what can we do for you? >> britain makes bobby cutts in its armed forces, trying to create an -- make some big cuts to its armed forces, trying to create a military they can afford. outbreaks of violence in france as millions protest against pension reforms. insurgencies ireturn. welcome to bbc news. coming up later, the saudi prince found guilty of murder. he killed his servant in a london hotel. sir alex ferguson returns -- confirms that the other wants to

leave the club. the british prime minister has unveiled big cuts in the armed forces, but he says the country will be better prepared to face threats. david cameron insists britain will remain a top military power, and the pentagon is saying the u.s. is pleased the u.k. intends to maintain its role as the fourth largest military. >> the royal navy's flagship is heading out in a major upheaval of armed services. other capabilities will go like new surveillance planes, but the government says britain will stay above nato cost defense spending target.

>> this is not simply a cost saving exercise to get to grips with the worst budget crisis in postwar history. it is about taking the right decisions to protect our security in years ahead. >> it will mean no british aircraft for 10 years -- british aircraft carriers for 10 years. critics say it does not add up. >> this is a profound missed opportunity. it has been chaotically conducted. it is simply not credible as a strategic blueprint for our defense needs. >> the navy will get two big aircraft carriers. the navy overall will be smaller but better able to tackle new threats like piracy, and they say that will be true of all

british forces britain will not be able to deploy such large forces again in the future. still, mr. cameron has telephoned president obama to ensure they will remain a military power. the replacement to the military force will be delayed, and there will be cuts, but the government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintain military capability. >> france is starting to draw on emergency fuel reserves. the strikes on all but one refinery hold of supplies. demonstrators took to the streets for a sixth day in protest of the government pension reforms. the prime minister accused him of holding the country hostage.

>> for the sixth time recently, huge crowds were on the street, protesting. one tried to illustrate what pension reform would do to their way of life, but the difference was the thousands of high school students who joined the protest. this is what they hope will make a difference, the large number of students in the demonstration. in the past, an alliance of students have forced the french government to back down. >> some students felt like if older people work longer, they would lose out. >> the young people have not got jobs if the old people work. >> elsewhere, there has been violence. president sarkozy appealed for restraint.

for most people, the main problem remains fuel supply. 1/3 of petrol stations have run dry. the government has decided to use some reserve stocks and predicts a return to normal in four or five days. in paris, there is a lot of tension. it is expected they will pass the pension law within days, and that may allow the protests to subside. >> at least 20 people have been killed in karachi. gunman took fire, and there was more violence around the city, but the violence triggered bloodshed between the supporters of the parties. the european commission has threatened -- has suspended the threat of legal action against france. france has expelled of least

1000 aroma, accusing them of criminal activity, but the government says french immigration laws will change to allow the free movement of european citizens around the io. lady thatcher has been admitted to hospital. it has been described as a routine admission for infection. it is reported she has not completely recovered from a minor illness that kept her from her birthday in downing street last week. gunmen have stormed the parliament building in the capital city. officials in moscow have been describing it as stable. a year ago russia declared victory in the battle with separatists. security forces blamed international terrorists for the events. >> it is one of the most heavily fortified buildings, but today,

chechnya's parliament was under attack. security forces rushed to the scene to search for rebels after it emerged at least three gunmen had emerged into the -- had broken into the compound. inside, there was a gun battle and a series of explosions. the authorities say all of the attackers were killed. at least two policemen and one official also died. the building was evacuated. an armored personnel carrier helped the speaker of the chechnya in parliament to safety. >> i want to say that an operational situation of this kind is extremely rare. why? because it is stable and secure here. on guard are the police officers of the chechen republic.

