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of jewish settlements. making our way down the indus river, we continue our coverage on pakistan's floods down and how the survivors are pairing. tens of thousands of mexicans celebrate their independence from spain 200 years ago. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to our viewers in the u.k. and around the world. a senior papal adviser has pulled out of the pope's visit to the u.k. after making critical comments about the country in a magazine article. cardinal kasper said arriving at heathrow airport is like entering a third world country. he also claimed there was a new and aggressive atheism in britain. he said illness and not the

interview was the reason behind his withdrawal. the pope's visit begins in scotland in a few hours time. >> colonel walter casper is a vatican insiders. he has been a senior aide to pope benedict for a decade. his role is to promote christian unity. he was part of the pope's entourage to britain. now, just hours before pope benedict's plane lands, the cardinal has made provocative comments about britain's christian identity and culture. in the german magazine "focus," he said england is a secular and pluralistic country. when you land at heathrow airport you sometimes think you landed at the third world country. when asked are christians in england discriminated against, he said an aggressive neo-'80s and is widespread. if you wear a cross at british airways, you are discriminated against.

it is not known whether the pope has been told about the cardinals views. some catholic commentators have expressed their unease. >> they concern me because some of them, such as this about be a discriminates against anybody who flies with them and where's the crucifix, is obviously a distortion of a news story from some time ago. it does make me wonder what people talk about in the vatican about britain. >> the vatican has concerned the cardinal will not be joining the pope on his trip to britain. it says it has nothing to do with his comments. it is because the cardinal is unwell. a vatican spokesman says the cardinal's opinions were not intended to show any dislike of the united kingdom. tonight, the leader of the catholic church in england and wales said he could not understand why the comments were made. >> i do not believe they are reflective of the holy see. two days ago, the pope expressed

his deep respect for britain and his willingness -- his wanting to be here among us. that is the true voice of the pope. it is his own boys. >> the timing of the commons will be uncomfortable for pope benedict, head of an already sensitive visits. the couple be anxious to get this episode behind him. bbc news at the vatican. >> the u.s. middle east envoy, george mitchell, has said the leaders of israel and the palestinians are making progress on the issue of settlement building. mr. mitchell was speaking following a second day of direct peace talks between the israeli prime minister and the palestinian president. negotiators from both sides will meet for further talks next week. the bbc reports from jerusalem. >> and endless day of talks in jerusalem.

there have been so many in the past. peace is still nowhere to be seen but the americans are not giving up. hillary clinton lead meeting after meeting with israeli and palestinian leaders, preparing the ground for the last session of the day. benjamin netanyahu gritted abbas at his official residence. first time abbas's here in two years. in the guest book, he wrote he hopes for eternal peace. the leaders sounded determined. no one is giving any details about the talks, but to keep the momentum the americans have been playing up the positive atmosphere. >> to me, it has been extremely impressive to see both leaders engaging in this fashion. they are serious. they mean business. they do have differences. we believe they can be overcome. >> it is not just their

differences that stand in the wake of peace. the worst violence in months has erupted in gaza. militants launched rocket attacks against israel and israel metallic created. hamas opposes the peace talks. an israeli settlement on occupied territory -- settlers want to keep building. construction has halted for now but is expected to resume at the end of september. the palestinians have threatened to walk out if this happens, with no compromise in sight yet. after the meeting in jerusalem, the talks will continue, but so will attempts on both sides to derail the negotiations by israeli settlers and the radical palestinian group hamas. the americans are keen for the details of the negotiations to remain confidential. soon, there will have to prove they are making progress in order to get the public support

they need to keep going. bbc news, jerusalem. >> bbc news has learned that the british government is considering delaying the replacement of the nuclear deterrent. ministers could postpone any decision about the cost of the system until after the next general election. our political correspondent has more details. >> what we know is that trident is coming to the end of its life. it will not in fact need to be replaced until well after 2020. but it takes a long time to design, build, and get into place any replacement for the nuclear submarine. the key decisions when contracts would have to be signed are due to be made around 2014. what is being considered as part of the look at what the government should do about

trident at a time when, as you have been discussing this evening, there is huge pressure on finances -- whether that decision should be put off until 2016, after the next general election. that would mean some of the big spending decisions would not have to be made in this parliament. that would ease to an extent the pressures on the ministry of defense, although it has to be said that given the fact it is 38 billion pounds over committed and going to have to face a significant cut back to its budget, it is still facing some lean years ahead. >> a un-backed court in cambodia will decide whether a four senior leaders of the khmer rouge will be charged with genocide and war crimes. we will get more with our bbc correspondent in phenom penh. tell us more about these four that are being charged.

