:00:07. > :00:17.The Eurozone's bad boys, Greece and Italy, prepare to take a step back
:00:17. > :00:19.
:00:19. > :00:23.from the brink of economic chaos. Athens gets a new government, Rome
:00:23. > :00:33.are prepared to say goodbye to Berlusconi, are they serious about
:00:33. > :00:42.
:00:42. > :00:52.Welcome to GMT. I'm Stephen Sackur. Also in the programme: Syria is
:00:52. > :00:55.
:00:55. > :01:02.accused of crimes against humanity. Commemorations in Afghanistan and
:01:02. > :01:08.around the world to mark Armistice Day.
:01:08. > :01:12.It is 12:30pm in London. In Rome the upper house of the Italian
:01:12. > :01:15.parliament has approved a sweeping set of austerity and reform
:01:15. > :01:20.measures designed to convince international financial markets
:01:20. > :01:23.Italy is serious about dealing with its mountain of sovereign debt. In
:01:23. > :01:28.Athens the effort to bring the eurozone back from the brink
:01:28. > :01:33.continues. A new government led by Lucas Papademos is about to be
:01:33. > :01:38.sworn into office. Last night the US government demanded swift action
:01:38. > :01:43.in Europe to end the crisis. Could today marked a turning point?
:01:43. > :01:49.Humphrey Hawksley has the latest. The era of flamboyant showmanship
:01:49. > :01:54.is drawing to a close. Technocrat Mario Monti heads into the Senate
:01:54. > :01:59.building, he could be prime minister as soon as tomorrow. A
:01:59. > :02:08.former low key European Commissioner seen as effective, a
:02:08. > :02:13.low profile and scandal free. He was given a hero's welcome inside
:02:13. > :02:19.the chamber, then came speeches underlining the pressure on Italy
:02:19. > :02:23.to change direction. TRANSLATION: We hope this can pave the way to a
:02:23. > :02:26.government that will enable it to lead to come out of this critical
:02:26. > :02:31.situation and avoid default altogether.
:02:31. > :02:39.The austerity package hopes to save almost 60 billion euros, and aims
:02:39. > :02:44.to balance the budget by 2014. The measures include an increase in VAT
:02:44. > :02:53.to 21%, up 1%. And increasing the retirement age for women to match
:02:53. > :02:59.that of men, to 60 in 2014, and 65 in 2026. There will be measures to
:02:59. > :03:05.fight tax evasion. The cuts will be tough, but the markets and many
:03:05. > :03:10.Italians welcome the change Mario Monti symbolises. I think he will
:03:10. > :03:15.be good, capable. He inherits a complete disaster but has the right
:03:15. > :03:21.capabilities. TRANSLATION: I hope he goes better than the last lot, I
:03:22. > :03:25.hope things improve. For us that is the message from Asian and American
:03:25. > :03:29.finance ministers -- ministers speaking with one voice about
:03:29. > :03:34.Europe's ability to reform. It is crucial to all of us Europe
:03:34. > :03:39.moves quickly to put into place this plan to restore financial
:03:39. > :03:42.stability. We are all directly affected by the crisis. The
:03:42. > :03:46.economies of the Asia-Pacific region, gathered here today, are
:03:46. > :03:50.run a better position than most countries to take steps to
:03:50. > :03:55.strengthen growth in the face of the pressures from Europe.
:03:55. > :04:01.Across Europe that other troubled country, Greece, is about to swear
:04:01. > :04:05.in a new prime minister. It is also opting for a technocratic safe pair
:04:05. > :04:12.of hands, Lucas Papademos is an economist, formerly with the
:04:12. > :04:15.European Central Bank. As we reported the upper house of
:04:15. > :04:19.the Italian parliament has approved the package of reforms in the last
:04:19. > :04:23.few minutes, and the lower house is expected to do the same over the
:04:23. > :04:33.weekend which should lead to the promised resignation of Silvio
:04:33. > :04:35.
