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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. the anchor grows. the hero's welcome given to the lockerbie bomb or on his return to libya sparked fresh outrage. britain's foreign separate -- secretary called it deeply upsetting. i want afghanistan posset presidential election -- the claim from the current president and his main challenger. easing of tension between the two careers -- koreas.

two decades on from the collapse of communism, estonia battles with the fresh challenges of capitalism. it is 7:00 a.m. in washington, midday in london and 1:00 p.m. in the libyan capital tripoli, where the only man convicted of the bombing of the u.s. passenger jet over lockerbie in scotland 21 years ago is enjoying his forceful day of freedom. arguments are continuing, though, on whether the scottish authorities were right to release abdelbaset al-megrahi from prison on compassionate grounds, suffering from prostate cancer. british foreign secretary david miliband adding his voice. he described it as deeply distressing. 207 people lost their lives when a pan am jumbo jet was ripped apart by an explosion in 1988.

many of the victims were american. let us get the latest. >> it was everything many relatives feared -- a convicted terrorist welcomed home as a hero. stepping of colonel khadafy's private jet, abdelbaset al- megrahi was showered and confetti and hugged by the libyan leader's son. he was now wearing a suit surrounded by it -- wearing a suit, surrounded by his countrymen. earlier crowds of young men gathered to show his support. al-megrahi's returns coincides with the 40th anniversary of the revolution that brought it back into power. >> the use of libya are the use of the future. we are able to build a new future. >> he came home a free man. >> it is absolutely shameful, it is horrible. >> in america, condemnation has been swift. but the u.k. government is treading a more difficult path. while the foreign secretary has

criticized out the glop -- al- megrahi's reception, he refused to say whether the scottish justice secretary decision was right. >> obviously the site of a mass murderer getting a hero's welcome in tralee is deeply upsetting, deeply distressing. above all, for the 270 families who grieve every day for the loss of their loved one. but also anyone who's got an ounce of humanity in them. and i think that is the overriding emotion people will be feeling today. >> it has been left to the first minister to defend the decision. he said any pressure for al- megrahi to drop his appeal certainly did not come from his government, since release on compassionate grounds didn't require it. >> we have no interest in mr. al-megrahi dropping his appeal. that was not our motivation. we had no interest. and we made it clear we had no interest in dropping the appeal. that was a decision for mr. al- megrahi and his legal

representatives. >> dismayed by the release, president obama had lobbied for al-megrahi to be placed under house arrest. the manner of his return at naturally strained burgeoning relations with libya. at the moment, no one knows of this displeasure will result in action, potentially death -- jeopardize and lucrative investment deals with western companies. >> we will have more on this story a little later and of course bbc.com is where you will find the background. let us look at the rest of the ms. they have been quick to claim victory, both president karzai and his main challenger abdullah already are saying they won yesterday's presidential election. preliminary results will be released next week. the counting of ballots is over, according to the election authorities. let us go to the afghan capital and join my colleagues there. >> welcome to kabul on a warm, sunny day. the afghan election continued to take its course. voters have voted. we are still not sure how many.

the counting is almost done and now the compiling begins. it could be a day or so before we have the unofficial results but that has not stopped the key challengers from granted lee announcing -- or their agents announcing they have already won beard this happens in many elections around the world but there are particular concern about those kinds of plymouth at the statement -- premature statement here. american and european envoys called on the politicians to act responsibly. there is long been concerned about possible recrimination, if not violence. it we will look at some of the complaints about these elections that have already been hailed as a success by the international community. . -- first, the latest developments. >> officials are telling final results. an announcement is expected in the next few days. president karzai's campaign team claimed out right victory this morning.

