BBC news 2008-12-23 加文本

BBC News with Nick Kelly.

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a stronger mandate for peace-keeping troops in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The resolution gives international forces the authority to protect civilians from violence not only by rebel groups, but also renegade Congolese government soldiers. The British Ambassador to the UN, Sir John Sawers, said the peace-keeping force, known as MONUC, had to do more to curb widespread rape and violence against civilians in Eastern Congo.

My delegation remains appalled at the persistent high levels of sexual violence in the eastern DRC in particular, perpetrated by the armed groups, including, sad to say, some of the armed forces of the DRC. Systematic rape, seems to be used by groups like the FDLR as a weapon to subjugate and divide local communities. We look to MONUC to do more to bring an end to this horrific practice and to do more to protect women as they go about their daily business.

Pope Benedict has said that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforests from destruction. In his end-of-the-year speech to Vatican officials, the Pope criticized gender theory which explores how individuals and society perceive biological identity. He said blurring the distinction between male and female could lead to the destruction of the human race.

The federal jury in the United States has found five men guilty of conspiring to kill American soldiers at an army base in the state of New Jersey. The five non-US nationals were acquitted on charges of attempted murder. The prosecution described the plot as a bid to wage Jihad against the United States. From Washington, here's Rajini Vaidyanathan.

The five defendants who lived in Philadelphia for many years were of Jordanian, Turkish and Albanian origin. They were arrested in 2007 after a 14-month investigation which began when a clerk at an electronic store tipped off the police. His suspicions were raised when he was asked by the men to copy footage of them, firing assault weapons and screaming Jihad chants onto a DVD. The FBI asked two men to act as an agent on their behalf and befriend the men.

The Iraqi parliament has put off a crucial vote on whether to allow British and other non-American forces to remain in Iraq after their UN mandate runs out at the end of the month. There're indications that the vote may now be held on Tuesday, here's Caroline Wyatt.

Procession had been expected to result in a vote in favor of the resolution allowing British and other foreign troops to stay on in Iraq into next year, but it was suspended after MPs from Kurdish and Shiite parties continue to argue with the parliamentary speaker. The resolution is needed to allow foreign troops the legal basis on which to stay in Iraq. It would affect the 4,000 or so British troops based here in Basra. However, the head of the British army General Sir Richard Dannatt said there were contingency plans in place in case of any further delay to the resolution.

World News from the BBC.

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says it has evidence that one of the most significant Jewish settlements on occupied territory has been largely built illegally. It says the settlement is illegal, not just under international law, but also according to Israeli practice. Andrew Bolton reports.

The Ofra settlement was established in 1975 northeast of Ramallah in the West Bank, but the human rights group says almost 60% of it has been built on land which remains in private Palestinian ownership. The settlement now has a population of more than 4,000 and the authorities there dispute the findings. All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by the international community, but Israel differentiates between those settlements it's given permission for, such as Ofra, and dozens of smaller outposts it agrees, are unlawful.

The African Union has failed to resolve the problem of replacing Ethiopian troops backing the interim government in Somalia when they withdraw at the end of the year. Ethiopia has made it clear it will pull its forces out within the next two weeks. The AU had earlier told the meeting of foreign ministers in Addis Ababa that they could make no recommendation on bolstering the African mission in Somalia.

Russia is to give its armed forces more weapons over the next three years, including 17 new strategic nuclear missiles. A government official told reporters in Moscow that there'd also been 30 short-range missiles, 48 new combat planes, 60 military helicopters, more than 300 tanks and 14 naval vessels.(Www.hXen.com)

And thousands of lucky ticket holders in Spain have found themselves richer in the round to Christmas after winning as much as 400,000 dollars each in the annual national lottery, known as El Gordo or The Fat One. Millions of Spaniards hovered around television sets and radios to hear the result which is aimed at spreading the proceeds among as many people as possible, the lucky ones this year included two men from Bangladesh living in Barcelona.