>> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. [ funding for this presentation is 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.]

>> to china's economy powers ahead. 8% growth leaves the rest of the world gasping. the deadliest months yet for troops in afghanistan. but america's top soldier is defined. >> if we get it right for the people, the people will get the taliban out. >> columbus has said it will be the base of u.s. troops in south america. >> -- columbia has said it will be the base of u.s. troops in south america. coming up later for you, 40 years on, apollo's mission to the moon. and he is 17 years old and it's just sailed around the world. -- and has just sailed around

the world. hello to you. the world's third largest economy is booming again, and that is news because the chinese economy is growing at an astonishing pace. apparently, shrugging off a global recession. are there lessons there for the rest of the world? china has achieved an annual growth rate of nearly 8% between april and june even though its export markets can europe and elsewhere collapse. it has ordered banks to lend, land, land. >> china is back in business sooner than some had expected. there are signs that a recovery is underway here. companies are buying more equipment, hiring more staff,

customers are more optimistic. the government says they are still cautious, though. prices are dropping, they pointed out today. inflation is not healthy for any economy and are still serious challenges ahead. >> recovery trend is still unstable. this recovery structure is still unbalanced. there on civil and unknown factors in their process. for the next phase of the process, we need to fully implement the principles of scientific development. >> what that means is they want to see improvement in all sectors of the economy before they say a full-fledged recovery is under way. the government's stimulus package has created lots of jobs, but the export sector is still suffering. >> so far, we believe that the main driver has been the government'sç stimulus, causing an increase in fiscal spending as well as a massive increase

in banking credit. it has led to infrastructure related investments. at the same time, exports continue to decline. global finance have not contributed positively to the -- global demand have not contributed positively to china's growth. >> if china is on the road to recovery, that is good news for the rest of us. not because it is strong enough for -- to pull other countries out of a slump, probably not. but because if the world's third largest economy had continued to decline, that would have made the global picture a lot worse. >> a canadian soldier has been killed in afghanistan. july is now the deadliest month for international troops since the war began nearly eight years ago. nato forces are fighting an increasingly difficult battle against the taliban in their southern heartland. talking to the bbc, the top american commander has admitted the taliban are getting

stronger, but he insists defeating them as possible. >> people ask me how long. i do not know how long. i know it has gotten progressively worse over the past three or three and a half years since 2006. the taliban has gotten much better, much more violent, much more organized. there is going to be fighting that is associated with this. but that is not the main effort. in the end, if we get it right for the afghan people, the afghan people will throw the taliban out. and that is the answer in a counterinsurgency. >> here in britain, the deaths of 15 troops so far in july had pushed afghanistan to the top of the political agenda. the government is struggling to rebut claims that a shortage of helicopters is harming british military operations. prime minister gordon brown has faced tough questions from

lawmakers. >> in the blistering heat of an afghan summer, british forces are fighting a determined enemy in the harshest of conditions. today, the political heat back at home was turned on gordon brown as a select committee tried to pin him down on why he refused the request of military chiefs to send more troops to helmand. >> did the military commanders request additional troops? >> we got 8150 troops now. nobody is suggesting 10,000 troops. >> i'm trying to get to a yes or no. >> you have to understand, a variety of options were considered. >> lives on the front lines in

helmand are putting -- being put at risk by lack of men and helicopters. >> the force is not large enough. it needs to be bigger than it is. in the case of the helicopters, you know, there is no doubt that soldiers will be dying because there is a lack of helicopters in the country. it is a no-brainer. >> the uk has 20 transport helicopters in afghanistan for a troop -- a force of 9000 troops. in huddy beckham i will send an extra 15 helicopters by 2011. that is in contrast to the nearly 4000 chinooks used by the marines in helmand. on one of their last exercises with troops on small airplane -- on a salsbury plane, but the

rest will be sent back here. >> they never tell us there have been on any front. and what i was out there, i never told my commanders are was happy. people always want more one of the creek -- always want more. one of the key questions is, do we have enough? the answer is, yes. >> know where else have the questions of resources for the campaign have resonated as loudly as in britain. >> the head of iran posing nuclear agency has resigned after 12 years in the post. -- the head of iran's nuclear agency has resigned after 12 years in the post.

