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BBC news 2013-04-10

BBC News with Charles Carroll

An earthquake close to the Iranian city of Bushehr where Iran has its only nuclear power station has killed at least 32 people and injured more than 850. The 6.3 magnitude quake with its epicentre about 100km south-east of the city was felt as far away as Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. The governor of Bushehr told Iranian state television that the nuclear plant has not been damaged. Our correspondent, Mohsen Asgari, is in the capital Tehran.

Reports from the affected area described people running out onto the streets and it seems that they do not want to go back home and they want to stay at the streets because they are afraid of the aftershocks. Officials have said that they need blankets, tents, water and food. For the moment, water and electricity are cut, but the good news is that the roads are open and rescue team can do the job better. With the darkness, search and rescue operation will be difficult, but the general governor’s office said that they have sent generators to the area, so rescue operation can continue overnight.

The new president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has been sworn in at a ceremony in Nairobi. In his inauguration speech, he said he would bring unity to the country. Mr Kenyatta is facing charges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The BBC’s Gabriel Gatehouse was at the swearing-in ceremony.

When Uhuru Kenyatta finally appeared to take the oath of office, today’s event felt very much like a continuation of the old established order.

"I, Uhuru Kenyatta, swear that I will truly…”

His right hand was resting on the very same bible his father had used half a century ago when he became Kenya’s first post-independence leader. Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to govern for all Kenyans. He also said he’d abide by his international obligations “for attending his trial at The Hague”.

The BBC has learned that Saudi Arabia is building a giant fence nearly 2,000km long to seal off its border with Yemen. The BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner has been to the border area.

Its aim is simple—to keep out the thousands of illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, gun runners and occasional al-Qaeda operative, all trying to slip from impoverished Yemen into Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s richest countries. According to Lt Col Hamed al-Ahmari of the Saudi border force, five of their guards have recently been shot dead along this border in shootouts with well-armed drug smugglers. He says security has deteriorated dramatically on the Yemeni side of the border since a popular uprising drove out the strongman President Saleh last year.

The Russian parliament has given its initial approval to a controversial anti-blasphemy law drafted last year after the punk band Pussy Riot performed a protest song against President Putin in Moscow’s main cathedral. Observers say the measures appear to have strong backing from Mr Putin.

World News from the BBC

A senior advisor to the Libyan prime minister has been freed following his kidnapping nine days ago. Mohammed al-Ghatous was grabbed from his car on the outskirts of the capital Tripoli. He’s now said to be with his family in Misrata. Correspondents say there’s been a rise in the number of kidnappings and security threats in recent weeks.

The five biggest European economies say they are setting up a new mechanism to share information to help fight tax evasion. In a joint statement, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain said they would automatically share data on income from investments, which will deter people seeking to evade tax by opening secret bank accounts abroad.

The former head of a British bank that collapsed during the financial crisis, has offered to hand back his knighthood following a scathing parliamentary report. Sir James Crosby was chief executive officer of HBOS bank until 2006. Last week’s report called him the architect of a strategy that set the course for disaster. It recommended that he and two other former HBOS executives should never work in the financial sector again. The bank required a $30bn bailout from British taxpayers to survive.

A Roman Catholic nun in the United States has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $130,000 from parishes in New York State. Sister Mary Anne Rapp, who’s 68, said she stole the money to fund a gambling addiction. Paul Adams reports.

Sister Rapp was a nun for nearly half a century, but for five years until April, 2011 she had a very bad habit. Although she denied it when she was first arrested last year, she’s now admitted stealing around $128,000 from two New York churches to fund her insatiable desire to gamble in local casinos. The theft came to light in the course of a routine audit. She’s due to be sentenced by Judge James Punch on 1st July.

Paul Adams

BBC News