akb-48 plays a concert in singapore. japanese groups like this are increasingly drawn to the potentially lucrative asian market. last year, akb-48's first official overseas sister group was formed in the indonesian capital jakarta, dubbed jkt-48. they show how far the influence is spreading. >> reporter: sea-a is another group being promoted right now with four members from singapore and malaysia. their name comes from the initials of southeast asia, plus animae. >> reporter: the group is the invention of a major japanese talent agency. it plans to turn them into pan-asian superstars. the agency set its sights on singapore as a gateway to asia. the city state is located in the middle of the region. new trends spread from here to neighboring malaysia and indonesia. so-called otaku has already taken root, so the promoter thought the group's animae and costly style would be a winner. >> yay! >> i used to watch like videos in the cafes and akihabara and i'm always very amazed and inspired. i just feel like, you know, i want

i think it is no doubt as singapore has already crossed with the us and singapore has always perceived us as some sort of defender of national regional or security and peace and i think singapore has also been aware of the growing influence you know military and economic influence of china so that's why i think maybe singapore as a tiny stay in my field more controversial to have for the u.s. in the region especially as i said earlier in trying to alleviate. the impact of china in this region and you have to understand that east is constantly breaking out in the south china sea that would definitely cause an impact on the strait of malacca and we have to stand all saw that singapore see it right at the you know at this particular strategy the location where you know the south china sea meet with the strait of malacca and that would cause an impact on a national interest of singapore that's why the singapore has an interest in involving the u.s. in this you know a power game. thanks very much indeed for your thoughts on the program sir that was probably in touch of our lead researcher f

we met with one hopeful candidate in singapore as he tried to kick start his career. >> reporter: singapore's economy grew a record 14% in 2010. businesses from around the world have set up their asian headquarters in the city state. they include more than 1,000 companies from japan. many of these firms are hiring locally. this job agency says the number of openings at japanese affiliated firms has doubled in the past two years. that includes positions for new graduates with no work experience. >> translator: anyone with university level qualifications can apply. even if they have no experience. >> reporter: the number of new graduates seeking jobs in singapore is also growing. this man is one of them. after graduating from university, he obtained a working holiday visa because he wanted to work in an asian country with a booming economy. he's been studying at a language school in singapore while searching for a job. singapore is becoming a popular place to work for japanese thanks to the abundance of job offers, the low crime rate and the fact that english is an official language. >> transla

singapore. >>> a breeding center in iran has saved a persian zebra from the verge of extinction. the refuge was established in 1997 with four of these horse-like animals. the number has now risen to 40. originally native to the middle east and parts of south asia, they're now restricted to just two protected areas of iran. their color changes depending on the season. they're reddish in the summer and turn yellowish in the winter. growing economies home to large numbers of young consumers with money to spend, southeast asia is an attractive market, subcultures from japan like animation are already popular. now japanese talent agencies are turning their skills to creating pop culture. nhk world's mark ho files this report from singapore. >> this japanese all-girl pop group performs in singapore. japanese groups like are poe increasingly drawn to the potentially lucrative market in asia. a sister group was spawned in the indonesian cpa capital, gentlemjakart jakarta. it shows how far the influence

the two sides signed an agreement that will see singapore share economic know how with myanmar. he met with his singaporean counterpart as well as prime minister on monday. they inked a deal that calls on singapore to share best practices in economic planning and labor development. the city state will also offer technical and vocational training for workers in myanmar. following the meeting he visited a public housing compound to study singapore's urban development policies. that's it for our bulletin. >>> people in myanmar have seen profound changes over the last year. the country has been taking steps toward democracy since a new president took office last march. the government released more than 600 prisoners earlier in january. they included political prisoners, government leaders have agreed to a cease fire with the rebels to end more than 60 years of conflict. prodemocracy leader kyi has registered as a candidate in parol elementary by-elections set for april. these moves have encouraged western countries to consider lifting their economic sanctions. all of these developme

i am in singapore. >> and i am in london. here are the headlines. libya's security is under threat. un officials are concerned about the activity of militias loyal to the former regime. wall street stocks soared as the federal reserve says interest rates are likely to remain exceptionally low for the next 2.5 years. >> two western aid workers are freed in somalia after a nighttime raid. a new law to help those suffering from abuse. for many, it is too little, too late. it is 7:00 a.m. in singapore. >> it is 2:00 a.m. in london. this is "newsday." hello again. senior united nations officials have expressed their concern about militias loyal to the former regime in libya. the militias are accused of unrest and holding thousands of people in secret detention centers. the comments were made to the security council by the libya envoy. there is also under arrest and benghazi. they have highlighted the government's center to bring the militias under control. -- the government sentiment to bring the militias under control. >> man who

