BBC news 2008-02-08 加文本

BBC news 2008-02-08

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BBC news with Joe Macintosh

One of the main Republican Party candidates for the United States presidency Mitt Romney has withdrawn from the race. The move means Senator John McCain of Arizona has effectively been handed the party nomination, although officially Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul are still in the race. Mr. Romney told supporters his decision was based on his love of America and the need for his party to unite around a single candidate to challenge whoever wins the Democratic Party nomination, a race being led by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

“If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I want you to know, I've given this a lot of thought, I'd forestall the launch of a national campaign. And frankly, I've been making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win.

A 150-billion-dollar government package to stimulate the flagging American economy has been passed by both Houses of the United States Congress. The bill, initially proposed by President Bush, will give tax payers hundreds of dollars in tax rebates. Jonathan Beale reports.

Though there has been widespread support for a package of economic incentives, the US Senate had wrangled over different versions of what exactly that should include. In the end, though, the Senate voted to support the aid plan by 81 votes to 16. It includes temporary rebates of up to 600 dollars for each individual and 1200 dollars for every couple. The final package also provides rebates for low income retirees and military veterans. The House of Representatives has also approved the measures.

A call by the leader of the Anglican Church for more recognition of Islamic law within Britain's legal system has prompted strong criticism from the country's politicians. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said he believed there was a place for finding a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law like those concerning marital or financial issues. Politicians from all main parties have rejected his comments as unhelpful. Baroness Warsi speaks on community cohesion issues for the opposition Conservative Party. She said the Archbishop's proposal was unacceptable.

The issue that I take is that Dr. Williams appears to be suggesting that there should be two systems of law running alongside each other almost parallel and for people to be offered the choice of opting into one or the other. And that is unacceptable. There has to be one system of law and there could not be an opt-out out of it.

The President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko has alleged that the move by the Russian energy giant Gazprom to cut off supplies of Russian gas to his country is driven by political interests. Gazprom has said it will cut supplies to Ukraine on Monday unless an agreement is reached on paying off its debt, arrears of one and a half million dollars. Two years ago, Russia briefly cut off gas to Ukraine in a row over prices.

This is the world news from the BBC.

The French Parliament has overwhelmingly approved the European Union's new reform treaty allowing President Sarkozy to ratify what's known as the Lisbon Treaty. Its predecessor, the European Constitution, was rejected by French voters in a referendum in 2005. This time, Mr. Sarkozy insisted on ratification by parliament rather than hold a second referendum.

The American space shuttle Atlantis has begun its latest mission after a two-month delay. It's delivering Europe's first permanent laboratory to the international space station. The lab named Columbus cost 2 billion dollars and has been 23 years in the making. From Florida, Andy Gallagher reports.

This was a long delayed mission for both NASA and the European Space Agency. The Atlantis should have launched late last year, but was delayed after technical problems. The European Space Agency had been waiting since 2002 for the Columbus lab to be delivered to the international space station. Once installed, the facility will operate as a base for complex experiments and may be used as a jumping-off point for the exploration of Mars. For the European Space Agency, the Columbus lab is being seen as a major step forward in space exploration. The Japanese plan to install an even larger lab in the future.

The government of Tajikistan has imposed an electricity blackout in the capital Dushanbe a day after the authorities appealed for emergency aid in the face of severe cold weather. Millions of people have been left without power and heating. The BBC Central Asian correspondent says Tajikistan is facing the prospect of a humanitarian crisis.

Football: Egypt will play Cameroon in the final of the African Cup of Nations after both came through tough semi-final matches. The holders Egypt knocked up a 4:1 win over Ivory Coast with 3 goals scored in 5 minutes in a pulsating second half. Earlier, Cameroon knocked out the tournament host Ghana one goal to nil with a late second half goal against the runoff play.

And that's the latest BBC news.