>> 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 business to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news."

>> the british government did all it could to get the lockerbie bombing afraid. the conclusions after an official report. government workers-egypt, will it be enough to stop the opposition protests? 19 -- the results of the referendum are confirmed. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast in pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, clashes in haiti's capital after the president says he will stay in power for three more months. weeks before rio's carnival, a fire destroys thousands of costumes.

>> four -- renewed their call for an independent -- a controversial release of the lockerbie bomber. this comes after a report that said the labour government did all it could to help libya secure the release despite insisting the decision was made by scottish ministers. this report contains some flash photography. >> returning home to a hero's welcome 18 months ago. the only man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. he was released by the spanish government because he was dying for cancer. after an appeal by libya and we know was backed by the british government. >> was it right for the british government to facilitate an appeal to the scottish government in the case of an

individual who was convicted of murdering 270 people, including 43 british citizens and 190 americans? >> pan am flight 103 was blown up over scotland. the decision to release the men responsible was for the scottish government alone. but today's report found that the then labour government did not sit on its hands. it had a game plan to discreetly do all it could to facilitate an appeal by the libyans to the scottish government for his transfer or release. labor ministers wanted to help libya because they feared the british jobs and security would be damaged if he was not released. david cameron was restrained but outside his aides accused labor of a lack of honesty. >> there was no pressure from bp on the scottish government that we acted properly at all times.

moreover, at no stage did we ever suggest to the spanish government what decision they should do. >> he is right. the report concludes ministers left the decision entirely to the scottish government. and i had not seen any evidence the government lobby the scottish government for the release of the bomber. those who did it decide to let him out of prison in scotland said they have no regrets. >> we knew it was going to be controversial. we knew people would criticize its but we did it in good faith. >> but it is a decision that is still a force of tension between britain and the u.s. mr. cameron told hillary clinton he opposed his release. what about the victims of those who died? michael bernstein died.

his wife was appalled at what the government did. >> i celt -- felt sick to my stomach. the idea the british government would assist the libyans in freeing him -- no words can describe how disgusting that is. >> one fact remains, he went home to die and 18 months on he is still alive. >> the bbc in washington has this latest report from the u.k. seems to have reopened old wounds. >> their relatives of the victims are appalled by what they have heard and this anger is being reflected by several senators -- senator robert menendez who is from new jersey from where many of the victims traveling on flight 103 come from. they are now calling for this

independent inquiry and the british ambassador has written to them. he is saying as a courtesy to make sure that it looks as though the u.k. is taking these concerns very seriously. but the sense that you get is this is very much senators representing their constituents. overall in the u.s. government there is a desire to move on. the white house said it appreciated the u.k. releasing this report but it does not seem to be supporting calls for a wider, more independent inquiry. there is a sense that much can be said about this has been said. >> that is the problem. david cameron has been very clear. he said he sees no point in that new inquiry. where do these senators and families go from here? >> i think they are likely to keep pushing the issue is

because they don't believe what they have heard from london. they find it very hard to believe this idea that there was no pressure to have him released. that bp was not working behind the scenes. bp is still a very controversial name because of the links to the oil spill in the gulf of mexico. but as i say, i think there is less desire now in the u.s. government and the white house for this to go any further. >> in cairo the new cabinet announced more concessions as it tries to end the protests against president mubarak. there is to be a 15% rise in public sector pay and curfews will be eased. several protesters are still in tahrir square two weeks later. our middle east editor reports.

>> the regime wants to put cairo back. when it showed jurors try to open up one of the government buildings -- when i soldiers tried to open up the government buildings. there is no sign that descent has changed. the longer this goes on and protesters are settling in for a marathon, the greater the danger is. when the protests started two weeks ago the organizers expected to be arrested within five minutes. this man is now one of the leaders in tahrir square. do you think people will continue to come here to demonstrate? >> i believe-people. i believe -- i believe in people. the people want anything they can do it.

even if it takes a long time to do. >> this might take a long time. >> i think it might take a long time. >> they crowds in the square are still very big and still demanding the presidency immediate departure and are still paralyzed in cairo. that irritates some egyptians who say they should be satisfied with mr. mubarak's announcement he will not stand in september's elections. >> the majority are not who are in tahrir today or yesterday. >> what do the majority want? >> the majority are what the hat -- happy with what the president said so far and they want to do it in a proper way. >> tv showed president mubarak with a cabinet of loyalists. he seemed to have persuaded americans there will be a carrot -- there will be chaos if he stepped down before september.

