The debate: Has the European experiment failed?
On Friday night in Toronto, the Munk Debates bring together influential European thinkers to argue whether the European Union is doomed to failure or whether there is hope for renewal
Transatlantic flight diverted after passenger claims implanted device
FBI and Homeland Security Department warned airlines last summer that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans
Victims wake in cars, tents, schools as Italy cleans up after quake
Aftershocks rattled northern Italy a day after a magnitude-6.0 earthquake killed seven people and toppled centuries-old buildings
G8 calls for Greece to remain in euro
While Greece is only a small part of the euro zone, its exit is likely to be more expensive and complicated than figuring out a way for it to remain
Italy goes from doom to gloom
Six dead, 50 wounded in natural disaster; teen killed in attack police say is likely random crime
Deadly blast outside Italian school likely has no mafia ties: prosecutor
Saturday’s blast outside a vocational institute killed a teen girl
Powerful quake kills at least 4 in northern Italy
One of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, a magnitude-6.0 temblor that killed at least three people, toppled some buildings and sent residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said.
Obama, Hollande help tilt G8’s balance to stimulus
Obama, Hollande make an impassioned rebuttal to the German-led position that paying down debt quickly is the best way to help Europe
Student killed, 7 hurt in blast outside Italian high school
An official says a student has been killed and seven others have been wounded by the explosion of a device in a trash bin outside their high school in southern Italy.
Greek legislators sworn in for one day as country headed back to the polls
The May 6 election left no party with enough votes to form a government after Greeks deserted the two formerly dominant parties
Mladic trial delayed indefinitely because of prosecutor’s ‘errors’
Judge at Yugoslav war crimes tribunal cites ‘significant disclosure errors’ by prosecutors
Greece appoints judge as interim PM
Greece appointed a senior judge Wednesday to head a caretaker government for a month as it lurches through a political crisis that threatens its membership in the euro.
Witnesses describe Breivik’s 'battle cry' during killing spree
Anders Behring Breivik screamed a “battle cry” and appeared both angry and joyous as he shot his victims one by one, survivors of the Norwegian far-right killer’s massacre told a court on Wednesday.
Main war crimes charges filed against Bosnian Serb army commander Mladic
The indictment against Ratko Mladic — who went on trial Wednesday at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands — holds the former Bosnian Serb army commander “individually criminally responsible for planning, instigating, ordering and/or aiding and abetting the crimes charged in this indictment.” Mr. Mladic is charged with 11 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war. The counts below detail the atrocities during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war that Mr. Mladic is accused of commanding.
Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic's genocide trial gets under way
Ailing 70-year-old faces 11 charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes
20 years later, Bosnian Serb Mladic stands trial for genocide
Prosecution of former Serbian military commander by the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal to begin in the Hague
EU anti-piracy forces launch first strike in Somalia
Attack helicopters destroyed speedboats, equipment in raid on Handulle, Somalia
Man who set himself on fire had nothing to do with Breivik trial, lawyer says
An unidentified man set himself on fire Tuesday outside the courthouse where right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik is being tried on terror charges for a bombing and shooting massacre on July 22.
