>> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. >> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. [funding for this presentation was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, the newman's own foundation, and the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation.] >> this is world news today. headlines, a trickle but not get a flood. 2 million refuge -- refugees forced to leave the valley in pakistan after fierce fighting. japan's prime minister is going throughout the country, even though defeat is looming.

the british operation in afghanistan, casualties are rising. in this hour, preparing for climate change. we are going to a village in bangladesh. it takes two. an environmentally friendly bicycle that is powering ahead of the four weald competition. -- for fur wheeled competition. it is midday in london, 7:00 a.m. in washington. in the swat valley, 2 million people have begun to return home. this is the first day they have been allowed to go back. the pakistani army has a clear the area clear of militants, although some refugees are refusing to leave. they are demanding aid from the government.

we seem to be having trouble bringing new the report, we will try again right now. >> waking up for the last time in a camp, the human wave of people flooding from the hills and valleys of the front here goes into reverse today as the tide changes. the government says it is time to go home. they are packing up tents and clothing and equipment handed out with emergency supplies, not knowing what to expect when they returned. many homes were destroyed in the violence. un agencies security a agreement from the government, but in some camps they are arguing for better compensation. there are other concerns as well.

and this man wants to take his family back, but is frightened of government forces and the taliban. he says that he will only go home when is say. the problem is that no one can guarantee safety. the military has secured the roads with a heavy armed presence on the ground. taliban militants have melted away for now and could restart their offensive anytime. they say that they do not know what to expect when they go home, but the conditions are, and if there will be in the food. the pakistani government said that it will be different this time, they will provide security and break services like power, water, better schools -- bring services like power, water, and better schools. >> a reminder of the continuing instability in pakistan today, an explosion killed 10 people

and wounded dozens more. militants were inside of a house where children had been taught the koran. david, before we talk about that explosion, about the refugees, it is not surprising that people do not think that it is safe yet? >> i think that there are natural reservations a round security and question marks over compensation. and what it is like where they are supposed to be going, whether there is enough food, water, electricity and basics of life. once the government said that the taliban had been a mill -- eliminated, the entire process and machine began to move in. although the un was stressing that they had an agreement,

returns should be voluntary once the camps get empty. there were scenes of celebration today. local politicians trying to get in on the act. the real serious work in the short term and long term begins now. not only in terms of food and shelter, but in doing what they have never done in the 60 years since independence, establishing a reliable and accountable government in those areas beyond this so-called settled area of the so-called frontier. >> what about the incident today in the punjab? >> extraordinary scenes, a huge crater. it is not clear whether this was inside of or outside of the building, but it appears to have

destroyed a makeshift girls' school. where the girls were being caught in a much rasa. documents appear to be connecting this with an extremist movement. for someone that appears to have been storing that equipment, a number of children have been killed. known fatalities, at least seven were children. a huge blast that destroyed the building. >> thank you, david. in a few minutes we would be speaking to the red cross about their assessments and how safe it is for refugees to return here you can follow the story on line, bbc.com. breaking news, chinese state media reports that two chinese muslims have been arrested. this follows last week's trouble in the riots where 184 people

were killed. there's a separate report coming from hong kong, reporting that two policemen were also shot dead by wiigers. more on that as we get at. country in the midst of economic recession, defying the wishes of his own party, the prime minister of japan is preparing to call an election on august 30. his party was defeated in a tokyo municipal election. they fear that the liberal democratic party will be defeated after about 50 years of holding power. >> the prime minister was showing his physical prowess in front of parliament. whether he maintains his political mastery over it is now likely to be for the people of japan to decide. in meetings, a senior members of

his party -- in meetings the senior members of his party called for an election. the date is expected to be the 30th of august, although it is yet to be officially announced. >> with regard to the dissolution, they have made an appropriate decision by taking into account all the circumstances. >> the turmoil followed local elections. the coalition party was rejected, ending the majority. it would be a sea change in japanese politics. and they have ruled for almost half of a century. the democratic party of japan

