>> "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." one man's peace prize is another's obscenity. the chinese laureate and the beijing government. so close that they can hear the drill, the chilean miners could be free in a few days. the death toll following be toxic spill of sludge in hungary has risen to seven, as experts say the the new river is no longer under direct threat. it -- the danube river is no longer under direct threat. coming up later -- we discover how a library and a remote village in uganda is making a difference nationwide. and the pirates of london. the most famous pirate turns up.

he is a man who campaigned for democracy in china and the authorities put him in jail. now he has won the nobel peace prize. liu xiaobo was involved in the tiananmen square protests in 1989 and has been a thorn in the chinese government's side ever since. barack obama join the european leaders calling for his release, but china called the award and obscenity. -- an obscenity. >> nobody has seen at liu xiaobo for the past few years. he has been locked up in a chinese prison. the chinese government says he is a subversive criminal, a threat to the state. but to his supporters, he is a brave amplifier of democracy and

human rights. today he has been honored with the greatest recognition of his work, the nobel peace prize. >> for over two decades, liu xiaobo has been a strong spokesman for the application of fundamental human rights in china. >> born in 1955, liu xiaobo was an academic who became an activist during the 1989 protests in tiananmen square. he was jailed for nearly two years on charges of counter revolution. after his release, he continued to call for greater human rights. two years ago, he helped draft charter 8, a manifesto that demands peaceful political change in china. he was arrested and jailed again. this time for 11 years. the bbc spoke with liu xiaobo before he was detained. he explained the motivation for his struggle. >> in china, i just want to be

an honest and dignified intellectual writer. if you try to be that, you'll definitely clash with the political system in this country. >> this was the scene and outside of the site where his wife still lives when the results were announced. the police to watch her around the clock is strained to keep control. she was not allowed out to speak to me, but a family friend passed on a message. >> it is a great encouragement to the people who are pursuing freedom and democracy and the role of law. >> the nobel peace prize that draws the attention of the world to the plight of by use xiaobo, making the chinese authorities uncomfortable. -- to the plight of liu xiaobo, making the chinese authorities uncomfortable. president obama called on the chinese to release by use of boat quickly. france and germany echoed his call, but so far china this shows -- china shows no signs of

bowling to the pressure. it is so close that they can hear it. the drill is heading their way. after 64 days underground, escape is finally in sight for the trap chilean miners. rescuers are drilling down to the 33 men, just hours away from a brick through. engineers will need to assess how stable the rescue shaft is before they can be winched to the surface. >> the around-the-clock vigil has begun. the miners' families are trying to contain their impatience, knowing that the next key breakthrough could come at any moment. two months of waiting and worrying almost over. >> we are all a bit nervous this morning. we're trying to find ways to keep calm. some people are pacing, but i am trying to stay still. >> the plan b drill is just 40

meters above the trapped miners, about half a day's drilling if all goes well. there are three drills involved in the rescue operation. but plan b is in pole position. barring any last-minute problems, it is expected to reach the trapped men in the last -- and the next few hours. engineers will then access the light of the shaft by video. rescuers are already planning to line it with steel tubing, but if the rock is weekend and could collapse. if the tunnel is fine, the rescue could start in two or three days. but if they need to line the shaft, it could take up to 10 days to start bringing the men out. after so long without sunlight, the miners will be given special glasses to protect their eyes. >> they are in excellent condition down there, very cheerful and optimistic.

>> above the rescue shaft, a new crane has arrived, used to lower the reenforcing tubes and to bring the miners out in specially built escape pods. we may be halfway up the desolate hillside in the foothills of andes, but over the past two months, a small town house built up here. the relatives of the trapped miners in their tents and cabins, the children now have a school. and a cafeteria, clinics, offices, and the rescue workers themselves, and now have the world's media drawn by this extraordinary tale of survival. 700 meters down, the men are keeping busy, clearing rubble in making sure that they stay slim enough to fit through the narrow rescue tunnel when freedom finally beckons. it is more bleak news for american workers and the white

house. the u.s. economy has lost another 95,000 jobs in the month of september, at a rate of unemployment has remained unchanged, 9.6%. >> president obama visiting a small family business in maryland. he needed some good news about the way he is building up the economy, but at this park and mortar factory, he struggled to be upbeat about jobs. >> we have to keep doing everything we can to accelerate this recovery. yes, the trend line in the private sector job growth is moving in the right direction, but i am not interested in trends or figures as much as i am interested in the people behind them. >> 64,000 people were hired by private companies in a september, but major cuts of 159,000 government jobs meant overall payrolls in america fell

