>> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. funding for this presentation is 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, union bank, and siemens. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> somewhere in america, there

is a doctor who can peer into the future. there is a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital is working together, there is a family that can breathe easy right now. somewhere in america we have already answered some of the nation's toughest health care questions. and the over 60,000 people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens, answers. >> france in disgrace, the eu commission threatens paris with legal action over is deportation of the roma minority. instability threatens to destabilize the peace talks before it even starts. welcome to bbc world news

broadcast to you on pbs in america. coming up later for you. what happens when india's baby boomers get old? the extraordinary life of one british woman who kept the secrets of her life hidden until the day she died. >> it is not often that you see one of the european union's members reprimanded by brussels but the justice commissioner has described the deportation of roma gypsies as a disgrace and probably in the breach of eu law. france has disrupted more than 100 of their camps and has exported more than 1000 back to

romania. >> before dawn, the french police ruth -- move into the roman camp as the families are taken away. many are given 300 euros to leave the country. the french government says that they are leaving voluntarily. the people say that they are being deported because of their ethnic background and in a strongly worded attack against france from the eu commission, they agree. >> i am appalled by a situation that gave the impression that the people are being removed by a member state of the european union is because they belong to an ethnic minority. this is a situation i have thought that europe would not have to witness again after the second world war. >> the commission acted after a french government document leaked to the press showed that the roma were being targeted by

the french police. the commission is accusing the french government of lying. the minister said he was telling the truth and he did not see the document concerned. >> i did not know about the existence of this memo. this is not a way for me to clear my name but this was not sent to me. i was alerted by the media this weekend and that is how i saw that memo. >> nonetheless, the eu commission has given the clearest possible symbol that they believe that the roma are being discriminated against. if the french to not change their policy, they will have to go to the eu department of justice. they could face a considerable fine if they did not treat the roma like other citizens. >> the israeli prime minister and the palestinian present have

begun a serious discussion on the disputes between their people according to the american envoy, george mitchell. our correspondent was there. >> this is the city of peace as it calls itself or maybe it should be called the city of analyst peace talks. israeli and palestinian leaders met for the second time in two weeks after two years of silence. hillary clinton was there person to persuade and it to cajole as the united states fights to keep up the momentum. she is eager to talk up the prospects to silence and the doubters. it george mitchell gave a good assessment after the first session of talks. >> all of us reaffirm our commitment to reaching a shared goal for the just, lasting, and lasting peace. >> -- proper peace.

>> the issue that is sticking is the settlements. the palestinians are threatening to walk away unless there is no more settlements. the israelis say this is not possible. the prime minister is pinned in by a coalition pressing him not to give ground. how much progress is made on the issue has not emerged. the parties have sat together for two long sessions and will return to jerusalem for more talks tomorrow. so, no big announcements and the best anyone can hope for is that they are continuing. there will be many long hard days of communications and negotiation if this is to bear fruit. >> she has been held in solitary confinement for more than a year but today the u.s. female hiker was reported -- was released

from iran. she and her companions were accused of spying. they insist that they got lost in iraq. according to her mother, she has been denied treatment for serious health problems. her comrades will remain in iran for more than two months. >> after more than a year in jail, sarah shourd is free. >> this is a huge relief for me. on want to thank every official and individual that is involved in this process. -- i want to thank every official and individual that is involved. >> her two fellow hikers are being held. >> my first priority is to gain the freedom of my friends because they don't deserve to be imprisoned anymore. >> iran says that she was

released on bail of half a million dollars but it is not clear who paid the money or how. president ahmadinejad is reported to have wanted the release as prisoners being held elsewhere. the judge demanded that the bill be paid. >> she has a lump in her throat. this is new. i am concerned that she could have cancer. >> the three americans were detained on the mountainous border between northern iraq and iran on suspicious of spine. they say that they are innocent hikers who crossed over by mistake. their arrests became another source of tension in the american relationship with iran. >> these are three innocent kids who committed no crime. all three of them should be released and released

immediately by the iranian government. >> sarah shourd is out but there is no word on release or bail for the other hikers. >> the afghan central bank has taken over the country's largest private institution. rumors of their and solvency sent thousands of people getting to secure savings. there was reports circulating of large losses possibly as high as $300 million. several senior directors and shareholders of the bank including president karzai's brother are to be investigated. the australian prime minister has been sworn into office. she is the first woman elected to the post out in the history of the country. back in france, presidents are cozy -- president sarkozy this

being sued by a newspaper that claims a breach of freedom law. they claim that the government used security forces to track down the source of a government leak. the upper house of the french parliament has passed a law prohibiting the use of the islamic viel in public. -- veil in public. the european court of human rights has said that turkey must pay $170,000 in compensation to the family of the editor of a kurdish newspaper who was shot dead in istanbul. turkey has not fulfilled their obligation to protect him despite promises to do so. george michael has been jailed for 8 weeks.

