loving people. it's the authorities who harass, feet, and arrest us -- harass, .eat, and arrest us >> just two weeks ago, this was the aftermath of a car bomb, the first in decades. site -- suicide bombers have made a reappearance. >> it is not based on any law. it is based on if you know .omeone, you go after them we cannot go on like this. >> the day ended, it was subdued. even though a senior colleague was shot dead, police were quick to declare victory. that may be premature. is siege mentality in egypt

spreading far beyond this town. .> dangerous days in egypt president obama is open to tehran ands between the united states, but only if they are serious about getting rid of their nuclear weapons program. that was the message from the white house today hours after iran's president spoke out on an american tv network. later today, the french president said he had accepted an invitation to meet with the iranian president in new york next week. our correspondent reports. >> is iran secretly developing a nuclear warhead? the question hangs heavy over the middle east , not helped by a previous leader, but its new president says the country will never build an atom bomb. he is known as a moderate cleric. tried to lay u.s. suspicion.

>> we have never pursued or sought a nuclear bomb, and we are not going to do so. we are solely seeking peaceful nuclear technologies. we have time and again said that under no circumstances would we eke any weapons of mass destruction. >> the u.s. does not trust iran, but tonight, it said it would withder a direct summit conditions. president obama has been so preoccupied with syria and chemical weapons but knows that is ais a chemical -- bigger concern. >> i think they understand that the nuclear issue is a far larger issue for us than the chemical weapons issue. a nuclear arms race in the region is something that would be profoundly destabilizing. crucially, iran's supreme leader appears to have given the new president is backing. he says he has been given full

authority to negotiate with the west. so what should we make of this change in tone? it gives america and its allies that have accused iran a secretive site all across the country. iran insists that these facilities are circled -- simply working to produce nuclear energy. the international nuclear watchdog says iran is enriching uranium far beyond the level needed for so nuclea power, that it has been experimenting on detonating a nuclear device and conducting research into .eaponization meanwhile, iran's economy is hurting badly from sanctions put its nuclearause of program. >> he desperately wants to get the sanctions lifted. that's why he was elected. he has a mandate to try to do something. and mandate to try to change.

i do not know whether he has that authority. >> to many in the region, iran already poses a threat. the ending of its suspect nuclear weapons program is clearly a goal washington things is worth pursuing. >> a brief time ago, andessage cannot up or ran from -- came out of or ran, and we assessed it. a you saw, iran is clearly on charm offensive, but should the u.s. be where? the attitude is sort of cautious optimism. there are quite positive things, constructive sounding things. cautious because all we have

heard so far are words. there are not even any meetings scheduled yet to between u.s. officials and iranians. >> we do know the french president is going to meet the iranian president in new york next week when world leaders gather. what do you make of that? >> it is not as momentous a meeting to between -- as it would be if it were between iran and the u.s. because the french have always had good relations with tehran. but it is a chance for them to sit with him and get a chance of what he and since -- what he intends to do. it does appear that the pressure from the united states in the west more generally has had an effect inside iran. he said the mandate he appears to have from his campaign for his presidency is to get those sanctions lifted, but probably at the minimum possible cost to iran and its nuclear program. >> what is iran actually have to ?o

>> that is the question. i do not think we yet know the answer. part of the problem it's it is not just about iran's nuclear weaponization program. will he come clean about the weaponization work that they have done? >> wiliran be allowed to keep his nuclear program? >> what you have seen in the past is that you can see elements of this with rigorous transparency and verification measures. exactly how much they are allowed to keep and what those transparency measures are i think will be the subject of discussions that hopefully will be comin up, but again, those are not yet scheduled, and we do not yet know what he is really offering. >> do you expect any discussions at all, even if they just bump into each other? >> at 10 to be quote unquote chance encounters.

the real question is with both speaking on the same day, will they bump into each other or have a conversation? that would be something quite significant because the iranians have been reluctant to do that in the past. >> thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> as world leaders gather at the united nations next week, iran's nuclear program will not be the only issue on the agenda. the u.s. secretary of state, john kerry, issued a strong statement on syria's chemical weapons, stressing the chemical council must be prepared to act on drawing up a binding resolution. again reinforced the reasons why the u.s. believe the assad regime is the only one which could have carried out the chemical attack, despite claims to the contrary. america's largest bank, jpmorgan chase, has agreed to pay one of the biggest finds in history for a financial institution. regulators handed at the penalty more than a year after traders

