>> "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 financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from smause businesses to major

corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> a state of emergency in christchurch, new zealand, after the city is hit by a powerful earthquake. a television presenter and a former ambassador are among six people convicted of abuse at a portuguese children's home. the taliban in pakistan says it carried out a suicide bomb attack which killed at least 50 people. and enjoying a renaissance, the priceless vitt can tapestries reunited in london with the paintings they were adapted from. >> welcome to "bbc news." broadcasting to your viewers in the u.k. and around the world.

a state of emergency has been declared in new zealand's second largest city after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck. the epicenter was 55 kilometers northwest of the city of christchurch. power and water sthrice have been disrupted, but there are no reports of death. aftershocks were reported for several hours afterwards. here is our report. >> buildings have been destroyed, reduced to piles of rubble. bridges have collapsed, and roads are impassable after a major earthquake in christchurch. hours after it struck this morning, rescue workers continued to serve for trapped survivors, but so far there have only been a handful of seriously injured. >> i think we have been extremely lucky as a nation that there have been no

facilities, given that the earthquake was 7 had not 4 and the after shock was 7.1. er lucky for the limited amount of damage we have experienced. >> tremors were felt across parts of south island and north island as well. it was but here in the country's second largest city that a state of emergency had to be declared. water mains were bus, cars were crushed by toppled chimneys and power was out. immediately after the earthquake, people went into the street to escape the buildings they were -- that were collapsing. some parts of the city had to be closed off after looting broke out, but police said it was quickly contained.

although power is expecteded to be restored in 24 hours, it will be month before all can be repaired. "bbc news." >> our reporter, greg ward, is in auckland, new zealand. i asked him about the extent of the damage. >> a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, this is really one of the biggest this century to strike new zealand, and i can tell you it has caused widespread structural damage in the city. it is a city of 380,000. major damage to businesses and homes throughout the city. amazingly, no facilities. two people in hospitals, two men struck by falling debris. the main store is water, which has been cut, and no idea when water will be returned. and power. tens of thousands of christchurch residents are also without power. but no fatalities. >> there are reports that the

prime minister is flying from auckland by helicopter to inspect the damage because the airport has been closed? >> he has just landed. minutes after landing he told television reporters how his own family, relatives, described what it was like in their own homes in christchurch when the quake struck. it was a very lengthy series of violent jolts. terrified families took shelter in door ways or under tables. they feel no family or business has been unaffected. >> we have heard a state of civil emergency has been declared? >> yes. within the past our, a state of civil emergency, which gives authority to command evacuations and take local control over resources. the quake appears to have caused far wars damage to the

structural part of the city than first thought. many buildings have been reduced to rubble. fortunately the quake occurred at 4:30 in the morning when the city center was quiet. but thousands of families report property damage. there is also reports of gaming cracks suddenly a merging in back yards and road. emergency services say 10 people have had to be rescued from huge cracks that have opened up. >> a leading television presenter, a former ambassador and a lawyer are among six people who have been found guilty of repeatedly abusing children in a home. the abuse centered on an institution carrying for around 4,500 children. sarah reports. >> she was -- he was surrounded

by cameras as he walked into court. accused of abusing young boys as part of a pedophile ring. he pled innocence. they read each and every accusation of abuse and in most cases found them guilty. boys as young as nine and 10 were raped repeated by by a driver and then offered to other men for men. one boy was so brutally vimetted, he has been left incontinent. >> it has been a bit complicated, a bit painful to listen again to all what happened. but on the other hand, to hear the judge saying our names, linking them to the proven facts, it's good because it is as if the eight years of this process has dragged on and is finally bearing fruit. >> the driver has been

sentenced to 18 years in prison. another one got seven. he calls that a mistake. for the boys who suffered so much and for so long, the guilty verdict is crucial. but many say this trial only skims the surface. many victims couldn't identify their abusers, and many others are still too frightened to speak out. >> the pakistani taliban has said it carried out the suicide bomb attack that killed at least 53 people in a southwestern city. it happened at a crowded market during a shiah muslim really. it is the second attack on shiah muslims in the country this week. here is our report. >> this is the moment the bomb went off, captured as pakistani tv was filming a rally. the target of the explosion, a procession of shiite muslims,

out in a show of support. you can hear the gunshots fired in the day yoss. some reported to have fired in the air after the attack. thereed apparently been intelligence warnings before the bomb went out. the government says they can no longer protect outdoor gatherings. there were many wounded, some say over 100 in the major sectarian attack in pakistan this week. on wednesday a shiite procession was hit by three explosions. more than 30 people were killed. the pakistani taliban said they carried out the triple bombing. it was the first major attack since pakistan was hit by devastating floods in late july. as the country struggles to cope with the humanitarian crisis, it's long-running security crisis is continuing to take and scar more lives.

