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LessthansixmonthsbeforeageneraIelectioninBritain,thegoverningLabourPartyisembroiledagainininternalstrife.TwoformercabinetministershavecalledforsecretballotofmemberstodecidewhetherthePrimeMinisterGordonBrownshouldcontinueaspartyleaderMr.BrownhascalledageneralelectionbyJunethisyear.OurpoliticalcorrespondentRobWatsonreports.
ThetwoformercabinetministersGeoffHoonandPatriciaHewitthadstunnedeveryoneatWestminsterwiththeirlast-minuteeffortstochallengeGordonBrowrTsleadership.
ButDowningStreetandLabourPartyofficialshavemovedquicklytoquashanyrevolts.Mostimportantly,currentcabinetministershavecomeoutandbackedtheprimeminister;
orbitingsomecaseswithlittleapparententhusiasm・Sothelatestchallengelookslikelytobeshortlift.
AlthoughmanywithintheLabourPartydoubtMr.BrowrYsleadershipqualities,theyalsoseemtothinkitwouldonlymakethingsworsetogetridofhimbeforethegeneralelection.
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TheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrownisofferingtoscalebackBritairYsnucleardeterreneeifaninternationalagreementisreachedtocuttheworld'
snucleararsenals.Mr.BrownisexpectedtotellaspecialsessionoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilonThursdaythathellbewillingtogiveuponeoffourroyalnavysubmarinesthatcarryTridentnuclearmissiles.
Officialsareinsistingthatcostisn'
tafactorhere・Here'
sourdefeneecorrespondentNickChilds.GordonBrownissayinghe'
llbereadytothrowpartofthetridentforceintotheportinthecontextofamuchbiggerglobaldisarmamentdeal.Hesaidsoingeneraltermsbefore・Thisofferthoughismoreconcrete.Thereisagrowingsensethattoavoidwhatsomefearcouldbeasuddencascadeofnewnuclearstates,theestablishednuclearpowersneedtodomoreintermsofdisarmamenttokeeptheproliferationregimeintact.ThePrimeMinisterwillhopehismovewillbeseenasanimportantgesture・Butthekeytotheprocesswillbetheactionsofthebigplayers,
theUnitedStatesandRussia.
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TheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrownisexpectedtoconfirmthatheissendinghundredsmoretroopstoAfghanistan,bringingthetotalnumberofBritishtroopstheretoabout9,500.
BritainhasthesecondlargestNATOcontingentinAfghanistanaftertheUnitedStates.OurdefensecorrespondentCarolineWyattreports.InhisstatementonAfghanistan,it'
sbelievedMr.Brownwillsayhe'
sagreedinprincipletosendaround500extraBritishtroopstoHelmand.ThemilitaryadvicesaysthatextraforcesareneededtohelpmaintainprogressanddominatethegroundmoreeffectivelytokeeptheTalibanoutofkeyareas・However;
therewillbecaveats・ThePrimeMinisterwillwantassurancesfrommilitarychiefsthattheextratroopswillbeproperlyequipped.Buthe'
llalsoexpectBritain'
sNATOpartnerstofollowsuitbyofferingmoreforcesthemselves・NATOdefenseministersarelikelytodiscusstrooplevelsonameetingformallyinBratislavanextweek.
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StockmarketsinEuropeandtheUnitedStateshavefallensharplyinresponsetofurthersignsthatthedebtcrisisinGreeceisintensifyingandcouldspreadtoothercountries.SharepricesinNewYork,London,FrankfurtandParis你fellbymorethan2%afteramajorinternationalcreditratingagencyStandard&
Poor'
sdowngradedGreekdebttoalevelknowninformallyasjunk.NilsBlythehasmore.Standard&
sdowngradeditsassessmentofGreekbondstotheso-calledjunkstatusbecauseofthegrowingdangerthatthebondholderswillnotbepaidbackinfull.Manybiginvestmentfundshaverulesthatforbidthemfromholdingjunkbonds,saysthemoveislikelytotriggerafurtherroundofselling.Sharemarketshavetakenfright,fearingthatifGreecedoesdefaultonitsdebts,itwouldhitmanyEuropeanbankswhichholdGreekbondsandcouldtriggerawiderfinancialcrisis.AlreadypressureismountingonPortugalwhichhasalsoseenitscreditratingdowngradedtoday,althoughitremainsabovejunkstatus.
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TheInternationalMonetaryFundhastoldgovernmentsacrosstheworldthatfurtheractionisneededtohelpreturntheglobalfinancialsystemtostability.Inafreshestimateofthescaleoftheproblem,theIMFsaysgloballossesontoxicassetscouldtotalfourtrilliondollars.AndrewWalkerreports.Thisreportdoesidentifywhatitcallssomeearlysignsofstabilizationinfinancialsystems,buttherearenotmanyofthem・AndtheIMFsaysfurtheractionwillbeneededifthey'
retobesustained.hasbeenpiecemealandreactive,dealingwiththeproblemassetsheldbyfinancialinstitutionsandhowtohandlebanksthatneedextracapitalForthatproblemthereportsaysemporarygovernmentownershipmaysometimebenecessary.
