BBC News:美參議院通過移民制度改革法案

BBC News with Nick Kelly

The United States Senate has passed a sweeping but contentious bill to reform America's immigration system. The bill, which is backed by President Obama, provides for a 13-year pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million people living illegally in the United States. Here's Jonny Dymond.

In the shadows of the US economy, as cooks and gardeners, nannies and cleaners and in 100 other occupations, is a vast army living here illegally. Under legislation passed by the Senate, these millions would have a path to citizenship. Thirteen years long, dependent upon good behaviour and payment of backed taxes. At the same time the bill would see what one of its sponsors called a practical militarization of America's border with Mexico that was a critical part of the bargain that would strike. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives where agreement may be much more difficult to find.

The authorities in the United States have indicted the man accused of carrying out the bomb attack on the Boston marathon on numerous criminal counts. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is 19 years old and of a Chechen origin faces the death penalty or life imprisonment on several of the counts. Paul Adams has more.

Given the extraordinarily dramatic events that unfolded in and around Boston more than two months ago, it's hardly surprising that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces a lengthy indictment with 30separate counts. He is accused of using what’s described as weapons of mass destruction, areference to the two pressure cooker bombs that exploded near the finish line at the marathon killing three people. But he also faces multiple firearms charges, one of them in connection with the death of a University police officer, as well as carjacking.

The South African President Jacob Zuma says Nelson Mandela's condition has improved although he’s still being described as critical. In Soweto tonight, well wishers have gathered outside Mr. Mandela's former home for an all night prayer vigil. Mike Wooldridge is there.

There was a song he would hear in Soweto and hundreds of other townships across South Africa during the days of the anti-apartheid struggle. The ANC says it will hold prayer services and vigils of this kind each day while Nelson Mandela remains in hospital. Young and old took part in this Soweto vigil and this spectrum of protest had one message for Mr. Mandela. "We need him, please, God. God must prepare to help us, and dead mustn't come."

Police in Brazil have clashed with demonstrators ahead of a football match between Spain and Italy in the northeastern city of Fortaleza. About 5,000 people marched towards the stadium a few hours before the Confederations Cup match. This is the latest in a series of protests against corruption and the high cost of preparations for next year's World Cup.

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United States says it's withdrawing trade privileges from Bangladesh because of the dangerous conditions for workers in the country's textile industry. Last month, more than 1,100 people were killed when the multi-storey factory building they worked in collapsed. The White House said trade benefits for Bangladesh would be suspended until safety conditions were improved.

Police in a remote mountainous region of northern Pakistan say three women have been shot dead by a male relative who appears to believe that they have brought shame on their family. The mother and her two daughters were allegedly killed by her step-son after a family video was circulated. Here's Orla Guerin.

Human rights campaigners believe the motive for the triple murder was an innocent family video in which the woman's two daughters appear. They say neighbours have told them the video was to blame because the woman’s stepson thought it was an assault on the family's honour. In the mobile phone footage seen by the BBC, the young women are filmed smiling and laughing in the rain outside their family home with some little girls. In the remote northern region where so-called honour killings are common, women are seldom seen by men other than their relatives.

Video footage has emerged of thousands of Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia protesting against the royal family at the funeral of a man who had been shot by police. The video posted on YouTube shows people chanting death to al-Saud and calling for the arrest of those behind the fatalshooting last week.

And French MPs have voted to make restaurants label freshly cooked dishes as home-made on their menus. The draft law is aimed at halting the spread of ready-made meals which are not prepared with fresh ingredients on the premises. Fines could be imposed if such meals often heated up in microwave ovens are labeled home-made. Supporters of the bill said it would help to keep the quality of French cuisine high. The French Senate still has to vote on the measure.

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