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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 "bbc world news." do not doubt your allies commitment.

the major secretary general tells the u.s. that everyone is committed to the cause in afghanistan. floods persist as the philippines, the cost of the typhoon. 3 million people are at risk in east africa. gordon brown prepares for a speech that could decide his future. also in this hour, puppies in prison. are they providing a future for inmates? >> you have to change your whole schedule, your whole life, with a puppy. >> allowed, it is midday in london, half past three in kabul -- >> hello, it is midday in london, half-assed three in cobble -- half past three in

kabul. children and women, killed in a bomb attack in cobble. the finger of blame is being pointed firmly once again at the taliban. the americans are not alone in their military efforts. but the mission cannot go on forever. barack obama would no doubt welcome an end to the war, but is defeating the taliban possible with the current number of troops? in his top commander, nor does the nato chief, think so. >> the secretary general has warned americans to set aside any doubts in afghanistan. he is also calling for a

strategy that thins out in his military and government. >> i have no illusions. none of this will be quick. none of this will be easy. we will need have patience. we will need more resources. and, unfortunately, we will use -- we will lose more young soldiers to terrorist attacks of the taliban. >> part of a series of meetings to discuss whether this new strategy needs to be adjusted or changed. the impression is that everything is on the table. until recently it was assumed that the white house would automatically back any assessment from stanley mcchrystal. his report calls on more troops in building of the afghan military.

some in the administration are arguing that everything has changed. they want to concentrate on targeting the most senior terrorist leader and abandon anything that looks like nation- building. >> one of the most experienced british defense correspondents will be joining us later in the program. in the meantime, the president of the philippines has taken the unusual step of opening up the presidential rounds as an evacuation help center. something like 400,000 people are living in shelters in the capital and surrounding areas. from manila, our correspondent is there. >> there is a little center here in the city that has been giving out plastic bags with items of

clothing to people, just to give them something. also water, food, these are the essentials that people need to get by in the time that it takes to get back to their home, or a new building at their home has been swept away. the government agencies just do not know where the worst affected places are. at the moment in this area there is a covered basketball court that has been turned into a mortuary. lined with coffins. a round 50 people, we are told, died in this area -- around 50 people, we are told, died in this area. one woman said she was washing her clothes when suddenly the water started to come up.

she had to run with the children up to the house, getting on the roof, and they had to wait all night to be rescued. this story is being told time and again across manila. >> well, the flooding there has spread from the philippines, bearing down on vietnam and its central coastal areas. several hundred thousand people have been cleared out. heavy rain as well, all coming from the typhoon. at least 23 people have been killed by debris, landslides, and flash floods. vietnam airlines has suspended all flights to the central coastal city. the other extreme, a severe drought across east africa

threatening the lives of at least 23 million people. our world affairs correspondent has more. >> for communities that rely on cattle for every barrel thing -- for everything, these scenes spell death and destruction. >> what we have at the moment is a failure of rains for the fifth consecutive year in some places, building on previous problems. absolutely, coming to a tipping point. we need to act now. >> more than 23 million people are threatened, twice as many as during the last crisis. the worst affected countries are kenya, ethiopia, and you've gone up.

-- uganda. in ethiopia the worst affected country, a 13.7 million people are in dire straits. some of the crisis is caused by conflict. climate change is mainly to blame. if aid is not some smell, it may not be able to get in later. -- if aid is not send now, it may not be able to get in later. >> by witnesses said that the violence started when soldiers -- by witnesses said that the violence started -- by

witnesses -- eye witnesses said that the violence started when the soldiers arrived. a second uranium enrichment sites in iran, the ici has been told that they will be informed soon -- iaea has been told that they will be informed soon on the details. more than 300 items from the home of film director ingmar bergman have gone under the hammer. he requested that his belongings be auctioned to avoid several disputes among says family. more on that visit to washington by the nato secretary general. our defense correspondent for the london evening standard,

rowland, i think you for coming in. -- thank you for coming in. thhe wants more troops on the ground? o>> there are more troops coming from his native denmark. i think that he is also saying to president obama, albeit very politely, it is make up your mind the time. leadership is vital in nato, but not entirely. i think that he will be urging obama to get off of the fence and stop listening to so many different voices. something must be done because the war is going against them.

>> the president's view seems to be that our commitment is huge, we need a new strategy and i need to believe in it. >> sorry to be more uncharitable, but when he came from his presidential campaign saying that afghanistan was going to be his war of necessity, he is backing off of that very hard. ghosts of vietnam. this is no idle figure of speech. started his career over the vietnam quagmire. we know that obama is reading the placard of lyndon johnson, who broke his great presidency on the vietnam commitment.

he said he would not declare troop numbers, but his boss is saying to do it now. >> interested in what you were saying about nato allies and the way that the president might view them. for all of these european countries, in the last few years in particular many of the big countries are reticent to put down troops. >> although there are a lot of german troops, germany will not call it a war. it is a peacekeeping operation. you are quite right. i think that there is a lack of focus from the obama presidency. one would think that having clinton and jim jones there, but they are not getting your route.

