Greece's ex-prime minister Alexis Tsipras called for voters in upcoming snap elections to give his radical left Syriza party a "strong mandate" to lead the crisis-hit nation.
Greece geared up for a snap election next month, with an opinion poll showing the leftist party Syriza ahead despite a wave of defections over the country's massive new bailout.
France's divisive economy minister has once again made waves among Socialists by criticising the country's sacrosanct 35-hour week just as the ruling party gathers for its annual conference.
The bodies of more than 70 dead migrants have been recovered from an abandoned truck found on an Austrian motorway, more than the initial estimate of between 20 and 50.
NATO opened a training centre in Georgia as the ex-Soviet country eyes closer partnership with the Western military alliance amid tensions with Russia.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced down far-right hecklers vowing zero tolerance for "vile" anti-migrant violence as rescuers found 55 corpses on stricken boats in the Mediterranean.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that countries must "accelerate the rhythm of negotiations" on capping global warming ahead of an international climate conference in Paris in December.
Interior and transport ministers from EU countries are to hold talks in Paris to discuss security measures following last week's attack on a high-speed train that was foiled by passengers.
In a dusty field on Serbia's border with Macedonia, thousands of migrants hoping to reach a better future in western Europe are offered some respite from their perilous journeys.
The EU sharply criticised Russia on Tuesday for the jailing of Ukrainian filmmaker and Kremlin critic Oleg Sentsov, calling it a violation of international law.