♪ >> this is "bbc world news america." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, and mufg. >> it's a global truth -- we can do more when we work together. at mufg, our banking relationships span cultures and support almost every industry across the globe.

because success takes partnership, and only through discipline and trust can we create something greater than ourselves. mufg -- we build relationships that build the world. >> and now, "bbc world news america." anchor: this is "bbc world news america." islamic state militants seized the ancient syrian city of how myra. increasing fears the world heritage site could he destroyed. thousands have fled the violence in yemen and made it to djibouti, but there future there is far from certain. >> every yemeni who fled is looking for shelter, not a new home, but with every day that passes, temporary rep you just turning into a refugee camp -- temporary refuge is turning into a refugee camp. laura: hidden under the streets

of washington, d.c., is a new world. we will take you to the tunnels that have experience a transformation. welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. extremist group islamic state has captured the syrian town of palmyra. many residents have to let, and there are fears for the city's world famous archaeological treasures. in iraq, thousands of people are fleeing from ramadi, which also fell to i.s. fighters in recent days. reporter: with this latest success, capturing not just the historic city of palmyra but the important gas field outside of it, the self-wild islamic state now controls 50% of syrian

territory. the sheer savagery has worked superbly well paralyzing its enemies with terror. "we're coming for you," he says with disturbing calm. "we are who love death as much as you love life. you will never be safe as long as you are alive." palmyra, one of the world's great classical cities, is now defenseless. when it can, islamic state destroys all vestiges of the non-islamic past. the speed of the i.s. advance has been extraordinary. yesterday, it was palmyra. 4 days ago, it gained the important town of ramadi in western iraq. a vast flood of terrified refugees pause along the road

along ramadi. desperate to escape the vengeance of islamic state. a mere 200 i.s. fighters captured the town, chasing out 10 times that number of iraqi soldiers. the people of the town feel utterly abandoned. this woman screams at the bbc, "the government has let us down." all that is only 60 miles away, yet, baghdad feels calm and pretty relaxed tonight. almost 2/3 of the iraqi army is based in and around the capital to protect it. the anxiety has started to fade now, but there is a infinite feeling that the iraqi army let the country down. in america some people are

starting to blame it all on u.s. policy. yet, western officials are confident that i.s. can it will be beaten. they believe ramadi will be captured within weeks. laura: among the fears about islamic state taking control of palmyra is what will happen to the precious works of art and heritage. a short time ago, i spoke with the chair of the antiquities coalition. palmyra is described as being one of the treasuries of the roman world. can you give us a clue to its historical significance? deborah: absolutely. it's a world heritage site designated by unesco that represents really 4000 years of history and it's very rich historical region. laura: given a islamic state's

record, do you fear they will try to destroy the temples there or that they will try to loot and sell the antiquities? deborah: i don't think the two are mutually exclusive. based on the patterns we seen, they have gone in and looted everything they are able to take with them and trafficked those in international markets to help fund their cause and many of the things they've not been able to take with them, they destroyed, and they've done this very intentionally as a means to intimidate those that they also -- as they've gone through, as they have attacked the people, they have also attacked those things that they hold dear. laura: america is one of the biggest markets in the world for antiquities. what can stop people here from unintentionally buying laundered antiquities? deborah: absolutely, the united states is one of the largest markets, and we've seen a legitimate trade and a massive increase in numbers coming into our country, so there are two

main things that can be done. one, the united states has the ability to stop the import of these items, and the united nations passed a resolution unanimously asking each country to close their market is something the united dates should move ambitiously to impose, but the other thing is to raise awareness for people, that they understand when they are buying something on the region, they must be very careful about the providence so they are not helping to fund these causes. laura: you were meeting with distributors of antiquities in the middle east who must be so concerned about the islamic state. what are they saying should be done? deborah: there's a definite sense of crisis about the linkages between antiquities looting, and the terrorist financing, and at the end of this conference, they agreed to come together as a region to do several things -- one, create the political will to start to address these issues.

