>> "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 global expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news."

>> is on the scene and last. and for the first time, pakistan's president has seen the floods that have devastated one-third of his country. a televised murder confession from the iranian women sentenced to death by stoning. her lawyer says she was tortured into making this appearance. and gm announces a change in leadership as well as $1 billion profits. coming up later for you, restrictions on cloning life mean a european beef could become increasingly rare. and a cultural icon is preserved. why austrian our vines are being told by pickles. >> i like the small ones. they are interesting to me. the big ones are too big. ♪

>> hello to you. so many headlines, so much suffering, and still the flood waters in pakistan are rising. the threat is in the provinces of print job and others and is mounting. there are 14 million people affected. but finally, two weeks after the flooding began, the president went to see his people's misery. >> a fight for survival. a delivery of a becomes a snatch and grab. -- the delivery of aid becomes a snatch and grab. there is not enough to go around. this is the reality, for now. and this is the new landscape of

pakistan. today, we joined the prime minister on a trip to one corner of the disaster zone. victims of the flood clamored for his attention. only a handful could get near him. he found anger here at the government's response. >> we have not had any help, this man told us. no one is giving us aid. if our children are dying of starvation. >> we are now two weeks into this crisis and there are still complaints from many, but not enough aid has been given. we have been traveling around the country and been hearing these complaints ourselves, from people who say they have not received aid or water or plastic sheeting. they want to know why the government could not have done this sooner. >> we want to give relief to

everybody. it is extremely difficult to reach all areas immediately. there are roads where the communication system has been extremely bad. >> but if more aid does not reach those in need, the united nations this morning say lives could be lost. they will die of preventable disease or hunger. pakistan's president, asif ali zardari, finally saw the effects of the flooding today. the footage is released without sound. the president has reason to fear what the people might have to say. many of the flood victims have no voice. day-by-day, they grow weaker, and some are running out of

strength. bbc news. >> prime-time tv, there was an apparent concession by a woman who faces being stoned to death in iran. xiong denies any involvement in plans to confess before a so- called affair. her lawyer has fled iran and says that she was forced to make the confession. >> the international campaign to prevent her being stoned to death for adultery has embarrassed and angered the iranian government. last night on primetime state tv, they aired an alleged confession. her face almost hidden, her voice transmitted from a very to persian, she admits some part in

the murder of her husband. the issue of adultery is avoided. stunning, not mentioned. her lawyer is also criticized in the broadcast. after he was threatened with arrest, he fled to norway. >> i believe this program was prepared under the supervision of the iran and supervision -- securities supervision -- the irani and supervisiosecurities n organization. >> no pictures have ever emerged of a stunning in iran. but this shows the blood stain rocks in the aftermath of one. the practice has been widely condemned. >> it is a system whereby men have the right to have full way, but women's adultery is punishable by stoning.

>> iran holds the second-largest number of executions in the world after china. this is a public hanging of two men convicted of various bank robberies and murders in 2007. they have now stopped televising these spectacles. but the latest tv confession seems to have donned a new message. >> it is anathema to the iranian authorities to show weakness in the face of international pressure. it looks as if they have decided to show the world, and show their own people that they will not be pushed around in this matter. >> after demonstrations against ahmadinejad's reelection, it is even more important for the government to show who is in charge. >> this case shows two sides to

the government, sometimes deeply sensitive to outside pressure, sometimes angrily defined. and this one may be about to pay the old man price. >> yet more change for gm chief executives. ed whitqacre says he will be stepping out -- stepping down at the end of this month and will be succeeded by dan akerson. >> he was the obama administration's pick to lead the lead car maker. >> fritz has done a remarkable job leading the company to run unprecedented time of challenge and change. momentum has been building our company over the past several months. but we have all agreed that some

changes needed to be made going forward. >> and the transformation continues. ed whitacre will hand over power at the end of the month to this man, and dadan qakakerson. he will be the company's fourth chief in 18 months. is he the right man for the job? >> i think he wrote said it -- he is set up to come in and take it over and be successful. >> the detroit firm has cut costs and axed jobs and is making money again. >> the obama administration still owns two-thirds of gm, learning it the nickname "government motors." the only trustee have is to

return here to the stock market. >> it is one of the largest stock offerings ever made by an american corporation and it may not be a coincidence. >> people are going to invest in this company and they want to know who is going to be running the company in the future. i think they have let us know. >> gm is hoping to recapture some of its former glory. >> environmental groups are monitoring images reproduced by nasa showing one of russia's wild fires, just 100 kilometers south of chernobyl, one of the world's -- the site of one of the world's worst nuclear contamination. there is concern that nuclear particles could be thrown into the air.

