BBC news 2010-01-04 加文本

BBC news 2010-01-04

BBC News with Mary Small.
 
The United States and Britain have closed their embassies in Yemen because of what officials say are continuing threats from al-Qaeda. The US embassy has told its citizens in Yemen to be vigilant. President Obama has accused a Yemen-based group linked to al-Qaeda of being behind a failed attempt to blow up an American airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day. Jonathan Head reports from Yemen.
The US Embassy in Sana'a resembles a fortress, guarded by heavy machine guns and a formidable row of concrete barriers. The British Embassy is more discreetly protected. Both, though, remain closed for the moment because of intelligence suggesting a terrorist attack is now far more likely. A recent statement by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group blamed for the failed Christmas Day bombing, called for an all-out war against what it called the "crusaders who work in embassies".
 
A senior White House official has said that lapses and human errors were to blame for the American security service's failure to identify the Nigerian suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in advance over the attempted Detroit bombing. Imtiaz Tyab reports from Washington.
The White House counter-terrorism and security adviser John Brennan is leading a review ordered by President Obama of the alleged attempted bombing of the Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. He said there were lapses and errors in the sharing of intelligence, but no single piece of evidence pointed to an attempted attack. US authorities have charged 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with trying to blow up a US-bound flight with explosives he had smuggled to board in his underwear.
 
The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said airports in Britain are to install full-body scanners to check passengers before flights. The move comes as security is tightened globally. This report from Jane Moore.
Gordon Brown said the authorities were responding to a new kind of threat and more measures would be introduced in British airports to tighten security. However, he said no one could be 100% certain that the new technology would work. He said the body scanners had already been ordered by the British airports authority. A spokesman for BAA said they'd be introduced to London's Heathrow Airport as soon as possible.
 
The French Health Ministry is selling off doses of swine flu vaccine which it believes the country no longer needs. Last year, France bought 94 million doses of the vaccine for a population of 63 million people. Since then, European medical authorities have published advice, suggesting that a single dose of vaccine may be enough to protect people against swine flu.
 
Hundreds of workers in northern China are trying to contain an oil leak that’s spilled 150,000 liters of diesel into a major tributary of the Yellow River. According to state media reports, the leak was caused by a construction accident on a state-owned fuel pipeline that’s built into the Wei River.
 
BBC News.
 
A Chinese province has ordered a halt to the production of fireworks after nine people were killed in an explosion at a factory on Friday. Investigators in Shanxi province said the factory was over-crowded and staff hadn't had proper safety training. State media said the police and the safety officials had been ordered to overhaul all fireworks factories in the province.
 
Hundreds of Israeli settlers have demonstrated outside the office in Jerusalem of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They are opposed to a temporary and limited freeze on building in West Bank settlements. One of the leaders of the protest, which was made up of civil servants working in West Bank settlements, said they’re to continue building with or without government help. Settlers have said they'll defy the Israeli government's decision.
 
A senior official at the Iranian Football Federation has offered his resignation after the organization sent a New Year’s greeting to its Israeli counterpart. The official said the email was sent accidentally. Here is a report from Sebastian Usher of our Middle East desk.
The antagonism between Iran and Israel extends to the sporting arena. Iranian teams won’t play in tournaments where Israelis are also competing. So this is a big embarrassment for the Iranian Football Federation. For Israel, though, it's been a little like relief. Israeli football officials say they couldn't quite believe their eyes when they saw the greeting, but they then decided to make the most of it, sending back Happy New Year wishes to, in their words, all the good people of Iran, and ending the message with a wink.
 
The Hollywood film Avatar about a disabled marine who infiltrates a race of big blue aliens has become one of the most lucrative movies ever. Box office figures suggest it's earned more than a billion dollars worldwide since opening 17 days ago. Avatar was directed by James Cameron and combines live action with computer-generated effects.
 
BBC News.