he confessed to crashing his car while under the influence of cannabis. he was found slumped at the wheel of his car when it went into a shop front in july. >> as well as the 8 week sentence, george michael was fined 1,250 pounds and banned from driving for five years. george michael arrived in court and knowing that a prison term was a possibility. one of the reasons large numbers gathered here for the sentencing of one of music's biggest names. the 47-year-old had already pleaded guilty for crashing into a north london shop while on fit to drive because of the influence of cannabis and a prescription drug. >> ♪ wake me up before you go

>> this is a shocking turn for one of the most successful british musician. he came to prominence as a member of the pop duo wham. the group had four number 1 singles. if anything, his subsequent solo career was more successful and he regularly reached the top of the charts. more significantly, he managed to recreate his u.k.'s success in america and around the globe. his album "faith,' sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. people wonder how his career will be affected. >> it has been damaged. for the moment, he is in the real danger of being remembered for a man who went to jail for having a drug problem. >> after today's events, it

means that this man who has unique talents is just one of many serving a prison sentence in british jails. after a few years out of the musical spotlight, george michael has started to write again. if he can put his prison experience behind him, and eventually we will see him back in the charts. >> an inquiry has rejected claims that authorities in northern ireland were at the fault of the murder of a military leader. the leader was killed by a republican inmates in prison. this is the case that goes back to one of the darkest times in northern ireland history. >> he was known as king ralph. he lived a life of violence and he knew the dangers.

within a year, he had been killed. he was shot dead while imprisoned. the jail was supposed to be one of the most secure in europe. one of the biggest mistakes was putting him in the same prison block as people who might want to kill him. he and other loyalist prisoners were on one side, republicans were on the other. the report said that this directly facilitated the murder. he was attacked in the courtyard while waiting to meet his girlfriend. three republican prisoners went through a pre cut hole and a security fence. they climbed onto the roof of their wing, opened the doors and then shot him seven times. conditions inside of the maze in

the late 1990's were like the world's in the world. prisoners were allowed to paint and the wall. they were not locked in their cells. this was a vitally important time in the peace process. with the negotiations going on on the outside, keeping column here on the inside was crucial. -- keeping calm here on the inside was crucial. billie wright was against the peace process. there was some discussion as to whether the security officials colluded with the murders. there was no evidence of this. they did conclude that he should have been better protected. there was no collusion. he was in the protective custody of the state at the time of his death. whatever horrendous crimes billy wright or the ldf committed, his

murder should never have happened. it was wrong and i'm sincerely sorry for participating in a system that facilitated his mother -- and his murder. >> his father was not pleased with the report. >> i welcome the findings that there were two regimes operating. there was one on paper and the grim reality of one in practice which led to billy's death. >> the jail has been closed. most of it has been demolished. most believe that the real story of what happened behind those walls will probably never be known. >> good to have you with us on "bbc world news."

she kept her secret to the end. revelations of the wartime exploits of a british reclusive. the japanese prime minister has survived a leadership party challenge -- leadership challenge from his own party. >> the japanese prime ministers do not have a life -- long life expectancy. the current prime minister has only been in the job for three months and was already facing the first challenge to his leadership from this man. he is renowned for his work behind the scenes. he is credited for engineering the democratic party's landslide victory last year. members of parliament and the party have to choose who would lead the democrats and therefore the country. the vote was too close to call. in the end, the prime minister won by a larger margin than

expected even if only half of the parliament supported him. the yen soared to a 15-year high against the dollar. china is overtaking japan to become the world's second- biggest economy. there are many challenges facing government especially as they lost control of the upper house earlier this year. japan has said 5 per ministers in four years. the previous leader was a man who led the democrats to election victory breaking 50 years of almost complete conservative rule. he had promised to move the american air base off of okinawa but he could not deliver so this cost him his job. with such a strong support among the parliament, his influence will remain. bring in the party together and then cutting deals to get his

