>> "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. >> five eight workers died in the pakistani capital inside a heavily fortified compound. a suicide bomber tricked his way in. the worst flooding in southern india for decades leaves two hundred dead. america's first hispanic supreme court justice joins the panel of nine. welcome to bbc world news. coming up later, we have a special report from the chinese city that, three months ago, saw violent clashing. ♪ >> a best-selling novelist is making corporate history.

-- is making an opera history. he looks like a member of the security forces. he spoke like one could he made a seemingly innocent request. a few minutes later, five united nations aid workers were dead inside a heavily fortified compound in the pakistani capital. the attack raises serious questions on how such installations and their staff can be protected. >> when smoke still rising from the united nations compound, one key question was already being asked. how did the bomber managed to strike such an obvious target? the answer is that he talked his way in, with up to 8 kilos of

explosives. the authorities say he was dressed as a member of the security forces and asked to use the bathroom. police are investigating if he had an accomplice on the inside. this footage appeared to show the bomber making his approach. he calmly enters the reception area. within seconds, there is a huge blast. this man had a lucky escape. he said he pastor reception and went inside to fix a computer. then he heard the explosion. others, the full force of the blast. the dead and the wounded were staff from the world food program, dedicated to helping pakistan's votpoor. there have been bonds and other parts of the country in recent

times, but is, that has been quiet. now pakistan is reminded that their capital is vulnerable, despite increased security forces. only yesterday, the taliban leaders appeared on television from his stronghold, proving that is -- proving that he is still alive. pakistan's interior minister says that the militants have been pressing the government for talks, sending six letters in six weeks. but he says that this will not happen unless they lay down their arms. the minister insists that the attack on the u.n. will not weaken pakistan's resolve. military sources are signaling that its long awaited assault was ready to begin soon. >> nature of its most brutal has left many parts of asia reeling.

from a similar to sumatra to southern india, let's take a first to the flooding in india. i believe 230 people have been killed. the army, navy, and air force have been deployed. villages are still cut off by days of torrential rain coul. >> across much of southern india, the rain has taken its toll. entire villages have been washed away or cut off, with roads under water. for those left behind, it is a struggle to make their way to safety. many have left their homes with only the clothes they're wearing and whatever else they can salvage. there are now desperate. >> water has come into our village and we have lost our home. we're left with no food and no safe drinking water. i brought this food from the village. how can we live our lives?

the government should take some immediate actions to find a permanent solution. >> the authorities are trying to restore those affected and the military has been called entered until they get there, many villagers have to fend for themselves. many are waiting to be transported to relief. only a few weeks ago, much of the area was bone dry. after one of the worst droughts and nearly four decades, now, after several days of torrential rain, they are filled completely. >> grief has brought numbers of some loans together. -- grief has brought numbers of samoans together. >> it took just a few seconds

for a savage act of nature to reduce this stretch of coastline to rubble. it is hard to think of the they could survive this frenzy of destruction. but they did. >> we were screaming at the water. it was coming so fast. we had to run from the resort. >> rachel and her boyfriend were trying to outrun of the monstrous waves. with unbelievable speed and power, the water consumed everything in its path, including the young british woman car. she was trapped inside. it was a terrifying moment she thought would be her last. >> i do not even know how long it was. maybe a few minutes. but it seemed to be forever. all isos blackwater and i said a prayer.

-- all i saw was blackwat wat er and said a prayer. >> these are rigid times for some many people. the destruction and loss of -- these are wretched times for so many people. >> process. the community came together. >> five days after be spent on

the living. thousands are still missing. south africa's former police chief has pled not guilty to charges of corruption. he was the country's first black police chief and the former president of interpol. he says he is the victim of conspiracy. the interim government in honduras is lifted the state of emergency. airline pilots are demonstrating across europe against long flying hours that they say are putting passengers at risk. fatigue is a factor in 15% of accidents.

the aviation safety agency will be reporting on the issue. it is research into the very essence we are. three scientists in the u.s. have won the nobel prize. >> novell season is upon us and come up first, is the prize for medicine. they decided today to award the nobel prize for physiology or medicine 2009 jointly to -- >> elizabeth blackburn, carol greider, and jack chester all worked in the united states. and they cracked one of the biggest mysteries in size. in order to grow and fill, humans depend on cells dividing

and replicating. but how did this work exactly? this is the answer. at the very tips of our chromosomes, there can be teleomeres. they're like shoelaces that keep them from unraveling. without these, we just would not work. the research could have massive implications for all of us. these shoelace and mcgovern the aging process. when they do not function properly, they also can be responsible for the production of cancer cells. research is already underway appeare. >> i was lucky to reach all of them. they were a bit sleepy when they got the call, but they were very happy. >> awaiting them there will be a

check for $1.4 million and the right to call themselves nobel laureates. >> please stay with us. bbc world news. taking the law into their own hands, controversy is building over italy's new breed of citizen police. first, an organization has been shrouded in secrecy for over 100 years. mi-5 is seeing the light of day. >> the activation code. how did you located? >> i did not. mi-5 did it for me. >> what they get up to has lent to come from fiction. but now, for the first time, mi- 5 has opened up its archives to

tell the story of what is really happening over its 100 years of existence. >> these are the facts to mi-5. on outsider has been given access. >> among the revelations is that they kept a file on harold wilson for more than three decades. the file was kept hidden even from most in the organization, but there's no plot to smear him. there were tasked with detecting subversion -- they were cast with detecting subversion. one former head of knowledge is that the services may have gone too far. >> we took their responsibilities at the service is very seriously.

