The EU and United States are set to launch negotiations on Monday to create the world's biggest free-trade pact despite a hard line by France to protect its film and culture sectors from Hollywood. Such a trade deal is touted as a potentially huge boost to business, economic growth and job creation, but the culture issue is seen as potentially offering a bargaining chip to the US side.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's economy expanded by 1.6 percent in the first quarter, the Federal Statistics Office confirmed on Monday, giving a breakdown of production that showed a sharp decline in output of mineral resources. The first quarter growth rate was the slowest since 2009, and represented a decline in year-on-year growth from 3.4 percent in 2012 as a whole.

US President Barack Obama on Monday told the people of Northern Ireland that they must respond with bravery whenever their hard-won peace fashioned after years of violence comes under attack. Obama told an audience of mostly young people in Belfast that the United States would always stand by them, as a new generation tries to forge a new identity from the province's bitter past.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski on Sunday defied calls to resign from thousands of protesters still angry over his controversial appointment of the country's top security chief, even though he reversed the decision. About 15,000 protesters gathered outside the government headquarters in downtown Sofia on Sunday evening, according to police estimates. Smaller protests were also held in a handful of other cities. Many were waving Bulgarian flags and shouting "Mafia!", "Resign!", and "Red garbage!" in what amounted to the biggest rallies in the past three days.