BBC news 2009-04-18 加文本

BBC news, I'm John Shay.

The United States President Barack Obama has arrived in Trinidad for a summit with leaders from across the Americas. United States policies are expected to come under renewed criticism at the gathering with the challenge likely to be led by President Chavez of Venezuela. He's already said his country, along with Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Paraguay, has been preparing its ammunition. Speaking ahead of the gathering, Mr. Chavez said the summit could not meet the challenges faced by the region.  

“We consider that the draft declaration of the 5th summit of the Americas is insufficient and unacceptable for the following reasons. First, it does not respond to the global economic crisis despite the fact that this is the greatest challenge which humanity has had to face in decades and the most serious threat to the well-being of our people. Second, it unjustifiably excludes Cuba without mentioning the general consensus that exists in the region to condemn the blockade.”

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States policy towards Cuba has failed and that the Obama Administration welcomes overtures from Cuba's President Raul Castro. Her comments come a day after the Cuban leader said he was prepared to enter wide-ranging discussions with Washington.

In a major policy shift, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that carbon dioxide emissions pose a health risk. The Agency says the gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. Justin Webber reports.

This is another of those handbrake terms from the Bush route to the new cause set by Obama, not an unexpected change of direction but nonetheless hugely significant. The Environmental Protection Agency's announcement contains the simple assertion that green house gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. This announcement is the first step towards a huge new nationwide system of regulation. There will be a period of public consultation first, and there is bound to be intense opposition.

A radical Islamic cleric in Pakistan has vowed to continue his campaign to enforce Shariah law across the country, the day after he was released from jail on a court order. The cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, told thousands of his followers at the Red Mosque in Islamabad that they should be prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of Islam.

In the past, we were working very peacefully towards bringing Sharia law and God willing in the future again we will work for Sharia law peacefully. The purpose about our life is to bring Sharia law in this country and we will bring peace to this country also.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has secured pledges of more than 5 billion dollars in aid to boost development and to help fight Islamist militants. The money was offered at an international donors’ conference in Tokyo after President Asif Ali Zardari warned that the world had yet to grasp the implications of his country's struggle. If we lose, he declared, the world loses.

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Palestinian leaders in the west bank have told the visiting United States envoy George Mitchell that Israel must accept the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a peace settlement. Mr. Mitchell said that US remained committed to such a solution. However, the new Israeli government has repeatedly declined to endorse it. The Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that in the present circumstances, the Palestinians had no partner for peace.

A cyclone which has intensified over the Bay of Bengal has hit southern coastal areas of Bangladesh. The authorities had already issued storm warnings for the area and thousands of people have taken cover in shelters in the Cox's Bazar district. Volunteers are on stand-by for any emergency. The cyclone is also threatening parts of Burma.

A multimillion-dollar initiative has been launched to subsidize new drugs to help combat malaria, a disease that kills more than a million people a year. About 225 million dollars will initially go towards encouraging the use of newer, more effective drugs. Adam Miner has this report.

Every 30 seconds, a child dies from malaria. Most of the fatalities are in Sub-Sahara Africa where millions of people have little protection against malaria mosquitoes and no access to medical treatments. Some traditional prophylactic drugs are no longer effective because the parasites have become drug-resistant. The new program launched in Oslo will subsidize new drug treatments known as ACTs: Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies which are made of two active anti-malaria ingredients and are proved to be very effective.

The self-appointed leader of Madagascar has issued an arrest warrant for the president he ousted. The Justice Minister announced on State radio that the former president Marc Ravalomanana had misused government funds. On Wednesday, Mr. Ravalomanana who's in exile in Swaziland said he was intending to return to Madagascar.

That's the latest BBC news.