BBC news 2010-06-10 加文本

2010-06-10 BBC

BBC News with Sue Montgomery.

The United Nations Security Council has adopted new sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear activities. Twelve members voted in favour of the sanctions which include tougher financial and travel restrictions, as well as inspections of shipping. Brazil and Turkey voted against while Lebanon abstained. President Obama said the sanctions showed the international community's commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.

"These are the most comprehensive sanctions that the Iranian government has faced. They will impose restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, its ballistic missile program, and, for the first time, its conventional military. They will put a new framework in place to stop Iranian smuggling and crack down on Iranian banks. And we will ensure that these sanctions are vigorously enforced."

However, Iran reacted by saying it would not halt nuclear enrichment, and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the sanctions as "valueless". Ali Asghar Soltanieh is the Iranian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"I am sure that you understand why Americans are embarrassed, upset. They passed resolutions, but nothing happens. What really has happened is they are strengthening the determination of Iranian people to continue to benefit from their legitimate right. Nothing will be changed. We will continue without any interruption our enrichment activities under the full-scope safeguard of IAEA."

Turkey said it was worried the sanctions would make it harder to reach a solution to the nuclear stand-off while Russia said it had made efforts and offers to which Iran had not responded.

President Obama has described humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as unsustainable. He again urged Israel to accept international demands for an impartial inquiry into the deadly raid by Israeli commandos on an aid ship bound to Gaza last week. Speaking after talks in Washington with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Obama also said the Americans were planning a 400-million-dollar aid package for the Palestinians.

The government of Cuba has told the United Nations special rapporteur on torture that he cannot visit the island, reversing an invitation issued last year. The visit by Manfred Novak was to have been the first by an independent UN expert to specifically monitor torture. From Havana, Michael Voss.

According to Mr Novak, he has been told by the Cubans that they are unable to receive him before his UN mandate runs out in October. Cuba's mission to the council has responded, stating that the country doesn't need an objective assessment of the situation. This one-party state has come under renewed international criticism over the plight of political prisoners following the death earlier this year of the dissident hunger striker Orlando Zapata.

BBC News.

The head of the United States effort to tackle the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico says the amount of oil being captured from the leaking wellhead could almost double by next week. Admiral Thad Allen said engineers from the oil company BP planned to improve the containment system, so it could suck up to 28,000 barrels of oil a day. Shares in BP have again fallen sharply.

The American Vice President Joe Biden has met the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The men discussed the referendum on independence for South Sudan due next year. The Secretary General of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement, Pagan Amum, who also attended, said Mr Biden promised American support for the poll.

"He expressed readiness of the government of United States of America. It's ready to step in to support the government of Southern Sudan, the referendum commission of Southern Sudan so as to organize a credible and transparent process, and they will be providing technical support and financial support necessary."

Polling stations have closed in the Netherlands general election. Exit polls suggest the free-market VVD Party and the Labour Party are level with 31 seats each in the 150-seat parliament. The anti-Islam Freedom Party led by Geert Wilders has more than doubled its seats to 23. The Christian Democrats of the outgoing Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende are trailing fourth with 21 seats. Mr Balkenende has said he will resign as party leader.

With two days remaining until the opening match of the Football World Cup, tens of thousands of fans have cheered the South African team, known as Bafana Bafana, through the streets of Johannesburg. Thousands more turned out across the country.

BBC News.