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OfficialsinGermanysaythetotalfinancialaidpackageforGreececouldbemorethandouble,the60billiondollarsthatispreviouslyexpected.TheheadoftheInternationalMonetaryFundDominiqueStrauss-KahnisinBerlintryingtopersuadeGermanytoagreetothefinancialrescueplan.HesaidthedealneededtobeimplementedquicklyasthesituationwasgettingworseeverydayandcouldaffectotherEuropeancountries,buttheGermanChancellorAngolaMerkelsaid
BerlinneededtobesearchingthatGreecewasseriousaboutspendingcuts.
TheheadoftheInternationalMonetaryFundsaysGreecehasnothingtofearfromtheorganization.AtanewsconferenceinWashington,DominiqueStrauss-KahnsaidtheIMFwastryingtoprovideGreecewiththeadviceandresourcesnecessarytohelpwithitsdebtproblem.
AndrewWalkerreportsfromWashington.Mr.Strauss-KahnwasrespondingtoaGreekjournalist
whosaidtheGreekpublicaredemonizingtheIMFthattheyfearthingswillbeworsewithIMFinvolvementTheagencyhasareputationforrequiringborrowingcountriestomakedeepcutsinpopulargovernmentspendingprograms.Mr.Strauss-KahnsaidtheGreekpeopleshouldthinkoftheIMFasacooperativeorganizationwherethecountriesoftheworldworktogethertohelpthoseintroublebyprovidingresourcesandadviceonbehalfoftheinternationalcommunity.
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Financeministersoftheworldsleadingindustrializedanddevelop!
ngcountries,theG20rhaveagreedtocontinuesupportingtheglobaleconomicrecovery.InastatementreleasedaftertheirmeetinginScotiand,theministerssaidconditionshadimproved,buteconomicandfinancialrecoverywasunevenandunemploymentaworry.AndrewWalkerreports.Thecommuniqueavoidscomplacency.Althougheconomicandfinancialconditionshaveimproved,theydecidedtheystillneedtokeepuptheinitiativesintendedtorestoregrowth.Themeetingwas,however,ratherovershadowedbyastatementfromtheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrown,suggestingataxonfinancialtransactionsasoneofanumberofoptionsformakingbankspayforthecrisis.Hiscallshavebeenreceivedpolitelybythefinanceministersbutseveralmaderemarkswhichsuggestthatotherwaysoftacklingtheproblemarerathermorelikelytobeadopted・
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TheEuropeanUnionhasinitialedanagreementtoendoneoftheworldsIongest-runningtradedisputesoverbananas.TheEUZtheworld'
sbiggestimporterofbananasfistocutthedutyitimposesonLatinAmericanproducersofthefruit,whilebananasgrowsinformerEuropeancolonieswillgraduallylosethepreferentialtermsthey'
veenjoyed.AndrewWalkerreports.
ThedealsignedinGenevacommitstheEuropeanUniontograduallyloweringthetariffsitimposesonbananasimportedmainlyfromLatinAmerica.Thecutwillbeoverathirdby2O17.Thatwillreducethecompetitiveadvantageofagroupofcountries,mainlyformercoloniesofEUstatesinAfricaandCaribbean,whichenjoyedtariff-freeaccess.TheEUplanstoprovidethosecountrieswithsomecompensation,inashapeofnearly300,000dollarsinadditionalaid.
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TheIong-awaitedtake-offoftheSolarImpulsewasgreetedwithdelightbythosewhohavespentthelastsevenyearsworkingonit.Thesolar-poweredplanehasthewing-spanofajumbojet,butweighslessthanafamilycar.Itdoesrftuseasingledropofaviationfuel,insteaditsgiantwingsarecoveredwithsolarcells・TheprojectisthebrainchildofSwissadventurerBertrandPiccard-heseestheSolarImpulseasasignofthingstocome.
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It'
stheworld'
sfastestgrowingeconomyandshowsnosignofslowingdown,sostrikingdealswithChinesebusinessesisnowthetoppriorityforeveryBritishcompanythatwantstostayaheadinglobaltrade・NowschoolsintheUnitedKingdomwanttogivetheirstudentsaheadstartbyteachingthemMandarin-andtheyaremakingitcompulsory.BrightonCollegeisafeepayingprivateschoolonthesouthcoastofBritainandalreadyteachesLatin,SpanishandFrenchtoits1,200pupils.Studentscanchoosebetweentheselanguages,butfromtheautumn,whichisthebeginningofthenewacademicyearinBritishschools,everystudentmuststudyMandarinwhethertheylikeitornot.
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ThecastandcrewofBritishmovieswillnoIongerbehailedastheunderdogsatawardsceremonies・Attherecent81stOscarsceremony,Britishactorsandmovieswonnolessthan11awards・ThelistofOscarwinnersisusuallydominatedbyAmerican