>> 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 katherine 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 head of the i.m.f. is remanded to custody on sex assault charges. actions, not words. senatorkerry defends the u.s. operation to capture osama bin laden and calls on pakistan to take on militants. civilians celebrate gains on the battlefield on the day colonel gaddafi is wanted for crimes against humanity. welcome to bbc news, welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the world. security in dublin on the eve of the first ever visit of a british monarch to the irish republic. >> zero, and liftoff, the final launch of endeavour. >> counting down the end of the shuttle program, endeavour blasts off for the final time.

welcome. the head of the international monetary fund is fatesing a third night in jail after being refused bail by a court in new york on charges including attempting to rape a toho tell chamber maid. he denies wrong doing. he has been transfered to reichers island jail in new york, he's due back in court on the 20th. here's gavin hewitt with the latest. >> in the back of a manhattan court, one of the most powerful men in the world waits to be called before a judge. >> criminal sexual act in the first degree. >> then, dominick strauss kahne, head of the i.m.f.,

listened to the charges against him. >> he sexually assaulted her and forcibly raped her. he was unsuccessful and then forced her to perform oral sex on him. >> charges that carry a sentence of 74 years in prison he heard prosecutors accuse him of not just attempting to rape a hotel maid. they said they were investigating similar conduct on a previous occasion. they called for him to be remanded in custody. >> he has almost no incentive to stay in this country and every incentive and recourse with which to leave the country. >> there was a shake of the head at this point. the defense offered to stand bail of $1 million but the judge said he must remain in jail until friday. the defense had insisted he had made no attempt to flee the country. >> he denies the charges and is presumed innocent. >> he moved to the side of the court waiting to be taken back to yale.

in france, there is disbelief at seeing a former minister cuffed. at home, he had the reputation as a great seducer but was protected by a silence that's shielded many french leaders. it is said he was warned before taking over at the i.m.f. that the culture in washington was very different to that of france. yet, in 2008, he had an affair with a subordinate at the i.m.f. and writer tristan banar alleges he attacked her when she went to interview him and she plans to file a criminal complaint. >> this has been going on for queers and years but he has to go to the u.s. for the police and the justice to investigate him seriously. >> in brussels today, there crucial talks about the crisis in the injure zone and he was due to have been here. he had been a pivotal figure in delivering i.m.f. support for the bailout packages for

greece, ireland, and portugal. europe's finance ministers played down the absence of dominick strauss kahne today yet europe is moving toward another key moment when it has to decide on further assistance for greece. he was a crucial broke we are the greek government and the fact that he isn't around has introduced a new note of uncertainty into the negotiations. european officials today said the charges against the inch m.f. head remained unproven but in the midst of a persistent debt crisis, there was a real sense of planning a future without him. >> an associate professor at old dominion university in virginia, i asked him whether strauss-kahne might claim diplomatic immunity. >> i think he's not likely to get it. there are a lot of different kinds of diplomatic immunity.

it's very complex because we've never seen anyone from this high level facing this kind of criminal charges. of course many diplomats have faced these problems before and it's caused all kinds of problems with the public when they get off because of diplomatic immunity but this case will be a little bit different because there's a significant question about what kind of immunity he might have and the big question is whether he has absolute immunity, which is what we would expect with ambassador, or something that says he's immune when he's engaged in actions connected to his job. >> much has been said about that because of course whether or not he was on a business trip will also be a factor in considering his um mine -- immunity, will it not? >> yes. it's kind of an expansive view that says as long as you're traveling on business, you have this kind of bubble of immunity that follows you arn. there's also a narrower view

