BBC news 2011-04-05 加文本

BBC news 2011-04-05

BBC News with Julie Candler

French and United Nations military forces in Ivory Coast have been using helicopters to attack the presidential compound in the main city of Abidjan. The compound is the base of Laurent Gbagbo who has refused to give up power since elections last year. From the UN headquarters in New York, here is Barbara Plett.

A UN official said attack helicopters fired missiles at heavy armaments in a pro-Gbagbo military camp. The aim was to destroy weapons which forces loyal to the incumbent president are using against civilians and against UN personnel, he said, noting the decision to attack was taken in light of the UN’s mandate to protect civilians. French forces have also launched attacks in support of the UN operation. This marks an escalation for the UN mission in Ivory Coast. It’s been guarding Mr Gbagbo’s rival, Alassane Ouattara, after declaring him the winner of disputed presidential elections in December. But it has come under increasing pressure from the Security Council to take more aggressive action to protect civilians.

President Obama is to run for a second term as US president in next year’s election. A short announcement on his website said the campaign was now getting underway. Analysts predict Mr Obama could raise an uNPRecedented one billion dollars to fight the election in November, 2012. These New Yorkers gave their reaction to the news.

‘He deserves another chance. He’s had a rough four years and it’s gonna take another four years for this country to stand back up on its feet.’

‘I think that he got off for a rocky start with a really tough economy and I don’t think anyone could have done any better than he’s done. I think that he is really finding his way as a president.’

‘I think he made a lot of promises and he has yet to make good on some of those promises. So I’d like to see if he could try to make good on them in the second term.’

The American Attorney General, Eric Holder, has confirmed that the man accused of masterminding the September 11th attacks in the US 10 years ago, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will now be tried by a military commission at the Guantanamo Bay. Paul Adams reports from Washington.

When he came into office, President Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay within a year. Several months later, his Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would be tried in a civilian court in New York. But in the teeth of widespread opposition, particularly from Congress, the administration’s plans have been gradually shelved. Announcing that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four alleged co-conspirators would after all face a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, a frustrated Mr Holder blamed Congress for blocking the administration from bringing any Guantanamo Bay inmates to trial in the Untied States.

Security forces in Yemen have fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters demanding the removal of the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hospital sources in the city of Taiz say at least 15 people have been killed. Several more are said to be seriously hurt. There were further protests in the coastal city of Hodeida.

World News from the BBC

An envoy of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is in Turkey for talks in what is being seen as an attempt to resolve the conflict in Libya. The envoy, Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi, arrived from Athens, where he met the Greek leaders. Turkey has maintained regular contact with both sides in the conflict, although it is playing a role in the international military operation in Libya.

Underwater salvage teams could soon recover the remains of passengers from the worst ever Air France plane crash, if that is what the families want. Discussions are to take place with the relatives of the 228 people who died when a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed in the Atlantic of Brazil in June, 2009. Robot submarines located a large section of the debris on the Atlantic seabed on Sunday.

Prosecutors in Colombia say they will investigate the treatment of prisoners at one of the country’s main military jails after a news magazine reported the inmates were being given special privileges. Many of the prisoners have been convicted of human rights violations including torture and murder.

The head of motor racing’s governing body, Jean Todt, has said his organization is trying to create new events for electric cars. Mr Todt said the initiative is part of a joint effort with the European Commission to promote cars powered by alternative fuels. Jason Caffrey has more.

Motor racing could be about to get a lot greener and a lot quieter. The FIA, which governs the Formula 1 racing, wants to begin staging events with electric cars. The FIA’s head, Jean Todt, says he wants the new races as soon as possible. That raises the prospect of a Formular-1-style championship held on Grand Prix racing circuits as early as 2013. Petrol-free racing is also being backed by the European Commission, which hopes the new events can get the general public excited about alternative fuel cars.

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