people, waiting for news of love joined. but for some, there is hope. >> i was told let parents are safe. i hope i can see them today. >> the cost is already awesome. it has already topped 3 billion u.s. dollars. rescue workers have worked to reach outlying areas. it is now almost a week since the typhoon struck and the immeate safety of most people is now a short period of rebuilding their lives, though, will take more. >> let me bring you some breaking news out of london. we are hearing that the lockerbie bomber is abandoning his appeal against conviction.

this is according to his lawyers. he was due to be set free due to compassionate grounds. he was found guilty of involvement in the lockerbie bombing in 1988 when the pan am american jumbo jet was blown up over lockerbie. 250 people on board died and a love of people on the ground died, too, just a few days before christmas. you can get more tails at bbc.com. i should also tell you that american senator john mccain is in libya today and he has told authorities that were argentine is strongly opposed to any release by the scottish authorities. more details at bbc.com. and david of about about the future of health care is bidding -- spilling over into other

countries. president oma will be on the road today so he is reform plan. british prime minister gordon brown has been drawn into the argument, defending his national health service from americans who claim that egressions treatment -- that it crashes treatment. -- rations treatment. the crux it is a similar -- >> it is a similar statement in town halls across america, no to socialized health care. >> the health care now are just sucks. that you have to wait six weeks for a dental appointment, have you ever seen british tea to? how can you think is good? >> how is this health care going to help hawes wen jiabao from canada and great britain are

telling us -- when people from canada and great britain are telling us not to do anything? >> the reality is, it has not worked. it has made people more ill. we spend a lot of money can't -- and it gets very bad. >> there has also -- have also been tv ads forecasting british health care rationing. but there are more americans that have a more positive view. >> we do not have the chance for medical and thus repay for it. -- unless we pay for it. >> of course, a state-run health service is not even being considered by the white house. but that has not stopped u.k.

citizens from being dragged into the debate. this week', the president honored stephen hawking. according to one report, the scientists would not have survived under the president's plan. stephen hawking issued a statement. >> [unintelligible] >> opponents seemed convinced the president was a state-run health service. and according to some, it should be avoided at all costs. >> we will have more on this story later in the program when we are speaking to a republican criticç of socialized medicine. also this hour, american senator jim webb has becomthe gun -- has

begun to prepared to meet the general on sunday. this comes after the general was put under house arrest. scientists in america have discovered a new drug that selectively kills cancer cells. the researchers of the broad institute in boston said they do not know exactly who works and tests on humans are in the future. christian roster has to spread this man's life as a living hell, that he cannot function independently. u.s. and other nato troops are still ttling to secure territory in afghanistan in of the more people will be able to

go free from taliban interference in next week's's election. -- in next week's elections. a decision by the president to pardon five big traffickers has shocked those working in counter-narcotics. even from within the afghan guerrilla. -- afghan government. >> becoming a counter-narcotics policeman is one of the most dangerous jobs in afghanistan. here at the ministry in kabul, officers are training to combat the drug mafia which produces 90% of the wor's opium and heroin -- scherwin. -- of opium and heroin. these counter-narcotics police are just one aspect of an

entirely separate judicial system that has been built up year in afghanistan. police, special forces, prosecutors and judges, court and prison -- all of it in a bid to gain major drug traffickers off the streets and into detention. this is just a part destroyed right. in real life, you would be hearing the sound of gunfire. the five drivers that have been pardoned by president karzai were wearing police uniforms and using a police car to you shift more than 1,000 kilos of heroin. their leader is from a powerful mujahedin family. convicting them was a milestone for the new justice system. he was a governor of kabul until he resigned to run president karzai's reelection campaign. concern has been voiced even

from within the afghan government. >> guilty is guilty. we must deal with them. >> possibly, how many karzai fe that as president of a country with disparate and powerful political groups, pardoning them was a political necessity. i hoped to speak with him about this controversy, but despite repeated requests, no one has been available to speak. >> tonight on the tv, this news of the pardoning has hit the afghan local news headlines. >> is shocking news. people are very shaken to find out e president has released these men all because of deals and the campaign to get more votes. people are not happy. what incentive is there for others to believe well? >> this may have given herman

karzai the backing of a powerful family, but there is a danger the pardons may lose him support come election day. >> next week we will have live coverage on the afghan election. stay with us for that. full market and financial analysis in 25 minutes. it looks as their european inflation is flat on its back and we will find out what is happening in america today. >> the expectation is pretty flat, that passes where rank pretty much unchanged, especially when you strip out things like energy and food. you will see many retailers cutting prices trying to encourage people to keep spending. the result of that was falling prices. this will be a bit of a headache ad ,!ujp&

there could be a spiral of deflationary where people keep spending less. companies need to make less and they make less profits and cut more jobs or wages. >> it seems as if consumer demand is weak, but actually, there is too much production. >> while you are seeing growth in some areas in hong kong, at the same time there is concern about these falling prices. it is a daunting act and a very difficult line for bankers to tread. >> you can get more in about 25 this time. coming up, hillary clinton finishes her long tour of africa. and capturing the hearts of american football players. all that and more, coming up.

venezuelan police have talked -- fired tear gas on hundreds of people in caracas. they were demonstrating against a law that would give the government greater control over educational institutions. opponents say it would lead to indoctrination in schools and universities. >> if the deputies were debating this -- as the deputies were debating got into the chamber, violence erupted outside. demonstrators from both stars -- both sides descended on the capitol building. police fired tear gas into the crowd. one of the new skipper groups to oppose the change were among the injured. -- one of the news groups who opposed the change were among the injured. >> the lot is necessary for many

reasons that i have already explained. a lot of it has to do with the curriculum. it has to do with how the schools are run, how they are incorporated into the community, the application of the concept of the educational community and so on. it has to do with a definition of a a better view point on autonomy. supporters -- greg supporters of the plan say it is needed to fort of -- >> support is a plant is needed to fortify the educational system and reflected 20% reviews of venezuela. the opposition says it is no more than indoctrinationf venezuelan children. it includes references of a particular doctrine and the details are unclear.

