BBC在线收听下载:西班牙银行业向欧元区寻求帮助

BBC news 2012-06-10

BBC News with Julie Candler

The International Criminal Court says four members of its staff have been detained in Libya, where they had gone to meet Saif al-Islam, the son of the late Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi. The president of the ICC says he's very concerned for the safety of the four and has called for their immediate release. Anna Holligan reports from The Hague.

The president of the ICC, Sang-Hyun Song, says they've been unable to make contact with the four since they were picked up on Thursday. Earlier a spokesman for the Libyan authorities told the media they were being held after the lawyer appointed by the ICC to represent Saif al-Islam had tried to give him documents that they said would be dangerous to the safety of Libya. The ICC representatives were on an official visit to the western mountain town of Zintan when they were detained. Saif al-Islam is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, but the Libyan authorities want to hold the trial at home.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Moscow will continue to oppose any attempt by the UN Security Council to sanction military intervention to resolve the conflict in Syria. He said that using external force to end the crisis could cause instability across the region.

"All of this is a dangerous game. Our position remains unchanged. We will not agree to the use of force being authorised in the UN Security Council. That would lead to the gravest of consequences for the whole of the Middle East."

Spain has formally requested financial support from its partners in the eurozone to bail out its troubled banks. The Finance Minister Luis de Guindos told a news conference that the support would be in the form of a favourable loan. The BBC Madrid correspondent says Spain is under pressure to act quickly.

The Spanish bailout request has been broadly welcomed. The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said he was confident that through bank restructuring and other ongoing reforms Spain could regain investor confidence and return to growth. The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said the bailout was big enough to restore credibility to Spain's banking system. Matthew Price reports from Brussels.

The Eurogroup issued a statement saying they supported Spain's efforts to structure its financial system, and they welcomed Madrid's intention to seek financial assistance to help bail out its banking sector. The financial assistance - it's now clear - would come from Europe's temporary bailout fund; and after its permanent mechanism is set up in July, from that as well, up to 100bn could be provided. The Eurogroup says it will be up to the European Commission along with other international organisations to decide what Madrid must do in return for the assistance.

World News from the BBC

United Nations staff in Ivory Coast say a number of civilians were among the victims of an ambush on Friday, in which seven UN peacekeepers were killed. A UN official in Abidjan said at least eight civilians died in the attack close to the border with Liberia. Ivorian officials accused fighters based in Liberia of carrying out the attack, the worst since UN troops were deployed in Ivory Coast eight years ago.

Here in Britain, Queen Elizabeth's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has left the hospital in London where he was being treated for a bladder infection. Prince Philip fell ill during celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee earlier this week. Here's Peter Hunt.

Outwardly the signs are good. After his second spell in hospital in six months, Prince Philip walked out of the building and smiled and waved at reporters. Privately the royals and their advisers will have to decide what, if any, changes need to be made to the outstanding programme of events which have been planned for the Diamond Jubilee. Philip is meant to be by his wife's side on Tuesday at a garden party at Sandringham, her Norfolk estate. And they are due to travel afterwards to the East Midlands for two days of engagements. It's unlikely he'll be judged well enough to attend these events, but the no-nonsense prince has defied expectations and probably doctors in the past.

European football's governing body has announced that it's opening disciplinary proceedings against Russia after a series of incidents involving the country's fans in its Euro 2012 opener. A statement said the action was being taken because of the improper conduct of Russian supporters at yesterday's Euro 2012 match against the Czech Republic.

In the European Football Championship, Denmark have caused a major upset in their opening match by beating the Netherlands. The score in the match in Kharkiv in Ukraine was 1-0. Germany have beaten Portugal 1-0 in Lviv in Ukraine.

BBC News