German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed the Netherlands in its diplomatic fight with Turkey as Nato's chief called for alliance members to respect each other and the European Union urged Turkey to calm down.

Italy’s former premier Silvio Berlusconi has turned to Europe’s human rights court in a bid to avoid a ban on holding public office and other punishment for his tax fraud conviction.

A RELATIVES’ group of people killed and injured in the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings said yesterday they would be taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.