2010-05-19 BBC
BBC News with Julie Candler.
The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States, Russia and China have agreed a draft UN resolution for further sanctions against Iran. She said the draft resolution could be quick-circulated among members of the UN Security Council later today.
"I think this announcement is as convincing an answer to the efforts undertaken in Tehran over the last few days as any we could provide."
The BBC UN correspondent says the announcement is significant a day after Turkey, Brazil and Iran reached a nuclear fuel swap agreement, which they said removed the need for further sanctions against Tehran.
A series of primary elections is taking place in the United States in what's being seen as a crucial electoral test for President Obama. Voters in four states, Kentucky, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Oregon, are selecting candidates to take part in key mid-term contests in November. Analysts say that's a volatile political mood in the United States resulting in many incumbent politicians facing strong opposition.
In a stormy session, the Nigerian parliament has confirmed the candidate chosen by President Goodluck Jonathan to become his deputy. Legislators screamed at one another amid chaotic scenes as Namadi Sambo, the governor of the northern state of Kaduna, was confirmed as vice president. Caroline Duffield reports.
The appointment means that the President Goodluck Jonathan does not face a powerful political rival in government. Elections are coming, and Mr Sambo is not a strong contender. It could clear the way for Mr Jonathan to run himself. Nonetheless, the new vice president is controversial. In his home state Kaduna, Mr Sambo is seen as weak and inexperienced. Now his replacement in Kaduna will be his Christian deputy, and that has prompted anger because the state is mostly Muslim.
European Union finance ministers have agreed to introduce tougher regulation of the trillion-dollar hedge fund industry which has been blamed for speculation on the euro and worsening the global financial crisis. Ministers overrode objections by the new British government and the city of London where 80% of European funds are based. The Spanish Finance Minister Elena Salgado explained how the measures would work.
"We are not regulating the funds. We are regulating the fund managers. You ought to make that clear. For these managers, we have rules about conduct; we have rules about organization, setup, information. All of them will be very stringent requirements."
Several of the largest forestry companies in Canada have reached an agreement with environmental groups to restrict logging in the country's northern forests. In return, the environmentalists will end a decades-long international campaign against buying Canadian lumber. A spokesman said it was the largest commercial forest conservation plan in history.
BBC News.
At least 18 people including women and children have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a NATO convoy in the Afghan capital Kabul. One Canadian and five American troops were among the dead. The Taliban said it carried out the bombing, the worst in the city for months. NATO described the attack as an act of desperate brutality.
The energy giant BP says it is now able to capture about 40% of the oil that's leaking from a ruptured underwater pipe in the Gulf of Mexico. The figure is double the amount reported 24 hours ago. However, the authorities have expanded the no-fishing zone in the area because of the size of the spill. And scientists are increasingly worried that the oil could get caught in a current that could take it to Florida, damaging coral reefs and killing more wildlife there.
Members of parliament in Britain have taken their seats for the first time since the election which led to the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. During the sitting, they voted to reelect the speaker John Bercow. The reelection of a speaker is usually a formality. But some Conservatives have threatened to block the appointment, accusing Mr Bercow himself a Conservative of lacking impartiality.
Football's governing body FIFA has announced a change to the rules which will affect the way that penalties are taken in next month's World Cup. More details from our sports news reporter Alex Capstick.
The new rule concerning penalty kicks will be in force for the World Cup which starts on June 11th. Players who hesitate at the point of striking the ball in order to confuse the goalkeeper will be considered guilty of unsporting behavior. They will receive a yellow card, and if the ball has gone into the net, the penalty will have to be retaken. But a deliberate starter during the run-up will still be allowed. FIFA's lawmakers have also decided to extend a European experiment on the use of extra referees, although this won't affect the World Cup.