BBC news with Marian Marshall.
European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels to xxx the details of the plans to fix Eurozone xxx debt crisis. A statement by the leaders after the first round of talks said agreement to be reached on strengthening banks or recapitalization. Andrew Walker is in Brussels.
"Tackling the weakness of the banks is the area where the European countries have made the most progress ahead of the summit. In the statement, the leaders said the broad agreement for banks should make higher standards of financial strength. The statement said what that standards would be xxx did not give a figure of how much the banks have to raise. It said the banks should try to get the money privately but if necessary they would have to turn to public funds. The decision was taken by the full European Union. Leaders of the 17 countries that use Euro are continuing to discuss secretly on other measures to establish financial stability."
As he arrive dfor the meeting the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said Greece was doing its best to improve its economy. But he said the talks in Brussels went simply about saving the single currency but about (safeguarding) the entire EU Unity Project.
"Now is the time for the European leadership (collectively) wait to take decisions to end the uncertainty, to end the crisis, turn the page and make sure we make a fixed step forward for the better future and prosperity and security of our people in Europe."
A US Government Agency says the very richest Americans have become much wealthier over the past three decades than any other income group. The Congressional Budget Office found top 1% income nearly tripled in the last 30 years. By contrast, the poorest 5th of the population saw their incomes grow by 18% in the same period.
An Egyptian Court has sentenced two policemen to 7 years in prison of the killing a activist whose death helped catalyse protest against the former president Hosni Mubarak. Khaled Said was taken from an Internet cafe and beaten to death in June last year. The government initially said he choked to death on a (package) of drugs but photos posted on the Internet showed bloody wounds on his corpse.
Lybia's NTC has confirmed its investigating reports of Colonel Gadhafi was subjected to a violent sexual assault moments before he died. The interim government is already investigating whether he was xxx after his capture last week. xxx reports from Tropoli.
"Since Colonel Gadhafi was killed 6 days ago, mobile phone footage of his last moment has been appearing on the Internet. Colonel Gadhafi was surrounded by a crowd of shouting, xxx, anti-Gadhafi fighters, so it's difficult to see exactly what is going on until you play clips in slow motion. The footage appears to show Lybia's former dictator being subjected to a series of sexual assault. Lybia's NTC has told BBC it's (investigating) every action leading up to Gadhafi's death including the allegations of sexual assault."
World news from the BBC.
A high ranking delegation of foreign ministers from the Arab League met the Syrian Presient Bashar Assad to try to negotiate the end to the crisis in Syria. Jim has the details.
"Little have been made publicly about the xxx talks. But the offcial Syrian News Agency described the atmosphere as positive. That seems to be reflected also in comments contributed by Syrian state TV to the head of the Arabic Delegation, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad al-Thani. He was quoted to say in the meeting with President Assad with frank and friendly. And that delegation had noted a desire on the part of the Syrian government to work with the league delegaiton towards finding a solution. He said the two sides will meet again on Sunday to follow up."
A former director of the investment banking giant xxx has pleaded not guilty in the US to charge of the inside trading and has been released on (bail) of ten million dollars. Raj surrounded himself to the NY police on Wednesday after he was charged with leaking corporate secrets about his company to the billionare hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam. Prosecutors say Mr.Gupta faces a long prison sentence and 25-million-dollar fine if found guilty.
The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the Iranian government is amongst the most heavily sanctions in the world because it continues to lie to the international nuclear authorities and persistently flaws US revolutions. Speaking to the BBC's television service, Mrs Clinton expressed regret about some US actions involving Iran in the past including its role in the 1950s' recoup.
Rescue workers in eastern Turkey trying to get food and blankets to survivors in Sunday's earthquake say 17 aid trucks have been looted. Thousands of people who have been left homeless face a fortnh ight of freezing weather (conditions) and snow. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledges that there have been failures in the distribution of tents.
BBC news.