BBC News with Gaenor Howells
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose country is at the centre of fears about the economic stability of the eurozone, has said he'llspeed upa package of austerity measures. The move follows a week ofturbulenceon the financial markets. David Willey reports from Rome.
Mr Berlusconi called a sudden news conference to announce a series of steps being taken by his coalition government tostemspeculationagainst Italy on international financial markets. Austerity measures planned to come into force in 2014 are beingbrought forwarda whole year to 2013. They include unpopular tax hikes and a cap on state pensions. Mr Berlusconi plans toamendthe Italian constitution, making itobligatoryfor future governments to run balanced budgets.
Syrian activists say the security forces have shot dead at least seven people during protests near the capital Damascus. They say another was killed in the city of Homs as demonstrators once again demanded President Assad's resignation. Jim Muir sent this report.
This was the Damascus suburb of Duma, peoplespilling outinto the streets after Friday prayers, calling for the regime to go, thenpandemoniumas the bullets started flying. The protesters said it was security forces; state television said it was gunmen firing from rooftops and that policemen were among the casualties. Invirtuallyall parts of the country, there were similar scenes on this first Friday of Ramadan. The uprising shows no sign offlagging as it approaches its fifth month.
The Sudanese government has blocked a shipment of oil from the new Republic of South Sudan, accusing the authorities there of failing to pay customs duties. Relations between the two countries have worsened since the South became independent last month. Mary Harper reports.
A spokesman for the Sudanese foreign ministry said a ship carrying 600,000 barrels of oil was being held at the northern export hub of Port Sudan. It would not be allowed to leave, he said, until South Sudan paid customs fees. This is the latest stage in the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Several issues remain unresolved, including how to divide oil revenues. Seventy-five per cent of the oil reserves are in South Sudan, but as it's landlocked, it has to export it via the north.
At least seven people have been killed by government troops in the Somali capital Mogadishu during disturbances at a camp for those displaced by the famine. The trouble started when residents of the camp tried to stop government soldiers from taking emergency UN food supplies. A BBC correspondent in Mogadishu said the soldiersmade offwith two truckloads of food.
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A federal jury in the United States has convicted five former police officers in connection with the shooting of six unarmed people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Two of the civilians died. Four police officers were found guilty of civil rights violations but cleared of murder. Marcus George reports from Washington.
It was just days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans when four of the officers responded to a report of police coming under fire. Witnesses say they arrived at the scene and began shooting without any warning. In defence, one officer said he'd been paralysed by fear over reports of widespread crime following the hurricane. The jury convicted all four of civil rights violations but not of murder. They now face life in prison. Alongside another former officer, they were also found guilty ofcovering uptheir actions by falsifying reports and handing in faked evidence.
A billion-dollar mission of exploration to Jupiter has begun with the launch of an unmanned solar-powered spacecraft called Juno from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
"Three, two, one, ignition and lift-off of the Atlas V with Juno on a trek to Jupiter - a planetary piece of the puzzle on the beginning of our solar system."
The project's chief scientist said Jupiter held the secret to understanding how all the planets including Earth were formed.
A representative of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has been released after being held by police in the Nepali capital Kathmandu. His supporters say he was detained for seven hours. Thinley Lama was arrested after holding a news conference. He became the head of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office in June. He's called on the Nepali government tosafeguardthe rights of Tibetan refugees in the country. About 20,000 Tibetan refugees live in Nepal.
BBC World Service News
意大利正处于人们对欧元区经济稳定性担忧的中心。总理贝卢斯科尼表示他将加速推出紧缩措施。此举是由于金融市场经历了长达一周的动荡。David Willey在罗马报道。
贝卢斯科尼突然召开新闻发布会,宣布联合政府采取一系列措施,防止人们猜疑意大利对国际金融市场的影响。原本计划于2014年生效的紧缩措施提前了一整年,到2013年开始实施。其中包括不受欢迎的增税和限制州政府养老金等措施。贝卢斯科尼计划对意大利宪法进行修订,使未来的政府平衡预算成为义务。
叙利亚活动积极分子表示,在首都大马士革附近的抗议活动中,安全力量击毙了至少7人。他们说,霍姆斯的示威者再次要求阿萨德总统下台,又有一名示威者被击毙。Jim Muir发回报道。
这是大马士革郊区杜马,周五的祈祷过后,人们纷纷涌到街上,要求政权下台,后来人群开始遭到扫射,造成一片混乱的景象。抗议者说开枪的是安全力量,国家电视台说是持枪分子在屋顶上开枪,死伤者中也有警察。在全国几乎所有地方,斋月节的第一天都是同样的感觉。起义已经接近第五个月,但是没有任何衰退的迹象。
苏丹政府阻止来自新成立的南苏丹共和国的石油经过,指控南苏丹未缴纳关税。自南苏丹上月正式独立以来,南北之间的关系进一步恶化。Mary Harper报道。
苏丹外交部一名发言人表示,装有600,000桶石油的一艘船只被扣留在北部出口要塞苏丹港。他说,除非南苏丹缴纳关税,否则他们不会让这艘船只离开。这是两国之间关系恶化的最新迹象。两国之间仍有几个重要问题没有解决,包括怎样分配石油收益。75%的石油储备在南苏丹,但是南苏丹被陆地包围,必须通过北方来出口。
索马里首都摩加迪沙一座难民营中发生骚乱,至少7人被政府军队击毙。混乱的起因是难民营中的居民试图阻止政府士兵拿走联合国紧急粮食补给。BBC驻摩加迪沙一名记者表示,士兵带着两卡车食品扬长而去。
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美国联邦陪审团宣告5名前警官与新奥尔良卡特里娜飓风后6名手无寸铁的人被枪击有关。其中两名平民不治身亡。4名警官触犯民权但是已经撇清了谋杀罪。Marcus George在华盛顿报道。
卡特里娜飓风袭击新奥尔良几天之后,有报道称警察遭到枪击,随后,四名警官作出反应。目击者称,他们到达现场后没有任何预警就开始开枪。一名警官说,有报道称,飓风过后犯罪活动暴涨,由于过分担心,他的心智被麻痹了。陪审团宣告4名警官都触犯了民事权利,但是并不是谋杀。他们将面临终身监禁的判决。另外一名警官被控由于虚假报道掩盖事实,依据错误的证据采取行动。
朱诺号无人太阳能探测器在佛罗里达卡纳维拉尔角发射升空,开始对木星进行探索。这次任务耗资10亿美元。
“三,二,一,点火,朱诺号发射升空,前往木星。木星是一颗重要的行星,或许能够解释太阳系最初形成时的奥秘。”
该项目首席科学家表示,木星藏有很多秘密,或许能够解释包括地球在内的所有行星是怎样形成的。
流亡的西藏精神领袖达赖喇嘛的代表在尼泊尔首都加德满都被警方拘留之后获释。他的支持者说他被拘留了七个小时。Thinley喇嘛召开了新闻发布会之后被捕。他于6月份成为西藏难民福利办公室的负责人。他呼吁尼泊尔政府保卫在尼泊尔的西藏难民的权利。大约有20,000名西藏难民居住在尼泊尔。
BBC世界新闻。