"bbc world news" is presented by kcet, losngeles. funding for this presention is ma possible by the freeman undation of new york, stowe,

vermont, and honolulu. the newman's own fodation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur undation. and union ba. >> ion bank has put s financial stngth to work for a wide range of companies, fm sml businesses tomajor corporions. what can we dfor you? >> and now "c world news." >> fresh spending. e top u.s. general i afghanistan calls for revised military strategy, suggesting e currentne is failing. on thetarting land --on

the starng line -- japan's next leader iseginning the transition to power after a landmark gener election. livingn fear. and w svey in the ruian capital. welcome to "bbc world news. we are broadcast on pbs america dlso around the globe. coming u later for you - the lai lama visits taiwan on a visit china warns will hurt its relationship with taipei. hello and welcome. the leader of u.s. and nato foes in afghistan says the current strategys not working. gener krystle saysthat --

general mccrystal as not called for re troops, yet, but he wants more cus on winng hets and minds. >> the btle against the taliban has laed eight years. now the leader of the ited states forces as they ha got it wrong. no helmets for the general as he stros around one troublepot tryingo make friends. afghans are undergog a crisis of confidence in need to be persuaded american tops are there to make their ordinary lives better. heelieves most insurgen are not ideological warris. >> if we can go to an area and achieved stabilitand the average liban fighters decide too back home and take up

fming, to me, tt is the best outcom we do not kill anybody. we give them the opportunity to rejoin society. >>he general stresses villages caot be taken- they haveo b taken andeld. he has nt asked for more troops or money, buthat is bound to come later. weo not know how the whi house wil respond t such requests, but they say will te time. >> this was undernded, ndermanned, and ignored for years. that is not we coulchange overnight. >> the president h not seen e report t. he still on holay. but it iin line with his determinati to winmore hearts and minds. >> putng people at risk or the enterprise is no clear and when success isot yetdefined, that is pretty risky. >> when the voteounting finallends in afghanistan,

lot of pressure will be put on the afghan government. the general makes it quit clear th need to do more to take t lead and inspire othepeople. in the end, this is anheir fight. bbcews, washington. the afghan election commission say with nearl half ofhe returns fm the polling stationsounted, the incumbent president karzai is stilin the league. s main rivalr. abdullah abduah is trailing at 33%. the three main ndidates in gabon's election -- one of them is the favote to win the election. he died after 41 years in power. official results are expected in several days. on the lam mkel says she is -- angelamerkel says she is

confident that she will win the election in several days. she says the counter-ght ristian democrats hadvery hance of winninand forng a coalion with the sller free democrats. one election whose results are not in doubt is th of japan. the country's next leader has begun putting his government together. we have is report fromtokyo on what was a landmark eleion. >> a typhoon hit tokyo thi mornin in a bra-new political order swept into power. a landslide victory. the biggt chge to hit the country since thwar. and at the fisharket, you can se some of the reasons why. >> i have high exptations for the future of my child. >> the pledge of children's

benefits and free schooling attracted yng and families. she says she would love ather one, but even though theyoth work, thecannot afford it. they have their retirement to think about. this is the morni whe the victory was declared. noickets, no champagne. probably because the victory is owedore to the other party's failings. theormer prime minister conceded five decades of power. >> ey know they have not done anything for them. ey are now in a positionto upot themselves to the electorate, anthat makes tem -- to prove themselves to th electore, and that makes them nervous. >> unemployment and the national debt are soaring. the rporate salary men and

women need solutions. >>the economy is not getting better they go tohe oppositpot -- the opposite sid they justhange. >> has this made a huge impact on the streets ofokyo? no. but what the peopleave done is give the new vernment the opportunityo destroy whatever they need tourn this country arou. all they have to do in return is to listen. bbc news, tokyo. >> there is much more background and analysis on our weite. you n also find a profilef the man is said to be the nt prime mister. bbc.com/news britishgovernment sources have said that the correspondence with the scottish gernment about the release othe lockerbi bomber will be read least on that tuesday.

be conoversial decion to release delbaset ali al- megrahi has been condemd by present obama, secretary state llary clion, and the families of the victims. four victims of banks rescue to prevent collapse. they haveeen charged with money laundering d illegally granng loanso the people not guilty. -- illegally granting loans. they plead not guilty. a spokesman said this woman was rried about security and wha it prevents -- and wanted prevent issues and then it swam ther lakeside me and took refuge there. it is an alarming statistic that suggests racism is rife in russia. i knew a studyf african peopl living in moscow found tha over half haveeen physically

assaulted i racial attacks the findings h been relead bya a moscowrganization that rves the cities feign community. our correspondent went to mee someone. >> in a smaltown in southern russ, somethingruly remarkable is happening. this is an end also kno as vasily ivaocvic -- ivanovich. >>initially, peoe but this waa broker. en the registered as a candidate theyegan to take me seriousl >> some are fulof support. >> good for you, says this man

e willote for year. but this more normal. we shouldave a real russian to represent us. he meansa white russian." despite optimism surrounding s campaign, the prospects of a black man being ected to offi here are about zero. the level of racism in russia is astonishingly high. back in the daysf the soviet union, hdreds of thousands of afcans came to udy in russia. propaganda films showed russians enthuastically ebracing them. today, in hi moscow refuge, is american volunteer holding this african baby. -- is an american volunteer olding this africana baby. is is arefuge for terrified and brutalized migrants. >> this was the stabbing he.

