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>> 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." >> as the pressure mounts on european leaders to find a solution to their debt crisis when they meet today in brussels. in italy, the crisis could force political change. reports in the last hour are saying silvio berlusconi may step down in the new year. more survivors have been pulled from the rubble in eastern turkey, three days after the earthquake. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm peter dobbie. also in the next 30 minutes -- new evidence suggests pakistan has been supporting the insurgency against nato troops in afghanistan. and, the last of america's most powerful cold war-era nuclear bombs, the b53, what are

dismantled. >> european leaders are returning to brussels today for the second time in less than a week to try to sort out the debted crisis across the couldn't nenlt. one of the biggest issues for european leaders is how to contain debt in italy. well, it's emerged in the past hour or so that the italian prime minister, silvio berlusconi, is going to the summit with an offer of economic reform, the letter of intent. hammer out a last-minute deal in the italian parliament. there are newspaper reports from italy saying that the deal includes an early election next year. now, that would mean he would have to step down before the election. however, we also have another report from a spokesman working with mr. berlusconi denying those reports. let's take you live to brussels

and our correspondent, matthew price. matthew, we haven't got any confirmation, and i suspect we don't get it any time soon on mr. berlusconi, but it underlines how vulnerable the president and prime ministers are at the heart of this eurozone debt crisis. >> yeah, i think -- i mean, a couple of initial thoughts on this, because the news is still breaking and is pretty tricky to analyze without ought full facts, but my initial thought is that, you know, italy is a crucial part of the jigsaw puzzle that they're trying to solve. it's got large levels of debt, the markets have been turning against this, and if there is political turmoil in italy, then you could argue that that is bad news in terms of italy trying to get its debt sorted out. at the same time, if what you were first reporting there, peter, about there being some sort of deal brokered to put in place the building blocks of what other european leaders want to see in italy in terms of economic reforms, and if it's part of that deal early early early has said, ok, look,

we need to do this on the economic side, but on the political side, a quid pro quo, but i will step down, then you could argue it's actually a good thing. i'm afraid it's a mixed message from me at the moment, but we're not in full possession of the full facts. >> when angela merkel gets there, we think she's going to get the votes in the german parliament. how does that lock into the process that may nudge the whole thing forward in a positive direction? >> may in capital letters, i think. look, without that vote, then it's another big problem for the eurozone. i think it looks as you're indicating that angela merkel is going to get that vote. under german law, under the court ruling from last month, the parliament needs to vote in terms of these big-picture economic decisions that angela merkel then brings to the table here in brussels.

so it's part of the process that allows germany's most -- europe's most important woman, the most important country arguably in this whole process, it's part of the process that allows her to come here and sit down with her fellow leaders and say, all right, i've got my parliament's permission to now start talking about the detail of this sort of level. >> you know, it doesn't look as if we're going to get to the end. day, this is billed as the big dasme i've been saying it for several days now, so, too, have plenty other reporters and commentators, but it doesn't look we're going to get to the end of the day and finally have a piece of paper that gives us details on the figures and numbers involved. it looks as though it's going to propel us forward in terms of the kind of positions that are firming up. but at this stage, it doesn't lack like there's agreement on the firm numbers. >> so what happens next, matthew? do they just kick it forward to the g-20 in france?

>> well, certainly the g-20 on november 3 and 4 is going to be crucial. the americans, president obama and others, have said that by the g-20 they want europe to have a proper plan in place, just because today will not be the end of european and eurozone's summit on this issue . in the background, diplomats and experts will be tinkering with all those figures, trying to come up with the next phase of a workable plan. i guess the hope is this, that they can put in place the political and economic compromise that gives them a little bit more breathing room. but, you know, because this is also complicated, dealing with the big picture, the big bazooka, as david cameron put it, it's clear it's not going to happen because the european union is a collective of 27 nations and the eurozone a collective of 17, and they've all got to agree on the way forward.

i think they agree on the importance of moving forward, but at the same time, the markets have always proved to be slightly ahead of them, if not greatly ahead of them. and i don't think there's anything -- they're certainly working hard behind the scenes, but i don't think there's anything to indicate that they are, as i said, going to be able to turn around and say this is our ultimate solution and we've solved t. the problem of debt in europe is simply too big. >> matthew, thanks very much. let's just recap on the italian government, they've done two deals. deal number one, there was a letter of intent in silvio berlusconi's back pocket that he's taking to the e.u. similarity that matthew was reporting on in brussels. he will say, i've done a deal. the percentage of g.d.p. is huge. there is another deal which is also been done, we understand, which involves mr. berlusconi agreeing to stand down at some point in the new year and there will then be another election in italy. david, have i got that right?