rival counts put scorn on these claims. in spite of mounting violence, almost all voting centers were open during yesterday's election. officials say turnout could have been as low as 40%. there were attacks in kabul, but in the south, more than 20 people were killed in string of incidents. >> and some parts of afghanistan the turnout has been low, unfortunately. they showed -- board would never was the obstacle. i would congratulate the people of afghanistan for their coverage, for their determination, and hopefully, this will lead to a change. >> one of the candidates -- one of the candidates said some

voters were forced by warlords to vote by gunpoint for certain candidates. there were some examples of bloc voting. >this chief says what i tell them who to vote for, they do so. this was a rough and ready election -- flawed, yes. but what this count finishes, the winner may emerge sooner than expected. bbc news, northern afghanistan. >> we will turn to the elections as a key benchmark of the legitimacy. turnout was particularly low in the south. those are the provinces with the greatest violence, including hellman's province of british troops of the stations. the ministry of defence announced sonntag more british soldiers were killed there yesterday. in their families have been reformed. carolyn white was an helmand.

>> we are hearing the commission setting nationally turn out was between 40% and 50%. we have not personally heard about turnout and helmand, but it would not be surprised if it was lower than that. talking to people here, luckie it got above 20%, because this is the heartland of the insurgency. yes, there been operations by british and american forces to clear. a taliban. more people were able to register to vote. we saw a lot of the going to polls, but that was in town. i expect in a lot outlying villages they will not have that level of trust. we did see a lot of taliban intimidation, the provincial capital, something like eight mortars, are right at stop, makeshift bomb within the first hour and a half of polls opening. but i think it is the testament

to the resilience of the afghan people that they went to the polls despite that and those i spoke to said they wanted to spoke to show the insurgents that we could, to send them a message of defiance. so not a surprise if turnout in this province is low. everyone was booked was supporting hymie karzai appeared fairly natural. he is a fellow pashtun. but no word on our results as yet. >> many have hailed the bravery and the termination of millions of afghan's testing ballot -- ballots. but there is also deep concern about those who did not go out to vote, whether due to security or apathy. when it comes to complaints, they go to the electoral complaints commission, a key part of the election machinery. headed by a canadian, who was here for the 2005 election. are you getting a lot of complaints? >> on election day we had just over 100 complaints that came in

throughout the day. some early on related to opening of polling stations a little late, some issues around the quality of the ink. but those that resolved fairly quickly. we are expecting to receiving -- to receive complaints and the next four fridays from around the country. >> you heard complaints from candidates, afghan members of parliament, that there was ballot stuffing. any word of that? >> we have not seen specific complaints but we heard in general reference to this. but we will investigate any complaints we do get and hopefully the information will be specific enough to allow us to do a proper investigation. >> is it too early to cast a verdict how the election went? >> for us, it is way too early. it will take at least a week to get all of those complaint forms back into kabul where we will process them and then do our investigation.

our window we are looking at is to have the process finished around september 17. >> there are complaints about the declaration of victory by the candidates, possible recriminations. does this come to your office as well? >> i think, as you said earlier, it is not a feature you need to afghanistan, candidates to declare victory early on is not a feature unique to afghanistan. they consider what they want. we will deal with the complaints. >> we spoke to dr. abdullah last night, and he alleged -- >> we will take any complaints that have the information, have evidence, and we will follow with those. i think we demonstrated over the course of the campaign that we take our job very seriously. we welcome complaints that come in from a camp. >> the international community

has been quick to declare this a success. afghans have been cautious. calling it an achievement, yet one more strength -- step to strengthen democracy. you were here in 2005. is it real process -- progress or a repeat of the same? >> i don't think it is a repeat of the same. given security conditions, it is excellent book, with it they have. yes, security is limited in some parts -- but you have to look at the broader aspects. the independent election commission, truly afghan organization, has been responsible for organizing these elections and i think they did a stellar job. all the other side, the afghan national security forces being supported by international security forces have also done a good job in making sure the polling stations have been secured, which would have allowed people to come out and vote. >> chairman of the inept oral complaints commission, thank you very much joining us -- chairman of theelectoral budget chairman

of the electoral complaints commission, thank you debri much for joining us. we will continue to watch from here. now back to you. >> we will see what happens. thank you very much indeed. back to the top story, the return to libya of the lockerbie bomb mark, abdelbaset al- megrahi. sen back last night to a hero's welcome in tripoli. the libyans say they will produce no evidence to show al- megrahi is innocent, as always claimed. let us speak to our correspondent in the capital. do you think the libyans care about this adverse reaction to all of the reception is taking place? getting a harsh reaction from the united kingdom and the united states? >> i think they do, in all honesty. we have been here for four days. we have been carefully marshaled by the government minders. not -- we were not allowed to

