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Hung Parliament possible as UK polls tighten

The latest buzz word in the clubby world of British politics is "hung Parliament." It doesn't mean the current Parliament would be hanged, although some voters in these troubled economic times might relish that idea.

Griffin reopens BNP recruitment

British National Party leader Nick Griffin declared applications to join were being processed again despite a court order banning recruitment of new members.

German minister: EMF aid would come at heavy price

Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, with Chancellor Angela Merkel's backing, is a prime mover behind proposals to set up an International Monetary Fund-like institution in Europe as a long-term response to issues raised by the Greek debt crisis.

Cabbie wins busman's holiday

A Western Australian taxi driver named the state's favourite cabbie in an online contest has won the right to take 22 passengers on a 4,000-mile ride.

Report: Ex-Vienna choir boys say they were abused

Two former members of the famed Vienna Boys' Choir say they were sexually abused by their supervisors, a top Austrian newspaper reported Thursday, as allegations of misconduct against children in Austria spread beyond the Roman Catholic Church.

Will German Catholic church abuse case reach Pope Benedict?

German Catholic church authorities here launched two intertwined investigations Wednesday into allegations of abuse by members of the clergy. One is looking into allegations about the brother of Pope Benedict XVI and the second into how much members of the German clergy - " including the German-born pope - knew about the allegations, which date back to the 1950s. The pope's older brother, Rev. Georg Ratzinger, was in charge of the select Regensburger Domspatzen boys' choir from 1964 to 1994. Members of that choir have alleged in recent weeks that choir leaders physically and sexually assaulted them on numerous occasions. The Catholic diocese of Regensburg in southern Germany has appointed independent lawyer Andreas Scheulen to head the investigation. Rev. Ratzinger told Passauer Neue Presse, a German daily, that the sexual abuse allegations occurred before he was in charge of the choir, but said that he was not aware of the problem. He also told the German newspaper that he had slapped members of the choir in the 1960s, a common practice in Catholic schools at the time.

Derivatives debate splits US and Europe regulators

To Wall Street, they're tools that reduce risk and generate profits and should be left alone.

Sarkozy, Merkel lead proposal for greater regulation of credit default swaps

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are leading a proposal that calls for mandatory reporting of all derivatives trading in Europe as a way of clamping down on the type of speculation that has undermined the euro in recent weeks as a result of the Greek debt crisis.

3/10/2010 - Hungary makes Holocaust denial a crime

The law was approved last month by Hungarian lawmakers, after more wide-ranging versions of the law had been rejected by courts for limiting free speech.

Italy parliament passes justice measure

Silvio Berlusconi's allies pushed a controversial measure through parliament on Wednesday that shields the Italian premier from prosecution in two ongoing trials.

Spain: Aid worker kidnapped by Islamic militants in Africa freed, but 2 others still held

A Spanish aid worker who spent 100 days as a hostage of al-Qaida's North African offshoot arrived home tired and grateful after being released Wednesday, and said she hopes two colleagues abducted with her in Mauritania will follow her soon.

Winter X Games make European debut

Scores of athletes from more than 20 countries have descended on the French ski resort of Tignes to take part in the first Winter X Games to be held in Europe.

Did Pope Benedict XVI know? German Catholics to investigate abuse charges

Catholic authorities in Germany announced two major abuse investigations Wednesday - one into the renowned choir once led by Pope Benedict XVI's brother and another into what everyone, including the pope, knew about the sexual and physical abuse of students.

Spanish hostage in Africa freed

A Spanish woman kidnapped in West Africa last year has been freed, the Spanish government says.Alicia Gamez, 39, was "safe and sound... [and] travelling to Barcelona with a family member," Spain's deputy prime minister said. There are unconfirmed reports that an Italian woman reportedly held by the same group has also been released. Ms Gamez was seized in Mauritania last year and held by a militant group, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in Mali.

The Missile Shield Deadlock between the US and Russia

The US and Russia are currently negotiating a successor to the START nuclear disarmament treaty. But continued American plans for a missile shield in Europe have proven to be a major stumbling block. President Obama's vision of a nuclear-free world is in danger. There is good news on the disarmament front: US President Barack Obama is fine-tuning a new nuclear strategy. As White House officials said last week during a meeting between Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he plans to reach a decision by April. The new strategy could include the scrapping of "thousands of nuclear weapons," and even a commitment by the United States not to develop any new nuclear weapons.

First woman soldier to die in Afghanistan was inadequately trained and equipped, rules coroner

The first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan was inadequately trained and ill-equipped when she was killed by a roadside bomb, a coroner said today.

Slovenia's Pahor visits Kosovo

Talks focused on ironing out details of an upcoming summit being hosted by Slovenia.

Suresh Kalmadi MOU CWG -Sheffield Hallam University

Sagar Media presents Mr Suresh Kalmadi,President India Olympic Association address at ceremony of signing of Memorandum of understanding with CWG -Sheffield Hallam on 9 March 2010 New Delhi Sheffield Hallam University thirty students volunteer to participate in Commonweatlh Games to be held in New Delhi Oct,2010. HE Richard Stagg British High Commissioner in India the chief Guest graced the occassion Sheffield Hallam University MOU with CWG 2010 at British High Commissioner residence in New Delhi. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c9Q41xo8ZA

Coalition rules eased in Ukraine

Ukraine's parliament has approved a measure to ease coalition building, as President Viktor Yanukovych tries to form a governing alliance.

BNP constitution 'discriminates'

The British National Party has been accused of "indirectly" discriminating against black and Asian people even though the party no longer bars them from joining.