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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> hello from rome, where the italian prime minister's fate lies in the balance. silvio berlusconi faces a vote in parliament. loan rates at record levels. michael jackson's former doctor faces up to and four years in jail after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. scandal-ridden to engulf the campaign of u.s. presidential hopeful herman cain. -- scandal threatens to engulf a campaign. and a carbon tax gets the green light.

the italian prime minister is today facing a crucial vote on the country's finances. there are fears italy could be the next victim of the debt crisis. the cost of government borrowing has risen to a new high in the last hour. interest rates on bonds, 6.70%, almost unsustainable. he is refusing to stand down despite opposition in this government. kids go to our correspondent. -- let's go to our correspondent. >> we are at the lower house of parliament. the cost of borrowing and has gone high sky. itors in to look tra

the i had this afternoon, he says. today there is a crunch vote in parliament. there's mounting speculation he will be forced to resign to make way for new leader to sort out the italian crisis. angry italians protesting on the street are wondering how the country will fare. italy has huge debts and to select a nominal growth. that makes investors nervous about planting to the government. -- italy has slow economic growth. 1.8 trillion euros. it will have to borrow at a new higher rate of interest now that its creditors are demanding. the country has to pay 7% on goal of its debt and that would add more than 70 billion euros

per year. that would not be affordable. italy would be broke. >> the fund does not have enough money to was that is when you need to see the international monetary fund supporting them. >> affair of scandals and eccentric behavior have also undermined silvio berlusconi's reputation for economic competence, but he still has supporters. it seems the growing number of politicians and investors now feel that he is part of the problem and not the solution. bbc news. >> it was only a day or two ago but this focus was surrounding greece. george papandreou stepped down. now in italy and there is the

resting up of tensions about the italian situation. let's find out what the situation is in athens, greece. let's go to our correspondent. has the situation calmed down? >> the wrangling continuing, because there are talks all the way through yesterday between the outgoing prime minister and the leader of the opposition, to find a successor and to lead a new national unity government. we expected an announcement yesterday, but there was none. talks will continue today. a cabinet meeting in athens is under way shortly and there could be an announcement after that. three men are in the running. the front runner is the former national bank of greece governor. and debris presented to the imf and -- and the greek

and aentative to the imf congressman. europe is worried about what is happening here. >> we have seen the market's having a financial heart attack on the situation in italy. the situation in greeece is giving the market some cause for hope. >> yes, after the brain work of a coalition deal. but everybody is still waiting for the details of that agreement with mr. paul quander w -- with mr. george pollock and drill and everybody is waiting for the naming of the new prime minister. geor. th georg

austerity is keeping and will be a very tough part. we will have to wait until later today to see if a new prime minister is named and see who will guide the country over the next three months or so. >> thank you very much for now. and very interesting to see how the focus of the financial markets and european leaders have turned to italy and the situation coming to ahead. silvio berlusconi is extremely combative. he says that he will come out fighting and that he has the numbers. that is what it boils down to as far as his supporters are concerned, there are 630 mp's in

the lower house behind me and he thinks that he has 300 on his side. but should be extremely close. this is not a vote of confidence, but it could trigger one. this time people here seem to tinker this as more significance now that the international community is watching his every move so intensely. this may be different for the great political survivor. back to you in london. >> thanks very much. much more from italy throughout the day. now more. very high cost of borrowing. it's gone up again to another level. >> it is very expensive. many economists said it would be a problem once it got beyond 6%. if the financial markets perceive there's some sort of

political cohesion, then they might move to push bond prices up, yields down, and then went italy refinances 300 billion euros next year, it would be cheaper to do that bad at the moment. the italian economy is not growing. that is what makes this very rapidly a problem. >> let's get some of the rest of the day's news. michael jackson's former doctor could be jailed four years after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter. a jury found conrad murray guilty of giving a lethal dose of a powerful sedative. our correspondent has more. >> six weeks this trial lasted. dozens of witnesses, huge amounts of evidence for the jury. it took them just a day and a half, less than nine hours to come up with their verdict. the judge they decided that cond

