♪ >> this is "bbc world news." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, kovler foundation, charles schwab, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? ♪

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pro-russian groups say they have proven people want sovereignty. capturing the people of pap walk, new guinea. our photographer is taking the viewers inside a world seldom seen. ♪ welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. in a video released by boko haram, many of the nigerian school girls abducted are shown for the first time since their kidnapping. it is not known when or where it was recorded. but on the video, the leader says the girls were only be released if the government frees militant fighters. it is an idea quickly rejected by nigerian officials. john simpson traveled to the extreme northeast of the country where boko haram killed hundreds of people a week ago. he sent this report from the capital of borno state.

100 36 girls, most of whom were christian until a month ago, nobody in the chant the first part of the koran dressed in his job -- hijab. in fact, if you look closely, not all of them are chanting. it is the first sighting of them yet. more than half the 270 who were kidnapped are not here. whether because they refused to convert or for some other reason, we don't know. one of the girls is led to the front of the crowd and told to give a muslim name rather than her christian one. she is clearly frightened. in the video, boko haram's leader, abubukar shekua, who is

said to be flamboyant and clever, launches into a long harangue. >> [speaking another wing which] >> these girls you are concerned with, we have liberated them. they have become muslims. they are staying with us. >> they are desperate for news of the girls. he has made the district -- desperate journey from. where they were kidnapped to hear. no fewer than six of his relatives were kidnapped. he cannot spot them in the video. this must be shocking for you to see. >> it is one of the most shocking moments in memory. this is inhuman. it is not courage. it is fear. there is no need to put them on video camera. everybody has a right to choose what religion to follow.

>> good morning. thank you very much. >> this part of nigeria is boko haram territory. to get around it, you need firepower, lots of it. we had 40 official vehicles packed with armed men to guard us. we are going with a local governor who is heading off to the scene of one of the worst attacks. it happened last week. it was scarcely reported, even in nigeria. this is hostile territory. the road we are driving on would normally be very busy. it is a most empty because no one wants to drive along here after all the boko haram attacks. we have been passing villages which are deserted because people are scared of boko haram. after a couple of hours, we reach the town. the bridge outside had been blown up last wednesday. hit bys earlier, it was

an army of bull boko haram men. they arrived in the afternoon. we counted hundreds of burned-out cars. boko haram did not want anyone following them afterwards. they massacred 375 people. again, almost unnoticed in the outside world. destroyed.nter was the sheer scale of the destruction here is quite extraordinary. i had not expected this. you have to remember all the attention around the world has been on the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls. but this is going on all the time in this part of nigeria. the governor came here to offer help and money. but the survivors are working themselves into a frenzy of anger that the nigerian

government should be doing so little to fight for boko haram -- to fight boko haram. >> i spoke earlier with jennifer cook, director of the africa program at the center for strategic and international studies. do you think this video is boko haram try to open up negotiation or get more attention? >> it seems like a little of both. his ranting is keeping the spotlight on it. the fact the girls are together, that he is opening the possibility of negotiation in exchange for their release from boko haram prisoners does signal there is a possibility. >> nigeria's interior ministry has said it will not release prisoners in exchange for the girls. do you think the government could come under enormous pressure from its people? >> there may be lines that cannot be crossed.

but they may be able to find some modicum of releasing some of the women and girls with some segment of prisoners in exchange. there may be the possibility of a ransom payment. >> the government won't want to do that. the u.s. state department said it could not condemn th -- condone that. >> there are few options. you have 200 girls under armed guards. result inn them could massive casualties. you will have to find some kind of way to negotiate with them. >> when you look at that video, what is your analysis of it and the message boko haram is trying to send, talking about how many have converted to islam and so on? >> it is a bit of p.r. i think it is opening the possibility of negotiation. we don't know when that was taken. it shows them all together,

which is a good sign in terms of a possible negotiation. they have not scattered across cameroon and chad. the conversion, what does that mean in real terms? sold into marriage. these are fairly meaningless given the context. >> you have been in the north of nigeria. do you think this is an effective recruiting tool for boko haram, kidnapping the girls and threatening to sell them? >> this is hugely unpopular in nigeria. extremist groups across the world have said this is a bridge too far. i think this is done more to galvanize the nigerian people and the communities of northern nigeria to emanate the threat of boko haram. >> nigeria has one of the most powerful armies in africa. why are they unable to defeat boko haram? >> there is some question as to how serious they have been about doing it. at first, very complacent in the early years.