that says, when you're traveling there's certain things that look like business and certain things that don't and frankly the possibility of chasing and assaulting a woman in your hotel room doesn't usually count. >> a delicate time for relations, the u.s. senator john kerry is in pakistan to meet the cruntry's military and civilian leaders. u.s.-pakistan ties have been strained since the killing of osama bin laden with politicians on both sides calling for a serious review of cooperation between the two countries. we have a report from the pakistan capital. >> after so much tough talk from pakistan and the united states, about reviewing their relationship in recent days, it was john kerry who was entrusted with taking things forward. and publicly, at least, we're told his business here -- his visit here passed productively. he did have a clear message for the pakistanis who criticized

the raid that killed bin laden. >> my role in coming here is not to apologize for what i consider to be a triumph against terrorism of unprecedented consequence. my goal has been to talk with the leaders here about how to manage this critical relationship more effectively. >> pakistani leaders focused heavily on the fact that the operation happened without their permission. senator kerry assured them that in future america would work together with pakistan against high profile targets. but he will have brought a tough message, too, from washington where many believe that bin laden's presence here proves that pakistan knowingly shelters militants. the u.s. currently has billions of dollars worth of aid to pakistan. this is just one institution being built with american money but there are huge civil projects as well including the agriculture sector. just over the last couple of weeks, we have heard voices from washington calling for cuts in the funding unless

pakistan does more to cooperate. >> it is one of the major tools that the americans can use on pakistan to get the kind of cooperation that they want that and of course there is of course now the element of the american military and special forces to be used against pakistan without consent of the leadership of pakistan. >> today, police said gunmen on a motorbike pulled up alongside this car shooting dead a saudi diplomat. saudi stripped bin laden of his citizenship. as pakistan likes to remine the outside world, it's stuck between the pressure of those like the united states on one side and the militants on the other. >> the prosecutor of the international criminal court

said he asked judges to issue international arrest warrants for colonel gaddafi for crimes against humanity. the city of mizraha is at the cent oaf the report. our reporter traveled there and is the only western television journalist in the besieged city. she sent us this report. -- he sent us this report. >> a slow boat to trouble. we hitched a ride with libya's rebels. it's the only way into the besieged city. nato warships, a reassuring presence. we approach the harbor cautiously. colonel gaddafi's forces mined the area repeatedly and shelled the docks.

but today it's eerily quiet. the suffering here has been spectacular. on every street, the evidence of two brutal months under siege. but now a amid the ruins, a moment of celebration. civilians finally emerging from their homes to mark an unlikely victory. gaddafi's forces have been driven back from the area, at least for now. the remains of his aerial bombardment on display as a monument to one man's cruelty. >> we decided the best way to make it is by long distance shelling. my father's house was destroyed, a cousin tried to get him out, but another went off and took the lives of both of them. >> today, like everyone else here, mustafa is digesting the

news that counselor gaddafi may be indicted for war crimes. he has particular reason to care. on friday, a missile landed in his children's bedroom he lost his 3-year-old daughter and by by son. -- and baby son. >> i want gaddafi to be killed, he says. but then changes his mine. no, he must be put on trial. over the last couple of days, colonel gaddafi's forces have been pushed well back from the city. it's no longer in range of his ar tillly and rockets. nato and air strikes have played a decisive role here but the challenge is to find a way now to build on that success. for now the rebels here say they have no plans to do more than protect their ruined city. britain is calling for an intensification of the air campaign across libya.

it will need that and more to break the wider deadlock here. andrew harding, bbc news, mizrata. >> let's stay with the situation in libya and bring you the latest pictures of the aftermath of a number of air strikes in tripoli. these show the target on an interior ministry compound in tripoli where you can see extensive taj to the government buildings there. in this same coordinated attack, it's believed that colonel gaddafi's compound itself in tripoli was also targeted as well and it is thought that there were a total of some sex explosions, five i should say, reported over a period of five to six hours on monday night into the early hours of tuesday morning in libya itself. but these are the latest pictures showing the aftermath

