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>> 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." the headlines -- at least 75 dead and hundreds wounded in baghdad. car bombs and a salvo mortars, militants target government ministries to raise new concerns about america's decision to take troops out of cities.

a hotel conference, due to be attended by the iraqi prime minister. democracy in the shadow of a gun, afghans prepared to vote with militants showing that they can disrupt the process. hillary clinton makes a last- ditch effort to keep a bomber behind bars. taking to the water, one of the most congested cities in the world beats the traffic jam. seeking the metaphysical meaning behind the check-in, an airport gets a writer. in is 7:00 a.m. in washington, midday in washington, 2:00 in the afternoon in baghdad. the city is reeling in the

aftermath of massive explosions, the worst attacks since u.s. troops pulled out. 75 people are dead, hundreds are wounded after two car bombs exploded. the savage attack comes six years to the day after baghdad saw its first act of terrorism in the post saddam hussein era. every time that i check the death toll seems to go up, what is the latest that you have? >> absolutely. just about one hour ago it was over 50 people. now it has risen to at least 75. it is still rising. more than 300 people have been injured. police said they expect that number to rise as well. clearly the biggest attack that baghdad has seen since the withdrawal of u.s. troops.

we have seen last and explosions in the last few weeks. this blast, just next to the finance ministry. another was right next to the finance -- foreign ministry. heavily fortified areas. >> these attacks, coming in fortified areas. unlike the areas from the past, what are you suggesting? a change in tactics? >> it is difficult to talk about what the change of tactics is and what is in their minds. it is clear that the targets were government buildings. i and worrying about the green zone in the past, this is where the government is. in the attacks have not

happened anywhere near the green zone for quite a while. that is what is worrying. those bombs managed to get to the area, raising many questions about whether iraqi security services are doing as good of a job as they say to be doing. >> is there any sense, publicly and privately, that may be the decision by americans to pull its troops out of major cities in iraq, whether that was taken prematurely. >> i think that many people that we talk to in the streets say that, even before the americans withdrew people told me that they were extremely worried about the winstrol, doubtful of the ability of the iraqi government to defend themselves. that is not what you hear from the iraqi government or the americans. what we have been getting from the americans is one line, the

glass is half full. yes, the security service -- security services in up the perfect, but americans say they are definitely prepared to keep control of the situation. many of the residents of baghdad were skeptical about it. i think that many people now feel that this proves their fears. >> thank you very much. the threat ofintimidation hangse parts of afghanistan today, less than 24 hours after the country -- before the country votes in elections. the threat of violence to disrupt the process remains a reality. three gunmen have been battled in taking over a bank. these of the first elections to be organized by afghans themselves, a particularly harsh test for the government. mike will ridge reports.

>> more gunfire in the center of the afghan capital on the eve of the elections. several armed men have taken over this bank. whether it was a militant operation or a criminal act is unclear. police said that three of the armed men had been killed. and whatever the motive behind the bank sees, it came one day after a military convoy had been targeted. it left at least seven dead. insurgents had also fired rockets into the heart of the city. afghan police are on the streets today as preparations for the polls intensified. this officer says that they're working 24/7 to bring security to the people, making sure they can go and vote safely for their next president. the campaigning, vigorous in some places, constrained by insecurity in others, is officially over right now.

until the last votes are cast around the country and accounting is complete, security will be a key factor in the credibility of this second direct presidential election in the history of the country. >> more security for an afghan policy. in the ministry of defense, they have reassured us that they will be protecting the public. >> a request by the afghan government to the media not to report any violence on election day, due to the risk of people being scared away from voting, has been criticized by human- rights groups who say that afghans have the right to know. very shortly they will be making their decision about going to

the polls in who they want to leave the country. >> joining me from cobble -- kabul, our defense correspondents. hugh, if i could come to you first. the government is taking an extraordinary step in asking the government not to cover the reports of violence. is that an order or a request? >> the request, as far as i know. we all have to exercise our responsibilities. my own personal view, and i have no idea what the official bbc position is, is if there is a huge explosion in the center of the city, it is our responsibility to report it. if we do not and people do not know about it, they think that

it is safe and they will go out and vote. on balance, that is the side of the argument that we go to. we have a responsibility and i hope the day except that. >> let's go south to the province where caroline is. those military vehicles behind you, they have got a big job coming up, making it possible for people to vote. how challenging are the next 24 hours going to be? >> very challenging. they are very much a quick reaction force. tomorrow, when polling stations opened in the morning, you will not see foreign troops anywhere near those stations. 2000 afghan police in the afghan national army.

