BBC news 2010-11-17 加文本

BBC news 2010-11-17

BBC News with Marion Marshall

The second in line to the British throne Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton have spoken openly of their plans to marry hours after their engagement was announced. Miss Middleton said she'd been surprised when Prince William proposed during their recent holiday in Kenya, eight years after they met. Prince William said he had delayed proposing because he wanted to give Miss Middleton time to reflect on the idea of living in the public eye.

"You know, her and her family, I really want to make sure they have the best sort of guidance and chance to see what life has been like or what life is like in the family. That's kind of almost why I have been waiting this long, as I wanted to give her a chance to see in and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much because, you know, I'm trying to learn from lessons done in the past and I just wanted to give her the best chance to settle in and to see what, you know, what happens on the other side."

"I'm also glad that I've had the time to sort of to grow and understand myself more as well, so hopefully, hopefully do good job, yes."

The health ministry in Haiti says more than 1,000 people have now died in the cholera epidemic that's sweeping the country. More than 16,000 people have been treated in hospital, and the disease has reached almost every province of the country.

Britain has announced a financial settlement with former terrorism detainees in an apparent effort to avoid a court case, which could have put sensitive intelligence information into the public domain. All of those involved are British citizens or residents. Rob Watson reports.

The 16 former terrorism suspects had all accused the British authorities of colluding in their detention and in some cases their alleged torture. Announcing the payments, the Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke told parliament the settlement didn't amount to an admission of culpability by the government, nor did it mean the former detainees had withdrawn their allegations. But Mr Clarke said the government had wanted to avoid a lengthy court battle, which could have involved releasing highly sensitive documents and risking Britain's national security.

Saudi officials have promised that justice will be done in the case of an Indonesian maid who was allegedly abused and beaten by her employers. The woman was said to have been admitted to hospital in Medina, unconscious with severe wounds. A member of the Saudi Sutra Council, Saddaqa Yehyia Fadel, said he wanted to reassure Indonesia that action would be taken.

"The Saudi authorities will investigate the matter and will give all parties their due. Indonesians should rest assured that they will get justice. Allow me to clarify: relationships between Saudi citizens and foreign domestic workers are generally normal, good relationships. I'm not defending or favouring the Saudi household here, nor do I want to attack domestic workers, whose efforts play a role in the comprehensive development of Saudi Arabia."

World News from the BBC

European finance ministers and officials are holding emergency talks in Brussels over the debt crisis facing Ireland and other vulnerable members of the eurozone. The European Commission is consulting global financial institutions hours after a leading EU figure, Herman Van Rompuy, warned that the European Union's future was at stake. Ireland and Portugal are widely seen as potential candidates for a bailout.

Police in Thailand have found the remains of more than 300 human foetuses hidden in a Buddhist temple in the capital Bangkok. The police say they suspect the foetuses came from illegal abortion clinics. Local news reports say a member of the temple staff confessed to being hired by several clinics to dispose of the remains.

Police in Egypt are reported to have sealed off an entire village following arson attacks on Christian homes by angry Muslims. Up to 10 homes were said to have been torched by a Muslim crowd in a small village in the south of the country. Jon Leyne reports.

There's been considerable tension in Egypt in recent months between the majority Muslim community and the roughly 10% of the population who are Christians. The latest flare-up happened in a remote village in the south of the country. The cause is believed to have been rumours of a relationship of some kind between a Coptic Christian man and a Muslim woman. A quarrel broke out between Christian and Muslim families. Up to 10 houses are reported to have been burnt down, but there were no casualties.

France has complained to Iran about what it says were "unacceptable acts of violence" outside the French ambassador's residence in Tehran on Sunday. French officials said at least one diplomat was struck when plainclothes Iranian security agents stopped guests entering the residence for a concert of Persian music. Several guests were arrested.

A rare pink diamond has sold for almost $46m at a jewellery sale in the Swiss city of Geneva. It's the highest price ever paid for a stone at auction. The diamond weighs more than 24 carats.

BBC News