BBC News:奥巴马宣布监控项目改革措施
President Obama has announced a series of reforms to America's spy operations at home andabroad. In a speech in Washington,he called for an end to government control of phone datafrom hundreds of millions of Americans. Mr. Obama also said there would be no more spying onfriendly foreign leaders unless there was a compelling security case. Mark Mardell reports.
President Obama attempted to reassure people that the collection of immense amounts oftelephone and internet data had not been abused. He said the US must continue collecting datain bulk.
Having said that. I believe critics are right to point out that without proper safeguards, this typeof program could be used to yield more information about our private lives.
So he is ending the program as currently exists without spelling out what replace is it. And hehas given the attorney general and the NSA 60 days to find a way to square the circle.Congress will also be involved.
President Obama's speech has been welcomed by Germany. Relations between Berlin andWashington were severely tested last year by revelations that America had monitoredChancellor Merkel's mobile phone.
The Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed into law a bill designed to curbanti-government street protests. It was criticized by the European Union and the UnitedStates. Ayan Skippers reports.
The bill was rushed through parliament on Thursday by show of hands rather than the usualsecret electronic voting. The bill which toughens penalties for activities such as setting uptents without permission in public spaces sparks uproar from the opposition. It came underfire abroad as well. The European Union expressed concern and The American Secretary ofState John Kerry called the bill undemocratic. He said it had been rammed through parliament.But the Ukrainian foreign ministry said it regarded the criticism as meddling in the country'sinternal affairs.
Police in the Afghan capital Kabul say a suicide bomber has blown himself up near a restaurantfrequented by foreigners and government officials, killing at least 14 people. The UN says 4 ofits staff are missing. From Kabul, here is Philip Hammond.
A loud explosion was heard across the north of the city followed by sustained burst ofgunfire. Police say a suicide bomber detonated his device at the entrance of the restaurant andtwo accomplices then opened fire on the diners inside. The emergency services respondedquickly to the attack but rescue efforts were delayed whilst the police tried to ensure that thearea was safe. A statement from the Taliban said they carried out the attack and weretargeting what they termed "important foreign officials".
The United Nations has classified the situation in South Sudan as an internal armed conflict,meaning abuses committed there can be classed as war crimes. A senior UN human rightsofficial who is in South Sudan said he had reports of abuses including mass killings, extrajudicialkillings, sexual violence and the use of child soldiers.
World News from the BBC.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry has reiterated that President Bashar al-Assad has noplace in Syria's future in an attempt to persuade the Syrian opposition to attend peace talksin Geneva next week. The umbrella opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition is meetingtoday in Turkey to decide whether to take part in the talks. Mr. Kerry said the United States andits allies could still bring more pressure to bear on Mr. Assad to persuade him to accept atransitional government.
They can bluster, they can protest, they can put out distortions. The bottom line is we aregoing to Geneva to implement Geneva I. And if Assad doesn't do that, he will invite greaterresponse in various ways from various people over a period of time.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin has said gay people should feel welcome at the WinterOlympic Games next month in Sochi. Mr. Putin said Russia didn't ban homosexual relations, justgay propaganda to children. Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow.
With 3 weeks to go before the Winter Olympics, today, Vladimir Putin assured the world thathomosexuals would face no discrimination in Sochi. But the message was far fromconvincing. At a meeting with Olympic volunteers, President Putin said there was a ban inRussia on the spread of information about homosexuality and pedophilia. Mentioninghomosexuals and pedophiles in the same breathe is likely to infuriate the gay and lesbiancommunity.
Steve Rosenberg.
Italian media reports say a nun has given birth to a baby boy in the city of Rieti, in the center ofthe country. The 32-year-old nun who's from El Salvador said she was no idea she waspregnant. She was rushed to hospital after she felt what she thought was stomach cramps.Reports say she's named the boy Francis.
And that's the BBC News.
