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." as the u.n. secretary general holds an emergency session, almost 20 million and

pakistan are facing a slow- motion tsunami. somehow, the mind struggles to grasp the full dimensions of this catastrophe. >> it is difficult to overstate the scope of this catastrophe. unfortunately, we believe it is likely to get worse before it gets better. >> the end of operation iraqi freedom, america brings home the last of its combat troops, but says it is in default -- its involvement is far from over. france begins expelling the oromo people as part of its clamp down on a legal campsites. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later -- the world's biggest hiring spree, china's

foxcom looks to take on 1200 staff in the coming months. panic and chaos as a bull makes a bid for freedom at a bullfight in northern spain. hello. the secretary general of the united nations told an emergency session in new york that pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami, which is far from over. u.s. secretary of state called it a key military and -- called a humanitarian disaster, far more than any country could cope with alone. world leaders hope the special session will energize the international response. patty price reports. >> weeks into the crisis and the

u.n. came together at last, an emergency session for an emergency of epic and growing proportions. >> make no mistake, this is a disaster of global challenge. it is a test of global solidarity in our times. >> moon saw the flooding for himself a few days ago, an area the size of italy said to be affected. up to 6 million people are without shelter. for the un, this is a humanitarian issue. pakistan needs money, and now, if lives are to be saved. yet, there are also concerns about a connected and potentially more dangerous crisis, and that surrounds pakistan's fight against extremism. about ass park avenue, removed from rural pakistan as you can get. on the fringes of the session, the foreign minister made it

clear it is not just lives that are at risk. >> without international help, pakistan and facing a natural disaster could be facing a political crisis in the long term. >> if things spin out of control, it would contribute to political instability. that is the last thing we need. that is the last thing we need for economic hope and the last thing we need in our fight against extremism. >> this is presumably as confirmation of how worried pakistan's allies are about precisely that. the u.s. secretary of state was here not to raise money but to win hearts and minds. >> we will be with you as rivers rise and fall. we will be with you as you replace your fields and repair your roads. we will be with you as you meet the long-term challenges. >> the u.s. is diverting time

and resources from the fight against extremism and pakistan as the waters rise. it wants to stop radicalism from rising with them. just a little later in the program, we will have reports from the point job province on the challenges there. the final u.s. combat brigade left iraq. almost a fortnight before the deadline set by president obama. about 50,000 american troops remain, officially only to train and give advice to iraqi forces. american commanders insist iraq's military and police are up to the task of keeping the country secure, as our middle east correspondent reports from kuwait. >> the end of operation iraqi freedom. the u.s. combat mission in iraq lasted longer than world war ii.

now, seven years and five months after the invasion, america's involvement in iraq is over for that phase. >> we won! it is over! i love you! >> for all the hopes of 2003, they are not leaving behind a peaceful country. the departure of the last u.s. combat forces took place in secrecy, at night. roadside bombs are a constant threat. these troops may be going home, but 50,000 remain in a training and advisory role. some of these men were still in school when the war began. others have had three or four tours of iraq. >> it feels good about to head home. at that none of us got hurt and we are going home. >> it has been a costly war.

almost 4500 americans lost their lives, countless more iraqis. the official monetary cost to the u.s. taxpayer, one trillion dollars. >> it has been a searing experience, the engagement of iraq combined with afghanistan will make us think twice about undertaking a similar enterprise any time in the near future. >> a suicide attack in baghdad this week. iraq's army commander once the americans to stay another 10 years. iraq cannot cope alone, he says. president obama says that all american troops will be out of iraq by the end of next year. many will end up in afghanistan. the iraq conflict is not exactly over. al qaeda is getting stronger. sunni militants are threatening to rejoin the insurgency. the united states will still help the iraqi government, but as one u.s. officer said, this

is no longer america's war. reports suggest the state department and the u.s. is close to announcing the launch of direct peace talks with israel and palestinians. this is after months of indirect talks. the last substantive negotiations were nine years ago. the details are still being worked out. organizers of the commonwealth games in delhi have suffered two blows, two big firms withdrawing their sponsorship because of corruption allegations, and an australian swimmer has advised countrymen to stay away from the event. the american muslim leader behind plans to build a center near the 9/11 attacks has arrived at at a commission. new york gave the go-ahead for the mosque and cultural complex close to the world trade center.