officials say there is no danger at present. >> as russia says, the corner of one crisis is shrinking as temperatures drop. it is remembering another. russian navy flights have been flying at half mast to commemorate the soldiers killed in one of the country's worst accidents. 10 years ago, while all 118 crew members on the coke survived -- had died. they could have survived if the rescue attempt had been handled better. >> 10 years later, and a painful emotions for the families of those killed come flooding back. this is just one of many families across russia commemorating the worst tragedy in the recent history of the russian navy. in august 2000, the nuclear

ship, if the largest attack submarine ever built, say about to take part in exercise. disasters to instruct. it took three days before the families of those on board were told by the authorities something was wrong. they were assured that all the crew was still alive. the navy's attempt to launch a rescue mission were symbolic -- were shambolic and is the worst case of an emergency. >> the alarm was raised one hour after an emergency report. the ship missed its first reported in at 1:30 p.m., and at 3:30 p.m., and the 7:30 p.m..

>> it lay at the bottom of the seat for 10 days before a norwegian rescue team finally rescued -- finally reached it. everyone was already dead. it had been torn apart by one of its own torpedoes, which had not function and exploded on board. it was only possible to hold the funerals a year-and-a-half later when all of the bodies had been retrieved from the sea. >> now is 10 years after this tragedy and of course, one of the key questions that may be the russians have learned of the many mistakes at that time, one thing does seem clear. at least now, it seems good to call for international assistance much more quickly in the case of a major emergency. >> good to have you with us on "bbc world news." stay with us if you can.

a california judge says the gatt -- the ban on gay marriages will be lifted next week. first though, a 13-year-old american schoolboy happen to go where very few politicians have gone before, to north korea for a meeting with kim jong il. >> jonathon the is an american schoolboy with a dream. -- jonathan li is an american schoolboy with a dream. he wants to create what he calls a children's peace forest on the divided peninsula, a border that despite its name, bristles with hardware. having written this letter, explaining the idea to north korean leader kim jong il, he has been given permission to visit. >> my idea for the mission statement, which is above

politics, above orders from above conflict, but ideology, is all about giving hope to the people and children of the world. >> it is not known if he will be able to meet the aging leader in person, but attributed self is rare enough. kim jong hild rules a country that has no diplomatic ties to the united states and one where tourists are strictly controlled. >> my family is calling me every day, you know. don't go, don't go, and try to tell him not to go. he is just like, i want to do it. >> jonathon determination has c former south korean president three years ago. in recent years, news reports have, of course, been all about the rising tension on the divided peninsula.

now, this one-boy peace mission might offer a dose of hope. >> the latest headlines on of an " bbc world news" -- two weeks after pakistan's flood crisis began, mr. larijani is finally seen the devastation -- mr. this arterzardari is finallg the devastation himself. iraq's most senior army officer is called into question over the phased withdrawal of u.s. troops. he says his forces will not be ready for another decade. u.s. officials insist they are on target to be out by the end of the month -- to pull combat troops out by the end of the

month and all troops by the end of 2011. >> government policy is to stick to the agreed timetable. >> they are here for support and advice. however, and specials to our senses they are ready to defend the iraqi army. moreover, they control the iraqi airspace. the airports are not complete yet. it consists of 50,000 troops. what will we do without the americans? the iraqi army will only be ready in 2020. >> but from the standpoint of the outgoing senior american commander in iraq, general re world beyond all -- general re odierno, they will not be able to stay. but the iraqi leader has a point. eight of his soldiers were killed in a truck just this week and they rely mostly on u.s.

