>> "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. and union bank.

>> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> pakistan warns that international failure to attack the floods could undermine the battle against militants. >> if it is out of control, it will start to lead to political instability, and that is the last thing we need. >> south african police fired rubber bullets. the army is called in. a funeral for the latest victim of mexico's drug wars. there is no such thing for a free lunch, not even in cuba, were subsidized canteens have finally closed.

welcome to the bbc news. the pakistani foreign minister has called an emergency meeting of the un general assembly, but if the international community fails to address the effects of flooding, it could undermine gains and the war against terrorism. ban ki moon said pakistan is facing what he called a slow- motion tsunami. >> weeks now into pakistan's crisis, and the u.n. came together at last. an emergency session for any emergency of epic and growing proportions. >> make no mistake. this is a global challenge. it is one of the tests of global

solidarity in our times. >> ban ki moon saw the flooding a few days ago, an area the size of italy said to be affected. of 2 6 million people are without shower. for the un, -- up to 6 million people are without power. it said there are also concerns of a potentially more dangerous crisis, and that surrounds the fight against the extremism. new york's park avenue, about as removed as the poverty of pakistan as you can get, but on the fringes of the un session, the foreign minister made it clear it is not just lives better at risk. >> without international help, pakistan could be facing a political crisis in the long term. >> if things spin out of control, it will contribute to

political instability, and that is the last thing we need for economic growth, and that is the last thing we need for our fight against extremism and militancy this presumably is confirmation of how worried allies are of precisely that. the u.s. secretary of state was here to win hearts and minds. >> we will be with you as rivers rise and fall. we will be with you as you replant your fields and repair your roads. we will be with you as you meet long-term challenges. >> the u.s. knows the floods are diverting time and resources from the fight against extremism in pakistan. as the waters rise, it wants to stop radicalism from rising with it. >> she told us the contributions

that were pledged. >> this was an emergency meeting aimed debt creating a sense of urgency given the slow response from the -- aimed at creating a sense of urgency given the slow response. hillary clinton calling for the world to act and saying pakistan was facing a humanitarian disaster of monumental proportions. she pledged an additional $60 million from the u.s.. the asian development bank said it would earmark $2 billion to help with reconstruction, and even george soros said he would contribute 5 million. the u.k., the second-largest third nation -- nation donor said it would double its contribution only if there were guarantees that money would reach flood victims. >> that is the point. there are fields -- fears

already that money is getting into the wrong hands. we talk about what the foreign minister had to say about militant groups. what proof is there though? >> this is a tricky area. aid agencies said earlier this week they think one of the reasons aid has been so slow in coming through is because pakistan suffers from what they call an image deficit. in other words, governments fear there is corruption, and they are concerned their funds are going to go in the coffers of taliban or other extremists. this was directly addressed by the pakistani foreign minister, who said his government had been building a consensus against extremism and terrorism but was facing the additional challenge of the floods, and that was why they were so desperate for international aid. the biggest fear now is in the absence of that aid, the extremists will plug the gap and

create even more problems. >> the pakistani government has been widely criticized for its response to the disaster, but it says no country could have coped with something of this scale. we met the man in charge of relief operations. >> we were given special access to the control room of the disaster management authority. he is in charge here. he must have the toughest job in pakistan. >> if you add up our own earthquake, the indian ocean common and 80 -- indian ocean, and haiti, that is half of what we are suffering from right now. >> how hard is it to get aid to the areas that need it?

>> it is very hard, because you are dependent on boats or helicopters, and you only have that number of helicopters. the problem is also the expense of the area, and if we go down south, this is more than 1,800 kilometers we are talking about. >> the united nations meeting tonight to discuss the catastrophe -- what is your message to the u.s. and the outside world? >> if ever the situation in pakistan needed them, this is the time. please come. >> he told me he believes it could take pakistan decades to recover from this catastrophe. >> for more on this ongoing crisis, go to the bbc news website for analysis and background as well as satellite images to show the scale.

