>> "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. 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. >> china's growing military power is the source of serious international concern says japan. beijing answers back. e.u. leaders agree to create a permanent found help european countries in need of help. and wikileaks head fears charges are coming from the united states. welcome to bbc world news. and ahead of its party's annual conference -- also charity and not perhaps as we know it. a look at how london used to care for its abandon children. >> i did exactly what i was told. i walked the length of this concert hall up to this stage

and turned around and my foster mother had gone. >> hello. japan has announced a major reconfiguration of its defense forces in response to new security concerns posed by china. they say china's military rise was a source of national concern. japanese forces will be scaled down in the north where they were to face the sothe union and be faced toward china. this report was sent. >> japan is reshaping its defense in response to the shifting balance of power in asia casting the number of tanks facing russia to the north and instead expanding its

forces to the south toward growing might of china. missile defense will also be strengthened to guard against an unpredictable north korea. >> we have been able to put forth defense that includes troops with mobility. >> when a chinese -- collided with a japanese ship, the fishing captain was arrested. china broke off contact claiming the island near where the incident took place were rightfully chinese. ith added to japan's alarm over china's growing activity at sea. >> china's lack of transparency in its ever-increasing spending on military have become a matter of concern to us. >> days after japan and the

united states held their biggest-ever joint exercise, the review describes their relationship as indispensable. they wanted to be less dependant of the united states and closer to its asian neighbors. now it's calling for the u.s.-japan alliance to be strengthened. reordering its defense, japan is moving out of the cold war era and recognizing the new challenges emerging in the region. the prime minister said it's not a threat to any of the country's neighbors. but the new strategy will be watched closely in asia by japan eswar time aggression has been neither forgotten nor forgiven. >> let's get some response, because china has been speaking about japan's latest comments. we can go to our beijing bureau because michael bioterroristo is there for us.

>> china's response has been swift. a foreign ministry spokesman posted a note on the foreign minister's website saying this change in attitude of japan and that military was irresponsible. as she said because japan had no right to speak for the international community about china's developments over recent years. it went on to say that china doesn't pose a threat to any other nation and in fact,, she said over the last few years china's opened up to the outside world and economic reform meant that people, countries including japan have had the opportunity for greater prosperity so a force for good not for bad is the message here in beijing. >> given the recent flow of tension, this is not going to help matters, is it? >> is it isn't, but it really comes as no surprise, because

if we cast our mind back to september, there was a naval dispute around a group of islands in the asian sea, the chinese call it this, these islands are disputed and claimed by both sides and a chinese fishing vessel was recently held by the japanese causing all kinds of diplomatic problems. a major spat between the two countries. so you can see the tension has been on the rise. in fact, they have not been properly demarcated. so the fact that they are saying what they have and china's come out with its response isn't really surprising. >> well, china is above all, of course, a rising economic power a point not lost on pakistan where the chinese prime minister is currently on a three-day visit where he'll be

discussing trade and investment. the two countries have had friendly relations united by their differences with india. mr. wen is accompanied by a large delegation expected to finalize $20 billion worth of deals. during the visit. >> at least 15 people have been killed close to the border of afghanistan. security forces say the dead were main members of the faction of the pakistani taliban. there had been relatively few drone attacks in the region before this week. a permanent bailout fund for struggling e.u. economies has been accepted by got to the leaders in brussels. it's aimed at euro sown countries whose deficits have swollen beyond control. the european council president

this showed the e.u. was ready to do whatever was required to ensure the stability of the euro. matthew price, our correspondent, is following the european council. doing whatever is required? was the view today from the leaders at which we can look at rating agencies marking down ire land. markets not responding terribly brightly to last night's development. >> yes. david. i mean basically you're outlining the per spesketive of the outside world and the perspective of the inside world is they are doing all they can and that they will indeed stabilize the euro. but the big question for the area, the wheels of policy making move slowly and markets react quickly. and although we're talking about the government leaders of

the 27 members of the euro zone have agreed to the tiny change in the treaty. they said that can happen in order for them to be able to set up a permanent way in the future of stabilizing the euro. we're not going to know the details for several months and it won't be in place for a couple of years. but in the meantime the question is are the markets prepared to wait that long while there are still ongoing concerns about the growing sovereign debt particularly in places like portugal and spain. >> so what more can they do? is this done and dusted for the time being? >> well, unless there's any surprises, we're basically as far down this line as we expect to be for this particular summit. the leaders were brought together in order to try to agree that they would actually set up the legal framework, if you like, in which this permanent mechanism could be

