THE former British minister for Europe, Denis MacShane, tells a good story from one of those negotiating sessions in Brussels where European leaders advanced, bit by bit, the creation of the new Europe.

THURSDAY’S European Central Bank (ECB) meeting is unlikely to cut interest rates further, according to leading economists.

FRANCE and Germany are expected to come under the most concerted pressure yet from other EU finance ministers over their plans to exceed the Stability Pact for a third year and face multi million euro fines.