♪ ♪ 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".

washington, d.c. and this is bbc world news america. an extraordinary visit by a u.s. president to an active war zone. president biden has a message for the people of ukraine. pres. biden: russia's aim was to wipe ukraine off the map. putin's war of conquest is failing. david: two weeks after catastrophic earthquakes, turkey hit by further tremors. the bbc goes undercover to investigate sexual abuse allegations on canyon tea farms, which supplies some of the world's most popular brands. controversy in the children's section. why changes to some roald dahl classics has srked a fierce debate over what's suitable for kids.

welcome to world news america on pbs and around the globe. nearly eight years since russia invaded ukraine, the q of -- the capitol kyiv has had its highest profile visitor yet. prident biden arrived by train for an extraordinary visit by an american president to an active war zone. the unannounced trip was short but big on symbolism. this report is from our international editor. jeremy: pierre rate alarm has the two presidents arrived at st. michael's church, where ukraine commemorates its war dead, felt too well-timed to be a coincidence. with unprecedented security in kyiv, americans have warned the kremlin that joe biden was coming. he just arrived from a long train journey and a point was

being main -- made. ukraine was still under attack. its most powerful ally was in an active war zone to show support. president biden told the people running ukraine's war that this is where he wanted to be leading up to the first anniversary of russia's attempt to extinguish ukraine's independence. president zelenskyy knows ukraine's future depends on america and joe biden. >> [speang foreign language] [translated] we can and must make 2023 the year of victory. i want to emphasize this unprovoked and criminal war against ukraine, europe, and the democratic world must end with the clearing of ukrainian land from russian occupation and guarantees of long-term security for our country a europe and the whole world.

pres. biden: putin's war of conquest is failing. russia's military has lost half its territory it once occupied. young, talented russians are fleeing by the tens of thousands , not wanting to come back to russia. he thought he could outlast us. i don't think he is thinking that right now. jeremy: strong support, but the ukrainians want more than words. they want more winning weapons. the reality of russian aggression has forced nato leaders, especially president biden, into difficult decisions. the biggest so far may be looming. ukraine doesn't just want weapons that will allow it to survive, it wants to win the war. until now, that is a level of hope -- help resident biden has not been prepared to grant. ukrainians are pressing for a decisive upgrade as soon as possible. time might not be their friend.

pres. biden: the cost ukraine has had to bear has been extraordinarily high. the sacrifices has been -- have been far too great. jeremy: ukraine doesn't release casualty figures. not as high as russia's, but still in the tens of thousands. ♪ the russians are bleeding another generation of ukrainian fighters. that is a big reason why president zelenskyy wants urgently to convince joe biden to help ukraine win, not just hold steady in a long war of attrition. the war commemorates the dead of the earlier fighting with russia that started in 2014. each flag represents a life lost in the last 12 months.

the kremlin believes it will win a trial of endurance. ukraine doesn't want to wait to find out. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. david: our chief international correspondent is ao in kyiv. these other u.s. presidents have made visits to war zones. george w. bush to iraq, barack obama to afghanistan. those worth arkham stances where there were u.s. troops on the ground and some control of the environment and logistics. planning this visit must have been extremely complex. >> many have commented on how relaxed president biden looked as he strolled outf the golden domed cathedral you can see behind me wearing his signature aviator glasses and the long dark wool coat he wears in washington, as if he was getting off an amtrak train in the

erican capital, b here he was in kyiv, the air raid siren sounding. a blue and yellow tie, the colors of the ukrainian flag. so much preparation went behind this trip. we understand that right up until the last minute they were understanding -- discussing whether it was safe to go. they had a meeting on friday. there was discussion perhaps he should go to the city in the west of ukraine closer to the polish border, a safer place. gf of course is a symbol of resistance. this was in president boones sites last year when many military analysts believed it was a matter of days before kyiv and the rest of ukraine would been to russia's well. resident biden made it clear he wanted to be here, so he got here, even taking a 10 hour train journey across ukraine. david: he said today the united

states would support ukraine for as long as it takes. but there are signs that the alliance in europe is beginning to fray. how important, how likely is an imminent victory for ukraine? lyse: president biden'goal for this trip, he said the goal is to send a message that we are staying, not going anywhere. every nato leader, every member of the western military alliance, all of those backing ukraine and president zelenskyy in particular make it clear they are here for the long run. they do want to get this finished sooner rather than later. would president biden, if he decides to run, would he want to be campaigning next year on the war in ukraine? president zelekyy knows this as well. today he talked about making ukraine stronger and ending the war this year. that does seem like a long,

difficult shot, because president win, -- presint putin, who has seen what happened today, that may harden his resolve that he would also like a victory as soon as possible. david: many thanks for joining us. away from the capital, fighting continues in the east of ukraine. russian forces have intensified their offensive around back mood. they have been trying to capture the city for more than six months and vladimir putin appearto be pushing for victory ahead of this week's one year anniversary. president zelenskyy has said defense the city will continue but not at any price. we have this report from the outskirts. >> battles raging on the outskirts of bakhmut.