established. what now happens is that the tech nocrats andos try to figure out what that will look like and it needs to be something solid enough that -- that there is this solid mechanism in place that gives the markets confidence that despite a massive debt problem in one or the other of a european nation, that something can be done that will stabilize the entire euro itself. at the moment the markets don't appear tchaft such a mechanism exists. >> with me now is aaron. they do say rome wasn't built in a day. this deal is not going to be thrashed out in a day, but the markets don't care too much about it. >> because at minimum they were expecting to come out of this e.u. stument. what they really wanted to see was the two big ideas being

floated. will they pump more money into the already-$1 trillion rescue pot which is the current pot so to speak to handle any of this crisis between now and 2013. because this permanent mechanism we're talking about doesn't kick in until post 201. that is a good thing because the e.u. won't have to do any of this wrangling because they have this ready post 20 1. but what happens between now and 2013? that's what investors want to know. there's talk in germany pushing that investors will have to take a hit and share some of the pain if one of these euro economies may have to be bailed out. >> a haircut, so to speak? >> yes. >> but we're going to be discussing all this in the world business report in about 20 minutes time. thank you david. cheers. >> supporters of one of the

2002 rivals in the ivory coast say they plan to take to the streets again. al activists, internationally recognized as the winner of november's election say they'll make another attempt to take control of the media and offices. the incumbent is refusing to give up power and there are growing fears of the return to civil war. our correspondent john james is with us. what sense do you get in terms of environment on the streets that there's a lot more trouble ahead? >> well, people are very concerned and seems to be another day where businesses and shops will be shut down. most people are staying in their homes. had we not seen the scenes we saw on thursday morning around this time though the call is the same to come out in the streets and take over the

stations that are rightfully theirs, people seem to have been dissuaded from the violent things happened thursday because of the still a very heavy security presence on the street particularly areas that are loyal to al su ma trey. >> do you see how this could come to a closure? >> it's a very difficult situation to read at the moment. we had violence on thursday and renewed conflict along the former cease-fire line between the rebels who control the knot and loyalist forces in the south. at the same time we have mediation efforts starting in the last hour with the roil of the president of the african union commission. so he's come to talk to both sides and see if there's any way out of this dead lock. >> you're watching bbc "world news." plenty more to come, including

this -- >> france strikes up as south korean women flock to join the armed forces after attacks from knot korea. belarus goes to the polls to elect a new president. for years europe's last dictator ruled. the opposition claims that if he wins, it will be the result of massive electoral fraud. they are calling on supporters to protest publicly after the polls close. >> out on the streets campaigning is slow. residents of minsk seem to be more concerned with christmas shopping. butal activists do not call them apathetic. >> people simply do not believe their vote will count, and it's been going on for years.

now people do not believe. >> this is the charge the current president had to face on much of his three terms in office. all this time he was presenting himself as the force of stability and defender of strong ties with neighboring russia. the image was dented by this year's rowe over russian energy supplies but he presented another deal with moscow which will secure oil imports but now belarus is also looking to the west. depowing to international pressure they removed the number of contenders. but there's no doubt who gets bigger coverage. >> the vast majority are devoted to what the president says and does. this newspaper alone page after page after page of president's speeches and letters from gave citizens. >> this man is very concerned.

he says the observers from europe will not protest after seeing the president win another term in office despite wide spread allegations of vote fixing. six out of nine candidates are calling for people to come out on to minsk main scare immediately after the polls close to call a new vote without him. the outcome of the elections will be disputed here. perhaps mindful of demonstrations the authorities have turned this square into a large skating rink. if this is as high as the opposition claims, minsk may see the largest outpouring of protests over the last few years. >> to california now. the state has become the first in the u.s. to approve a carbon trading scheme aimed at cutting gein house gases allowing exeaps to pie and sell permits

giving them they have? to cut their emissions and over time that will be cut and the scheme will create the world's second largest market in the field after europe. this is bbc "world news" the headlines. japan has described china's military rise as a source of international concern. european union leaders have agreed to create a permanent crisis fund to help euro zone countries facing financial troubles. another day in the ashes comes to a close. wow. >> talk a swing in balance of power. >> a lot of people contacted me on twitter saying we're going to win, and we can relax for christmas if you're an england fan, they can think again because australia has fought back and mitchell johnson has

been the star of the show. there he is celebrating one of his six wickets as england slumps. that's the captain. he's scored a 50. but back to mitchell. they are all decent batsmen combined total of nine runs they were all out lbw to mitchell johnson and stunning display of bowling he took six wickets for runs ripping through the england order. australia, so they started their second inning with a lead of 81 runs. they are 119 for stumps on day two. they day two of this makeup. three days to go. so there will be the results or there's a bad declaration. i've looked to the weather forecast and it's pretty sunny. my money is certainly on australia. so those england fans who

tweeted me may keep quiet over the next few days. >> well, it's certainly swinging, the balance of power. thank you. >> lawyers for the wikileaks founder julian assange said they heard reports the u.s. will indict him as a co-conspirator. he has been freed by the high court here in london as sweden pursues him over sexual assaults on two women. accusations he denies. >> julian assange emerges from the high court in london after winning his bail battle. released from prison on the condition he stays at the home of a friend and supporter where he arrived on thursday. >> very nice to be free for christmas. smell the fresh air. >> but julian assange's legal battle is far from over. sweden still wants him extradited.

