BBC news 2008-09-29 加文本

BBC News with Lopaco Tary.
 

Politicians in the United States have reached agreement on a final draft of their rescue plan for their American financial system. The package which still has to be voted on by both Houses of Congress would be the biggest intervention in the markets since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Speaker of the House Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said the most important thing was to protect American jobs.

This isn’t about a bailout of Wall Street, it’s a buy-in so that we can turn our economy around, and we can help people who are saving for their pensions and retirement, for the education of their children, saving so that they can stay in their homes, small businesses can get credit so that they can continue their transactions. The list goes on and on and it comes down to one word—jobs.

Some news just in: President Bush says he is confident that Congress will promptly approve the legislation needed to implement the financial rescue plan. He said the agreement sent a strong signal to markets around the world that the United States was serious about restoring stability to the financial system.

The governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg have announced a multibillion-dollar-plan to prop up one of Europe’s biggest insurance companies Fortis. The Belgium Prime Minister Yves Leterme said more than 16 billion dollars will be injected into the firm in a partial nationalization.

Iraqi police say a number of bomb explosions in Baghdad have killed at least 30 people with more than 70 injured. Hugh Sykes reports.

The day began with a car bomb explosion in West Baghdad in which one person died. Then late in the afternoon, as people were out shopping for food for the Iftar evening meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast, a car bomb exploded killing at least twelve people in the south of the city. After dark, there were two explosions in the central Karrada district of the capital -- a car bomb and a roadside bomb again in a busy area. The Iraqi army say that violence in the capital has spiked in the past fortnight.

Pirates holding a Ukrainian ship the Faina off the coast of Somalia with a cargo of military hardware on board are now demanding a ransom of 20 million dollars for its release. One of the pirates has confirmed that the vessel is surrounded by foreign warships. Karen Allen reports from Nairobi. 

Crews from the US Naval destroyer, the USS Howard, are leading a show of force against the MV Faina. It is now anchored near the port of Hobyo, north of Mogadishu. Images released by the US military show the vast freighter dwarfing a cluster of speedboats with gangs of men on board. It is not uncommon for small speedboats involved in piracy attacks to carry rocket launchers and other missiles which could badly damage a large ship.

This is Lopaco Tary with the latest World News from the BBC in London.

The fate of a tourist group kidnapped in Egypt a week ago remains unclear after a shootout between the kidnappers and security forces in neighboring Sudan. Today they were spotted by a Sudanese army patrol near the Libyan border, and according to the Sudanese authorities, six of the kidnappers were killed. The Sudanese say the hostages were later taken into Chad by the surviving kidnappers.

A convict in a French prison has been killed by a shot fired from outside the jail. Another prisoner was injured in the same shooting. The French Minister of Justice has gone to the jail near Gronoble. Reports say a man armed with a rifle was detained near the prison.

The interior minister of Austria says the governing Social Democrats have won the most seats in parliamentary elections but far-right parties made significant gains. The two centrist parties, the Social Democrats and the Conservative People’s Party, suffered their worst results since the Second World War. Joerg Haider, the leader of the far-right Alliance for Austria’s Future said he was optimistic that his party would form part of the new government.

I am sure that the negotiation between the People’s Party and the Socialist Party will not be very successful because both are in a difficult situation and therefore, I think, after some talks between these two parties, we will have the opportunity to negotiate the new government. (Www.hXen.com)

The President of Ecuador Rafael Correa has claimed victory in a referendum on a new constitution. Mr. Correa was speaking after exit polls suggested a “yes” vote of at least two-thirds. The opposition had campaigned actively against the new constitution, saying it was an attempt by President Correa to consolidate power and gain excessive control over Ecuador’s economy. The document grants the government more control of Ecuador’s vast energy resources and allows Mr. Correa to stand for two more consecutive terms in office.