Ship sinks off Dutch coast, 4 dead, 7 crew missing
Four crew members died and seven were missing in the icy waters of the North Sea, after a cargo ship collided with another vessel and sank off the ...

Mongolia finds China can be too close for comfort
After years of testy debate, Mongolia broke ground this spring for a railroad that will haul coal across the pebbled Gobi desert to China, but with ...

Aussies sorry for crank call to Kate's hospital
Two Australian radio disc jockeys apologized Wednesday after impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in a prank call and getting a London ...

Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect, dies at 104
Architect Oscar Niemeyer, who recreated Brazil's sensuous curves in reinforced concrete and built the capital of Brasilia on the empty central plains ...

Canada targets Romanians smuggling Gypsies
Canadian and U.S. immigration officials believe a smuggling ring has been bringing Romanian gypsies into the U.S. through Mexico in order for them to ...

EU imposes massive fine on TV, monitor producers
For years, some top managers at electronics multinationals would hold secretive meetings in Europe and Asia to fix the global market on the most ...
IOC strips 4 medals from 2004 Athens Olympics
Eight years after winning Olympic medals in Athens, four track and field athletes from eastern Europe were ordered to hand them back Wednesday because ...

Starbucks to open 1,500 more cafes in the US
Another Starbucks may soon pop up around the corner, with the world's biggest coffee company planning to add at least 1,500 cafes in the U.S. over the ...

Raphael drawing fetches $47.8 million in auction
One of the most significant drawings by Italian master Raphael in private hands sold for 29.7 million pounds ($47.8 million) in London Wednesday, ...

UK Treasury chief juggles budget as outlook dims
Britain's Treasury chief George Osborne said Wednesday that the recovery of the U.K. economy is taking longer than he had hoped and warned more ...

Syrian civil war spills over into Lebanon
The families of Lebanese men killed in Syria last week say their relatives were more interested in nice clothes and vacations than fighting a civil ...

Barcelona soccer club defends use of Catalan
Long a symbol of Catalan identity, Barcelona soccer club added its voice Wednesday to a simmering political dispute between the region of Catalonia ...

Senate to take up bill normalizing Russia trade
The Senate on Wednesday headed toward a vote on legislation that would end four-decade-old trade restrictions that are blocking U.S. businesses from ...
BBC broadcaster charged with indecent assault
An 82-year-old BBC broadcaster has been charged with three counts of indecent assault over alleged incidents in the 1970s and 80s, British police said ...

Athletes lose medals; Armstrong decision pending
Eight years after winning Olympic medals in Athens, four track and field athletes from eastern Europe were ordered to hand them back Wednesday because ...
Survey: Greece seen as most corrupt in EU
The countries worst hit by the European financial crisis are also perceived as being among the most corrupt in Western Europe, and those perceptions ...
Germany to take stake as EADS shakes up ownership
European aerospace and defense company EADS announced Wednesday a new ownership structure in which Germany is set to join France and Spain as state ...

US aware of Assad asylum offers
The Obama administration said Wednesday that several countries in the Middle East and elsewhere have informally offered to grant asylum to Syrian ...

Astronaut braces for unprecedented year in space
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is already bracing for an unprecedented one-year mission aboard the International Space Station. He figures it will be as ...

IOC opens case on SKorea soccer player for banner
The IOC says it has opened a disciplinary case against a South Korea soccer player who displayed a political banner after his team beat Japan in the ...

Clashes over financing threat UN climate talks
The world's poorest nations on Wednesday called for significant financing to cope with the impacts of global warming, setting up a potential clash ...
African leader aims for Mali mission in early 2013
U.N.-mandated African forces could intervene early next year to dislodge al-Qaida-affiliates from their new stronghold in northern Mali, Ivory Coast's ...

Russian writer Vasily Belov dies at 80
Vasily Belov, a writer who paid homage to old rural Russia in his books, has died. He was 80. Belov's death late Tuesday was announced by the ...

As Netanyahu visits Europe, relations frayed
It was supposed to be an amicable meeting between close friends. Instead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany has been soured ...
Ireland imposes 6th straight austerity budget
Ireland's government unveiled plans for €3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) in new taxes and spending cuts in the debt-burdened country's sixth straight ...