BBC news 2009-09-14 加文本

BBC 2009-09-14


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BBC news with David Austin.

The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai has said he’s not prepared to stand by while, in his words, President Robert Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF violates the law and spreads the language of hate. At a rally to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his own party, the Movement for Democratic Change, Mr. Tsvangirai said Mr. Mugabe had breached Zimbabwe’s power-sharing deal. Richard Hamilton reports.

Morgan Tsvangirai told his supporters that he wanted partners who are sincere and committed to the principles of good governance. This has been one of the rare signs of frustration that the MDC leader has shown in public with ZANU-PF since forming the government of national unity in February. This uneasy alliance was created to try to end the political turmoil that followed disputed elections last year. Since then, he’s been speaking a language of reconciliation and moderation trying to convince donors to help rebuild Zimbabwe and drag it out of its economic mire.

China says it's begun an investigation into some American imports amid signs of growing friction between the countries over trade. Abby Mosley reports.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry said it was looking into complaints that some US car and chicken products were being dumped in China or benefiting from unfair subsidies. The announcement comes after America said on Friday it was placing steep new import duties on Chinese-made tyres, prompting an angry reaction from Beijing. Trade has often been a source of tension between the world’s largest and third largest economies despite recent pledges to work together towards global economic recovery.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has taken part in a televised debate with her main rival in national elections later this month, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Watched by a large TV audience, they discussed Afghanistan and the global financial crisis. But correspondents say few major areas of disagreement emerged. Here is Steve Rosenberg.

It was dubbed “the TV duel”, but the two contenders seemed to agree on so many issues that one of the presenters commented “it was more like a TV duet”. Angela Merkel and Frank Steinmeier have worked together in a coalition government for the last four years. It was always gonna be difficult for them to attack one another’s record. Mr. Steinmeier did attempt to distance his Social Democrats from Mrs. Merkel’s Christian Democrats but he appeared nervous and didn’t really come out fighting. In the end it was Chancellor Merkel who took control of the debate. She came across as the more relaxed of the two and more confident.

An Irish millionaire businessman who led a successful campaign for the rejection of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty in the country’s referendum last year has decided to fight for a 'no' vote in the next referendum. Declan Ganley made the announcement three weeks ahead of the votes on the 2nd of October, saying that people were being misled about the treaty.

This is the World News from the BBC.

The United States has launched a new effort to finalize terms for resuming talks between Israel and Palestinians. The American envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has been discussing the issue with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem. Mr. Mitchell said that he was working hard to resolve long-standing differences.

"I look forward to receiving your comments, your advice, your guidance, as I begin my, a round of discussions with leaders in your government, and in Ramallah with the Palestinian officials and then in other countries in the region, er...., who have a vital interest and we hope for an important role to play to bring about a common objective which as president Obama has stated repeatedly is for comprehensive peace in the region.”

At the same time, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

The son of Israel’s first astronaut has died after the fighter plane he was piloting crashed in the West Bank. The Israeli army says it’s not clear what caused the crash that killed Asaf Ramon. He was the son of Ilan Ramon who died in the explosion on the Columbia space shuttle in 2003.

Tens of thousands of Cubans have been paying their respects to one of leaders of the Cuban revolution Juan Almeida who died on Friday at the age of 82. President Raul Castro led the ceremony in Havana’s Revolution Square as long queues filed past memorial to the former bricklayer, who became the only black commander in the rebel army.

Dame Vera Lynn who first topped the charts in Britain during the Second World War has become the oldest living artist in the world to have a NO.1 album. We will Meet Again, the very best of Vera Lynn took the NO.1 spot despite competition from the re-release of the entire Beatles’ album Catalog. Dame Vera, who is 92, said she was extremely surprised and delighted.

And that's the BBC News.