Germany seeks to modernize policing across EU

Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said Germany would seek to make increased cross-border cooperation of the police and judicial authorities, particularly the exchange of DNA databases.

Sarkozy, France's tough guy, files down his rough edges

The presidential hopeful's message is getting softer, and vaguer.

How long can the London office boom last?

London not only can lay claim to the most expensive residences in the world; it also has become the priciest place for top-end office space.

A fantasy playground in Buenos Aires

Give years, $100 million and the Argentine financial crisis behind them — Alan Faena and his investors are completing one of the city's most talked-about developments in Argentina.

A renaissance in men's ties

After a trend in dressing down at the office, classic neckwear is coming back into fashion.

Russian amnesty program for Chechens comes to end

The program, announced last summer after the death of a terrorist leader, was designed to offer militants a way to enter civilian life.

Globalist: Shades of a shambles as ETA terror fight splits Spain

The bitter politics of early 2007 reflect an acrimonious divide that courses through society and even within families over how to deal with ETA's four-decade-long campaign that has taken more than 800 lives, and with terrorism in general.

French sought union with Britain in '56

The revelation that the French government proposed a union of Britain and France in 1956 — even offering to accept the sovereignty of the British Queen — has left scholars on both sides of the Channel scratching their heads.

EU Parliament elects German conservative

Hans-Gert Pöttering is a German social conservative deeply skeptical of Turkey's European Union candidacy.

British detectives may return to Moscow in investigation of poisoning of former KGB agent

The investigators want to return to Moscow as part of their investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko, said Yuri Chaika, Prosecutor-General of Russia on Tuesday.

Europe creates attractive clean energy scene

While American support comes in fits and starts, Europeans are providing more consistent incentives and infrastructure to the industry. Left, wind power blades made by the Danish company Vestas being loaded onto a barge in Germany.

London jurors see video of alleged bomb misfiring on subway

Prosecutors laid out their case Tuesday against six men accused in attempted suicide attacks on the London transit system.

Texas panel faults BP over safety at refinery

Poor management and cost-cutting created a dangerous work environment at BP before the explosion in 2005 at a Texas refinery that killed 15 people, according to a report on Tuesday.

In Paris, men's turn at style

Paris is known for its chic women; the men have always slightly paled in comparison, appearing safe and nondescript.

In a boy's world, Armani celebrates the man

The bullfighter Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, 29, rising star of a Spanish matador dynasty, closed Giorgio Armani's show, his torso rippling under a tux.

Menswear, at a whisper

Men have rarely been partial to over-the-top fashion statements, but the current mood is so understated that even a belt can seem a bit too much, and luxury is now designed to be felt more than seen.

Collaborations by universities, start-up firms and financiers produce gains for public

The long-term trend dates to the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which mandated universities to aid with commercial concerns to promote the use of the inventions arising from U.S. government financing.

Deutsche Telekom to expand Internet TV to rural areas

Deutsche Telekom, which began selling pay-per-view TV over a new, high-speed urban network last summer, said Wednesday that it might upgrade its existing phone networks to sell the same TV service to viewers in rural parts of Germany.

A World Bank report recommends a fresh look at migrant workers

The money that migrants around the world send to their families back home is well known to alleviate poverty.

Former VW executive reaches preliminary plea agreement in corruption case

Volkswagen's former personnel chief may get a suspended sentence and a fine in exchange for a confession on breach of trust charges, the judge at his trial said Wednesday.

Internet pushes concept of 'free' content

After a decade fighting the free exchange of their products over the Internet, some media companies are now yielding. Left, "FIFA 07," a video game for soccer fans is available online for free from its publisher, Electronic Arts.

Gucci's Alpine romp looks back to 'snow glam'

Imagine the scene: The sexy, young urban male with a penchant for black clothes, heady cocktails and nocturnal clubs, is sent off to the mountains.

The End User: Batteries that travel

Moixa Energy's latest innovation is one of those slap-your-forehead ideas that both makes sense and makes us feel good to use: a traditional AA battery that recharges itself from a personal computer's USB port.

U.S. and NATO commanders seek more troops in Afghanistan

In light of a growing Taliban insurgency, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is sympathetic to the request.

Ian McEwan's life takes twist with discovery of a brother

The author has discovered that his mother gave up the brother after a clandestine affair during World War II.

China and EU begin renegotiating commercial relations treaty

The European Union and China kicked off efforts to expand cooperation in trade, climate change and other fields.

France planned, then canceled a diplomatic visit to Iran

President Jacques Chirac, hoping to resolve the crisis in Lebanon, has been trying to engage Tehran, but his plans have run into opposition in Washington.

Airbus forecasts a loss for 2006

Despite a record number of deliveries for the European aircraft maker, its problems with the A380 jet will take a steep toll on earnings.

Royal calls opponents' campaign thuggish

The French Socialist presidential candidate also rebutted charges that she had tried to dodge a wealth tax.

Letter From Britain: Darker realities behind Britons' longing for Frangleterre

A long-ago proposed union between France and Britain has captivated public attention in Britain, at the same time that the union between England and Scotland is facing renewed scrutiny.

First ladies urge joint attack on child abuse

Their husbands may not always agree but when Bernadette Chirac, Laura Bush, Lyudmila Putin and Suzanne Mubarak met here on Wednesday to discuss the fight against child pornography and pedophilia, they spoke with one voice.

French manufacturer of favors for holiday galettes faces competition from Asia

Recognizing a niche market, manufacturers in Thailand, Vietnam and even China have begun flooding the French market.

Ahmadinejad under pressure at home over UN sanctions

Members of the Iranian Parliament have criticized the president for his handling of the nuclear crisis and the economy.

U.K. aide calls decision to drop arms inquiry uncomfortable

The decision to call off an investigation of alleged bribes paid in connection with the Saudi arms deal was not "entirely comfortable," Britain's attorney general acknowledged Thursday.

Royal suspends a campaign spokesman

Arnaud Montebourg said Ségolène Royal's only political liability was her longtime partner, François Hollande, who is the Socialist Party leader.

UN expected to recommend limited independence for Kosovo

The recommendation is likely to result in a diplomatic clash between Russia and Washington.

Edmund Stoiber, leader of Bavaria, resigns

One of Germany's most controversial politicians, Stoiber, a longtime rival to Chancellor Angela Merkel, has been critical of the federal government, even though his Christian Social Union party is part of that government.

Racism charges over TV show disrupt Brown's India visit

Outrage over comments made to a Bollywood actress has soured Gordon Brown's attempts to foster ties with India.

Cultural thaw nudges Greeks and Turks closer

A warmer climate between Greece and Turkey is showing up in the daily lives of Greeks, and things are changing faster, perhaps, than the political differences that still divide the two nations.

LSE to buy back shares to fend off Nasdaq

The London Stock Exchange pledged to buy back as much as £250 million, or $493 million, in shares this year.

Winter gale pummels Western Europe, killing at least 10

The storm, dubbed Cyril, uprooted trees, shattered windows, flooded beaches, and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Left, a woman was blown off her feet by the wind in London.