BBC News with John Jason.
Celebrations erupted in Chile after a drill broke through to the underground chamber where 33 miners have been trapped for more than two months. Rescue workers, government representatives and family members hugged each other as the news of the breakthrough was announced. Andrew Harding reports in the mine in San Jose.
On a barren hillside, the long-awaited sound of success and the delirious reaction here early this morning. "Chile," they shout, celebrating the news that the rescue tunnel has finally broken through to the trapped miners. The next step is to test the strength of the shaft. Rescue engineer Eugenio Eguiguren says it shouldn't need much reinforcing.
"The rock is absolutely firm. There would not be any problem then."
"So the first miners could be out within..."
"Forty-eight hours. I think so."
For the families, the question now is who comes out first. They may not have too much longer to wait.
The man expected to be North Korea's next leader, Kim Jong-un, has appeared in front of the world media for the first time. He sat next to his father, President Kim Jong-il, at a games and dance festival in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. Michael Bristow was there.
The Arirang Games take place each year in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. This year the focus of attention was on just one man, Kim Jong-un. He was there with North Korea's current leader and his father, Kim Jong-il, who's believed to be in poor health. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded when the lights suddenly shot on the two men, who were watching from a podium. The younger Mr Kim was recently made a four-star general and given senior roles in the government and the Korean Workers' Party. Many analysts see this is evidence that he is being groomed as the country's next leader.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh have been made homeless by three days of storms and heavy rain. At least 15 people were killed. From Dhaka, Anbarasan Ethirajan reports.
In many low-lying areas, the storms surged with waves of about two metres flooded many homes. Thousands of people had to leave for higher ground. Some took refuge at cyclone shelters while many simply set up camp beside the roads. Storms and tidal surges are nothing new to this country where many are killed nearly every year. But the events of the last few days have shown how a large number of people can be affected in a very short space of time.
A kidnapped British aid worker, Linda Norgrove, has been killed during an attempted rescue operation in eastern Afghanistan. According to one report, her captors threw a grenade into the room where she was kept when American special forces attacked. Nato say eight of the hostage takers were killed. Local officials say the abductors had links to al-Qaeda.
World News from the BBC.
A delegation from the United Nations Security Council has ended a visit to Sudan by expressing its concern at the situation there. A referendum on independence for the south is expected in January. From Khartoum, James Copnall reports.
The Security Council acknowledged that the timetable for the referendum on possible southern independence was extremely tight following a number of delays. But Mark Lyall Grant, UK's ambassador to the Security Council, said holding the referendum on time on 9 January was still doable. On Darfur, the Security Council called for the rebel movements not participating in negotiations to come back to peace talks without conditions. It also called on all sides to end hostilities. On Thursday, when the diplomats were in Darfur, the Sudanese armed forces attacked rebel positions.
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says there's a danger of another big spillage of toxic waste from a chemical reservoir. At least seven people died earlier this week when thousands of tons of dangerous material swept through local villages after a dam wall failed at the aluminium plant in western Hungary. After visiting the scene, Mr Orban said there were new cracks in another wall, and it would probably collapse soon.
A Chinese space probe has successfully entered orbit around the Moon eight days after it was launched. The control centre said the robotic probe would begin its scientific activities soon. The Chang'e-2, named after a Chinese goddess, forms part of a space programme which China hopes will lead to its first unmanned landing on the Moon in 2013.
Fans of the former Beatle John Lennon, who was murdered 30 years ago, have been marking what would have been his 70th birthday. A monument was unveiled in John Lennon's hometown of Liverpool. The 18-foot sculpture depicts a globe topped with a keyboard, two outstretched hands and a group of doves in honour of his talent for music and his campaign for peace.
BBC News
一台钻孔机终于到达33名矿工被困长达两个多月的地下避难所,全国上下一片欢呼。这一消息宣布时,救援人员,政府代表和矿工家属互相拥抱,激动无比。Andrew Harding在圣何塞的矿井报道。
今天清晨,一个贫瘠的山坡上爆发出成功的喜悦和激动的反应。他们大声喊着“智利”,庆贺救援隧道最终抵达被困矿工的消息。下一步将是测试吊杆的强度。救援工程师Eugenio Eguiguren表示,目前已经不需要加强。
“岩石绝对非常坚硬。应该不会再有任何问题。”
“那么,首批矿工应该在多久之后到达地面呢?”
“我认为应该是48小时之内。”
对于被困矿工的亲属来说,现在的问题仅仅是谁先出来。他们已经不需要再等待很长时间。
预期将成为朝鲜下届领袖的金正恩首次在世界媒体面前露面。在朝鲜首都平壤观看团体操表演时,金正恩就坐在他的父亲,朝鲜领袖金正日的旁边。Michael Bristow在现场报道。
大型团体操《阿里郎》每年都会在朝鲜首都平壤进行演出。今年,焦点集中在一个人的身上,那就是金正恩。他与朝鲜现任领袖,他的父亲,金正日一起出席。据信,金正日的身体状况不佳。灯光突然照向指挥台上的两人时,群众全体起立鼓掌。金正恩最近被授为四星上将,并在政府和朝鲜劳动党中担任高级职位。许多分析家认为,这表明,他将成为朝鲜下任领袖。
连续三天的暴雨导致孟加拉国数十万人无家可归,至少15人死亡。达卡,Anbarasan Ethirajan报道。
在许多地势低洼的地区,暴雨造成两米高的浪,淹没了许多房屋。数千人被迫逃离到较高地区。一些人在飓风庇护所逃难,许多人简单地在路边搭起帐篷。暴风雨和洪涝在这个国家并不罕见,几乎每年都有许多人在暴风雨中遇难。但是过去几天的情况表明,许多人会在很短的时间内受到影响。
阿富汗东部一名被绑架的英国救援工作者Linda Norgrove在一次营救活动中遇难。据一份报道称,美国特种部队发动突袭时,关押她的人向囚室内扔了一颗手榴弹。北约称,八名劫持者被击毙。当地官员表示,劫持者与基地组织有联系。
BBC世界新闻。
联合国安理会一个代表团对苏丹的形势表示担忧,终止了对苏丹的访问。关于南方地区独立的全民公投预期将在一份月举行。喀土穆,James Copnall报道。
安理会承认,在经历了多次延误之后,南部地区独立的全民公投时间表非常紧张。但是英国驻安理会大使Mark Lyall Grant表示,按时在1月9日进行全民公投仍然是可行的。在达尔富尔,安理会呼吁没有参加谈判的叛军运动无条件地重返和平对话。安理会还呼吁各方终止敌对态度。周四,外交官们抵达达尔富尔时,苏丹军队袭击了叛军堡垒。
匈牙利总理奥班(Viktor Orban)表示,一个化学蓄水池可能存在再次泄露有毒废水的危险。本周初,匈牙利西部一座铝厂大坝绝地之后,数千吨危险物品涌入当地村庄,已造成至少7人死亡。视察现场后,奥班表示,另外一赌堤坝出现新的裂缝,可能再次坍塌。
中国一座太空探测器在发射八天之后成功进入月球周围的轨道。控制中心表示,该机器探测器很快将开始科学活动。嫦娥2号成为太空项目的一部分,中国希望这些项目能够在2013年成功实现首次无人探测器登月。
前披头士成员约翰·列侬的粉丝举行活动庆祝诞辰70周年。约翰·列侬30年前被谋杀。他的故乡利物浦揭幕了一座纪念碑。这座高达18英尺的雕像以地球仪为主体,周围环绕着五彩音符,两只伸出的双手和一些和平鸽,象征他的音乐才华和为世界和平奋斗的精神。