>> locked at last, the oil leaking into the gulf appears to have stopped since bp began testing a cap on the oil well. sweeping financial reforms in the u.s. congress passes the president's plan for regulation of the banking industry. the vatican titans regulations dealing with the abuse of children by -- titans regulations dealing with the abuse of children by priests -- tightens regulations dealing with the abuse of children by priests. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- a special report from jerusalem. how is really activists are offering large sums of money -- israeli activists are offering large sums of money to -- take that is reforming and this time robbie williams is with

them. hello to you. bp has declared the flow of oil into the gulf of mexico has been stopped. 85 days since the first news back in april of an explosion on the deepwater horizon rig. eight workers died, and the leak is now widely seen as the worst american environmental disaster began. bp hopes to fix the problem properly within weeks. we have this from washington. >> this is the view of the destroyed the oil well, moments after bp says the flow of oil stopped. it is murky and hard to make out. but potentially, this is an important moment, the first time oil has stopped flowing since the explosion in april.

>> i think it is a positive sign. we are still in the testing phase. >> the cap was installed monday. testing began earlier today after a delay caused by a leak. engineers are expected to test pressure readings for the next 48 hours. only then will they know for sure whether the cap is a success. this bill is the largest in american history and has had a serious -- the spill is the largest in american history and it has provoked a lasting anger against the peak periods the first of the relief wells is not expected to be ready until next month. now the cap is on. at this moment, after almost three months, bp says oil is not flowing into the gulf. bbc news, washington. >> now some call it the most

profound over all of american financial regulation since the great depression. after much]e::f( debate, the fil regulation bill will finally become law. it was an narrow vote, but the u.s. senate has passed it. president obama has said he wants to sign into law next week. we are joined from our new york bureau. how big is this? >> it is the most sweeping reform we have seen since the great depression, and it is designed to prevent the circumstances that led to the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. right now, the debate has begun as to whether this bill will succeed, but in the meantime, it is clearing the hurdle of the senate and it awaits the president's signature. >> what is the feeling? is there enough to make a difference in it? >> it will certainly make a difference. there is a new consumer protection agency. banks will be required to have

higher capital reserve. that is sort of of buffer if they have losses in the future so they will be able to withstand them. perhaps the biggest criticism is this was designed to avoid a similar crisis$fnn"q to the onee have just seen. where the problem is that these institutions were too big to fail. some say not enough has been done to address that, that banks are still involved in risky practices. the law that addresses how they deal with derivatives has been watered down. there is still debate as to how effective this will be. >> it is unlikely the administration will get another try at this. >> certainly, the democrats are keen to get this done now to be able to saye8 # before the nov.y have done this for main street, that they are with main street, and not wall street. the republicans are betting that

possibly people on main street will be more against the idea of government interfering, and that will be an argument we may see played out over the next few months. >> thank you for that. >> as the hunt goes on for a renegade afghan soldier who killed three british troops in helmand province, and then he says he is the soldier has contacted the bbc in kabul. he says he was acting alone, but has since joined the taliban. our correspondent has the details. >> our conversation was raised by the taliban. the man claims he is a 21-year- old afghan army soldier who murdered three british gurkhas in helen's province -- helmand province this past week. he says that the british are here to divide muslims. he claimed the british forces have committed atrocities in

afghanistan, including killing civilians and launching suicide attacks. he said before these killings, he was not a member of the taliban. it was entirely his own idea. subsequently, he has joined the taliban, and they are sheltering him. we have had a response from the ministry of defence in london. they refused to talk about whether or not this is the man who killed those british soldiers, but he did say in a statement it was ridiculous to suggest british soldiers had engaged in suicide attacks or are deliberately targeting civilians. the ministry of defence went on to make the point that the taliban regularly makes exaggerated claims. he said it care must be taken not to take this at face a value. >> that from the afghan capital. 20 people have been killed at least, and more than 100 wounded

in twin suicide bombings in southeast iran. one group is reporting responsibility by a sunni moslem group. a facebook page dedicated to a british killer has been removed by the woman who created it, but not before 36,000 people signed up for the site. britain's prime minister is among those who criticize the tributes and the flowers laid in his memory. two men have been questioned in connection with helping him evade capture for a week. suspicion of accepting bribes in taiwan. it is alleged that this was to reverse a 19-year jail term. it is the first investigation of its kind in the history of