could be facing history. >> a ghraib diskette -- dissatisfaction, voters are saying no. >> japan's people have been coping with the steepest recession since the end of the second world war. >> personally, he was criticized too much. i wanted him to stay longer. >> i have an urge to see japan changed. >> there is a motion of no- confidence in the cabinet, a symbolic move to embarrass the prime minister, who made a last- ditch attempt to hang on to power. >> also in this hour, in germany, prosecutors have formally charged a man with

being an accessory to murder during world war ii. he was deported from the united states in may, accused of standing as a guard at a nazi death camp in poland. the space shuttle endeavor will attempt another launch on monday after storms and lightning forced a cancellation on monday, ready to deliver the final components to the international space station. an iraqi hotel receptionist, beaten to death by british soldiers in 2003, he was wrongly accused of being an insurgent. inadequate equipment, insufficient troops numbers, lack of international plan, that is some of the criticism being leveled at the nato government. it has led to mounting military

casualties, britain's foreign secretary was the ninth -- denied that the mission was undermanned and poorly equipped. here is our defense correspondent. >> british men and women attended the memorial service, paying respect for the eight soldiers killed last week. the bloodiest day for the army since the campaign began. six were named on sunday. today the government is likely to come under sustained political attack. accusing the prime minister, according brown, of the ultimate dereliction of duty and of catastrophically depleting the forces. the defense secretary, seen here, is also likely to face tough questions. opposition mp's are going to

demand answers, they say that this has led the british trips -- troops of more vulnerable to roadside bombs. a few of the forces are suffering their worst casualties since the nato-led campaign began. the mission was very much a coalition effort ahead of the afghan elections next month. >> hellman is something of a model for what is going on elsewhere. the main effort is trying to push us backwards. >> for the weekend, gordon brown said that british forces were making progress, that troop numbers will be kept under review. >> north korea's leader, kim jong il, has life-threatening pancreatic cancer. that is the claim of being made

by south korean television sources. this report follows recent pictures of kim jong il looking gaunt, spurning fresh speculation on his health. >> this is kim jong il in better times, set to stirring music, north korean television still broadcasts these films, showing the future leader as an animated visionary, learning his craft at the side of his father. now, after more than two decades at the top, his public appearances are rare events. this is him last week, pictures bringing about another bout of speculation on his ailing health and the stroke he is reported to have suffered. now this, the headlines reading that kim jong il has pancreatic cancer here in south korea.

breaking first on a 24-hour news channel, ytm, quoting sources in seoul and beijing. if true, the north korean leader has a life expectancy of less than five years. it's almost impossible to verify, of course, north korea denies that he is ill. calling the reports lies. this story has helped to fuel the decline on the south korean stock index, even though government officials said they are unaware of the diagnosis, that bloomers like these give markets the jitters. for now, most observers agree that kim jong il is still in control and fit to rule. numerous photos have been published in recent months, showing him out and about, visiting industrial sites around the country. it is clear that his best days

are behind him. a man, like his father before him, at a high status in the country that he ruled, proving as mortal as the rest of us. >> we will have full market analysis in 25 minutes. the treasury secretary is here in london today. >> absolutely. this is his first visit to the middle east. today there is talk of the u.k. finance minister and the global growth, but with global opposition. really, the big focus is tomorrow and wednesday, having key officials and a talk. >> a lot of money has been pumped into the american economy. >> you have hit the nail on the head. he is talking to the big leaders regarding the sovereign wealth funds, pumping billions

into the u.s. banking system. look, this is a reassurance trip, just like we saw in china about one month ago. the money is safe with us, many people worried about the huge deficit. we are likely to hear that the u.s. deficit has hit a landmark year, $1 trillion, a big pr job indeed. >> we will see you then. coming up, a grim forecast of the world debate for climate change. one village in bangladesh prepares for the monsoon. he is accused of murder, rape, torture, the former president of liberia is beginning his defense. charges arrive from the civil war in sierra leone. more than 100,000 people died during the conflict.

