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>> some 70 cupts are set to attend an historic conference in the afghan capital kabul amid some of the deadliest violence of the world. b.p. is allowed to keep a cap on its damaged well for another 24 hours epa though it could be causing oil to leak from the sea floor. and a man locked into his open body and was helped to take his own life. welcome to "bbc world news," on pbs in america and also around the globe. coming up later for you, stepping up from the slums. the new apartments making it easier for indians to climb the property ladder. >> now for family it must be quite small but the whole place has been designed to make efficient use of space as possible. the result there is plenty of extra room in the kitchen for sleeping. >> we report from the world world's biggest air show which opened with good news for both boeing and airbus.

>> the afghan president hamid karzai is used to hosting summits designed to help his country achieve a more prosperous and secure future. tomorrow, tuesday, he'll be asking for greater control of his multibillion-dollar aid budget and in return is promising to take on more responsibility for security. the u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton has been talking to the bbc ahead of the summit. >> afghanistan leadership is in the spotlight as kabul prepares for the historic international conference. never has this city hosted so many foreign policy leaders. but if developments on the ground match the promises made at each of the conferences for afghanistan, this country would be paradise by now. the situation however is barely

improving. a report by the afghanistan and geosecurity office is sobering. it says nato's counterinsurgency vatty is in trouble. attacks in june are up 5 1 pairs compared to last year. attacks against international organizations are increasing and the number of civilians killed is also rising. just this sunday, there was another attack against a market. but a conference will call for continued aid for afghanistan to support its government as it slowly takes charge. this should pave the way for foreign troops to withdraw. the u.k. has plemmed aid but has made it clear wants its soldiers out sooner rather than later. hillary clinton insisted this was a fight worth waging and she called for patience. >> there are significant indicators of progress. but they're not fast enough for the afghan people or for the international community. we are a notoriously impatient people, america, and so part of

my caution is we need strategic patience. we know what happens when we abruptly and prematurely leave afghanistan. so part of what this conference is about is a stock taking, bringing everybody to the table, asking for reports from the afghan government and frankly having a very open exchange of what our questions and criticisms might be. >> mrs. clinton was just in islamabad, a regionalal strategy is key and pakistan is a crucial ally. she called on pinny authorities to do more to fight taliban militants operating along the border. in kabul the conference will be a test for afghan security forces. for the first time they'll be running the show and the world is watching. bbc news, kabul. >> b.p. han given 4 hours to check the cap over their well after seepage was detected close to ocean floor. the cap was lowered four days

ago and appeared to stop the flow. the u.s. coast guard is monitoring the situation and has asked b.p. to submit its plans for opening of the cap. james reynolds reports from washington. >> under the sea, the cap is still in place. engineers are checking carefully for leaks and in particular seepage along the seabed. for the fourth day the cap appears to be holding. >> we've had no indication of oil being released at the site, and at the same time there are measurements being taken, it's constantly monitored for boc's, volatile organic compounds and there is no independent education there is any release we're seeing expressed at the surface. >> so what exactly is happening on the seabed? the flow of oil was shut off last thursday when valves on the new cap were closed. watching for signs of leaks, were robots keeping an eye on

the pressure inside the system. if a leak is found, the cap would have to be reopened and pipes would channel the leaking oil up to ships on the surface. the long-term solution comes in the form of relief wells which be being drilled nearly three miles below the seabed. the closest is just a few feet away from the damaged well which would be closed when the relief wells are complete in about a month's time. since the explosion in april, between 3 million and 5 million barrels of oil have leaked from the well into the ocean, damaging huge parts of the gulf coast. engineers will continue to keep an eye on the ocean floor. this cap was only designed as a temporary solution. so can it hold until the relief wells are ready next month? james reynolds, bbc news, washington. >> in china investigators are trying to establish why an oil pipeline exploded on friday causing a major fire and polluting 50e square kilometers

in the northeast. it took firefighters more than 15 hours to put out the blaze. the 3wbs' chris hawk has details from shanghai. >> the clear-up is underway at the ports where the pipeline exploded. workers were offloading crude oil from a tanker when the pipe ignited. the fire caused a second pipeline to blow up. the tanker managed to leave the dock but the fire on land took hold. firefighters worked through the night to bring it under control but not before large amounts of oil had leaked into the sea. off-shore there is still a major cleanup underway, 11 square kilometers of sea is seriously pluletted, the spills affecting a far wider area, though. they're using floating booms to try to contain it and skimmers to collect the oil. monitoring it from the air and the sea in the area has been stepped up. the authorities say it's not clear yet what caused the accident or who is to blame.