murray was guilty. a huge crowd of people had gathered outside. they were all following this on their computers, internet streaming, on their telephones. it was quite an extraordinary scene when the news broke a note. >> jackson, jackson, jackson. >> the jackson family has been there every day and were blocked by the crowds. >> wonderful. michael is watching over us. >> michael jackson is still a huge figure 2.5 years after his death. >> he killed michael jackson and we got just as today. you have no idea how much until

i feel in my heart. >> ladies and gentlemen of the jury, i am advised that the jury has reached a verdict. >> if they deliberated nine hours only. >> we the jury find the defendant conrad murray guilty of the crime of involuntary manslaughter. >> conrad murray, who did not testify, showed little emotion as he was convicted of causing the singer's death by giving him a powerful anesthetic drug to help him sleep. he was immediately put into custody and led off to awaits sentencing. this brings to an end the story of one of the world's greatest pop stars and answers the questions over his death. he is due back in court at the end of this month to face the sentencing and could have up to four years in jail. that is the maximum he could receive. >> a scandal threatens to ruin

herman cain's campaign to become the republican candidate in the u.s. presidential election next year. he has been accused of sexually behavior from a woman asking him for career advice. >> please welcome the man who put the no. 9 back on the map. >> he was appearing on a late- night comedy show, but multiple claims of sexual harassment are no laughing matter? . herman cain told jimmy kimmel on abc 7 that the allegations were false. >> the feelings that you have when you novak all ofknow that s is fabricated, you get angry and you get disgusted. you try to control yourself and make sure you watched this thing all the way through. i will listen very closely and

then when it was over i said i know what we have to do, because there's not ups and downs of truth in all these accusations --allegations. >> sharon bialek said tha herman cain had groped her when she approached him for help. >> i said, what are you doing, you know i have a boyfriend. and he said, "you want a job, right?" >> insists that she has no political motive after 14 years other than to expose a man that she says it's a lighter. mr. herman cain is an easygoing, charismatic outsider. so far he has brushed off claims about his behavior toward

women, but these graphic accusations from an accuser willing to face the camera in are different matter. his aides say that he will address the claims further at a news conference on tuesday. where the truth lies, republican voters may conclude that a candidate's tainted by scandal is simply not worth the risk. bbc news, washington. >> said news about one of the great boxers. >> joe frazier, former head -- former heavyweight champion has died of cancer. he was an amazing spider from the 1970's, the first man to beat the great muhammed ali a world champion twice. -- he was an amazing fight. -- fighter. what you're looking at is "and the thriller -- "the thriller

from manila." and an olympic champion. heavyweight boxing has kind of died, but in those days they were huge. >> you are watching "bbc world news. coming up, a in a new look at an old master. up close and personal with the finest work of leonardo da vinci. shrinking and in crisis. america's middle-class is being described this way. decades of wage stagnation and outsourcing have played their part. the rich are getting richer and the the middle are getting left behind. see america through the eyes of an advertising agency.

what you find is remarkably instructive. >> the top end of the market is thriving. >> david has no problem selling $3.5000 italian coffee machines. this challenge is marking the fifth in income -- his challenge is marketing the $50 version to the middle-class. >> you have to make sure you are selling as much of value as you are on the experience and that it sits there and looks good. >> over the last 30 years the incomes of the wealthiest americans have grown by 281%. the incomes of the bottom 90% of the population has been essentially flat. >> a huge community is being built at a rate of 200 calls per week. pennsylvaniavittown, was built in the 1950's to house

the booming middle-class of america. each house to a 16 minutes to build and cost $8,000 to purchase. this couple squeezed 5 gol children into their modest house and they watched every penny. are you better off than your parents or our? -- were? >> no. i am making a good wage right now, but you definitely need overtime to live in the area. prices are going up. you cannot rely on 40 hours per week. >> a gigantic 4,000 acres still plant in pennsylvania -- >> this tells the story of american economy tainting. a decade ago the plant employed to a dozen people. today and there are only 75 left. when levittown was built to the