>> thisigerian man was luc to survive a terrific ninthnd a gun attack t months ago. nowe is too scared to sw its face. >> i was cuthrough the back. put one eye on my -- i putone on my ye. they stabbed all over my bo. >> saly, this i not an isolated case. the doctor sees a similatax every week. in one, theeven attemed to scalp the victim. c news, moscow. >> the dalai lama has been siting areas hit by the phoon i southern iwan on a tour that china has warned will hurt relatns with taipei. the tibetan spiritl leader was in a village where around 500 people died cause of a

tyoon earlier this month. from there, our correspoent repos. >> the dollar ma arrived in the viage. ound 500 people were buried b a mud slide re. doze of villagers gaered around him he prayed for the deaand tried to ease the sufferings of the grievin families. he says h is here on humanitarian and religious -- on and humanitarian and religious mission. >> the leads of this country. >> the dolly llama --dalai lama insisthisisit is not potical. but not eveone iconvinced. some people fear tir to be repeussions from beijing. the doy llam -- dalai lam sayshat taiwan shouldave a

close relationship th china. >> most important you achieve mocracy. youchieve democracy. that is most important. i am obviously telling my friends -- think ofour intere. >> for e svivors, not only do they have to grieve the loss of tir family members, but they have to ruild their lives practically from satch. >> it is great he has come. it is good f our hearts. > the tragedyto happen tthis village led to te biggest politil crisis for th president of thai one who was songly cricized for his administration'-- for taiwan's it was stronglcriticized for his administtion's slow response to the typhoon the dollar -- he is taking a big rk byapproving the religious

leader's visit. bbc news. >> turkey and armenia have agreed to begin six wes of conversations aimed at re- estaishing diplomatic ties after hundre of years of hostility. a joint statement, they said they're parliamen would be asked to ratify protols. --heir parliamts would be asd to ratifrotocols. you're asking -- you are watcng "bbc worlnews." the secretary-general goes to the arctic. awildfire in the untains around l angeles has repoedly doubled in size overnight and has claimed 12,000 homes. officials in california say more than 2000 firefighters are battling the ble, but it will beeveral days before it brought unr control. two firefightersave been killed. >> a rapidly moving inferno

as dawn breaks over los angeles, the full extentf the wildfire revealed. it dbled in size overnight. he plumes of smoke hung over th area, making it even mor treachers to fight the flames fr the aiand the ground. over the weekend, two firefighters die when their hicle wrote off the mountainside. >> we k you, please, foyour understandi, for your patience, as we move through this difficultime, andlease -- ayers for the family. the familiesf our two brothers we lost. >> at least 6000 homes are under a mandato evacuatioorder. emergencyshelters have been set up in schools and community centers. >> theyere worried about where we wergoing to go. it was unpredictable they wanted to clear evyone out of t area. >> the plan are moving

dgerously close to communications towers. this house itransmitters for ery major television station inos angeles. with temperatures in the high 30's celsius and low humidity, fightinghe fire is extremely diffilt. but california is sfering a long-term drop comedy brush is tender dry - tinderd. it could several days before the fire i under control. bbc news, los angeles. >> this is an "bbc world news." the topeneral in afghanistan ys the curnt strateg is not working and mus be revived. japan's next leader is buildg new government after his democratic par look -- won an historic election there on sunday. today, the united nions opens

a five-day conference i geneva to consider how to adapt to and cope with the consequees of climate change. the u.n. secretary-geral is not there. ban ki-moon is traveng to the ctic as a guest of norway to witness e pact of ice masses on at the oceans we have thisreport from oslo. >> this is bond heooned -- ban ki-moon'sfst stop. the polar icecap. he did -- has decided go because sientists say this is an area that most at risk. he has made quite a changef top priority. says he has reportthat it is causedy human activity. >> sience is clear -- e impact israel. he time to act is now.

