Free CD

Italian authorities turn water into wine

Technicians were meant to pump wine into a fountain at a local festival, but propelled it into household taps instead

Putin releases judo DVD

Russian Prime Minister marks 56th birthday with release of film that offers sport as a metaphor for his political style

Detroit’s car giants cut EU output

Collapsing demand for new cars across Europe is to cost skilled workers at General Motors and Ford hundreds of shifts

Savers left in limbo as Icesave freezes deposits

300,000 British savers left uncertain about their life savings after Iceland's second largest bank goes into receivership

Spain goes it alone as Europe squabbles

Spain is latest European country to announce unilateral rescue package, while Iceland receives €4 billion loan from Russia

When push comes to shove, spin counts

Vladimir Putin's apologists will doubtless relate many of his political successes to his devotion to judo principles

Animal rights activists' campaign 'spanned globe'

Court hears that campaign against animal testing was willing to target any company on the New York Stock Exchange

Gene link made to premature ejaculation

A study found men who climaxed too soon during intercourse had a version of a gene that controls the hormone serotonin

Ministers sacked after lawyer murder

Croatian PM sacks interior and justice minister after daughter of prominent lawyer was murdered outside her home

One in four mammals face extinction

Conservationists release 'bleak and depressing' assessment of survival prospects for world's wildlife

Basque terrorist freed on bail for IVF treatment

Families of victims fear Elena Beloki may return to Eta after the Spanish state agrees to pay for fertility treatment

French elite in dock over £450m Angola arms trial

Son of late President Mitterrand and 41 other prominent French figures in court for start of 'Angolagate' case in Paris

World takes fright amid crisis

Panic swept through the world's financial markets wiping $2,500bn from share values amid a worsening crisis of confidence

Terror as Iceland faces economic collapse

The Icelandic Government seizes control of the country’s biggest banks in an attempt to fend off wholesale economic collapse

Prosperity built on little was always vulnerable

Iceland’s success has come from holding only a few cards, but ones that others do not have, and playing them very well

Icelandic Prime Minister addresses the nation

Excerpts from Geir Haarde's speech as country faced worst economic crisis in modern times and introduced emergency legislation

Pope says world financial system 'built on sand'

Pontiff tells bishops that the collapse of major banks shows that "money vanishes, it is nothing" and only God's words matter

Global panic on markets over credit crisis

FTSE falls nearly 8% and Dow slumps under 10,000 as US bailout fails to stem crisis, which spreads deep into Europe

Live firing test for Russian cruise missiles

Up to 20 bombers are being sent into the air in largest display of Russian air power since collapse of the Soviet Union

Markets panic as crunch hits Europe

FTSE hits four-year low and Iceland and Russia face meltdown as EU leaders battle to save confidence in banks