let me go back to that point on what the afghan media has been asked by the government. they have very different opinions on any violence that is happening tomorrow. some said they would absolutely respect of the government has asked, partially because they agree with it the view that they do not want people to be intimidated. what if people get hurt? if we report back does that mean that 2000 people that do not vote, we think irresponsible media should report. others say that it is the people's right to know. if a bomb goes off, we feel that it is absolutely our duty to report that. there are differing opinions among the generals here, who themselves come under frequent threats from the taliban. >> is it fair to say that in

places that are moral, very traditional, that there is the prospect of intimidation and that even from heads of households over there when -- if they're women, for example? >> one of the journalists that we spoke to said that he had spoken to some aliterate people, they did not even know what to do with a voting ballot, not sure what they were. a lot of question marks there. we have spoken to some females, they are very enthusiastic -- hoping that women will turn out. but it is not clear. many people will have to make a personal decision as to whether the risk is worth it. >> hugh, leave aside the

threat hanging over the process. even without it, it would have been an incredibly difficult election to mount, would it not? >> not sure that if you are talking to me, my sound has been breaking up a bit. picking up on what she was saying, the counter argument is the magnifying glass of television news. one bomb books devastating on your television, but the rest of the city is ok -- i understand that side of the argument as well. we hope that this will be put into context in this big city. it does not need to affect the rest of the capital or whether people feel safe to go out. in afghanistan they are used to

far more sense -- intense and sustained violence in the last few years. it did not stop people from voting in the two general elections in 2005. >> afraid that we will have to stop you there. we have run right out of time. thank you both. a roundup of other news stor ies, south korea has launched its first rocket into space minutes before its scheduled liftoff. the event will beat rival by north korea, criticized by the international community for pursuing its own rocket program. pakistani intelligence officials are continuing to question the detained chief spokesperson of the taliban in the country. they have already insert -- confirmed that one of their leaders was killed in an

american ground attack. there has been a sharp rise in elephant poaching in africa. animal rights groups have voiced their concern over the increase in demand for ivory coming from each -- eight -- east asia. pressure is rising on the scottish justice secretary about whether he should free the man who bombed an airplane in 1990. hillary clinton strongly opposes his release, though he is gravely ill with cancer. >> it is wrong to release someone who has been in prison based on the evidence about his

involvement in such a horrendous crime. we are still encouraging the scottish authorities not to do so and we hope that they will not. >> we have got a full business report in about 25 minutes, let's recap what you are going to do. bad news if you are in america and you have a ubs or swiss bank account and do not want anyone to know about it. >> get it out now, george. >> [laughter] this has been going on for some time. >> they have been clamping down on ubs for some time. wrangling with a lot of court of appeals last week, they will be signed today. the whole idea was that the americans wanted to reveal their own nationals that had money in a swiss bank.

we will be able to see how many names they are prepared to reveal. >> all right. we will wait for the rest of those details in the business report. thank you. this is world news today. coming up, on the front line in afghanistan with u.s. troops. how being stuck in traffic and become a thing of the past in cairo. flying the flag in bolivia has become a more contentious issue as the country has two to choose from. the president has signed a degree, forcing the use of an indigenous persons flag alongside the use of national colors. >> bolivia's national flag is on display at a ceremony celebrating its creation,

representing the country's indigenous people. both of these symbols have equal importance according to the constitution, backed up by the president in a referendum. now that the leader has signed a presidential decree, it has been made compulsory to fly both flags, especially along public buildings and schools. bolivia is one nation, it should not be divided, this will start to unite it even more. >> the divisions run deep in bolivia between the rich and the poor. critics say that the two flag system highlights the country's tensions, many oblivion's worry that the president' will get rid

of the former flag in the future. >> over time i think we will lose the national flag. the current president of the republic believes that the old flag represents the traditional colonial state. >> they think that they will need to pass 100 new laws to implement the reform for the laws. so graphically illustrated. >> this is "world news today" from "bbc world news." the main headlines -- a series of powerful explosions have rocked baghdad. the police say that at least 75 people had been killed and hundreds more wounded. bombs targeted a high-profile government media building.

