European leaders meet in France

Oct 4 - European leaders arrived in Paris for a meeting hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, to try to shore up confidence in a banking system hit by the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

The meeting follows approval by the U.S. Congress of a 700-billion dollar bank bailout plan to tackle a crisis sparked by a collapse in the housing market and resulting bad mortgages.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told journalists that he and his European counterparts will do whatever is necessary to secure the stability of the system.

Beyond offering reassuring words, the summit is expected to focus on whether governments across the European Union should raise bank deposit protection levels to restore confidence.