When Jean-Claude Trichet called last June for the creation of a European finance ministry with power over national budgets, the idea seemed fanciful, a distant dream that would take years or even deca

Russian President Vladimir Putin stood firm on Friday against growing pressure over Moscow's position on Syria, opposing military intervention and raising doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions.

President Francois Hollande on Friday defended France's imminent exit from Afghanistan, saying 2,000 combat troops will leave in a coordinated withdrawal this year but vowing not to abandon the countr

President Francois Hollande told troops in Afghanistan on Friday that France will coordinate closely with NATO allies and Afghan authorities about its imminent exit from the war.

Speaking to French t

French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy jumped on a train to travel from Paris to Brussels for an EU summit on Wednesday, their entourages said.

The two leaders,

European Union leaders, advised by senior officials to prepare contingency plans in case Greece decides to quit the single currency, urged the country to stay the course on austerity and complete the

European leaders will explore ways of breathing life into their stricken economies at a summit on Wednesday, but the issue of eurozone bonds and whether they can help alleviate two years of debt turmo

World leaders backed keeping Greece in the eurozone on Saturday and vowed to take all steps necessary to combat financial turmoil while revitalising a global economy increasingly threatened by Europe'

France's new left-wing government started work on Thursday with pledges to combat excessive austerity but better manage public finances, marking the debut with a 30 per cent cut in pay for President F

Attempts to form a government in Greece collapsed on Tuesday, jolting financial markets at the prospect that leftists opposed to the terms of an EU bailout could sweep to victory in a June election an