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to know your business. offering specialized solutions in capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offered expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news. >> welcome to "bbc world news" live from our studios overlooking the olympic park in london. coming up in this program, the trial for murder of the wife of former high-flying chinese politician bo xilai has just ended after one day. two million people have been affected by severe flooding in and around the philippines capitol manila. bolt the bullet, trying to make

it a sprint double. and we talk to one of india's big medal hopes, world boxing mary cobb who has had to settle for a bronze. the women's marathon swimmers is just starting in london. britain's carey anne payne is one of the favorites. welcome to "bbc world news" at the london olympics where speed is, once again, of the essence. usain bolt will defend his 200 meter sprint title. day 13 will also see the crowning of the first ever women's olympics booking champion. we'll have all the latest, but first other news. we go to china where a court case with huge political implications has ended after

just one day. gu kailai, former wife of bo xilai is charged with murdering neil heywood in a case that has grabbed international headlines and toppled her husband from the top-ranks of the economist party. some other headlines for you now. in egypt, there have been reports of clashes between police and armed men in northern sinai. security forces began a crack down on militants after 16 worlder guards were killed in the area. they said they later killed at least seven gunmen who broke through into israel. an international rescue mission has been launched. australia is sending a plane with medical team onboard to fly the scientist out of antarctica.

the scientist may need immediate surgery. it's the middle of the bitter an arctic winter. now, two million people have been affected by flooding in the philippines after the heaviest monsoon season for three years. at least 19 people have been killed and more than 80,000 are being looked after in emergency shelters. almost 2/3 were hit by flood waters after a week of torrential rain. it lies south of the air porpt and north of kazon city. relief efforts, as a city, slowly starting to get back to normal. >> you expect the main relief agencies are going to all the evacuation centers that have been set up in school halls and in basketball courts all around the city. they're giving people the basic

food, medicines, shelter, blankets all those kind of things. one of the things that's really difficult with this particular disaster is that people are a bit more prepared and a lot more local people have been turning up, local initiatives, trying to help local peoples down the road. people using twitter, text messages to find out who needs what and get it there as soon as possible. >> now syrian president has appointed a new prime minister. appointment comes as heavy fighting takes place in syria's second city aleppo. he replaces someone who defected last sunday. iran is hosting a group of foreign leaders, and joining me from bay route with more on this development is the bbc's jim muir.

>> even the russians, who are pretty much in the same as alies of the syrian regime are only turning up at local ambassador level rather than the foreign level the meeting is supposed to be pitched at. how the chinese are going to be represented isn't cheer, but i imagine probably ambassador level as well. what they can possibly hope to achieve is also very far from clear. the president ahmadinejad was talking about getting military compensation, but it's hard to see how people who are convening there, or indeed iranians

themselves could come up with anything that would succeed, where as kofi annan with the entire world behind him, manifests. so it does smack some what of desperation. they do seem to realize that the regime in damascus is a very important a lie for them is in very serious trouble. they said they won't allow out to go down, be alem -- be eliminated. >> it all seems slightly unreal given all the fighting going on in aleppo and other parts. you've got the president behaving as if almost nothing had happened. >> that's right. they're holding cabinet meetings to discuss education, but they do try to give a semblance of normality, but of course they do need to fill it, a prime minister is a prime minister, the last one defected.

so there was a vacancy that needed to be filled. he did already issue a decree appointing the previous deputy prime minister as the acting prime minister, but now this decree to appoint a proper prime minister, the health minister in the government to be prime minister. i can't tell you a lot about him, but he was born where i would assume would make him a sunni and where the revolution began, back in march of last year. he may well find himself under the same kind of pressure that caused his predecessor to crack and leave the country. because his community up and -- was coming under pressure. >> ok, thanks jim, thank you very much. more now on our top story, the trial of that senior politicians wife, bo xilai, his wife in china. we can go loing to chongqing in

southwest china and martin patience. so this trial opened and closed in just one day. what are we to make of that? >> well, it was very quick, but it was very strange. i think most people think that authority want to wrap up this case as quickly as possible. the fact it was held hundreds of miles away from where the crime was allegedly committed, that's in the hotel. just behind me gives you how they want to draw attention away from this case. it's generated a huge amount of interest in china, as well as the rest of the world. you have to remember, this is a country that is gearing up for a once in a decade leadership change. a new generation of leaders will take over in china and they will chart the new course for the next decade. that's happening in the next few months. i don't think china's current