of those nigh shots. you're watching bbc news. still ahead, we gauge the reaction on dominick strauss kahn's home country of france. in kenya, one of the world's elite athletes died at the young age of 24. he won olimp ibbling gold in beijing and had his sights set on 2012. >> the home where sammy's life ended so young, the olympic marathon holder went home late at night. he was with a woman. his wife then returned and locked them in the house. the police say the athlete was found on the ground with a broken skull. >> jumped from the first floor of his house and he was badly injured. >> investigations continue. some question how a fit athlete

could have died falling from a fairly low height. sammy had a turbulent relationship with his wife. last december, he was in court accused of threatening her life. illegal possession of a firearm, and assault. the athlete said he'd been framed. some kenyans suspect his relative wealth through prize money contributed to his domestic problems. sammy certainly had a lot of problems off the track but speak to his fellow athletes and coaches and they paint a picture of a sportsman who was extremely dedicated and he had the medals to prove it. the pinnacle of his career, a gold medal at the beijing olympics in record breaking time an event which made kenyans extremely proud. >> he's closing in on the finish line. >> there was also success in the chicago marathon and in london where he recorded the quickest time ever. >> a new personal best and a new course record. >> sammy had his eyes set on

next year's olympics in london and dreamt of one day breaking the two-hour mark. he died at the age of 24 with a promising career still ahead of him. will ross, bbc news, nairobi. >> you're watching bbc news. the headline the head of she international monetary fund has been remanded in custody in new york where he's facing charges of sexual assault. the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court requests an arrest of colonel gaddafi on charges of crimes against humanity. let's stay with our top story and the case of dominick strauss kahn. the new york correspondent for the french newspaper "liberacion." he talked about what impact it's had on the french political landscape. >> it's different things

altogether. it's a political sunesune. if you look at what happened -- political tsunami. he's seen as a frontrunner in the next presidential elections. he was supposed to announce his candidacy and according to the polls, he was ahead of sarkozy in most of the polls, between six points and 10 points ahead system of yes, he had a reputation as a seducer, he liked to -- he did actually say to us when he had lunch with some of my colleagues on the newspaper that he liked flirting with women but it has nothing to do with what happened here where he's been basically accused of attempting rape and sexual assault. obviously, he was, you know, the pictures today, seeing him getting out of the police

station handcuffed was also a bit of a shock. as you know, in france, we don't show those pictures before the person accused is convicted and a lot of other french politicians reacted very strongly facing those pictures. >> those pictures we are showing on air at the moment of him earlier in court an they are banned, you don't see these sorts of images in france but undoubtedly they'll be on the front of the world's newspapers. you talked about this case causing a political tsunami from france. tell us about the image that he has in french politics and with french people as well. >> it was actually -- he was actually pretty well liked in france. he was seen as a brilliant economist, a nice person to talk to. as i said, yes, there was an image of a seducer. he dealt with it, he was in front of them, didn't hide behind it but again, he was

seen from the french point of view as basically the best chance to beat sarkozy an everybody assumed that would happen basically next year for the presidential elections and it's not going to happen anymore. >> what is the reaction to this story in his home country of france? privacy laws are strinyent there so the private lives of politicians usually go unreported but there's been immense shock in the response to the allegations. >> he was one of the best-known and most respected of french politicians, a socialist finance minister, who oversaw a program of privatization a clear sign of his appeal across the ideological divide. at the i.m.f., he's won a name as an influential player in the global economy as it emerges from the trauma of the last few years. all seems set fair for the

presidential election. beneath the smiles, another side has been little reported. in the parisian crowd it was no secret he was interested in women but no one cuff predicted this humiliation. for the left, it's devastating. they need to separate the personal from the political. >> i call on socialists to keep their eye on 2012. we have a promise to the french to meet our commitment to change. the socialist party is neither decapitated nor weakened. >> the big winner from the scandal is the populist right. the national front leader, it's a godsend opportunity to drive home her message that in the political elite, they're all rotten. >> i immediately thought about the image of my country around the world. it's absolutely terrible because the image of the whole

