>> "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, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation and union bank. ♪ >> and now, "bbc world news." >> it two days of clashes, more

than 150 people are dead. nigeria's government begins an assault on the reb else. a different place. the u.s. defense secretary robert gates has said iraqi security has improved amazingly. disruption across south africa, protests by government workerers. welcome to "bbc world news." coming up later for you, a spectacular site -- sight, but a climate change disaster. green land plays host to the northern hemisphere fastest collapsing glacier. which witch will get the job? they will make a pitch for what is probably the most unusual work in britain.

>> nigeria is no stranger to ethnic and religious tension. but the violence that has flared up in the past two days in the predominantly muslim north is some of the worth for a while now. at least 150 people have been killed as the military was ordered to use all necessary means to end violence sparked by islamic militants. the militants have attacked the police and government offices protesting against the western education and demanding their law. nigerian president said armed insurrection will not be tolerated. we have more. >> the attacks on police buildings and government offices began on sunday. but tension had been rise fog some time. northern nigeria has a long history of ethnic and religious differences. this time the violence is blamed on groups of islamic militants. the security forces are said to

be looking for mohammed yusuf. in a climate of suspicion and fear, the authorities have now stepped up security across the north of the country with road blocks and occur fuse. the areas affected by the unrest have been several. but some of the worst violence has been in the city of maiduguri, although mill tans is said to be declining. >> they are anti-government and anti-people. we don't know what they are planning yet. we are out to identify and arrest their leader and also to destroy their enclave. >> this has been the deadliest second taryne violence in nigeria since late last year when several hundred people were killed in direct clashes

between christians and muslims. nigeria's return to civilian rule in 1999 ushered in a period of political liberalization, but it has allowed militants from religious and ethnic groups to express their frustration more freely. the introduction of shariah law in northern areas has caused problems and competition for scarce resources. nigerians often look to their immense oil wealth to pull them out of poverty. but few have benefited. trade in stolen oil has led to corruption in the delta. poor security and a shaky infrastructure continue to hamper increased production, and that is no less a challenge for president yar'adua's government as the troubles in the north.

"bbc news." >> amazingly different. those are the words that robert gates used to describe iraq on an official visit there. he praised the official security situation after seeing how security forces are adapting to their new role. from baghdad, we have this report. >> robert gates came to iraq to hear first hand how the 130,000 soldier still in iraq were adapting to their new supporting role in the country, taking their cue from iraqi commanders, shifting their focus from combat to training. >> between now and 2011 when all u.s. troops of scheduled to far iraq, we have a number of important milestones to achieve, including a fair and clear election, the seating of a new national government and the continued draw-down of u.s. forces, leading to other change

of mission in august of 2010. >> august of 2010 is when the pentagon wants a complete end to u.s. combat missions in iraq. robert gates hailed the progress towards a more secure existence since his first visit to the country as defense secretary. and well he might, because that was in 2006 at the height of the second taryne violence that nearly -- the violence that took place. violence still takes place today in many towns and cities. u.s. troops still patrol certain areas. kurdistan is one of the regions in the north. arabs and kurds are at odds over how to divide the revenue from the oil rich province. the kurds claim it. the fear is that unless the hue

is resolved while the americans are still in iraq, and the dispute could slide into conflict once they leave. then there are potentially lucrative arms deals to negotiate. the iraqi government said it is interested in buying 23-16's to help protect iraq from outside threats. they wouldn't solve the country's many internal problems. to the americans, all this boils down to essentially one question. how to get 130,000 troops out of iraq by the end of 2011 without the security situation getting any worse? "bbc news," in baghdad. >> the iranian authorities have released 140 opposition supporters seized in the aftermath of last month's disputed presidential election. the detainees were held at iran's main evin prison.

federal agents have been searching the las vegas home of michael jackson's personal doctor. officials from the drug enforcement administration searched dr. conrad murray's home as part of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death. president barack obama's choice to fill a vacancy in the supreme court now seems to be approved. the senate judiciary committee has voted to approve the nomination. sonia sotomayor is expected to be the third woman to serve in the role. she is expected to face full vote in the senate next week. >> police fired rubber bullets in south africa gathered to protest against pousing conditions and the delivery of basic services. clashes have taken place in several townships in recent

weeks, where large unions have gone on strike. in east johannesburg, here is our reporter. >> 15 years ago in the death throes of par tied, the state and angry residents clashed in these streets. that state is now a democracy, but it has changed little from south africa's dark days. and the people are fed up with waiting. in the end, the police fired rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrations. it has been a flash point throughout this winter of unrest. there have been regular clashes between the police and demonstrators. you can see the mess on the ground. it is not hard to work out why there have been the demonstrations as well. look at the houses here. no water or electricity. some people have been waiting for a new house to be built for 15 years. >> we have no water,

