European Parliament

The Hungarian parliament chose a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban to be country's new president Wednesday, guaranteeing that his conservative Fidesz party will be able to pass laws at will without interference. Janos Ader, a European Parliament lawmaker, was elected to a five-year term by a vote of 262-40. Ader replaces Pal Schmitt, who resigned last month after Hungary's Semmelweis University stripped him of his doctoral degree over charges that he had plagiarized his 1992 thesis.

ENTER GOLDEN DAWN: With Greece spiraling into an economic morass, 300 legislators were sworn in following an inconclusive May ballot. Among them, 21 members one of the most extreme nationalist parties to have taken seats in a European parliament since World War II. RIGHT WAY?: Formerly a shadowy fringe group, the right-wing Golden Dawn vehemently rejects the neo-Nazi label, insisting it is a nationalist patriotic party. But its meteoric rise from a largely marginalized party a few years ago to one that won nearly 7 percent in recent elections has alarmed many in Greece and in Europe.

LISBON, Portugal -- Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, the only woman to serve as Portugal's prime minister, died of heart failure Saturday, news reports said. She was 74. Mrs. Pintasilgo as prime minister in 1979. She also held a series of senior posts, including minister of social affairs, in provisional governments after the 1974 revolution which ended 30 years of dictatorship. She had also been ambassador to UNESCO. Trained as a chemical and industrial engineer, Mrs. Pintasilgo ran unsuccessfully for president in 1986 for the Socialist party and was elected to the European...

The Hungarian parliament chose a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban to be country's new president Wednesday, guaranteeing that his conservative Fidesz party will be able to pass laws at will without interference. Janos Ader, a European Parliament lawmaker, was elected to a five-year term by a vote of 262-40. Ader replaces Pal Schmitt, who resigned last month after Hungary's Semmelweis University stripped him of his doctoral degree over charges that he had plagiarized his 1992 thesis.

Doctors in Poland said Monday that the son of former President Lech Walesa is conscious and retained feeling in his legs, despite serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident last week. Doctors at a Warsaw military hospital said that European Parliament lawmaker Jaroslaw Walesa can move his arms and has feeling in his legs. He is being kept in an induced sleep. The fact that Walesa retained feelings in his legs gives them hope the 34-year-old will be able to walk again.

A German socialist known for his fiery rhetoric was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday, promising to increase the role of the 27-nation legislature. Martin Schulz replaced Poland's Jerzy Buzek, who did not seek re-election. He handily defeated two British legislators in the first round of balloting, winning 387 votes against 142 for Nirj Deva and 141 for Diana Wallis. Schulz gained international prominence in 2003 when Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called him an ideal choice to play a Nazi concentration camp guard in a movie.

VIENNA — Two European Parliament lawmakers have resigned and a third has stepped down from his position in his party after a British newspaper reported they had agreed to propose legislation in return for bribes. The Sunday Times reported this weekend that a former Austrian interior minister, Ernst Strasser; a former Slovenian foreign minister, Zoran Thaler; and a former Romanian deputy prime minister, Adrian Severin, agreed to put forward amendments in the European Parliament in exchange for money.

ENTER GOLDEN DAWN: With Greece spiraling into an economic morass, 300 legislators were sworn in following an inconclusive May ballot. Among them, 21 members one of the most extreme nationalist parties to have taken seats in a European parliament since World War II. RIGHT WAY?: Formerly a shadowy fringe group, the right-wing Golden Dawn vehemently rejects the neo-Nazi label, insisting it is a nationalist patriotic party. But its meteoric rise from a largely marginalized party a few years ago to one that won nearly 7 percent in recent elections has alarmed many in Greece...

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Jon Huntsman blasted through the Main Street Station Diner here this morning, hunting for New Hampshire voters. He found a college student from Connecticut and a member of the European Parliament touring New Hampshire to take in the drama of the primary season. Deeper in the diner he found Bill Abbott, a New Hampshire resident. "You're the only one among the Republican contenders who thinks science is a seven letter word not a four letter word," said Abbott, a lobbyist for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, referring to...

P LYMOUTH, N.H. - Jon Huntsman blasted through the Main Street Station Diner here yesterday morning, hunting for local voters. He found a student from Connecticut and a member of the European Parliament touring New Hampshire to take in primary season. Deeper in the diner he found Bill Abbott, a local resident. "You're the only one among the Republican contenders who thinks science is a seven letter word not a four letter word," said Abbott, a lobbyist for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, referring to Huntsman's stances on global...

