Germany's chancellor and France's president have agreed their joint priorities for an informal European Union summit, including ensuring Europe's security and fighting terrorism.

Rock stars U2 have waded into the European Union referendum debate by declaring: “Don’t go — we’d miss you.”

Rock stars U2 have waded into the UK's European Union referendum debate by declaring: "Don't go - we'd miss you."

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has thanked voters for making “a brave choice” in backing his call to reject creditors’ demands for more austerity in return for rescue loans.

A decapitated body daubed with Arabic writing was left at a US-owned factory in south-east France after an assailant rammed a delivery van into gas containers at the site, triggering an explosion.

An attacker with suspected ties to French Islamic radicals has rammed a car into a gas factory in France, and the severed head of a local businessman was hung from a post at the entrance, officials said.

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has called for a speeding-up of work to conclude a reform-for-cash deal with eurozone creditors to keep his country afloat after talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel, yesterday.

The Government is to provide an extra €1m in an effort to curb binge drinking and other forms of alcohol abuse.

The upper house of the Russian parliament has cancelled a resolution allowing the use of military force in Ukraine, a move intended to show Moscow’s eagerness to de-escalate tensions and avoid a new round of Western sanctions.

Olympic champion Katie Taylor will have to be at her best to secure a sixth successive European title in Bucharest, according to Irish head coach Billy Walsh.

A boat carrying an estimated 200 migrants has capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa where a shipwreck last week left more than 300 dead.

French president Francois Hollande has warned of a tough European Union summit later this week if countries including Britain continue to demand drastic cuts to the EU budget without making concessions themselves.

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise of an in/out referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union sparked a furious political row in Westminster today.

Hundreds of youths pelted riot police with fire bombs, bottles and chunks of marble today as another Greek anti-austerity demonstration descended into violence, less than a month after more intense clashes broke out during a similar protest.

The banker who was chosen to be Greece’s next finance minister resigned for health reasons today, three days after he was admitted to hospital.

Asian stocks mostly drifted lower today as investors grew cautious ahead of a critical European Union summit later this week where Greek leaders will attempt to renegotiate some terms of the country’s international bailout.

Greece’s new prime minister will not be well enough to travel to a critical European Union summit in Brussels after undergoing an eye operation, the government said today.

Greece’s new coalition government has vowed to repeal some of the country’s taxes, stop job lay-offs and extend by two years the deadlines for the austerity measures imposed by its international bailout.

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain have agreed to push for a 130 billion euro (£105 billion) growth package at a key European Union summit next week.

Greece’s newly installed caretaker prime minister is meeting party leaders ahead of Wednesday’s European Union summit as campaigning gets under way for next month’s elections.

Herman Van Rompuy is likely to be reappointed president of the European Council at a European Union summit next week, an EU official said today.

Belgium was hit by nationwide strikes in protest at austerity measures today as leaders met for the European Union summit in Brussels.

British Prime Minister David Cameron today insisted that he had genuinely sought agreement on a new treaty at last week’s European Union summit.

AS acts of contrition go, it was as pointless as it was insincere.

A letter bomb has exploded at an office of Italy’s tax collection agency, slightly wounding its director.

GERMANY and France stepped up a drive yesterday for coercive powers to reject eurozone members’ budgets that breach EU rules, as a market rout of European debt eased temporarily on hopes of outside help for Italy and Spain.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel will seek backing from German lawmakers to bolster the euro bailout fund on the same day she heads to a European summit as banks joust with leaders over the size of losses they take on Greek bonds.

More workers went on strike in Greece today as the build-up continued to a huge demonstration on Thursday when parliament votes on crucial austerity measures.

UK investors lost confidence in the prospect of a speedy resolution to the eurozone debt crisis today, causing London's leading share index to drop into the red.

THIS may have been a box-off to select the team for the world championships and the first opportunity to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games but none of the recent medallists were in sight when the tournament got under way last night at the National Stadium.

STRANGE times in Belgium as the country enters its 55th week without a Government and one of its few cultural exports, The Smurfs, are outed as racists.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has criticised the low US profile in the international campaign in Libya, saying that France and Britain are carrying most of the burden.

PORTUGAL looks set to follow Ireland into the EU/IMF bailout fund after its parliament voted against another round of austerity measures aimed at averting such a bailout.

Portugal’s government could collapse today after opposition parties withdrew their support for another round of austerity policies aimed at averting a financial bailout.

The FTSE 100 Index surged ahead for the third session in a row today as a multi-billion dollar telecoms deal offset concerns over military strikes in Libya and the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.

European leaders have urged Egyptian authorities to protect reporters covering the country’s crisis.

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said yesterday he was certain he would see out his term in 2013 after narrowly surviving a confidence vote this week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today denied that she had told French President Nicolas Sarkozy her country planned to evacuate its own illegal immigrant camps.

SPECULATION that the Government will present its bank recapitalisation plans next week sent shares down almost 1% yesterday, with banks the main casualties.

European Union chiefs reacted with shock after Barack Obama said he would not attend a EU-US summit in May.

WHEN Affif Belgecham, the European Union middleweight champion, arrived in Limerick on Thursday for tonight’s fight with Andy Lee at the University Arena, he was quick to point out that he wanted to make it a big double for France, whose footballers meet Ireland earlier in the evening at Croke Park in the crucial World Cup play-off.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern today called for greater European-wide control of firearms and exchange of data and information to combat crime gangs.