speak to anyone on the run-up to the release. since then, despite the jubilant scenes result of the airport last night and the party in the capital, we haven't had that sense of triumph from government ministers. we still have not had a statement from colonel khadafy himself. i think the last thing they want and the runoff of the budget run-up to the 40th anniversary of the revolution, -- is this international condemnation which might overshadow the country's visit -- biggest celebration. >> a bit of inconsistency in their position, that is that they keep saying that abdelbaset al-megrahi is innocent, but some time ago libya admitted involvement in the lockerbie bombing. they can't have it both ways. >> there were conflicting statements, one made by the libyan ambassador to the united nations and one by the libyan prime minister. i think the stance that the

country now makes is this, they accept responsibility for the actions of individuals but to not accept allegations of state sponsors of television. in terms of al-megrahi, we don't know what the new evidence is. it might have come out in the second appeal but that have been put to one side. as far as the british government and the libyans are concerned, this is the end of a chapter for them, one they are happy to close because there are big business interests at stake -- bp, shell, big energy companies bidding for new exploration deals. clearly with this out of the way, they can concentrate on that issue. i think that will be welcomed by both sides. >> what about al-megrahi himself? what is happening to him? this is, after all, his first full day of freedom. it is a very quiet day here. the first day of ramadan -- the streets are deserted.

there has not been much use in the media. we are told he might be taken south to a town in the desert to meet colonel khadafy, presumably was given his thanks for all the lobbying he did on his behalf. and we have from a second source that is a distant relation to the colonel. perhaps that does explain why the colonel has taken such a personal interest. >> all right, live from tripoli. thank you very much. you are with "world news today." coming up -- honoring the sunshine policy. north korean delegates pay tribute to the former south korean president. firefighters increase appeared to have brought the bulk of wildfires near athens under control -- firefighters in greese. strong winds fanned flames, driving them parsley close to homes of the area and forcing people to pack up and leave. >> it is known in the suburbs of

athens but the smoke is so thick it looks like the dead of night. after weeks of searing temperatures, but all of groves have burned a tried and it doesn't take long for the fires to course through them. the charred trees left in its wake will yield nothing this year. in desperation -- a truck in the yard has already been gutted by fire, protecting the rest of their property is crucial. but keeping the planes at bay is a constant struggle. as the wild fire script ever closer to neighborhood factories and warehouses stocked with chemicals, the firefighters were forced to wear masks in case of fumes. overhead, helicopters moved back and forth, dropping buckets of water. the authorities are on constant alert during the summer months. when greece is played by fires. in 2007 more than 65 people died

when fires ravaged this polynesian region. the firefighters appeared to have the upper hand is -- and in the next 24 hours, particularly can be crucial. >> emergency crews are surveying damage after tornadoes and severe storms hit part of the american midwest. in a tiny central illinois village, schools, churches, and homes were badly damaged. trees are uprooted and power lines brought down. a tornado also left only the steeple of a church standing. this is "world news today." i'm jonathan charles but the main story -- strong criticism from the united states and britain at libya's jubilant homecoming for the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. afghan president hamid karzai

poppe campaign says he has enough votes for a majority in the presidential election but his main rival is also claiming victory. it is a chance to grasp the opportunity to ease tensions on the korean peninsula. a high-level delegation joining mourners at the death of the country's former president -- kim dae-jung. >> it was a rare moment and one rich in symbolism, the six north korean officials are arriving at south korea's national assembly with a former president is lying in state. their tribute from a clear sign of the esteem in which kim dae- jung was held on both sides of this divided peninsula. he was a man who and office ford's closer ties with the north had organized the historic summit in june of 2000, the