by 95,000 last month, worse than expected. the u.s. economy emerged from recession more than one year ago, but the recovery has been sluggish. >> i think this will be a half speed recovery. i think it will continue for a while, but we are still looking at probably five years before we get back downtown -- back down to a normal rate. >> the reality is it is -- the reality is it is an emotional experience. this person has been looking for a full-time job for a year. >> had a job, got laid off, and that is when i started job searching, about a uriko. -- about a year ago. it has not been easy. >> september's less than rosy jobs report will do little to help democrats win the argument

with cover -- with voters. this is the last piece of economic data before the votes in november. even after the midterm elections, it could take years to bring down the high unemployment rate. at least seven people are known to have died in the toxic waste sleek in hungary. around 150 people have been injured as a result of this bill that happened at an industrial plant. the official said the risk of an environment of catastrophe have decreased after pollution levels in the river danube fell. biggestf europe's postwar environment of cleanups is under way. the result of a court of caustic story that claimed lives, devoured houses, and left an immovable toxic footprint. thousands of soldiers, police, and volunteers have been trying to soak up the pollution before it reaches the danube. this is the home of clara, now a

red and brown the landscape of poisonous sludge. it is finished, she says. she took me to the back of her beloved garden, but everything was dead. she knows she cannot stay. the scale of the disaster is still being calculated, but it is thought 180 million gallons of the sludge escaped, nearly as much oil as leaked into the gulf of mexico, covering an area 16 square miles in size, climbing seven lives, injuring 150 people. it all around the tributaries to the danube, the ground is read rust colored from the contamination. just here, this fish the authorities simply don't know when all of this will be cleaned up. the small rivers that feed the danube continue to be tested,

some every hour, checked for their alkaline levels. this one registered 9.4, still polluted enough to kill fish, just like the one nearby. the danube itself has escaped the worst lead, mercury, arsenic. the deadly contents of this technicolor spillage. now disfiguring the land, the toxins of industrial waste. the governor of kunduz province in northern afghanistan has been killed at an explosion and a mosque in the neighboring province of takhar. our correspondent has the story. >> governor mohammad omar had warned of the growing threat in northern afghanistan from the intricacy and taliban and the al qaeda. he asked for more security in northern afghanistan through -- to counter that threat. this morning he was at a mosque

in the province of takhar. he was at the mosque with worshipers when the bomb went off. the figures that we have are that 20 people were killed, including governor omar, and some 15 people were injured. it is not clear whether the explosion was caused by a mine or suicide bomb. governor omar has fallen victim to the very violence of which she had been warning. his appeal for more nato troops and afghan troops in northern afghanistan and in the past week, those troops and forces have killed some 16 insurgents in northern afghanistan. whether this attack today was a response to those killings by nato forces, of course, is not clear, but gov. omar has divided the three previous -- but gov. lamar has survived three previous attempts to kill him. despite the best efforts of the

nato forces, they were still able to strike at high-profile targets. he is the fifth top official to resign from the obama administration in a matter of weeks. a u.s. national security adviser james jones is stepping down. it looks bad for barack obama, though the announcement was no surprise. you are watching "bbc world news." blastoff before the russian rockets, american astronauts still depending on them to get to the international space station. the united arab emirates has said it will not be banning blackberry services after coming to an agreement with the phones makers, rim. had threatened to suspend services on october 11 if rammed did not comply with certain requirements stipulated by the uae telecom authority. saudi arabia and india have for a similar bans.

>> the nearly half million blackberry users and the uae breathed a sigh of relief. of almost two months, the government has threatened to block them. now discussions between authorities and the makers of the plot. have been successful. the statement from the regulatory authority have been brief, opposite the blackberry complies with regulations and it says research in motion has worked with authorities tried to come to an agreement. it marks the end of two years of negotiations between parties. at the root of this, concerns over national security. blackberry information is a scripted and sent abroad, mostly in canada where research in motion is based. the uae wants the information to be located locally so that they can access information in case of a security concern. critics have said this has gone too far. companies here rely on blackberry to do their business.

the latest decision has save them from having to make costly choices about changing service, but have called -- but has called into question with in do with their devices. spanish police have detained 57 people and charged 47 more in a nationwide child pornography investigation. sophisticated software developed by norwegian police analyzed thousands of internet connections with more than 400 police officers searching houses in cities all over spain. this is "bbc world news." the top stories -- china has protested the decision about the award of the nobel peace prize to a jailed chinese dissident, liu xiaobo. chile's mining minister it said it rescued shaft should reach the trapped miners within 24 hours.

