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>> time to buy that new hat -- prince william and kate middleton announced they are to marry next year. massively big surprise, but i took crowd somewhere nice in kenya and proposed. >> the prince gave his fiancee princess diana's engagement ring. he said he did not want his mother to miss out on the excitement. european finance ministers meet to discuss the debt crisis. ireland says it's country does not be a bailout. very warm welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs and around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- payback time -- 16 former guantanamo detainees secure millions of dollars in compensation from britain's government. past conflicts in afghanistan force the question can the

allies succeed where so many others have fallen? >> it is making headlines around the world. when a passing duchess tells tv cameras that it is wicked news, you know it is officially glad tidings of great year. britain's royal air, prince william, is to marry kate middleton , the girlfriend he met at university. the only thing he ask for when his mother died was her safire engage and rang. he has now given it to his fiancee. >> the first sight of prince william, the couple engaged to be married. a blitz of flashlight for a man -- the men and women have known each other for 11 years and have decided to move on to marriage.

>> can you tell us how prince william proposed to you? can you spare us know details? >> we had a wonderful holiday in africa. [inaudible] >> it did he get down on one knee? >> so how does she feel a lot joining the royal family? . it's a daunting prospect i will take it in my stride. william is a great teacher. >> prince william has given her his mother's engagement ring, the gesture is a poignant reminder both of princess

diana's tragic death at a marriage that failed. >> as you may recognize, it is my mother's engagement ring. it's very special to me. it is my way of making sure my mother did not miss out on today and the fact we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. >> no doubting the prince of wales pleasure today, even if there was a hint he had expected his son's engagement long ago. >> let me ask your reaction? >> its been a long enough. >> i'm so happy for both of them. they are so happy. >> the prime minister came out of no. 10 to give his reaction. >> i was given the news in a cabinet meeting. i've given a piece of paper and i announced it in the cabinet

meeting and there is a great year that went up and a great banging on the table. >> the formal announcement is short on detail about the wedding itself, both the date and venue. but it does make clear that prince william and ms. middleton became a gauge in october. he also set the formal permission of her father to marry her and they will start their married life with him continuing his career with raf search and rescue helicopter pilots in north wales. they first met nine years ago when he arrived as a student at st. andrews university in scotland. both started out studying the history of art. she certainly caught his eye at a charity student fashion show. the prince paid 200 pounds for a pot -- for a front-row seat. they lived together in a flat, then to a farmhouse on the edge of st. andrews or they could have more privacy.

>> william of wales. >> the same graduation ceremony -- some about their relationship would not survive the transition from university to the wider world. but william made clear he was i going to be rushed into marriage justice for his father's wedding. he was asked of his own romantic intention. >> could a wedding be in the cards perhaps some time? >> know, i have been so. >> by 2006, the relationship to be firm. when he passed from his officer training course, she was a special guest at an event attended by the queen and other senior members of the royal family. the relationship survived a split in 2007 and she was there again when he received his wings at cromwell. three years on, the prince has put the question that her parents are free to speak for the first time. >> i would just like to say

carol and i are absolutely delighted by today's announcement. i'm thrilled at the prospect of a wedding sometime next year. as you know, catherine and prince william have been going up together for quite a number of years, which is great for us because we've got to know william very well. we all think he is wonderful and we're extremely fond of him. they make a lovely couple. they're great fun to be with and we've had a lot of laughs together. we wish them every happiness for the future. thank you. >> this evening, the focus is on a newly engaged couple, a young man destined when they to became and a young woman moving from everyday life to a future as probably princess catherine. with a unique combinations of pressure and rewards that brings. >> prince william and kate milton comply for every request for an interview, it would be

talking until next year. tom bradley reviewed the couple -- interviewed the couple asked how he proposed. >> we were on holiday in kenya and at private time away together. i decided it was the right time. we had been talking about marriage for a while, so was a mass of the big surprise. i took her out somewhere nice and proposed. >> you knew you were going to do this from day one of the holiday? >> i had been planning a for a while, but it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. i was planning it and it felt really right. in africa, it was beautiful. >> did you see this coming?