it's about military and foreign-policy issues, not truly about archaeology. but also to work with the countries to raise awareness and have those markets for fundraising to actually be shut down. laura: briefly, what's at stake here? the very preservation of memory? ever: it's the preservation of history -- deborah: it's the preservation of history. it's a multimillion dollar industry, but also, it's the shared reservation of our common history. laura: the u.s. military today acknowledged that two children were likely killed by an strike in november aimed at militants. the first time the pentagon has acknowledged civilian casualties since it began the air campaign against islamic state. over the past week the bbc has been following a boat full of hundreds of migrants adrift off the coast of thailand. they were rescued by indonesian officials. 6000 migrants set sail seven months ago from myanmar heading

south. half of them have made it a sure, but the others are still at sea. most of the migrants arm rohingya muslims fleeing persecution in their country. our reporters finding out the traffickers are holding the migrants to ransom. reporter: they are in tea and the bolts, but the traffickers have not given up on making money. a revenge of muslim was ransomed and free last weekend -- they are emptying the books, but the traffickers have not give up on making money. the rohingya muslims was ransomed and free last week in. >> they decided to send us back to land. reporter: she took us to the spot where the traffickers brought her back on shore. three nights ago just by this

coconut trees over there, that's where she was brought on shore by the traffickers with about 50 other people. that building just there is a police checkpoint. we went to ask if the police have seen anything. >> we heard a trafficking boat landed here sunday night. we wanted to get information about it. >> they told the state heard nothing. that sunday night, her mother was contacted and immediately paid a ransom, but her close friend was not released. >> my friend his own by another trafficker from malaysia. when the money could not be found, they took her away. i don't know where they taken it now. >> we went to see her mother.

she told me she was desperately looking for her daughter and was so worried she was finding it hard to eat. reporter: do you want to go to the police? we can come with you to the police. "of course," she said. this woman has just come back from being trafficked, and this woman's daughter is still being held by the traffickers on land here. we've come here to ask for your help. the police said they could not take the reporters. there was a vip in town. he suggested the women come back on another day. >> they are too busy with the vice president? very much on their own, the kind muslim community is pulling together. on saturday, we watched as a businessman trying to negotiate the release of the husband. this week, we went back to find her. the traffickers were asking for $200 for her husband. she was trying to borrow the

money, but no one really knows if the deal has gone through. oh, hello. the smile said it all. your husband has come back? she told me he was in a clinic adding medical attention but that he should be fine. it was a small piece of good news for a people persecuted at home and exploded wherever they go. laura: the grip of the traffickers and myanmar. in other news, a grand jury has indicted six police officers in connection with the death off the -- in connection with the death of freddie gray, the young man who died in police custody. his death sparked protests throughout the city and became a symbol of what demonstrators say was police brutality against

african-americans. the state of emergency has been declared off the coast of california after one of the worst oil leaks there in decades. around-the-clock cleanup operation is under way along the nine-mile stretch of the santa barbara coast affected by the leaking pipes. on friday, the republic of ireland will be the first country in the world to hold a referendum on if they should legalize same-sex marriage. the boat has divided the traditionally conservative country. if passed, the island in first nation to adopt same-sex marriage through a popular vote. the organization for economic cooperation developments as the gap between rich and poor in most developed countries has reached its highest level in 30 years. it says rising inequality is hampering economic growth as well as fraying the social fabric and undermining constant institutions. now to yemen where both sides have agreed to attend united nations brokered talks in geneva next week as saudi-led airstrikes continue to target rebels in the north.

there are reports of the rebels shelling parts of asia. it's a dangerous situation which more and more civilians are trying to escape. over 4000 have already led by boat to djibouti. our chief international correspondent reports. >> people reaching the shores of djibouti by boat almost every day, yemen is desperate to escape. this 22-year-old fled with her neighbors. this three month old was born just before saudi-led airstrikes began. she says a relative in the west is their ticket out of war. >> schools are closed. sometimes hospitals. we don't have electricity in our country. >> are you sure that the worst of your journey is over? you are safe now? >> here, not safe, but i'm going

