BBC news 2011-02-21 加文本

BBC news 2011-02-21

BBC News with Iain Purdon

Anti-government protesters in Libya are reported to have largely taken control in the city of Benghazi following renewed clashes with the security forces. Unconfirmed reports said a military garrison there had either fallen to the opposition or switched sides. There are now also reports of anti-government protests in the Libyan capital Tripoli, as Rana Jawad reports.

Eyewitnesses have told the BBC there are anti-government protests already underway here in at least four different areas tonight. Meanwhile, the al-Fadhil brigade headquarters in Benghazi is now under the control of the people. Anti-government protesters on the ground there say they are celebrating the liberation of Benghazi tonight. This is a significant development that won't be taken lightly by authorities here. Soon after the latest report, Colonel Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam announced he will be issuing a public address soon.

Libya has warned the European Union that it'll suspend cooperation on tackling illegal migration from North Africa if it thinks that Europe is encouraging the pro-democracy protests. European countries have described the Libyan government's armed response to the demonstrations as "unacceptable" and "disproportionate". The EU foreign affairs representative is Catherine Ashton.

"I'm really worried about what's happening in Libya at the present time. We've been urging restraint. We continue to do so. It's very important. You'll have heard it evolving from all the foreign ministers coming in that you've asked tonight. It's very, very important that this violence stops and they reach a dialogue."

Thousands of protesters have demonstrated in Morocco to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers and take action against corruption. Demonstrators in the capital Rabat gathered in front of the parliament building. There were also rallies in Casablanca, Marrakesh and several smaller cities. John Sudworth reports.

It's actually a very nuanced demand here. If you read some of the banners, it was one I saw earlier saying "the king must reign, not govern", and nobody here is calling openly for the removal of the king. But what they do want, beyond any doubt, is a significant surrendering of some of his powers.

Ten children have been killed in a fire at a home for disabled orphans in Estonia. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the wooden building in flames. There were 37 children and nine adults inside when the blaze began. Survivors have been moved to a hostel for the homeless.

An agreement by Iceland to pay compensation to Britain and the Netherlands over the collapse of its banking system has run into problems. President Olafur Grimsson is to put the $5bn deal to a referendum, even though it's been approved by parliament. A previous deal with different repayment terms was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in Iceland last year.

This is the World News from the BBC.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing Christian Democrats have suffered a heavy defeat in a regional election in the city of Hamburg. Preliminary results give her party 20% of the vote, compared with 50% for the opposition Social Democrats. Stephen Evans reports.

The slump in fortunes of Angela Merkel's CDU in Hamburg indicates a rough road to the federal elections in 2013. It might also make it harder to keep her ruling coalition together before then. There are local factors, but her party may also be suffering a backlash from the recession. The economic growth is now fast, but only after a steep decline. All eyes are now on a similar regional election in Baden-Wuerttemberg in March. This is a CDU stronghold, and defeat there would really start the party's alarm bells ringing.

The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has easily defeated his nearest rival Kizza Besigye in the presidential election. With almost all the votes in, President Museveni has 68%. His supporters are jubilant, but Dr Besigye has dismissed the election as rigged.

"An election conducted under such environment cannot reflect the will of the people, and clearly the institutions of state charged with the management of the elections have failed our country."

The professional tennis association, the ATP, has warned players about security ahead of the start of the Mexican Open in the Pacific resort of Acapulco on Monday. The organisation cautioned players against travelling outside their hotels, and it advised them to leave the city immediately after being eliminated from the tournament. The Mexican government has assured the ATP that appropriate security measures are in place. Several arrests have been made following a recent spate of drug-related violence in the city.

BBC News