http://192.168.2.6/english/1117/1112.mp3

BBC world news I am Dee Sebastian.

The militant Shiite movement Hezbollah says all five Shiite Muslim ministers in the Lebanese government have resigned. They include Hezbollah’s two ministers and those of its ally, the Amal movement. Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran wants more seats in the government which will give it and its allies the power of veto. The Lebanese Prime Minster Fouad Siniora, who is a member of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority has refused to accept the resignations. Here is Finance Minster Jihad Azour explained why.

The decision of the Prime Minister not accepting the resignation in order to preserve the unity of the government and to make sure that all members and all political parties represented in the government will continue working hand in hand in order to help the country recover after the war that was waged on Lebanon during the summer.

The United States has vetoed a draft resolution at the United Nations that would have condemned Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip. The resolution was put forward by Qatar after an Israeli artillery attack earlier this week which killed 18 Palestinian civilians in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. From the UN in New York here is Laura Tra William.

Qatar's resolution reflected widespread anger in the Arab world following the Israeli attack on Beit Hanoun. Ten countries voted for the resolution which condemned Israel's military operations in Gaza as well as Wednesday's attack. Although the draft did condemn the firing of rockets from Gaza to Israel, European and American diplomats felt the text was unbalanced and didn't fully reflect the complexities of the situation. Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia abstained. The US ambassador John Bolton voted against the resolution.

President Bush has praised the United States armed forces at a ceremony in Washington marking his country's Veterans Day. Mr. Bush said American forces had liberated two nations, Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing freedom to more than 50 million people. They'd also engaged terrorists on many fronts. Ceremonies have been held around the world to mark Armistice Day, the annual commemoration of war dead held to coincide with the anniversary of the end of the First World War.

The Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who is under house-arrest in Rangoon has been allowed a meeting with the United Nation's official, the first for several months. The UN said the envoy Abraham Gunbary spent about an hour with Ms Suu Kyi who said she was in good health but needed more regular medical attention. Aung San Suu Kyi who is 61 has been under detention almost continuously since her party won elections in 1990 by a landslide. The Burmese military never allowed her to take power.

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Police in Iraq say gunmen have ambushed several mini-buses south of the capital Baghdad, at least 12 passengers are said to have been killed and about 50 others abducted. From Baghdad our correspondent Hue sikes.

The police have told the BBC that the mini buses were ambushed in Yusifiyah, southwest of Baghdad, the district has come to be known as the triangle of death mainly because of the activities of al-Qaeda in Iraq who dominate the area. In Baghdad on Saturday, two car bombs in the main wholesale market in Shorja killed eight people and wounded at lease 38 more, and in another part of town, a roadside bomb killed three. In the 24 hours from six o'clock on Friday evening to six in the evening on Saturday 25 bodies have been found in Baghdad.

United Nations head of Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland has said he is willing to meet the leader of Ugandan Lords Resistance Army rebels provided the group promise to release the hundreds of children they have kidnapped as well as the wounded among their other captives. For more than 20 years the LRA, led by Joseph Kony, has attacked villages in northern Uganda killing and mutilating local people and abducting their children to serve in their forces. Mr. Egeland said he'll deal with whoever he needs to in order to end the conflict.

This is a uniquely cruel war we are having in northern Uganda. Tens of thousands of children have been kidnapped, have been abused. Again that is why I meet those who can unlock the situation. I will speak to anybody, anywhere if it advances the humanitarian cause.

Finally in sport the Egyptian team Ahly has won the African Champions League Football competition for a fifth time after beating the Tunisian CS Sfaxien in the second leg of the final in Tunis. Midfielder Mahmoud Abutricker scored the winning goal for the Egyptians two minutes into stoppage time and handed Al Ahly its fifth crown, something their supporters were desperate for.

And that's the latest BBC world news.