>> he has acted bore. he traveled t antarica two ars ago. the mssage -- the result o global warming could be catastrophic. urgent ation is needed to verse that. and that is the poor will sfer the most. they live in coastal areas floode by a rising sea. in other rions affected b drought an fame brought on by risi temperatures. >> it is so decided. >> there is the glob treaty to cut carbon emissionsorged in kyo 12 years ago, but it has not had much effect i reversing the trend. now the tas to replace that are entering their finalhase. at the g-8 summit ambitus targets we set,but officials sait is not eough. there aoisputes about the levels of resnsibility and acon to be takeny rich and

poorountries. time isrunning out to meet the december deadline, hence the arctic excursion. he is hoping that this trip will help ild thepolitical consens to create an agreement. next up, a trip t the arctic circle. >> you a watchin"bbc world news." still to come -- on the pop charts, after 50 ars away. binge drinki and the bad behaor that goes witht is stroly associated with the countries of northern europe, but there are gns th the heavydrinking cultures moving south. young people in italy appear to have falleout of love with la dolce vita, and they are hiing the bottle wit arming fervor.

we have ts report. >> drinking has always been par of the itian culture. the water-down wind, getti drunk. until now. that is all changed. a new wayof thinkingas arrived. thesehops of spiritsre taking over from-the drks of choice. young alians are ming away from the moreestrained medirranean-style drinking. >> i drinkeer. i drink because work all the we, and saturday, sunda i drink. >> [unintelligible] >> i drink cocktails. >> the cities are beginning to clamp down on unrage drinkers. here inome, drking on the stres has been banned afr 9:00, something debt - the

deputyayor wants to enforce year round. >> has bome a meeting place for thounds of young people, and they are justetting und and younger. -- younger and young. residents have been kept awake all night. esidents said emily are drinking more than they used to but is still nt anywhere near t levels seen in parts northern europe. there is stillalled to rediscover the traditional italian way life. abc news, -- bbc ne, rome. >> many iraqis sa smoking helps, frazzlederves. so many he reacted with shock to a ban on smoking in indoor puic places. it still h to be ratified by the parliament before ibecomes law, but many say it is the last thinthis country needs.

from baghdad,nd north. -- andrew rth. >> it hasbeen a whole day without a cigarette. there is a ban on smoking in iraq. it is rented v. -- it isamadan. with the ening call to prayer, normal life resumes without nicotine, many iras say the country cant function they have reted with astonishment to a government proposal to ban sking all the time in plic places. >> almost eryone here is puffing away. it is hard to belie the governmentas any chance of ever banng smoking in iraq. many of them say theyo not have the priorities right >> 60 basics first, city peop of this -- fixethe basics first, sathe people of this

cafe. >> not the smokin not the smokin it brin the pleasure. >> not everyone respes the daytime ramage and ban on smoking. these governnt workers have to light up outside. this is a campaign by their boss. >> i never put a cigette in my mouth my whole le. i tryingto ask them noto smo in theioffices. if they want to smoke, they need to go outside. > attitudes are draggg way behind that. police are seeking smokes outsi a hospital. with their business under threat, traders in baghdad see the proposed ban in apocalypti terms. >> it would be like doomsday,

worse than more violence. sking helps us to relax. many doubt the vernment will ev get the law passed upper -- but perhaps-- more iraqis are now dyin from oking-related illnesses and shootis. bbnews, baghdad. >> she i the 92-ye-o singer wh kept a british forces spirits up. now she is doing battl with beyonce. she is t oldesterson to er eer the top 20 album charts with "we'll meet again >> the2-year-old ha found hersf to be the hot w singer in the album charts. isice to be recognized, really. if you sell tt amount of

records, it is something to be proud of. particularly after so long. >> durin thear, she was nicamed "theorce's eetheart." she continuing twork her magic with a new album release to coinci with the70 -- the 70th anniversary of the declaration of war. * the certainly changed. during the second wld, -- the send world war, she had a different competitor now she is competing with the arctic monkeys at the top e charts. >>n my day, t songs i sang were qui normal. but now bn normal materia up today considerably different. so from m type of song, get

into the hit parade, and ihink it is a miracle to me. >> so why are heryrics still so pular? >> the wor are nice. "we will et aga, i do n know where, do n know whe bu i am sure we'll meet ain." >> lt disney is to buy it mael entertainment. the shares ae a valued at $4 billion. the deal will an disney will take ownership of 5000arvel characte such as spider-man and-men. >> funding was made psibley the freemafoundation of new york, stowe, vermont and nolulu. the newman's n foundation. thjohn d. and catherine t. macarthur foundati. and union bank >> uon bank has put its

financial stngth to work for a wide range of companies from small businesses to major corporatns. what can we do for y? >>'m julia stiles. >> i'kim cattrall. >> hi, i'm ken burns. >> i'm li taylor. i'm henry louis gates, jr., and publicroadcasting is my source for news about the rld. >> for ielligent conversation. >> for election coverageou ca counon. >> for conversationseyond the sound bites. >> aommitment to journalism. >> for deciding who to vote for. >> i'm rry washington, and public broadcastinis my source for intelligent connections to my community. >> "bbc world news" was

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