2010-03-28 BBC
BBC News with Fiona McDonald.
An investigation by the BBC has found evidence that more than 300 people were massacred in the Democratic Republic of Congo last December by the Lord's Resistance Army, the militia which operates across northern Congo, southern Sudan and central African Republic. Our reporter Martin Plaut who went to northeastern Congo said the killings took place west of the town of Angola and lasted five days.
In a remote region in northeastern Congo, a rain of terror was unleashed on villagers by the Lord's Resistance Army. Fighters, some dressed in army uniforms, attacked civilians, raided homes, looted and raped. Children, their arms and feet bound with wire were marched away in human chains. Anyone who fell behind was hack to death. The United Nations which had warning of the attacks, reinforced their presence in towns, but couldn't guard this isolated villagers. When it was all over, witnesses said the stench of death hang over the area.
The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has urged the alliance to push ahead with construction of a missile defense system and extended to Russia as well. Mr.Rasmussen said it would reassure America that Europe is ready to invest its own defense. Jonathan Marcus reports.
The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the missile proliferation threat was real and growing. He drew attention to Iran’s nuclear missile programs as a case in point. But he saw a new Euro-Atlantic missile defense system as he called it as more than just means of defending NATO countries against ballistic missile attack. Mr.Rasmussen clearly believed that such a system could reinvigorate not just the European allies relationship with the United States, but also NATO's whole relationship with Russia.
Israel's refusal to stop building Jewish homes in occupied East Jerusalem has provoked angry reactions at an Arab summit in Libya. Addressing the conference, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the position as madness. The UN Chief Ban Ki-moon urged Arab leaders to continue supporting American efforts to restart peace talks.
Thousands of supporters of the conservative Tea Party movement have gathered in the small desert town of Searchlight in the American state of Nevada. For a rally where they were addressed by the former republican, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Emilio San Pedro reports.
The choice of Searchlight as the place to kick off a nationwide tour aimed at defeating democrats who have supported President Obama's health care reforms is intentional. The small town of less than a thousand inhabitants is home to one of the Tea Party's prime targets for defeat in the November midterm congressional elections,the Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.But it's not only leading Democrats like Mr.Reid were facing a stiff challenge from the Tea Party and its supporters. Republicans seen as too moderate are facing the heat from the Tea Party too.
World News from the BBC.
Spain which currently holds a presidency of the European Union has lifted a ban, preventing a number of prominent Libyans from visiting most of western Europe. The ban was imposed on the initiative of Switzerland which was embroiled in a diplomatic row with Libya. The Libyans have been denied entry into the visa-free zone, set up by the Schengen agreement which includes Switzerland.
President Hosny Mubarak of Egypt has returned home from Germany after recovering from surgery that he'd underwent three weeks ago. During his treatment, doctors removed the president's gall bladder and a growth from his small intestine. Christian Fraser reports from Cairo.
He's been in power almost 30 years and throughout has maintained an iron grip on power. Yet somethings have changed in the past months, it's not just the president's health that's rekindles this debate on succession. There's been another homecoming this month. Mohammed ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Korean diplomat with all the credential to be a president has just returned from Vienna to a hero's welcome.
A search is going on in Morocco for the managing director of the Abu Dhabi investment authority,Ahmed bin Zayed al-Nahayan,who's missing after a glider crash into a lake. The pilot of the aircraft was rescued. Sheikh Ahmed is the younger brother of the president of the Unied Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi investment authority is believed to be the world's largest sovereign wealth fund.
The richest horse race in the world has been run in Dubai at a spectacular new complex known as the Meydan. The Dubai Gold Cup which carries a prize of ten million dollars was won in a photo finish by the Brazilian-bred Gloria De Campeao, ridden by Tiago Pereira. Just ahead of Lizard's Desire ridden by Kevin Shea.The The vast race arena includes the includes state of the arts and infective track, a future is to ground stand able to accommodate 60,000 people, a luxury hotel and a marina.
BBC News.