14/09/2011 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today. Can France and Germany save Greece?

Angela Merkel and President Sarkozy debate their options as the

President of the European Commission calls it the biggest

challenge facing Europe in a generation. This is a fight for the

jobs and prosperity of families in all our member states. It's a fight

for economic and good future of Europe. I angry scenes outside the

Italian parliament, as MPs at vote on the country's plans to tackle

its huge debts. The attack is over but the questions remain - how did

six Taliban militants manage to hold Kabul hostage for 20 hours? A

new strain of tuberculosis has the WHO worried. It is drug-resistant

and on the rise in Europe. Life in a nuclear ghost town, six months

after Japan's earthquake and tsunami. The radiation levels are

still too high around Fukushima. And a disco diplomacy. Why is a

sketch mocking the President's dancing censored from a Russian TV

Welcome to the programme. An emergency telephone conference call

between German, French and cricketers is taking place. It was

called because of the turmoil on the financial markets, a turmoil

triggered by the belief that Greece will default on its debts and

inflict lasting damage on the European banks, not to mention the

single currency there is huge pressure on Europe to find a

lasting solution to the debt crisis. President Sarkozy of France and

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany moved today to try and fix the

crisis of Greece and its debt. They are holding a conference call with

the Greek Prime Minister, seeking guarantees that in exchange for

further aid to Greece would live by its commitments and slash its

deficit. The fear that Greece is heading for bankruptcy has Savage

markets and the banking sector. Two French banks saw their ratings

downgraded to date, on concerns they were heavily exposed to Greek

debt. There was stark warnings that the European Parliament today, that

Europe could be destroyed by the eurozone crisis. The mood was

distinctly gloomy. One minister declared to Europe was in danger.

Another said the European Union itself could not survive a break-up

of the eurozone. We are confronted with the most serious challenge of

a generation. It's a fight for what Europe represents in the world.

This is a fight for European integration itself. President

Barroso said the onset of the crisis was more Europe, more

integration. But there were doubts expressed that Greece could be

saved. Increasingly there are doubts whether Greece can escape

bankruptcy in the long term. A German minister said today it would

not be the end of the world if Greece was eventually forced out of

the eurozone. And the Dutch government has begun exploring the

cost to its banks if Greece defaults and runs out of money. So

holt -- some will hold Greek government debt? The Greek banks

are holding 49 billion euros. Germany's banks hold 10 billion

euros. France is next with an exposure of 9 billion euros. The

risk to British banks is much smaller - 2.2 billion euros.

Germany does not bail Greece out, we need a back-up plan for when it

goes horribly wrong. I don't get a sense at all we have any back-up

plan, which means of a default happens it will be very messy.

President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel reaffirmed today that they

are still determined to save Greece if they can. Italy is under

pressure as well because of its debts. After weeks of delay, the

Italian parliament is voting on austerity measures put forward by

the government. The plan aims to reduce Italy's deficit by more than

$70 billion over three years. We can cross live to roam and join our

correspondent. How is this going, I understand there were quite angry

scenes outside the parliament? About an hour ago there were

several hundred protesters demonstrating outside the

parliament building. There were some clashes with the police. No

injuries reported so far, but the police gradually pushed the

demonstrators back towards the pantheon, a square near by. Now I

understand the demonstrators are making their way towards the

Coliseum. There were similar scenes when the Italian upper house of

parliament voted the austerity package last week. I think it was

predictable there would be this sort of protest. What's happening

inside, are they going to pass it? Yes. It's a foregone conclusion. Mr

parliament a few minutes ago. The vote was due to take place shortly.

There was a confidence vote earlier in the day which the government won

quite easily. I think the national feeling is that parties have got to

pull together for the austerity package, even though it's a very

bitter pill to swallow. What we have to find out now is whether the

Italian government is actually able to implement these measures are,

the increase in VAT, that's fairly easy to administer. But there's

been a lot of aggravation over proposals to cut pensions and

various other economy methods. But the situation in Italy is extremely

serious. The debt mountain that the government has, according to the

National Institute of Statistics today, has reached unprecedented

levels. 1.9 trillion Euros. This is going to be a lot of money to have

to pay back. The Italians obviously can't do this in the short-term,

but the long-term position is perhaps almost as serious as that

of Greece. Nobody knows yet. There's a lot of detail to come out.