:04:35. > :04:41.Berlusconi. We are joined by Karen Jenia any -- by Our Correspondent
:04:41. > :04:43.from Rome. Does the round of applause indicate guarantee he will
:04:44. > :04:52.be the next prime minister and they believe that will be the right
:04:52. > :04:56.move? If you look at the front of the newspapers you would get the
:04:56. > :05:01.impression Mario Monti was definitely going to lead the next
:05:01. > :05:06.government, the technocratic government as it has been called,
:05:06. > :05:09.by different parties he wanted to take different forms, but there is
:05:09. > :05:14.consensus in many politicians he is the man. You saw that welcome as he
:05:14. > :05:18.walked into the Senate, a very warm and heartfelt welcome to this man
:05:18. > :05:23.who is widely respected, even by those who don't necessarily think
:05:23. > :05:28.he should lead the next government. I have been speaking to some MPs
:05:28. > :05:32.and senators from Berlusconi's own party and put to them over the last
:05:32. > :05:36.few hours whether they thought it was a definite thing that Mario
:05:36. > :05:40.Monti would be the next prime minister. They said, hold on, there
:05:40. > :05:45.are other names, we are not necessarily backing him. But the
:05:45. > :05:51.consensus if you look in the papers, 10 on the television, everybody is
:05:51. > :05:56.watching Mario Monti, talking about his safe pair of hands, his
:05:56. > :06:01.incredible economic brain, he is head of the University in Milan, a
:06:01. > :06:05.very prestigious university, widely seen as the next successor to
:06:05. > :06:10.Silvio Berlusconi and all the talk is just how different he would be
:06:10. > :06:20.Eid in this country to what Italy has had on and off over the last 70
:06:20. > :06:24.
:06:24. > :06:34.years. I am joined by a representative from the University
:06:34. > :06:38.of Boston. I know you have Greeks new leader, -- I know that you know
:06:38. > :06:47.him personally, is he the man to decrease out of the mess?
:06:47. > :06:50.Yes, I do. He is a very experienced person, a governor to the Central
:06:50. > :06:58.Bank of Greece for many years, vice-president of the European
:06:58. > :07:03.Central Bank. He is the right person at the right time. The Greek
:07:03. > :07:07.government has to come up with specific plans to implement the or
:07:07. > :07:12.austerity package which is tied to the European Union bale-out. There
:07:12. > :07:16.is a real discussion about with Mr Papademos in power if the Greek
:07:16. > :07:22.public will except stronger measures than they have been
:07:22. > :07:28.prepared to accept thus far, what to do you think?
:07:28. > :07:38.He has a short mandate for three or four months, he has to implement
:07:38. > :07:41.
:07:41. > :07:50.the decisions of the summit to back in October October. After two years
:07:50. > :07:57.in recession the Greek public is reluctant for a way out, and
:07:57. > :08:05.Papademos at present, according to the polls, is the person entrusted
:08:05. > :08:11.with the hope that next to debt management there will also be
:08:11. > :08:15.growth measures that will allow Greece to start creating wealth
:08:15. > :08:20.again in order for it to be able to pay its debts.
:08:20. > :08:24.A you almost made me smile when you said that is all he has to do. He
:08:24. > :08:29.has a massive task ahead of him. You say he has got three months in
:08:29. > :08:34.power. It seems it is way too early to breathe a sigh of relief and
:08:34. > :08:42.think grief -- Greece is on its path to stability. Yes, you are
:08:42. > :08:47.right. There is still a mountain to climb for the Greek people. The
:08:47. > :08:57.only hope is that a technocrat can do better than politicians who have
:08:57. > :08:59.
:08:59. > :09:09.failed in the past to do their Let's take a look at some of the
:09:09. > :09:11.