security is tight in afghanistan on the eve of the presidential elections after the taliban vowed to disrupt the polls. more on those elections in afghanistan, the taliban as threatening to disrupt the vote and the helmand province has received most of the violence. that is where the u.s. forces are trying to push back the militants. the second marine expeditionary brigade is one of the battle groups taking on the taliban. >> on july 2, 4000 men from the second marine expeditionary brigade landed in southern helmand. their mission, one of the biggest assaults on fallujah -- their mission, similar to the assault on fallujah.

for president barack obama it is his biggest foreign policy gamble so far. i joined echo company after they landed in a small market town that had been evacuated by its inhabitants. the taliban did not leave. they are watching the echo company's every move. >> the taliban knows that we are on patrol. >> it was not long before the taliban launched an attack. >> two guys with ak-47s! >> two men with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades were firing at us. after an initial burst of gunfire, an rpg when overhead. the marines moved through corp. -- compounds after the enemy was spotted.

after heavy gunfire and some grenades the attackers went quiet. several marines claim to have hit their target. >> no one even dimensions 9/11 anymore. to me that is no reason i am here. it is why i went to iraq. why i joined the marine corps. now we are here. and i do not know why. >> although it is hard to get the local people inside, especially when there is still fighting, the commander is sure

that he can succeed. >> by the winter time the taliban will be on their heels, wondering what to do next. >> the echo company is here for another five months. what happens in that time could define the war in afghanistan, the people of the province, and the presidency of barack obama. >> cairo is one of the most congested cities in the world. the egyptian capital has over 18 million inhabitants. authorities think that they might have found the answer, introducing river taxis on the nile to introduce commuters to take to the water. christian frazier reports. >> for generations these elegant people have plied their trade across the internet waters of the nile, ferrying cargo from one side to the other. today, more map -- more modern

tactics have seen these boats fall into disrepair. there are only 15 in operation on this 20 caller river network. >> cairo is a city that was billed for 4 million people. today it has a population of 80 million. by early morning many of these narrow streets cent -- suddenly turn into six lang carriageways that make for a death defying journey into work. most of these commuters-to the office in these small microbuses, which blew through the traffic with incredible dexterity. commuters are said to steel -- steer well clear of these congested roads. >> i like getting around this way, it is almost like being at sea, away from the crowd and the noise.

there is a certain ambiance that i would like my son to experience. >> i take the river bus because of the traffic. if i take a taxi or some other kind of public transport, it takes me 35 minutes. with the river bus that takes me 15 minutes. >> plans in side of the private sector will mean a doubling the number of stops by 2012. a modest ambition. >> the plan in the state is to reduce the number on the road. >> there was a time when the waters of the nile were thought to heal the sick and come for the conflicted. those perhaps tormented by their daily commute might one day appreciate the rivers benevolence. >> let's catch up on sports with russell. >> samuel richards won an

individual title, outclassed the field, including the defending olympic champion to win the title in berlin. richards was the last year in beijing by the british actually -- athlete, and at last richards could celebrate a first major individual championship bowl. there was another american winner in the 400 meter hurdles when caroline successfully defended their title, going through puerto rico's first world record championship medal. less than two weeks to go before the start of the u.s. open tennis championships. venus williams has been beaten at the rogers, in toronto.

in her first appearance in the event in 12 years she won the first set for a loss of a single game. but they are back now to win the next two sets 7-5, 6-4. >> thank you, russell. a summary of top stories, at least 75 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a wave of attacks in baghdad. one massive truck bomb occurred outside of the heavily guarded green zone, damaging the iraqi parliament. keep up with all of the news on bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new 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.