Month of limbo ahead of new Greek elections
President fails to broker government coalition amid growing debt crisis
Francois Hollande becomes new president of France
Following Paris ceremony, new leader to leave for Berlin and meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Stocks tank as Greece coalition talks drag on
Nine days past May 6 election, Greek party leaders still cannot agree over rescue loan terms
Worldview
Trying to make the 250-year-old sandwich new again
Marking the anniversary of the beloved food item, Hon. Orlando William Montagu is looking to make the sandwich something to be proud of
Greek elections loom after coalition talks collapse
Greece’s president met party leaders on Sunday in a final bid to cobble together a coalition and avert a repeat election
German Politics
Future looks grim for Merkel’s party in German state vote
Most populous state holds election Sunday as opposition mounts in Europe against German-led austerity measures
Security
Sonic weapon joins Olympics protection arsenal
The Long Range Acoustic Device acts as a powerful loudspeaker capable of delivering messages over distances up to 3,000 metres
Canadian woman in Britain charged with murder in babies’ deaths
The couple had moved in to their luxury home in the Wandsworth area just two weeks ago, neighbours say
Greece’s President calls meet for last-ditch coalition effort
Greece's socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos officially gave up the mandate to form a coalition government after three rounds of negotiations
Hopes for Greek deal appear slim as politicians locked in last-ditch efforts
Unless an agreement is found, Greece will head to new elections next month
PHONE-HACKING SCANDAL
Disgraced tabloid editor details close ties to British PM David Cameron
Testifying at Leveson inquiry, Rebekah Brooks tells of British PM commiserating via text messages
Breivik shoe-thrower travelled from Iraq to Norway for trial
It was the first outburst from the normally subdued crowd watching the terror trial
Canadian woman held in British jail after her two children found dead
Bodies of 10-week-old boy and 14-month-old girl discovered by father
Former minion of Cameron, Murdoch offers praise at phone-hacking inquiry
PM’s fired communications director, who was editor of tabloid at heart of media scandal, denies collusion between press, senior politicians
For or against: A look at world leaders' stances on gay marriage
From the Guatemalan president’s condemnation of ‘Adam and Esteban’ to François Hollande’s support for equality, world leaders are divided on controversial issue
Plot to attack Sochi Olympics foiled, Russian secret service says
The special services confiscated weapons during raids in the breakaway Abkhazia region of Georgia
Dominique Moïsi
France worries about Europe, not Hollande
This election may have looked like the Socialist victory of 1981, but the French are more united. It’s a radical change of style, not direction
Norway killer denied request to confront survivors
Anders Breivik offered to abandon defence in exchange for a chance to question survivors of the July 22 massacre
Worldview
Queen’s speech takes aim at modernizing the monarchy
A proposed British law that would make it possible for women to be first in line for the monarchy may succeed this time
Euro 2012: Ukraine’s $14-billion headache
Overspending and boycotts over imprisonment of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko put Ukraine’s chance to shine in jeopardy
Greek coalition talks deadlocked over austerity measures
Antonis Samaras, with minority lead in Greek parliament, rejects calls from opposition leader Alexis Tsipras to back out of euro bailout plan
Amid opulence, Queen Elizabeth II sets out Britain's austere legislative program
Queen unveils plans to introduce direct elections for members of House of Lords
Ukraine's Tymoshenko moved from prison to hospital; ends hunger strike
51-year-old has been on hunger strike for more than two weeks to protest alleged abuse
Worldview
5 ways France’s ‘Mr. Normal’ Hollande will distinguish himself from ‘bling bling’ Sarkozy
Francois Hollande is set to be inaugurated as president on May 15th, followed by a series of high-profile international summits. Here are five ways he will likely distinguish himself from Nicolas Sarkozy in French politics and on the global stage.
Can Hollande, Merkel find middle ground?
French president-elect faces challenge to reconcile his promise of more government spending with German Chancellor’s support for austerity
Greek coalition talks fail; buck passes to leftist runner-up
The leader of the Greek conservative party that gained the most votes in parliamentary elections said Monday his efforts to form a coalition government with other parties had failed, raising the possibility of a new election next month.
Regime change in France signals wider shift in European outlook
Election of Socialist Leader Hollande coincides with Greeks delivering harsh blow to pro-austerity parties, Germans rejecting government coalition in state vote
Scottish woman mauled by cheetahs at South African game park
A Scottish tourist suffered a torn scalp and cuts to her body after two captive cheetahs mauled her in a terrifying attack last weekend.
French investigators examining rape claims against Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Investigating judges in Lille, France, have asked for prosecutors' permission to broaden a suspected prostitution probe to examine claims of rape during a 2010 orgy
History
What killed Lenin? Probably not syphilis, neurologist says
Possible causes of death include stress or poisoning, say a doctor and historian at an annual U.S. conference focusing on famous people's deaths
Serbian police arrest five for alleged war crimes
The five men are suspected of abducting and killing two young Serbs, aged 18 and 19, in 2001, according to a media report
FRENCH ELECTION
Who is the real François Hollande?
