Protesters trample a burnt European Union flag during a demonstration in front of the EU Parliament and Committee headquarters in downtown Budapest, January 14, 2012. Thousands of Hungarians have protested against the European Union, urging their country to pull out from the bloc while Budapest seeks EU’s backing to evade insolvency. People gathered in front of the European Commission offices... 

Protesters waved Romanian flags with holes in them, symbolising the 1989 anti-communist revolution. Police officer seriously injured after resignation of Palestinian-born doctor over health reforms sparks mass protests. Romanian police have fired tear gas and clashed with protesters during an anti-government rally in the third consecutive day of demonstrations against austerity cuts and worsening... 

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin The escalating conflict around Iran should be contained by common effort, otherwise the promising Arab Spring will grow into a “scorching Arab Summer,” says Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s former envoy to NATO. ­“Iran is our close neighbor, just south of the Caucasus. Should anything happen to Iran, should Iran get drawn into any political or military... 

Romanians have protested in cities around the country for a third day against the government, whom they blame for austerity cuts and falling living standards. One policeman was injured in the Romanian capital Saturday after clashes with demonstrators protesting the government’s austerity programme, AFP reported. Hundreds of Romanians rallied in Bucharest to protest against austerity measures... 

A cruise ship that ran aground is seen off the west coast of Italy at Giglio island January 14, 2012. Various reports say between three and eight people have been killed and at least 40 others injured as an Italian cruise liner with over 4,000 people on board hit a sandbar off the Italian coast. The rescue operation is underway with 69 people missing. Over 4,000 people, including 3,200 passengers,... 

Standard & Poor's has downgraded the credit ratings of several European nations. Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the credit ratings of France, Italy, and Spain, as the European debt crisis continues to intensify. According to French government sources, the ratings agency has downgraded the country’s Triple-A credit rating, while downgrading Italy and Spain’s ratings as... 

Unemployment in the European Union states has reached a record-high level of 9.8 percent, a new report says. A quarterly report released by the European Commission shows that unemployment has reached a historically high level across Europe. The report, issued on Tuesday, says 9.8 percent of all formerly-employed Europeans are currently jobless, with unemployment having steadily escalated since last... 

France is satisfied with its contract with Russia for the supply of helicopter carriers of Mistral type and is ready to continue the cooperation in military-technical sphere. In particular, the French party promises this year to issue a contract to build the third and fourth helicopter. “After selling the Mistral our country is ready to offer Russia the most advanced weapons and military equipment,... 

Insolvency is threatening heavily debt-ridden countries such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain. Official figures show the rate of unemployment in the eurozone reached an all-time high of 10.3 percent in November 2011. According to the Eurostat statistics agency, by November more than 16.3 million people were unemployed in the 17 nations that use the euro as their currency. Eurostat figures... 

Italy's unemployment rate increased in November Italy’s youth unemployment has reached a new record high of over 30 percent, as it confirms that the euro-zone’s third-largest economy is already in recession. According to seasonally adjusted figures released by ISTAT on Thursday, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 years have reached 30.1 percent in November, while the... 

A large corruption scandal involving President Nicolas Sarkozy has been gathering pace in France. According to Liberation newspaper, which refers to the investigative materials, Mr. Sarkozy, when serving as the Budget Minister, was involved in establishing a mechanism to pay so-called “kickbacks” when selling submarines to Pakistan during the 1990s, RBC TV reports. The French newspaper... 

The collapse of the Soviet Union and its daunting military machine spelled the beginning of a process of decay for Russia’s armed forces. Now, major reforms are underway to put the military back on track. ­Russia has revealed details of ambitious plans to spend over US $600 billion on upgrading its army over the next 10 years. And there’s a new man in charge as well – Russia’s... 

A man waits for a train at Santa Apolonia train station during a strike in Lisbon, Portugal, December 23, 2011. Train drivers in Portugal have begun the New Year with industrial action, as they continued their strike in protest at disciplinary measures. Most national rail services have remained cancelled on Sunday, the last day of a four-day strike. Drivers were disciplined for allegedly failing to... 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L), President of France Nicolas Sarkozy (C) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso Eurozone leaders have used their New Year’s messages to warn of more economic crisis for the year ahead, as many eurozone countries expect recession in 2012. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday she expects more difficulty in 2012, but she does “everything”... 

For the first time in many years, Russia’s Foreign Ministry published an extensive report about the state of affairs in the field of human rights in the United States of America, Canada, EU, NATO members and Georgia. The report from the ministry also touched upon Libya, where NATO’s incursion has led to the bloody change of power. The document is not flawless. However, it clearly shows...