BBC在线收听下载:美国总统奥巴马宣布对阿富汗的驻军计划

BBC news 2014-05-28

BBC News with Sue Montgomery.

President Obama has said nearly 10,000 American troops will remain in Afghanistan next year, following the end of combat operations. He said the troops would advise the Afghan army and support counter-terrorism operations against Al-Qaeda. Here's Ali McBull.

The number of US troops President Obama says he wants to stay in Afghanistan after the end of this year is a little less than a third of the number there now. He says the combat mission would be over and the remaining 9,800 American military personnel would be involved in two main tasks: training the Afghan security forces and supporting them in their fight against the remnants of Al-Qaeda. But it's not all a done deal yet. The incoming Afghan President to be decided in the elections in mid-June has to agree to US troops' staying, while President Obama doesn't want, as what happened in Iraq, what was a failure to come up with such an agreement, and what security has deteriorated alarmingly, since the American withdrawal.

European Union leaders are meeting for the first time after elections that saw populous and far-right parties strengthened their position in the parliament of the 28-nation bloc, leading to calls for a rethink of the EU. Chris Morris reports from Brussels.

Too big and too bossy, said David Cameron of the EU; pay attention to what happened here in France, said President Hollande. EU leaders who suffered electoral defeats in the European elections say the union has to change. But how? Reforming Europe means different things to different people. Less regulation is popular in many quarters, but so is less austerity in others. There are a variety of reasons anti-establishment parties made gains in these elections, and there is no simple solution.

Ukraine has summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to protest against what it called an incursion by armed terrorists from Russia. Border guards had earlier reported that a convoy of armed militants had crossed into the country. President Putin has meanwhile called on Kiev to stop its operations against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country and start talk with them.

Cameroon has deployed about 1,000 troops to its border with Nigeria, in response to the growing threat from the Islamic group Boko Haram. Will Ross reports from Abuja.

Security sources have told the BBC that a group of well-armed Boko Haram fighters attacked the town of Buni Yadi in Yobe State overnight. Civilians were apparently told not to panic by the insurgents who targeted the security forces. Ten soldiers were killed and 14 policemen. Buni Yadi is a notoriously volatile area; it's where dozens of school boys were killed in their dormitory last February. The almost daily attacks in northeast Nigeria show the massive task the Nigerian military faces.

BBC News.

The Egyptian election commission has told the BBC that voting in the presidential election has been extended by a day and will continue on Wednesday. The decision comes after a lower-than-expected turnout over two days of polling. Despite a national holiday in Tuesday and free public transport, many polling stations remained empty for parts of the day. The former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is widely expected to win the vote.

Officials in Somalia say at least 36 people have been killed in a fighting between the Islamic group Al Shabaab and government troops backed by Ethiopian forces. The governor of the town of Ato said al Shabaab fighters attacked a military camp at dawn on Tuesday. He said fierce fighting ensued with Ethiopian and government troops suffering heavy casualties.

The governor of the Bank of England has warned against the dangers of what he called unchecked market fundamentalism. Speaking at a London conference about inclusive capitalism, Mark Carney said increasing inequality was posing a threat to the unappealing society. He called for a more ethical culture in the financial sector.

The combination of unbridled faith in financial markets prior to the crisis and the recent demonstrations of corruption in some of these markets has eroded our social capital. When combined with the longer-term pressures of globalization and technology on the basic social contract, an unstable dynamic of declining trust in the financial system and a growing exclusivity of capitalism threatens. In order to counter this, rebuilding social capital is paramount.

The Brazilian city of Manaus which will host four matches in June's Football World Cup has instituted a state of emergency because the fears of flooding. The decision was made after the water level in the Rio Negro reached more than 29 meters. The authority says the situation should not affect World Cup matches.

BBC News.