Europe

By Agencies

Pro-Russian separatists have retained control of key government buildings in eastern Ukraine, despite a vow by the country's prime minister to cede more power to the region amid rising tensions between Russia and the international community. 

Read more: Separatists remain defiant in Ukraine's east

By Agencies

Armed pro-Russian separatists have raised the Russian flag in the troubled eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk, deepening a stand-off with Moscow which, Kiev warned, was dragging Europe closer to a "gas war" that could disrupt supplies across the continent.

Read more: Separatists raise Russia flag in Ukraine city

By Agencies

Turkey's prime minister has accused Twitter of tax evasion, days after his government was forced to lift a ban it imposed on the micro-blogging site that was used to spread a number of damaging leaks implicating his inner circle in corruption scandals.

Read more: Turkey's PM accuses Twitter of tax evasion

By Agencies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to continue backing Greece, one day after the debt-laden country tapped bond markets for the first time since its international bailout began four years ago.

Read more: Merkel pledges more support for Greece

By Agencies

Northern Ireland has charged a man with 29 counts of murder in the 1998 Omagh bombing, the worst attack in decades of violence in the province, police said.

Read more: Man charged with 29 murders in N Ireland bomb

By Agencies

Ukraine's prime minister has told leaders in the country's restive east that he is committed to allowing regions to have more powers, after a 48-hour ultimatum given to pro-Russian separatists passed without progress in a crisis that threatens the country's unity.

Read more: Ukrainian PM tackles crisis in restive east

By Agencies

Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for priests who molested children in some of his strongest words ever on the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis.

Read more: Pope seeks forgiveness over priests sex abuse

By Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged European leaders to quickly help Ukraine settle its gas debt to Russia, or possibly face a shutdown of Russian natural gas supplies flowing though Ukrainian pipelines to the continent.

Read more: Putin: Ukraine gas debt could affect Europe

By Agencies

NATO's chief military commander in Europe has suggested deploying American troops to alliance member states in eastern Europe as a countermove to the Russian military threat against Ukraine.

Read more: NATO mulls US troops in eastern Europe

By Agencies

Italy said that 4,000 immigrants have reached its shores by boat in the past two days - the highest number since it launched a naval operation to rescue them at sea in the wake of two shipwrecks last year.

Read more: Italy sounds alarm as 4,000 immigrants land