ukrainian troops still defending every inch, still fighting for every street. but the enemy is closing in. near enough n for hand grenades. and for many casualties. he has asked if he can feel his left leg. it's ok, he replies. then, a desperate struggle to drag him away from the front line. help us, he says. ukraine may have to give up the fight in bakhmut, to save lives and resources for battles elsewhere. >> [speaking foreign language] >> but for now, the defense of

the city continues. we joined this mortar team on the outskirts. keeping the enemy at bay on their section of the front line. the troops are waiting now for coordinates for their second strike. the target is russian forces in their trenches about two kilometers away. day after day and night after night, ukrainian forces are battling to hold bakhmut. below ground, their commander directs the strike with help from a drone. smart weapons don't change the fact that they are outnumbered. how much longer can they stand their ground? maybe long enough to deny president putin a victory on

fridays anniversary. here, you get a glimpse of what all this is costing ukraine. the wounded keep coming from bakhmut and other front lines. they could be targeted, even here, so we can't reveal the location. most of the casualties are under 30, ukraine's fure. >> [speaking foreign language] >> you can prepare for the medical aspects, says this doctor, but it's imposble to get used to the fact that young men are dying who are fighting for the freedom of this country. you can't get used to it. president zelenskyy has called this the year of victory, but the reality is ukraine and its western allies may need to ready for a long war. bbc, eastern ukraine.

david: as the one-year anniversary approaches, russia's invasion of ukraine has increasingly found itself the subject of popular culture. it is being marked this week at one of the world's top film festivals in berlin. one film getting a lot of attention is superpower, a documentary about president zelenskyy codirected by the hollywood star sean penn. >> sean penn created a lot of excitement on the red carpet at the berlin film festival. president zelenskyy, who addressed the opening-night ceremony remotely, features heavily in a series of interviews. it is a film that recaps events in ukraine in the country's quest for freedom. the leader is presented in a very flattering light. >> he offers an opportunity for humility. he stands so tall in his mortal body and heart and courage. >> do you think, in the nicest

possible way, he was using you because he knew he would be able to present his views through a sympathetic channel to a global audience? >> keep on using me until you use me up, because it is a purpose to be used in this manner. >> other films being shown in berlin convey ukraine's wartime flight. eastern front follows five men who volunteered to go to the front line. then there is in ukraine, a documentary without narration which silently observed daily life in the war-torn country. will these narratives reach a significant audience beyond the film festival once it is over? and will people engage with these films, perhaps one year after the invasion when they have grown weary of traditional news coverage of ukraine? sean penn believes his film, which resembles a political filler, is offering something

different than conventional journalistic accounts. >> i came in and said our innocence to knowledge about this may very well be eyes that look other places than where a more academic approach might be applied. that led us to the documentary that i think has its own personality. we really wanted to let the ukrainians tell their own story. >> and a ukrainian movie and tv producer believes all the ukrainian themed cinema serves as a powerful tool to sway public opinion. >> in the russian propaganda machine, they use cinematography very powerfully. we ukrainians need to fight with it because we have our own history. that's a different history than the russians say. >> films dealing with ukraine have been getting attention in berlin, although one or two publications described the sean

penn documentary as narcissistic and fawning, it was overall warmly received. president zelenskyy and his team, who viewed it before the festival, like that. his chief of staff tweeted it was a great film. tom broke, bbc news, berlin. david: two weeks after earthquakes flattened much of the region and killed more than 44,000 people, southern turkey has been hit by another earthquake. the countries disaster and emergency agency said a 6.3 magnitude tremor struck close to a city, followed by three aftershocks, the strongest of which was 5.8. two powerful earthquakes struck the same area on february 6. anna foster is in the southern turkish city. >> this was felt not just across southern turkey, it was felt into lebanon and across syria.

it is something the people's reaction to is quite visceral now after the first two earthquakes a fortnight ago. wendy ground starts to shake, and it does significantly. people get up and move outside. in a hotel lobby, you watch the chandeliers swinging. people saw what happed here two weeks ago and they move immediately outside very quickly. there is a real nervousness. you can tell by the way the ground is shaking, we really felt that strongly, so we knew it w going to be significant. of course everybody is straight onto their phones trying to figure out what's happened, where the epicenter is, how strong the quake was, checking in with family and friends. i was on many of my personal whatsapp groups, asking how everybody was, checking how everybody was safe. it is a question of trying to