four u.s. senators have renewed their call for an independent investigation into the freeing of the only person convicted of the lockerbie bombing he was sentenced with only three months to live, but he is still alive today. there are congregating to criticize the british government and bp oil co., which was involved in negotiations with libya at the time. south africa's army has been called in to talk with striking hospital workers. the workers called an indefinite strike on wednesday. >> 1 million public sector workers are on strike. for them, it is a dispute about

money, and for those requiring medical attention, it could be a matter of life and death. at this center, stryker forced their way through the entrance, dancing their way over the gates and into the hospital. at other hospitals, nurses were dragged out. it was a moment to hope for the best. while demonstrators outside maintained noisy vigilance. >> these workers have been demonstrating outside the hospital for the last two days, and they say they will not be going back to work. >> the government's say 7% is their final offer, raising the possibility of a strike, stretching into weeks. this consisted mainly of

teachers who attempted to blockade the roads. when the police moved into fire rubber bullets, several were injured, including this man, i run a clear part of the striking police officers' union. the second day of the strike has seen a collision across the country. the government has now called in the army to protect those who choose to work and to maintain basic health-care services. >> we have learned israel and the palestinians may be close to holding their first face-to-face peace talks since the gaza conference in december, 2008. the state department is expected to make a statement in the next 48 hours. indirect talks have been going on for some months, trying to break the deadline.

efforts in chile to reach mine workers trapped underground for two weeks has suffered another setback. the drill broke, and they missed the target. mexico's president paul barone has long been an ally of the united states in the with -- president calderon has long been an ally of the united states in the drug war. he also says the united states has allowed too many guns to come over the border. >> under cover of night fog, the funeral of beyond mayor kidnapped and killed by a suspected drug trafficker. his body was discovered on a deserted road. he is one of the 28,000 people killed in the country's war on drugs increasingly, officials

and police are targets. he criticizes the administration for failing to attack. >> i do not think the united states has made a significant effort to do with drug addiction. no matter how much they advertise it, the truth is the budget to deal with the situation in the u.s. has not changed. >> he attacked the u.s. weapons industry for providing the guns that cause bloodshed. >> the american weapons industry is a voracious and vicious industry. they create a conflict just to sell weapons, and in the same way, they are making money on this situation in mexico. >> more than 70,000 have been confiscated.

the more elaborate models are on display at a special museum in mexico city. his comments suggest he knows this is a war that cannot be fought on a single front. >> stay with us. still coming up, polls suggest it could be the tightest race in 50 years. youthe taiwan-based electronics company that has been trying to explain a large number of suicides among its workers has increased its labor force by almost a third over the past year. >> it may not look like spontaneous fun, before the workers, it was a police something different, a break from long hours they spend

assembling gadgets. wednesday's rally was intended to show it was responding to suicides among employees. now they have announced expanding work forces over the next year. >> i must say for a long term i think we were blinded by our success. >> it is not difficult to see why the work force finds life so tough. many say they work overtime because they need the extra money, and demand for the iphone is higher. these apartments are the only escape. a woman jumped from her window. they denied a mystery of staff, but the company admitted the workers do more overtime than

permitted under chinese law. >> what they need to do is treat workers like a decent human beings and pay them a decent wage. it is not rocket science protests by the families of suicide victims have embarrassed foxcom. worker unrest as a broader problem as developments green social challenges. >> you are watching bbc news. pakistan wants of international failure to attack devastating floods could undermine the battle against militants. south african police fired rubber bullets as more than 1 million civil servants began the fight for higher wages. the army is called in. the latest victims in mexico's drug wars, and the president

calls out to the u.s. for not doing enough to help. let's return to the ongoing crisis in pakistan. chris morris has been speaking to the politician. he put it to him that any country would have struggled to cope with a disaster of this magnitude. >> i completely agree that a huge disaster like that you would not expect a developed country to cope with. there would be problems, but what i expected was to distribute the effort. unfortunately, no one has any idea what to do, and because the problem is so huge, people are overwhelmed, so they do nothing. they are not even giving money. >> you are talking about people inside the country. >> i am talking about one of the

highest per capita sheriff -- charity countries, and i know how much charity comes from this country, so it is the biggest asset of this country. the problem is they do not trust the government, and at the moment, there is no relief effort to challenge -- to channel their money into. they should have shown people this is the extent of the problem. here is where you can come hell. >> it is hard to know where to start, but -- here is where you can help. >> it is hard to know where to start, but what is the greatest need? >> we have realized it is a drop in the ocean, because the requirements are so huge. people are without animals, crops, food, money, and houses,

