BBC news 2008-06-21 加文本

BBC News with John Jason.

President Robert Mugabe's closest African ally, the Angolan President Jose Eduardos dos Santos, has urged the Zimbabwean leader to end all intimidation and political violence. He called for President Mugabe to observe the spirit of tolerance. Our African editor Martin Plaut reports.

This public rebuke marks a significant rift. Angolan and Zimbabwean troops fought on the same side in Angola's wars, and the two presidents come from the same school of liberation politics. Angola's stand marks the final collapse of African support for Mr. Mugabe. Earlier this week, other African heads of state from Senegal to Rwanda issued similar statements. Only South Africa's Thabo Mbeki has had little to say in public. As Africa's mediator in Zimbabwe, he's refused to be drawn into overt criticism of the election violence.

The House of Representatives in Washington has agreed proposals which in effect legalize a program of domestic phone-tapping without court warrants launched secretly by President Bush after the September 11th attacks in 2001. James Coomarasamy reports.

For months, US Congress has been trying to tackle one of the thorniest issues facing this country since September 11th, 2001, how to protect the American public from further terrorist attacks without compromising personal privacy. The House of Representatives has now passed a bill which, as supporters say, guarantees that both conditions are met. Under the bill which the Senate is expected to approve next week, companies which received a legitimate request from the government to take part in the program would be spared potential lawsuits worth billions of dollars.

European Union leaders have ended their summit in Brussels uncertain as to how to proceed after the Irish voters' rejection of the Lisbon Treaty which is designed to streamline EU decision-making. During the day, further obstacles to the implementation of the treaty emerged with the ratification process delayed in the Czech Republic and in Britain. EU leaders said ratification by other countries will proceed in the meantime. But further formal discussion on question was being postponed until October.

The Bolivian authorities say they've arrested two men who may have been planning to kill President Evo Morales. A government minister Sacha Llorenti said the men belong to a right-wing group opposed to Mr. Morales and were arrested outside the airport in the city of Santa Cruz.

They were members of the Santa Cruz Youth Union. One of them was carrying a rifle, obviously a long weapon with a telescopic sight and approximately 300 bullets for the weapon. Obviously we believe this is a very serious incident, it must be investigated, not only to determine the intentions which are clear for these two persons, but to find out who is the behind the threat to the security of the president.

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The Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, has warned that a military strike against Iran would turn the region into a fireball and make his job impossible. Mr. ElBaradei was speaking after a report suggesting that Israeli warplanes had recently carried out a possible rehearsal for an airborne attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Kim Ghattas reports from Washington.

There has been a lot of sabre-rattling about Iran recently in Israel and a bit in the US. This has now prompted the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog to warn against an attack. In an interview with Arabic TV Al Arabiya, Mohamed Elbaradei said a strike would make his job impossible and turn the region into a fireball. His comments come after reports of an apparent Israeli military rehearsal for an attack against Iran. Israeli military aircraft flew more than 1,500 kilometers which is roughly the distance between Israel and Natanz, Iran's uranium enrichment plant.

The Shell Oil Company says it will not be able to meet its contractual obligations on oil deliveries from Nigeria, following an attack by militants on an offshore oilfield. It's said that for the months of June and July, it will be unable to maintain normal supplies from the Bonga Oilfield, which produces more than 200,000 barrels a day.

The trial of the British mercenary Simon Mann, who is accused of leading an attempted coup in the African state of Equatorial Guinea, has ended. Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of more than 31 years for his role in the plot. Mr.Mann's lawyer has appealed for leniency, saying that his client was not the leader of the coup plot but an accomplice. Sentencing is due early next week.(www.hXen.com)

Football, Turkey have reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008. The Turks went through by beating Croatia 3-1 in a penalty shootout. The match ended 1-1 after extra time. The Turks will now face Germany in the first semi-final next Wednesday in the Swiss city of Basel.

BBC News.

sabre-rattling : threatening behaviour which is intended to frighten someone.

accomplice : a person who helps someone such as a criminal to do something wrong.