work out what damage this latest quake may have caused. david: tensf thousands of protesters have gathered in jerusalem ahead of a vote on a controversial judici reform bill proposed by prime minister benjamin netanyahu's new right wing coalition. bbc's middle east correspondent tom bateman has the latest. tom: the reason there has been so much debate and passionate argument and protest is simply the number of israelis that believe the proposed changes by israel's new right wing religious nationalist government, they think those changes cut to the core of israel's identity as a democratic country. as for those pushing for these changes, mr. netanyahu's mp's and other right-wing and ultranationalist parties have long seen israel's judges as left-wing activists who are

caught up in issues of minority rights and more likely to give findings in favor of palestinian land o bank. after this part of the process, and maybe there are more negotiations between the government coalition and the opposition parties, i think there will be international pressure. the biden administration has made clear he is deeply worried about these changes, so that's adding another dimension. as for the way things stand now, we have had mr. netanyahu and his allies saying they are going to push ahead. the opposition said what he has seen tonight is the abolition of israeli democracy. david: the bbc has uncovered widespread evidence of sexual abuse on kenyan plantations that supplies some of the worlds most popular brands of tea. dozens of women in areas where

work is scarce were told their employment was conditional on havi sex with their supervisors. convert dula sent us the following report from naoki -- from niobium -- from nairobi. it does contain some distressing scenes. >> this valley supplies some of the world's biggest brands. it is a multibillion dollar global industry, and we discovered sexual exploitation is rife. i spoke to dozens of women with a similar story. >> [translated] its torture. he wants to sleep with you, then you get a job. >> [translated] when you say no, he forces himself on you, wanting to touch you. >> [translated] it reached a point that i thought of suicide. tom v.: we sent to an undercover reporter to pose as a worker. we are calling her katie. >> it's time for the general public to know what happens. tom v.: she goes for a job with

a notorious manager. he is in charge of hundreds of workers on plate patients owned by a scottish farm. he tells her to follow him into a hotel room, where he puts pressure on her to have sex with him >> [inaudible] tom v.: members of the production team were stationed nearby and made a phone call to help her get out. >> i was so scared. it must be really difficult for the women. tom v.: the company said it immediately suspended the man and has reported him to kenyan police. john did not respond. the company has also launched its own investigation into whether it's kenyan operation

has an endemic problem with sexual violence. the company supplies starbucks and supermarket sainsbury's. sansbury says these horrific allegations have no place in its supply chain. tesco supermarket says it is taking the claims extremely seriously. starbucks did not provide a response. we also sent katie undercover on plantations owned by multinational farm unit lever, where lipton tea is produced. she was pressured for sex by the divisional manager and her direct supervisor. >> [inaudible] tom v.: unilever has known about this issue for more than a decade. in 2011 a report found sexual exploitation was prevalent on unilever's plantations. the company introduced a zero-tolerance policy but little appears to have changed.

unilever says its deeply shocd and saddened by our allegations. when we were secretly filming, unilever sold its tr=ea operation in kenya. the new owner says it has suspended the manager in the investigation and launched an independent inquiry. david: don't gobble funk around with words. that's what the bfg, roald dahl's big in the giant one said. some of his books have been re-wet and to be more suitable for a modern audience. details of some characters appearance, gender, weight, and mental health have been removed, sparking a fierce debate, as our correspondent david slid out now reports. >> charlie and the chocolate

factory, a much loved children's story featuring -- >> augustine's group was always eating and was very fat indeed. david v: however, augustine's group is now just enormous. the world the will -- the word fat is gonand it is one of many changes to make them less judgmental and avoid words like crazy and fat. however this rewriting to avoid offense has itself created upset. >> we don't seem to think children can cope with words like fat anymore. we have to protect children from distressing feelings. i think that idea is causing all sorts of problems in society. we need to make children more resilient. david s.: the roald dahl story company said today any changes have been small and carefully considered. it's also worth noting there is a precedent. >> this isn't the first time roald dahl has been rewritten. >> in the 1970's there were

discussions around his texts. the will balloon buzz, which were -- t oompa loompas were already anged much earlier. >> these were english birds and could not cnge the weird african language the monkeys spoke. david s.: the word weird is gone as well. for somehis is about care about words. >> we want children to enjoy books but we don't want them taking language that could be offensive into the playground. that could lead to bullying. >> children are very course in their talk. david s.: absurd censorship or just a way of preserving stories? david: a case of tales of the unexpected there. i am david willis. 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.

♪ ♪ host: good evening and welcome. geoff bennett is on assignment. on the newshour tonight, president biden makes a surprise visit to ukraine pledging further military support as the one year anniversary of russia's devastating invasion approaches. teenage girls and the united states experienced record high levels of violence and sadness in the wake of the pandemic. >> schoo need to be a critical part of how we address this. we cannot treat our way out of this crisis. host: in the future of abortion access and voting rights in wisconsin phase a critical test as voters decide the next state supreme court.

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