here in singapore. >> it is 2:00 a.m. here in london. this is newsday. #v; rough seas could cause this -- the italian government says that there is a serious risk that rough seas could cause the stranded cruise ship to split. the captain is reported to claim that he accidently fell into a lifeboat. >> 18 of specialists headed out to the wreck -- a team of specialists headed out to the wreck and into a dangerous world. they moved through a floating debris of a once luxury liner. they searched for survivors, but no more likely. they will only find the dead. this is how they have been entering the ship, through the top deck, now on the water line. >> at one point, the glass doors were shot above me with the contents inside all pressing down. it could have shouted at any moment. >> we now know that this violinist from hungary is among the dead. he had help some children with their life jackets and had gone to pack his violin. among the missing is russell, a wager on board. today, his brother came to the island, his first sight of the costa concordia. does he

the singapore tourism board -- there is something for everyone. singapore airlines, a great way to fly. poongsan corporation, forging a higher global standard. the rotondaro family trust. the ctc foundation. afo communications. and the american life tv network. >> one of the most important sites in cyprus is the pillar of st. paul. the bible says paul was tied to this pillar and whipped for preaching christianity. this location represents the first significant presence of christianity in europe. before visiting the pillar of st. paul, i spoke with the archbishop of cyprus to understand the importance of st. paul's visit to cyprus. what do we know about st. paul and cyprus? >> the church of cyprus is the first church founded by saint paul in 4580. when he came to cyprus, he was not an apostle. he became an apostle in cyprus and the mission in cyprus was barnabas and not paul. in cyprus, with his speech, his first miracle that he did, he succeeded to make christian the roman governor who had been seated and he became an apostle and changed his name

singapore airlines says it has repaired the wings. airbus is recommended airlines check for cracks, but did they do not pose a safety risk. >> conflicting advice from european government involving the safety of faulty breast implants made by a french company. the appearance of an indian student who was shot dead in the north of england on boxing day have flown on with this body after witnessing the scene of his murder. he was studying engineering at lancaster university and was shot at point-blank range all he was out of some of his friends. >> he laid flowers, the spot where her son was shot dead. she and her husband made the journey from india to see the place where he was murdered. it is 11 days since the 23- year-old student was killed, shot at close range. the families say it was important to come here. >> this has been a difficult journey to make. he was full of hope and ambition for the future. we were very proud of him. he was our only son and we cannot comprehend this dreadful tragedy. >> he spent christmas night with friends

i am in singapore. >> i am in london. the headlines. a number of people missing after a cruise liner capsized off the coast of italy has risen to 29, with six people confirmed dead. >> the owners have blamed the captain for the accident. he has been accused of deliberately bearing off course, but he said he followed correct procedures. >> china is slowing down. the world's sickest -- second largest economy expanded by 8.9% in the final quarter of 2011, its lowest rate in 2.5 years. our correspondent runs as from beijing. how significant is this deceleration of growth in the chinese economy? >> it is in line with expectations. what we are seeing in the chinese economy is the impact of america. china is the world's largest exporter. we are seeing a slowing in growth. another news story is the property market. many economists believe the bible in the property market is bursting as we speak. we are seeing across the country it dropped from 20% to 25%. the chinese economy is slowing down. authorities have said they want to see more sustainab

i think it is no doubt a singapore has crossed with the u.s. and singapore has always perceived us as some sort of defender of national regional security and peace and i think singapore has also been aware of the growing influence you know military and economic influence of china so that's why i think maybe singapore as a tiny stay in my field more controversial to happen to us around the region especially as i said earlier.

