22/11/2012 BBC World News

The ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is holding. In the past

few minutes, the Israeli Prime Minister has said he'll work around

the clock to preserve stability and security.

A trillion euros on the line, as EU leaders meet in Brussels to thrash

out a deal for the next sevens years of spending. British Prime

Minister David Cameron is campaigning to freeze the budget.

Gap clearly, at a time when we are making difficult decisions at home

about public spending, it is wrong for there to be proposals for this

increased extra spending in the EU. Rebel forces in Syria say they've

captured an important military base in the east of the country, after a

battle lasting three weeks. Welcome to BBC World News.

Also in this programme: At least two Tottenham fans are seriously

injured in Rome. They were attacked by masked men with iron bars in a

bar. Spurs play Lazio in the Europa League tonight.

And, the chance to buy a British seaside pier, and secure its future

A ceasefire agreed on Wednesday between Israel and Hamas has

largely held overnight. A number of rockets were fired towards southern

Israel from Gaza in the first few hours, but Israel did not respond

and appears not to be regarding this as a breach of the ceasefire.

Israel says it's arrested what it described as 55 terror operatives

in the West Bank overnight. I'm joined in the studio by Yossi

Mekelberg, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Programme

Director at Regent's College. Let us start with these remarks

from Binyamin Netanyahu. Pretty solid stuff, saying, our prime

objective is security. You would expect that. He has also said many

citizens expect more to come in turns of turning the military power

on Gaza. That is a different message. Ideal for now, he says,

that is a euphemism. 70% in a recent survey said they would like

to see a wider operation to completely eradicate the military

capability of Hamas in Gaza. On the other hand, I hear a lot of voices,

there will be many casualties, also on the Palestinian side. We have to

watch this very carefully. It shows how the time is of the essence. 24

hours before they move into talking about ending possibly the blockade

on Gaza. There really is very little time for the next step to be

taken, can you see it happening? am not so sure. This is left for

the international community. The United States, United Nations,

especially Egypt. The thing we have learned from the past 20 years, if

we procrastinate, it will end in another military campaign. There is

some political agreement, for the first time for a while, there is a

political agreement that Hamas and it is rare and Egypt and the United

States and United Nations, if they can take it to the most logical

next step of creating a political environment about stopping violence

long turn, may be something good can come out of it. How important

is it, the role that Egypt will have to play? The result from the

last few days is Hamas has been turned into a real player.

fight that the agreement is between Hamas and Egypt and Israel and

Egypt shows Egypt has a significant role to play. I think they can

start in this political process leading to close to negotiations

with Hamas, the west Bank intifada. First, to make life liveable for

the people, and maybe to deal with those other massive issues.

Europe's leaders have started to arrive in Brussels for the multi-

billion euro negotiations over the EU's long-term budget. 27 countries

will have to come to an agreement over the next few days, with some

nations supporting the proposed 5% increase. But several key players,

including Britain and the Netherlands, want a spending freeze

or a reduction. One of the keenest budget hawks, the UK Prime Minister

David Cameron, arrived this morning in a confrontational mood.

Head south from Brussels to France, you immediately hit tricky

territory. The EU spends much of its money on farming subsidies.

Farming subsidies that keep businesses like this one a float,

and food prices down. What if the French President were to agree to a

reduction in subsidy as part of a deal on the EU budget? That would

be a great deception for me and I think for most of the farmers in

France. You would feel let down by the President? Of course,

completely let down. While the French are digging their heels in

on agriculture spending, in Poland, for instance, they are saying there

must be increases in regional development funding. The problem

for Brussels is that if -- at every single country has to agree

otherwise there is no deal. That means every single country has to

give something up, including Britain. I am quite prepared to use

the veto if we don't get a deal good for Britain. To David Cameron

has promised to fight for a real- terms freeze in EU spending. Some

fear there is a cost for Britain in any part of a deal, it could mean

less EU money being spent on development projects like this one

in Wales. Wales probably get �1 billion a year it in EU funding.

Any cut in the Budget will have a big impact. Across Eastern Europe

in particular, they have the same fear. Infrastructure projects get

much of their money from the EU. In indebted Spain and Italy, they are

fighting against cuts to regional funding. The EU budget is, in

comparison to national spending, tiny. But in Brussels the argument

is about both how much money is spent, and how it is spent. And it

is an argument that may not be resolved at this summit.

Now it's time for the business. The eurozone is on course for its

worst quarterly performance since the dark days of 2009, according to

a key business survey published this morning. The closely-watched

Markit Purchasing Managers' survey, which measures activity in

manufacturing and services, points to a significant contraction of up

to 0.5% in the last three months of the year. Separate figures for

Germany and France also show activity continuing to shrink in

November, with services in Germany's economy slowing down at

their fastest rate for three-and-a- half years.

I'm joined by Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. He says

the latest survey shows it will be tougher for the region going for it.