chris hawk, bbc news, shanghai. >> a gel under test in south africa has har of the the risk of h.i.v. infection among volunteers who routinely used it before having sex. it's the first to show a gel might be able to protect women from the deadly virus. the findings of the study are to be made public at an international conference on aids in vienna on tuesday. the results have been welcomed as groundbreaking by the world health organization and u.n. aids. sewer nam's former dictator has been elected president of the south american country, the 64-year-old was voted in my parliament after he failed to win sufficient majority votes this the elections in may. the former army leader is accused of drug trafficking and human rights violations and still faces trial over the execution of 15 opponents in 198 during his military rule. syria has banned the face covering veil from the country's public and private universities and an official at

the ministry of education says the decision aims to protect the country's secular identity. however the ban does not affect the head scarf which many syrian women wear. from damascus, nina sanjab reports. >> the decision is going to affect many women in syria. down the road from here is the university where we went and spoke to female students. some of them were wearing their jeans and t-shirts with their heads uncovered. others were wearing the head scarves and some others were wearing the full veil covering their face and those are the ones who are going to be affected by the decision and those are the ones who are angry with the decision saying that it's their free choice to wear the veil and to continue higher education. others were supportive of the decision and said that it is a civilized decision because any woman who wants to wear the veil can wear it outside the university. syria is a secular country by constitution and through this decision is government is

perfecting its secular identity especially at this time where the society is becoming more and more conservative. >> here in europe, a greek investigative journalist has been shot dead in atheps. police are searching for two or three gunmen who masqueraded as security personnel and call at the home of the man. they fired when he opened the door. colleagues say he was just about to publish the results of a corruption investigation. police say a file left extremist -- far left extremist group is likely to blame. >> socrates giollias had a substantial penchant for. he was about to publish the results of an inquiry. condemning his murder the journalist said someone want to silence a very good reporter who had stepped on a lot of toes with his stories. the government unreservedly condemns the cowardly and cold

blooded murder. democracy and freedom of speech cannot be gagged, can be terrorized or threatened. the appropriate authorities have already taken on the case with the goal of arresting the perpetrators of this heinous grime. >> he was near to his death outside his home in the atheenian suburbs. police are looking for two or three gunmen who masquerading as security personnel called at his apartment and summoned him downstairs claiming that someone had stolen his car. when he came to the door, they opened fire with pistols. he was struck by more than a dozen bullets. >> there were a series of sots. we came into our balcony which wasn't a good idea but the shooting stopped and then it continued. >> according to police the indications are this was a terrorist attack. they say ballistic tests showed the bullets came from a gun used in a previous murder by a group called the sect of revolutionaries which threatened in the past to kill journalists.

police have taken away the journalist's computer to see if they can determine where he was targeted. bbc news, athens. >> safe deposit boxes believed to contain manuscripts by franz kafka were opened today in zurich. it's the latest twist in a legal battle over who opens these valuable documents. >> franz kafka is considered one of the most important and influential writers of the 20th century. born to middle class jewish parents in prague his work includes elements of magic realism, modernism and exist enginesism. but it's sat irization of bureaucracy which features prom ineptly in some of his best known titles including "the cassel" and "the trial." >> who could they 2450es men be? what were they talking about? what authority would they represent? >> israel is laying claim to

the missing papers on the grounds that since he was jewish, it's part of its state cultural heritage. but two israeli sisters hope to sell the manuscripts which they claim was were inherited from their mother, secretary to kafka's editor and close friend. whatever the outcome the unknown manuscripts will surely bring new light to a writer whose work continues to be a source of confusion and philosophical discussion in both academic and popular arenas. >> you're watching "bbc world news." still to come -- >> he wants to be able to take his own life at a time that he chooses. >> tony nick lynnson was almost totally paralyzed during a stroke. now he wants the law to allow him to die. britain's prime minister david cameron has been giving details about his plans to create what

