fleeing australia's third biggest city. the prime minister warns of dark days ahead. please respond with lethal force. china test flies their prototype stealth fighter -- stealth fighter for the first time. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- the anniversary in haiti once to remember. one year on from the earthquake, a report on the struggle to rebuild lives. >> more than 800,000 people still live in tented slums like this. believe it or not this represents progress. at the height of the crisis, it was twice that number. >> and the fading future of our coral reefs.

conservationists launched a last-ditch rescue plot in london. hello to you. thousands of families that been fleeing australia's third biggest city, brisbane, as they faced the worst flood in 50 years. at least one levee has been breached and the river that runs through the middle of the city is not due to people for 24 hours. ed there are still more dark days ahead, according to the prime minister. 14 dead, but 90 missing. from brisbane, we have this. >> after weeks of flooding, this was the most fatal hour. the town was the scene of the

most violent and deadly flash floods since the crisis began. local spoke of a terrifying inland tsunami, with the power to wash away cars and vans, to pull people from their homes, and leave dozens scrambling for rooftop refuge. an amateur cameraman captured the raging currents. a complete freak of nature. >> look how far. oh! >> still more video. look how quickly the waters rise. i delivers that almost came out of nowhere is how officials -- a deluge that hamas came out of nowhere is how officials describe it wrecked in a number of minutes by the wall of water.

this is what is left of leroy shepherd's home. he and his family clung to the group as the house broke up around them. >> as you turn around and go down my backyard. >> they waited five hours for the water level to drop. >> they just rippled. the whole house rippled and cracked. >> this is being treated as a national crisis with australia's prime minister warning of worse yet to come. >> i would like to say to the people of queensland, i understand the past few days have been very harrowing indeed and that there are still more dark days ahead. >> last year was the third wettest in australian record, caused by a weather pattern

that affects the pacific region and can create the monsoon-like rain in queensland has experienced. brisbane is expected to have the worst flooding it has experienced since 1974, a year that haunts the people who live here. >> brisbane is trying to contend with water in three different directions, rainfall, tides from the ocean, and of course the surging floodwaters that are coming from further upstream. the water levels here are expected to rise two meters within the next 24 hours. >> this was supposed to be the week when queensland moved into recovery mode. but the floods of 2011 still have a way to go. nick bryant, bbc news, brisbane. >> and the havoc caused by flooding is, sad to say, not confined to australia. many have been affected by rain

in eastern parts upper -- of sri lanka. clean water and food rations have been set tv -- have been sent to the active areas. 16 are dead. officials say the first key days of january have seen almost as much rain as is normal for the entire month, with flooding across brazil leaving people homeless. more fatal clashes being reported in tunisia sparked by unemployment in a suburb of the capital. police have fired warning shots he really said four civilians were killed by police in a southwest city. officials say they acted only in self-defense when they're stationed was attacked. this brings the official number of dead at 18, although other

sources of lead that figure much higher. >> today is, they were burying their dead. the funerals of people killed in demonstrations yesterday. this man was 22 and was standing alone and in the street when he was shot by police. these images were put on the by site in a week of unrest. unemployment, a tough crackdown, rising food prices all contributing to a worsening crisis. yet the crowd chants for jobs, freedom, and national dignity. police have responded in force, firing tear gas and light rounds into crowds of youths.

forces have been called into kenya show up in response to the tunisian ambassador. this cycle of violence shows no sign of stopping. the head of a human rights group protecting against the use of torture and continue jet says the president should step down -- in june news says the president should step down. >> it is getting worse and i think it will continue. i think if people continue struggling and asking for his departure, i think he will be obliged to leave. >> a giant poster of the president torn down and thrown onto a bonfire on the street. universities and schools have been closed. ed bbc news. -- bbc news. >> the u.s. commission

investigating last year's spill and the gulf of mexico is calling for reforms. they are calling for more money in training and tougher regulations one of the committee's chairman blames the spill on carelessness. the american vice-president says the united states is willing to maintain a military presence in afghanistan after the scheduled withdrawal in 2014. after meeting president karzai, and joe biden indicated washington is willing to continue trading and aid. hillary clinton says washington needs to broaden ties with cnn. this is her first visit to yemen. -- needs to broaden ties with yemen. doctors treating the american congress woman gabrielle deferreds says she is breathing