first time the leaders of the two countries have met during the korean war. but his hopes for reconciliation have been battered by months of rising tension. north korea has fired a rocket over japanese territory and conducted a second nuclear test. so, could this moment of national unity through shared grief offer an opportunity to improve relations? well, perhaps. but some people detect a hint of the old rivalries at play. the south korean capital is hosting its first visit by north korean officials and almost two years. yet, despite the overnight stay there are still no plans for direct talks with any member of the south korean government. alongside the visit, though, there other positive signs. north korea announced it will allow a cross-border cargo train to begin operating again and it

will lift the restrictions on traffic travelling from the south to this joint industrial zone. although some have suggested that as international sanctions begin to bite, it is more interested in the hard cash that the factory complex provides. few people doubt the gulf between north and south remains a very wide. there are high hopes that his visit might mark a turning point, but in the end, it may prove stronger on symbolism than substance. bbc news, seoul. >> many of the victims of the lockerbie bombing were american passengers on the pan am jumbo jet. they are angered by the release of al-megrahi from the start of parisian -- from prison and believes libya is getting what was because it has oil reserves. our chief correspondent for " the new york times." john burns, obviously a lot of americans are angry when they see the jubilant scenes in tripoli unfolding.

is there much america can do or indeed want to do it beyond their expressing anger? >> i think america crossed the bridge with its relation with libya -- you have american president's talking to mr. khadafi. i think it is cleared but there is nonetheless a short to medium term impact on the u.k. and scotland in particular on this. there is considerable anger in the obama administration -- reacting to the anchor on -- reacting to the anger of behalf of the families. >> i heard some relatives of people killed saying actually, we would not have given into libya, this person would now be returning to libya, al-megrahi, if libya didn't have oil. this is a straight business is you -- issue. >> i am not sure how many americans are going to go into this in a forensic way but i am sure in the state department and the white house they will be very angry indeed that the

blair government, and the so- called deal in the desert, actually in effect flag that the u.k. would be happy to have al- megrahi go home by agreeing, in fact, hastening its way into a prisoner transfer agreement which got very little scrutiny at westminster. there was only one libyan prisoners in the u.k., and that was al-megrahi. this was from the beginning premised on removing al-megrahi as an obstacle to britain's investments in libya, particularly in the oil sector. >> should we see this through the prism of a business relationship? >> i think no doubt whatsoever. the first minister of scotland objected very strongly before the ratification of the prisoner exchange, saying he did not think al-megrahi should be free to go home. of course, the u.k. government, having signed that agreement, was only too happy to see if the ball -- develed on scotland,

which will now there of the bulk of what this decision caused. >> john burns, chief foreign correspondent for "the new york times." thank you virginia's. russell, i could watch usain bolt's time. >> and 19.19 seconds, new world record for dsain bolt -- and claims he was tired and was not running up right. another indelible mark on history of sprinting for him in berlin pause the olympic stadium. breaking his own world record as it doubled in the 200 meters at the world championship. he was full of promise from the start. exactly one year after taking gold at the beijing and bids with a record of 19.30. he finished have a second ahead of second-place alonzo l. edwards of panama, the first man in history to the world and olympic champion in the 100 meters into london meters and just like the 100-meter final on

sunday, he shaved 11 hundredths of a second from his previous world record. award how fast bolt thinks he can run? >> at first, last year when i saw the record, i was saying, it is not possible. after a brawl that record i keep telling people anything is possible, because i did not know breaking michael johnson's record was possible. i just to be going out there and working hard. i don't know how far it will go, but i am not even worried about under 19 seconds because i think after that race i do not think i will be able to walk for a baby. >> if you are wondering how roger federer is getting on with his baby twins, back in action and into the quarter down all -- quarter finals of the masters event in cincinnati, the last before the u.s. open begins in 10 days. roger federer into the quarterfinals in cincinnati.

he was just too good for -- despite being 3-1 down in the final set and dropping the opening set. he can throw and he will play the australian lead to hewitt in the quarter finals as it tries to defend the u.s. open title in due course. >> usain bolt wasn't in form? thank you very much. you can get all the sports and more on the top stories, libya and the lockerbie bombing, on bbc.com.

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