he calls a big society. under the scream community and voluntary groups would take over the running of some public services. >> the big society. is it a dramatic transfer of power as david cameron says from white should hall to the people or is it about saving the government money? from liverpool where david cameron's big idea has supporters. it's one of four areas to put the big society into action. he denied it was driven by saving money saying instead it was a huge shift in thinking. >> we've got the biggest budget deficit in the g-20. and over the past decade many of our most pressing social problems have actually got worse. so it's time for something different. something bold. something that doesn't just pour money down the throat of wasteful top-down government schemes. the big society is that something different and bold. >> how will it work? money to fund it will come from dormant bank and building society accounts.

the projects will be run by unpaid local community organizers. and civil servants will help get the initiatives working. liverpool has seen major regeneration in recent years but what will people think of taking community 3r07b8gs into their own hands? >> you can have your own say. it's not for the people to decide, the other people, you've got a voice there. >> to me the big society is a load of volunteers doing things for free. >> sounds a little bit like he's trying to cut costs by getting local volunteers to run some of the services that maybe would be better done by professionals in that area. >> some were impressed. other big society profits the government knows fail, but in this age of austerity i it will give people a sense of power over their own lives. bbc news, liverpool. >> this is "bbc world news." these are the top stories so

far today. government meeting in afghanistan, a taliban contact warns no preconditions for talks, but the u.s. government says there must be a frank exchange. and the b b.p. has been given 4 hours to check the cap after reports of methane leaking from the ocean floor. a head-on crash between commuter trains in india has killed at least 60 people. it's thought an express train plowed into another train waiting at a station at the time in the early hours of monday morning. more than 100 people were injured. we have an update from delhi. >> rescue teams working at the crash site trying to force their way into the wreckage and trying to reach those trapped inside. the impact of the crash was so severe, that one coach was lifted clear of the tracks and

into a bridge overhead. others were mangled beyond recognition. cranes are being used to clear the debris and help with the relief operation. the accident occurred when the express which was headed to calcutta collided with the stationary express. the carriages worst affected were the ones at the back, filled to capacity with low-fare paying passengers. many of them headed into the city after a weekend at home. local rezz departments were first at the scene helping to carry out the injured. many have stayed on to help the rescue workers and security forces that have been sent in. it's still not clear what caused the crash. an investigation is due to be launched to try and determine why both trains were on the same track and whether it was human error or a failure of equipment. bbc news, delhi . >> staying in india, so many of

the to indians homeownership has long been about their reach but for a lucky few it's about to change. the government wants the private sector to bill more cheap housing. companies are coming away to with ways to make the sums add up. >> chinese food at his stall, a good patch and it brings in a decent living. he doesn't know exactly how much he earns, but he's still been able to get a loan and that's allowed him to buy his own flat. >> everyone needs a house if you're going to survive in mumb eye. with no house you can do nothing. if you have one, you can manage. you can make your way in mumbai. >> builders have turned their sights on this growing demand for cheap homes.

the company went back to basics, rethinking its construction techniques to keep costs to a minimum. the aim -- to make flats that are decent, cheap, and also profitable. >> this is the flat in one of the local housing blobs. a place like this would cost about $15,000 to buy. now for a family it might seem quite small but the whole place has been designed to make as efficient use of space as possible. for example plenty of extra room in the kitchen for sleeping. because there is just one bedroom. you can spend a little less and buy the open plan version. perhaps most importantly it features many things you don't find in slum housing. running water, built-in electricity and a bathroom. demand for a place here has been high. but there's one other reason these flats are so cheap -- they're a long way from the city. most of those who live here will work locally or face a

long commute. >> i don't think people mind commuting 1 1/2, hours, sloppings it's a safe compute. they don't have a house. their desire to own a house is so overwhelming that they don't mind sacrificing two hours of their lives in commuting. i mean yes, there will be some woolly headed people that think you have to have local in the city, it's not possible. >> india needs millions to rehouse those who live on the streets or in makeshift slums. but for the country to see an end to housing like this will need construction on a vast scale. and as builders set about that task, city life won't really get any cheaper. the cities themselves will just get bigger. bbc news, mumbai. >> in the u.k. a man who is almost totally paralyzed is taking legal action what would