the singapore tourism board. there is something for everyone. singapore airlines. a great way to fly. poongsan corporation, forging a higher global standard. the rotondaro family trust. the ctc foundation. afo communications. >> ambassador, the czech republic is landlocked. it, the country so people can visualize it on the map, the border countries. >> the longest border of ours is with germany. we basically sort of a triangle that comes into the belly of germany, so we border with bavaria on the south and with saxony on the north. on the north border, quite a long border is on poland and on the eastern, we border with slovakia, which i said used to be one country before. and then you have austria on the south. >> the population of the czech republic now is how much? >> 10 million and the slovaks' have 5 million. it used to be a 15 million nation and it split 2 to 1. >> the capital is prague, which i understand is one of the most beautiful cities in the absolute world. >> that is correct. >> and a great tourist attraction, i would say. if you put all the czech peop

live from singapore and london. still to come on the program, the blackout that is going to leave millions of fact seekers in the dark. >> my only fault is i don't realize how great i really am. >> and still the greatest, muhammud ali celebrates his 70th birthday. air bus delivered a record number of planes last year, the ninth year in a row it has beaten boeing. but while they may be doing well, many of their customers are struggling, as jeremy howell reports. >> airlines across the world may be facing higher fuel prices, higher taxes and lower profits. but for the first time in the space of a year, air bus and boeing together delivered more than a thousand aircraft, and they've had net orders of 2,300 planes. air bus has announced it's taking on 4,000 new staff this year to bring down the backlog of orders. it's now run out. >> if we reach 600, we are still well above production. so that is not a catastrophe. it is just that 2011 was a very extraordinary year. and we cannot grow and grow and grow our backlog if we

. >> live from singapore and london. still to come, republican hopefuls get ready for their first test, the iowa caucus. >> preparing for the indian ocean. reports on an anti-private -- piracy project in the philippines. police have named four people found dead at a formal -- a former mining village. it is understood he was licensed to own six firearms. three people managed to escape. >> it was a shocking sight for neighbors this morning, four killings on the street where they live. there could have been more. three people managed to escape and a police are now hoping to establish what happened. >> our information is that several people had been shot. the police were dispatched to the scene and, shortly after midnight, officers entered the house and it was discovered that a man and three women were dead in the house. >> what we know about the people living there? michael after 10 and susan -- atherton and susan had been there for several years. a resident was licensed to use three shotguns. they require greater authoriza

i am in singapore. >> i am in london appeared the headlines -- u.n. officials say they are concerned about the activities of revolutionary militias in libya. wall street stocks soared after the fed said that rates are to remain exceptionally low until 2014. thursday sees the opening session of burma's parliamentary session they agreed to suspend the ban against senior burmese officials. it followed the release of hundreds of political prisoners. it will hold elections in april, which will be contested for the first time. the opposition party. what do we know about the agenda for the session of parliament? >> the key item is the budget. it is one of the key responsibilities of the bicameral parliament and to get this budget through. but the question really is how much funds will be allocated to which areas. last year, again, 25% of the budget was allocated to the military. compare that to less than 2% spent on health. if the country is to develop, then a lot people would say that kind of ratio needs to change. but will it when you have eight quarter of

." >> i am in singapore. >> i am in london and these are the headlines. burma releases more prisoners. five more dissidents are expected to be freed. the u.s. has identified two of the four marines identified urinating on taliban fighters. >> will they end up on trial? cozying up to beijing or giving it the cold shoulder? that is the face -- choice facing taiwan voters. >> it is 12:00 noon in singapore. broadcasting to viewers in america and around the world. one of burma's most prominent political prisoners is expected to be freed as part of a wider amnesty. the release comes less than two weeks later after a previous amnesty. there was a pro-democracy uprising in 1988. they have spent the past four years in jail for organizing protests. a step that could help pave the way for lifting of economic sanctions by the european union and the united states. they have welcomed the development, describing it as a positive sign. for now, let's crossover live to the bbc. let's speak to rachael harvey. what information do you have about this potential release? >> it

. >> it is 12:00 in singapore. >> welcome to "newsday."

you still have china, japan, and thailand still closed for the public holiday, but you have singapore's economic growth slowing sharply in the last quarter of 2011. the october-december quarter on corner contracted 4.9%. for the quarter it expanded 4.8% in 2011, but this year's outlook is not looking good is the government revised both estimates this year, and we still have the singapore straits times index very resilience in positive territory. moving to the foreign exchange markets, and asian reserve currencies are quite firm against the u.s. dollar after data any easier as of an economic hard landing. >> we are going to take you to the scene of los angeles, where the police department is holding a news conference in connection with a wave of arson attacks in and around hollywood. >> i am pleased to report after a very difficult and dangerous weekend, a suspect has been charged this afternoon in what was a string of arson fires but had earned in los angeles, west hollywood, and burbank. before we get to the details of what has unfolded throughout the day, i would like to acknowledge a

