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Greek leaders seek last minute agreement on aid Political leaders in Greece have failed to agree on austerity measures demanded by the EU and the International Monetary Fund perilously close to a crucial deadline. The political leaders have to agree by noon on Monday if the so-called ‘troika’ of lenders will release nearly 130-billion euros in emergency funds. Without the funds Greece is at risk of a messy default when bond payments come due next month. The leaders say they will now continue their discussions to the last minute. The right-wing leaders have opposed further cuts in wages and spending.

EU observer Thijs Berman on Senegal Euronews spoke to the head of the EU observer mission in Senegal, Thijs Berman. He said he was worried about a situation where police are firing live rounds at protesters. More about: Clashes and riots, Senegal, Senegal politics, Youssou N’Dour

Eurozone inflation stable Consumer price inflation in the eurozone stabilised in January. It was at 2.7 percent for the second straight month That is down from last year’s peak and makes it more likely the European Central Bank will cut interest rates to help revive the region’s economy. Inflation was unchanged as rising unemployment cut into household spending and pushed businesses to freeze or reduce prices. Although the January reading was only a first estimate by the European Union’s statistics office Eurostat, economists see inflation slowing over the next few months as many of the eurozone’s 17 nations slip into

Mitsubishi puts the brakes on European production Mitsubishi Motors has said it will stop production at its only factory in western Europe at the end of this year. The Netherlands Car, or NedCar, plant in the Netherlands employs about 1,500 people making Colt cars and Outlander four-wheel-drive vehicles. When the news was announced some angry workers blocked the entrance to the factory with vehicles. Henk van Rees of the FNV trade union said: “Mitsubishi has always told these people that they were the best, and now they put their best personnel on the rubbish dump.” NedCar’s Joost Govaart countered: We

Syria showdown – on the streets and at the UN As street battles rage at the gates of Damascus, a diplomatic battle over Syria is looming at the UN. President Assad’s forces have fought back against rebels advancing on the capital. But he is under pressure to leave power in an Arab League plan to be discussed by the UN Security Council. The US, Britain and France want it swiftly endorsed. “We believe that the Security Council should not permit the Assad regime to assault the Syrian people while it rejects the Arab League’s proposal for a political solution,” said

Pope releases doves of peace for the Holy Land Pope Benedict XVI has called for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The pontiff made his comments in his weekly Sunday address at the Vatican. He also repeated his annual tradition of releasing two white doves as a sign of peace. More about: Benedict XVI, Catholicism, Religion, Vatican

Ferry sinks off Papua New Guinea A ferry with around 350 people on board has sunk off the coast of Papua new Guinea. It is believed 50 people have been rescued by six merchant ships and three helicopters which rushed to the scene. An Australian search and rescue plane able to drop multiple life rafts is also in the area. The ship, MV Rabaul Queen, was on its way from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the mainland city of Lae. Police in Papua new Guinea say most of the passengers were students and trainee teachers. More about:

Ferry sinks near Papua New Guinea A ferry carrying around 350 people has sunk off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says a huge rescue operation has saved over 200 so far, and is still ongoing. It’s reported that the Rabaul Queen, a 47 metre ship, sank quickly 16km from the country’s north coast, and didn’t give a distress signal. Any survivors are being plucked from the water. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the cause of the disaster remains a mystery: “The cause of the incident is yet to be confirmed. We

‘Police did absolutely nothing’: Cairo coach The Cairo club Al Ahly’s Portuguese coach has returned home to his native country saying the scenes he witnessed in Port Said changed his life. His assistant coach Pedro Barny, who is also Portuguese, told euronews the police failed to intervene to stop the trouble. “Throughout the entire game, and even before it started, there were already serious security problems. Clearly identifiable al-Masry fans frequently went by (onto the pitch), and the police did absolutely nothing,” he said. “As soon as the game ended, the al-Masry fans came in the direction of our supporters

Syrian forces bombard Homs in ‘fiercest attack yet’ Reports from the Syrian city of Homs said a hospital has been hit, as government forces step up one of the fiercest bombardments yet on several districts. Activists said rockets have been used for the first time, as well as snipers. They believe the regime sees the Russian and Chinese vetoes of a draft UN resolution as a ‘licence to kill’, as it launches a sustained drive to crush resistance to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. The rebels claim the strike on a hospital caused several casualties. Amateur video uploaded onto the internet