that's the deal they've got done, and it looks like he may be on the way out by negotiations? >> may be. >> these are unconfirmed reports that, nonetheless, it would not surprise anyone to learn mr. berlusconi has decided basically to throw in the towel in the new year in the hope that he might get elected under a controversial law which was passed by him in the dying days of previous government, and i think that he feels that this could set him again back in the -- the thing is there is basically no alternative to mr. berlusconi, nobody to take over. he's a very catty politician. don't forget, he's been dominating italian politics off and on for 17 years. and he's not -- he may be down, but he's not yet out. >> but very briefly, david, how

can he go from only winning a vote of confidence by 16 votes, what was it, 10 days ago now, to really think he could be re-elected back into government? >> this controversial electoral law gives a bonus of seats in parliament to the party which gets a relative majority. so even if he did moderately well in elections, he's counting on the fact that the left-wing opposition here is so divided. last time they were in government, there was something like 16 different factions. so although he's not in a position of strengthening his own party, he is certainly still the dominant figure in italian politics today. and he's not going without a struggle. >> we'll have to wait and see. david willey live in rome, thanks very much. european leaders gathering in brussels, there are still major sticking points between the main eurozone powers, france

and germany. we'll get the view from paris and berlin a little later live here on "bbc world news." what are the markets doing? ben has that for us. they want stability, confidence. they haven't got it. >> they're all in wait and sigh mode. i want to show you the figures on the european markets straight away. pretty much the markets saying wait and see. they're trying to find out what happens. not great expectations that we'll get anything concrete out of europe as of this afternoon, but markets really just wanting a clear direction, as you said, about what happens next. there are three key sticking points we've been hearing about today, the first, of course, is protecting the banks against these future losses. these banks, recapitalization. second one beefing up this rescue fund for the banks, but then this is the one that could really have a knock-on effect for the markets, because it really sets the tone in reducing greece's debt. that's a real sticking point here, how do we -- how do the markets really factor this in about how you reduce this debt for greece?

real concern about whether we will hear anything today by all indications on the markets there, it doesn't seem we're going to hear anything soon. >> because traders are fed one greece. there was one trade they are morning saying or being quoted as saying, look, what you're talking about here is the g.d.p. of a small u.s. state that doesn't make very much, and yet the world, the market, they're obsessed with greece, because it is the linchpin, and from that everything else would flow. >> probably sentiment and confidence in the market, because as you said, in itself, not hugely significant, but actually this tone is it sets the entire eurozone, and indeed, that is the problem that investors are really hanging on to any bits of news that we get out of the eurozone, and the markets are at the whim of that, so we get one piece of information that's sending the markets huge swings by the way, big swings on the market, which actually they should be having the same sort of effect they're having. but markets pretty flat. they're really waiting to see what we hear out of europe this afternoon. >> ben, thanks very much.

rescuers in turkey have managed to save two more people today trapped in the rubble after that devastating earthquake on sunday afternoon. a 27-year-old woman was pulled alive. she's now in critical condition after her heart stopped during the rescue. earlier workers freed an 18-year-old man, a university student, who spent 61 hours trapped inside a collapsed apartment building. 450 people have been killed so far. our correspondent, jonathan head, is in ercis in eastern turkey. he said hopes are increasingly looking unlikely. >> where i'm standing now, there's quite a lot of tension with the people here. these are all family members who got relatives inside the rebel behind me. they've been digging away at this ever since the earthquake. they've got a big crane now, pulling big slabs of concrete out. so they're getting into the crushed part of the building. people at the top survived, but the bottom layers of this, bottom stories of the seven-story building were completely crushed.

what they're expecting to find, realistically, is bodies and all the relatives here are very tense, very distressed. we see people holding hands, looking very emotional. there is, of course, a chance that they heard nothing, but those survivals they've pulled off have given them hope. so they're picking off this rubble, piece by piece. every time they chip away, they lift the concrete up, and they're getting down story by story through the collapsed building. >> jonathan head reporting there. reports from afghanistan say at least 10 people have been killed and more than 20 were injured after a bomb attack on a fuel truck in the province of parwan north of kabul. the governor said a mal neth bomb had blown a hole in the vehicle. when people gathered around to collect the leaking fuel, there was then a larger explosion. the islamic party in tunisia is in talks as official results are declared in tunisia.

