>> "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 offers unique insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." new revelations in the catholic abuse scandal. the pope is accused of resisting disciplinary actions against an american priest. it a lesson from the 1980's -- a letter from the 1980's warrants secular priest may damage the church. and kurdistan warns those killed. the president fears for his life.

>> if i return, i will be killed. even worse, they will throw me to the crowd sang this is the man responsible for all the bloodshed. >> iran announces it is stepping up its nuclear program, and failing faster uranium centrifuges. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. nazi flags and an apartheid-era coming to an end for a funeral. and how the global recession came to tell the tiger. -- and how the global recession tamed the celtic tiger. hello. pope benedict has signaled he is prepared to meet more victims of sexual abuse by catholic priests.

and that the church will cooperate with police investigating such cases. as this change in policy emerged, so, too, have files from a church in california that suggest as far back as 1985, the future pope resisted defrocking and abusive priests there "for the good of the universal church." the associated press has obtained years of correspondence between the vatican and the diocese of oakland and the vatican has confirmed the signature of then-cardinal ratzinger error on the letter in question. -- then cardinal ratzinger error on the letter in question. >> he is the autocratic leader of an absolute monarchy. the sex abuse scandal has put benedict under unprecedented pressure. even in room, surrounded by catholic faithful, they're feeling the impact of a barrage of criticism. tonight, the latest blow,

evidence of the pope resisted the defrocking of this man, stephen kiesle, concerned over the scandal it would cause. he had abused two boys at this catholic school in california and the diocese tried to have him defrocked. but the pope, then-cardinal ratzinger pled for more time, asking them to consider the good of the universal church. the vatican has accepted this is the pope's the signature. the vatican faces a crisis of global proportions and one is not able to solve by itself. there is evidence tonight that pope benedict will soon impose far reaching rules, forcing every national catholic church in the world to take radical steps taken by the church in england and wales, meaning a zero tolerance policy, including suspending priests accused of abuse, reporting them to the police, and rapidly defrocking those found guilty. from the vatican suggest a

change in policy. >> the vatican is saying to the whole church, wherever it is, you have to make sure that the civil authorities are brought in at the earliest stage. there is no excuse anymore for dealing with anything behind closed doors. >> the pope's own at spokesman told catholic churches today that the only way they would regain trust was to end the secrecy and report all abuse to the police. this person who was assaulted by a priest as a child said the vatican cannot solve the crisis without addressing past abuse. >> to talk about offering moral support and meeting victims, but what the catholic church tends to do is not heal them. >> a few days ago, the pope's deputy told him to ignore idle gossip. it seems from the dramatic

change in tone that the vatican finally realizes the fight all churches are in. rescuers have pulled more bodies from a collapsed hillside in rio de janeiro. the death toll has risen to 256. emergency workers are abandoning hope of finding any survivors from the disaster caused by the heaviest rain in four decades. anti-government protesters have stormed a satellite station and restore the signal on a tv channel that was taken off the air by the authorities. they took to the streets, continuing the month-long protest. the oldest and long as serving member of the u.s. supreme court has announced his retirement. john paul stevens, who was nearly 90, is considered the leading liberal on the court. president obama is expected to announce a liberal-leaning replacement.

australia has suspended the processing of all asylum claims by people from afghanistan and sri lanka, citing changing circumstances and hoping to send a strong message to people smugglers. a day of mourning and the soviet republic of kurdistan in memory of those who died in the capitol on wednesday. at 76 people were killed when security forces opened fire on opposition demonstrators. presidentñ bakiyev who fled the capital is hiding in the south of the country but refused to admit defeat. our correspondent secure the first television interview with him since the unrest and sent this. >> brought a motion in the capital. this is the first funerals held for those killed on wednesday. the people of this small central asian country are stunned by the

scale of the violence. it broke out as opposition supporters took to the streets of the capital, demanding the president resigned. they are furious about a huge price increases. as they approached government buildings, the security forces opened fire. today, the leader of the new interim government went to visit some of the 500 people still being treated in hospitals for their wounds. they warn that the violence may not be over. >> we have information that today there were several bombs planted in three public places. i am not saying this to cause panic, but because i want to show how the current administration does not want to give up and admit defeat.