Proposals of the Socialist poised to become France’s next prime minister less radical than they appear on the surface
HISTORY
News agency apologizes for firing war reporter over WWII scoop
Edward Kennedy was fired after reporting a full day early that the Germans had surrendered
UK's Cameron battered in local elections over stalled economy
Midmorning count showed Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party has lost almost 300 seats
Worldview
In debate, Sarkozy fails to upend Socialist challenger
Morning-after headlines agree: Hollande is headed for French presidency
Hollande's France would tweak NATO, Afghan roles but hold hard Sarkozy line on Syria, Iran
If elected, the current leader in the French polls, Francois Hollande, might be less vigorous in flexing military or diplomatic muscle abroad than current president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Witnesses describe island massacre in Norway trial
Witnesses on Thursday described in chilling detail how mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik tricked them into believing he was a policeman on the ferry to Utoya island, where he then killed 69 people.
World powers urge Iran to give more nuclear access
The United States, France, Russia, China and Britain released a joint statement pressing Tehran to agree with the UN nuclear watchdog on access to “relevant sites and information”.
Russian military raise the ante on missile defence
Russian officials threaten to use destructive force pre-emptively if Washington goes ahead with its controversial missile defence plan.
Full coverage
Full coverage: France's presidential candidates go head-to-head at debate
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting desperately to hold on to his office, with polls showing him several points behind Socialist Party Leader François Hollande. France's voters head to the polls for the final round of presidential voting this weekend.
Strauss-Kahn denied diplomatic immunity, N.Y. maid's suit can proceed
Tuesdays ruling kept alive the civil case that emerged from a May 2011 hotel-room encounter that also spurred now-dismissed criminal charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, then a French presidential hopeful.
News Corp and the phone-hacking scandal, from 2011 to present
A look at the major events in the phone-hacking scandal starting from July 4, 2011 and ending with the report deeming Rupert Murdoch unfit to head a major company on May 1, 2012.
France's Le Pen won't endorse anyone for president
The leader of France's resurgent, anti-immigrant far right, Marine Le Pen, is refusing to endorse either candidate in the country's presidential runoff and said Tuesday she will cast a blank protest ballot.
U.K. lawmakers: Rupert Murdoch unfit to lead company
Legislators accuse Murdochs of overseeing a corporate culture which sought 'to cover up rather than seek out wrongdoing'
Worldview
Rumours of association with disgraced politicians taint rivals in French election
For Sarkozy, allegations of payments from Gadhafi are surfacing at the wrong moment; for Hollande, it’s DSK that never seems to go away
French Muslims get call to vote for president
Imams and Islamic associations are calling on Muslims to do their duty as citizens and go to the polls for the French presidential election.
Worldview
In France, Sarkozy and Hollande battle links to dubious characters
Media reports linking the presidential hopefuls to Moammar Gadhafi and Dominique Strauss-Kahn have the politicians scrambling to defend themselves
British PM says Cabinet minister didn't break rules over Murdoch
Amid concern about the extent of contacts between Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's office and Rupert Murdoch's staff, Prime Minister David Cameron said his minister had “acted fairly and impartially and in line with the advice” from civil servants.
London could have missiles on rooftops to guard Olympic Games
East London apartment building is one of several sites under consideration for surface-to-air missile stations to defend against aerial attack
Ex-PM Tymoshenko's health failing in Ukraine prison, family says
Yulia Tymoshenko is wasting away in prison, weakened from a hunger strike and bruised from beatings, her family says
Man ‘strapped in gasoline cylinders’ threatens to blow up London office building
Scotland Yard said that police were called to a busy central London avenue just before noon and had sent a negotiator to the site
No foreigners allowed: Dutch judge upholds ‘weed pass’ in coffee shops
The changes are the most significant rollback in years to the traditional Dutch tolerance of marijuana use
27 injured as blasts rock Ukrainian city; opposition fingers government
Authorities say they received letters from unknown assailants demanding money in exchange for not causing any more blasts
British businessman found dead in China not a spy, U.K. foreign secretary says
William Hague said he was breaking conventions which usually prevent ministers from commenting on the identities of intelligence officials
‘A picture of elderly innocence’: Praise, skepticism for Murdoch
Reviews in Thursday's newspapers of Rupert Murdoch's first day at Britain's media ethics have admired the performance, despite doubts about the story he spun
Fighting terror with music: Thousands defy Norway mass killer Breivik in song
Thousands gathered in Norway to sing a children's song that gunman Anders Behring Breivik claimed is being used to brainwash young Norwegians
Rupert Murdoch says sorry, but takes no blame for scandal
Media mogul insists that, far from being responsible for the culture of subterfuge and illegality at the News of the World, he was in fact one of its many victims
Worldview
UK’s Cameron under fire for ‘cozy’ ties to Murdoch empire
The 81-year-old media mogul’s appearance is the high point in an inquiry which has laid bare collusion between ministers and News Corp.