We had a mild downturn in the third quarter. Surveys have signalled

there were strong downward pressures building. They are coming

into force now in the 4th quarter. Eurozone recession is deepening and

spreading across the regions. Not just the usual suspects, Spain,

Italy and Greece contracting, but the previously held the regions,

Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Would you say these

results are a benchmark of where the eurozone is out, perhaps the

third quarter results gave an optimistic view? We think there

were some factors which boosted the eurozone economy in summer, strong

car production and car exports, certainly from France and Germany.

Those factors are fading now leading a general picture of

contraction. What has been the real driver behind this? In Germany, it

has been the manufacturing sector which has pulled it down? Global

trade has been very weak, with declining demand in Asia and the UK

and US as well. That has hit exports. Also, the eurozone has a

weak domestic demand. Austerity measures are having an impact. We

are seeing steep decline in domestic demand.

China's economy has been losing steam for almost two years. This

morning, some more evidence that growth is beginning to rebound.

Here's Sharanjit Leyl, in the BBC's Singapore office, with the details.

The China manufacturing has picked up pace, according to a HSBC report,

the latest sign growth may be rebounding. The purchasing index

rose to 15.4 -- over 50, which means expansion. The first time in

12 months the index has been above that level. It follows a rise in

industrial production, retail sales in October. All of which were

announced before the leadership transition. China's manufacturing

sector is worth watching. A key driver in its economic growth. It

has been hit by the slowdown in demand for Chinese exports from a

lot of the major markets, the eurozone, US and Japan, which has

hurt China's economic growth which fell to a three year low. Chinese

authorities have done a lot to introduce different measures to

revive growth, the central bank has cut the amount of money banks need

to keep in reserve, they have done this three times in the past few

months. They have cut interest rates twice to ease the burden for

consumers and businesses. All of this having something of a positive

effect. Millions more people in the fast-growing economies of Africa

and South America can afford the price of a beer nowadays, boosting

the fortunes of global brewers, like SAB Miller. It's just reported

a better than expected 12% jump in profits for the first half of the

year. Despite declining sales in places like the UK, it's been

enjoying what it calls "broad-based growth in emerging markets", as

Graham Mackay, executive chairman of SAB Miller explains.

Deal rate of growth is slowing down. There is a differential between the

developed and developing markets, that structural difference we think

will continue for a good time to come. The question is whether the

moderation in growth in the emerging markets has finished, has

hit a bottom, or not. That is what many commentators are focusing on.

It is hard to tell, when looking at the average. Every country has a

different situation. Many emerging markets are growing as strongly now

as they were last year and the year before. The area of the world which

is growing fastest and the most profitable for us, as well as Latin

America, the volumes are in fact in Africa. Latin America has shown

great profitability for us. If you try to single out one area doing

better than the rest, you would pick on Latin America, followed

closely by Africa. Let us look at the markets. In

Europe, a boost by the rise we saw in Asia overnight, and news that

manufacturing in China is improving and the US jobs market is

stabilising. You're watching BBC World News. Still to come: They

were once an icon of the family holiday. But, with so many falling

into disrepair, is there any future A damning report into the UK Border

Agency has found what it has called significant failings into the way

the organisation has handled its backlog of asylum cases. The

independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has accused

them of misleading MPs. He has called it unacceptable.

These are the immigration queues most people see, but since 2006,

the UK Border Agency has been trying to cut a 450,000 strong

backlog of asylum cases. The independent Chief Inspector of

Borders and Immigration says updates on the progress the agency

been inaccurate. Assurances being given were at odds with what was

really happening and a unit tackling the backlog was quickly

overwhelmed by the case work. Perhaps of most concern was an

identified lack of security checks with unresolved cases. I am very

concerned and I have said the performance in this regard as

unacceptable. This is an area of public concern going back many

years. In addition, people who have been genuinely in the queue and F

tried to comply with the requirements of the Border Agency,

has found their correspondence has not been responded to by the agency.

At one point, the report said 150 cases of male sat unopened in a

room in liveable. The Home Office said the UK Border Agency is a

troubled organisation but insist its performance is improving. It

says cheques are in place to ensure information it releases his robust

and reliable. Frida Kahlo's clothing is going on

display in Mexico City after being locked away for nearly 50 years.

When the Mexican artist died back in 1954, her husband and friends

kept her archive of letters, cloves, photos and jury or locked away

until 2004. This will be the first time the public can see her

clothing. It is Thanksgiving in America. The

annual turkey pardoning has taken place. President Obama and his two

daughters took part in that ceremony. The tradition took --

first started during the Kennedy administration in the 1960s.

This is BBC World News. These are the headlines: A ceasefire in Gaza

is holding. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a

truce is the ideal step for Israel for now. He promised to work around

the clock to provide stability and security.

European leaders are in Brussels to thrash out the EU's budget for the

six years until 2014. Britain wants a freeze. Other nations are backing

the European Commission's call for higher spending.

The Italian police say several British football fans have been

injured, one of them at least seriously during violence in Rome.

The Tottenham fans were in the city ahead of the match against Lazio

tonight. A short time ago, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome gave us

some update. This violence came in a beautiful

ancient square in the heart of historic central Rome, an area

known for its nightlife full of bars and cafes and restaurants.

