Greece debt drama saved from eleventh-hour collapse

Brussels

DAWN was breaking over Brussels and after 14 hours of talks, Europe's two most powerful leaders were ready to call it a night. Greece would get no bailout, and the nightmare of a euro exit would come true.

"At 6 am (0400 GMT), France and Germany had given up, the night would end with no deal," said a European official who witnessed round after round of talks putting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande at the same table with crisis-struck Greece.