>> "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.

>> 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, i'm george. the headlines. avenue gaps go to the polls, only the second time they've been given the chance to choose a president in direct elections. there are fears taliban threats may have kept some away from the polling stations. >> polling stations will be closing soon. there's been high turnout in some areas, but it's been very

low in others. >> decision day, the lock abibomber will know in the next hour whether he will be free to go home to libya. >> and a north korean delegation will be asking whether this signals a new direction in diplomacy. >> and is she really a woman? the 800-meter champion is forced to take a gender test. >> and playing for peace. bringing arabs and israelis together. it's 7:00 a.m. in washington. midday here in london and 3:30 in the nanch kabul. in half an hour's time polls will close in that city and across afghanistan. 15 million afghans have been eligible to vote in the fist presidential he elections to be

organized by the afghans themselves. the challenges have been huge not mention the taliban. >> welcome to the zarguna girls school in the center of kabul. this is just one of nearly 7,000 polling stations across the country. as you can see it's a brilliant sunny day, but how brilliant has been the day of democracy? when we arrived just after it opened at 7:00 a.m. there were many, women in traditional blue burkas and men but as you can see now it's quiet. the voting became slower throughout the day and we have reports from other provinces where voting has been very slow and very low. in the north voting has been higher there. a lot of the turnout has to do with fear of violence and

violence of the day. we have this report from my colleague martin patience. >> this is what it takes to hold an election in afghanistan. security is tight. far vote to taliban have promised to disrupt. three attacks have struck kabul in less than a week and this morning came a fourth when two suspected suicide bombers were shot dead in the east of the city. voters in the capital casting the first ballots. a defiant act in a country where democracy is still taking root. and here's the president hamid karzai also voting this morning. he's seen as a favorite but he's facing strong opposition. >> it's the second presidential and parliamentry election in afghanistan, and i'm sure that this will be for peace, for

progress, and for the well being of the afghan people, and i urge the afghan people to come out and vote so through their vote afghanistan can be a more peaceful and progress i have country. >> two want to be the next man to lead this country. but while the focus may be on the cities, the election is being fought elsewhere. almost three quarters of the population of afghanistan live in the countryside in 30,000 villages scattered across the county. across the country. so whoever win this is election is going to pick up most of the votes from places like this and they are going to have to win the support of has to villagers. taken place against a war this is no ordinary election and calf gans may face violence when deciding who is to lead a troubled country.

>> northern afghanistan, bbc news. >> with the report from the north now let's go to the south. not long to go before the polling stations close. hour has the day gone? >> it's difficult to say. because it depends on what town and village you were in. most people live in the rural parts. we went into the main pro vincal capital and there we did see people voteing with enthusiasm despite thal fact that in an hour and a half there were seven explosions inside or around the city itself. some of them were makeshift bombs on the road which caught one convoy of media from here. there were also other rocket attacks. that didn't seem to deter people and the voters we spoke to one for men and one for women were very enthusiastic about casting their vote and

not intimidated. having said that some didn't want their fingers inked. there were threats that inked fingers would be cut off. there was a way around that. the afghan polling officials say the turnout wasn't as high as expected but in other parts it was as high as expected and even exceeded it. so whether it was a good day for democracy -- >> certainly people were enthusiastic about voting. they were very keen to say they wanted a future free of the taliban. most of them were supporters of hamid karzai. his poster is the one you see up most with a few of dr. abdullah abdullah. there were some papers but in a

place where operations call the coalition that the british were doing apparently vote thrg has gone well so probably a mixed turnout but the people we spoke to, very keen on voting. >> thank you. back to kabul to the center of the country. of course we're joined by the afghan member of parliament. you're dressed in the colors of afghanistan. can i take it you're saying this is a good day however imperfect for your country? >> for sure. to me it's a national day because the afghans they aring to practice and use and enjoy democracy, equal rights for men and women and they are coming to polling stations regardless of what happened yesterday and today, across the country, but still this nation is these people want to pass successfully the democratic exercise.