These Tottenham fans had apparently been drinking in one of the pubs

when at about 1 o'clock in the morning, a group of about 30 men

with their faces covered and armed with iron bars approached the

premises and the bar owner tells us that what happened next was in his

year, a planned attack. The armed men smashed the window, forced

their way into the bar, the Tottenham fans tried to side, he

said, but they were cornered. As the violence erupted, the bar was

wrecked and 10 of the Spurs fans were injured, one of them seriously.

A police say they made five arrests, all of them Italian men. They say

they believe these were supporters of the local club Lazio, head of a

game tonight between Tottenham and Lazio. The local media is much more

forthright. This is front page news here. Local media are blaming this

on what they call a blitz, by the hard core element in the Lazio

support. What do you do with old relics of

the past? Structures way past their best and no longer the focal points

of our lives that they once were. That is the issue facing Britain's

seaside Piers which date back to the Victorian and Edwardian times.

Keeping them going today is a very expensive business.

The seaside pier is a British institution, as much a part of a

beachside holiday as a bucket and spade and now there is a rare

opportunity to own one. Southsea Pier is up for auction and could be

yours for �200,000. The sale includes two bars, a theatre and

views you cannot put a price on. Local resident Leon Reis is

chairman of a community group hoping to buy the land mark. There

are people in Portsmouth who are born because their parents met on

this pier. We would like to see the pier owned by the people who love

it, just as it should be all around the country. South Parade opened in

1879 and began life as if it -- a terminal for ferries taking

passengers to and from the Isle of Wight. Following a fire, the pier

was opened for pleasure. It was requisitioned by the military

during the Second World War and used as a preparation area for the

D-Day landings. Later, in 1950 when Winston Churchill was given the

freedom of the city of Portsmouth, the event took place on the pier.

These icons of the seaside have been a feature of the British

family holiday since the Victorian and Edwardian eras when people made

a pilgrimage to the beach to escape the towns and cities. Up there were

once 100 around our coastline, now just 55 remain. Unfortunately, we

do not have many which are original any more. Partly because tourism

has changed and now seaside pier owners will have to think outside

the box on how to make them commercially successful and useful

to their communities. The fate of this pier is uncertain, but in

recent years, other coastal towns have brought the concept of the

seaside pier back into the future, by turning disaster into

opportunity. In July 2008, it took just 90 minutes for a fire to

destroy the century-old a pavilion on Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier.

The owners were determined it would reopen and two years later, a

modern replacement pavilion was reopened. It is now one of the

biggest attractions. This charred skeleton was all that was left of

Hastings Pier after an arson attack in 2010, but local people worked

hard to keep this venue which had once played host to huge names that

Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. This week it was given an �11 million

Lottery Heritage grant. Other coastal towns have not been so

fortunate. Felipe would pier had been empty for years when it burned

down in 2008 and it is unlikely to ever be rebuilt -- Fleetwood pier.

What will become of South Parade if it is auctioned next month? Experts

say it could take a couple of million pounds to make it

structurally secure but the real appeal before any buyer is to make

it appeal for the modern consumer. Local people will hope the sun has

not sat on this iconic piece of British heritage.

From old relics to a new hope for, an Italian singer who is hoping to

make his mark on New York. In his native country, Lorenzo Cherubini,

better known as Jovanotti, has sold 5 million albums. He has more

Twitter followers than the Pope. He has left his superstar status

behind him for a chance to win over the Big Apple. We caught up with

him in downtown Manhattan. In Italy, I am blessed, I'm playing in

football stadiums. Here I am Mr Living in New York is something

that I was dreaming to do once in my life and now that is what I am

doing. I like to tour in America. I feel like an exotic animal, like a

giraffe in a place where giraffes do not grow up! It is like to see a

lot of tears, a lot of dogs, rattlesnakes and then a giraffe and

you say, I know that giraffes existing the world but I never saw

one. My father was working in the Vatican City. He was travelling

some times and came to New York. He bought a soubrette camera and shot

some footage. It was 1972 -- a # in New York I found Rome, Milan,

Paris. Grandmaster Flash, you read, Beastie Boys, I want to wake up in

the city with Frankie and his voice...

I was six years old. At that time, this town infected me. The Beastie

Boys were the real life-changing experience for me. I listened to

hip-hop and I listened to the Beastie Boys and I said, I want to

do this, I can do this. I thought about doing that in Italy, in

I think America is no longer the most important economy but it is

the most important centre of production. It is like being in

Florence and during the Renaissance period. Here, history is happening

now. All I am doing here is feeding my energy to give it back to my

people. I like to think that they are waiting for me coming back from

The Italian rapper Jovanotti talking about the challenge of

moving to New York to introduce his music to whole new audience.

Around 4,000 Bosnian football fans turned out for a game with a

difference, as a team of Catholic priests took on a side of Muslim

imams the charity. And into a religious charity organised the

game. It is to collect money for rebuilding a multi-faith

kindergarten. It was the priest in the White who ran out the winners