As I said before, the detail also in the implementation of this match

changed austerity package which has been to-ing and fro-ing for weeks

now. But finally it appears it's going to get past. Still staying

with that euro debt crisis, I'm joined from the European Parliament

in Strasbourg by the Conservative MEP Daniel Hannon. Addressing the

European Parliament today was the President, Barroso, of the European

Commission. He said the only way out of this crisis is more

integration in Europe. Presumably that's a sentiment you would

disagree with. It's more of the medicine that sickened the patient

in the first place. The problem was too much European integration

jamming these disparate countries into the same monetary policy. Now

he's saying that what we need is even more, fiscal and economic

union as well. The problem is too much debt and we've loaded more

debt on to them, pressing on to countries that could and pay their

existing liabilities. What is your solution? We should recognise that

we are in business because we were trying to jam countries together

that didn't have compatible economies. There are three possible

outcomes. You can have an orderly unbundling of the euro. You can

have a disorderly collapse of the euro or you can try and carry on as,

at present, and option three is the most painful of those, none of them

is attractive, but option three is the one they are going for. What is

an orderly end of the euro, how would you do that? Every would have

Germany and its satellite economies reading and establishing a new hard

currency among themselves, that would be the neatest way of doing

it. You would bequeath the legal carcass of the euro to the

Mediterranean countries. Or you could do it the other way round.

Pulling out by Greece and some of the other peripheral countries.

you would let Greece default? Everyone can see that Greece is

going to default except the people that were talking in the European

Parliament. If Greece defaults, won't you see it -- a run on

European banks, once you have a Lehman Brothers crisis? All of the

options are bad, but nothing can be done to prevent default. The issue

was whether you get it out of the way now or whether you defer it and

make it more painful when it eventually happens, because the

debt by then will be even larger. You don't help and indebted country

by forcing more loans on it, that is what the EU has been doing.

say all the options are bad but many economists will say your

solution will make things worse in Europe, because what you will have

as a Lehman Brothers situation which will spread to all the other

countries - Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal - who are under pressure,

and we will see a huge and very deep European recession. This is

what Angela Merkel is warning against. Usain -- you seem to say

otherwise. It's an inevitable event. There's going to be a correction of

some bad investment decisions that were made over the last 10 years.

Banks, like individuals, made some wrong course. There is no way we

can get out of the correction when it comes. If you try to postpone

that, the reckoning will be heavier when it comes. It cannot be right

yet again to come and ask taxpayers to rescue some very wealthy

individuals from the consequences of their own errors. We've already

seen that that policy has failed. To Afghanistan, where details have

been emerging about Tuesday's brazen attack in the diplomatic

quarter of Kabul. A small group of militants paralysed the Afghan

capital for 20 hours, raining down gunfire and rockets on the US

embassy and the ISA at headquarters. It's understood that the militants

hit a stockpile of weapons in an unoccupied building and then went

into which dressed as women. Afghan soldiers celebrate. The City of

Kabul breeds a sigh of relief. After 20 Abbas, the last suicide

attacker is dead. -- after 20 hours. 6 had made it into this building,

bloodied and under fire. Just two suicide attackers held off Afghan

and international forces while terrorising the city below. The

insurgents quickly made it into the building and came to the highest

floors. When they got here, this is what they could see. Over there is

the American embassy. Right beside it is the NATO headquarters. They

couldn't have picked a better firing position. But it was here on

the streets where most of the damage was done. People ran for

cover, hiding in their homes. Explosions and gunfire could be

heard all day and all night long. At the international mission,

troops moved to return fire. This was the longest running attack in

Kabul since the fall of the Taliban. At ISAF, they knew this attack was

coming but they couldn't stop it. We have known about these threats

that have been going after these networks is dramatically throughout

the month of Ramadan and Eid. We knew that the enemy intended to

attack the population and Kabul during that period of time.

they still managed to get in. They only have to be right ones. We

have to be right every single time. For now, Afghan and foreign troops

are plentiful, but still the Taliban were able to bring urban

warfare to the heart of Kabul. As foreign troops begin to leave,

protecting the people here will become even harder. Let's take a

look at some of the day's other news. Severe flooding has led to

huge swathes of southern Pakistan and a water. More than 200 people

have died and over 1 million homes have been destroyed. Sindh province

is amongst the worst affected areas. The floods are a result of 10 days

of torrential rain. They prompted Oxfam to launch an emergency appeal.

