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Western Europe

Spain's jobless near 5 million as banks await cash
The number of people officially registered as unemployed in Spain has edged up toward 5 million as the country's recession shows few signs of abating ...
Germany, France at odds over EU banking supervisor
European Union countries are dragging themselves to a year-end summit with a heavy load of unfinished business aimed at shoring up confidence in the ...
A look at the Patriot missiles en route to Turkey
NATO's expected decision Tuesday to provide Turkey with Patriot missiles returns the spotlight to an American-manufactured, anti-missile system that ...
British Scouts consider change to let atheists in
Atheists could be allowed into Britain's boy and girl scouts after more than a century. The Scout Association said Tuesday it plans to draft an ...
Criticism of Dutch "Black Pete" tradition grows
Foreigners visiting the Netherlands in winter are often surprised to see that the Dutch version of St. Nicholas' helpers have their faces painted ...
Louvre comes to poor French city, raising eyebrows
The Louvre has embarked on an ambitious quest — opening a €150 million ($196 million) extension in an abandoned coal mining town in northern France ...
3 youths to be charged after fatal soccer attack
Richard Nieuwenhuizen was doing what he loved: watching his son play soccer and volunteering as a linesman. On Monday, the 41-year-old father's ...
Cameron urges quick creation of press regulator
Britain's prime minister has warned newspaper editors they must act quickly to set up an independent press regulator in the wake of a media ethics ...
Officials familiar with case: IOC suspends India
The IOC suspended India's national Olympic committee on Tuesday because of government interference in its election process, two officials with ...
Ship and rescue boat sink off Istanbul; 3 dead
A cargo ship sank in a severe storm Tuesday in the Black Sea and a rescue boat searching for its missing crew hit nearby rocks and also went down.
Germany's Merkel sets stage for 2013 elections
Chancellor Angela Merkel launched her bid for re-election Tuesday, telling party faithful her government has successfully steered Germany through the ...
Digital rights groups blast Dutch computer plan
Digital rights groups have called on the Dutch justice minister to retract a proposal that would give the country's police the right to break into ...
Royal baby? You can bet on it
Who's cashing in on the royal pregnancy? Betting shops. Punters (bettors) in Britain have a range of possible wagers from betting agencies William ...
Struggling Nokia sells headquarters building
Nokia Corp. plans to sell its head office near the Finnish capital to real estate investors for €170 million ($220 million) as the struggling ...
UN pulling staff from Syria, violence near capital
Fighting between rebels and government forces raged near the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday, forcing an inbound commercial jet to turn back while ...
Mob storms Belfast City Hall over UK flag vote
A Protestant mob stormed into the grounds of Belfast City Hall and clashed with police Monday night after the council voted to remove the British flag ...
Elizabeth Price wins UK's Turner Prize for arts
Video artist Elizabeth Price, who uses collage and clutter to explore people's relationship to consumer culture, was named the winner of British art's ...
Will and Kate expecting a baby, UK palace confirms
Britain doesn't have to wait any longer: Prince William's wife, Kate, is pregnant. St. James's Palace made the announcement Monday, saying that the ...
Pope joins tweeting masses with Pontifex handle
Benedict XVI, the pope known for his hefty volumes of theology and lengthy encyclicals, is now trying brevity — spreading the faith through his own ...
Israel feels heat from allies over settlements
Israel rejected a wave of American and European condemnations Monday over plans to build thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements, vowing to ...
AP launches Spanish stylebook in Latin America
When writing in Spanish, it is perfectly acceptable to use the word "sandwich" to describe a tasty snack held together with two pieces of bread, to ...
Europe takes on tech giants and their tax havens
A storm is brewing in Europe as nations try to force Internet powerhouses like Google and Amazon to pay more in taxes. Governments, hungry for money ...
La Scala: Verdi-Wagner polemics 'ridiculous'
The dual bicentennial of the births of composers Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner is turning into a dueling bicentennial. La Scala general manager ...