BBC News with Zoe Diamond
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has said his country is in a state of war 15 months after the uprising against his rule began. Mr Assad was speaking after a day of fighting between the Syrian army and rebels on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. Earlier, the United Nations Security Council was told that the conflict in Syria is worsening. From neighboring Lebanon, here's Jim Muir.
President Assad was addressing the first meeting of the new cabinet which emerged after general elections held in May, and he made it clear that the country and administration were on a war footing . "We are living a state of war, in all its aspects and in every meaning of the word," he told the ministers. "All policies and all directions in every sector had to be directed towards victory in that war." The implication of Mr Assad's remarks is that he expects the conflict to be a long haul . Events on the ground seemed to bear him out with both sides reporting violent clashes and many casualties in suburbs of Damascus as well as many other places around the country.
Russia has said that it's ready to attend a meeting on the Syria crisis that the international mediator Kofi Annan is trying to organize for Saturday in Geneva. But it's still not clear whether the meeting will take place because there's no agreement yet on either the agenda or who will participate.
Turkey has warned that any Syrian forces approaching its border will be treated as a military target following the shooting down of a Turkish fighter plane by Syria last Friday. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the rules of engagement for Turkish forces had changed. From Istanbul, here's Jonathan Head.
This was a vintage performance by the Turkish prime minister, arousing speech to his party in parliament which combines denunciation of Syria's actions on Friday with a broader defense of his government's foreign policy in the region. He repeated his government's arguments that the F-4 reconnaissance plane was unarmed, clearly identifiable, and outside Syrian airspace when it was shot down. Mr Erdogan went on to define the Assad government as a security threat, not just to its own people, but to Turkey as well.
The European Union is to consider proposals that would give it a much greater say in the economic affairs of countries using the European single currency. The plan was unveiled by the head of the European council, Herman Van Rompuy. Here's Andrew Walker.
Mr Van Rompuy's vision is of a much more integrated eurozone with increased, though not complete central control over government budgets. He stopped short of calling for a move to joint borrowing by issuing Euro bonds, but he does suggest it be considered. He also proposes an integrated approach to banks through deposit guarantees and arranges for dealing with failing banks – what has been called a banking union. The idea is politically challenging for many countries as the significant public concern about further European integration.Andrew Walker reporting.
This is the latest World News from the BBC.
Nigerian soldiers serving in the United Nations and African Union missions in Sudan have threatened trouble unless they're brought home within a week. The tour of duty of the troops who have been acting as peacekeepers in Darfur ended in May. The soldiers blamed the delay in their repatriation on negligence on the part of the Nigerian authorities.
The ordeals of a Chinese woman forced to have an abortion seven months into her pregnancy has taken a new turn with the disappearance of her husband. News of the abortion prompted a public outcry inside China and abroad. Now, relatives say that her husband has been forced into hiding.
A German district court has ruled that it is an offense to circumcise young boys for non-medical reasons. The court said that circumcision contravene the interest of the child to decide on his religious beliefs later in life. The decision has angered Muslim and Jewish groups, for whom circumcision is a religious obligation. Steve Evans reports from Berlin.
Every year, thousands of young Muslim and Jewish boys are circumcised in Germany as part of the religious ritual of both faiths. But prosecutors in Cologne brought criminal charges against the doctor who performed the procedure on a 4-year-old. Initially, the doctor was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm, because he'd acted with the consent of the parents. But a higher court has now overturned that decision, because as the judgment put it, the fundamental right of the child of bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents.
The Mexican Navy says it's searching for one of its helicopters which disappeared four days ago over an area where drug cartels are active. The navy said air traffic controllers had lost contact with the helicopter with four crew on board as it was travelling in the west of Mexico.
And that's the latest World News from the BBC.
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has said his country is in a state of war 15 months after the uprising against his rule began. Mr Assad was speaking after a day of fighting between the Syrian army and rebels on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. Earlier, the United Nations Security Council was told that the conflict in Syria is worsening. From neighboring Lebanon, here's Jim Muir.
叙利亚总统阿萨德说,反对自己统治的起义进行15个月后,本国已处于战争状态。叙利亚军队和叛军在首都大马士革郊区作战一天后,阿萨德发表此番讲话。早些时候,联合国安理会得知,叙利亚的冲突正在恶化。Jim Muir在黎巴嫩报道。
President Assad was addressing the first meeting of the new cabinet which emerged after general elections held in May, and he made it clear that the country and administration were on a war footing . "We are living a state of war, in all its aspects and in every meaning of the word," he told the ministers. "All policies and all directions in every sector had to be directed towards victory in that war." The implication of Mr Assad's remarks is that he expects the conflict to be a long haul . Events on the ground seemed to bear him out with both sides reporting violent clashes and many casualties in suburbs of Damascus as well as many other places around the country.
叙利亚五月份大选后组建了新内阁,总统阿萨德在内阁首次会议上发表讲话,他明确表示,本国和政府正处于战 争状态。他向部长们表示,“我们生活在战争中,从各个方面看都是如此。所有的政策和各部门的方向都朝着战争胜利这个目标。”阿萨德言论的言外之意,是希望 这场冲突旷日持久。战斗状况似乎证实了他的看法,据悉大马士革郊区和本国多个地区都发生了暴力冲突和死亡事件。
Russiahas said that it's ready to attend a meeting on the Syria crisis that the international mediator Kofi Annan is trying to organize for Saturday in Geneva. But it's still not clear whether the meeting will take place because there's no agreement yet on either the agenda or who will participate.