leaders want this to overshadow it any more. >> your line is a little bit difficult but i think we'll persevere. there is suggestion that right from the beginning this was never going to be any sort of long, drawn-out trial. >> no, i think that's very much the case. two weeks ago, that gu kailai had been tried, it stated that there was overwhelming evidence. the fact that nobody in china expected this trial to last very long, i think almost everybody here expected that she would be found guilty. as you mentioned, her lawyers weren't appointed by herself, they were apointed by the court. why does that happen? you often see it in politically sensitive cases such as this one. >> all right, martin in

chonquing, thank you very much. the re-design, we've got the greatest show on earth, the olympics. let's catch up on all the news. >> thank you, very much george. let's have a look at the first few medals that have been won already this thursday. just outside of this olympic park area at the eton lake, germany have taken gold. they have russia taking the bronze. germany were the favorites in the men's kayak with a defending champion failing to make the final. but the germans were less trailing as the australian took the gold medal with hung rhode island edging out the czech republic for the silver. and in the third final morning of the session, hung rhode island won the gold in the kayak

single. i think you're seeing pictures of the priest winners. there you go, there's brigget of hung rhode island. and they have just started as well, that is in the center of london at hyde park. we'll bring you the result of that when we get it. >> thank you very much, thank you. now, this is "bbc news" and still ahead -- can afghanistan take home his country's second

ever medal? more now on the olympics, and of course people from all over the world and ages have arrived in london to see the games. we ask you to get in touch if you made that journey, and someone from california did just that. he sent us a video diary of his preparations to fly to london and witness the greatest show on earth. >> every summer i travel to london to visit with my family, luckily this summer, london is co-hosting the olympics games and i'll have the privilege of watching them while i'm here. i think being able to watch this one will be a once in a lifetime experience. i hear it will be very cold in london so i'm just going to have to bring some short pants. i also heard that along with the

cold there's lots of rain, so i make sure there's a jacket to keep myself warm. this one will do nicely. and maybe one more just in case. i just downloaded a map because it is essential to have a good travel guide. i doubt i'll need my sunglasses, but i'll bring them just in case. well, now that i've got everything packed up -- oh, wait -- now that i've got everything packed up, time to head out to the airport. bye-bye. >> around 300 people were forced to flee new zealand's hospitality center on wednesday night after a gas barbecue caught fire and exploded. people were heard screaming as they dashed for safety. firefighters were called, they were able to bring the blaze, a

kiwi house under control. a quick evacuation saw that no one was injured. this is "bbc news," live from london. the headlines. the trial has ended in china after just one day of gu can lie, accused of murdering a british businessman. can usain bolt do the sprint double as he goes for gold in the olympic 200 men's final? now, when it comes to the olympics, the headlines are dominated by the medal winners and superstars but what impact do the games have in countries that enjoy less success? bulgaria has not won any medals, but there is still hope for one of the men's volleyball have made it through to the semi finals. they're hoping for a first medal in the sport in 32 years, despite the coach and star player walking out just after

the team qualified for the games. the biggest hope for the gold is the female freestyle wrestler, who is hoping to go one better than the silver she won in beijing. well, to discuss all that and more, i'm delighted to be joined by the president of bulgaria. thank you very much for being here on the bbc. let's start with the olympics. >> thank you so much for inviting me. this is a big show. i've been here for the opening ceremony which was a lot of fun. >> they said if you weren't british that you wouldn't understand it. >> you didn't need to -- this is

the volleyball team and other players. if you just believe on what you do and make it, you will be fine. this is what we see now. we are quite sure that bulgaria has not solved our, shall we say, fast start. but i do see some medals and i came here to support my team to get more. >> have you had a chance to speak to your team? what message did you give them? >> i just told them relax, have fun. trust in what you do, do not overcomplicate, because this is important. this is such a competitive game. the most difficult, the strongest competition we face in those four years time. everybody's all prepared. they're getting stronger, and more and more prepared.