>> chechnya has suffered a decade and a half of violence, but after two wars, this republic has been rebuilt. in recent years, islamic militants have carried out fewer attacks, but instability remains, and not only in chechnya. this year, there has been an upsurge of attacks across the caucasus. last month, 16 people were killed at a bomb blast. there were reports of violence from other parts of the volatile region. >> the government claims that chechnya has become more stable, but what happened shows the insurgency is still continuing. >> at least 10 people have died in the philippines, hit by the typhoon. it is the strongest to hit the

philippines in several years and is now heading to the southern coast of china. the forecast predicts severe weather by the weekend. in india, they searched the offices of several contractors leading up to the run-up of the commonwealth games. the games were mired by overspending, and the opposition says it has evidence of corruption of the government level. mexican soldiers has -- have found the largest amount of marijuana in years. at least one person was injured. the mexican military values the drugs at more than $350 million. a saudi prince has been found guilty of murdering his servant in a hotel. the jury was saying he abused the victim in a brutal attack for his own personal

gratification. >> these are the pictures of real the height of the violence -- that reveal the height of the violence between the saudi prince and his servant. at one stage, the prince walked out only to return immediately and throw more punches. his victim was so subservient he does not even attempt to fight back. this was not an isolated attack. three weeks later the man was beaten up again, this time so badly he died from his injuries in the hotel bedroom the men share. the prince claimed they were friends traveling the world and living a lifestyle of equals, but the person of the hotel said they appeared to be in a sexual relationship and the prince was in charge. >> he used his position of power and money over his victim to abuse him over an extended time.

>> not surprisingly, the details of what happened in the hotel appeared to have caused significant embarrassment to the saudi royal family. lawyers tried to prevent some of the evidence being heard in court. they wanted to ban any suggestions the prince might be gay. the prosecution said the reason the prince the night he was gay was not because it is illegal in saudi arabia but to hide the fact there was a sexual element to the murder. he tried to claim diplomatic immunity. >> if this case had been in saudi arabia they would not have this exposure. it would have been dealt with behind closed doors. >> the man who exploited his privilege with deadly consequences now faces life behind bars. he will be sentenced tomorrow. >> farm subsidies will up more

than 40% of the european union budget, and now the economic downturn in europe means they've been -- they may be next to be squeezed. >> this is the story of two farmers and a single agricultural policy. they say the subsidies are wasteful, opaque, and unfair. farmers say without them they would not be able to survive. >> we are approximately 800 feet above sea level. >> the sheep farmer raises in the south of england. he has done everything he can to reduce costs, but why should taxpayers subsidize firms like this. >> i do not have a clue. i am a simple sheep farmer. we subsidize most things. the motor industry. we are subsidizing the banks.

the banks were just bailed out, so it is a question of values. >> it has been called a waste of money and the best policy. now it is ripe for reform, but with austerity measures across europe, it will soon be farms like this that have to justify their budget to the european tax payer. hundreds of miles away, a farmer has taken a different approach. roberts diversified, opening a campsite that probably looks nice in the summer. >> it sits on about 3 acres and i urge the produces something like 55% of the income of the whole farm. >> from this help tie -- hilltop farm, brussels seems far away, but the decisions made there will shaved its future. >> it is good to have you with us.

still to come, the fading glory of a bygone era protects them from development. lawyers from the family of a british student killed in italy have reacted to comments from amanda knox, the american woman jailed for her murder. >> a convicted murderer, tabloid curiosity, and now a subject, amanda knox has gone into print to talk about everything from bike riding to alien life in outer space. she was convicted of killing her roommate, whose home is near london. face it -- they shared a house. knox was found guilty along with two men of carrying out the murder. the story has already been turned into a number of books, and at least two films are in

development, but none with her confirmation. this man, whose new book tries to tell the story about the person, not a crime. >> i was intimidated by this girl who has been described as sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, and instead, i met a girl who is profound and loves to read books, including serious ones. she constantly goes through the theme of life through reading and studying. knox only mentions meredith curvature -- kircher once in the book. she denies she is famous and says she just wants to get married and adopt children, but the lawyer for meredith's family has described the book as inappropriate and. he says it was an attempt to

portray her as a smart girl who could not commit murder. >> we are giving you the latest headlines. britain is going to slash defense spending, cutting equipment and members of the armed forces. they have promised no cutbacks to forces fighting in afghanistan. there have been outbreaks of violence across france. at least 3 million joined the protest. for some, it is questionably and outrage. others see an illustration of the obsession with domestic animals. woman has been fined $400 for dropping a cat into a garbage bin. it was captured on video.

