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Nato puts the brakes on Ukraine and Georgia membership
Nato foreign ministers put an end yesterday to the possibility of Georgia and Ukraine joining the alliance within the next few years, reports the Times.
It said the only agreement reached on the two countries was an offer of assistance to help them build up their armed forces and aid with reforms.
However, the Independent says that decision not to offer the two countries membership action plans was fiercely opposed by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.
The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, says that Nato ministers decided to resume talks with Russia, which were frozen after Moscow's invasion of Georgia in August.
Rice is quoted in the Scotsman, though, as saying that it is not "business as usual" between the two sides, with remaining divisions over the conflict with Georgia, missile defence plans in Europe, and Nato's proposed expansion into the former Soviet Union.
The paper says talks will begin at a low level.
Protesters take to streets over planned EU Kosovo mission
Several thousand demonstrators took to the streets of Pristina, Kosovo's capital, on Tuesday to protest against the planned deployment of an EU judicial mission to the country, reports the International Herald Tribune.
The 2000-strong EU mission is being deployed under a UN mandate, following a deal at the UN Security Council last week and supported by Belgrade.
The Irish Times says that 4000 Kosovo Albanians took to the streets over fears that the terms of the EU mission's deployment would partition the country along ethnic lines.
Finance ministers want EU to clear state aid faster
EU finance ministers demanded on Tuesday that the European commission act more quickly in clearing government aid to banks hit by the financial crisis, reports the Guardian.
French economy minister Christine Lagarde described the meeting with competition commissioner Neelie Kroes as "spirited", according to the paper, and said that the EU executive had changed tack on government bank bailouts after advice from the European Central Bank.
Libération'sBrussels correspondent notes in his blog, however, that Lagarde had been premature in announcing that thecommission had backed down over state aid rules - and that the processof negotiation had only just begun.
Meanwhile, the commission has announced plans to issue detailed guidelines bymid-December for governments intending to give money to their banks tosupport the wider economy, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Itsaid the move by EU commissioner for competition Neelie Kroes was aresponse to criticism from European finance ministers about heroffice's handling of the issue.
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EU launches investigation into Russia-Georgia conflict
The EU will formally investigate the recent war between Russia and Georgia, reports Deutsche Welle.
The enquiry was launched on Tuesday, and will be led by Heidi Tagliavini, former UN special representative to Georgia. Tagliavini will try to determine the origins and unfolding of the conflict and will present the conclusions to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), EU nations, Georgia and Russia.
Meanwhile, Le Monde notes that both the EU and Nato have resumed diplomatic relations with Moscow, suspended in August as a result of the war.
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UK membership of EU predicted to cost at least £6bn by 2011
The UK's payments to the EU will more than triple in two years to over £6bn, reports the Telegraph.
The UK treasury forecasts the price of EU membership will be £6.5bn by 2011, an amount which it said could rise since the contributions are paid in euros and sterling has fallen to record lows against the single currency.
UK payments to the EU are reduced by an annual rebate, but they are rising as the rebate is gradually being reduced follwing an agreement made in 2005 by the country's former prime minister Tony Blair.
