Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News: Why is unity so important to Europe?

Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News:

Why is unity so important to Europe?

London (CNN) -- Europe's leaders are battling to keep the eurozone and the wider European Union together in the face of a financial crisis that threatens to split partnerships forged over more than half a century.

So why are they putting so much effort into preserving unity? And can they prevent today's debts and differences from dividing the continent for decades to come?


Why is unity so important to Europe?

The answer lies in Europe's history: The continent has historically been split by long-running conflicts that pitted neighboring countries against each other.

But despite this, the nations of Europe also share much in common, as Professor John Loughlin, of the University of Cambridge's department of politics and international studies explained.

"In the 19th century there was an idea that Europe had a natural unity, that its constituent parts shared an identity, a culture, a history," he told CNN.

Read More: www.CNN.com

Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News: New York police clear Occupy camp

Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News:


New York police have dismantled the Occupy Wall Street camp in Zuccotti Park following a late-night raid.

Protesters were woken at 01:00 (06:00 GMT) and ordered to leave, before police began dismantling tents and removing property.

Occupy Wall Street was set up in September to protest against economic inequality and had inspired dozens of similar camps around the world.

A camp in Oakland, California was cleared overnight on Monday.

Police in New York gave an announcement as their operation began, telling protesters: "The city has determined that the continued occupation of Zuccotti Park poses an increasing health and fire safety hazard."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office released a message on Twitter saying protesters should "temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps" but could return once the park was clear.

Read More: www.bbc.co.uk

Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News: Italy crisis: Senate to vote on austerity measures

Alan Blinkhorn - Urgent News:

Italy crisis: Senate to vote on austerity measures
The Italian senate has begun a debate - to be followed by a vote - on austerity measures designed to avoid a bailout of the eurozone's third largest economy.
The measures are likely to be approved, with the lower house voting at the weekend and paving the way for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign.
A technocrat government possibly led by former EU commissioner Mario Monti is being debated.
On Thursday, Italy raised 5bn euros (£4.3bn) from new government bonds.
But this was at an interest rate of 6.087% to borrow the money for one year.
A vote in the upper house is expected on Friday afternoon or evening.
Mr Berlusconi, who lost his parliamentary majority in a vote on Tuesday, has promised to resign after the austerity measures are passed by both houses of parliament.
Nervous markets
Italy's leaders are desperate to signal that they can bring the country's finances under control, says the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome, and they are moving fast.
Mr Monti, a well respected economist, is exactly the sort of man that the money markets would like to see take charge at this time of crisis, our correspondent says.
The austerity package foresees 59.8bn euros in savings from a mixture of spending cuts and tax rises, with the aim of balancing the budget by 2014. Measures include:

• An increase in VAT, from 20% to 21%

• A freeze on public-sector salaries until 2014

• The retirement age for women in the private sector will gradually rise, from 60 in 2014 until it reaches 65 in 2026, the same age as for men

• Measures to fight tax evasion will be strengthened, including a limit of 2,500 euros on cash transactions

• There will be a special tax on the energy sector

Read more on this story at: www.bbc.co.uk