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>> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporatns. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> is this the crunch summit for europe's leaders? another attempt to find a deal to convince the market, protect economies, and save in the euro. italy's plight -- growing doubts any deal can be finalized without yet another summit. hello, welcome to "gmt." i'm david eads. coming up -- all eight welcome is the new message from turkey as the government accepts it needs help in aftermath of the earthquake which has claimed nearly 2500 lives.

diplomacy or the city -- the latest allegations that pakistan has been helping taliban and surgeons and their battle against western allies. it is midday in london 2:00 in turkey and 1:00 in the afternoon in brussels. the focal point of an economic crisis which is creating arguably the greatest challenge in the political lives of europe's leaders. they will gather in the capital of the eu for a common game plan and a road map for rescuing the week -- weaker economies without crippling the rest. even as they sat for belgium, chances for a deal today appear in long way off. as we speak, german mp's and preparing to vote on a angela merkel's plan. our correspondent is watching the debate. steve, i think it is fair, is it, to say the debate and more to the point, the vote that follows is pretty much a

certainty. it is the way to go through. angela merkel knows she is heading off a bank in brussels with all the right moves behind her, doesn't she? >> i don't think there is much doubt she will get the majority behind what she wants. she has been laying out what she wants. what is interesting is it is not very specific. it is very much a picture of things yet to be discussed. you sometimes get an impression of some its being rubberstamp to basically have a press conferences when stuff already been agreed. i do not think it is true this time. in terms of substance, she says banks in need to take more of a hit on what they lent to greece, and secondly, how you make the central bailout fund go further without putting more money into it remains to be discussed. >> more to the point, it is not going to be discussed today, she seems to be saying. >> that is right. 10 days ago, she and president

sarkozy talked about a comprehensive settlement today. the indication was, after two postponements, that today would be the day an agreement would be forthcoming. but all the tone, and indeed, the words of a speech to the bundestag is more needs to be done. we would need to go down the road with greece for some time yet, was one of the phrases. if you've, are more importantly, if the markets are looking for the answer, i suspect they will not get it from this summit. >> steve evans in berlin, thank you very much. let's see what the mood is in paris. french banks have their issues. but thomas klao is on the european council for foreign relations. given you are in paris, there was a frightening level of commitment for french banks in greece. i presume for a man that is

where the battle lines are drawn -- keep the credit rating up for sarkozy's sake. >> it is actually a vital issue. in fact, sarkozy has been reported as saying that if france were to lose aaa in the next few weeks or months, that would be it in terms of sarkozy winning his reelection. france is watching what is happening in greece, within the banking sector, and germany, with huge anxiety and the politically they are back to the wall. >> the message we are hearing from angela merkel is private- sector involvement can only go one way, up, sharply up, which, of course, is perhaps the issue of this summit. >> one of the key issues. but looking beyond that, i think there is the first the danger -- if the summit fails to agree on the comprehensive package that leaders announced very recently, another see how markets react.

they have been remarkably patient so far. let us see the reaction thursday. but there is growing consensus among observers, columnist, and analysts, that the package of measures, even if it were to be agreed later tonight, it would not be enough to restore confidence in the market and address the deep structural crisis in the banking sector which is overlapping with the eurozone crisis and making this is so dramatic. >> is there one area which can change that attitude from the banks? for example, the bazooka affect what the bailout funds, the sheer size? would that be something that would do it? or, is it so desperate and views about what is best or writes that the markets are not really going to be satisfied with anything. >> one main concern is there is one kish -- keep issues leaders have not addressed, the cumulative effect of state austerity and a contraction of credit in the banking sector as

the banks try to flight individually for safety and a 68 -- at 68 the economy. and the rest of the world being pushed into a recession it is a very serious and insufficiently addressed by all the measures that leaders are looking at currently. >> thank you very much, indeed. let's have a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. three days after the earthquake in eastern turkey, the government in ankara has had a change of heart. it decided it will accept offers of foreign aid to help victims and it is seeking assistance for reconstruction and temporary accommodation for the many thousands left homeless. a rescue worker goes on. an 18-year vessels stood was pulled from the rubble of an apartment building, injured but alive. if you hours ago, a 27-it is old

