German authorities are using scent tracking to keep tabs on possibly violent protesters against next month’s Group of Eight summit – a tactic that is drawing comparisons with the methods of former East Germany’s secret police.

Thousands of people staged spontaneous demonstrations in major German cities, police said today, after nationwide raids against anti-globalization activists suspected of plotting to disrupt next month’s Group of Eight summit.

Not realising his remarks were being picked up by a microphone, US President George Bush told Tony Blair today that Syria should press Hezbollah “to stop doing this sh*t".

United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan has urged Iran’s foreign minister to speed up Tehran’s response to a package of incentives from world powers to roll back its nuclear enrichment programme.

A suspected bomb blast rocked a Venice courthouse near the Rialto bridge in the heart of the lagoon city today, damaging the building and nearby shops. A policeman on guard duty was injured.