>> that are the heart of the mon-khmer arusha -- surviving senior leaders. -- the khmer rouge. we have the foreign minister, his wife, the social affairs minister, and the head of state. these are the people at the top of the organization who survived. pol pot died more than a decade ago. they can provide answers to what happened in the late '70s, when millions of people died. >> the trial is likely to start early in the new year. >> we are going to hopefully see the initial proceedings in the trial in the first quarter of next year, and the full trial itself sometime toward the middle of the year. this is subject to all kinds of legal appeals by the prosecution and possibly the defense as well.

they are hoping at the moment for a trial the middle of next year. >> thank you very much. security is just one of the many challenges that pakistan faces in the wake of deadly floods which swept through the country. all this week, the bbc has been traveling along the length of the indus river to assess the damage. our reporter is in northern punjab. >> pakistan is cannot help but have a close connection to their greater source of water. for all it has given this country over the years, it has recently taken away so much. this is the river that flows the length of pakistan whose path we are following this week. it looks peaceful and tranquil now. it is a beautiful sight. but this was the cause of so much misery and destruction just a few weeks ago. then, the river was much higher than this. you can possibly see some of the

destruction it caused on the banks here. but all the way along its length, even as far as we have travelled over the last few days, we have seen communities and villages that have been devastated. standing on this embankment used to be people's homes, until there were smashed to pieces by the water. our own boat man lost his house close to where we stopped. he told me how suddenly the waters came one night, and how the only material things he has been able to salvage since are some of the bricks that made up his home. but i am lucky, he says. at least i was able to save my children. i still have my work. many people have lost more. it was when places like this were hit that people suddenly realized trouble could be coming their way. few could have predicted just

how much. bbc news, northern punjab. >> the mother of michael jackson is suing the concert promoter that had been organizing the singers come back tour. she says they failed to provide medical equipment to the doctor charged with jackson's death. you are watching bbc news. still to come, the making of a star with a helping hand from the british come council. now that it is gone, what is the future for the u.k. film industry? france's lower house of parliament has passed a controversial reform bill which will raise the minimum pension age to 62. the government says the bill is needed to address the deficit, but it has been fiercely opposed by the political left. >> nowhere in europe is the battle on pensions as divisive as here in france.

there is a long tradition in this country of defending what you have earned -- and benefits 1 are never given up without a fight. the result of this vote was always the formality. the president's ruling party has strength in numbers. so do the unions. outside the vote, protesters were laying siege to the national assembly. the scuffles and in great scenes reflected a wider frustration in the country, and also on the opposition benches. >> if we go to the upper house, it will come back here. we are determined to fight until the end, until the last minute. >> three-quarters of those surveyed say they supported the national day of action last week. most also recognized that reform is inevitable. >> it is true we cannot stay with the retirement at 60. we all know we will live longer

and need to work more if we want to maintain our system of pensions. >> an argument familiar to most other countries in the world. as populations get older, the burden of pension deficit is being passed to the next generation of workers. reforms in france seem modest in comparison, but that will not stop the unions. there is another day of strikes planned for the 23rd, with two unions threatening a open ended action. today's vote is one. -- is won. it now passes to the senate with no sign the opposition will back down. >> a reminder of the headlines in this hour. one of the pope's senior advisers has pulled out of the visit to britain after making derogatory comments about the u.k. in a magazine interview. peace is possible. the u.s. middle east envoy says israeli and palestinian leaders have made progress on the issue

of jewish settlements. president has confirmed that he intends to run in next year's presidential election. he made his announcement out of the blue, and in an unconventional way -- by posting a message on the social networking site facebook. the timing was carefully targetted to coincide with the moment a rival candidate seen as a front runner announced that he also attends to -- intends to stand. >> if it were not for barack obama -- if it worked for barack obama, why not for nigeria's president? >> good luck. i do solemnly swear. >> he was not elected to the office. as deputy president, he inherited the top job when the

former president died. there has long been speculation he would try to win another term by standing as the candidate. on wednesday, he confirmed his ambition with a post on his facebook page. the social networking website was famously and successfully used by barack obama's campaign to appeal to american voters in 2008. mr. jonathan. >> supporters were relieved he has finally shown his hand. >> we will win, no matter anything. we have to wind up to have equality in nigeria. >> only a fraction of nigeria if people have access to the internet. while few will have seen the president's message for themselves, the word quickly spread. all this on the same date a rival for the ruling party's

nomination through his hat into the ring. -- threw his hat into the ring. [cheering] he is a former military leader and is seen by some as the man to beat. in his favor, the fact that he is a muslim from northern nigeria. by tradition, the ruling party alternate's power between northerners and southerners. mr. jonathan clearly wants to win the presidency more than observe convention. in this huge and divided country, he has a tough election battle ahead. >> mexico is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its independence from spain. parties are being staged across the country. while most of the nation celebrates, some towns have cut back or canceled festivities because of fears of violence from drug cartels.

