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>> and nell, "bbc world news." >> containing the cholera outbreak. medical teams in haiti say the epidemic may be stabilizing. president karzai confirms his office did receive bundles of money from iran. party of the palace. the rescue chilean miners are received by the president. welcome to "bbc world news." i am mike embley. coming up later, on for crops of wild british mushrooms. why are people being prosecuted for taking them? the real-life battle for middle earth. new zealanders fight for the right to keep the production of the hottest movies -- hobbit movie at home. in haiti, the authorities are

saying the cholera epidemic may be stabilizing. agencies and hospitals are still on high alert. they are concerned the outbreak may strike the capital of port- au-prince and the hundreds of thousands still living in makeshift camps after the earthquake. u.n. humanitarian representatives told bbc that haiti should be prepared for the crisis to spread across the country. the number of new cases is falling. >> of babies anguish, a mother's pain. her dangerously dehydrated babies treated for cholera. in this spare hospital, we see the effect the disease is having on the most vulnerable. the administrative director tells us they are now seeing. severe cases of cholera. people are understanding what they must do to stop the

disease, he says. the haitian authorities are hoping the epidemic has stabilized. no one is taking any chances. united nations has cleared the land in case they need to setup an emergency cholera treatment center. this is the likely source of the outbreak. this river is used for the daily rituals of life. that is why the disease spreads so rapidly once the river was contaminated. the agencies are telling people not to drink the water, to wash their hands. they are told to use bottled water instead. the crowd listens carefully. this woman lost one of her relatives to cholera. she tells me she will not ever use river water again. people wish they had known before the the river could be deadly. this man told me it is good information, the people would not have died if they had known

that the river was poisoned. the cholera experts remain concerned that the river may have spread the disease so widely that it will take time to bring the epidemic truly under control. >> the afghan president has submitted that his chief of staff was given a large bag of cash from iran, but he has called it a transparent process. he says u.s. officials are aware of the payment and also provide cash to some afghan government officials. "the new york times" as reported the money was used to pay tribal elders and taliban commanders. >> the cash payments are done by various friendly countries to help the presidential office and to help the spins assistance --

dispense assistance in various ways to employees, people outside. this is transparent. this is something that i have also discussed even at camp david with president bush. this is nothing hidden. we are grateful for the iranians help in this regard. >> that was president karzai speaking today. we have this update from kabul. >> president karzai has confirmed the story that a large bag of cash was handed over to one of his government officials by the iranians ambassador to afghanistan. he says it is nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. the implication from president karzai is that this is how business is done in afghanistan. many countries, even the united states, give in this manner, in hard currency. it is used to help fund the president's office and a number of other government offices.

that explanation will be troubling for some people and some international partners, particularly those concerned about the endemic corruption within his government. having all of that money floating around undocumented is not good. some western supporters are worried about iran's growing influence in afghanistan and what they are getting in return for the payments. despite receiving billions of aid over the years, afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world. >> the international military force in afghanistan is denying reports that as many as 25 civilians may have died in a nato airstrike in the south. coalition forces are confirming that there was an air attack. they said that 14 insurgents were killed, including the taliban commander. afghan officials are investigating three of the indus

detainee at guantanamo bay has pled guilty to killing a u.s. army sergeant and conspiring with al qaeda. the 24-year-old canadian was 15 when he was detained. his the last westerners held at the camp. he will serve part of his sentence in canada. workers at three main french oil refineries have voted to return to work. it looks like a victory for presidents are cozy -- sarkozy. the unions and planned another national strike for thursday. a bomb has exploded in eastern pakistan. the killed at least six people and wounded more. the bomb went off after morning prayers. it is the third such attack in recent months on sufi of holy places. >> witnesses say that there have been hundreds of people at the shrine when the explosion happened. according to officials, a bomb

was attached to a motorcycle close to the entrance. it went off just after morning paris had finished. many pakistanis are asking how islamist militants suspected of carrying out the attack can justify mumming -- bombing and muslim place of worship. it is not the first such attack. earlier in the month, two suicide bombers blew themselves up. several worshippers were killed and dozens were injured. in the summer, a similar attack in lahore at the shrine of the most revered since in the region. the killed nearly 50 people. in a nation that has gotten used to violence, this was still an attack that caused considerable shock. several islamist groups including the taliban the worst of the shrines of saints seem to

have added the shrines to the long list of places in pakistan that they want to target. bbc news in islamabad. >> in chile, the miners rescued have been received as guests of honor at the presidential palace in the capital of santiago. they also played a football match against the man who rescued them. the miners took the early lead. gideon long has this report from santiago. puts a fortnight ago, the chilean president was at the mine to welcome the miners back into the world. today, invited them into his office. thousands of people gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the men. most of the miners seem to be taking their newfound celebrity in stride. a few do appear to be feeling the strain. their fame has spread far beyond chile. at the world expo in shanghai,

