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Western Europe

Dutch to send Turkey 2 Patriot systems
The Dutch government approved a NATO request Friday to send two batteries of Patriot missile defense systems to Turkey, following in Germany's ...
Olympics ceremony gets nod at London stage awards
Director Danny Boyle's Olympics opening ceremony is a finalist for theater event of the year at London's Whatsonstage awards. Boyle's spectacular ...
Britain sees decline in Christmas birds like doves
Just try finding a partridge in a pear tree in Britain these days. Britain's Royal Society for Protection of Birds says the two icons of the Christmas ...
German central bank cuts 2013 growth forecast
Germany's central bank sharply cut its 2013 economic growth forecast to 0.4 percent on Friday, while poor industrial production figures underlined ...
Trapped in 2 worlds: 'Pelleas et Melisande'
In Claus Guth's haunting new production of Debussy's "Pelleas et Melisande," the characters move as if in a trance between two worlds — both of them ...
AP Exclusive: China Nobel wife speaks on detention
Stunned that reporters were able to visit her, Liu Xia trembled uncontrollably and cried as she described how absurd and emotionally draining her ...
With war shifting, US, Russia talk Syria's future
Diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war moved forward Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joining Russia's foreign ...
UK publicist Max Clifford arrested in sex case
For years, the affable, white-haired Max Clifford has been the "go to" guy for British celebrities seeking help with public relations fiascos. Now it ...
Hamas chief's Gaza visit sign of regional embrace
The supreme Hamas leader's first-ever visit to the Gaza Strip this weekend signals growing regional acceptance of the Islamic militant movement in ...
Greek jobless rate up to record 26 percent
Greece's unemployment rate rose to a new record of 26 percent in September, underscoring the economic plight in the country as it heads toward a sixth ...
Pregnant Kate discharged from London hospital
The Duchess of Cambridge left a London hospital Thursday after being treated for acute morning sickness related to her pregnancy. Clutching a small ...
Protestant militants target Northern Ireland party
Northern Ireland leaders appealed for calm Thursday after Protestant militants attacked offices and a home connected to the most compromise-minded ...
NATO moves toward deployment on Syria border
As fears grow in the West that Syrian President Bashar Assad will unleash chemical weapons as an act of desperation, NATO moved forward Thursday with ...
Monti gov't under fire as Berlusconi pulls support
Concerns over the stability of the Italian government grew on Thursday after Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support from Premier Mario Monti, ...
Austrian bus driver finds, turns in about $500,000
Vienna's transport authority says a city bus driver checking a bag left behind by a passenger had the surprise of his life — €390,000 (more than ...
Clinton defends Rice as 'stalwart' UN ambassador
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is defending U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as a "stalwart colleague." Speaking Thursday ...
ECB cuts growth outlook for eurozone, holds rates
The European Central Bank warned of another gloomy year for the 17 European Union countries that use the euro, cutting its forecast for economic ...
Chinese Nobel literature winner: censorship a must
This year's Nobel Prize in literature winner, Mo Yan, who has been criticized for his membership in China's Communist Party and reluctance to speak ...
Dutch call off search for 6 missing crewmen
Rescuers called off search efforts for six missing crewmen Thursday from a cargo ship that sank in the North Sea after a collision with another vessel
EADS downgraded after shareholder overhaul
Moody's Investor Service lowered its main credit rating for EADS, the make of Airbus plans, citing the European aerospace giant's overhaul of its ...
'The Bodyguard' stage musical opens in London
Does "The Bodyguard" have the muscle to be a hit? A stage musical based on the 1992 movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner has opened at ...
Starbucks promises to pay more UK tax
Starbucks bowed to mounting pressure over its tax affairs in Britain and revealed Thursday that it would pay about 10 million pounds ($16 million) in ...
Police save ancient Egyptian sculpture in Italy
An Egyptian granite sculpture of a sphinx that risked ending up on the black market for antiquities is destined instead for a Rome museum. Italian Tax ...
Key quotes from ECB head Draghi's press briefing
At his monthly news conference following the European Central Bank's policy-setting meeting, President Mario Draghi on Thursday answered questions ...
British composer Jonathan Harvey dies at 73
Jonathan Harvey, a British modernist composer whose operas and other works reflected a deep engagement with spirituality, has died at age 73.