Jean-Marc Ayrault has taken over as France's new Socialist prime minister, a day after Francois Hollande was inaugurated as president.

Mr Ayrault, an old Hollande ally, said farewell to his predecessor, Francois Fillon, at the Matignon Palace before starting work on forming a cabinet.

Former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic intended to "ethnically cleanse" Bosnia, the opening day of his war crimes trial has heard.

Gen Mladic faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, in connection with the brutal 1992-95 Bosnian war.

Former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic intended to "ethnically cleanse" Bosnia, the opening day of his war crimes trial has heard.

Gen Mladic faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, in connection with the brutal 1992-95 Bosnian war.

Parents are to be given more financial control over support for children with special educational needs, in a major shake-up of the system in England.

The government says it wants to push ahead with proposals announced last year that parents should have a "personal budget" for their children.

Francois Hollande has been sworn in as president of France, becoming the first Socialist leader in 17 years to occupy the Elysee Palace.

Mr Hollande said he was fully aware of the challenges facing France, including the debt crisis and weak growth.

The leader of Greece's main socialist party, Evangelos Venizelos, has met conservative leader Antonis Samaras in an attempt to form a unity government.

Mr Venizelos is the third leader to try to form a coalition since Sunday's election produced a hung parliament.

Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos will make a third effort to form a coalition government in Greece amid political turmoil following Sunday's elections.

The talks follow failed bids by leaders of the centre-right New Democracy and radical left Syriza bloc.

Prince Harry hailed Britain's wounded veterans 'heroes' as he accepted a humanitarian award for his efforts supporting injured members of the Armed Forces.

The prince paid tribute to servicemen and women battling to rebuild their lives after suffering terrible injuries fighting for their country during an awards ceremony in Washington on Monday night.

The life of pioneering computer conservationist Tony Sale is to be commemorated with an award for the best computer restoration project.

Mr Sale is best known for the mammoth project that resulted in the re-creation of the Colossus computer.

The leader of Greece's far-left is to try to form a government after parties backing an international bailout deal failed to assemble a coalition.

Alexis Tsipras aims to put together a cabinet that will reject austerity measures imposed as part of the deal.

The US has foiled a plot by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to detonate an upgraded version of the failed 2009 "underwear bomb", US officials say.

The device was seized abroad following a CIA operation in Yemen and is now being studied by the FBI in the US.

French President-elect Francois Hollande is to start work on forming a new government, after declaring to his supporters that his victory gave hope there would be an end to austerity.

Mr Hollande has vowed to rework a deal on government debt in eurozone member countries to focus on promoting growth.

At least 12 people have been reported killed in two explosions on the outskirts of Makhachkala, capital of Russia's restive Dagestan region.

The double blast late on Thursday targeted a police checkpoint on a road leading out of the city.

Germany says the EU is prepared to delay a trade agreement with Ukraine, ratcheting up the pressure over the treatment of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

But Poland has warned against any boycott of Euro 2012, which Ukraine and Poland will co-host next month.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his challenger Francois Hollande have traded insults in their only TV debate of the election campaign.

The president called Mr Hollande a "little slanderer", while his rival said Mr Sarkozy shirked responsibility.

Several European leaders have cancelled visits to Ukraine amid growing concern over alleged mistreatment of the jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Both EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding will boycott the Euro 2012 tournament in Ukraine.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote.

He won 27.1% of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round.

Prosecutors in Oslo are questioning Anders Behring Breivik about his contacts with militant nationalists as they seek to prove his far-right European network does not exist.

Breivik, who killed 77 people last July, gave few details but told the prosecutor not to ridicule him.

France's former centre-right president, Jacques Chirac, will vote for Socialist Francois Hollande in first round of presidential elections on Sunday, a close aide says.

Writer Jean-Luc Barre told a newspaper that remarks to that effect by Mr Chirac last year had not been a joke.

The man accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July has defended his actions in a statement at his trial in Oslo.

"I have carried out the most spectacular and sophisticated attack on Europe since World War II," Anders Behring Breivik told the court.