>> "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." >> screed on compassionate grounds from a scottish jail and now facing death from cancer -- freed. the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing our rides back in libya. mr. al-megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. it is one that no court in any jurisdiction in any land could revoke or overruled. >> polls have closed in afghanistan after a day of voting for the presidential election.

counting has begun. 15 million were eligible to vote, but it looks as though taliban threats kept many away from the polling stations. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, the suspected hijackers of the cargo ship bound in west africa on monday are back in moscow. and lightning strikes twice as usain bolt breaks another world record, this time in the 200 meter. hello to you. the man convicted for the lockerbie bombing has arrived in libya, facing death from terminal cancer. for that reason, released early from his life sentence by the scholars -- scottish government. abdelbaset ali al-megrahi issued a statement, including his

sympathy for the unimaginable loss of family members and again pleaded his innocence. the white house condemned the decision. 2/3 of the lockerbie victims were american. >> the first glimpse abdelbaset ali al-megrahi about to leave the scottish jail. the cheers from a waiting crowds awaited him, now a free man, but under police escort. a convoy of vehicles escorting him to glasgow airport, the security tight. was convicted of the mass murder of 270 people. -- megrahi was convicted of the mass murder of 270 people. independent medical a vice is that he does not have long to live. >> no compassion was shown by

him to them. that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days. our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion be available. our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown. >> it is more than 20 years since pan am flight 103 exploded over lockerbie. it was the longest night of the year, and dawn revealed to the horror -- holds obliterated by debris falling from the sky. 150 tons of what remains of the transatlantic flight are piled in a scrap yard. thousands of fragments of metal, a permanent reminder of so many destroyed lives.

the evidence that helped convict megrahi was circumstance, including 5 lots of clothes and said to have been bought by him and found in a suitcase which contained the bomb. this man lost his son in the tragedy. he supports the libyan going home. >> i'm very pleased about this, and also, i think for the sake of relatives and people concerned. i just hope that it would have allowed the appeal to continue. >> the 57 year-old was handed over to libyan officials. he was covering his face. in a statement, he said he felt a sub. if >> his cancer is terminal. he is walking with the help of a stick, but he is making his own way slowly up the steps of that plan. >> concedes many people will be upset his ordeal has come to an end -- megrahi concedes many

people will be upset his ordeal has come to an end. he will now never be able to clear his name. >> many relatives are not discussing their fury at the decision to release megrahi. >> we have been in contact with the scottish government indicating that we objected to this. we thought it was a mistake. we are now in contact with the libyan government and want to make sure that if in fact this transfer has taken place, that he is not welcomed back in some way but instead should be under house arrest. we have also obviously been in contact with the families of the pan am victims, and indicated to them that we do not think this was appropriate. >> he spent 20 minutes talking about how everyone did a great job, they all did their job, and at the last minute, he said,

however, i'm sending him back to libya. we just released a man convicted of massacring 270 people. we have given state-sponsored terrorism the victory, and the families have to watch this. this is the last sad chapter in this odyssey. >> i had prepared myself, but i still felt physically ill. i quite frankly do not understand how the people of scotland and the people of the u.k. and the people of the united states can rest with this. >> more to come on that, of course. millions have defied threats from the taliban to vote in elections in afghanistan. officials say 26 people were killed in attacks by insurgents. this report from bbc world affairs editor. >> in cobble, the security operation was remarkably successful. east of the city, the afghan

police and army surrounded a house where a group of taliban militants had been hiding. they are thought to have been getting ready to carry out an attack somewhere in the city. a long gunfight followed. security operation here has been remarkably effective. this was the only major incident in the capitol all day long. a bbc cameraman filled the outcome -- two insurgents killed. it was a lot out of the streets of kabul all day with only a few vehicles venturing out. this, too, helped to keep things quiet. thought to have been the biggest security operation ever seen in the city. while all this was going on, president karzai seeking a second term in office was surreally voting. he knows he may face the mild humiliation of having to go through a second round. he knows, too, that it is dissatisfaction with his lack of

achievement and the degree of corruption here which may well have kept the turnout down. we drove south out of kabul through innumerable road blocks down a road where there has been a lot of violence in the past, but when we stopped, we found this town was entirely peaceful. people had turned out in a reasonably large numbers. they may not have much time for their politicians, but they still feel a real sense of pride in the idea that their votes mean their voice will be heard. >> things are quiet here now because it is the heat of the day and people are staying at home and probably will not turn out until later on today, but the security presence is still here, and it has been quite impressive. we had scarcely set of our satellite dish before a detachment special forces turned up and insisted that we got rid of any pictures we had taken of them. after that, though, the situation became a lot more friendly.

