BBC news with Julie Candler.
Senators in the US have condemned the CIA's use of extreme interrogation methods, following the Semptember 11th attacks, saying in some cases, they amount to torture. A long-awaited senate's report said the techniques used provided no useful information to the US authorities.The senate intelligence committee said the CIA has repeatedly missled policitians in the public. Ali Mabu reports from Washington.
There are reports says that CIA misled the media, the American public, congress and White House itself about the tortue of Al-Qaeda suspects after 9/11. It details the use of sleep deprivation, up about to 180 hours of painful stress positions, of sexual threats, and humiliation hooding naked suspects dragging them down car or doors and beating them. Addressing the senate, the committee's head the democratic DianneFeinstein said that it was important that report was published now.
It shows that the CIA's actions a decade ago are stains on our value, and on our history. The release of this 500 page summary can not remove that stain. But it can and does say to our people and the world that America is big enough to addmit one's wrong and confident enough to learn from its mistakes.
President Obama has said that the harsh interrogation methods detailed in senate's report will no longer take place on his watch. But director for CIA John Brennan has defended his agency's adoption of tough methods. He insisted that despite the mistakes which he made the techniques had helped prevent attacks, captured terrorists and saved lives. The Republican senator from South Carolina Lindsey O. Graham said he believed the interrogater's motivation was to protect America.
All that I can say is that the techiques in question were motivated by fear of another attack and people at the time thought this was best way to defend the nation. I accept that on their part. But as a nation, I hope we've learned the following that in this ideological struggle--good VS evil, we need to choose good.
European and US financial markets have fallen sharply due to the new concerns about Greece. The Athen's stock market plunged 10% and the price of crude oil set a new 5 year low close to 65$ a barrel. Here's our economist correspondent Andrew Warker.
Greece was a key factor as political uncertainty was hightened by decision to bring forward a presidential election. That raised new doubts about whether Greece would seek to the international bailout and to the 38 conditions who managing government's debts. Earlier, China tightened lending rules which could add to the economic slowdown on the way. The oil price was affected as weak global economic performance would undermine demand for energy.
World news from the BBC.
The UN's refugee agency says western countries have promised to increase the number of Syrian refugees they would accept. Following a meeting of member states in Geneva, the UNHCR said the total would increase to 100,000 in the coming month. This is a significant increase from the current figure allowed into western countries, but falls well short of the number aid agencies had called for.
A US citizen has been indicted in Israel on weapon's charges has made concern that he may have posed a threat to Muslim holy sites. The justice ministry says the man Adam * had acquired some explosive material at Israel's internal security service ? said the town's questioning the suspect had committed giving thought to possiblity of attacking Islamic holy places.
Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has sacked his vice president Joice Mujuru and his 7 other ministers following a power struggle in the ruling elite. Mrs. Mujuru had been accused of corruption and ploting to kill Mr. Mugabe who publiclly denounced her last week. Our Africa editor Reji Hamoten reports.
Among seemly power struggle is unfolding in Zimbabwe and the cracks are apearing in the governing ZANU-PF over who should succeed the 90 year old head of state. Joice Mujuru was one senior Robert Mugabe's heir but rumors persist that he designing his wife Grace Mugabe who is 40 younger than him and until recently seem more interested in shopping than politics. Mrs. Mujuru said she's been subjected to a militia's character assassination in the state media. She said she had become a fly in a web of lies whose final objective was the destruction of the government.
The international Olymptic committee has officially recognised Kosovo as a member meaning before-Serbian province can entre a team in the 2016 games in Rio. Kosovo which declared independence in 2008 still hasn't be accepted by the UN and Russia and China refused to recognise it.