Greece's conservatives lead their socialist rivals by between 4 and 7 percent, according to the last opinion polls before the May 6 general election — barely enough support to continue a coalition backing the crisis-hit country's bailout deals. Surveys for three daily newspapers published Friday indicate that the number of parties elected to parliament will rise from five to 10. Potential newcomers include the violent extreme right Golden Dawn party, signaling growing public anger toward to the rescue deals that have pushed the country into a fifth year of recession.

BERLIN - European lawmakers agreed Wednesday to extend the Continent's system of retail price controls on mobile phone roaming charges for five years and enacted price caps on mobile Internet fees paid by traveling smartphone users. The new price controls would extend a cap on roaming fees for voice service and text messaging that has been in effect in the 27-nation European Union since 2007. They were approved as part of a package of changes intended to increase competition. The package, subject to approval by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers,...

BRUSSELS - Accused of undermining fundamental democratic principles, Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, beat a tactical retreat yesterday. He offered to change details of controversial new laws but rejected claims that his country was sliding toward authoritarianism. In an appearance before the European Parliament, Orban sought to defuse the mounting criticism of his government, including a decision on Tuesday by the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, to start legal action against Hungary over the new laws.

A German socialist known for his fiery rhetoric was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday, promising to increase the role of the 27-nation legislature. Martin Schulz replaced Poland's Jerzy Buzek, who did not seek re-election. He handily defeated two British legislators in the first round of balloting, winning 387 votes against 142 for Nirj Deva and 141 for Diana Wallis. Schulz gained international prominence in 2003 when Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called him an ideal choice to play a Nazi concentration camp guard in a movie.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Jon Huntsman blasted through the Main Street Station Diner here this morning, hunting for New Hampshire voters. He found a college student from Connecticut and a member of the European Parliament touring New Hampshire to take in the drama of the primary season. Deeper in the diner he found Bill Abbott, a New Hampshire resident. "You're the only one among the Republican contenders who thinks science is a seven letter word not a four letter word," said Abbott, a lobbyist for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, referring to Huntsman's stance on global...

P LYMOUTH, N.H. - Jon Huntsman blasted through the Main Street Station Diner here yesterday morning, hunting for local voters. He found a student from Connecticut and a member of the European Parliament touring New Hampshire to take in primary season. Deeper in the diner he found Bill Abbott, a local resident. "You're the only one among the Republican contenders who thinks science is a seven letter word not a four letter word," said Abbott, a lobbyist for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, referring to Huntsman's stances on global...

A look at the candidates in the run-off for Bulgaria's presidency: ROSEN PLEVNELIEV: Supported by the ruling center-right GERB party of Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, Plevneliev, 47, is an engineer and former entrepreneur. As minister for regional development in the current government, he has been lauded for pushing through several large-scale infrastructure projects. Plevneliev pledges to support the government's drive to reform Bulgaria, which is plagued by corruption and economic crisis.

PARIS -- Raymond Triboulet, a leading World War II resistance fighter who helped US, Canadian, and British troops invade France, died Friday. He was 99. His death was announced by the family. Mr. Triboulet was appointed by General Charles de Gaulle as sub-prefect in France, the first to get that top administrator's title in the newly liberated country just days after allied troops landed on the Normandy coast. Liberated France at that time was a tiny sliver of Normandy carved out by invading troops, and Mr. Triboulet was based in the bomb-flattened city of Bayeux.

FRANKFURT - The European Central Bank warned yesterday of a perilous year ahead as the sovereign debt crisis collides with slower economic growth and a dearth of market financing for banks. The dire prediction, contained in the central bank's twice-yearly report on the risks to the eurozone financial system, was issued as European Union finance ministers fell about 50 billion euros short of their target for backstopping their economies by channeling an additional 200 billion euros, or $154 billion, through the International Monetary Fund.

A look at the candidates in the run-off for Bulgaria's presidency: ROSEN PLEVNELIEV: Supported by the ruling center-right GERB party of Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, Plevneliev, 47, is an engineer and former entrepreneur. As minister for regional development in the current government, he has been lauded for pushing through several large-scale infrastructure projects. Plevneliev pledges to support the government's drive to reform Bulgaria, which is plagued by corruption and economic crisis.