woman, an english teacher, had a heart attack during her rescue but she was revived. my colleague is close to the epicenter. tim, we can see from there, the work goes on. >> the worker goes on, david pitted two remarkable survival stories again overnight. the english teacher, the woman, and also the student mechanics discovered alive. the english teacher, though, had a heart attack and had to be revived when she was rescued. i am in a different location from yesterday. this is opposite the mosque. and this is an apartment building that had 24 flats in it. a man was found here alive today days ago. if you look weatherman with the blue jacket and a crowbar and hellbent -- if you look at the man with the blue jacket and -- quiteellbmrt frankly they did not hold out

any hope. it looked at this is a six- story building, concertina'd right down, the whole thing completely flattened. i was speaking to rescue workers, harrowing stories. they say they keep on digging, hoping somebody will be found alive but really they don't expect us to be the case now. one rescue worker telling me yesterday they found a mother and her five-year-old daughter raft in each other's arms in the sitting room of their apartment, that had been dead almost immediately from the moment the earthquake happened. he said those moments are very tough. as the day's lows -- days go on, as you can imagine, the disposition becomes unpleasant as well. a harrowing, but they continue to work here. just briefly -- no power here as well. people are relying on generators. of the bbc that a generator overnight was taken by the jail

because their generators were running out of fuel, so they borrowed ours and let us a note saying they hope we don't mind. there was a riot in a jail following an aftershock, 5.4. a very serious aftershock. prisoners demanding to be removed from the jail. and today, we're hearing they are being transferred to other prisons in the area. >> tim, thank you very much, indeed. thailand that a prime investor has warned all parts of bangkok and now threatened by flooding. in a television -- televised address, he says the capital can no longer be guaranteed protection from rising waters. the government declared a five- day holiday beginning thursday so people will have the time to move their belongings to higher ground. barack obama said the downfall of libya's colonel gaddafi send a strong message to dictators and other nations. speaking on "the tonight show"

he said gaddafi was given ample opportunity for a peaceful transition to mott -- -- to democracy but chose not to do so. people were killed and injured after a fuel tanker exploded in northern afghanistan. the governor of the province said the bomb had created a whole and the tanker and as people gathered to collect fuel, the vehicle and then burst into flames and a second explosion. -- in a second explosion. more on our main store -- the ge bailout fund, the strength of the banks, european leaders are also facing a potential fourth problem -- what to do about it late. prime minister silvio berlusconi is heading to brussels, somewhat battered and bruised by weeks of trying to bring forward critical -- credible austerity measures. let's go to rome and our correspondents at a time, david, when the rumors are reverberating around europe that brook steppe -- silvio berlusconi is ready to step

down. >> this is an italian newspapers, but someone from the northern league denied this. clearly mr. berlusconi is walking on very dangerous ground. chances are that he will not survive very long, simply because opposition to his continuing in office is growing, not only for the opposition but also some of the people in his own party. they think his performance has not been credible. it just as the european leaders meeting in brussels have asked mr. berlusconi to return today with some concrete proposals in his pocket. but what he has got in his pocket is what he is calling a letter of intent. in other words, more promises. and whether this is going to satisfy the prince -- particularly at angela merkel and nicolas sarkozy, who have not hidden their lack of belief in mr. berlusconi's ability to

pull a new rabbit out of his hat, as it were, i think it may well be that he decides in the end that's the only way out of this crisis is for him to step down and what the president of italy to call for new elections next year. hitherto, berlusconi insisted he would stay on until 2013. and that an intriguing situation. while the appears so weak, at the same time he must know the eu government does not want a government crisis prone to there had as well. if they can exact promises and commitments from the prime minister now, it is better than a period of limbo that could last for months. >> limbo in italy means a lot more bickering between local politicians and the prospects of many weeks, in fact, months, without a proper government.

this is not a story which would inspire international financial markets, either. i think the attitude of mr. berlusconi, he must be banking on the fact that the devil unknown is better than the devil that is unknown. and he hopes to limp along, anyway, at least until christmas. >> thank you very much, indeed. you are watching "gmt." still to come -- occupy wall street protesters in new york win the support of a community -- with certain conditions. a meeting with meerkats that are arrived on a royal tram, one of the few unusual moments and the queen's visit to milburn. she is on a eighth day of her tory -- of her tour in australia.