of france that will be affected by this arrest. >> as for president sarkozy, the fall of strauss-kahn is a boost but a relative one. the left is in disarray but the president himself is still unpopular and there's another year until the elections. plenty of time for the socialists to rediscover their point of orders and a new presidential contender. >> queen elizabeth will begin her historic visit to ireland on tuesday. it's being viewed as a significant moment in relations between the two countries after the tensions and troubles of much of the past century. the biggest security operation ever in ireland is being mowned for the visit, with concerns that dissident republicans might try to disrupt the event. a bomb alert was issued monday. >> a bomb alert in the heart of london bringing widespread

disruption. a police officer spotted something suspicious, including a disturbed manhole cover. it turned out to be a false alarm but yesterday police received a bomb threat. all officers are being extra vigilant. it's the same in dublin, where the queen is due to arrive at lunch time tomorrow. they've checked every road, every drain, every blade of grass in the places where the queen will visit. >> our air corps will be involved in policing the air space. our naval service will be involved in maritime security and the army will be deployed in significant numbers. >> can you hear us loud and clear? >> there have been protests by hard line republicans. even throes been -- they've been small, the authorities aren't taking any chances. dozens of roads are closed. 5,000 police officers are on duty. many of the streets affected are in dublin's city center.

everywhere you look there's a security barrier. in fact in total, there are 20,000 of them. >> the restrictions have annoyed some people but not everyone. >> with the queen, if things go well here, we are expecting to get a lot of people from england over the next few months, so it will boost business. >> but at the moment, irish authorities are focused on preventing terrorism rather than promoting tourism. how concerned irlte's -- ireland's prime minister? >> we've had global figures here before, the american president and the pope, and security measures were put in place to deal with that and the situation applies in the case of the visit of the queen also. >> the threat from dissident republicans is lower in the irish republic than in the u.k., nonetheless, the authorities here are on high alert. mark simpson, bbc news, dublin. >> in canada, a huge wild fair

has destroyed more than a third of a sizable town in alberta. aircraft have dropped fire retardant, and thousands of residents have fled the area. oil production has been shut down in the area. no deaths have been reported as a result of the fires. the american space shuttle endeavour lifted off on its final mission. launch was delayed by two weeks . the blastoff was watched by gabriel giffords -- by gabrielle giffords, the american congresswoman who was shot in the head a few months ago. her husband is on the shuttle. >> three, two, one, zero, liftoff for the final launch of endeavour. >> thundering into a bright florida morning, the space shuttle endeavour left on its final mission. the shuttle disappeared into

low crowd, a spectacular sight for the tens of thousands of who turned out for one last glimpse of this iconic spaceship. endeavour's cargo is holding the most expensive scientific experiment in nasa's history a speck tromter designed to seek out dark matter. during its 16-day mission, the crew will deliver parts of the international space station an cafferry out the space shuttle program's last space walk. >> the final flight is the final flight of endeavour, we'll wait for her to come home and then celebrate. it was all about getting the countdown right and getting mark and his crew in orbit safely. >> for shuttle commander mark kelly, this launch has special meaning. his wife, congresswoman gabe rell giffords, was given medical clearance to attend the

event. when edevour returns to earth -- when endeavour returns to earth it will go to a museum in california, leaving just one shuttle in the working fleet. the hope is that private companies will take over the program. >> the capabilities that the space shuttle has, there are none like it in the world but the legacy of the shuttle, the importance of it, won't be lost. and i don't think that that will be lost as we move to the next program as well. >> this really is the beginning of the end. when een-- when endeavour returns to earth, there will only be one orbiter left, the atlantis, due to law firm in the summer. when that happens, that part of history will end. >> if you're on twitter, follow me for the latest developments,

the address there on the screen. you're watching bbc news. good to have you with us. stay with us, more to come. >> 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 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 katherine -- the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. ♪ >> union bank has put its financial trent to work for a

wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news was presented >> bbc world news was presented by kcet los angeles.