BBC news 2010-02-28 加文本

2010-02-28 BBC

BBC News with Marian Marshall.

A huge earthquake has struck central Chile, causing widespread destruction and killing more than 140 people. Daniel Schweimler reports.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8 and struck in the early hours of the morning near the central city of Concepcion. Power and telephone lines were cut and powerful aftershocks continued to be felt for many hours. An emergency center was set up in the capital Santiago, and President Michelle Bachelet played the key role in coordinating the rescue operation. Many buildings are on fire, including a chemical factory in Concepcion. Roads have blocked and bridges have collapsed.

The earthquake set off a tsunami which has been sweeping across the Pacific Ocean prompting alerts as far away as New Zealand and Japan. More details from Mike Wooldridge.

The wave of nearly two and half meters, triggered by the earthquake is reported to have slammed into the Chilean town of Talcahuano. A huge wave hit the Robinson Crusoe Islands off Chile's coast. While Latinic Pacific Hawaii has been making preparations to protect people against the risk of tsunami damage along its coastline. The Tsunami Warning Center says all Hawaiian shores are vulnerable and  there’re alerts for wide acre of nations around the Pacific..

Iran's opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi has said a dictatorial court is ruling Iran, using religion and nationalism to justify its actions. Sebastian Usher reports.

The Iranian opposition had a setback early this month when its plan for a new mass protest on Iran's Revolution Day didn't materialized. Its failure was due mostly to be intense security operation mounted by the authorities. The challenge for the opposition now is to maintain its momentum after that disappointment. One of its two leaders,Mir Hossein Mousavi has responded with his furious rhetorical attacks so far on the government. He said Iranians were being subjected to a reckless foreign policy a destructive economic strategy and they needed a change.

British police are in Israel, to investigate the use of fake British passports by suspect in the killing of a Hamas leader in Dubai. They are interviewing six British Israeli nationals whose identities were stolen by the suspected killers. Police said they were being treated as potential witnesses rather than suspects and the meetings were taken in place with the full knowledge of the Israeli authorities. Dubai has accused Israel's Intelligence Agency Mossad of killing Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel last month.

The man who is emerging as a key opposition figure in Egypt Mohammed ElBaradei has said authorities must respond to calls for change. All face the possibility of civil unrest. He said he hope the Egyptian government understood that he couldn't wait until people became desperate before permitting reform. Mr.ElBaradei who led the UN Nuclear Agency for many years, didn't clarify whether he intends to stand in next year's presidential election.

World News from the BBC.

The UN World Food Program says Islamism militiamen in Somalia are preventing convoys from reaching more than 360,000 displaced people in urgent need of food aid. He says armed men have stopped trucks traveling for Mogadishu to camps to the west of the capital.

An Italian Court has ruled the case against the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on corruption charges will continue. Although it has been an adjourn for a month. Mr.Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing and he suggested that he has been prosecuted by politically motivated judges who would be likens to the Taliban. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Rome to protest against what they say Mr.Berlusconi's attempts to avoid justice. Here is Duncan Kennedy.

With many addressed in purple, thousands of demonstrators carrying banners that read "Enough, the law is the same for everyone." At a reference to Silvio Berlusconi, he is trying to reform the courts in a way that will effectively end to corruption trials he is involve with. The demonstrators say they have had enough Mr.Berlusconi trying to undermine the courts.

The youngest daughter of the former Peruvian leader Alberto Fujimori is to marry inside a prison later today so her jailed father could at her side when she walks down the aisle. Sachi Fujimori has been granted special permission for the wedding ceremony at the prison where Mr.Fujimori is serving a 25 years sentence for human rights abuses and corruption.

Public shows have resumed that the Florida Sea Life Center where horrified spectators saw a member of staff dragged to her death by a killer whale on Wednesday. Several hundreds spectators break chilly weather to see whales perform again after a tribute to the dead trainer. Staff won't allowed into the water during the show and the whale involved in the killing didn't take part.

BBC News.