>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. shell. and union bank.

>> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> the greek prime minister fighting for his political survival ahead of a confidence vote. how the crisis is affecting ordinary people. >> we're going to have to live on 500 euros. >> the presence of the european commission admits greece could -- president of the european commission admits greece could leave the euro. welcome to "bbc world news." also in this program -- after

spending 17 months on a simulated mission to the bread plant, back from mars -- from the red planet, back from mars. >> it is still political turmoil in athens today as prime minister george papandreou faces a vote of confidence. the opposition is calling for papandreou to resign. it's not clear whether greece will leave the euro. the president of the european commission has said it is a possibility. my colleague is live in athens following all the developments for us today. >> hello and welcome to athens. it is said that the global

market hates uncertainty. that's what they have aplenty in greece today with the politics of the country in turmoil after reports yesterday the prime minister was resigning, was not resigning, that his finance minister was moving against him, that they have abandoned plans of a referendum. tonight, all focus will be on the greek parliament where there is that a vote of confidence on prime minister george papandreou and his government. there are all sorts of rumors about what might unfold, but nobody knows anything for certain. let's get this report from our europe correspondent, matthew price. >> this is now the epicenter of europe's debt crisis. what happens at the greek parliament will help to determine the future not just of this country, but the eurozone as a whole. the greek prime minister is clinging on. his call to hold a referendum on

the next week bailout package provoked this crisis. >> [speaking foreign language] >> opening a discussion on the referendum revived many. it created a positive shock and brought positive results to the political world. >> businesses have shut down and tens of thousands have been sacked as parts of massive government cuts. still, it's not enough. >> i do not think we have dreams for the future in this country. it is awful for us. >> we do not know what will happen from one time to another. >> at the parliament today, there will be a vote of confidence. political turmoil is making an economic solution even harder to find. if greece cannot sort out its debt problem, europe as a

whole cannot contain its growing crisis. matthew price, bbc news, athens. >> that's why they're so much focus on what's happening in greece at the g-20 summit in cannes. that is where the leaders have gathered. last week, it looks like a deal had been reached for the eurozone countries at the eu summit. prime minister george papandreou came back and said there would have to be a referendum. what do the g-20 think will happen next? let's get this report from our diplomatic correspondent. >> leaders of the dominant economies are still struggling to agree on ways to step up bailout funds for those countries laid down -- countries weighed down with debt. the latest news from greece has revived hopes of the country

could still get behind a tough rescue package that was agreed upon by all eurozone countries last week. >> [speaking foreign language] >> it's important that there should be a quick yes to the decisions of october 27. this has been stressed by everyone here. all international participants have stressed that the decisions of october 27 are headed in the right direction. >> amid so much uncertainty, key eurozone countries at this g-20 summit met late into the night after french president nicolas sarkozy said greece could not continue to defy eurozone rules. >> [speaking foreign language] >> i in no way would i want to give the impression we're interfering in their domestic affairs. on the other hand, this is about the defense of the euro and the defense of europe. europe and the euro are our

homeland and that has to be defended. >> drafts of possible outcomes from the summit, if precise wording can be agreed upon during the final day, could help global economic recovery. one commitment may come from rapidly growing countries, offering to increase their spending. that would boost demand for goods and services, including from countries struggling to achieve growth and create new jobs. bbc news, cannes. >> it's hard to overstate the significance of this change of thinking we are seeing from other eurozone countries. now, countering the possibility that greece may not be able to stay in the euro after all. until now, there's no question greece will be part of the euro. george osborn has been speaking about that this morning. >> i think we have a day of hard

negotiating ahead of us here in cannes. the eurozone has to face up to their responsibilities. they have to stand up for their own currency. no one else can do that for them. the rest of the world, which also includes countries like china, japan, and the like, have to ensure that the international economic system is stable and well funded. that includes the imf. that will be the subject of the discussion today. it might look technical, but it's really about protecting the global economy and creating stability. that will help create jobs that we need to see. >> what are your hopes today? it's a fast-moving situation. what do you think will go on there today? what concerns do you have about the greek exit from the euro? >> and the end, people in france cannot determine what happens in athens. that has got to before the greek people in greek politicians. we can make sure the world is

prepared for any outcome. we can make sure that the eurozone fix up their responsibilities, as i have said, and stand behind their own currency. when it comes to the rest of the world, including europe, china, japan, and the like, we have got to make sure the international system remains stable and can deal with big shocks. that means making sure institutions like the imf are ready to deal with what ever is thrown to them. >> the chancellor of the exchequer there. let's speak with our economics correspondent. it's hard to think of a situation where such a tiny economy, relatively speaking, like greece, has commanded so much attention of the world's leaders. >> indeed.

