BRUSSELS - Europe's leaders intend to multiply their rescue fund fourfold to 1 trillion euros and press Greece's creditors to accept losses of over 50 percent on their bondholdings, but the details of their plan to end the debt crisis are still not fully formed.
- - - -
WASHINGTON - Democrats are proposing to slash huge U.S. budget deficits by up to ${esc.dollar}3 trillion, aiming high to repair the country's fiscal mess even as Republicans show early signs of resisting the proposals.
- - - -
TRIPOLI - Saif al-Islam Gaddafi wants to turn himself in to The Hague war crimes court, a senior Libyan official told Reuters on Wednesday.
- - - -
AMMAN - At least 20 people died in clashes and strikes paralysed parts of Syria on Wednesday as President Bashar al-Assad held an inconclusive meeting with Arab ministers seeking to end months of violence.
- - - -
ERCIS, Turkey - Turkey struggled to provide shelter on Wednesday to tens of thousands left homeless by an earthquake that killed nearly 500, and rescue teams began taking painful decisions to call off searches for those buried alive.
- - - -
BRASILIA - Brazil's sports minister resigned on Wednesday over a corruption scandal, the country's GloboNews television network said, reviving concern over President Dilma Rousseff's unstable ruling coalition and the country's lagging preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
- - - -
DUBAI - Saudi Arabia ends a mourning period for Crown Prince Sultan on Thursday, opening the way for King Abdullah to appoint his new heir who is widely expected to be the veteran interior minister.
- - - -
TUNIS - The Islamist leader whose party is now Tunisia's most powerful political force met stock market executives on Wednesday to send the message that the government ushered in by the "Arab Spring" revolt will be business friendly.
- - - -
BANGKOK - Floods swamped a new area of Thailand's capital on Wednesday as some shops rationed food and Bangkok's governor warned of "massive water" on the way that could put many parts of the sprawling city in danger by the end of the week.
- - - -
PERTH, Australia - A proposal to appoint a Commonwealth human rights commissioner to steer a more proactive rights agenda looks set to test a summit this week as the 54 member nations try to make more of a mark in world affairs.
- - - -
BEIJING - China on Wednesday welcomed a proposal by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou to consider a peace treaty with its long-time rival, but warned Taiwan's China-sceptical opposition not to whip the matter up to make political capital.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