it is now a tourist attraction. it hardly matters that it was not used in the rescue. it is still seen as a piece of history. >> i feel as if i were at the rescue scene when i look at it. it is very touching. >> he has been reminding the world of just how successful the rescue was. this is a souvenir for the british prime minister david cameron, a rock from the san jose mine. there is another one for the queen. it has been less than two weeks since the miners were pulled to safety in the original phoenix ii capsule now on display in the main square in santiago. the men have packed a lot into this short time. the could surely have never imagined they would emerge as such celebrities. after the visit the palace, the miners went to the national stadium for a football match against the team from the

government. the game started well for the miners. they're seen here playing white. franklin, a former professional footballer, put them ahead. they scored for a lead. the government hit back with three goals, including one from the president himself. they won the match, 3-2. even media superstars like the chilean miners cannot always be on the winning side. gideon long for bbc news in santiago. >> done in in mexico killed 13 drug addicts at a rehabilitation center. -- gunmen in mexico killed 13 drug addicts at a rehabilitation center. it is thought to be linked to drug gangs. today's ago, 14 people were killed at a party. a tropical storm has battered police -- belize. 10,000 people had to take

shelter as the storm swept the island. some buildings were damaged but no injuries have been reported. an israeli human rights group has said that building has resumed at procter times the previous week. they say the obstacles are and -- settlements are an obstacle to peace. many of the workers are palestinian laborers who say they cannot get such well-paid work elsewhere. stay with us if you can. still to come. ♪do not stop believing >> do the young voters still believe in president obama? we will visit a glee club ahead of elections. the driver of an underground train pulled up in the london bombings in 2005 as told the inquest he tried to make a mayday call but his cab radio was not working. he had to use his cell phone. >> the driver of the train described the last part of the

explosion and then what he called the chilling call for help from the passengers. he said it still makes his blood run cold when he thinks about it. he attempted to make a mayday call on the radio in his cab. it was not working. he used his mobile phone to raise the alarm. he turned off the power and help to evacuate hundreds of passengers to sink along the tracks. above ground, the station supervisor was making increasingly desperate calls for help to the underground network control center. >> we have smoke and customers on the track. please get as many ambulances as you can. we have injuries. >> she disclosed there were no underground first aiders on duty that morning. there was more testimony today from the injured. she only one in to london that morning because of her involvement with the successful

olympic bid. >> the passenger next to me, perhaps i could have helped to end. i did not because i thought he was dead. and was told today that he died instantly. -- i was told today that he died instantly. it was very difficult for me being on the tracks. >> thelma stover lost part of her leg. she hopes coming to the inquest will help her emotional recovery. bbc news of the world court for justice. >> here are the latest headlines this hour on "bbc world news." the cholera epidemic may be stabilized. the u.n. has told the bbc that haiti must be prepared for further outbreaks. an attempt to buy influence or not?

the afghan president welcomes a large cash donation from iran. an earthquake of 7.5 has struck off the coast of sumatra. a tsunami warning was issued but has now been listed. thousands of villagers living near a volcano have been urged to move to safer ground. officials say it could erupt any time. here is our correspondent from jakarta. >> it means mountain of fire in indonesian. it has stayed true to its name. it is one of the most active volcanoes in indonesia. when it began spewing white clouds of smoke over the last few days, officials raised the alert status for the volcano to the highest level. it signalled an imminent eruption. many villagers are refusing to heed the warning. it is thought that more than 5000 people live on or near the mountain. authorities say anyone within 10

kilometers must be evacuated urgently. many local people are choosing to wait, saying it is too soon for evacuation's. refugee camps of already been set up. the government is taking no chances. this volcano has killed thousands in deadly eruptions before. the nearest big city has an estimated population of more than 10 million people. for many people here, it is a sacred place both revered and feared. local people believe it is home to ancient spirits. this mountain has caused a great deal of damage in the past. it has the potential to do so again. bbc news in jakarta. >> fiat has provoked an angry reaction from union leaders. they say the company would be better off without italy.

they described the competitiveness among the worst in the world. he is suggesting he wants to abandon italy. here is duncan kennedy from rome. >> his message was anything but casual. he said that fiat underperforms in italy because of poor productivity and cannot go on. then came his controversy over remarks. >> we're going to have more than 2 billion euros of operating profit in 2010. not a hero of that comes from our italian plant. -- not one euro of that comes from our italian plant. if we remove italy, fiat would be more productive. >> fiat has almost iconic status in italy. it has been around since 1899. it is part of the industrial and political heritage. that is why he has angered the

unions and political leaders with his comments. yesterday, he seemed to be more canadians than italian. he said something that is obvious for a non-italian manager. our country does not attract foreign capital and has poor competitiveness. the wider reaction is that he wants to shake up fiat, introduce new practices, and make it world-class. he has big plans for fiat in america with chrysler tieups. he wants the same ambition and performance in italy. his widely admired by many here. but saying that fiat is better off without italy is like saying general motors would be better off without the united states. it is pretty blunt. he has said that with only strait talking will fiat stay in

