jon: the document said russia and china want to shape our -- shake a world antithetical to u.s. values and interests. that is in line with intelligence agencies' unanimous view of the threat

posed by moscow in last year's presidential election. but the president notably did not phrase it like that in his speech. president trump: we also face rival powers, russia and china, that seek to influence american values as well. we will attempt to build a great partnership with those countries but in a manner that always protects our national interest. but while we seek opportunities of cooperation, we will stand up for ourselves and we will stand up for our country like we have never stood up before. jon: he rounded on kim jong-un's north korea, a problem that would be dealt with, he promised. and though few countries were mentioned individually, the president singled out pakistan for criticism and its stance in the fight against terrorism. new in his definition of national security was an emphasis on the importance of

the economy and fair trade -- again, central themes of trump the campaigner. president trump: for the first time, american strategy recognizes that economic security is national security. gdp growth, which is way ahead of schedule under my administration, will be one of america's truly greatest weapons. jon: but the speech had nothing to say about climate change, something that barack obama had deemed a threat to national security. america has in the past six months experienced the worst hurricane season in decades with terrible flooding in texas and puerto rico, and is now experiencing the most widespread forest fires in californian history that some see as evidence of a changing climate. the document instead criticizes the onerous regulations of things like the paris climate change deal, which this president has withdrawn the u.s. from. donald trump won this audience and his supporters liked what

they heard. but the rest of the world -- well, they will want to study closely what he said and what he does. laura: jon sopel reporting there, our north america editor. for more, i spoke a short time ago to p.j. crowley, who served on president clinton's national security council. he is also a former spokesperson for the state department. the president talked about russia and china as competitors and rivals who want to realign global power in their interests. that is a conventional position, isn't it? p.j.: much of what is in the national security strategy is a summary of what the administration thinks about the world and the united states' role in it. the pillars are well within the boundaries of traditional foreign policy thinking -- otecting the homand, growing the economy, maintaining our national strength, influencing the world. laura: and yet the president didn't actually mention russia

meddling in our election, whereas his national security strategy does. he talked about the several phone calls he had recently with vladimir putin. there is a disconnect between the administration and the president. p.j.: certainly, if this is a logical national security strategy, the question is how did the president -- his main actions during the first year and how these fit within the particular baskets. he spent most of the first to year unraveling things as opposed to building things -- things like withdrawing from the climate agreement undermined american influence in the world, and withdrawing from the transpacific partnership, for example, while the world has moved on without the united states. whether this will make the united states more or less economically competitive going forward is a good question. laura: the president said it will, it is all part of his "america first" strategy. did you learn more about how national security fits within "america first" with his speech

today? p.j.: he advertises this as being the culmination of his first year in office and it incorporates many things he did. you see and the document an emphasis on nonproliferation and north korea as being something where they recognize that this is a serious issue that will probably define the first term of the trump administration. there's a surprisingly visible getion of the concern about -- debt as a national spirit issue. even as he unveils the national security strategy come he is unveiling legislation that will add to that debt. laura: ah, but economic growth is going to pay for it, if you read the treasury document. the president -- i'm struck b the fact that he talked about strengthening allies and the value of allies. after disparaging nato on the campaign trail, do you think he sees the value of alliances? p.j.: the united states is stepping back from direct intervention. the president mentioned that in his strategy today.

we will rely more on partners going forward. and yet nato has been a cornerstone of security partnerships that have benefit in terms of defending europe, but also the cornerstone of doing things like defeating the islamic state, which is probably the trump administration's greatest achievement in its first year. but then again, he is talking about partnerships, and yet there is not an alliance, there's not a trade agreement that the president has not found a way to disparage. laura: and are we alone with our allies in that the administration does not think that climate change is not a threat to national security, or does not mention it does? p.j.: barely a scant mention of climate -- he talks about advancing america's energy security, and yet, by the same token, oddly, he is invested in a technology of the past, coal. even as a country like china, which will benefit from what the

president has or hasn't done and is moving smartly in terms of moving renewable energy. laura: p.j. crowley, thank you so much for joining us. p.j.: pleasure, laura. laura: tomorrow you can watch a special interview with donald trump's national security --isor, a chart mcmaster h.r. mcmaster. that conversation will air throughout the day on bbc world news and "bbc world news america" tomorrow night. in other news from around the world, floods in the philippines have killed at least 26 people. heavy rains brought by tropical storm caused flash floods in the eastern province. supplies are being cut and villages flooded. 38,000 people have been forced to seek shelter in evacuation centers. the united states has featured a draft uned -- vetoed a resolution rejecting president trump's decision to recommend jerusalem as israel's capital. 14 other security council members backed the measure.

you're watching "bbc world news america." the african national congress in south africa has a new leader. more about the man who replaced jacob zuma as party head. chile has a new president was come to power for a second time. a conservative billionaire come he won more votes than any presidential candidate chile's return to democracy in the 1990's. ra was president until 2014 and he won this time by pledging to boost the economy. in defeating votes a left-wing senator. he is promising to transform chile into a fully formed country. billionaire businessman sebastian pinera is about to become chile's president for the second time. in the end, his right-wing party won with a comfortable lead of