and you are talking about something like 20 million people. there is a demand coming in, and people are going hungry, so what needs to be done is of a national effort, because i feel if we do not do this, this is going to overwhelm pakistan over the next two or three months. >> campaigning in australia's national elections has entered its next day. i have been speaking with so mercer, and he gave the latest on the polls. >> the latest snapshot shows the governing labor party and conservative opposition is locked at 50-50. australia's first female prime minister is facing a fight to the finish with tony abbott.

some believe labor will just about hold on for a second term, and both leaders have embarked on a final day of campaigning. >> what is it causing the sides to be so close together? is it the platforms they are on, that sort of thing, or is it all to do with the former prime minister commo, kevin rudd. >> they are concerned about a possible protest against the way mr. budd was -- mr. rudd was dumped from office, despite concerns gillard would leave the country to victory. labor is worried that voters would be unhappy with the way kevin rudd was dumped a couple months ago. also at play are big issues like

the economy and asylum-seekers, and in a way they have a difficult choice. labour says its multibillion- dollar stimulus package they say helped save australia from recession proves labor is a sound economic manager. on the other hand, you have opposition claiming such spending was not necessary and is accusing the government of being incompetent, so the big issue is the state of the australian economy and immigration. >> the first of the gypsies expelled from france were flown to bucharest. some 700 were deported in august. >> to they france has over 100

of them -- to they france has put over 100 of them on flights. this group says they are going voluntarily, each with a 300-0 incentives -- 3000 incentives, but the government survives in deplorable conditions. there is no water, no sanitation. she has lived here three months with five children and no job. the police are hovering on the edge, waiting to move in. they have already called more than once. they came at 6:00 this morning, vane on the door. -- knocking on the door. they all know what happened, and the children are frightened phil regan is a 300 camps like this

will be cleared. this one has been given a temporary reprieve by the courts. this is a popular policy with the french public. 80% say they are in favor with the government's actions. >> our policy is for the full integration of the rome of population throughout the eu. -- roma population throughout the year. they can work. they can study, just like anyone else. >> immigrants from bulgaria and romania must have a work permit to stay longer than three months traded the government says they have become breeding grounds -- three months. the government says they have become breeding grounds for all time it -- all kinds of activity. they have all expelled roma

travelers with little success. there is no evidence those sent home soon return. the tough stance on immigration does play well with traditional support. critics say the link drawn between crime and integration is delivered, designed to shift attention away from a financial scandal. they say they are being used as a scapegoat and not for the first term are being persecuted for political gain. >> there is no such thing as a free lunch in cuba for decades, workers got a free meal in the canteen, but not anymore. >> cuban workers have salaries of an average of $20 a month, but education and housing is

free. a lot of food is heavily subsidized, including workplace canteen. today's lunches eggs, rice common and beans, and it costs less than five american sense. from the early days of castro's revolution, this island has developed a massive welfare state. these are tough economic times. since taking over the presidency, castro has been warning there is no such thing as a free lunch. so far, a quarter of a million people have lost their workplace cafeterias. now they must go out for lunch or bring their own food to work. special stake run restaurants have been opened as an alternative, but they are more expensive, and the government has been forced to boost salaries to help make up the difference.

>> you have to pay a bit more. there are more options now. >> so far it is convenient. there is more on the menu, but it takes time. there are long queues, and that slows it down. >> the queues are so long some people end of disappearing from work for more than the one-hour lunch break, which could impact productivity. there are a few small food stalls sutter also helping to take up the slack. you can buy pizza, ham sandwiches, and ice cream. >> i am happy the business is growing and i am making enough to work on. >> cubans are wondering what goes next. everyone still uses a ration book with basic food provided at

a low cost price. there has been talk of doing away with rationing altogether. >> hello, and welcome. >> get the top stories from around the globe nvidia reports. bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation 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 in a range of industries. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the mets and carnegie hall. it is the kennedy center and a club in austin. it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. pbs, the great american stage the fifth in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. arts home.