The rubbish has been collected but snipers kill people after dark. Patrick Cockburn reports from a Damascus suburb

Rangers today took their battle against a 12-month transfer embargo to the law courts.

An Israeli who rescued an unconscious climber on Mount Everest instead of pushing onward to the summit, says the man he helped, an American of Turkish origin, is like a brother to him.

French President Francois Hollande made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan today to visit some of the French troops he wants to pull out later this year, defending his plan for their early exit after meeting his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai.

Half of the major terrorist plots threatening Britain emerge from Afghanistan and Pakistan nearly 11 years after UK troops joined a US-led coalition to oust the Taliban, David Cameron said today.

It's been a pretty big few days for world leaders. First the G8 grappled with the economic crisis, then we had the Nato summit on Afghanistan; these are talks of the utmost importance. Maybe, then, it's a little odd that the most memorable image to be produced from the talks was not of sober politicians in statesmanlike negotiation, but of the great and the good getting overexcited by a game of football.

David Cameron and fellow EU leaders meet in Brussels tonight under intense pressure to agree new economic growth plans ahead of a crucial Greek election vote.

France also pushing for fiscal compact relaxation to help struggling eurozone members

President and British advisers acknowledge Afghans face tough future as West looks to open exit routes through Pakistan

President Barack Obama and Nato leaders expressed confidence in Afghanistan's ability to take the lead for its own security next year, as nations with a stake in the deeply unpopular war met today for talks aimed at paving the way for its end.

Chicago braced for more demonstrations today, with protesters vowing to march to the Boeing headquarters a day after clashes outside the Nato summit.

Residents of a quake-hit area of north-east Italy have woken in their cars, tents and in school gyms as aftershocks continued following a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that killed seven people and toppled centuries-old buildings.

Prime Minister David Cameron has issued his bluntest warning to Greece that voters must "meet their commitments" as a member of the eurozone at its renewed round of national elections next month or get out.

Prime Minister insists that world cannot afford to wait for answers on future of single currency