Demonstrators hurled rocks and logs at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, today, smashing several windows as they protested against plans to liberalise port services across the European Union.

Fouling traffic and tempers, heavy snow fell today on much of Europe that had been deprived of anything more than a dusting for weeks, giving Rome a rare winter blanket and shutting down the main airport in Montenegro.

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

The new President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, will announce tomorrow whether he is launching a legal power battle with EU governments - less than three weeks after taking office.