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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? >> and now "bbc world news." >> this is "world news today." headlines, japan lifts out of recession but no one is popping champagne just yet. tokyo shares are down as experts look at the underlying numbers.

the last day of campaigning in afghanistan's presidential election. will voters feel secure enough to come out and make their mark? rhetoric and reality, we will look at whether the south african president has promised more than he can deliver. hidden violence in iraq, gay men are being tortured and killed in a systematic campaign. a new children's lunch box, cancer charities are warning of processed meat. world records, how much quicker can you say it? it is 7:00 a.m. in washington, 8:00 in the evening in tokyo. there is quiet relief that after

a year of negative growth, the world's second-largest economy grew by 0.9%. people are not jumping for joy. japanese markets fell sharply. we will have more on that in a moment. first, this report from our tokyo correspondent. >> the japanese economy as cult -- climbing out of the worst recession since the second world war japanese shoppers have been spending more, encouraged by a government cash handout. there are subsidies for purchasing low energy substances. demand for cars is being boosted by schemes to replace old cars. production is up, the economy is running far below capacity.

the japanese prime minister has a general election due before the end of the month. >> i have been putting all of my interest in to the economic recovery. the gdp figures show an increase, we have not reached the stage where the people of japan can begin to feel a recovery. >> the stock market showed unease that a sustainable recovery could be some way off. share growth was not as strong as some had hoped. there is a worry of the strength of the japanese yen, which undermined competitiveness abroad. >> we will talk to aaron thomas about that now. i said that no one is popping champagne corks. why not? >> these figures were not quite

as good as they had hoped. the really important thing is the statement that these figures cannot be contained in the long term. japan has had a huge stimulus package that has helped the economy. they have got a car return scheme as well, bringing in your old car to get a new one. as they were saying, unemployment is really high. why would people carry-on spending. japan is a big exporting country. until other countries get into good shape, they have nothing to sell. >> of course, last week we heard that france and germany was pulling out of the recession. >> ending a yearlong recession

again. it all comes down to sustainability, all down to the united states of america. weighing on the market is the figures that we have on friday, saying the consumer sentiment was really depressed. a few signs that the housing market was starting to pick up again. what happens if oil suddenly raises up to $600 per barrel? we have an awful long way to go. good news but not as good as we wanted it to be. >> thank you very much. for more features on the economy and video blogs from our correspondent, go to our new web site, bbc.com, where you can get all of that. afghanistan, it is the last day of campaigning the head of the

presidential action. the first time that it is being arranged by afghans themselves. voting takes place on thursday, the 20th of august. there are 50 presidential candidates in the race. the president is elected for a five-year term, he can serve a total of two terms. he must receive more than 50% of the votes cast. there are three front runners, hamid karzai -- who won the first presidential election in 2004. he has been criticized for the pace of political reform. the former prime minister, abdul abdallah, former alliance coordinator. the former finance minister has

released a 20 year strategy for afghanistan, using the internet to spread his message. mike will ridge has this report. >> british troops setting out again after a weekend when five new deaths took a toll of people killed in afghanistan since operations began in 2001. the troops know that day and the afghan population will make them vulnerable. bombs planted in this area are often crude and costly in terms of casualties. the head of the british army said the the operation was difficult, but that it would end with success. >> we must succeed, we will succeed. first, it is an operation that is being fought amongst the

people. second, it is about the people, the people of afghanistan. we need to persuade them that there is a better life than being under the influence of the taliban. we need them to support their elected government. >> in areas where the security situation has made it next to impossible the campaign, leading candidates have been wrapping up. here is the former prime minister, abdel of the love, -- of bella bella -- abdallah have the lovabdallah is seen as the candidate most likely to be able to force a runoff. as to the credibility of the election, getting the ballot papers out to the 7000 or so papers across the country, military helicopters have been

deployed. the complexity of running the second direct presidential election in afghanistan's history is daunting. it is now led by the afghans themselves for the first time in 30 years. >> we will have live coverage of this week. some other stories now, the former thai prime minister has gathered -- supporters of the former thai prime minister have gathered in bangkok, asking for the king to pardon him, who fled the country to avoid corruption charges. the iranian president is expected to name his new cabinet today. it will be the first time that female politicians will hold such a position in the conservative islamic republic.

