BBC news 2008-05-09 加文本

BBC 2008-05-09

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BBC News with Daburah Mckenthy.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the military government in Burma to concentrate on distributing aid to victims of cyclone Nargis rather than holding a constitutional referendum this weekend. The UN's top humanitarian official John Holmes believes that as many as one and half million people may have been affected by the cyclone.

We are in touch, close touch with the Myanmar authorities to keep on pressing hard for more cooperation, for more facilitation or much greater ease of access, if possible, for waiver of visa and other requirements and for the expert staff who are needed to help the distribution. And I have to say I'm disappointed by the progress we've seen.

Our BBC correspondent says the Burmese army has begun distributing significantly more aid in the worst hit area, the Ayeyarwaddy Delta, but nothing like enough to match the scale of the disaster.

Israeli Justice Ministry has confirmed that the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is under criminal investigation on suspicion of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Jewish American businessman. The ministry has lifted an order preventing media reporting of the allegations. At a news conference Mr. Olmert denied breaking the law. Paul Wood reports from Jerusalem.

In a brief televised statement, Ehud Olmert declared I never took bribes; I never took a penny for myself. Israeli Prime Minister said he would not resign unless he was formally charged. Mr. Olmert is alleged to have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Jewish-American financier Morris Talansky. The Israeli Prime Minister is facing several investigations into alleged corruption but for the first time foreign observers are raising the possibility that peace efforts with the Palestinians could be deflected by the allegation swirling around the Israeli head of government.

Fighting in the Lebanese capital Beirut between pro-government groups and supporters of the opposition led by Hezbollah has continued into the night. Reports say at least seven, mainly civilians, were killed and several others wounded. The fighting started after the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah described recent government moves to curb its influence as a declaration of war. Spokesman for the American State Department David Foley, condemned Hezbollah's actions.
Certainly we call on Hezbollah to cease this violent action, and we call on Syria and Iran to stop their illegal assistance to Hezbollah, but certainly I could say that whether there is no suggestion of US military reaction in response to the renewed violence. That's not something that anybody is talking about.
A spokesman for the United States military in Iraq says they are unable to confirm reports that the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq Abu Ayyub al-Masri has been arrested. Earlier, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Mr. al-Masri had been detained in the northern city of Mosul.

World News from the BBC.

The Brazilian government has announced a new plan for sustainable development of the Amazon Region. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva explained the government's decision.

The discussion on the Amazon has evolved and changed. There's been a evolution on how we deal with the Amazon. All of us understand the region must develop, but we need to have a more complex development model, not a predatory one, a way of using what's good in the region which we can offer to humanity and to the benefit of the people who live in the Amazon.

A worldwide appeal to find a man suspected of sexually abusing young boys in Southeast Asia has led to his arrest in the United States. Interpol published photos of the man showing him abusing the boys. Within 48 hours, three people had identified him as Wayne Corliss. He was arrested in his apartment in New Jersey. An Interpol statement said he confessed to police. Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told the BBC how they were able to track him down so quickly.

We received approximately 640 leads or further inquiries of one sort or another within the first 24 hours. From those leads, we were able to identify one lead immediately that included the stage name of the person who has now been arrested, a photograph and his bio.

A British Immigration Tribunal has granted bail to a radical Muslim preacher Abu Qatada, who's been convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement in terror attacks. He'll be subject to a 22-hour curfew when he's freed. The British Home Secretary is appealing against the decision.

Frank Rijkaard is stepping down as a coach of the Spanish football club Barcelona. The former club captain Pep Guardiola will take over. Rijkaard, a former Dutch star, took charge of Barcelona five years ago and led them back to back league titles and victory over Arsenal in the Champions League in 2006.

BBC News.