BBC在线收听下载:八国集团峰会在美召开

BBC news 2012-05-20

World leaders at the G8 summit in the United States have emphasised the need for jobs and growth in reviving the global economy and urged Greece to remain in the eurozone. A statement issued at Camp David said a strong and cohesive eurozone was important for global economic stability. Paul Adams is at the summit.

The statement issued after a morning of talks about Europe's economic difficulties urged Greece to stay in the eurozone. The leaders said their imperative was to promote growth and jobs. All necessary steps should be taken, they said, to re-invigorate economies and combat financial stresses. But in a nod to the differences that exist over how to tackle the crisis in the eurozone, they said they recognised that the right measures were not the same for everyone. The summit has now moved on to other issues, including food security, energy and climate, partnerships in North Africa and the Middle East, and the war in Afghanistan.

German police say 20,000 people opposed to eurozone austerity programmes have rallied in the financial capital Frankfurt. Protesters carried placards reading "The eurozone is in ruins". Several hundred demonstrators were detained in Frankfurt on Friday during unauthorised protests close to the headquarters of the European Central Bank.

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Syria has blamed foreign-backed terrorists for a suicide car bomb that killed nine people in the city of Deir al-Zour. Many others were wounded by the blast outside a military intelligence building. Jonathan Head has more details.

The blast left a large crater, rows of smouldering cars and blew out the facades of nearby buildings. Syrian state television reported that it was caused by a car bomb containing 1,000 kilos of explosives. The government has blamed terrorists inside the opposition movement for the attacks, and accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of supporting the bombing campaign. It says al-Qaeda is now helping the insurgent Free Syrian Army, but opposition activists have argued that forces loyal to the government are behind the bombings in order to discredit the Free Syrian Army and to frighten people into staying loyal to President Assad.

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Yemeni officials say clashes with Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have left more than 30 people dead in the south of the country. The officials say 22 militants and 12 soldiers have been killed in fighting over the past 24 hours near the town of Jaar in Abyan province. The town has been under the control of militants since last year.

The first ever launch of a privately built space capsule on a mission to supply the International Space Station has been aborted. The rocket's engines were shut down just as it was about to take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The unmanned craft made by the Californian company SpaceX was due to carry half a tonne of food and equipment to the space station. The president of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell, denied that the mission had failed and said another launch would be attempted next week.

"We had a nominal countdown right until about T-minus point-five-seconds. [The] engine controller noted high chamber pressure in engine five; software did what it was supposed to do - aborted engine five, and then we went through the remaining engine shutdown. This is not a failure. We aborted with purpose. It would be a failure if we were to have lifted off with an engine turning in this direction."

Several people have been killed in two attacks in the Somali capital Mogadishu. One, a roadside bomb, is reported to have killed about four government soldiers. In the other attack, two hand grenades were thrown at police as they cleared illegal settlements at a market. A trader at the market told the BBC that one person was killed and four others were injured.

And finally football, and Bayern Munich are facing Chelsea in the European Champions League final. The four-times winner of the competition Bayern Munich are playing at home against Chelsea, who've never won the title. One goal for each side in the last few minutes of normal time means that extra time is now being played.

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