the electoral commission confirmed that ennahda was well ahead in the polls. >> part of bangkok's chinatown has been flooded to the rising level of the nearby river. this comes as the thai prime minister warns that all parts of the capital are now vulnerable as flood barriers might not be able to hold that massive runoff water into the city from the north following weeks of heavy rains. you're watching "bbc world news." still to come -- the queen continues her tour of australia with a trip to a children's hospital in melbourne. >> the man who became a political sensation in the states, joe the plumber, is himself to run for congress. he told supporters that he'd be contesting one of ohio's seats in next year's elections.

the plain-speaking plumber gained nationwide attention during the 2008 presidential campaign after challenging barack obama on economic policy. here's steve kingston. >> it's official, and programs inevitable. joe the plumber is now joe the candidate. he told supporters that he'd be running on his life experience. >> i am going run because i've been there. i know how it is to live paycheck to paycheck. i'm doing it just now. the politicians don't understand. they keep on playing politics with our lives. i'm tired of it. that's what it comes down. to i'm sick and tired of it. >> his full name is samuel joseph, but it was as joe the plumber that he became a campaign sensation in 2008 after challenging the then-candidate obama on economic policy. >> your new tax plan is going to tax me more. >> the plain-speaking plumber was soon co-opted by john mccain. the two men appeared together on the campaign trail, and he

was repeatedly referenced in a primetime presidential debate. >> joe the plumber. >> joe the plumber. >> joe. >> joe. >> we're talking about joe. >> joe the plumber. >> five minutes of fame that brought a book deal and a new career as a motivational speaker. he'll now run for congress as a republican, but the plumber insisted disdain for party politics is what will help him fix washington. steve kingston, bbc news, washington. >> don't forget, you can get lots more on all our top stories. check out our website, bbc.com/news, background and analysis, plus video and audio content as well. also click on the icon to send us email or a text, bbc.com/news. >> "bbc world news" with me, peter dobbie, these are the top stories. e.u. leaders are under massive pressure to find a solution to their debt crisis when they meet today in brussels.

>> angela merkel is turning up in brussels. >> never say never, but there doesn't seem to be much doubt that the vote is going to go her way. the opposition has said it will vote with her, so she will get this vote, which will signal pretty tight conditions on what, if you like, the german taxpayers prepare to do. she will go to brussels with that vote and say this is my position, and furthermore, my ability to move from it is limited by that vote in parliament and also by the german constitution. so, it's a bit of a par beganning tool on her part. >> and our correspondent, christian fraser, also joins us from our bureau in paris much this is the summit of the last chance, because it hasn't been an easy relationship even over the past two weeks between the

french and germans. >> no, you're right. we often get this image of them telling the weak what to do, but that hides the weakness of the economy and also hides the general mistrust between the two governments from time to time that's really coming to the fore, when there was a rather heated exchange between angela merkel and nicolas sarkozy. the reason is, if you go back to the start of this crisis at the end of 2009, there's been a very different attitude and position of the two governments. the germans, quite rightly, will be passed to the german taxpayers, said, look, we're not going to pour money into a bucket. we need structural reform, which is why angela merkel has been talking about treaty changes and trying to push silvio berlusconi into passing some sort of reforms that are meaningful. the french, because of their precious a.a.a. rating and high level of debt they're carrying, around 87% of g.d.p., are terrified of contagion. the feeling that the markets aren't seeing a solution, the

passing of the buck to spain and then italy and the consequences that would have for the french economy, that is what they fear the most. there is, i think, a flavor in the newspapers supported by the british and american governments that germany is missing the point, they need action today. that is why, as you said at the outset, there is a headline in the financial newspaper in france today that this is the summit of the last chance. >> and for the voters, do the polls suggest that the people think mr. sarkozy can solve the problems? >> no, they don't. if you look at the polls, there is no president that has ever come from so far behind, as nicolas sarkozy now has to do. the socialist candidate was chosen by his party last week. he's miles ahead in the polls. there was one poll at the weekend that suggested if the two of them came to the second round -- and that's a big if