more than 1000 customs officers in mexico have been removed from their post. every airports and border crossing will that be staffed by newly trained operatives with a mandate to stop smuggling and people trafficking. three days of mourning have been declared in the english republic of southern russia after 19 people were killed in a suicide car bomb explosion. the attack happened in the capital as officers lined up in the yard. 70 people were injured. daniel fischer reports from moscow. >> local police officers were killed as they gathered for their morning roll call. the blast set the main building on fire, gutting official vehicles parked inside the

gates. the force of the explosion damaged a nearby apartment block. the bombing is the latest in a string of attacks from local security forces, damaging the claim that the republic's president is bringing deaf -- bringing the region under control. the region's president, who survived an assassination attempt himself, blames western powers for the attack, saying that they would never allow russia to reclaim the status as a world superpower. >> russian officials say that eight workers have been killed and 54 are missing after an accident that the hydroelectric plant in siberia. a transformer exploded, damaging the wall and ceiling of the turbine hall. north korea says that they want

to restart cross border tourism, raising hopes of an easing of tension between the two countries. it is not yet clear whether south korea will allow them to resume. >> tightly controlled and managed, this is north korean tourism. until it came to a stop last year, these fledgling trips across one of the world's most heavily fortified borders were popular with curious south korean visitors and a valuable source of foreign currency for the isolated communist state. the news that north korea is ready to reopen its border came after eight visit by a prominent -- came after a visit from a prominent south korean businessman. they had invested heavily in in trickery it -- intra-korean tourism. i was able to speak with kim jong il, she told journalists,

adding that the lunch meeting took 4.5 hours. the meal has left the south korean government with a lot to digest. they were not involved, insisting that this was a private visit by the chair will in. while welcoming the announcement that they are ready to reopen the tourism links, the south korean government sees it as only a starting point for more talks at an official level. >> last year, south korea brought home the body of one of its citizens from the north korean special tourism zone. the 52-year-old had been shot dead by the guards. the south has long argued that the tourist trips will remain suspended until they get satisfactory explanations over death. -- over her death. they say that the divided

families have not been able to be reunited, which might be a sign that the north is softening. or it might be more calculated. this garrison state has been seeking to mend fences with washington. closer ties width seoul could help. the north's military is falling on a strike if these drills infringed on their sovereignty. >> this is "bbc world news." the promise of gold treasure is sparking a dispute. calls for hem to be banned from children's -- ham to be banned from children's sandwiches. it is more than one week since a typhoon swept across taiwan, causing landslides that buried homes and cut off villages.

124 people have been confirmed to have died, and the final death toll could exceed 500 as the rescue effort continues. >> this used to be a primary school. here the survivors can do little but sit and wait and pray. >> i just want to see my mother and father. i want them to come down. we have waited nine days. no matter how bad the weather has been, we have maintained hope. >> thousands of troops have been sent to help the rescue efforts, struggling across shattered roads and collapsed bridges. at the airport, foreign aid has finally landed. this is the first u.s. military aircraft in three decades two touchdowns in taiwan.

