Latest from Europe

Crisis brings us closer, says EU president
Those who think that the Euro will disintegrate are not fully aware of the dynamics of the European Union, the EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Auckland today.

Mallorca: Off-season charm
The largest of Spain's Balearic islands is still a green place in the autumn, writes Andreas Heimann.

Wall St rallies overnight
US shares rebounded overnight, as investors applauded signs on both sides of the Atlantic that government fiscal problems are getting solved.

Ask Lonely Planet: Month required for Trans-Siberian taster
Advice on tackling the epic 7865km Trans-Siberian route... and learning a little Mongolian.

Switzerland: Conquering an alpine legend
Scaling the Matterhorn is something best done while you're young, says Alpine guide Rudi Steindl.

Archaeologists discover Roman gladiator school
The remarkably well-preserved underground site is the first gladiator school ever found outside Italy.

Canary Islands: Where to stay in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria's Seaside Hotel Palm Beach was built in the 1970s and positively embraces its roots.

Share slump hammers Euro banks
Stocks in Europe and Italian fixed-income securities were pummelled on concern about the euro zone's debt crisis. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index ended the day with a 4.1 per cent drop.

The day the nightmare scenario came true
Ed Vulliamy was only 20 blocks away when the twin towers were attacked by al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. Here, in this highly personal account, he recalls those devastating first moments and the eerie days that followed.

Italian tarantula's bite gives birth to a summer beat
A forgotten brand of homegrown folk music has turned Puglia into one of the most fashionable summer festival destinations in Europe.

Rugby World Cup: High hopes for opening ceremony
What goes into the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup? More than you'd think. Rebecca Kammgoes behind the scenes with some of the busy key players charged with bringing it all together

Michele Hewitson Interview: Keith Quinn
Forty years in a blokey, sometimes unkind profession hasn't left a dent in the genial exterior of rugby's 'old bear'