Berlin/Washington - Europe is facing a sharp slump in growth this year, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday, led by a dramatic 5.6-per-cent contraction in its biggest economy, Germany, and resulting in a surge in unemployment.

With global trade shrinking and the world economy gripped by recession, the IMF slashed its 2009 growth forecast for the 16-member eurozone by another 1 per cent to 4.2 per cent with the currency bloc managing to pull back to a 0.4-per-cent decline in 2010.

Prague - The outgoing Czech government on Monday decided to invite the Dutch-French airline Air France-KLM and a Czech consortium of investment Unimex Group and Travel Service low-cost carrier to bid for Czech Airlines, acting Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said.

The cabinet thus shut out Russia's Aeroflot and a private equity group, Odien, from privatizing the state's 91.5-per-cent stake in the national carrier.

Bollywood’s hottest couple Aishwarya Rai Bachan and Abhishek Bachchan who failed to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in 2008, may head for Europe or the US on April 20.

Earlier, the couple had planned to make it a working affair but now the plans have totally changed.

The duo was supposed to shoot for their upcoming film ‘Ravana’ on their wedding anniversary as the film director Mani Ratnam desired to shoot some important scenes in Kerala's Chalakudy jungles from April 20 onwards.

Madrid  - The tulip entered Europe through Moorish Spain five centuries earlier than previously thought, according to a Spanish study made public on Thursday.

The study by the University of Cordoba and the School of Arab Studies contradicts the generally accepted version that the flower, which is now a symbol of the Netherlands, arrived there from the Ottoman Empire, passing through Central Europe.

Berlin - European car sales fell 17.9 per cent i

London, Apr. 15 : Britain''s failure to protect its citizens from secret surveillance on the Internet is to be investigated by the European Commission.

According to The Independent, the move will fuel claims that Britain is sliding towards a Big Brother state and could end with the Government being forced to defend its policy on internet privacy in front of judges in Europe.