what they have in, not hard power, but soft power and smart power, it is not only afghanistan. they want the president to put his shoulder to the wheel and put real oomph behind this concept. the summit is not coming forward. it is an obama achilles heel. >> we will have full market and financial analysis in 25 minutes. >> they have a new luxury business service between london and new york. a couple of carriers have tried it, it did not get very far. really, they would argue that

the executives that would normally use corporate jets in healthier times, this is it, starting price just under 2,000 pounds. at the same time they are going to take off from london city airport and refuel, the problem is all of the paper work. by the time that you get to jfk , and you are a domestic traveler. >> and then you pick up your smoked salmon. >> top class food. absolutely. >> this is "world news today." coming up, will they stay or go? could ireland possibly vote in favor of closer ties with europe?

it's the least struggle against illegal immigration is intensifying. authorities are determined to stem the flow of people trying to get through into its borders. year after year more and more africans risk their lives by boarding rickety boats into europe. many migrants that make it there, italy is far from the promised land that they expected. >> back breaking work, picking tomatoes, and for each small crate they get paid $5. on a good day they might make $50. not exactly the life they imagined. >> we just did not know italy was like this. we thought it was a country where you could find a job. but it is not like that. >> living conditions are appalling.

shacks have been thrown together with bits of wood and plastic. the medical charity doctors without borders is deeply concerned about their health and welfare. >> they sleep on the ground on mattresses that they got in the street. most of them are rotten. infested with insects. >> work is thin on the ground. food is scarce. as soon as one harvest is over, they move on to the next. they came to europe in search of a better life, but the future is anything but bright. >> the trial of four google executives is expected to begin in the lawn today. the video was posted online of a boy with down's syndrome being

bullied. this is "world news today." made headlines, the nato chief assures america that allies are committed to the war in afghanistan. 23 people have been killed by the typhoon in vietnam. a huge aid operation continues in the philippines. we will get some more for you now on the main story. barack obama and the head of nato, amid the review of military strategy, there is a strong sense of the need to build civilian institutions if the country is to have independent future. the un is particularly concerned over the lack of universities. from cobble, we have this report.

>> these girls are off to a good start in life. something that western leaders claim to, girls skinning and education, once banned under the taliban. -- girls getting an education, once banned under the taliban. >> aspirations can be truly crushed in afghanistan. these boys wills -- finished school in a month, facing tough competition to continue their education. >> if i do not get into university it will be a big disappointment. life will not be pleasant. >> when these children leave school many will want to go to university. opportunities are few and far between.

this group of friends wanted to be lawyers, accountants, and engineers. despite good grades, they are now unemployed, they could not get into university. young afghans with no future often become insurgents. >> the taliban focuses on their young power. >> the afghan power says they are not blind to the challenges for graduates to take over reconstruction. >> afghanistan cannot rely forever on very expensive international imports -- exports.

they must be able to produce their own experts. >> the west is focusing on bringing security to afghanistan. they will also need well- educated and civilians to put the country back in the right hands. martin patients, bbc news. >> ireland's economic collapse, later in the week it may lead to a second referendum of the lisbon treaty. they voted no initially, that was before a dramatic slump in gdp. a yes vote has to be agreed upon by every single member state. our correspondent has been crisscrossing ireland. i have been trying to get my

line, irish eyes are smiling, into the script, but you probably have a better chance of it. >> irish eyes will be smiling if there is a yes on friday. if it is a no, the irish foreign minister is going to have to go back to brussels to do a lot of explaining. how does he think things are going? minister, how embarrassing would be to say that ireland has voted no again? >> we are democrats, it is not particularly embarrassing. all of my colleagues in the foreign affairs council are democrats. most of them are elected politicians. they understand that democracy and the challenges that represents. we have had a lot of engagement and interest from people. >> on the more fundamental question of ireland's

relationship in the future, there is a broader context. what would you say to people about the vote from last time, that you were not listening? >> democracy is about listening to the voice of the people. this time we have listened, a key issues were identified during the last campaign. people clearly wanted each member state to retain a commissioner. people wanted guarantees. they were worried about the impact of the lisbon treaty. about ireland's policy of neutrality. the right to life is provided in the constitution. then the question is now that europe has responded generously, is a dove revolts -- is it not

reasonable to put it to the people again? >> can you guarantee that if it is and know this time there will be a third? >> no, there will not be. our colleagues in europe have responded generously, comprehensively addressing the concerns of the irish people. the consequences of a no vote are serious than just for ireland but for the european union itself. i believe that with a positive campaign, we will achieve that. >> the newspaper opinion poll says it will be a yes. given your all government inside, what is government holding telling you? -- government holding telling

you? -- government polling telling you? >> we do know from previous referendums that votes can assess a state of mind that a particular point in time. people can be fragile. there will be an attempt to campaign. a lot of activity is going on. >> thank you very much. . we should give the results around saturday afternoon. back to you, from dublin. >> said news, the death of a french football player. >> earlier this tuesday he died in a belgrade clinic.

he was in a bar with other travelers on the 17th when hooligans attacked them with our bars and baseball bats. -- amrmored bars and baseball bats. the latest reaction from the french sports minister. >> we told them not to let the murderers go without punishment. right now the first feeling is the emotion here in france. this morning fans started to gather in front of a group house. right now they got together, morning, -- mourning.

>> today the spanish media is reporting that the country's first and only world champion will be in a ferrari. there will be as -- five-year contract. the man that he will be replacing it is jimmy wright. >> a lot of money. thank you. nell, a summary of the main stories. -- now, a summary of the main stories. nato's secretary general said that the president of the united states should set aside the commitment of that -- commitment of other members of nato to afghanistan. we have more of the speech on the web site. 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.

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