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Western Europe

Danish cyclist Rasmussen admits to doping
Danish rider Michael Rasmussen admitted Thursday that he took performance-enhancing drugs for more than a decade, the latest cyclist to acknowledge ...
Naomi Campbell wins libel case over elephant polo
Model Naomi Campbell accepted libel damages Thursday from a British newspaper over a story that falsely claimed she was planning an elephant polo ...
French gay marriage plans stir parenthood debate
The French are all for sex and all for family — so long as you're having sex to create one. Anything dealing with assisted reproduction makes a ...
AP source: Beckham will join French club PSG
After Madrid, Milan and Hollywood, David Beckham is heading to the most fashionable destination of all. The 37-year-old former England captain has ...
GM taps VW exec to run troubled Opel unit
General Motors has appointed the former head of Volkswagen's China business to try and turn around its lossmaking European division, Opel. The Adam ...
Sperm whale secretion may spell fortune for UK man
One very smelly sperm whale secretion may soon make one lucky British beachcomber a very happy man. Ken Wilman told British broadcasters that he had ...
Icelandic girl wins right to use her given name
A 15-year-old Icelandic girl has been granted the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother, despite the opposition of authorities and ...
German unemployment sees seasonal rise in January
Germany's unemployment rate increased to 7.4 percent in January as the country was hit by harsh winter weather, but seasonally adjusted jobless ...
AstaZeneca in patent warning as net profit falls
Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC warned over expiring patents on its medicines as the company announced a 37 percent fall in ...
German Parliament extends Afghan-mission
Germany's Parliament has voted to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan by 13 months. Parliament approved the extension on Thursday by ...
Cyprus jobless turn to illegal songbird trapping
It's just before first light and the bird-catcher strings nets among the orange, pomegranate, fig and carob trees in his orchard. The sound of ...
AP Interview: Altidore says racism shames everyone
United States striker Jozy Altidore refuses to hold a grudge against fans who showered him with racist abuse during a match this week, saying: "We all ...
New BlackBerry won't be released in US until March
Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled new, versatile BlackBerrys after excruciating delays allowed Apple, Samsung and others to build commanding leads in ...
Column: Balotelli can shake off clown tag in Italy
"A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma:" Winston Churchill's famous description of Russia easily could be applied to Mario Balotelli.
Schwarzenegger lauds Austria's environment record
Arnold Schwarzenegger is praising Austria — and not because it's the country of his birth. Arriving in Vienna on Wednesday ahead of the launch of his ...
Frank Schleck given 1-year doping sentence
Cyclist Frank Schleck was suspended for a year Wednesday and will miss the Tour de France for using a banned substance on last year's Tour.
French capture Islamists' last major Malian town
French forces met no resistance Wednesday in Kidal, the Islamists' last major town, as the two-week-old mission scored another success in its effort ...
Gulf leads UN appeal for major boost in Syrian aid
An emergency U.N. appeal to raise $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria exceeded its goal Wednesday at a conference with dire predictions of ...
Armstrong: Truth & reconciliation is 'only way'
A truth and reconciliation program is the "only way" to rid cycling of performance-enhancing drugs, and the sport's governing body should have no role ...
Morsi, in Germany, defends comments on Jews
Egypt's Islamist president turned aside repeated criticism of his past comments referring to Jews as "the descendants of apes and pigs" as he visited ...
Girl shot by Taliban to undergo final surgery
A Pakistani girl whose defiance of the Taliban turned her into an international icon is headed toward recovery once she undergoes a final surgery to ...
Greece eyes accounts of suspected tax evaders
The Greek government wants to give tax authorities the power to empty the bank accounts of accused tax evaders, even if they have not been convicted.
Austrian charity plans to move into Hitler's house
An Austrian charity that helps immigrants reportedly plans to set up an office in the house where Adolf Hitler was born. The villa in the Upper ...
Suppliers, grocers turning to DNA testing on meat
Ireland's surprise discovery this month of horsemeat traces in factory-produced burgers is boosting business for one trade: Forensics labs that use ...