BBC news 2011-05-07 加文本

BBC news 2011-05-07

BBC News with Sue Montgomery

President Obama has met the American special forces that killed the al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden on Monday morning. At a private ceremony at a military base in Kentucky, he awarded them the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honour of its kind for a military unit. In a speech afterwards to American troops, he said the operation against Osama Bin Laden was a "job well done".

"I came here for a simple reason to say thank you on behalf of America. This has been a historic week in the life of our nation. Thanks to the incredible skill and courage of countless individuals - intelligence, military over many years - the terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten America again."

A statement purporting to be from al-Qaeda confirming the death of Osama Bin Laden has appeared on the Internet. It was posted on a number of Islamist websites. Gordon Corera reports.

The statement dated 3 May is the first apparent acceptance from al-Qaeda itself that Osama Bin Laden is dead, but also in an attempt to show that his organisation lives on. It warns of retaliation, saying American happiness will turn to sadness, and says his death will not go in vain. It also calls on the people of Pakistan to launch a rebellion against their government, who it described as having sold out to the enemies of God. An audio message about the Arab uprising recorded by Bin Laden a week before his death is promised soon. The statement cannot be independently verified, but claims to be written by the general leadership of al-Qaeda.

Tens of thousands of Syrians have taken part in another day of anti-government protests across Syria, defying government warnings and a heavy military presence. Activists say security forces killed at least six people in Homs and six in Hama. This can't be independently confirmed.

Voters in Britain have rejected in a referendum a proposal to change the way members of parliament are elected. Nearly 70% of the votes counted so far went against the proposal to introduce an alternative vote system, which allowed people to choose candidates in order of preference. Here's Rob Watson.

It's a crushing defeat for the Yes campaign and a huge blow to the Liberal Democrats, a party that champions electoral reform and which had made the holding of a referendum a condition for joining the coalition. Combined with the Lib Dems' worst election result since the party was founded in the 1980s, these are difficult times for the Liberal Democrats. Although no one is predicting the end of the coalition, both the Lib Dems and their Conservative partners are expecting a bumpier road ahead.

World News from the BBC

The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, has been sworn into office after a period of intense instability in the country. Around one million people had to flee their homes. Well over 1,000 were killed in fighting between President Ouattara and his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo following November's disputed elections. John James was at the ceremony.

The presidential palace still bears the scars of a month of heavy fighting. But inside the ceremonial chamber, army generals from both sides sat within touching distance and applauded the new president as he swore an oath to uphold the constitution. Outside, UN peacekeepers stood guard, and French soldiers patrolled the streets around the palace. In the president's speech, he said the people's democratic voice had finally been heard.

French officials say recovery teams have retrieved a second body from the wreckage of an Air France plane which crashed over the Atlantic in 2009, killing all on board. The body, which was found at a depth of almost 4,000 metres, was still strapped into its airline seat. The remains of another of the 228 victims were recovered on Thursday.

National leaders and dignitaries are attending events in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of the eminent Bengali writer and poet, Rabindranath Tagore. Mr Tagore was the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature. Shahzeb Jillani reports.

The inaugural ceremony in Dhaka kicked off with cultural performances and songs written by Rabindranath Tagore. Addressing the event alongside the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari said Tagore represented the common heritage that has influenced the intellectual and cultural ethos of the region. Officials say the international events are partly aimed at bringing the celebrated writer and poet closer to young people, many of whom are not too familiar with his works.

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