happen to his wife if she helped him to end his life. 56-year-old tony nicklinson in the west of engine has locked-in syndrome. he suffered a stroke and now can only move his head and eyes and swallow. he wants the director of public prosecutions to issue guidelines to clarify the legal position. mel correspondent fergus walsh. >> tony can't talk. he commune indicates with his wife jane through nodding his head or blinking. paralyzed from the neck down following a stroke he wants jane to be allowed to help him to die. she read out a statement he dictated. >> i need help in almost every aspect of my life. i cannot scratch if i itch, i cannot pick my nose, i cannot only eat if i'm fed like a baby. only i won't grow out of it up like the baby. >> the couple who have two daughters have started a legal action asking the dpp whether

she would be charged if she injected him with a lethal drug dose. >> he wants to be able to take his own life at a time that he chooses. he wants the same right as everyone else. you or i can go out and commit suicide. he can't. that right was taken away the day he had his stroke. >> it was a legal victory by the campaigner debbie purdy which forced the d.p.p. to clarify the law, setting out mitigating circumstances where prosecution would be against the public interest such as where the victim was determined to die. the new guidance on assisted suicide does not extend to so-called mercy killing or euthanasia. actively taking someone's life would lead to charges of murder or manslaughter if you live in wales and homicide in scotland. ultimately such cases end up before juries and the d.p.p. is

likely to want that system to remain unchanged and some argue amending the law would send the wrong signals. >> we would oppose any change in the law on the grounds it sends a signal some lives are less worthy of protection than others. what would be an option for a vocal minority to choose might in time become an obligation for a very vulnerable majority. >> tony, who was once a keen rugby player says he now needs help with everything. his case pushes the boundaries on assisted dying and might perhaps establish where there is a legal right to die. fergus walsh, bbc news. >> the air show, the biggest of its kind is under way in britain and the biggest aircraft makers, boeing and airbus have announced orders worth over $15 billion. they're seen as a sign the aviation industry is on the way back up after a dire two-year slump. from a the air show, nigel

cassidy sends this report. >> welcome to the first detroit day is in full flood now with expectations that maybe by the end of this week about 400 new planes will be ordered here. a lot of interest for example in the airbus a-400 and the military transporter from airbus finally here and flying for the first time. with me now here is rom wayneshill. what do you think the mood is going to be in terms of orders and the general feel of things? >> what a difference a year makes. last year was a very bleak period. now we're seeing resurgence, travel levels above the peak in 2008, growth is happening throughout the world particularly from the developing economies, in fact, last year we had intraasia traffic eclipse north american travel for the first type. 2k3457bd is not just the middle east, coming out of lat up

american people america, turkey has been very strong. >> this new mood experienced in the industry is music to the ears of planemakers like boeing. >> i 24i both from airbus and boeing this week you'll hear a lot of orders announced. i think we're starting to see the upswing of a cycle. we're talking to a lot of customers we haven't talked to in many, many years. we think that ridership is up. i think that's something everybody understands. we think that customers that we have will be profitable this year or next year. and we're going to sell at a lot of airplanes over the next five or six years. >> earlier all eyes were on boeing's 7878 7 dreamliner entering the airspace for the first time. it's superefficient but two years late. 860 orders but admitted the first deliveries may slip into next year. so there it is, the 878

dreamliner has arrived safely here and it's that and also the arrival here of the a-400-m transporter from airbus. it is symbolizes something of a revival for the air show. last year in paris very few orders. the previous year here in fombra orders from the middle east. this time there will be a more balanced range of orders from airlines all over the world. nigel cassidy, "bbc world news." >> a recap of our top stories. the afghan president karzai used to hosting major siments designed to help his country achieve a secure 23u9 will be asking for greater control of his multibillion-dollar aid budget in return he's promising to take on more responsibility for security. find that story and all our top stories on our revamped relaunched web s ste, bbc.com/news. >> hello and welcome.

>> see the news unfold. get the top stories from around the globe. and click the play video report. go the bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth reporting of "bbc world news" ontline. >> funding was made possible by -- >> the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a

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