lllegal immigrants held in a detention centre on the island of Lampedusa, off southern Italy, tried to break free on Wednesday, police said. Several were reported injured after clashes with security forces.
Britain's top appeals court ruled on Wednesday that Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric and Jordanian national, can be deported to Jordan, which has repeatedly asked for Qatada's extradition on terrorist charges.
The European Commission will consider six cases of deficit overrun, including France, as the economic crisis takes it toll on public coffers. The EU's executive arm said it would use the "full flexibility" available due to the exceptional situation.
Germany temporarily allowed the nationalisation of troubled banks in a "last resort" move to expropriate shareholders that will end on June 30. It should pave the way to nationalise struggling property lender Hypo Real Estate.
The Czech Republic's lower house of parliament approved the EU's reforming Lisbon treaty on Wednesday. The 125 to 61 vote was a key step towards eventual ratification. (Pictured: Czech PM Mirek Topolanek)
Walter Veltroni, the former mayor of Rome and head of the left-wing opposition Democratic Party, has handed in his resignation after his party lost the presidency of Sardinia to the right-wing candidate backed by Italy's premier, Silvio Berlusconi.
Russia and Georgia have resumed security talks on disputed provinces following failed negotiations last year. Moscow and Tbilisi faced off militarily in August over control of Georgia's Russia-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Russia's economy will contract by 2.2% in 2009, according to government figures. The report comes after President Dmitry Medvedev (pictured) announced a $1.3 billion aid package to generate jobs in small and medium-sized businesses.
A court in Milan has sentenced David Mills, the British former tax lawyer of Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi (pictured), to four and a half years in prison for giving false evidence. Mills maintains his innocence and says the judgment is political.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has criticised France's handling of the economic crisis for the second time this month, albeit implicitly, by denouncing those "who are adding fuel to the fire in the form of protectionism."