Federal investigators in the United States have blamed last year's oil

spill in the Gulf of Mexico on the failure of a critical cement

barrier which led to an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

11 people died. Reports say poor management by BP and other

countries was also to blame. The judiciary in Iran has issued a

statement denying that two Americans held as spies since 2009

are about to be released. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were

sentenced to eight years in jail last month. On Tuesday, President

Ahmadinejad said they would be released within days. Libya's

interim leader has told the BBC that he believes that Colonel

Gaddafi is still in the country. He made the comments in the past few

hours during an interview with the BBC. He was asked Mustafa Abdul

Jalil if he knew where Gaddafi was. I don't know exactly where he is

but the fact we know he is in the south side. With that much money

and that much gold with him, it is not just dangerous for Libya but

Libya and all of the Arabs. He is planning to do some revenge attacks

which will harm a lot of people in the area. Have you made any

progress at all in catching him? All the troops have run away down,

they are down south. The fact that the rebels have not been yet able

to cross, but there will be a lot of fierce fighting in this area to

the south side, with a lot of equipment that we yet do not have.

But we ask a support to get the right equipment in order to conquer

these troops and to proceed further south to try and capture Colonel

Gaddafi and his family. You say that he is planning to carry out

attacks. What kind of attacks are TRANSLATION: He is in possession of

a lot of money and all of the gold. The main problem is, he will be

planning for attacks in many places. Attacks on either cities, oilfields

or power plants around Libya and in other places might be on his manner.

You have Colonel Gaddafi and his sons on the run, but you have four

town's remaining in the hands of loyalists. Why is it taking you so

long to capture those towns? TRANSLATION: Colonel Gaddafi's

troops who ran out of Tripoli have situated themselves in Sirte and

Sabha. They are trying to overcome the revolution.

The interim leader of Libya. Europe used to regard tuberculosis

as a disease of the past, but not any more. The World Health

Organisation says a new drug- resistant strain has affected more

than 80,000 Europeans. It is most acute in Eastern Europe,

particularly Russia, the Ukraine and Moldova. Treating it is a long,

unpleasant and costly process but has long been at the forefront of

medical campaigns. A big ceremony in St George's

Square opens Glasgow's five-week campaign. The 1950s the UK ruled

out a programme to stamp out tuberculosis. Mobile X-ray units

went around deprived areas of Glasgow encouraging people to get

tested. Banalities back, and with it and you generation of mobile

testing units. This is tuberculosis under the microscope. The WHO says

it has been evolving and some strains of it like MDR-TB have

become resistant to standard antibiotic treatment.

The spread of MDR-TB as well as the spread of tuberculosis is done

through the air and by people who are sick and not on treatment and

not diagnosed, so they continue to spread it. In terms of speed, what

I can tell you is a one person who is sick can infect another 10 in

the year. The WHO as warned Europe against complacency, Eastern Europe

has the highest level of infection and almost 12% of newly diagnosed

patients had this drug-resistant form. But it is London with its

high levels of immigration that has the highest rate than any capital

city with over 3,000 UK's is diagnosed every year. They are

fighting it and on such a scale, hopes of victory are high.

Britain did come close to eradicating it in the 50s, but in

the globalised world, this constantly revolving bacteria knows

no frontiers. Joining me is a doctor from the

World Health Organisation at its annual meeting in Azerbaijan. Why

are we seeing this rise in Europe at the moment?

Good evening. Tuberculosis has always been there, but indeed we

have been seen, for the last decade a rise in tuberculosis, and even

more worrying, multi- drug- resistant tuberculosis. It is a

form of the disease which cannot be cured with the drugs available. We

have to use different drugs which are much more expensive, much more

toxic for the patient with more side-effects and takes much longer

to treat. There are a number of reasons, one of those being that or

we have failing health systems. It in means we do not succeed to

diagnose these patients early enough. And one of the things that

we are recommending is to involve the patients themselves and civil

society. I know the WHO plan is, you get a more people tested. But

if this disease is now drug- resistant, if you test them and

they are positive, what can you do? This is indeed a challenge. The

good news, we now have rapid diagnostic tools. We can diagnose

the multi- drug-resistant strain very quick. One of the big

challenges is to develop new drugs and all so new vaccines. Meanwhile,

we have to create circumstances for the patience to get through the two

years of difficult treatment. It is not easy for patient to be treated

with these drugs for two years. other words, there is a treatment

for this drug-resistant strain, but it is difficult and you have to

target the right patient? Absolutely, absolutely. The plan

has been put together based on the new evidence of research and very

importantly, with the patients. Nothing for the patients without

the patient. It is about saving lives, we are saving 120,000 people

on the plan by 2015. It will cost $5 million. The message is, come

forward and be tested. Six months ago, emergency workers

in Japan were launching their desperate fight to control the

nuclear power station at Fukushima. Three of the reactors were

overheating and a vast cloud of radioactivity escaped following the

earthquake and tsunami. More than 100,000 people what ordered to

leave their homes. A science correspondent is one of the few

journalists who has ventured back into the deserted town of Tomioka.