electricity or toilet. >> the people feel they have been promised something that never came. >> as long as we get water and electricity in the houses, we will be fine. >> why should your government give you that? >> we did vote them in. >> we voted. >> go inside, go inside. please two inside. >> as the search continues for ring leaders from the morning's clash, it is clear this is a problem being contained and yet to be solved. >> the only thing we want is a certain level. >> we won't stop until they give us what we want. >> we won't stop until they give us what we want. >> with the a.m.c. having won its fourth consecutive election earlier this year, the events of the last few months see just how many south africas see

violent demonstrations as their only way of being heard. >> there are new warnings about the impact of global warming on the northern hemisphere's greatest mass of ice, the greenland ice sheet. gliceyers are retreating faster than at any time since records began. we have been to the ice fjord in western greenland to find out more. >> it takes a steady nerve to sale into this ice fjord. these wares are littered with icebergs, some weighing millions of tons. the vast blocks of ice tell a disturbing story. the greenland ice sheet is in retreat. this is where the icebergs are formed. you can see the steep drop where the ice sheers off the

glacier front. it has retreated more than 10 miles in a decade, the fastest since records began. >> we used to think that ice sheets like the green land ice sheet would react on a very long time scale. but we are seeing things happen in one to two years, not in hundreds of years. so something is really pushing this thing. >> the ice melt threatens rising southeast and temperatures as the planet absorbs more heat. i joined a team of scientists bound for one of the most remote research stations in the world. their aim, to decode the message coming from within the ice. at the camp, the ice is a mile and a half thick. at bottom, hundreds of thousands of years old. they are drilling samples from the oldest ice, which predates

the last great warming of the earth. they are concerned that greenhouse gases have set off a climate reaction which will be hard to stop. >> a lot will depend on the next few years. we have to act very soon. if we delay it any more, we are going to find it much harder to mitigate the changes that we are -- that are already occurring. >> this month, the world's environment ministers came to greenland for talks in the run up to the scientific summit. consensus says industrialized countries must cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by "20/20" to avoid the worst of global warming. politically, that looks impossible. the search for compromise goes on. >> you can't build up expectations now and the pressure on politicians and governments worldwide so that they have to act.

the whole trick is to make the price so high that they do not dare not to deliver. >> the message that is coming from all of the science being down here could not be clearer. the warming effect is dramatic, and it is speeding up. the politicians know it, but they are still arguing about how to respond. the disconnect between the science and the politics is growing. "bbc news," northern greenland. >> you are watching "bbc world news." still to come, tough times for detroit's black middle-classes as the motor city faces a meltdown. >> the british government is being sued over its alleged role in the c.i.a.'s program known as extraordinary rendition. a chairity group is bringing the action on behalf of someone. he says he was tortured in egypt after being taken there

ton a plane refueled in brirk territory. >> now home from guantanamo bay, he says he was just on a trip to visit relatives in indonesia when he was arrested by u.s. efficiency. his first flight stopped where he was aware of his photo being taken. >> we landed there for half an hour. i feel a lot of flash of the cameras. a lot of people come and take picture of me, and i feel the flash of the cameras. >> the program, five on four now suggest the stop was on the british territory. although for years, british officials said no terrorists landed there. he says he was tortured, and he says the medical treatment was held. >> the cia would show me my feel like this. if you cooperate with us, you will get your medical

treatment. if you don't cooperate, you are not going to get your medical treatment. the surgeon from the americans, they say we don't see you as a patient. we see you as the enemy. we are not a dr. we are a soldier. islam is a peace religion. it is not a killing religion. i feel sad for any people who died in 9/11. >> you condemn the attacks on 9/11? >> yes. >> they were a wrong thing to do? >> yes. >> there is no way to say whether this man is innocent or guilty. there is no way now to have a fair trial. what is clear now is he was tortured, and he does appear to have landed on british soil during his captivity. >> this is the "bbc world news." these are the top stories. bloody clatches in northern nigeria between a radical islammist group and security

forces have left 150 people dead. and defense secretary robert gates says iraqi security has improved amazingly. >> back in the 1960's, the booming american car industry was one of the factors drawing african-americans away from their home and to the north. it was the birth of an african-american middle-class. 40 years on, prospects are rather different for the car makers. we report from detroit on what that means for the livelihoods which depended on them. >> ok, we are going to bow our heads and bless the food. lord we come to you today thanking you for this gathering. >> they might also give thanks for the ford motor company. making cars has made the granger family a comfortable living. roy is retired after 36 years on the payroll. his wife, jane is still there, 31 years and counting, as all four of their sons. >> when i first started, i was

