>> "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, large and small. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> almost 300 dead, hundreds more missing. officials admit indonesias tsunami warning system was not working at the crucial time. argentina mourns nestor kirchner, the former president who shaped the economic miracle in the country. a pakistan meet-born american is arrested over an alleged plot to attack several stations in the u.s. capitol. welcome to "bbc news," broadcast around the world. coming up later, campaign cash by the billions. the u.s. midterm elections are awash in money, but does a big wallop really guarantee victory? get ready for the ride of your

life, the ferrari with a difference. as thousands of indonesian villages spend a second night in emergency shelters, the death toll from the tsunami has risen to at least to under 82. an early warning system introduced after the indian ocean tsunami six years ago was not working when monday's disaster struck. authorities were also dealing with a volcanic eruption and thousands of people have been evacuated from areas where at least 30 people have died. the devastation from the tsunami zone is only beginning to emerge, and rescuers have yet to reach the worst affected areas. rachel harvey since this report. >> an island paradise, ravaged

by the force of nature, bald patches were palm trees once stood, and their foundations left exposed. this amateur video shows survivors of the tsunami picking through the remains of their lives. these tourists rescued from the sea, their boat rammed by another. >> we were caught by a wave. the came surging into us on the wave, hit us directly in the side of the boat, piercing a cool tech. it caught on fire immediately. >> indonesia is no stranger to seismic troubles. this is the latest tremor along an unstable poland. as the effects of one disaster become clear, another is still unfolding. the mountain smolders ominously, dominating the horizon. the volcano erupted tuesday night. cars, buildings, farmland,

coated in layers of hot, gray ash. schoolrooms no bedrooms for extended families. dozens have been evacuated from the danger zone. her house is just 5 kilometers from the peak. >> i heard the volcano exploded. then people were running and screaming. it is raining ash. >> nature has a way of providing its own solutions. the rain has arrived, a heavy downpour. it is something of a relief, because everything here has been covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. it is a fine dust, cutting everything. it catches in the back of your throat, but the rain will clear the air. >> of food provided by volunteers, welcome comfort before settling down to another nervous night, watching and waiting for the volcano's next move. rachel harvey, bbc news, indonesia.

>> he was set to challenge for another term as president of argentina, taking over again from his wife, who had succeeded him in the post, but instead nestor kirchner has died of a heart attack at the age of 60. the family tragedy that raises questions about argentina's future leadership and whether the president can both government and grief. from buenos aires, our report. >> nestor kirchner was not always a popular figure in argentina, but he helped oversee the country emerged from a profound economic and social crisis. his death has shocked the nation. flags are at half mast and mourners gathered in the main president -- in front of the presidential palace. >> a conrad has gone. a friend has gone. a statesman has gone, a man who understood the needs of the

people. >> nestor kirchner became president in 2003 and helped guide argentina back to relative stability after years of turmoil. he encouraged the prosecution of those responsible for human- rights abuses in the 1970's and 80's. he surprised many when he stood aside in 2007 to let his wife, cristina, run for president. he was widely expected to stand again in 2011. he did not rest well of office. he took control of the powerful peronist party, and became part of the south american regional body. his death will be deeply felt. >> with my wife, we have developed a close and true friendship with the president and her deceased husband. therefore, i am deeply affected at a personal level. >> nestor kirchner was twice

taken to hospital in the past year, having bypass surgery last month. within days, against advice of his doctors, he was back in action alongside his wife. nestor kirchner dominated argentine politics for more than seven years, first as president and then behind the scenes as leader of the powerful peronist party, and in latin america. his death leaves a huge gap that will need a new assessment by his supporters and detractors of the political landscape. bbc news, buenos aires. >> the man has been arrested in the united states over a plot to attack substation's around washington. the department of justice alleges that farooque ahmed was conspiring with people he believed were part of al qaeda. the operation was a trap laid by u.s. authorities.

dr. livingston is the chairman and ceo of executive action, and an expert on u.s. terrorism and national security issues. i asked him what is known about the suspect. >> we do not know much yet. he is 34-year-old. he appears to have a degree in computer science, a wife, a child, and lived a relatively normal and quiet life in suburban virginia, just south of washington. >> how did the authorities learned about him? >> we do not know all the details about that yet, but we presume that he made contact with someone, whether it was on the internet or whether it was some other organization or facility, where he expressed his desire to carry out attacks against people in the united states. the people that he met with

either were informants for the fbi or ultimately worked for the fbi, and set up a sting operation. >> of course, his arrest must reveal some level of the danger the u.s. public is in. >> the attack that he was considering was certainly -- it bore some resemblance to the attacks in the u.k. in 2005, and over the last month we have had several tapes that have come out from al qaeda on the internet, including one from an american- born spokesman for al qaeda, in which they talked about american jihadists should step up and attack restaurants at lunchtime, killing as many people as possible. they should go out and buy a pickup truck and run it into a crowd someplace to see how many people they can kill. there has been some agitation,