the singapore tourism board -- there's something for everyone. singapore airlines, a great way to fly. poongsan corporation, forging a higher global standard. the ctc foundation. afo communications. the rotondaro family trust. >> if anybody is taking notes, it was 1904 through 1914 that the canal was built. the united states controlled until 1999 and now they turn it back over to the authority of the government. >> it is not politically correct to say -- the mission was different. now it is from all lot different. >> what does it cost to take a ship through the canal? >> about $250,000. now is three times that for the bigger ones. >> it could be $750,000 because of the number of containers. the americans had another division. it's not that we raise tolls, but we changed -- they were made when there were ships that prepared grain and it was not built for containers. they were just charging for the ship going through. but the panamanian administration did a redesign to where you pay for the cargo. that is why the incumbent a lot higher. >> so now t

the singapore tourism board. there is something for everyone. singapore airlines, a great way to fly. pusan corp., pushing a higher global standard. the ctc foundation, if the communications, -- afo communications and the rotunda are a family trust. >> mr. ambassador, service of 10 years here in the united states. >> yes. >> you will be leaving as shirley. >> i unfortunately, i will. -- you will be leaving us shortly. >> unfortunate, i will. >> what is the toughest challenge you have to face while you are here. and what are your proudest accomplishments. >> first of all, i must tell you, i am leaving with mixed feelings. i have spent 10 years in washington representing the arab league. i spent five years in new york before that representing the league of nations. i was an egyptian diplomat for many years. in the last 15 years, i have been an arab league diplomat. i am leaving washington with mixed feelings. some of regret that i have so many friends. of course, it is always sad to leave france. and then -- to leave friends. and then there is was

it is 12 noon here in singapore. >> it is 4:00 a.m. here in london, broadcasting to you on pbs in america and around the world. welcome to newsday. >> dramatic audio recordings are being released in italy that suggest that the captain of the cost of concordia -- the costa concordia refused to return to the ship. he denies any wrongdoing. five more bodies have been discovered in iraq. >> -- in the iraq. >> in the darkness, despair and disoriented, the move in the hundreds down the side of the -- eachch one drovnorth by one dwarfed by the costa concordia. at the same time, this astounding conversation is taking place between the port official and the captain of the ship. [speaking italian] >> here is the captain, the focus of police inquiries. manhandled for court today, he is now under house arrest. many believe it was his actions alone that caused this disaster. his lawyer says not. >> the capt. defended his role of the direction of the ship after the collision, which in the captain's opinion saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives.

we are live from singapore and london. patent and pakistan, -- panicked and pakistan. to under 50 are in hospital. >> michael jackson's family makes his mark on hollywood boulevard. >> here in britain, the royal bank of scotland has announced it will be paying its chief executive a bonus of almost a million pounds in shares. 81% of the bank is owned by the british taxpayer. our correspondent has this report. >> the pay package has become the focus of intense debate. he heads the bank which is more than 80% owned by the government. it was bailed out by the taxpayer. public feelings about the industry are running high. should he give any sort of bonus? if so, how much? tonight, we have the answer. he is on a salary of 1.2 million pounds. for 2010, he got a bonus of 2 million pounds worth of shares. he will dig another bonus -- he will get another bonus, but there has been strong criticism. >> this is a very bad decision. low-paid workers have been told they have to except pay freezes. >> the government appointed him to run rbs after its near collapse. the treasury approv

. >> it is 12 noon in singapore. >> it is 4:00 in the morning in london. we are broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the world. >> turkey has reacted with fury to the latest move by french law makers to condemn the mass killing of armenians by turks in 1915. the turkish and justice minister has described the vote as unjust and lacking any respect for his country. turkey's ambassador in paris threatens to downgrade diplomatic relations with france. the armenian foreign minister said the french vote would go down in history as protecting human rights. >> this is the moment french senators passed a law forbidding anyone to deny what they say was the genocide of armenians in 1915. anyone who now says it did not have been faces a year in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 u.s. dollars. turks living in france are outraged. they feel the charge of genocide is a direct insult to them. they're being used -- three months ahead of elections. >> it makes me sick. this is a strong symbolic act which stigmatizes us. >> for supporters, the change in law co

