Colin Randall

Some true stories are so unbelievable that if a filmmaker tried to pass them off as fiction, they couldn't. But The Imposter, by Bart Layton, happens to be true.

The UK economy grew in the past quarter to pull out of a recessionary nose dive. While the government has hailed the news, others point out that Britain is, at best, still on a roller coaster of mixed indicators.

Speculation abounds about the shooting of a British-Iraqi couple, a relative and an apparent stranger, but case progress has been slow.

From Flanders Fields and the Scottish glens to Barcelona and the Costa Brava, a clamour for independence is sweeping parts of Europe.

Late November deadline set by UN Security Council for military action plan to end crisis that threatens to spread beyond the West African state.

Higher occupancy rates and revenue per room have helped the hotel industry in France ward off many of the ill effects of the economic crisis. Paris and the Riviera consistently bring in the tourists and buck the larger trend elsewhere.

Intelligence analysts and academics warn recent French success in identifying would-be jihadists does not mean they are winning.

Shocked to find out her son's killer was considered a martyr, a hero of Islam, Latifa Ibn Ziaten started a foundation to help young French Muslims from turning to extremism.

Euro Zone: While the avalanche of bad news continues to depress markets and consumer confidence alike, there are some success stories amid the distressingly familiar negativity. And the retail sector provides some of the brightest spots.

Many in France welcome Qatar's plan to invest in small businesses and job creation in deprived suburbs – but some question its motives. Colin Randall reports from Marseille

French embassies and schools in 20 countries will be closed tomorrow and riot police have been sent to guard the Paris offices of the magazine Charlie Hebdo after it insulted the Prophet Mohammed.

Despite prior pleas for increased levies and boasts of solidarity from wealthy citizens, a new 75 per cent millionaires' tax is not much appreciated.

Lawyers for the British royal family launch legal case in France against photographers responsible for taking topless pictures of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, while she was holidaying with her husband, Prince William.

Euro   Zone: Peugeot Citroën is struggling to keep its head above water and is considering shutting a huge manufacturing plant in its home country. And the dire situation has escalated to become an affair of state.