BBC news 2011-12-02 加文本

BBC news 2011-12-02

BBC News with David Austin

The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, has said he and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet in Paris on Monday to announce a joint plan to safeguard the future of Europe. Mr Sarkozy, who's giving a major speech on the economy, said France and Germany would seek a new European Union treaty to impose greater integration and financial discipline on European governments. He said the debt crisis in the eurozone had revealed major weaknesses in the European Union. Reform was needed, he said, to make the bloc better-equipped to deal with crisis.

"France and Germany are in favour of a new European treaty rethinking and overhauling the organisation of Europe. More discipline, more solidarity, a new responsibility to respond to the people through better economic governance - that is our vision of the eurozone and the reform of its treaties."

The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has warned that the eurozone could eventually break up. He urged British banks to build up their financial reserves to withstand the possible consequences. He said the eurozone crisis was the biggest threat to Britain's financial stability. Here's our business correspondent Jonty Bloom.

Sir Mervyn King has issued a stark warning the current economic crisis caused by the eurozone's problems is extraordinarily serious and threatening. Sir Mervyn wants Britain's banks to set aside more money so that they can better withstand any coming crisis, and he wants them to find that extra capital from the money they normally pay out in dividends and bonuses. In effect, Sir Mervyn is telling Britain's banking industry to batten down the hatches ahead of what could be a massively destructive financial storm, quite possibly involving the collapse of the eurozone.

The main opposition group in Syria has struck a deal with insurgents calling themselves the Free Syrian Army to work together against the government of President Assad. The opposition Syrian National Council said the insurgents, many of them army deserters, had promised to use force only to protect civilians.

The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has pardoned a woman who was jailed for adultery after being raped by a male relative. Afghan officials said the woman, named as Gulnaz, had agreed to marry her attacker, but that this was not a condition of her release. Farhana Haider has this report.

Thousands of people signed a petition calling for Gulnaz to be set free. Her lawyer told the BBC her client always said before that, given a choice, she would not marry the man who raped her. Gulnaz, who is now 21, gave birth in prison to a daughter who was kept in jail with her. She was initially sentenced to two years in jail, but when she appealed, her sentence was increased to 12 years. The most recent appeal saw it reduced to three years. Human rights groups say hundreds of women in Afghan jails are victims of rape or domestic violence.

Farhana Haider

World News from the BBC

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to tighten sanctions against Iran because of concerns about its nuclear programme. They are adding the names of about 180 more Iranian companies and individuals to a list of those targeted by sanctions. The ministers also agreed to continue working on other measures that officials say could target Iran's energy sector.

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a historic visit to Burma. The two women had a private dinner and will hold a more formal meeting at Ms Suu Kyi's residence in Rangoon on Friday. The United States has offered to improve diplomatic relations if Burma's military-backed government continues to press ahead with recent democratic reforms. In a video message, Ms Suu Kyi said that engaging with the government was a risk worth taking.

"I believe there are elements within the government who are genuine in their desire to bring about democratic reforms that would put our country on the path to prosperity and security."

Aung San Suu Kyi

An anti-corruption watchdog has cut its ties with football's world governing body Fifa, citing frustration at how the organisation is dealing with reforms. Transparency International withdrew its help after questioning the independence of the investigation process. Alex Capstick has this report.

The rejection by the respected anti-corruption watchdog will be viewed by many as a blow to the credibility of Fifa's reform process, which has been led by the president Sepp Blatter. Transparency International withdrew its help following the appointment of a chairman to oversee major changes in the way football's world governing body is run. Mark Pieth revealed he would be paid by Fifa and he would not re-examine old scandals. Sylvia Schenk, a senior adviser with Transparency International, had insisted that panel members must be unpaid.

Alex Capstick reporting

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