it is 12:00 in the afternoon in singapore. >> it is 4:00 a.m. in london. we're broadcasting to viewers on pbs in a map that and around the world. -- in america and around the world. >> the italian government says the serious risk that rusty's could cause the capsized cruise ship to sink completely. rescue crews suspended their search. more than 20 people are still missing. the ship's captain is accused of abandoning his colleagues and passengers. he is reported to be claiming that he accidentally fell into a lifeboat. >> a team of specialist headed out to the rack -- wreck, and into a dangerous world. it is slow going inside the ship, moving through the floating debris of the once luxury liner. along corridors turned on their sides. they search for survivors, but no more likely they will only find the dead. this is how they have been entering the ship, after the top deck. >> at one point, at the glass door was above me with the contents inside pressing down. it could have shattered at any moment. >> we now know this violinist from humphrey was among the de

i'm in singapore. the the headlines. with just hours until the voters of new hampshire go to the polls, mitt romney is the front runner in the race to be the republican candidate to challenge barack obama. iran's uranium enrichment program is branded as a violation of u.n. resolution. france and the u.s. call for a strengthening of sanctions. and greece has been warned to reach a deal quickly on restructuring its debt or risk not receiving its next bailout payment. the warning was delivered by the german chancellor who held talks on a berlin with the french president. but there is underlying concern about the growing differences between the euro-zone economy's ties. >> the unveiling of a new bmw, one of germany's best known brands. its worldwide sales are up by 15%. the latest figures showed german exports rising strongly. take bechstein pianos, manufactured in germany -- exports up 15%. >> our manufacturing process is going on to build a company where customers will finally say that is what we want. >> this underlines h

the singapore tourism board -- there is something for everyone. singapore airlines -- a great way to fly. poongsan corporation, forging a higher global standard. the ctc foundation. afo communications. the rotondaro family trust. >> let's go inside iran for a moment. what is the population? >> approximately 75 million. >> its a big country with huge resources and tremendous strategic position. >> bordering countries are? >> i think are 15 countries bordering it from armenia, pakistan, iraq, kuwait and on the persian gulf side, you have saudi arabia and the united arab emirates. >> who rules iran? >> iran is currently ruled by a non-democratic government headed by supreme leader, the ayatollah. it is an undemocratic system to have small pockets within it. there are elections taking place and they are not usually fair or free. they are local elections as well but ultimately, the decision making power is in the hands of the ayatollah and those around him. >> everybody knows mahmoud ahmadinejad, but there are elected people and unelected people. it is

singapore airlines says it has repaired the wings of two of its a-380 jets. air bus is recommending airlines check their jumbos for cracks but says they do not pose a safety risk. tim alleman, "bbc news." >> this is "bbc news." strike up the band. an orchestra of inmates offering hope for venezuela's prison system. the parents of an indian student shot dead in the north of england on boxing day have flown home with his body after visiting the scene of his murder. the 23-year-old, studying engineering at lancaster university, was shot at point-blank range while he was out with some of his friends. judith has this report. >> 4,500 miles from home, this mother laid flowers from where her son was shot dead. she and her husband made the journey from india to see the place where he was murdered himself. it's 11 dayings since the 23-year-old student was killed, shot at close range. the family says it was important to come here. >> this has been an extremely difficult journey to make. when he left in september last year, he was full of hope and ambition for the futur

you're watching "news day" on the bbc, live from singapore and london. inside the yemen, new concerns about the growing include of al qaeda. >> and two worlds in china. the country is racing towards the future but at what cost. >> when is greatness achieved? is it when you win your first tournament? or when you go toe to toe with a legend? and you achieve a lifetime dream. or when you inspire others? maybe it's when you're always asking yourself what's next? >> the conquerer rises. flowing with quiet energy. as heady a rose as the exotic. makes us all wonder and indulge. be free. be involved. be alive. live a story worth retelling. be where you want to be. destinations worldwide. >> the president of the united states. >> president obama delivers his annual state of the union address on january 24. he'll use it to outline his policies for the american economy and to per swace anxious voters ahead of the election. we'll have live coverage on bbc world news live from washington. >> this is "news day" on bbc. >> the headlines for you this hour. the internati

