>> "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." >> a hero's return, and international controversy. outrage at the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. the federal reserve chairman ben bernanke says the u.s. is nearly out of recession. two candidates claimed a victory in afghanistan. the election commission urges caution. very warm welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast here on pbs in america and around the globe. i am mike embley.

coming up later for you -- security forces in a rock -- khanate protect the country? -- security forces in iraq -- candidate protect the country? we revisit the baltic states that joined hands for freedom 20 years ago. hello to you. it was outrageous, disgusting, said a white house spokesman. president obama said it was objectionable himself. libya mounted a warm welcome for the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. terminally ill, abdelbaset ali al-megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds. the government is rejecting suggestions the real reason was to smooth commercial relations

with libya. christian frazier reports from tripoli. >> this is certainly how libya wanted this trade -- but how much damage to this celebration of al-megrahi due to the relationship with the outside world? he was welcomed home like a decorated soldier. scottish plaids weighed in jubilation. today, the government kept us away from his family, but we did speak to his brother in law. >> we are saddened by the tragedy of lockerbie and the people who lost their children. but i assure you -- he is innocent. if you could see him now, you would realize it is impossible he could do it. >> that is not how the british government sees it. they warned libyans within an hour of the plane taking off. a letter arrived from downing street. in that, gordon brown asked the

libyans to act with "sensitivity." he said the british government expected a low-key return. clearly the message was confused or ignored. state media reported the letter concerned only bilateral relations. now it seems that message is heard loud and clear. so far, there has been no reaction from colonel gaddafi, in a televised interview, no triumph at all. behind me, you see the lights for a celebration in 11 days' time which will mark the anniversary of the coup that brought colonel gaddafi to power. it is not wished that condemnation overshadow the event. >> outrage. >> i united states, the pictures carry on the east coast morning shows stokes the anchor. >> what about the libyans, sir? >> i think it was highly objectionable. >> i think the images that we

saw in libya yesterday were outrageous and disgusting. we continue to express our condolences to the families that lost a loved one as a result of this terrorist murder. >> but how much of the british and american government is prepared to push this back in the not so distant future, libya will be one of the top 10 oil producers in the world. british energy companies have invested heavily, in some believe future deals were at risk unless a al-megrahi had been released. the celebrations at the end of the month mark a new dawn. the world is watching whether libya has really turned a page. bbc news, tripoli. >> at last, good news from the

head of the u.s. central bank. ben bernanke davis international counterparts an upbeat message. -- and gave his international counterparts an upbeat message. he said economic activity in the states is leveling out prospects for growth appear good. he did say recovery may be slow at first and unemployment is likely to take time to improve. our new york business correspondent has more on the chairman's comments. >> the comments are always reassuring, especially in a public setting. they are not coated in ultra- greenspan speak . he repeated some of the phrases he used 10 days later in the official meeting. he wanted to get everyone confidence, but praised them for a gradual recovery. it is interesting -- his statement with through a history of financial decline -- the financial decline, from 2007 all

through last year. he -- if he could be said to pat himself on the back, he certainly did so. he said he and other central bankers had acted effectively and swiftly to avoid what could have been at a much worse situation. he had all sorts of finance. you could tell he was an economic historian. there were so many notes about other panics. >> president obama has praised what he called the courage of millions who voted in afghanistan, despite the threats of violence from the taliban. >> there is a clear conference between those who seek to control the future of the ballot box and those who killed two prevent that from happening. once again, extremists in afghanistan have shown themselves willing to murder innocent men, women coming in children to advance their aims. but i believe the future belongs to those who want to build, not those who want to destroy. what we should tell you the afghan independent election

commission has called for -- >> we should tell you the afghan independent election commission has called for caution because two candidates have said they are leading the vote count. the turnout was 50%, substantially down for the last presidential election. >> in homeland province and -- homeland province in southern afghanistan, a raf helicopter delivers ballots from the outlying areas. the results will be closely scrutinized. there was a low turnout as a result of taliban intimidation. in a mosque in kabul, early results are posted for the public tuesday. it is to -- too soon to answer the key questions -- will there be another round? how high or low was the turnout? hear, president karzai came in

second to his main challenger. all the same, it is said the president won the first round. >> we cannot be sure because the results have to be declared by the election commission. we expect it will not go to a second round and hopefully we will win in the first round. >> but dr. abdullah abdullah insists he has one. >> it is early. no doubt about it. the initial results are in my favor. in most provinces. yes, these are preliminary results. but these are indications. >> it is not seem that there is any doubt at all that there has been plenty of election fraud. we have come to the compound of another presidential candidates. he is not a likely winner, but he has a name that is famous throughout the country. he got his name when he fought the russians. he was the first commander to be