american economy needed labor to fuel the postwar boom. today those jobs are increasingly taken by high tech machines or teach chinese workers. that is not going to change. the most alarming thing about a shrinking the american middle class is that it might be permanent. levittown was meant to be a starting block, a first step after starting prosperity. today in america moving up is hard to do. bbc news, levittown, pennsylvania. >> this is "bbc world news. the cost of italian bordering reaches a record levels and silvio berlusconi faces a crucial parliamentary vote. and michael jackson pose a former doctor was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. in italy, the pressure on the

prime minister ahead of an imminent vote in parliament on the country's finances. the balance of power is teetering. our correspondent joins us from rome. >> thank you. >> do you think silvio berlusconi will step down after this vote or will he? >> at 3:30 today it will be the final. after the votes for the state's general report, we will see what will happen. he said that the parliament will decide his future, nobody else. i think we will see this at around 3:30 in italy what is going to happen today for the parliament and for the government. >> your party says that he will not support an interim government led by someone like

the former european union commissioner. if you insist the country should go straight to the polls. is that not damaging? >> no, because we think that the people must decide who is going to govern the country, nobody else. in democracy usually and it is the people who decide the future of the state, and the nation, through the vote, nobody else can decide what is going to happen to the country. so we think the elections are the only solution for the country. the voters, the people must decide who is going to govern and who is going to be the chief of the government. >> we have to leave it there. thanks.

spokeswoman for the coalition government. still being decided to increase who will take over as interim prime minister. i'm joined in the studio by th43 e greek tourism and culture minister. who should take over now? will a decision happen soon? >> hopefully, a decision will happen soon. this will allow the country to come into a new phase. until now what we have had is one party carrying all the burdens. everything has changed course and they decided whatever has happened in the past has. has it was only a matter of time that he would support the new package that has been negotiated. at least now and together the two parties can move forward. >> we have not gotten a decision

yet and there was supposed to be one yesterday. all the instability has been damaging. >> the uncertainty has been damaging. if you went the other way, which is an election, or even a referendum, that would of taken a lot more time and energy, now we have the two groups coming together to say we are going to stay the course, that can only be hopeful. >> three men are in the running, which is the most likely? >> i don't know. i should not comment. it is not for me to decide. it's not that simple to decide. they will not allow themselves to be a puppet government. >> , damage has your friends the

prime minister inflicted on the great reputation and on financial stability? >> when happened with our prime minister was he got thrown a very hot potato which was created from many years of mismanagement and especially the last five years of financial disaster. he brought agree problem into europe and struck the best possible deal greece could ever dream. i think the opposite should be considered. he did the absolute best for a man that was given an impossible job. >> many thanks. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> the australian parliament has passed a controversial law which introduces a carbon tax on the top 500 polluting companies in the country. environmentalists have brought is supported the scheme. australia is the largest cotton producer in the world per

capita. for the first time ever, leonardo da vinci's paintings are going on display. this has prompted a record demand for tickets. our correspondent went to have a look. >> the painting, the drawing that inspired it, the first "virgin of the rocks." and the second year of the national gallery has brought together works from around the world to tell the story of leonardo da vinci, of his 15 surviving paintings, nine of them are here. years of diplomacy and organization have works to bring

together the paintings and drawings. this is the picture hangs in the national gallery. you get to see all the drawings, the inspiration for the paintings, as well as the original version that hangs in paris. it is something that probably not even leonardo saw. nine paintings of his in one exhibition. two "virgin of the rocks" in one room. >> this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. >> we will never see these all together again? >> this is the first time in 500 years. perhaps we should wait another five wounded years before i say never again. >> ticket sales have broken records. what would explain his fame as a painter? compare this hand by the leonardo and one by his pupil. it is the face is that really

excites the experts. when you do get close, you realize you don't see any brush strokes. we think it was with his finger. it looks like real skin and real emotions. there is purpose in all this, mystery. there's also a new leonardo to see. this has been declared one of his paintings after years of debate, "salvatore." a collection we will never see again. bbc news. >> much more on our website bbc.com/news. and we are waiting for boats in italy to see whether silvio berlusconi survives.

and whether greece moves forward with an interim government. >> 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.

>> 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? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.