on her own and is less -- gabrielle giffords says she is breathing on her own and is less sedated. six people were killed in the attack, including a nine-year old girl. krupp former president bill clinton paid tribute and shared his thoughts on the tragedy. >> know when it intends to do anything that encourages -- no one intends to do anything that encourages this kind of behavior, but we cannot be unaware of the fact that there is a huge effort, and anything any of us says falls on the hinged and be unhinged alike. this is an occasion to reaffirm our political differences shouldn't create the sense that if you do not agree with me, you

are not a good american. that is what i would like to see. >> bill clinton there. china has conducted its first test of a stealth fighter jet. the u.s. defense secretary at the flight confirmed to him by his chinese counterpart in a meeting in beijing. there are concerns about the growing military potential, especially the potential to develop new weapons. >> the plain that china hopes any future enemy -- plane that hopes -- that china hopes any future in me will not seek. it is designed to evade enemy radar just like the most modern u.s. and russian jets. but the chinese played down the significance of this new aircraft. >> as technology develops, it is normal for countries to upgrade their weapons.

developing weapons for china is a completely defensive means. it does not pose a threat to other countries or any entity. >> the test coincided with a visit of the u.s. defense secretary robert gates. that was certainly not a coincidence. mr. gates was hoping to restart military to military contact with china, halted by beijing almost a year ago. ed china's growing capability, especially its expanding air and naval power, is worrying not just washington, but also its friends and region. inevitably the u.s. fears it will face as strategic competitor. beat visiting u.s. defence secretary also had kirby and missiles -- the defense -- the visiting u.s. defence secretary also had kirby and missiles on

his mind. -- korean missiles on his mind. now though, chinese airports rely on older jets, none of which are a match for the sort of integrated air power the u.s. can bring to bear. no one knows yet if or when it the stealth fighter will be entered into service and how many will be built. it is a powerful sign that china's investment in air power could dramatically change the balance of power in the region. bbc news. >> at least four more people have been killed in the main city of ivory coast and the standoff which has persisted since november's presidential election. u.n. peacekeepers were forced to retreat from one area. karen allen has this. >> death on the streets.

these among those killed when security forces, loyal to laurent gbagbo, fired into the crowd. his opponent is in a fortified hotel on the opposite side of the city. those who backed his rival clan the police come door-to-door to harass them. u.n. armored vehicles arriving on the scene were denied access, and then more gunfire as peacekeeping troops fought back. angry crowds gestured for them to leave. this hotel, surrounded by u.n. troops, is outawara's office.

his opponent is refusing to go. he says he will work with moderates. so far mediation on that front has failed. tonight, calm has been restored. diplomats consider this the most provocative act in recent weeks. this signals the intention of the sitting president not to sit -- not to step down. bbc news, ivory coast. >> good to have you with us on "bbc world news." the swiss army as an the firing line. at there are -- the neutral country asked to its enemies are. first, german investigators look into the contamination of animal

feed with dioxin. it has now been found in pork. several hundred eggs have been slaughtered. it was found to be 15% above allowed levels. from berlin, we have this report. >> after high levels of the poisonous chemical dioxin were discovered in animal feed and eggs, now pork is affected. the german authorities say excessive levels of dioxin were found in at farms in lower saxony. pigs are being slaughtered amid fears that tainted products have already me -- have already reached the market. >> nothing would surprise me after what has already happened. first it was about farms. now we are investigating 2000

farms. we can confirm there is no widespread contamination. >> the contaminated animal feed has been traced back to this factory in northern germany. yet officials say 150,000 tons of animal feed ended up all over germany. germans love pork and sausages are part of the national diet. yet when expert claimed dioxane it posed no threat to human health, but consumers are worried the government has pledged to tighten controls over animal feed suppliers. but with the recent discovery of dioxin in haigs, it is clear the crisis is far from over -- in decades, it is clear the crisis is far from over. bbc news, berlin. >> to bring you up-to-date on

the headlines this hour on "bbc world news." officials have urged thousands of families to reach -- to leave brisbane in the wake of new flooding. and a rising tide of protest in tunisia. now the demonstrations have reached the capital for the first time periods when stacy's the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in haiti. at the situation is still a frankly dire. people are still living in tents, cholera is widespread, and rebuilding is a distant prospect. our correspondent has been traveling back and forth for the past year. he sent this special report from port-au-prince. >> in the alleyways and slums, they are still waiting. more than 800,000 people in