given a standard missile by the cia. after that, he joins the taliban, but then he left to support the present government. >> he says the fact that the election passed off without widespread violence is a a big blow to his former ally, the taliban. he is sorry there should have been so much fraud. >> still, it is unlikely to change the outcome. privately, the british and americans are pleased with the way things have turned out. they know, of course, that there was all kinds of fraud involved, but they felt they had to allow president karzai to run things as he needed to run them. for now one though, they can be expected to put a lot more pressure on him to do things the way they wanthememone. john simpson, bbc news, kabul. >> more of the main news for you briefly. in chechnya, suicide bombers

have killed at least four police officers in the capital. a number of others were wounded. officials say the attackers were on bicycles. at least 20 people died fighting in the somali capital of mogadishu. this was an attack on government forces and african union peacekeepers. an italian court has jailed four people in what state media calls china's biggest software piracy case. there were given a 3 1/2 years for spreading an unlicensed copy of microsoft's windows xp operating system. iraqi security officials had been holding emergency meetings about security. very much on their minds, wednesday's explosions that injured hundreds and killed 100 people. >> it was the worst attack at

that had seen in months. it killed and injured hundreds. three days on, some are still believed to be trapped in the bubble of this foreign ministry. iraq's foreign minister blames groups tied to al-qaeda and the former regime of saddam hussein. there has been an increase in violence across the country since u.s. forces left iraqi cities at the end of june. despite that, general petraeus told the bbc that he did not anticipate sending troops back into urban areas. >> the iraqi security forces are vastly more capable. very significant numbers of special operations, taking carry out targeted operations against what are now more terrorist elements them large insurgent groups, given many of the sunni part of the population has sided

with the new iraq. >> the ministry may have faith in iraqi security forces, but most iraqis do not. when these attacks took place, in some of the safest areas of baghdad, people here say that whether it was on recklessness, corruption, or both, it allowed lorries full of explosives to drive through multiple iraqi checkpoints. the u.s. is still training iraqi army, but after wednesday's explosion, the american general in charge of training admitted he was not doing it fast enough. even the iraqi government now questions its unsecured forces. >> we have to admit that security forces have not done enough to limit these

explosions. the officials in charge of these areas will be held accountable. quick question is whether there will be a fundamental change -- >> the question is whether there will be a fundamental change to the security. recently, all blast walls were ordered to come down. the city was so safe, they said, it no longer needed protective barriers. on friday, a senior iraqi official told the bbc that their work would continue as scheduled. this is why many in baghdad accused the government of trying to create an illusion of security instead of making real changes. bbc news, baghdad. >> stay with us if you can on "bbc world news." still to come -- the other iraq. we take you to iraqi kurdistan. first, a high-level delegation from north korea is in the south korean capital, joining those

mourning the south links former president. relations do seem to be warming. >> it was are rare moment and one rich in symbolism. the six north korean officials arriving at south korea at's -- south korea and the links -- south korea's ministry. at kim dae-jung is lying in state. he organized the historic summit in june 2000, the first time the leaders of the two countries had met since the korean war. his hopes for reconciliation had been battered by months of rising tension. north korea had 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? perhaps. some detect a hint of the old rivalries out play. alongside the visit, there are other positive sides. north korea has announced it will allow a cross border cargo train to begin operating again and it will lift restrictions on travel to this joint industrial suburb. although some have suggested that it is more interested in the hard cash that the factory complex provides. few people doubt that the gulf between north and south remains very wide. there are high hopes that this visit nate marked a turning point, but in yen, it may prove stronger on symbolism -- but in the end, it may prove stronger on symbolism than substance. bbc news, seoul.

>> the latest headlines for you this hour. outrage in the u.s. and u.k. that the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing is welcomed in libya as a hero. it is the u.s. poised for recovery? the head of the federal reserve says the country is nearly out of recession. there is growing and there in south africa about the treatment of the country's rising young sports star, caster semenya. she won the women's 180 meters in the world championship, a huge improvement on her previous court. the international association s and now insisting on tests that prove hurt gender. the family is furious. >> the talk here is of nothing else. life here in this farming community changed forever during two minutes on a track in berlin. one of the iran became a world beater, and in the process, it

created an international storm. >> they do not want south africa to go forward. >> that was proof. >> if you had seen everything? >> everything. [laughter] >> and definitely a girl? >> definitely. >> so quick has been world champion success, the home she shares with her family is still without running water. her birth certificate has been produced as evidence. there is no ambiguity year -- born in 1991, sex female. it is clear that has lived a caster semenya all of her life -- it is clear that caster semenya has lived all of her life as a girl, and then a woman. question seems certain to continue. one person who should know is a mother. >> there is no doubt.

