NICOSIA (AFP) - At least 56 people were killed in violence across Syria on Sunday, half of them civilians, a rights group said.

HELSINKI (AFP) - Finland's conservative pro-European Sauli Niinistoe has been elected Finnish president, with Green challenger Pekka Haavisto acknowledging Niinistoe's overwhelming triumph at the polls.

PARIS (AFP) - Critical talks on a Greek debt rescue will over-run until Monday, one of the country's ruling coalition leaders said, as politicians decried pressure to pass harsher austerity measures.

HELSINKI (AFP) - Finland's conservative pro-European Sauli Niinistoe was far ahead of his Green challenger Pekka Haavisto in Sunday's presidential vote with half of ballots counted, the justice ministry said.

PARIS (AFP) - Europe will strengthen sanctions imposed on Damascus in a bid to boost pressure on the regime after China and Russia vetoed a UN resolution on the Syrian crisis, France said on Sunday.