vicious

ethnic and religious clashes. He said they should use all necessary measures following two bomb explosions in the state capital Jos.

One person has been killed and four injured in an explosion at a nuclear site near the city of Nimes, in southern France. The French French Nuclear Safety Authority said a security cordon was set up around the Marcoule plant as a

precaution

. Christian Fraser has been monitoring events from Paris.

I think there was a lot of concern

initially

that there may have been a leak into the surrounding area, but I think nerves have been calmed by the French Nuclear Safety Authority that say they have the fire under control, there hasn't been a leak as far as they are aware, and they are saying that the explosion was in a furnace in an area of the plant where they melt down and recycle its nuclear waste energy. By all accounts, the waste in question has

fairly

low radioactivity, and this is now being described as an industrial and not a nuclear accident.

The Bank of America is to cut about 30,000 jobs as part of a broad restructuring plan to reduce costs. The bank said the cuts, which represent about 10% of its workforce, would be carried out over the next few years. It said it would be streamlining operations to cut $5bn in annual expenses by 2014.

The scientist in charge of the anti-doping laboratory during next year's Olympics in London says it will be more difficult for athletes to cheat. Professor David Cowan hinted that a new test to catch blood dopers was likely to be deployed for the first time. Blood doping is a technique in which athletes transfuse their own blood to improve performance. Several Olympic competitors have been accused of blood doping, but so far scientists have not been able to