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BBC World News, I'm Mary Small.

A row has erupted in Washington over the alleged use of torture to extract information from terrorism suspects. It began when the Vice President Dick Cheney was asked on a radio chat show whether he agreed that immersing suspects in water was a no-brainer or an obvious cause of action if it could save the lives of innocent people. Human Rights group’s accused Mr. Cheney of endorsing a practice known as "Water Boarding",whereby a suspect is convinced that he is about to be drowned. However, President Bush reiterated that the US did not use torture. Matt Wells reports from Washington.

The Vice President's remarks were made on Tuesday,but only came to light today, exacerbated by a storm in confrontational White House press briefing. Dick Cheney was asked if dunking a prisoner in water would be a no-brainer if it meant saving lives, to which he replied, well, it’s a no-brainer for me. The White House gave the impressional water boarding in effect bringing a prisoner to the point of drowning would be off-limits in pushing through a controversial terror bill just a few weeks ago. When he was asked about the Vice President's comments, President Bush said the administration had no intention of torturing suspects but he has repeatedly refused to specify which techniques are being used.

President Bush has responded to reports that Iran has stepped up uranium enrichment by saying the international community needs to work harder to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon. Mr. Bush warned Tehran that it would be isolated from the rest of the world if it persisted with its uranium enrichment program. He was responding to an Iranian news agency report that a second cascade of centrifuges had come into use at Iran's enrichment site at Na tanz. Nick Miles reports from Washington.

President Bush said he was aware of speculation that Iran has stepped up its uranium enrichment program. He said it was unacceptable for Tehran to have a nuclear weapon. It must be understood that it would only be isolated from the rest of the world if it continues with its program. Iran maintains that it's merely pursuing the nuclear technology to address its domestic electricity needs. But in a recent report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it could not be certain Iran's nuclear program was for peaceful means.

The swearing-in of the new government of Bangladesh which was due to run the country in a neutral caretaker capacity into elections in January has been postponed. A presidential spokesman said the former chief justice KM Hassan who had been due to head the new administration was ill. The announcement comes after a day of clashes between government and opposition supporters during which at least 4 people were killed.

You're listening to the world news from the BBC.

The European Union has asked Hungary to respond to reports that the police used excessive force to break up anti-government protest in Budapest on Monday. The EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said he'd written to the Hungarian government asking for information on the demonstration during which dozens of people were injured. Nick.Thou reports from Budapest.

In his letter to the Hungarian Justice Minister, the European Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini asked for information and clarification according to his spokesman underlining that no accusation was contained in his letter. In Hungary, however, the accusations have been coming thick and fast. Around 100 people were hospitalized after Monday's violence. A dozen people have launched official complaints against the police with this state prosecutor's office. The Budapest police chief Peter Gergenyi has consistently denied that his men used excessive force.

The Sudanese government has said that the United Nations' special envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk who made expelled last Monday won’t be allowed to return while the UN maintains he will be going back. The Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Karti described Mr. Pronk as history. The country's ambassador to the UN Abdalmahmood Mohamad emphasized that Sudan had terminated Mr Pronk's responsibilities.

"He is not going back to Sudan as...security general. This decision is over and ... in fact we regret... confidentially we gave to Mr Pronk but he abused that and he violated it."

The BBC correspondent at the United Nations says that the row of Mr Pronk's comments has been a distraction for the UN at a time when he is trying to persuade the Sudanese government to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur.

A Chilean judge has filed new human rights abuse charges against the country's former military ruler General Augusto Pinochet in connection with the kidnapping, torture and disappearance of 36 people during his time in power. The charges related to an ongoing investigation into a detention center known as "Villa Grimaldi" while hundreds of political prisoners were allegedly tortured and killed after the General seized power.