BBC News with Gaenor Howells
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose country is at the centre of fears about the economic stability of the eurozone, has said he'll
speed up
a package of austerity measures. The move follows a week of
turbulence
on the financial markets. David Willey reports from Rome.
Mr Berlusconi called a sudden news conference to announce a series of steps being taken by his coalition government to
stem
speculation
against Italy on international financial markets. Austerity measures planned to come into force in 2014 are being
brought forward
a whole year to 2013. They include unpopular tax hikes and a cap on state pensions. Mr Berlusconi plans to
amend
the Italian constitution, making it
obligatory
for future governments to run balanced budgets.
Syrian activists say the security forces have shot dead at least seven people during protests near the capital Damascus. They say another was killed in the city of Homs as demonstrators once again demanded President Assad's resignation. Jim Muir sent this report.
This was the Damascus suburb of Duma, people
spilling out
into the streets after Friday prayers, calling for the regime to go, then
pandemonium
as the bullets started flying. The protesters said it was security forces; state television said it was gunmen firing from rooftops and that policemen were among the casualties. In