by kcet in los angeles. funding 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. >> the first african leader to be tried by an international court calls the case against him a lie in. >> it is a lie, it is a diabolical lie. never. >> profits among the economic gloom -- how goldman sachs posted figures of $3.5 billion in three months. at two-year old, a piggyback

card center life and now she has made a full recovery. welcome to bbc world news, broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, a successful mission to mars, so how come the astronauts and never left earth? and another movie you might say about the war in iraq, but is this one with a difference? >> for the first time, an african leader has had to answer in court to charges of crimes against humanity. in the witness stand at the international criminal court, charles taylor has presented -- charles taylor has prevented -- has presented his defense. he has admitted that things happened in sierra leone, murder, rape, the use of child

soldiers, but he insists he plays no part. we have been watching the trial unfolds. >> when charles taylor stood to swear the kirk -- where the oath, it marked the first time a former african head of state had been called to answer charges of crimes against manatee. charles taylor has spent many months in the past two years while the trial has been underway sitting impassively, listening to the catalog of atrocities committed in sierra leone. he repeatedly denied any involvement. >> i and a father of 14 children. grandchildren, with love of humanity and i have fought all my life to do what i thought was right in the interests of justice and fair play. i resent that characterization of me. it is false, it is malicious.

and i stopped there. >> four judges appointed by the government of sierra leone and the un are hearing the case. the central charge by the prosecution is that charles taylor orchestrated the rebel uprising in sierra leone in order to control the country's diamond riches. diamonds, it was claimed, were delivered to him in and the mayonnaise bottles. >> never. never ever did i receive, whether it is a mayonnaise or coffee, or what ever jar, never received any diamonds. it is a lie. it is a diabolical lie. never. >> his demeanor in the witness box was that of a confident man. he has a reputation as a showman and his delivery was assured. his testimony is expected to last several weeks. >> so how did the former

president of liberia and up in the hague? our correspondent has been years of reporting on him and looks back at his career. >> charles taylor first came to public prominence as the rubble. in 1989, he invaded liberia, saying he intended to overthrow the then-military dictator. the civil war he provoked shattered the country into political and -- political and ethnic five times. it spread refugees across west africa, particularly into sierra leone. reports by the united nations began accusing charles taylor of direct links with the rebels in sierra leone. you and said he was a gun runner and diamond smuggler, in league with the insurgents who had become notorious for committed -- for committing widespread atrocities. in the fight against the government of sierra leone, they packed off the limbs of everett

-- of anyone, including children, who oppose them and took control of the country's diamond mines. western nations, especially britain and the u.s. condemned charles taylor and the international tribunal investigating war and dieting -- indicted him for war crimes in the country. the problem for the showman politician charles taylor had become were piling up as a new rebellion against his government in liberia gathered pace. he was forced out of power by a mixture of hostels diplomacy and the rebels guns. he headed into what he hoped would be a temporary exile in nigeria. he was a wanted man. even as he handed power over to his deputy, he remained defiant. >> got willing, i i will be back. >> by 2006, he was in the custody of the un. he was flown first to sierra

leone where he was briefly held and his protestations of innocence began. but there were fears he might try to escape his custody, so he was transferred to the hague for the rest of his trial. the case has been running for a year and may take as long again before the judges -- verdict. >> a former mayor -- former mayor of rwanda has been sentenced to life in jail for his role in the 1994 genocide. the tribunal backed by the u.n. found the man guilty of genocide, murder, and rape. prosecutors say he played a key role in the massacres that led to 800,000 tutsis and hutus dead. two french security advisers in somalia have been conducted in mogadishu. they were working for the somali government, training soldiers when a group of armed men raided the hotel. this was in an area controlled

by the transitional government raid in iran, authorities say they have hanged 13 members of a sunni rebel group. members of the group were accused of terrorism, ardor, and kidnapping foreigners. they blamed the rebels for a series of attacks. by any measure, is a staggering profit -- wall street's @ goldman sachs -- goldman sachs has smashed assonance, delivering a $3.5 billion profit for its second quarter. under that is a more large number, $6.6 billion has been set aside for compensation and benefits. we have this report. >> less than one year since wall street seemed on the verge of meltdown and billions of dollars in taxpayer money was poured into financial institutions. now, top player goldman sachs says its income from trading has nearly doubled from one year ago. in this building, yet some of wall street's largest

employees, fastest computers, and most politically connected bankers. that has made goldman sachs a liter on wall street and the bank approved its reputation again by shattering expectations for its profits. last month, goldman sachs was among the first to repay $10 billion in loans from the u.s. treasury. the company's share prices have risen by nearly 80% this year. doing well in difficult times. >> we have operated in extremely in challenging environments. this environment is not conducive to slate -- to straightforward solutions. our culture allows us to react in this difficult environment. >> others argue there is a loser here -- the taxpayers. with goldman sachs and others paying too little for money they got from the government's funds and the bank has set aside over $6.6 billion of its profits