making about two dollars and something an hour back in 1966. i think i wednesday up to about $29 an hour -- went up to about 29 an hour when i retired. for an uneducated guy, it provided a good life for me. >> and it was a similar story for tens of thousands of african-americans over the past few years. drawn to the car plants. ford led the way are the first of the big three to hire african-americans on the same wages as whites. >> we have what we call here a blue collar middle-class, high wages that enabled them to secure a home in the suburbs, two cars, the boat, the cabin up north, and educating their children. that was true for the black community in particular. >> all right, guys. we can start our meeting now. >> jane granger and her sons may still have jobs, but this is a very different industry. nationally, 20,000 black auto

workers have been either laid off or taken buy-outs. >> i was very disappointed at losing the house. >> darrell is still in his house, but not for much longer. he lost his job at general motors after 26 years. his searches pay, just $20,000. darrell is heading for california. he needs a job and a place to live. it is a move he never imagined having to make. >> general motors was the number one automaker in the world. who would have ants tated that in 2009 they would be bankrupt? i never figured that would happen. >> the grarninge family is holding up well. they got far enough ahead in the good years. roy is now retired and ford has kept his pension benefits largely intact. jane still brings in a good wage. their sons are making half of what their parents once made, and the pay doesn't compare.

>> i want them to do better than we are doing. but my kids, i don't think they will do as good as i have done. >> these plants manufactured the good life. detroit's african-american good life rows with the car industry. and unless other well-paying jobs appear fast, they will foul with the car industry. >> timothy geithner says two days with talks with top chinese officials have produced agreements on measures for revitalizing global growth. both countries will treat foreign firms equally in government procurement deals. china says it will step up domestic demand. the u.s. has long called on china to reduce its exports to fuel growth. >> good progress has been made on reviving the middle east peace process during talks with

benjamin netanyahu. some of the biggest film studios in hollywood are suing the swedish file sharing site, pirate bay, because they say it is still allowing internet users to illegally download their films. >> earlier this year, a swedish court sentenced four people to prison for breaking copyright laws. >> there were some big gains for right parties in last month's european elections. it took a hard line approach to minorities in the country, particularly the roma or gypsy population. dominic houston has been to hang area to find out where the right wing support is coming from. >> meet the hung aaron guards. they say they want to see proper law enforcement.

others believe they are right wing extremists. [speaking in native tongue] >> this is not true. we aren't against any ethnic minority. but the hungarian guard is much more than that. it means we are involved in almost all areas of life. >> but the hungarian right is making progress in the parliament. in june, three members of the party associated with the hungarian guard were elected as m.e.p.s. they believe the international media are obsessed with the party being anti--roma but still allege roma cripe is a big platform. >> rapes committed by gypsy youth, one or two or three of them, gang bangs, gang rapes, killings, murders of elderly people during a robbery in

their own house. what we see is that the level of violence has been increasing, and the police have been unable to put and end to it. >> but on a run-down roma housing estate outside this town, the rise of the hungarian guard is viewed with growing concern. conditions here are grim. the people are already on the margins of society. and a series of unsolved murders against roma have left communities across the country nervous about what will happen next. [speaking in native tongue] >> yes there's an atmosphere of fear, and it is not just a little. there is fear in us because everyone is scared for their lives. so we have organized guards to keep watch so there won't be any trouble. >> they blame the economic collapse that hit hundred gary hard.

the far right in hungary is move away from the anti--roma rhetoric. are they citizens who want to see law and order properly enforced, or are they members of a far-right parra military? >> the ads for the job said they must be able to cackle and should not be allergic to cats. today, hundreds of want-to-be witches were interviewing for a jobs in summer set. the salary, around $80,000 a year. >> any job interview is nerve-wracking, but this really was the selection process from hell. >> it is not often you get a chance to produce your witchery skills in public. >> waiting for your slot, you want to be as well prepared as

possible. you want to look your best, and you need to keep busy, knit away the nerves. >> very difficult with talons is the only problem. >> 300-would-be witches, but only one job. [laughter] >> have a breath. have a deep breath. who is going to get the job? >> me! >> i can't stand going back to the office again. >> well, the kids all think i am a witch. i might as well make a witch out of it. >> this is the prize. living here, entertaining tourists, but also earning $50,000 pounds a year. no wonder things are getting a little tense among the waiting witches. >> go on, you hags! >> they each had a minute to pitch for the job of witch.

what unique skills will you bring to this role, sir? >> well, i will show you. >> he didn't win. she did. calamity carla. >> i knew it, i knew it, i knew it. >> the judges said they liked her naughty side. and she comes perfectly qualified. until now, she has been an estate agent. "bbc news." >> a reminder of our main stories so far. the nigerian military has been shelling the headquarters of a radical islammist group. at least 150 people were killed after the military was ordered to use all necessary means to end violence sparked by islamic militants. the militants have attacked police and government offices protesting against a western education system and demanding sharia law.

>> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, the newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation and union bank.