>> the local police chief also turned up to check us out. there were terrorists everywhere, he said, but here, everything was under control. the taliban had promised to wreck this election, and they failed. the british and americans can tell themselves that has not gone too badly. >> let's bring you some of the other main stories from around the world. phenols have been held in the iraqi capital for the 95 people killed there in a series of bomb attacks. an army spokesman says 10 senior officers have been questioned over a possible security lapses. security has been tightened. but a bicycle bomb in a central baghdad market killed two people. two months after its disputed reelection, arens president faces another threat to his authority. a senior member of parliament has said that many may reject some of the less experienced

ministers ahmadinejad has proposed. pakistan's military says about 60 militants have surrendered in the northwestern swab valley where the government claims to have eliminated taliban extremis. the military system of the rebels have ties to the fugitive taliban warlord. pakistani officials have been raiding the country's sugar mills. they are being accused of according sugar. a drop in yield has led to many sugar shortages in many countries and the highest international prices in nearly 30 years. >> sugar has become big news here in pakistan. over the last couple of months, the price has skyrocketed, and this is a commodity has become increasingly scarce. as people have been waiting over an hour to get their one bag per family because it is now being rationed. there have been arguments and fights, which is why they are

now being police. the government is blaming sugar producers. they say sugar producers are courting sugar to officially increase the prices, but this does come on the backdrop of worldwide sugar issues, the highest prices of raw sugar in the last 28 years, and a lot of these people just ahead of the holy month of ramadan, are blaming the politicians for poor planning and contributing to the corruption. >> still to come, is this the gold medal winning athlete really a woman? that is the question after victory in berlin. she now faces a gender test. first, though, reports from south korea suggest its northern neighbor is about to ease border restrictions. north korea also indicates it wants direct talks with the u.s. over its nuclear program.

>> is a new mexico is perhaps an unlikely location for a charm offensive by one of the world's most secretive states, but gov. bill richardson, an experienced diplomat, who has visited p'yongyang, believes that north korea is trying to send a clear signal. >> take advantage of this, and the next step should be some kind of dialogue that involves the united states and north korea. >> north korea seems to believe that its jester in freeing two american journalists following the recent visit by bill clinton deserves something in return. that something is direct talks. that demand, though, may prove problematic. north korea's immediate neighbors, the government here in seoul, as well as tokyo, beijing, and moscow, will not have much truck in a tense decide like them, and washington itself has insisted that when it comes to negotiating with

pyongyang, it remains committed to multilateral talks. >> this week, south korea announced the death of its former president, and man who did much to build bridges with the north and its response to the news of his death is being seen here as another sign for optimism. a delegation of senior officials from p'yongyang will travel to seoul ahead of the funeral to paris sites. but others believe we are witnessing an all too familiar pattern. first, belligerence and the flexing of military muscle. then comes the call for a return to diplomacy on north korea's own terms and a demand for more concessions. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold. go to bbc.com/news to experience "bbc world news" online. it is easy.

click here to watch the one- minute world news summary. you can read the latest headlines. get the top stories from around the globe, and click to play video report. discover more about the subjects that really interest you, and find out what issues the world is talking about right now. for "bbc world news," go to bbc.com/news, and watch the news unfold. >> one man had left for you this hour -- the man convicted for the lockerbie bombing has arrived in libya. he was released early from jail in scotland on compassionate grounds. one outcome of the trial that led to his conviction was that libya was largely rehabilitated politically. the pan am bombing had made them an international pariah. jonathan charles reports.

>> the open hand from libya came from the then british prime minister tony blair in 2004. he held talks with the colonel, the first visit to libya by a british leader since winston churchill went there at the height of world war ii. mr. blair's trip came before the u.s. has finally lifted sanctions, but with the reward for libya's decision to give up its effort to acquire weapons of mass destruction. the visit coincided with an announcement by bp of a huge gas exploration deal, and return to britain by the british oil giant after an absence of more than 30 years. petrodollars' have now transformed the libyan economy. the country has the biggest proven oil reserves in africa. shell and british gas have now signed new exploration deals. but their strong international competition on the ground from amongst others russia, indonesia, and malaysia. the lockerbie chapter is one they would like to close as they

develop a new and lucrative commercial relationship. >> at afghans voted for a president the second time, there was sporadic violence across the country. the governors convoy came under attack as he traveled to a polling station in the provincial capital. our defense correspondent was part of that convoy. >> it is 7:00 a.m., and the polls have just opened. we're with the governor as he goes to vote. suddenly, this just outside. a makeshift bomb exploded. soon after, an insurgent rocket lands nearby.

>> we don't know what it is at the moment, but it is the first explosion we have heard this morning just as the governor is on his way to the polling station. >> moments later, another rocket in the distance, a clear warning from the taliban for voters to stay at home. that was another explosion. we have been trying to get to a polling station this morning, but the polls opened at 7:00 between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00, there were six explosions. another two cents. the governor has been out to visit them, but it is not clear how many people are actually going to the polls, how many are too scared. remarkably, this was the scene just 45 minutes later at one of the main polling stations. enthusiastic vote isn't there a message of defiance back to the insurgents. >> were you scared?

