BBC News with Gaenor Howells
President Obama has welcomed home some of the last US troops to return from Iraq to mark the end of nearly nine years of America's combat role in the country. Mr Obama was speaking at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He said he wanted to convey the gratitude of the American people to their military and described the moment as historic.
"One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end. Iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. America's war in Iraq will be over."
Mr Obama praised the soldiers' courage and professionalism in a war that he said had come with the heavy cost in dead and wounded. Kim Ghattas reports.
This was a war that Barack Obama never wanted, and now he's brought it to a close. As a state senator, he had called the Iraq war "dumb". As a commander in chief, he had to pay tribute to the sacrifices of his troops. He told them their fighting and dying had not been in vain. It had led to what he said was this moment of success. They were leaving behind a country that was not perfect, but Iraq, he said, was now stable, led by its own people.
The value of the euro has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar since January - at less than $1.30. European stock markets have fallen too with analysts saying the main cause was continuing uncertainty over how effective the European Union summit last week would turn out to be in solving the economic crisis. Here's our business reporter Mark Gregory.