Brussels - NATO expects "ever stronger cooperation" from US president-elect Barak Obama at a crucial time for the transatlantic alliance, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Wednesday.

"Today's security challenges require an ever stronger cooperation and solidarity between Allies, and I look forward to the role the United States will continue to play in this regard under president-elect Obama's leadership," the NATO chief said in a statement.

Brussels - The head of the European Union's executive body on Wednesday congratulated Barack Obama on his victory in the United States presidential election and called on him to work with the EU to shape a "new deal for a new world".

"This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the US. I want to assure Senator Obama of the support of the European Commission and of my personal support in forging this renewed commitment to face together the many challenges ahead of us," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

Berlin - Europeans turned the US elections into an all-night party with supporters of Barack Obama rewarded by news of his presidential win in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Across the continent, expatriates, political supporters or those who simply wanted to be part of history stayed up all night to watch election returns. People cast mock votes in Warsaw while Berliners partied with hula dancers, a call-out to Hawaii, the birthplace of president-elect Obama.

Brussels  - The French presidency of the European Union agreed Tuesday to scale back its ambitious 11-point plan on reforming global capitalism amid concerns that calls for a "global economic government" would encroach on national sovereignties.

The French proposal is meant to kickstart discussions on a common EU position ahead of a global financial summit due to take place in Washington on November 15.

At a preparatory meeting in Brussels, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said fellow EU ministers had shown "massive support" for the presidency's document, which outlines a series of key changes to the way global capitalism should be run.

Dublin - The man who spearheaded Irish opposition to the European Union's Lisbon Treaty said Monday that he hoped to turn his organization into a European political party.

Declan Ganley told Irish broadcaster RTE his aim was to run candidates in many EU states in the June 2009 European elections.

He said the move would provide an opportunity across the EU to provide a proxy referendum on the treaty designed to streamline the running of the 27-nation bloc.

Berlin - European inflation edged down in October, data released Friday showed, as a result helping to pave the way for the European Central Bank to deliver another hefty rate cut next week.

Based on its preliminary estimate, the European Union's statistics office said annual inflation in the 15-member eurozone edged down to 3.2 per cent this month from 3.6 per cent in September. Analysts had also expected inflation to come in at 3.2 per cent in October.