Dutch Queen calls for election after austerity talks bring down government
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his 18-month old government resigned Monday after failing to agree on billions of dollars in cuts to rein in government spending.
Unsolved case
Missing girl Madeleine McCann could be alive: U.K. police
The young girl vanished before her fourth birthday in May 2007
Breivik case sparks debate about public trials
Shocking testimony from alleged Norwegian mass murder has people wondering how much information is too much
Press, politicians emerge from Leveson inquiry with egg on their faces
E-mails between James Murdoch and Conservative minister show active co-operation between wealthy ruling class and wealthier media proprietors
London Olympics sends housing rates up, low-income families seek new homes
Low-income people who live near London's Olympic Stadium may have to move to other parts of the country due to rising rents, the borough's mayor said Tuesday.
London marathoner’s tragic death near finish line inspires a surge of donations
Claire Squires collapsed and died during the final stretch of Sunday’s London marathon, but her story continues to inspire people on social media as her fundraising pledge has gone from $800 to over half a million and counting
European laws encourage anti-Muslim prejudice, Amnesty says
The Amnesty report released Tuesday lists a raft of examples of discrimination against Muslims from Spain to the Netherlands and Turkey, spurred on by laws viewed as anti-Islam.
Worldview
Lessons from the U.K. phone hacking inquiry: Relationships matter
Testimony at the Leveson hearing reveals a cozy picture of intimacy between the media elite and British Prime Minister David Cameron
Police official at Breivik’s trial recalls the chaos of Norway attacks
Testifying in Anders Behring Breivik’s trial, police operations leader said he initially thought that there were two attackers but he “could not imagine there being two people with so many crazy ideas.”
Dutch PM’s resignation over budget creates political chaos
Refusal of far-right politician Geert Wilders to accept austerity demands to bring the budget deficit in line with EU rules leads to early election call
Norway killer says no one would call him insane if he were 'bearded jihadist'
Anders Breivik told the court Monday that he is completely sane and allegations to the contrary are part of a racist plot to discredit his ideology.
French election
France’s Sarkozy fights for re-election in presidential vote
Voters were turning out Sunday in solid numbers for the first round of France's presidential election.
Worldview
Love ‘em, hate ‘em — Israel’s European complex
Israelis reason that Europeans are simply anti-Semitic, but there are no other people that Israelis prefer to rub shoulders with
Nearly 50 new phone hacking cases filed against News International, lawyer says
Hugh Tomlinson says 46 lawsuits have been filed in a second wave of legal action against the British newspaper company
French polls show socialist Hollande pulling away from Sarkozy
The French presidential candidates fought over the euro crisis with Nicolas Sarkozy saying he had helped steer the euro zone through the worst of its crisis
Norway killer had voices in his head saying 'Don't do it, don't do it', court hears
Survivors of the July 22 rampage were hugging and sobbing during Anders Breivik's testimony
Murdochs to appear at U.K. media ethics inquiry
Rupert and James Murdoch have been at the centre of the phone hacking scandal, which has badly tarnished the reputation of the British press
EU to suspend Myanmar sanctions for one year
The sanctions, which target more than 800 companies and nearly 500 people, will be suspended for a year, with the possibility of a review in six months
Russia slams NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan
NATO plans to hand over lead responsibility to the Afghan army and police by the middle of next year, then withdraw its troops by the end of 2014
Plan was to behead former PM, kill everyone on Utoya island: Breivik
Confessed mass killer tells court he decided against multiple bombs because building one was ‘much more difficult than I thought’
French candidates take extreme stands to win fringe voters
Many French voters are expected to vote for extremists because there is little chance for victory
Worldview
While Londoners herald 100 days to Olympics, the rest of the U.K. couldn’t give a toss
Brits outside of London sniffed at the idea that the sporting event would have any benefit to them
Death or acquittal 'only logical outcomes' for massacre, Breivik says
Issue of key importance in determining sanity and whether he’s sent to prison or compulsory psychiatric care
Bomb threat closes modern art museum
Unclear whether incident connected to exhibit about degrading black stereotypes, police say
