BBC news 2010-06-23 加文本

BBC news 2010-06-23

BBC News with David Austin.

The White House has refused to say that America's top military commander in Afghanistan is safe in his job after he and his aides made derogatory remarks about President Obama's administration. The remarks, which included calling a top presidential adviser a clown, feature in an article in the magazine Rolling Stone to be published later this week. General McChrystal has apologized for the remarks as Paul Adams reports.

General McChrystal's apology is fulsome. He describes the Rolling Stone article as a mistake which, in his words, reflects poor judgment. He goes on to say that he has enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team. But the article frequently paints a rather different picture. Most senior American officials involved in Afghanistan are criticized in some way, mostly by unnamed members of the general's staff. He's described as having been disappointed when he met President Obama for the first time.

A US judge has ruled against President Obama's declaration of a temporary moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, which was imposed because of the pollution crisis. The legal challenge was launched by a number of oil companies who argued that the moratorium was a threat to their businesses. Andy Gallacher reports from Miami.

The six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf was described as "arbitrary and capricious" and a move that would adversely affect the local economy. The ruling is a blow to the White House after it imposed the moratorium following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in April. The ban put a halt to all deepwater drilling until at least November, but the judge called that decision "invalid". The Obama administration says it will immediately appeal the decision.

The coalition government in Britain has presented tough austerity measures to try to bring down a massive budget deficit. The Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told parliament that they were vital to tackle the deficit, one of the largests in the developed world.

"This emergency budget deals decisively with our country's record debts. It pays for the past and it plans for the future. It supports a strong enterprise-led recovery. It rewards work and it protects the most vulnerable in our society. Yes, it is tough, but it is also fair."

Among the measures announced are a 2.5% increase in the VAT sales tax, cuts in welfare spending, a freeze on public sector pay and a levy on banks.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has set up a panel to look into alleged human rights violations during the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka last year. Mr Ban's spokesman said the panel would offer advice on how to deal with the alleged perpetrators of abuses. Human rights groups have accused both the army and the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels of war crimes, allegations which have been denied.

World News from the BBC.

Israel has launched a new observation satellite into space. An Israeli official was quoted as saying that the satellite would significantly boost Israel's intelligence gathering. It's been reported that it'll be used to spy on Iran's nuclear programme.

A court in Cuba has released a prominent opposition activist after 11 months in prison without trial. The court found Darsi Ferrer guilty of buying cement on the black market, but they said he'd already served enough time. Human rights activists said his arrest for an offence usually punished with a simple fine was an attempt to silence his criticism of the government.

At the football World Cup, South Africa have failed to qualify for the next round. It's the first time the hosts for the competition have not gone through to the knock-out stage. In their final game, South Africa beat the 2006 finalists France two-one, but they were pipped on goal difference by Mexico, who lost one-nil to the group winners Uruguay. France were also eliminated as Alex Capstick reports from Bloemfontein.

It's been a woeful World Cup for France. They've been eliminated without a win and without much sympathy. There was no abundance of ads for South Africa in Bloemfontein. They may have gone down in history as the first host nation to fail to advance from the group stage of the tournament, but at least they went out in style. There was even a possibility they might go through when they led two-nil at halftime. The French displayed a little more spirit in the second half, but it was too little, too late. They'll return home a battered and bruised squad. The players know they have let down the French football fans. For them, this World Cup will only be remembered for the disarray off the pitch and the disappointing performances on it.

And in the day's other games, Argentina beat Greece two-nil to go through with maximum points. They'll now play Mexico, and South Korea booked their place in the next round with a two-all draw against Nigeria. South Korea's next opponent is Uruguay.

That's the BBC News.