BBC news 2009-02-11 加文本

BBC News with Jonathan Izzard.

Votes are being counted in Israel's general election, a poll which could have a crucial effect on the Middle East peace process. Exit polls suggest that the centralist Kadima party led by Tzipi Livni is narrowly ahead of the centre-right Likud party led by the former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From Kadima headquarters, Tim Franks.

At Kadima party headquarters, a gust of delight and shock greeted the release of the exit polls. Those polls suggested that having been consistently behind in the surveys for months, Tzipi Livni had managed to garner the support of enough people who didn't want her right-wing rival Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister. Despite the smiles here at Kadima headquarters, these are very early moments. The numbers could still change. And even if Tzipi Livni's Kadima party were to remain the largest, there is no guarantee that the Israeli president would call on her to try to form the next government if he believes she won't succeed. This does appear to be a remarkable comeback, that appearance may not last.

The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has announced an inquiry into damage to UN property in Gaza during Israel's recent offensive. From UN headquarters in New York, Laura Trevelyan.

During the three-week long Israeli offensive in Gaza, more than 40 people were killed by Israeli fire outside a UN school and a warehouse in the main UN compound was destroyed by Israeli shells. There were ten incidents in which UN property was damaged. Now Ban Ki-moon has announced an inquiry into what happened to be headed by Ian Martin, formerly the UN envoy to Nepal. Israel and the United Nations have a fraught relationship in Gaza. The world body's relief and works agency distributes aid to Palestinians, which leads Israeli officials to see the agency as biased and in favor of the Palestinians.

The US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has unveiled a new government plan costing up to 1.5 trillion dollars aimed at reviving the country's stricken financial sector. Under the plan, an investment fund of public and private money will be set up to buy toxic assets from ailing financial institutions. The US Federal Reserve will also provide more help for homeowners facing foreclosure. But Mr. Geithner warned that the plan was not an easy solution.

"I wanna be candid. This strategy will cost money. It will involve risk and it will take time. But as costly as this effort may be, we know that the cost of a complete collapse of our financial system would be incalculable for families and for businesses and for our nation."

At the end of the day's trading on New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones share index fell, ending the session more than 4.5% lower.

The largest American carmaker General Motors says it's cutting 10,000 jobs or roughly one in seven of its workforce. GM, the world's largest carmaker until it was overtaken by Toyota last year, says it will also cut pay by 10% for most of its remaining office workers in the US.

World News from the BBC.

Red Cross officials in Sri Lanka say at least 16 patients being treated in a makeshift hospital in the war-torn north of the country have been killed by heavy shelling as government forces continue their offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels. The patients at the facility near the coastal village of Putumattalan were among hundreds who had fled the last functioning hospital in the war zone after it came under repeated artillery fire.

Interpol has issued its biggest ever alert for terror suspects, the request of Saudi Arabia. The International Police Agency issued a worldwide appeal for help to find 85 people suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi targets. The list includes 83 Saudis and two Yemenis. It was released by Saudi officials last week.

Russia says it's ready to work with the United States on all bilateral issues including disarmament. A spokeswoman for the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the Kremlin welcomed what it had been hearing from the Obama administration about the future of US relations. On Monday, President Obama said the two countries should lead the way in preventing nuclear proliferation by restarting discussions on cutting their arsenals of nuclear weapons. (www.hXen.com)

The Russian Football Association has given its approval for its national team coach Guus Hiddink to manage the English club Chelsea until the end of the season. Chelsea, one of the world's richest teams, have been talking to Hiddink since sacking their manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday. Alex Capstick reports.

Guus Hiddink has become Chelsea's No. 1 target. The Dutchman has described it as an exceptional situation. He's committed to helping Russia try to qualify for next year's World Cup. But the chance to join Chelsea is tempting. "If it was any other club, " he said, "the answer would be no." But Guus Hiddink is a friend of Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich. He helped pave the way for Hiddink to take charge of the Russian national team, a job he would continue with should he strike a deal with Chelsea.

BBC.

Glossary

a gust of: If you feel a gust of emotion, you feel the meotion suddenly and intensely.

greet: to react to an action or news in a particular way

garner: If someone has garnered something useful or valuable, they have gained it or collected it.

comeback: something makes a comeback, it becomes fashionable again

fraught: If you say that a situation or action is fraught, you mean that it is worrying or difficult.

candid: When you are candid about something or with someone, you speak honestly.