:09:11. > :09:16.In Yemen people have been killed through shelling by government
:09:16. > :09:25.forces. This coincides with a return to Yemen of the un envoy
:09:25. > :09:31.trying to end the months of conflict. The moment and have a
:09:31. > :09:34.quick hit a Turkish city, 12 people on knowing to have been killed. Two
:09:34. > :09:41.weeks ago another earthquake hit the region killing more than 600
:09:41. > :09:43.people. Palestine's application for full
:09:43. > :09:46.membership of the United Nations appears destined to fail as
:09:46. > :09:49.divisions have emerged within the Security Council on the issue. The
:09:49. > :09:52.Council is meeting today in New York to formally approve a report
:09:52. > :10:00.into the application. Israel and the US have made plain their
:10:00. > :10:03.opposition to the membership bid. The plight of a blind Chinese
:10:03. > :10:08.activist has captured the imagination of people both inside
:10:08. > :10:11.and outside the country. Chen Guangcheng used to offer legal
:10:11. > :10:15.advice to people attempting to take on the government and now he is a
:10:15. > :10:21.prisoner in his own home. Other activists have made regular
:10:21. > :10:26.attempts to visit him, most are barred. We went to see if we could
:10:26. > :10:30.meet him. Along this country roads in Shandong province lives and
:10:30. > :10:35.activist who has become a focus on disc -- focus of discontent. He is
:10:35. > :10:44.not allowed visitors. Shady figures garden. There we are going to try
:10:44. > :10:48.to see him. -- shady figures guard him. The men are waiting and know
:10:48. > :10:52.exactly what to do. There are no pleasantries. When they realise we
:10:52. > :10:58.are journalists they forced open the doors and go through everything.
:10:58. > :11:03.We are told to stay put. It is a glimpse into a world many don't
:11:03. > :11:07.know it exists in China. These are not robbers. Quickly and
:11:07. > :11:11.efficiently they are carrying out the work of the state. And no time
:11:11. > :11:16.did these people identify themselves, but they were obviously
:11:16. > :11:19.in authority. We were left in the car wondering what happen next and
:11:19. > :11:27.suddenly they through our equipment back at us, closed our doors and
:11:27. > :11:32.told us to leave quickly. They didn't want us to see this man, a
:11:32. > :11:40.blind activist who taught himself the law. Run For All -- Dumo used
:11:40. > :11:47.his knowledge to help women who forced to undergo abortions -- Chen
:11:47. > :11:54.Guangcheng. This video shows how closely they keep watch.
:11:54. > :12:00.TRANSLATION: There is no law that places restriction on him, he
:12:00. > :12:03.should have the freedom to speak out, the freedom to meet friends.
:12:03. > :12:08.If China's leaders hope people would forget about him they were
:12:08. > :12:14.wrong. Dozens of activists like this man have travelled to see him.
:12:14. > :12:21.He says he was beaten up, but that will not stop him going again.
:12:21. > :12:24.TRANSLATION: When I heard about this blind lawyer who fight for
:12:24. > :12:30.human rights who represents people for no personal gain, I was deeply
:12:30. > :12:34.moved. That is why I wanted to see him.
:12:34. > :12:38.Others have shown their support in a different way. Posting
:12:38. > :12:44.photographs of themselves on the internet wearing dark glasses, it
:12:44. > :12:47.just like Chen Guangcheng. The blind activist has become a symbol
:12:47. > :12:55.of people's unhappiness with the government and its sometimes had
:12:55. > :12:59.the handing -- heavy-handed way of dealing with discontent.
:12:59. > :13:05.Here is a timely question, how do countries laid low by economic
:13:05. > :13:10.meltdown recover? Iceland, at the centre of the financial storms in
:13:10. > :13:13.2008, may provide some lessons. The President is encouraging all
:13:13. > :13:17.Icelanders to turn a profit in their own homes by opening up their
:13:17. > :13:22.doors to visitors. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson is leading by
:13:22. > :13:29.example, inviting visitors into his own home, the presidential palace.
:13:29. > :13:34.For pancakes. We are going to invite you to visit our home, and
:13:34. > :13:42.we will give you a delicious pancakes with cream and sugar,
:13:42. > :13:44.Traditional Icelandic delicacy, because we favour health and good
:13:44. > :13:53.nutrition, and extraordinary product.
:13:53. > :13:58.Still to come, a Human Rights Watch condemns Syria for crimes against
:13:58. > :14:05.humanity, we will here from the city which is the focus of the
:14:05. > :14:10.uprising. First, let's get all of the
:14:10. > :14:15.business news. We just cannot stay away from the eurozone, can we?