to be safe in the united states. >> most get stuck here. we take it boat along the coast to the refugee camp on the hill of the red sea. it looks deserted. but hundreds are hiding in tents from their new enemy the scorching heat here. the arrival of united nations official brings them out in a torrent of anguish. this woman dumps a bucket in front of me. there's not enough to eat me, she shouts, much less eight people. then we spot a familiar face. a bbc team saw him in yemen last month, frantic to get that to britain. >> someone is out there that can do something about it. sometimes i feel like i need to go back to our home and just

hope for the better because we cannot live this life here. >> he is stuck because his yemeni wife does not have a british passport. it's a long way from their air-conditioned flat in yemen and further from birmingham. she says her only wish now is to leave with her husband. every yemeni who has fled was looking for shelter, not a new home here, but with every day that passes, the temporary refuge is turning into a refugee camp. just like the war across the water, it's not going to end anytime soon. aerial bombing intensified as soon as the five-day cease-fire expired, targeting rebels who

control most of yemen now. the united nations has announced he's talks later this month to try to save a nation on the brink of collapse and to stem the growing humanitarian crisis spreading to its neighbor across the sea. laura: still to come -- you may know him as the man on the $20 bill, but a new book illuminates how andrew jackson led american expansion into cherokee land. jeremy clarkson has admitted that being dismissed romm the bbc was entirely his own fault and that leaving the show has left a big hole in his life. he was asked from "top gear" this year after punching a producer. >> german clarkson back at the

bbc since he was told to the months ago his career at the bbc was over. -- jeremy clarkson back at the bbc for the first time since he was told two months ago his career at the bbc was over. he said he was still coming to terms with losing his job for an unprovoked physical and verbal attack on one of top here's producers. which was worse -- having to leave top gear or having to stop working for the bbc? >> eagle actually. i like working for the bbc. there are so dreadful people but also some really talented, brilliant people. >> tomorrow, jeremy clarkson will be reunited with cast mates for the start of a planned live tour but he said it could be months before future tv projects are announced and denied talks with broadcasters.

>> it was very sudden. before you just jump into something, you need to have a look what is out there. >> before he roared off in a firm are ready, he said he was not really owed a return to the bbc, and although his contract was not renewed, he was never actually sacked. laura: a british men have appeared in court accused of carrying out a daring raid. some reports say the value of the jewels stolen made its biggest robbery in british history, quite the heist. now for a little u.s. history lesson -- president andrew jackson expanded american territory into indian land in the 19th century. he went up against cherokee chief john ross.

who did everything he had to keep his ancestral homeland including appealing to the supreme court. the epic struggle changed the face of america, and it is story the cohost of american edition explores in his new book. what drew you to this story of the president against the cherokee chief? >> my day job. this is sort of the back story. i go to the era in which american democracy was taking shape. jackson had a lot to do with that, and i argue this other man, john ross, had a lot to do with it as well. they battled over real estate in the system. laura: this was a land grab wasn't it, plain and simple? >> nothing is plain and simple about this story, but if you put it into a phrase, though it would be a land grab. the cherokees and other native nations in the southern u.s. had the right to their land. white settlers wanted the land and they were trying to figure

out i do get it, so a lot of bribery, coercion, and warrants were used to get it done. laura: tell us about the tools used to try to resist president jackson. >> use a cherokee newspaper to get propaganda out, to get their views out to white america used the political system, gained white allies, and as you said even went to the supreme court and one of the greatest dream court chief justices ruled in their aim or, ruled in the favor of the cherokees, said they had the right to govern themselves on their land, but the ruling was ultimately set aside and disregarded. laura: i thought it was fascinating that you set in the book that the cherokee nation were actually open to assimilation. >> yes, some of the nations of native americans were not come up at the cherokees, as you can see from the graphics here, were taking on the traits of the

white settlers around them. they change their clothing, the style of agriculture the style of business. they also took up slavery, as white settlers had done in the southern united eights and elsewhere in the united states. they wanted to be part of america. but that was not going to be possible in the racial politics of that time. laura: what do you see is the legacy of this fight between the two men? >> i think together they added to our democratic tradition. jackson, to me, represents majority rule. ross, though represents the protection of the rights of the minority, particularly a racial minority. when the founding others of this country began talking about the rights, the minority, they actually meant rich people at the beginning, but this was a different idea, and ross used a lot of tactics that civil rights leaders in later generations would use to defend themselves. laura: you call this book a love story, and you say one of the best ways to demonstrate love is to tell the truth. what is the truth you are telling in this book?

