>> "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 offers unique insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you?

>> and now "bbc world news." >> the wikileaks founder julian assange is wanted for a sex crime, allegations he denies. there are international peers that pakistan's nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of terrorists. game man and women could serve in the u.s. armed forces -- the gay men and women could serve in the u.s. armed forces. welcome to "bbc world news." keeping the peace in the most dangerous city in earth. we go with african union troops in mogadishu.

going to extremes. what is it like living in one of the coldest places in the world affects -- in the world? as the whistle blowing website wikileaks releases its latest casper -- latest batch of controversial documents, interpol has added the details of founder julian assange to its watch list, saying he is wanted for sex crimes. it is a sexual offense in sweden. he denies the allegations and has not been charged. this does not amount to an arrest warrant. if people have any informations about his whereabouts, they are asked to contact interpol. the risk of terrorism from extremists in pakistan is spelled out in the latest batch

of documents released by wikileaks. britain, the united states, and russia all expressed deep concern that they could steal enough from pakistan's facilities to the crate and detonate a nuclear weapon. from gaza, this report. >> the state of pakistan's nuclear arsenal is worrying the west. the documents reveal a catalog of fears. u.k. has deep concern, says a senior british diplomat, about the safety and security of pakistan's nuclear weapons. despite safeguards at pakistan's nuclear sites, classified u.s. cables reveal fears of a nuclear confrontation between pakistan and india. others warn of nuclear terrorism. of major concern with the u.s. ambassador to islamabad is that

those working in the facilities could smuggle enough material out to eventually make a weapon. the cables refer to a deteriorating security in pakistan. there is mention of an attack by extremists on a bus carrying nuclear workers. the russian official told the u.s. but 120,000 people are directly involved in pakistan's nuclear programs. there is no way, he says, to guarantee that they are all 100% loyal and reliable. concerns over the security of pakistan's nuclear material are not new. but the language used in these confidential diplomatic cables gives us the clearest picture yet of what western governments really fear. al qaeda or its affiliates getting its hands on enough material from pakistan to build and detonate a nuclear device. >> no nuclear material has been stolen, but it has been offered

by some scientists on the black market. individuals even met with al qaeda leadership to talk with -- to talk about exchanging nuclear materials. the concern is that if that material and up in the wrong hands, the consequences of that are enormous. >> this would all be deeply unwelcome in pakistan, where many accuse the west already of deliberately scaremongering so it can try to seize the country's strategic weapons. an islamist newspaper calls the recent revelation a vindication of fears about u.s. intentions in pakistan. another popular paper advises the u.s. to keep its diplomacy within legal and moral limits, not regrets and excuses. this latest batch of secret documents proves that western concerns over pakistan's nuclear weapons it goes deeper than governments had revealed, in language never meant to be made

public. frank gardner, bbc news. >> a report from the pentagon has concluded that the ban on openly gay people in the u.s. military could be lifted in time of war without harming military readiness. american defense secretary robert gates has urged a divided congress to repeal the policy "don't ask, don't tell." he says most soldiers support the move. the report on the controversial issue. >> it has been a year in the making, one of the most detailed surveys of military personnel ever undertaken. to the secretary of defense, conclusions are clear. >> for large segments of the military, repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," dough potentially disrupting in the short term, would not be the wrenching dramatic change many feared and predicted. >> the pentagon survey of almost 400,000 service members. there are key findings. 70% said that having an openly

gay member of their immediate unit would have positive, mixed, or no effect. 79% said they had already served with a co-worker the believed to be dead. 58% of respondents in marine corps combat unions -- units predicted some negative effect. >> the concerns of combat troops as expressed in the survey do not prevent -- do not present an insurmountable barrier to successful repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." this can and should be done without posing a serious risk to military readiness. >> but he said it needed to be done with care. mr. gates urged congress to repeal the law before the end of the year. >> given the present circumstances, those that choose not to act legislatively are rolling the dice that this policy will not be abruptly overturned by the courts. >> much of the pentagon's work this year has been about figuring out how to implement

repeal if and when it comes. seeking opinion is one thing. having a plan is another. >> it is an implementation plan. the risk levels are mitigated. and principal in the data thru leadership. certainly, the training, the guidance, but the engagement of the leadership, having enough time to do that. that is critically important, as we would look at implementation. that is what really mitigates any risk that is out there. >> campaigners have been pushing hard for change. they see the pentagon's findings as vindication. but congress remains divided. the coming days may show if the tide of opinion on capitol hill is changing. paul adams, bbc news, washington. >> what is the weather like where you are? what is it like to live in the coldest are the hottest place in the world? we are starting a series called "extreme world," looking at the