"bbc news." >> mexican soldiers have killed at least 30 secretaried cartel members in two shouts in the north of the country. all the gunmen are believed to belong to the zeta gang seconded of killing 72 migrants two weeks ago. >> with the bodies of gunmen still lying on the ground, this was the scene of a mexican shout, part of the country's four-year war on drugs. soldiers targeteded members of a gang secretaried of one of the biggest cartel massacres to date. 72 migrants found dead near the gumbing. one of two survivors said they were all murdered because they refused to work for the gang. >> i heard them firing at my friends, and then they were firing at me. they fired at me and then killed all the others. they stopped firing and left.

they killed everyone. >> it was the latest in a number of recent massacres. in may, 55 bodies were found in an abandoned mine south of mexico city. in july, 54 bodies were found in a dump outside of monterey. and then on august 23, 72 bodies were found south of this border town. as this gang stronghold was raided on thursday, mexico's president urged support for his increasingly bloody war. >> i know that among many citizens there is uncertainty and grief. but i tell them with absolute certainty that it is possible to control criminals. it is not going to be easy or fast, but it is possible. >> the government said the raid was carried out after a

military aircraft spotted several near the border. when they moved in, gunmen opened fire, wounding two. >> renewed forest fires in russia have killed at least five people and destroyed hundreds of homes and other buildings. high winds and temperatures up to 40 degrees celsius have fueled the flames. in july, 50 people were killed in western russian by the worst wildfires in many years. this is our report. >> if the people of russia had thought the worst was over, they were wrong. fires sweeping through home after home. people trying desperately to beat back the flames, many without success. some reports say nearly 500 buildings were destroyed in two provinces. >> the house of my daughter-in-law's mother burned down completely. she has a daughter, and they are both at my son's house.

and their parents' house has burned down. last month, heavy rains put out fires in much of the country, but part of the south remained hot and dry. that is one reason, but there are others. >> we believe the main reasons for the fires are human factors. we just can't escape it. having said that, we also had a few cases of electrical wires falling over and sparking. of course the burning rubbish dumps also contribute to spreading the fire. >> local officials say that winning the fight and -- say they are winning the fight, and most of the fires are under control. the hot weather is scheduled to continue until at least next week. the danger has not been totally extinguished yet. "bbc news." >> three pakistani prisoners at the center of allegations of corruption have been questioned

by police in london. the three were quized separately over claims that they were paid as part of an alleged betting scam. they have been provisionly suspended by the international cricket council, but deny any wrongdoing. you are watching "bbc news." still ahead, drivers advised to seek alternative routes, going nowhere in china's 120 kilometer long traffic jam. >> the business tie could not has finally appeared in court 17 years after gleeg britain. he was ordered by the judge to wear an electronic tag. he is accuseded of fraug following the collapse his business empire. he returned last week. his trial will now not stop for a year. here is more. >> he arrived at the court in a

motorcade with security more suited for a head of state. the first time he had been add court since the fled the country in 1993. back then, he had been about to stand trial on 66 counts of theft in an alleged multimillion pound fraud following the collapse of his business. >> i am here, unfortunately, to make an effort to prove my innocence. >> his bare sister told the judge that he was anxious to have the case heard as soon as possible. but mr. bean refused to rush the prosecution, saying in 1993 when his trial was pending, he fled the jurisdiction by air. the 17-year delay is not the fault of the prosecutor. it is the fault of mr. nadir. the judge did give him bail, but with conditions. >> he has to sleep every night at this house in mayfair. his lawyer argued against

electronic tags, but he is if ied with one. other conditions include a curfew to 6:00 in the morning. he has surrendered his passport and has been banneded from airports. the trial is scheduled for october of 2011, and his lawyers are trying to have it stopped, arguing that parts of the investigation were unlawful. daniel sanford, "bbc news." >> you're watching "bbc news." a reminder of the headlines. a state of emergency has been declared in new zealand's second city, christchurch, after it was hit by a powerful earthquake. a television presenter and a former ambassador are among six people who have been convicted of sexual abuse at a portuguese children's home. >> the taliban in pakistan says it has carried out a suicide bomb attack on a shiah muslim

procession in which at least 53 people were killed. >> el comandante is back. fidel castro made his first speech in a while today. he addressed nearly 10,000 people on the threat of nuclear war. here is more on the latest chapter of castro's comeback. [cheers and applause] >> fidel castro was back in full military uniform for his first open air open address since undergoing major surgery four years ago. thousands of students and other supporters filled the stands leading up to the university of havana to catch a rare glimpse of their 84-year-old former leader.

