Brussels  - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday described the shooting spree in a school in south-west Germany that has left at least 15 people dead as a "senseless" act of violence.

"We are appalled and saddened by the senseless violence that cut short so many lives and injured and traumatised many others," the head of the European Union's executive arm said in a statement.

Islamabad - Pakistani police on Wednesday arrested hundreds of opposition activists and anti-government lawyers to forestall this week's planned cross-country protest march, which could send the year-old government into a tailspin, officials said.

Most of the arrests were made in the eastern province of Punjab, the power centre of popular opposition leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The arrests came after an overnight ban on public gatherings in Punjab and were followed by a similar ban in the southern Sindh province.

Harare  - Ministers from several African governments and thousands of Zimbabweans joined Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the burial of his wife Susan in her home district of Buhera on Wednesday, five days after her death in a car crash.

At least 5,000 people looked on as Tsvangirai's wife of 31 years was laid to rest next to the couple's modest rural home in the little village of Humanikwa, south-west of Harare.

Kiev  - Ukraine's government has met International Monetary Fund (IMF) demands by making politically-painful changes to monetary and fiscal law, a move opening the way for more emergency credits, a senior official said Wednesday.

Ukraine's cabinet in morning a morning session passed resolutions drastically limiting where future IMF loans to Ukraine might be spent, among other Fund pre-conditions for further loans, said Vice Minister Hryhory Nemyra, according to an Interfax news agency report.

Riga  - Latvia's prime minister-designate Valdis Dombrovskis announced on Wednesday that his centre-right coalition had agreed on its legislative programme, including big spending cuts.

Riga's government collapsed last month under the pressure of the economic meltdown.

The new government's priorities will include the promotion of entrepreneurship, a reduction in bureaucracy and the efficient use of EU funds - but also controversial cutbacks in public service salaries.

London  - Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe insisted on Wednesday that Great Britain will field a football team at the 2012 Olympics despite opposition.

The Scottish, Welsh and Irish Football Associations are opposed to a joint British team in case it threatens their independent status within Fifa.

Speaking in a debate at Westminster Hall, Sutcliffe said that although he wanted the side to have the "widest representation" from the United Kingdom, it could be that only English players were allowed to compete by the national associations.