BBC news 2011-01-14 加文本

BBC news 2011-01-14

BBC News with Michael Powles

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia has announced that he'll not stand for re-election in 2014. The president, who has enjoyed almost unchallenged power for more than 20 years, was speaking as violent demonstrations against unemployment and falling living standards escalated and reached the centre of the capital Tunis. Here's our Middle East editor Magdi Abdelhadi.

In his third televised speech since the crisis began nearly a month ago, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali offered major political concessions including a promise not to run for office again in three years' time. This is one of the key demands of the thousands of protesters who've taken to the streets across the country. Mr Ben Ali also said he has given orders to the security forces to stop using live ammunition against the demonstrators. He promised to reform the political system and allow the media to operate freely.

The Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has visited the scenes of the floods and landslides north of Rio de Janeiro, which have claimed well over 400 lives. Mrs Rousseff flew over the region before landing to chat to residents and officials in two of the worst-hit towns, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo. David Shukman reports.

Rescuers are struggling to reach people trapped as their homes collapsed. In 24 hours, this region received as much rain as it normally gets in a month, and the floodwaters tore through buildings and roads. Overcrowding and flimsy construction meant that houses perched on steep slopes were no match for the torrents. In one town, firefighters were engulfed by mud as they arrived to help. In another, rescuers saved a baby from the wreckage along with the father, but the mother is feared dead. http://www.hxen.net

The world's first genetically modified chickens that do not spread bird flu have been created by British scientists. Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say they've developed the birds with an artificial gene. The researchers say that in principle, the technique could be used to protect any farm animal from any viral disease. Professor Helen Sang of Edinburgh University says genetic modification is potentially a much better way of protecting against diseases than vaccination because it works even if the virus mutates.

"It will protect a whole flock from infection from bird flu. This is really exciting because bird flu is a real challenge to production of poultry, and if this was introduced into poultry breeding, then it would protect our large scale poultry production flocks."

But the poultry industry says more research and consumer acceptance is needed.

There have been at least four more attacks on United Nations vehicles in Ivory Coast as the crisis over the disputed presidential election continues. A UN spokesman said the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was deeply concerned that forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to step down as president, were attacking peacekeepers.

This is Michael Powles with the latest World News from the BBC.

A new report on the economic price of piracy suggests the costs to the world economy is up to $12bn each year with Somali pirates largely responsible. The study examined the cost of insurance, security and ransom payments. The biggest costs are believed to have come from having to reroute ships to avoid risky areas.

A debate in Britain over the issue of undercover reporters to elicit comments from members of parliament has culminated in the governing Liberal Democrat coalition party lodging a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission. It relates to the Daily Telegraph newspaper secretly recording the views of leading Liberal Democrats. The party's president Tim Farron said the Telegraph's tactics needed to be looked at.

"The Press Complaints Commission's code sets out that, you know, undercover reporting, and such like in impermissible and extreme circumstances when it's clearly in the public interest where there's evidence that there's something to be uncovered. I am not convinced that sending people into an MP's surgery to come and entrap them, potentially if it can compromise the very important kind of confidential relationship between an MP and their constituents, it actually counts."

The Daily Telegraph maintains its actions comply with rules on public interest reporting.

Police in Colombia have arrested a man they say is the main link between a Colombian drug gang and one of the most powerful Mexican drug cartels. Police accused the man known as The Condor of shipping cocaine for the Colombian Comba drug gang to Mexico, from where the powerful Sinaloa cartel would distribute it to the United States.

A Norwegian, Christian Eide, has slashed the record for skiing to the South Pole unaided by more than two weeks. He travelled from Hercules Inlet to the pole, a distance of 1,130km, pulling a sleigh with supplies in 24 days. The previous record was set by an American in 2008.

And that's the BBC News.