BBC news 2010-02-10 加文本

2010-02-10 BBC

BBC News with Julie Candler.

Both Houses of Parliament in Nigeria have voted to transfer power from the country's ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua to his deputy Goodluck Jonathan. There's been a power vacuum in Nigeria since November, when the president left for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Mark Doyle reports.

Five short years ago in 2005, Goodluck Jonathan was the deputy governor of the southern Nigerian state of Bayelsa. Today, he's the acting president of Africa's most populous nation. The main question now is whether Goodluck Jonathan will hold on as the ruling party's presidential candidate in the next elections in 2011. But many Nigerians will nevertheless be pleased that a peaceful solution may have been found to the power vacuum that so many of them have been worried about with Mr Yar'Adua sick in a foreign hospital.

The Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir says his country is ready for a full normalization of relations with neighboring Chad, raising hopes of an end to the conflict in Darfur. Speaking after talks with the Chadian President Idriss Deby in Khartoum, Mr Bashir said the visit had put an end to the problems between their countries. James Copnall reports from the Sudanese capital.

After two days of talks and in apparent good spirits, both presidents said the visit had opened a new peaceful chapter in the two countries' often rocky relationship. But neither side made firm commitments to expel the rebels, who use their country as a base to attack their neighbor. There have been many agreements between Chad and Sudan in recent years. These direct negotiations between the two presidents give some grounds for optimism, even if there is still considerable mistrust between the sides to overcome.

The Greek government has announced plans to overhaul the country's near-bankrupt pension system. It's the latest part of an austerity program aimed at tackling a huge budget deficit and soaring debt. The measures have led to unions calling a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. Our Europe editor, Gavin Hewitt, reports from Athens.

Greece is desperate to reassure the markets that it is serious about reducing its budget deficit, so the government has announced a new austerity measure, this time affecting pensions. From 2015, the state pension age will rise to 63 and they will ban early retirement. These latest moves have angered the unions. There were some protesters on the streets today, and some angrily denounced the markets and the European Union for insisting that Greece slash its spending.

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has dissolved parliament, clearing the way for national elections in April. The move came a day after the dramatic arrest of the main opposition candidate in January's presidential election, General Sarath Fonseka. Correspondents say the dissolution of parliament is timely as the country's opposition is in disarray following General Fonseka's detention.

World News from the BBC.

President Obama says the United States is developing what he called a “significant regime of sanctions” in response to Iran's announcement that it is to begin enriching uranium to a higher grade of 20%. Mr Obama said the process of formulating new sanctions was moving along quickly. He praised Russia for voicing renewed skepticism about Iran's intentions, but said it remained to be seen how China would vote in the UN Security Council after it called for continued negotiations with Tehran.

The American First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a new government campaign to tackle child obesity in the United States, where one in three children and teenagers is classified as overweight. Called "Let's Move", the program will encourage physical activity and provide advice on healthy eating.

"I love burgers and fries, and I love ice-cream and cake, and so do most kids. We are not talking about a lifestyle that excludes all that. The question is how do we help people balance that out so that they are not facing life-threatening preventable illnesses, but they are enjoying their food, they are eating their vegetables, they are doing their running and walking and playing. That's the life that, you know, I'm hoping that we can build for Americans."

The Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak says rescue efforts will continue through the night to try to reach those still thought to be trapped in a mountain tunnel, north of Kabul, after it was engulfed by a series of avalanches. At least 24 people are known to have died, but another 40 are still missing.

A state of emergency has come into force in Venezuela, where large parts of the country are facing frequent power cuts because of a serious drought. Venezuela is a major oil producer, but it relies on hydroelectric power for most of its electricity supply. The opposition says President Chavez could have acted earlier and avoided the state of emergency.

BBC News.