. >> reporter: mro began its operations from its base in singapore. >> thank you. very nice to meet you. >> very nice to meet you. thank you. >> reporter: its first director is a former senior officer of the people's bank of china. he also held senior posts at the asian development bank and international monetary fund. mro's roots can be traced back to the asian financial crisis of 1997. taking a lesson from that event, asean plus started mro to perform a surveillance function. it analyzes the financial climate and urges member countries to take remedial action if and when it detects signs of crisis. wei predicts europe's debt problems will cause growth in asia to slow in 2012. but he says the asean plus three region will remain an engine of the world economy, led by china and indonesia. >> we'll take time. market might be affected. and naturally this region also will be affected. and i'm hoping the asean plus three countries as a group can continue to maintain their growth momentum. our estimate is we should be able to achieve above like 6 point -- sorry, 4.6 or 4

after six months, there were 500 retailers in singapore selling korean beer. the companies now focus on mergers and acquisitions. it formed the singapore-based task force of specialists with experience doing businesses overseas. on this day, a managing director of business and investment banker in charge m&a. the task force travels all over asia, gathering up-to-date information from bankers and business people. since 2009, kirin has made acquisitions in five asia-pacific countries. its rivals are also on the hunt. asaki has invested in four countries, and suntory in three. >> translator: historically, gdp and beverage sales grow in proportion. for example, indonesia and the philippines are good potential markets for beverage-makers. >> reporter: another japanese beer company is trying to nurture a new market by building its own manufacturing facilities. in late november, sapporo began production in a suburb of ho chi minh city. it's the first plant in southeast asia owned by a japanese beer company. and it has a production of 40,000 kiloliters a year. sapporo

after six months, there were 500 retailers in singapore selling kirin beer. the companies now focus on mergers and acquisitions. it formed the singapore-based task force of specialists with experience doing businesses overseas. on this day, a managing director of business and investment banker in charge m&a. the task force travels all over asia, gathering up-to-date information from bankers and business people. since 2009, kirin has made acquisitions in five asia-pacific countries. its rivals are also on the hunt. asaki has invested in four countries, and suntory in three. >> translator: historically, gdp and beverage sales grow in proportion. for example, indonesia and the philippines are good potential markets for beverage-makers. >> reporter: another japanese beer company is trying to nurture a new market by building its own manufacturing facilities. in late november, sapporo began production in a suburb of ho chi minh city. it's the first plant in southeast asia owned by a japanese beer company. and it has a production of 40,000 kiloliters a year. sapporo

inspire his because of this that we are only one part of a future now of this old world in deep crisis singapore phon nobody knows how to go out of this powerful on the pirate party make program for future for future society and thus i would say i had the explanation of my explanation is that maybe in countries like. denmark sweden germany people got sick and tired of politics they don't distinguish between different parties the the moderate left of the right move the so so the pirate party is the only party the talks to people and that's something they're interested in there and they're really calling for a real change something like what. if in this case maybe we would have majority but we have no majority majority of people don't like all the parties yes it is but we have no norman georgia even in germany you know so we really are all sectors now all sector of waterless who really support this new point of view new topics of discussion and maybe it's not majority but it is a real daughters who are. i don't want to have some fun not only but they want a real new discussion also in the human sh

that's why the singapore has an interest in involving the u.s. in these you know apollo gave right thanks very much indeed for your thoughts on the program sir that i was probably in touch of all lead researcher for political and strategic affairs at the institute of southeast asian studies now don't hesitate to log onto our web site r t dot com it's the best place to look for the latest updates comments and videos here's some of what's there for you right now. so-called healing pyramids attract russians hoping to improve their health but skeptics dismiss the structures as fraudulent falls iles designed only to help people part with their money. and the pentagon's money management proved to be far from efficient as one hundred million dollars one stored in saddam hussein's palace disappears into thin air. britain's preparing for the greatest show on earth and taking the possibility of a terrorist attack seriously in london summer olympic preparations are calling on all corners of the nation's defense but as our report such measures may not only t

it's a very choppy year for singapore last year. it's a very open economy there. it is hostage to the vagaries of global -- we saw the fall off in exports going into the euro zone. >>> is there a reason to be cheerful in 2012? that seems to be where you're doing business. the latest report from grant thornton shows an overall balance of apartment mitchel and pessimism. it's far less balanced by region of the it's a polarized picture. the percentage figures show how upbeat or down beat they fell in the last two quarters of 2011 with zero percent as the equilibri equilibrium. across the board, it's -- there's progress in north america and even more so in the brick block of leefding developing nations. the region that of course is dampening the mood is hardly surprising. europe where the confidence index has shrunk. sunk or shrunk. either fits. from zero to minus 17% in the last quarter. one possible factor in this shortage of confidence is in apparent shortage it trade, also detailed in that report. let's talk us through those findings and the outlook for the year a