it is not clear from media reports whether his resignation is linkedç to a vote. the united nations has declared new sanctions against north korea appeared countries will now be banned from doing business with north korea's fine -- five main firms. india has said there will be no formal peace talks until pakistan brings of those responsible for the mumbai attacks to justice. technicians were setting up a stage of the velodrome stadium when a crane collapsed. the concert has been cancelled. the colombian government is saying it is close to an

agreement with the u.s. that would make it a hell of american military operations in the region. -- a hub of american military operations in the region. it is a move likely to be opposed by those who argue that columbia and the continent's sovereignty is being compromised. >> colombia reserves -- received some $6 million a year for its military. it has wide the knowledge that american aid has been key to the president's successful offensive against marxist guerrillas. the details have yet to be finalized, but what is certain is that three air bases in colombia will host u.s. aircraft, capable of natalie's buying out the terrain below,

but intercepting communications across the region. columbia posey acting defense minister was in sight -- colombia's acting defense minister was insistent that this was giving the u.s. greater access to our bases. columbia is only allowing a maximum of 800 military personnel and 600 contractors. >> the air bases selected may also host u.s. troops. the move comes after the colombian president refused to move the existing air base. it is an open secret that the list of possible locations for u.s. military personnel was limited, as columbia is really the last unconditional american ally in the region, surrounded by left-wing regimes that are not the friendly with the u.s.,

among them, ecuador, bolivia, venezuela and cuba. relations have improved since mr. obama took the white house. there is now the open -- there is now no open abuse that they had to endure under president bush. this is not just begins to pour on drugs -- but this is not just in support of the war against drugs, but against the rebels and drug cartels. the country's bloody civil conflict entered its 40 figure. >> an airline worker in california has been convicted of passing space shuttle secrets to the chinese government he was found guilty of passing information to china for more than 30 years.

an estimated 300,000 pages of documents were found at his home. it is hard to believe this is america's first economic espionage trial. is it clear what damage was done here? >> it is not clear the extent of the damage. really, this case was all about the mechanisms that he used, the fact that he had -- according to the prosecution -- contacted by chinese officials. a letter was found dated 1987 at his home asking him to provide information, technical information specifically about a queueing system for a booster rocket -- a fueling system for a booster rocket. he worked for the space shuttle program. there were thousands and thousands of documents found in his home. according to him, he was not a spy. he said that he had these materials because he was a pack

rat. all of these sensitive documents had to be working -- had to be locked up at the end of the workday and that is what he is accused of not doing. >> he faces something like 90 years in jail, doesn't he? the rest of his life. >> yes,ç he faces multiple charges and we understand that the minimum recommendation from the prosecution will be about 20 years. he is a man of 73. a maximum sentence of potentially 90 years. >> thank you very much, indeed. stay with us if you can. still to come, dancing across the divide, the first foreign ballet to visit cuba in 30 years. first though, an extraordinary rao has broken out in india

between two senior women politicians over -- the confrontation, rape victims. one declared that the money offered to the rape victims was demeaning. that has led to arrest and she has also had her house burned down. >> after an angry speech, the arson attack. congress politician -- a congress politicians house was set ablaze and her cars destroyed. all of this because of a controversial remark against a powerful politician in india and an icon of the low-cost community. criticizing her position on rape victims at a rally, she said the compensation was so low it was demeaning. >> one girl was raped was given 25,000 rupees. then the husband of a newlywed,

a deaf and dumb woman who was raped, was given 25,000 rupees. all of them should have drawn the money in their faces and said, we will give you 10 million rupees if you were raped. >> the word has come back to haunt her. despite the fact that she regrets making the comments, she has been arrested. she was the next two weeks in police custody. she has been charged with making inflammatory speeches. but if anything, this has only fanned the political flames. india's parliament had to be adjourned over -- after heated exchanges over the issue. while many condemned her remarks, and others accuse her rival of a political vendetta, setting the stage it appears, for even more confrontation. bbc news, a deli. >> see the news unfold, go to

www.bbcnews.com to see the expert reporting of bbc world news online. you can read the latest headlines, get the top stories from around the globe, and get the video report. discover more about the ducks that interest you and find out what issues the world is talking about right now. the bbc world news online, go to www.bbcnews.com. >> the headlines for you on bbc world news this our, china is growing faster than any other major economy. its gdp expanded nearly 8% in the past three months, despite the trend of global recession. it was no question a giant leap, one of humankind's greatest acts of exploration.