the spanish justice secretary is prepared to meet american sensors -- the scottish justice secretary is prepared to meet american senators who decided to release the lockerbie bomber. he says he has nothing to fear from the investigation. the criticism from human rights groups is mounting and causing concern in the european union. the first of the roma gypsies expelled from france are part of a controversial crackdown and have arrived back in romania. 79 who agree to return home were flown to bucharest. 700 will be deported by the end of august. >> there the visitors that no country wants. today, france forced over 100 on flights bound for bucharest, the first of 700 to be expelled in the coming weeks. the group says they're going voluntarily, each with 300 euros

of incentive from the french government. but the majority survive in the most deplorable conditions. this squatter camp that has grown has no water, electricity, no sanitation. this person from armenia has lived here three months, with five children and no job. the police are hovering on the edge of the camp, waiting to move in. in fact, they have already called more than once. they came at 6:00 this morning, he said, banging on the door. the families were dragged from their beds and lined up outside their shacks. they all know what is coming and the children are frightened. nicolas sarkozy says 300 camps like this will be cleared in the next three months. this one has been given a temporary reprieve by the courts. 200 people are living here with

children. this is a popular policy with the french public. 80% of those surveyed say they are in favor of the government actions. >> our policy is always to not fall roma integration. roma people are full european citizens, with the right to free movement anywhere in the e.u. they can work and study just like anyone else. >> under french law, immigrants from bulgaria and romania have to have a work permit to stay longer than three months. the government says the camps have become breeding grounds for all sorts of criminal activity. france is not the only country tackling this kind of problem. italy, sweden, and denmark have all expelled roma travelers with limited success. there is more than anecdotal

evidence those sent home soon return. this plays well with the french president's traditional support. his critics say the link drawn between crime and immigration is delivered, designed to shift attention away from a financial scandal that has dogged his government through the summer. romas say they are being used as scapegoats, and not for the first time are being persecuted for political gain. the chinese electronics company which has been trying to explain a large number of suicides among workers is to increase its labor force by almost one-third over the next year. foxcon, which makes products for apple and dell, wants to cut overtime being worked. >> it may not look that much like spontaneous funds, but for the workers in china, it was at least something different, a brick from the long hours they spend assembling apples must have gadgets.

wednesday's company-wide route was intended to show it is responding to a spate of suicides among employees. now have announced its work force will expand by 300,000, 400,000 over the next year. >> for a long time, i think we were blind by our success. we must be very open and frank, i think we were kind of caught by surprise by the subtle changes in the workers' lives. >> it is not difficult to see why their 900,000-strong workforce spread across 13 factories finds life so tough. many say they work overtime because they need the extra money and demand for the iphone and other gadgets they make is high. when a shift is over, these

apartments are the only escape. the latest suicide in january saw a woman jumped from her window. they denied they mistreat staff, the company has admitted its workers do more overtime than the maximum permitted under chinese law. >> basically what they need to do is treat its workers like decent human beings and pay them a decent wage. it is not rocket science. >> protests by the families of suicide victims have clearly embarrassed foxconn. china's economic development brings major social challenges. stay with us if you can. still to come, racing toward an olympic dream for this french athlete. it all comes down to leaving his competition in the dust. there are parts of iraq beyond the news spotlight which

are different from life in the capital. iraqi kurdistan is one of them that is thriving, with tourists from baghdad and a growing number of international business people. our correspondent left the blast walls of the capital and traveled to the area. >> it looks like dubai, but this is iraq. it has designer outlets and cool cafes, opening just nine months ago. the gliding class lives are not the only attraction. the top floors have bowling and games. this is owned by an iraqi based company. it is a beacon of confidence in an ancient city. that is a castle which was built 4000 years ago. this city claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited

city in the world, although a lot of other cities like damascus say the same. this is different from the rest of iraq. people here feel they are safe, normal. normality for local people and visitors. >> we don't have any problems with business or jobs or anything. many people are now coming for holidays. baghdad is still dangerous. >> there is immense potential for tourism. the roads are good, the taxi's mostly new comedies and hotels, and lovely garden restaurants. regular flights from dubai, frankfurt, vienna, stockholm. this is iraq, a world away from baghdad.

