2010-03-04 BBC
BBC News with Zoe Diamond
There has been angry protests in Athens against the Greek government's announcement of further austerity measures to deal with the country's massive debts. Pensioners scuffled with riot police and civil servants protested outside the Finance Ministry. The new measures are designed to save 6.5 billion dollars. The head of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the move.
The additional measures announced today appropriately include expenditure cuts and in particular savings in the public wage bill which are essential for achieving permanent fiscal recognition ,effects and restore competitiveness. This is in the interest of the Greek people who will benefit from sounder public finances, better growth prospects and job opportunities. It is as well important for the overall financial stability of the euro area.
Brazil has rejected efforts by the visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to persuade it to back sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. At a news conference, the foreign minister said Brazil felt strongly that a dialogue with Iran should occur before sanctions are imposed. From Sao Paulo, here is Gary Duffy.
On her first official visit to South America's largest country, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was adamant that only further sanctions would persuade Iran to negotiate in good fair.Though it doesn't have a veto, Brazil is currently a voting member of the UN Security Council, and the US administration is keen to have its support. However, President Lula continues to warn against isolating Iran, insisting instead, that it would be better to continue with negotiations.
President Obama has dismissed any prospect of greater state control over the US health care system as he called on Congress to approve his sweeping reform plans. Mr Obama said it was time to give the American people more control over their health insurance. From Washington, here is Paul Adams.
President Obama says he wants Congress to finish its work. He wants to sign health care reform into law. The process, he says, has simply taken long enough. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade or even more. The American people and the US economy just can't wait that long. The president said this was not just about the ability of Washington to solve the problem of health care but about its ability to solve any problem. He repeated his offer to include some Republican ideas in his health care proposals, but the fact remains that the Republicans are implacably opposed to the sort of overhaul the president wants.
The Italian police have arrested seven people suspected of trafficking arms to Iran in breach of a UN arms embargo. The two Iranians and five Italians were allegedly involved in an operation which moved arms around Europe to avoid detection before sending them to Iran. Police have seized anti-tank shells and explosives.
This is Zoe Diamond with the latest World News from the BBC in London.
The Red Cross in Uganda has begun an appeal for emergency shelters for the survivors of a series of disastrous mudslides. Three villages in the east of the country were swept away. Rescuers have recovered at least 86 bodies, and more than 260 people are still missing. Peter Greste reports from the district of Bududa.
As the rains began pounding the slopes in late this afternoon, rescue workers retreated from the disaster zone on high on the extinct volcano's flanks. As they trudged down through the mud, a group of villagers began the 2-hour march up to the site with makeshift coffins balanced on their heads. Uganda's Prime Minister Yoweri Museveni flew in the helicopter earlier on the day. He blamed the disaster on local people who settled dangerously unstable mountain slopes and cleared the hillsides of forests. The Red Cross was appealed for help of emergency shelters, blankets and mobile medical clinic, and psychological help for the handful of survivors.
Aid agencies and the Ethiopian authorities have denied allegations in a BBC report that millions of dollars donated to the relief effort for the Ethiopian famine in the mid 1980s went to buy weapons. The rock star Bob Geldof, who was the public face of the appeal for funds, has also described the report as rubbish.
Libya is imposing an economic and commercial embargo against Switzerland. The announcement follows a call last week by the Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi for a jihad against the country. The Libyans have been angered by a Swiss ban on building minarets and the detention by Swiss police of Colonel Gaddafi's son in 2008 on assault charges that were later dropped.
The American Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was apparently allowed to direct air traffic at New York's JFK airport. The aviation authority said the behavior of employees involved was unacceptable. And a number of staff have been suspended.
That's the latest World News from the BBC here in London.