BBC news 2008-09-04 加文本

Welcome to the latest global news recorded at 0300 BST on Wednesday, the 3rd of September. I am Mark Whitaker with the selection of highlights from across BBC World Service News today.

And coming up, the hurricane has passed. So it’s back to the business of politics at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

John McCain is tested, ready and prepared to lead. And I think that’s the message that we clearly can get across this week.

Also the deepening crisis in Ethiopia. How drought victims are vying with refugees from Somalia to get into screening camps. And Thailand’s embattled leader tells us about his struggle to keep his hold on power.  

Anything can happen. But I think to be or not be. It’s my job to carry on the business of this government.

And the row in Australia over girls playing the didgeridoo.

But first to our main story. The Republican Convention is back on track after the delay caused by Hurricane Gustav, with that music, prayers and video tributes to leading Republicans who've died, but not been forgotten. It’s been time to showcase John McCain --- the man Republicans hope will be the next president. The theme of that showcasing, service and country first, a theme picked up in his video-linked address to the convention by the man McCain hopes to succeed at the White House.

As you gather tonight in St. Paul, I want to share some thoughts about our nominee, a great American, and the next president of the United States -- John McCain.

Before I do so, I want to say hello to two people in the hall with you tonight. I could have no finer examples of character, decency and integrity than my mom and dad. And I love you a lot.  

I know what it takes to be president. In these past eight years, I've sat at the Resolute desk and reviewed the daily intelligence briefings, the threat assessments, and reports from our commanders on the front lines. I've stood in the ruins of buildings knocked down by killers, and promised the survivors I would never let them down. I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.

Our Washington correspondent James Coomarasamy is with delegates on the floor of the convention center.

I am joined by someone who ran against John McCain earlier on the Republican campaign, the former governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore. He is actually running for the Senate now on the Republican ticket in Virginia. First of all, governor, can I ask you what you have made of President Bush’s address to the convention?

Well, I think that the president was here. He was present by his video. He was a strong supporter of John McCain. He has faced terrific international challenges and he knows that John McCain is up to the job, and that’s what he said tonight.

There has been some talks though here that some organizers were relieved that the President Bush wasn’t here in personal [person]. There is very popular amounts of delegates here, his approval rating is low, he is not necessarily an unconditional asset for the party at the moment.

Well, nonetheless, he is the president of the United States and, and a leader of the Republican Party. We were very glad that he is seen here via, by video, and very glad that he is supporting John McCain.

Would you be glad to have him campaigning for you in Virginia?

I would, certainly would, and I am now looking forward to John McCain campaigning with me also, and Sarah Palin, who I think is gonna be a big, big asset to this ticket. And by the way, since we are speaking to our friends in the United Kingdom, I wanna everybody to know that I consider it personally very vital that the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom remain [remains] strong and close and intact.

Well, we are talking around the world actually. Governor, but tell me, what does Sarah Palin bring for ticket? Are there a lot of question marks over her experience, the thought that she actually takes away from John McCain that, that big asset he has for his experience and his foreign policy experience with him.

No, that's really not true. Governor Palin is the governor of one of the 50 states of the United States of America, just as I was governor of the state of Virginia. She brings executive branch experience to the ticket. And I can tell you this, she has more executive branch experience today than Barack Obama has. Barack Obama has no experience at all in administration, or running anything while Sarah Palin is the governor, the elected governor of the state of Alaska. So I think it is a very significant matter. Furthermore we all understand that energy is not only a United States issue, but a world issue. And it’s a very, very key that the United States of America produces more domestic energy and more, have a solid domestic energy policy. She is a governor from energy state, and finally she is obviously a woman, not all women will be voting for the Republican ticket, but many more will now, because of Sarah Palin. So I’m very excited about her as a candidate.     

But tonight, today is about John McCain. We’ve heard stories of his service in the war. We’ve heard about him as somebody who adopted a young daughter from Bangladesh, from poor circumstances. What more is there for the American public to learn about it?  (Www.hxen.net)

I think that, that John McCain is already well-known across the United States of America. He is an independent type of person, a person of deep experience, a person of a great service to his country. He stands with these issues of loyalty and patriotism as in a character. And I think that being that well-known for those [who have] wonderful attributes, it is gonna make a big difference in, in this race. But I, I am excited about the race. I am excited about my race for the Senate in Virginia.

But you are trailing quite heavily in the polls at the moment. Can John McCain help to turn it around getting you into the Senate?

I think we will win the senate race if the polling doesn’t matter until we get into the real issues of the fall election, and that begins now.

So let's...