taiwan's's the high court. trying to fend off allegations is complacent about child abuse, the vatican is launching a new initiative against peter filed priests. -- pedophile priests. they will no longer describe women priests as "a grave crime ." >> the new vatican rules will speed up procedures defrocking priests found guilty of sexually abusing children and will extend the statute of limitations for being prosecuted for such crimes from 10 years to 20 years. this is a senior vatican official who prosecutes pedophile priests under church law. he admitted at a news conference that new guidelines for bishops may not be enough to stem the scandals that have hit the

church in recent months. >> i think this is a very important step from the point of canon law. but a document is always a document. it does not solve all problems. it is a very important instrument. but then, it is the way you use the instrument that is going to have the real effects. >> the new rules also declared the possession or distribution of child pornography by priests and to be a crime under church law, as well as under civil law. although the document does not specifically mentioned the need for bishops to report cases of priest pedophiles to local police and headquarters in rome, the vatican says this was already covered in existing vatican guidelines. what is new, however, is the classification of any attempt to

ordain women as priests. this is thought of an extremely serious crime against kurdish -- church law. first reactions from associations with the victims of pedophile priests it to the new vatican document have been negative. the new vatican guidelines are criticized as "administrative tweaking." bbc news. >> it is a picture of almost medieval pain and suffering. barely-functioning hospitals lacking medicine, and major operations often carried out without anesthetic. the human rights group amnesty international says north korea is failing to meet the most basic health needs of its people. this is based on interviews with north korean defectors.

we have this. >> north korea has often struggled to take care of its of people. ever since the famine of the 1994, illness and hunger remains a fact of life. now amnesty international, based on interviews with defectors who left north korea in the last few years, appeared to provide grim confirmation of how bad things remain in one sector of society, the health system. >> of north viet -- north korea it purports to have a free health care system, but in reality fails to provide the most basic care to its population. they have frequent power cuts and no heat in the winter. >> the report paints a picture of hospitals to void of basic medicines and education and other major surgeries are carried out without the use of anesthetic.

>> the operation took about an hour and 10 minutes. i was screaming so much from the pain, i thought i was going to die. they had tied my hands and legs to prevent me from moving. >> it is 1 million miles from affluent south korea, where the vast majority of citizens enjoy basic health insurance. amnesty international says evidence shows north korean doctors now demand payment for almost all services, in cash, food, or even cigarettes and alcohol. amnesty international is calling on the authoritarian government to meet its obligation to provide for the basic needs of its people. but it also wants the international community to do more to help north koreans, urging donor countries not to put political considerations ahead of the humanitarian concerns, and to come up with more funds for desperately- needed aid. bbc news, seoul.

>> good to have you with us and "bbc world news." stay with us if you can. still to come -- is the world winning the battle against illegal logging? and you report suggests it is. first though, south asia's nuclear powers of india and pakistan have agreed to tentative measures to improve relations. this after a meeting between the two nations' foreign ministers. we have this report. >> the relationship between these nuclear powers is full of suspicion that often boils over into out and out loathing. they are trying not to show that today. the high level meetings were very cordial, and they went on much longer than planned. in the end, there were no headline-grabbing proposals.

just talk of modest progress. >> these prolonged discussions were useful in creating and understanding how to move forward. >> there was mention of the need for confidence-building measures, but no details of what they might be. wrist metric from the chief guest. >> the measures that lay ahead and the promise that a good neighborly relationship between our two countries holds for our peoples. >> in the last few weeks, senior politicians from both countries have accused each other of orchestrating attacks, diverting rivers, and sabotaging each

other's interests in the region. still, they are talking and thinking about talking again before too long. do not expect major breakthroughs on the big issues in just yet. bbc news, islamabad. >> the latest headlines for you on "bbc world news." bp says oil has stopped leaking into the gulf of mexico for the first time since the well ruptured in april. engineers are monitoring the pressure to see if the cap will hold. sweeping reforms of the american financial system aimed at preventing a repeat of the financial crisis have been passed by the senate. noise and greeted the arrival of george mitchell and is not encouraging. he is back in jerusalem trying to arrange direct talks between palestinians and israelis.