:14:15. > :14:20.No. The prospect of what is now going to happen, a short-term
:14:20. > :14:23.stabilising of the market. There are structural questions, can it
:14:23. > :14:27.continue to exist intact? A long time ago I heard economists are
:14:27. > :14:33.talking about the possibility of not that Greece would leave but
:14:33. > :14:36.Germany would, and form a two-tier Europe. The reality the impact that
:14:36. > :14:40.would have would make it difficult and there is no mechanism to do
:14:40. > :14:44.that. Also, the decision-making process, it has taken two years to
:14:45. > :14:49.get to this point with Greece. I spoke to Ireland's former Minister
:14:49. > :14:57.of State for European affairs. He helped negotiate -- negotiate the
:14:57. > :15:01.burlap package for Ireland. We need to have, sit down calmly
:15:01. > :15:05.and look at the lessons of the last 12 months, strange and
:15:05. > :15:10.institutional arrangements -- strengthened. We need to get away
:15:10. > :15:20.from talking about a to tears and all of that, that undermines
:15:20. > :15:24.confidence and would make it We also know that as Italy grapples
:15:24. > :15:34.with its eurozone problems it has focused elsewhere because there is
:15:34. > :15:44.a big telecoms scandal in Italy? in India! For give me! De GE to
:15:44. > :15:44.
:15:45. > :15:48.selling off of mobile phones -- thick 2G selling off of mobile
:15:48. > :15:54.phone licences was controversial because the many people thought
:15:54. > :15:59.they were sold off too lightly. 17 people are on trial, one of which
:15:59. > :16:04.is the telecoms minister. If you compare it with the previous
:16:04. > :16:08.scams including telecoms dams, they pale into insignificance if you
:16:08. > :16:13.look at the magnitude and personalities involved. It is a
:16:14. > :16:18.landmark judgment, and I am shocked -- I am sure the world business
:16:18. > :16:22.community is watching what is going on because there is a lot at stake.
:16:22. > :16:26.A big scandal there, and part of a general feeling that India has too
:16:26. > :16:31.cosy a relationship between the business and political elite.
:16:31. > :16:38.Thank you. Don't forget you can keep up with
:16:38. > :16:44.everything happening in the world today on our website. There you
:16:44. > :16:50.will find all the latest on the eurozone crisis and also the latest
:16:50. > :16:58.on the markets. We are seeing some stabilisation of
:16:58. > :17:01.the markets, the FTSE up from about 0.5% there. We are seeing a
:17:01. > :17:05.response to the stabilisation of the political crisis in Italy and
:17:05. > :17:15.Greece. Thank you very much indeed.
:17:15. > :17:19.
:17:19. > :17:23.You are watching GMT, I am Stephen Sackur. A headlines: The upper
:17:23. > :17:26.house of the Italian parliament has approved a sweeping set off
:17:26. > :17:30.austerity and reform measures. And in Athens the interim
:17:30. > :17:36.government is about to be sworn in. It will face the task of pushing
:17:36. > :17:40.through the bail-out package agreed with European leaders last month.
:17:40. > :17:44.Around the world, Armistice Day, commemorating the fallen in the
:17:44. > :17:49.world's wars, has been marked by silent reflection and simple
:17:49. > :17:53.ceremonies. British Defence Minister Philip Hammond joined
:17:53. > :17:57.3,500 British soldiers at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, laying a
:17:57. > :18:03.wreath and observing a two-minute silence. It comes to A days after
:18:03. > :18:07.the latest death of a British soldier in Helmand province -- it
:18:07. > :18:13.comes two days. In Canberra, a Senedd -- a ceremony
:18:13. > :18:16.was held at the War Memorial with Julia Gillard laying a wreath. The
:18:16. > :18:20.names of eight Australian soldiers who died in Afghanistan in the last
:18:20. > :18:24.12 months were added to that memorial's roll of honour.
:18:24. > :18:29.In Seoul, Americans remembered those who died throughout their
:18:29. > :18:33.history, including in the Korean War. The commander of US forces in
:18:33. > :18:39.Korea, General James Thurman, led the anniversary ceremonies at
:18:39. > :18:43.Yongsan base, not far from South Korea's National War Memorial.
