BBC news 2008-07-02 加文本

BBC News with Sue Montgomery.

African leaders have ended a two-day summit by calling on the Zimbabwean government and opposition to work towards a national unity administration. The meeting in Egypt issued a final statement expressing deep concern over the violence during last week's presidential election in Zimbabwe, in which Robert Mugabe was the sole candidate. From the summit, Mike Wooldridge.

The resolution is less tough in its wording than a number of African leaders would clearly have wanted. Mr. Mugabe heard criticism of him during the debate including from his neighbor Botswana. Its vice president said the outcome of the elections did not confer legitimacy on Mr. Mugabe's government which has now been excluded for meetings of the African Union and the Southern African regional body, SADC. But other countries took a different tone, and the end result is a carefully phrased resolution. It draws with deep concern on the fact that African observers declared the presidential election run-off not to be free or fair, but it doesn't explicitly say the outcome was illegitimate.

A slump in vehicle sales by the three big US car manufacturers has renewed worries about the American economy. General Motors posted an 18% drop in sales in June, Ford unveiled a 29% slump, Chrysler’s sales were down by 36%. Mark Gregory reports. 

The combination of record fuel prices and an economy close to recession has led to a slump in sales. On current trends, fewer than 14 million cars and light trucks will be sold in the US this year, the market's worst performance in 15 years. Shares in General Motors, America's biggest car maker, have fallen to a level last seen in the 1950s. 

The international coffee chain Starbucks says it will close nearly 10% of its outlets in the United States in the latest indication of a stalling US economy. Starbucks says up to 12,000 full and part-time posts will be lost. From New York, our North American business correspondent Gred Wood reports. 

Consumers here in the United States are cutting back on all sorts of unnecessary spending. Now it seems that a cup of coffee on the way to the office is a casualty too. Starbucks says that it’s earmarked 600 stores for closure out of more than 7,000 company-owned shops across the United States, because they are not making a profit.

The President of Mongolia, Nambaryn Enkhbayar, has declared a state of emergency in the capital of Ulan Bator. Police have clashed with opposition protesters. The violence flared as the opposition accused the government of rigging Sunday's general election. Crowds ransacked the headquarters of Mongolia's governing party, the former Communists, and set it on fire. A police station was also attacked and a theater and the National Art Gallery were set in fire. More than 60 people were wounded as police battled protesters.

BBC News.

The United Nations says there's been a huge increase in global investment in renewable energy sources amid concerns over soaring oil prices and climate change. The report by the UN Environment Program said more than 148 billion dollars were invested in wind, solar and other alternative energy projects in 2007, a 60% rise on the previous year. (Www.hxen.net)

The President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez has suggested tackling rising food prices by using profits from oil sales to fund subsidies. Speaking at a Mercosur trade bloc summit, Mr. Chavez said one dollar could be donated to food fund for each barrel sold above 100 dollars. He said that at current rates, Venezuela alone would donate more than 900 million dollars a year. Mr. Chavez condemned plans (of) new immigration laws in the European Union as a "virtual wall in the Atlantic".

The US Democratic Party's presidential candidate Barack Obama has made a move to appeal to religious voters by saying he'll expand President Bush's program of involving religious groups in government social initiatives. Speaking in the key state of Ohio, Mr. Obama pledged to establish a council for a faith-based and the neighborhood partnerships, which he said would have set the national agenda.

"We know that faith and values can be a source of strength in our own lives, and that's what it’s been to me. That's what it has been to so many Americans. It can also be something more, they can be the foundation of a new project of American renewal and that's the kind of effort I intend to lead as president of the United States."

The United States has belatedly removed Nelson Mandela from its official list of potential terrorists in time for his 90th birthday later this month. All members of the African National Congress, which has governed South Africa since 1990s, had been required to apply for special waivers to get a US visa.

And that's the latest BBC News.