24th December: Gender Neutral Toys

Most children are hoping to find new toys under the Christmas tree.

But for the friends and family shopping for those toys, things are looking different in the stores this year.

Major US retailers such  Target and Toys R Us have introduced "gender neutral" toy shelving... no longer splitting their products into "boy toys" and "girl toys," but instead marketing to everyone, as our U-S correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:

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***TAKE PACKAGE ***

TRACK

TAKE SOUND UP STAR WARS

One of the hottest toys this holiday season comes from a galaxy far far away

SOUND UP BEEPS

TRACK

BB-8 is the loveable orange rolling 'droid from Star Wars the Force Awakens

and spheero is selling thousands of them.

But what do boys and girls really like to play with?

I asked my niece T about what girls like to play with.

TAKE AXX

Her preferences sound kind of traditional...

but some toy manufacturers and retailers think that that when it comes to toys, they should be gender neutral 

Steve Errands owns  Barston's Child's Play in Washington DC 

TAKE SOUND BITE 

"We arrange them by types of play. So we have building toys all together-hopefully with all building toys they have more of an appeal to either boy or girl they shouldn't be sex related necessarily."

TRACK

According to the National Association for the Education of young children, most toys linked to boys are related to aggression, such as guns or soldiers, 

Or, maybe fierce animals, as my niece T observes

TAKE AXX

TRACK

and those associated with girls are related to appearance, like jewelry and dolls. 

Child psychologists say say it's good for kids to play with a broad range of toys because different products help them learn different sets of skills.

For example, research shows that playing with dolls can teach nurturing skills, while using building blocks helps with spacial learning.

Jennifer Streaks is a finance and lifestyle expert

She says 

The aim of the gender neutral toy movement is to put an end to stereotypes about children's toy preferences. 

TAKE SOUND BITE 

"We are getting away from stereotypes, it is no longer the fifties, we are not sort of tunneling kids into where we think they should go, its really based on their interest".

TRACK

For major retailers, such as Target, they say that times change, and now, products will be placed on store shelves by age groups, such as kids or adults, not boys or girls.

Jennifer Streaks again

TAKE SOUND BITE 

"Now you have a broader audience for any toy. Its not I made a doll, so now it can only be sold or marketed to girls... now it can just be marketed... its a great product. Its a great toy, play with our product. 

TRACK

The thing is, kids are aware that choices are being made about their toys.

Last year, I gave my niece and nephew one of the first Lego sets that only had female figurines

the research institute - with a chemist, astronomer and palentologist.

Now, my nephew loved assembling the dinosaur - 

but he also wanted to know why there were no boys in this set.

Priscilla Huff, Washington

***ENDS***

Historians battle to keep memory of New York's Little Syria alive

The issue of Syrian immigration is dividing the United States with
many calling on President Obama to rethink his proposal of letting
10,000 refugees into the country over the next year.

While the fate of many Syrian refugees remains unclear, historians in
New York are working to educate people about Little Syria. A district
in lower Manhattan that was once home to thousands of people from
across the Middle East.

It's a history that they say shows the longstanding relationship
between America and the Arab world.

William Denselow reports from New York

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China, India, Brazil Finally Expand Influence at IMF

REPORTER: REBECCA FOSTER

DELIVERY:  VIA FTP LINKS : SEE BELOW

LENGTH: 2'23

OUTCUE:  “…for CRI, I’m Rebecca Foster in Washington”

{INTRO} Emerging powers like China, India and Brazil have been waiting five years to have a greater say in the running of the International Monetary Fund.  Now the US Congress has finally voted to ratify reforms which date back to 2010. These reforms will give them expanded voting power to shape the institution for the twenty-first century.    From Washington, Rebecca Foster reports.

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{SCRIPT: PACKAGE}

The 2010 IMF reforms expanded the voting power of China, India, Russia and Brazil.  Those who agreed to give up some voting share included the United States, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, though several European countries gave up the largest share.  

Andrew Hanauer, Campaigns Director, Jubilee USA Network

“It’s a big deal, it’s definitely a step in the right direction."

Andrew Hanauer is the Campaigns Director at Jubilee USA Network, an organization that aims to improve the quality  of lending to poorer countries. 

