>> this is "bbc world news." 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 financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you?

>> and now, "bbc world news." >> the voice of moderation silenced, one of pakistan's best known liberal politicians shot dead by his own bodyguards. high waters in the australian state of queensland are expected to peak soon, leaving large areas completely shut off. , on camera -- news footage emerges from attacks on a convoy carrying prince charles and the duchess of cornwall during last month's student protests. we're broadcasting our viewers on pbs in america, and also around the world. , upper -- coming up, the word is out. a look at a film that is tipped to be a success for the oscars. and the british singer-

songwriter gerry rafferty, renowned for his song "baker street," has died. there has been strong international condemnation of the assassination of one of pakistan's best known liberal politicians in the capital, islamabad. salman taseer, the governor of punjab province, had recently made a stand against the blasphemy rule. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton regretted his death, saying he has promoted tolerance. the country is observing three days of national mourning. >> this is the popular shopping district where the governor was shot dead in broad daylight. the enemy was within. police say the killer was one of those supposed to protect him, an elite commander from his own security team.

police are now gathering evidence here at the scene in the heart of the capital. it is a short time since the attack took place. the governor of punjab province was at the cafe nearby, having made his way back. he came under fire and shot repeatedly at close range. this allegedly is the killer shortly afterwards. he has been named as [unintelligible] one official says he bragged to police about killing a blasphemer. salman taseer was in the firing line since calling for a release of a christian woman sentenced to death for insulting the prophet mohammad. he condemned his country's controversial blasphemy laws. pakistan's powerful islamists took to the street. the governor was threatened, but vowed to fight on even if he was the last man standing.

when he spoke to the bbc in november, he told us why. >> a lot of people said to me that you are making a mistake, don't do it. i said no. if i don't stand up, then other people who think like me will not be able to stand up either. >> it is the most high-profile assassination here since the killing of the former prime minister benazir bhutto in 2007. once again, there is chaos and lost, and all this at a time of political crisis. the government is hanging by a thread. pakistan's ruling party has been rubbed of a stalwart, and the country has been robbed of an outspoken liberal. human rights workers say a rare voice of courage it is gone. bbc news, islamabad. >> the rising waters seem to be reaching their peak in

australia. weeks' worth of rain is making its way north to the ocean along the swollen river, but a town lies in the way. they have cut the town's airport and road links and isolated the 70,000 inhabitants. >> this is a day that rockhampton has been bracing itself for, with flood waters expected to be governor next few hours. these are on its low-lying fringes, where 150 houses are already under water. more than 500 people have either fled or been rescued from their homes. the coastal city at the mouth of the swollen fitzroy river -- the should be the last stop before surging floodwaters reach the ocean. it is thought rockhampton could be under water for the next 10 days. last hit by major flooding in 1991, it became an island city for a fortnight.

you might be forgiven for thinking this is the major river running through rockhampton, when in fact it is the major highway. the link between this regional center and brisbane, the state capital, much further to the south. the port of australia's most important route is completely inundated with water. the fair is it could be shot -- shut for more than a week. the only way in is by see, normally sparkling but now a dirty brown. these are rockhampton residents returning for christmas break who found themselves stranded and separated from their loved ones. these waters are riddled with venomous snakes. there is even a threat from crocodiles. it is a very australian flood. >> what can you do? it is not like you can put your hand up and stop it. it is going to come. that is the way we take it. it rains, floods come and go.

that is just the way it is here with rockhampton. would become an island. the river bricks behind us and surrounds us completely. maybe one day we would get that fixed so we are an all-weather city. but at the present time, which is prepared for it. that is just like here in rockhampton. >> never before in queensland history has all three of its major river systems flooded at the same time, which is where the crisis has been so bad and so widespread. even after the waters peak, the state will be affected for months. nick brown, bbc news, rockhampton. >> a businessman based in the center of rockhampton has closely been monitoring the flood waters. >> in the last 36 hours, the river has not done much. it is sitting at 9.2 even with the tide coming in and out. i am not sure what we will see by 5:00 p.m., but there is a lot

of water still coming down the fitzroy. there are a lot of low-lying areas in the rockhampton area. also, in the north of rockhampton, we have a lot of properties in the downs and the richmond area. there is a lot of water there. people have been isolated for some time. out west in emerald, people have been isolated for six weeks or longer. we are pretty lucky in rockland. if you look behind me, you will see one of the bridges. the water is below the bridge. it is unlikely the water will go over the top of the bridge. you would have heard that the bridge is over. that is the connection between rockhampton and our national highway. that is expected to be disconnected for quite some time. but authorities have moved rather quickly. we are well prepared in the rockhampton area because it can see the water coming downstream from different river systems. we are quite lucky compared to other areas. we have to be mindful also there are a lot of farmers, crops, and

agriculture that have been damaged by this flood. it will take many, many years to overcome this. >> i am wondering if you can step back for us. we know that behind you within the last hour we got quite a clear view of the river there. we can see that no very quickly. you mentioned that lots of people have been walking about, taking pictures of the scene unfolding here. are they not worried about reports that we are hearing of crocodiles and snakes in the area? >> the crocodiles and the snakes -- their territory is the river system, so they have always been there. it is just the river's edge is a little closer than normal. you can see just below us a lot of people taking photos. i think people are aware that the animals and wildlife are around. they are taking a lot of caution. just about half an hour ago, you see the top of the sheds there -- that the shelter for a barbecue area.