>> with this, the official celebration of the bicentennial anniversary ticks off. the major parade is a long mexico city's maine avenue, which will culminate in the main square. the president will recite the independence bid shocked that hidalgo first did 2000 -- 200 years ago. the party is the largest ever celebration of independence in mexico history. it happens amid tight security measures during a violent battle against organized crime. in the past, celebrations have been targeted by alleged drug cartels. two years ago, a grenade attack during the independence party killed eight people and injured a dozen others. in ciudad juarez, where thousands have died in drug- related violence, there will be

no public event and the mayor will hold the ceremony inside town hall. in spite of the violence that has shaken the city, local residents do not want to miss out on the bicentennial experience. >> i think the shout of independence should be given in spite of all the adversity's so that people who have their problems do not go through more pain. this is a tradition that has taken place for years and should not be stopped for any reason. >> in stark contrast to the upbeat mood in the capital, other parts of mexico seem to have less reason to celebrate. bbc news, mexico city. >> these are live pictures of the celebrations, celebrating 200 years of the start of mexico's independence from spain. we have seen many groups in the others and fireworks firing off in celebration.

the large celebration is in the capital main square. millions join the nationwide fiestas. workers trying to reach 33 miners trapped underground in chile help to rescue them by early november. originally, the government said it could take until christmas, but engineers say their work is doing well. gideon long reports. >> for now, this represents the best chance of bringing the miners out safe and alive. this is the t-130 drill, known here as plan b. it has already dug through 400 meters of solid rock. engineers expect to break through a tunnel close to the men sometime this weekend. then it will be hauled back up to the surface and will start digging again to widen the shaft until it is big enough to serve as an escape route.

rene aguilar, one of the chief engineers, says the team hopes to reach the man by early november. that is several weeks ahead of schedule. but his crew are taking no chances. plan a is still drilling down to the man. a third drill is being assembled at the mine. it is due to start work next week. >> this is a belt and braces operation. the engineers say that by having all three drills working at the same time there will triple their chances of reaching the man. the progress on the drilling front is not the only reason for the upbeat mood here. the relatives of the miners have been welcoming a new addition to their community. this little girl was born on tuesday. she is the daughter of one of the trapped miners. her parents had planned to call her carolina, but changed her --

changed their minds. her new name, esperanza, means hope in spanish. the grandfather says his son is delighted. "is happy about the birth because the only thing he wants to do is get out, hugged his daughter, his family, his sons, and give them a kiss -- to get out of there as soon as possible. >> although he could not be at his daughter's birth, he has seen her. these images were sent down to him 700 meters below ground. it will be several weeks yet before he can hold her in his arms. at least for now, the operation to rescue him is going to plan. gideon long, bbc news at the san jose mine in chile. >> the u.s. government has ordered oil and gas companies operating in the gulf of mexico

to plug thousands of non- producing wells and dismantle hundreds of unused platforms. this comes five months after the explosion at the bp oil break in the gulf of mexico caused one of the worst environmental disasters in u.s. history. from the oscar-winning gosse for park to atonement, some of the most successful british films in recent years received funding from the u.k. fell council. it is being axed as part of government cuts. where does that leave the british film industry? that was the focus of a meeting between government and the industry key figures. >> the future of british film is uncertain. the u.k. fell council, the luxury -- the uk film council, the lotter-fund, was given notice by the government. the u.k. film council is

closing. at pinewood studios, they are still very much open for business. they have been told by the government, along with other major players, that there will be continued investment in the british film industry. the only thing they do not know is who is going to run it. >> we are looking at saying that there is a significant amount of money we want to invest with the least amount of money going into overhead and the maximum amount going to filmmakers. >> i understand that four parties are looking at taking on the key role, all with pros and cons. the first are the bbc and channel 4. both have experience making movies. giving it to one or both would mean taking away the third funding option available to filmmakers. then there is film london, who have successfully represented

the capital but have no regional representation. finally, the british film institute have the regional contacts but do not have experience in backing new films. their chief executive wants to be involved, whatever the outcome. >> we want to get it right for filmmakers and to get it right for audiences. we expect to pay and want to pay -- expect to play and want to play an active central roles. >> what about the film makers? director steven freres spoke to us -- stephen frears. >> we can make films for a certain market that the americans do not any longer know how to make because their economic models have collapsed. we are doing well at the precise uncil ishe film conci

abolished. >> done council england could act as a go-between, funding the film institute. this is the movie business. it is to be expected. >> our main headline this hour -- one of the pope's former senior adviser says he will not be accompanying the pope on his historic visit to britain which begins on thursday. the announcement follows the publication of an interview in which the adviser describes britain as a third world country. you are watching bbc 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 financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. 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.