you might say that the first it was very much about greece. i'm sure officials and leaders here are focused on the confidence vote. another conclusion that came about yesterday is that they cannot hope to control what's going on in greece anymore. their emphasis now has to be on hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst, as well. that means you get into this discussion you just heard the chancellor talk about. how much of the rest of the world has to do to help the europeans sort out their problems. there's a sense france and germany were criticizing the greeks. you could save the eurozone is now holding the global -- you could say the eurozone is holding the global economy for ransom. america, britain, china, and russia all want to see the europeans solve their problems.

only then when they have shown real determination in the rescue plan announced last week -- only then, supposedly, will they get these new resources from the imf. that's a game of chicken. i think we will see a new allocation of money from the imf. what we get from the europeans is less clear at this stage. >> yes. does that mean the chinese, russians, and americans have to step up to the plate, because the consequences of not doing so would be so much worse? >> yes. it's not quite been looked at in those terms. one of the problems with returning to the imf is that everything that has to do with the imf is horrendously complicated. basically, there is money the imf can create. we will get a bit more of that this afternoon. we have a bit more at the g-20 meeting in london.

we will probably get another allegation of that money, which goes to all members of the imf. the idea is the european countries could put their bit together. there's another piece of this that even more complicated, which might involve countries like china and russia offering to lend more money to the imf. it is a very complex deal. i do not think that part of this is done. i do think we will see this news of the injection of liquidity by the imf. the key thing to remember, even if we're talking about 500 billion euros, it is still small compared to what countries like italy or spain would actually need. the rest of the world does not have enough money to solve this crisis, if it really does reach that point. >> yeah. that's exactly what i wanted to ask you about, the situation in

italy, and your understanding of the meeting last night with silvio for less toberlusconi. >> there's a feeling that they are somewhat of an innocent victim. in a sense, the markets have been unfair on this by making them pay higher borrowing rates at the moment. if you push interest rates up high enough, then they too have a problem with their economy. there's also a political leadership issue. is berlusconi a strong enough figure? there are enormous questions about that. they have asked the imf to give enhanced surveillance, a badge of approval, to italian policies. i think that's a missions to the

markets that are on the right track and they are grownups in rome. >> stephanie flanders there in cannes. much more on that to come. much more on the current crisis in the eurozone and in greece. you are watching "bbc world news." more to come. we get a little closer to mars after 17 months. a mission to the red planet. several miners have been pulled out alive after they were trapped underground following a coal mine accident in china. rescuers are searching for 50 people still missing. the explosion happened at sanmenxia. michael bristow reports from beijing. >> this was the moment rescue

workers and families have been waiting for. miners pulled out alive. the men were taken to wai ting ambulances. a couple had minor injuries and were managing to walk out on their own. dozens are still trapped underground. china has a terrible record when it comes to mine safety. thousands die every year. this might not be to blame for this particular accident. it is still not clear exactly what happened, but miners appeared to have been trapped after a sudden explosion of rock that came minutes after an earthquake that hit the area where the mine is located. at least one official linked the two events. that is to work out later. for now, those at the service

just want news of the miners might still be alive. authorities say they're doing everything they can to get them out. michael bristow, bbc news, beijing. >> the united states has accused china of being the source of hacking. more from washington -- >> the report points the finger at china as the most active perpetrator of cyber attacks around the world. it says it is leading an onslaught against u.s. companies. it also accuses the russian intelligence service. >> this is "bbc world news." the headlines for you. the prime minister of greece is facing a confidence vote after a week of political turmoil. as the g-20 leaders meet again in cannes, the president of the

european commission says it is possible greece could leave the euro. now, an ethnic tibetan has tried to set fire to himself in front of the chinese embassy in delhi, but was quickly overpowered by police. the protester is demanding independence for tibet. let's go to delhi and speak to our correspondent. this is quite a distressing case. there have been a number of these types of protests. >> yes, there have been several since march of this year. most of them are in southwest china. a number of protesters setting themselves ablaze. thursday, there were reports a nun had died after setting herself on fire. incident took place outside the

chinese embassy, which is a heavily guarded area. there were a number of police there, which is probably why they were able to act as quickly as they did. the protester was on his own. he had just gotten off a public bus and doused himself with some sort of fuel. >> the message is pretty clear. >> yes, that's right. this is part of a continuing wave of protests against chinese rule in tibet. there have been protests in india, as well. on the one hand, and it is home to the dalai lama, the spiritual leader of all tibetans. at the same time, india is very wary. they're trying to put a quick lead on these protests and make sure they do not happen too often, so as not to annoy the chinese.

