BBC news 2012-06-23 加文本

BBC news 2012-06-23

BBC News with Mike Cooper

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he still can't be certain whether a fighter plane which disappeared had been shot down or just crashed. Mr Erdogan is chairing an emergency security meeting. Jonathan Head reports from Istanbul.

Confusion still surrounds what happened to the Turkish air force F-4 fighter. The Turkish armed forces say(s) it disappeared from radar screens two hours after taking off from Malatya airbase in southeastern Turkey. Both pilots were reported to have been rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, not far from the Syrian border. The Lebanese media have quoted Syrian security forces as saying that their forces shot down the aircraft. But the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says there is still no confirmation of what brought the aircraft down nor of the fate of the pilots.

The UN envoy Kofi Annan has said he believes Iran should be involved in efforts to end the violence in Syria. Mr Annan said he wanted states with influence on both sides of the conflict to be involved in negotiations. The United States strongly opposes the involvement of Iran.

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have said they'll remain in Tahrir Square in Cairo despite a warning from the Supreme Military Council that they would not be allowed to disrupt daily life. The protesters are demanding that the delayed results of the presidential run-off are announced. Unofficial reports indicate the Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi won. From Cairo, Jon Leyne.

The ruling military council issued a statement designed to calm the increasingly febrile atmosphere. The military said they would deal firmly with anyone confronting the public interest. They defended their own decision to take back important powers and called on all sides to respect the result of the election. It's still not clear when that election result will be announced. Both sides have claimed victory and warned of the dire consequences if the other candidate wins.

Kenya has suspended the recruitment of its citizens to work as domestic servants in the Middle East. It said a growing number of Kenyans working as maids and housekeepers there were ending up in distress. More from Gabriel Gatehouse in Nairobi.

Mistreatment, lack of payment, overwork and the denial of food - these are some of the complaints that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it's received from Kenyans who sought work abroad as domestic servants. Between January and March this year, a spokesman for the ministry said the government repatriated more than 150 women from one Middle Eastern nation alone. She would not identify which country. The Kenyan government is keen to emphasise that the suspension is a temporary measure while it seeks to establish agreements with countries involved to try to ensure the welfare of its citizens.

A book containing George Washington's personal copy of the American constitution has sold in New York for $10m. The buyer was the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, which maintains Washington's home. The leather-bound book is in pristine condition and includes Washington's notes in the margins.

World News from the BBC

A senior priest in the archdiocese of Philadelphia has become the highest-ranking US Church official to be convicted for his role in dealing with child abuse by the clergy. Prosecutors accused Monsignor William Lynn of covering up accusations by transferring priests to other parishes. The defence argued Monsignor Lynn had become a scapegoat and had tried to raise concerns with his superiors.

Lawyers representing the President of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, have begun his defence in an impeachment trial. Mr Lugo said he wasn't going to be present after the failure of his last-minute appeal to stop the trial. He's being impeached over his role in the death of 17 people last week in clashes between the police and landless farmers.

A former IRA commander, Martin McGuinness, is to meet Queen Elizabeth next week for the first time as a result of his current position as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. Mr McGuinness had declined to meet the Queen last year during her state visit to the Irish Republic. From Belfast, Mark Simpson.

Sinn Fein used to regard the royal family as the enemy, but on Wednesday of next week Martin McGuinness will meet the Queen, shake hands and welcome her to Belfast. The former IRA leader is now the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. He'll meet the Queen along with the first minister, Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson. The Queen has been to Northern Ireland 19 times during her reign. Her next visit is likely to be one of the most significant and another milestone in the peace process.

Germany have booked their place in the semi-final of the Euro 2012 football championships, hammering Greece by 4-2. Germany will play either England or Italy. The Germans controlled the game and scored first. Greece caused them a brief flurry of alarm with a surprise second-half equaliser, but Germany hit back with three more goals, and despite a late penalty Greece are out of the tournament.

BBC News