the palestinian state is too early for even in direct talks. but they claim that israel is moving fast to change the facts on the ground. our correspondent is there. >> this is what a journey through east jerusalem looks like from a bullet proof vehicle. these are jewish nationals settling in neighborhoods, through streets they say are full of danger. a risk worth taking? >> a thousand%. we are surrounded by millions of arabs. most of which do not want to see is in this region. most of which one does in europe or australia. >> our guide is from an israeli group that helps jews in parts of jerusalem occupied by

palestinians. their object is to make jerusalem were jewish. he says local palestinians can like it or lump it. >> anyone who does not once she -- anyone who does not want to be part of israel, there are other palestinian countries where they can live. they should not be here. >> they want to be part of the palestinian state. they want to be the capital of the palestinian state. >> that is never going to happen. that is impossible. the world is living in a dream if they think it can. you want us to put these people 400 meters from the center of town? >> there is a statement from the state of israel the says their lives are under threat. just down the road, another property the local jewish community would like to get. at the moment, it is time to an

extended palestinian family. they lived through that door. when an eviction order came through a couple weeks ago, there were serious clashes. they still face eviction from a building they have rented since 1948. originally it was a synagogue. the family says they were offered $1 million to move, and unlike some palestinians who sold to jews, they turned them down. she told me, "i will only leave my home dead, or they will have to throw me out of -- out on the street. those who do not have faith will sell, but those who have religion will not." local palestinians were kept back until they passed by. israeli nationalists have

expanded the jewish presence here enormously. but tension rising again, there are new warnings that peace is impossible of palestinian rights in this city are ignored. -- if palestinian rights and in this city are ignored. bbc news, in east jerusalem. >> the latest figures from china showed the rate of growth is slowing. gdp growth in the three months to june was 10.3% according to government figures released today. that is down from 11.9% in previous months. a bigger drop than the market was expecting. an iranian nuclear scientist tickets appeared a year ago and resurfaced this week in washington has returned to tehran. he says he was kidnapped by the cia, which washington rejects. he says he was subjected to extreme mental and physical torture by america.

lithuanians is of serbian -- lithuanians is observing the anniversary of a battle. a parade in re-enactment commemorated the event. it was at this event that the polish alliance prevailed. an open championship at st. andrews. there were two shots clear of the field. tiger woods is four shots off of the pace. he started at .67. it is an illicit trade, a major cause of deforestation, in the can wreck the chances of sustainable development -- and it can wreck the chances of sustainable development in the world's poorest countries. our environment correspondent richard black has details.

>> this, too, and us sites across much of the developing world. -- two, and a site across much of the developing world. -- too common a sight. in the recent past more than half of the lumber harvested here was illegal. that is changing according to a report from chatham house in london, illegal logging is declining. worldwide, it has gone down by 60% in eight years. chatham house researchers estimate illegal logging has fallen in camera and by -- cameroon by 50%. that in a single decade. that is partly because the governments in these countries

have woken up to the ecological damage in their forests and have decided to do something about it. it is also about action west. concerned about forests and the plight of animals, western governments have banned the imports of illegal timber. increasingly, companies have to establish schemes that can trace it would back to its origins. attention now turns to china. its consumption of timber is rising rapidly. but they are making consumer goods and things exported to north america. china could help curb illegal logging further if it, too, signed up not to take lumber stolen from the forests. bbc news. >> it was 15 years ago. now the not-so-boyish take that are back. they are reforming, this time with robbie williams.

contain your excitement. they are recording a new album for release in november. our entertainment correspondent has this. >> to this day, fans will never forget the five boys who defined an era of british pop. 18 million albums sold worldwide, 17 number-one singles, and played over the years to audiences of 14.5 million people. these pictures are being shown for the first time anywhere of what so many have waited for. robbie williams and the rest of the original lineup together, for the first time in 16 years. ♪ >> they have been recording a new album due for release in november.

expectation will no doubt be huge. re-light the fire ♪ when they were together in the early 1990's, they dominated pop, turning out hit after hit. fans were devastated when the five-member group became four in 1995. the only place you might find them -- this is here. robbie williams went on to have an outstanding solo career. while the remaining members of take that disbanded, only to get back together again to massive a claimed five years ago. fans were further delighted by the latest news. >> it is bringing to an end of this saga that has consumed pop music, when will take that get

back together? when will robbie and gary be friends again? i think it was just a question of when. >> the answer today, is robbie williams officially back? if not for good, at least for now. bbc news. >> it was one of the great success stories of the world cup. negotiations are now in the air. it looks to be on the move from madrid. the octopus predict late -- the opposite correctly predicted the outcome of seven world cup games. the zoo is offering what ever it takes to secure the move of the octopus there. fine more on that and all the international news online. we are on twitter, too, and

facebook. thank you for being with us. >> 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 has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies.

what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center -- >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. [woman vocalizing] >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> ♪ the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home ♪ >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.

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