Foreign affairs 

An angel and the devil in hell on earth

Timur's first memory was the sound of Russian bombs smashing Grozny. At age one his father, a Chechen resistance fighter, was killed in a rocket attack. At age three his mother died. At age five, when the second Chechen war started, he and his grandparents lived in a cellar for months to hide from the bombardment. At age seven he was sent back to Grozny to live with an uncle, where he and a long-lost half-sister were savagely abused and forced to beg on the streets. At age 11 Timur ran away to live in a rubbish dump, strangling pigeons for food. Eventually he was taken in by Hadijat, a local woman who with her husband runs an unofficial home for Chechnya's lost children. Locals know her simply as “the angel of Grozny”.

US, EU begin fresh ‘open skies' talks

Second phase of liberalisation talks focuses on mergers and aligning rules governing the US and EU aviation markets.

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Foreign affairs 

Why Georgia should be on EU minds

The people of Georgia, a republic of less than five million people on the southern slopes of the Caucasus mountains, head to the polls on Wednesday (21 May) amid increasing volatility over its breakaway region of Abkhazia. The EU has pledged some €2 million in electoral assistance.

EU and US lead charm offensive

Last-ditch talks to seal deal ahead of US election Effort to win backing of emerging economies

Foreign affairs 

Lithuania lifts veto on EU-Russia deal

EU agrees to a string of Lithuanian demands in bid to end 18 months of deadlock over key agreement with Russia.

After victory, what now for Tadic?

Confounding the expectations of observers in Serbia and abroad, the Democratic Party (DS) of President Boris Tadic snatched a major victory from its main rival, the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) – hitherto Serbia's single largest party – in the early parliamentary election held on 11 May.

Not everyone buys into engagement with Russia

Seen from a German point of view, eastern Europe's disenchantment with the European Union is both untrue and fantastically offensive. How can the countries of eastern Europe feel betrayed by Germany when it was German pressure that got them into the EU (far too early, in the view of some existing members)? Germany is a huge investor in the region, a guarantee of stability, and a strong advocate for the ex-communist countries: that, at least, is the prevailing view in Berlin.

Business 

Spain facing court over Endesa case

European Commission threatening to take Madrid to the European Court of Justice.

Do manufacturers lack drive for greener cars?

A UK expert on greener vehicles has no sympathy for foot-dragging carmakers.

Commission calls a halt to noisy tyres

Tyre firms say targets are 'technically unfeasible"; proposal will also cover braking systems.