loss to parliament are a hurdle that the current prime minister faces if he hopes to drag japan out of the doldrums. >> the latest headlines for you. the european union's justice commissioner has described the french government's expulsion of roma migrants as a disgrace and probably a breach of the law. the latest round of peace talks have started to address jewish settlements and the future of jerusalem. let's take you further along pakistan's river, indus. we have been dropping back on those people who are struggling to rebuild their lives in the wake of the flood. we have been traveling the length of the indus starting

where it all began. >> this was one of the places that was affected by the flood early on. there was a huge loss of life, many people injured, and many people lost their lives. -- lost their homes. they are claiming that the government is not giving them what they need. this is a group as you can see here, these are doctors. they are seeing patients. this group is a silly with the islamic organization. -- is affiliated with an islamic organization. this group is banned. these people are not concerned about that. they have said that these organizations should not be judged by what the media has said. they accuse the media of spreading lies. they say instead to look at

what they do on the ground. there are many people are worried that groups like this are taking advantage of a time like this when so many people are in need. >> you can follow liam on his journey any time on line. you will find a journal, daily experiences, and much more. at least 40 people have been killed and two drawn attacks in the northwest pakistan. the strike date what authorities say were military targets. it is believed that american missiles were involved. now to a subject that strikes a chord across the globe, how will we able -- how will we be able to afford our old age? india is a relatively young country but they have 100 million old people.

how will india pay for this? they don't have a social security program. that presents the pensions industry with a huge market that has yet to be taken it and adjust. >> there are 80,000 drivers in new delhi. many of them drive the vehicle all day to make little more than $200 a month. this helps him to pay the mortgage and feed his family. none of these people have retirement benefits or pension plans. >> it is tough. i'm worried about when i grow old. many of us cannot afford to stop working. i hope that it will keep driving. >> this is a young country with a huge working population but many are headed to their old age with no savings.

90% comes from low income workers with no pension schemes. now they can easily sink backed below the poverty line in their old age. many of them are now in a program where there vehicles will carry messages from sponsors. the money will be put into a retirement fund. experts feel. live at the nationwide security system poses a serious risk to the economy. >> even today we have twice the number of elders that we have as taxpayers. this will double in the next 20 years. i don't see taxpayers being able

to carry three or four pensioners on their backs. >> longer life expectancy means that more people will need support. there is no doubt that the potential markets for pensions in india is much larger and a will be a challenging task to create products that are tailor- made for the market. >> you will find much more on our website bbc.com/news. also our paris correspondent reports on that the french battle on pension reform. they would like to raise the retirement age to 62. finally, the news on an elderly

woman who died alone. there was a remarkable secret that was only discovered after her death. for years, she operated as an agent in occupied europe and an early and repeatedly avoided capture. -- and narrowly and repeatedly avoided capture. >> to neighbors, she was a lady who kept to herself. she died alone and are flat last week. it was only then that her life as a secret agent was revealed. >> she would play with the cats, get the paper, chat with the kids. "she would never mentioned early life? >> you never know who you live next door to. >> documents found inside of her flat revealed the truth. she was one of a handful of british women who were trained as spies and set -- and sent to occupied france.

there, she was captured by the ss and tortured before she escaped. >> to she was tortured horribly. they stripped naked and the foerster head into the water until she almost drowned. they did this repeatedly. -- they stripped her naked and they forced her head into the water. >> she had no known relatives. she was going to have a pauper's funeral and be buried in a council grave. a number of benefactors have come forward to pay for a funeral more than sitting for a war where when. >> she showed courage on behalf of the country and this is honored and respected. >> a full funeral service will be held next week. tonight, a distant relative to come forward to say this she

wanted her ashes to be scattered at sea. >> you will find it much more on this story and all of the other news any time on line at bbc.com/news. you can get ahold of me and most of the team on twitter. you can also see what we are doing on facebook. the eu justice commissioner has described the expulsion of roma from france as probably a breach of the law. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, union bank, and siemens.

>> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> somewhere in america, there is a doctor who can peer into the future. there is a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital is working together, there is a family that can breathe easy right now. somewhere in america we have already answered some of the nation's toughest health care questions. and the over 60,000 people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens, answers. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.