The nuclear ghost town of Tomioka. We have arrived in the long street

of shops and there is no one here. We are a few miles inside the

exclusion zone, a radioactive cloud blew over here six months ago, but

experts have assured us radiation levels have fallen. A local farmer,

Naoto Matsumura has slipped us past security. This is the main sleep?

It is completely empty. He wants us to see how his community has

suffered. We find it was hit by the earthquake and the tsunami of them

by the leak from the power station. This used to be a town of 16,000,

this is the main street but it is completely deserted. Motorbikes

abandon, shops completely empty, no traffic at all. Weeds growing up in

this for court. A shock wrecked in the earthquake, still six months on

completely untouched. All the time we have been here, the radiation

level has been surprisingly low. The problem is this, if you get

down to ground level, it shoots right up. No problem for us and a

quick visit, but what scientists are wrestling with is how dangerous

this contamination is and will continue to be in the long term. It

was in March that explosions at the nuclear power plant are released

radioactive material. The leaks contaminated some areas more

severely than others, but everyone within 12 miles of this devastation

was ordered out. Naoto Matsumura decided to stay. He does not bother

with protective clothing. In the ruins of his farm, spiders have

taken over. There were just stretch over everything, but he clears a

path. He wants to show us something. This is a distressing sight. This

is the cattle shed, the owners left in such a hurry they were not able

to release the animals. These are two that have died. And each of

these pens there are two more making a total of 60. Some animals

broke free and are roaming wild. Naoto Matsumura tries to care for a

new generation born in the nuclear zone. He wants to keep his

community going. TRANSLATION: There are no subsidies,

no electricity, gas or hot water. But if the people still want to

come back, even my mother and father their wishes to die here.

After three hours, we checked our radiation dose, it is roughly half

what you get from a chest X-ray. Canal, he refuses to think about

radiation. He is determined to stay on. But he lives by candlelight,

most of his food is tinned. Adopt is his only companion. He wants his

town to return to normal. It will be a long wait.

A TV comedy sketch making fun of President Dmitry Medvedev has made

headlines in Russia by never making it to her. This kit, which mocked

his dancing abilities featured in the most popular satirical game

show but was edited out. It is Russian rock and roll, or

strictly come Kremlin her! The man in blue is Dmitri Medvedev, on the

dancefloor at a college reunion. This mobile phone footage has been

viewed by millions. And now everyone seems to be copying his

every move. By dancing like this, Dancing Dmitry these comedians to

prise him Russian TV's top comedy competitions. But when the pre-

recorded programme was broadcast, it had been edited out and they are

not amused. We rehearsed, and then it was

nothing. I was surprised. Kremlin is keen to point out that

the President does have a sense of humour. His aides say they have no

idea whether Dancing Dmitry sketch was cut and there has been no

official explanation from Russian television. But media analysts say

it is censorship by TV bosses keen to avoid upsetting the leaders of

Russia. There are no straight rules of what you can show, what can go

out and what cannot. What works is self-censorship on every level. On

every executive level way you make decisions. Judging by some of the

things the Russian leadership get up to in the line of duty, who

needs comedy shows to make Russians chuckle.

A reminder of the top story? The Greek Prime Minister has held

urgent talks with the French and German leaders about Greece

defaulting. They told increase must implement all reforms and he said

"yes we will". That's all from us for the moment, next we have the

Tonight underneath clearing skies, it is going to turn quite chilly

with mist and fog forming. That leads to a dry day with spells of

sunshine. And things will warm up in the afternoon. We are losing the

weather fronts but we will have cloud in a few places. High

pressure developing throughout the day on Thursday. Any mist and fog

at first in the morning should clear. It should take a bit of time

through south-west England. In the afternoon, good spells of sunshine

across northern England. Like to winds. Some cloud floating around,

but I won't be surprised if some were through southern England we

did manage to get into the low 20s. Across Wales, it is dry and fine,

sung cloud clinging to the Cardigan Bay area. No further inland and

things are bright. In Northern Ireland, the afternoon will bring

thicker cloud, maybe one a two spots of rain towards the West. The

same for western Scotland, but over or it will be fine and dry. Like to