Andrew Hanauer, Campaigns Director, Jubilee USA Network

"We’ve been waiting more than five years for this to happen. 205 There’s no question that it did not look for the United States being the only country holding these reforms up, particularly because the United States is the only country that has the power to hold things up by itself at the IMF.”

The Obama administration has been an enthusiastic supporter of the reforms, but the five year delay was caused by the US Congress, which wouldn’t or couldn’t vote to approve the changes. Investment Advisor Douglas Rediker who is also a Visiting Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics says by voting to approve the changes, the US Congress has finally closed a credibility gap.

Douglas Rediker, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

“This was a US initiative five years ago, to actually reform not just the voting rights or the quota at the IMF, but the overall governance structure to give emerging markets a much more representative voice  at the table. And then, the irony was that it was the US that turned out to be the one party that held up the very reforms that the US spearheaded. “

The five year delay has also pushed back negotiations for a new set of IMF reforms which will now begin and Douglas Rediker says that process will begin in 2016.

Douglas Rediker, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

The IMF articles contemplate an ever shifting global economic landscape. That’s why under the rules the IMF is supposed to reassess this governance structure and the quotas by which countries exercise their rights, simply because the world moves on and economic strengths wax and wane.”

With  China holding the presidency of the G20 in 2016 that’s likely to lead to new efforts to expand the role of emerging nations in the architecture of the world’s economic leadership. 

{ENDS}

2015 in Europe

INTRO:

     In 2015 the European Union has been engulfed in a refugee crisis which sharply divided the 28 member countries in their response. 

     The number of asylum seekers arriving rose steadily throughout the year.

     Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek gives us a look back at how the crisis developed over the year and other events that shaped the year in Europe.

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NY sheriff calls on community to carry guns in San Bernardino aftermath

The mass shooting in San Bernardino is being investigated as an act of
terror- the most deadly since 9/11. And it's an event that has once
against brought the issue of gun control in the US to light.

While many want to see greater restrictions on guns- a sheriff in
upstate New York believes weapons can help make his community safer.

William Denselow reports from Kingston New York.

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UK Year in Review

In 2015 the UK saw an unexpected general election result, the birth of a second royal baby and ended with the Britain entering a bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in Syria. Our reporter Catherine Drew in London, takes a look back at the year.



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SCRIPT:

The spring of 2015 saw the newest addition to the British Royal Family, as the duke and duchess of cambridge welcomed their second child. Princess Charlotte became fourth in line to the throne behind her older brother prince george.

VO SCRIPT:

Royalists camped out at the hospital for days hoping to catch a glimpse of the arrival. One of them was 80 year old Terry Hut who sports a union jack suit for such occasions.

INSERT:

SCRIPT:

the Royal birth came just 5 days before Britain headed to the polls for a General Election in early May…which saw the end of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and against all the polls, the Conservatives win a majority with David Cameron continuing as Prime Minister.

Against all the opinion polls, the Conservatives won a majority with David Cameron continuing as Prime Minister.

a collapse for the opposition Labour party, saw the departure of leader Ed Miliband and the rise of Scotland's National Party, which with 56 MPs, booted out the Liberal Democrats as the third political party. Leader Alex Salmond was jubilant as the results came in.

INSERT:

”The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country (cheers)"

SCRIPT:

Labour’s troubles weren’t over. Left winger Jeremy Corbyn was far from the first choice of his fellow MP’s for the job of leader to replace Ed Miliband…..but the leftwing veteran won with the strong support of Labour party members.

This put the party in turmoil, particularly at the end of 2015 as the UK debated whether to extend it’s existing air campaign against the so called Islamic State in Iraq to include Syria, in the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Paris.

During a day long debate in the british parliament, Well known pacifist Jeremy Corbyn argued against strikes…


INSERT:

“Public opinion is moving increasingly against what I believe to be an ill thought out, rush to war.”


However 66 Labour MP’s voted with the ruling conservatives and others to pass the measure after Prime Minister David Cameron made the case that Britain’ could not to outsource it’s security to other countries taking on the Islamic State in Syria.

INSERT:

“The House should be under no illusion. These terrorists are plotting to kill us and radicalise our children right now.” . They attack us because of who we are, not because of what we do.”