russia has launched its soil is space rocket -- its soyuz space rocket for the international space station. once the u.s. space shuttle fleet is retired, the russian rocket will be the only way for americans to get into orbit. >> waving goodbye to earth this morning, before five months away, scott kelley, an american it rest. and american astronauts boarding the spacecraft. earlier this week, the rocket was pushed across the desert through a score of the industrial landscape. since the soviet union broke up, the cosmodrome is actually in kazakhstan. when the 30-year space shuttle program and next year, for a while, this russian rocket will be the only way for american

astronauts to get into space. if it looks like something out of the 1960's, that is because it is. the basic design has not changed in more than 40 years. in 1957, the russians shocked the world by russia it -- by launching a satellite, sputnik. four years later, yuri gagarin became the first man in space. the americans leapfrog them in the space race by putting neil armstrong on the moon and with the space shuttle program, but next year that comes to an end. >> there is still sometimes when it makes us a little apprehensive, but we need to exploit this cooperation face and really push to do these big things we dream about, to get beyond low earth orbit, to go to the moon, two restaurants, potentially mars -- to asteroids, potentially mars. >> then it went, the tried and

true method into orbit. after storm of bad publicity before the opening, as been a full week of sporting competition at the commonwealth games in delhi. unfortunately, for the organizers, the past several days have been blighted by and the venues, damaged facilities, and swimmers with tummy aches. it but things have taken a turn for the better as the games seem to have finally caught india's imagination. >> action in the boxing ring. the favorite to win the gold medal at the games, and everyone solidly behind him. it is not quite the sellout crowd that you would expect. the action is heating up in the boxing ring. even here, though you would expect a full house, there are

still empty seats. it appears mismanagement by the organizers. outside the stadium, people have been turned away. there is a problem with the ticketing. at the box office is shot. some are lucky, others are not. >> i have been here the last 45 minutes, no tickets. they cannot dispersed tickets. somebody says it is all booked. >> everybody should come out, no problem. >> it has been a troubled week at the games. the first day of competition on monday, some top athletes performing in front of the empty stands. most indians chose to stay away. one day later, urgent repairs to the main athletic track damage during the opening ceremonies. once completed, hours ahead of the first race.

wednesday, top swimmers from england and australia where -- were laid low with a tiny bug. tests were carried out on the water. despite the hiccups, the crowds are showing up. ridding action, with 44 gold medals up for grabs. finally, it seems, the games have caught india's imagination. what is the best way to get people to read? it is difficult, but the countries with low literacy rates have harder answers. in uganda, there is one inspiring model that started at a title single library at a remote village. -- at a tiny cell library at a remote village that has expanded into a national network benefiting thousands. >> there is a thirst for knowledge in this village. this community library, established just over a decade

ago, is planning its part and satisfying it. the children have come in after class at the local school to get extra help with their reading. it is the only chance they have. so many of you have books of your own at home? not one person? none of you? would you like to have some? the library users may be turning out, but the fact it cannot afford to buy books it is just one key to the poverty in the area. children and adults can take books home for a week. they are brought back on time. mothers, and to learn how can read with their children, and

they're running book clubs here, too. >> the difference is they're developing their reading culture, yes. people love books because of the libraries. >> they never met the library to be only about the building and the books. the first room is now used for project making sanitary pads to provide some income to local woman and to overcome a problem that often keeps girls out of school. this library started with a box of 150 books in 1999. that has a collection of over 3000 books and is expanding its services by the year. not only that, there is now a national movement of community libraries like this. and one other class here in this world corner of the country is

basic computing skills to help local people in their lives and in finding jobs in the wider world. now to the pirates of london. when students at a school in the suburb of greenwich in london said out to have a pirate style mutiny against teachers, all fun, there was only one man to call on an unexpected visit by the hollywood mega star in question went down as the best school assembly ever. it was a shock for the parents as well. one of them happened to be a bbc reporter. >> behind that curtain, they're filming "parts of the caribbean." when they're not filming, you could walk through. the scale is incredible. everyone has been on johnny depp watch, especially the women, for some strange reason. there are all sorts of rumors he

is here and there. my daughter comes back from school and said, daddy, a famous pirate came to our assembly. we completely to not believe her. -- we completely did not believe her. >> i have come to visit your school. >> can you believe it? johnny depp, during an assembly. it was all thanks to this girl who wrote him a letter. >> captain jack spero, we are balking young pirates. at -- captain jack sparrow, we are balking young pirates. we love you too helped with our new name.

he actually came. he got the letter and he came! >> when i told my mom, it was light will. -- it was like whoa. >> the pirates came and. when he came and it was like, today people are still talking about it. it will probably be the highlight of the whole year. >> the best we ever got at a school assembly was a farmer brought in a lamb. >> makes you feel old. the 2010 nobel peace prize receives a less than peaceful response from china. the winner is the jailed -- jailed chinese dissident liu

xiaobo. they say the award violated principles of the nobel peace prize, say the chinese. >> 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 financial strength 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.