in london racked multibillion dollar losses in the derivatives rket. managers then tried to hide losses from the authorities. it has a towering presence in world backing, but jpmorgan chase was humiliated after revelations of lost nearly 4 billion pounds because of deals which went disastrously wrong. one trader was nicknamed the london whale because of the size of his risky bets. the bank has been fined because of failing to get a grip on its risky business and not being upfront with regulators. understand them, and they were not adequately controlling them. there is clearly something there that we would have expected firms to be taking better care of after the crisis. the problems centered on the london office where traders made the losses on sophisticated financial instruments and try to cover them up. was aan first said it

tempest in a teapot, but now it is a huge embarrassment for a bank betraying itself as part of the american dream. >> a dream come true. we are grateful to be part of it . >> regulators on both sides of the atlantic have imposed big fines on jpmorgan chase. 100 37 million pound penalty in the u.k., the second- largest ever in modern banking history here -- 137 million pound penalty in the u.k. >> the thanks chairman, jamie dimon, says they have accepted responsibility and acknowledge their mistakes from the start -- the bank's chairman. some says the episode shows the culture in the bank has not changed nearly enough. >> people who work for the bank

want to make money for the bank because it gets them a bigger bonus and makes them look good, but what they have not heard is that the people at the top of thesbanks are trying to stop significant risk aching, and they should not be doing this sort of thing. this shows a failure in communication and a failure in culture amongst these banks. >> what regulators still jpmorgan, one of the traders cooperating has not been charged with wrongdoing. two others face criminal charges because of their role allegedly trying to hide mounting losses. big gonefine for a wrong. in other news, a commission of inquiry into the deaths of 34 miners in south africa has now accused the police of lying. the commission said tholice have hidden documents and given . also version of events this said the findings would have serious consequences. the pope has warned that the

catholic church could fall like a house of cards if it does not rebalance its moral message. he said the church needs to a new balance between its preaching on abortions, gay marriage, and contraception, and the greater need to care for .hat he calls the wounded today, japan's prime minister visited the stricken fukushima nuclear plant, amid widespread concerns about its safety. chief among the worries are recent leaks of contaminated water used to cool down the plant's damaged reactor. one thes ago, tokyo 2010 olympics, after a campaign claiming that the plant posed no threat, so what steps is the government taking to follow through on that promise? our correspondent has today's report. >> it may look like a scene from a bad disaster movie, but in fukushima, the radiation suits are not stage props. inside this one is japan's prime

minister, shinzo abe. for nearly a year, he has stayed far away from here, but two weeks ago, tokyo one the 2020 olympics, and now the whole world is watching him. by coming here in person and putting on a radiation suit, he is sending a very public signal for the japanese people and the rest of the world that he is now in overall command of the situation here. the question a lot of japanese people are asking is why it took him so long. >> for months, fukushima has produced nothing but bad news. was taken tor. abe see the tanks were highly radioactive water leaked out last month. and to the waterfront where hundreds of tons of radioactive groundwater is still seeping into the sea every day, and yet, when he met with exhausted looking workers, he repeated this surprising assertion --

>> have come to visit fukushima because of one of sorrows, i told the world that there were no health concerns, and there's nothing to worry about here -- because in buenos aires, i told the world that there were no health concerns and there's nothing to worry about here. here, they are building something to try to block the water getting out into the harbor. here, they are using chemicals to freeze the ground to prevent chemicals from getting into the ocean. the next thing they are going to do is build underground right around the whole reactor complex to try to seal it off from the outside environment. >> but the most dangerous place in fukushima is still this -- reactor building four. inside it are hundreds of tons of spent nuclear fuel. in a month, they will begin the difficult and dangerous operation to take it out.

>> you are watching bbc world news america. still to come on tonight's program, senator john mccain fires back at vladimir putin with a sharp opinion piece. we go to the russian newsstands in an attempt to find it. more than five centuries after he was killed on the battlefield, plans for a possible final resting place for king richard iii have been revealed. bb has all the details. >> a warlord and the last king of the house of york, richard iii lived and died by the sword. but for 500 years, the whereabouts of the last king were unknown. his remains were finally found a year ago in a shallow grave, and .he city claim him as its own

inside leicester cathedral, test drilling is under w. plans to reenter king richard need to insure the building can withstand it. the cathedral burial plans were unveiled today. these designs show a traditional place of honor will be the site mb where ad to memorial stone now lies. lester is pressing ahead, but they have a battle on their

celebrates the city's ties, and many believe king richard should be buried there. the plantagenet alliance have reviewed the decision. >> they need to stop what they are doing. they need to wait for the outcome of the hearing. they will soon be announcing to the world they are going to bury richard when there has been no decision here. >> it looks like there will be a lel tussle over king richard in the court. a source for the ministry of justice said it will vigorously defend its position backing lester toss claim to the king. -- lester's claim to the king. one

times," taking aim at the united states, senator john mccain responds, but finding it on russian newsstands was not the easiest of tasks. >> one of the most erotic media events last week was vladimir putin's opinion piece -- one of the most scandalous media events last week was vladimir putin toss opinion piece in "the new york times." washington has responded in kind. u.s. senator john mccain, who was enraged by the article, has had his own opinion piece published here in russia. we are told it was published here. let's see if we can find a copy. you don't have it. [speaking russian] , either.not have it this may come as a bit of a surprise to john mccain, but these days in russia, cannot that publication anywhere.