>> not at all. we were out with friends and i didn't think that at all. it was a total shock and i'm very excited. >> did you produce the ring in there and then? >> i had been carrying it around in my rucksack for three weeks and i literally would not let it go. i knew if i lost i would be in a lot of trouble. stories lot of horror but it went really well. >> is the family request mark >> yes. it is my mother's engagement ring. she's not going to be around to share the excitement, so this is my old way of keeping her close to it all. >> we best have a look at. >> i am reliably informed is

sapphire and diamond, but i'm sure everyone recognizes it from previous times. >> it is a very, very special. >> you both look incredibly happy and relaxed. >> we are. very calm on the surface but kicking under water. relief and, especially the last two or three weeks have been difficult, keeping it to ourselves. it's nice to assure. >> you have kept a secret. did you ask her dad what did he say? what did your parents say when you tell them? >> i was torn between asking her dad first in the realization he actually might say no. i thought that -- i thought if i asked kate first that he could not say no. i managed to speak to mike soon

after that happened. then it sort of happened from there. >> what did your mom say? >> she was absolutely over the moon and had -- i knew -- i came back from scotland and my mother didn't make it clear to me whether she knew or not. so we stood there looking at each other feeling quite awkward about it. >> as the happy couple speaking on behalf for the whole queues of journalists. the british government is to pay compensation worth millions of dollars to 16 former detainees held american military presence in guantanamo bay. the settlement means that will be an independent inquiry into allegations of british complicity in the torture of suspects detained by other

countries. this report -- >> harks back to the chaos of war after 9/11. america invaded afghanistan and suspected terrorist were picked up across the region. what happens to them next became subject of a highly damaging claim for compensation which ministers have settled without admitting liability. >> the government has now agreed a mediated settlement of the civil damages claims brought by detainees held at guantanamo bay. the details of the settlement have been made subject to a legally binding confidentiality agreement. >> the most of this case is one was flown by americans to morocco where he said he was tortured and ask questions. mi5 say they did not know where he was being held. 15 other cases were held, all

claiming to british intelligence agencies had responsibility for their mistreatment. one is still in guantanamo bay. the total payment runs into the millions of pounds. ministers said they had to settle or the case would have cost tens of millions. >> ordinary decent people out there will think the world has gone mad what we have people making wild, and substantial, and -- allegations of torture. the victims of terrorism here in london -- it likes this case has proved a huge distraction for the intelligence agencies, tying up dozens of offices plowing through hundreds of thousands of documents. the scrutiny is not over yet. there will be an inquiry led by a judge and to the allegations of collusion and torture. >> the health ministry in haiti says at least 1000 people have died in the cholera epidemic sweeping the country.

more than 16,000 have been treated in hospital and it has reached all of every province. experts are concerned it could take hold if the spreads in the makeshift camps. 100,000 live in unsanitary conditions in the camps. stay with us. still to come, the south to secede from the north. what will a vote in sudan mean for the oil power and bloom? for people are being questioned over the fire in a shanghai high-rise that killed at least 53 people. according to state media, initial investigations into the blaze blame unlicensed welders. those being detained have not been identified. we have this report from shanghai. >> in shanghai, there is sorrow and anger. how could so many people lose their lives in a fire in the middle of a rich, modern city like this one?

the firefighting and rescue measures were adequate, this man says. all of the vehicles came but the rescue operation took too long. monday's blaze was caused by construction workers, officials believe. somehow, the bamboo scaffolding around the apartment block caught fire. the flames spread quickly to the upper reaches of the building. many residents were trapped, unable to escape, and fire hoses could not reach them. they were waving white sheets as the helicopter came. to drop a long rope down slowly. perhaps assist too hot. every room was on fire. the blaze was not brought under control until nightfall. the search for the remains for those who succumb to the smoke and flames.

locals and officials were asking what went wrong here. shanghai has building and safety regulations designed to prevent a serious loss of life. were they not enforced strictly enough? or the contracts cutting corners? or is the individual carelessness to blame? these are the questions that will lead to be answered. -- that will lead to be absurd. -- will need to be answered. >> the latest headlines -- prince william and his girlfriend about as they are to marry next year. european finance ministers are meeting to discuss the debt crisis -- the prime minister violent insists his country does not needed bailout. rival officials in sudan have reaffirmed their committed to a referendum on self-determination for the south. it is scheduled for in january. they were speaking at a high-

level meeting at the security council called to discuss the. one official said it was the most talent -- the most concerted challenge they face. voter registration is under way and the un has warned about the high risk of conflict that could bring. we have this report from the sudanese capital. >> teeing off in khartoum, surely not. you can play around of golf here. to avoid the scorching heat, they will turn the lights on city could play at night. it's all part of the changing face of the sudanese capital. compared to a few years ago, the city is barely recognizable, thanks to the oil boom. buildings have soared and a relatively modern city has emerged. the economic growth in khartoum is highly visible. most of it has happened in last 10 years when the oil has been flowing. but most of the oil is in the south of the country and its south sudan breaks away to form a new country, there is a fear

in the north that the economy could take quite a hit. close to the banks of the river nile, modern technology is used to create the perfect conditions for farming, an industry neglected as sudan became drunk on its own oil. the south is now likely to succeed and -- to secede and business leaders say it's a good time for the north to switch the focus to agriculture. >> we can get down to seriously investing and working on agricultural industry and mining and the things we have been wanting to do for some years but have been distracted by all of the political turmoil. >> the construction boom has provided work for migrants from all of the country, including hundreds of thousands of southern sudanese who fled the civil war.