>> thank you very much. six men her work in a mission for over 500 days in a mock mission to mars have emerged from their capsule. they communicated with the rest of the world with a delay of 20 minutes, just as they would on the red planted. this was to test how their minds and bodies would cope on a space flight. they say they miss their family and friends, but they were proud of their achievements. the italian crew member said the experiment was a significant one. >> it's really great to see you all again. it is rather overwhelming. on the mars500 mission, we have achieved on earth the longest space voyage ever, so that humankind can one day greek a on another planet.

it has been an honor to have been part of this remarkable achievement with five of the most professional, friendly, and resilient individuals i have ever worked with. i will be forever thankful for those close to me during this long odyssey. >> daniel was there. you were with the families. how did they ever let them go? >> i do not think they have much choice. this is something the six men chose to do. it is not a conventional space exploration. it was essentially a very large tin can in a suburb in moscow.

throughout the 500 days, they kept spirits that this was a worthwhile project. they do feel like this has proved something and opened up the way for men to make the trip to mars. they were all still talking about mars still being at least 20 years away, if not more than that. >> they said the most difficult thing was the isolation and the tedium. >> in truth, that will be the biggest problem, if anyone does make the journey to mars. it would take several months using the technology at the moment. millions and millions of miles to reach what is in effect to the nearest planet to us. it will be a very, very boring journey. that's why this test was so important. is it possible for six men to live in a confined space, living

only on artificial light. is it possible for them to do that and not fall out with each other so badly that it is a danger to the mission. these men managed to stay in good condition throughout the trip. it is possible. it's been seen as a success. >> incredible stuff. it's great that they came out safe and happy. thank you very much, daniel. back to greece. the 340 billion euros of debt have brought upon massive austerity cuts that caused many protests on the streets. the prime minister wants to hold a referendum on the new deal. what do ordinary greeks now make of the focus on their country and the crisis there in? i spoke to in athens have a lihousewife and mother of two.

she wants the whole government to go. >> i'm afraid we have the wrong kind of leaders. i do not know if i will leave the country, but i'm not happy with what has been done so far. >> can you explain to us how the cuts have affected you and your family? >> it is so complicated. i do not know where to begin. it is like you are married to somebody. the greek people married the greek politicians of government and trusted them. the marriage was not exactly perfect. ok, nothing is perfect in life. in the beginning, it was small things like being late for work and not bringing enough money home and for getting birthdays. it got worse and worse. you get the feeling that something is not right. you have no facts. you have no proof. one day your husband is gone and you find the bank people at your door saying that you all the

money. i do not know anything. i pay my bills. they give you a piece of paper that says, "you owe billions of euros" or whatever. it's all in your husband's signature. he has signed papers to mortgage your home that you have to pay now. and now we have to pay. >> and in your daily life, in your own household budget -- >> ini am trying to tell you how frustrated we feel. my day life? well, we stopped buying fresh milk. we cannot afford it. we go to the open air markets to buy clothing. we cannot go to shops. we have friends from germany to call us. we cannot go see them,

obviously. we tell them that we would like to come. they're not happy that they have to pay for us. they're not paying for us. we are paying for somebody that we cannot see. we are paying for some bank that gave us money that we cannot see. >> do you think it would help now if you came out of the euro? >> we should not have been in the euro. the greek economy is not strong enough for the2. germany, maybe, but not greece. they never asked us if we wanted to be in the euro. they are now asking us to have a referendum. i think this is crazy. >> do you think you should come out now? >> no. i think it would be the worst thing to do for greece and everybody else. >> what is your message today to your prime minister, george prime minister george papandreou? what should he do now?

>> resign, please. >> any government that comes in will have tocuts, a tougher ausy measures. >> i know. i know. >> you and your family will have to suffer more, will vion't you? >> we are going to have to live on 500 euros. cost of living is equal to that of london. how does that seem to you? >> an athens housewife's speaking to me earlier about just how tough it is living in athens as the crisis continues. a couple of other stories for you. a qantas a-380 has landed safely in dubai after engine problems. the aircraft had more than 280 people on it. last year, a qantas a-380 had a

similar issue and had in explosion. the united states wants a group of pro-palestinian activists not to -- much more on all our news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. union bank. and shell. >> this is kim - about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell, we're developing more

efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy resources. let's use energy more efficiently. let's go.