>> you and i were here at the zaguna girls school five years ago when it was an emotional euphoric and the queues went right around the block. seems very different today. >> we can't compare today afghanistan with five years back. we don't have any second number which today we have. today the reads the come from insurgents and self the candidates themselves and today there was a lot of attacks not demonstrations but rumors to be demonstrations which is five years ago, the polling station wasn't that much large like today. this is why maybe people want to go to the nearest polling station rather than coming and crossing a longer way from their home, but still i'm not saying that the same excitement people are having in their hearts for today's election, but i just want to say for the

rest of the world, look at the nation with all these threats they come out from their home and they want to pass that exam successfully. what deference is the election i really don't want to talk about it but what was important for me today again we stand for the values which is we want to build for our country democracy and why people come out from their own home with such a extremely hard to believe because a lot of attacks and lots of other rumors, people will make, keeping concern but seeing young girls and boys are coming and using their polling station so i'm excited but for sure it's not like five years back. >> it's a new time but hopefully a new future for this country. >> yes. >> thank you for joining us as the sun begins to sit and the polling stations will begin to close. too soon to draw a verdict on these elections.

candidates will be jumping in to give their assessment of this important day. we of course will continue to provide special coverage and if you want more there's more on our website. able sis, bbc.com. we say goodbye and hand you back to london. >> thank you. very much. let's get a round up of some other authorities. authorities in china say more than 1,300 children have suffered led poisoning after being exposed to a factory. it's been closed down and two of its executives arrested. it's the second such incidents. 600 children were found to have led poisoning in a province. the smelter nearby was closed down. >> and the iraqi prime minister nouri al maliki ordered an

investigation after 95 people were killed during an investigation. it was the first explosion near the green zone since americans withdrew in june. >> and andrea merkel us is stains her status of the most powerful women the rest of the top 10 on the list are all business women. we'll have a full business report in 25 minutes. giving us an idea of what you have got, though. >> there are some words that the number crunchers who might have estimate tt deficit say it might be $250 billion less than was reported. the deficit is still going to be around $1.6 trillion. a pretty big observeical for

presidents putting in so $260 billion a considerable sum and the rio tinto figure down 2/3 from last year. this is a company seth saddled with debts of more than $40 million. it announced yesterday the sale of an aluminum business. it's panged to shave off $50 million of that debt level. a long way to go, though. >> thank you. now will the lock abibomber be free? the libyan man convicted of bombing that killed 270 people will learn his fate in an hour. he is serveing a life sentence in scottland because of the attack but he's been diagnosed with terminal cancer and might be released on compassionate grounds and a decision has been made the u.s. government

opposes his release. our correspondent james cook. james, we will know the decision not yet but as most decisions go this one is very complex and a very difficult one. >> it's a very difficult decision for the justice sebling tear but it is our understanding that he has decided to release abdul bassett on compassionate grounds. the options which he was thought to have favored all along and it's expected he will now return to libya. here we can show you another view of the scene here, the media have gathered here in great numbers to watch him who is expected to be released from the jail within the next couple of hours it's then thought he will be taken to glasgow airport and from this we understand that he will be flown to triple-a. we are told a plane is on its way from libya already which

will arrive from glasgow airport. lit arrive and after he will be flown back to libya and that information is he will be met there by the libyan president muammar qaddafi so we expect kenny miscassical the man charged with making this decision about 1:00 p.m. british time this afternoon and after that it could be the end of the road for a very long saga, dating back to the bombing of pan am flight 103 in the skies over southern scottland days before christmas. >> thank you, very much. well, this is "world news today." coming up -- warming to talks, north korea gives another hint it's looking for better

relations with washington. and will the lock abibomber go free? the man convicted of killing 250 people may be released. the manager of a nightclub in argentina has been give an 20 year prison sentence for a fair to which killed 194 people at his club five years ago. the manager's assistant and a police officer and another were also given jail terms but there were scuffles inside and outside the court as family members protested at the aquital of a rock band that helped organize the night. >> the judge read out the sentence in a court packed with family members of victims. the owner of a club listened in silence as he was sentenced to 20 years in jail. but the judge said the band accused of inciting fans to let

off the flairs which set off the fair to -- the reaction was immediate. the family members were hurt and angry and wanted to see the band jailed and higher sentences for the others involved. on the night of the fair to, home movies shot at the concert show how the club started to fill with smoke after a flair had been fired off by a light. the fair to spread rapidly and people died of smoke inhalation as they tried to escape. the fair to doors had been locked at the time and many of the victims made it out but returned to find friends. the club owner bribed police to turn a blind eye while he let in three times as many people tads club was allowed to hold. fair to exits had been locked to stop fans without ticket from the getting in. outside the courthouse the

protests continued and passions had been running high and family members of the victims say those were let off too lightly and will appeal to absolve the band as well. >> this is "world news today" from bbc "world news" i'm george, the main headlines. afghans are voting in presidential and pro vincal elections amid tight security and taliban attacks. the man convicted in the lock abibombing looks to be released. >> and news from an american state governor bill richardson in new mexico. pyongyang walked out of international talks on the

