BBC news 2010-09-07 加文本

BBC news 2010-09-07

BBC News with Sue Montgomery

President Obama has announced plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on a huge infrastructure project to create jobs and boost confidence in the American economy. Over the next six years, he said, tens of thousands of kilometres of highway would be rebuilt, and airports and air traffic control systems upgraded. Mr Obama said the plan would not only create jobs now but would make the US economy run better in the long term.

"Today, I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernizing America's roads and rails and runways for the long term. I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world. We used to have the best infrastructure in the world. We can have it again. We are going to make it happen."

A strike by more than a million public sector workers in South Africa has been suspended. Trade union leaders said they would halt the industrial action for three weeks to give the members more time to consider an improved pay offer. From Johannesburg, Nomsa Maseko.

South Africa's crippling public sector strike has been suspended for 21 days, pending the outcome of more consultations with union members. The three-week mass action disrupted learning at schools and essential services at hospitals. Government employees are still demanding an 8.6% salary increase and improved housing subsidies. The state revised its offer to 7.5% last week after the strike intensified. Union leaders say the prolonged industrial action was to show government what angry workers are capable of.

Russia and Israel have signed a long-term agreement on military cooperation. The Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov gave few details, but said his country wanted to make use of the Israeli military's experience to modernize its armed forces. Earlier this year, Russia bought 12 unmanned aircraft from Israel, and Russian military personnel had been trained how to use them. Agreement on the cooperation pact follows a period of tense relations over a Russian missile deal with Iran. Following Israeli representations, the missiles weren't delivered.

New research suggests that people suffering from a severe form of mental illness are no more likely to commit violent crimes than anyone else, unless they abuse drugs or alcohol. The researchers led by a team from Oxford University based their finding on a study of people with bipolar disorder. A consultant forensic psychiatrist, Dr Seena Fazel, led the study.

"People with bipolar disorder are, if they abuse drugs, are to increase risk, but so are general people and general population if they use, abuse drugs or drink alcohol to excess. I mean that's really where the fact should be in terms of risk issues rather than worrying too much about the illness per se."

World News from the BBC

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has hindered an investigation of its nuclear programme by repeatedly objecting to the agency's choice of inspectors. The agency also says it can't confirm that Iran's nuclear programme is purely peaceful. The IAEA says Iran hasn't been providing inspectors with the information they need and has continued to produce low-enriched uranium.

The former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has cancelled a book signing on Wednesday in central London to promote his autobiography, saying he does not want the public to be inconvenienced by protesters. On Saturday, his motorcade was pelted with eggs by protesters accusing him of waging an illegal war in Iraq in the Irish capital, Dublin.

The funeral has taken place in Belarus of a prominent journalist found hanged last week. Colleagues of the journalist, Oleg Bebenin, repeated their view that he was killed because of his anti-government writings. The authorities say he committed suicide. David Stern reports from Kiev, Ukraine.

Participants said that hundreds of mourners filed past Oleg Bebenin's casket today before he was buried in one of Minsk's central cemeteries. Mr Bebenin was one of Belarus's most outspoken opposition journalists, known for his hard-hitting criticism of the authoritarian government of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. He founded the Charter '97 website, one of the few non-official sources of information in Belarus. Mr Lukashenko is expected to run yet again as president in elections which may take place in December.

Eleven employees of the Egyptian culture ministry are to stand trial in connection with the theft of a Van Gogh painting worth millions of dollars from a museum in Cairo last month. The accused to face charges of negligence include the deputy minister in charge of fine arts, museum officials and security guards. An investigation found that when the theft took place, none of the museum's alarms and only 7 of its 43 security cameras were working.

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