>> this is world news today from bbc world news. the president of taiwan has one of the number of people killed by the typhoon is likely to be more than 500. the presidential kupka reforms have been dragged into the route. and the man found guilty of the lockerbie bombing has declined to pursue his appeal. 270 people died in the bombing, including 11 people on the ground. it was blam on this man has partially involved. he was said to the libyan intelligence agents. james, what do we know about th? >> we have had official

confirmation the past few minutes from the legal team, taylor and kellie, a law firm in question, confirming they have applied in the high court in edinburgh to abandon the appeal. the way these things are done, it has to be done formally with an application to the court. this comes in the context of a very interesting week. it is a very long-running saga, more than 20 years now, since the pan am flight 103 was blown up in scotland. already we have suggestions that the scottish government was paving the way to release the men from prison -- the man from prison on compassionate grounds. there are other options available to the man who has to take this decision, the scottish

secretary. he could release him on compassionate grounds if he was satisfied that his condition was so serious. he suffers from terminal prostate cancer. çhis lawyers have said that his condition has taken a significant turn for the worse. or the minister could agree for the men to be transferred to the viet to serve the rest of his -- to libya and to serve the rest of his term there. or he could do nothing. >> thank you very much, indeed. it has been a grueling trip with but the ups and downs. u.s. secretary of state bill read clinton is on her final leg of a tour of africa. this comes after barack obama's visit to ghana. and she has used the trip to focus on women's rights and food

security. she kicked it off in kenya and expressed disappointment at the refusal to do with perpetrators of violence following the elections in dozens of and. she visited the democratic republic of congo and toward a rare feat -- and toward a refugee camp. the country was overshadowed by your outburst of a a "my husband is not the secretary of state." hughley clinton went on to liberia where she commended the country -- hillary clinton went on to liberia, where she commended the country's progress. it has been a long trip and what you think about the of -- the commitment of the obama administration to ever get? >> well, i think it is welcome, but he has bigger problems elsewhere than africa.

let's say, the middle east initiative, obviously having to deal with domestic issues. in terms of the bigger picture, africa has come in, i would say, quite late on the trip in terms of its priorities. >> you think she had an impact? -- do you think she had an impact? can she really change things? she has made a point about each country, but will they be listening? >> i would say there are big norton said obama talked about in his big speech, which is about africans being able to control their own government. >> that is fine, but is it really going to stop corruption in nigeria, which is endemic about ward is -- is it going to make the governmenin canada -- in kenya reconciled? >> what i was hoping for was a

bigger kind of statement or narrative to emerge. >> you sound a bit disappointed. >> yes, i was. by the there were mis-mixed messages around corruption -- i think there were mixed messages around corruption and government, oil. perhaps there could bemoments that obama could meet african leaders in the way that there have been meetings with chinese leaders. >> is all about follow up, now, isn't it? thanks, it is. -- >> yes, it is. george bush did a lot for africa. they will have much to achieve. >> football is big business and of the region's premier league goes way beyond the country's

borders. it started in 1992. the league is expected to earn over 1.5 billion this season. matthew price looks at the impact the league is having. >> this is how the big game begins here in america, even when the game itself as a decidedly foreign imports. this is not your average futbol match. nor are they your average joe c. vance. this friendly -- your average chelsea fans >> [unintelligible] tens of thousands of tickets selling out. and yet, it is swallowed by the

big three american football, baseball and basketball. >> the premier league will expand here. >> anyone looking at the progress has to be pretty impressed. in december -- on president in terms of what is going on -- it is unprecedented in terms of whsts going on out there on the field. >> the children are involved and it takes up by qualifier. -- like while from oupoint wild. craigslist ( futbol will never -- >> still futbol will never replace the main american sport, but even a share of that would be good.

>> the vga is in minnesota and after the opening -- the pga is in minnesota and after the opening, tiger woods is 5 under par. he started with a bogey-free round. the irishman who played with on friday carried a four under par. >> you can play yourself out of the golf tournament, but you certainly cannot win it on the first day. that is something that i have always believed in. just keep yourself around. the dog out to be eight ahead of to the first round. -- you do not have to be 8 1/2 after the first -- eight ahead after the first round. the idea is to not make the many

mistakes. >> michael vick was released in may from jail. he served 23 months in jail. he was involved in a dog fighting ring. he is taking the lead by storm. he signed a contract in 2004. after leaving jail, he will be free to go with in the nfl team. -- with any nfl team. he will be competing with a of donovan mcnabb for a starting place on the eagles' team. >> i felt like he had learned some valuable life lessons here and he seems very focused, and he wants to get his career by contract and prove to people on the other side of that, the cuban side of the, the outside of football side of -- the human side of that, the outside of

football side of that that he is going to choose the right things and he has been doing that. >> thank you very much, indeed. let me remind you about breaking news this hour of london. we're hearing that the former liviu agent jailed -- the former libyan agent and jailed for life in scotland has now applied for -- applied to not pursue his pardon. >> 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. ♪

>> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> i'm julia stiles. >> i'm kevin bacon. >> i'm kim cattrall. >> hi, i'm ken burns. >> i'm lili taylor. >> i'm henry louis gates, jr., and public broadcasting is my source for news about the world. >> for intelligent conversation. >> for election coverage you can count on. >> for conversations beyond the sound bites. >> a commitment to journalism. >> for deciding who to vote for. >> i'm kerry washington, and public broadcasting is my source for intelligent connections to my community. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.