at stake
. Mr Sarkozy said the euro was the very heart of Europe. He warned that European leaders could not accept what he termed the explosion of the euro as this could lead to the explosion of Europe.
The European Central Bank has cut its interest rate by a quarter of a point. It now stands at 1.25%. The BBC economics correspondent says the rate cut reflects the weakening performance of eurozone economies. The decision was the first under the new ECB chief Mario Draghi.
Syrian activists say government forces have killed at least 20 people in the city of Homs. The claim comes a day after the Arab League said that Syria had agreed to its plans to bring an end to the political violence there. This report from Jonathan Head.
If President Assad has any intention of honouring the terms of the deal proposed by the Arab League, his security forces certainly aren't showing it yet. Pictures have been released, apparently showing Syrian tanks
bombarding
residential districts of Homs - the city where the uprising has been especially strong. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is reporting many dead a day after at least 25 were killed around Homs. On Friday, opposition groups are planning mass protests across the country to test the Assad government's promise that it will abide by the Arab League's terms.
World News from the BBC
The trial of the doctor accused of responsibility for the death of the pop star Michael Jackson is entering its final stages in Los Angeles. Doctor Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to