america is one of 60 nations offering support and supplies. these parcels contain water purification tablets and plastic sheets for building makeshift homes. >> i have never seen so many parcels posted for rescue purpose. >> those affected are holding on for release. this woman is 102. >> i am so worried. what are we going to do? what am i going to wear when i die? >> more than 500 people were killed by the typhoon. it was the country's worst weather disaster in half of a century. no one is ready to give up hope. >> this is "world news today"

from "bbc world news." the main headline, japan is growing again but only just. it becomes the third major economy to emerge out of the recession. three days before elections in afghanistan, more casualties of the western security forces. it is the story of a treasure lost at sea more than 200 years ago. the dispute over who owns it is raging out. it started a few years ago when a treasure hunting company lifted billions in gold and silver from a shipwreck in the atlantic. it was expected to be -- suspected to be a spanish vessel, an american judge ordered all of the currency to be handed over to spain. there is even more to, in this legal battle. >> the battle like this one in the painting, this spanish

treasure ship was sunk in 18 04. -- 1804. it was rediscovered off the coast of portugal by the odyssey exploration company. a descendant of the second in command of the ship, not more than 100 of whom support the spanish government's bid to have the treasure returned to spain. >> this man was my great grandfather, who suffered the tragedy from the other boat. he was the commander. the mercedes and sank, with seven of his eight children

dying in the tragedy. and we treasure the memory. >> while they will not report it on tape, peru is also staking a claim to the treasure. it sank within a spanish colony, but the content was minted in lima, coming from mines in peru that were under spanish forced labor. >> christopher columbus claimed the land for spain in 1492. the battle continues. >> fans of science fiction are in for a treat. the british government is releasing its recent file on

u.s. and -- ufos. during the 1990's, sightings started a shout out of television programs rather than an increase in aliens. >> it was a time of strange lights in the sky, the events that defied explanation. first, in the middle of the 1990's the number of reports that came in suddenly shot up. >> in belgium, fighters were sent to intercept some strange lights. the radar locked on to something, but no one knows what. david clarke has been sifting through, there are some conclusions. it transpires into probably what

would be a russian rocket. >> a part of a rocket launched by the russians, the movements of this thing as it re-entered the atmosphere were being recreated by a nasa scientist. >> nothing new. take the most famous british ufo mystery, 1980 where american military personnel saw bright lights in their radioactive readings. but the report in 1995? >> basically, the ministry of defense did not think that it was a threat to the security of the u. k, as the americans waited weeks to report it. >> indeed, most of the sightings were never investigated.

how can we explain the spike? david clark had an idea. at the time, he said it was a popular program. >> "the x-files" certainly played a role in the subject, contributing to more reports being received. >> releasing the ufo files is meant to end claims that the state was covering up the results of their investigations. what it has rarely revealed is that most of the time, they had better things to do. >> when you make a lunch for your child, you might think that a ham sandwich is a balanced option. but the world health council fund says that any process meat should be left out. >> in this family, they know

what they like to eat. >> my favorite is cucumber and ham. >> his mother could have a battle on her hands. processed meats like ham and salami have been banned. >> it is a convenient food. it is very quick and easy. >> studies have linked ham with an increased risk of belle cancer. the department of health has advised people to reduce consumption to a minimum and the world council research fund wants us to avoid it altogether. >> there is evidence that eating processed meat can increase the bowel cancer, but we maintain

that being healthy is most important. >> they say that what we consume as children can turn into our adult eating habit -- patterns. >> here is the salina with a spot of sports. -- here is celaeno with a spot of sports. >> the jamaican was tied at 9.58 seconds, over one-tenth of a second faster than the game in june. it represents the biggest single improvement in russia since 1968. finishing with a silver medal, a new american record after the bronze was claimed. neither man could get near. >> it was about going to win, i knew that these guys were doing

well all season. i did just that, i got a good start. >> tiger woods led by two shots in the final round, but for once he buckled under the pressure. yang was the first asian born man to win a major. for the first time since 3004 -- two dozen for -- 2004. >> i had a rough night yesterday. as soon i got -- as soon as i got on to the tee, i became myself. i was not that nervous, honestly, it is just a game of golf. it is not like you are fighting

against tighter, so the worst that i could do was lose. i usually go for broke, the odds were against me. i had nothing much at stake and that is how i played it. >> a chance trip to a driving range at the age of 19 kickstart did his career -- kicks started -- kick started his career. the men are following suit in south korea. >> thank you very much. for the next half hour on "world news today," this is "bbc world news." >> 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.