and 40 years ago today, when the three men on board apollo 11 start of their mission to the moon, they blasted off from cape canaveral in florida. matthew price is there. >> you're at the kennedy space center, astronauts neil armstrong -- >> the mission that changed mankind. this video has been digitally enhance and just released. it shows embedded detail, the crowning part of a mission that the world watched in awe. >> it is one small step for man one giant leap for mankind. >> under the bulk of the saturn 5 lunar rocket, the apollo astronauts gathered. among them, buzz aldrin, who 40 years ago today was taking off for the moon. >> just the thought of the magnificence of human beings achieving that point of

advancement and maturity, to be able to hop in a rocket like this, launched off to the moon three and a half latdays later d in a spacecraft. >> the mission was a product of cold war rivalry, the space race. the u.s.s. r verses the u.s.. it was a display of americans are promising. the technology developed then looks outdated now. çbut apollo's the scientific advances are around us every day. freeze dried fruit was developed for the mission. so, too, the nutrients that pact -- that are packed into baby food. the elements of the blow the dust buster, even the shop -- shock absorbing that technology of a cycling helmet. still, some feel this was a

wasted opportunity. once man has stepped on the moon, the funding had all but dried up. the hopes of traveling further all but vanished. nevertheless, this is a mission that continues to inspire. >> new bidders have emerged of a bizarre incident -- new pictures have emerged of a bizarre incident in the 1980's when michael jackson's hair caught fire. he was in the middle of filming a commercial and the fireworks set light to his hair. he was prescribed -- he had second and third degree burns. he was described painkillers and some have said this is the start of his addiction -- he was prescribed painkillers and some of said this was the start of his addiction. the and the royal ballet has not been made possible in part by the cuban foreign minister. -- has been made possible in

part by the cuban foreign minister. >> all of the royal ballet's 96 dancers have come to havana, along with artistic and technical staff. it is the cultural event of the year. the driving force behind the store is the company's cuban born star, carlos acosta. >> i always dreamed that i could do and come home and show my people what i have learned in all these years. the dreams sometimes do come true and this is one of these cases. >> crowds were gathering outside of town of's grand theater hours before opening night. -- how sanavana's grand theaters before opening night. the founder of the national ballet helped make this possible.

classical ballet can be a little repetitive, so we are really excited to see something new and different, this woman told me. this man said he felt usually privileged to finally get to see the royal ballet. -- he felt hugely privileged to finally get to see the royal ballet. >> tickets sold out within hours, so they directed giant screens next to the theater for those who cannot get in to watch it live at least. >> the visit is partly to give cubans a chance to see works that have never been performed on the island before. this with regret by wayne mcgregor. -- this was choreographed by wayne mcgregor. the rest were timeless classics that they know so well. and carlos acosta rose to the occasion with at a beautiful performance, a realization of a

dream that will be remembered by many here for years to come. >> very different scenes, chaotic once, the u.s. military court in guantanamo bay. the five men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks are on trial. some of the men, including the alleged mastermind, decided to boycott the hearing. a judge ruled that they would not be able to speak in court. jonathan, what is going on here? >> i have been to some of these hearings before, mike, and this was the most chaotic so far. these five defendants would be appearing in court and when they started the session, none of them were there. then there was word that one of them was on his way. there was a recess and three of them were in court. one of the three said he was leaving because the judge would not let him speak. i do not think much was achieved in court. you did get a sense of the

contempt that these defendants have for this whole process, not just the fact that they did not appear at first, but for example, one of them through a bigger plane at the other as the session was closing. this is a controversial trial, as we know. but the hearings continue. they're just not achieving that much. what they're waiting is to get the signal from barack obama as to whether this process can continue in a revised form or whether they will do something completely different, like move these five men to the mainland for a trial in civilian court. >> it is hard to believe, as you describe it at about something so serious. there is a queséinn about whether these men are mentally competent to represent themselves. and yet, they're not required to attend, are they? >> they are not required to attend. the military lawyers defending

these men did not even look for two of the detainees to appear in court. there were happy to make their arguments without them. i think what you saw was the prosecution wanted them to appear in court. what happened eventually was the lawyers who defended these two detainee's' questions about ther mental health went into some detail. but as soon as they got into any detail, the audio feed in the courtroom was cut. this was meant to be confidential information. we heard something about sleep deprivation. it has been frustrating for both sides. what they're looking for is a clear signal from barack obama as to what is going to happen, how are these men going to be tried?

some of the members of the families of the victims of 9/11 were witnessing these events. the interesting thing from them, they all say -- all nine of them involved in this process -- they all say that this process should continue. >> it is our process, indeed. -- a bizarre process, indeed. >> a teenage american sailor has returned as the youngest person to sail around the world alone. crowds of well-wishers greeted the 17-year-old as he arrived in marina del rey. he broke the record of an 18- year-old australian. he said, yes, i would do it again anytime. it is the adventure of it all. it is something that you can do and get the rush that you need. and, he said, it is for a good cause.

thanks for being with us on bbc world news. you can get much more when you needed at www.bbcnews.com. >> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. [ funding for this presentation is 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.]