:18:43. > :18:49.For more on the Armistice Day memorial services, do please head
:18:49. > :18:52.to the BBC website. There you can read about the sacrifices made by
:18:52. > :18:55.World War One veterans and we have a selection of portraits of
:18:56. > :19:05.soldiers who served in the war and some of their stories are explained,
:19:06. > :19:06.
:19:06. > :19:13.The New York-based group Human Rights Watch has accused Syrian
:19:13. > :19:20.forces in the City of Tom's of -- in the City of Homs of unlawful
:19:20. > :19:27.killings. The city has become what activists called the capital of the
:19:27. > :19:30.human rights uprising. Human Rights Watch says that UN Security Council
:19:30. > :19:35.action should be supported to end what it calls the carnage. The
:19:35. > :19:39.report gives graphic eyewitness accounts of torture by the Syrian
:19:39. > :19:44.forces. Human Rights Watch says nearly 700 people have been killed
:19:44. > :19:50.in Fisher since April, more than 100 since Syria agreed to run Arab
:19:50. > :19:59.League peace deal more than a week ago -- 700 people have been killed
:19:59. > :20:04.in Homs. We were trying to reach a doctor live in Homs, we know that
:20:04. > :20:08.he is there, witnessing some terrible things, but unfortunately
:20:08. > :20:13.the Telecoms have let us down. I am pleased, though, to say I am joined
:20:13. > :20:16.by Jonathan Powell to consider the wider implications not just of the
:20:16. > :20:20.Syrian crisis but of so many international arenas where there is
:20:20. > :20:23.a question over whether international intervention can work.
:20:23. > :20:27.Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to Tony Blair and not
:20:27. > :20:32.unfamiliar with some of these questions. On Armistice Day, let's
:20:32. > :20:37.start with Syria. Do you see any potential for international
:20:38. > :20:42.intervention in Syria? I certainly see potential for it. What is
:20:42. > :20:46.happening there is horrifying. Just as in Libya where support was given,
:20:46. > :20:52.there is a case for it in Syria. The cases against are that they
:20:52. > :20:57.have not asked for such support, and it has been proved very
:20:57. > :21:02.difficult to get UN support for it. In Kosovo we took action without UN
:21:02. > :21:05.support, so it is possible but difficult. We now have the United
:21:05. > :21:09.Nations which for the last six years has been committed to the
:21:09. > :21:14.notion of responsibility to protect if there is a humanitarian crisis
:21:14. > :21:18.and civilians are being killed, but is the politics is not right, as
:21:18. > :21:23.you have described in Syria, does that mean nothing? No, we can do
:21:23. > :21:27.things politically and in terms of the initiative taken by the Arab
:21:27. > :21:31.League, but it is not sensible to take military action. You only want
:21:31. > :21:34.to do that if you are called upon to do it by the opposition and if
:21:34. > :21:39.the neighbouring countries thought you should and if it can be proved
:21:39. > :21:43.to be effective. In Chicago in 1999 Tony Blair made a speech which set
:21:43. > :21:49.out criteria on using force in such circumstances and we should be
:21:49. > :21:55.guided by the nose. We do accept that the conflict -- guided by
:21:55. > :22:01.those. -- would you accept that the conflict has made it more difficult
:22:01. > :22:05.to get the income must -- the international community onside.
:22:05. > :22:12.They go through phases on this subject. It's the thing of Somalia
:22:12. > :22:21.after Black Hawk down, the UN were reluctant. Then we had Afghanistan
:22:21. > :22:25.and a rat, and then people were reluctant again. Post Libya, people
:22:25. > :22:29.are willing to intervene to. have skirted round the issue of the
:22:29. > :22:33.Security Council and the way it works. Does it mean, everything you
:22:33. > :22:39.have described, the politics and the reality on the ground, that we
:22:39. > :22:43.have to accept Russia and China can exercise a veto on humanitarian
:22:43. > :22:49.interventions? That was the danger that Tony Blair pointed out in the
:22:49. > :22:52.context of Kosovo. He said, will we allow the UN to block any action
:22:52. > :22:57.taken in those circumstances? Kosovo went ahead even though we
:22:57. > :23:03.could not get Russian or Chinese support. That was a relatively
:23:03. > :23:06.happy experience. Iraq was not a happy experience. You now
:23:06. > :23:10.specialise in conflict resolution and opening dialogues. The Arab
:23:10. > :23:14.League said it had got a deal to open a dialogue in Syria. If he
:23:14. > :23:18.were advising the leaders of the Syrian National Council, the
:23:18. > :23:23.opposition leaders, right now, would you advise them to engage in
:23:23. > :23:28.a dialogue? I would advise them to do that but it is their decision. A
:23:28. > :23:32.large part of them do not want a dialogue with the Assad regime.