both from al qaeda and in the pakistan/s afghanistan region as well as the internet trying to extort -- to extort americans to carry out individual actions. that is probably what this guy was doing. >> reports from pakistan said five suspected militants have been killed in a u.s. drug strike in the west of the country. reports say that the ground attack what has been described as a militant compound in the northwest trouble area. security officials are reportedly claiming that three of those killed were arab nationals. there are reports of a second suspected outbreak of cholera in haiti. a hundred seven people are said to be affected at different hospitals. nearly 300 have already died of the disease and more are being treated for the infection. the humanitarian spokesperson in

haiti joins me live from port- au-prince. give me an idea of the situation there at the moment. >> we have an escalation here, no question. we have more cases. we now have 303 deaths and 4700 cases hospitalized. the 107 are not confirmed. they are in the western province, the area where most of the earthquake affected zone is. we do have news now that there are other departments in the north. that brings us up to four departments which have provinces in haiti affected. we are looking at a spread of the disease tonight. >> we heard on sunday from the foreign minister confidence expressed about tackling the disease. it appears to be under control for the time being, he said.

do you go with that comment? >> when he said that, he was referring to the center of this outbreak. we are seeing fewer cases in fewer deaths from that department, but that bears no relation to the spread into other departments as it moves across the country. it is a stabilization but does not reduce the possibility, as we are now seeing become a reality, that it moves across the rest of the country, which is why we have been saying we have been preparing for a nationwide outbreak to port-au- prince and the west department, which is everybody's worst fear. >> the u.n. humanitarian secateurs from haiti. thank you very much for joining me. you are watching "bbc news." secret files in berlin that proved germany's diplomats were involved in the holocaust.

here in the u.k., david cameron says he will go ahead with controversial changes to housing benefits, despite evidence of concern among coalition mps. labor claims the policy could drive as many as 200,000 out of major cities. >> how much should people be paid to keep a roof over their heads? 38,000 people claim more than 200 million pounds in housing benefits each year here. writ large across the country, the numbers are more startling. 11 billion pounds is spent annually on housing benefits 10 years ago. today, it is 20 billion, which the government says is unsustainable. there is to be a cap. no one is able to claim more than 400 pounds a week, and 810% cut for anyone claiming job- seekers all loans from more than a year. for people like james, these cuts are worrying. he claims these are money that

allowed him this week to leave a hostile and move into this flat. >> they want to & of that. i am going to be homeless. "would have to move out? >> i would be evicted. >> fears like this are worrying some tory and liberal democrats. the prime minister said he is no -- in no mood to compromise. >> we are bringing forward housing benefit reform. let me tell you why. housing benefits for working age people has gone up by 50%. this is a budget completely out of control. >> in east london, something the government is on the right track. >> people ought to do things for themselves, really, rather than expecting a handout from everyone else. >> the government is standing firm, putting taxpayer ahead of clement, making cuts that will change the lives of millions in london and across the country.

bbc news, east london. >> you are watching abc news. the headlines this hour. the death toll from a tsunami that hit several remote islands in indonesia has risen to almost 300. there are warnings that the country's most active volcanoes may erupt again. latin american leaders have been paying tribute to the former president of argentina, nestor kirchner, who has died of a heart attack. he helped shape the economic recovery in the country. gunmen in mexico have killed at least 15 people at a car wash in a coastal city. local media says the employees lived in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. it is the latest in a series of attacks and comes days after gunmen shot more than a dozen recovering addicts in tijuana. police believe the clinics are being targeted by drug cartels who suspect them of harboring

men from rival gangs. this news comes as a further had it for mexican president felipe the calderon as it continues to crack down on the drug cartels. he told us the united states should do more to force down the appetite for drugs. since he came to power, over 30,000 mexicans have died in drug-related violence. steven sacker husband to -- has been to the site of a rival gang war. his report contains graphic images. >> this is mexico as mexicans would like to be, the vibrant capital city, a growing economy, a latin american powerhouse. but dig a little deeper, and you find a country traumatized by violence and death. they call it narcoterror. as for mexican security forces, one look at this police station tells you they are being

outgunned by the drug cartels. even the station dog took a bullet. the entire police force has now resigned out of fear. has vowed toident eliminate organized crime. as the body count rises, so does the pressure. >> it is not going to be easy and it is not going to be fast. it is going to be painful. but we will prevail and we will defeat the criminals. >> the wave of violence has not yet hit mexico city itself, but it is getting closer. i am on the highway, heading south out of the capital, toward a favorite weekend retreat for middle-class mexicans. in the last year, it has been the scene of a vicious turf war between different drug cartels. just hours after we passed through, four more bodies were

