World News from the BBC

The French and Italian leaders say European institutions must do more to help countries like Spain and Italy that had been forced to pay very high rates of interest when they borrow money. After talks in Rome, President Francois Hollande and the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said the EU must act to

shield

weaker economies from the unbearable pressure in money markets.

The head of the International Red Cross, Peter Maurer, has met the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss ways for the ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent to give assistance to the victims of the conflict in Syria. Speaking to BBC Arabic, Mr Maurer explained his goals for the two-day visit.

"The crisis is creating new needs and I have come now to Syria also to strengthen our cooperation with the Sarc, or the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to expand our operations and also to follow up on the mandate of ICRC to assist and protect the people in conflict." Earlier, the United Nations refugee agency said more than 100,000 Syrians fled the country last month.

Police in Israel have launched an investigation after an

arson

attack on a Christian monastery on occupied Palestinian territory west of Jerusalem. Vandals also sprayed the Trappist monastery at Latrun with anti-Christian graffiti. Police are looking into whether the attack was carried out by extremist Jewish settlers

in retaliation for