Crisis 'will take years to fix'

German chancellor Angela Merkel has said there is no easy fix to the European financial crisis, and that a solution will "take years".

Mrs Merkel told her country's parliament that "the German government has made it clear that the European crisis will not be solved in one fell swoop. It's a process, and that process will take years".

Mrs Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy are pushing for a reorganisation of existing regulations aimed at keeping the eurozone from breaking apart.

PM and Sarkozy in euro crisis talks

Prime Minister David Cameron is due to have talks with French president Nicolas Sarkozy amid desperate efforts by eurozone leaders to prevent the single currency breaking up.

The two men, meeting in Paris, will discuss the sovereign debt crisis which is crippling Europe and threatens to drag Britain back into recession.

They will also talk about plans to reorganise the governance of the eurozone which will see closer co-operation between the 17-strong bloc - potentially marginalising Britain's influence in the EU.

Public pension calculation 'lawful'

Government changes in the way annual public sector pension increases are calculated have been declared lawful by the High Court.

A number of trade unions accused the Government of unlawfully attempting to reduce pension costs in the battle to cut the UK's financial deficit. But the accusation was rejected by Lord Justice Elias, sitting with Mr Justice McCombe and Mr Justice Sales.

The legal challenge stemmed from a decision to use the consumer price index (CPI), instead of the normally faster-rising retail price index (RPI), to measure price increases influencing pension upgrades.

Whisky industry toasts exports high

The value of Scotch whisky exports reached almost £3 billion in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 23% on the same period in 2010.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said exports have hit a record high this year, with the industry pulling in £125 every second for the UK balance of payments.

The whisky industry in Scotland, which employs more than 10,000 people, has now achieved legal protection as a "geographical indication" in a number of markets, including India and China, according to the SWA.

Lawyers to get tablet computers

Judges, jurors and barristers are set to replace their traditional bundles with iPad-style devices in an attempt to create paperless courts.

Prosecutors will be given tablet devices which will contain all the evidence and documentation needed to conduct court hearings. The scheme will later be extended to judges, jurors and defence barristers, eventually meaning courts can operate without paper.

All Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) departments in England and Wales are preparing to roll out the devices from April.

Rollercoaster marriage proposal

Love was definitely in the air when a rollercoaster fan proposed marriage at the top of a 127ft theme park ride.

Jon Richards, 26, from Staines, west London, popped the question to girlfriend Sarah Jones, 27, at Thorpe Park.

He was given special permission to climb to the top of the new ride, The Swarm, at the park where the couple first met six years ago, and armed himself with banners and placards.

Rail staff set for £650 Games boost

Hundreds of rail employees will receive £650 for working during the Olympics under a "ground-breaking" deal that has been announced by a union.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said its members at London Overground will receive the extra payment in return for flexibility of work patterns during next summer's event.

The agreement will see additional pay for station, conductor, train care, fleet maintenance and revenue staff with an enhancement rate of 25% paid (normal time plus one quarter) for shifts worked during the Olympic and Paralympic games, said the union.

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