Europe yesterday postponed sanctions against Moscow ahead of a Ukraine peace summit as US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed options to end 10 months of bloodshed.

Greece was locked yesterday in intense talks with its EU partners after the country's prime minister stuck to his anti-austerity guns with the deadline for a deal needed to avoid the risk of default and a euro exit just days away.

A senior Member of the Islamic opposition was arrested Sunday when police raided a press conference he was holding in a town hall outside the Algerian capital, reports AFP.

Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel has said in an interview with Newsweek International that the Czechs would not hinder the Slovaks if they wanted to secede, reports Reuter.

Yugoslav leaders said today they had pulled the turbulent Balkan federation back from the brink of civil war by accepting a European Community peace agreement after 16 hours of talks, reports Reuter.