deep divisions that still exist. ust-nera is in eastern siberia. we are joined live from there. what is the temperature? >> the last recorded temperature a couple of hours ago was -47 degrees centigrade. that is very chile indeed. in the last couple of days, it has gone down to about -53. it is very cold. i have been outside waiting to talk to you for a couple of minutes, and already i can feel the cold beginning to attack the exposed parts of my face. my nostrils are freezing up as a breed in. it is seriously cold. you do not want to spend much time out in the open. >> the severe low temperatures there must make it very difficult to get about with normal working lives. >> it does make -- it does beg

the question why do people live here, because you are right. when the temperature falls as low as minus 52, the close the primary school. at -54, the close the secondary school. people live here because there are minerals in the ground beneath my feet and in the mountains behind me. this establishment, ust-nera, was not set up until the mid 1930's because of those minerals. there would not be the population there is here now were it not for gold, diamonds, coal, and other minerals year. that has drawn people in. there are itinerant reindeer herder's around here as well, but there would not be relatively large civilizations were not for the minerals lying under the ground. >> a beautiful country. a very diverse landscape. but in terms of the difficulties it is facing in the economy generally, what is happening?

>> because of the minerals i mentioned, the economy here is not doing badly. the cost of existing at these temperatures is huge, the cost of heating properties here is huge. for example, the average salary after tax is about 400 pounds a month. this is not huge. but people are not doing badly here. in a sense, there would have to be doing fairly well to come and live in this relatively inhospitable place. it all hinges around the minerals i mentioned. people simply would not be here in large numbers, were it not for the fact that there are riches under the ground. >> we had better luck to get back indoors to thought out again. many thanks. there is much more of our "extreme world" coverage at the bbc news website. you will find an interactive display on everything from life span to religion.

somalia has been without proper governance for 20 years. mogadishu is in the rubble- strewn war zone. why should we care? the constant fighting in somalia is of its own making. foreign attempts to mediate the war has failed or caused bloodshed. an african peacekeeping force of 8000 is keeping a fragile western-backed government alive by a thread. they are fighting and militia of eight radical islamist group linked to al qaeda. it may be the most dangerous city in the world. >> we are right in the center of mogadishu now, driving through the rubble, the ruins, in a heavily armed convoy with an african peacekeeping troops here. there is ample group upfront, and up to more behind us. this is controlled by members of the somali government forces and military allied to them. al shabaad is half a kilometer

away in their position. they could ambush us with a roadside explosives or snipers. the garrison is finally up to full strength. the have a thousand men here. it has taken them years to get up to this level. what they have told everyone is that they need more men in order to be able to push back against al shabaad. we have come down to the beach front in the center of mogadishu. you get a sense here of how beautiful the city once was. this was a glorious seaside hotel. look at it now. it is a ruin. gunfire going on behind us. troops now occupy this building. it is the front line headquarters. that sounds like outgoing fire.

the city is also without some of the most basic medical humanitarian supplies. the african peacekeepers have set up one of the few free hospitals here. that is at their base close to the airport, in a secure environment. every day, hundreds of people come here from all across the city, looking for help. this morning, already we have seen a child caught in the crossfire with a bullet in his belly. we have seen a soldier injured by the islamic militants who still hold part of the city. here is a major. you are looking over what is going on here. how many people do you treat in a week? >> people come to this popular. and others. the get hope. -- they get hope.

in this place, we offer free medical care. >> international peacekeepers have a lot to fight here, but somalia is going to have to look after its own security in the long term. these are young somali volunteers who want to fight al shabaad. they have been trained here by the beach in mogadishu. in uganda, the european union has been fighting for it down. the aim is not only to be able to reports the front lines, but eventually to take over entirely. somalia is going to have a stable force if possible. these men could play a central role. >> let us get some live pictures coming into us of leaders and top diplomats from over 50 nations in kazakhstan

where the biggest international event ever held in central asia. the are hosting a summit for the international security body. the osce has war on the agenda. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton, german chancellor angela marco, and russian president dmitry medvedev are there, hoping to reinvigorate the group's role in its first summit since the meeting back in istanbul in 1999. i am told that some of the tightest security ever seen for such a meeting in this region is taking place now. 7000 police. the delegates are gathering for this meeting of the osce in kazakhstan. those are live pictures coming

to us. this is "bbc news." britain's big chill continues, with disruption to roads, rail, and car trouble. -- and air travel. opposition groups in egypt have described the result of sunday's parliamentary elections as fraudulent. the one a handful of seats. -- they won a handful of seats. >> and the opposition supporters ransacked a polling station. this mobile phone footage was just emerged. like most footage, it is impossible to prove its authenticity. but it matches eyewitness reports from sunday's egyptian elections. over the balcony go ballot boxes. the boats are destroyed. -- votes are destroyed.