what will their status be if the south breaks away? some northern politicians have suggested they will not be welcome to stay. but now, the government is seeking to reassure them. >> their rights of the south -- the southern cities will be protected. both southerners living in the north will be granted rights as visitors but not as citizens. >> we found southern sudanese families with their possessions preparing to head home after years in khartoum. the south is so undeveloped that they will face immense challenges. but with a lingering mistrust of the north, thousands have chosen to hit the road and start new lives in what they hope will soon be a new country. >> said the irish prime minister has again insisted his country does not need a bailout. europe's finance ministers are meeting to discuss just that.

the markets seem to be far from confident that ireland could pay its debt and that could damage the euro. let's go now to brussels. >> it has been a day of apocalyptic language in brussels, not least from a leading member of the european institutions, the president of the european council. he says the whole future of the european union could be threatened by the debt crisis which some countries in the eurozone are suffering. it's all been triggered by what's going on in ireland, the market feeling that maybe the irish government is not doing enough to handle its debt and therefore jacking up the cost of money being went to ireland. ireland would now have to borrow money at 8% or 9%. despite that, the prime minister says in the parliament today that there was no question of going cap in hand and asking for bailout money. >> this government has, since

this crisis began, take necessary steps to secure our economy and the finances of this country and provide a functioning prospect for recovery. this country [unintelligible] we made the point that we are funded up until mid 2011. >> in public, the languages crisis, what crisis? in this building in brussels, most of the evening was spent by the finance ministers of the eurozone talking about how to help ireland. this is what was said afterward by the head of the eurozone members and the prime minister of luxembourg. >> we confirm we will take action as all 70 members in a determined and coordinated manner to safeguard the

stability of the eurozone. we confirm we have the need available to do so and the discussions that will take place between ireland and the commission and the european central bank and international monetary fund will enable us to have at our disposal all the elements and instruments we need for ireland to make a request for assistance. >> reading between the lines, is absolutely clear that money is being talked about. the members of the eurozone are saying you need to borrow this money because if you don't you will run into serious trouble and the markets will continue to target you. that a return to the rest of us, spain and portugal. there were about this debt crisis and a latest twist turning into some sort of illness affecting the rest of the eurozone. >> will have more on the story

went moves some more. the american defense secretary has been trying to downplay any rift between the obama administration and the afghan president. he has criticized special operation raids by u.s. military. secretary gates says is the frustration of a leader whose country has been at war for so long. afghanistan has been a battlefield for a least three decades. that holds some point of lessons for native troops as they say the strategy this week. >> this perfect landscape is a decent part of the resistance in the 1980's. even the might of the soviet military was unable to conquer the fortress-like mountains and valleys. i first came to afghanistan and late 1994. the soviet army had gone by then. instead of peace, i find a country engulfed in a brutal civil war.

the war between brothers, they called it. the backdrop may be different, but the story is becoming familiar. 16 years on, afghanistan is still a nation at war. the old soviet racks remain where they were. talk to afghans today and they will tell you the u.s.-led coalition will be defeated, leaving behind its own military relics. if that happened, the coalition would join a long list of foreigners who tried and failed to tame this land at the crossroads of asia. not just the soviets, but the persians, uncles and arabs. once, these men would dance in victory. today, it's an earsplitting welcome ceremony. the weapons left behind by british soldiers. this one carries queen victoria's insignia, made in

london in 1870. if the foreigners here succeed in defeating terror, that's good for us, says elder. but if it does cause more fighting, that's no good to us at all. >> this is the entry of british troops. >> this is the valley's most prominent politician. i asked if the u.s.-led coalition ran the same risk of failure as previous interventions. >> unless we learn from the mistakes of the past, in finding a sense of direction, which is acceptable for the people of afghanistan and which could be explained to the people, there is that chance. >> in a word, are you an optimist or pessimist? >> without changing the strategies in the implementation of the strategies, to speak and

have consistency in their messages and changes on the afghan side, mainly the afghan government, i would be pessimistic. >> it's a depressing conclusion, especially for those, like this one time guerrilla fighter fought the had already secured the country's freedom. their fate now depends as much on decisions made in washington and london as it does on the people of afghanistan themselves. >> finally, big fat weddings seem to be the order of the day -- a rare pink diamond sold for $46 million, the highest price ever paid for a stone at auction, nearly doubling the previous record. a rectangular diamond that weighs more than 24 carrots. it was the star attraction of the sale in geneva.

thank you for being with us. >> 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

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