just for employee bonuses. >> goldman sachs was able to say we paid the money back and, as we say, we are no longer beholden to the taxpayer. even though that just might be part of the truth. >> willing results aside, the coming months will still be uncertain. >> some say there is fragility to it. they acknowledge the outlook and the economy is very fragile. it's hard to take this quarter and extrapolate it. >> or too, -- or to use this success as an indicator for other big u.s. banks. >> nato-led forces in afghanistan have begun an investigation into a helicopter crash in the south of the country which killed six people. a native spokesperson says the helicopter came down was a severe -- was a civilian

aircraft. the un parliament has chosen its first prime minister from a communist -- from a former communist country. jerzy buzek won support from two-thirds of its members. many people saw as the final healing of your's east-west divisions. canada has reinstated these requirements for mexican and czech citizens. they're trying to cut down on fraudulent claims. the ambassador to canada from the czech republic is being recalled and visas are being imposed for canadian diplomats. she is now 16 and that is sending us out because she made history at the age of two when a donor heart was grafted onto her own failing heart. the donor heart was removed three years ago and doctors say she has fully recovered. we have this report. >> throughout much of her childhood, she was a very sick little girl. at just two years old, she had groundbreaking surgery which

gave her a new heart and allowed her own when to rest and strengthened. now at 16, she has made a recovery beyond all expectations. >> [unintelligible] >> as a baby, the surgeon earl -- the transplant was because of her heart failure. a heart was attached to her own in a piggyback operation becoming the dominant oregon. her own heart was able to rest for more than four years. but then, unexpectedly, her own car recovered so well that the donor organ could be removed. his surgeon who has cared for her over the years and pioneered the tree and says it is the first time he's seen a heart full recover in a child.

>> the heart is not showing any signs of deterioration. in fact, it is getting better and better with time. it's really great. >> it has been a long battle. her parents say her life has been full of a motion in some of that came out at the press conference announcing a recovery. >> [unintelligible] >> the family says it will never forget the generosity of the organ donor that helped to give the chance of recovery and live a healthy teenager. >> the conductor edward downe has died along with his wife at a set assisted suicide center. he had health problems but was not terminally ill. his wife was dying of cancer and he chose to travel with her and

and their lives together in zurich. we have this report. >> a gifted and a passionate musician, he spent decades at the center of britain's musical life, conducting opera and the bbc philharmonic. but his real life passion was for his wife. they shared a life emersed in music, one in which their friends and family described as rich and rewarding. >> ted was a very rational man and lived a wonderful life. they did fantastic things together all through the lives. i can perfectly well imagine him thinking it has been great and this is the way to conclude their lives together. >> at royal albert hall, they are just setting up for the bbc prom. if he was conducting here, jones would always be in the audience. a couple completely devoted to each other, they decided to make their last journey together.

>> it ended here in switzerland, and one of the anonymous buildings. while she was dying of cancer, her husband was not terminally ill. it operates within swiss law, prescribing lethal doses of medication to those seeking assisted suicide. they had helped other british people to die. campaigners believe 117 people have travel to switzerland for assistance suicide. that includes three couples. it is thought to cost around four thousand pounds per person. last year, daniel james made the same journey at the age of 23. a spinal injury left him almost entirely paralyzed, facing lifelong disability, the justices to suicide. campaigners for change in the u.k. say restrictions here are pushing people abroad. >> what i do think the case demonstrates is that we are on a slippery slope at the moment. anyone can go abroad as long as

they can afford to do so. there are no safeguards, no breaks on the process. what their needs to be is some kind of safeguard in place. >> he devoted his life to music. and shared life and death with the wife he adored. a decision some will understand, which -- but will appall others. >> still to come, once there were -- a risk stormy seas for a better life in the european union. why is the number of african immigrants to europe dwindling? first, in pakistan, officials say the number of displaced people heading back to their homes in the northwest has increased greatly. the army opened roads leading into the valley on monday. up to 2 million people uprooted by fighting between the army and

the taliban could return. we have this report from islamabad. >> the taliban may have been pushed back, but there is still fear everywhere in the swat valley. people here routinely carried white flags to signal they are no threat to security forces who are everywhere. >> this man has just returned and said the only problem is the market shutdown. it is hard to get things to eat and drink, but is otherwise peaceful. those returning find the weather rather easier to take any unfamiliar heat they have endured living in tents and in the plains. in a camp, tempers were raised as people queued up for food and supplies before leaving. this man says they could not have drawn things would be so bad and blamed the government for the conditions they face. the government has had strong

support for its military action against the taliban in the northern region in the fighting in recent weeks. that support will be tested both by the manner of their returns and how to live up to their promise of securing peace and reconstruction in the long term. >> thousands of british people paid their last respects to soldiers who died in the country paws worse they so far in afghanistan. the streets were lined as the cortege moved through the town of would invest it to oxford. some men were all killed within 24 hours last week. good to have you with us on bbc world news. the first african leader to answer in court of charges of crimes against humanity, the former president of liberia, has said the accusations against him

are lies. the attractions of life in europe and may be losing their sheen for illegal would-be migrants. the latest figures show that last year 9000 people tried to enter the european union from africa illegally. compare that to the peak in 2006 were more than 31,000 made that precarious journey by boat. our correspondent has been to the island to find out more. >> on patrol with the spanish coast guard. behind us is the tourist resort and head is the authentic ocean. it is a preferred and perilous gateway to europe for illegal migrants. today, the horizon is clear. the fragile boats from africa are becoming a rare sight. over the past few years, the number of illegal migrants making it to these shores has fallen by almost three-quarters.

