>> this is "bbc world news." 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

small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> one person has reportedly killed and thousands are injured. egypt's protest continues. workers strike for better pay from the country's military rulers. chevron vows to appeal after being hit with an $8 billion fine for a leak in the amazon. welcome to bbc news. order to reach a guilty verdict, reaching the red planet, a months into a simulated mission to mars, the crew stage a virtual touchdown.

the wave of popular protest in egypt has reached the streets of tehran where police used teargas to disperse the protesters. there are reports of the least one death. they have stepped up security, blocking access to internet sites. ar iran correspondence has been following developments. >> listen to what they are chanting tonight. that is the name of iran's supreme leader. it is a rare attack on the country's untouchable leader.

one man films this footage from a balcony. riot police take back the street from the protesters. here, and another man is taken away by the police. he said over the head as he walks away. -- he is hits over the head as he walks away. earlier, demonstrators went after a man they accuse of being a government spy. they're trying to follow what they had just seen in egypt. >> we can see hundreds of anti riot police and security forces and they started to disperse people by force. but people started chanting against the police. i could see a block of clashes. police started to launched tear gas. >> this protester had no fear of government. he waved his banners from the

top of a crane. the demonstrators believe that it is simple. there owed -- helped to inspire the protestors this year in egypt. now they say the arab world protest every inspired them to try to have another go at to facing down their own government in iran. demonstrators are on the streets of another middle eastern country. this time, the united states knows what it wants to say. >> they deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in egypt and dad are parked of their own birthright. -- it runsgovernment government defeated them in 2009 and will expect to do so again. >> the iranian security at some courses have been called to

crack down hard on the opposition. that does not mean the opposition movement is going to go away. >> we do not know if one day of protest by a few hundred people will make any difference, but the opposition has made one important point. it is still alive. >> earlier, i asked our washington correspondent how the white house is leading the situation in tehran. >> they are intrigued by this. they are in favor of the protesters. as soon as president mubarak resigned, the white house very quickly got on the front effect with regard to iran. it runs government -- iran's government to decide of the protesters.

but the americans are now hitting back. did you really did support the egyptian protesters, why are you not allowing your own people to say we did the same right to protest? we have that beat national security adviser making comments about it. iran is scared of the will of its people. they -- there is a sense in washington that one does not know what is possible in these tumultuous times. the americans have seized upon an opportunity to attack the government. >> what can we read into that? >> there is a big difference between egypt and iran as far as washington is concerned. egypt is a crucial ally in the region, of vital to the peace process. the americans were treading very carefully.

in terms of where they went in their public statements. on the other hand, the united states has had no relationship to speak of with iran for three decades. deadlocks at the iaea. americans have seen the opportunity. >> in egypt, and thousands of state workers have staged demonstrations. doctors, police officers, gathered across cairo to demand better working conditions. >> the freedom to protest brings with it all sorts of new challenges. a fight broke out today at the gates of the interior ministry, among police of this is

demanding more pay. euphoria of the past few days has been pushed aside by the tension suppressed. there is still a huge frustrations about low wages and rising prices. they are now springing up all over egypt, heating up the pressure. the ambition toward democracy depends on the goodwill of the general. the generals are pushing some reform, but they are wary of forces on least. >> we call it -- there was a fifth statement today urging people to return to work. if there is work, the died at the pyramids are pleading for the foreigners to return. the old government has pledged public sector employees a 15% pay rise, the millions of others survive on a pittance.

many give their support to the best organized opposition movement. >> this problem is a very big problem. catastrophic. >> with the economy under pressure, european governments are being urged to freeze the assets of the president and his family. >> there must be accountability. they have to return this money. this is where the foreign countries can help. it fits -- yes, it includes the president. >> they are rich. >> they are very, very rich. >> the opposition, recovering that money would be a huge vote winner.

in the end, the currency of a political system in which they wait impatiently. the luxury tax, the more likely it is that these demonstrations will go. -- the longer it is, the more likely that these demonstrations will go. >> it has ignited anti- government demonstrations elsewhere current and yemen, more than a thousand protesters. president ali abdullah saleh has offered some concessions. police used tear gas to protestors in bahrain. opposition groups have called the day of an end the gulf. a course in ecuador has fined the -- chevron for polluting

rivers and rainforest. the company dumped toxic materials in ecuador's northern jungle. >> according to the lawsuit, the collision took place over a 20- year period starting in 1972. past waves of the amazon region the damage in the dumping of toxic materials. the case was brought against chevron on behalf of 30,000 ecuadorian. they said 40 drilling business is responsible for damaging and killing farm animals and in widespread farm -- harm to the indigenous people. environmentalist hope the case will set a precedent. a spokesman for the plaintiff

describe the judgment as a great step toward justice. chevron has said it will appeal and called the ruling illegitimate. the company said it was the product of fraud and contrary to legitimate scientific evidence. >> president obama has said he wants to cut more than $1 trillion from america's federal budget to restore the united states to fiscal health. the proposed budget has seen as an opening bid in a long process of negotiation with house and senate leaders. there is already been a dismissive response from the republican party, which controls the house of representatives. you are watching bbc news. 50 days into the virtual voyage to mars. the astronauts stretch their legs from the seatup.