planes and helicopters for air assault. there are some iraqi helicopters, but not many. >> the foreign minister, tariq aziz, also believes the american are leaving too soon. he accused them of leaving iraq to the wolves. >> the oil company bp has agreed to pay $15 million fine relating to the 2005 explosion at its refinery in texas. bp has allocated $500 million to fix problems at the refinery and to except inspection of programs by the office of health and safety administration. a car bomb just outside the headquarters of a national radio station is the first such attack in four years. the newly elected president

described the blast as a terrorist attack and promised -- as a terrorist attack and promised to step up the fight against terrorism. india will be placing restrictions on smart phones unless they are given access to security get a body in the month. they are concerned that they could be used by militant groups. some airports across england and scotland face chaos thanks to an overwhelming vote for strike action. it includes one of the world's busiest, heathrow. a judge in california has ruled gay marriages can go ahead in the state starting next wednesday. this is the same judge who ruled last week that california's ban on same-sex weddings was unconstitutional. the timing is important. it gives opponents time to

appeal the ruling. >> last week, a federal judge in san francisco ruled that california's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and he struck it down. a lot of people thought it would come into effect as soon as he made the ruling. and that gay couples would be able to get married immediately. officials were expecting to become ceremonies in the coming hallett -- hours. many gay couples working marriage license, assuming they could do that. but the judge has said they will not be legal until next wednesday, which is when his judgment will come into effect. that week or so gives opponents of gay marriage the chance to appeal the process. they have already filed an

appeal for the lifting of the band, but that appeals process is likely to be years. what they've did want was -- what they did what was to allow gay couples to be married while the appeal was pending. there will action be able to start the appeals process. it is a very complicated process. it is a small step in the game marriage battle, but one that many people think will end up in the u.s. supreme court, which will will for the entire country. >> european farmers will fall behind the rest of the world unless they are allowed to use cloning to improve the productivity of their livestock, at least according to the head of america's leading animal clothing company.

>> just one day old, this newborn calf takes its first steps into what someday will be a brave, new world for american agriculture. his father is a clown. around him are fellow offspring. -- his father is a clone. around him are fellow offspring. the herd is part of an experiment by one of america's leading meat producers. the aim is to rate the standard of these great american state. -- great american stateeak. >> we want to find the animal that created the great steak and from that we want to reproduce it. >> this meeting is judged to be -- they will clone the meat that is judged to be exceptional quality.

since then, food from the offspring have been cloned and here, people seem to like it. >> these foals were cloned from the carcass of a dead animal. it was only when it was dead that special tasters can tell it meant exceptional quality. although the technology is further down the line, most americans do not know about it and wholefood supermarkets refused to sell the meat. >> you do not hear about it much in the media. when you talk about cloning and if you tell them what is, they say, oh, you are kidding. they're not doing that, are they? why would they? >> food safety authorities say not enough research is being done on the long-term impact on public health. there also worries about animal welfare.

which is why there are moves to ban european farmers from using it. >> if i were a livestock producer, i would be concerned about losing access to the technology completely, to be told, hey, you will never have access to that when your competitors in the united states and new zealand and australia and brazil and argentina are going to have access to that technology. i would be very concerned. >> there are only 1000 firms bechethat use the cloning techn. but it is on the rise. it will soon be throughout the world. >> a curious exhibition involving pickle's has gone on display in austria. it was inspired by the band the red hot chili peppers.

>> a self portrait of the artist as a pickle. the sculptor has put a cucumber on a pedestal. the vegetables have been cast in acrylic and been given place at the salzburg museum. >> what you see here are two classics of austrian cuisine. there is a pickle bergen and an apple strudel -- a pickled burk igherkin and an apple strudel. why the pickled gherkin? >> i would say because in vienna, austria, we grew up with because, with this kind of food. it is an in-between dish. that is the main reason why.

>> the artist says people are free to make of their own mind about the meaning of the peacpi. >> i like the small ones. the small ones, their interest in me. the big ones are too big. >> i got a big smile on my face when i was walking. >> the show begs the rather unsettling question. if the artist can see himself as a pickle, what does he think of the rest of us? >> i think it is a cultural thing. much more pickles, gherkins, and all the international news online anytime you wanted at bbc.com/news. you can get in touch with me and all of the crew on twitter. you can also see what is coming up on facebook. thanks for watching.

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