quoting the bbc, he spoke about mounting tensions over iran's nuclear program. he warned that the u.s. and israel could drag the world into a nuclear war. >> for my part, i have no doubt about iran's capacity for conventional response. this would provoke a ferocious war which the blidge rants could not control, and it would provoke a nuclear conflict. >> there was no mention of domestic politics or the dire state of the cubans economy, issues which fidel seems happy to leave to his younger brother, raul castro row. instead, he is concentrating on foreign affairs and working on his mix wars. it was here on the steps of havana university that a young fidel castro first rows to prominence as a radical student leader. but ever since the revolution, the only student group allowed

is the union of young communists. accident is not allowed. there are no signs of any political reforms. >> the revolution saved cuba from the former corrupt regime, a communist party member told me. there is nothing to change now. what we have to do is keep what we have. >> we have to defend the revolution and continue to fight for our legacy, the party, and raul, this student said. others were happy to see him. it was really emotional, this student said. fidel castro said recently that he had been near to death several times during his illness and almost lost the will to live. now it seems he is making up for lost time. "bbc news," havana.

>> this weekend the 33 miners stuck almost a mile underground in chile will mark their first month in their strange new world. the long process of trying to get them out continues. a second drill has gotten to the site, and soon they will be able to see and speak directly to mayor relatives. here is the latest our correspondent. >> a moment of hope. as a second drill arrives at the san jose mine, relatives of the miners emerge from their homes to greet it. each time a new piece of equipment is hauled up the road to the mine, this is the reception it gets. the families here know that their chances of seeing their loved ones again lie with this technology. the first drill has already reached a depth of over 40 meet erls. but the rescue team is taking no chances.

they have a plan b. and he explains what it is. he says the new drill will be set up further down the mountain and the old one. this one will enter the hillside at an angle. she says this is the drill that will free her brother from deep beneath the ground. >> it is the machine of hope. it is the machine of miracles. that is the name we've given to it, because that is the machine that is going to bring our men back to us. >> it will take two days for i think nears to assemble this new kit. they expect to strart drilling sunday. they don't know which of the two drills will reach the miners first, and frankly, they don't care. they just want one of them to make it through the rock and down to the trapped men. >> in china, more than 10,000 vehicles remain stuck in a 120

kilometer long traffic jam on the main route between beijing and tibet. the gridlock has been described as a big car park. they say road work is to blame for the latest jam. mark patience, aptly named, is there. >> bumper and bumper and going nowhere fast. where every inch feels like a mile. this is china's latest monster traffic jam. thousands of trucks and a tailback stretching for 100 kilometers. >> this truck driver says he has been stuck here for days. he is desperate to get home to see his daughter off to college. with no toilet, shops or entertainment nearby, the drivers are left to make due. the locals of that set up temporary food stalls to cater for their captive market.

>> the drivers asked me to cook hot food for them. so i went out and bought a gas stove. >> and business will remain brisk, and the cooking will continue until the congestion ends. most of the trucks here are transporting coal across china. it's the fuel that powers this country's booming economy. on what should be one of china's busiest highways, it is just this, a car park. the country spent billions of dollars on new roads. the critics say it hasn't kept pace with the volume of new vehicles hitting the highways. >> this truck driver says he is losing $150 a day because of the traffic jam. but every so often, the trucks move forward. and while the trailback hasn't

cleared, the drivers are a bit closer to where they are meant to be. martin patience, "bbc news", china. >> for nearly 500 years they have graced the chapel in the vatican, but four priceless tap have gone on display in london. it starts in a fortnight. the tapestries were designed by rafael, and for the first time they have reunited with his original pictures owned by queen elizabeth. >> now this is a special delivery, and they will handle with care. they have been waiting for a long time for this moment, the chance to get their hand on rafael's tapestries. all of them are masterpieces that zpict the acts of st. peter and st. paul. they were economicsed nearly 500 years ago to hang on the lower wallace of the says teen

chapel. they were intended to provide scriptural justification of papal authority. >> it is the first time ever that they have been hung side by side with these, the rafael cartoons, the designs and rafael and his assistants painted as a guide to the we'vers who were making the tapestries. it really is quite a union. when you compare the painting with the tapestries, you can see that the we'vers have put their own spin on the composition. for the creators, their admireation for the weavers has only increased. >> when i see the designs they were working from and how they interpreted those and the skills with which they created the work of art from the

painting makes me far more dazzled by their markmanship. >> the unprecedented decision to lend the tapestries to the b.n.a. was endorsed from the highest level. the man from the vatican said yes. >> the works that the queen of england owns and the works that the open owns are complement area. together they make a whole. that is a wonderful message that the pope can bring. >> this really is a reunion. rafael's cartoons are far too fragile to travel. and the tapestries, well, they are not going to be hanging around for very long. "bbc news." >> a reminder of our main news. a television presenter and a former ambassador are among six people who have been convicted of sexual abuse at a portuguese children's home. and a state of emergency has been declared in new zealand's

second city, children, after it was hit by an earthquake. >> 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 expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, new at 11:00 -- newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation and union bank. ♪

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