>> today as head >miof mi-5 hos that revealing these files will help build public confidence. >> at least five employees at the u.n. world food program were killed in islamabad. a massive rescue operation is underway in southern india. floods have left millions homeless. today marks the new year for the u.s. supreme court with a new face on the bench. sonya so my doosotomayor joins d

is seen as a liberal. she is the first hispanic supreme court judge. is it too simple to see this says the nation's top legal body better reflecting its people? >> it is part of it. it is incredibly important, some , symbolically. ideologically, she does not really shifted the court. in rough terms, it is one moderate liberal replacing another one. she is only the third woman to sit on the bench. that is one fact remarked upon by one of her predecessors who says that there are not hardly enough the mills yet. >> there are some -- enough females yet. >> there are some hot-button issues coming up.

>> there are so many. i have a list here. i will take out two or three. one is the constitutional right to bear arms. that is the famous second amendment. last year, they struck down washington d.c.'s total ban on handguns. this year, they're looking at chicago. you can imagine that cities around the united states are watching to see what comes out on that in particular. on the separation of church and state, that is another key part of what america is about. bithis will revolve around a fi- foot cross that has been erected on private property in california. one more that might make headlines globally is what happens over photographs that shows the alleged abuse of detainees in afghanistan and

iraq. >> we are absolutely certain to be talking about this again. thank you. they call themselves citizen patrols, and to help police. obviously, they are vigilantes' with an immigrant agenda. one group in particular is facing widespread controversy. >> messina, the landing point for the island of sicily and the starting point for one of the new breed of neighborhood patrols -- they call themselves italy's national guard, a group of ordinary citizens that know walk the streets as crime fighters. they do not have powers of arrest. but look at the uniforms.

and they have been likened to mussolini's infamous black shirts that terrorized people in the 1940's. it helped the fascist leader maintain power. the group's uniforms are under investigation. patrolling like this has become a legal. >> the majority of the immigrants are prostitutes. it would be better for them to be in their own country. it is useless for them to come here. there is no work. >> these patrols are under control. >> this woman says she feels more secure with them. but this woman says she prefers the police to maintain law and order. this one group claimed to have to and have thousand members and one of dozens are sitting across

italy, following the government's green light for citizens patrols. they say they're here to fight crime. but opponents say that this is about intimidation, especially against immigrants. >the national guard is headed by this man. in his own video, he rages about how italy is italian. and another video, the members make a nazi-style so it. -- not to-sty nazi-style salut. >> if it is given to private groups, that means the end of citizens to be secure and

guaranteed by the state. >> italy's new citizen patrols do not all look like the national guard. this is another version. in addition to the forces of law and order, they breed and tolerance and intimidation. >> it is uncomfortably clear that tensions are still running high in one region of china. the chinese blamed the unrest on separatist that were in exile. at least 1500 people have been arrested. >> they skyline could be anywhere in modern china. on the ground, things are different. three months after the riots, there are still soldiers and

police everywhere. the people are over willingly moslem. they are now in a minority. in july, the grievances bubbled over. i spoke to one eyewitness who saw a couple of them beating two chinese men to death. people are going crazy. 198 chinese died. then chinese gangs carried out revenge killings of a minorities. about 10 of them may have been killed. this is where the demonstrators gathered. the demonstrators went down the street and started attacking chinese shops. there's so much ethnic and sectarian violence that shook

the chinese government to the court. -- to the core. the police have been following as wherever we went and tell us in three cars. >> we can push to. >> -- we can push you. >> social resentment has fused with radical islam. china was slow in dealing with the problem. now it is making up for lost time. >> your press card, please. >> in fact, they were members of a new communist party. they were part social security workers and part eyes and ears of the authority party. they worked closely with the undercover police. but we found that most of last

july's rioters did not come from here at all. they came from cash card, 1,000 miles away. -- they came from kashgar, one doze1,000 miles away. wherever we went, a squad of policemen came with this. they wanted to make certain we did not come into contact with radical muslim fundamentalists. >> twins and triplets are gathering in beijing to take part in the annual twins cultural festival. some 500 to 600 twins and other multiples are expected to attend the two-day festival.

having twins is the only means of having more than one child. alexander mccall smith has entered into new territory in an opera. ♪ >> on the edge of the kalahari desert, in an old converted carriage, a bit of -- in an old converted garage, a bit of history is being made. >> it is very small. it is very intimate. >> the man behind it all is the novelist alexander mccall smith. it is his opera house and his first opera, inspired by shakespeare. >> it is the macbeth story,

ambition, greed, and a disaster. >> it is all a far cry from the no. 1 ladies detective agency. it made his name a name. this morning, we are looking at various places which are mentioned in his books. those books help to show that there's more to africa than wildlife and war. >> it got the attention of the world. i am very happy about that. >> back at the opera house, the largely amateur class warm up for opening night. >> this will leave a long- lasting impression on those who have access to the facility.

they have a chance [unintelligible] >> you think the opera will be a hit? >> i think definitely it will be a hit. >> we are backstage at this extraordinary experience. ♪ >> it is a big moment for the arts. it is true to form. he is already dreaming up plans for a sequel. >> you can get your headlines online anytime 3 you can watch the news unfold at bbc.com.

pakistan's interior minister claims [unintelligible] thank you for being with us on bbc world news. >> funding for this presentation 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.

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