what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." more lives devastated by the floods in pakistan. officials now say 12 million people are suffering. pakistan's president is in britain. the was in charge of the crisis back home? -- who is in charge of the crisis back home? >> it is the prime minister's responsibility, and he is fulfilling his responsibility. >> 65 years after the world's first atomic bomb attack, hiroshima stops to remember it's dead. a very warm welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, city of smog, this is moscow. you have to take our word for a. -- you have to take our word for

it. hello. as pakistan's leaders are saying, the loss of life and infrastructure is colossal. the worst of it will only be known when the flood waters recede. after week of the most severe monsoon rains in living memory, the latest estimates suggest 12 million people have been affected, at least 1600 killed. now the water is moving to the south and more heavy rain is forecast this weekend. >> the flood is consuming a village after village. this is southern punjab. local people risk their lives to stay with their livestock. in the end, they were forced to

go. officials say it is the biggest disaster in pakistan's history. tonight, the man who president zardari says is control back home asks the world for help. >> at this time of crisis, i would like to appeal to the international community to support pakistan and help alleviate the suffering of the flood-affected people. >> the suffering is spreading. as the raging waters are rising, because of the latest rains. the river is already swollen and the steady downpour is making things worse. the floodwaters are moving swiftly downstream, putting more communities under threat. every downpour like this means that relief operations have to stop, helicopters cannot fly, and the forecast is grim. there is more rain predicted in the coming days. at least 1600 people have

already lost their lives, 650,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, and over 12 million people have been affected so far by what has been called the flood of the century. some say that their only hope is outside help. >> please help us. i give you an s.o.s. please save our souls. >> some are fleeing for the second time. these villagers were driven out first by an army offensive against the militants. now nature is the enemy. her latest victim is the southern province of sindh. half a million people have been evacuated. this is the birthplace of president zardari. many are asking how he could stay away all his nation suffers some much -- stay away while his

nation suffer so much. president zardari was talking today with british prime minister. they agreed to intensify their cooperation on at fighting terrorism, despite david cameron's suggestion on his recent visit to india that some elements of pakistan face both ways on terrorism and have been exporting it. >> a calm country house retreat for the prime ministers. today, they seemed eager to push that it is time to make up and move on. neither president nor prime minister detracted anything they had to say about what each accused the other of failing to fight violent extremism. but today, the language after the talks was soothing. >> we want to work together to combat terrorism, to keep troops safe in afghanistan, and keep people safe on the streets of britain.

that is the priority of our government. we will work together in this enhanced, strategic partnership. >> pakistan and britain stand together and face all the difficulties with dignity. >> the two leaders departed after agreeing to some new initiatives. regular summits, closer security coordination. president zardari still rejects the analysis that most terror plot against britain are hatched in his country. >> i don't think it has any roots in pakistan. i have always maintained it does not evolve in pakistan. >> in the midst of his country's flood disaster, what about growing criticism of the president's refusal to drop his british visit and rush home to pakistan? >> i am the one who is given

the powers under the institute of parliament. parliament is in session, the senate is in session. it is the prime minister's responsibility, and he is fulfilling his responsibility. >> president zardari is apologizing for nothing. is 9 days cents david cameron accused of -- accused pakistan of facing both ways on terrorism. have they simply papered over deep differences? >> i think it is good that they have come away saying that things have settled down. that suggests that the relationship is on a sound and realistic footing. >> and being realistic about relations with pakistan involves accepting harsh reality. president zardari's powers are limited and his stay in britain

during the disaster at home has damaged him. flash flooding has killed about 90 people in india's kashmir. heavy rainfall has hit the mountainous region. the indian army has launched a major rescue operation. the former head of nelson mandela's children's fund said he did not receive uncut diamonds from model naomi campbell. it is alleged that she received the gems 13 years ago from mr. taylor, which could link him to illegal blood diamonds. the chief executive of hewlett-packard has resigned following allegations of sexual harassment. he has been the leader since 2005. they said investigations suggested there was no violation of company policy but found a violation of standards of

business conduct. french police have cleared about 100 people out of a camp, the first clarence since president sarkozy announced plans to -- the first clearance since president sarkozy announced plans to close about 300 camps. the government has been accused of victimizing gypsy travelers, but opinion polls suggest eight out of 10 french. citizen french. health officials are warning people to stay indoors as the worst wildfire in its history blank to the capital in small. people have been wearing face masks even in their homes and offices and there are suggestions it could stay this way until next month. >> a day of permanent gray twilight in the russian capital. the smoke is so thick that cars need their headlights from dawn to dusk. and the city's most historic and colorful buildings were

turned into ghostly silhouettes. this is by far the worst we have had here in the russian capital, and behind me is the kremlin. most of it has disappeared from view because the visibility is down to, at most, a couple hundred meters. and yet, out of the gloom, red square, scenes of typical russian stoicism -- newlywed couples having traditional wedding photos by the kremlin, even if the background has disappeared. >> despite the smoke and heat, they truly love each other. they will always be happy. everyone should always have a smile on their face. >> but for most, this is the grimmest of days. masks are now a common sight on the streets here. people are concerned about their health.