>> we have seen the people standing side by side. we have seen the people running the streets without any problem at all, so if this regime stays [unintelligible] >> mubarak has to go. >> has to go. >> it is only sensible for people to dodge the regime when it has talked about reform because it has broken so many promises in the past. the big test will be the elections in september. that is why the people want to hang on to this piece of ground. been here gives protesters leverage. this revolution has its martyrs by it is and complete. the regime wants it to stay that way. -two weeks the people has changed egypt and -- in two weeks the people has changed

egypt and they are still finding their strength. >> electoral officials in sudan have published the final results from the referendum confirming that 99% of the people voted for separation from the north. president obama said the u.s. will formally recognize southern sudan as a sovereign independent state in july. >> a moment of history in the capital of a country about to split-two. the head of the referendum condition confirmed 98.8% of southerners have chosen independence. the motion was too much for some to take. -- the e motion was too much for some. there had been fares -- fears this would be a trigger for war. instead praise came in from barack obama and the mediator---

mediator in sudan -- >> resolve any differences that may arise exclusively by peaceful means. >> earlier in the day the president met his old enemy. the president promised the south would be allowed to secede. >> we have the results today. we warmly welcome them because they express the wish of the people of the south. >> so a new country will be born. their independence will not happen until july. before then, there will be tough negotiations in the disputed area on oil and citizenship. southern sudan will be unstable and northern sudan's economy will suffer because the south has more of the oil. southerners have dreamed of

independence for a long time. now they will be able to raise the flag of their own country with the challenges and joy that will big -- that will bring. already celebrations have started. >> this is "bbc world news." i did not want her to live a western life. the father who stunned italy by killing his daughter in the name of family honor. from the outskirts of paris and western australia, one place has been brought under control but firefighters are still battling fires to the east and north. flames are being built up by winds up to 7 miles per hour. this has come two years after 170 people died. >> ferocious and unrelenting, there seems to be no end to

australia's summer of disasters. these fires have been raging through the outer suburbs of perth. firefighters have been battling to contain fires on two fronts, in the southeast and north of the city. trying to put out flames that are 10 feet high, being whipped up by winds over 20 miles per hour. >> the trees are spending and then [unintelligible] that was history from there. >> already the fires have completely destroyed 60 homes and partially damaged 30 more. the fire will approach and some residents warn they will have less than 30 minutes to escape. they have been returning to see what has been left behind. >> if i am rummaging through looking for my fathers and grandfathers metals. i don't give a stuff about the

house. my pride and joy were my father's metals. >> this weekend there have been floods in victoria and queensland has been cleaning up. even though the country is used to extremes of whether it has been a vicious start to the year. the fires have been brought under control but there is a fear wind could make them flare up again overnight. >> our headlines, four u.s. senators have renewed their call for an independent inquiry into the release of the lockerbie bomber after it the british government said it did all it could to help that happen. president mubarak's government has announced pay raises but demonstrators in their third week of protesters aren't still insisting he must then down. -- are still insisting he must

step down. officials from both koreas have attended their first talks since the shelling of a north korean island it in september. this is expected to lay the groundwork for higher level meetings. >> serious analysts are predicting the possibility of a wider confrontation after this, artillery barrage on a south korean island. four people were killed. this followed on from last march in which there was the torpedoing of a south korean warship. in the run-up to the end of december we have talked of a possible secret nuclear war while the south was warning of a stern response. the south korean president said if we are afraid of war we can

never prevent it. in the beginning of 2011 we had a distinct killeen of rhetoric which was started by north korea -- a distinct cooling of rhetoric. talks were rebuffed by south korea, simply a propaganda attack. but something changed in the last week. south korea has committed to these talks today and the choreography is such there will be higher level military talks and possibly a summit between two countries' leaders this year. >> pretty unusual for the two sides to meet like this. you have mentioned what we could expect but how likely is it they might reach any kind of agreement? >> there are all sorts of reasons why they may not. there are demands by south

