>> "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 expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> iceland's mechanic ash cloud is still blanketing northern europe and scandinavia, and it may be spreading 70's. air travel in europe has been crippled. planes are stacking up. cancellations could last into the weekend. financial fallout. goldman sachs is charged with defrauding investors. it denies everything, but the share price plummets. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you --

will live from the rubble. at least 1000 people are dead in china's massive earthquake. and haunted by its past -- the u.k. election campaign picks up and we're in north ireland -- northern ireland, finding out what the battle for westminster means there. hello to you. it is still there, still problem, and may be spreading. the clouds of volcanic ash from iceland drifting across europe will cause disruption well into the weekend. british scientists have a specially equipped research plan to gather samples and assess the risk. they are warning conditions are very dangerous for commercial aircraft. in our science correspondent reports. >> the latest footage from the

skies above iceland, and it is bad news. the plume is still rising. even now, the erection is powerful enough to force and a stream of ash high into the air, and the winds keep pushing its towards europe. sunlight struck the clouds. there are breaks. what is it hard to calculate is how dangerous it is, but tonight with the first worrying answer. the british research plane had been investigating. powered by a propeller, it is not as vulnerable as the jet and fitted with special instruments. it is one of the few aircraft are operating. the researchers on board monitored the air outside. in the distance on the horizon, the blurred line marks the plan. the standard aircraft radar systems failed to detected -- to detectives. >> what we found is a lot of smoke up there.

below 10,000 feet, we found the three distinct layers of volcanic residue. -- what we found is a lot of muck up there. i would not want to put an airplane up their. -- up there. >> all day, the volcano has kept on erupting. the latest research has revealed how molten rock is bursting through a layer of ice that is at least 100 meters thick and it is coming through in five different places. it is generating huge amounts of ash. this microscopic images were the first samples of particles dangerous to aircraft, but not said to be hazardous to people. >> the ash was gathered from the shetland islands, a thin layer found on cars. >> i will go up this morning in my car was covered in this fine grey talcum-like powder.

which, as you can see, it is really blackberry >> health risks are low, -- which as you can see, it is really black. >> health risks are very low. >> at least 17,000 flights have been canceled, butts 1 airport in northern -- but one airport in northern ireland is opening. international air transport association says the delay is costing airlines at least $200 million per day. our europe editor reports from paris. >> the in the skies of northern europe. thousands of planes grounded. -- the empty skies of northern europe. a rival halls -- arrival halls deserted. large parts of europe tomorrow

will once again be a no-fly zone. at charles de gaulle airport in paris, there were still is. but all they got was frustration. >> we just have got to wait and see. >> this was frankfurt airport, where many of the stranded in bads. even in madrid airport south of the volcanic cloud, there was destruction. crowds tried to ease the pain of waiting. a family from tense. they were returning from holiday of -- a family from kent. they were returning from holiday of a lifetime. >> we have racked up what has turned out to be a lot of money. we have put ourselves up in hotels. we've not got any money left. >> the list of countries

affected in northern europe continue to grow. hungry in switzerland are the latest to announce a restriction to the airspace. as the ask cloud drifts in -- as the ash cloud drifts in great suedes to the north and east. the cost is estimated to be around 130 million pounds per day. the european air traffic agency says the situation deteriorated today and they do not see any earlier improvement. >> given the fact that this ash cloud has been moving slowly and has been stable, if it started 48 hours ago, it is reasonable to assume there'll be significant disruption of european air traffic tomorrow. >> many in paris turned to the trains to get to destinations. there were long lines, and signs indicated that the u.s. start service -- eurostar service was fully booked until monday. >> it was like dunkirk 70 years

ago. >> whether you being told that what we're being told to come up here, and there is nothing until possibly sunday. there could be something for sunday. >> said tens of thousands of passengers wait and watch as the volcanic cloud continues to spread across mainland europe. >> gavin u.s. -- hewett reporting there. officials have been indicted on weapons charges including conspiracy to violate firearms laws and possession of an unregistered firearm. the stem from a raid on blackwater headquarters in north carolina. -- they stem from a raid on blackwater headquarters. pakistan officials say they will double up on efforts to find out who killed benazir bhutto.

