download

on Janetpan

BBC World News with Suvi Diamond.

The suspended Chief Justice of Pakistan has made a vailed attack on President Pervez Musharraf, warning of the dangers of concentrating power in one individual of institution and saying absolute power corrupts absolutely. In his first address to lawyers and diplomats, the Supreme Court since his suspension, the judge, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,urged the maintenance of the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary. From Islamabad, Babara. reports.

President Musharraf has suspended Mr. Chaudhry for alleged abuse of power, for the Chief Justice is fighting to get reinstated. He said he's protecting the independence of the judiciary. Speakers at the seminar also demanded an end to military rule. That's become the broader focus of the campaign. President Musharraf criticized that Mr. Chaudhry for politicizing a legal issue. He says that was leads to the kind of violence scene in Karachi recently. The top judge was prevented from addressing the bar association there amidst bloody street battles.

As the political crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate, the country’ President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime minister Viktor Yanukovych have shown no sign of progress towards resolving their bitter power struggle. The Ukrainian leaders agreed that new parliamentary elections are needed, but despite prolonged talks, they've so far not agreed on a date for the poll. Earlier, thousands of interior troops were summoned to the capital Kiev by the President who'd put them under his direct control. But most of them were stopped from reaching the city by forces loyal to the Prime Minister. The Europe executive editor for BBC World Service / says foreign governments are attempting to mediate in the crisis. “In 2004 during the 'Orange Revolution', there was a lot of direct mediation on the part of European Union, the United States and others. This time it is more difficult to do because every attempt mediate will be seen as a support of one side or another side in this political dispute. So I think when at the stage of declarations and I know that ambassadors of various countries are very, very busy indeed now in Kiev trying to talk it through the diplomatic channels. So far, unsuccessfully.

Thousands of people in Venezuela have marched through the streets of the capital Caracas to protest against the closure of an opposition supporting television station. On Friday, the Supreme Court in Venezuela gave the government permission to take control of / RCTV. Protestors say President Hugo Chavez is limiting freedom of expression. The Interior Minister, Pedro Carreno, said the station was undermining Mr. Chavez. “They try to break order in the country, try to attack our revolution against our institutions, against security, life and properties of citizens. But we will not allow it.” President Chavez says he has the right to refuse the renewal of its license.

This is Suvi Diamond with the latest world news from the BBC.

A senior United Nations official has warned that Latin American drugs cartels are expanding into West Africa. The UN secretary General’s envoy to West Africa said the drug’s gangs had greater logistical and financial resources and some governments in the region. Granferry has the details.

Mr. / said that combating the spreading influence of the drugs cartels was very difficult in the region where governments were fragile and the areas covered vast. The gangs are thought to be spending millions of dollars setting up new storage centers and transport routes. The aim is to smuggle cocaine from Columbia and Venezuela to Europe via countries, such as Guinea-Bissau. Ghana and Nigeria.

Two Palestinian gunmen have been killed in a clash in Arab east Jerusalem. Israeli police say the Palestinians opened fire on an Israeli border patrol and died when the policemen shot back. Unlike some marches brigade, an armed groups linked to the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahamoud Abbas said it carried out the attacks. Reporting from Jerusalem, here is Tim Franks.

What we know from Israeli police is that this routine security patrol were fired on a little while ago by two Palestinian gunmen that were close to the security barrier that separates Israeli and Palestinian areas. The Israeli border police returned fire. They killed the two gunmen, but four Israeli security officers were injured.

Iran says it's uncovered several spy networks run by the United States and its allies. A statement from the Iranian Intelligence Ministry broadcast on a state-run television said it had succeeded in identifying and striking blows at infiltrators organized by the occupying forces in Iraq. The statement added that the networks have been detected in western, southwestern and central Iran. It gave no further details, but said more information will be published in the coming days.

That’s the latest BBC World News.