010-01-16 BBC
BBC News with Julie Candler.
The United States says it's committing every available resource to help hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors in Haiti. Helicopters from the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson have begun delivering supplies to the capital Port-au-Prince. 10,000 more US troops are expected in Haiti by Monday to help distribute aid and maintain security. But the situation in the capital remains desperate. Survivors have been seen begging for food and water. Hospitals are overcrowded with thousands of injured but lack the resources to treat them. Our correspondent to the capital Port-au-Prince, Nick Davis, says many people can no longer sit around waiting for help.
People very much are fending for themselves at the moment. I have seen people going to buildings which have collapsed where there are broken pipes the water spilling onto the ground and going up to the actual water which is on the floor and actually scooping it up in some cases. People are using whatever methods they can to try and survive while the international relief effort actually finally reaches them and help arrives.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has announced the launch of an international aid appeal worth 500 million dollars to help the rescue operation.
The US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says a Pentagon review of the circumstances surrounding last November's mass shooting at the Fort Hood military base has found that not enough has been done to guard against such internal security threats. Mr. Gates presented the findings of an enquiry into the shootings which left 13 soldiers dead and more than 40 injured. He says similar incidents could happen again.
The report raises serious questions about the degree to which the entire Department of Defense has prepared for similar incidents in the future, especially multiple, simultaneous incidents. It also reveals shortcomings in the way that the department is prepared to defend against threats posed by external influences operating on members of our military community.
Guinea's military leaders have agreed that the man who led the coup in 2008 Captain Moussa Dadis Camara will not return to the country for the time being. He's recovering in Burkina Faso after an assassination attempt six weeks ago. The leaders announced that he would now support the efforts of the interim head of the government General Sekouba Konate to restore civilian rule in the country. Caspar Leighton reports.
All including Captain Camara himself have seemingly agreed that he should remain in Burkina Faso, and that his Deputy General Sekouba Konate should continue to lead the military government into the transition process. In Conakry, Guinea's opposition has agreed on two possible candidates to lead the transition government, leaving the final choice to General Konate. Elections will take place within six months. This double breakthrough is the most positive sign yet that Guinea may emerge from its crisis without further bloodshed and unrest.
World News from the BBC.
The New York-based bank JP Morgan has reported a huge jump in its profits for the fourth quarter of last year. The bank, one of a number of institutions to receive support in the US government bailout, posted a quarterly profit of almost 3.3 billion dollars, compared to just over 700 million in the same period last year. Alongside the hefty profits, JP Morgan is also expected to announce huge bonuses for its staff.
Iraq's Electoral Commission has decided to bar nearly 500 candidates from contesting parliamentary elections in March in a move that could increase sectarian tension. The commission has declined to confirm reports that many of those facing bans are Sunni Arab politicians.
In a clash between two of Africa's top footballing nations, Ivory Coast have beaten Ghana by 3 goals to 1 in their group B match in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda. The teams are in the same group in which Togo would have played had they not pull out following the gun attack on their bus in Cabinda a week ago. Here is Matthew Cannon in Cabinda.
A packed crowd watched the entertaining game in the Chiazi Stadium in Cabinda with the locals providing vocal support, especially for Ivory Coast. There was a celebratory atmosphere with security well in evidence after what happened to the Togo team, but not overbearing. As normal in the last few days, helicopters flew over head with armed police on board. But Ivory Coast's 3:1 win over Ghana was celebrated loudly by the local fans, delighted at last, they'll be talking about football.
A plant making nuclear weapons in Texas has been ordered to temporarily shut down due to a security alert. The plant run by the Pantex group in the town of Amarillo received reports of people dressed in camouflage sneaking around the facility. However, they turned out to be hunters stalking ducks. A spokesman for the plant told the BBC the huntsmen had a permit to be there, but had failed to remind security staff of their whereabouts.