>> on trial for murder, torture, using child soldiers, it is now his turn to defend himself in court. the former liberian president is the first african head of state to be tried in an international criminal court. he denies the charges against him. the accusations relate to the civil war in the neighboring sierra leone, lasting one decade, ending in 2002. he is accused of arming the rebels. this is how they punished those they found to be supporting the government, cutting off their hands and arms. thousands were mutilated this way. one year ago he went on trial, moving for security reasons to sierra leone. his lawyers argue that there is no evidence that he was trying to control the diamond mines,

bringing chaos to extend his influence in the region. >> we have a number of witnesses, 91 live witnesses, 31 of them testifying to the connection between charles taylor and the commission of atrocities in sierra leone. a formidable challenge, they will have to face that evidence. >> after his lawyers made his opening statement, mr. taylor will take the stand on tuesday. his defense is expected to last for up to one year. >> this is world news today. our main stories so far this hour, the pakistan military are opening the roads into the swat valley for people to return. the japanese prime minister has called for an election on the 30th of august following a

crushing defeat in both elections in tokyo. more on their return, the original exodus was fleeing the fighting in pakistan. joining me on the line, sebastian, a spokesman for the international committee of the red cross. there's a lot of criticism that might be too early for these people to go back. what do you think? >> the position is that this has to be a decision made by the people themselves. i think that everyone is leaving on that principle. as far as we know, even the government has gone through procedures to make sure that mathe idp are willing to go back. as long as they are willing to go back, because they feel that the positions they face are

ready for them. >> are they willing to go back? >> everyone wants to go back, they are in difficult positions, camps that are difficult to live in, and the heat is overwhelming. everyone wants to go back, the question is whether the conditions in the areas that underwent fighting are ready to receive them. a question that needs to be answered by the idp themselves. >> they have been here before, going back after goingbouts -- going back after previous bouts of fighting only having to go back in later. >> it has informed their decisions. >> some people are holding out

because they say they were promised money and food and have not done it. -- got in it. >> i cannot speak for the state. the military has been helping thousands in the camps and host families, even in the affected areas since the fighting broke out in may. the positions, even if they decide this day, and they will be setting up programs even if they go back. not putting pressure on them either way, whether they choose to stay or returned. the bottom line is that these camps are not fit for long-term habitation. it is an extremely difficult

circumstance. deion coming monsoon rains, tents pitched on dry land, which can become monday. we are trying to prepare the camps for possible rains in the coming weeks. of course, these people would rather go home. they do not know exactly what the situation is, if they have lost their houses or if the situation is safe. >> thank you. it is a crucial year for global efforts to combat global warming, world beatings brigitte worldbeaters trying to bring about success, which is critical for nations like bangladesh.

the projected rise in sea levels combined with heavy rainfall is predicted to lead to more devastating floods. we have traveled to an island in the ganges to see what global morning could mean. >> more like a sea than a river, like a sea it has awesome destructive power. with the monsoon under way, it will soon burst the banks. in about one month, all of this will be under water. this is one of the raised what way is going through the village. that is how the people keep things dry, lifting up the levels of where they live. these women are digging out the sand, trying to dig out the

space in one of their homes. the people here are too poor to do this for themselves. last year this woman tighter children to her bed to save them from drowning. she says that she hopes she will never have to do that again. the future is never -- not going to be much fun, children expecting a lifetime of hunger. these are the victims of climate change. those who have lived on the island all of their lives know that things can get harder. the school was in a different place, but the river washed it away. he said that most people dream of leaving. >> the standard of living is very low, there are no opportunities. people want to go to big cities to find a job.

>> life has to carry on. people are tough and adaptable. soon, she says, the only way to get about will be on a raft made out of banana trees. there is no doctor on the island, when there is a storm there is no way of getting a boat. her baby's first site will be of water everywhere. >> united nations says that last year's food crisis was made worse by the actions of some governments. senior officials found prices doubling in india and vietnam. going back to the breaking news, telling you where we stand on that story, in china, where 184

people were killed last week, chinese police have shot two more people dead on monday, this is according to chinese state media, two were killed in the regional capital. police were trying to stop them from attacking another uighur when security forces opened fire. you can get all of the details on that story and the rest of the news on our website, bbc.com, including background as to what is going on in that ethnic trouble. >> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. [funding for this presentation was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, the newman's own foundation, and the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation.] macarthur foundation.]