奥巴马：印度是美国“不可或缺”的伙伴

　　当地时间24日，美国总统奥巴马为到访的印度总理辛格举行了正式欢迎仪式，并称在应对全球挑战和构建未来的过程中，印度是美国“不可或缺”的伙伴，美印两国加强合作有助于世界的安全与繁荣。

　　BBC News with Michael Poles。

　　President Obama has underlined his country's strong ties withIndia.Speaking after talks in Washington with the visiting Indian PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Obama said the two leaders had agreed tostrengthen cooperation on a range of issues. Paul Adams reportsfromWashington。

　　Barack Obama describes India as indispensable.Speaking after amorning of talks, the president said the US-Indiapartnership will be oneof the defining relationships of the 21stcentury. He described Mr.Singn as a wise leader and said they had talkabout cooperation on trade,climate change, terrorism and nuclear nonproliferation.For his part,Mr. Singh said he was very satisfied with the outcome oftheirdiscussions on security. President Obama was asked not for thefirst timewhen he would announce the conclusions of his lengthy reviewof strategyin Afghanistan. He said this would come shortly。

　　More than six years after the invasion of Iraq, a longawaitedinquiry into Britain's role in the war has opened in London. Onitsfirst day, it heard from senior civil servants and aformalintelligence chief. The former British Prime Minister Tony Blairisalso being called as a witness. / reports。

　　The first day of this inquiry looked at how British and Americanattitudes towards Iraq began to shift in early 2001. Formerofficialstold how they are being growing frustration in London that theoldpolicy of containing Saddam Hussein wasn't working. The inquiryheardthat British diplomats was still reluctant to embrace a policy ofregime

　　change despite what warm witness called the drumbeats fromWashington.Earlier the inquiry's Chairman Sir John Chilcot says hisfinal reportwouldn't shy away from making criticisms of individuals, ifthey were warranted。

　　Pirateshave attacked an oil tanker near the West African state ofBenin. Itwas sailing from Nigeria's Niger Delta region when it wasattacked. Acrew member was killed and the contents of the ship's safewas stolen.This report from Casper Leighton。

　　The pirates who are believed to be from Nigeria, aboarded theshipin darkness after coming along side in a speed boat. It's not clearhowthe crew member lost his life but it seems there wasn't an attempttoconfront the armed pirates as one of them was captured by theship'screw and handed to local authorities. Medics on the German ownedtankersaid four other crew members were injured in the attack. Thereareincreasing concern about rising piracy off the coast of West Africanasthe region grows an importance as an oil producer。

　　A Sudanese woman convicted of breaching the country's decency lawsby wearing trousers has defied a travel ban by going to Francetopublicize her new book. Lubna Hussein, a journalist who worked fortheUN, faced 40 lashes for wearing trousers in public. But in September,a Sudanese courtordered her to pay a fine instead. Refusing to pay thefine, she choseto serve a day's imprisonment。

　　You are listening to the World News from the BBC。

　　About 150 prominent Arabic writers and academics were signing anonline petition appealing for an end to a growing row between Algeriaand Egypt over two football matches. Madeline Morris reports。

　　The appeal calls for reason and conscience

　　to rise above what it calls pettiness and nonsense. Thesignatoriesblamed the media for fanning the flames of nationalism andcriticizethe Algerian and the Egyptian elite for failing to showleadership overthe issue. It says those behind the violence in the WorldCup qualifierlast week which Algeria won represented only themselvesand not theirteams. In the ensuing row which has seen further violence,Cairo hasrecalled its ambassador to Algeria's, and the Egyptianpresident's sonhas accused Algerian football supporters of beingterrorists。

　　A court in Poland has begun hearing a libel case againstPresidentLech Kaczynski, brought by former President Lech Walesa. Theactionrelated to a television interview last year in which Mr. KaczynskisaidMr. Walesa was a communist ear of spy. Mr. Walesa said thesolidarity movement against communist rule in Poland and denies theclaim. He's demanding an apology and 36,000 dollars in damages。

　　A human rights group in the Czech Republic has said an expressionof regret by the government on Monday for the illegal sterilization ofRoman woman does not go far enough. Coercive sterilization wasallegedlyused to curb the traditionally high fatality rate among theRoma prior tothe collapse of communism in 1989. However human rightsgroup say thelast recalled case occurred as late as 2008.

　　Members of the Shining Path guerrilla movement in Peru saytheyintend to form a political party to stand in general elections in2011.The movement called off its armed insurrection 17 years ago aftertens of thousands of people were killed in a civilwar. But two factionsof the group have continued to kill soldiers andpolice in remote areaswhere junk traffickers are active。

　　And that's the latest BBC News。