SCRIPT:

David Cameron has ruled out the prospect of UK military boots on the ground in Syria, and is warning this is likely to be a long campaign.

Another campaign sure to come to prominence in 2016 is the looming referendum on Britain’s future membership within the European Union which is to be held before the end of 2017.

David Cameron is trying to renegotiate Britain’s membership terms, principally so the UK can try to control immigration from Eastern european countries. He’s warned he will urge UK voters to leave the block if he can’t get meaningful reforms which include a limit on welfare benefits payments to EU citizens working in Britain in a bid to dissuade people from moving to the UK. However EU leaders say that will discriminate against it’s citizens

TAKE SOUNDUP; CAMPAIGNS

SCRIPT:

Both pro and anti EU groups have already been active in campaigns which are sure to kick into high gear across 2016, even before it’s known whether David Cameron has successfully negotiated his reforms and without a date for the referendum being set.

Catherine Drew, sign off, London

U.S. Ramps Up Security for Holiday Travel

Following the November terror attacks in Paris, the U-S State Department issued a worldwide travel warning to all U-S citizens. Now with the recent massacre in San Bernardino, the U.S. government is putting an even greater focus on national security and keeping travelers safe while visiting friends and loved ones during the busy holiday travel season.  Ellen Scott has more from Washington. 

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The deadly attack in San Bernardino that left 14 dead is still fresh in the minds of Americans. Passenger Susan Cottle was traveling through Washington Balitmore International Airport and had this to say...

Susan Cottle Madden, Traveler SOT: "I've come to believe no one is safe on this Earth anywhere. I think we have to take to care, but we can't stop what we are doing." 

But the holiday travel season must go on. 

The Transportation Security Administration is planning thorough security screenings and fully staffed check points at all U-S airports. 

Many holiday travelers are not frequent flyers, so with the heightened security, TSA is urging passengers to plan extra time into their trips...  And warning them NOT to bring their water bottles. The Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein explains why.

Lisa Farbstein SOT: "It's very easy for someone to disguise a bottle of water that could really be some liquid explosives." 

In the wake of the recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, all Americans traveling have been urged to exercise vigilance. But despite the increased terror threat, the travel continues...including for traverler Gregory Madden.

Gregory Madden SOT: "I trust that there is a lot of security at the airports now and especially in the United States airports…but we are traveling internationally, we are going through New York to Barcelona and I feel pretty comfortable about that" 

In the coming weeks, the T-S-A is even stepping up security measures with their own employees. Lisa Farbstein of the TSA said 

Lisa Farbstein: "There are thousands of people who work at airports and we are doing significantly more random checks of those employees as they are moving from one point of the airport to the other."

The TSA is predicting that this is going to be the busiest travel season in history. While there is no credible threat against the US at this time, the State Department has issued a travel alert through Feb. 24th. Ellen Scott

Republican Candidates Square Off On National Security

Intro:

The top polling Republican candidates for President of the United States faced off in a debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. The war against Da'esh took center stage, as all nine discussed American national security in their fifth debate together. Lorna Shaddick was listening.

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Script:

As viewers got ready for Tuesday night's debate at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, they were primed for a showdown…between frontrunner Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who's been catching up with him in the polls and shares his right-wing fan base.

Once the debate got started, Mr Trump WAS on the defensive, but it was former Florida governor Jeb Bush taking him on most forcefully, especially over that recent call to bar Muslims from entering the US:

SOT: Jeb Bush, Republican Presidential Candidate

Donald, you know, is great at -- at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate. And he'd be a chaos president. He would not be the commander in chief we need to keep our country safe.

SOT - Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate

Jeb doesn't really believe I'm unhinged, he said that very simply because he has failed in this campaign, it's been a total disaster.

This was the first debate since the terror attacks in Paris and California, and the candidates squared off how they would deal with immigration, surveillance and fighting Da'esh on its home turf. For Ted Cruz, the answer was simple - more airstrikes.  

SOT: Ted Cruz, Republican Presidential Candidate

You would carpet bomb where ISIS is, not a city, but the location of the troops. You use air power directed, and you have embedded special forces to direct the air power. But the object isn't to level the city, the object is to kill the ISIS terrorists.