>> the nurses were in eye- catching pink and the -- this is a brand new royal children's hospital in melbourne where the queen that camellia, two, and was not quite sure whether to hand over her posy. one-shot lead her a book and went -- leaned in close to hear the queen's thank you. and twins separated a few years ago and now doing well. a hospital with a difference, probably the only one in the world with its own zoo. of the queen met the meerkats and -- the queen met the meerkat and they gazed back. on the streets of melbourne, many gathered to see the queen ride by and one of the signature vehicles, a drama. a good crowd, warm welcome, successful visit. but the character would change friday when the queen steps into her role as head of the commonwealth to open the

commonwealth heads of government conference. the monarchy will be one of the subjects discussed at the commonwealth summit, when leaders consider changing the laws of successions so doctors have equal rights tucsons to succeed to the throne. it bbc news, melbourne. >> the last of america's most powerful nuclear bombs from the cold war era has been dismantled. b53 was designed to destroy underground bunkers, 600 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on the japanese city of hiroshima at the end of the second world war. this is "gmt" from bbc world news. these are the headlines -- a angela merkel has told the german parliament that euro's leaders must act decisively when they meet today to find a solution to the debt crisis.

turkey says it will accept foreign aid to help the deal with the aftermath of the earthquake. it had previously insisted it could call on its own. let's get a look at the business news. ben is here with me. we are talking about the eurozone crisis. too big to fail, too big possibly for the european countries alone to deal with anyway. >> eurozone leaders -- many eurozone leaders have plans about what they would like to do, the bailout funds and reducing or running down the debts, but the problem is, they don't have the money. where will that come from? some suggest it could be the emerging economies now that will deliver the money. looking outside the borders of the eurozone for this task. we heard today that the head of the bailout fund is to head to china at the weekend. it could be drumming up support for the bailout funds. because, of course, while the emerging economies are keen to eurozone puts its own affairs

and order, it is also dependent on the eurozone for trade and business. so, the fortunes of what happens in the eurozone also impacts the emerging economies, too. amazon dropped 73% after the company invested heavily in the candle tablet computer. it said third quarter net income was $63 million. it also forecast lower than expected sales for the next quarter. it covers the crucial christmas period. a nokia launches its new phone, the company buys a first product to operate with the windows operating system. the deal with microsoft was signed in february. the finnish firm was hard hit by the launch of the iphone. i just want to tell you what the market is doing today. all reaction, pretty muted reaction because the european markets will be closed before we get any information out of brussels this afternoon.

not expecting any real details emerging before the markets close. we saw the dax in germany slipped slightly. we will keep an eye on how the vote goes in berlin this afternoon. you can see the european markets are all pretty flat on the day. not a huge amount of movement. waiting to see exactly what happens in brussels. >> thank you very much, indeed. there have been clashes between police and protesters on the streets of oakland in california officers set up teargas to disperse demonstrators as they protested over arrest at an occupy wall street camp. the oakland the site is one it -- one of a number of camps across the u.s. to protest what off -- what protesters described as corporate greed and other economic issues. back to where it started, in new york, protesters had their right to demonstrate backed by a community board that they have been told to turn down the volume. a report from manhattan.

>> the relevant -- rhythm of the occupy wall street protest. the drummers are against what they see as corporate greed. this neighborhood is already reverberating with the construction work at ground zero, the site of the 9/11 attacks. but the drummers and say this sound is an essential part. >> since day one, the drumming only intensified and intensified. it literally is a large part of what credit of the momentum. >> protesting proposition -- protesters against economic equality have been around the world, from london to hong kong. but after six weeks can doubt, their right to freedom of expression is colliding with the neighbors' rights of a quiet life. >> we are directly affected by the occupy wall street process -- >> at a manhattan community board meeting, neighbors and business owners who had enough of the protesters broke out.