shacks, under tarpaulins. haiti is existing. it is barely surviving. would you believe that 12 months on, they are still clearing the rubble that much by hand. and today in the same area where a man was buried alive. >> tomorrow would be the anniversary. one year. i am just glad, because i am still alive. >> until the rubble is cleared, the building cannot again. today we met the former u.s. president bill clinton to find out why it is taking so long. he is in charge of the commission set up to rebuild the country. >> even in the united states, after hurricane andrew in 1992,

we saw people in temporary housing a year after that in the united states. so, this took out, you know, a third of the capital area and wrecked a lot of the streets. yeah, it is low. but i think he will see the pace picked up. >> -- a think you will see the pace picked up. >> international organizations meet to coordinate their work there is progress. in the last week, families moved into this red cross project. but where are the streets, the sewage system, the electricity lines? the fact that a year on this country is largely surviving on emergency support could be considered a colossal failure, and yet that would ignore the hard work done over the last 12 months to keep haiti of live. the political system is largely ineffective, and so what is

needed is to build a new haiti. the problem is, where on earth do you find the space to do that? throw in the cholera epidemic and the flawed election process, and you can see why things moved slowly here. so, that has not stopped many haitians for blaming others for the fact that 1 million people remain in the cans. >> think about it. 1 million people. without any resources. that is the challenge. the challenge is to create the environment where governments are created and people can obtain all life. >> haiti's problem is the lack of basic systems and institutions, and infrastructure and resources. now the price, bbc news, port- au-prince.

>> there is a growing move to scrap or reduce military service in neutral switzerland. all swiss members serve in the army starting at age 19 for a five-month stand. that means an army of 180,004 a country of 7.5 million. too big and too expensive, say many. >> you are in the army now. at 8000 young swiss men began their military service this winter. their first task -- learning to shoot. how to fight a war in a country that has not fought a war in centuries. >> you get mentally and physically drained. add to march. mentally drained means to fulfill the job in a precise manner in a limited time.

>> but that sounds more like a bonding exercise then an army. and a very expensive one, too. the problem for switzerland in the 21st century is the army costs $4.5 billion every year, and no one is sure what the target is anymore. least of all the new recruits. >> i am just here because i have to be. i do not see a war. we are just shooting around. >> i do not like the gun. if somebody tells me, oh, you have to shoot the head and body, i do not like it. that is a person. i would not shoot. i would never should a person. i would run and throw my gun away.

>> conscription was once regarded by most swiss as untouchable. a recent opinion poll showed it is now supported by just 43% of the population. the swiss government is looking at alternatives. for now, switzerland's army is still a marching, but is short in which direction. -- but no one is sure in which direction. bbc news. >> they provide some of the most beautiful explosions of color and light, but conservationists won most of the world's tropical reefs -- tropical coral reefs could disappear. rising see temperatures are putting them at risk. yet our environment correspondent reports. >> intricate, strange, and with an infinite variety of colors and forms, corals are one of the great wonders of the undersea

world. these are growing safely in the aquarium's of london, but out at sea, pollution and rising temperatures are taking their toll. >> heartbreaking. it is a difficult time to be involved in coral reefs. year on year, we see the health being compromised. and as we do something concrete right now, we are seriously going to lose it. >> explosives killed the fish and guaranteed a good catch, but down below, devastation. even when fishing is controlled, reeves could die from a minute warming of the water -- reefs could die from a minute warming of the water. all too often, reefs had ended up dead anyway.

the message is that quarrel is not just beautiful to look at, but -- coral is not just beautiful to look at, but it is important economically. globally, they are thought to be worth 200 million pounds per year. there are thoughts fort saving them, but nothing has worked so far. bbc news. >> just finally, the social networking site myspace may need to change its online status to "struggling of purpose -- "struggling." myspace has been outstripped in popularity by facebook. facebook now has three times as many subscribers as myspace. you will find that and much more of the international news on bbc.com any time. you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. you will see what is coming up, too, on facebook. thank you indeed for watching.

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