BBC news 2008-07-20 加文本

BBC News with John Jason.

The Arab League has sharply criticized the move by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to seek the arrest of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

Arab foreign ministers holding an emergency meeting in Cairo said the court's action set a dangerous precedent and would undermine Sudan's sovereignty. Magdi Abdlehadi is in Cairo.

"The Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa said he was traveling to Sudan on Sunday to discuss a proposed plan of action with the Sudanese government. He said the plan had a political and a legal component, but he refused to disclose any of its contents until he discussed it with General Omar al-Bashir. But he said the situation was so serious that the Arabs had to work closely with the African Union and other international players to ensure that the fragile peace process in Sudan was not put in any danger."

America has told Iran it must decide between confrontation and cooperation in the dispute over its nuclear program. A US State Department official Sean McCormack said Iran had a choice, negotiation or further isolation. The ultimatum came after talks in Geneva between major world powers and Iran concluded with Tehran still refusing to halt uranium enrichment in return for incentives. Iran's chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said the incentives provided a new opportunity. he also explained why there was no concrete results of the meeting.

"Diplomacy as I am sure you’ll appreciate is like hand-woven Persian carpets. It moves ahead in millimeters, and again it's similar because it’s a very precise work. In certain cases it's a very beautiful endeavor and hopefully the end result, the final product, will be beautiful to behold."

The Central Bank in Zimbabwe says it's introducing a 100-billion-dollar bank note in response to rampant hyperinflation. Zimbabwe's official inflation rate is now over two million percent a year, but independent economists believe it's many times higher. Some Zimbabweans are already calling for higher denominations. This man says the new multi-billion dollar note doesn't even cover the cost of his bus fare home.

It's worthless, because you know what? Nowadays like, for my expenses a day, I need about 500 billion, so 100 billion can't do anything, because for me, ….

Earlier this week, Mr. Obama proposed withdrawing troops from Iraq, and bolstering US forces here by up to 10,000 soldiers.

Local officials in northwestern Pakistan have confirmed that there has been fierce fighting between two rival militant groups in the Muhammad tribal region. The local Administrator said both sides used rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons in clashes that lasted for several hours. He said up to 15 men had been killed.

World News from the BBC.

The Central Bank in Zimbabwe says it's introducing a 100-billion-dollar bank note in response to rampant hyperinflation. Zimbabwe's official inflation rate is now over 2 million percent a year. But independent economists believe it's many times higher. Some Zimbabweans are already calling for higher denominations. This man says the new multi-billion dollar note doesn't even cover the cost of his bus fare home.

It's worthless, because you know what? Nowadays like, for my expenses a day, I need about 500 billion, so 100 billion can't do anything, because for me to go home, I need like 250 billion, so this hundred is worthless.

Zimbabwe's main opposition MDC has reported to be preparing to sign an agreement paving the way for fully-fledged talks with President Robert Mugabe's party. The opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai told a local newspaper, the memorandum of understanding will be signed when an international reference group arrives in Harare on Monday. The breakthrough comes a day after the South African President Thabo Mbeki agreed to allow the African Union and the UN to join efforts to mediate in the Zimbabwe election crisis.

Police in India-administered Kashmir said at least nine soldiers have been killed in an explosion triggered by suspected separatist militants They said nearly 20 others were injured when a bus carrying the troops was caught in the blast in the Narbal area just north of the summer capital Srinagar. The militant group Hizbul Mujahedeen has said it carried out the attack.(Www.hxen.net)

And the film distributor Warner Brother says that the new Batman movie, the Dark Knight, took more than 66 million dollars on its opening day to set a single day box office record. The head of the distribution of Warner Brothers attributed the success of the film to the version of the director Christopher Nolan and the outstanding performance of the late Australian actor Heath Ledger in what turned out to be his last completed screen role, as Batman's arch nemesis, the Joker.

BBC News.