>> i did not support the commandeering of a privately owned plaza would mattresses, tents, gas-powered generators, always smiling the posted rules, interfere with the enjoyment of others and prevent the regular cleaning of the park. >> we are all in favor of free speech. there is a time, please, and manner. this is not it. >> many supported the protesters and their back yard whose message is global. >> finally the young people have awakened and i am so proud of them. we need to be focused on where the problems in this neighborhood are coming from. they are not coming from those speaking out but coming from the mayor will want to this movement to fail, to protect his income and his friends income. >> the board voted to support occupy wall street's right to protest, while calling for the drumming to be limited to two hours a day. the drummers want to play for longer. the tension between freedom of assembly and neighbors rights is

becoming more pronounced. bbc news, new york. >> was staying in the states, the man who became a political sensation under the name of joe the plumber is himself to run for congress. samuel joseph wurzelbacher protest -- contest one of ohio's seats. he gained nationwide attention during the presidential campaign to thousand after he challenged barack obama on economic policy. steve kingston reports. >> it is official and perhaps inevitable, joe the plumber is now joe the candidate. he told supporters that he would be running on his life experience. >> i am going to run because i have been there. i know how it is to live paycheck to paycheck. i have done that most of my life and i am doing it just now. politicians don't understand. they keep playing politics with our lives. i am tired of it. that it would come down to. i am sick and tired of it. >> his full name is daniel joseph wurzelbacher but he

became a campaign sensation in 2008 as a joke -- joe the plumber when he challenged obama. >> your note tax plan will tax me more, is in it? from here is what will happen. >> the plain speaking plummer was soon coopted by opponents john mccain. he was repeatedly referenced in a prime-time presidential debate. >> joe the plumber. >> joe the plumber. >> joke. >> talking about joe -- >> joe the plumber. about five minutes of fame that spawn a book here -- book deal and a new career as a motivational speaker. he will now run for congress as a republican but he insists his disdain for party politics is what will help him fix washington. >> as of the united states prepares to withdraw its troops from afghanistan, there are tensions with pakistan about its relationship with insurgents.

last week, pakistan said it could do more to prevent militant crews from operating in its borders but a bbc investigation found allegations pakistan has been actively supporting insurgents while acting as washington's ally in public. >> the long war in afghanistan was intensifying in 2006, causing cattle to -- casualties among afghans and troops mainly from the u.s. and u.k. now there is no evidence of pakistan that his support for the taliban fighting the war. one insurgents says he was trained by pakistani intelligence, the isi. >> the military would arrive in cars and 8:00 a.m. and leave at 4:00 p.m.. they will wearing the uniforms of isi. they give a specialized weapons training. >> the u.s. was certain by 2008 that pakistan had controlled the

gunman who went on a rampage in mumbai. as evidence piled up of a secret double game in afghanistan as well. >> our own intelligence was unequivocal in afghanistan. we saw an insurgency that was not only getting passive support from the pakistani army and a pakistani intelligence service, isi, but getting active support. then it was only when the u.s. stopped giving pakistan tipoffs of impending drawn attacks that the attacks became successful. >> at the beginning of the draw and operations week in pakistan advanced tipoff of where we were going, and every single time the target was not there anymore. you didn't have to be sherlock holmes to put the docks to the other. >> pakistan has denied all of these charges. they are fighting their own campaign against insurgents in the frontier region and the night they back the taliban. >> all the attacks on the grounds, the evidence, they all

speak contrary to this perception that the state or the isi is in support of these groups, providing the sanctuaries, providing material support. >> the recent assault on the u.s. embassy in kabul was quickly blamed on pakistan as the u.s. has taken a harder line. but new revelations raise a further uncomfortable questions from the u.s. and u.k. governments will both have large aid budgets and pakistan and counted as an ally. bbc news. >> a reminder of our top story -- the german chancellor angela merkel has said concrete solutions to the eurozone debt crisis are needed and past mistakes must be tackled so it does not develop further. she also spoke to the need of a fire wall to prevent the contagion of greek that sport -- spreading to other countries. she has been to the bundestag for a key vote and she is now

heading to brussels for another summit on the future of europe. that is at the moment. stay with us on bbc world news. plenty more is still to come. >> 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.

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