>> leaving court today to over rosh of questions. if mary veil hopes pleading guilty would take her out of the spotlight, she was wrong. >> why did you do it? can you explain? >> these are the pictures that ultimately landed her in court. first she strokes the 4-year-old cat and then drops her in the been and walks away. it was 15 hours before the owners found the cat, and it was when they posted these images on line that they went around the world. the sheer number of journalists called it a clear indication of the level of interest. i was sitting next to a journalist from germany, and that is not only country that is making with -- where it is making headlines.

>> she has paid a significant price. she has resigned from the job she has held for 27 years. she has received hate mail, abusive phone messages, and death threats. >> all this was taken into account. she got five years and almost 1,500 pounds in fines but still maintains she does not know why she did it. >> two reminders of another era. cairo's old relics of a time when it was the paris of the middle east. they are under threat for modern development. our correspondent has been taking a look. >> it used to be one of the glories of cairo. now they are crumbling ruins. many more have been demolished.

imagine the fabulous parties. the cream of society and peering out in a full evening dress. i sneaked into one of the magnificent old buildings, reminders of the luxurious past and unappreciated by the residents. >> this is a fabulous deal of. the ornate decoration are absolutely breathtaking, but now there is just a poor family left living here. it is a shadow, just falling down, and that is what the owner wants. he wants it to collapse, presumably so he can build a high rise. >> maybe soon this could look more like this. once the site of a beautiful old vanilla and the family. >> i am ashamed to say -- a beautiful old vanilla -- villa

for a family. >> i am ashamed to say this. >> much of the area has fallen to developers' bulldozers >> there was a lot of harmony on the street. they all have the same look. >> living alone in the huge pile is her childhood friend, unable to sell it or demolish it. >> i cannot sell it. nobody wants to buy it, and i cannot live here, because it is very expensive, and it is a commercial street, so i do not know what to do. >> they are not allowed to knock it down. >> it is of a dilemma a lot of families say common but if somebody would buy it and turn it into a restaurant -- a lot of

families say, but if somebody would buy it and turn it into our restaurant or something unique, it would be wonderful. >> one quiet -- what if it quietly fell down in the middle of the night? >> here is a touch of today's dreaded in the fabric of the path. >> egypt had a different image of itself wendy's villas were being built. >> european women stand side by side with bearded cheeks in this land where the past is never far behind. >> just as these villas expressed a self confident message back then, the decline has its own message. >> is part of our culture. i think there is a mixture. what is really our culture. what really is our history.

>> she worked on the restoration of this magical palace for the egyptian government, and there is a growing respect for the heritage, but clever ideas are needed to make this piece of the past come back to life for the present and the future. >> the manchester united management has revealed his star striker wants to leave the english premier league class. he admits he is shocked and does not want me to go curator of -- want him to go they have a revealing a press conference. >> now we know that wayne wants away. speculation over the future of the star striker has dominated the headlines all week. his manager has kept his

thoughts to himself, but now it turns out that ferguson knew of rene's designs to leave back in august, and today, he broke his silence. >> this is ben news that they would not -- they wanted a way. it was a shock. it was terribly disappointing. we could not understand it. >> it seems the relationship between player and manager has begun to break down, but is it beyond repair? >> he is such a good player. i have done nothing but help him since he has come. that is another mystery for us. in terms of his private life and other matters -- we are as been used as anyone can be.

we do not quite understand why he would want to leave, so i cannot answer your question. you can speculate with your opinions. it will not matter. >> the current deal ends next season, at which point he could leave for nothing. the player could buy himself out of his contract next summer for 5 million pounds. for more likely is united seeking a return for their investment. wealthier neighbors are now among the front-runners to sign rooney. united fans would find such a move hard to stomach, but it appears the curtain could come down on the charismatic stryker's times. >> finally, a flight attendant who quit his job by grabbing of beer and flinging down the emergency chutes made a soft

landing out of court. he had a plea bargain that requires him to go through counseling and substance abuse training. now he won sympathy around the world when he complained about the plane's intercom and he lost patience with a rude passenger and headed home via the emergency exit. david cameron has announced the biggest cuts in defense spending since the end of the cold war. he said manpower cuts of 17,000 will be made over the next five years. the army's strength has been reduced to just under 500,000. he defended a decision to build -- he canceled decisions to build new aircraft carriers. france is starting to build on emergency fuel reserves.

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