that sarkozy would get to the second round -- he would take 68% of the vote to 32% for nicolas sarkozy. if you look at the polls for how much confidence they have in the ability to sort out the crisis, only 32% think nicolas sarkozy has the answers, 48% for his opponent. next week, he has this very important g-20 summit. all the leaders of the big international powers coming here to france. he's the chair. if he goes to that summit without a proper solution to the crisis or at least a big step towards that solution, then and he angela merkel are going to look pretty silly. the last thing he wants, the big opportunity to impress the voters, is to be humiliated by the likes of president obama. >> and steve evans, briefly, back in berlin, it seems to be here that angela merkel wears the trousers when it comes to this marriage between berlin and paris, but all the leaders -- we're seeing this now with the french president, the german chancellor, and maybe even the italian prime minister, they can't push the

individual bits into place, so it's a complete success or a complete failure, because they're also preoccupied with what's going on domestically. >> the domestic opinion matters in democracies. if people are balking at paying money, they've got a right to, but chancellor merkel and sarkozy has to live with that. the real difficulty is the situation may be getting worse. somebody likened it to trying to climb up a falling ladder. in other words, you go up one rung, but the thing has fallen down. if the economy on this continent gets worse, then the position of greece gets worse. so whatever figures you come up with today will be out of date as that economy deteriorates, and that's a difficult thing. >> gentlemen, we'll leave it there. steve evans live in berlin. christian fraser live in paris, thank you very much. and just to update out very latest as to what's happening or not happening with the eye yal tan prime minister, we understand that a northern league spokeswoman, the coalition partner inside the

italian government, has told the bbc that the reports in a deal that a deal had been reached for mr. berlusconi to step down in the new year are not true. that's the latest. we understand that mr. berlusconi and the northern league leader, they spoke last night, talked about pensions, and there was no quid pro quo between the retiring age being raised to 67 and mr. berlusconi agreeing to go. that was at the nun of that breaking news, but according to the latest reports, this idea of a deal that would see mr. berlusconi go are not true. more on that for you as soon as we can. the bbc has discovered fresh evidence that pakistan has been actively supporting the taliban in afghanistan while acting as washington's ally in public. here's david loyn. >> the long war in afghanistan was intensifying in 2006, causing casualties among afghans and troops mainly from the u.s. and u.k.

now there's new evidence that pakistan's support for the taliban fighting that war. one insurgent says he was trained by pakistani intelligence, the i.s.i. >> their militia would arrive in cars at 8:00 a.m. and leave at 4:00 p.m. they were wearing military uniforms. the uniforms of the i.s.i. the military commanders give us specialized weapons training. >> the u.s. was certain by 2008 that pakistan had controlled the gunmen who went on the 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 the pakistani intelligence service, the i.s.i., but getting active support.

>> and it was only when the u.s. stopped giving pakistan tipoffs of impending drone attacks that the attacks became successful. >> at the beginning of the drone operations, we gave pakistan advance tipoffs of where we were going, and every single time the target wasn't there anymore. you didn't have to be sherlock holmes to put the dots together. >> pakistan has denied all of these charges. they're fighting their own campaign against insurgents in the frontier region and deny that they backed the taliban. >> all the facts on the ground, the evidence is -- they all speak contrary to this perception that the i.s.i. is in support of these groups, providing the sanctuaries, as providing them 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 the new revelations raised further uncomfortable questions from the u.s. and

u.k. government who both have large aid budget in pakistan and count it as an ally. david loyn, bbc news. >> queen elizabeth and prince phillip have been greeted by well-wishers on day eight of their trip to australia. >> the nurses were in eye-catching pink, and the duke's eye was duly caught. this is the brand-new royal children's hospital in melbourne, where the queen met amelia, who is 2, and who wasn't quite sure about whether to hand over her poseys. haley and alario, who gave her a book, and who lent in close to hear the queen's thanks. and former con joined twins who were separated two years ago and who are now doing well. it's a hospital with a difference, probably the only one in the world with its own inhouse zoo. the queen met the meerkats, and they gazed back.

outside on the streets of melbourne, many had gathered to see the queen ride by in one of the city's signature vehicles, a tram. a good crowd, a warm welcome, a successful visit, but the character will change on 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 succession so that daughters have equal rights to sons to succeed to the throne. >> the last of america's most powerful cold war-era nuclear bomb, the b53, has been dismantled. the dismantling took place in texas t. really is huge. it's the size of a small car. it was introduced in the early 1960's, designed to destroy, pulverize underground bunkers in the old soviet union.

the b53 was several hundred times more powerful than the bomb dropped on the japanese city of hiroshima at the end of the second world war. they built, in all, 340 of these so-called bunker bunkers. more news whenever you want it on our website. >> 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, were developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy resources. lets use energy more efficiently. lets go.

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