with pollution levels at their highest in 100 years, the masks are getting hard to find. telephone operators have been taking hundreds of calls from people desperate for advice about what they should do. >> they are advising people not to travel to moscow, limit time outside, when you are outside, where masks. >> the device for those with children or who are pregnant is to consider leaving the city, with no clear idea when it would be able to return -- when they would be able to return. the japanese city of hiroshima has marked 65 years since a nuclear bomb was dropped on a. at the exact moment, a bell tolled to commemorate the 140 tease and people -- 140,000

people died that day. [bell tolls] >> a bell tolled to mark the exact moment the atomic bomb fell, and people of hiroshima stood in silence, 65 years on. among them, the american ambassador. never before has a country that dropped a bomb sent a representative. this is where the nuclear age began. there were promises to bring it to an end. >> let us realize our dream of a world without nuclear weapons, so that our children and all succeeding generations can be in freedom, security, and peace. >> the mushroom cloud could be seen for 100 miles. 140,000 people were killed immediately, others suffering

the effects of radiation. after the second atomic bomb in nagasaki, japan surrendered, bringing an end to the second world war. she woman in her 70's says must keep coming here because so many of her friends cannot come to pay homage at the memorial to the atomic bombing in hiroshima. she was among the few of her classmates to survive. this is the precise spot, the place where you were when the bomb went off? >> yes, right here. >> now a park, back then a street of houses, transformed in an instant into hell. >> i saw an aircraft vapor trail. the next thing i saw was the fireball. it happened all of a sudden. there was no warning. >> as on the night after the bombing, people have come to the

river. this was the only place 65 years ago that they could get relief from the terrible burns. many died in the water. people here see their city, risen from ruins, as a warning to the world -- that the destruction visited upon them should never happen again. stay with us if you can on "bbc world news." still to come, the annual battle to pull in the audience at the world's largest arts festival. first, an 11-year-old boy had it pioneering treatment to rebuild his windpipe using stem cell technology. doctors managed to get the stem cells to grow on a donors when a

pipe and it was transit planted back into the boy's body -- on a donor's windpipe and it was transplanted back into the boy's body. >> this is the first child ever to undergo a pioneering at windpipe transplant. and has saved his life and has been described as a kind of miracle. >> we are very grateful. we have our boy back. >> he was born with a life- threatening condition, which narrows the windpipe. it meant that his was just a millimeter wide. previous attempts to correct it failed and the transplant was his only hope. this is where he underwent life- saving surgery. the procedure is so rare and groundbreaking that the doctors talk to an italian expert for help. he had carried out the only other successful windpipe

transplant in history. this transplant relied on stem cells, which can change into any type of cells. doctors cleaned the windpipe, leaving the bair structure, and -- leaving the bare structure, and then put stem cells on it. >> it has gone better than we had hoped. he is left with a healthy organ made from stem cells. that is a kind of merkel. >> at just 11 years old, he has spent a great deal of time in hospitals. he will still need regular checkups. but the operation has changed his life and as a landmark in stem cells surgery. -- and is a landmark in stem cells surgery. pakistan's flood crisis. now the government says 12 million people are affected by the worst monsoon rains in

living memory. pakistan's president zardari is in britain, fending off criticism that he should return to his country at such a time of crisis. in saudi arabia, hundreds of thousands of people with blackberry smart phones could not use them today went authorities switched off the service. the government is threatening to ban the services in a fight over access to people's personal information. >> to some, it is an essential tool for business. the governments in the middle east, this mobile phone is a threat to national security. the blackberry has been at the center of a fight over privacy and terrorism, and it and saudi arabia today, the dispute came to a head. this morning, email and messaging services shot down for several hours. there were finally restored, but many say it was a show of force from saudi arabia that they

could and would enforce a ban. the dispute began here, just across the gulf and saudi arabia, in dubai. authorities here where the first to raise concerns about blackberry security. they say they will enforce the of ban if the company does not hand over information. many businesses here are not questioning why the government still needs to monitor and intercept their private messages. >> most countries already have this legislation in place. we have it in the u.k., the americans have similar legislation. what you are seeing is more countries walking up to the fact that some of these new technologies don't allow them to snoop effectively on the messages that are sent around. many of them see it as a problem for national security. >> india, algeria, and not indonesia say they want access,