the latest headlines on "bbc world news" -- u.s. secretary general says almost 20 million people affected by the flooding in pakistan are urgently need shelter, food, and drinking water. the last american combat troops based in iraq have left the country two weeks ahead of schedule, but 50,000 u.s. soldiers remain. we are going back to the floods that have left 20 million in urgent need in pakistan. our correspondent is in punjab province, one of the worst affected areas. >> we flew over the flood waters, following a trail of destruction. this railway station now looks like a seaport. nearby, another casualty, a flooded power plant. it is out of action now and could stay that way for months.

in this village, we found local people trying to save what is left of the road. the mosque is flooded, and economic lifelines have been cut. >> we have nothing left. we were poor to begin with. i worry for my children. >> this is an example of the kind of infrastructure problems pakistan will be struggling to fix. houses and shops have been destroyed, power lines brought down. much of the road has been eaten away. the flood waters are still swirling around, spilling more damage, and along the length of pakistan, a village after village looks like this. it is believed 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed. 650 million pounds worth of crops have been lost.

reconstruction could cost up to 10 billion pounds, according to one official estimate. these are the sugar cane fields that should have sustained them through the winter. now they have come to fish in the floods, the same water that filled his home and furniture shop. he is hoping for help from abroad, but does not expect too much. >> the powerful will get aid first. we are the weaker ones and will get the help last. >> he is doing all he can for himself, a man who refuses to give up. but he says survival is in the hands of god. south african police have

fired rubber or bullets at workers striking in johannesburg, the second day of strike over pay and work conditions. the army has been brought in to protect hospitals, health workers reporting incidences of intimidation. >> a million public-sector workers are on strike. it is a dispute about money. for those requiring medical attention, it could also be a matter of life or death. at this hospital at the center of johannesburg, strikers forced their way through the entrance, dancing over the gate and into the hospital ward. in other hospitals, nurses were dragged out of words. for those who put patients overstriking, it was hoping for the best, while they were noisily vigilant outside.

these workers say they will not be going back to work. the government's says 7% pay raise is their final offer, raising the possibility of the strike stretching into weeks. this demonstration consisted mainly of teachers who walked out of the classroom and attempted to blockade the road. when the police moved in, firing rubber bullets, several were injured. including this man, ironically part of the striking police officers trade union. this second day of strike has seen a series of clashes between the police and trade union members across the country. with no sign of a deal or talks, the government has called in the army to protect those who choose to work and maintain basic health-care services. the world mountain bike championships get underway in

canada later this month, and we will be spending time with one of the favorites, from france. as part of our olympic dreams the series, we went behind the scenes at a world cup event in northern england. >> preparation for a grueling race need to be perfect. partners travel with him from france. >> good morning. >> of first thought, -- first

stop, the bike is fine-tuned. it weighs very little, but costs several thousand dollars. one small change can make a big difference. what are the things you'll be looking at with the tires? >> we will look at the tires. whether they are more soft or more hard. >> his wife, emily, accompanies him everywhere. she is a crucial part of the team. >> we live most of the time together, all around the world. i have a team around me. >> race day in the forest in northern england. with only hours to go, rain

threatens. but a what course is no worry for the team. -- but they wet course is no worry for the team. >> it does not bother us in the least. he is a master in the rain. >> even then by the start line, emily is by his side. he has won the world cup several times. as the olympic gold medalist, he is the man to beat. during the race, the mechanics sit in a pit lane, ready to change tires and hand out drinks. this is just one of a series of world cups, culminating in the world championships in canada. this time, he loses by a split second. for an olympic champion, only

winning is good enough. if you want to follow that one line, world olympic dreams is following 26 aspiring colombians on the road to london 2012. chart their progress at bbc.com/2012. at least 40 people have been injured and a 10-year-old boy is in the hospital in northern spain where a ball went out of control in a bullfight. -- were able went out of control in a bullfight. all of this at a time when spaniards are debating whether bullfighting should be outlawed altogether. >> the afternoon entertainment took an unexpected turn. 500 kilograms of animal went through the stands, sparking panic. this was not a standard bullfight. these young men were getting him to charge them and then dodge

him. once he was in the stands, mayhem. it still took several minutes to contain the bowl, crushing spectators. around 40 people were hurt. one man was board and the back and a 10-year-old boy was also injured. eventually the animal was restrained and later killed. officials insist a bull sleeping in the stands is rare, but it comes when they are looking at bullfighting. this will store up the argument began. >> much more on that and other news at bbc.com/news. we are on twitter and facebook as well. thank you for being with us on "bbc world news." >> 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. >> union bank offers unique insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you?

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