But he came to sometimes testy verbal blows with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who's vying for his status as the alternative-to-Trump, over whether to support the bulk collection of Americans' phone records, and over budget cuts:

SOT: Marco Rubio, Republican Presidential Candidate, in response to Cruz's military voting record

Three times he voted against the Defence Authorisation Act, which is a bill that funds the troops, that also by the way funds the Iron Dome, and other important programmes, and I have to assume that if you vote against it in the Senate, you would also veto it as president.

Some argue this debate isn't so significant as it's during the holiday season, when voters aren't watching. But midranking candidates like Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina need all the airtime they can get if they're to have a breakthrough moment before the end of the year.

There weren't the expected fireworks from Donald Trump in this debate - he seemed to be holding back and even earned boos from the audience at times. But, using words like 'angry' and 'betrayed', all the candidates presented a frightening vision of the world - an America under assault by radical Islamic terrorism, and by Hillary Clinton, who they said made the country worse. Clearly, all nine of want to appear as the fiercest possible nominee to take on both perceived threats. Lorna Shaddick, New York.

Obama Delivers Pentagon Address on ISIS Strategy

U.S. President Barack Obama made a rare address at the Pentagon on Monday to update the country on the on-going anti-ISIL campaign. The last time President Obama made an address at the Pentagon was in July, but with the recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino pressure has been mounting on President Obama to reassure Americans that his strategy is working. Ellen Scott has this report from Washington.

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SCRIPT: 

VO: President Obama said the U.S.-led coalition has made progress dismantling ISIL's core in Iraq and Syria by launching more targeted airstrikes than ever. 

SOT: "We are hitting ISIL harder than ever. Coalition aircraft, our fighters, bombers and drones have been increasing the pace of airstrikes  --- nearly 9000 as of today. Last month in November we dropped more bombs on ISIL targets than any other month since this campaign started." 

VO: There hasn't been a shift in strategy...the focus is still on targeted airstrikes. President Obama continues to rule out sending ground forces into Iraq and Syria.  

VO: President Obama listed off the names of ISIL leaders who had been killed in these airstrikes. He added that the latest round of coalition airstrikes have disrupted ISIL's freedom of maneuver. 

SOT: "Everyday we destory as well more of ISIL's forces...their fighting positions, bunkers and staging areas, heavy weapons, bomb making forces and training camps.  In many places ISIS has lost its freedom of manuever -- because they know if theymask their forces we will wipe them out."

VO: But...Republicans in the U.S. are critical of President Obama's rare address at the Pentagon. They see the tough talk against ISIL as more of a way to dismantle doubts about his foreign policy after the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino. 

VO: Obama warned that the US and its partners faced a 'very tough fight ahead' and despite some progress, there's still work to be done. 

SOT: "We recognize that progress needs to keep coming faster. No one knows that more than the countless Syrians and Iraqis living everyday under ISIL's terror as well as the families in SB and Paris and elsewhere who are grieving the loss of their loved ones." 

VO: During his address, Obama announced that he's sending Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to the Middle East to help secure more help in the fight against the Islamic State.

SOT: "Just as the US is doing more in this fight. Just as our allies...France, Germany and the UK, Australia and Italy are doing more, so must others. That's why I have asked Secretary Carter to go to the Middle East -- he will depart right after this press briefing -- to work with our coalition partners on securing more military contributions to this fight"

VO: He also said that Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Moscow on Tuesday in order to push diplomatic efforts to finally put an end to the Syrian civil war. Ellen Scott. 

Africa on New York's silver screen

South Africa's first dance movie, Hear me Move, recently premiered in
New York at the African Diaspora International Film Festival.
Organizers have had their eye on the film since its local release, and
this year it was one of nine South African films featured in the
program, that's focused on the experiences of people of color.

Mimi Chiahemen brings us the story from New York

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VO1: 
Returning to New York for the 23rd year running, the African Diaspora International Film Festival is back in the city with an even more ambitious program. Co-director Diarah N’daw Spech says it’s about celebrating the intersections of the Diaspora 

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
We always look for the films that have the widest range of representation, lots of diversity, lots of stories, and the goal is really to show how much we have in common and really put forward the humanity of who we are as a people of color 

VO2: 
Making the cut this year, South African dance flick Hear me Move - the year 2015's top grossing film, made by a Black South African director. Here's Spech again.  