i saw a substantial snake living around there. it came up, had a look, and minded its own business. i think it is our way to live the way of life. there is a lot of wildlife around the bottom of people stairs, encroaching on their houses. that is a concern. but most houses have had that much water around them before. >> one of america's most senior navy officers is being relieved of command over a series of videos which reached the knowledge of pentagon top officials. captain owen honors made the videos in 2006 and 2007, featuring anti-gay slurs and suggest a shower scenes after he became captain of one of the navy's largest ships, the uss enterprise. protest has continued in a christian area of cairo in the aftermath of the bombing of a coptic church on new year's day which killed 23 worshipers and injured more than 100, sparking

fears of sectarian violence. reports say there have been further threats against churches made on islamist web sites. police in france, australia, and germany say they are increasing security measures. police have released cc tv footage of the moments that the car carrying the prince of wales and touches of cornwall came under attack during the student protests in london. the images show people throwing rubbish bins at the convoy as it moved down regent street. detectives say they want to trace a woman and two masked men seen hitting the royal car. >> it was a serious breach of royal security. these new cctv pictures show how protesters surrounded the convoy and hurled bins at the cars. police are trying to track down those involved. this woman in particular appears to have repeatedly attacked the cars. here she is again, running behind the royal rolls-royce and

hitting it. scotland yard hopes the still pictures they have released of the woman will lead to someone revealing her identity, or that her companion will come forward as a witness. police also want to trace this man, running alongside the royal car and hitting it. the third man, seen grabbing hold of the vehicle before sinning to use a camera to take pictures. charles and camilla were not injured, despite the dutch as being poked with a stick through an open window. their car was damaged in the incident. the images show armed officers stayed in their cars, relying on the convoy pushing through rather than getting out to do with the protesters. the metropolitan police commission has said the officers were just seconds from drawing their weapons and showed admirable restraint. further investigation into what happened here has not been published, but it is reported that the convoy took this route despite being warned that there were bands of protesters running

the area. so far, 198 people have been arrested in connection with the student protest an alleged violent or criminal damage. but it is being sorted through to identify those involved. scotland yard says it respects the right to protest but will do all it can to ensure offenders face consequences. bbc news. >> you are watching bbc news. still ahead -- conspiracy theories take flight after a second incident of birds dropping from the skies in just a matter of days. anger in italy against the decision of the brazilian government not to hand over a wanted fugitive has spilled out onto the streets, with protest outside the brazilian consular building. there were attempting to extradite a member of the far

left group convicted of murdering four people back in the 1970's. >> batisti's case has risen into a fierce row between brazil and italy. protests have been held across italy to denounce the decision of brazil's former president not to hand him over. angry clouds -- angry crowds held banners and chanted outside the rome embassy, asking for extradition. he is wanted in italy for four murders committed in the 1970's, a violent time known as the years of lead, when he belonged to an arm of the island group. the son of one of the victims, who was himself disabled in the shooting, said he would press to bring the fugitive back to an italian prison. >> will fight to achieve justice. we want a real criminal to come back to italy and serve the punishment.

>> batisti denies the crimes of which he is accused and says he is being politically persecuted in italy. he became a fugitive after escaping from an italian prison in 1981. he lived in freedom in france for 26 years. he was arrested in brazil in 2007 after fleeing italian attempts to apprehend him. italy still wants his extradition, but his lawyers say they expect him to be freed as soon as possible. whether he is allowed the freedom to enjoy the political asylum granted by the brazilian government is now a judgment for the country's supreme court. bbc news. >> you are watching bbc news. let us bring you a reminder of the headlines this hour. pakistan is observing three days of national mourning as the funeral takes place of the assassinated governor of punjab,

salman taseer. flood waters in the australian state of queensland are expected to peak soon, leaving large areas completely cut off. the kenyan prime minister said he believes that the ivory coast leader laurent gbagbo knows he has no choice but to relinquish the presidency after november's disputed election. the leader of mediation efforts said laurent gbagbo was ready to negotiate a peaceful end to the crisis. tensions remain high in the capital of about john. >> they used to call this the paris of africa. not anymore. weeks of post-election violence here. we found more trouble and fear on the streets today. at least one civilian killed right there. police stormed this opposition

party building. the situation here is very tense and very unpredictable. we're having to be discreet about how we film and how we act, because there is a feeling that things could explode at any moment. >> if we let it like that, it grows worse and worse. that is why we are afraid. >> all this because two men claim the presidency. laurent gbagbo loss november's election, but refuses to give up. instead, his rival alassane ouattara is now trapped inside this hotel. foreign mediators say a peaceful outcome is still possible, but they insist the loser must quit. they do not want a zimbabwe- style power-sharing deal. laurent gbagbo sat down, but he

still has plenty of supporters here. they say they are not prepared to give up without a fight. we've come to one of their strongholds in the city center. behind the defiance like the bitter ethnic rivalries that caused the recent civil war and could trigger another. >> if alassane ouattara moves from that hotel and i did what was in my head, i will kill him. >> such threats stoke the fears of many here. immigrants from liberia are seeking protection inside the united nations. >> we are afraid of being massacred here because of threats to continue to receive at the hands of most of those who pass by.