korea where there is a suggestion of responsibility about those two incidents last year. p'yongyang has said that they are not responsible for the warships and the shelling of the islands was a retaliation. that falls very short of the apology some people in south korea want. but the reason north korea is coming to the table is that it needs economic aid. the south korean government made it clear that unlike in the past when there were unconditional offer as of 8, this time they will not offer any kind of assistance unless they get genuine concessions that they want. if there is no progress and either side could walk out. >> television cameras will be allowed to film next month's trial of conrad murray of

involuntary manslaughter. jury selection will begin in march. the trial is expected to last six weeks. he faces up to four years in prison if convicted. protesters have taken to the streets of the haitian capital demanding that the outgoing president step down immediately. his term was supposed to end on monday but he received approval to stay on after the first round of elections were marred by fraud and corruption. the new vote is due in march. >> they were only warning shots but the message was forceful and clear. the protests had to end. heavily armed police were called in after several hundred demonstrators took to the streets in port-au-prince. in earlier clashes police used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

it worked but when the gas was blown into nearby homes some bystanders paid a painful price. monday was supposed to mark the end of the president's five-year term but with no and elected to replace him, he announced he will not step down for another three months, to the fury of his opponents. >> today is his last day. we militants on the streets to say no more. >> today we are asking the president to leave because his mandate is over. he must go so another president can take over. >> haiti past presidential palace has late in ruins in more than a year since an earthquake. hundreds of thousands who survived but lost their homes are still living in tent cities. the electoral process is making little progress. the first round of voting in

last year's elections ended in chaos and a final round will be held next month despite the ang er of opponents, many haitians agree with the president's decision to stay on. whoever wins will inherit a country that is desperately poor and still struggling to recover from a natural disaster. >> every year around 5000 honor killings' take place around the world. that is when a family murders one of its own members who they say has shamed them. one of the most notorious cases in the west was the woman killed in italy by her father. mohammed claims she had become too western. the bbc has obtained access to an interview from his prison cell to find out why he did hit. duncan kennedy reports.

>> this woman died amid a clash of cultures, from asian girl to western woman. the transformation cost her her life. this is her father, the man who killed her. murdering his own daughter to uphold the family's honor. >> i did not want to kill her. i wanted her to come back home. >> she refused an arranged marriage and live with an italian boy friend. her father says she shamed the family. >> i in a good father. my daughter was a very good daughter before. then all of the sudden she changed. >> he did not want her to live a western life. >> i did not want my daughter to be to free, having drugs on the streets. i did not want this to happen.

>> the transition from apple of her father's eye to murder victim is chronicled in a new book that concludes this is not just about the differences between the muslim and secular world's. >> just trying to be a normal italian teenager, this is the problem of the second generation. in this story there is a double conflict. there is a conflict between cultures and a deep between generations. >> he ended up slitting her throat 28 times. he and others. heard in the back yard, her way of bringing her back into life. >> when she died, the only thing i wanted was for her to come back home. i thought only about having her next to us at home.

it is the only thing i thought. >> her death was a tragedy for everyone, including her father. don't think these kinds of killings are rare. the un believes every year 5000 women and girls are murdered by members of their own family or in the name of honor. he is now serving 30 years in jail still feeling she shamed him but now regretting the destructive consequences of his actions. >> it is not only she who died, my whole family died. >> duncan kennedy, "bbc world news." >> and enormous fire has ripped through the buildings that house the famous schools in rio. much of the material for the march has been destroyed.

>> a thick column of smoke rising up from the area could be seen from many kilometers away. the fire began early in the morning and spread quickly due to the enormous quantity of highly flammable materials stopped in the warehouses. tons of plastic and fabric went up into the air. it was a desperate scene for those who had been working for months on the preparations of brazil's biggest party. >> we lost everything. this was the work of an entire life that we had and we loved. to see it like this turning into ashes in a minute. >> at least three of the 12 schools have been hit by the fire.

>> i was at home when i heard about the fire and iran here. we want to help but and at -- and i ran here. >> this man pledged to rebuild the damaged warehouses and in short the parade would take place as usual on march 6 and 7. brazilians will have to prove this year that not even a fire can destroy the joy of the country's carnival. >> four you as sunbursts have called for an independent inquiry into the release of the offer be bomber -- release of the lockerbie bomber. the country did all it could to help secure the release. this is "bbc world news." thanks for watching.

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