BBC news 2009-10-03 加文本

BBC 2009-10-03


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BBC World News with Deborah Mccarthy.

The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro has been chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Rio beat the Spanish capital Madrid in a final round of voting by the International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen. From there, Alex Capstick reports.

Rio's bid was described by the President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, as flawless. The members of the IOC had no more excuses not to take the Olympics to South America for the first time. The announcement was greeted with tears of joy from Rio's delegation in Copenhagen. It included the football legend Pele and the country's leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. His relentless support for the bid was seen as a key factor in persuading the voters to choose Rio. It's a triumphant end to years of preparation and the constant rounds of lobbying.

Despite Madrid 's disappointment, Queen Sofia of Spain was quick to congratulate Rio de Janeiro on its success. President Obama in Copenhagen to support Chicago's candidacy also congratulated Brazil.

"I think this is a truly historic event, as these will be the first Olympic Games ever to be held in South America, and as neighbours in the Americas, as friends to the Brazilian people, we welcome this extraordinary sign of progress and the fact that the 2016 games will be in the Americas."

But in Chicago itself, a BBC correspondent reported watching a sea of open mouths as the city was eliminated.

Israeli television has broadcast a video of an Israeli soldier being held captive in the Gaza Strip, the first such proof that he's alive more than three years after he was seized by Palestinian militants. In the video, the soldier, Gilad Schalit, sent his love to his family and held up a newspaper dated the 14th of September.

"I am reading the paper in order to find information about me. I hope to find some kind of information about my release and my return home soon. For a long time, I've been hoping and waiting for the day when I shall be released. I hope that the current government under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu will not at this time waste the opportunity to reach an agreement."

In exchange for the video, Israel released 20 female Palestinian prisoners.

A United Nations agency has responded to a week of natural disasters in Asia by saying the region must invest more in preventative measures. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction said Asia was highly exposed with regular earthquakes combined with extreme weather conditions both of which are exacerbated by climate change and population growth. It said Asian country should improve construction standards and establish effective early warning systems.

The Indonesian authorities say thousands of people may remain trapped under rubble after the massive earthquake in Sumatra. In all more than 1,100 people are confirmed dead.

World News from the BBC.

Voting has just ended in the Republic of Ireland in a second referendum on a treaty seen as crucial in determining the future of the European Union. The Lisbon Treaty aims to streamline decision-making in the union with fewer national vetoes. Irish voters rejected it last year and if they vote no again it could spell the end for the treaty.

The army in Pakistan has ordered an investigation into a video posted on the Internet which appears to show soldiers abusing suspected militants. The army says it's investigating. Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad.

The video begins with a man apparently being questioned by Pakistani troops. When he says he doesn't know the whereabouts of a family member they accuse of being part of the Taliban, the signal is given to begin the beating. Soldiers surround the man, kicking him and beating him with sticks. Through the 10-minute film, four men are shown being physically and verbally abused in this way. They are threatened if they don't cooperate they will be cut into pieces. In a statement to the BBC, Pakistan’s army said it's now investigating the matter, anyone found who'v done wrong, it says, will face strict disciplinary action.

Stock markets across the world have fallen after new unemployment figures from the United States raised concerns that the recovery from the global economic crisis will be slower than expected. The London and Frankfurt indices fell by more than 1.5%, Paris by 2%. In the United States itself, markets edged slightly downwards after unemployment rose to its highest level in 26 years.

A producer with the American television network CBS has been charged with trying to blackmail the talk show host David Letterman. The Producer Robert Halderman is accused of demanding two million dollars in exchange for keeping secret a number of sexual relationships the presenter had with female members of his staff. He's denied the charge. David Letterman told his audience about the affairs on Thursday during a recording.

BBC News.