then going and very heavy-handed, which alienated many communities from sharing intelligence. it is not a delicate counterinsurgency operation, just kind of a brutal crackdown. in u.s. has learned afghanistan and iraq it is not that easy when fighters are able to meld into civilian populations and recruit because of hard handed military tactics. >> thank you for joining us. following the highly contentious referendum, two regions of ukraine have asked to join the russian federation. one separatist leader called on russia to absorb the eastern -- donetskfrance 24" . the u.s. and the european union have both declared the referendum illegal. our correspondent, daniel

centric, reports. >> fireworks at the headquarters of the rebels as they celebrate a day they hope will take them out of ukraine. less than 24 hours after the controversy over for self-rule, the leadership declared they want to join russia. when you consider the potentially momentous implications of donetsk raking away from ukraine, surprisingly few people have turned up tonight. only a few hundred are here to cheer on the leadership of the new self-declared donetsk people's republic. the armed pro-russia activists claim 2.5 million people voted in the poll, far more than seems possible. with that exaggerated mandate, they made this request. >> based on the will of the people and in order to restore historical justice, we ask the russian federation to consider

the absorbing of the donetsk people's republic into the russian federation. [applause] areas, theyoring also declared self-rule after an equally controversial poll. moscow continued to encourage them, calling for the referendums to be acted on, prompting this response from the interim prime minister of ukraine. >> russia should stop supporting terrorists. it should calling them to lay down arms and free the buildings they occupy. they should also stop funding them. then there will be calm in ukraine. >> where two men died in a polling day shooting yesterday, a reminder of the price being paid as this part of ukraine slowly falls apart. daniel sanford, bbc news, donetsk. >> for more on ukraine, i spoke

with the former u.s. ambassador to nato who joined us from harvard university. referendum,is pro-russian separatist have already asked to join russia. no word yet from vladimir putin who wanted the referendums delayed. how is he going to respond? isi think president putin following the same strategy we have seen over the last month. he said he did not want these referendums to occur, but then his government essentially praised them and said they should be the basis for further talks with the ukrainian government. my sense is president putin will continue to try to destabilize ukrainian government in the eastern part of ukraine. he may decide he's going to recognize what happened in donetsk. these photos on sunday did not meet a single test of international credibility.

there were no monitors. there were no rules for how the referendum were to be established. it was held in the climate of violence and intimidation, so they cannot be taken seriously. i thought secretary hagel of the u.k., the e.u., and the u.s. were right to condemn them. the real vote will be on may 25 for the ukraine presidential election. >> russia seems to be interested in encouraging besides to talk under the edict of the society for cooperation in europe. is that a serious tactical or a red herring? >> forgive me for being cynical about president putin and the russian government, but russia says it is interested in it and yet it did not do anything to release the people held prisoner by the ukrainian russian ethnic separatists last week. russia says one thing but does another. before the annexation of crimea, president putin said he had no interest in annexing crimea. then he annexed crimea.

my sense is he has a well thought out strategy. if he can to stabilize the ukrainian government in these big cities of eastern ukraine by recognizing these referendums held yesterday, he will do that. when he calls for talks between ukraine and the separatists, he really wants to see ukraine give up most of its authority to these separatists, which is a fundamentally destabilizing event. i don't see the russians as being productive. not the least positive. >> you called the u.s. and year response weak and ineffective. the e.u. announced sanctions against another 13 people and two crimean companies today. what should the response be? >> the e.u. and the united states have rightly said we are not going to make this into a military conflict. that means the leverage is with economic sanctions. the sanctions have not been strong enough to raise the cost

to president putin. one would hope that especially the european union led by germany would consider much more serious financial sanctions. my sense is the united states is ready to do this, but the united states has not wanted to get ahead of europe and has wanted to act with europe. but given the european dependency, especially germany, on the russian economy, there has been unwillingness in europe to take the tough measures that are the only leverage that will stop president putin. >> thank you so much for joining us. in other news from around the world, the taliban have launched their summer offensive in afghanistan on the day they said they would. several locations across the country have been attacked. lwo rockets hit kabu international airport but did not cause casualties. there were attacks on the u.s. air base. seven people were killed. the south african athlete oscar

pistorius has had an anxiety disorder since childhood and was anxious about violent crime, a psychiatrist told his murder trial. the doctor said his actions when he shot his girlfriend should be seen in context of his anxiety. the prosecution has asked for mr. pistorius to undergo mental observation. he denies intentionally killing reeva steenkamp. the world health organization says alcohol abuse kills more than 3 million people every year. it has called on governments to do more to reduce harmful drinking. it says excessive consumption is linked to more than 200 diseases. europeans are the heaviest drinkers with belarus topping the list. the u.n. says nearly half of all adults worldwide have never touched alcohol. you're watching "bbc world news america." still to come, the voting has ended in india's election. one result is the turnout was at record levels.

