BBC 2007-05-11 加文本

BBC 2007-05-11


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BBC World News. I'm Marian Martial.

Political leaders here in Britain have been assessing the legacy of the Prime Minister Tony Blair who's announced that he will stand down next month after ten years in office. The man who's likely to take over from him, the Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown praised Mr. Blair's qualities of leadership at times of national and international crises. Addressing party activists in his constituency in northeast England, Mr. Blair said it was the right time to leave.
"I've been Prime Minister of this country for just over ten years. In this job in the world of today, I think that's long enough for me, but more especially for the country. And sometimes, the only way you conquer the pull of power is to set it down."

World leaders have been paying tribute to Mr. Blair. The European Commission's President Jose Manuel Barroso said Mr. Blair had taken Britain from the fringes to the main stream of the European Union. President Bush praised Mr. Blair who was, as he put it, a long term thinker. From Washington, Justin Webb reports.
"A remarkable person, a good friend, I'm going to miss him."
President Bush's reaction to the news from London was predictable, but unquestionably genuine. Above all, he said he admired Tony Blair's honesty when he tells you something you can take it to the bank. In the BBC interview, Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, said the President had actively sought out the advice of Prime Minister at key moments, telling colleagues, "I have to talk to Tony about this."

Parliament in Turkey has voted in favor giving the people the right to elect the Turkish president rather than have one chosen for them by parliament itself. The measure is part of a wider package of reforms introduced by the governing AK Party. After the election of its presidential choice, Abdulla Gul was blocked by the opposition. Sera Rainsford reports from Istanbul:
"Turkey's secular establishment has blocked all efforts by the ruling AK Party to get its mal-elected president by parliament. So the AKP is trying to take the choice to the people, confident its candidate would win any public votes. Using its dominance of parliament it's now passed a major package of constitutional reforms that would in theory make that possible. The move threatens to reignite political tensions here between former Islamist politicians in government and staunchly secular elite which includes the military."

A newspaper in Israel H. says the authorities plan to build three new Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, an area regarded as occupied land under international law. The report quoted the deputy mayor of Jerusalem as saying that the intention was to create a contiguous Jewish residential zone linking East Jerusalem with two major settlement blocks elsewhere in the occupied West Bank. The plan which has yet to receive final approval would involve building about 20,000 homes. The Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the plan destroyed efforts to restart the peace process. He said Israel had to choose between settlements or peace, but could not have both.

World News from the BBC.

A Chinese born American scientist has been found guilty of conspiring to steal sensitive information about US navy submarines and smuggle it to China. Prosecutors didn't charge sixty six year old Chi Mak with spying, but he was convicted of being a foreign agent. David Williams reports from Los Angles:
"Amongst the allegations were the use by Chinese intelligence of code names, such as red flower and autumn orchid. Chi Mak worked for a California based defense company whose clients included the US Navy. He was arrested shortly after FBI agents stopped his brother and sister-in- law at Los Angles international airport as they were about to board a flight to Hong Kong. Investigators found encrypted CDs in their luggage which contained amongst other things documents relating to a submarine propulsion system. Chi Mak maintained he didn't realize that making the copies was illegal."

Some of Canada's leading journalists have rallied in support of the missing BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston. He's believed to be kidnapped by Palestinian militants two months ago. Hundreds of journalists gathered in Toronto outside the headquarters of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge told them that Mr. Johnson's abduction was an outrage. The rally came as London Press Club named Alan Johnston Broadcast Journalist of the year.

Pope Benedict is addressing thousands of young Brazilian Catholics at a football stadium in Sao Paulo. More than 40,000 people are at the event with tens of thousands more gathered outside. Pope Benedict is expected to tell them not to waiver from the traditional teachings of the church, especially on abortion and premarital sex. Earlier on Thursday, the Pope held talks with President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. After the meeting, the presidential spokesman said the two men discussed a number of issues, but not abortion which is becoming a focal point of the Pope's visit to Brazil.

BBC World News.