:23:33. > :23:39.They need a united position on this, do they have a dialogue to get him
:23:39. > :23:44.out or fight until he gets out? do you think it could be used for?
:23:44. > :23:47.I am in favour of dialogue in all circumstances, it is something I
:23:47. > :23:52.used in Northern Ireland. You do not need to concede opposition but
:23:52. > :23:59.talking may be easier to get Assad out. Talking may have been easier
:23:59. > :24:02.to get Gaddafi out. Jonathan Powell, thank you.
:24:02. > :24:06.Animal welfare charities across the UK are reporting a dramatic rise in
:24:06. > :24:12.the number of pets being handed in by owners who can no longer afford
:24:12. > :24:17.to look after them. The Battersea Dogs and cats homes the number has
:24:17. > :24:23.more than doubled in the last year. When household budgets are
:24:23. > :24:27.stretched, even the most loved family pet can be too expensive.
:24:27. > :24:31.Shady's owner, out of work for four months, has decided giving him to
:24:31. > :24:36.Battersea Dogs Home is his only a option. You are not out of work,
:24:36. > :24:40.you will be in arrears with rent, I am on the verge of losing my flat
:24:40. > :24:47.and if I lose my flat, can I keep him? But I love him so much, I want
:24:47. > :24:50.to make sure he will be all right. Battersea has always taking in pets
:24:50. > :24:54.from owners who can no longer afford them. In the past year,
:24:54. > :24:58.however, numbers have doubled. Eight year-old Sam is typical of
:24:58. > :25:03.the new wave of arrivals. He was brought in three weeks ago after
:25:03. > :25:06.his owner's home was repossessed. The home is also seeing more
:25:06. > :25:09.pregnant animals and those needing potentially expensive medical
:25:10. > :25:13.treatment. A lot of the animals coming in have conditions that make
:25:13. > :25:17.us think they have been ignored for some time and the owners can no
:25:17. > :25:22.longer get to grips with them. In a case like this, had the surgery
:25:22. > :25:27.been done one or two years ago, it would have been cheaper, easier and
:25:27. > :25:34.better for him. It takes an average of 48 days for Battersea Dogs to be
:25:34. > :25:38.re-home. The future for shady's owner, himself facing eviction, is
:25:38. > :25:42.less certain. We are coming to the end of GMT,
:25:42. > :25:46.but time to remind you of the main story today. The Italian Senate in
:25:46. > :25:51.the last hour also has approved an emergency austerity package aimed
:25:51. > :25:57.at averting economic collapse and helping resolve the eurozone debt
:25:57. > :26:01.crisis. The Bill now passes to the lower house. The measures are a
:26:01. > :26:06.part of efforts to end the country's spiralling debt crisis
:26:06. > :26:09.and it is believed once the lower house approves them then Silvio
:26:10. > :26:14.Berlusconi will resign and Italy will get a new Prime Minister.
:26:14. > :26:18.In Athens, the incoming Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is putting
:26:18. > :26:21.the final touches to his interim government, which will face the
:26:21. > :26:25.task of pushing through the bail- out package agreed with the
:26:25. > :26:29.European leaders last month. He is due to be sworn in later today but
:26:29. > :26:33.the ceremony, as we understand it right now, has been delayed by
:26:33. > :26:37.several hours. His administration will be a coalition of the
:26:37. > :26:42.governing Socialists, the centre- right New democracy and a small
:26:42. > :26:46.party of right-wing populists. Correspondents say Lucas Papademos
:26:46. > :26:50.will be forced to introduce further austerity measures. Things still