BBC News with Marion Marshall
Italy's new Prime Minister Mario Monti has easily won a vote of confidence in the upper house of parliament after outlining his plans to tackle the country's economic problems and cut its debt. He said austerity measures would be balanced by economic growth and social fairness. From Rome, here's Alan Johnston.
Before the confidence vote, Prime Minister Mario Monti told the senate of the urgent need to tackle the nation's
dire
economic problems. He then set out his austerity programme. It'll include rigorous control of government spending, more tax and a major drive against those who try to evade it. Efforts to stimulate growth will also be a priority. And Mr Monti said that in all the reforms to come, he'd work for a fairer society.
The authorities in the United States have charged a man accused of firing two shots at the White House last week with attempting to assassinate the president. Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, who's 21 and from Idaho, appeared in court in Pennsylvania a day after he was arrested. Mr Ortega-Hernandez is alleged to have fired shots from an
assault rifle
, cracking a window in the living quarters of the president, who was away at the time.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have expressed their concern about Iran's nuclear programme. They agreed a draft resolution at a meeting of the United Nations nuclear agency, the IAEA, in Vienna