>> no, they come once in our five years. >> taliban threatened to cut out the figures of those found with indelible ink, showing they had been to the polls. but this woman proudly held up one defiant inky finger. she tells me if you rocket attacks will not scare us. we are here to vote for our president and our provincial counselors. turn out in the cities may well be different. but so many brave the bombs and bullets to reach the ballot box. that is perhaps in itself a sign of hope. >> the crew of the cargo ship that disappeared for two weeks this month in the atlantic have arrived in moscow along with the suspected hijackers. russia's defense ministry says the eight hijackers were threatening to blow up the ship is a ransom was not paid. some security experts are doubting this. there are claims to arctic sea may have been carrying weapons or drugs.

>> returning in russian custody. these, the first images of the alleged hijackers of the arctic sea, bound and hooded, at the center of a mystery involving piracy and possible espionage. already aboard the plane, questions asked after their motives. >> we wanted to take shelter from a storm. we boarded the ship on the 25th, and we got away from the ship, but for some reason, the captain did not receive less. >> that version is contradicted by these men, the crew of the arctic sea. they say what happened to them was a real ordeal. >> they came to the bridge of the ship from two sides. the captain was brought out. he managed to send out a message by phone, saying the ship was hijacked year they call him back and asked if it was true that he had been hijacked, but the captain had a gun to his head, so what could he say? the answer was that it was just a joke.

>> the arctic sea was officially missing for several weeks after failing to deliver its carter to an algerian port. it has now been revealed that the ship had never disappeared operator screens, and that russian vessels were shadowing her, preparing to board. >> there was no resistance, so we did not need to use weapons. we are establishing why and how they got on board the arctic sea. >> the vessel is now being escorted to the russian black sea port. while in moscow, investigators will be asking why and how the incident happened, but for the apparent hijackers, an uncertain future lies ahead. >> usain bolt just keeps on rewriting the athletic rulebook. he broke his own world record by a colossal margin. exactly a year after taking gold at the beijing games with a

record of 19.30, bolt had an even greater run. he shared 0.1 seconds off his previous mark. it is worth reflecting that despite the winning margin, his rivals in this race did not perform poorly either. the first time ever, the top five all ran faster than 20 seconds. sir edward panama was second in 1921, wallace tillman of the u.s. came in third in 19.85. john crawford fourth, and in fifth place, steve mullins of jamaica, 19.98. the south african athletes has been crowned 800 meters world champion, but she faces another test to find out whether she is in fact a woman. a blistering performance from someone who was virtually unknown and month ago has raised doubts. reports that the south africans say she is a woman, through and through.

>> she had to wait until today to receive her gold medal. but she may have to wait several weeks before gaining the recognition that comes with it. just when the south african should be celebrating her a success, she is instead having to defend her reputation. but they do want to know whether there are medical reasons behind her sudden rise to prominence. her time last night was the fastest in the world this year. it will have to go -- you have to undergo a series of medical tests to prove that she is female, and there may well be a biological explanation. >> what happens when you have a woman who has abnormally high edgerton levels for a woman? that abnormally high male hormone. they get some of the features of a male so there will have more in the way of muscular development. >> and 18-year-old girl from a rural village in south africa has i willingly become the center of international attention. tonight, her team president

looked after her defense. >> i will not go -- i will not allow that growth to be humiliated because she has not committed any crime whatsoever. her crime was to be borne the way she is born, and on that basis, now she is isolated. >> until the tests are completed, until the results are published, semenia will continue to indoor speculation. instead of celebrating her achievements. james monroe, bbc news. >> let's take the straightaway to these pictures just emerging from tripoli in libya. these are the first pictures of the man convicted for the lockerbie bombing are arriving back home in libya. he is facing death, as we have been saying, from terminal cancer. for that reason, he was released early from his life sentence by the scottish government. i should say that state of libyan tv has issued this statement, which insists that he was a political hostage. according to all international laws and conventions, and at the

start by colonel has been correct according to state would be in tv. -- state libya and tv. megrahi has put out a statement himself. he said, "i say in the clearest possible terms, which i hope every person in every land will year -- all this i have had to endure for something i did not do. i have been faced with an appalling choice, to risk dying in prison in the hope that my name is cleared posthumously, or to return home still carrying the weight of the guilty verdict, which will never now be lifted." the statement goes on, as we say, with these pictures. "to the victims' relatives that can bear to me, i say this -- they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the unimaginable losses they have suffered. to those who barely a will, i do not return back to your." -- to those who bear me ill will, i do not return that to you.

as we understand it, there were also official appeals that on the return home, he should not be treated as a returning hero, but you can see, obviously, there is a great deal of celebration going on here. he does have terminal prostate cancer. his chances up fairly of surviving for more than a few months are very slim. obviously, these pictures will be very difficult for many people to see. many more details on that, of course, on the bbc website, bbc.com. that is the gateway, but you can go through their to the new site anytime you want. on a lighter note, it may have been the jackpot of the century, but nobody has won it, and the price keeps getting bigger. after seven months of rollovers, the jackpot in the italian lottery now looks pretty staggering. it is 144 million euros, more than $200 million. along with a heat wave, lottery

fever is gripping the country, and people are flocking to get tickets. there is another big draw coming up today. many more details on that and all the international news of this day on bbc.com. just go through their to the new site. thanks for being with us on "bbc world news." >> 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

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