american regulators have charged one of the biggest and richest investment banks with defrauding investors. this based on a subprime mortgage product that was central to the global financial crisis. the firm denies everything. we have this from washington. >> president obama's team gathered to stop a new financial crisis. the white house was to be seen on the side of those who won wall street curbed, even punished. there is still talk of wall street miraculously speculating and politicians with a jury to make. >> are they going to side of the special interests and the status quo? or are they going to side with the american people? anyone who opposes this reform is going to be leaving american taxpayers on the hook if a crisis like this one we have

just seen ever happens again. i consider that upsetting. >> the charges against the biggest piece of wall street come from another arm of government. goldman sachs made $13 billion last week and made a profit throughout the financial crisis. the allegations the back to 2007, just before the housing bubble burst. -- the allegations go back to 2007. the allegations say that the product was deliberately, secretly designed to fail. investors were encouraged to put their money in on the basis of the housing market that would continue booming. go bust, of course, it did. investors lost billions of dollars. the securities and exchange commission accused goldman sachs for a meeting key facts about a financial products, adding the product was new and complex, but the deception was old and

simple. goldman sachs hit back -- the charges are unfounded, and they say that they will vigorously contest them. >> the charges sent shock waves through the market. the u.s. government frankly accused the most influential bank of dishonesty and its share price dropped more than 15%. >> in the short term, it will make private clients and hedge fund clients think twice about what the structure with goldman. i think it is to the benefit of goldman's rivals. this firm is increasingly in the regulatory process, it is oppressive brigitte a self preservation issue. they may want to take their -- it is a self preservation issue. they may want to take the business elsewhere. >> bbc news, washington. >> stay with us, if you can, and

"bbc world news." silda come -- we will hear from a man who fears for his life and -- still to come, we will hear from a man who fears for his life in the safety of the of the books in russia. first though, tradition -- traditional bread or tandoori is a staple of indian dishesoftan -- a staple of indiant ofandoor ovens are becoming a stable world wide. -- a staple of indian dishes. tandoor ovens are becoming a stable -- stable worldwide. >> making the bread is a complex process, using a wooden rolling pin to roll out the bread, and finally heeding it over a hot plate. the roti is made in a special

tandoor oven. he says around the time the country achieved independence, a few people came from karachi in pakistan and that his great- grandfather. they combine their pottery skills and created the tandoor. since then, the family has scattered their legacy to kitchens worldwide. >> when we started, we used to have 10% of our production abroad and 90% was for domestic consumption. now it is the other way around. we export 90% of what we manufacture. we send it to america, australia, japan. >> but tandoor is made of a find pace. it requires a potter to move it in a circular motion.

it can take five days to make a single one. it is one might india is quietly lindley -- lending its case to the world palate. bbc news, delhi. >> 1 headline for you this hour. 17,000 flights already cancelled with more disruption for air travelers that this weekend. the volcanic ash cloud may be spreading south and east. thousands of survivors of wednesday's earthquake in china's northwestern province has spent a second night in the open without shelter. state media put the death toll at more than 1100 now. our china correspondent sent this. >> the ruins of a hotel, an incredible moment.

a girl he cheated death. waiting relatives reached for her. she could not be more than seven or eight years old. this little girl's rescue is one piece of incredible news. the chances of being pulled out alive from under all this trouble are slim indeed. hear, 12,000 feet above sea level, nighttime temperatures are better. even the rescue teams have arrived, mostly they are finding only bodies. the people who lived and died here are almost all tibetans. monk's gathered around to see paris for each lost soul. as you drive -- monks and gathered around to say prayers for each lost soul. as you drive around the sea level structures. homes are a reduced to just

rubble. these are made of mud and stone. those who live here lost everything. some salvage what they can of their broken lives. others just sit, dazed and despondent, nowhere to go. and teams of months with shovels wonder the shattered streets. -- and teams of monks with shovels blonder the shattered streets. -- wander the shattered streets. they dug up the family photos. this is your husband? her daughter's body lies under the family huts. >> i have lost so much. what is the point of this kind of life? >> and according to tradition in the spirit -- this baron, a

cold wind, monks carry the bodies to a nearby river and -- barren, cold land, once carried bodies to a nearby river. bbc news. and an external explosion is probably the reason a south korean vessel sank near north korean waters. there were concerns about possible north korean involvement. we have this from seoul. >> four weeks, the south korean public have been waiting for answers. finally, they have been given some. >> the blast that sank the ship is far more likely to the come from the outside, rather than the inside the ship, the man leading the investigation told journalists. the preliminary conclusion follows an examination of the whole of the ship, the 100,200

ton warship which was ripped in half by the -- which was ripped in half. -- which was ripped in half by the blast. it is small consolation for one family. as expected, many bodies have been found on board the recovered ship. it sank close to an north-south korea and maritime border over which there have been exchanges of fire in the past. that of course immediately lead to speculation here in the south of the ship sank as a result of a direct attack. the suspicions will now rise further because the explosion came from the outside according to the investigation. there is another possible, albeit unlikely, explanation. could the ship had accidently struck an unexploded see mine left over from the caribbean more?

