It took weeks of miss deadlines and crisis talks in Athens, and hours of high stakes negotiations in Brussels, but finally, Greece has been spared the nightmare of imminent bankruptcy and departure from the euro. The country has secured its bailout and much needed breathing room with 130-billion-euro loan. At least half of the debt Greece owes to private creditors will be written off – around 100 billion euros, but Athens has tough demands placed upon it in return: it must accelerate reforms, cutting thousands of public sector jobs, and slashing the minimum wage and pensions.
The former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is in Senegal in an effort to in the country's political crisis. Protests are continuing against President Abdoulaye Wade's decision to stand for a third term in this weekend's elections. Earlier, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who'd converged on the center of the capital Dakar. The musician, Youssou Ndour, who's not been allowed to run for the presidency, joined the protesters in the biggest rally.
The 32nd Brit Awards ceremony is taking place in London. Among the early winners was Adele who was named best British female artist. Adele's album 21 reached the top of the charts around the world. Her success of the Brits follows her achievement of this year's Grammys where she won six awards. The American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars won the award for best international male solo artist; Rihanna won the best international female artist for the second year running.