>> the essence is there is a brutal conflict between different kinds of people in a changing america to determine what america was and what it stood for, and that can't it has gone on ever since, and it continues. imperfect people battling it out in the democratic system. laura: sounds just like today. thank you for joining us. >> it's an honor to be here. thank you. laura: from presidents to historic places, washington, d.c., is full of attractions but now artists are looking to make their mark underground. 75,000 square feet of tunnels beneath a city park of being transformed. olivia went to have a look. olivia: one of washington's busiest parks. hundreds of americans every day. few realize that under their feet is a secret world.

the spaces managed by the dupont underground arts association. >> is not really a space like this. >> it is a unique location. down beneath the buzzing city, you feel a sense of separation and calm. it's a little spooky. >> to exist in the snowman's land into a reference point. it hovers in this region of possibility. >> they began as streetcar platforms. in the last a decade's, they were a fallout shelter, a failed in court and a refuge for the city's homeless. the founder of the project hopes to steer the tunnels in a more creative direction. >> we certainly want this place to be an international destination. someone from tokyo, beijing,

paris, they would say i want to go there, i want to see that. >> this local theater group already wants to go there. >> why does the female spider devour the mail? >> oh, my goodness. it is this really unique destination. you go in this little hole in the ground, and they cannot do much to change that space, so you have to work with it. you get the dual experience of seeing some artwork or a show. >> it is hoped going underground will appeal to other organizations or the shops could become to pop-up shops galleries, and even an underground hotel. the group needs to raise $2 million. they have only managed a fraction of that so far. nevertheless, they plan a limited opening in july. laura: that brings today's broadcast to a close. you can find much more and all

the days news at our website. you can reach me and most of the bbc team on twitter. from all of us here, thanks for watching, and please, tune in tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation newman's own foundation giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, and mufg. >> build a solid foundation and you can connect communities and commerce for centuries. that is the strength behind good banking relationships, too. which is why, at mufg, we

believe financial partnerships should endure the test of time -- because with time comes change and what matters in the end is that you are strong enough to support it. mufg -- we build relationships that build the world. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.

- (oscar): coming up next on odd squad.. - if that thing rises out of the town lake it will destroy the whole world! - when i was 5 years old, i created a powerful weapon and buried it. - where is it? what do we do now? - i don't know! my name is a - odd squad is made possible in part by... - ...a cooperative agreement with the u.s. department of education, the corporation for public broadcasting's ready to learn grant and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. gent olive. this is my partner, agent otto. this is the odd squad bathroom key. but back to otto and me. we work for an organization run by kids that investigates anything strange, weird and especially, odd. our job is to put things right again. (theme music)

- grrr! - yeah! - heyyy! - aaah! who do we work for? we work for odd squad. - thank you so much for coming odd squad. - what seems to be the problem, sir? - so, i'm sitting here, trying to catch up on a bunch of work but every time i try to click this pen... it's easier if i just show you. (clicking) - (agents): whoa! - it just keeps going. - whoa... - and watch... - whoa! - i know! - question: how did you start at your house? - that wasn't even my house! i haven't been home for 6 weeks! - not to worry, sir; we have a fix. don't use this pen anymore. - oh, yeah... - use one of ours. - oh! thanks, odd squad!

- have a great day. - wait, where am i flying to? - we're going to boston. - oh... i've got family there. - (olive): hey, oscar. happy friday! - it's friday today? - what's wrong? - well, i thought today was thursday and it's friday - so that mean's the arrival's today! - the arrival's happening today? - everyone, stop! what's arriving? - (oscar): the hydraclops. - (otto and olive): whoa! - this photo was taken 100 years ago. imagine how terrifying it will be in colour! - (ms. o): if that thing rises out of the town lake it'll destroy the whole world! - how do we stop it? - well, that's the good news. when i was 5 years old, i realized the hydraclops was coming. so i created a powerful weapon and buried it. it is done.