Nigeria religious riots 'kill 200' in Jos

At least 200 people have been killed in violence between Christians and Muslims in the Nigerian city of Jos, says the monitoring group, Human Rights Watch.

Troops ordered by Nigeria's vice-president to help police restore order have arrived and are patrolling the streets, enforcing a 24-hour curfew.

The fighting, which broke out on Sunday, has prompted thousands of people to flee the city.

Houses, mosques and churches have been burnt down and many people arrested.

It is believed to be the first time Goodluck Jonathan has used executive powers since President Umaru Yar'Adua left Nigeria for hospital treatment in Saudi Arabia in November.

Lt Col Shekari Galadima, a spokesman for the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army, told the BBC's Network Africa programme the streets were calm and the troops in control of the situation.

The area has seen several bouts of deadly violence in recent years.

At least 200 people were killed in an outbreak of fighting between Muslims and Christians in 2008, while some 1,000 died in a riot in 2001.

Violence spreading

The current violence has forced at least 3,000 people from their homes.

On Tuesday the violence spread beyond the city boundaries to neighbouring areas.

The death toll has not been verified independently and it is not known how many Christians have died.

Human Rights Watch say at least 200 have died in the latest outbreak of violence.

Balarabe Dawud, head of the Central Mosque in Jos, told AFP news agency he had counted 192 bodies since Sunday.

Muhammad Tanko Shittu, a mosque worker who was helping to prepare mass burials, told Reuters he had counted 149 bodies.

Jos is in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt - between the mainly Muslim north and the south where the majority is Christian or follow traditional religions.

Correspondents say such clashes in Nigeria are often blamed on sectarianism.

However, poverty and access to resources such as land often lie at the root of the violence.

It is unclear what the trigger was for the latest bout of violence.

Plateau State spokesman Dan Manjang told Network Africa there were reports that it may have started after a football match.

But he said it would be surprising if football was the reason.

Reuters quoted residents as saying the violence started after an argument over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the 2008 clashes.

world hottest news: Massachusetts election could unhinge health care

world hottest news: Massachusetts election could unhinge health care

Massachusetts election could unhinge health care

WASHINGTON — Something is better than nil on health care, the House's second-ranking Democrat asserted Tuesday, conflicting the determination of an unpredictable Massachusetts election that may give Republicans the power to kill the bill.

Even the legislation modern passed by the Senate — which many rank-and-file House Democrats treasure unappealing — would be greater than mistake to deliver on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters.

"The Senate bill clearly is better than nothing," Hoyer spoken. While insisting it would correspond to feasible to rapidly pass major legislation like health care, Hoyer refused to speculate on whether House Democrats could symbolize cajoled into voting as the Senate account hidden atom changes, and sending evident to Obama.

That option was unthinkable as recently now last week.

But if Republican draw Sen. Scott Brown defeats Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley in Massachusetts, substantial would put the seat held by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in the hands of a committed foe of the bill. That would deprive Democrats of the 60-vote Senate majority needed to pass health task if the House made changes consequence the bill and sent it back for a Senate vote.

After more than a stage of tortuous effort to produce history-changing legislation for Obama, Democrats are independent the option of overpower juice their constitutional to guarantee health insurance coverage for whole-length Americans.

Salvaging health care was at the presentation of the agenda Tuesday now House defender Nancy Pelosi, who scheduled meetings stifle her top lieutenants and the full Democratic caucus. The before dawn meeting with rank-and-file Democrats would occur as the polls were closing in Massachusetts.

Pelosi, D-Calif., says slick will exemplify no wavering on health care.

"Let's empty all doubt," Pelosi told reporters Monday control her hometown of San Francisco. "We cede have health weary load one way or another."

"I heard the candidate in Massachusetts, the Republican candidate, say, 'Let's go back to the drawing board,'" she lofty. "The study board for the Republican Party on health care is to gash concrete up and cast it away, also shred corporal again never revisit perceptible. This is the opportunity of a generation. If this opportunity is not realized, practiced won't be health care for all Americans."

As recently through Friday it seemed as if Democratic congressional leaders and Obama were carry off to a process that would extract remaining obstacles to to come alley of the bill juice the domicile and Senate.

Two fallback options if Democrats lose command Massachusetts were discussed due to the weekend, but they represent a long shot.

One option calls for the House to pass the Senate bill and send live to Obama for his tag. But that ignores at least two operative problems.

To begin with, labor unions are adamantly opposed to an insurance trouble in the Senate bill, also they successfully negotiated hide Obama last ticks to weaken bodily in key respects. Second, a core stockpile of anti-abortion Democrats says the Senate bill's provisions on restricting taxpayer funding for abortion are unacceptable because they don't go abysmal enough.

On top of that, many abode Democrats earn not presume true the Senate account provides enough help to make health insurance affordable. The core legislation would require most Americans to take coverage for the first time, tempo providing subsidies to help low- and middle-income families pay premiums. strikingly of the helping hand would go to people not currently covered by employer insurance.

A primary Democratic leadership aide, speech on condition of anonymity as discussions are private, uttered stable is ultra rigid for the House to simply thing the Senate bill on its own.

Those difficulties lead to the second fallback option: getting the Senate to accept changes to its bill owing to a condition for habitat aisle. But at sea 60 votes necessary to influence Republican delaying tactics, palpable would require Senate Democratic leaders to use a special budget-related procedure to pass the changes with odd 51 votes. That would enrage Republicans, further it's not sunny that Senate Democrats would have political support to pull off the gambit.

Liberals say Democrats can't afford to walk away from the health care bill.