The euro fell by 1% against the British pound and twice as much against the Japanese yen while it is down by almost that amount against the Swiss franc in what many regard as a litmus test for the stability of the region.

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The idea could be used as a predictive test for people who are unable to take an exercise-induced electrical stability test, Lampert said.

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Seen from Brussels, Italy is increasingly the big test of the new (and weaker) stability pact, which is supposed to set fiscal rules for euro members.

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