>> we went in search of the leader of that regime, president bakiyev. he is now in hiding in the south of kurdistan. it is exact location is a closely guarded secret. despite these more ordinary surroundings, he insists he is still president. he said he is the one now living in fear for his life. it is preventing him from returning to the capital. >> if i was to go to bishkek, i would be killed or they would throw me to the crowd, saying this is the man responsible for the logic. then i would be launched. >> mr. bakiyev did not want us to film anymore of the home or street that he lives on, but it is similar to this, and modest street. even getting there and coming back, we have to go through an elaborate system, changing vehicles to make sure we were not followed. these people are very concerned

that the high that remains the secret. his problems are not shared by many in the capital, to date parade in the memory of the dead. well aware that with the president refusing to resign, there could be further troubles ahead. iran has unveiled what it says is a new, more powerful third generation of nuclear centrifuges. gingrich's fuel for power plants, but there is concern could be used -- it gingrich's fuel for power plants, but there is concern could be used for nuclear weapons. there were celebrations for national nuclear day. this report is from tehran. >> iran unveiled its latest achievement. this simple steel cylinder encloses a new generation of centrifuge.

authorities say they can enrich uranium six times more efficiently than the existing model. for president ahmadinejad, it is a symbol of the national progress at and a message of defiance to the west. he told the loyal audience iran had gone nuclear, whether ill wishers like it or not, and dismissed any suggestion iran wanted to build a nuclear weapon. nevertheless, the concern from the west is the new centrifuges could speed up iran's ability to make a bomb. the big question is how quickly they could put them into operation,eang in mind problems they're ready had making the first generation machines run smoothly. i at their meeting in prague on thursday, president obama and medvedev of russia move toward new sanctions on iran over the nuclear issue. china seems to be moving closer as well. in an interview with the bbc,

the former head of the u.n. nuclear agency warned against such a move. >> it does not affect the region, it empowers them. the hard-liners, i understand, but if you have to do sanctions, target the regime and not the people. >> above all, a reminder of the importance of the nuclear program for mr. ahmadinejad as a tool in his domestic political battles and a reminder that the growing confrontation -- a reminder of the growing confrontation between iran and the west. not the style flat cover the coffin as mourners sang a funeral of a white supremacist leader terreblanche. he was murdered last week. two farmworkers have been charged. our correspondent sent this report. >> the world's press flocked to

see this picture of what's in south africa -- of white south africa. with anthems and salutes from the past, mourners came to say goodbye to a man they hail as a hero, but a man whose ridicule was despised by the majority of south africans. the short distance away from where the mourners gathered, the house where eugene terreblanche was bludgeoned to death. two farm workers, one at a teenager, are charged with his murder. despite all of the column, -- despite all of the of calm, this battle cry. that we are buying pistols and revolvers so we can protect ourselves. >> eugene terreblanche was leader of the right-wing paramilitary group the awb, which stood define and the dying days of apartheid, using violence to try to sabotage

reconciliation talks. by the mid-1990s, it was clear the awb was irrelevant. today's flags and uniform suggest a different story, a resurgence prompted by fears of crime. although they don't represent the whole nation, people were out here in force, bearing emblems of erases past. eugene terreblanche may have represented a minority view, but the turnout at the funeral is a subtle reminder that racial tensions still run deep. president zuma has tried to call on fears in the wake of the killing but has been slowed to rain and elements of this party blamed for feeling anti-white sentiment. there have been a series of high-profile scraps. a journalist was expelled from a news conference when it faced with a remark. a senior awb official walked out

of a tv interview when challenged about his views. as south africa bids farewell to one of its most infamous presets, the country is taking stock. -- one of its most infamous racists, the country is taking stock. one of the most prominent political figures in the years leading up to zimbabwe's independence has died at the age of 85. he joined the government of what was recalled the zimbabwe in a deal with the white prime minister in 1978. he was seen by some as a moderate black leaders, some saw him as a puppet of what politicians. stay with us. still to come, campaigning in sudan's elections, but most of the opposition is boycotting what should've been a piece of history. the governing coalition in sri lanaka has won the first

parliamentary elections there since the end of the civil war. preliminary results at the moment show the president of the united people's freedom alliance has so far won half the seats. it hopes to reach 2/3 majority. that is in part because it would allow it to change the country's constitution. our correspondent has this on the results on the results and implications. >> though the government is cruising to a landslide election victory, the next part of the united national party is far behind at only 46 seats. of far behind that, the alliance of the former army chief who fell out with the president, stood against him in the presidential election in january, and then and present. he has won his own parliamentary seat, standing despite being incarcerated. the only three districts that fail to put the government in

first place are in the north and east, tamil tiger dominated districts. the tamil national alliance came out on top. that is a party that was recently seen as a proxy for the defeated tamil tigers, much reviled by the government and most of the population. the president's government has won the election, do not really to the popularity of the politicians were not really a popular bunch but due to the popularity of the president himself. it will now be up to him to perhaps reach out to those people who do not necessarily see him as their natural politician of choice, for him to reach out so he can win the seat, having won the war last year. the latest headlines on "bbc world news," new revelations and

the scandal of a catholic priest assaulting children. a letter reveals the future pope resisted defrocking and abusive priests in california for the good of the church. kurdistan has been burying the victims of wednesday's public uprising. the president has not resigned but fears for his life. voting and sudan's elections begin sunday, the first multi- party polls in nearly a quarter- century. the run-up to the vote has been marred by boycotts and claims of rigging. still, the elections are seen as a vital part of the peace agreement signed five years ago that ended the fighting between the islamic north and the sovereign rebels. will ross is in southern sudan. >> election fever and southern sudan. their dancing toward polling day and an energy frenzy. it feels more like a

celebration it than victory. it might as well be. one party dominates. the splm, who fought decades against the islamic north. the welcome is for the president of south sudan. addressing the crowd, he lambast the sudanese president, accusing him of trying to grab the oil- rich along the north/south border. the splm is not challenging the president and has withdrawn its candidate citing alleged world fraud. hoping for an amicable divorce from the north, it looks to some like a strategic move. some people suggest is a convenient for you if the president were to win the presidency for the country. is that something you agree with?