-- from d.c.walk. these 14 people have died in an air crash in honduras near the capital. the government minister believed to be the amount the victims. it crashed in heavy fog. >> the immediate aftermath of the crash, the wreckage of the plane strayed across the hillside. 14 people were on board at the time, all of them are killed. the control tower lost contact with them just after 8:00. they immediately raised the alarm that something was wrong with the aircraft. the course of the crash is being investigated, but one factor would have been the weather. heavy fog in the area at the time. >> there has been a cold front here for the last three days.

we heard the plane as it was trying to land. at the same time, it could not land because it was very cloudy. >> the plan was on rick to the airport when -- on route to the airport when the accident happened. the approach is one of the world's most dangerous because of the short runway, old navigational equipment, and laboring -- neighboring hills. news of the crash brought relatives and friends to the site. the grief for their loved ones palpable. a colleague of mine was on board. she was coming here to see about some paperwork. unfortunately, on this day, a valentine's day, i've lost a great friend. the tragedy has also claimed the lives of a senior government official and a union leader. ministers have declared three days of national mourning in their honor. >> you can find out more about that air crash by visiting our

website. at least one person has been reportedly killed and the iranian protests. workers across egypt had staged a series of strikes to demand better pay conditions. let's get more on our main story brick that is the protests that are taking place in iran. i asked her what she thought about the events taking place. >> despite all the propaganda, and all the threats from the military guard, today was amazing. i am really proud of my people

in iran. they took to the street and it was a boomerang. through all the footage, the main thing was against the supreme leader in iran. >> do you get a sense of a momentous change under way? >> yes. from all i have seen, they were chanting, mubarak. i just want to make one point, what has happened to egypt, all of the leaders in western governments, the leaders from countries in italy, they were encouraging mubarak to leave the country. when it comes to iran, we have

seen the president of turkey, he was more interested in commercial contracts. we need more support from leaders. >> what are you hoping to happen there? >> if we do not have any support from these kinds of leaders and they just care about nuclear activity -- and >> you are looking for the fall of ahmadinejad? >> we do not have any support, the iranian people have been tortured. they have been beaten to death in prison. >> hundreds of demonstrators have clashed with security forces in algeria. the protests were organized by the critics of the government.

thousands of people who had -- demanded that the president stepped down. here is what he had to say about any similarities between this situation in algeria and egypt. >> the situation here, i think it is different from tunisia. we are the same people. we same the same opportunities on the same problems, the same sort of regime. the only thing different about algeria is that algeria has just come out of a very bad civil war. a terrible civil war. i of scene 200,000 people killed. people are just fed up with the violence. we want to change, but people

are tired of violence. there is an opposition in this country. it is working with the government, so there is not credible people that people can look up to and say, we want to change the situation. it is terrible. a lot of people want to change, but they'd been no no one to lead the revolution. >> but to argue that the change was not necessarily about the removal of the president? a change that goes right to the heart of the government. >> absolutely. the regime is there. this is a military system that is ruling the country. >> is seen not the face of that military regime? -- is he not the face of that military regime? >> they are calling for change

and want him to go. the event antony's, people were happy. -- in the event and 10 ijaw -- tunisia, people were happy. the police state here is present. they are very clever. they have given a lot of concession. they have lifted the emergency rule. lately, they've given a lot of qualms to poor people. -- alms to poor people. algeria is not pork. the state has a lot of money. it is very complicated here. a very complicated. >> there has been a twist in the case in roszak involving the

business tycoon and assistant to the russian judge has said the verdict and sentence were not his own, but were dictated to him. the court authorities immediately denied the allegations. >> the verdict in the case came at the end of december. a few days later, he had six years added to the a years in prison he was already serving. this conveniently kept him aside during some crucial elections. the judge read the decision at breakneck speed in a low voice. the press secretary has claimed that the verdict was not his, but rather one that had been dictated by more senior judges. her boss had been under pressure from above the about the trial and became quite depressed by

the end. >> he began to write the the verdict. i suspect that -- he received another verdict, which she had to read. >> is a sensational allegation and one that reopened all the arguments over the case. human rights campaigners and senior international figures have complained he was put on trial over his actions in 1990's and early 2000's. they say was a political prosecution because of his support for opposition groups. if the allegations are true, it means that parts of the russian legal system are rotten to the court. -- core. >> the italian authorities say they have asked the european commission for $134 million to help deal with the immigrants in

tunisia. the situation was one that concerns all european states and should be treated as such. more than 4000 have arrived on the island over the past week. the un secretary council has -- after deadly clashes in a disputed border area. four days of fighting have left 8 people died. -- dead. in colombia, the release of two hostages has been suspended indefinitely. the rebels agreed to release the police major and army corporal on sunday. they failed to arrive at the agreed upon corvettes. one other hostage says another handover will not proceed until there is a guaranteed that the two hostages will be delivered.

the leader of an anti illegal immigration group has been convicted for the murder of a nine-year-old girl and her father during a home invasion. shawna forde is said to be sentenced on tuesday. she planned the attack to steal and drug money. for a months, a group of cosmonaut has been locked in a capsule attempting to recreate the experience of a trip to mars. it is a sign of the and division -- and ambition behind the russian space agency. they look at the physical and psychological of the facts. >> imagine coming into land on mars? month of flying this space leading to a touchdown.

emerging into the dust of this alien world and taking the first steps. at the moment, it is just wishful thinking. today, in moscow, two people prepare for a taste of what mars would be like. they put on a real space suits. it was heavy going. they pretended to be the first humans on the red planet. the surfaced here is a copy of a real service of mars. it is all happening inside here, this series of chambers with -- or six men have been cooped up for 257 days. what in the events today was a real astronauts. >> it is a lot of preparation. i am sure they are very excited. >> what is the point of this strange experiment? just getting from the earth to the moon is a relatively short

distance to the apollo astronauts three days. from earth, the journey to mars could easily take 8 months one way. that is why this experiment is so valuable. the six men are only halfway through this cosmic virtual big brother. getting along together is crucial. even more so, it's a real mission to mars was ever to happen. >> huge distances, huge risks. constant threats to life all the way through. psychologically and physically, it is unimaginable heart. >> what chances are doing this for real? at the moment, there is no money. for a while, this is as close as anyone will get. >> you can get more on david's report by visiting the website.

stay 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 financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you?