and thomas, with great singapore food. we just want to thank you so much for letting us be part of this awards show. and we are so proud to be here. after the show, please come upstairs, do the green room, and had a taste of all the delicious foods that are up here. i don't have a restaurant, but in a street food vendor. come visit me, and i will definitely took you up with a discount. anyway, thank you so much, and we look forward to seeing you guys. and i thank you. we also want to give a special thanks to the coordinator of tonight's events. and at the conclusion of tonight's program, everybody is invited to the reception. make sure you get a ticket from the ashes at the door because you will need the ticket to get in to get that great food and the reception in the greenroom. you will notice on the ticket, there are eight great -- plant boxes on the back, and they will mark each station. you need to visit all of the food stations, and once your ticket is mark, you can take it to a raffle, drop it in the bowl to with a g

you are sitting next to someone from nigeria or new zealand or singapore. >> people said they felt at home as soon as they walked in. >> the first time i came to the church i was crying. it touched me so much. >> i feel at home and safe here. >> i love the church. i felt like family. >> we provide a community within barcelona. >> in the 1930s, barcelona was a center for anarchists and communist. there is certainly a mistrust of the church and that means sharing christ in new ways. >> they believe the church is equated with money and power. that is what the church is about. there is a rebellion, a distrust. new >> john and brandy don't use the word church. we don't hide the fact that we are church related. we don't start off with that. >> many spanish think of the church as outdated. evangelistic outreach has to address those concerns. >> i met a couple in the early 20, they said my parents go to church and come home and nothing changes. why would i waste my time investing in something that does ntd make a difference. we are trying to build a faith to live out the way of jesus. >> they

move came there to the philippines or singapore was easy. fdr and a general marshall have the word department to warn the basis to go on high alert but if i had an hour i could go over what half-inch but it is the perfect storm of mistakes. everybody believes they were in command with the attitude it does not matter because we will not be attacked so why bother. that is a bad way to do with. but 1932, four, 36 come a commander and why you could have the attitude and you were fined and spent two years in hawaii and not do all lot. but december 1941 it was up four way to run things. i don't think fdr directly new that would be pearl harbor but new the attack was coming and i blame him most 1900 anti-aircraft guns and given away hundreds of fire planes. and adderall richardson was fired and of very capable officer he went to the white house october 1940 which you did not do over two hours keeping the fleet at pearl harbor that we are vulnerable and need to move the fleet and finally it became pretty heated and he chose franklin roosevelt mr. pr

let's have fun, i'm browsing a website last night, singapore airlines, singapore airlines has a new perk for their first class travelers. how's this, okay, if you are a couple traveling together, you can book those two center seats that recline completely, they will remove the center divider right there and they will make a double bed. now, does anyone else here think singapore airlines will get a whole lot more than they barg n bargained for? >> that is sexy beyond belief. >> there are other people around you. >> can it fit three? [ laughter ] >> there's not enough oxygen masks in the area. >> don't you think people are going to try to stretch the envelope there? >> they do already. absolutely. >> the mile-high club, i've been in the bathrooms. >> this is a double bed, donny. >> there's a little partition that goes up. >> but there's noise. noise. >> you have to be quiet. >> i can see in your eye you like this. >> i like it as a topic but is this going to turn flight attendants into chaperones, are they going to have to walk over and go are you just spooning under that duve? what's goin

the dean of the school of public policy in singapore. and khanfar who was the director of al jazeera and is now running a kind of version of davos in qatar. is it fair to say that the american economy's prospects seem relatively speaking better than a lot of the others and that one of the reasons you get a feeling that president obama perhaps is feeling a little bit more confident these days is that there is some good news coming out of america? >> well, some good news did come out in the last quarter of 2011. though if you look closely at it, what was going on was that the savings rate was going down, and americans had essentially stopped deleveraging and had gone back out shopping. whether that's sustainable or not, i don't know. and he think it's a bit too early to say the recovery is here. happy days are here again and re-election is assured for obama. i don't think we're by any means out of the woods in a whole range of areas, not the least housing. so that's, i guess, a qualified answer. what's certainly true is that things are goi