Brussels

Britain's Queen Elizabeth urged Europe on June 24 to guard against division in the continent, at a state banquet in Berlin where Germany's president declared: "the European Union needs Great Britain". 

Greece and its creditors launched a new round of talks in Brussels early Thursday in a fresh bid to unlock billions of euros in loans and save the country from bankruptcy.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with representatives of the main lending institutions, under pressure to seal an agreement before facing other European Union leaders at a summit later Thursday.

Prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia Isa Mustafa and Aleksandar Vucic will probably reach agreement on Monday on all issues and sign the "Brussels 2" agreement.

This is according to the Belgrade-based daily Danas.

European shares fell for a second straight session on Thursday, with lingering concerns of a Greek debt default following a lack of progress in negotiations with its creditors prompting investors to cut their exposure to riskier assets like equities.

By George Georgiopoulos & Renee Maltezou

Greece's ruling Syriza party dismissed reform demands from the country's international creditors as "blackmail" on Thursday as crisis talks to avert a debt default and a eurozone exit entered a critical phase.

Bloomberg reports that the future looks glum with the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) government of Greece holding firm to its pre-election pledges to end austerity during a flurry of meetings in Brussels on Wednesday. Technical experts are now preparing the ground for fresh talks.

By Ian Wishart, Jonathan Stearns & Corina Ruhe

European officials resumed talks on Greece's bailout on Thursday after a day of negotiations broke up in the early hours without ending the standoff that has brought the country on the cusp of a default.

By Costas Iordanidis

On September 11, 2001, the US was the target of an unprecedented terrorist attack. But the country quickly regained its composure. The Americans reacted in the way they felt was the most appropriate, as a unified country ready to defend its vital interests.

The latest late-night negotiation between institutional creditors and the Greek side in Brussels proved fruitless, with talks expected to continue on Thursday morning. No comments were made afterwards, either by Greek PM Alexis Tsipras nor by the other leaders, which included Jean-Claude Juncker, Christine Lagarde, Mario Draghi and Jeroen Dijsselbloem, amongst others.