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
We look for who is behind the camera and who is in front of the camera and normally filmmakers of color tend to tell stories about people of color. So it’s very exciting for us to be able bring these films to the US,  most of the time for the first time, and let the people see what’s happening in South Africa

VO3: 
As the festival evolves, organizers say the goal is to increasingly highlight the richness and diversity of cultures not typically represented on the big screen 

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
So what you see is broader diversity, but of course rooted in the culture, because obviously  Hear Me Move can only be made in South Africa, because the dance is South African, right?  

VO4:
And as outreach coordinator Lerato Bokako says, the film depicts South Africa in a light that’s not often cast on international audiences 

SOT - super: Lerato Bokako |Outreach Coordinator, ADIFF|
I think it’s important to show that it’s not all suffering, it’s not all violence and crime. People do have fun in SA and we dance sometimes..

VO4: 
Although Bokako says it’s not all song and dance --- it's a coming of age story with some universal themes  

SOT - Super: Lerato Bokako |Outreach coordinator, ADIFF|
Musi, the main character is trying to find his roots, he’s trying to reconnect with his father.. I think it’s very relatable because I think a lot of young black children can relate to wanting to have a strong father figure in their lives ...  

VO5: 
Critics say it'll get you off your chair, but for ADIFF's organizers, the appeal is equally in what the film makes you feel when you're in your chair 

SOC
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Trump's Muslim ban receives angry reaction for Japanese comparison

US Presidential candidate Donald Trump sparked controversy this week saying he wants to ban all Muslims from entering the US. 

He backed up his comments saying there was a legal precedent for his proposal: the Japanese Internment Camps, where thousands of Japanese-Americans were sent after Japan attacked Pearl Habour in 1941. 

Nick Harper has been gauging reaction to the comments from the star of a new New York Broadway musical all about the camps. 

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-natsound - music-
TAKE VO
The camps are one of American history's darker moments. Following the attack on Pearl Habour 120,000 thousands Japanese-Americas were forced from their homes and imprisoned in camps scattered across the US, as this government war-era film explained.

-natsound - film - "Sateneeta Race Track for example suddenly became a community of about 17,000 persons."

TAKE VO
Decades later the US government formally apologized. But the years-long incarceration left a scar on America.

-natsound - film - "We're setting a standard for the rest of the world in the treating of people who may have loyalties to an enemy nation."

TAKE VO
Now, a recently-opened Broadway Musical, Allegiance, tells the tale of the internment of one family.
Like many of the cast Greg Watanabe has a very personal connection to the story. His father was conceived in a camp in Wyoming.

TAKE SOUNDBITE
Greg Watanabe, Actor
"I feel so privileged and grateful to be apart of this. Quite frankly I never thought there would be a Broadway musical about the Japanese American incarceration experience. There have been a lot of plays, a lot of poetry, there are plenty of history books, there are many stories. It's well catalogued within our community, within the Asian-American, Japanese American community. But never on this kind of scale."

TAKE VO
But now the story of the camps is receiving renewed interest. Yet perhaps not for the right reasons.
This US Presidential race has already thrown up many surprises, not least the fact that one of America's darkest moments in recent history has been referenced. And referenced in a way to trying to justify a ban on Muslims into America.

TAKE VO
The most controversial candidate Donald Trump has said the treatment of Japanese-Americans in World War Two had created a legal precedent, that back-up his plan to keep Muslims out of the country. Something that surprised and shocked Greg Watanabe.

TAKE SOUNDBITE
Greg Watanabe, Actor
"I understand that on some level it may just be sensationalistic. But it's dangerous rhetoric. It makes our show very relevant and so on one hand I'm like, thank you Donald Trump for exposed how racist America still is, because there are people who agree with him. And also exposing how tenuous the position of people who are others, who are the minority, who don't have as much political power, and how it's important for everybody else to understand that we have to stand up for their rights."

TAKE VO
The international backlash against Trump has been severe, with calls to ban him for certain countries, including a petition to bar him from the United Kingdom.

