UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today backed an initiative by Italy to push for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty.

German Christian Democrat Hans-Gert Poettering, a veteran European politician, was elected president of the European Parliament today until 2009, an official said.

The European Union today said the mutual trusts between religious communities had been badly damaged by the recent crisis over the Prophet Mohammed drawings, and called the furore a “most regrettable development”.

A top official from the UK's Conservative Party today said his party would cut links with the largest centre-right political group in the European Parliament and seek to form a new euro-sceptic political party in the European Union assembly.

EU COMMISSIONER Charlie McCreevy stood his ground before the European Parliament yesterday and insisted he would not be frightened into keeping quiet about matters he felt strongly about.

Political leaders at the European Parliament declared victory today and said they would give their backing to the new executive under Jose Manuel Barroso after the incoming EC chief presented his reshuffled team.

Europe’s outgoing Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs tonight backed anti-gay Italian Rocco Buttiglione to take over the job as planned and not step down because of his personal views.

A compromise deal to save the next European Commission was today rejected by European parliament leaders who want an anti-gay member of the new team axed.

Key European Parliament leaders threatened to veto incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s 24 member team today unless he removes a conservative Italian nominee for justice commissioner.

Italy's blunder-prone Rocco Buttiglione was under increasing pressure today to spare himself the sack and step down voluntarily from his new job as European Commissioner in charge of civil liberties.

EU leaders defended their proposed constitution today against criticism that it will create a European superstate, and urged MEPs to do all they can to sell it to an increasingly sceptical public.

The European Parliament’s outspoken Irish president, Pat Cox, called it quits today, saying he would retire from the assembly after 15 years while leaving the door open for a return to European politics.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the “new Europe” celebrated with street festivals today in a jubilant countdown to the European Union’s historic enlargement.

A letter bomb caught fire at the offices of a senior British MEP today, but no-one was hurt.

Increased security at the European Parliament in Brussels today failed to stop at least one letter bomb from being delivered.

A letter bomb addressed to the head of the European Parliament’s Christian Democrat group burst into flames today but did not injure anyone, officials said.

Opponents of British entry into the European single currency were today celebrating a decisive Swedish vote to reject the euro.

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed regret for his Nazi gaffe last night - but only to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed regret for his “Nazi” gaffe tonight – but only to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

The leader of Europe’s centre-right MEPs demanded an apology today over a “Nazi” jibe – not from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, but from the target of his outburst.

Conservatives in the European Parliament today rallied to support controversial Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, blocking demands that he formally apologise for a Nazi jibe to a German MEP.

The EU presidency warned today of a “deep crisis” if Europe cannot speak with one voice on Iraq and feared the bitter dispute that has split Nato could disrupt a European Union summit next week.

EC President Romano Prodi, under fire for calling the budgetary rules behind the euro “stupid,” tonight asked for more power to enforce them in a more “intelligent” way.

The European Commissioner in charge of the single currency insisted today that the rules for running the euro were working perfectly well – despite a claim from his boss that they are “stupid“.