the british and american troops returning home from afghanistan and re-assimilating back to daily life can often be a battle of a different sort. according to a british charity, the number of veterans seeking treatment for mental health has increased dramatically. we have more on this trend. for 13 years, british forces have been deployed to afghanistan. in that time, tens of thousands have served on the front lines and in supporting roles. the war itself may soon be over. but some veterans will face new battles at home. >> i am really happy. >> for veterans like him, the fight goes on. the 28-year-old did three tours in afghanistan and they left their mark. he has sought help from therapists working with charities. >> i became emotionally numb and distant. i did bottle up a lot.

i was in a deep and dark place. i have to get over that. i tried to get over that myself, and it did not work. >> as the campaign winds down, the charity combats stress. 358 veterans of the conflict sought help with mental health issues last year compared to 228 the year before. government says it has invested more than 7 million pounds to help with mental health services for the armed forces and will continue to make sure support is there for those who need it. for stephen and others, the psychological wounds of war can be as traumatic as the physical. this younger generation of soldiers are seeking help sooner than veterans of other conflicts. , it is8 months reflecting perhaps the help is there any courage to ask for it.

>> ♪ election is india's over. the country waits to see who will become the next prime minister. after five weeks of balloting, we already know the amazing results are the sheer number that came out to the polling places. andrew north has the story. >> the last day of the biggest election in the world and the longest in india's history. the turnout has set a new record. you thatappy to inform the national voter turnout in 2014 is 66.8%,n the highest ever in the history of indian national elections. beings is the man now

tipped to become india's next prime minister. he's of the hindu nationalist party. he is promising the country stronger leadership and faster growth. exit polls put him ahead of his rivals. the actual results won't be counted until friday. turnout in record the holy city where he was running, voters coming early and in large numbers to beat the heat. meny, even the city's holy share the same mortal goal, to cast their vote. homes,illages and everyone had to come out and vote to make india stronger. >> by running here, he was ining for a personal mandate

what is the spiritual capital of the hindu religion. he has faced significant opposition, especially for minorities who fear he wants to turn india away from secular traditions. but his out to get india's economy back on track seems to have struck a chord with millions of voters. exit polls have often been wrong for that record turnouts in elections usually mean big change. they say he is on course to be india's next prime minister. >> such enthusiasm for voting in india. thate and fearsome friend, is how the internationally acclaimed photographer decides -- describes the nation of papua new guinea. he has been capturing images outsider's seldom see. recently, his pictures were published. tonight, he gives us a look.

papua is known as the land of the unexpected. you do feel like you are stepping back in time in a way. you can be in the highlands and feel like there is first contact. it is that remote and off the beaten track. what is so fascinating about new guinea is the clashes of modernization against the stone age. that is what i have been drawn to as a photographer. i have been drawn to covering society and looking at the clash of cultures. 2011, this is the heart and soul of png along with the highlands. camera,ce i picked up a i made diaries. i wrote diaries. the diaries have progressed in a

way. they have gone from handwritten diaries to more art books. i am now sketching and putting in clippings and making collages. they become very much a part of my entire body of work. september 15, 2011, bird of paradise hotel room 202. every town feels like a border town. they all seem to have this frontier feeling. dgyple coming and going, an e kind of vibe and life to it. the whole gang thing is new. it is not something that has been around for a long time. it grew out of urbanization. 80% unemployment. i don't know anywhere in the world that has that kind of figure from employment. the conditions of that society, poverty, unemployment, has forced these people into crime. we took the blackwater river.

the river is dark and chocolatey. it is almost black, reflecting the sky and clouds and the approaching foothills of the highlands. gatherings in the highlands are cultural festivals. thousands of different tribes coming together from all over to compete for fame and glory. it is stone age woodstock. it is wild. grateful more than anything that i am allowed to go in and capture these moments because you don't take pictures. you have given pictures. it is a gift. >> the photographer on his captivating images from new guinea. before we go, we have one more great site to share with you. the iconic washington monument

reopened to the public today. the obelisk underwent nearly three years of restoration after an earthquake caused structural damage in 2011. the monument is the tallest structure in the district of columbia. now visitors will once again be able to travel to the top. i love going up in the elevator. that brings today's show to a close. you can find more at our website. thanks for watching. ♪ >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, kovler foundation. union bank, and charles schwab. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture

new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: new video purportedly from the boko haram militant group in nigeria offers the first glimpse of some of the girls abducted almost a month ago, and fresh calls to sell them unless militants are freed from prison. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. also ahead this monday, fallout from secession votes in eastern ukraine. pro-russian insurgents are claiming victory, but kiev dismissed it as a farce, while moscow stopped short of recognizing the results.ç >> woodruff: and the author of an unlikely american bestseller. paul solman talks to french economist, thomas piketty, whose new book is igniting debate over income inequality and morn