BBC news 2008-03-04 加文本

BBC 2008-03-04


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BBC News with Blerry Gogan.

Ecuador says it has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia, following a cross-border raid by Colombian troops inside Ecuador which killed a leader of the rebel FARC group. Venezuela has also announced that it is expelling all Colombian diplomats. Latin American leaders have urged restraint on the three countries involved. They've convened an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States on Tuesday. Jeremy McDermott reports from Colombia.

The situation along Ecuadorian and Venezuelan borders has long been tense with both countries claiming that Colombia doesn't do enough to control its frontiers. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe must have known that there would have been a strong reaction from Ecuador when he ordered his air force to bomb guerrilla encampment just inside the neighboring country, killing a top FARC commander. However, he may not have anticipated both Ecuador and Venezuela withdrawing their ambassadors and moving troops up to the borders.

The United Nations Security Council has voted to impose tougher sanctions on Iran because of its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. The resolution imposes a freeze on certain Iranian assets held abroad; bans travel by five Iranian officials and bars the sale of equipment that could have a military use. The British ambassador to the UN John Sawers said the Council was offering incentives for Iran to give up uranium enrichment.

"Our proposals will offer substantial opportunities for political, security and economic benefits to Iran, and to the region. We urge Iran to take this opportunity to engage with us all and to find a negotiated way forward".

Iran, which insists that its nuclear program is for generating electricity, not atomic weapons, says the new UN sanctions are illegal.

Saudi Arabia has become the latest country to pull out of a major book fair in France, because Israel is the guest of honor. Other Muslim countries including Iran, Tunisia, Yemen and Algeria have already announced their withdrawal. Frances Harrison reports.

It is the biggest book fair in Paris and this year it is honoring 39 writers from Israel. The organizers say it's a coincidence that this happens to be the 60th anniversary of Israel. The aim was to honor literature, not trigger  a furious political row about the state of Israel. Indeed they argue many of these Israeli writers involved support the idea of Palestinian statehood. But the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization called for a boycott, saying the crimes against humanity committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories made it unworthy of being the guest of honor.

France and Germany say they've agreed a compromise solution to their disagreement over French plans for the establishment of a political, economic and cultural union of Mediterranean countries. Germany had criticized the plan as divisive, saying it would sideline non-Mediterranean European countries including Germany. But after a meeting with the French President, the German Chancellor said the Mediterranean union would now involve all EU member states.

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In the latest stage of the campaign for the American presidency, the Democratic Party candidates are drumming up last-minute support before Tuesday's votes in Texas and Ohio. The front-runner Barack Obama said Hillary Clinton may have to quit the race if he wins. Senator Clinton said she would stay the course whatever the outcome. Votes are also taking place on Tuesday in the smallest states, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The American military has confirmed that it’s carried out an attack in southern Somalia early on Monday. A Pentagon spokesman said the target had been an Al-Qaeda member, but he gave no further details about the operation. However, Pentagon sources said at least one cruise missile was launched. Local people said at least four civilians were killed in the attack.

The BBC has learned that the British government is considering banning all sports people from Zimbabwe from competing in Britain. The complete ban is one of the options being considered by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to display a tough stance towards the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who is accused of human rights abuses. James Pearce has the story.

Gordon Brown is determined to take a tougher stance than his predecessor Tony Blair. And intervene if necessary to stop Zimbabwe's cricket team from touring England next year. The discussion in government now is just how tough that stance should be. A compromise would only stop Zimbabwe's cricketers from coming to the UK is a more likely final outcome. But this has settled down now that Gordon Brown is prepared to use at least some sort of sporting sanction against Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.

The former newspaper magnate Conrad Black has reported to a prison in Florida to begin a six-and-a-half year jail sentence for fraud and the obstruction of justice. Conrad Black and two other executives of Hollinger International which own newspapers in the United States, Canada, Britain and Israel will convicted in July over defrauding company shareholders of millions of dollars.