mr. he solved. i have now found john mccain's article online on a russian website, so not the famous newspaper. what was he saying? nothing very pleasant about vladimir putin, that's for sure. the article is entitled "russians deserve better than putin." says he rules russia by corruption and violence, and it criticizes the leader for backing a sawed and says that support has destroyed russia's global reputation. strong words from senator mccain, but it's unclear how many russians will actually see them, and how many will be influenced by them. >> steve rosenberg in moscow there. senator mccain's colleagues were busy holding a confirmation hearing for the country's nominee for japan.

soon, tokyo may have a very well-known american indeed in its midst. this was not your average capitol hill hearing to confirm an american diplomat. look at all those cameras. the main character -- but then, caroline kennedy is no ordinary nominee. a member of the nations most famous political family was in front of the senate. >> it is an honor to appear before you this morning to serve as united its ambassador to japan. >> that kennedy name came up both from the senators questioning her -- >> your mother and father, your aunts and uncles, and all of your family have inspired generations now. >> and from the nominee herself. >> this appointmentas a special significance as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of my father's presidency. >> caroline was only three years old when her father was elected

president. his popularity and the country's fascination with the first family meant they were always in the spotlight. she and her brother, john junior, grew up in front of the was the whiter it house photographers or the home movies her parents were fond of making. half a century later, she stressed her father's strong connection to japan during his time in the oval office. >> he had hoped to be the first sitting president to make a state visit to japan. >> president kennedy in by the white house in an attempt to smooth over concerns about keeping an american military base in okinawa. >> attorney general robert kennedy and his wife toward a socket. >> in 1962, he sent his brother to japan to lay the groundwork for a state visit. >> the president to atlanta running on irish soil. >> and 1963, president kennedy

had a successful trip to ireland. he planned to do something similar in japan the following year, plans that were shattered when america's young president was assassinated in november. now the daughter can complete her father's work. >> if confirmed, i would be humble to carry forward my father's legacy in a small way and represent the powerful bonds that unite our them aquatic societies. >> for someone who endorsed barack obama early on in his run for the white house, caroline kennedy would be sure to have the president's here -- ear. thank you for watching "bbc world news america." that is all we have on today's program, but please, join us back here tomorro

>> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital fokey strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: battling over budget issues took center stage on capitol hill today, with

lawmakers fighting over how to avoid a federal government shutdown and a debt-limit crisis. >> ifill: plus, pope francis declared the catholic church's moral authority could fall like a house of cards, if it doesn't stop obsessing about issues like abortion and homosexuality. >> woodruff: and hari sreenivasan reports on a california town's unique plan to stem the damage from the housing downturn, by taking control of underwater mortgages. >> the city may invoke eminent domain, seizing the loans, and then working with owners to try to refinance their homes at today's lower price. >> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. those are just some of the stories we're covering on tonight's "pbs newshour." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪

moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: our lead story tonight: republicans and

democrats were locked in a standoff over the president's health care law and federal spending. the test of wills played out, with just eleven days until a potential government shutdown. >> we'll deliver a big victory in the house tomorrow, then the fight will move over to the senate, where it belongs. >> in case there's any shred of doubt in the minds of our house counterparts, i want to be absolutely crystal clear: any bill that defunds obamacare is dead. dead. >> ifill: on capitol hill today, neither side ready to blink. the president is digging his heels in too, vowing to veto any attempt to eliminate funding for the health care law. but house republicans plan to try to kill obamacare tomorrow anyway, as part of a spending bill that would keep the government running past october 1. speaker boehner said the house will pass the bill, and his counterparts across the capitol should too. >> i expect my senate colleagues to do everything they can to

defund this law, just like the house is going to do. >> ifill: whether they will, remains unclear. texas republican senator ted cruz, a driving force behind the effort in the house and the senate, said he will not back down. >> i will do everything necessary and anything possible to defund obamacare. >> filibuster? >> yes. and anything else. any procedural means necessary. >> ifill: but some republicans are reluctant. tennessee republican bob corker dismissed the entire strategy via twitter. he wrote: democrats were happy to highlight republican disagreement. majority leader harry reid: >> there's really some wrangling among the ranks. not only among the republicans in the house, but now we have