what i say -- there is no doubt. i give birth to her that day, from nine -- my womb. >> and many here think that caster semenya is being targeted because she is black and fast. >> part of a cliff has collapsed onto a crowded beach in portugal. it killed at least five holidaymakers and injured several others. it was a popular holiday destination. as reported all the victims are portuguese. the past 20 years have seen massive changes in the baltic states of with the wayne rihanna, latvia, and estonia. -- lithuanian, latvia, and

estonia. our correspondent has returned to investigate the legacy of europe's revolution. >> this jail was dark and desolate. 16 were crammed into a space used by 31. it is where those who wanted independence for estonia were brought for interrogation because moscow treated nationalists as criminals. he got four years in jail. >> in that time, i never had the sense i was alone because i was not alone. i knew back then that the majority of the estonian people were with me, and it gave me strength. >> by 1989, inspired by events in poland and hungary, when million people will willing to join her in the cause. they formed a human chain across the three baltic republics. because they were inside the borders of the soviet union,

they have a tougher time making their case for independence -- both to moscow and the west. although moscow was ready to let some go, it refused to release a sovereign nations within the soviet union. national feelings that were stirred up or two powerful to be resisted. after two years, the entire soviet union splintered into separate nations. russia is now a difficult neighbor. when it a bronze statue of a russian soldier was moved from the city center to a cemetery, moscow protested angrily and there were nights of rioting. now the russian community appears to have accepted the new site, and estonia doubts whether russia has accepted its loss of pamphlets. >> emotionally, there are some leaders still -- we have restored our independence. we are members of the european

union and nato. but they still live in this era. >> an afternoon at the russian cultural center shows the links with the motherland are maintained, even encouraged. for estonia, respecting the rights of russian speakers as part of the balance. they know what moscow to see it as a weakness they can exploit to draw esthonia act and to russian control. bbc news, estonia. >> the image many of us have a much of iraq is framed by extremist violence and the death toll mounts with each bomb attack. iraqi kurdistan is a possible model for peaceful coexistence across the country. there's a feeling of prosperity across the region. there is a sense of tolerance. we have this report. >> smart cards, a brand new road

system, and the highest technology. this is the most progress in iraq. this is the capital of kurdistan. some people call it "the other iraq." this region, even compared with the rest of the middle east, stands out in some many different ways. we did so many different ways. ♪ i have travelled extensively throughout the middle east. here, in kurdistan, it is like western countries. is there any comparison to america or israel? >> it is better that the imam should not inspire hatred.

our prophet says we should not tolerate violence to others. >> islamic parties are united in campaign as one. >> we are all on the same common ground. >> after the invasion of iraq and in 2003, iraqi christians were attacked at churches throughout iraq. ♪ many christians escape the violence and found refuge here, in kurdistan. >> just a year ago, this church was built to accommodate christians to escape persecution from cities like baghdad and mosul. christians from all over iraq have found peace and comfort here. >> i am from baghdad. i came here. i am working in in this

restaurant. >> the christian quarter in the capital city -- this business is thriving. this is jack daniels. this costs almost $17. wait cheaper than in london. the majority of iraqi kurds are muslim. the muslim faith does not make or sell alcohol, said the christians control this lucrative trade. -- so the christians control this lucrative trade. >> i am kurdish and have faith in islam. but i am also at the here where bars and mosques can coexist freely. >> come with me and see what they think about this liquor store just a block away from their mosque. come with me. i asked the imam what he thinks

about christian selling alcohol to muslims. >> according to the teaching of islam, every religion should be respected. christian sell alcohol, let them do that. their fate the laws of. we kurds and christians are ancient people. >> extremists in iraq have conveyed of my image of islam, and the kurdish version of islam can now be a model for the rest of the country. bbc news. >> before we leave you, much of europe has been baking in august's heat plate. people art -- it is not only people try to find release. it is not only humans that like ice cream. keepers have found icy streets -- i see treats -- icy treats beary popular.

before we go, a reminder of our top story. president obama has joined the u.k. in condemning in the jubilee return of abdelbaset ali al-megrahi to libya. british foreign ministry said his hero's welcome was deeply disturbing. many more details for you any time on bop's bbc.com -- any time on bbc.com. >> 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.