nuclear issue earlier this year. john reports. >> centers say new mexico is perhaps an unlikely location for a charmed offensive by one of the world's most secretive states but governor bill richardson an experienced diplomat who has visited pyongyang says he believes north korea is trying to seand clear signal. >> let's take advantage the next step should be a clear dialogue that involves the united states and north korea. >> north korea believes its gesture in releasing two journalists deserves something in return that, something is direct talks. >> that demand may prove problematic. north korea's immediate neighbors, the government here in seoul as well as tokyo, beijing and moscow won't have much truck with attempt to

sideline them and washington itself has insisted that when it comes to negotiateing with pyongyang -- >> the death of its former president kim day jeong he's the man who did much to build bridges to the knot and his response to the death is being seen as another sign for optimism. another senior officials will travel ahead of the funeral to pay their respects. but others believe we are witnessing an all too familiar pattern. first belligerent resistance in the flexing of military muscle then comes to call for a return to diplomacy on north korea's own terms and a demand for more conversions. bbc news, seoul. >> more now on the announcement expected within the hour that the libyan man convicted of the lock abibombing is to be

released on grounds of compassion. and i think we must assume this is going to happen that the only man convicted of the locker by bombings is going to be released. what do you make of that? >> well, as you say it is inevitable now. although we've had so many leaks and counterleaks, it's hard to be absolutely certain but yes, everything steems to be pointing towards it and that he will be released on compassionate grounds. there were two options, he could have either exerciseed the terms of the prisoner chancellor agreement negotiated by tony blair with colonel qaddafi a couple years ago and in that case he would have gone back to serve his time in a libyan jail. but the fact is that apparently he is very ill. we don't really know but all the cases are that he has only a few possibly only a few weeks

to live in which case really i suppose the compassionate option was the only one left. >> and what is your sense or reaction to in fact if he indeed is released on compassion nats grounds do you believe it is justified? >> i personally don't. i think this is such an enormous terrorist outrage, there are so many questions still yet unanswered about it that i think it would have been legitimate to insist that the appeal went ahead. but that of course was stymied once alma gra hi himself decided after insisting for years and years that he wanted to clear his name that he was going to drop the appeal. once he dropped the appeal, it was really quite difficult to -- >> i'm so sorry we thought we'd we thought we'd lost you for a second. you went off-screen.

can you hear me still? >> i can. >> i'm sorry about that. >> i'm interested. i mean, you're clearly unhappy with it so, too, are many of the victim's families in america. i wonder if you could shed light on why the discrepancies many scottish familys are happy with the release somebody from america sent this message why on earth should he be allowed even the smallest morrisal of compassion? but that in a sense of is a judgment call and if that's what is embodied in the spirit of scottish law so be it. >> well the reason for the split is there's a powerful campaign in this country led by some members some of the british families who believe that he's innocent. and they believe that the prosecution case was flawed, and for that reason that he should be allowed out. but even they, i think would concede that it would have been

far better if the evidence had been properly test indeed a court of law rather than just left hanging in the air, and there are so many unanswered questions about that that that's why i think personally it would have been better if we'd gone to the final appeal, heard the evidence in open court and then there would have been some sort of closure in this affair. and are you satisfied that >> and when the decision comes are you satisfied that it will be clear from all politics and -- >> no. i very much doubt if you can separate politics from this affair. in the end he will say it's on compassionate grounds but there are so many other factors in the background it will be some time before we know the real reason for his release. >> so you think it will be something other than compassionate grounds? >> oh, i think there are strong

influences toward cementing relations with libya, oil, and as in so many affairs to do with libya. we just don't know. >> ok. thank you for your time. now with the latest sports news. celinea? >> the fifth and final ashes test is underway at the oval. the equation is simple under the england they must win this test to snatch back the famous urn but england have not made a convincing start and australia need only to draw. and caught by the aussie skipper bowling for 10 runs, england 12-1 at that point. ian bell came in at three, he and andrew strauss moved the score. the south african teenager won gold in the 800 meter on wednesday but may be forced to return the meddle? she fails the gender test.

some questioned her gender. she shook off the controversy to win gold and beat the defending champion by 2.45 seconds. the time is the fastest in the world this year. the iaa says they must exam her since her arrival and that she's not if she's not found to be female -- she may have been born with a rare abnormality where she grew up with the genitalia of a woman but with the chromosomes of a man. more than to story coming up later in the program. we'll be going live to south africa. but a big shock as the champions lost to burn ily. in fact it was burnly ice first win since 1976. robby blake scored with a superb volley and man of the

match. jermaine dafoe grabbed a hat trick at the top of the table with a 5-1 win and liverpool got their season up and runing with a 4-0 victory. and james mcfadden scored a penalty to seal a dramatic win over portsmouth. and that's all in sports for now. >> thank you, very much. and coming up in the next half an hour on "world news today." we'll have gender questions of the track and field world championships. >> 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 presented by kcet, los angeles.