more put it appears to show but intriguing. two men are busy putting marks on ballot papers. others take them away to put them in the box in what looks like a procedure very familiar. it is impossible to authenticate, but many witnesses described polling stations on sunday with ballot boxes already stuffed full of ballots. the opposition, the muslim brotherhood, have reacted with fury. >> rigging is the way this -- operates. this is a serious issue. >> forging one document is a crime. what about four to the will of a nation? they have gone from 88 seats in parliament to zero. they could win more in the run- up election on sunday. already, opposition supporters have been involved in a serious clashes outside of polling stations and vote counting stations.

the government newspaper found for the ruling party. the opposition must decide whether to contest the runoff or to condemn what they call a fraudulent election. bbc news, cairo. >> you are with "bbc news." interpol issues in wanted notice for the founder of wikileaks, julian assange. he is wanted for questioning in sweden over an alleged sex offense. from his website, he continues to leak documents, showing that pakistan's nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of thieves. heavy snow and freezing conditions are hitting much of britain, causing the destruction. more than 1500 schools have closed. the motoring organization has

dealt with 2000 writedowns per hour. more snow is expected in england, wales, and scotland. in the north of england, we spent the day in north yorkshire. >> today, ice and snow spread to a wider area of britain. this is the frozen land and water of yorkshire. with the weather came more transport chaos. on the roads, hundreds of accidents lead to closures on main routes. a small town in scotland was typical of many. the main road was being cleared, but all the others were thick with snow. few dared to venture out on them. in northern england, train travel was badly disrupted, with many services canceled. air passengers also struggled to complete their journey. in northumberland, there is so much snow that some people need to stand on the growing piles of it to clear the roof.

competition for the amount of snow on top of the car. we met a villager on a mission to get supplies for his neighbor. >> thompson's. >> shopping was the easy bit. delivering was the challenge. republican has been trapped indoors for nearly a week and is relying on care. >> he is a wonderful person. he is the best neighbor i have ever had. he is fantastic. >> it is just being neighborly, isn't it? it is the service spirit we have got in this village. we help each other out. >> many schools in the area are closed. if you have managed to open, although the people are not allowed out. >> it comes over the top of our willies. we keep the children inside. -- it comes over the top of our wellies.

if we were in and out, we would have some inside. >> there were not any takers. in wales, one farmer has been struggling to feed and water his livestock and get water for himself. >> we have not got any water running at all. completely solid. it has been like this now since last thursday. >> dedicated workers walked up to 20 miles to work and then camp there overnight. in the hills of northumberland, we found a shepherd trying to save the lives of his flock. >> the way it got last night, it was covering the top of them. it has been called for the last three or four days. it is a hard job. >> we are set to be digging and sliding for a few days yet. what about the next 24 hours?

more snowfall is certainly expected here in northern england and other parts of the country. it appears this cold snap has more problems to throw us. danny savage, bbc news, north yorkshire. >> tensions boiled over at the headquarters of the electoral commission of the ivory coast as they announced partial results from sunday's presidential election. supporters of the president tried to tear up the results. opposition supporters accused the president of trying to override parliament. their concerns in financial markets over european debt, despite the bailout package to ireland. the interest rate is the same portugal had to pay borrowing money from markets. there is word been a struggle to repay the debt without outside financial help.

dmitry medvedev said a new arms race could begin in the next decade if nato and moscow cannot agree. he said this in the annual state of the nation speech in moscow. he said there had to be cooperation between russia and nato. countries have been competing to win the world cup in 2018 and 2022. the end is in sight. football fever is spreading. we report on how the u.s. is considering the second of the states. >> in the u.s., it is second only to basketball in terms of [unintelligible] -- in terms of participation. millions of americans play soccer regularly. this tournament in california is not a typical game. >> soccer is my favorite sport, because it is fast paced and

there is no waiting period. >> we talk about american football at home and some of the russian injuries. this is definitely mom- preferred. >> popularity is central to the u.s. bid to host the 2020 to world cup. it is hoped home turf will generate millions of new fans. >> we may have reached the point where the world cup will be the biggest thing happening in the united states and life will stop here for the world cup the way it does in other countries when international team plays. >> it could count against the u.s. that it hosted the tournament in 1994. officials promise an even greater spectacle. the bid boasts 18 cities with modern stadiums and could travel links and predicts huge crowds. in 1994, when brazil beat italy in the final, it was a

combination of a record breaking world cup. more than 3.5 million people attended the matches. if the u.s. was the host again, fifa hopes 5 million would come. australia, japan, south korea, and qatar are also in the running with no fear -- with no clear favorites. perhaps it is america's turn to score. >> in italy, a wall surrounding a house in pompeii has collapsed, the second structure to fall in a couple of months. it came down near a building. heavy rains are thought to have caused the collapse. the 2000-year-old house could be in danger, launching criticism that authorities have not provided adequate funding for the historical site preservation. more details on that on our

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