BBC在线收听下载:罗塞夫提议举行政改公投以平息示威活动

BBC news 2013-06-25

BBC News with Jerry Smit

The White House has said it believes the American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden is still in Russia as he seeks to evade US extradition requests. Mr Snowden who leaked details of a massive US surveillance operation arrived in Moscow on Sunday and was expected to fly on to Cuba on Monday. The White House spokesman Jay Carney warned Russia the relations will be damaged if it does not hand over Mr Snowden.

"We are obviously in conversations and we are working with them, or discussing with them, and-- or rather expecting them to look at the options available to them, to expel Mr Snowden back to the United States to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged.”

A court in Italy has sentenced the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to seven years in prison for paying for sex with an underage prostitute and banned him from public office for life. Alan Johnston reports from Milan.

Silvio Berlusconi's lawyers were known to be braced for the worst as they went into the final day of this trial and they needed to be. The judges delivered a crushing verdict on their client. They said he was guilty of paying for sex with an underage prostitute who used to come to his raunchy sexually charged parties and the judges also decided that Mr Berlusconi abused the powers of his prime ministerial office when he tried to get the same 17-year-old out of trouble when she was arrested by the police.

The former prime minister has already been sentenced to prison for tax fraud, but correspondents say he's unlikely to ever spend time in jail because of Italy's lengthy appeal system.

The Pakistani Taliban say they have set up a new faction to target foreigners across Pakistan following their killing of 10 climbers in the country's north on Saturday. A Taliban spokesman told the BBC the move was in revenge for the international community allowing US drone strikes on Pakistan to continue. Expeditions there have since been halted. Sources have told the BBC that climbing will soon be suspended on other mountains including K2, the world's second highest peak. Thirty-six people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

The South African President Jacob Zuma has said the country's former leader Nelson Mandela remains in a critical condition. Mr Zuma again urged South Africans to pray for the health of the anti-apartheid hero. His former wife Winnie Mandela has been among those visiting. As Karen Allen reports:

All day members of Nelson Mandela's family have continued to visit the hospital. They have been joined by a handful of politicians close to the Mandela family. There is a sombre mood in the streets surrounding the hospital.

"It's quite sad because he’s a national icon. Also he’s one of the country's leaders. Only we can do is just pray for him.”

South Africans seem to be coming to terms with the gravity of the situation knowing that the final chapter of an extraordinary life may be coming to a close.

World News from the BBC

The president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, has proposed holding a referendum on political reform in an effort to tackle the grievances highlighted by a wave of protests across the country. Speaking at the start of a meeting with mayors and state governors, Ms Rousseff presented proposals covering the economy, transport, health, education and political reform. Earlier she met leaders of the group that started the nationwide protest more than a week ago.

The American actress Angelina Jolie has told the UN Security Council that it must do more to fight rape in conflict areas. Ms Jolie, who is a UN special envoy, said there were very few prosecutions because the world had not prioritised the issue.

"I understand that there are many things that are difficult for the UN Security Council to agree on, but sexual violence in conflict should not be one of them. That it is a crime to rape young children is not something I imagine anyone in this room would not be able to agree on.”

The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the prevention of rape in conflict areas.

The Lebanese army has seized the headquarters of the Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir after a second day of fighting in the city of Sidon. The whereabouts of Mr al-Assir are unknown. At least 16 soldiers have been killed and the Red Cross says it has brought almost 100 people to hospital with injuries. Fighting broke out last week in the city between Sunni and Shia groups, which support opposing sides in the civil war in Syria.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, is reported to have told his family he's standing down as the country's ruler. In a meeting with the ruling family in the capital Doha, he confirmed that he'll hand power to his 33-year-old son, Prince Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The emir is due to make an official announcement on Tuesday, which has been declared a national holiday.

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