business. >> barack obama is facing his biggest selection test since he entered the white house. next week will see american voters elect senators, congressmen, and governors. if the opinion polls are right, it looks bad for the democrat party. our correspondent has been speaking to a glee club in philadelphia. believing ♪ >> meet the real life league club singers from the university of pennsylvania. many of them voted for the first time in 2008. they were part of the young voters to make sure their voices were heard. but i voted for obama. i agreed with his policies. there was a general sense of where the country needed to head. it was important to have more of a sense of openness. >> during his campaign, he was a political rock star. that really appealed to a lot of

young voters. >> more than 15 million people between 18 and 24 registered to vote in the united states. that might not be the biggest voting bloc, but it to make a difference. more than 2/3 of those under 30 who voted then voted for barack obama. thousands of young people volunteered and canvassed for him as well. >> young people rejected the myth of their generation's apathy. >> fast forward two years, and the president's approval ratings of fallen in this age group. on university campuses, he is rallying support for the democratic party in the upcoming election treated americans will be choosing senators and congressmen. it is also being seen as a referendum on the president's first few years in office. for rebecca, he is no longer the flavor of the month. >> i do not think i will be voting in the upcoming election.

what he said in his campaign was pretty hollow. >> if obama does not energize the young vote turnout for the candidates, the losses in the congressional elections will be far more significant. ♪ >> unprecedented number of young people turned out in 2008. opinion polls are predicting a much lower turnout next week. until then, expect the politicians to be doing some begging of their own. >> foraging for mushrooms is a tradition for centuries. it has been popularized in britain lately by celebrity chefs. it could be a threat to the country's woodlands. this summer produced bumper crops. some people caught collecting the mushrooms are being prosecuted. >> this force to seem the perfect autumn for mushrooms.

the warm, moist weather has seen fungi in unprecedented quantities. touching them is forbidden. even so, illegal mushroom picking has hit an all-time high. >> a pound would probably be 20th 30 pounds in money. that is quite a big market. it is effectively stealing from the forest. >> it may seem harmless if you are walking in the forest to pick a few mushrooms, provided to know which ones are poisonous and which ones are safe to eat. some people are picking mushrooms in commercial quantities. cultivation managers are worried that will damage the forest habitat and the animals that live here. mushroom picking has its defenders. she is an economist who runs courses teaching people how to for wild food. >> there is a big demand in the

restaurant trade. they say there are some things to convict for ever and there will not be an impact. it is about forging sustainably and sensibly. >> there is support for the ban on mushroom picking. >> people are abusing it and depleting the forests. >> people who pick it for home use are fine. the ones who want to collect hundreds of thousands to sell and make a profit is not right. >> it has become increasingly fashionable to use our natural habitat as a source of food. that fashion to place an unbearable strain on some of our most delicate ecosystems. >> thousands of new zealanders have taken to the streets to demand that the filming of two big screen adaptations are not moved overseas. warner brothers is suggesting a dispute over pay may force it to relocate. >> the fight for the future of

middle earth. this is no digital battle in a trilogy. it is a struggle but ordinary new zealanders to keep the filming of "the hobbit"in their country. the filming would generate fast revenue for the country. this is the first glimpse inside the home of bilbo baggins on the set. it is under threat. senior fellow executives are wary of committing more resources to new zealand. the film director is wondering what more can be done. >> it is a question of confidence in our industrial relations. the damage was done within a week with what was going on. what happens in the year when warner brothers has spent $250 million, half way through the film, and the actors decide to have some fun again? >> the unions said they have removed the threat of strikes.

>> i will not take responsibility -- warner brothers is trying to maximize profit. >> the acting profession is stepping in to try to prevent it happening. >> there will be no industrial action taken against the movie in new zealand. we made the resolution at the end of last week. we sent the information to america. >> it could be too little, too late. there are reports the warner brothers are already considering moving filming to england. that means new zealand's middle of may have already fought and lost its last battle. >> sony has confirmed it is stopping selling portable music player, the walkman in japan. it is already stopped production there. the walkman stock in stores will be the west. he changed lifestyles by popularizing music on the go.

the cassette walkman will still be produced and sold overseas. the jamaican musician has died in london. he was 59. ♪ he is probably best known for this, his 1982 song recorded with bob marley studios. his career was hindered by drug addiction. he returned for a final album in 2008. he was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. in haiti, authorities are saying the cholera epidemic may be stabilizing. agencies and hospitals are still on high alert. there are concerned the outbreak may strike the capital and the hundreds of thousands still living outside in makeshift camps set up after the january earthquake. the u.n. humanitarian representative has said that haiti should be prepared for the crisis to spread across the country though the number of new cases is falling. we have more information for you any time online.

thank you for watching. >> see the news unfold. go to bbc.com/news >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of vermont. the newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation and union bank.

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