The Arab League asked the UN Security Council today to impose a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians from air attack by forces of Muammar Gaddafi's embattled government, giving crucial backing to a key demand of the rebel forces battling to oust the Libyan leader.

ATTEMPTS to reorganise the EU’s rescue fund were dealt a blow by the junior coalition partners in Angela Merkel’s government when they ruled out any changes as they fight to retain seats in pending regional elections.

William Hague said today that he and his wife decided to go public with intimate details about their private life because they had “had enough” of untrue allegations circulating on the internet.

A week of national mourning has been declared in Poland after the country's President died in a plane crash.

European powers reacted sceptically today to Iran’s offer to send uranium abroad for enrichment as a way of ending its showdown with the west.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed yesterday to have a new centre-right German government in place by the time Germany marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.

GERMANY’S two biggest parties edged closer to a ‘grand coalition’ yesterday, as conservative leader Angela Merkel said there was a very strong chance the conservatives and Social Democrats would form a government.