Round-up: Italian govt near collapse over Eurozone reforms

Eurozone leaders' struggle to stabalise the economic area by demanding tighter fiscal reforms is driving the governments of weak member states ot the brink. This and other news in our round-up of this morning's nationals.

FINANCIAL TIMES
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ON BRINK OF COLLAPSE
Italy's prime minister was fighting on Tuesday night to stave off a collapse of his centre-right coalition government over European Union demands for more concrete economic reform measures in time for Wednesday's highly anticipated summit of eurozone leaders.

FINANCIAL TIMES
FEARS EURO SUMMIT COULD MISS FINAL DEAL
Eurozone leaders were struggling on Tuesday to reach agreement on a much-anticipated deal to reverse their spiralling debt crisis amid mounting signals a definitive agreement would not be reached at a key summit on Wednesday night

GUARDIAN
RICHARD BRANSON PUTS IN HIS BID FOR NORTHERN ROCK
Bids for Northern Rock need to be submitted in the next 24 hours or so. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Money made an offer for the nationalised lender this evening. NBNK, the new bank run by the former Northern Rock boss Gary Hoffman, is likely to put in a offer in the coming hours.

GUARDIAN
BANKS SHOULD GET INCENTIVES TO LEND TO SMALL BUSINESSES, SAYS MERVYN KING
Mervyn King has called for banks to be given "fiscal incentives" to lend to small businesses as he gave a staunch defence of the Bank of England's decision to spend £75bn on a new wave of quantitative easing.

TELEGRAPH
BP TO SELL OFF FURTHER $15BN ASSETS AS BOB DUDLEY HAILS 'TURNING POINT'
Oil giant BP promised increased returns to shareholders as it announced plans to sell off another $15bn (£9bn) of assets following the Gulf of Mexico spill.

TELEGRAPH
BG GROUP PROFITS JUMP ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES
BG Group, the UK's third biggest oil and gas explorer, has reported a sharp rise in profits as it benefits from high energy prices and a "favourable" liquefied natural gas market

WALL STREET JOURNAL
GUPTA TO FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES
Rajat K. Gupta is expected to surrender to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Wednesday on criminal charges of leaking inside information to Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam, according to people familiar with the matter.