so you have amazing talents all over the world, but so do we. and we're trying to get the best out of it. >> you mentioned the opening ceremony, said how much you liked it. of course team g.b. has done an incredibly well. but the key many people are saying in this country is the funding, both from government and charitable sources. and some would argue, there have been questions about whether your government, whether the bulgarian authorities are really behind your teams, where it matters in the funding and the infrastructure. >> if you look at the history 20 years ago, bulgaria had always, seven, eight, 10 gold medals. >> right, back in seoul. >> yes, but now, we have less. for example, the british government took the decision to get some of the funding from the lottery for specific purpose.

and this is to create opportunities. so this is what you do, and this is what we preparing, but bulgaria has a tradition. bulgaria is a sportsnation. it all comes back, not just to the best, but to the normal people. the sports. >> britain is a sporting nation, i mean the stadiums are full every day. but until the financing and the funding was there, we underachiefed. and do you think what team g.b. has done is a model in terms -- >> absolutely. this is an amazing performance of team g.b. congratulations. the whole world is looking at that, and this is a model, definitely clear. what we do in bulgaria, for example, we build some -- we started recovering the course. we are spreading sporting facilities in the small regions, and this is extremely important. look at all the heroes who get

the gold medal, they are going to come back to their cities as heroes, but they need to fire -- >> i do want to ask questions, briefly if i can, the first one is that terror attack in july last month. the suggestion has been that he's bola was behind it -- the suggestion is that hezbollah was behind it. >> we'll work together and it is a clear statement, we will find them. whatever it takes, how much money it takes, we will find them. >> but i notice you're not confirming hezbollah. >> i'm not confirming hezbollah. >> because people have suggested. >> i am a pragmatic president who would like to see the facts. so, we are working very hard, we are still in a very strong investigation process. we still have to see a lot of -- >> when you say you haven't got

the proof, you're saying the british government or israeli government have not given you enough yet? >> we have been grateful to the support and the shared common work we have with the israeli, british government and also the american institutions. still, there is some more to be put on the table as proof, and still i would leave it up to the expert to work hard and then the politicians should make their final judgment. >> all right, president of billion garrea, thank you very much. >> thank you very much for inviting me. and i really thank you for a wonderful organization. you should be proud of it. >> thank you. i wish i had been the one organizing. for a country of over one billion people, india might have been hoping to have picked up more than four medals, none of them gold by this stage of the olympics. one of their biggest hopes for a win was boxer mary carr, though she had to settle for a bronze

in the flyweight in wednesday's semi final. however, the five-time world champion did have to fight above her usual weight. well, mary cobb joins me now from our central london studio. thank you very much for being with us. given us your time. you are now a big star in india after your achievement. how do you feel? >> well, i feel very happy. winning the olympic medal is not easy. and after my long journey, i'm -- i did it to win an olympic medal. and you know, i'm trying to win a gold medal. gold medal is my dreams, you

know? but i didn't fulfill my dreams, but i'm still happy to get a medal in the olympics. >> now, mary cobb, i'm here talking to you today as an amazing sports woman, but you're also something else. you're a mother of twin boys, i think. how have you balanced the two things? >> well, it's very hard to balance with the family and with the --, you know the games. well, my family, my husband, my husband's family, my family, they are fully supporting me, so i do very easily to balance and

i was happy with my family. my kids always are happy with my family. and we are always speaking on the phone, so they are very happy, so times they say -- >> well, what i was going to say, do you think, i said just now that india really hasn't really won that many medals. do you think your performance at london 2012 will help other young indians to take up sport? >> sure. i hope the young will come up and, you know, woman boxing for the past few years, they're not that much different, and i hope

when i get a medal in the olympics, i think it will be -- >> mary, two days ago we spoke to one of our bbc correspondents from where you come from, in moneypool, he was telling us that it's quite a poor part of the country. do you think your victory will help bring some attention to there? >> well, i don't know. when i go there, we'll see what is happening. i think that i will not get

attention because my state, my own state is full supporting me, so i think they are very much happy for the medal and all. >> what about in terms of money to support you in boxing. in india, one gets the impression that all the money goes towards a sport like cricket, farm. would you like to see the money spread across some other sports? >> well, for the past six, seven years i was the world champion, five-time world champion. at a time no one's known me. and i was very upset, you know the same thing cricketters are

getting a lot of money, they're earning a lot of money, and i didn't earn that much. >> mary, i'm really sorry but i do have to stop you there, we've run out of time. congratulations and thank you for being with us. we're going to take a break, thank you for watching "bbc thank you for watching "bbc world news."