BBC news 2010-12-24 加文本

BBC news 2010-12-24

BBC News with David Legge

The world's top human rights body, the UN Human Rights Council, has expressed strong concern about the violence in Ivory Coast following disputed presidential elections. At a special session in Geneva, the council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning what member states called atrocities. President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to leave office after what was widely regarded as his election defeat. Here's Imogen Foulkes.

The resolution from the Human Rights Council, the world's top human rights body, expresses deep concern at the violence in Ivory Coast. At the start of the special session, a senior UN human rights official said investigators in Ivory Coast could confirm many allegations of violations, including over 170 killings, 90 cases of torture and almost 500 arrests. But the official added some cases including allegations of mass graves could not be confirmed because of restrictions placed on the movement of UN staff.

Professor Ibrahim Wani is the head of the Africa branch of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. He called for restraint from everyone, including supporters of Mr Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara.

"This is obviously the message of the Human Rights Council meeting that just took place today here in Geneva. It's to remind everybody across the board of the responsibility that Gbagbo camp as well as Ouattara, and that appeal also to the civilian population in Cote d'Ivoire that as they exercise their rights, they should be mindful of their responsibility that I think we as individuals bear, every single individual to exercise restraint."

Foreign embassies in Rome are on high alert after parcel bombs exploded at the Swiss and Chilean diplomatic missions. In each of the blasts, the staff member opening the parcel was injured. (uh) Doctors say the victim of the blast at the Chilean embassy (would) may lose his sight in one eye. The Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the attacks could be linked to anarchists or left-wing militants and were similar to a wave of parcel bombs sent to embassies in Athens last month.

The United States and the European Union say they are reviewing relations with Belarus after presidential elections on Sunday ended with hundreds of protesters being arrested. President Alexander Lukashenko's victory was widely criticised as fraudulent. Here's Sean Fanning.

President Alexander Lukashenko was officially declared the winner with 80% of votes, but that result was dismissed as falling well below democratic norms by Western observers. A mass demonstration after the poll was put down by baton-wielding police, and hundreds of people were arrested, including a number of presidential candidates. The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the EU's diplomatic chief Catherine Ashton have now called for the immediate release of those detained. They described the election and its aftermath as a step backwards for democracy and human rights.

World News from the BBC

Over 50 people have been sentenced to death in Algeria for their participation in a failed attempt to assassinate President Abdelaziz Bouteflika three years ago. A 28-year-old former Islamist, Walid Zeghina, was sentenced along with another 53 Islamists who are on the run. The suicide bomb attack on President Bouteflika's motorcade in September 2007 killed 20 people and injured 170.

The car manufacturer Toyota has agreed to pay $10m in compensation to the relatives of four people killed in a crash which sparked the recall of millions of the company's vehicles. A Californian police officer died in the crash in August 2009 along with his wife, daughter and brother-in-law. Investigators found it was caused by the wrong size of floor mat which trapped the accelerator pedal.

Scientists in California have unveiled a prototype solar device which mimics plants by transforming the Sun's energy into fuel. With more, here's our science reporter Neil Bowdler.

This prototype solar reactor uses a metal oxide called ceria, heated up in the concentrated glare of the Sun, and when it cools, it will break down water into oxygen and hydrogen, which could be used to power hydrogen fuel cells in cars, for example. The prototype is grossly inefficient, converting less than 1% of the Sun's energy into fuel energy. But its makers are confident they can ramp up that efficiency to near 20%, using better insulation and perfecting the lens through which the Sun pours into the machine.

Three people have appeared in court in Britain following the alleged theft of an antique violin worth nearly $2m. A Korean violinist, Min-Jin Kym, was having a snack at a London railway station when she noticed the case with the violin, a Stradivarius made in 1696, was missing. Insurers have offered a $20,000 reward for the instrument's return.

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