-- sea mine left over from the korean war? british maritime experts have been invited to join the investigation to make sure its conclusions are beyond doubt. meanwhile north korea has remained silent about the sinking and the salvage operation taking place just a few kilometers from its coastline. the south korean president has warned that stern measures, if anyone is eventually found to be to blame. bbc news. what's a senior russian scientists has been working as a consultant for the 2014 winter olympics and has fled russia. he has warned of what he sees as a possible series of disasters because of the way facilities are being built. in exclusive interview with the bbc, says -- he says he feared arrest and refuses to keep quiet. he has gone into hiding. >> sergei volkov now spending

his days hidden away in southern ukraine. he says his investigation is preparation for the olympics and expo is an alarming problems which the russian authorities wanted -- exposed alarming problems which the russian authorities wanted to cover up. >> there had not improper research into the property -- proper research into the geology of the area. there are large deposits of metal, uranium, and other dangerous minerals. >> this disaster at the newport being billed could have been avoided, if there had been basic research into the geology of the area. there's also concern about this

major olympic project. it is being billed of the valley from the coast to the mountains. right through an area prone to landslides. >> what we are discovering a cure it is that concerns about the impact of all this building work are shared even by some quite senior officials. the mayor of this region has been on the verge of resigning because he is so worried. >> this pensioner came to the base of his home to show me damage already caused. he says -- this is all due to building a new road for the olympics. i put all these concerns to the spokeswoman for the olympic construction company. >> it is a very tough geological

landscape. however, all the necessary research is being implemented. we are building everything in line with the international standards, in line with the recommendations. >> turning this beautiful region into a location for the olympics is an immense task. the question for russia is whether it becomes a matter of pride or regret. bbc news. >> we will keep you posted on not one, of course. the british election campaign is not a simple contest to elect a leader. in northern ireland, scotland , and wales regional competitions are under way. we start in northern ireland. it has in 30 years of bloody conflict. but now we pick up a peace dividend. >> in northern ireland, the landscape is transformed.

10 years ago, this was a deserted, wooded hillside. now it is a five-star resort, employing hundreds. one local invested 50 million pounds in it. that is a big investment in the durability of peace. >> the people on the ground came to the realization that -- politicians -- they will not fall into the rubbish of the past. they want jobs. they want education. they want their children to do better. all of those things. >> but old loyalties die hard. this generations lives were saved by violence. for them, it is not so much about choosing a new government. it is about expressing identity. >> you both for your own party. -- vote for your rump party. >> they're going to go for their

side. >> now we're heading for a short to work. >> this was a garrison town in the troubled county. now the tourists are coming back. more and more, it is the devolved storm of the assembly, not westminster, that matters here. there may be conflicts between conservatives and the ulster unionists. >> the conservatives and labour -- they have never really had a chance to say exactly what will happen in a potential government. >> does what happens in northern ireland on may 6 matter much? but it's not really. >> but in one sense, it does. we drove to a village in solid sinn fein country. >> soldiers would have to hunker down on this corner.

>> joanne grew up here when it british troops garrisoned in the border town. now the british barracks are abandoned. but here is what may six matters to northern ireland. -- and why it may sixth matters to more than island. >> the same government came back in and they cut public spending for the the island. the people of northern ireland by realize it has got an awful lot to do with them. northern ireland is quite dependent on the public sector. >> this is what ties -- this area to westminster. as the next government tries to curb the public deficit, the temptation in each of the three nations will be for local leaders to start blaming london for any cuts they're forced to make.

they are proud of their lofty reputation. but will future generations ever abandon the old orange green divide and embrace more conventional politics? will class divisions ever replace those of religious loyalties? >> class is an issue of northern ireland has never come to terms with. there are sections of the no. no. -- but in ireland populist the represent the underclass that is a gift from education, from -- there are sections of the northern ireland populists that represent an underclass that is detached from education, from politics. >> more and more, the answer lies here, locally. politics and government are coming home. it is changing the political landscape. alan little, bbc news. >> more information on that and all the international news online at bbc.com/news.

you can get in touch with me and most of the team atwitter. i am bbcmikeembley. and also you can check out our facebook page. one brief had one -- more disruption for air travelers this weekend. the volcanic ash cloud from iceland may be spreading south and west. thank you for being with us on "bbc world news." >> 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 >> unios

expertise to work for a wide range of companies. 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.