that trend continued this year. during april and may of this year, not a single boat reached the spanish shores. the spanish say it's down to the deterrent effect of surveillance. we were given rare access to a new control room where incoming boats are monitored in real time by radar and cameras with a range of five nautical miles. >> there has been a very important fall. we had 100 boats arriving and this year we have only had five. all five were detected and intercepted using this technology. but -- >> but better surveillance is not the only deterrent. so is a recession. in madrid, nearly 700 kilometers away, we found a group of

migrants who were allowed to stay when the government failed to repatriate them. but without papers, in a nation of soaring unemployment, some whether whether the journey was worth it. >> i don't recommend this country. i recommend other countries. other countries are difficult, but i don't recommend a person to come at this moment. >> his red cross warehouse packed with food, drinks, and clothing kits for the next boat load of rivals. the local coordinator is cautious about drawing conclusions. >> it doesn't matter how bad the economic crisis is here, it will always be worse in africa. until there is more development in africa, that is what will stem this completely. people will be willing to risk their lives to make it. >> with conditions column, the spanish authorities are braced for a busy summer. advances have been made here, but this is a complex fight which is far from over.

>> 6 of volunteers from russia, germany, france had just emerged from a simulated space capsule in moscow after more than three months. our correspondent explains. >> after 105 days, the seal was broken and the lock is undone. moments later, the four russians, one german, and frenchman step outside of the capsule into the light of dozens of flashing cameras. apparently none the worse for wear. there capsule had in fact never left the ground. but everything inside was designed to make them feel as isolated as if they were on a real trip to mars. the capsule is spartan and grant to say the least. there are no windows and the radio communication with ground control was deliberately delayed by up to 20 minutes. speaking to the media afterwards, the russian commander declared it a complete success.

>> this experiment was a cooperation between many scientists. it was also a cooperation within the crew. mutual assistance and support were evident at all times. >> even 105 days is not nearly enough to get to mars and back. next year, another group of volunteers will enter this same cramped capsule and be sealed inside for a daunting 520 days. that's nearly a year and half. >> the track record of movies seem to run the iraq war is next. filmmakers are struggling to create stories that are not only compelling interest life, but also sell at the box office. a film industry insider is predicting a new picture called "the heard locker" will succeed where others have failed. >> it's set in baghdad in 2004.

is fictional, but its screenwriter spent time and better as a journalist. it tells the story of three soldiers, a bomb disposal team in a perilous existence. one man who appears to be innocents had explosives locked on to his body. >> i can do it. there are too many locks. i can't get off. i'm sorry. >> the central character is a staff sergeant. >> you are a wild man. >> a risk taker, some see him as a man addicted to war or at least the dangers inherent in war. >> how many bombs to be disarmed? >> 873. >> 873? >> what fuels and drive some has to do with more than being really good at something. not really having much else you know that you can do. when your life becomes your job, that is telling of who he

is more than anything else. >> a slew of american films have touched on the war in iraq or the war against terror and few have succeeded at the box office. the prevailing theory is audiences did not want to be confronted with a war they found troubling. film critics concur that this picture is not the same as other iraq-themed films. >> is not afraid to allow the audience to bring its own viewpoint to the movie. all of the other films about the war have come at you with feelings. they have been judgmental, emotional, sentimental. they have not let you bring your own emotions as much as this one. >> tucson, one weakness of the film's most of the iraqis in the film are plot devices and not fully drawn characters. those who subscribe to that you are missing the point. >> the film is not about iraqis. is not about the iraq war. it is about these guys journey and their life-and-death situations every day doing their

jobs. the backdrop of iraq and the work there is just the background. it's a backdrop for the film. >> one clear success story is its director. she has been in the business for a long time. she is a female director who works constantly making action films, normally the reserve of male directors. the other vector is its leading man. >> i'm going to die. i'm going to die comfortable. >> what will this film do for its leading man? >> i think it could change his life. more than any actor i've seen in recent years, he is one to watch. he is such a distinctive performer and something special. but he has not had a platform to reach a wide audience. >> it is a thought-provoking picture. it presents audiences with a soldier who is a heroic figure, a cowboy type character not without humanity. he is incest with his work, a perfect cog in the war machine

and extremely good at what he does. >> on a lighter and a much brighter note, thousands of parisians have marked the end of pastille day by watching a spectacular fireworks display at the eiffel tower. this display followed a concert at the foot of the tower. earlier in the day, more than two hundred thousand turned out to see the military parade. this marks the anniversary of the start of the french revolution. > bbc world news was presentd by kcet in los angeles. funding 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.