TAKE VO
The cast and crew of Allegiance just hope the renewed interested in the Japanese internment camps will ensure that what happened in the past will not be forgotten in the future.
SOC
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Belgium Non-Profit Tries Preventing Radicalization

Pressure keeps mounting for Belgium to crack down on Muslim extremists.

With nearly 500 Belgians fighting with extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, Belgium is being called the radical hotspot of Europe.

Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek tells us how one program near Brussels is trying to prevent young Belgians from turning to radicalism.

 

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U.S Muslims Fear Backlash As Trump Stirs Debate

Intro:

Despite Barack Obama's plea for tolerance and 'national unity' in the wake of the San Bernadino shootings, Donald Trump's recent remarks about banning Muslims from entering the US have stirred up a wave of anti-Islamic attacks.

Lorna Shaddick's been meeting some American Muslims who are already living in fear.


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Script:

UPSOT of people in shop

Sarker Haque runs a small food shop in one of New York's most diverse areas… Astoria, in Queens.

But on Saturday night, he ended up in hospital simply because of his religion, after a customer attacked him multiple times.

SOT: Sarker Haque, Owner, Fatima Food Mart

It was a white American. He came to my store, and I sell the New York Post, and he was reading the New York Post, you know, the front page. The front page has the California accident, you know, the husband and wife. The wife has a hijab and her picture, he watching. He turning, he punched me, my head. Then I falling down here, then I screaming 'What's going on, what the hell are you doing with me, what's up buddy?' So then he said, 'I want to kill Muslims'.

And Mr Haque's not alone in being targeted for his faith. One Muslim advocacy group says it's received more reports of Islamophobic violence in the last week and a half than at any time since 9/11.

In the wake of Donald Trump's comments, Ahmed Shedeed, the president of an Islamic Centre in New Jersey says he, and other Muslims in the area, have received anonymous letters supporting the  Republican candidate, and telling them to get out of America.

SOT: Ahmed Shedeed, President, Islamic Center of Jersey City

Yes there is fear. There's a lot of people, especially the women and kids, they stay home. Some of the kids, they don't want to go to school because they're afraid someone will be bullying them or make fun of them, because of the way they look, the way they speak, their religion.

UPSOT prayers

This is one of the areas of New Jersey where Mr. Trump says Muslims celebrated after 9/11. But people here say not only are his claims untrue, but that that period was a frightening one for their community. Now, Ahmed Shedeed fears those times have returned.

SOT: Ahmed Shedeed, President, Islamic Center of Jersey City

Every gathering that we have here, every prayer, we advise people what to do, and to watch out. The security in this place and other mosques, we're on very high alert.

Despite Barack Obama's pleas for tolerance and American unity, and condemnation of Donald Trump's comments from both sides of the political aisle, it seems Muslims in the US will have to live with increased security and increased fear for some time to come. Lorna Shaddick, New York.

UN marks first International Day to commemorate victims of genocide

The United Nations on Wednesday marked the first international day to commemorate victims of genocide and push for ways to prevent what the UN also calls the "crime of crimes." 

The occasion comes as UN officials fear the violence in Burundi could spiral out of control. Our UN Correspondent Liling Tan has the story.

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SOT: "I now ask that you join me in observing a minute of silence in honor of all of those around the world who have perished through the crime of genocide."

Morgens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly kicked off the first international day set aside to honor the victims of genocide, a crime under international law. 

In recent decades genocide has occurred in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, but the crime also dates back to the Holocaust and the Armenian Massacre of the early 1900s.

Adama Dieng, the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, said the day was not just about looking back.

SOT: "This day call to action - memory as a step towards action. Let us not continue to repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us act now to stop genocide from being part of our present and our future."

But the threat of genocide remains very present.

Only twelve years after a civil war ripped the country apart, Burundi once again stands on the brink war, as the government and the opposition are accused of pitting ethnic groups against each other in a conflict that has dragged on for eight months.

The warning came earlier this week at the UN, from Adama Dieng the UN special advisor on genocide.

SOT: "I would not say that tomorrow there will be a genocide in Burundi, but there is a serious risk that if we do not stop the ongoing violence this may end with a civil war, and following such a civil war everything is possible."

