Landing on Romanian soil after nearly two months in captivity in Iraq, journalist Marie Jeanne Ion tugged off her yellow headscarf today and ran across the tarmac into her younger sister’s arms.

European Parliament President Josep Borrell is holding talks with senior Euro-MPs tomorrow in a bid to break the “wall of silence” surrounding the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney.

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.

It was stalemate in Brussels tonight in the battle of political wills over the anti-gay commissioner.