>> her husband is missing. it is hard to see a quick or a painless way out of any of this. andrew harding, bbc news, ivory coast. >> in the united states, it has emerged that about 500 redwing birds have been found dead in the state of louisiana. this incident came just a few days after up to 5000 black birds fell to the ground in neighboring arkansas, in a small town. several scientific theories have been offered up, but that has not stopped conspiracy theories. from washington, ian mckenzie reports. >> it started with the black birds. 3000 of them rain down on the small town in arkansas. no one is quite sure what caused it. >> what makes that happen for them just to drop out of the sky like that? >> these birds all have the

hemorrhages right here. >> scientists are hoping bird autopsies will provide some answers. the animal apocalypse also claimed the lives of 100,000 fish on the arkansas river. pestilence or some sort of disease is being blamed. test results will take up to a month. meanwhile, further down america's bible belt in louisiana, another play from the sky. this time, find hundred birds, some with a broken back and wings. -- 500 birds, some with a broken back and wings. >> they look ok and then die in a short time. >> mass animal deaths are not unusual and it is likely science will explain this one. in the meantime, there are some imaginative theories. where else but the internet? they blame government experiments in the end of the world, among the favorite. when commentator suggest the most likely explanation is that the blackboard simply collided in mid-air with an invisible

ufo. bbc news, washington. >> a photograph taken by a philippine politician before he was shot and has led to the arrest of his killer. the manila district counselor took a photograph outside their house on new year's day. unknown to any of them, it captured a man raising his gun to fire in the background of the photo. the victim's family give the book to the police, who have detained the man on suspicion of murder. russian prime minister vladimir putin is to have a mountain named after him in kurdistan. -- byr -- kyrgistan. the country has already denounced yeltsin. the british singer and songwriter gerry rafferty has died at age 63 after a long illness. he became an international star in the 1970's with a string of hits including "baker street" and "stuck in the middle with

you." >> the distinctive saxophone solo made "baker street" one of gerry rafferty's most well-known records, but he began his career as a bus tour before moving on to join billy connolly's folk group in the 1960's. in the '70s, he joined steelers will, where he wrote another worldwide hit, "stuck in the middle with you," which sold more than a million copies. he went solo and his music reflected disenchantment with the music industry, reflected in the lyrics of "baker street." >> it was about how uncomfortable he felt in the star system. what do you know? it was a giant world hit. the album went to number one in america, and suddenly he found that as a result of this protest he was a bigger star than ever.

and he now had more of what he did not like. and although he had a few more hits singles in the united states, by 1980 it was basically all over. when i say it, i mean basically his career, because he just was not comfortable with this. >> part of this dissolution was shown in his reluctance to perform live. he did record several more albums in the '80s and '90s, but never skilled the heights of his previous success. more recently, a public battle with alcoholism had taken a toll. but for millions of people, it is this image of gerry rafferty that will linger long in the memory. >> films with a starring role for the british royal family seem to have a track record with yours. "the queen" with helen merrin resulted in six oscar nominations.

they hope that "the king's speech," the struggle of queen elizabeth's father as he struggles to overcome a speech impediment -- >> my husband has a stutter. >> there is public speaking. and then there is very public speaking. if you have to speak -- a speech impediment, it can seem more pronounced. >> the king -- >> movie is about george vi and his relationship with his australian and very forward speaking speech therapy. very little was known about their private sessions until nine weeks before the film was due to go into production. that is when they discovered this in the archives, recently

found in an attic. for the director and actors, it was a revelation. it goes into enormous detail, with hundreds of letters between the man. about his mental state, it says "quite normal, but has acute nervous tension. on the physical side, he is well built, with good shoulders, but the waistline -- very flabby." colin firth plays george vi and has no doubt of the archives importance. >> it is like finding the rosetta stone. there was so little material on the ground. i had never read a royal biography in my life, so i had to release start from scratch. >> these fresh insights helped firth and geoffrey rush develop a powerful onscreen chemistry.

>> it can't have passed you by that there is oscar talk around this film and your performance. how does that feel? >> i don't think anything prepares you for it. it cannot but make you feel giddy. >> he has the support of his queen. >> it was quite good fun. i hope he gets it. as the queen -- you do not have absolute belief in the person opposite. >> it will have to wait and see about the oscars. but one thing is certain. "the king's speech" has got people talking. >> it is time for a reminder of our main news this hour. pakistan is observing three days of national mourning as a funeral takes place of the assassinated governor of punjab, salman taseer. please stay with us. you are watching bbc news.

>> 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 has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations.

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