he's accused of sexually assaulting two women there in august of this year. he denies the allegations. in an interview with the bbc, he was asked what he thought what was going on in sweden was a smear attempt? >> yes. and that's a statement that's been made from the gipping. we don't know precisely who was behind it. >> he was asked if he wouldn't try to on scond before the next hearing. >> we have done everything by the book and tried to set up a situation where we can clear my name of these allegations. but what we have not seen is a provision of any evidence or material that will allow us to do that. >> the case is separate from the accusations he faces as the head of wikileaks. he's under attack from the u.s. for leaking 250,000 confidental

diplomatic documents. many there believe it's an attack which threatens national security and endangers lives. with julian assange out of prison, the question now is whether more cables will be released of the coming weeks. >> obviously now that i am back to assist in the directing of our ship, our work will proceed in a faster manner. >> as far as the extradition attempt is concerned, a full hearing may not be held for several months. david, bbc news. >> now north korea has warned south korea not to go ahead with planned artillery drills near the island they bombed and said its retaliation would be even more intense than the one that killed those back then. the north, which claims nearby waters have said such drills are an infringement of its

territory. robert mcgobby hinted elections could be held in the first three months 06 next year even though the ref ren dumb of the new constitution has yet to be finalized. preparing to hold its am conference with a fresh campaign strategy hikely to be high on their agenda. de mandatorying their elections should be closely monitored by an independent body. reporting now from zimbabwe. >> arrived in fighting spirit. the mood of campaigning has already begun with the 86-year-old leader adamant that there should be elections next year despite the significance of electoral forms. some 10,000 of the party's faithful are expected to seek his endorse meavent and called for the power sharing deal to come. relations between the two sides have grown increasingly bitter fueled by diplomatic cables

released as part of the wikileaks saga which have shown both sides in an unfavorable light. he's used these revelations saying he believes the other is the in the pocket of the west. meanwhile the wife is suing the zimbabwe newspaper for $15 million for publishing a cable thatal suggested she profitted from a diamond mine that was the subject of human rights abuses. >> mothers force tods abandon their babies are on dismay at a new exhibition in the museum in london. built on the old site of the hospital, the children's charity created by flan throw pist. emily buchanan has been along to take a look.

>> here, every page in every book is invested with emotion. each one records the moment when an im of rished mother handed over the care of her baby to the hospital. a note was made that the child -- possessions. unable to write to mother would leave a scrap of material so it could be able to one day identify her child. but out of 15,000 children abandon in a 20-year period, only 152 were ever reclaimed by their mothers. a baby called charles admited in 1767 was one of the lucky ones. >> not only had she sewn up this piece of fabric but also sewn into it a heart so when she came back with the fabric to claim her child not only was the fabric back together but the heart was rejoined. >> the huge numbers of children

dying on the streets of 18th century london had sparked a new wave of charity. >> this became a very fashionable place to visit and become a subscriber. beyond the children, they needed to attract people in. and this did this. the art then actually is a way of saying -- [inaudible] >> the hospital continued for more than 200 years. it was closed in 1954 when local authorities took over protecting vulnerable children. many former residents still have painful memories. nidya carmichael was abandon by her mother. fostered until she was 5 then brought to the hospital. >> i did exactly what i was told. i walked the length of this large concert hall up to the stage. then i turned around and my foster mother had gone. she didn't say goodbye. anything at all.

and i've seen her once since those days. that was my first day in school. >> the founding hospital failed to cater for children's emotional well fare. yet back in the 1,700's it was a lifeline preventing many thousands of infant deaths. what remains today gives us a poignant insight into a corner of british social history. >> blew cannon with that report. now i'm going to take you to iraq. thousands of shiites to assure a period of mourning and remembrance and has become a show of strength. sorry we've lost those pictures just as we went to them. r but some which we prepared from the same sight.

part of an intense period of mourning as they say. a time when it's a time for reflection really. no music, but plenty of involvement there. as you see. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank.

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