dumped on the side of this highway. this place still attract weekend visitors, but there is a wariness in the air. the drug gangs are mostly murdering each other, but civilians have been caught in the crossfire. >> the moment we go out, we get frightened something might happen. i have friends who were in a shopping center. suddenly, there was gunfire and had to take cover. we are living in a dangerous situation. >> tens of thousands of federal police and troops have been deployed to disrupt the cartel supply lines. billions of dollars worth of drugs are going into the u.s.. thousands of firearms are being smuggled in the opposite direction. mexico is desperate for more american help. >> the have a clear responsibility in this. they need to do a lot more in terms of reduced consumption,

and to stop the flow of weapons. >> you're saying that are not meeting their responsibilities. >> yes. on this particular matter, they do not. >> heavy toll barack obama? >> absolutely. >> the president rejects mexico as a failing state. he believes the war on organized crime can be one, but many of his people are filled with doubt. >> with less than one week to go until american voters give their verdict for barack obama's presidency, many of the campaign races are too close to call. here is our washington correspondent. >> 30 years ago, my husband and i started our business. >> she seems conventional, until you see her in action. >> i am linda mcmahon. >> she has dropped $50 million

of her rustling empire fortune to try to become the next senator from connecticut. millionaire candidates are nothing new. americans have never resented people for making money or using that money to finance a life in politics. what has radically changed this year is the ability of outsiders to spend as much as i want to influence a campaign, and to do so anonymously. the supreme court ruled in january that corporations and unions have the same rights as individuals to give unlimited donations to groups that support or denounce candidates. this man has been advocating for campaign finance reform since before watergate. >> the idea that spending huge amounts of money to elect or defeat a candidate will not buy influence with that can did it is absurd. >> president obama rails against the outside funding groups. >> they do not have the courage

to stand up and disclose their identities. they could be insurance companies. they could be wall street banks. we do not know. >> the president does not mention that unions are also spending tens of millions of dollars to support democrats. to see what difference all this money makes in a tight race, we have come to new hampshire, where cash is flowing in the senate campaign. >> on a good run, i get to reflect on what you have been telling me, and how important it is that we change washington. >> the republican and democratic opponent raised about $4 million each of their own funds. >> i am fighting for tax cuts for middle-class families and small businesses. >> but that message has been overwhelmed in the last month but outside groups, who spent a further $4 million attacking. i met up with hodes in manchester. >> i am the most highly targeted

senate challenger in the country. i ought to be flattered. most folks who are on the air do not care about new hampshire jobs. they do not care about small businesses. they are going to want payback. >> the conservative groups say democratic complaints are just sour grapes. >> if you look at the last few election cycles, the center-left and democratic groups have dominated political spending. now republicans are raising a lot of money. i think a lot of folks do not like how that looks. >> it is what happens in this building after the election that really matters. we will not always know who paid to influence what part -- what policy, but it is clear the money in this campaign will affect american legislation from years to come. bbc news, washington. >> some of germany's leading diplomats were deeply implicated in the holocaust, according to an official report.

for decades, the german diplomatic services denied any significant role in the mass murder of european jews, but the report finds evidence of widespread collaboration. >> in the vaults of the german state like the details of this nation to of darkest past, the minutia of mass murder, the receipts, the train timetables, the expenses claims. for decades, the country but diplomats airbrushed themselves out. this was the foreign office. many stayed on after the war, but no mention was made of what they had done as nazi embassadors. the official report of the truth is about to be published. >> the foreign ministry tried to disseminate the impression that it was a clean ministry within the criminal regime. this self image is going to change or must be changed after reading this.

>> the detail is devastating. take this foreign ministry official. after going to serbia in 1941, he filed his expenses climb. it said, "liquidation of jews in belgrade." these are truly the corridors of power. this building was built by the nazis. in this ministry, a lot of very grand people came to believe they had nothing to do with the killing, that their hands were clean. this book snails that live. >> what lessons for today's embassadors? like the man traveling to berlin to receive the report? >> if you look to the past, particularly germany, where we had a criminal regime for over 12 years, this means you have to see that you cannot leave your values. you have to stick to the values. this is a lesson which is also

there for the future. >> but the real mystery remains. how did this man persuade clever people the wrong was right? and why was silence acceptable after the war? the report breaks open the arguments. steven evans, bbc news, berlin. >> a new high octane attraction is dedicated to the italian sports car, ferrari. it is about to open in of zero dhabi. the owners hope will help the arab emirate have tourist success. >> with a roof as sweeping as a sports car, flame red with a distinctive black horse, it could be only one thing, a temple to all things ferrari. three years in the building, another gulf state superlative. >> it is a tremendous debt. what we have here is a unique

destination, the only one on earth, the largest covered theme park on the planet. >> ferrari can do amazing things, though this is really one of them. but the exhibition is not just about ridiculously fast cars and art. there is a chance for mortals to experience the g force, if not the danger, of driving a formula one car. next month, the real thing will race at the from pre circuit next door. for those who prefer to be a passenger, there are several roller-coaster, including one billed as the world's fastest. the park is part of a $40 billion development on an island off of the dhabi -- abu dhabi, and part of their determination to become a major tourist

destination like their neighbors. >> 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, large and small. 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. >> 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.