国际协调员科菲·安南试图周六在日内瓦组织一场关于叙利亚危机的会议,俄罗斯称将参加这次会议。但由于目前日程和与会者都未确定,所以尚不清楚这次会议是否会举办。
Turkeyhas warned that any Syrian forces approaching its border will be treated as a military target following the shooting down of a Turkish fighter plane by Syria last Friday. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the rules of engagement for Turkish forces had changed. From Istanbul, here's Jonathan Head.
耳其警告说,任何逼近边境线的叙利亚军队都会被视为军事目标,因为上周五一架土耳其战机被叙利亚击落。土耳其总理热杰甫·塔伊甫·埃尔多安说,土耳其军队的规则已经改变。Jonathan Head在伊斯坦布尔报道。
This was a vintage performance by the Turkish prime minister, arousing speech to his party in parliament which combines denunciation of Syria's actions on Friday with a broader defense of his government's foreign policy in the region. He repeated his government's arguments that the F-4 reconnaissance plane was unarmed, clearly identifiable, and outside Syrian airspace when it was shot down. Mr Erdogan went on to define the Assad government as a security threat, not just to its own people, but to Turkey as well.
土耳其总理的这场表演很精彩,他在议会向本党发表讲话,在谴责叙利亚周五的行为之时,更多地为本政府在该 地区的外交政策辩护。他重申政府的看法,即F-4侦察机没有武装,可以清晰识别,被击落时在叙利亚领土之外。埃尔多安进一步将阿萨德政府界定为对安全的威 胁,不仅对叙利亚人民,而且对土耳其也是危害。
The European Union is to consider proposals that would give it a much greater say in the economic affairs of countries using the European single currency. The plan was unveiled by the head of the European council, Herman Van Rompuy. Here's Andrew Walker.
欧盟正考虑将赋予自身在欧洲单一货币使用国经济事务上更大发言权的提议。欧洲委员会主席赫尔曼·范龙佩宣布这项计划。安德鲁·沃克报道。
Mr Van Rompuy's vision is of a much more integrated eurozone with increased, though not complete central control over government budgets. He stopped short of calling for a move to joint borrowing by issuing Euro bonds, but he does suggest it be considered. He also proposes an integrated approach to banks through deposit guarantees and arranges for dealing with failing banks – what has been called a banking union. The idea is politically challenging for many countries as the significant public concern about further European integration.Andrew Walker reporting.
范龙佩的设想是将欧元区变得更加一体化,同时欧盟对政府预算具有更大集中控制权,不过不是完全控制。但他 未能呼吁采取行动通过发布欧洲债券来进行联合借贷,不过他表示会予以考虑。他还提出为经营不善的银行出台储蓄担保的一体化措施,这被称为银行同盟。由于公 众非常担忧欧洲的进一步一体化,所以这个设想对许多国家来说都是政治挑战。
This is the latest World News from the BBC.
Nigerian soldiers serving in the United Nations and African Union missions in Sudan have threatened trouble unless they're brought home within a week. The tour of duty of the troops who have been acting as peacekeepers in Darfur ended in May. The soldiers blamed the delay in their repatriation on negligence on the part of the Nigerian authorities.
在联合国和非盟赴苏丹使团服役的尼日利亚士兵面临重大困境,除非他们在一个月内归国。在达尔富尔履行维和人员职能的军队五月结束了任务,士兵们指责尼日利亚当局疏忽失职,未能将他们及时遣返回国。
The ordeals of a Chinese woman forced to have an abortion seven months into her pregnancy has taken a new turn with the disappearance of her husband. News of the abortion prompted a public outcry inside China and abroad. Now, relatives say that her husband has been forced into hiding.
(这段因涉及国内问题略去)
A German district court has ruled that it is an offense to circumcise young boys for non-medical reasons. The court said that circumcision contravene the interest of the child to decide on his religious beliefs later in life. The decision has angered Muslim and Jewish groups, for whom circumcision is a religious obligation. Steve Evans reports from Berlin.
德国一家地方法院判定,没有医学原因就给男孩切割包皮是犯罪。法庭称割包皮违反了男孩以后决定宗教信仰的权利,这个判决惹怒了穆斯林和犹太组织,它们认为割包皮是项宗教责任。史蒂夫·埃文斯在柏林报道。
Every year, thousands of young Muslim and Jewish boys are circumcised in Germany as part of the religious ritual of both faiths. But prosecutors in Cologne brought criminal charges against the doctor who performed the procedure on a 4-year-old. Initially, the doctor was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm, because he'd acted with the consent of the parents. But a higher court has now overturned that decision, because as the judgment put it, the fundamental right of the child of bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents.
德国每年都有数千穆斯林和犹太男孩被割包皮,这是两大宗教信仰仪式的一部分。但科隆检察官对一名为4岁男 孩割包皮的医生发起犯罪指控,医生最初被撇清造成痛苦身体伤害的责任,因为他是经过男孩父母同意而为的。但上级法院现在推翻了这场判决,因为就像判决所 言,男孩身体完整性的基本权利要大于男孩父母的基本权利。
The Mexican Navy says it's searching for one of its helicopters which disappeared four days ago over an area where drug cartels are active. The navy said air traffic controllers had lost contact with the helicopter with four crew on board as it was travelling in the west of Mexico.
墨西哥海军称正在搜寻4天前失踪的一架直升机,搜寻地点在毒品卡特尔活跃的一个地区。海军称空中交通指挥员已与载有4名机组人员的直升机失去了联系,这架直升机当时飞行在墨西哥西部。
And that's the latest World News from the BBC.