>> well, it does not really matter. he will win the elections. >> they did not seem too worried about the president. many said that is because here in the south of sudan, the real focus is on next year, a referendum with possible independence for the south. an event which is prompting some people to leave. the number of worshipers here has been dropping as muslims move from the christian dominated south to the islamic north. they hope there will be a mixture whether or not the country splits. for generations, most southern sudanese have been cattle

herder's. conflict stifled any development. having lost all five of his brothers during the war, this man says he cannot trust the arabs to the north. it is a common view here. the bitterness runs deep. that is why most see the election as a mere stepping stone to the birth of a new nation, cutting ties to the north. there is much talk that officials in moscow will free the adoption of russian children by people in the united states in response to news that an american woman allegedly put her 8-year-old adopted russian son on a one-way flight back to his homeland. the children's rights office said the boy was carrying a letter from his adopted mother saying he was -- she was returning him because of severe psychological problems. a plan to scatter the ashes of server -- of a hiker or

scrapped because they said would bring bad luck. and the indian government has started the much awaited spectrum auction for telecom firms of the high-speed third- generation 3g mobile services. as greece struggles with massive debt, the debt rating agency fitch has downgraded the country by two points. they said the downgrade reflects what it calls adverse prospects for economic growth. ireland is struggling to keep its public finances under control. the government has already embarked on massive cuts in public spending. how is that affecting the irish people? our economics editor stephanie flanders has been in dublin finding out. >> the recession and ireland is easy to spot. here in shawnee financial buildings from the days of the

boom. here are empty construction sites, where a country that used to be called the celtic tiger ground to a halt. ireland had a much bigger boom and bust and a much bigger bust. its national income has caught -- fallen 20% since 2007, 1/5 of its economy wiped out. like britain, ireland has a record budget deficit of nearly 12% of national income. the difference is that here, the government already has had to take painful steps to bring borrowing under control. this person is a paramedic for the dublin fire brigade. with higher taxes and public sector wage cuts, his take-home pay has fallen nearly 1/5 in the past year, and he sees a broader impact of the crisis every day. >> it is terrible, people could not cope anymore. we see the effects it has on

people emotionally, psychologically, with suicides, attempted suicides. >> if you have not seen a greek- style rights on the streets. the prime minister has earned respect for sticking with the job even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in december. i asked whether he had any advice for the uk >> there are no easy solutions. the bulk of the government is transfer payments. you cannot get away with that. it is subsidies to different industries. and on the payroll taxes. >> treasury officials have been in public looking for lessons on how to cut. whoever wins the election, there could well be irish-style medicine heading our way. it is billed as the greatest people chase in the world and a bumper crop of more than 70,000

is expected to watch the runners and riders. the legendary course has a whole series of runs. friday, it was ladies' day at the course in britain. saturday is all about the big race. now joe wilson reports. >> thrills and spills, the sunshine at liverpool is expected to linger longer than the hangovers, a saturday afternoon when the real drama begins. you realize how much the grand national depends on bravery and luck. some jockeys do enjoy it more than others. this jockey is on the favorite for many people. it goes off at seven-one, he advises gamble elsewhere. >> it is the grand national.

you can get better odds with your money. >> could it be this trainer's term? >> obviously, just want to be lucky. >> this could be the most significant year ever for winning at the grand national because lining up in the race, she has a real chance of becoming the first female jockey ever to win this famous race. >> she herself is one of three women to run this race. that is not many. she is the best female jockey there has ever been. she is stand out the best. >> saturday is all about victory. joe wilson, "bbc world news." >> find much more on that and all the international news

anytime come on line, bbc.com/news. get in touch with me and most of the team on twittered. see what we are working on in the immediate future on at facebook. the main news, new revelations of the scandal over catholic priests assaulting children. a letter just revealed suggest the pope resisted defrocking an abusive priests in california "for the good of the church." >> 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 offers unique insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you? >> i'm julia stiles. >> i'm kevin bacon. >> i'm kim cattrall. >> hi, i'm ken burns. >> i'm lili taylor. >> i'm henry louis gates, jr., and public broadcasting is my source for news about the world. >> for intelligent conversation. >> for election coverage you can count on. >> for conversations beyond the sound bites. >> a commitment to journalism. >> for deciding who to vote for. >> i'm kerry washington, and public broadcasting is my source for intelligent connections to my community. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.