The threat isn't just in Burundi. 

Jan Eliasson, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, said that from Syria to Iraq and Yemen, from South Sudan to Mali and the Central African Republic, suffering continues and in many cases, civilians are being targeted because of their religion or ethnicity… because of who they are.

SOT: "For the sake of history, for the sake of security and for the sake of humanity, we must protect all populations, wherever they are.  And we must not let future generations bear the cost and shame of our inaction." 

Eliasson added that the obligation to prevent genocide is strongly anchored in international law, but it is also a political and moral responsibility.

SOT: "Let us never again say "never again" without taking serious action to prevent the unspeakable affront to human dignity and life – genocide."

UN officials also expressed concern about rising intolerance and xenophobia against refugees fleeing to Europe and in reaction to terrorist attacks.

Noting that even the U.S. has witnessed this type of discourse, the UN special advisor on genocide warned that  this kind of manipulation of people's fears for political gain is not only sickening, but also dangerous.

SOC

Quant trading blamed for increased energy market volatility

The price of oil has roughly halved since last summer dragging down
the share prices of major US energy companies on Wall Street.

But volatility in the energy market also brings with it opportunity
and high-frequency traders have been attracted to this temperamental
commodity.

But with this brings concern that their involvement is exacerbating
price fluctuation in the market.

William Denselow reports from New York.

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Trump hints he may leave Republican Party, take his voters with him

Donald Trump is hinting that he might abandon America's Republican Party and seek the US Presidency as an independent candidate.

He made the threat as a new opinion poll was published in the United States showing that 65 per cent of Republicans who say they will vote in the party's primary elections next year say they are backing Mr. Trump's call for the country to close its borders to Muslims.

Meanwhile, a series of rallies has started talking place across the United States to protest against Mr. Trump's proposal.

Our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks has the latest.

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The "Kelly and Michael Show" is not usually required viewing in newsrooms across the United States.

It's a daily, celebrity-studded affair  that is produced in New York, and usually subsists on a diet of showbiz interviews, fitness routines and fashion tips.

But on Wednesday morning Donald Trump was given a hero's welcome by its studio audience, and he used his appearance on the show to defend his plans to shut Muslims out of the United States.

AXX

The interview was the latest evidence that far from backing down, Mr. Trump is doubling down on a proposal that has caused consternation globally ….although not, it seems, among the Republican Party's grassroots.

A survey published by Bloomberg on Wednesday shows 65 per cent of Republicans who say they are likely to vote in next year's primary elections support the idea of closing the borders to Muslims.

That's in contrast to the Party's grandees who are disowning Mr. Trump - and in the words of his Presidential rival Jeb Bush - calling him "unhinged".

So, Mr. Trump was asked on "Kelly and Michael"…might he walk away from the party and take his supporters with him?

AXX

That is the nightmare scenario for the Republicans….and so the White House keeps trying to bring it about.

President Obama's spokesman Josh Earnest was back at it on Wednesday….trying to drive a wedge between Mr. Trump and the party that's he's competing to lead.

AXX

Across the country, protests are beginning to take place at which Mr. Trump's opponents give voice to their fury over his proposal.

Tomorrow, a hotel he's building on Pennsylvania Avenue, a stone's throw from the White House, is expected to be picketed.

At a demonstration outside New York's City Hall, the speaker of the local council Melissa Mark- Viverito did not mince her words.

AXX

But of course Mr. Trump is running for President, and he's now got the Republicans all ends up.

Hillary Clinton's team is quietly rubbing its hands with glee…..and now distributing car stickers to anyone that wants them. 

They read:  Love Trumps Hate.

SOC

The U.S. Considers Visa Waiver Program Overhaul

Lawmakers in the U.S. are discussing ways to improve security after the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. This week the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to ban people from participating in the Visa Waiver Program who have visited 'high risk countries' in past five years. Ellen Scott reports from Washington.

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Script:

Inspired by the recent terror attacks across the globe - US lawmakers are stepping up security efforts. They're starting by taking a closer look at the visa waiver program.

The focus is on preventing dangerous extremists from entering the country....even it that means stepping away from the being a historically open and welcoming nation. 

