BBC news 2011-08-30 加文本

BBC news 2011-08-30

BBC News with David Austin

The government of Algeria has now confirmed that Colonel Gaddafi's wife and three of his children have entered the country. The rebel National Transitional Council said it would seek the family's extradition. Jon Leyne reports.

This is now official confirmation of reports that first came from the opposition two days ago. At that time, the Algerian authorities firmly denied that a convoy of six heavily armoured vehicles had crossed their border from Libya. But now, the Algerian foreign ministry has said that Colonel Gaddafi's wife Safia, their daughter Aisha and sons Mohammed and Hannibal have all fled into Algeria. It's an obvious refuge for the Gaddafi family as the two countries have a long border and the Algerian government has still not recognised the opposition National Transitional Council. The opposition say they think Colonel Gaddafi himself is still in the Tripoli area.

A leaked document appears to outline how the United Nations plans to help stabilise Libya in the coming months. The report was published by a website that monitors UN affairs, but the UN has so far not confirmed its authenticity. Barbara Plett reports.

The report appears to be an internal planning document that could serve as the basis for a new UN mandate in Libya. It suggests a UN mission with a core staff of 61 civilians for an initial three-month period to help Libyan rebels organise a peaceful transition to democracy. Beyond that, it recommends the deployment of up to 200 unarmed military observers, principally to monitor the process of dealing with Gaddafi loyalists, as well as up to 190 UN police officers to help train local forces. All of this would be implemented only if requested by the Libyan transitional authorities and approved by the Security Council.

Syrian activists say security forces have killed at least six people as they continue to try to crush protests against President Assad. Activists say five people were killed during raids in the town of Sarmin, in the northwest. Other military operations are reported in towns near Damascus and Homs and a village near the Lebanese border. One of the most influential Sunni clerics, the Sheikh of al-Azhar in Cairo, has condemned attacks on protesters taking refuge in mosques.

Clashes have broken out between Christians and Muslims in the Nigerian city of Jos. Hundreds of people have been killed in religious clashes in the town since the beginning of this year. From Lagos, Tomi Oladipo has this report.

It's believed the fighting was sparked off following a scuffle at a mosque in a Christian neighbourhood in Jos. Groups of Christian and Muslim youths armed with stones, clubs and machetes clashed, and dozens of vehicles were set ablaze. Police have been struggling to contain the situation, and the violence keeps spreading. The number of casualties is not clear at the moment. What is certain is the heightened tension which has gripped the city in this fragile fault line at the heart of Nigeria's inter-religious conflict. And now it appears the government has no permanent solution for this endless cycle of violence.

Tomi Oladipo reporting from Lagos

World News from the BBC

The United Nations has warned of a possible resurgence of a deadly bird flu virus, H5N1, and the spread in Asia of a new mutant strain. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said migrating birds have brought the virus to previously unaffected countries and to regions of the world that had been virus-free for years.

Parts of the northeastern coast of the United States are facing severe flooding after being hit by tropical storm Irene. More than seven million homes and businesses have been left without electricity. The authorities say it could be a week before power is restored. At least 25 people were killed during the storm. From New York, here's Steve Kingstone.

The authorities here had prepared for coastal areas to bear the brunt of the storm, but overnight, torrential rain over inland communities emerged as the biggest threat. In Vermont and upstate New York, floodwaters cascaded through towns, bordering rivers and creeks. Images from Prattsville in New York showed lifeboats rescuing residents from homes completely swamped with water.

Five suspected members of the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico have been arrested in connection with an arson attack on a casino last week which killed 52 people. A senior official said the police were investigating whether the attack in the city of Monterrey was linked to an extortion racket. The incident was one of the worst acts of violence since the government launched major operations against drug cartels in 2006.

The Cuban athlete Dayron Robles has been stripped of a gold medal in the 110m hurdles at the Athletics World Championships in South Korea. Robles, the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion, was disqualified for coming into physical contact with one of his main rivals, China's Liu Xiang. Liu had appealed following the race. Jason Richardson of the United States was awarded the gold medal with Liu getting silver. Britain's Andy Turner won bronze.

BBC News