The German foreign ministry has announced strong support of gay rights around the world.

"In foreign affairs, the German government strongly objects to any discrimination based on sexual orientation," the Foreign Ministry said on its website. "It will do everything it can to fight discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals."

The goal is not always easy to implement. Nevertheless, German human rights commissioner Markus Löning sees it as an important part of his work.

"Homosexuals are discriminated against in many countries," he said, "whether in Africa, Asia or Europe. In many nations, there is societal discrimination against homosexuals."

BRUSSELS - Francois Hollande, socialist challenger for the French presidency, has honed his general opposition to the German-led fiscal discipline treaty by outlining the concrete changes he would like to see made to the document.

BRUSSELS - The Dutch far-right Freedom Party (PVV), a key ally of the centre-right coalition government, on Wednesday (8 February) opened up a website to collect complaints about people from Central and Eastern Europe residing in The Netherlands.

AFP - French President Nicolas Sarkozy took another big step towards confirming he will stand for re-election on Thursday, taking a populist turn with promises of referendums on jobs and immigration.

Le Monde reported he might declare his candidacy as early as next Thursday, but there was no official confirmation from the office of the right-wing leader, who polls say would lose the vote to a Socialist rival.

REUTERS - Spain's Supreme Court disbarred Judge Baltasar Garzon for 11 years on Thursday for illegally tapping defence lawyers' conversations, which may effectively end his career of international human rights trials.

Although less severe than a 20-year-ban the prosecution had originally demanded, the ruling is not subject to appeal. Garzon, 56, is also liable to a fine of some 2,500 euros($3,300).

"We shall carry on fighting, carry on appealing. We have a long road ahead, but I believe both he and I are more than strong enough," Garzon's lawyer Javier Baena said after the sentence.

AFP - French flag-carrier Air France cancelled more than a third of its long-haul flights and a quarter of shorter journeys Thursday as a four-day strike by aviation workers entered its final day.

The strike by pilots, flight attendants and ground staff was costing Air France eight to 10 million euros ($11-$13 million) per day, the company said.

Air France said it was operating 65 percent of its long-haul flights and 75 percent of medium- and short-haul flights, including by regional subsidiaries.

About the same proportion of flights had been cancelled on the third day of the strike on Wednesday.

AP - Three investigating judges have filed preliminary charges against former Labor Minister Eric Woerth for "passive influence peddling" after becoming ensnared in a scandal involving the fortunes of the L'Oreal heiress.

The former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said Vladimir Putin has exhausted himself as Russia's leader.

Gorbachev, who called on Putin to step down as protests against his rule grew in December, said the powerful prime minister could face a sustained popular uprising against his rule similar to those seen in Arab capitals.

"He has exhausted himself," Gorbachev said during a lecture at a Moscow university on Thursday. "If he does not overcome himself, change the way things are - and I think it will be difficult for him to do that - then everything will end up on city squares."

The government is facing the threat of renewed industrial action over its controversial pension reforms after unions representing hundreds of thousands of NHS workers, civil servants, firefighters and teachers raised the prospect of widespread strikes.

Leaders of more than 700,000 public sector workers warned of co-ordinated strikes on 28 March over proposals to raise pension contributions, lower pensions and raise retirement ages.

Greek parties agree a deal with a hole to be plugged later; the eurogroup dismisses the deal, and says it wants the hole to be plugged, a parliamentary agreement, and a written statement by all leaders that they would honour it after the elections; the gap of €325m is likely to come from cuts in military expenditures and of moving forward agree wage cuts; parliament likely to accept, but some MPs said they will vote against, the Pasok deputy labour minister resigned in protest, and unions to call a 48-hour strike; Mario Draghi says he is willing to forgo profits on the ECB's stake; the WSJ story of a ESB/EFSF debt swap is also confirmed as correct; Stephen Fidler argues that such a swap would increase bondholder incentives to accept PSI; Mohamed El-Erian explains that this agreement will collapse sooner or later; a camera catches Wolfgang Schauble promising more aid to Vitor Gaspar of Portugal; the German government considers scrapping of solidarity tax to win over the SPD in the Bundesrat in support of its proposed tax cuts; Sarkozy proposes a referendum on changes in the unemployment benefits and the legal situation of foreigners in France; German banks regret not having participated more massively in the LTRO, as Draghi criticises Josef Ackermann; ECB will balance increased risks in their loosened collateral framework with steep haircuts; Boersenzeitung, meanwhile, declares the end of the eurosystem.

Several hundred Belgian firefighters have broken through police lines in Brussels and hosed down the prime minister's office in protest at the government's tougher retirement plans.

The firefighters want to keep their early retirement age at 58, arguing their arduous job does not allow them to work into their 60s.