The current waiver program allows visa-free entry into the U-S for citizens of 38 countries - including most of Europe.

The U.S. Congress hopes to pass new legislation that would address the vulnerablities and weaknesses of the program.

Marc Fry - the Former Director of the Visa Waiver Program - had this to say.

SOT: "I do thinks the legislation past yesterday and passed by this committee strikes a right balance between taking what has already been a successful security program and improving it with the current threat environment."

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill would require passport holders of the 38 countries participating visa waiver program to obtain a visa if they recently visited a country with terrorist activity - including Iraq, Iran, Syria or Sudan.

It would require the 38 countries to check travelers against Interpol databases.

Nations who don't share this data could be dropped from participating.

The Former Director of the Visa Waiver Program - Marc Fry said the program needs some other improvements.

SOT: "You need to change the name. A lot of the problems with the visa waiver program have to do with misunderstandings. Fundamentally Visa Waiver sounds like we are waiving security requirements when we are precisely doing the opposite of that."

Some are voicing concerns that the changes would discourage humanitarian activity or journalism from occuring in these countries.

John Wagner of the US Department of Homeland Security says some exceptions should be made.

SOT: "I think we would look for some flexibility in those cases. Look at the persons purpose or intent to that region"

But there are downsides and opposition to the visa waiver program changes. The enhancements would be logistically challenging and expensive. The travel industry could take a hit if these stricter rules and screening procedures were put into place. And European officials have also voiced concerns.

And the process is complicated on Capitol Hill. The Senate is continuing discussions with it's own version of the bill... and it hasn't been scheduled for a vote yet. Ellen Scott, Washington.

Trump stands by threat to Muslims as global opposition grows

Donald Trump is defending his proposal to shut America's borders to all Muslims, despite a global outcry over comments that many consider some of the most intemperate yet heard on America's election campaign trail.

The billionaire property developer, who is still the front-runner in the race for the Republican Party's Presidential nomination, says he's following the example of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who forced Japanese Americans into internment camps during the Second World War.

The White House led the pushback against Mr. Trump's proposal, saying he is not qualified to hold the nation's top office.

But as our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks reports, while most Republican Party grandees are echoing that view, some of the Party's Presidential candidates are holding back.

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AXX

It wasn't that long ago in the great sweep of American electoral history that Donald Trump, on June the 16th, declared that he was a candidate to succeed Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

His entry into the race worried some at the top of the Republican Party who feared that he was a maverick…but they comforted themselves, secure in the knowledge that his made-for-tv circus antics wouldn't cause them too much grief.

Fast forward to September.

AXX

By then, Donald Trump was the dominant figure in the race to the White House.

So dominant that the Republican National Committee forced him to sign a pledge, promising - under any circumstances - to support whoever became the party's Presidential nominee.

It was a move aimed at stopping him from launching a 3rd party bid for the Presidency in the event that - say - former Florida Governor Jeb Bush won the nomination.

The Republicans did not want him draining votes away from them.

AXX

It's hard to know whether Republican Party leaders now regret forcing Mr. Trump to embrace them.

But at the White House they have not forgotten.

Spokesman Josh Earnest, expressing President Obama's opprobrium for Mr. Trump's proposal to close America's borders to Muslims….threw it all back in the Party's face.

AXX 

Republicans were falling over themselves on Tuesday to distance themselves from Donald Trump.

Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate….

AXX

Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina…..

AXX 

And even former US Vice President Dick Cheney…no shrinking violet in the right-wing stakes.

AXX

But not all Republicans were willing to turn against the man who may still prove to have staying power on the campaign trail.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas….another prominent conservative seeking the White House….made it clear to reporters in Washington that he wasn't ready to spurn the man who is still atop opinion polls.

AXX

That is an indication that at least some Republicans believe - or perhaps fear - that Donald Trump is speaking for many of the party's grassroots supporters.

Predominantly angry, predominantly white, predominantly male voters in the Party's primaries, they may not be honest with pollsters about their voting intentions in the weeks ahead.

And it's possible that behind closed doors, they are the Americans who are telling one another that on the issue of terrorism and Muslims….Donald Trump is the man with the right plan to protect the nation.

SOC