Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has pointed to the possibility of calling in the army to deal with the violent protests in the country over the government’s economic policies. Monti raised alert levels on Sunday at some sensitive sites across Italy to handle the recent violence that has hit the country. Interior Minister Anna... 

Countries of the “Russian world” are capable of changing the globe within ten years, believes top cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church Vsevolod Chaplin. ­By the “Russian world” he means states with a historically strong tradition of Orthodox Christianity which, apart from Russia, include Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, Romania and several others. “Our Orthodox... 

Ear-piercing: The 'sonic cannon' similar to the one pictured here emits a loud pain-inducing noise. It could be used to disperse crowds during the Olympics Controversial weapons known as ‘sonic cannons’ will be used during the London Olympics, the Ministry of Defence revealed yesterday. The devices emit a pain-inducing noise, said to be as loud as a military... 

Rupert Murdoch A select committee of British MPs has declared Rupert Murdoch “not fit” to run an international company after concluding that he displayed “wilful blindness” to illegal phone hacking practices across his media empire. The MPs, from the cross-party Culture Media and Sport select committee, concluded in their report that a culture... 

The US is planning to spend $4 billion to upgrade NATO’s Western European nuclear arsenal. The “unnecessary and expensive” initiative is likely to stir new animosity with Russia, a report says. ­The alliance is preparing to replace “dumb” free-fall nuclear bombs with new generation of precision-guided nuclear gravity bombs, reveals a report by the European... 

Two policemen have been injured as hundreds of protesters hurled red paint and eggs at officers guarding Equitalia, Italy’s tax collection office, in Naples following the suicide of yet another debt-ridden Italian citizen. Demonstrators lobbed rocks and bottles at policemen clad in riot gear as the building was quickly closed to the public. The protesters claimed... 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel left little ground to hope she would abandon or moderate the austerity program for Europe as she warned that growth on new loans would push the EU into deeper crisis. “Growth through structural reform is sensible, important and necessary,” she said during an address to the German Parliament. “Growth through debt would throw us... 

Europeans are concerned about high fuel prices resulting from the Iran oil ban and its negative effects on the economic situation of their countries. A new poll conducted in five European countries shows most people are against imposing sanctions on Iran’s oil sector. A total of 2,100 adults in Germany, France, Austria, Sweden and Poland responded to the poll which... 

Washington claims the shield is meant to protect against Iran, but Moscow knows its about undermining Russia’s military deterrence. Russia’s top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike if Washington goes ahead with its plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. The Obama administration has been pushing for a deal to build... 

Greece’s leader of the leftist SYRIZA coalition, Alexis Tsipras Greece’s left-wing coalition leader has ruled out austerity measures, receiving a mandate to form a new government as elections produced a stalemate in parliament. Greece’s leader of the leftist SYRIZA coalition, Alexis Tsipras, has ruled out budget-cutting austerity measures, opting to meet President... 

Former Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his successor Vladimir Putin walk downstairs at the Ivanovskaya Square in Moscow’s Kremlin, on May 7, 2012. Russia’s newly sworn-in President Vladimir Putin has submitted a bill to the State Duma, nominating Dmitry Medvedev as the new prime minister under a job swap agreement announced last year. The lower... 

Far-right political party Golden Dawn is set to enter the Greek Parliament for the first time after yesterday’s elections. Exit polls in Sunday’s election show the nationalist organization has won about 7% of the vote – well above the required three-per-cent threshold. ­This is the first time in nearly 40 years that a far-right party is projected to enter... 

The euro has dropped in value following the electoral defeat of ruling parties in France and Greece. The euro has dropped in value following the electoral defeat of ruling parties in France and Greece as new anxiety about the fate of EU austerity policies rattles financial markets. The currency sank to 1.29 dollars on Monday, its lowest level since January, after Socialist... 

Francois Hollande on giant screen behind supporters after winning the second round of the presidential election on May 6, 2012 in Tulle, France First official results show Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande has defeated incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy, who managed to secure only 48.1 per cent of the votes. Sarkozy has conceded defeat, asking that Hollande’s... 

Stargazers will be treated to a rare glimpse of a “Supermoon” this weekend when our celestial neighbor strays closest to Earth. During the annual display, the moon appears to swell larger in size and wax in brightness. Scientists say that the moon will look 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than all the other full moons of 2012 and will be visible at its...