too. for the firm that makes them, it is a difficult choice. >> they have to make sure they sustained security, but clearly they cannot afford the domino effect if the government and regulatory authorities said it will not allow the devices to be used. >> in saudi arabia, the deadline has come and gone and blackberries are still working. that has provoked speculation a deal was struck between the sides, a deal that would avoid a ban, but raise more questions about government attempts to monitor what we do. two decades after referendum vote to close it down, italy is planning to reopen its nuclear power industry. the government says it has no choice if it is to cut back on co2 emissions and provide enough electricity for the country. opponents say the nuclear option is not safe and the alternative

renewable sources of power are available. >> opening up before closing down, this nuclear power station south of rome still is protected by ram-proof security, soon to be bulldozed into history. inside, the demolition crews are at work, carefully tearing the heart out of the former reactor. this is one of four nuclear plants that used to provide italy's electricity, now decommissioned. this was italy's first nuclear power station, built back in the early 1960's. the italian government says it is time to return to nuclear power to satisfy the country's energy needs. many italians are not convinced about the safety, and wonder if the government has considered all the alternatives. it was the chernobyl disaster in the ukraine over two decades

ago that brought italy's nuclear power industry to an end. within a year of this accident, electricity generation in italy would be transformed. that is because the future of the industry was put to referendum. 80% of italians voted to abandon nuclear power. from 1987 onwards, italy opted to import gas and coal. nuclear was neutralized. but now the energy equation is to change. the government is to build eight new nuclear power stations to generate 25% of the country's electricity, something industry experts say the alternative renewables simply cannot match. >> nuclear is not the solution for everything, but without it, we cannot solve this. >> today, europe's nuclear map

looks like this, a landscape filled with power stations. italy is blank. now the italian government has passed a law to sidestep the referendum result. they say it has to change for the sake of the environment and provide enough energy for homes and energy. >> nuclear is not the complete solution. but there is no solution without nuclear energy. that is why we have been focusing on green energy and nuclear power. it will help provide jobs. just 30 years ago, italy was at the forefront of nuclear energy. >> but with the sites for the new plants to be revealed, an ambitious anti-nuclear campaign is underway, greenpeace spearheading with all-day protests like this. they say that wind, sun, and wave power need more investment, and nuclear power is

deemed as dangerous and unnecessary. >> we lose the opportunity to go to the future of energy. we will wait 15 years on the nuclear plants and we lose an opportunity for italy. >> as other countries are expanding their nuclear industries, italy is dismantling its old one and starting again. an opportunity to get it right in a world facing climate change and declining resources, or misguided policy that diminishes the importance of alternatives? decades from now, we will know. duncan kennedy, bbc news, rome. it is already the world's biggest arts festival, but this

year there are more performers and shows than ever before, nearly 2500. it is all just getting under way. >> it is claimed there are over 21,000 performers here. some may make it. >> buy tickets to the shows. >> most will not. in gloomy times, edinburgh offers hope. >> edinburgh is the place to be in august. the center of the entertainment industry moves from london to edinburgh. >> the scale is startling -- more than 2400 different shows, 40,000 performances in three weeks. they make 75 million pounds per year from this, and performers know it is a chance to show what they have.

>> i just love the audience so much. i just want to get back to that kind of input from the people. the whole city is absolutely blazing with energy and an appetite for the theater. that is what the people come for from all over the world. >> of course, there is no quality control here. >> let's not kid around, some of the stuff is good, and you never forget it for all the right reasons, but there are moments of my life that i will resent forever and i want to get back. >> however, it can work. an impromptu performance at a new venue, dangling 100 feet over edinburgh. at a time when work may seem to be a luxury, it seems more and more are taking their chance

here on show business. >> ♪ take my breath away take my breath away ♪ hear something that does not happen very often. the jamaican triple olympic gold medalist bolt has been beaten in the 100 meters. tyson gay won the clash. bolt was second. he has been struggling with his form and injuries all year. a little chap is going to be one of the giants of the animal world. this african elephant, so far unnamed, weighed in at 112 kilometers and measured 93 centimeters to the top of his ears.

visitors will have to wait awhile to see him as he is kept in an enclosed area, separated from his mother. thank you for being with us on "bbc world news." >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold. get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> 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 offers unique insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center -- >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. [woman vocalizing] >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> ♪ the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home ♪ >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.