Greece debt crisis: ECB 'to end' bank emergency lending

An Athens ATM: The ECB has been sending cash so that Greek banks can continue to lend
The European Central Bank is expected to end emergency lending to Greece's banks on Sunday, the BBC understands.
Well-placed sources told BBC economics editor Robert Peston a decision to end the Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) would be made by the ECB's governing council later on Sunday.
Greek banks depend on ELA funds daily.
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said his government would consider overnight what measures to take "to minimise the burden on our people".
Cutting the ECB lifeline could push Greece out of the euro.
Such an ECB cut would mean "Europe has failed", Mr Varoufakis told the BBC's World this Weekend.
It would mean Europe had "failed in its duty to preserve in parallel a democratic process and a monetary union", he said. "It is a dark hour for Europe."
The lenders have "not met Greece even a quarter of the way", he complained.
The government would consider "what can be done to minimise the burden on our people from Europe's refusal to grant us democratic rights".
A BBC reporter in Athens says long queues are forming at bank ATMs.
The EU-IMF bailout for heavily indebted Greece expires on Tuesday and talks have broken down.
Greek banks would find themselves in serious straits as soon as Monday if the ECB cut the ELA funding, Robert Peston says.
Greece will probably have to announce a bank holiday on Monday, pending the introduction of capital controls, he says.

Historic decision
It is one of the most momentous decisions the ECB has ever faced, since the euro was launched on 1 January 1999.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the ECB "is independent but... I don't think it can cut off rations [for the Greeks]". He said "it's the Greek nation that is suffering".
Capital controls are restrictions on how much customers can withdraw from banks. Until now, the Greek government has signalled that it does not want to impose such controls.
In recent weeks, Greeks have withdrawn billions of euros from banks.