55%. in the second round of voting, he was up against an extra list and senator, a candidate from the left-wing coalition -- x journalist and senator, candidate from the left-wing coalition. in an emotional speech from said -- i believe we can feel proud of our proposal, but we have to be self-critical. we suffered a heart defeat, and it is in the defeats you learn the most. reporter: a conservative billionaire, sebastian piñera praised the defeated candidate and his wife, saying he wants to find ways for them to work together for the good of chile. : in this-elect piñera election, the candidates were not the most important thing. the most important thing was you. the voice of chile was heard loud and clear. reporter: piñera will return to

the post he held from 2010 22014. yes promised to lower taxes, create more work, and kickstart chile's economic growth. piñera will take office in march, replacing the current president. jane chambers, bbc news, santiago. the african national congress, which has ruled south africa since the end of apartheid, has a new leader. cyril ramaphosa was elected to replace jacob zuma as the party head. the former union leader and multi-businessman, mr. ramaphosa was elected to fight corruption and revitalize the economy. fergal keane reports. fergal: a profound shift has taken place in the politics of this nation. as they waited this afternoon, as cyril ramaphosa and his

waited, there were rumors he was ahead. the traditional healer was blessing his opponent. it was in vain. >> we declare comrade cyril ramaphosa is the new president of the african national congress. fergal: a 179-vote margin enough. here is the moment when cyril ramaphosa became president of the african national congress. he promised to root out corruption. this was never just an ordinary election. this is a struggle for the soul of the anc. he was swept to the stage amid the joy of supporters who believe cyril ramaphosa will return the anc to the moral vision of nelson mandela. "hallelujah," she called out.

it was echoed around the hall. how do you feel? >> absolutely great. it is great for south africa. fergal: how are you? >> i'm very happy! fergal: president jacob zuma managed smiles. several of his old allies also won senior positions. the new deputy president has been accused of and denied corruption and political murder. here, embraced by cyril ramaphosa, but how keen will he be to wage war on corruption? in three decades of observing cyril ramaphosa, it is his tactical skill which has seemed his greatest strength. as a union leader fighting for miners' rights under apartheid.

as the key negotiator bringing about the end of white rule. >> we are prepared to meet the president at a fairly high level -- ireland,nd in northern where he helped to oversee the decommissioning of higher rate weapons. this old friend from the struggle days says people are impatient for change. >> politicians tend to ride roughshod over people, take people for granted, and hope they will get away with it. i don't think he will get away with it. in the medium to long term, the people will prevail. fergal: in the next few days, cyril ramaphosa will outline his vision for party and country. it will take all his political skills to see it through. fergal keane, bbc news, johannesburg. laura: as people around the world are living longer and

longer, quality of life and good health are key. how do you become a super ager? fergus walsh has been finding out in california. >> on your marks -- >> it is just a process. >> go. you live, you die. why not live? fergus: irene's 84. she makes old age look like irrelevance. irene has been breaking world records for 4 decades. it takes effort. when she is not training at this track near san francisco, she is in the gym. her philosophy is simple. >> live the life you love, love the life you live. a quitter never wins, winner never quits. i want to be a winner. fergus: we're living in an aging world. by 2250, the number of people aged 65 and older is predicted

to triple globally to 1.5 billion. >> it is a whole-body movement. fergus: what can we do to increase our chances of spending those extra years in good health like irene? >> [speaking french] about: it is not just exercising the body, but also the mind. that is because keeping the brain active can lower the risk of developing dementia. >> [speaking french] fergus: i joined a french language class in berkeley, across the bay from san francisco, where all the students are in the 70's. >> my mother had alzheimer's. part of me doesn't want that to happen to me. >> i do believe that intellectual stimulation is important. fergus: and science may be able to help. in the hills above silicon

valley sits the buck institute. researchers there are working on how to delay the way our bodies age. >> this is the building. fergus: this could increase the healthy years of life free of conditions like cancer, arthritis, or heart disease. >> we predict that there will be drugs that will treat aging instead of each disease individually. people themselves will be able to look forward to the last decade of the life still being vibrant, engaged, healthy. fergus: just like irene, who challenged me to a friendly race. she can run 100 meters only seven seconds slower than usain bolt. despite my 27-year advantage, the winner was never in doubt. that was fantastic. i've just been beaten by 84-year-old, but i've been beaten by a super ager, and i think that is pretty inspiring.

fergus walsh, bbc news, california. laura: truly inspiring. i am laura trevelyan. thank you for watching "bbc world news america." >> 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 america's 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, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, multiple deaths and dozens of injuries in washington state after an amtrak passenger train spills over a highway on the frst day of a new route. then... >> we will stand up for our country like we have never stood up before. >> woodruff: ...president trump announces a new "america first" strategy-- we ask white house national security adviser h.r. mcmaster about what the plan means for the u.s. posture in the world. also ahead, republicans near a vote on their tax bill-- we talk with michael bloomberg who has called it a trillion dollar blunder. >> congress is going to vote for