It now looks likely that the European Union will approve tougher data retention rules. The new rules are intended to give law enforcement authorities across Europe greater powers to enable them to gather evidence against terrorists and other serious crimes.

The unlikely partnership of two main groups in the European Parliament, the conservative European Peoples Party and the Socialists, has come together to strike a deal. They will bypass a number of amendments to the rulings that have been made by civil libertarians and with a combined total of 468 seats out of the 732-seat assembly, they are likely to get their way.

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